Riders warned against using dry ice for cooling horses after video goes viral

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Pippa Cuckson
27 July, 2019 13:05

The FEI has “strongly recommended” riders do not use dry ice as a cooling agent, following outcry over a video of an endurance horse standing amid dramatic clouds of vapour.

Immediately after the incident in France on May 9, the FEI advised the “possibility” of bringing a case of abuse against the horse’s Spanish rider Arkaitz Arakistain Aristi.

But further investigations have revealed the horse was standing in buckets of water mixed with dry ice, and as the liquid temperature did not drop below 0C, no FEI rules had been broken and no disciplinary case will be pursued.

The FEI did, though, stress it would be harmful if dry ice directly contacted the horse’s skin.

A FEI spokesman said: “The FEI veterinary department stresses that there is no benefit to using dry ice in combination with water; however, it is very clear that the use of dry ice without water is dangerous and, in the event of direct contact with skin and other tissues, could cause freeze burns, which would be a major horse welfare issue and would be a clear breach of the FEI veterinary regulations.

“Due to the associated risks of using dry ice, the FEI veterinary department strongly recommends that it should not be used as a cooling agent...”

Read more here:
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/riders-warned-using-dry-ice-cooling-horses-video-goes-viral-692704

Mongol Derby to welcome 45 competitors from around the world

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

July 29 2019

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Tuesday 29 July 2019. Featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest and toughest horse race, this is the 11th year that 45 men and women from the four corners of the earth will race 1,000km across Mongolia on semi-wild horses.

This year’s edition will start on 7 August and the riders are expected to finish on 16 August.

The race recreates Chinggis Khaan’s ancient horse messenger system in epic fashion.

In 1224, Man of the Millennium Genghis Khan set up the world’s first long-distance postal transmission system. Using a massive network of horse stations his messengers could gallop from his capital Kharkhorin to the Caspian sea in a few days. It’s thought the speed of this communications was one of the great tactical advantages of the Mongol warriors.

Riders carrying messages directly from the Khan would ride non-stop wearing a gergel (metal plates showing the authenticity of the message) on their belts. Messengers would leap onto their new ride at each Urtuu at full tilt. Not even the call of nature or hunger would stop them. The remnants of this horse-wise-web carried on delivering post and messages right into the 1950’s.

The hardy & semi-wild native horses of Mongolia reprise their traditional role as the legs and lungs of the adventure and the horse stations, or morin urtuus, will be manned by nomadic herding families as they traditionally were. The messengers themselves will be played by horsemen and adventurers from around the world all riding up to 160km a day, navigating independently and changing horses at 40 kilometre intervals.

Cool Earth is once again the race’s official charity, although riders can also raise money for causes close to their saddles, and hearts.

Riders range from a 56-year-old Texan cowboy to a helicopter pilot from Alice Springs, a paleo-botanist from The Netherlands and a management consultant from South Africa, via a host of saddle-hardened (they’ll need to be) girls and boys from the racing world. All think they are fearless and ready for the most extreme adventure of their lives – we’ll see… Some will crash and burn...

See the competitors here:
https://endurance-world.com/mongol-derby-to-welcome-45-competitors-from-around-the-world/

Australia: Miranda Hodges' Tom Quilty Gold Cup success

Inverelltimes.com.au - Full Article

July 29 2019
Laini Kirkman

Inverell horse rider Miranda Hodges, who has only been riding for around 18 months, placed seventh in her first Stirling's Crossing Tom Quilty Gold Cup.

The 17-year-old qualified for the 160 kilometre endurance ride last year. Competing in the junior division against 30 other riders, Hodges started riding at midnight on the Friday, July 12.

Riders have 24 hours to complete the complex endurance ride that has a strong focus on horse safety with regular vet checking. She finished at 6.30pm on Saturday evening in equal seventh place...

Read more here:
https://www.inverelltimes.com.au/story/6290728/miranda-hodges-tom-quilty-gold-cup-success/

Australia: Last muster on NT cattle station before heading to Mongol Derby

ABC.net.au - Listen

On NT Country Hour with Matt Brann
25 July 2019

Sam Chisholm, who grew up on Napperby Station in the Northern Territory, is getting ready for the world's longest and toughest horse race — the Mongol Derby.

The helicopter pilot, who admits he hasn't done too much practice apart from some mustering on a Top End station, is just weeks away from taking on the 1,000 kilometre race through Mongolia.

"I've been at work for the last three weeks, so I haven't done a great deal of riding," he said.

"I've been riding my pushbike around and will be heading back to Auvernge Station to do a couple of more rides on the horse and get back to being saddle-fit, and then I'm on the plane.

"There's a lot of professionals in the field [for the Mongol Derby] and I'm pretty glad they let a few hacks from the bush have a go and hopefully we can hold our own."

Along with his cousin Pip, the two will be taking on the endurance ride while also raising money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

He spoke to ABC Rural about the challenge ahead...

Listen at:
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/nt-country-hour/territorian-sam-chisholm-prepares-for-mongol-derby-2019/11346524

Australia: Racing the Mongolian steppe

ChinchillaNews.com.au - Full Article

by BROOKE DUNCAN
23rd Jul 2019

DERBY: Taroom's Sally Conway is preparing her mental and physical resilience ahead of taking on the Mongol Derby - the most gruelling, rugged and longest horse race in the world.

In two weeks Conway will swap southwest Queensland for the harsh environment of Mongolia, where she will ride semi-wild horses across 1000km in 10 days - tracing the ancient messenger route established by Genghis Khan.

The intrepid adventurer first heard of the Mongol Derby in 2017 while she was working at a safari lodge in Kenya.

A visitor to the lodge had completed the derby and Conway - along with an English friend - decided to do it together.

"Then things in Kenya actually went pear-shaped, we were involved in the Laikipia land invasion where basically our ranch, the safari lodge we were working on, got completely taken over so I came back to Australia and she went back to England,” Conway said.

"Not long after that my aunt committed suicide, and so I decided that I was still going to do it and do it to raise money and awareness for mental illness...”

Read more here:
https://www.chinchillanews.com.au/news/racing-the-mongolian-steppe/3786908/

Royal Cavalry wins French Jullianges endurance horse race

Timesofoman.com - Full Article

July 21, 2019 | 6:23 PM by ONA

Paris: The Royal Cavalry won first place of the two star 122-kilometre French Jullianges endurance horse race organised by International Equestrian Federation.

The race included four stages, as the first stage was for 38 kilometres the second for 33 kilometres, the third for 31 kilometres and the fourth stage was for 20 kilometres. 35 horse riders from the Sultanate, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Spain and the Netherlands participated in the race.

Ali bin Hassan Al-Farsi, riding Raphal de Creer, won the race...

Read more at:
https://timesofoman.com/article/1644088

Oman: Medication breach sees Endurance rider suspended and fined

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

July 22, 2019
Horsetalk.co.nz

An endurance rider whose mount failed a drug test after a 160km contest in Muscat, Oman, has been suspended for six months and fined 3000 Swiss francs.

The FEI Tribunal also imposed costs of 3000 Swiss francs – twice that sought by the FEI – against the Oman-registered rider, Abdul Hamid Al Murad Al Balushi.

This was because Al Balushi failed to file a response in relation to the failed drug test in a case the tribunal said could have been dealt with through an administrative procedure. This would have removed the need for a formal tribunal hearing.

Al Balushi rode Esus De Maraval in a CEI3* contest on April 12 last year...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/07/22/medication-breach-endurance-suspended-fined/