Lily, the horse that earlier this year was pelted 130 times at close range with a paintball gun, has died.

Lily at the animal sanctuary 

Last month, Lily was sent to a New Jersey farm animal sanctuary owned by TV personality Jon Stewart and his wife, Tracy. Lily died there Monday.

The animal sanctuary posted a statement on Lily’s death.

“It is with the deepest sadness that we share with you that dearest, sweetest Lily passed away yesterday. She went peacefully surrounded by so many that loved her. We stroked her hair and told her over and over again how loved and special she was. She was under her favorite tree on soft grass. She will live on in our hearts and in our fight to protect, love and cherish all animals.”

Lily was a 20-year-old Appaloosa/Arabian mix. That breed of horse typically lives to be 25 to 30 years old, according to Rose Nolen-Walston, senior clinician at New Bolton Center.

Earlier this year, Lily was found at the New Holland Auction stables, in pain after being hit by paintballs. “She was tied up in the sales barn and had welts underneath her skin,” said Kelly Smith, director of the Omega Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Airville at the time. “Never in 20 years of going to New Holland Auction have I ever saw anything like this.”

The horse was not registered for sale at New Holland Auction and had no identification when found.

But the horse, which was blind in one eye, was nursed back to help thanks to veterinarians at the New Bolton Center outside of Kennett Square. A team of specialists at New Bolton Center worked through the night to stabilize the horse, later named Lily after the Easter flower.

Coincidentally, the same day Lily was adopted by Stewart and his wife, Phillip Price Jr., 65, of Rhode Island was charged with transporting the equine to the horse sale. He was later convicted on counts of animal cruelty and handling animals without a license.

Tracey Stewart said she and Jon currently have 33 animals that are part of their sanctuary, and as far as farm animals go, they have many goats, many sheep, two pigs and three other horses. She said Lily would be an animal ambassador for the sanctuary, and people would be able to visit her.

At the time Lily was adopted, Stewart said Lily will be living the good life, she’ll get the best of care, and there will be no demands made of her. “From here on out, it’s going to be exactly what she wants,” she said.

Authorities have never found the person or persons who shot the horse with a paintball gun, despite a reward of more than $10,000.

The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club welcomes Olwen Busch of the Jacksonville Equestrian Center.

For equestrian Olwen Busch and her horse Filibuster, a dressage show last weekend held very special significance.

Busch competed in First Level to be officially inducted into The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club, which honors competing horses and riders whose combined age is at least 100 years old.

“Since I am 82 and Filibuster is 20, I figured we should do it now while we are both still sound! Busch said.

Florida Equestrian Society, which manages the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. Busch pursued the opening of hiking and riding trails at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center — trails that now stretch on for miles — and has been a generous donor and fundraiser for the Northeast Florida Equestrian Society.

In order to be inducted into the Century Club this past weekend, Busch performed a dressage test before a rated judge. She was rewarded with a ribbon from The Dressage Foundation, and a trophy is to come.

Despite masterfully completing her test (even with Filibuster spooking at a dog that took interest in the pair), the show ring has never been Busch’s favorite place to be. She began riding bareback across deserts in Idaho and Arizona at the age of five, and, throughout the next 77 years, she has ridden throughout the world in disciplines such as hunt seat, cross-country, saddle seat, reining, and dressage. Busch’s experiences on horseback have included international horse safaris with her husband, training sport horses, and riding a stag hunt with the Kermaingant Hunt Club in Normandy, France just five years ago.

Today, Busch enjoys dressage and trail riding with Filibuster.

“The real thrill I have always gotten from riding has nothing to do with competitions won or lost, but with the joy of still being able to handle a horse, keep a tight seat on a lively horse, work the horse in new ways, and explore new country (and new cultures) from horseback,” Busch said.

Busch and Filibuster have proven to be a strong team together.

“As a result of our many different shared experiences, I feel a camaraderie with Filibuster that I never felt with the veteran show horses I rode growing up,” she explained.

For Busch and Filibuster, it was love at first sight. “In 2002, I heard about a lively gray Arab/Hackney gelding that was for sale,” she recalled. Although Busch was advised to watch the gelding’s performance videos before actually seeing him, she insisted on meeting him in person first.

“One moment with him in his stall did it,” said Busch. “I dutifully watched the videos afterward, but they had nothing to do with my decision to buy him.”

Since then, the pair has enjoyed many memories together, and now will be forever listed in The Century Club’s rankings as well.

Now, Busch plans to spend her summer working with her five-year-old Akhal-Teke mare Gulkana. “Filibuster will be Gulkana’s trail companion this summer, and I hope to start showing her myself in dressage. After all, if I can survive the Century Ride class, maybe I am ready to start showing again. One is never too old to have new goals. May the bucket (list) never run dry!” smiled Busch.

And of course, she plans to continue enjoying rides on Filibuster throughout the summer and the years ahead. Busch said, “May we gracefully grow old together, helping each other stay fit, alert, and always curious about what lies beyond the next bend in the trail.”

75-year-old dressage rider ruled out of Rio Olympics

Japanese dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu, who at the age of 75 would have been the oldest athlete ever to take part in an Olympic Games, has missed out on qualifying for Rio 2016 after his horse was taken ill.

The nature of the horse’s problems have not been revealed, but Hoketsu, who competed with the late Whisper 115 at both the Beijing and London Olympics, said getting the horse well was his priority.

He had been training in The Netherlands and Germany, but is now unable to take part in Japan’s qualifying trials. “To my regret, I gave up on my dream of competing in the Rio Olympics,” he said.

Had he competed at Rio, Hoketsu would have overtaken the previous oldest Olympian, Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn, who participated in the 1920 Antwerp Games at the age of 72, winning a silver medal. Austrian dressage rider Arthur von Pongracz de Szent-Miklós und Óvár was also 72 when he competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics, placing fourth in the Men’s Team Dressage.“I don’t want to push the horse, so unfortunately I have given up upon the dream of competing in the Rio Olympics,” Hoketsu said. “There’s nothing decided about the future. First I’d like to prioritize getting the horse well again.”

Hoketsu was the oldest sportsman at the London 2012 Games, aged 71. His appearance four years earlier was one of the longest breaks between Olympic appearances for an equestrian, after he went to his first Games in Tokyo 1964, competing as a showjumper.  

His previous mount, hanoverian mare Whisper 115, formerly named Wanessa, was euthanised at the age of 15 in late 2013. She had suffered a cracked pastern not long after the London Games which was operated on, but unfortunately it became infected. A further operation in late November 2013 failed to save the mare.

Born in Tokyo, Hoketsu learned to ride at the elite Tokyo Riding Club and earned a spot on the 1964 Olympic show jumping team, where he finished 40th. He then moved into the commercial world,  following a graduate degree in Economics at Duke University in the USA he worked with the pharmaceutical company Hoffmann La Roche before becoming Manager of the Tokyo subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

It was his wife, Motoko, who introduced Hoketsu to the charms of the dressage arena having enjoyed watching the sport herself in Europe. Fascinated by the detail and precision of the sport, he began to ride again in the mornings before going to work and, arriving home from trips abroad, would rush straight to the stables to polish up his technique. His efforts earned him a spot at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988 when he was 47, but his dream fell apart when his horse unexpectedly failed quarantine tests due to a respiratory problem. So he decided he would concentrate on competing at home in Japan where he won five national championships in a row between 1988 and 1992.

But the dream of returning to the Olympic spotlight had never gone away, and following his retirement from Johnson & Johnson in 2003, Hoketsu flew to Aachen in Germany to meet dressage trainer Ton de Ridder. Under de Ridder’s tutelage he qualified for the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2006 only to be disappointed again when his horse, Calando, was unsound but Hoketsu would still not admit defeat. And then Whisper, the chestnut horse with an unusual taste for bananas, came into his life. They gelled into a great partnership and the rest is history.

The next oldest Olympic equestrian competitor is believed to have been British dressage rider Lorna Johnstone. Born on September 4, 1902, she enjoyed a long career, competing at the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956, in Mexico in 1968 and, at the ripe age of 70, in Munich in 1972 where she was uncharitably called “The Galloping Granny”.

Tom Thumb Snaffles a Harsh Bit?

People will tell you that a Tom Thumb Snaffle is a very harsh bit because it is a leverage bit. They will tell you because of the broken mouth and the shanks it can be painful for the horse. They will tell you a horse will open their mouth to evade the pressure and pain. All of this is certainly
true, but if you have very soft quiet hands this is not a issue.

For many years people have told me that the Tom Thumb that I use is a harsh and serve bit, but I don't  find that to be true. My gelding Omar never had any issues with his Tom Thumb Snaffle. I switch him to that bit from a curb and rode him Western with that bit for 20 years.  That was the Western bit I chose for both of my Arabian mares that I trained neither one had any issues. I started both mares training with a plain snaffles of course, but transitioned them to the Tom Thumb. When my sister bought her Paso Fino gelding she found he didn't care for the bit he had been ridden with, so we tried the Tom Thumb and he has been happy with that bit for the last 16 years.

Al the Paso Fino being ridden with a Tom Thumb 

You might notice in the photos neither one of the horses are attempting to evade the bit by opening his or her mouth. They have a lovely head set and are collecting  their gaits. Both horses have a pleasant expression on their faces not painful or worried expression.

The truth of the matter is any bit can be harsh in the wrong hands , even the most mild snaffle . The moral of this story is you need to have soft quite hands when you ride and you need to learn how to ride with your seat, legs and hips along with your hands. Remember what counts is what is on the other end of those reins-you.

Feds on path to get tough on soring, says HSUS

Thermographic image showing excessive warmth (seen as red and orange colors), which may be caused by inflammation from soring. The pattern seen is consistent with soring using a chemical agent. © USDA

Federal authorities are making moves to ban the stacks and chains that are an integral part of soring walking horses, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) believes.

Its president and chief executive Wayne Pacelle, writing in his blog, A Humane Nation, says the Obama Administration has signaled its readiness to crack down on the illegal practice of soring.

Soring is the use of chemical and mechanical irritants to encourage the high-stepping favored by the so-called “Big Lick” segment of the Tennessee walking horse industry.

Pacelle asserted that the “Big Lick” segment had so far shown no willingness to root out abuse in the industry.

Pacelle said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent a proposed rule late last week to update its existing Horse Protection Act regulations to the Office of Management and Budget for White House clearance – a key step before a proposed rule is released for public comment.

For some time, the HSUS has urged the USDA to take greater action against soring.

In February last year, the nonprofit animal advocacy group filed a rule-making petition with the USDA for a rule to ban the “stacks” and chains used in soring. put an end to industry self-policing; and crack down on violations by extending disqualification periods.

“At this stage of the review process, the text of the USDA’s proposed rule is not yet public. But to be effective, the proposed rule should include all of these commonsense, long-awaited reforms,” Pacelle said.

“It’s been a federal crime since 1970 to show horses who have been sored. But cruel, unscrupulous trainers exploit regulatory loopholes, and the corrupt industry self-regulation system allows the perpetuation of what amounts to organized crime, all for the sake of show ribbons.”

Pacelle noted that the USDA had stated publicly in separate Federal Register notices, in 1979 and in 2011, that if soring persisted it would consider banning the chains hung around horses’ legs and the tall, heavy stacks nailed to horses’ hooves.

“These devices exacerbate the pain of caustic chemicals on the skin, conceal hard or sharp objects jammed into the tender soles, and make the hoof strike the ground at an abnormal angle and with excessive force,” he said.

“It’s way past time to eliminate the use of these instruments of torture, as a majority in Congress recognizes.”

Pacelle reiterated his support for the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, which enjoys wide backing across the entire US political spectrum but has yet to be brought to the floor of the House or Senate for a vote.

It enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress from more than 300 Senate and House cosponsors and a wide range of endorsements from respected bodies.

“There is no question the current regulations are failing to protect horses from a core group of scofflaw trainers and owners in this industry,” Pacelle said.

“Their denials are hollow and their cruelty is incontrovertible. At this stage of the debate, this Administration has an opportunity to fix this broken system before President Obama leaves office, and here’s an issue where nearly the whole of Congress agrees with needed reforms.

“The agency action we’re pressing is urgently needed. We’re going to put our shoulder behind this rule-making to put an end now to both the lawbreaking and the scourge of soring.”

Man Charged With Animal Cruelty In Case of Abused Horse

A 65-year-old man has been charged with animal cruelty for transporting a lame horse to the New Holland Sales Stables for auction, in a case which gained international headlines.

The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office said Phillip S. Price was charged on Wednesday with five summary citations over his handling of Lily, a pony mare.

The horse, seemingly left at the saleyards in Pennsylvania following the auction, was reported to be in poor condition, but what shocked the horse community was evidence the grey mare had been hit up to 130 times with paint-ball pellets.

However, authorities stressed that they have yet to make an arrest in connection with the paint-ball matter.

The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that New Holland police Detective Lieutenant Jonathan Heisse had filed the charges against Price, which will be mailed to him.

The Lancaster County SPCA investigated the case. Police, after consultation with and approval by Assistant District Attorney Christine Wilson, filed the charges.

The injured horse, since named Lily, was very thin and blind when she was dropped off at the New Holland Sales Stables on West Fulton Street on March 14.

Price, of East Providence, Rhode Island, is charged with three counts of animal cruelty, a single count of dealing and handling animals without a license, and a single count of importing animals without an interstate health certificate.

The horse was allegedly transported from a location in New Jersey to the auction site.

Each summary citation carries a maximum fine of $300, plus additional court costs, which will be ordered by District Judge Rodney Hartman if Price is proven guilty. At that point, restitution for the horse’s care may also be ordered.

Six Words No Instructor/Trainers Wants To Hear

by Cheryl Childs/Cheryl Childs Horsmanship

There are six little words that can strike terror in the heart of a trainer/instructor. You ask what those six little words are - well they are  "I was talking to a friend,". You see those six words are generally followed by "and he said I should......" and with those few words uttered in a matter of seconds months of hard work by the rider, the horse and  myself are undone. When those words come out of a client's mouth I brace myself for a deluge of advice from that friend who apparently believes they know more than a professional trainer/instructor. It also seems that this friend doesn't support their friend (my client) in her need to improve her horsemanship, build a better bond with her horse, become a more confident rider or improve her horse's overall training. This friend seems to be opposed to their friend (my client) expanding her horizons and trying something new with her horse as well.

This advice giving friend always seems to have the answer to any problem someone is having with their horse. Their answers are usually as follows "you just need to ride him longer and harder on the trail" or "you need to get spurs - he's just lazy" or "you're wasting  your time with that stuff like collection or balanced horsemanship because you're just a trail rider - just ride", but wait my favorite of all of them  is " just get back up there, he's fine, let's go". That last word of advice is probably the most dangerous piece of advice anyone can give you. All joking aside if you have a friend or friends who gives you advice like that you need to find new friends.

I have heard it time and time again, "My horse spooked and I got nervous, but my friends told me to just ride it out and that's when I came off,".  My advise as an equine professional is if your horse is spooky or acting strange do not be too proud to climb down - it's always about your safety and also your horse's safety. There is no shame in walking your horse home or back to the trailer and arriving in one piece. I have had clients who were seriously hurt when someone told them to "ride it out". I have also had clients who didn't get physically hurt, but had their confidence was shaken so badly they almost gave up riding.

As for that friend's advice about not needing to improve your riding skills because you are a trail rider, well I say that's a load of manure. Every rider, whether they are on the trail or in the show ring, needs to be the best rider they can be, so their horse is the best he can be. You need to be balanced in the saddle when you ride on the trail for your safety and your horse needs to know how to change leads and collect on the trail. There is nothing wrong with improving your horsemanship and your horse's training - even if you are a trail rider.

So to all those friends out there with all that good advice here is some advice for you - if your friend wants to take lessons to improve her riding skills, wants to work with a trainer or wants to try something new encourage her - don't undermine her. Don't give her advice that might get her hurt and shake her confidence so badly she stops riding. Be a real friend and encourage her to dismount and you do the same. Lastly please don't give her advice contrary to the instructing and training she is receiving from me.