Downeast Medal Finals

February 2021

September 16-19, 2021

Visit our website for more information about Downeast. We welcome all feedback and suggestions: please email Ginger at ginger@downeastmedalfinals.com

We are starting to plan for DMF 2021! Please let us know your thoughts and ideas. Have a safe and healthy New Year!

Footing Fund Drive

Hello everyone,

Such an exciting start to the 2021 show season, we have the most shows ever on the calendar this early in the year, including several winter shows. Be sure to check the calendar for constant updates outlining our approved shows. Thank you to everyone for hosting our classes and supporting DMF.

We are officially starting our fund drive for the new schooling area! We will be putting stone dust on a portion of the race track to create a new area to school. The infield will be open for lunging and hacking as well. While exciting, it is also a little daunting and we hope that you will consider helping us to create this new area that we will be recreating each year. Because we have no membership fees or a large association behind us, this is a huge financial undertaking. Please consider committing to a level of sponsorship to help us create this new schooling area. View sponsorship options on our website. Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated. This new schooling area will make your DMF experience even better!

Please feel free to contact me at ginger@downeastmedalfinals.com.

Have a great show season, be well, and be safe!

Ginger

Thrush in Horses

By: Dr. Lydia Gray, SmartPak Medical Director/Staff Veterinarian

What is it?

Thrush is an infection of the frog of the hoof and of the grooves (sulci) on either side of the frog causing a thick, black, smelly discharge. Once thought to be caused by a wet and dirty environment, experts now believe certain factors contribute to the development of thrush even in the cleanest situations. The horse's hoof design and movement in action provide a natural cleaning mechanism. However, abnormal hoof shape, improper trimming, insufficient exercise, chronic lameness, poor diet and poor circulation can all disrupt the natural cleaning mechanism and allow infection to set in.

What can be done about it?

The infected hoof should be picked, cleaned and medicated as recommended by the veterinarian or farrier. There are several products available to help treat Thrush, however; unless the underlying cause of the Thrush is diagnosed and corrected, it will return. The hoof should be balanced as much as possible, the horse should be turned out as well as worked, and any causes of chronic lameness should be treated.

What else do I need to know?

There are several bacteria and fungi thought to be involved in Thrush, including Fusobacterium necrophorum. If these organisms invade deep enough and infect living tissue, the horse may become lame from the condition. In a serious case, the veterinarian and farrier may need to work together to perform more extensive cleaning that involves removing dead and infected tissue before healing can begin. In this situation, it is even more important that the primary reason for Thrush be identified and treated.

Thank you to SmartPak for allowing us to reproduce this article, found here.

Mason "Noah" Dixon 2'6" Hunter Derby

DMF is pleased to welcome back the Mason Noah Dixon 2’6” Hunter Derby. Thank you for your generous support!

Mason Dixon or “Noah” as he was called in the barn, was a copper blanket Appaloosa with a giant heart and very tiny tail. At the end of his career he was owned by Kate McDaniel, but before that was owned by many wonderful customers of Kate’s including Laurie Snyder, Megan McCue and Meghan Lusty. Noah safely carried his riders to wins in the hunters, jumpers, and equitation up and down the East coast. Noah eventually lost his left eye due to a fungal infection. After a long rehab he returned to the show ring. Unable to show in the hunters with the loss of his eye, Noah won equitation classes and championships at shows such as Fieldstone, HITS, Vermont Summer Festival, and Zone 1 Finals. Noah paired up with Meaghan Hynes to win the Downeast Medal Finals Junior Medal in its inaugural year. Derby classes were just becoming popular at that time. Noah would have loved and excelled in those classes.

We remember Noah’s kind, brave ways. Through tremendous challenges, he was always on your team and you could always count on him. We honor Noah’s memory with the Downeast Medal Finals 2’6” Hunter Derby.

Camp Kippewa

DMF wishes to thank Camp Kippewa for sponsoring our Team Challenge for 2021!

Kippewa Equestrian Academy is proud to be a sponsor of Downeast Medal Finals. Our program offers the Complete Equestrian Experience. Located in Monmouth, Maine, KEA is a 12-day fully-immersive experience for girls entering 4th – 11th grades who really love horses! Girls of all ability levels are welcome. Whether an enthusiastic beginner, an advanced rider, or anything in between, academy campers experience the lifestyle of a horse owner. Following CHA safety standards, our campers receive outstanding riding instruction and enjoy caring for the horses from reveille to taps. In addition they have time each day to participate in traditional camp activities such as swimming, boating, or arts and crafts, along with fun and creative evening activities enjoyed in traditional camp programs.

www.kippewaequestrianacademy.com