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Horses Name: GM Chagall 3085 Miles, 46 ride completions. First AERC ride: 1993 Region: NE Tell us about your horse. When/how did you come to get him/her? I purchased Chagall from Jeannie Waldron after riding and competing him for a year. Chagall was Jeannie's backup to TF Red Rambo. She didn't want to sell him but realized that I had fallen in love with him and couldn't find another horse that I liked as well. She relented and he became mine! What is your horses breeding? Russian/Polish Menes RASB/Cedzyna PASB(Negatiw)
Sex: Gelding Why did you decide to purchase this horse (or if you didn't purchase, why did you choose to use this horse in endurance)? I had the luxury of riding Chagall for a year prior to purchasing him. He was the first horse I had ridden in Endurance. During my previous riding experience. I had never ridden over 15 miles and that was in one competitive ride. Chagall was powerful, athletic and very competitive. I knew that if Jeannie had chosen him for this sport then he was well suited. Did you do endurance with any other horses before this horse? Chagall was my first endurance horse. I had ridden one other horse that belonged to a friend in a 15 mile competitive ride. How many different horses have you ridden in this sport? I have only ridden one other horse (Chagall's half brother, GM Vanguard) in his first 50-mile ride for my friend Joan Borger. Do you participate in any other horse sports or activities? I occasionally go to local hunter paces so I can ride with my friends from other disciplines. How many years have you been involved with horses? Off and on since I was a child. I owned my first horse when I was 12 years old. I didn't own any horses from about age 16 to 32 with school and my career taking all of my time. I gradually started riding again when my husband and I moved to Virginia. In endurance? 10 years. What got you interested in endurance riding? It looked like so much fun! Having shown a little earlier in my career, I really liked the objectiveness of the sport. After I attended my first endurance ride as a spectator, I knew it was something I had to do. What was it that kept you interested? My great horse has certainly helped. He constantly amazes and inspires me. It fulfills my need to compete and offers a wonderful social aspect. It's a great place to make friends that you know you'll see year after year. How old was your horse when first started? Five. His first ride? Six - Jeannie started him in 1993.
How many rides did you do the first, second, and third
ride seasons?
Second season: 1995 - 4 rides
Third season: 1996 - 5 rides (after recovering from
EPM) What mileage distance did you start with? I rode him in a 30 at Carolina (JD's) in 1993. Then I rode him in his first 50 at the Frantic in 1994. How long till you top tenned or 'raced'? We won our first 50 at the Frantic in 1994 and we were BC! How much time off do you give between ride seasons? I usually give most of December and January off with light trail rides only. If you have done 100's, how much time off do you give after doing one? At least 2 weeks off after a 100 mile competition then I gradually start training at longer distances and speed again. What is your schedule in the month leading up to the ride? I try to get on him a couple times during the week for an hour or so and then one 15-20 mile mountain ride on the weekend. If you have done multidays, how much time off do you give after doing one? Same as for a 100. What kind of tack do you use? I ride in a Stubben Siegfried (20+ years old), a cloud nine saddle pad, cottage craft girth with a fleece cover, little 's' hackamore on a biothane bridle with biothane running martingale. What kind of shoes do you use on your horse? Chagall goes best with aluminum eventers in the front and steel eventers in the rear, clips all around, pads only for the Old Dominion. He doesn't like to wear Easyboots so I only use them in an emergency. What kind of problems have you encountered? Until I really had his way of going and shoeing studied, he would be less than perfect after rides (gr1 - rf). He's been filmed on a treadmill and with the changes made with his shoeing, he has been very sound. Chagall also still gets very excited early in a ride and doesn't drink well the first 20 miles so I have to be careful not to let him overheat early in a competition. What was the worst or most severe injury your horse has had? Although not an injury, Chagall had a serious case of EPM and looked like he had a stroke. He lost the sight in his left eye but otherwise seemed to recover fully. He has competed in all his 100 mile competitions since the EPM. Worst Injury: In September, 2003, he ran through a barbed wire fence just prior to this year's Pan American Championships and was not able to compete. In 2001, he pulled a suspensory the week before the Pan American Championships in Vermont and was not able to compete. How did you work thru it? Immediate diagnosis and aggressive veterinary care by Jeannie Waldron at the onset treated the EPM. He had recovered from the fence injury within a week. It took a month of controlled work on a hard surface to repair the suspensory. Describe the best ride you ever had on your horse? I actually have had two best rides for totally different reasons: 2002 Old Dominion 100 - From the start of my endurance career, the Old Dominion 100 mile ride was my goal and the pinnacle ride to win. In 2002, we not only won the ride but received high vet score, AERC Best Condition, the Old Dominion Trophy (Next day judging)and I did it cavalry (without assistance). 2003 Presidents Cup - Abu Dhabi, UAE - To be invited to this ride was such an honor and it was an awesome, fun, fulfilling, enlightening and fun trip! Chagall traveled well, loved the desert and ran his fastest 100-mile race ever in 9 hours 3 minutes and looked great afterward. Describe the worst day you ever had with your horse? He got hot at the Rockbridge Hunt 50 mile ride. He'd done so well the year before that I really didn't listen to what he was telling me. He finished third but I pulled him at the finish when he started cramping. I learned a lot at that ride about listening to him. What was your most humbling experience? My 1999 ride season. We encountered a variety of problems from going too fast in three 100s and we did not finish them. Because Chagall had been doing so well, I thought he could pull through or overcome whatever problems he encountered. He doesn't drink well for the first 20 miles of any ride and when we went out too fast, he overheated. At around 50 miles, he exhibited poor gut sounds and was crampy and uncomfortable. Because I had wanted him to have a great record - in both completions and placings, I was devastated when he was pulled from those rides. In 50s he'd been able to suck it up till the finish but in 100s the stresses of not drinking early with speed took their toll. Although painful for us both, I learned a great deal from those experiences. What lessons have you learned along the way that you feel are the most important? Don't train too hard - although it can give you a horse with great metabolics, it often takes a tremendous toll on the legs. If possible, have your horse videotaped on a treadmill. The information you get on how your horse travels is invaluable. Where does your horse live? Chagall lives alone at my home in a 1 and 4 acre field, 24/7 turnout with a stall he can go in whenever he pleases. What kind of environment did your horse spend the first few years of its life in? Not sure how he lived until Tom Sites bought him. But with Tom and Jeannie, he lived with a herd in an open field. The last 4 years he has lived alone with me. What are your horse's strengths? He has very good conformation, big deep chest, and powerful hindquarters. He's very balanced and athletic. He's competitive, smart, trusting and willing. He likes his people, his dogs and his place. Weaknesses? Small feet. Blind in one eye. Stubborn to the point of not listening at times. Can you tell more about Chagall being blind in one eye? Chagall had EPM and it affected him like a stroke. His face and head atrophied on the left side. He responded remarkably well to treatment but lost the sight in his left eye. He was always a bit of a rogue and we feared that he would be unsafe with the blindness but he actually became much more manageable and trusting. I'm not even aware of how much I compensate for his blindness anymore. What advice do you have for new riders? Find a mentor and learn as much as you can from their experiences. Take your time when choosing your partner in this sport - look for the right physical attributes and personality that you wouldn't mind spending many hours with. If possible have a veterinarian familiar with endurance evaluate your prospect. Have goals you can live with and that your horse can accomplish. I started riding much smarter when I made my goal to have a shot at BC at every ride. It allowed me to be competitive but not override my horse. I've been much happier with the condition of my horse at the end of a ride since I made this my goal. Don't cut corners in care and nutrition. Because I cannot find a farrier near me that will shoe my horse the best way for him, I have to haul him 125 miles each way every 4-5 weeks to have him shod by my farrier, John Pemberton. It's not easy to do but it's worth having a sound horse whose farrier is genuinely interested in giving him every advantage through his shoeing. Looking back, what would you do differently? If I could change anything, I would have changed his shoeing earlier. Unfortunately the ability to study how he moved wasn't available to me then. What do you feel you did right? I was fortunate to have surrounded myself with great competitors and veterinarians who shared their knowledge and experiences with me. From early in his career, Chagall was extremely talented and even though there were many who felt I never pushed him to his potential. I tried very hard to listen to and take care of him and because of that he is still my partner and competing at 17. What was your highest goal for your horse? My highest goal was to win the Old Dominion and Best Condition. Did you achieve it? Yes in 2002. (My new highest goal is to start and finish a Pan American Championship.) Describe your horse's personality? Chagall thinks through everything but is very trusting. He loves attention if it makes him feel good. He's impatient, wants his way and can be a brat (especially at rides). How is it like or unlike yours? We're more alike than not. We both tend to stress and worry - neither of us eat or drink early in a ride and the first loop is always the hardest for us both. We're both competitive. What kinds of rides do you enjoy the most? 100s are my favorite. I still get a great sense of accomplishment out of finishing a 100 and at this point in Chagall's life, each and every 100 mile ride finish is a wonderful gift. Describe your electrolyte protocol. I have always used Enduralytes. I electrolyte the afternoon and evening on the day before a competition, then the morning prior to the ride start. I electrolyte at every stop but not during the loops. I have mixed electrolytes with everything from applesauce to Maalox but found last year that molasses work best. He eats and drinks much sooner with the molasses. I always have to rinse his mouth after administering electrolytes. Is there anything special about your nutrition program you attribute to your success? He's always been on a high fat feed (10%). He's eaten either Southern States Equitech 10 or Triple Crown Performance since living with me. While living at Jeannie's he was on Pennfield Endurevent. He has good quality pasture almost year round and I give a orchard grass/alfalfa mix hay during the winter months. Chagall has become an easy keeper and maintains his weight well even while in training. Are there any major changes you've made to your nutrition program (i.e., changed from one hay to another, added something special) that you feel made a noticeable improvement or solved a problem? He's on Strongid 2X and I really think it helps with his nutrient absorption. Since putting him on it, he really started holding his weight on much less grain. What kind of supplements (if any) do you use? This year I gave him Platinum Performance prior to the Pan Ams. Do you give any kind of joint products? He gets Adequan or Legend injections prior to all rides and post ride if a difficult ride. How far do you usually travel to rides? Between 3 to 6 hours on average. Do you go to many rides outside of your region? I like to try at least one ride per year outside the Northeast. Name three people involved in the sport of endurance that you look up to, and why? Did you have a mentor or first trail partner? Tell us about him/her/them. In choosing your next horse, what would you look for?
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