Grand Prix horse fails hypersensitivity test

[lyndaelyzoo]

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Wow!! Grand prix horse Sapphire and McLain Ward are disqualified from the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final due to a failed hypersensitivity test. Apparently the horse passed a thermography test, but then showed sensitivity during palpation test performed by FEI appointed equine vets. Don't know if the horse was exposed to a hyperalgesic to increase sensitivity to pain and therefore more reluctant to hit the jumps. Interesting that it is also the horse that is owned by someone who was guilty of putting pieces of plastic in their horses boots ten years ago and has a business partner (his father) who was involved in insurance fraud and was guilty of the deaths of many horses. Maybe there is a criminal gene....sad story nonetheless..🙁
http://chronofhorse.com/article/fei-explains-decision-eliminate-sapphire-confusion-still-reigns?page=4

 

[aspiringDVM]

That's a shame. May be slightly OT, but what's the general consensus on thermography out there? The more I talk to people about it, the more useless it seems in the show screening field.

 

[UM2014]

The plastic chips were found in the vicinity of the horse, not in the horses boots. McLain Ward should not have to continually suffer for his father mistakes. This case is horse show politics at its absolute worst. I know both McLain and Sapphire personally. McLain is a great horseman and I have shown with him and entrusted my horses to his care on several occasions. Everytime they've come back to me fitter, happier and in perfect shape. That horse gets fantastic, top notch, sensitive care. Top horses like her DO NOT win consistently at the very top of the sport for 10 yrs if they're being mistreated in any way whatsoever. This has everything to do with an American being in the top spot of a European final and nothing to do with abuse or mistreatment.

I encourage everyone to watch the press release video:
http://videos.cavadeos.tv/comweb/comres/cavadeos/#Player:174957/action=alone&listing.page=1

This decision is shady at best. The mare has never shown any sign of lameness whatsoever and they decided to 'retest' her AFTER she jumped clean b/c they decided what the found in the first one was 'suspicious' after all. Ridiculous. The mare responded to palpation 4/24 times by moving her limb. Sapphire is a sensitive, chestnut mare who had just jumped one of the biggest, most technical tracks in the world...I would never expect my horses to stand for such a long period of time being poked and prodded without moving an inch and they're all thick skinned and laid backed. The lameness exam, thermography and everything were NEGATIVE. It was the subjective palpation that disqualified them. I wasn't present to actually watch his round. The mare jumped clean, that doesn't mean she didn't rub a rail that stayed up or something along those lines (or had a good rub in the schooling ring) that would produce a slightly sensitive spot. My horses have landed off jumps three legged after 'stinging' themselves on a fence and occasionally they'll have some minor heat or swelling the day after a class with a rub. The poles are solid wood and heavy, it doesn't feel great to rub one. The subjectivity of this decision is really frightening IMO.

George has it right: "Don't make this hasty, subjective, arbitrary, WISPY decision.". - George Morris

 

[lyndaelyzoo]

I agree UM that the test is very suspicious and unscientific to use that type of evaluation to detect lamenesses or sensitivities. I do not know McLain personally, but have seen him ride many times at WEF and know that he is one of the best riders in the world. I did not mean to make the assumption that he was guilty by associating with his father and I hope that he is not involved in any of his father's criminal activities. I feel like there must be some information about the evaluation that has not been disclosed to the public. There has to be more to the story because it seems so illogical and unscientific at best.

 

[BlacKAT33]

please educate me!

this seems very interesting but i have no idea what you guys are talking about. what is this hypersensitivity test about? why is it performed? are the horses trained to not move while being poked?? this seems weird, if i were being poked i would probably move haha can someone please explain this to me

 

[sumstorm]

are the horses trained to not move while being poked?? this seems weird, if i were being poked i would probably move haha can someone please explain this to me

I think I would do more than move after the 24th poke after a strenous and challenging work out during a competition. 😀

 

[UM2014]

please educate me!

this seems very interesting but i have no idea what you guys are talking about. what is this hypersensitivity test about? why is it performed? are the horses trained to not move while being poked?? this seems weird, if i were being poked i would probably move haha can someone please explain this to me

It's a very long, complicated back story and doesn't put the horse world in a great light but basically some people choose to use chemicals/topical ointments to make their horses legs very sensitive which makes them more careful b/c it hurts like he** to rub a jump and therefore more likely to jump clear. This same result can also be accomplished by putting things like sharp plastic/metal in their boots and 'poling' them which consists of rapping their front legs sharply with a bamboo stick as they jump to make them jump higher (that's the nice version anyway...). All of these things are highly illegal but when you have this much money being thrown around some people will do anything to win.

The FEI has a very strict no drugs policy (although new legislature is currently being passed to allow one non steroidal anti-inflammatory...may already be in effect but can't remember) and these top horses are constantly tested, observed, and tested some more for ANY little thing. You can literally be disqualified for practicing good horsemanship such as using liniment after a workout. These horses are expected to perform at this top level on nothing but air, water and grain. You can ice and wrap their legs but that's about it. A horse can test positive for illegal medications by a groom not washing his/her hands after feeding a non-FEI horse and then petting the FEI horse on the way past his/her stall or mixing up that horses feed directly after. The tests are THAT sensitive. That being said there are many drugs on the market (including Europe) that at present do not test and those are used by several of the top european riders. Americans have been known to use them as well but it's much more difficult to obtain them here then in Europe.

Anywho...it was a big debacle at the Olympics in 2008 and the German show jumping team was literally disbanded b/c there was so much cheating going on. So now the FEI has turned something good (ie: trying to find people that are truly abusing their horses) into a tool for their own agenda. I'm not saying McLain's past is perfect but I do think he was treated unfairly and I really think Sapphire is the one getting the shortest end of the stick. She's an amazing mare and I'm constantly impressed by her everytime I see her set foot in the ring. She's not getting any younger and she was poised to win the World Cup. It's a shame they denied her a fair shot at that title for no reason whatsoever.

Sapphire in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G39s0RCOaq8

 

[BlacKAT33]

thanks UM2014!!

dont know much about jumping but Sapphire sure does make it look easy!

 

[Chees493]

Thanks for posting this. I know the west coast show jumping scene so I've been following Richard Spooner and Rich Fellers, I've only heard that McLain was doing well. The COTH articles definitely make the whole situation sound a little shady. It'll be interesting to see how the FEI handles the controversy.