Winter Weather Management

Guest blog post by Equine Business Management student Katie Mosca
Photos by Pebbles Turbeville & Katie Mosca

    Across the country winter is in its full flurry—I mean fury—and everyone has been bundling up to keep out the cold. Here at St. Andrews Equestrian Center, the staff have been working hard to keep the horses happy and healthy because when schools and business close for cold weather and snow, barns can’t.
The overall management of the horses hasn’t changed a whole lot on the past few months, but turn out and feed regimens have changed to fit the weather challenges. I had the chance to talk to one of the St. Andrews barn managers Lauren Markwood, and asked her how she changed management methods or increased practices in order to keep the horses healthy in low temperatures and sometimes a little precipitation.

She discussed how she often feeds more mash when it is cold because mash is easier for horses to digest. Also, since the horses have had to be kept in often due to poor weather conditions, she reduces meal sizes (half-ration) so there isn’t as much food to digest at each meal in order to make it easier on their systems when they are stalled-up longer than they are used to. Another feeding change, Markwood added, is to increase hay consumption to help keep the horses warm through the process of digestion (digestion creates internal energy and therefore heat.)

When the weather is especially bad, the horses stay in and therefore turnout methods change. To counteract the loss of turnout, throughout the day she and the other staff try to hand-walk as many horses as possible so that they can stretch out and get their guts working. Markwood did mention that it can be difficult to hand-walk all horses each day since they are so many head on the property. She discussed that twenty minutes of walking per horse is ideal, but unfortunately not always a realistic goal.

Water is another area to pay special attention to according to Markwood. She said that it is vital to watch how much horses are drinking and to de-ice water when it gets below freezing.

All in all, methods of equine management don’t change that much, but there are some practices to alter and/or improve during the winter months to help insure that the horses are cared for properly—and with the recent lows in temperature, it is safe to say Markwood and the rest of the St. Andrews Equestrian Center Staff are doing their very best to make sure all of their horses are warm, healthy, and happy during this wintery weather.

Valentine’s Day with the IDA Team!

Written by Sarah Hartley for Equine Business Management Class.

This weekend was a very busy Valentine’s Day weekend for the St. Andrews Equestrian Program. Not only did the IHSA Hunter Seat Team have a phenomenal performance at home, but the Dressage Team also had a very successful day on the road. As a member of the Dressage Team, I was able to travel and compete with the team at Averett University in Danville, Virginia. While everyone was else was giving their horses lots of kisses for Valentine’s Day, we were braving the cold and bringing home lots of ribbons!

The St. Andrews B Team earned 3rd place in Saturday’s competition. The riders were Megan Pustarfi earning 6th in Upper Training with a score of 61.136%, Elizabethe Weeks earning 3rd in Lower Training with a score of 65.870%, and Kate Neidrick earning 1st place in Intro with a score of 68.125%. Not only did the B Team do a wonderful job, but the A Team and Dressage Seat Equitation Riders had a fun day as well.

In addition to getting a blue ribbon in the Intro division, Kate Neidrick also earned the position of Reserve High Point Rider for the day. This was a huge accomplishment for Kate, who just returned back to St. Andrews after a semester abroad in Brunnenburg, Italy. Kate shared her thoughts about her ride on Saturday, saying:

“Honestly, I had such a good ride I would not have cared what place the judge ranked me. I felt a connection between the horse and me and I was proud I could figure him out in 10 minutes. The win is a symbol of how many years of practice and patience I have dedicated to being a better rider and to finally see it pay off with a great ride and a fancy blue ribbon.”

The St. Andrews Dressage Coach, Jackie Dwelle, shared how proud she was of Kate, expressing that “She worked very hard her freshman year and has come back this spring with a greater understanding of what it takes to be successful in the dressage arena.”

Congratulations to Kate and the rest of the St. Andrews Dressage Team on a great weekend!

A Member of the Western Team

Written by Sarah Murvin for Equine Business Management class. 

Last weekend the St. Andrews Western team competed at Campbell University. The team finished the weekend with Reserve High Point team on Saturday and High Point team on Sunday. The scores allowed St. Andrews to maintain a region lead of 12 points heading into the final show of the competitive season that will be hosted by Liberty University on February 28. 

This team has thrived in the IHSA region for many years. They have been the Regional Champion team from 2005-2014; and have qualified 7 of those years for the National Championship show as a team.

As a Western team member, you experience the benefits of being a part of a team and you are constantly building friendships. Each member makes an important effort to improve their equestrian skills. Their experience begins before entering the show ring and extends long after the end of the show. Coach Carla Wennberg always has something inspiring to say about her team: “You know I am always in awe of my teams each year. It seems my great leaders of the upperclassmen really teach the freshmen early on how to be great citizens, help each other, share, and do what is right. The lessons we learn are because of the horse and responsibility and competition.” Coach Carla is an immense asset to this team, as well as Assistant Coach Lindsey Agaliotis. They both offer great insight and they help this team come together as a family. 

Due to personal reasons I wasn’t able to be a member of the team this semester; but as a member for 2 years I created many relationships with this team. I have built many friendships and still feel connected to the team. Carla is a very understanding coach and she is willing to work with you to help you feel more confident as a rider. When I first came to this school I had never ridden a Quarter horse, or even competed on a riding team. Carla knew exactly how to shape me into a western rider. Riding with Carla for three years has benefited me in ways I couldn’t imagine. Being a part of this western team is more than an experience it’s a privilege; and it’s worth being involved in.