DRESSAGE TEAM OVERCOME CHALLENGES

 

 

Sam Gladstone and her horse are true survivors. 

 

Both of them have had extraordinary challenges to meet, but thanks to the support of the NHS and some fantastic veterinary care, they are now doing what they like doing best – competing in dressage competitions. 

 

Earlier this month, the indomitable pair were back together competing at the RDA Unicorn Centre’s British Dressage competition.  The Unicorn Centre, a registered charity based in Hemlington, Middlesbrough, has been running these competitions for several years now, to raise its profile and funds.  It’s the only venue in the region delivering this competition, and is well supported.

 

Kinamara Ohio or “Ohio” as he is fondly known, is a 15 hh 5 year old cremello Connemara owned by Sam since last July.  She has big plans for their future together and they’ve built up a strong relationship.  Her aim is to qualifiy for Petplan Equine Area dressage festivals. The series, which was launched in 2000 and is aimed at grassroots riders, has grown from 15 Area Festivals around the country with 555 tests completed in its’ first year to over 6,300 dressage tests ridden in the 2018/19 series. 

 

Keen rider Sam, 34 years, from Hartlepool, had to considerably reduce her riding over the last four years when she became seriously ill with rare genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which affects her joints, muscles and ligaments resulting in the loss of use of her bowel. 

 

Her illness resulted in several hospital stays, the last for nearly a month for the removal of her bowel and the fitting of a stoma, and then weeks and weeks of recovery to regain her fitness and adapting to a new lifestyle.  But she was determined that she would be able to care and ride Ohio again, and eventually compete.

 

Then a double blow struck when at the end of last year Ohio was taken ill with a mystery illness with rapid and strange skin issues.  His condition deteriorated quickly and vets feared the worse. He was taken to hospital, and eventually, after three anxious and agonising weeks waiting for test results he was diagnosed with a liver failure, not caused by ragwort, which can be a common and fatal disease, but due to high levels of mycotoxin poison in his bloodstream. The most likely cause was from eating forage.

 

All four of Sam’s horses were tested and all of them were affected with the same problem. Thanks to Sam’s vets their treatments were successful and Ohio and Sam’s other horses are all responding welland should be testing normal over the next few months.

 

Sam said, “We had only been back riding together for three weeks when I took him to the Unicorn Centre dressage competition, as the recovery for myself was far harder than I’d anticipated.  Even though I could do ground work with him to get him fit I wasn’t actually able to actually climb aboard and ride till three weeks ago, as even just sitting in chairs was uncomfortable before then. 

 

She continued, “Liver failure in horses is a silent killer, most won’t know their horses have it until it’s too late. I’d never heard of high toxins in forage before, or how serious it can be for a horse. If your horse has suspected liver problems, it may be worth getting your forage tested. “

 

Centre Manager Claire Pitt said, “Our British Dressage competitions are a fantastic springboard into dressage for riders who are looking to improve their dressage skills, or as in Sam and Ohio’s case, recovering from illness.  We also run our own monthly unaffiliated dressage and para dressage, and they’re hugely popular events. It’s a great way for us to engage with people in the horse world who don’t know much about RDA as well as fundraising for the Centre.”

 

Photo: Sam Gladstone and Ohio at the RDA Unicorn Centre dressage competition