Introducing Anita Scampton
Queensland based Dressage Rider (and Vet)
as told to Cyberhorse Readers

About me:
My name is Anita Scampton (that's me pictured on the right) I am a veterinarian based in Queensland, but am originally from NZ.  I am fortunate enough to have 6 lovely horses, 3 warmbloods and 3 Clydesdales.  My main dressage partner at the moment is Faulkaneer, a 19yo grey WB gelding by Falcon who was bred locally in Laidley, Qld.  Faulkaneer has lots of 'opinions' (a great word Steffen Peters introduced us to) about many different things (usually arena markers and shadows), but he is a super character with a lot of ability, and has been extremely trainable.  Faulkaneer is competing at Grand Prix level.  I also ride Kinnordy Georginus, a 7yo grey WB by Gymnastic Star, Jaybee Cardiff, a 6yo brown WB gelding by Carbine and Eucalypt Park Chieftain, a 7yo bay purebred Clydesdale gelding.  These three are all training medium level, and are much less opinionated than Faulkaneer! 

Jaybee Cardiff

Eucalypt Park Chieftain

I started riding at 12yo in NZ on a funny looking palomino mare called Lady.  She liked to buck and taught me quite a lot about falling off!  We formed a great partnership and competed at pony club level in eventing and showjumping.  I was forced to sell her when my family re-located to the Gold Coast.  Upon moving to the Gold Coast I started my dressage career riding school horses with Tina Fairweather, who to this day is still my instructor and best friend.  She has helped me train all variety of horses to success, from Arabs to ex-racehorses, as well as my current team of warmbloods and the Clydesdales.  I am also trained by Thomas Meullhenbeck, and frequently receive help from Andrew and Warwick McLean to help try and convince Faulkaneer that his opinions are less important than my own.
 
I was lucky enough to acquire Faulkaneer as a 12yo competing novice/elementary off a friend of mine who was keen to take a break from riding and wanted Faulkaneer worked for sale.  My dressage partner at the time, a little grey OTTB (off the track Thoroughbred) called Silver Fern, he had just been retired for soundness reasons and Faulkaneer was a great interim prospect.  He wasn't without a multitude of issues, and frequently had me in tears of frustration that I couldn't get him to simply trot around the arena without shying onto the centreline!  He taught me a great deal about patience and letting go of frustration, and while we never managed to totally eradicate the issue I learn't to move on and minimise the impact of the shy.  I also have found that diet has a huge impact on his behaviour, and after a lot of trial and error have found him very settled on the Prydes Easiresponse. 

When the time came to sell Faulkaneer I knew I couldn't bare to part with him and purchased him myself.  It was a fantastic decision, as he quickly rose through the ranks from elementary to Grand Prix in just 4 short years.  Faulkaneer proved to be a handy little Grand Prix horse, and has gone on to win many championships, including NSW State Champion, Qld Reserve State Champion, Sharon Doe Young Rider Champion and top 10 finishes at the Australian National Championships and World Cup Pacific League Finals.  Last year we were lucky enough to be selected as candidates for the NZ Beijing Olympic Team.
 
Unfortunately for us, EI struck at a very inopportune time.  I was unlucky enough to be situated less than a kilometer from one of the first infected properties in Qld.  We immediately quarantined our property and I started all our horses on Equitech's ProMune, an immune boosting supplement.  We managed to hold off infection on our property for 4 weeks, but following some high winds, and a lot of vehicle activity on the laneway adjacent to our property my horses finally succumbed.  We were quite lucky in that apart from the initial high fevers and a very mild cough our horses stayed relatively asymptomatic.  Nobody missed a mouthful of feed, and the nasal discharge stayed quite clear (lucky, because I'm not very good with snot!).  I continued to maintain them on the ProMune.  9 days into our infection we had a foal born, a beautiful purebred Clydie colt, who thankfully stayed free from overt clinical disease.  He continues to blossom and grow on his Prydes Mare Cubes, and his mother, a maiden mare, also maintained excellent condition throughout her pregnancy and EI. 

From about 4 weeks post infection I started monitoring the horse's blood parameters.  The first sample was startling.  Despite the fact that my horses had barely missed a beat clinically during their illness their blood picture showed a very different story.  The main concerns were evidence of bone marrow depletion, anaemia and low white blood cells, as well as electolyte abnormalities and evidence of muscle damage.  I spoke at length to Ken Ford from Equitech Products, and he put my horses on an extended course of Stamanol Plus, a daily vitamin supplement that had been fortified to help counter the after effects of EI.  We continued to monitor the blood parameters every two weeks, and at 10 weeks post-infection everyone was looking returning a more normal blood picture.  By this stage everyone was looking an absolute picture of health, and they were all very disgusted to have their daily ration of Prydes Easiresponse reduced, as they were all beginning to mimic pregnant mares!!  I had all the riding horses scoped, and all returned clear results.  After this I began to put them back into work, very slowly.  To their credit, not one of the horses came back into work fresh, despite nearly 12 weeks off, a huge credit to both their temperments and cool conditioning nature of the Prydes Easiresponse.
 
What this has meant for Faulkaneer is that he has been unable to compete at any of the qualifiers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  We were invited to compete at the team qualifying event in Sydney early in February, but due to the long trip, the high risk of extreme temperatures at the end January when he'd have to travel, and the recent bought of respiratory infection with EI I made the very difficult decision not to risk his health further by attending the event.  I have also been unsuccessful in pursuing the option of travelling him to NZ to compete at either of their qualifying events, as at this stage the borders into NZ have been closed to incoming horses.  It is a shame, because I have been so pleased with how he has come back into work, he is really keen and a picture of health.
 
Since EI I have eased up on my work as a practicing vet, and have gone into the DPI to assist with a number of matters linking veterinary concerns and industry recovery.  It has been a hectic and taxing last few months, but I see light at the end of the tunnel, and have to thank the Australian Equine Industry for their dedication and patience in the fight to eradicate EI.  I also think that everyone should thank the equine vets that have done an amazing job out there vaccinating, blood testing, treating and supporting our beloved horses throughout this epidemic.  Please continue to maintain your bio-security, as we are not home and hosed yet, and please also continue to encourage people to report any signs of infection.  It would be a tragedy if we declared freedom due to underreporting too soon, and the disease flared up again, making the last 5 months a waste of effort.  Remember, spread the word, not the disease!
 
I would like to thank Prydes Easifeeds for their support of my horses.  With Faulkaneer preserving his calm while still providing him with enough energy to perform his best at Grand Prix level can sometimes be a tricky proposition, but with the Easiresponse I seem to have found a great balance.  My other three dressage horses all perform extremely well on their Prydes Easiresponse, although they are less inclined to their own 'opinions' as Faulkaneer they all continue to work with enthusiasm and energy without becoming over-exuberant.  My Clydesdale brood mare has been a picture of health and bloom throughout her pregnancy and lactation on her Prydes Mare Cubes, and won numerous Championships and Supremes in breed classes last year.  Her foal is sensational, and continues to grow at a steady rate and I feel confident knowing that we are feeding him with optimal nutrition for health and development.
 
I would also like to thank Danielle from Elite Saddlery and Camping at Tamborine.  She has been so supportive of myself and my horses, and keeps me looking professional, and most importantly, colour co-ordinated, at competitions and clinics.  I know that Faulkaneer's powder-blue Eskadron outfit is frequently a favourite of onlookers.  My quote for the year is going to be that my horse deserves to have me looking my best, and Danielle is certainly responsible for that.
 
I have to thank Ken Ford at Equitech Products for all his support during my EI ordeal.  He gave me a lot of great advice and confidence during the infection, and really helped my horses to stay healthy and happy.
 
On a positive note, I start back having lessons this week.  It will be the first riding lessons I've had in 5 MONTHS!  I am so excited, and actually looking forward to the muscle agony that will follow!

Happy riding to all Cyberhorse Readers!

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