Irelands Young Riders (Under-21) have won a team FEI Eventing European Championships silver medal after finishing runners-up over a dramatic four days of high-class competition in Strzegom, Poland.Dag Alberts squad of Ben Connors, Godfrey Gibbons, Momo Sheehy, Oleana Cowen and Amelia McCarthy were pipped right at the death by a victorious French team after the final show jumping phase this afternoon (Sunday). Britain filled the podium in third place. In a fantastic individual result, the three Irish of Sheehy (eighth), Gibbons (ninth) and Connors tenth) all finished in the top ten.Horse Sport Ireland High Performance Eventing Manager, Albert, said: They gave it everything and thats a really tough way to lose a gold medal but they were all superb for the whole week. We were happy enough after the two days of dressage we knew with a bit of luck that we would make a move cross country. Obviously we were delighted then to be leading going into the jumping phase, the guys were exceptional on a very tough cross country course, but we just didnt get the rub of the green this afternoon. Eventing is a very tough sport for both horse and rider and you need everything to go your way. Unfortunately for us, today everything didnt go our way but Im incredibly proud of the squad for winning the silver medal.Having been well placed for an assault on the medals, lying in fifth position after the opening dressage phase concluded on Friday, the Irish dominated around the cross country course yesterday to shoot into top spot.Leading with 7.6 penalties to spare over nearest pursuers and only realistic gold medal challengers France, Ireland had a pole, and some potential time penalties, in hand.From a team perspective, Momo Sheehy and HHS Noble Call were first into the arena and a delighted Sheehy punched the air as they came home clear with just two time penalties, ramping up the pressure on the French. Verane Nicaud tagged on six penalties for France to give Ireland a commanding lead, before two poles down for Godfrey Gibbons and Kilroe Lego Land left the result in the balance once more. With the final French combination jumping a clear round, it meant Connors and OLS King Aragon could only afford a solitary pole down. Unfortunately, one dropped early, leaving no room for error and when a second dropped late, victory went to France.In the Junior (Under-18) competition, Ireland finished eighth after being left with a mountain to climb following some bad luck cross country yesterday.Carla Williamson and Powers were Irelands highest finishers individually in 12th place, with Ciara OConnor also placing within the top 20 on Cooley Rebound. The post European team silver in Strzegom for Irelands eventing Young Riders appeared first on .

Horses that struggle to maintain weight might have hindgut problems. | Photos.comQ. What are the clinical signs horses might present with that could indicate hindgut problems?A. First, its important to note that the hindgut (large intestine) in the horse is approximately 26 feet in length and plays a huge role in water absorption. This needs to be considered when looking at clinical signs associated with hindgut problems. Horses can have essentially no clinical signs with early changes in the hind gut. This is seen in horses that eat an excessive amount of grain (grain-overload). Initially they seem fine, but eventually as that grain (high is starch and sugars) reaches the hindgut, they develop lethargy, stand or walk with the head low in a depressed stance, have a decreased appetite, eventually go off feed completely and then develop sore feet from onset of founder. With chronic hindgut issues they can have intermittent diarrhea, intermittent colic and eventually lose weight. They might also develop gas distension in the hindgut (can be painful), pass lots of gas, and develop intermittent colic and diarrhea.Listen Now | Ask TheHorse: Understanding Equine Hindgut Health Certainly, in horses with hindgut signs, there is inconsistent manure output and diarrhea and over time can lead to increased heart rate and/or respiratory rate, go off feed, and just feel sick. With chronic hindgut problems, some horses might develop yellow gums, which means he has not been eating very well. Even though when you put the feed in there, sometimes they look like theyre eating, but the horse is not able to utilize it properly for energy. The hindgut is the primary energy producing organ in the body as feed stuffs are converted into volatile fatty acid and utilized for energy.As the problems become even more chronic, sometimes youll see ventral edema (under the stomach at the midline). This is fluid accumulation under the skin. If the horses protein levels fall low enough, they might develop edema in the limbs (stocking up), especially when standing in the stall, but this can also happen when theyre out on pasture.