Last year at the World Equestrian Games, Mark Todd, and a few other members of the Kiwi team used acupuncture on their horses, and Holly Schmitt administered it for them. Mark was so impressed with the results that on his return to the Kentucky Horse Park this spring for the Rolex Kentucky 4* Three Day Event, he tasked Sarah Ike of the USEF with hunting Holly down so she could come back and treat NZB Grass Valley again. I caught up with her after she’d finished treating Riley/Grass Valley, and she’d started on the grooms who were all singing her praises!
Below is Alex, William’s groom getting her neck and shoulder treated. She did indeed get it cranked right up, higher than a lot of horses can take it!
Afterwards however, she got up, brushed Neuf off and took him for a graze before settling him down for the night. The international horses all looked great. Neuf pulled a front shoe at the third from last, but they went and found and had it put straight back on, and he seemed terrific. Two of the other grooms, Frasier and Nicki were also walking around with the “thumb tack” needles in, and Nicki swore by her treatment, telling me it was the first time she’d been comfortable standing up all day. Thank you to Holly for explaining it to us, and for doing such a terrific job on the horses, and their grooms. Thank you for reading, and go eventing.
