Cooling and rest for 30 minutes

The Spirit of Endurance

The Track acrosss Padi Field

	ELMRIDGE STUD NEWS     Elmridge Exports Arabians to Malaysia Dr. Nik Omar, from Kelantan, Malaysia, arrived in Australia with a very long list of studs to visit, but confessed that he had already fallen in love with the young stallion Kaaba Khan, from his pictures on the Syrah website. He visited Syrah Arabians at Bullengarook in Victoria before flying to Elmridge in Sydney. He says that he was hugely impressed by the consistently high quality of the Arabians he saw at both of these family studs. As well as Kaaba Khan, by twice Reserve Australian Champion SK Shakla Khan, out of Australian Champion Malmsbury Samira, Dr. Nik purchased from Elmridge the mare Hazeldean Amira Esteeka, by Especial out of Amira Shaklyn. Esteeka will follow Kaaba Khan to his new home at Gelan Mas Horse Ranch in Malaysia, once her next Kaaba Khan foal for Elmridge, due in October 2004, is weaned. As well as continuing to sire beautiful purebred Arabians, Kaaba Khan will be used to improve the quality of the native pony breed of Kelantan, the Kuda Padi, with a fresh infusion of world class Arabian bloodlines. Petua Perubatan Homeopathy & Akupunktur   Kuda Luka / Burok Kuku Campurkan sireh kapur, gambir & daun kapal terbang atau bunga tahi ayam, sapukan tempat luka kuda atau dikuku yang buruk. Sapu tiap-tiap hari selama 5 hari. Lihat luka tersebut akan sembuh dalam tempuh 7 hari. Pengalaman: Kuda saya luka dipaha terkena dawai pagar 2 inci dalam 7 inci panjang, saya sembuhkan dengan cara ini dalam tempuh 7 hari.   Akupunktur Pulih Kuda Sakit Belakang   Tekan diatas belakang kuda setiap hari, terutama sehari selepas menunggang, jika didapati sebarang kesakitan pada belakang kuda, kemungkinan besar kuda tersebut mengalami 'lumbago' atau radangan tulang belakang. Saya rawat dengan akupunktur selama 2 hari berturut-turut, InsyaAllah kuda sihat walafiat.   Kolik / Colic Ubat Homeopathy, Ars. Alb 200c tiap-tiap 30 minit akan menyembuhkan colic dalam tempuh 2 jam. Sambil itu bawa kuda berlari.   Kuda Tidak Berak / Constipation Beri makan 'Absent Salt' kadar setengah cawan atau ubat homeopathy 'Nat.Mur 12x' setiap 30 minit, lihat kuda anda akan berak dalam tempuh 1 jam.       Hacking on a horse From New Straits Times, Oct 01,004 by: Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan Oct 01: Dr Nik Isahak Wan Abdullah does endurance riding, which to him is just an extension of the horse riding people in Kelantan and Terengganu do, around their village and along the beach. He aims to promote it as a sport and hobby, he tells SYIDA LIZTA AMIRUL IHSAN. IF you have always believed that horses, status and money trot together, it's time to gallop into a new perspective. While equestrian disciplines like jumping and dressage are usually events attended by high society, horse-riding as a hobby isn't reserved for the rich. "People in Kuala Lumpur think horse riding is for the elite, but in Kelantan and Terengganu, riding is already a culture. People ride in their villages and along the beaches and there are even horses in the villagers' house compounds," said avid rider Dr Nik Isahak Wan Abdullah. "These days, if you go to Pantai Cahaya Bulan in Kota Baru, you could probably find a kuda padi or local pony in every other houses, for the villagers to ride by the beach," he said. A cardiologist by profession, Dr Nik Isahak, who is one of the founders of the Malaysian Endurance Riding Society, is on a mission to promote endurance riding, both as a sport and as a hobby. Ignorant of equestrian sports, I asked Dr Nik Isahak: "Is endurance similar to the cross-desert race in the movie Hidalgo?" "Yes, yes," he said, as if I had solved a difficult mathematical puzzle. "And yes, the best endurance horses are Arabian." Endurance riders ride everywhere, from oil palm estates and villages to timber lorries' paths in the forests and along the beaches. "For non-hardcore riders, just ‘hacking' (or riding, in equestrian terminology) in villages, estates, lanes and beaches gives immense pleasure and constitutes a reasonably good semi-isometric and semi-aerobic exercise," Endurance, he added, is the least elitist among the three equestrian disciplines. He is also out to dispel the myth that riding is a very expensive sport. "Currently, the sport conjures images of belonging to expensive clubs and high costs. But there are small riding centres and stables sprouting up around the country." Ex-race horses, he said, can be trained to be pleasure horses after a couple of months' rehabilitation. "I know this because that was how I started riding. Cheaper horses means we could increase our base of riders." Dr Nik Isahak paid RM800 for his first stud, an ex-race-horse, when he started riding in 1995 at the age of 43. It is, apparently, never too old to learn a new skill. If you are interested to take up horse riding, he says the Selangor Turf Club and Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort have ongoing riding courses for enthusiasts who are not members. "If more clubs organise this and increase the content of horse care in their courses, more people can ride." Making riding more affordable also involves producing cheaper horse feed instead of depending on the expensive, imported stuff. "I know that the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (Mardi) is currently doing research on producing cheaper horse food from the kenaf plant. "The research is almost complete. In fact, Universiti Putra Malaysia produced a formula several years ago but the riding community at present is too small to make production worthwhile," he said. In 1998, Dr Nik Isahak and five other riders took part in the World Endurance Championship in Dubai, a 120km race. They did not clinch any prizes but there has been no looking back. With his Arabian horse Jogho, he won a silver medal at the 2001 Sea Games in Kuala Lumpur. He is now training his mare, Miss Gedebe, to compete in the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany and the Asian Games, Doha, both in 2006. "She was third recently in the Terengganu 140km ride in August and I am now preparing her to compete in the 160km ride in Bachok, Kelantan on Oct 8," he said. Despite all his success, the prizes and medals are not his sole motivation to ride. "Emotionally, I derive a lot of pleasure from riding. For my wife, riding has made me ‘bearable' to live with," he said, smiling. "And it's also made me a better human being. Riding alone in the estates and forests are my private hours of exercise, contemplation, thought and zikir (meditation), all at the same time. It has become my daily private space and quality time," he said. Like any other skill, one gets better only by practice. Riders must be prepared to ride daily, to train themselves and the horse and to build the strength and stamina required for the sport. For those serious about endurance, it takes two years of training, three to four times a day (to build muscles, soft tissue, tendons and ligament progressively) for a horse to be able to run beyond 120km comfortably in the tropics. Riding, in short, is no horseplay. ================================================= The First Malaysian Rider to Win 160km Ride in Asean The Kelantan Silver Jubilee Endurance Ride By Dr Nik Isahak Wan Abdullah History was made when HH Al Sultan of Kelantan flagged off 10 hardcore riders and their mounts at precisely 2030 hours at Gunong, Bachok on Friday 8th October. This sleepy little village midway between Bachok and Kota Bharu will permanently be remembered in the annals of endurance riding as the place that witnessed the first ever 160 km FEI 3 star event held in the sweltering heat and humidity of the tropics. The 1st phase of 35 kilometres was done at a fast pace of 15 kph by 7 of the riders, led by yours truly.  HH Sultan Mizan on his favourite mount, an appaloosa, Icare, followed by his other teammembers,Sargent Ramli and Korporal Roslan followed a more sensible pace of 12 kph.  The 1st phase saw its first casualty when Nik Sabaruddin on Pasha from Tengku Mahkota Kelantan Stable, one of the favourites, was vetted out for lameness and metabolic.  Korporal Roslan was also given early marching orders. The 2nd phase of another 35 km was equally fast with most riders on extended trot all the way.  HH Sultan Mizan and his team again wisely refused to be drawn into the melee.  Korporal Zulkifli Shaari on the Trengganu ride champion Kittya was unceremoniously vetted out for lameness just 2 days after being named Endurance Rider of the Year.  Such are the vagaries and uncertainties in endurance!  My team mate Hamdan Mohd on Achinar Kashmir also got his marching orders. When I led out into the 25 km 3rd phase it was still around 4 am in the morning and there was no more villagers along the way to spur and give us encouragement.  Now that the battle of attrition had claimed 2 early favourites I manage to coax the other front runners to slow down a wee bit for the sake of mutual preservation.  Still, the 3rd phase claimed yet another casualty.  Burn whose mount, Rhea, had been returning excellent heart rate recoveries throughout could not continue as his bad back started acting up. We started the 25 km 4th phase in the early morning light.  It involved climbing a very steep hill (Gunong, from which the place derives its name.)  It must be back breaking for the horses as the riders were by now quite tired and sleepy and most were feeling too weak to dismount.  When we reached the top all our tiredness and fatigue were amply rewarded by the most stupendous of view.  We could see the town of Kota Bharu in the distance and Bachok town by the azure blue sea.  But after that the remaining 20 km or so was hard work as the sun and increasing humidity started to take its toll on tired men and tired horses By the time we started our 5th phase of another 25 km the sun was at its zenith and humidity +++.  I could imagine my brain cells boiling.  Now it was every man by himself.  There was no more rivalry or competition.  It was just between man and his inner devil.  Usually at this point I have my own little "internal game" to overcome general body pain and aches and general malaise. I tried to recollect the ninety nine names of the CEO of the Universe and most times than not this works well for me.  I wonder what goes on in the minds of my other colleagues.  By the time we finished the 5th phase we were all well separated. I started the last phase of 15 km around 1703 hours, 40 minutes earlier than Rahmat Azman on Colorado. HRH Sultan Mizan, Haji Shuiab and Sargent Ramli left the vetgate at around 1822 hours just about the time I was galloping home to a good round of applause.  Suddenly all the pain and tiredness disappeared I felt like a new man.  I think Rahmat Azman, HRH Sultan Mizan, Sargent Ramli and not least Tuan Haji Shuiab must have shared the same sentiment.  That is the magic of endurance. For a short while I felt like a hero but the real heroes of the day must be really our horses who uncomplainingly have to endure our humanly vain passions and aspirations.  At the human level the real heroes of the ride must be: 1.      HRH Sultan Mizan , The Man Who Would be King, who within a short time in his involvement in endurance has risen through rank and file so fast that now no one can ever dispute his current standing as a national rider at the coming WEC in Dubai next January.  He has won our admiration and respect. 2.      HRH Tengku Mahkota Kelantan, our host in Kota Bharu, who dared to think differently and host the world's 1st 160 km ride in the tropics and thus gave us the raayat a chance to prove that indeed we can! The 50% completion rate is fantastic.T  he notion that we have to continue riding foreign based horses in 5 star competitions overseas has suddenly become unfashionable and quite nonsensical.  I would like here to publicly instigate HRH TMKN to invite some of the countries that identify themselves as the "Toulouse Group"  to our next 160 km ride. We will serve them very expensive barbecued horsemeat for the post ride dinner. This group is instrumental in trying to lobby the FEI to reintroduce a speed requirement in future 5 star competitions.  These clowns think the world is still flat!! 3.      Dr Kamal, Dr Bashir and his team of vets who formed the vet commission. They were on the ball for more than 24 hours!  With professional guys like these we can be the hub of endurance in the Asian region.   KELANTAN ROYAL SILVER JUBILEE ENDURANCE RIDE 2004 160 KM RIDE 10 starters, 5 Completions 1st Dr Nik Isahak Wan Abdullah Miss Gedebe Elmina 14 hrs 58 min 10.5 km/h 2nd Rahmat Azman Mohamad Colorado TMKN Stable 15 hrs 15 min. 3rd DYMM Sultan Mizan   Icare Royal Trengganu 4th Sjn.Mohd Ramli Sarona Royal Trengganu 5th Mohd Shuiab Ishak Jacketia Ar-Raudhah Miss Gedebe was declared "The Best Conditioned" horse. 80 KM RIDE 22 starters, 7 completions 1st Shamsuddin Abdul Roni  AAA Bold Sabre Pusat Ekuin UTM 2nd Nor Hisham Idris PDRM 3rd Mohd Izry Razali Blue Boy Bukit Kiara 4th Norlaily Buniyamin Jessie James Elmina 5th Norazlan Abdul Rahman PDRM 6th Dato Jaafar Dato Abdul Aziz Royal Trengganu 40 km training ride, 38 starters, 10 complete within specified time. Add your News here...   Good VCD/DVD For Horsemam:-   1. Hildago - 400 Miles Endurance     ( Unbridled, Unbroken, Unbeaten - 6 days non stop riding ) 2. All The Pretty Horses    ( One of the best films of the year) 3. Black Stallion 4. The Young Black Stallion   Buying & Selling Kelantan Horses Contact 1. En Badrul 019-9444420 2. En Sabri  019 9611048 3. En Rozi 013-9633855     Anjung Cafe   Makanan Kuda Pada kesempatan di 160 km Kelantan Ride, saya berkesempatan untuk bercakap dengan beberapa orang vet yang bertugas atas tajuk 'Makanan Kuda' dengan ikhlas vet tersebut menyatakan bahawa " Kuda dicipta untuk makan rumput bukan pelet." tetapi manusia mencipta pelet sebagai suplimen rumput.   Hay atau lain-lain rumput kering dicipta untuk orang-orang yang sukar mendapat rumput hijau yang segar. Oleh itu rumput hijau dikampong-kampong adalah lebih baik dari rumput yang diimport.   Oleh itu jangan keliru dengan makanan kuda.   Namun jika kuda ingin membuat sebarang pertandingan, jumping, enduran, lumba ,dsb maka disini makanan zat suplimen harus ditambah untuk memberi lebih tenaga yang diperlukan.   Makanan tambahan tersebut banyak dipasaran, tepuk dada, tanya selera.   Makanan Murah & Kuda Sihat Campurkan: Dedak padi, pke, soya, makanan ayam, garam, sedikit debu tulang, oak, padi, jagung halus, air manisan dan campur air secukupnya. Selang-selikan dengan rumput hijau.  Cara campuran, adjust sendiri. Lihatlah 3 bulan, kuda anda sihat dan segar bugar !! Petua Orang kampong.   Susu Kuda Baik Untuk Kanser   Tahukah anda bahawa susu kuda adalah baik untuk merawat kes-kes kanser darah saperti leukemia, thasemia, anemia, lupus, hepatitis dan lain-lain. Selamat mencuba - wallahualam

HORSES BREEDING

Signs of heat

Signs that the mare is in heat.   Each mare is different depending on life exposure.Some competition type mares who have never seen a stallion will show no outward signs of being "in". Some mares will get fussy or look for other company. Presented to a stallion, most mares will repeatedly lift their tails and urinate. maiden mares sometimes will not do this and must be verified "in" by a vet. The monthly cycle of a horse is approximately 21 days and I have found it best to cover the mare in the last 3days of being "in". Once the mare ovulates you have 12 to 24 hours and then she will be "out" and not receptive to the stallion. Good Luck! Maiden mares take an average of 3 cycles to get pregnant unless your lucky. Start early in the season so you don't run out of time if you are in the south. For Kelantanese you really don't want to breed in Nov or December as the mares in North East are beginning to "cool off' due to raining season or monsoon. For the Kelantanese region we suggest to breed in February or March, so that foaling (birth) will take place in  January or February, where the weather will be fine and the green grass will start growing.   The rest part of Malaysia should be no problem, as the weather are almost the same throughout the year Remember, gestation  is 340 to 360 days ( 11 months) for normal term. Purebred Arabian Horse Ranch

M-F 3:30

Managing 'Silent' Heat In the Mare

By Jos Mottershead There are various reasons for "silent" heat in the mare - some not understood completely, as we haven't got inside the heads of horses yet! Lactational anestrus is one situation where silent heats are seen, and this (obviously) occurs following foaling and for about 3 months after, or sometimes until after the foal is weaned. Sometimes the mare will show estrus on the "foal heat" 5 to 15 or so days after foaling, and not at all from there on, and sometimes she will only show estrus in the absence of the foal and under heavy teasing. Many of these mares are having endocrinological estrus - in other words, the hormones are doing what they should be doing, and indeed, the mare is producing a follicle and ovulating, but she just won't "stand" to be bred. Some of these mares will "break down" in the face of heavy teasing - one of the leading reasons for poor cycle/conception rates in a live cover program (that is pregnancies achieved per estrus cycle) is a bad teasing regime. Some mares require teasing for up to 15 minutes - a cursory pass by the stallion's stall eliciting no response is not sufficient to pronounce a mare "out" - and that teasing must be done regularly,  a hit and miss "oh we should tease Bessie today" doesn't cut it! For mares that are undergoing estrus but not showing it, monitoring ovarian activity by rectal palpation on an every-other-day basis, or ultrasound 2 to 3 times per week is essential. There are mares that will not shown any signs of estrus except for the day they are ovulating, and even then only after heavy teasing. The breeding of these mares would probably be missed if they were not palpated. If an impending ovulation is detected, and the mare will still not "stand", then A.I. can of course be used. Some lactationally anestrus mares genuinely are "anestrus" - that is no hormonal activity. Often these mares will resume their regular estrous cycles once the foal is weaned. For mares that do not have foals at foot, but are apparently anestrus, probably the first line of approach (assuming that regular effective teasing has been carried out) is to have the mare palpated or ultrasounded. This will allow an evaluation of the ovarian status - i.e. whether there are "structures" present. A single palpation will not necessarily determine whether that "structure" is a forming follicle or a CL (Corpus Luteum), and a subsequent palpation may be necessary, but ultrasound will establish the status immediately, and is therefore preferable if available. If there does not appear to be follicular activity present - assuming it is the middle of the breeding season and winter anestrus or "transitional phase" is not a possibility, then re-assessment in 5 to 7 days, or hormonal assays may be called for. If a CL is present, then estrus can be induced with the use of the hormone Prostaglandin, or one of it's analogues. This will perhaps give a better "time line" on the ensuing estrus. Further palpations or ultrasound may be demanded in order to pinpoint impending ovulation, and the correct time to breed. "Serial palpations" every other day are useful if the possibility exists. "Silent heat" is one of the more annoying habits of a mare, at least from a breeder's perspective, but with proper monitoring in many, if not most cases, it is manageable. © 1999 Jos Mottershead. May be used upon notification, and with accreditation.

T-F 10:30

When Should You Breed Your Mare ?

Winter, spring, summer, fall: consider the options By Jos Mottershead Once you have selected a suitable stallion for your mare, and completed all the paperwork required for arranging a contract, you must decide when you want the foal to arrive. Equine pregnancies last about 11 months, so your decision on the date of delivery will determine when you breed your mare. Mares are seasonally polyestrous - they have multiple estrus (heat) cycles during one part of the year and none at another. These two periods are separated by transitional phases, during which mares experience irregular estrous cycles, either longer or shorter than normal. In the northern hemisphere, mares show a lack of estrus from roughly November through to March. If they do show signs of heat, they will probably not ovulate, and if they are bred they will not conceive. This is nature's way of preventing the arrival of a foal in the middle of the winter, when temperatures are low, and food scarce. A major consideration in deciding how early in the year to breed your is your intended use for the foal. Horses have an "official birthday" on January 1st, although most experts agree that it would make more sense for horses in the northern hemisphere to have it on April or May 1st. EARLY FOALS If you intend to race the foal, or shown in futurities, you will probably want your mare to foal early, in January or February, to allow for maximum growth during the year. To accomplish this goal, you would have to breed the mare in February or March. To breed this early, you must manipulate the mare's natural cycling tendencies, using artificial light, to persuade her that spring has arrived early. You must start this process 60 to 80 days prior to the desired onset of regular cycling. Doing so will allow the mare to complete at least one, preferably, two regular cycles each consisting of five to seven days of standing heat, followed by 14-16 days out of heat, prior to breeding. The artificial lighting must be started in November in order to breed in February. If you have not started this by the time you read this (February), you can pretty much give up the idea of a very early foal next year! If you are planning to have an early foal another year, you should consider whether your stabling is sufficient. Obviously, you will have to provide adequate shelter for the mare and foal in 11 months time, but using artificial lighting to stimulate early cycling will cause the mare to shed her winter coat early, so don't plan to build the foaling location during the summer. The mare will need extra warmth before she's even bred. There are other things to think about if you are planning a winter foal, especially if you are inexperienced at foaling. A veterinarian may not be able to reach you during stormy weather if you live "off the beaten track".If necessary transporting your mare or mare and foal to a veterinary facility, such as the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown could also be difficult over winter roads. At a more basic level, you may not want to be get up every hour through the night to check your mare when it's -14 C. or colder. SPRING FOALS If you are not under pressure to have an early foal, then the late May to mid July period is probably the best. The foal will be born in mild weather, and grow substantially before winter rolls around again. By the end of their third year, foals born at this time will have caught up developmentally with those foaled earlier. During this period, the mare and foal will also be at pasture at a time when there is good nutrient value in the grass. If you have an early or late foal, you will have to supplement the feed for both the mare and foal to a greater extent. Mares can also foal outside during these warmer months. Many authorities recommended the outdoors as the best place to foal, but you must provide shelter from direct sunlight, and avoid the time when flies are at their worst in your area. LATE FOALS Breeding later than August gives rise to a host of other considerations. The mare may be in transitional cycle phase by this time, with erratic heats. If your mare does not become pregnant on the first heat cycle she is bred on she will have an even later foal. If you breed for a late foal, your mare will be carrying the foal through the warm summer months. She will be uncomfortable, and you will not be able to ride or drive her. Weaning is always a difficult procedure, and it may be even more difficult for a late foal, especially if you do not have a lot of stall space, and the mare and foal are able to see each other. Earlier in the year, the mare can be put in the barn, and the foal kept with other foals at pasture. TALK IT OVER Regardless of what breeding time you decide on, talk to the stallion owner. An early booking or breeding discount may be connected with the stud fee. If there is an early booking discount, find out whether the mare have to be bred by a certain date. Ask if the stallion is available for breeding year round. Many stallions compete, and are therefore not available at certain times. If you are using transported cooled semen, you must ensure that the stallion owners will ship semen at all times, or if not, when they will. © 1996 Jos Mottershead and Atlantic Horse and Pony Magazine. May be used upon notification, and with accreditation. * Please Note For Malaysian Horses For North East Coast such as Kelantan, Trengganu and Pahang, the best time to breed is in February, March, April. So that foaling will take place after the monsoon ( Monsoon Oct., Nov & and end in December ) For rest other states, breeding can be done at any time, throughout the year.  * Dr Nik Omar

M-W 11:30

A Pregnant Barrel Racer Delivered Safely   I agree I had a friends mare who was sent to training unkown to her owner the mare was accidentally bred. The stallion owners knew of this but never told the mare owner.( stallion jumped fence and got in mare's pasture) Mare came home ; six months later she started looking "fat" I thought she looked pregnant but my friend denied this and placed mare on a "diet" The Mare was a barrell racer and was activly campaigned . She ran a 2nd place time the night before she foaled... She was placed back in her stall at 11pm and by 8am the next day the stable help was greeted by mare and very healthy filly. She was very lucky filly turned out okay as she mare did not receive any special cae.

Breeding and Riding A Mare You would want to avoid excessive stress of any type until the conceptus is firmly attached to the uterine wall. Just use common sense and avoid anything stressful or out of the ordinary. Remember, in the past, horses were really used and worked during their day. So, if the mare were used in a strenuous way after breeding, it is possible that they did not retain the pregnancy. Many old wives tales are true for different reasons than are apparent for our day and time. I find that many "old wives tales" are proven to have merit......just in a different way then we expect.

A Mare With False Heat   Most mares ovulate in the last 24-48 hours of standing heat. As you bred her on the 9,10,11 and 15, and on the 16th she did not stand, you may have missed the optimum breeding time, which would have been somewhere between the 11th and 15th. Incidentally, you reduce your chances of achieving pregnancy by breeding every day - every other day starting on the third day of standing heat is sufficient with normally fertile stallions. Having said that, yes, some mares will indeed show estrus (heat) even though they are pregnant. I would have your veterinarian perform an ultrasound examination. That will be definitive for you. Breeding her again (if she stands) if she is pregnant may cause pregnancy loss.

Color genetic of Horses   My mare is seal brown in color or black bay as some call it. If I breed her to a gray stallion, what color would the baby most probably be? I would like to have a gray baby--what are the odds?   Gray is a dominant gene, so it is quite possible that you will get a gray foal. It will depend however upon what other colour genes are in the stallions background, as if there is seal brown in his genes, then you may end up with that colour instead!   A friend of mine has a grey stallion. The foals that turn grey seem to have grey hairs mixed in around the eyes as soon as when the foal coat sheds. It is so hard to tell with chestnuts what color they are going to be when they grow up. I have seen light chestnut foals that were dark liver by the time they were 3yo. A friend of mine had a chocolate colored foal once that turned out to be black as an adult!