What horses have taught me

Personal Equestrian Goals.

2013-05-17T19:41:00.000-05:00

Do you ever set goals to reach with your horse(s)? If you answered yes, then great for you and your horse. If you answered no, then why haven't you? Goals are an important part of any aspect of your life. Even if they are small goals, like trot around the arena one time without breaking gait; or larger goals like, train my horse to accept a rider. Just like in any other aspect of life, you need to set both long-term and short-term goals.

For someone who has been riding for more years than they care to count, setting goals will help remind them why they loved working with horses to begin with. For a beginner, setting goals helps them see where they are in relationship to where they want to be. For example; you set a long term goal of training your horse to run barrels at next year's annual rodeo. This makes you look at the fact that you're currently watching barrel racing at this year's annual rodeo, and while your horse is trained to ride, he/she is still a long way from being finished. So, you know where you are and where you want to be a year from now; and from there you can set some short-term goals to help you achieve your long-term goal. It could also make you realize that you don't know the first thing about barrel racing, and that your time would be better spend with an instructor or knowledgeable friend that does know something about barrel racing. Funny how things can work themselves out with a little goal setting.

New hand or old hand, set goals for you and your horse to reach together. You will be glad you did when you accomplish them.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Asking for Your Help.

2013-05-16T19:30:00.000-05:00

Today, I am taking the time to thank all of the people who have taken time to read my blog. Thank you so very much! I sincerely appreciate it.

If I could beg a couple of further indulgences from you, I would ask that if you like what you read, please post a comment to let me know. Even if you don't like it, let me know. I have it set-up where I have to approve comments, but I will approve them whether they are positive or negative. My second request would be that if you enjoy reading this or learn anything from doing so, please share my blog with friends and other horse people.

I would greatly appreciate your help with these matters.

Good luck, happy trails stay safe and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Does Your Horse Earn its Keep?

2013-05-15T19:26:00.000-05:00

The answer to this question varies depending on whom you ask. Some people will not own a horse that can not be utilized in some manner, like riding or driving. To me personally, if I found out today that I could never ride again, I would still keep my two mares. Why? Because to me, the couple of hundred dollars that I spend a month on them is worth the time I spend out at the barn simply being there. The horses are the one thing in my life where I am completely stress free, and that makes them worth it to me.

So, regardless of what anyone else thinks of your horse(s), it's what you think that matters. So, do your horses earn their keep?

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

The Balance Between Desensitizing and Sensitizing.

2013-05-14T19:10:00.000-05:00

I have heard the phrase, "people who practice 'Natural Horsemanship' have lifeless or dead horses because of all of the desensitizing" too many times to count. This results from an unbalanced ratio of desensitizing to sensitizing. It comes from someone who wants a "fearless" horse, and figures that the more objects that they can get the horse used to the better. So, this person spends countless hours desensitizing the horse to whatever they can dream of, but next to no time sensitizing the horse to ques. The result is a horse that shows no physical reaction to anything, including what it is supposed to. Sounds like a fun horse to ride, right? I personally don't think so, but if that is your cup of tea then get after it.

The purpose of desensitizing a horse is not to teach them to react to nothing. It is to teach them to look to you for the appropriate response. It's to show them, that if you stay relaxed and calm; so should they. That is why when you start the process in ground work, you are supposed to keep your body language neutral and relaxed.

The purpose of sensitizing is to get them to respond to light pressure, like a change in your seat position, versus a heavy direct rein because that is what it takes to stop the horse on its best day..

The biggest issue with using desensitizing/sensitizing in training horses is finding the proper balance between the two. Wouldn't the world be perfect if it was 50-50 on every horse that you ever worked with? (I hope you can see the sarcasm dripping from that question.) Every horse, just like every human, is different and requires different ways of training. If you start with a horse that is laid back and quite frankly lazy, you will want to focus more on the sensitizing. Doing this will get the horse where it responds to your ques to move off your leg, or to simply move faster. If you were to start with a horse that is very reactive to everything, you would want to focus more on the desensitizing. This would help calm the horse down and probably slow it down. If you worked this horse on a 50-50 ratio, you would quickly turn it into a complete and total idiot that spooks at everything and bolts when you ask it to move off your leg. Whereas, if you done a 50-50 ratio with the laid back, lazy horse, it might not move at all for you, or it might have the energy and response of a fence post.

Neither desensitizing nor sensitizing is a complete training program by itself. They have to be used together and in balance for each particular horse for them to develop the proper results. This is what most people miss, and just to the desensitizing exercises. Find the balance for your horse, and you will end up with a horse that ignores what you want it to, but still responds lightly and quickly to your ques.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Ah Ha Moments

2013-05-13T11:48:00.000-05:00

If you have spent anytime at all working with, or around horses, you are probably well aware of what I am talking about. You are probably also aware that both you and the horse have them, but it's usually for the opposite reason. The horse has them when they figure out what it is you are asking them to do; you on the other hand have them when you realize why the horse is not responding in the correct way to what you are asking for. I much prefer for the horse to have way more of these moments than me, because if I'm having more than the horse, I am doing a whole lot of something wrong.

I try to train horses using baby steps or the K-I-S-S (Keep It Simple Stupid) method, which ever you prefer to call it. I try to break everything down into the simplest steps, regardless of how many it takes, and not move tot he next step until the current step is nearly perfect. (I know that perfection is an illusion, but it conveys the message better.) And by nearly perfect, I mean instant and light. I'll use getting a horse used to being saddled as an example. For the sake of keeping this post on subject, I'll state up front that I've already had this horse long enough to do most of it's ground work, so it knows that in the center with me is where it gets to chill out and rest. So, what all is involved in getting a horse saddled and ready to ride? First is the saddle blanket or pad, second placing the saddle on the back, third letting the girths down, fourth reaching under to get the front girth, fifth tightening the front girth, sixth reaching under to get the back girth, seventh adjusting the back girth, eighth getting the breast collar around the chest, ninth adjusting the breast collar, tenth attaching the breast collar between the front legs to the front girth, eleventh checking the front girth for proper tightness. And all of that is just to get the saddle on, we're not really worried about getting in the saddle right now.

So ok, first thing first get the horse used to having a saddle blanket on them. I like to use a thin Navajo blanket, because it can be folded up to be pretty small. I start with letting the horse see and smell it with it folded up as small as possible. I do not have the horse restrained in anyway. If the horse chooses to leave, it can within the confines of the round pen. I work the horse for a few minutes, then allow them to come back to the center, and repeat the first step. Once the horse will calmly sniff and look at the blanket, with it still folded up, I start to rub it all over their body. Again, if it wants to leave it can, it will be worked shortly then invited back to the center and I will start with the first step of seeing and smelling again, because I know that the horse is good at that step. I again try rubbing the blanket all over the horse's body, not moving forward in the process until the current step is rock solid.

Now, for the sake of this, time wise, I am going to write this out in a step by step list, but keep in mind that you do not move on to the next step until the current step is basically set in concrete. There will be some notes to describe the current step. I do this process in a round pen with no halter or lead rope, but if you are not comfortable with that you can use them. Now, on to the list.

Getting a horse used to being saddled:

Let the horse see and smell the blanket with it folded as small as possible.

A navajo blanket is usually used folded in half. I can usually get about three more folds in it before it gets too thick for me to hold with one hand. So, I can get it down to about 1/16th of its full size.

Rub the horse down with the blanket, all over its body.
Remove one fold & repeat step 1.
Repeat step 2, with one fold removed.
Remove the second fold & repeat step 1.
Repeat step 2 with two folds removed.
Remove the third fold & repeat step 1.
Repeat step 2 with the third fold removed.

At this point you should have the blanket at the size that it will be used on a regular basis.

Take your lead rope and wrap it around your horse's heart girth.
Pull the lead rope snug with only your hands, and then release the pressure.

This is to get the horse used to pressure in that area gradually.

Put a surcingle on the horse, and adjust it snugly.

If you do not have a surcingle or access to one, you can make a temporary one using two girths, an off billet, and a cinch. It doesn't have to be spectacular to serve the purpose intended.

Remove the surcingle.
Let the horse see and smell the saddle.

Depending on your saddle size and weight, rubbing the horse down with it is out of the question.

Set the saddle on the horse's back, but do not let go of it.

Leave all of your normal equipment on the saddle, but have it tied up, like how you store it. Let the off side stirrup hand just like you normally go.

Remove the saddle.
Repeat steps 14 & 15 until the horse stands calm and relaxed for it.
Pull the front girth under, and cinch it up, just enough to keep the saddle in place.

Cinch the girth slowly, allowing the horse to adjust.

Pull the back girth under, and adjust it properly.
Pull the breast collar around and secure it properly.
Secure the breast collar to the front girth, between the front legs.
Tighten the front girth, slowly allowing the horse time to adjust to the new pressure.
Ask the horse to move off.

The first time the horse moves with the saddle, its reaction can range from explosive bucking to just walking off calmly. Either way, be prepared for it.

Repeat steps 18-22, until the horse stands relaxed until you ask it to move, and then it moves off in a calm manner.

The reason that I wrote all of this out is to try to explain how I try to avoid my Ah Ha moments. Whoever said that you can not plan out how to train a horse was wrong, except for one aspect, the time. It takes however long it takes. But you can plan out the steps to get there, in an attempt to prevent your Ah Ha moments and increase the horse's Ah Ha moments, which come from them getting what you are asking for. In the example above, we want the horse to stand, quietly and accept being saddled and then move off when told to do so.

The process that I described above actually takes less time to do that it took me to write it out; and possibly less time than it took you to read it, depending on your reading speed. The key for it to work is to keep repeating the entire process until the horse no longer resists any part of it; and to not move on until the horse has its Ah Ha moment about each step of the process. You may not be able to plan this out to the minute, but you can plan out the steps required. Then you will have measurable results, regardless of if it took you one minute or one hour, just be prepared to spend whatever amount of time it requires. Just remember to increase the horse's Ah Ha moments and decrease yours.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,

Lisa

Is there a Difference between Discipline and Physical Abuse?

2013-05-12T13:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, there is a difference between discipline and physical abuse. There is actually a fine line between the two, where once crossed discipline can actually become physical abuse. The problem comes from the fact that nearly everyone draws that line at different positions. Some people view any type of discipline as abuse; while others don't see tying a horse and beating it mercilessly as abuse. I am somewhere in between those two extremes.

Horses understand discipline, they have to. Since the day they were born, they were taught the rules of herd life, and breaking those rules resulted in being disciplined by a member of that herd. In the beginning the discipline is simply being expelled from the safety of the herd for a short period of time. As the foal matures it is expected to remain respectful of the horses above it in the pecking order, and it it doesn't it will be punished by whatever means the higher ranking horse sees fit. I have never personally seen one horse that just beat on another for no reason. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, just that I've never seen it. I have read about and heard about horses that could not be turned out with other horses because of aggression issues though. This however is not the norm, or horses would not be herd animals.

I think of abuse as excessive force administered for extended periods of time. I think of discipline as anything that happens within 3 seconds of the unwanted behavior, that lasts no longer than 3 seconds, and utilized anything that you currently have on your person. Short of keeping an arsenal with you at all times, you can not physically abuse a horse within those three rules. If you stay within those rules, you can not physically abuse a horse with anything short of carrying a gun with you at all times. Even following my rules, there are some people that would consider it as abuse because I struck the horse with anything to begin with. There is really nothing that I can do about how someone else views what I do as a whole, just like they can not do anything about how I view what they do with their horses. But that is a completely different story anyway, so I shall move on.

Again discipline is something that horses understand, if you do this I will do that. Just for a simple example; if you come into my space without being invited, I will make you leave. Abuse is completely foreign to them. Like, if you come into my space without being invited, I will tie you up and hit you with a whip until you no longer think about doing that. See the difference? Now, granted those are overly simplified examples, but they get the point across.

I also mentioned that discipline can cross the line into abuse, and it usually happens when our frustration grows and grows, because of what ever reason. This to me, is the only time that it is acceptable to just walk away for a little while (just make sure to leave your horse in a safe situation) and calm down, because chances are, if you are frustrated your horse is confused. Take a break, long enough for you to collect your wits about you, and try again. This time in smaller steps, and as soon as the horse does anything right, end on a good note and stop for the day. That is how to avoid discipline becoming abuse.

Training horses can be simple or as frustrating as we make it, add in the pressure of someone else watching and judging every little move that you make, and it can be overwhelming. Do what works for you and your horse and let the other people do the same. Unless they ask for your help directly, or you ask for theirs, there is no reason to worry about someone else thinks. Even with that being said, if you see someone truly abusing a horse, please turn them into the proper authorities, as no horse deserves that.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God less you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Come to Jesus Meeting

2013-05-11T13:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about how your body language effects your relationship with your horse, or any horse for that matter. In that blog post, I mentioned a "Come to Jesus Meeting" between my paint mare Lady and myself. I had a friend read the blog before I posted it, because I felt that I was missing something, she assured me that I hadn't, but said that I might want to write a blog explaining what a "Come to Jesus Meeting" was. So, here I am, going to try to explain it, as best I can.

On a few occasions, Lady will decide that she is in charge of the pasture, whether I am there or not. She usually tells me this with the usual body language they use when a lower ranking herd member tries to over-step their position. Glaring, pinning her ears, the usual, which I reciprocate as best I can, and depending on how much conviction she has, maybe a charge when I don't back down when "told" to. This, is usually handled easily with stepping in her direction, clapping and saying, "NO" in a stern voice. But on the rare instance where she really wants to push the issue, it comes down to having a "Come to Jesus Meeting" either in the round pen or on a lead rope. There is nothing really different than regular ground work, then the fact that I push her a little harder because she is pushing back. As long as she is showing any signs of defiance, raised head, swishing tail, ears on anything but me, charging when coming in or changing directions, anything I continue to push her to move her feet quickly and frequently change directions both toward and away from me in the round pen and just toward me on a lead rope. As soon as she starts to show any signs of submission, I back off and allow her to rethink her position in our herd. If she can come to me right, and like she is supposed to, the meeting is over. However, if she shows any signs of being defiant, the process continues with increasing pressure to move quickly and even more turns with her hustling through them as well. Again, as soon as she shows any signs of submission, I back off and allow her to think about it. If she wants to settle down into her role, as subserviant to me, we are done. But as long as she is being defiant the process continues.

This whole process usually takes anywhere from five to thirty minutes, and that time is tied directly to her conviction for being the lead mare. Most times it's a five minute meeting, but it is what it is. With any horse, a "Come to Jesus Meeting" can be beneficial under the right circumstances, but only if the person conducting them is absolutely confident that they can win the argument, so to speak. If you are new to horses, and your horse has gotten where it is really pushy and disrespectful towards you, you will require the help of a more knowledgeable and confident person to do this process, as you watch. Then, once the horse is a little more compliant, you might attempt it with the other person assisting you, to make sure you are doing it correctly. Once you know, when to apply and release pressure, and to what extent, you might try it with the other person watching, much like you did the first time. After you are absolutely sure that you have the method down, you can do it on your own.

Now, the draw back of the "Come to Jesus Meeting". If you lose the argument, even once, you will cement in the horse's mind that it is the leader, and that you are to follow his/her lead. This is why you have to be absolutely certain that you are going to win the "argument" before you ever start it, if you are not, get help, period. This is not something that you can start, then in the middle of it decide that you are in over your head and quit, because, if you do, the horse wins and it will be harder next time. It really becomes a vicious cycle.

Now, if you have read and paid attention to what I have written, you noticed that I never said anything about actually touching the horse to apply pressure. That is because for me, I do not find it necessary, I can successfully complete this with just my body language, but I still keep a whip or stick in my hand just to in case I need it. If I need it, it is usually as an extension of my arm to extend my reach, but I'm not against using it on the horse, in the proper manner of course. I am not telling anyone to abuse or beat them, but you may have to get a little harsher to get this job done. So, with that being said, here's hoping that you never have to utilize the "Come to Jesus Meeting", but if you do, that everything goes as it should.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

How Your Body Language Effects Your Relationship with Horses.

2013-05-10T11:38:00.001-05:00

If you've ever watched a herd of horses out in the pasture; or had the pleasure of watching Mustangs in the wild; you probably noticed that the majority of their communication is done via body language. The majority of your communication with your horse takes place without a word ever passing your lips. Just like they read the body language of their herd mates, they also read your body language just as well. When you stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense. Ever notice that when you spend time at the barn, around your horse, when you are happy, sad, angry, whatever your horse behaves differently depending on your mood? Ever wonder why? It's because your horse is reading you, much like you are reading this blot. (Thanks, by the way.)

To horses, reading body language is easy, and just part of everyday life. People however have gotten out of the habit of paying attention to the subtle details that make up body language. For the most part, when we communicate with each other, it is verbal, and because we are taught to look as whomever is speaking, our focus is usually on their face. We have spent so much time looking people in the eyes when we talk to them that we can easily read the emotions on their face, but what about the rest of their body? Can you easily read how someone feels about themselves by simply watching them? If you can't, you can bet that your horse can. Ever notice that your horse is a really good judge of character?

Horses notice and read (quite well, I might add) the very subtle ques of body language, including the body language of humans. Before, you ever get close to them, they know if you are confident or scared, happy or sad, calm or anxious, and anything else you may be at the time. As your mood and body language changes, so does your horse. Where the relationship between a horse and a human is concerned, we are operating at a huge learning curve compared to them. They live their lives day-to-day reading body language; and we live ours day-to-day listening to tone of voice and watching facial expressions. Because of this, we have to learn to read their body language, while they have us pegged from a mile away.

So, what do you do? Well, being as every person is truly unique in how they handle different situations, this is a nearly impossible question to answer in a way that will cover everyone. I consider myself a very stable person (pun intended), that's not saying that I don't have the stresses, worries, or anything else that any other person has. I just know how to deal with them in a way that suits me. For me, the way that my place is set-up, I have to go through a gate to even get to the barn, and that is the way that I like it. Before I walk through the gate, I stand up straight, square my shoulders, and hold my head high, then walk into the pasture like I own the joint. I have two horses, both mares, the paint mare, Lady, is the Alpha mare, and the chestnut mare, Fancy follows her lead. Lady knows that when I'm not there she is in charge, and takes that role very seriously. But she also knows that the second that I step into the pasture, the role of Alpha mare switches from her to me; and for the most part she follows it willingly. Every once in a while she'll decide that she wants to be Alpha regardless of if I am there or not. That action from her demands a "Come to Jesus" meeting, and at the end of it, she's good with following me again. After it is all said and done, I try to figure out what made her try it. I do not dwell on it while in the pasture, but I will sit in the truck and think about it. It usually boils down to me losing my concentration on the task at hand, and my body language changing as a result of it. She views it as a weakness, and tries to take advantage. She is very quick to remind me to pay attention to my own body language. As a result of this, I have learned to also pay attention to other people's body language, and gotten quite good at it, I think. I actually enjoy going to public places, and watching people, just to read their body language. Give it a try, you will be amazed at what you will see when you are looking for it.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Barefoot, Barefoot with Boots, or Shoes

2013-05-10T11:13:00.001-05:00

Hoof care is something that most horse people try to keep on a regular schedule of every 6-8 weeks. Scheduling depends greatly on several factors; how fast the individual horse grows hoof, if barefoot how the individual horse wears its feet down, how a horse is kept, what type of terrain is in the horse's enclosure, whether the horse is conformationally correct, and the list can go on for what seems like eternity. And the answers to these questions will affect how you manage your horse's hoof care schedule and how its feet are kept, whether it's barefoot or with shoes.

Before you decide to try barefoot with your horse, have a detailed conversation with your farrier, and your vet, in regards to how you use the horse, how it is kept, whether there is currently any corrective shoeing being utilized, your vet can point out the pros and cons of going barefoot for your horse. You will also decide if you want the feet trimmed like they normally are, just minus the shoes; or if you want to start to set up the Mustang Roll, which closely mimics how Mustangs wear their feet naturally. Not every farrier know how to develop the roll, so you may have to change farriers to find one that can; A.) properly set-up and maintain the Mustang Roll, and B.) get along with and handle your horses to your liking. To me, B is just as, if not more important than A. If Lady isn't happy with a farrier, than neither am I, and she makes no attempt to hide her thinking that someone is over-stepping the boundaries of their position at the barn. She's never offered to bite or kick, but she gets agitated, and shows it, depending on how the new farrier acts, she either settles down or gets worse. I've only ever found one farrier that bothered her, and that was because he was actually intimidated by her and she picked up on it.

Back to the proper subject, not every horse is a candidate for going barefoot, because of hoof conformation defects, living environment, and breeding (not Breed). An extremely flat footed horse will usually no do well barefooted, but you'll never know until you try, just be aware that you may to be able to ride until your horse adjusts to being barefoot again. Horses that live in a stall 24/7, or are only turned out for short periods in grass fields, usually aren't candidates for going completely barefoot when being ridden in anything other than an arena that is prepared and soft. These horses, however can be barefooted the majority of the time and wear some type of hoof boot when necessary for their comfort. They get the benefits of being barefoot, without being uncomfortable from being on footing that they are not accustomed to.

Some horses just can not be without shoes of some sort or another year round, even when they are not being heavily used. If your horse requires corrective shoeing, you know it because you are paying for it, and usually a lot.

I personally think that every horse owner should look into the feasibility of their horses going barefoot, on a case by case situation. Because whether it is completely barefoot all of the time; or barefoot the majority of the time with the use of hoof boots for riding on unusual or hard terrain; the horse gets the benefits of running around like nature intended it to. I personally keep my horses barefoot, and also completely understand that this option is not necessarily feasible for every horse. So, I am not going to say that every horse should be kept barefoot. I will however say that every owner should figure out what works best for their horses and them.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Can I Hurt "Precious"?

2013-05-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

"Precious" is a term borrowed directly from Clinton Anderson. He uses this name for a fictisious horse, who's owner just will not make it behave, because they can not stand the thought of hurting "Precious" in anyway. "If I make her leave me, she will think that I don't love her anymore" or "If I hit her with a wet noodle, I will hurt her" Neither of those two comments are anywhere near true. I will take both of these statements and explain exactly what I mean.

First, let's examine "If I make her leave me she will think that I don't love her anymore." Just to clarify her being close to you has absolutely nothing to do with her loving you, or you loving her. "Precious" is constantly up in your space, and on top of you, that is not love, it's disrespect. It's also very, very dangerous! If she were to spook at something, she wouldn't think twice about jumping right on top of you. It doesn't matter how big or small she is, that is going to hurt, ... you! Make "Precious" respect your space, and then if she spooks she'll jump away from you because she will know that she is only allowed in your space when you tell her that it's alright for her to enter it.

Now, for the second statement, "If I hit her with a wet noodle, I will hurt her." This statement to me is even more ridiculous than the first one. Because, short of tying her up to a very solid object, and working her over with a shovel or a 2" x 4", you're not likely to physically hurt her. I don't care how strong you are, you can not generate the type of force that another horse does kicking, and this isn't the type of hitting that any trainer that I've ever heard was talking about anyway. When it comes to applying pressure to your horse, use as little pressure as possible that will get the job done, but as much pressure as is necessary to get the results you want.

Let's use the example of teaching a horse to lunge, counter clockwise. The lead rope will be in your left hand and the whip/stick will be in your right hand. The horse will be within close proximity to you, but not within your space. Use your lead hand to gently guide the horse into the correct direction, without the horse entering your space. If that works, great that was as little pressure as possible and got the job done. But, if it didn't work, you need to increase the pressure until you get the response you wanted, any forward movement in a counter clockwise direction, even if its only on step, then the pressure is removed completely. So, with your lead hand, still gently guiding, add pressure with your right/whip hand by simply lifting it behind her. If you have not spent any time getting the horse used tot he whip, this will likely be enough pressure to make her move forward, as soon as it does, lower the whip, and repeat, gently guide, no response, raise whip, movement, lower whip, and keep repeating until it only requires being gently guided. Eventually when you raise your left hand the horse will move off in the correct direction. But, for this purpose, we're going to say that your horse isn't doing what you want it to do, when you want it to.

So, for arguments sake, lets say that when you lift the whip, the horse either remains standing, or starts moving but in the wrong direction. What to do, keep the pressure from your left hand constant, but keep increasing the pressure from from your right hand gradually applying more and more pressure until the horse moves in the right direction, forward and counter clockwise. Start with raising the whip, increase by gently waving the whip, increase the intensity of the wave, if still no forward movement, touch the horse with the whip, then tap the horse with it, and keep increasing the firmness of the tap until you get what you want. As soon as that happens, stop all pressure completely, but not until you get forward, counter clockwise movement. If you remove pressure before that, you will teach the horse to do what-ever it was doing at the time that you removed the pressure. Let's say that the horse rears up, and it kinda scares you, so you remove the pressure. Since you removed the pressure, the horse thinks that rearing up was what you were looking for. So, the next time you start to apply pressure, before you apply as much as you did last time, she rears up again. It freaks you out again, and you remove the pressure. The cycle continues, and all you have taught the horse is to rear up, the horse has taught you, that if you apply pressure it will freak out and rear up. You leave, saying, "Precious" was abused by some one in her past, and needs to be handled with care because she does not trust people." When the reality is, that "Precious" is that way because you just trained her to be. Now, are there horses that have trust issues with people, yes! The paint mare in my profile pic is one of them. When she is loose and can come and go as she pleases, she does not care who is around, new people, familiar people, it really doesn't matter. She will let them rub on her, love on her, no problem. But, when she has a halter and lead rope on, she is a little more leary of people that she is not familiar with. Until she sees that person is a confident, leader she tends to kind of lean away from them. The only people that it doesn't matter if they are confident or not is children, especially small children. She will go above and beyond to do whatever a kid wants to. She will actually drop her head to their shoulder level, if they are leading her around, and with her being 16.3 hands high, it's an effort on her part.

But, the truth be told, I don't handle her any differently than I handle any other horse that I've worked with, slow and steady progress. How slow, depends on the horse's ability to learn; not their past. Most horses live in the presence and do not dwell on the past. All a physically abused horse needs is a strong, fair minded leader, not to be treated special because you can't let go of their past. You keep reliving their past for them, and in an attempt to comfort them, they preceive you as weak and take full advantage and become the leader, and go from a horse that does not trust people; to a horse that tries and often succeeds at dominating people; and you excuse the behavior by saying, "Precious was abused in the past." It's really a vicious cycle.

All any horse needs is:

Water
Food - grass, hay or grain, doesn't really matter.
A safe environment - stall or pasture they don't even require shelter, and will rarely use it when you think they should. Mine use the run-in for a restroom and that's about it.
A strong, fair-minded leader - and if you are not willing to step up and be this, they will, and their idea of appropriate pressure can easily injure an/or kill us.

They do not need to be coddles, or need excuses made for poor behavior, they are not "Precious." They need to be treated with respect, and expected to treat you with respect, period! I hope that no one took this post as a personal assault on them, as that is not how it was meant. It was meant in an educational manor, and I hope someone learned something from it.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,

Lisa

The Worst Behavior that You Allow, is the Best Behavior that You can Expect.

2013-05-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

Today's title comes directly from a Horse Forum member named Cheri. It is the most honest statement about training that I have ever heard. She also has a great thread on that website titles, "Every person IS a horse trainer..." and she states that any person that is around a horse, is in fact training that horse. And for whatever reason, this obvious statement is completely overlooked, or missed altogether. Training horses is not hard work, especially training them for bad habits, of any kind. That is actually quite simple, and is the reas that most beginner horse owners, buy a perfectly mannered horses, and a few months later have an ill-mannered brat. The beginner unknowingly trains the horse to be the brat, and never even realize it. The hard work in straining comes when someone, or the beginner decides that enough is enough and tries to untrain the bad habits that the horse has learned. This is one reason that if you would like to own a horse in the future, riding lessons are a good idea now. They give a beginner a chance to be around horses under the supervision o a knowledgeable horse person.

If riding lessons are out of the question for whatever reason, make an attempt to find someone in your area that knows something about horses. Most horse people will gladly share their knowledge about horses. You may go through several mentors over the ears as your knowledge increases, but they will be the best investment in time and money that you will ever spend.

If you don't want to find a mentor, or can't find one, you have a couple of choices. Books, are a good start, especially if you are someone that is good at reading a book and then applying that knowledge. There are also videos that you can buy or rent. There is a website that is like Netflix, which you can stream videos like the ones you buy from people like Clinton Anderson, Pat Parelli, and the like. There are also thousands of training videos on youtube, but be careful because there are some videos on there that will quickly lead you down the wrong road. Depending on your location and monitary situation, going to clinics is also a way to get access to knowledgeable horse people, I know that all of the ones that I've checked into, spectators are only charged like $25.00/day, and you can still ask question and get answers. They are a good way to be introduced to the world of horse training without having to buy a horse. And there is a huge variety of chilcians to choose from. I've seen a few of Clinton Anderson's videos, and he is brilliant at explaining how to do something, but I've also heard that he can be quite harsh and crass at those clinics. But that can also be because he tends to not sugar coat things, if someone is doing something wrong, he will quickly point it out. I personally would love to go watch Buck Brennamen, especially after watching his movie, "Buck" he seems to be a sincerely genuine person. And that seems to be a rarity these days.

Regardless of what route you choose to gain knowledge from; Trainer/Instructor, mentor, books, videos, or clinics; horse knowledge is something that never stops coming in, especially where training is concerned. And, since we are all trainers, we should never stop learning, ever. When we stop learning, we stop progressing in our relationship with our horses, and when you stop progressing, you might as well just sell out and move on.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Horses and Sunburn.

2013-05-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

If you've ever owned a horse that has very much white on either it's face or body; then you are very aware of the fact that during the summer they get a sunburn just like people do. With the exception that they will never tan, instead they just keep burning. Now, if the white is not covering the area where the saddle sits, yyou can easily continue riding your horse throughout the summer with little or no thought to this subject. If the white is on the horse's nose, it may not take to being bridled because of your hand being near it's now extremely sensitive nose.

So, how do you handle a horse that has been sunburned? My suggestion would be to prevent the sunburn in the first place. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure, after all. But, I ask how to handle a horse that has been sunburned, didn't I? If the horse only has burns on a small area, such as it's nase, the best thing that I have found to treat it, is a cheap Vitamin E cream that is in the lotion aisle at Wal-Mart. It is like, less than $2.00 for 4 ounces, and you use it sparingly, so it lasts a while. If the horse has large areas, you will have to resort to one of the methods of prevention that I'm about to describe, and wait for the burns to heal.

Methods of Sunburn Prevention:

Stall kept - If you have access to stalls, you can put the horse up during the majority of the daylight hours. Like us, horses get Vitamin D from sunlight, so they do need to be turned out some during the day to soak it up. The downfall to this method, is that some horses become hot when being kept in a stall for long hours.
Sunscreens - Yes, they actually make sunscreen specifically for horses. As you can imagine, it is expensive, like the majority of products marketed for horses. You apply it to the white areas of the horse, with a sponge that greatly resembles the one that some women use to apply make-up. The stuff appears to be mostly Zinc Oxide, you can tell where it has been applied. It will sweat off, so it will have to be applied every morning. I would just as soon, go buy a sunscreen that is sweat resistant with a SPF of >50, and use that.
Bug sheets and Fly masks - Some of the bug sheets marketed provide some UVA/UVB protection, but not all of them, and the majority of the fly masks do. Depending on where you live, your horses may bet a little warm usung this option.
Feed - The only feed that I know of that will prevent sunburn, is Purina's Omolene 200. My paint mare is probably 80% white, and lives in a 16 acre pasture 24/7. She has not had a sunburn in years, except for when I changed her feed to Purina's Strategy. Within two weeks she was burnt to where she didn't want to be touched. I switched her back to the Omolene 200, and in about a week, she was good to go. I even asked my vet if he had any other customers that had noticed this particular side effect of the 200. He said that no one else had, but that it was likely due to some vitamin or mineral in the feed that reduced the sensitivity to the sun. After I figured it out, anytime someone talks about their horses getting a sunburn, I tell them to switch their feed to Omolene 200.

Above are several options for preventing sunburn in your beloved white horses. Take whatever measures you want to, to safe guard them from the sun. They deserve to be comfortable, and I'm sure we all know how uncomfortable a sunburn can be, especially when you're outside with one. Take care of them, and they will take care of you.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,

Lisa

Pets or Livestock?

2013-05-05T13:24:00.002-05:00

Many people consider their horses as pets, and some consider them family. And the pets versus livestock discussion usually quickly becomes a heated argument; with die hard fans on both sides. Many consider horses as pets because of projected emotions that they place upon the horses. Horses do not show emotions like we do, in fact they have thousands of years worth of instinct instructing them not to. Respect for you, is the closest thing to love as they are going to get. And as long as they have food, water and space to move around, they are good to go, I guess you could project happiness on them here. They do not get angry with you if you "punish" them or make them do something that they may not necessarily want to do, like leave their heard mates or cross a stream, when it's over, it's over. They may appear to be mad or upset with you, but in reality they just think that you are over-stepping your role in this herd dynamic. You haven't been the leader, so they have had to be, and now you're trying to tell them what to do? You're in for a fight, just like any other herd member that tries to move up in the pecking order! At the end of the day, all your horse wants, is to know who the leader is between the two of you. And it has to be either you or the horse, and preferably you.

What is considered a pet? Often the definition of what animals qualify as pets will be laid out in your state and/or local legislature. To me, a pet is something that can be kept at your residence, even if you live in an apartment in a major metropolitan area. Dogs, cats, birds, and some exotic animals fit in this description.

What is a barn yard animal? These are small animals that are usually found in a farmer's yard which legislature usually prevents these animals as being kept as pets in apartments or communities where the lots are small, and your neighbors are close. Chickens, ducks, and rabbits are a few examples.

What is livestock? Most legislature defines bovine, equine, swine, and ovine, of any size or variety whether kept for pleasure, food, or breeding purposes as livestock. So a horse of any kind by definition of law is livestock, regardless of what purpose that horse serves.

To me livestock is any animal that requires more than 1-1 1/2 acres per head. In terms that everyone can kind of grasp, if you lived in New York City, NY, U.S.A. in an apartment that overlooked Central Park, you would have to lease or rent a place to keep a horse 24/7 that makes them livestock. You may treat them like a pet, but that does not change the fact that they are livestock.

Regardless of how you see your horses, the law and law makers see them as livestock, period.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Rider Balance.

2013-05-05T13:07:00.000-05:00

If you, for one moment don't think that your balance does not greatly effect your horse's ability to perform, let me lay out a scenerio that will likely clear it right up for you.

Let's say that you are a 130 pound woman, in good shape. Find two kids, one that is roughly 20% of your body weight, so about 26 pounds; and the other about 30% of your body weight, so about 39 pounds. Please use either your kids or a friend's kids for this, I don't want you going to jail and saying that I told you to do it. Lol! Just playing with ya some. Now, with you standing upright, like you normally would put the first kid on your back, and have him/her stay as balanced as they can and hand on as best they can. Walk around with them like that for a little while to see how it feels. Once you get the feel for that, start having the kid lean left or right, forward or backwards. Compare the two feelings mentally. Now, get down on your hands and knees and give them a horsey ride. Again, once with them balanced and again with them leaning in every direction. Notice how differently you have to move to stay underneath them when they are leaning. Now, repeat his entire process with the heavier kid.

By the time you finish this exercise with both kids, you will more clearly see how your balance or lack thereof effects you horse's performance of even the simplest tasks. The weights that I used as examples are common percentages that we regularly expect our horses to cart around on a daily basis, so it really isn't unrealistic to use those same figures.

Ok, so you have some balance issues that are effecting your horse's performance. Where do you start to correct it? Well, first things first. Check out yesterday's entry titles "Importance of Saddle Fit for Horse and Rider." Make sure that your saddle is not hindering your effort at a balanced ride. For the sake of this post we're going to say that the saddle fits the horse and you properly, and move right along.

Ok, the saddle fits you and the horse, what's next? Let's do some exercises that will help evaluate your balance. Take a 4" x 4" x 8', and place it on the ground. Can you walk from one end to the other without falling off or rushing through because you lost your balance? If the answer is no, then you need to work on your balance on the ground before worrying too much about your balance when mounted.

How do you work on your balance to improve it? You have quite a few options and they can be a simple or a complicated as you wish to make them. On the simple side, you can work on increasing the time that you can stand on one foot without losing your balance. Start on level ground and work up to using a balance board or ball. On the more complicated end, hire a personal trainer, and work with him/her to improve and balance out your over-all strength. Also go to some yoga classes to help you remain flexible and also aide in increasing your balance. Now, most of us will fall somewhere between those two extremes, and some of us will do nothing at all to improve out balance.

So, let's say that you fall somewhere between the two extremes. You have access to a gym, either at home or a membership, but you don't really have access to a personal trainer, or you really just can't afford to use one. That's alright, in today's world the internet can provide you with plenty of information to get you started. Sites like www.bodybuilding.com offer free memberships, and offer thousands of articles written by personal trainers to get you started. The thing that you have to keep in mind, is that your core strength is what helps keep you balanced. I mean your abs, right? Wrong! I mean the entire trunk of your body, abs, chest, upper back, lower back, and obliques, trained in symmetry to create a strong base from with your arms, legs, and head extent from. If your core is symmetrically strong, it will increase your over all balance, both in and out of the saddle. The key is for opposing muscle groups to be equally strong, because they pull on each other, to stabilize the body.

Many exercises work more than one area of the body at the same time. So, instead of just aimlessly going from station to station at the gym, write out a clear and precise plan for the day that includes; which part of the body you will target, which exercises, how many sets, how many reps per set, and the weight used for each exercise, even if it is just your own body weight. Make a plan and stick to it. Your balance will not improve over night, but it will improve, but it is something that will have to be continually worked on. Which is only fair, we expect our horses to get into shape for riding, so should we.

Improving your balance will not only improve your riding ability, it will increase your horse's athletic performance as well, because he/she will no longer have to compensate for your imbalance. Over time, as you and the horse get accustomed to your new found balance, your confidence will increase and so will your horse's.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Importance of Saddle Fit for Horse and Rider.

2013-05-04T09:16:00.001-05:00

I'm sure that anyone who has spent any amount of time in a saddle knows how important it is that the saddle fits both the horse and rider properly. But, for someone that is new to horses and riding a quick internet search will turn up over-whelming results on the topic, this particular part of this blog is likely one of them. What makes this blog any different from any of the other results? Nothing really, I guess. You will likely find the same information here, as you would on any number of the thousands of websites. What's the difference, you may ask? I'm going to try to explain it in a way that literally anybody can understand. I will use examples that you can identify with, and correlate to the horse. Proper saddle fit, regardless of discipline, is important.

Now, for obvious reasons, if you use a treeless saddle, your saddle will fit almost any horse, as long as the horse is not extremely narrow or long in the back. But, be aware that these saddles can be quite expensive, and the special blanket that has to be used with them are as well. The only discipline in which a treeless saddle is not available for, to my knowledge, would be roping, either calf or team, and bull dogging or steer wrestling. The tree is needed in those activities for extra support to the horse's back. The main fitting issue with a treeless saddle is it properly fitting the rider, but I'm not to that part of this subject yet.

Regardless of whether you ride English, Western, Australian, endurance or what ever type of saddle, there are different tree styles, gullet widths. There are even saddles in which the gullet width can be changes, but those are mostly English style saddles in my experience. If you are not sure if your saddle fits your horse properly, you have a few options. The cheapest option is looking at how it sits on your horse's back without the pad or blanket, and without being cinched up at all, simply placed on their back where it goes. It should appear level, with neither the front for back being higher or lower than the other. You should be able to run your hand between the saddle and the horse's back from front to back on both sides, with little resistance and no gaps or pressure points. One of the easiest ways to tell is when you take the saddle and blanket off after a good ride, in which the horse begin to sweat. If there are any dry spots, that is where the saddle is putting more pressure and it doesn't fit properly.

Another cheap way, considering your internet speed and usage, is to look up videos on the internet about fitting saddles. I'm positive that youtube will have multiple videos on the subject. Most reputable tack stores will have someone that knows how to properly fit a saddle to both the horse and the rider, and most will not mind your horse being hauled to their place. Some places may even check your current saddle for proper fit, in hopes of you remembering that in the future when you want a new high ticket item. If you have the resources, you can also hire a professional saddle fitter to come to your place and evaluate your horse for saddle fit.

** Something to keep in mind. Saddles fit differently, as the horse's body condition changes. Think of the saddle much like your favorite clothes in this manner. As you gain or lose weight, the clothes fit differently than they did. The same goes with a saddle that fits a horse. If th horse was in tip top condition when you had the saddle fitted to it, it may very well become ill fitted as the horse loses conditioning for whatever reason. So, just because the saddle fits today, does not mean that it will still fit properly six months from now. So, with that in mind, saddle fit should be checked regularly. And anytime there is what seems to be a sudden change in behavior that is not favorable, like grumpiness, bucking, rearing. Check the saddle for proper fit, and other areas for pain before assuming that it is training related. It may take a chiropractor and some time for the horse to realize that the saddle is no longer the problem, but maybe it was to begin with.

Back to the subject at hand. A saddle that is too narrow places all of the rider's weight on the outside edges of the tree, instead of spreading it evenly over the entire tree like it is meant to. Think of it like your 10 pound puppy standing on you where most of it's weight is on one of it's legs. It doesn't take long for that puppy to feel a lot heavier than it actually is. Whereas, if that same puppy is standing squarely on all four legs, you barely notice it at all.

The too narrow saddle also pinches at the shoulders and/or the hips, causing a restricted movement. You will probably notice a change in the way the horse moves. Think of this like wearing a button up shirt that is too tight across the shoulders and chest. If you stay within the confines of the shirt, it greatly reduces your range of motion. The same goes with pants that are too tight, especially if those pants are made of a material like denim that does not easily stretch. Don't believe me, put on the tightest pair of jeans that you can fit into, and try to mount a tall horse from the ground. Then try it again with a pair that fits properly. It will be a whole lot easier the second time, I promise.

Over time, using a saddle that is too narrow will produce a sore back, white scars from pressure sores, an altered way of moving, and will usually change a horse's attitude about being ridden, but not in a good way. Most of these issues are correctable, with usually some adjusting by a chiropractor, a proper fitted saddle, time, and exercise. The only one that can not be corrected or fixed is the scars from high pressure areas, which these usually show up around the withers.

A saddle that is too wide, will rest the majority of the rider's weight directly on the horse's withers and/or back bone, instead of spreading it over the total area of the tree like it should. These saddles are easier to compensate for with pads that are built up on the sides, but a properly fitted saddle is still better than just making due with pads. To give you something to compare this to, imagine being on your hands and knees on the floor, and someone else placing 10%, 20%, 30%, or even 40% of your body weight directly on your spine. Doesn't sound comfortable to try, much less to try to move around with it for very long on your level floor, much less outside on uneven ground for 30 minutes or longer.

Needless to say, this type of ill-fitting saddle will definately have you calling the chiropractor, if left unattended to. Of the two main types of fitting issues, this one is easier to correct with saddle pads, especially if you buy a pad that has adjustable shims, shim pockets. These pads are usually plain colored and ugly as home made soap, but can be covered with a navajo blanket of your choosing. I would rather have a saddle that is too wide than too narrow, because it can be adjusted somewhat with a pad.

Now, in a perfect world, all horses would fit in one width of tree, and I mean fit it properly. In a near perfect world, all horses would fit into one of the categories above, wide or narrow. Alas, this world is no where near perfect, and many horses fall somewhere between wide and narrow, and some are a combination of the two. Ever seen a horse that the saddle fits toward the back, but is too wide at the withers, so it sets almost directly on top of the withers. You try a narrower saddle on the same horse and now it fits better at the front, but is too narrow in the pack and pinches the hips. What do you do for this horse?

There are a few issues for this horse, and the first couple are restricted by your budget. The first option is to have a saddle custom built, tree and all, to fit the horse and you. This option is VERY expensive and out of reach financially for most recreational riders and some that are considered professionals. Another option is going treeless. This can also be expensive as the cheapest quality treeless saddle that I have found was >$800.00, and they can go up considerably from there. The final option is to choose the wider treed saddle, and use a shim pad to fill in the gaps at the shoulders, while making sure that the spine/withers have good clearance of the saddle with weight in the saddle and the girth tightened properly.

A saddle that is ill-fitted to the horse also effects you! A saddle that is too narrow will leave you sitting way above the horse, and leave you with an unbalanced and disconnected feeling. A tree that is too wide will have you closer to the horse, but will leave you feeling unbalanced from side-to-side as the horse moves beneath you. A saddle that is too wide in front but fits in the back, or a saddle that fits in the front and is too narrow in the back, will leave you feeling tipped forward and unbalanced. When the saddle fits the horse properly, it will actually help you stay balanced instead of throwing you off balance. Now that is not the only balance issues that you may or may not have, but your saddle should not hinder your balance in anyway.

Now, on to the saddle fitting you. To me, I prefer the saddle to fit like a good pair of gloves or jeans. It should neither be too tight not too loose. I'll explain the seat fitting first.

A saddle that is too small will push your center of gravity up and out of the saddle. Just a small amount of unexpected movement will place you firmly on the ground, unless you are extremely talented at hanging on and part tree frog.

A saddle that is too big, will not help you hold your seat because it will offer you no support, which is kinda on of the purposes of the saddle to begin with. A rider should not have a whole lot of movement from front to back in the saddle. You should lean forward from the hips, not actually slide forward in the saddle. You should sit deeper with your seat, and some lean slightly back from the hips, not move back in the saddle completely.

A saddle that fits you will feel snug, not tight, but allow for some movement, but not excess movement. Sounds confusing right? Ladies can relate proper saddle fit with a good pair of control top pantyhose. Too small, and they cut you in half; too big and they don't do their job. When you get the right fit, it helps you control what needs to be controlled, but doesn't really restrict your range of motion. Guys, I guess you could compare it to a jock strap. Sorry for being so personal with these comparisons, but they were the best ones that I could think of.

Once you make sure that the seat fits you properly, you will need to adjust the stirrup length to the proper fit for you. Stirrup length is something that varies greatly from rider to rider, and to most riders it is influenced greatly by discipline, experience, and personal preference. At first riders may want a little more contact with the stirrup, and that is fine; as their confidence grows so can the length of the stirrup leather.

Too short stirrups. If you stand up in the stirrups and can place more that 4 of your fingers between you and the saddle, your stirrups are too short. If you look like you are sitting in a chair, they are too short.

Too long stirrups. If you have to keep your legs completely straight to keep any contact with the stirrup, they are too long. If you are having trouble swinging your off side leg over, try shortening your leather a notch or two and try again.

Right length, you will know that your stirrup length is right for you, when you can sit, relaxed in the saddle and maintain a comfortable (for you) level of contact with the stirrups without having to push down or pull up your feet. For me, I know that my length is right when I can feel light pressure from them on the balls of my feet, with my legs totally relaxed as the horse walks around. I keep my heels down to where it looks like I am standing on a level surface barefoot. After several minutes of riding, I should not be feeling it in my knees. If I am, they are too short. If I am constantly loosing a stirrup, it is too long.

Now, regardless of discipline, every rider should learn to ride every gait and several maneuvers without the aide of stirrups. This is extremely difficult for some riders, especially if they have balance issues, but it will show you what you need to be working on, because 9 times out of 10, a rider's weaknesses become very obvious when a stirrup or two are lost. Now, there are the rare riders that naturally, actually ride better without stirrups. These riders actually need more work with the stirrups.

Ok, now that saddle seat and stirrup length have been looked at, let's look at one final point, that to me is usually determined by discipline and rider preference; and that is stirrup width, which seems to be a mostly Western discipline issue, but still bares looking into. If you spend long hours in the saddle, either trail riding, ranch work, or training multiple horses per day, a wider stirrup (1 1/2" - 2" wide) gives you more support. A lot of ropers prefer a wider stirrup. To me, they are too heavy feeling on me and I don't like them, so I don't use them. Then there is the narrower stirrups (1" - 1 1/4" wide), they do not offer as much support or gripping surface. These stirrups are lighter feeling, but easier to lose, so if your riding ability falls apart with the loss of a stirrup, either work to improve it or stick to a wider stirrup. Then there is the oxbow stirrup (< or = to 1" wide), and these are an acquired taste, ability, or whatever else you want to call it. I am still getting used to mine, and if I could find lace-up boots that weren't work boots, I would go back to the stirrups that came on my saddle so quick your head would be left spinning like a top.

Once you get the seat fit, stirrup length, and if applicable stirrup width right for you, you can enjoy a comfortable and secure ride that is not interfered with by a piece of equipment that is made to help you. A properly fitted saddle is equally important to both horse and rider, and is something that should be checked often, on both sides of it, because as you and the horse change shape, the fit of the saddle changes as well. This is something to always keep in mind.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

My Preference of Halter.

2013-05-02T11:29:00.003-05:00

I know that there are several types of halters for a person to choose from. There are nylon web halters, leather halters, store bought rope halters, "cowboy" or shipping halters, the clinicians' rope halters, and home-made rope halters. The last one is my absolute must have type of halter.

I tie my own halters, and braid the lead ropes to go with them. I could buy cheap rope to make the halters, but instead I buy a military grade 550 cord or para cord. It is thin, but strong, and soft and flexible to the touch. I have found that it will get a horse's attention with a lighter touch than even some of the big name clinician's halters will, and they won't knock the hide off the horse like some of the stiffer rope halters will. I understand that a lighter touch is required with them, While I would not recommend my halters for a hard handed person, they work just fine for me.

Everyone has their preferences where halters are concerned, and while I absolutely love the look of a well made leather halter on a horse, I prefer the functionality of a rope halter to any other.

I guess that I should explain why I prefer my home-made halter over the other types of halters and explain what it is I do not like about each type; even though some types have the same issues as others. Those that have similar issues, I will group togther.

Nylon-web/leather halters - My first draw-back to these halters, is the hardware on them. The hardware is usually the first thing to break, on the nylon halter and the leather version, if the leather is not taken care of. Plain and simple, the hardware is the weakest part of these halters. My second drawback is the width of the halter. For training purposes, it is too wide and disperses the pressure too much. They are ok for horses that are well trained, but in my opinion training is never finished. So, these halters are just not for me.
"Cowboy" or Shipping Halters - While these halters have no hardware to break, they are often made of cheap material, and not worth spending my hard earned money on.
Store-bought Rope Halters - While it is not uncommon to find these for $10.00 or less, they are cheaply made and it is quite obvious. Again, no hardware to break, but the lead rope is simply tied on and usually cheap as well. They are usually easily broken. For training purposes they are too weak to hold up to a horse pulling on them very much at all, especially if teaching a horse to stand tied.
Clinician Rope Halters - While the material used to tie these are considerably higher quality than the general store bought rope halter, the difference in material does not justify the price difference! Most of what you are paying for is the actual clinician's name, not the material quality. Most of these do not come with a lead rope of any kind, and you can easily expect to spend anywhere between $40.00 to $60.00 for the halter and lead together. To me that is just too much.
Home-made Rope Halters - The biggest downfall of these lies in the person's ability to tie a knot and follow directions. If you are not someone who can read directions and follow them, you can probably find a video on www.youtube.com that will show you how. The advantage is you can choose the quality of material that you want, based on how you use it and your preferences, and of course, your budget. That's nothing to be ashamed of, we all have them. You also get to choose whether the lead is permanently attached or has a clip, and the lead rope can be braided out of the same rope type/style/color as the halter to produce a truly matched set. Also, if you choose to put a clip on it, you get to choose the kind of clip that you like to use.

** Just a side note - I personally am not what you would consider a creative or artsy type person. But, I find tying halters and braiding lead ropes very relaxing and fun. I may, in the future consider offering my halter/lead set for sale, just because I enjoy making them so much. I wouldn't make much profit from them, because it takes so long to do the lead ropes (5-6 hours, of non-stop work), and no one would pay for that. But, I have considered having the lead ropes tested for breaking strength, just to see what it was.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. Everyone that deals with horses has to figure out what works for them. While my rope halters work for me, you might find that you prefer a nylon web halter works best for you. Just like training horses, different things work for different people and horses. Find what works best for you and your horse. At the end of the day, it's not so much how you got it done, as it is the fact that you did get it done!

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,

Lisa

Apologies to Everyone.

2013-05-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

I must apologize to everyone who takes the time to read my writings, over the last year multiple dramas have totally sapped my will and drive to write. I seriously need and plan to do better. I plan on writing about several topics that cover horses, and possibly a few that cover the people that love and care for them. I don't know why my drive/want to write has suddenly returned, but I am thankful that it has, and feel the need to have a pen and paper in hand when seated. I'm sure that my "articles" will have no type of chronological order to them, as I usually write about whatever crosses my mind when at the barn, or speaking to another person about horses, especially if it is a person that is just learning about horses.

I look forward to the future comments from readers, and sharing knowledge on a subject that I just love to talk about, so, "lets get talking!"

How to Grow Out a Mane & Tail

2012-10-18T18:45:00.000-05:00

There are many ways to grow a mane and tail out, but your end results will be determined by genetics and nutrition. It is impossible to have a thick, beautiful mane and tail on a horse that does not have the genetic potential to do so. On the same note, a horse that has the potential for a great mane and tail will not be able to fulfill that potential without the proper nutrition. It is a whole lot like the different hair types in humans, you end up with what your mother and father gave you, and your level of nutrition directly affects the quality of hair that you get to make use of. So, before you begin to work to get that beautifully thick mane and tail, you need to take an honest look at what you have to begin with. Make sure that all of your horse’s nutritional needs are being met, because no topical concoction will do near as much for the hair health and growth as good as nutrition will. Now that we have the genetics and nutrition covered, we can move on to a couple of ways to help the hair grow out and to protect it from breakage.

One of the most popular methods for growing out the mane and tail is to braid them to help protect them from breakage. The downfall of braiding is that if the braids are too wide or too tight, the braids will pull out or break the hairs when the horse lowers it’s head to eat. That is the opposite of what you are wanting. Another downfall is, if the braids are left in too long, they can actually become tangles up, and the process of getting them out can break or pull out the hair. A reasonable time is two weeks maximum, anything longer and you risk them tangling up. For the purpose of growing out a mane, I like to use braids that are about an inch wide at the top maximum. I braid them loosely where they can expand some without pulling and breaking the hair. I want the hair clean, conditioned, and dry. Do not use anything that has silicone in it, like Show Sheen, on a regular basis. To remove tangles or for a show, it is ok, but on a daily basis it will dry out and damage the hair. I like coconut oil worked into the mane sparingly about once a week at most. It will help moisturize the hair and make it manageable for braiding, but if you use too much it will make the hair too slick to braid. I use electric tape to tie the braids at the bottom, it does not degrade in the sun and just fall off like the rubber bands and does not pull as much hair out either, when you remove them to take the braids out. Since I am too lazy to remove the braids weekly for the oil treatment, I will simply work the oil into the mane bed. When I take the braids out, I will let the hair rest for a day or two before braiding the hair back up.

As for braiding the tail, I do not personally like doing it, but some people do. So, I will explain how to. I want the tail clean, either wash it completely or do a vinegar wash, conditioned, and dry. Work the coconut oil into it, again sparingly, too much will make it too slick to braid. The braid needs to start at the end of the dock, and be braided loosely to the end. There are many options when braiding tails; just braiding it without a bag, a braid in bag, a drop in bag, an old tube sock, or wrap the braid up in vet wrap or Sarhan Wrap If you are doing this during the summer, you do need to provide something for the horse to use as a swatter, even if it is running hay string through the braid to kind of replace their tails while it is braided up. You will also need to keep the horse sprayed with fly spray, and I also like providing them with a Rabon block as well. Anything to help with reducing the fly population, right!?!? The tail braid is easier and less time consuming to take down and put back up, so if I do braid I will do and re-do it weekly. I will let the tail rest for a day or so between taking it down and putting it back up.

The other option is growing out manes and tails is not braiding them. This is the easier option. I have heard to never brush the mane or tail unless it is damp with some kind of conditioner, I have heard that it should only be brushed dry, I have heard to not brush it at all but to pick it out with your fingers. I’m going to explain how I do my horses’ manes, everyday or every other day. If I need to use a leave in conditioner, I will mix one part cheap human conditioner with one part water in a spray bottle, shake well and spray on as needed. **Check the ingredients for silicone or any –cone and try to avoid them completely if possible. If you can not, make sure that they are closer to the end of the list then the beginning, the farther they are down the list, the less is in the mix. When I comb the mane or tail, I start at the bottom and work my way up gradually. In general, I use a wide toothed comb, but I keep a rat tailed comb to help pick out tight knots, or any knots really. I still do the weekly coconut oil treatments, but have found that after these treatments the hair does not tangle as much. I have also noticed that damp hair tends to stretch rather than break, but healthy hair will not break as easily as dry hair anyway.

Regardless of what method you use to grow out your horse’s mane and tail, there are factors that will determine your end results. The first factor is genetics. Without the right genetics, no amount of nutrition and care will give you a thick, long mane and tail. The second factor is nutrition. Even with great genetics, without proper nutrition the hair will never live up to it’s potential. If you take care of these two factors, you will find that the mane and tail will grow better, with less care required from you. Proper nutrition can remedy a multitude of problems; the key is getting your horse on a balanced diet that meets your horse’s daily requirements. Find what works best for you and your horse and stick to it. I know that I have touched on genetics and nutrition twice in this article, and that is because I want you to keep it in mind as you read the article, and have it refreshed in your mind at the end of it.

How Important is Rider Fitness?

2012-07-26T17:48:00.001-05:00

I have rode horses for a long time, and even though I do not ride as much now, as I might like to, I still think that rider fitness is very important. I am not currently in shape for riding, but it is something that I am working on. Of my two horses, neither one of them are in shape either. But for me to get them in shape, I have to get myself taken care of first. I think the rider’s fitness is just as important, if not more so, than the horse’s fitness. I cannot get my horses in shape, if I myself cannot handle the exertion that is required to do so. If I go out to work with one of my horses, and become too tired to continue before it is over, what have I done? I have successfully taught the horse that if it can out last me by being hard headed or starting a fight, the work is over. Is that what I wanted to teach the horse? No, and my fitness level directly affects my ability to train, handle, ride and condition my horses. I have to be able to maintain enough energy to finish what I start, and to keep my wits about doing it. If I am winded and tired, my mind will not work as efficiently at solving problems, that if I were at a greater fitness level I would not have a problem with.

Let me give a good example of when your fitness level directly affects your ability to train. Let us say that your conditioning is at the lower level, and you just got a two year old colt to work with. He is too young for riding just yet, but you are going to start with some ground work to lay the foundation for him to be backed as an early three year old. We’ll assume that for the most part, he is willing to learn, and eager to please, but every once in a while the stallion comes out in him, and he decides that no matter what he is not going to do something that you know that he knows how to do. He’s just being a young colt and being a little defiant. You are asking him something simple, like stopping to face you, something that he has done several times. But, this time he decided that he is going to stop with his rear end pointed directly at you. You are already a little tired, and he just slapped you in the face with a challenge, “Make me turn to face you!” So, you pull up your big boy or girl britches, and take up the task of “making” him face you, but just a few minutes into the work you are starting to wear out. You know that you shouldn’t stop, but you just can’t keep going, your heart rate is through the roof, you can barely breathe, and you can’t even hear yourself think because all you can hear is your heart beating in your ears. You watch the colt for a minute, and figure that he is not exactly in the “you win” mood, because his head is up in the air, and he’s trotting around like he just walked in the round pen. This is where you have to make a decision, stop and lose or keep going and risk falling out. Which one do you do? The answer to that question depends greatly on your determination to train your horse. This is just one of several ways that your fitness level can affect your training.

I’m not saying that only fit people can ride, I’m just saying that a rider’s fitness level greatly affects the horse’s balance and movement. I don’t believe that your weight has much to do with your fitness level either, but I also don’t think that you can be 400 lbs of fat, and be fit enough to ride. The reason that I specified 400 lbs of fat is because there are some body builders that are close to 400 lbs, and I would think that they are pretty fit, though riding would probably reveal muscles that they did not know they had.

So, where do you start when trying to get yourself fit for riding? I say start small, start waling more. Get a pedometer; you will be amazed at how much more you walk when you know how many steps you are making a day. You will find that you walk more, just to get more steps. Set yourself a daily step goal, and gradually increase it. I have a goal of 8,000 steps a day for a week. I am currently on day 4. After the week is up, I plan on increasing the goal to 10,000 steps a day. I am also working on my balance. I looked up exercises to improve balance, and this is what I found; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/balance-exercises/SM00049 the exercises are simple, and can be completed with little or no equipment. I love exercises that you don’t have to buy anything to complete! If you have a friend or riding buddy that is also in the process of getting fit, use them as motivation to keep going. Team up with them for daily exercise. If you don’t have a friend, take your horse. Walk with him/her, and work up to jogging or running with him/her. It will build your bond with your horse and improve your fitness level, and his/her fitness level.

Get in the habit of measuring yourself on a weekly basis, because weighing yourself alone does not always tell the entire story of how your exercise is paying off, or not paying off. I have never been what one might call a petite girl, especially if you looked at my weight alone. I’ll give an example that doesn’t bother me to share. When I was 19, I barrel raced every weekend, year round. I was bigger than most of the girls/women that I competed against. Most of them I outweighed by 30 plus pounds. I weighed in at 180 pounds. Sounds fat right? (Now to me it seems skinny!) Even at that weight, my chest, waist, and hip measurements were 36 – 24 – 36, respectively. I was not fat, by any stretch of the imagination, and I was quite fit. I worked at a feed store for 55 hours a week, then went to an Arabian farm and worked another 40 hours in a week. I survived on roughly 3-4 hours of sleep a night, and still had energy to burn, but I also ate like a human garbage disposal. I was solid muscle from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, and nothing moved. I was extremely fit; I could work side by side with men all day, and often out work them. I went through several other employees at the feed store, because they could not handle having to keep up with me, especially when the trucks rolled in that we had to unload. I never had to work out then, because everything that I done for a living was a physical challenge. I worked at the feed store from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday and on Saturdays from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm. I went directly from the feed store to the farm, which only took about 15 minutes then worked there until usually 1:00 am or 2:00 am. I had to be back to the farm by 6:00 am to feed and turn out the 17 horses that lived there. As you can see, lots of work, little rest and I loved every minute of it. Could I do the same now? Nope, not even close to it. Would I like to be able to do it again? Yes ma’am or sir, you bet I would! I miss being able to ride several horses a day, and still being able to function afterwards. Now, I ride for an hour or so, and when I get off I can’t get on another horse, my hips won’t let me for now. But I do plan on getting back to where I can. That is another fine example of fitness affecting my ability to train. I can currently train one horse a day if riding is involved.

Riding is a good form of exercise, especially is you ride in correct posture. It will work your entire body. But if you are overweight or obese, and think that you are riding to your fullest potential, you are sadly mistaken. I’m not trying to be hard on overweight or obese people, as I currently fit in that last category. I am 5’ 5” barefoot, and weight in at 229 pounds as of my last measurements. I have at least 50 pounds to loose, and I can’t wait to lose them, plus about 15-20 more. (But honestly, right now, I would settle for the 180 that I used to weigh.) If you are overweight, and think that you are riding to the best of your ability, I challenge you to lose 5 pounds, and see what a difference it makes. You should be able to lose 5 pounds in a few weeks just simply by moving more, and not much else. If those 5 pounds makes a difference, image what 10 or 20 pounds would do.

Now, do not let anyone tell you that you are “too fat” to ride, especially if you know that your horse can carry you with no problem, and if any one does tell you that stand up for yourself. They do not know you or your horse, so what gives them the right to say what you can or cannot do, or what your horse is capable of. If you are just starting out in horses, and you get turned down at a lesson, keep looking. If you run into a brick wall on the lessons, look into buying your own horse, if that is something that you can reasonably afford. Join in on horse forums, I can recommend an excellent one, http://www.horseforum.com/ It has just about everything you can need where horses are concerned. I love it and visit it daily. My user name is PaintedFury, if you join, look me up and send me a friend request, I will happily accept it. This forum even has a forum for Plus Sized Riders, which I particularly enjoy. It’s nice to know that I’m not the only horsewoman in the world with my particular problem, and sometimes it’s nice to have someone to talk to about it. And let me tell you, the ladies and gentlemen in that part of the forum are VERY supportive of each other. If you are just having a bad day, they will rally around you and pick you right back up. Big love to all of them!

Ok, to the point of all of this ranting. Being fit is important to your riding, but it is more important to your health. Does that make it an easy journey? No, it doesn’t, but it is a journey worth taking and worth working for. Do not start on this journey because Joe Blow made some snide remark about you. Start this journey because YOU want to, for whatever reason, as long as it is a truly personal reason. If it is because of Joe Blow up there, then it is the wrong reason. If it is because you want to ride better, or feel better, even just so you can play longer with your kids (either two legged or four legged) those are the right reasons. Do it for yourself first, everything else is just an added benefit.

Good luck on your journey; and God bless you and your families.

Lisa

Rain Rot – Prevention & Treatment

2012-06-17T13:28:00.003-05:00

What is Rain Rot?

Rain Rot is a nasty little fungus that occurs on horses during rainy or wet weather. The fungus is always present in the dirt, but it needs moisture to actually affect the skin of the horse. Rain Rot can often be felt before it is seen. It will form scabs under the hair, against the skin. It is most commonly on the top line and belly of a horse. Removing the scabs and exposing the infection to air is the first step in treatment. How early you discover the infection and remove the scabs will determine what you will find under the scabs, and how long treatment will take. I usually catch it early because I am always looking for it. More often than not, I catch it before it spreads much and simply exposing it to air works. If you catch it early, you may remove the scabs to find inflamed skin, but if you don’t catch it early, you will remove the scabs and find pus trapped below them. Early detection is the key to a shorter treatment time.

Prevention.

The best prevention that I have found is actually a good grooming routine that is done daily. It removes excess dirt from the horse’s coat, thus removing the fungus before moisture can be added. This is not 100% effective on every horse. I have one horse that no matter how much I groom or how dry the weather gets during the summer, she always gets Rain Rot during the summer months. Why? She gets Rain Rot during the summer because when she gets hot, she will go roll in the pond, then come back to the barn and roll in the dirt under the run-in, and finally drip dry. That is the perfect combination for Rain Rot to take hold in. The most that I can do for her is to treat the spots where she gets it, and try to minimize it as much as possible.

How to treat Rain Rot.

There are numerous products on the market to treat Rain Rot, or at least that are marketed for the treatment of Rain Rot. I’ve used exactly one of them! Shapley’s M-T-G (Mane-Tail-Growth) works well, and the oil in it conditions the hair for regrowth. I’ve also heard that it really encourages mane and tail growth. The sulfur powder in it kills the fungus that causes Rain Rot.

If you look outside the products marketed specifically for horses, there are some very good options. I used to work with a lady that swore that a mixture of 50% Bleach/50% hot water, and a good stiff brush would kill Rain Rot in one treatment. I never could bring myself to use this method because it involved scrubbing all of the scabby places with the stiff brush and the bleach/water mixture. That just sounded too painful. Have you ever gotten bleach into a cut or scrape? It burns like crazy, and most people are going to expect their horse to stand quietly to have this done. I really don’t see it happening, but there will be people that expect it.

The original amber Listerine will also treat Rain Rot. If you’ve ever used it, you know it burns like crazy, but it works. I’ve also heard that Listerine will encourage mane and tail growth because it kills anything that may impede growth.

Athlete’s Foot cream or powder will also treat Rain Rot. I personally like using Apple Cider Vinegar. It’s acidic enough to kill the fungus and it also repels flies and mosquitoes.

Treatment often depends on the severity of the infection, personal preference and time. Regardless of the product that you choose to treat Rain Rot, the scabs that form at the base of the hair need to be removed. This process can be painful, so do not be surprised if your horse moves around some trying to avoid the pain. It’s necessary to expose the infected area to air and to get the medication directly on the infected area. Depending on the time of year, you can bathe the horse. The scabs getting wet will often make them come off easier. If you take this route, be sure to get as many of the scabs off as possible while the horse is still wet, and use a sweat scraper to remove the excess water. If it is too cold to bathe, you can use hot water and a wash cloth to soften the scabs over a small area, then move on to the next area, as necessary. If the infection is caught early, before it spreads, this is usually the simplest way to remove the scabs. If you don’t have a hot water tank at the barn, you can simply bring a thermos of hot water from home.

How to prevent spreading Rain Rot to other Horses.

Rain Rot can be spread from horse to horse by brushes, blankets, and anything that comes in contact with their skin. Those same items can re-infect the same horse again without proper disinfection of those items. The wash cloths that I use at the barn are just the cheapest ones that I can find, so if I need to throw them away, it’s no big deal. To disinfect them, I fill the kitchen sink with hot water, add 1 cup of bleach and let them soak, then wash them with a regular load of towels.

To disinfect my brushes I fill the kitchen sink with hot water, add ½ cup of Lysol or Bleach and let them soak for about 15 minutes, then rinse them thoroughly. I like to use Lysol because it suds up a little, so you can tell when it’s completely rinsed out of your brushes. Air dry the brushes outside in direct sun light. **Note: If any of your brushes have wooden handles, do not soak them. Simply dip the bristles of the brush in the sink repeatedly and rinse thoroughly trying to keep the handle as dry as possible. Soaking a wooden- handled brush can cause the handle to start losing the bristles and ruin the brush.

If you blanket your horse while it has Rain Rot, which I would not suggest, you will need to disinfect your blanket as well. I usually take blankets to the nearest laundry mat, and wash them with hot water, and color safe bleach. Wash them again with just hot water, to make sure all of the detergent and bleach are removed from the blanket. During the winter, I will dry them in the dryer, but during the summer I will line-dry them in direct sunlight.

Conclusion.

While Rain Rot is a common fungus to deal with, especially in humid climates, it is a simple one to prevent and treat. While prevention is key, treatment is usually simple.

What to Expect from Riding Lessons.

2012-03-27T23:10:00.003-05:00

My brother and his family just recently moved back to our home town of Camden. They had not been here long, not even 24 hours, when my niece Jordan was hitting me up for riding lessons. Well, today she made the comment that she didn’t like getting dirty, and I promptly asked her what she thought riding horses was going to get her. She looked at me like I was totally crazy, and not in the good way. She quickly pronounced that how dirty could she get riding a horse. I told her that before she stepped on that horse, she had to groom it, and saddle it; and she would be dirty before she ever actually got on the horse.

Now, I’m not the type of person that allows every Tom, Dick, and Harry on my horses, because I honestly believe that everyone who interacts with a horse, is in fact a trainer, whether they claim to be or not. Because of that, I am extremely picky about who gets on my horses.

Well, this conversation got me thinking about what someone should expect to learn while under the tutelage of an experienced horse person, whether they are a certified instructor or not. So, what exactly should an instructor be teaching his/her students?

Well, in my opinion, the first thing that someone should learn is just basic horse care.

· How often the horse needs to be fed, how much, and why the horse is fed whatever.

· How the feed needs to be stored, to maintain it freshness and ensure that it is not infested by bugs.

· How often do horses need to be wormed, how to worm horses, and with what kind of wormer.

· How often the farrier needs to come out.

· How often the vet needs to visit, for regular maintenance of the horse.

· The affect that a horse’s teeth can have on their entire life, how often to have the horse’s teeth checked by an equine dentist or a vet.

· How to safely handle a horse on the ground.

· How to safely lounge and free lounge a horse.

· How to properly groom a horse.

· How to properly saddle a horse, and check the saddle for proper fit.

· How to properly bridle and unbridle a horse.

· How to properly clean a stall.

· How to check, and fix fence.

· How to clean out the feet.

· Symptoms of common ailments that affect horses, and treatment of those ailments.

· General first aid of horses.

· When to call the vet for the horses, in emergency situations.

Now, I’m not saying that this list is by any means complete, I’m quite sure that there are things that I have missed, because at this point I do most of these without really thinking about doing them, they just get done. It’s all the little things that happen when you own a horse that needs to be taught when you’re learning to ride a horse. And, I haven’t even touched on what the rider needs to learn about actually riding the horse.

What does anyone learn from showing up to an already saddled horse, getting on it and riding, and nothing else? Exactly that, nothing. I don’t care if you spend $20.00 for a lesson or $200.00 for a lesson, if you have taken riding lessons, you should also learn how to actually care for the horse as well. Instead, there are people that have taken lessons for years, and have no idea of how to take care of one, when they decide to get their own horse.

Why Should Every Rider take Riding Lessons?

I was never lucky enough to have formal riding lessons. Where I live, they are just not readily available, so I understand that they are not readily available everywhere. Now, I did have access to more experience horse people that helped me with my riding on my horses. So, in a round-about way, I had riding lessons. What these people taught me, went well beyond just riding the horse, and that is one reason that I think riding lessons should cover more than just riding, in fact I think they should be called horse lessons instead.

Every horse person needs access to a more knowledgeable person; that can help them with things that they themselves have little or no knowledge of. A riding instructor or coach can fill the position, and should willingly. The instructor can make sure that your experience with horses is safe and pleasurable. They can also help you select a horse this is not beyond your riding level, or one that will challenge you if your riding level is advanced enough for that. My second horse was way beyond my riding level, but I was enough of a natural rider that I rose to the challenge of him, and ended up having a well behaved horse that I trusted with my life. I can honestly say, that if I had an instructor, that he would not have been their choice for my second horse. He wasn’t even my choice for a second horse, but he was what I had so I rode him, everyday.

It takes a bull headed person to keep riding when they have the wrong horse, and not every person is going to plow ahead when they constantly run into problems with a horse. A good riding instructor can help with this. They can insure that you end up on a horse that is appropriate to you, and whatever you plan on doing with the horse. They can also give you access to many more horses to ride until you buy your own, if you ever do. The more horses you ride, the more experienced and confident you will become on any horse that you may ride; and when you go shopping for your own horse you will have to ride them the day that you meet them. You will need to be confident enough to get on a horse that you only met a few minutes earlier. If you have never taken riding lessons, and never ridden at all, you may have problems doing this; but I always recommend trying a horse out before you buy them.

A good riding instructor can make life with horses much easier on you. Taking lessons will also let you figure out if the horse thing is actually for you or not, without the expense of buying everything that is required to own a horse. Only to figure out six months down the road that horses really aren’t for you after all. Not to mention, lessons are a great way to be around horses and ride if you don’t have the money to buy and care for one on your own.

How to get a Truly Shiny Coat.

2012-03-16T17:01:00.000-05:00

We’ve all seen them, a nice looking horse; that something is just off, something needs to be different, but what is it? Upon closer inspection, it’s the coat that is off. It is dull or rough and has no shine to it what so ever. It does not matter how healthy looking a horse is, without a shiny coat, they just do not look it.

Why is the Coat not Shiny?

There are, any number of reasons that an otherwise healthy horse may not be shiny. Worms, dirt, lack of nutrients, and simple lack of elbow grease may be the culprit behind a not so shiny coat. Too many baths could also be behind it, but more on that later. So, what happens if you have groomed that horse until your arms can not handle any more grooming; and you still don’t have a shiny coat? Honestly, you need to start looking for other reasons why the horse is not as shiny as you think it should be.

Nutrition.

Is the horse receiving all of the appropriate nutrients it requires to maintain a healthy coat, mane, tail, and hooves? Look at your pasture or hay first. Have it tested because any other dietary additions need to balance out what the forage is lacking. You will also have to take into consideration how often you ride or work the horse, and how heavy that work load is. Obviously, a race horse will require a different feeding plan than a weekend trail horse to maintain weight and health. There are also horses that are extremely easy to make too fat, and on the opposite side of that coin horses that are extremely hard to keep weight on and looking healthy. Young horses and older horses also have different needs for nutritional support to consider.

When you do determine your horse’s nutritional needs, now you have to decide how to meet them. Will a simple ration balancer supplement do it for you, or will your horse require a feed?

If you only trail ride once or twice a month, and your horse lives out in a pasture, you may very well be able to get away with a ration balancer supplement, and the pasture alone during the spring, summer, and part of the fall. During the winter, however you will have to supplement the pasture with hay, unless you have a winter grass, and plenty of it, planted in your pasture.

If, on the other hand you ride for 2 or 3 hours a day, and ride hard when you’re riding, whether your horse lives on a pasture or in a stall, chances are even with free access to pasture or hay, you will have to feed the horse some type of feed. I personally prefer a complete feed like Purina’s Omolene line (http://horse.purinamills.com/products/omolene/ECMD2-0032696.aspx) or the Nutrena (http://www.nutrenaworld.com/nutrena/products/horses/Product-Comparison/index.jsp) complete feeds over simple grains. I’ve had great success with the Omolene 200, and I love the fact that I only have to feed a minimum of 0.35 pounds per 100 pounds of body weight. My 1,400 pound mare only gets 4.9 pounds a day, all of the vitamins and minerals are already in the feed, so I don’t have to supplement any additional nutrients.

Worms.

When was the last time the horse was thoroughly wormed, and with what product was it wormed? If it’s been a while since the horse has been wormed, you may need to worm the horse. If you’re not sure what product was last used, pick something that has worked well for you in the past. Whether you determine that the horse needs worming by fecal count or by simply observing behaviors that suggest it, like rubbing their tails (which is an indication of pinworms). If the horse has worms, that can affect the horse’s coat.

A regular worming schedule is something that you should really consult your vet or equine nutritionist on. I would suggest a fecal count, so you will know for a matter of fact that the horse does have worms. http://www.horsemenslab.com/content.php?p=faq It will not reveal every type of worm that your horse may or may not have, but it will reveal the two most common types of worms that infest horses. Any other worms that the horse may have will depend on if those worms are common in your area.

Bathing

How often do you bathe your horse with soap or shampoo? If you are bathing him or her too often, you are stripping the natural oils required to make the horse shiny, so even if you are feeding them properly, keep them wormed, and are grooming until you can’t manage grooming any more, the horse simply will not shine. Those oils that you are washing down the drain are what make the horse shine. I can understand bathing a horse before a big event, or if the horse has a skin condition that bathing is part of the treatment for, but other than that, I see no need for regular bathing of a horse. I would not even suggest frequent washing of the mane and tail, but instead just rinse it with conditioner, and rinse that out. There is enough sulfates in conditioners that they can actually clean the hair and condition it at the same time.

After you finish riding, do you rinse the sweat and resulting salt from the horse’s coat? I mean rinse, not bathe, rinsing with water is sufficient to remove the salt from the coat, without using any type of soap or shampoo. This is something that you can do, even if you don’t have running water at your barn. A five gallon bucket full of water from home, and a large sponge. Also, make sure to rinse under the horse’s tail, as the salt can make the tail itch and result in tail rubbing, which is also a sign of pinworms.

Grooming

Are you grooming in a fashion that promotes a shiny coat. If you are using products that contain silicone, like Show Sheen (http://www.jeffersequine.com/showsheen-hair-polish/camid/equ/cp/14016/) on a regular basis, the answer is no. Silicone has a drying affect on hair, so even if you have everything else right, the horse will not be shiny without the spray. It’s understandable to use the silicone spray on special occasions, or if you have a really bad knot to get out of the horse’s mane or tail, but it will need to be washed out as soon as you can manage it. Grooming can make a healthy horse truly gleam instead of only shining. It distributes the natural oils over the hair shafts, and helps create a soft, shiny, slick look. A look that will not require any type of polish to help the horse look finished.

Daily grooming is worth doing, if you are doing it correctly, if you want to know how I groom my horses, visit one of my blogs, http://mylifewithhorsesandwhatithastaughtme.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-i-groom-and-why.html or http://paintedlady2000.hubpages.com/hub/How-I-Groom-and-Why I spend a considerable amount of time grooming my horses to make sure that they get the best out of my grooming time.

Conclusion

Regardless of why you want your horse to be shiny, and let’s face it we all want that whether we’re trail riders or top level performers. You have to look at the complete horse to determine why the horse is not as shiny as you may like. I think that regardless of the horse’s use, his or her nutritional needs should be looked after as best you can, with what you have available to you in your area. The horse should be wormed for species that are common in your area, and a worming schedule determined to keep the horse as parasite free as possible. All measurements should be taken to ensure that there is no sweat or salt drying out the horse’s coat. Grooming supplies that dry out hair like silicone based polishes should be used sparingly.

Take whatever measurements you can to ensure that you get that gleaming coat that you want.

Good luck and God bless in your future endeavors.

How I Groom and Why.

2012-03-14T01:50:00.000-05:00

My Personal Views on Grooming.

I know that some people don't set much stock in the benefits of grooming, aside from a shiny coat. There are so many more benefits, besides removing dirt and producing a shine. Grooming can relax a horse before and after a ride, it can teach you what is normal on your horse's body, it also provides quality bonding time for you and your horse, and it can prevent common skin disorders like rain rot. Daily grooming is always best, if you can manage it, but I understand that with school and/or work schedules it is not always possible.

I like to get in a good thorough groom both before and after each ride. I've known people that only simply brush off where the tack sits before a ride, and if time is constrained, I will do that, and also run my hands over the entire horse looking for any thing that is out of sorts. The knowledge of your horse's body that can only be gained by daily touching is invaluable in my book. That knowledge could save you valuable time in getting a diagnosis for a lameness or disease. The sooner you know that something is wrong, the better. I notice even the smallest difference in any thing on my horses. As grooming often leads to horses pooping, it also lets you know if they have any stomach issues that need to be addressed. I love my daily grooming sessions, they have taught me so much over the years.

The Tools that I use, and Why.

I personally use the Oster Equine Care Series collection http://www.osterpro.com/Products.aspx?id=equine&cid=960&scid=982. It's expensive, I know, but well worth it from my point of view. I've had the entire collection for over two years, and even with daily use they are still in good condition. I also use them because they fit my hands nicely. I have small hands, even for a woman. I wear a women's Extra Small glove, and could probably wear some children's gloves if I ever tried to. So, most brushes are difficult for me to hold on to for very long, without my hands giving out.

Why not use children's brushes? Well, honestly most of the kid's brushes that I have come by were not the best quality, and I really don't want to replace brushes every time I turn around. That would get expensive after a couple of times. Those brushes are not made to last, they are made to be out grown, and as I am 35, I'm not really likely to grow any more.

To me, quality in my grooming equipment is just as important to me as quality of feed, hay, tack, or anything else where my horses are concerned. Quality is very important because I don't want to keep replacing my stuff. Cheaper is not always a better value, remember that the next time you have to buy something.

My absolute favorite tool, is however free. And it will be free to you as well. It's my hand. I never groom with a tool in each hand. I use the tool in the hand that is closest to the horse's head, so if I'm on the horse's right hand side, I use my right hand with the tool. I use my bare hand to lay on the horse and stroke the horse. I can do this without much thought to it, until I feel something that's not normal for the horse that I'm working on. This is where the knowledge from daily grooming comes from.

My Order for Grooming.

I usually groom the manes and tails first. Picking out any debris with my fingers if possible. If you braid the horse's mane, check daily for any braids that have come undone, redo, and secure them. I personally like to use electric tape to secure braids. It will not degrade and fall off in the sun. It doesn't really stick to the hair, so you have to make sure that it is wrapped around itself. The down fall is you have to unwrap it instead of just sliding it off, but I've noticed less breakage from the tape compared to the bands. When I braid manes, I use narrow braids that are very loose, with a leave-in conditioner at the base of the mane. When braids are tight they pull hair out when the horse lowers it's head to graze. If I have a mane that needs help laying down. I will make braids about half the size of my normal braids, and braid it tight with a leave-in conditioner applied at the base of the mane only. If I braid tails, I braid them loose as well, with a decent wisp at the end for the horse to use for swatting flies. If I'm wanting to grow out my horse's tail I will keep it braided with a leave-in conditioner.

Next, I clean the horse's feet out. I make sure to brush out their feet as well. I also brush off any mud or dirt that may be stuck to the hoof wall and coronary band. If the horse's feet needs any type of moisture product, like Hoof Flex or Rain Maker, I usually apply it now. If the horse requires a black or clear polish, I will lightly sand the hoof wall with a fine grit sand paper to prepare the hoof for the polish, but I do not apply the polish until I am completely finished grooming the horse. Even then I prefer the horse to be standing on concrete, where their first step does not produce dust, that will settle on and stick to the polish. To avoid staining the concrete, whether at home or away, I take a piece of plywood about 1 square foot and place it under the foot being polished. In a pinch the plywood can replace concrete, but you have to wait for the polish to dry before moving on to the next hoof.

Next, I start on the horse's coat, and this is where the majority of my grooming equipment comes in. I start off with the Course Curry Comb. http://www.osterpro.com/Product.aspx?id=equine&cid=960&scid=982&pid=6412 The nubs on it are thicker and more dense, but they are not hard by any means. I always use small circular motions with my curry combs, and use my free hand to wipe away dust as it accumulates. I try to always keep one hand in contact at all times, except when changing tools. Some horses can not tolerate heavy pressure when being groomed, and this should be kept in mind. Some horse's also prefer firmer pressure over lighter pressure. I wish I could state a specific pressure range that I use, but I really can't as it varies greatly from horse to horse. I constantly watch the horse's reaction and adjust accordingly. I always start with the same curry comb regardless of how dirty or clean the horse is. I find it gives the horse a massage, and loosens them up and relaxes them. I start just behind the horse's head and gradually work my way down their neck to their shoulder, and down their leg to just above their knee before working my way back up the inside of their leg and up between the legs and onto that side of their chest, then back to their shoulder and onto their barrel. I try to work their barrel evenly from their back down to under their belly, from front to back, then up onto the top of their rump. I work gradually over the rump and down the leg to just above the hock, then to the inside of the leg and back up, coming out below the tail. I really try to groom every inch of the horse that has any kind of muscle tissue on it with the Course Curry Comb. Then repeat the process on the other side of the horse, you can do it i reverse order, if that is easier for you, on the other side.

My next brush is the Fine Curry Comb. http://www.osterpro.com/Product.aspx?id=equine&cid=960&scid=982&pid=6413 Which is soft enough to use on the face and lower legs. With this one, I start on the horse's forehead and work my way around the side of their face, and then start in the same manner that I did before, with the exception that I do not stop at the knees and hocks. I go completely down to the coronary band. I actually massage the coronary band with the fine curry comb.

With most of the brushes, I use short, quick flicks. The only brushes that I do not do this with are the face brushes and the finishing brush. My paint mare that loves being groomed will not tolerate the flicks on the face, but she'll sort of lean into the strokes. I work methodically through my brushes in order from the harder ones down to the finishing brush.

1. Stiff Grooming Brush http://www.osterpro.com/Product.aspx?id=equine&cid=960&scid=982&pid=6410
2. Medium Grooming Brush http://www.osterpro.com/Product.aspx?id=equine&cid=960&scid=982&pid=6420
3. Face Grooming Brush http://www.osterpro.com/Product.aspx?id=equine&cid=960&scid=982&pid=6419
4. Face Finishing Brush http://www.osterpro.com/Product.aspx?id=equine&cid=960&scid=982&pid=6418
5. Soft Finishing Brush http://www.osterpro.com/Product.aspx?id=equine&cid=960&scid=982&pid=6411

When I get done, I have nearly as much hair on me as the horse does, and probably more dirt!

Do All Horses Enjoy being Groomed?

My paint mare, Lady, really enjoys this grooming process; to the point of falling asleep, and laying down, if I don't wake her up by moving her occasionally. My QH mare, Fancy, only tolerates being groomed, she will relax some, but not anything that even resembles enjoying it. As soon as I let her loose, she takes off like, "Finally!" My horses could not be more different from each other, personality wise. Some horses really enjoy it where others only seem to tolerate it because they have no other choice in the matter, especially my horses. Some of the horses that merely tolerate it at first will learn to relax and enjoy it. Fancy would often try to bite when I first got her a little over a year ago. Now, she stands quietly and some what relaxes for grooming. She is slowly coming around.

Now, there are some very sensitive horses that may very well never fully enjoy being groomed. Even with the lightest pressure that you can muster, that will still be too much and uncomfortable for these horses. You may can gradually desensitize these horses, but I can not attest to this because I've never owned or trained a horse that was that sensitive. For these horses, I would imagine that grooming done incorrectly is very stressing, and probably not the best bonding arrangement. Always pay attention to what the horse is telling you and adjust accordingly.

Why I Place So Much Importance on Grooming.

I want to know every inch of my horse from the tip of their nose to the end of their tail, and from the top of their back to the bottom of their feet. I want to know how it normally feels by touch and memory. That way, if something feels different I know it, the instant my hand hits it. Actually putting your hands on your horse daily is the only way to get this knowledge. This is one of the reasons that I thoroughly groom before and after a ride or any type of use. I groom after the horse is completely cooled down, again feeling for any knots or warmness that was not there before the work. It's the best way that I know of to find any problems early, and it begins and ends your day on a positive, relaxing note for most horses.

Do You have to Use the Same Tools that I Do?

Absolutely. Not! You can use what ever tools you currently have. I would suggest not using one of the metal curry combs or shedding blades though. If you don't know why, simply rub it against your arm, even with light pressure either one is uncomfortable. With any kind of pressure they down right hurt. The metal curry combs are great for removing hair from your brushes though, a courser rubber curry comb will also work well for that.

How Long Does this Take?

I can usually groom a horse like this in about 30 minutes or so, depending on the horse's size. I can also stretch it out to much longer if I've had a bad day, and I am very stressed. I tend to pour all of my emotions into grooming, that way I am stress free and relaxed when it's time for training. I can do it quicker than the 30 minutes if I have to, but I prefer not to because I've found that the horse does not enjoy it as much, and if the horse is not enjoying it, what's the point. Grooming should be enjoyable for both of you, and when it's rushed, it's not enjoyable by either of you.

What About a Shiny Coat?

This grooming routine works great for me in terms of getting my horses nice and shiny. With that being said, a grooming routine will only get you so far where a gleaming coat is concerned. Nutrition plays a huge roll in how shiny you can get your horse.

No matter how much elbow grease you put into your horse's appearance, without proper nutrition, it will never shine to it's true potential. I keep my horses in a pasture 24/7, and feed them Purina's Omolene 200 http://horse.purinamills.com/products/omolene/ECMD2-0032696.aspx, though I'm thinking about switching to the Omolene 400 http://horse.purinamills.com/products/omolene/ECMD2-0032698.aspx. Both are complete, balanced feeds, but the 400 has sources of roughage in it as well. I do not feed any where near the recommended amount to my horses during the summer. Actually, according to Purina's website, during the summer I should be feeding one of their Ration Balancers, http://horse.purinamills.com/products/naturesessentials/ECMD2-0032703.aspx or http://horse.purinamills.com/products/naturesessentials/ECMD2-0032704.aspx but I stick with the Omolene 200 because some how it keeps my horses from sunburning and bleaching out. Pink noses are safe and my horses end the summer the same color as they started it. Lady does not sunburn at all, and she is mainly white. Between nutrition and grooming, both of my horses shine, that is until they both go roll in the pond, then they are just muddy again. The biggest reason that I like the Omolene line of feeds is because they are packed with all of the vitamins and minerals that horses need on a daily basis, which means I don't have to buy any additional supplements to provide the vitamins and minerals. Getting into this subject is an entirely different subject, so I'll end with this. Offer your horse the best nutrition that you have available to you, in your area.

Are Horse Shows as Evil as Some Would have You Believe?

2012-03-12T14:07:00.001-05:00

My History with Horse Shows.

I Started showing just a couple of weeks after I got my first horse. That was twenty-two years ago. I showed nearly every weekend from the time I was thirteen until I was nineteen. I did not quit because of some moral dilemma with it. Quite simply put, I quit because I was burnt out on it. I loved training barrel and pole horses to compete, but I was tired of competing myself. The late Friday nights preparing, followed by the early Saturday mornings feeding and finishing up the preparing, getting the horse(s) ready for the haul, and the haul itself.

By the time I was old enough to drive, I was more than proficient at pulling a loaded trailer, pretty much anywhere on my own. Actually, the day that I went to take the driven part of my driver's license test, I had to unhook the trailer from the truck. I went just about everywhere with that trailer hooked up.

OK, back to the subject at hand. While I only showed in open shows, in associations that most people have never heard of, I spent a fair portion of my youth at them. Our shows were governed by the A.Q.H.A. rules and regulations, with the exception that we also had pony classes in addition to the Pee Wee, Buckaroo, Junior, and Senior classes. As for what actual classes we had, there was Western Pleasure, Reining, Gaited, Performance, and English Pleasure, so we had a pretty well rounded list with a total of about 34 classes or so.

In the years that I have showed and rodeoed, I have only ever seen one instance of any horse abuse, and I put a stop to it, well technically my horse did, after I stepped off of him. He chased the guy that was doing it back to his horse trailer and into it. I took the other horse to the officials and reported the guy. They followed me and the horse back to the guy's trailer and asked him to leave. Which he promptly did, after I retrieved my gelding who had him pinned inside his own trailer. (I told you that the nightmare ended up being a pretty good horse.)

I've never seen any of the training torture that some people would have you believe goes on at every single horse show, with no regards to the level of the show.

Does it Actually Happen?

I have no doubt that it actually happens at all levels of competition, but I do not believe that it runs rampant at every horse show/rodeo. Despite what any business, person, or organization posts on Youtube.com, or any other public forum, it is not as present as what they want you to believe.

I have always been aware of what was going on around me, and usually notice details that others completely miss. That being said, most horse people that I know would not stand idly by while a horse was being mistreated in any form. Some of them would personally intervene, while others would promptly report them to he officials at the show or the local authorities.

When in Doubt, Check it Out.

Instead of taking my word or any one else's word for it; check it out for yourself. And, I'm not talking about over the Internet, actually find a horse show, or rodeo in your area, and go check it out for yourself. You will find the people nice and willing to talk to you, if they are not in the middle of preparing for their next class, or getting one of their kids ready.

You could spend an entire day going from trailer to trailer, or stall to stall, which ever the case may be, and probably make several new horse friends. If horse showing or rodeoing is not for you, fine. Just don't decide not to give it fair consideration because some one told you that horse shows/rodeo people are jerks and all horse shows/rodeos are over run with abuse.

Are Horse Shows Bad for Kids?

I personally think that horse shows and/or rodeos offer great benefits for kids. The fellowship of other kids with similar interests, they teach good sportsmanship, and they keep kids out of trouble on weekend nights. Especially, if you live in a small town where there is not much for kids to do outside of school, and school related activities. Some schools even have horse related clubs, but others sadly do not.

I personally think that if a kid is going to show a horse (or any animal for that fact), they should have to be responsible for caring for that horse, muck, buck, and barrel(lock, stock, and barrel for the non-horsey people who may be reading this). Which means that the kid will learn even more from horse showing.

The only negative part of kids showing, are the parents who force their kids to show. This will take all of the fun out of it for the kid, and if it is not fun then what's the point. Another little thing that sucks the fun out of it for the kids are parents that constantly push them to win and frequently yell at them if they don't.

I can attest to the last one personally, while it was not a parent, it was an uncle that would frequently yell at me and did not care who was watching. I could win, and I would still get yelled at that I should have done better! Doesn't that sound like a blast for a kid? That's one reason why as soon as I got my license I switched associations and got away from him.

Who can Benefit from Horse Shows?

I would say everybody can benefit from horse shows and rodeos, but if you decide that it is not for you, that is fine. You can make friends with similar interests, and learn from them and teach them as well. If you are wanting to be a trainer, you will need a show record of some sort, I would chose a consistent trainer over one who wins sometimes and didn't even place other times, but there is no way to determine this if the person does not have a show record, preferably on several horses.

There are horse shows that cover every aspect of riding horses, from trail riding (think A.C.T.H.A.) to dressage, and everything in between. And most have different levels from Beginners to Professionals, there is a place for everyone. There are local open shows, which will be closer to home (depending on where you live) than most of the bigger associations. It all depends on what you want and how far you're willing to go to get it.

What if I Decide that Horse Showing is not for Me?

It is perfectly OK to decide that horse showing is not for you. If you don't think that showing is something that you would enjoy doing with your horse, stay at home with him/her and enjoy doing whatever it is that you do. You may enjoy long trail rides out through the woods that are just the two of you, or with a few of your closest friends and family. I too enjoy going on a good trail ride, even if I have to haul fifty miles or so to get to it. There is nothing wrong with enjoying your horse without competing with it.

What if I Decide that Horse Showing is for Me?

Well, then my first piece of advise to you would be to have fun with it, and good luck. Anything beyond that would have to be discipline specific, and I could only comment on the barrel/pole horse aspect of it.

Conclusion.

I personally enjoyed competing, until I burnt out on it. It's not for everyone, but only you can decide if it's right for you, no one else can make that decision for you. Weigh you options carefully before you make your final decision, and if you're concerned about the abuse of the horses at shows, go check it out for yourself. Boycotting shows will not change how people think about them, whether it's for or against them. The only way to eliminate any abuse is for people to go to shows that are brave enough to stand up for what is right, and to educate the ones that lack knowledge. Change starts one person at a time.

Dealing with Flighty or Wary Horses Dealing with Flighty or Wary Horses

2012-03-09T08:05:00.001-06:00

The idea

The idea for this post came after a comment on one of my other hubs, titles Natural Horsemanship Fact or Fiction.http://paintedlady2000.hubpages.com/hub/Natural-Horsemanship-Fact-or-FictionThe person said that of all of the animals that we have domesticated, this is the one that baffles them because it is so wary and jumpy. (I hope I quoted that correctly) So, JKenny, this one is for you.

The Wary or Jumpy Horse.

There are many adjectives that can be placed in front of the word horse, especially to describe a horse that does not stand quietly for anything to take place, including the simplest of tasks. Let's name a few; wary, jumpy, nervous, untrained, head strong, hot blooded, the list could go on and on. For the sake of getting to my point, I will digress and move on. For the sake of this conversation, I'm going to use the adjective nervous.

We've all seen the horses, either at shows or at trail rides, some even at their own homes who are always looking for the proverbial monster that they are sure is going to jump out and eat them at any moment. I know that I've seen and dealt with my fair share of them. And through those experiences have come to the conclusion that this condition shall we call it, is usually the result of 1 of 3 things.

Want to know what those three things are? Read on.

Three Conditions that cause a Nervous Horse.

I'll start this list with the easiest to explain of the three:

Breeding: The temperment of breeding stock is very important. Bad tempered or unfavorable tempered horses should never be used as breeding stock. Now granted, some breeds are known for being hotter than others, like Thoroughbred and Arabians as a couple of examples. Does that mean that every horse of those breeds are nervous horses? Of course it doesn't, they are just more know for the nervous ones than the calm one.

Mishandling in the Horses Past: I am not strictly talking about a horse being physically abused, but that can result in a very nervous horse. I'm talking about a horse that has been around people, and had never been taught to follow them.

Lack of Knowledge: Here I'm talking about a horse that has never been handles period. Granted, you're not likely to see one of these at a horse show or on a trail ride, but we all know that they exist.

The biggest problem we face in trying to train them is figuring out which one of these fields they fit in.

Which Field is My Horse in?

Luckily, with experience and a watchful eye you can figure out which why your horse is nervous. A lot of nervous horses can learn to relax and trust their leader. Nervous horses can actually be good horses in the end, though it will take work. Sometimes, it's as obvious as the nose on their face.

So, I'll so through the fields one by one and give you some of what to look for.

Breeding: If you are buying the horse from the breeder, ask to see the horse's parents. If both of them act like complete nervous idiots, chances are it's breeding. If you get the horse later on from someone else, simply ask what the horse's temperment is. If the horse is registered, a little digging around can often uncover if breeding is the issue. Never write off a horse's nervousness as breeding strictly because of it's breed.

Mishandling in the Horse's Past: If it was a case of physical abuse the horse will bear physical scars from it. That is one dead give away, the horse will also not want anything to do with you, it just wants to be away from you. If it's just a case of not being taught any better the horse will usually be pushy, and if it spooks will often jump right on top of you, because it is less scared of you then whatever has spooked it. Teaching it to respect your space should be a major concern with the later case.

Lack of Knowledge: Usually if you get one of these, you knew it when you bought it. If not, you found out when you picked it up or it was delivered. It's the one that requires a loading shoot to get into the trailer, or is the one that is unloaded directly into whatever enclosure you want it kept in, which for your sake I hope was a small paddock or round pen. But, it's OK, these are usually the nervous horses that come around the quickest.

What equipment will I need?

This is a pretty simple question to answer. You'll need the following things; a good, quality halter, a lead rope(at least 12 foot long), a round pen or small pen(if you don't have one of these, you can do this with the halter and lead and that's fine), a whip, and various items to desensitize the horse with. I personally suggest plastic bags, as I have seen even the calmest horses come unglued at the sight and sound of a plastic bag blowing in the breeze.

Pretty simple list, huh?

OK, now what?

Ground work. Nervous horses are trained like any other horse, from the ground up. No, you can not run the nervousness out of a horse. You can however redirect his attention to you, which is where you want it to be.

Note: If you are not confident in you body language with horses, you may need to carry a whip to use as on extension of your arm.

At first, all that may be required to send him off around the round pen or small paddock; which ever you have access to, is simply your presence. His instincts tell him run first, think later.

Note: If your horse is trying or thinking about jumping out of what ever you are using back off, because if they feel too much pressure, they will try it. I'm not saying leave the enclose, simply back out of the center to one side, where he has more room to get away from you. What ever slice of the pen you are in is your territory, keep him out of it, but honestly if he was thinking about jumping out, you simply being there should change his direction.

Let him make a trip or a trip and an half around the pen, then move to cut him off and change his direction. It does not matter if he turns into the pen or into the fence as long as he leaves going in the opposite direction. I don't even care how fast he leaves in the opposite direction as long as he leaves. The horse that you are watching is probably running around the pen with his head up in the air, his ears twitching every direction, you can probably see the whites of his eyes very clearly, his lips are pulled back tight. Some horses will even grind their teeth when stressed or afraid. As you continue to work him back and forth around the pen, you should start to see a change in his body language. His head will lower to a natural carriage, his inside ear should be directed at you, his eyes will relax, and his lips will relax.

This point is where you simply turn your back on the horse, and give it the opportunity to come to you, or at the very least catch it's breathe for a moment while facing you. If he takes a step in your direction, let him rest some more. If the horse stops and faces away from you, send it straight back to work. This may take five minutes for some horses, and an hour for others. Every horse is different.

Desensitizing.

I know that some popular clinicians say that there are four horses that you train in this stage, left side, right side, in front of (not directly, for you safety), and behind (Again, not directly, for your safety.). Personally I have found that there are six, the original four, plus below and above. Always keep your body language very relaxed when doing desensitizing exercises, and start with gentle movement then work your way gradually up to more abrupt movements.

By the time you get to this point of training, you should know which of the fields you horse truly belongs in. If he belongs in the lack of knowledge field, Desensitizing and Sensitizing should be carried out like you should with any normal horse. If he belongs to either of the other two fields, you need to spend more time on the desensitizing than you normally would. Always start with your equipment, halter, lead rope, whip, etc. Remember to start away from the horse and gradually work in closer to the horse, approach and retreat. If he wants to leave, that's OK, let him. Send him straight back to work. (The object is to back off before he gets to the point of leaving.) It should not take as long for him to ask to come back in and stand in the middle with you. When he asks, push his just a little longer, then tell him it's OK to come in.

If you know that you can get an object as close as 10 feet way from him before he tenses up and leaves, stop at 10 and an half feet. Don't try to force these exercises on him, let him kind of come to them. If you try to force the issue you can make him more nervous.

Desensitize him to your equipment very well before you even thing about doing any sensitizing exercises.

Sensitizing

Nervous horses will usually require very little sensitizing, and too much time or energy expended in this stage, can actually make him more nervous. (I'm sticking with the male gender, let's assume it's a gelding, because I started it in the last area, and wish to avoid confusion. Of me, not necessarily you!) When working on this section, I agree that you are training four different direction, forward, backwards, left and right. Granted a horse can move forward and to the left at the same time, but he has to learn each maneuver individually first.

This is the area where your body language and posture will actually help drive him away from you. If you focus your energy behind his drive line (imagine a line running vertical to the ground right behind the horses withers.) it should drive the horse forward. There are a few decisions that you need to make before you start this work. The first is, what ques you want to use. Do you want to point in whatever direction you want him to go and have him go that way, or do you want to use words like left or right, or what ever as long as you are consistent. Understand that you will start with the que only, if that does not work you will left the whip as you repeat the que. For most nervous horses this is enough, but if it is not, you may have to touch him with the whip while you repeat the que yet again. He needs to associate the que with moving in what ever direction you are wanting.

If the horse starts to get nervous, go back to something that you know he can do, even if it is a desensitizing exercise that he excelled at.

What about the Nervous horse that isn't Nervous until you put a halter on it?

I know this sounds strange, but they do exist. I have seen horses that seem fine being around stuff and people, up until you put a halter and lead rope on them. You effectively take away their just leave if you get spooked option, and they feel trapped, so now they are a completely different horse.

This is no big deal, you just do the ground work, desensitizing and sensitizing with a halter and lead, instead of free lounging in a round pen. Make sure to wear gloves and if the horse spooks, do not try to stop the spook just go with it.

Now, this is where if I was a big time clinician, I would try to sell you my handy dandy halter and lead rope set for $49.99, or what ever price I thought someone would pay for it. But I'm not, so I'll just say use what ever halter and lead rope you have around, just make sure that it is in good condition. I will suggest using a lead that is at least 12 feet long. That way you can allow rope to slide through your hand, if you can't keep up with the horse spooking. This is why you need to wear gloves, because even if you relax your hand (which you won't, it's human nature to try to stop it, and your hand will tense some) the rope being pulled through it will burn you hands.

Knowing when to Quit

I'm not talking about quitting on the horse, but quitting for the day. It can be difficult to stop, especially if the horse is doing really well, but eventually the horse is going to get bored or his attention span is going to go out. You need to quit before either of these happen. If the horse is starting to get bored or his attention seems to be wondering, go back to something that you know he can do really well. Have him do that, then stop for the day on a good note.

If at any time you feel your frustration growing, again go back to something that you know that he does really well, and end the day on a good note.

Losing your temper with any horse can undo all the work that you have just done. If you feel that you have to, and the horse is in a safe place just drop the rope and walk off for a while. Return, and end on a good note after you have had a few minutes to compose your self. It is far better to just walk off, then risk totally losing it on the horse. It's also better for you, it will eventually teach you more control of yourself.

So, what's next?

After the ground work, desensitizing, and sensitizing you will go on with the same ground work that you would do with any other horse. Always backing up to something the horse can go well when he gets nervous. Redirect his attention from what ever, and give him something to do that he can do.

Take his training slow and steady, and his trust in you will grow. Every horse in training needs to be worked daily, even if you can only squeeze in a few minutes. Always start with something that you know he can do and build off of that.

When nervous horses spook

As you work with your horse, you will begin to know when a spook is coming. You will need to learn to relax in these situations arise. Now I'll tell you why. Say you're out on the trail, and you feel your horse tense up, getting ready for a spook, in response to him tensing up, you tense up, collect your reins, even though you may not realize it, your seat tightens, your legs tighten, and you hold your breathe, all getting ready for the ride that you are fixing to have. Whether it's a jump to the side, a spin and run off in the opposite direction or a bolt, buck or rear, your body is getting ready for it, because you mind is saying, here we go again. Your horse interprets this as what he is thinking about spooking as is a real threat, because his leader is also getting ready to spook at it. Do you see how this is a chain reaction, getting ready to explode?

All the work that you have done with him, has been to teach him to trust you. If you stay relaxed, he should walk right by what ever it was that he was thinking about spooking at. The key to staying relaxed? Keep breathing, even if you have to tell yourself breathe in, breathe out, just keep breathing. Holding our breathe is usually our body's first physical response to a stressful situation, and it is often the reason why we can not recall all of the details of the situation, but that's another blog all by itself.

The horse looks to you for leadership, and if you remain relaxed and not spooked, so will he.

Will my horse ever be where he doesn't spook at everything?

Yes, he will get to where he will not spook at everything. But the chances of him ever getting where he will not spook at anything are not very good. There is no way that you can expose him to everything that could ever possibly spook him during training. The good news is that he will get to where he spooks more quietly, and less explosively than he does now. He will learn to rely on you for input, and trust your judgement. But only time and training can build this relationship.

Gimmics

Most of the big time clinicians, sell their information at a premium price, and they tell you that you have to use their equipment for it to work. When in fact, you can use a good condition halter and lead rope you already have and what ever whip you already have as well. If not, you can buy a few of them for what these clinicians charge.

Now, can I sell you a halter and lead rope set? You bet I can, for the price of $24.00 for the set, plus shipping and handling. But I can guarantee you that I'm not making a killing on them either. For each set, I would make a grand total of $6.60, all the rest is the cost of materials. It doesn't even figure in that it takes me five to six hours to braid the lead rope. I make them because I use them, not because I tell everyone else that they have to use, or this training won't work.

You'll never convince me that CA's halter is any better than mine, and mine only costs me a dollar and a few minutes of my time to make.