Equine Extravaganza Supports Perfect Harmony Horse Rescue and Therapeutic Horsemanship

Horse people from all over the country conduct local or regional type events each and every weekend simply for the love of horses. These event coordinators put in long hours, make phone call after phone call, coordinate set up and often do much of the labor themselves, mostly without any recognition at all.  Again they simply do it for the love of horses and these events benefit all through the education it provides.   

These events can be shows, competitions, clinics, trail rides or what I attended a couple weeks ago, which was the second annual Equine Extravaganza, hosted on 14 February by the Lower Valley Horsemen's Association (LVHA) of the greater El Paso, Texas area. This event was coordinated and ran by Vicki Maly of the LVHA featured a training demonstration, stallion showcase and bidding for breedings, a Therapeutic Horsemanship demonstration, an auction and raffle, and several vendors offering tack, related gear and western theme goods.  Event proceeds went to support a local horse rescue and Therapeutic Horsemanship organization.  

This year Vicki was able to bring in Rudy Lara of No Strings Attached Horsemanship of La Mesa, New Mexico to give a Cowboy Dressage demonstration.   That's Rudy in both pictures above, with his exceptionally trained Bay Horse.  While most of the people in the area probably have heard of Rudy, it would be an even bet to say that they came away with a higher regard for Rudy's horsemanship skills as he demonstrated tenants of Cowboy Dressage and talked to the crowd about understanding horses to enable a relationship that training can be built upon.  La Mesa, New Mexico is within the greater El Paso, Texas - Las Cruces, New Mexico area. Those people with training issues shouldn't hesitate in contacting Rudy Lara to help out.  You can visit Rudy's website here to get more information.  

Therapeutic Horsemanship of El Paso (THEP) demonstrated the how's and why of matching disabled people with horses to further rehabilitation or to just provide a quality of life to that person's that horses are uniquely suited to provide.  The THEP team in action in the picture at right. Their website is here.


The Stallion showcase featured three stud horses, including this Leopard Appaloosa in the picture above, whose owners auctioned off breedings which all went to support the THEP and Perfect Harmony Horse Rescue, a Chaparral, New Mexico based rescue organization, a 501(c)(3) non profit horse rescue and sanctuary, concentrating on older and/or disabled equine. 

And speaking of Therapeutic Horsemanship, the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) is hosting 1,000 competitive trail rides and arena obstacle competitions in March, to benefit the 850 Therapeutic Horsemanship centers in North America under the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH).  These rides are scheduled on March 15th and 16th all across the country and hope to raise $1 Million dollars for PATH.   If you are interested in supporting this in any way, so to the ACTHA site and find a ride near you and call the event coordinator.     

Arena Obstacles for Horses - The Basic Bridge

I have received quite a bit of mail in the last couple of months asking for some ideas for easy obstacles that can be used in a small arena for training or competition. I think this validates the popularity of arena obstacle competitions.

The American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) recently developed a competitive event concept for arenas or small fields for rider's who do not have access to six miles of trail and six people who volunteer to be judges. ACTHA calls these ATHCA Arena Challenges (AOC's).

These arena obstacle challenges are really nothing new. Craig Cameron's Extreme Cowboy Association have been doing these for years, although I reckon many riders would find these events too challenging.

Whether or not you compete in or host a ACTHA challenge or Extreme Cowboy Association Race in an arena you can still set up obstacles for training,....or yourself and your horse, or for a group.  It'll help your horse learn to think and make a safer horse for the trail. 

Consider obstacles that have more than one use. Meaning an obstacle that you can negotiate in several different methods. My example for this article is the simple bridge.

The bridge in the video below is a simple re-inforced wooden pallet (wooden skid) using two additional pieces of 2 x 4 board to re-inforce the existing braces. Then a piece of plywood is cut to size and screwed down. At least 3/4 inch plywood is best to ensure a solid platform to bear the horse's weight. Wood putty can be applied over the screws to help keep them from backing out and catching on a horse's foot or shoe. It would be a good idea to inspect obstacles like this before use to make sure it's safe.

A double pallet (2 pallets high) could be constructed to make crossing it just a bit more difficult - it's going to be heavier and harder to move around, so consider this also. On some of my bridge obstacles, I have tied a rope to it so I can drag it around on horseback. It you attach a rope to your bridge, be sure not to include any loops that a horse can get his feet caught up in.

An even simplier bridge is just a plain piece of plywood. Have some caution, on whatever platform you use, that a horse's foot can't go through it. Worse case, a horse's foot goes through the wood and gets caught up in it.

So now you have a bridge for your horse to cross for one obstacle challenge. You could require the horse and rider to cross the bridge, turn around then cross again. You could stop your horse with all four feet on the platform. You could even have the rider count out loud to five to demonstrate the horse's willingness to stand still, on a loose rein, with all four feet on the bridge.

To could add a turn on the fore-end by having the horse put his front feet on the bridge then side pass a complete circle around the bridge. If a full circle is too much then maybe a quarter or half circle. For the turn on the fore end, ideally the horse's inside front foot, the foot opposite the direction the hind end is moving, stays in place (or relatively in place) as the pivot foot during the turn. In the video below, I'm taking a horse across the bridge, turn around then re-approach the bridge and ask my horse to put his front end on the bridge then side pass a circle keeping his feet in the bridge. Practically speaking, elevated turns on the ore end come in handy. There have been several times I've followed a slight trail on a steep slope only to have that trail peter out where I had to turn my horse upslope to turn around.





Lastly you could do the same with a turn on the hind end. Crossing the bride, the rider stops with the horse's back end on the platform then while keeping the back feet on the bridge, does a quarter, half or full circle turning on the hind end.....pretty much like the spin in a reining pattern.

I am going to do a couple more videos on simple arena challenges and try to have obstacles that are multiple use. For more information of arena obstacles and some videos on how they are judged, go to the ACTHA website.

Safe Journey.

ManTracking - Detecting Speed from Tracks

Rebel wrote me to ask "I found your website from the videos on You Tube. I am not into horses, but was looking for tracking information as I am helping to teach classes to Explorer and Boy Scouts. I also serve as a volunteer on a regional Search and Rescue (SAR) Team. Can you explain how to tell how fast the person who are tracking is going? Thanks, Rebel."

Aside from the obvious extended stride length, there are some pressure release clues. Any one of them could be helpful when the others are harder to discern.

Stride length. From a normal walk on level ground to a man running on level ground, stride length can double. From the picture below you can see the stride stick (aka tracking stick) and the tight fitting rubber grommets I use so I can slide them up and down to measure a stride, track width, off set, etc. of any track I'm on. The picture shows the increase in the stride length from a person walking, to walking fast to running. In this case the stride length from the previous toe to the subsequent heel, which is how I measure stride, is 17 inches for the walk, 24 inches for the fast walk and 31 inches for jog - for example. That will change depending upon the hardness of the ground, weight the person is carrying and the degree of slope. It can be also influenced by the physical condition of the person. Tired people will have a shorter stride and get a little careless on foot falls. Toe gouges and trips may be evident.



With the increased speed and force with a person's foot hitting the ground, the disturbance to the ground soil, vegetation and/or rocks can change significantly. The pressure release would be altered because of the change of pressure on the surface has changed.

The pressure release may be hard to discern on hard soil or ground that is covered by vegetation. Torn pieces of vegetation and bruising on stems, stalks and flowers can be discernible. While you may not be able to see tracks because of ground vegetation, you may be able to feel the pressure-release or gently separate the vegetation in order to get a visual idea on the track.

The picture below shows tracks in sand where it is easy to tell the difference in the pressure releases, changed by speed. The easiest pressure releases to read are toe dirt visible on the fast walk and the wave around the ball of the foot that is created by the foot pushing off. At the print at right, where the person is running you will see a more significant wave and less toe dirt as the person's foot are coming of the ground with the knee bent more, therefore reducing the amount of toe dirt thrown forward. This can change in deeper soil or be indiscernible on much harder ground.



A gouge is another pressure release that is enhanced from speed and sometimes weight being carried. On the above print at the right you will see a gouge created by the heel striking the ground more forcefully at a shallower angle. You will sometimes see a ledge opposite the gouge. This is usually evident on wet soil or soil that was wet when the track was laid then has dried. The ledge visible in the heel of the track at left is due to the foot making a more vertical strike on the ground.  

Hope this helps Rebel.  When you are trying to determine the speed of a track (the person you are tracking), you shouldn't make a determination based on stride along or any one aspect of the pressure release, unless that's all you have. You should pretty much take all the signs together to tell you what that person is doing.

Bitless Bridles

I received an e-mail from a lady asking what my opinion were on Bitless Bridles, such as Dr Cook's Bitless bridle.   It seems she bought a older mare who had a previous severe cut on her tongue so riding in a bit on this horse wasn't an option for her. She has also tried a side pull - I'm assuming a version without the snaffle bit, but was looking for a better option for her horse. If anyone reading this has some experience with or opinions on Dr. Cooks Bitless Bridle, then please drop a comment in the comment box underneath  this post.

My reply was that I understood her reluctance to use a bit in her mare. I have a gelding in the same boat and I'll never put a bit in his mouth again. I am not against bit's, but for the most part I use a rawhide Hackamore, and sometimes a hackamore with a soft or hard rope bosal.   While there are thousands of really good horsemen out there who find use in all sorts of bits, from snaffles to spades, I don't think I'll ever get to the point to competently use any bit but other than a snaffle or broken bit with short shanks.  Better chance of keeping me honest that way I reckon.   
 
I actually prefer to start a horse on a hackamore as opposed to a snaffle bit. For me it makes more sense as it is much closer to the halter. The disadvantage with a hackamore/bosal is that the reins connect under the jaw so the pull on a direct rein is something you need to be patient with to let the horse understand and develop that lateral flexion. On a direct rein you are actually pulling the bosal into his nose on the opposite side of his head/face suggesting that the horse turn in the direction of the pull to gain a release from the pressure. Because the reins of a hackamore connect to (just above) the heel knot of the bosal under the jaw, sometimes the horse will tip his head (less desirable) rather than turn or rotate it at the poll, which is more desirable as it positions the horse in a more balanced position for a turn.

Dr. Cook advertises that his bitless bridle pushes rather than pulls, because the direct rein runs underneath the jaw and connects to the opposite cheek. Well, the way I see it, it is still a pull, like the Bosal or a side pull. A possible advantage with the Bitless Bridle is that the pull is higher up on the cheek and may tend to turn the head as opposed to tipping the nose which positions the horse for a better turn.

At right is a picture of the Bitless Bridle. The reins are connected to the ring on straps that run underneath the jaw.  These straps run through a fixed ring on the side of the nose band. 

When pressure is applied to that rein, it tightens the strap running underneath the jaw, running up the opposite cheek and then over the poll.  In theory this provides a clear signal, but again I haven't ridden using this Bitless Bridle, but I don't think I would have a big problem having any of my horses' accept it as they have been ridden in bosals and understand lateral flexion when asked through a direct rein. that's  However, I'm interested in comments from those who have ridden the Bitless Bridle.   

It is interesting to go to Dr. Cook's website, again it's here, and read about the Bitless Bridle.  I don't agree which his assertion that bits and bosals operate off of pain.  They certainly can when misused.   But I think there is a difference between pain and pressure.     

I do have a question, maybe a concern, about Dr. Cooks Bitless Bridle. When using a bit or a hackamore, the horse has the option of lateral or vertical flexion to move away from the pressure.   I think that's the point as that's how we get our horses to bend or flex in reaction to that cue.   When using the Bitless Bridle and pressure is applied with the reins, it is transmitted to the whole head. When the rider is using both reins to apply pressure, such as for a stop, back or to get the horse to collect,...I wonder if some horses would feel trapped or locked down as they cannot move to get a release and are more dependent upon the rider to provide the release, which may not happen in a timely fashion.

I think that if a horse works well in a side pull, then the transition to a Bitless Bridle, should go okay, as long as the horse is eased into it. It will be a different pressure than the horse is used to, so I might start real soft, reward her smallest effort and build from there.

Feeder Solutions for Horses

Karla wrote to ask about Horse feeders: "I just finished reading a Western Horseman article about preventing colic. My horse throws her hay around no matter what kind of feeder I use. I have used hanging feeders and large rubber buckets. They (Western Horseman article) suggested mats so the hay will be off the ground when they do throw it around. Do you have a suggestion on where to find large mats? How do you feed your horses? Thanks, Karla."


Hey Karla, I read that good article from Western Horseman as well. Keeping hay off the ground, especially sandy ground, is one of the first step to reduce risk of colic. Horses can have up to 80 pounds of accumulative sand in their gut. And all horses are different so I reckon some do better than others picking hay off the ground and consuming less sand than others.  If you watch closely, you'll see a horse blow through his nose, probably clearing sand away (intentional or not) then picking up a piece of grass.  The problem with some feeders, like the one in the picture above, is that hay gets dropped to the ground out of the feeder by the wind, and we have a lot of wind in West Texas.   

A periodic Sand Clear (psyllium) and/or bran mash rountine is another measure you can consider to help in getting some sand out of the gut. When I throw hay for my horses I break it up so the horse's can't grab a large flake and fling it out of the feeder onto the ground. This also helps me find all sorts of garbage in the hay,....plastic bags, things like that.

Some may use large trailer flooring mats to feed off of, but these can be really heavy to pickup and clean off. You could always use a broom to sweep the mats before each feeding. If you decide to use mats, I would check out an auto parts store for truck bed mats. We have used a couple of these and they have lasted now for 10 years.

I have also tried or seen about all types of feeders being used,....large buckets, hanging feeders, free standing feeders, and even hay nets or bags. Can you imagine the pain in the butt on loading a hay net a couple of times a day? 



What I use now for feeders are large plastic boxes that look like milk crates. Called the Arca Systems Big-Box they are made by Daco Corporation - Arca Systems, phone 1-800-423-3221. I have them in two sizes, the bigger one (see picture above) is 48"L by 44"W by 29"H and weighs 95 lbs, and works great for feeding two horses.  The other Big-Box I'm using is the smaller version (see picture below) 42"L x28"W x 29"H which weighs 69 lbs, and is suitable as a one horse feeder. Both are easy to move around even in heavy sand and have slots to allow using a forklift.

I have these boxes under overhead cover, but it might be a good idea to drill a couple small holes to drain water and help sweep any dirt out every once in while, as well as drain excess water if you feed water soaked hay from time to time. One of the best things about using feeders on the ground is that this is more natural for the horse to eat this way.






Porta-Grazer.  Another feeder solution that someone recently told me about is the Porta-Grazer, which is basically a large bucket with a perforated insert that makes the horse pulls hay through holes with it's front teeth, reducing the amount of hay the horse can grab and drop or throw around. Makes them eat slower too.

From the Porta Grazer site: "Natural grazing slow feeder for hay and pellets. Lets your horse graze hay slowly tearing each bite with the incisors creating more even dental wear thus relieving TMJ problems. Great for the prevention, treatment and elimination of gastric ulcers, colic and many other problem stall vices and bad habits. As the pan rotates the holes lift the ends of the hay stems up so the horse can search, pull, tear while he is chewing and swallowing. This allows him to size each bite as he eats insuring that his food is thouroughly chewed and salivated as it is when grazing.That's grazing and no other product does this. No wasted hay. Travel safe and sanitary. Head down and dust free Also collects sand and dirt from the hay to be thrown away later."

Here is a short video on the Porta-Grazer:



In any event, good luck Karla in finding a feed solution.

Guts and Glory Ride for Veterans

Craig Cameron recently hosted a 100 mile horseback ride to raise awareness and funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Called the "Guts and Glory Ride for Veterans", this is a worthy cause to support. Craig Cameron, the riders who rode with him and all that supported it, included the horses, are Great Americans. If you didn't get to see it on RFD TV, you can watch the shorter video below. It probably was appropriate that the ride started out in freezing weather.





Supporting wounded veterans and the organizations that provide care and support is a great thing to do. Some of these guys I count among my friends. Men like Chuck Yerry who lost a leg in combat, replaced it with a prosthesis, then was back in the fight. Chuck just retired but spent all his free time in the last couple of years working to make the Special Operations Forces K9 memorial a reality. As Sergeant Major Yerry explained, "for each SOF K-9 lost in combat represented one or more American soldiers saved."

Yet another Veterans organization that supports wounded warriors is the Task Force Dagger Foundation. TF Dagger was the organizational name of the first Special Operations Forces, mainly Green Berets from the 5th Special Forces Group, who entered into Afghanistan one dark night just weeks after the Twin Towers attacks to organize the resistance against the Taliban and drive these Islamic terrorists out of that country. TF Dagger has been immortalized in several books, but probably no more recognizable than the photo of Green Berets on horseback moving to engage the Taliban. You know that horseback warriors in heaven were sitting up watching this one.

Please pass the word on these worthwhile organizations. Safe Journey.

Merry Christmas 2013

The year has flown by and now it's time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  I hope we all remember the reason for the Holidays which of course is God giving us the hope of ever lasting life through his Son, and we celebrate this incredible blessing in one fashion and that is by giving gifts. I hope everyone enjoys the gifts we given and we in turn appreciate the gifts and blessings we have received.  I hope all the horses all over the world enjoy the gift of respect and a fair life.

But the Christmas we get caught up in sometimes, the spending and the shopping reminds me of a little story.  It's about an old couple, married for 50 years, who rarely went into town but drove into town they did so the wife could do some Christmas shopping for the children and grandchildren.  The husband, as you can imagine, was less than pleased with the whole arrangement. 

 

Soon in the packed shopping center the wife lost track of her husband and after a couple hours became frantic as she could not find him.  Then she remembered that the children have given them cell phones.  So she calls her husband's phone and was relieved to hear him answer.  "Where are you?" she say's, "I've been looking for you for several hours now!"

 

The husband replies "Well, do you remember the Jewelry store where you saw that necklace you so dearly wanted 30 years, but I couldn't afford it then?"

 

As her eyes started to tear up the wife softly says "Yes,...yes I do dear."  And the husband replies, "Well, I'm in the bar next door."

 

Merry Christmas and a Safe Journey into 2014.

On Bad Days, Just Slow Down

Christine wrote about her training issue: "I have an eight year old gelding who I bought from my friend who moved away. I have been riding him for three years, usually twice a week for 30 to 60 minutes a time. I am not a trainer but I have been doing pretty good with him but now we are not making any progress and it's frustrating. And in some ways he's getting worse. Maybe dull is a better word. There is a local trainer about 45 miles away which is always an option but another friend of mine sent her horse there and the horse came back with a pretty severe skin fungus. I'll take any suggestions. v/r Christine."

I'm not being a smart mouth, but,....join the club. Just the other day I was riding and my horse seemingly forgot everything we've been working on....least it seemed that way.   I know enough now not to get into a fight with him, and even though I know horses have bad days like we do, it was still pretty disappointing. In fact in ruined an otherwise good day. Once I got back to the corral before unsaddling him I did a couple things that he's always been good about, loading himself into the trailer and siding up to me on a fence rail so I can mount, just so I could salvage something out of the day and end on a good note.

I was thinking about that ride and what I did and could have did different, so it became pretty clear that I should have just slowed up.

Two days later, I saddled him just with the thought of going someplace. So we went out into the desert for a few hours, not doing anything but riding and had a great ride. We didn't do anything other than some walk to jog to canter transitions, following coyotes tracks and even found an old brass D ring that came off some unlucky cowboy's saddle probably years ago.

So I'm saying this because sometimes you gotta accept that you're not going to always make progress each day. I have to remember this as well.

Another thing you may do is to break the lesson down in as small of increments as you can. Say for instance you are working on turns on the forehand and your horse is getting smoother and responds to lighter cues. Then all of a sudden he is stiffer and needs more definitive cues,...maybe he's bracing on you as well. Think about starting over like you are teaching him turns on the forehand from the beginning. Ask him as subtle as you can for the slightest movement of his hip, once he gives you that, stop and pet him, let him think on it, then do it again. This isn't really starting over, it's just asking him in a different way and lets him be successful.

You did not elaborate on what things your horse is not progressing through or even regressing in, but riding twice a week on what is still a pretty young horse probably ain't working in your favor. Riding a little bit more often may help solidify those lessons and also give you some room just to ride and enjoy your horse. It can't be all work for him and you know the saying about a lot of wet saddle blankets making a good horse.

One more thing you might try is on those bad days where you think you're not making any progress, be sure to finish with something your horse does well. Somebody said words to the effect 'its not how you start, it's how you finish that counts".

Rough Start Horse Rescue

As has been my practice I'll post articles on Horse Rescues. This one, Rough Start Horse Rescue, is located in Eastern Washington and serves Spokane, Lincoln, Stevens Counties, Northern Idaho and the surrounding areas.

From their Web Site:

Rough Start Horse Rescue, is a 501c3 non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of Neglected, Starved, and Abused horses. We accept owner surrender, abandoned, and police confiscated horses and other animals as the need arises. We provide Rehabilitation, Education, and Adoption Services, as well as Programs for Veterans and Special Needs Children. We promote and teach horse care and humane, natural methods of training for horses.

All adoption fees are put back into the rescue in order to support future horses that need assistance. We are a fully volunteer organization which means all donations go right to the horses no person gets paid for working at the rescue. Once an adoption fee has been set, we will not take less than the listed price. We typically invest far more than what we can adopt such horse/s for and do not have room to barter on adoption fee's.

Remember, you are helping rescued horses. Adoption fees are based upon the amount of treatment and care that went into each horse. Fee's are also based upon the horses age, temperament, registration and whether or not the horse is trained to ride. All adoption fees are due and must be paid, when adopter is approved and has agreed to adopt said horse(s).

Please keep in mind that when you are adopting a rescue horse that you should plan to make this a life long companion. Typically horses that are treated appropriately can live to be 35 years of age and older. We want to find each Rescued Horse a Loving, Forever Home.

Rough Start Horse Rescue is 100% volunteer based, we currently do not have any administrative cost, 100% of your donation will go directly to the horses care.

ROUGH START TO ......GREENER PASTURES
Rough Start Horse Rescue
Phone Number: 509-796-2660
Mailing Address..... P.O Box 141031, Spokane Valley, WA 99214

As we all know, caring for horses is expensive,....feed, vet and farrier care, etc.  Rough Start accepts donations mailed to their address, via Pay Pal on their website, or directly to Ponti Vet Clinic, at (509)-922-7465, who provides the necessary vet care.

If most of us could donate $20 which would buy 50 lbs of feed or $30 which is the cost of a farrier's trim, the horses at Rough Start could be ensured some more quality care. I'll start this off and donate $30 per Pay Pal. Please visit the Rough Start site and consider consider donating.  It's worth it to read their site and see how they got started in the Horse Rescue business. 

Rough Start also has a fund raiser where they are selling t-shirts and sweat shirts with a humorous logo. Go here to see.

Routine Dental Care Are Critical to a Horse's Health

An issue came up with a friend's horse showing signs of colic where the horse would stretch out seeming to pee but wouldn't, and appeared to periodically be in a little distress. His appetite was off but not gone. He was drinking small amounts of water, but in colder temperatures horses will typically drink less. Like many horse owners my friend, prior to calling the Vet because of the distance involved and farm call fee, called me to help him work through the possibilities of what could be wrong with the horse and if calling the Vet was necessary.

As I asked about the symptoms the horse was showing as well as what the horse got for his daily feed and when was the last time the horse was wormed. I asked when was the last time the horse had his teeth floated. The horse owner replied that he couldn't remember. I asked within the last year? within the last two years? To make a longer story shorter, the horse hadn't had a equine dental exam nor his teeth floated for at least five years.

Lack of equine dental care may not be the leading cause of colic, but bad teeth can impact on how well a horse chews his feed before it enters the gut and improperly chewed feed can increase the chances of impaction. And while alot of us never saw or maybe never heard of horses having their teeth floated when we were young, I think the fact that horses growing older and living longer today than they were twenty-thirty years ago, and that more horses are being kept to the end of their natural life increases the chances of you seeing a horse with teeth problems. This makes the floating the teeth which is the removing of the uneven or abnormal portions (hooks and points) of the teeth necessary so normal chewing and digestion can take place.

Horses kept in stalls and fed dry feed may be more likely to have teeth problems than horses on pasture for several reasons:

• The Horse can pull more feed into his mouth from dried feed in a feeder than they can from the pasture
• Stalled horses are more likely of getting bored and cribbing on rail fences or wood doors and frames
• Pastured horses have to eat with their heads low slowing the chewing and this is more natural to the horse as opposed to eating out of a feeder off the ground.

It's a good education in horse care when your Vet or Equine dentist can sedate the horse, place a speculum in the horse's mouth and show you or let you feel the hooks, points of other uneven wear of your horse's teeth, or even the callous' and cuts that can be created on the inside of the mouth as well.

My Vet is Amy Starr, DVM, in the pictures, owner of Paw-n-Hooves Mobile Vet Clinic in El Paso, Texas. On a once every 14 to 18 month schedule, we have her do dental exams which almost always require floating the teeth with power float tool - think drill bit with an extended shank and rotary bit. Years ago I remember her floating teeth on 12 horses when she was close to 9 months pregnant and doing it all in the middle of a hot Texas summer.



While routine dental care is important for colic prevention, it can also help reduce other problems like difficulty in carrying a bit, head tossing, head shyness and other behavioral issues. These are clues that your horse may need a dental exam and some work done on his teeth as is when you start seeing the horse drop half chewed bolts of feed on the ground around. So for your horse's sake get a dental exam scheduled when you can. It's part of that fair life you're supposed to be providing him.
 

Riding in the Sand Dunes of White Sands National Monument

At the Northern end of the Tularosa Basin, some 90 miles North of El Paso, Texas sits the White Sands National Monument just a few miles West of Alamogordo, New Mexico.

White Sands National Monument is bordered to the West by the San Andres Mountains and to the East by the Sacramento Mountains and is ran by the National Park Service. Open to recreation, this park provides over 275 miles of white Gypsum sand dunes that are a great place to ride your horses.

A nominal costs of $3 per rider got six of us through the gate off of US Highway 70 that connects the towns of Las Cruces and Alamogordo, New Mexico. We proceeded a few miles to North to designated horse trailer sites, saddled up and rode into the brilliant white gypsum sand dunes.  Some type of polarized lens sun glasses are advisable riding here.

Most all horses can benefit from being ridden in diverse environments. From backing out the trailers into an all white world, to riding into deep sand - this was good for the horses but you had to be a little careful as the brightness of the sand would sometimes white out the drop offs - best to limit trotting or loping to the low, harder packed areas. These low areas collect what pitiful rainfall drops on White Sands but allows decent clumps of grass to grow and I also saw some type of sage growing in small bushes.

The cresting dunes allow a rider to challenge his or her horse going up or down hills and a rider could also work their way between the dunes to give their horse a break.  Great place to train horses to walk down hill, but in that deep side about every mile you rode was about two to the horse as they had to work pretty hard. Once we made our way back to the trailers and unsaddled, we let the horses have a roll in the gypsum sand.

As we were loading for the return trip George Stone trailered in with Matilda his famous camel. I didn't get a good enough photo, so I thought I'd share one of George's video riding Matilda at White Sands a couple years ago.  If you're traveling close to  White Sands Monument you won't be disappointed stopping in for a look even if you don't have your horses with you.  Who knows, maybe you run into George Stone and Matilda.     

Horse Accepting of a Blanket

Dana wrote to ask a couple of questions of a horse in her care and blanketing. "Hello, I am taking care of my sister's 10 or 11 year old mare while she is recovering from back surgery. The nightly temperatures are dropping into the low 20's so I went to put a blanket on her horse but the horse won't have anything to do with the blanket. I'm sure she has had a blanket on before so I don't know what the problem is. Is it possible that she is trying to let me know she doesn't want or need her blanket on? Thanks, Dana"

I would ask your sister is the horse has worn a blanket before.  Doesn't make much difference now, but let's assume she has worn a blanket before then it would stand to reason it's your approach with the blanket. Walking straight towards her carrying or half dragging a blanket with the usual fabric noise may just be too much for her to stand still for right now, especially if she is unused to you. Maybe you can ensure your approach is less threatening ,...try approaching her indirectly and don't stare her down.

If the horse is showing anxiety or avoidance behavior when exposed to the blanket, maybe you can fold the blanket up into a small package and get her used to accepting that close to her, let her smell it, then slowly rub her with it on the neck then her barrel. Retreat, pause then try again and as she accepts that, unfold the blanket and make it just a little bigger.  Progress from there.

I think it's important to give her a little break in between increasing the size of the blanket as this is her release...plus it helps the horse think as opposed to reacting from instinct.   If you advance slow and only ask her as much as she can accept then soon you'll be ready to put the blanket on her. If the blanket has a buckle up chest piece then you may do well to unhook it so the blanket can be placed over her like a saddle blanket rather than slipping it over her head.

If you make a big production out of taking the blanket off then that could can undo some of the good.  You may have to unbuckle the chest strap the first few times before you take it off her.   If you pull the blanket off over her head then I'd try to bunch the blanket up on her neck to make it easy to pull off smoothly and quickly.   

As far as your sister's mare telling you she doesn't want or need the blanket,.... well, I don't know about that. A horse doesn't necessarily want or need a saddle and a rider as well, but they get to accepting that as long as we're fair about it. And as far as whether a horse needs a blanket or not,....ask 10 horse people and you'll get 11 opinions on blanketing horses.

My wife has a QH mare who seems to ask for her blanket. When my wife goes to grab the blanket off the stall door, the horse will walk towards her and drop her head. Asking for her blanket or just readily accepting what she knows is expected of her,....who knows for sure.

Here in West Texas we recently had a 20+degree change (drop) in nightly low temperatures and the weather front that brought those low temps also brought in some much higher humidity than normal and a pretty steady 20 mph wind brining in a wind chill factor, so I thought it prudent to put light weight blankets on my horses. 

My reasoning was during the big change to colder temps the horses would drink less water and have less blood to work the gut as they would need more blood for their extremities.   It wasn't just the cold low temps, it was the drastic change that I was mostly concerned about.

But like I said about there being many different opinions, I read this interesting article on thermoregulation in horses from Academia Liberti. While I believe both my intent and the intent from this article are to consider the horse and provide fair treatment, we obviously have different opinions.....and not just on blanketing.  Good luck to your sister, hope she recovers well and good luck to your blanketing efforts for her mare. If for nothing more, getting her to accept a blanket would be good for her.

Horse's Apology

I know that you have been a good owner. Kind and fair in my treatment. Giving me the time to accept what you ask of me. Providing me good hay and fresh water. Having my feet trimmed every 6 or 8 weeks. Floating my teeth every year. Putting a blanket on me when the weather is really cold. I appreciate the fly masks too.

But the reason I chewed off the valve stems on the trailer tires was that you kept me tied up for just too long to that trailer. Sorry about that.

Horses with Happy Feet - Won't Stand Still

I received two recent questions on horses that can't stand still. One on a horse who won't stand for saddling and another horse who won't stand still with a rider on his back.

Joyce wrote: "Thanks for your videos and site. I have not seen a video on youtube about my problem. I have a 12 yr old mare. She will NOT stand still for saddling no matter what. She moves back and forth, side to side etc. I put the saddle on and boom it is on the ground before I can get the saddle even slightly secured. I have tried her tied and untied. I have made her move and move some more and then try it again to no avail. To saddle now, I do while she is eating her grain which is really not fixing the problem. Thank you so much. I know she has an attitude but need some ideas about this. Joyce."

I am glad you recognize the saddling while feeding your horse to get her to stand still is only treating the symptoms. And while feed issues can contribute to a horse's behavior, meaning too much feed, particularly too much high energy feed can make a horse seem kind of hyper. But your mare's issue is most like a lack of respect. No offense but she may just be a spoiled horse. This is common and not her fault. She is going to do what she thinks she needs to do.

I think you have the right idea about making her move around and I suspect you then offer her a chance to stand - which is making the wrong thing work and the right thing a rest. And while this lesson is absorbed by many horses, some take longer to learn this.

I would consider doubling down on my ground work and concentrating on helping her find respect. If you watch most trainers working with a troubled horse or a horse with some problems, you would see that horse being basically started over.....being lunged in a round pen; getting that horse to move his feet; getting that horse to focus on the human; generally making the wrong thing a bunch of work or pressure and the right thing generating an immediate release. Letting that horse stand tied and learning some patience that standing still is a good thing will most likely help as well.

KK e-mailed a request to help sort out a horse that won't stand still. "My horse, a five year old gelding, just can't stand still. He doesn't jump around, just wants to continuously move his feet. It's embarrassing when I'm with friends on horses and I have to try and control him as opposed to engaging in conversation. Do you have any ideas on how to deal with this? Thanks."

Hey KK, a five year old is still a pretty young horse especially if he has only been ridden a couple dozen times a year or so. The easy advice is that a lot of wet saddle blankets will make him a more seasoned horse and stop or lessen the moving around which is most likely a little anxiety.

But what you may do is not to try and control his movement and get him to stand still but to use that energy and have him work. In other words if he wants to move then let him move but under your direction. Have him soften his head and back a step; have him move his back end over - have him move his front end over. Side pass him a step or two in each direction. This is all good for him.

I suspect that if you do this repetitively it will most likely be good for him but help him find the rest spot when standing still when asked. Safe Journey to both KK and Joyce.

Lady rides horse to DMV

This will put a smile on your face. I saw this article on the news and thought to share it. Apparently a young lady named Ashlee Owens living outside of Richmond, Virginia had some problems getting her drivers license re-newed and rather than drive to the DMV office on a suspended license, she opted to travel (in part) on horseback, accompanied by her Blue Heeler. What doesn't come across in the article or video is that Ashlee had to have a pretty good horse to ride into a urban area with all the activity that she couldn't control. Read the article and watch the short video below. Look for the sign she hung on her dog, as she tied her dog and Sassy her horse,to a fence that said, "I bite, she kicks".

A trip to the DMV is not exactly something drivers consider a fun day, but how about if you rode up to the office on a horse? That's what one woman in Richmond, Virginia, did as a form of protest. Ashlee Owens, 26, had her license suspended after the DMV apparently said she did not provide proof of insurance. The suspended license made it illegal for her to drive from her home in Amelia all the way to Richmond, so she had a friend drive her there with a horse trailer attached. She then rode her horse, Sassy, up to the DMV office. She had her dog, Tuff, in tow as well. Owens said she sent all the necessary paperwork through regular mail and email, but the DMV did not receive it. She explained her struggle to WWBT NBC 12: "I've been trying for the past three days to get through to the DMV. ... I don't feel like I should be in this predicament at all."

After waiting a few hours and having the nearly $700 fee waived, Owens rode away from the DMV with her head held high. She's now a licensed driver — and someone who clearly knows how to get her point across.

Body Position Riding Down Hill

Dan wrote to me and asked "What is the proper seat position when riding down a steep hill? I have read 'lean back', 'lean forward', etc. (I) want to make it easiest and most comfortable for my horse".

Thanks for writing Dan and you're good to be thinking about your horse. While I may not know about "proper" seat position, I'll give you my opinion and some photos, sorry I couldn't give you a bigger or steeper hill right away, but the principles are the same.  Those mountains in the background are 20 miles away. 

I have to have an idea that the hill is safe before starting down it. I've been down some pretty steep and rocky slopes with Cholla cactus everywhere, hoping we get through it unscathed and holding my breath each time my horse's feet started sliding or the ground was giving way.

Its good to get your horse used to stopping on the top of the slope and allowing him to drop his head so he can take a gander at the hill you're about to ask him to go down. See photo at left.  As far as going downhill straight away or going downhill in a zig zag pattern - it would depend upon the steepness, presence of a path (or not) and obstacles along the way.

Hills can scare some riders, and some will make the mistake to take up slack in the reins or pull on their horse. This can pull your horse's head up, get him out of position,....cause him to be bracy and not allow him to see the ground like he should - nothing good comes from this.

You and your horse will have more control coming downhill if the horse can break at the poll and collect, bringing his hind end more up and underneath himself. This is hard to do, but it starts with the horse being soft. As you start downhill the horse needs a fairly loose rein, but you need to be able to rate him so it doesn’t become a run downhill.

I use a lot of small hills like in the pictures to get my horses used to stopping at the stop and walking down. And sometimes at the bottom, if it isn't too steep, I'll ask him to take a couple steps backwards.

I would suggest that leaning forward is not good. Puts too much weight on your horse's front end and making it likely that you come over his head if he stumbles. My body position going downhill is to lean back keeping my body relative to the sky as I am when I am riding on flat level ground. You'll end up putting a little weight in the stirrups with your heels down. Some riders may straighten their legs and some like me will like just a little bend in their knees.

Most of my saddles have a pencil roll on the cantle, so there is nothing really to grab onto, although sometimes I'll use my free hand to brace against the saddle horn. But if you are riding a saddle with a Cheyenne roll, it will provide a ledge which you can grab with your free hand by reaching behnd yourself - try not to twist your torso much. This would also come in handy keeping you from being propelled forward if your horse stumbled or his front end buckled.

I guess I could have just said "Don't Lean Forward, instead Lean Back" but nobody ever accused me of using a six words when I can use a hundred.  I'll try and get up into the foothills in the next couple of weeks for better photos or a video, until then I hope this helps Dan. Safe Journey. 

Having Pain From Stirrups

Luis wrote in with the following question: "I'm 44 years old and ride about an hour, sometimes more, twice a week. After I ride I have substantial pain in the outside edges of my feet. It's got to be caused by the stirrups which are angled. I have seen stirrups being sold in catalogs that are more level. I was wondering if you have any experience or comments on these ergo-metrically balanced stirrups. Regards, Luis"



If I'm reading your e-mail right Luis, you are using standard stirrups which hang in an angled fashion - see the picture at top left - with the lower end of the stirrup closer to the horse's body.   By the way, I have to admit I had to look up the word "Ergo-metrically".

I would first make sure what is not causing your pain such as too short of length in the stirrups leathers, or even a foot problem like plantar fasciitis. Another problem for your feet may be a too narrow stirrup like an Oxbow which puts pressure on a small area of the foot. If you ride with just the balls of your feet in the stirrups then that may cause pain as well as you have the rest of your foot unsupported.

Pain on the outside of your foot may also be caused by how your legs are angled when you sit in the saddle. I think that the more your feet are pointed forwards, as opposed to being a little turned out, may increase the pressure on the outside of the foot as well.

Barring any of those reasons, you may want to try a canted stirrup. They don't work for me - I prefer a 5 inch Monel stirrup - but I know someone who routinely rides in a Crooked Stirrup and he swears by it, but I think he's using it because of past knee problems. The Crooked Stirrup levels the stirrup for the foot through lengthening the side of one of the stirrups.

There is another type of canted stirrup that I know about, this one is from Tucker Saddles called trail glide stirrup. This stirrup is canted by using a tapered bar that the stirrup leather goes around before hooking into the Blevins Buckle. I would like to hear about any solution that works for me. Safe Journey.

2013 Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium

My wife and I recently returned from our 13th trip to the annual Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Ruidoso is a mountain town about an hour Northeast of Alamogordo, New Mexico and located close to the Mescalero Apache Reservation. It's nice to get up into the Mountains and get a taste of cold mornings after a long hot summer.

We go as it's our anniversary and we were also celebrating my wife completing cancer treatment and literally getting back in the saddle. As you can tell from the photo, my wife is beautiful, and more important, healthy,....... and really likes Kettlecorn! 

The Symposium is a two and a half day gathering of horse people, western artists and vendors, horse events - reining competition, horse training and mule demonstrations, and the headline Chuck wagon cook off. The big draw for us has always been Craig Cameron's demonstrations where Craig works with any troubled or green horse that is brought to him.  The Craig Cameron booth offering high quality working gear, from halters, to hobbles, to bridles, bits and books, and saddles was jam packed as usual.  All of the gear is available at the Craig Cameron website, too.

With one of the horses brought to Craig this year it was a 2 year old filly that was barely halter broke,..if you consider halter broke to be just wearing a halter and not leading up, facing or giving to pressure.

Craig said up front that he was going to try and make this filly better off but it might take longer than the scheduled hour demonstration time since it was going to be up to the filly to be accepting and he wasn't going to rush her. Craig reminded us that his objective is to take the fear out of the horse.  He reminded us that if this filly was handled more since birth she would have been in a better place to begin with this morning.

He started with getting her to move her feet, disengage her back end when asked, giving to pressure, facing up on the lead line and desensitizing her with a rope and flag.  You could see the changes in the horse come and soon Craig had this filly wearing a bare back pad. While she continuously got better, she still had a little trouble being driven or moved around the round pen, so Craig brought in his big gray horse to help and give the filly someone to follow.



Once she got comfortable moving around the pen with the big Gray, Craig got her saddled and did the same. After a few spurts of bucking, see photo at left, she settled down nicely.

Through what turned out to be about a 90 minute session Craig gave the fily short breaks which calmed the young horse and gave her a chance to absorb and accept was Craig was asking of her.





Craig also worked the filly from horseback atop his big Gray giving the filly a chance to accept a person towering above her and used the Gray to get the filly to follow the feel on the lead rope, getting some lateral flexion, moving her feet and disengaging her back end. See photo at right.





At the end of the session the filly was ridden in the round pen by one of Craig's apprentices. That session changed that horse's life for the better. You could see it in her as she changed in the round pen and when she left the pen she was leading up just fine. A lot of fear went out of that young horse that morning as she began to trust humans.  I hope she never gets let down.

Pegasus Project - Horse Rescue

I became aware of another horse rescue group, God bless 'em, located in East Texas, about 70 miles east of Dallas.....The Pegasus Project. You can find the Pegasus Project page on Facebook and see pictures of their rescue and fostered horses.

The Pegasus Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of neglected, abandoned or abused horses in East Texas.

Pegasus says they are much more than a horse sanctuary. From their website: "We work closely with other animal welfare organizations to respond to horse cruelty complaints and conduct investigations and seizures of neglected and abused horses with the assistance of local law enforcement. We then take these horses into our program and bring them back to health. We dedicate our resources to rehabilitate, as well as retrain rescued horses, using natural and traditional horsemanship techniques, so that they may be adopted by carefully-screened, loving, forever homes. Each horse we place frees up space and allows us to conserve our precious resources and continue helping those horses most in need. For a few special-needs horses, The Pegasus Project will remain their life-long home."

"Care of neglected horses is expensive. Before we can transport them to our facility, rescued animals require veterinary care, blood tests, de-worming, and immunizations, expenses that can easily exceed $300 per seizure. All of our horses receive (at a minimum) bi-annual veterinary examinations and immunizations, annual dental care, as well as farrier care every 4-6 weeks. Routine horse care maintenance costs include the purchase of feed, hay, bedding, and any special-needs supplements. Typical monthly care is approximately $300 per month for a horse in fair condition. And then, of course, there are those expenses that arise with unexpected illnesses, injuries or emergency care. "

"There is good news in all of this. All of the horses we have rescued to date have been able to return to normal lives. Our equine residents are handled daily, taught ground manners, trained to trailer-load, stand tied and to stand for the farrier. Those horses broke to ride receive professional training to build a strong foundation. We strive to make each and every horse easy to handle and ready for adoption, ultimately becoming loving members of their new families, living long and fulfilling lives."

"The Pegasus Project, Inc. is an organization comprised of volunteers, united by their love of horses and their desire to alleviate suffering. We operate with the utmost efficiency on a modest budget. The Pegasus Project relies ENTIRELY on private donations. Currently 100% of donations goes directly to care and development of horses. "

As with all non-profit rescue organizations, Pegasus can use help in the way of donations - both money and supplies, volunteering, spreading the word, and fostering rescue horses. Pegasus accepts donations through their website via caredit card or pay pal or by check to: The Pegasus Project, Inc., P.O. Box 26, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754.

So please help if you can. It's easy enough to visit their web site, like them on Facebook and tell people about Pegasus.

Question on Saddle Fit for Riders

TCason wrote to ask these questions pertaining to Saddles. "Thanks for your site and for keeping it real and simple. I have a longhorn saddle that I bought from a friend of mine. I fear it may be too big for me as I feel like I bounce around alot. It has plastic slotted stirrups and are hard for me to get my feet into when I sit into the saddle. Can you give me a couple pointers on adjusting the saddle to see if I can make it more secure. Thanks."

I am familiar with Simco-Longhorn Saddles but I don't believe they ever came with plastic stirrups and I don't know what "slotted stirrups" are. There is nothing wrong with a Longhorn saddle, as long as it fits the horse and you.

As far as fitting you the rider, if the seat is too big for you, measured from the horn to the cantle, you will feel pretty loose in the saddle. Use a tape measure to measure from the inside of the horn where it meets the swell to the top of your cantle. I have a 32 inch waist and like a 15 inch seat. Years ago someone was trying to sell me a very nice Billy Cook 17 inch saddle and insisted that I try it out. I did and felt like a child sitting in an adults chair. I like to be able to generally place a fist between by body and the swell when I am sitting, that's about 3, maybe 4 inches. So I suggest you sit in your Longhorn saddle with your butt pushed into the base of the cantle and see how much room you have between your abdomen and the swell of the saddle. See picture at left.  This is a slick fork Wade saddle and I have get my fist between my lower abdomen and the swell/base of the horn.




The stirrups need to be adjusted so they are not to long or too short - I know that's easy to say. Too long of stirrups and you'll routinely having your feet come out of the stirrups. Too short of stirrups and you'll feel like your bouncing along. Heavier stirrups may help you keep your feet in them, providing them are adjusted right. I like 5 inch Monel Brass or steel covered wooden stirrups as they are wide and heavy.  The picture below is how I like to my adjustments.   While seated my knees are bent but not too much. When standing in the stirrups I have 4-5 inches between my butt and the base of the seat. You can use this as a guide, but some people will like their stirrups just a little longer, and some will like them just a little shorter.  Adjust your stirrups, ride in them, and adjust again as necessary is really the only way to do it.

  

When you say you have a hard time getting your feet into the stirrups when you mount - if you are talking about the stirrups being too narrower then you need wider stirrups. If your feet can't find the stirrups because they are laying flat against the horse then see the question, below, about training your stirrup leathers to stay twisted for easy access by your feet.


Jay wrote to ask " I have a saddle with the stirrups that are twisted out. I have been trying to figure out how to get the stirrups turned so they stay that stay that way to keep me from having to bend over and grab the stirrups so I can get my foot into it. Can you do a video or tell me how to get my stirrups turned? happy trails."

Usually stirrup leathers are turned as the saddle is being made by soaking the stirrups leathers in water, the manipulating them as needed, then using leather lacing around the turned stirrup leather to maintain that twist.

Most saddle fenders are riveted to the stirrup leather, and the adjustment buckle, usually a Blevins Buckle, is placed close enough to where the stirrup is to make it very difficult to get it (the stirrup leather turned) after the saddle is made.

Maybe your best bet will be to train your fenders and leathers to stay twisted by putting the saddle on a saddle rack, soaking the fender and stirrup leathers, then turning the stirrups and placing a 4 foot length of 2 x 4 inch board flat side down through the stirrups to keep them twisted as the leather drys.   See picture at right, you are looking at the off side from front to rear.

I am sure you have seen this before, or at least saw a saddle on a rack with a broomstick between the stirrups. The purpose is to train the fenders/leathers to stay twisted.

However. I think it works a lot better if the fenders and leathers are soaking wet and if you use a 2x4 instead of a broomstick which when placed will kinda over twist the stirrups and leathers so when the 2x4 is removed they will more assuredly stayed twisted. A small bucket of water and a horse hair brush to soak the fenders and stirrups leather works well. The picture at left is a different view of this process from the left side of the saddle from back to front.



You may have to do this wetting and drying process a couple times. And store your saddle with the 2x4 in place would probably be a good idea.  Let me know if it works for you.