What People do to Horses

I really couldn't find the right title for this article other than my constant thought on what kind of a human being starves horses. Good Lord, it doesn't take a someone with smarts to ask for help when they can't fed a horse nor does it take much for people to recognize a near death horse and report it. I don't know what troubles me more, the sadness in seeing a horse in this condition, or the anger I have for the person who is responsible. But thank God for people like the Perfect Harmony Horse Rescue and Sanctuary of Chaparral, New Mexico. Chaparral is located just north of El Paso, Texas, and is one of many little incorporated or unincorporated communities that make up the greater El Paso area. Although there are several certified horse rescues in the area, Perfect Harmony is the only one I have confidence it and will support.

Marianne Bailey, Owner/Operator of Perfect Harmony, along with her staff who also consists of her daughter Jessica and husband Dan,  received a call on or about 19 June 2021 concerning a horse in really  poor condition who had been seen wandering the roads around Berino, New Mexico. A New Mexico Livestock agent placed the horse in a temporary home and called Marianne. 

Marianne and her crew looked at the horse, who they named Esme, and committed to take her in knowing full well the cost in terms of money and time that it would take to try to save Esme. Not to mention the emotional toll if they weren't successful.

On 21 June 2021 Perfect Harmony picked Esme up, who looked to be in her late 20's, and trailered her to their facility.  That's Dan Bailey in the photo above with Esme.  She received immediate Veterinarian attention and on top of the obvious malnutrition, Esme was diagnosed with a respiratory infection and Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Disease (DSLD), then started on anti-biotics immediately. On top of that, her teeth are bad and need attention, but now is not the time for sedation and equine dentistry.

Despite people telling Marianne to just to euthanize the horse, she decided to give Esme a chance as long as she seemed willing to fight. Perfect Harmony believes, like we all should, that all horses deserve a fair life and an honest effort on the part of humans to give them that.

Rehabilitating a starving horse is not as simple as it sounds. Perfect Harmony has been in the business of rescuing horses for a couple decades now and they are sound horse people. They use the UC Davis refeeding schedule, available at this link, as well as strict protocols on when and how much to feed and only designating one person for this chore.

As of today, Esme is doing well and gradually putting on a little weight. In the last eleven years I have only asked readers of this site to support one other rescue case as I am cognizant of all the pulls for people's donations. Perfect Harmony never asks for money, instead funding their rescue of items they make,  and an on-line store.  They also do community events and outreach such as equine education and pony rides. 

But I am asking now. I just sent Perfect Harmony $100 via PayPal to their e-mail address, Perfect Harmony1@aol.com. I have faith that a sufficient number of readers would donate $10-$15 each or to visit the Perfect Harmony on-line store and pick something up, to help give Esme a fighting chance.  She, and every horse, deserve at least that.  

 

Correcting a Horse not rating his speed at the trot

Marilyn wrote asking about her horse not rating at the trot. "When I put my horse, who is about 12 years old, into a trot he wants to keep increasing speed and if I don't stop him he'll eventually go on his own into a canter. One of my friends told me that when he starts to increase his speed to immediately pull him back to a stop and back him, then ask for a trot again. This doesn't seem to be working. Do you have any ideas other than to stop and back him, or turn in him in a circle?"

How to correct a horse that keeps increasing his speed on his own really depends on why the horse is speeding up. The problem with pulling a horse to a stop then a back is that if the horse thinks you are asking for increase in speed then you abruptly stop him and back him it will be confusing for him and could led to a duller horse. If your horse is real anxious and you go to pulling on him forcibly to stop him, you are going to be creating a brace in him. He doesn't deserve that and it makes stopping with his rear head and with his head down, as well as backing more difficult.

Even if your horse stops with softness and backs well (head breaks at the poll, he pulls with his back end rather than pushes with his front end) you can frustrate and confuse him.

If he is a fairly soft horse it just may be that he is reading your body language, tense seat and legs, and, maybe being too much in contact with him mouth via the bit.

What I would try, and this make take a few days to see much improvement, if to try to be relaxed with your seat and ride with a loose rein. Even if you are relaxed but leaning forward just a bit in the saddle, he can feel this and make think you want him to increase his speed. As you are riding relaxed, concentrate on sitting upright with minimum tension in your legs, and a loose rein, he will likely increase his speed. Then using as minimum contact as possible with the bit, bring his speed back down then go back to a loose rein. You'll have to do this many times but it is worth it, for him and you. In the picture below, I am riding a Palomino at the sitting trot and am asking him to rate his speed just a bit slower by being in contact with him via the snaffle.  From the beginning this only took a stride or two before he would relax and slow. Once I feel him slow just a bit, I'll go back to a loose rein. Now when I ride him all I have to do to get him soft and rate his speed is to put the lightest tension on one loose rein and he finds that comfortable spot again.     

 

If you are posting at the trot, as we know to increase our rhythm to get the horse to match it and increase his speed, we can slow our rhythm to get the horse to slow to our rhythm. The trick is do so without bumping him with our legs and riding too much forward.

I would be happy the first time I tried with him to get a stride or two, soft and relaxed. Then you can build on that. In the picture above, I am riding a Bay horse. You can see his feet and tell he is in a trot (two beat gait with the diagonals). I am in semi (light) contact with him via the bit, the reins are fairly loose. It wouldn't take much to apply just a bit of pressure to the reins to rate him down a bit then go back to a loose rein. I am posting and beginning to raise my butt out of the saddle as that front left foot is coming off the ground. 

You may want to try this at a walk first. The idea is that when he is rating correctly he is comfortable as you have created a moment, increasing in duration, where there is minimum pressure on him.

Remembering Secretariat

Today, on June 9th, 1973, 48 years ago, Secretariat wins  the Triple Crown, which consists of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. So rare is a Triple Crown win, in the history of the Triple Crown, only 13 horses have won all three races: Sir Barton - 1919, Gallant Fox - 1930, Omaha - 1935, War Admiral - 1937,  Whirlaway - 1941, Count Fleet - 1943, Assault - 1946, Citation - 1948, Secretariat - 1973, Seattle Slew - 1977, Affirmed - 1978, American Pharoah - 2015, and Justify - 2018.

While not a fan at all of horse racing, because (in my opinion) the stress of training two year old's to run as three years is just too great for horses not yet fully grown, I can still marvel at these horses. Their speed, stamina and heart just captures our imagination. Surely we should marvel at all horses for their ability to put up with and forgive humans, but Secretariat, who was known as Big Red, was something special. He hit the ground on March 30th, 1970 being sired by another famous horse, Bold Ruler. Big Red grew quickly, over 16 hands high at just over two years old. And despite 48 years passing, some his track records still stand.

Secretariat was euthanized in 1989. An autopsy showed that his heart was two and a half times larger than that of the average horse, which certainly contributed to his extraordinary stamina and speed. If you want to see a good movie, in fact likely you'll watch it several times as I have, look for the movie "Secretariat", starring Diane Lane as Penny Chenery who believed in Secretariat as nobody else could....until he proved them wrong.