Communicating with Horses - Creating Energy

I received a reader question who evidently heard me on a video talk about “creating energy” and wanted a better explanation then what they saw on video.

It may be easier to explain, first of all, what “creating energy” is not. It is not jerking on the lead line or going ballistic when a horse fails to understand what you are asking. That phrase needs to be repeated.....”when the horse fails to understand what you are asking.” And this failure is almost always, if not always, the fault of the person and the responsibility of the person to correct. The horse isn’t born into this world understanding how to get along with mankind.

Horse’s read body language well,.....much better than we do and much better than most of us give the horse credit for. Watch how horses interact in the coral or pasture. You see a lead mare do nothing more than pin it’s ears and another horse will get the message and give it some room. If the offending horse doesn’t get it, the lead mare will move it’s head towards the offending horse and thus “creating some energy” to make the point.

Creating energy can come from voice commands, with a change to the inflections and loudness, but more often needs to be based on body language. That’s why sudden movements will often make a horse flinch. The best examples and maybe best uses for creating energy are when lunging a horse or backing horse. On the video below I am trying to demonstrate how an increase in body language,....a more deliberate and stronger movement,….can influence a horse when lunging him or backing him up, without causing anxiety by jerking on a lunge rope or lead line, or putting too much physical pressure on the horse.

Spring Time is Horse Vaccination Time

It’s that time of year, early spring where most Veterinarians’ would suggest giving spring vaccinations to your horses.

I usually have my Vet come in mid April to take an annual Coggins (EIA) test, and give vaccinations against Eastern, Western and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis; West Nile Virus; Tetanus; Rhino and Influenza. The time frame allows for the horses to build up anti-bodies and be prepared for the usually wet and humid summer with can bring vector borne diseases.

I also take advantage of her visit to grab a couple tubes of Bute and a bottle of Banamine (Fluoxomine). I would be glad to go a whole year and not use any of these products, and am glad as well to have them on hand.

Some people also vaccinate against Rabies and Strangles. Strangles is a bacterial Strep like infection that caused enlarged lymph nodes that block the airway and could suffocate a horse – hence the name Strangles. Most often swollen lymph nodes on the jaw between the lower molars are present. Sometimes an infected tooth, usually on young horses, can cause a similar symptom and fool people. Strangles is very contagious and can affect many horses that are stabled or pastured together but most horses recover without complication.

Rabies vaccination, being bitten by a rapid carrier, can fool people as well. Early symptoms can look like colic or lameness or even just a plain low grade illness or depression. Horse will invariable die from rabies which is a neurological disorder which can also be mistaken for West Nile Virus. Rabies signs can appear within 4 to 5 days, or even longer in some cases, after being bitten. Horses without a current rabies vaccine will exhibit signs a bit earlier.

I have seen one horse with West Nile Virus. It was not vaccinated against the disease and it was pitiful to watch this horse try to walk and fall down when trying to turn around. We treated the symptoms and eventually the horse pulled through and became a roping horse for a couple of teenagers. But not all horses pull through or pull through without side effects or a re-occurring symptoms throughout their life cycle.

Beware of the stables or boarding facility that does not have a mandatory vaccinations program. This is indicative of a facility that is unsafe and will cut corners in other areas as well. Bottom line is that to give your horse a fair life, get them vaccinated on a recommended timeline. It will save you a lot of heartache and give you piece of mind.

Safe Journey,…for you and your horse.

Update on Abused Horse Keira/Jetta

Received this from Maureen and Susan on the rescued Horse, Kiera, that I posted about on January 9th. The Horse's original name was Jetta and it was changed to Keira to avoid exposing the horse and location to the previous owner who the horse was confiscated from due to neglect. They are based in North Carolina.

From Maureen: Here is a update on Jetta/Keira. First I want to thank everyone that has prayed, donated and sent goodies to Jetta.....THANK YOU.

Dr Woods come out on the 18th of March for the first surgery. Everything was going great until he felt and heard something hit the scalpel....it was a piece of wire, so we had to stop the surgery about 3/4 of the way into it and take a series of x-rays and OMG what did we find......WIRE but not just a little piece of wire one that was completely wrapped and tied in her leg. So we had to stop the surgery so the vet could go home and develop the x-rays and see what the best course of action would be to get the wire out.

Dr. Woods decided from the radiographs that making a small incision in the side and snipping the wire and pulling it out that way would be best and the minimal cutting on Jetta would be obviously would be for the best. Well after an hour of trying to get the wire out Dr. Woods had to close it up and bandage it again, the wire is STUCK.

He has had to contact and consult with NC state veterinary university to decide how to proceed with Jetta and getting the wire out. The surgeon at NC State told Dr. Woods that he just had a very similar case a few months back and that Dr Woods was going to have to get very aggressive and will require him to open a very large area of her leg to get to the wire, he will be here on the 24th of March to perform the third surgery. Because of all the unexpected complications with the debridement of Jetta`s leg unfortunately the cost has now gone up, I have to raise another $700.00 for her treatment.


If you can chip in, every little bit helps. Thank you. Then please go to:
http://jettaneedssurgery.chipin.com/jettas-wire-removal

Reader Question on Feeding Alfalfa Pellets

I received this question via e-mail from Savony. ”Functional Horseman, I've watched your videos on feeding horses. Thanks you very much. (My question is) Sometimes I have a hard time buying hay. Sometimes the feed store is even out of the hay. One of my friends told me to feed alfalfa pellets and to replace the hay pound for pound with the alfalfa pellets. What do you think?”

Savony, this is a timely e-mail question. I recently responded to friends of mine who ran out of hay was feeding solely alfalfa pellets and their horse started exhibiting signs of colic or gut distress.  He was feeding his horse alfalfa pellets dry (without soaking them in water) and made his change overnight, without a gradual introduction to the change.     

You can certainly augment your horses daily feed with a ration of alfalfa pellets or cubes. I would do several things to reduce associated problems.

One – integrate the new feed gradual like. If you feed 20 lbs of hay one day, then on the next, you substitute the hay with 20 lbs of pellets you’ll probably have problems. I would start with one half pound per day and build up from here, however my bias is to not feed more than a few pounds, maybe 3 or 4 pounds maximum, of pelleted/cubed feed at any one time. Although, most of the pelleted feed manufacturers will have their  feeding directions on the bags and these will generally advise to feed 1.5 to 2 lbs of pellets or cubes per 100 lbs of body weight or 20 lbs a day divided up into 10 lb feedings, given twice a day. I would not do this. If I had to feed pelleted feed alone, then I would feed smaller amounts more often through the day.

Two – I would soak the alfalfa pellets in water prior to feeding. Put Alfalfa pellets in a bucket, pour water to cover, let stand a few minutes, drain excess water then feed. It’ll probably look like mush but this will help the horse chew it and reduce chances of choke where larger pellet pieces get stuck in the esophagus. If your horse gets choke, and you’ll know it, remove all feed, call your vet, keep the horse’s head down to drain mucous from the nose and if you see a lump in the esophagus when you may be able to massage it down the throat.

Three – feed a pelleted feed with a small percentage of protein. Alfalfa hay is around 18 – 22 % protein. Horses don’t need that much protein. That's why I feed both Alfalfa Hay and Grass Hay (10% protein).  I also feed a pelleted feed, with 12% protein, and only feed a small amount to supplement their hay. A horse really needs long stem hay for their fiber needs. Another problem with feeding pelleted feeds is that, if soaked and it should be soaked, the horse easily crushes the wet cubes and this may not satisfy the horses chewing needs. You may see more cribbing.

So in summary Savony, you sure could substitute the pelleted feed for hay, but do it gradually; be sure to soak it prior to feeding; give a smaller amounts more often; watch your horses for changes in their body condition and any sign of problems. You are not the only one having problem finding hay. A lot of people are either/or having a harder time getting hay or paying through the nose for it and have decided to reduce hay usage through the feeding of pelleted feeds. Safe Journey.

Sign Cutting and Tracking Horses

When I was a Range Rider, one of my duties was to respond to lost persons. During the initial investigation, I would determine the last known location and time of that person in order to develop a search area - based on normal and fast possible speeds of travel; develop search parameters and boundaries, and in particular, sign cut areas from which to jump forward, located sign and begin the track.

If we were using Trucks, the simple fact of the truck tires running over a dirt trail was often enough of a "drag" to make a second pass later and be more apt to determine if someone had crossed the trail or line of drift behind us.

Sign cut areas are areas that allow for easy travel and are more likely to capture sign of someone’s or some thing’s passing. Simply to you a higher likelihood to see disturbed ground. The best sign cut areas are road, trails, arroyos or other natural lines of drift and the person or animal you are tracking has to cross. Even hard top roads can be used, if you use the soft dirt shoulder. The softer the ground the harder it is to conceal to sterilize signs of passing if the person being tracked was attempting to do this. Again shoulders are normally the best areas to cut sign from someone or something crossing the road or trail.

The best position of the sign cut area or any tracks that you are on is for them to be between your position and Sun. You can see how the shadow cast by being out of position can hurt you locating or reading sign.


In the video I cut sign on a couple horses and show what to look for to determine direction of travel and if the horse was shod or not. From hoof prints you can normally tell direction of travel (from the pressure release and the toe dirt), if the horse was shod, speed or gait (walk, jog, lope or gallop from a combination of the prints, their location ot each other, amount of toe dirt, and stride length). All this may come in handy if your looking for a lost horse or rider.

Butterfield Overland Stage Route

The Butterfield Overland Mail Trail, also known as the Butterfield Overland Stage Route was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a specific route built for transit of the United States mail from two eastern cities (Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri) moving through Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico, and Arizona, ending in San Francisco, California...where in the present day people dress funny.

Prior to 1857, there was no organized, commercial system of transportation west of the Mississippi River .

The Butterfield route was an extra 600 miles longer than the central and northern routes running through Denver, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah, but was snow free and therefore a year round route. The name Butterfield comes from the gentleman who won the bid for the route for semi-weekly mail at $600,000 per year. At that time it was the largest land-mail contract ever awarded in the US.

Butterfield Overland Mail Route / Miles / Hours

San Francisco to Los Angeles 462 miles 80 hrs

Los Angeles to Fort Yuma 282 miles 72 hrs

Fort Yuma to Tucson 280 miles 71 hrs

Tucson to Franklin (El Paso, TX) 360 miles 82 hrs

Franklin (El Paso, TX) to Fort Chadbourne 458 miles 126 hrs

Fort Chadbourne to Colbert's Ferry 282 miles 65 hrs

Colbert's Ferry to Fort Smith 192 miles 38 hrs

Fort Smith to Tipton 318 miles 48 hrs

Tipton to St. Louis 160 miles 11 hrs


Totals of 2,795 miles which took approximatley 593 hours to travel.

On a time line, the operation (1857-1861) of the Butterfield Overland Mail was a very small time period in American history and in the history of transportation. However short lived, this operation captured and held the imagination of Americans because it stitched together the growing country from sea to sea.

Prior to 1857, there was no organized, commercial system of transportation west of the Mississippi River . Although many people had crossed the United States by land, the word “overland” had not come into the American vocabulary.

On the historical scale, the Butterfield Overland Mail was symbolic of the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, which held that it was the duty and right of the United States to expand across the continent. At the backing of the federal government, trails were laid out, stations were set up and manned (often 20 miles apart or where there was a water source), coaches and wagons were built and put into operation, and the many obstacles of travel across long stretches of pure wilderness were surmounted. Some of those obstacles were raids by Indians most notably the Apaches in West Texas through Central Arizona.

I often ride on a stretch of the old Butterfield trail.

Beginning Roping

I received an e-mail request from Joanne, who if I remember right was from southern Georgia, and wanted to learn how to rope. Joanne didn’t say if she was interested in arena roping/team roping or if she was just interested in learning how to use a lariat as I believe it is a good tool for most all riders to carry.

Lets start with the rope. I prefer a 5/16 inch diameter rope, true or scant, in nylon, with a metal honda, in a XXS lay. I prefer the NRS ranch rope, link below, but Craig Cameron also offers a good rope. The NRS rope comes in 60 foot lengths, which I cut and burn at 48 feet just for my preference. More rope than that, is just too much to manage in my off hand with the reins and all. Craig's ropes come in 50 foot lengths and I have two of them, which I just leave at 50 foot. You would not be disappointed with a rope from Craig Cameron.

Craig Cameron 50 foot Horse Handling Lariat Rope

http://www.craigcameronstore.com/product34.html

phone: 800 274-0077

NRS Nylon Ranch Rope 60' Buckaroo Honda 5/16"

http://www.nrsworld.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=CA-RA1B!CALLA

phone: 800 467-6746

I must have about 6 or 8 Fastback or Cactus ropes, left over from when I was arena roping, but at around 31 feet they are too short for me as a working rope. The header ropes are going to be a softer lay than the healer ropes. The healer ropes are longer, generally 35 feet, but just too stiff of a lay for my tastes. I think the lay is more important than it being nylon or poly blend.

I think everyone, recreational rider or cowboy, needs to carry a rope and at least have a rudimentary idea on how to use it. I coached more than a few people on the basics of roping. And I'm just a mediocre roper. I really suggest partnering with a roper in your area. Face to face, in person learning is much better and practically any team roper will fall of his/her horse to help someone learn. If not then I suggest Buck Brannaman’s excellent book “Ranch Roping with Buck Brannaman”, available from www.westernhorseman.com


Roping videos are available through National Ropers Supply as well.

I have used my ropes for impromptu halters or ponying horses out of the desert. Once I used it to pull a partner of mine up a hill when he had to climb down an embankment to get his hat.

I like the metal hondas as they swivel and are much easier to get kinks out of so you can build a faster second loop when your first loop misses. Been there a million times. Plus I think the metal honda gives you a few feet more of reach - important when a cow is stuck in a mud hole and you want to rope her to get her out with your horse on dry or solid ground.

Hope the video can provide the basics for you to work on. Start real close to your target,…a traffic cone works well,…..when you spin your loop, try to keep it parallel to the ground, release and turn your hand over (palm down) and helps to point your index finger at your target. And keep your thumb up when you draw the slack out of the rope after your throw. This is a good habit to keep you from dallying around a saddle horn and pinning your thumb to it with the rope. People get their thumbs cut off that way.

hope this helps, safe journey.

Reader Question on Horse that Can't Back

I received an e-mail from Mary who has a horse who won't back up. It's problematic for her as her horse trailers well, just wants to turn around to exit the trailer. Mary didn't give me too much to go on, but there could be several reasons for this horse not backing.....

Backing is an unnatural gait for them,....watch horses in the corral and you'll very seldom see them back more than a step before they turn;

Some people pull back on the halters and when the horse begins to move backward, they do not release the pressure. Without a release of the pressure, which is a reward for doing the right thing, the horse becomes confused and agitated.

Some people will pull down on the halter lead line and not give a clear
signal with rearward pressure on the lead line.

I haven't had a horse yet that naturally backed up well. They learn this through pressure and release. The better they back up, the better they do everything else, as well as backing being an essential ability to have on the trail and backing out of a trailer.

So Mary, I'll just bet that you are either pulling down on the halter lead or not releasing pressure when the horse begins to move backwards - both are confusing to the horse. If what you are asking is clear to your horse, you'll be backing fine in no time. In fact, I suggest each and every time you lead the horse you stop and back to reinforce this lesson....even years from now. You may be able to do this in your horse's pen or stall by putting your hand on the horse's nose and apply soft pressure and say "back" immediately removing pressure. Soon you'll be able just to command back and the horse will take a step or two backwards. Every time I feed my horses I make each one of them back a step after I throw feed in their buckets. Makes for well mannered horses.

Good luck and Safe Journey.

Reader Question on Feeding Grain

I received a question, from Angie, who asked “My horse is some what underweight so I have been feeding him grain and would like to know should I give him the grain all at once, and with or without his hay?”

Angie, you didn’t mention how old your horse is, if you routinely get his/her teeth floated, what type of grain you give him, and how much riding you do or how much work the horses does.

So I’ll give you some general beliefs of mine. First of all not all horses need grain. There is a propensity of owners to keep their horses too fat. But I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt when you say your horse is underweight. People sometimes feed way to much grain. A horse cannot digest more than 5 lbs of grain at any one time, and grain should not make up more than 50% of the horse’s diet,....and we’re talking as measured by weight. I believe that ratio of grain to ahy should be substantially smaller.

I have seen some horses lose weight and the owners typically want to give them more food, but the problem was in their teeth and being able to chew their food sufficiently. You can tell by the hooks and points on their teeth but it's kind of hard to look in their mouths with a flashlight, or, you can tell from them bolting food or dropping golf ball sized masses of partially chewed food.

I think horses do better if they are fed throughout the day, with each meal being the same. That is if you horse’s daily diet consisted of 20 lbs of hay and 2 lbs of grain, then if you fed twice a day that would be 10 lbs of hay and 1 lb of grain at each feeding. If you fed four times a day, that would be 5 lbs of hay and .5 lb of grain at each feeding.

I don’t feed natural grain. I feed a processed grain called Opti-12 from Hi-Pro. Purina Strategy is another excellent processed feed, but a little more expensive. I do not feed sweet feed nor corn. The glycemic index is high on both; the horses seldom need that type of energy and if they do then I add corn oil to the grain. Plus sweet feed is molasses based and therefore has a higher chance of molding.

I feed a relatively small amount of grain and do so for several reasons: provide my horses with a standardized feed through different cuts of hay; use the grain to introduce supplements such as sand clear, hoof supplements and joint supplements; and ensure they are used to the grain if I’m on the trail overnight and need to feed them more of the grain, in case the grass is sparse or their work load is increased significantly.

I feed four times a day: morning, mid day, evening at night. I feed the grain in the morning and evening. My young horses get about 1.25 lbs each feeding and my older roping horse gets 2.25 lbs each feeding.

I prepared a video to better explain weighing grain. Good luck and Safe Journey Angie.

Cowboy Humor - Gunfighting Tips

A young Cowboy was sitting in a saloon one Saturday night, he recognized an elderly man standing at the bar who, in his day, had the reputation of being the fastest gun in the West.

The young cowboy took a place next to the old-timer, bought him a drink and told him the story of his great ambition to be a famous gunfighter.

"Do you think you could give me some tips?" asked the young cowboy.

The old man looked him up and down and said, "Well, for one thing, you're wearing your gun too high. Tie the holster a little lower down on your leg."

"Will that make me a better gunfighter?" asked the younger man.

"Sure will," replied the old-timer.

The young cowboy did as he was told, stood up, whipped out his Colt Single Action in .45 Long Colt and shot the bow tie off the piano player.

"That's terrific!" said the aspiring gunfighter......"Got any more tips for me?"

"Yep," said the old man. "Cut a notch out of your holster where the hammer hits it. That'll give you a smoother draw".

"Will that make me a better gunfighter?" asked the younger man.

"You bet it will," said the old-timer.

The young man took out his knife, cut the notch, stood up, drew his gun in a blur, and then shot a cuff-link off the piano player.

"Wow!" exclaimed the young cowboy, "I'm learnin' somethin' here!"

"Got any more tips?"

The old man pointed to a large can in a corner.

"See that bucket of wagon axle grease over there? Coat your gun with it."

The young man went over to the can and smeared some of the axle grease on the barrel of his gun.

"No," said the old-timer, "I mean smear it all over the gun,...handle and all."

"Will that make me a better gunfighter?" asked the young man.

"No," said the old-timer, "but when Wyatt Earp gets done playing the piano, he's gonna shove that gun so far up where the Sun don't shine, it won't hurt you near as much."

Horse Nutrition Handbook

Some readers ask me to recommend a good feeding book. The two primary sources I have are "Equine Clinical Nutrition" by Lon Lewis and "Feed to Win" by a variety of authors published by Equine Research, Inc. However, both of these books are like textbooks and maybe too much information for the new or average horse owner. I have been buying and reviewing other smaller feeding references in order to recommend them or not.

One book I can surely recommend is "The Horse Nutrition Handbook" by Melyni Worth, PhD as this is a very detailed but concise book on many subjects related to feeding horses. The major chapters in the book are: Basics of Equine Digestion; All abut Nutrients; What to Feed and Why; Designing a Balanced Feeding Program; Feeding for a Lifetime; Feed Storage and Feeding Tips; Pasture Management; and Diets for Common Equine Disorders.

Practical applications in the Designing a Balanced Feeding Program Chapter alone are worth the book.

The book also contains several useful appendixes including: Weight/Unit Volume; Conversions; Nutrition contained in Feed; Feed Requirements for Horses; and, Horse Anatomy.

Reader Question on Grooming Horses

I received a reader question from Nicole who said she rides sometimes at a rental stables and sometimes on one of her friend's horses and was confused about whenever or not etiquette required grooming the horse both before and after riding.

Well Nicole, nobody ever accused me of having etiquette. I understand that alot of people get their exposure to horses and riding through rental stables and I ain't sure that most rental stables care either. One of our largest animal abuse cases was against a rental stables, which has since been closed down. To be sure, there are rental stables under great management, hope you are riding at one. You could ask the rental stable management what they would like to do regarding before and after riding care. You can also watch your friend when you ride with him/her and see what they do.

Grooming does several things besides just preparing the horse's back for a saddle pad and/or blanket and saddle. It lets you gauge the horse and his behavior, and allows him to get used to you a little as well. It can make any injuries, unseen til now, become apparent. This is a pretty much "must do" before riding. As for cleaning the feet,...sometimes I don't as any packed sand or manure helps cushion the foot when riding. When it has been wet out, I clean the feet prior to riding to expose bacteria to it's natural enemy which is the air.

Sometimes after riding when I put my horses up, I just pick their feet then turn them out. Of course, they roll and usually I'll brush them out later when they have dried. In the hot weather, I'll usually sponge them down after they have cooled off. If I turn them out when they are wet, they will roll and I'll have to brush them out again later.

Brushing their mane and tail to get out kinks and burrs is always a good idea. And really any horse handling you do is good for the horse - the more the better.

As far as washing horses goes,....I think many horses are washed too often, especially if using soap. Too much washing and soap can wash away their natural oil on their skin. Truth be known, my horses get one washing a year,.......maybe. My sponging with just water and the occasional rain is their bath in between visits to the wash rack.

Hope this was the type of answer you were looking for. Safe Journey Nicole.

Wild Horse and Burro Update - February 2011

Many write me about the Mustang or Wild Horse issue. And I have written about the different viewpoints concnerning these horses (and burros), emotional issues as they are.

What hurts the pro-free range Wild Horse and Burro proponents is the radical side of this group that wants these animals left completely alone except for the Federal funding necessary provide feed in bad seasons and repair fences, water lines and tanks.

On the other side of the coin with the BLM attempts to management the size of the herds,...pictures, videos and reports of helicopter chasing horses until they drop or break a leg and other inhumane measures paints a picture of Government ineptitude and indifference.

As with most things, the truth is somewhere in the middle. If left unchecked Wild Horse herds will proliferate reducing quality of life for all animals due to the browse required to feed them. Inbreeding will also have a negative effective on the Horses' health. Range set aside of these wild herds degrades pastures available for cattleman....and the truth be known, they don't get use of these lands for free....they pay in the neighborhood of $3 to $17 per month, per cow or pair, from my experience.

A total different issue is the Federal ownership of these range lands. In some cases homesteaders have been forced off by the U.S. Government. If the Federal Government owned the amount of land on the east coast that they do in the West,....well, there would simply be a revolt.

Mustang proponents have to backoff the platform of Federal funding for the herds. Thiscountry's economy simply can't afford to fund non-essential entitlement programs and tax payers in, say, New England probably resent Federal tax payer dollars going to animals they could care less about when their fuel oil costs have doubled.

On the other hand, the Government, mainly the BLM and their contract wranglers owe it to the animals to conduct roundups in a humane manner. Very hard to do due to the diffuculty in the rough terrain and vast sizes of unfenced pasture where these herds roam. In break my heart to see helicopters chasing horses and sometimes their foals into rough terrain or chase them tens of miles from a water hole.

Latest news concerning Wild Horses and Burros:

Yesterday (Feb 16, 2011), the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to the Continuing Resolution for 2011 spending that will cut the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) budget by $2 million, in order to send a "very strong message" to the agency to reform its wild horse and burro program to make it more efficient and humane.

To date, BLM has captured over 950 mustangs in the Antelope Complex Roundup, which continues toward its goal of removing more than 2,000 wild horses from a 1.3 million-acre public lands area in northeastern Nevada. The death toll is now reported at six, including a yearling colt who broke his neck on February 13 after slamming into the panels of a BLM trap pen; a filly who broke her back leg and was euthanized; and an injured mare who was driven for miles in a helicopter chase despite a gunshot wound to her shoulder. Unnecessary inhumane treatment - needs to stop.

The BLM has issued a news release announcing its withdrawal of a plan to remove all of the estimated 100 wild horses living in the West Douglas Herd Area in northwestern Colorado. Local ranching interests have been pressing hard for the "zeroing out" of wild horses from this 123,387-acre public lands area where the equivalent of 900-1000 privately-owned cattle are allowed to graze. Allowed to graze? Yes, but for a feee that goes back into the Federal coffers.

I urge everyone interested in this issue to research it and make up their own minds.

Valentine's Day - Cowboy Style

Imagine my surprise as I went out to feed my horses and seeing that my wife, who is both beautiful and humorous, left me a Valentine's Day heart,......made from horse manure.

Manure Management

I received an e-mail from Bill asking me “what do I do about all the manure generated by my horses?”.

Great question. Manure Management can be a problem when horses are not in large pastures. Keeping horses in small ranches and farms necessitates the removal of manure on a regular basis to keep the smells down; minimize your fly problem; and reduce the chances of your horses transmitting worms to each others or getting manure packed into their hooves where bacteria can grow and eat away at the hoof sole.

I see a lot of horses kept in bad conditions,..stalls too small and full of manure; dangerous objects around; and horses with feet that haven’t seen a farrier in many months it not a year or more. Makes me madder than hell, but County Animal control services are under manned and under funded, and have to compete with crimes against persons for resourcing.

My horses generate about 2 cubic yards of manure each week. We clean our stalls and corrals twice a day or even more often in some cases.

I built a “U” with telephone poles and rail road ties to create a ramp that goes over a concrete pad with a dumpster where we dump our manure for removal by a disposal company once a week.

If you live in an area heavy with parasites, such as mosquitoes, you may have to spray insect killer on your stored manure to reduce the threat of parasite breeding and subsequent diseases like West Nile as well as the general fly problem.

When I ran a large horse stables, with 38 to 50 horses, you can imagine the amount of manure we generated. I had the manure dumped into a manure pit, where during the summer months we sprayed it twice a week and once a week we took the manure and spread it in a very large arena where it air dried very quickly and combined with the sand, provided a decent footing for arena events such as barrel racing.

A good resource is the e-book, Managing Horses on Small Properties.

Reader Question on Young Horse That Won't Stand Still

Cindy wrote me about her coming 3 year old Appaloosa Gelding that she has raised since birth. She has been riding him since he turned 2 last April. He has been doing very well,....she has no major complaints or problems except he does not stand still when tied or when she is tacking up. And sometimes he tries to kick.

Well Cindy, I don’t too much like a horse that kicks. Very seldom is it because he’s just plain mean. Usually it’s out of fear. Could be that he’s turned out with other horses and is at the bottom of the herd pecking order. Could be that he’s just a young horse. If I'm leading a horse and he tries to kick, I give a quick, sharp jerk on the lead line to my rope halter. If the I'm turning the horse loose and he spins and kicks, I'm not only out of the way but also ready to use the popper end of my lead line to pop him on the hip. I'll usually catch the horse again, and go through a couple of times of haltering and un-haltering him until he stands or at least doesn't spin and kick.

My way is gentling a horse at 2 years old and even if I don’t get a saddle on him until 3, that’s okay. In most cases a horse isn’t mature, physical wise, until they are 4. That’s where the real riding starts. So you are not behind with him by any means, and some of his bad habits will most likely go away (with good handling) as he gets older providing you go through a lot of wet saddle blankets – that is to keep working him.

Whenever I’m on the ground or in the saddle and a horse doesn’t want to stand still.....such as being barn sour or buddy sour, I create some energy and move him in a tight circle for a little bit then offer a chance for him to stand still. Most of the time the horse will soon learn that standing still is a good deal. So this is another example of pressure and release,..making the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy.

In the video below I have my Mustang gelding, who when I got him did not like anyone to walk around his rear and, would move away when I was putting a saddle on him. He’s very good about it now, but I'm using him to demonstrate applying pressure by turning him in tight circles then offering him a chance to stand still.

With your horse, chances are he moves off, at least a step or two, when you get into the saddle. Make sure you mount with a short rein tipping his head slightly to the side you are mounting, and if he tries to walk as you are getting situated in the seat, back him up a few feet. If he wants to move away as you mounting, then don’t mount,....instead create some energy and move him around in a tight circle and offer it to him to stand still and try to mount again. Hope this helps you. Good luck and safe journey.

Reader Question on Trail Horses

I received a message from Mike asking if his 15.1- 15.2hh 4 year old Quarterhorse Gelding, who is sometimes lazy and pushy, would make a good back country trail horse, and what should be avoided when choosing horses for the back country?

Mike, I think about any horse can make a good back country trail horse. I have seen Thoroughbreds, Appaloosas, Arabs, Tennessee Walkers, and, grade horses of all shapes, sizes and colors. Quarterhorses can make great backcountry horses as they are generally sure footed, savvy without being hot blooded and that QH rear end is useful when going up hills and down.

I like to differentiate between lazy and pushy. Lazy horses aren’t necessarily bad.  I'd rather have a horse that’s lazy instead of wanting to run or bolt especially when I’m on a narrow trail in cactus country or close to a drop off. Pushy on the other hand is not good. They need to respect your space. You don’t need to be dismounted on that same narrow trail and have your horse come into you pusing you into a cactus or over the edge of a cliff.

If I was looking for another backcountry trail horse I’d look for a horse with good conformation, not to tall (around 15 to 15.1 hh suits me), a short back, inquisitive mind and above all good feet. Although my main trail horse now has exceptional thin hoof walls and my farrier can’t understand how he can hold up putting miles and miles over rock.

Everything else can be taught. I wouldn’t worry so much about their breeding, but I am found of Quarterhorses, Tennessee Walkers, Paints and grade horses with obvious QH type bodies. And I’m partial to geldings. The Paint horse in the picture above was 3/4 Tennessee Walker and 1/4 QH.  I have yet to ride or ride with Mountain bred horses but the obvious with them growing up on rough country and inclines would put them on my short list.    

I expose my horses to obstacles and not necessarily object’s that they will find in the desert or in the mountains, just obstacles none the less that gives them a problem to solve and help them become a brave and thinking horse. What I am looking for is a horse that may although be initially fearful, he doesn’t give into that fear and figures out that he can be okay with new things that he encounters.

A 4 year old is a young horse. Lots of wet saddle blankets will make him a good horse. He may not be a champion in any discipline, but I’m sure given a fair deal and brought along slowly he’ll be more than functional for the trail. Good luck and safe journey.

Wheel Barrow Repair

How many of you use wheel barrows? If you are like me, you are pushing one several times a day, moving manure, dirt or bales of hay. Great for mixing concrete for corner fence posts as well. I've owned all kinds of wheel barrows,....one's with a large plastic tub,....small and large metal wheelbarrows with wooden handles,......but you just can't beat an all steel wheel barrow for durability providing you tip it over when it rains or snows, and not keep wet manure in it all the time, or rust will begin prematurely. I always buy or put the solid, no flat tires on all my wheelbarrows also.

On a new wheel barrow, I spray paint the inside of the tub several coats to help it repel rust, but inevitably I end up keeping something wet in the tub or leave it standing in the rain.

This past weekend I picked up some 36 inch long x one inch wide steel strips so I can re-enforce my wheelbarrows, already rusting out, so they'll last longer. I bent the metal strips into form, drilled holes to match up the holes already holding the tub to the frame, then drilled more holes to anchor the re-enforcing strips to other places in the tub. I used new carriage bolts and lock washers to replace the rusting original bolts and now have two again functional wheelbarrows.

When I replace these wheelbarrows, I can remove the re-enforcing strips and put them on the new wheelbarrows. See picture below:

If this was helpful to you or if you'd like to see other original or field expedient fixes, inventions and solutions for problems common to owning horses and having fences, barns and other facilities that always need upkeep and repair, then you should pickup a copy of "Helpful Hints for Horsemen" from Western Horseman publishing, available on their website, Western Horseman.

Reader Response - Breast Collar Fit

Responding to a reader request from Mike on some advice on Breast Collar fit. I use a pulling collar with the attachment straps through the swell of the saddle as this keeps the collar off the Horse's chest and his neck and doesn't limit his mobility nor discomfort him as much as breast collar that lays across the chest tied to D rings on the saddle. Nor does the pulling collar style breast collar impede the Horse's throat and his breathing. I also secure the breast collar not so tight as I leave enough room to put a fist between the collar and the horse's chest. The breast collar is there to prevent the saddle from sliding when moving uphill of course.

Typical breast collars that attach to D rings on the saddle tend to run across the horse's chest and offer some impediment to his motion.

The picture above is a pulling collar style breast collar. You can go to National Ropers Supply and see many different styles and finishes.

Some breast collars will also have a strap that runs over the horses neck that connects to the other anchor strap. You may like this or find this a helpful solution to help keep the breast collar in position.

Reader Question - Carrots or Apples?

I received a reader question, from Shirley, asking which was better for Horses,..carrots or apples?

Actually, both carrots and apples are good feed supplements. Carrots are a little bit higher in energy, producing around 1.7 Mcal of Digestive Energy (per pound) compared to 1.3 Mcal for Apples (per pound), according to Lon Lewis' "Equine Clinical Nutrition - Feeding and Care".

I feed both as supplements from time to time and neither are a mainstay of my feeding routine. Carrots, around 10% protein are twice as high as Apples, and have a higher percentage of calcium and phosphorus at .4% and .35% respectively, compared to Apples at .1% and .15% respectively. Again according to Lon Lewis' "Equine Clinical Nutrition - Feeding and Care".

So all in all, Carrots provide more nutrition for Horses than Apples. I reckon you could substitute one pound of carrots for one pound of hay every day but this is hard to keep up with. Carrots, are cheaper than Apples in most places, and are at least 4 times more expensive per pound than Alfalfa.

I am much more likely to feed Apples as a supplement in the hot months, than Carrots, as the Apples contain more moisture. Sometimes when I'm riding all day on a hot day, I put a couple of Apples in my Saddle Bags so I can give something to my Horse that has some moisture.

I also feed watermelon and watermelon rinds on occasion. I think most of my Horses prefer Watermelon over Carrots and Apples, and in fact, my Mustang won't eat Apples at all. Hope this answered your question, Shirley. Safe Journey.