Cowboy Humor - New Texas Rain Gauge

As Texas continues to bake in record heat and endure the most severe one-year drought on record, hardy Texans, who can find humor in the bleakest of situations, have started using this new rain gauge.

Trail Obstacles

Westy wrote and asked: "I really like the videos on getting your horse to accept strange objects. I will be riding soon in an American Competitive Trail Horse Ride and would like some ideas on what I need to get my horse used to."

Westy, thanks for your question. If I were you I would go to the ACTHA site and download the rules and list of obstacles. This will give you an idea on what you will see. I would not limit my training to these obstacles. I think the point in desensitizing horses to strange (and scary to them) objects to getting then to think through problems as opposed to reacting out of instinct and fleeing. Horses are naturally curious animals,...that is why so many horses get bitten on the nose by snakes,...so you can use that portion of their instinct to make them more comfortable with thinking first.

However, just because your horse has no problem going over an obstacle, say a tarp, at your place does not mean that any tarp, at any place will be just as easy. This may be frustrating to you, but bear with it. It just appears different to the horse. Being at a strange place, away from his herd can also bring in anxiety.

The vibes you give off can also make a difference. If you are nervous about approaching an object, your horse will sense that as well. You are in effect telling him to be wary. Another mistake is pushing your horse too fast on an obstacle. Let him figure it out. That 20 seconds or so, or even 5 minutes, that you allow him to figure it out will go along way towards establish trust in you and teaching him to think.  Cowboy curtain obstacle at left. 

I think another mistake may be the tendency to drive your horse from one obstacle or problem directly to another rather than give him time to absorb that lesson and calm down before you challenge him again. That way you can approach each and every obstacle as a new challenge as opposed to running them all together and over loading the horse. 360 degree pole travel, pin wheel, obstacle at right.

We host riders at our place to go over obstacles and expose their horses to different things, again not primarily to get ready for those exact obstacles, but to expose their horses to different things, teaching them that they can think through a problem. Wooden bridge obstacle at left.

No matter if you are preparing for an ACTHA ride, or have a horse for informal riding, exposing your horse to obstacles will make it a safer horse if you do it right. Western or even English show horses and hunter-jumper horses alike can benefit from trail riding as well. Single log obstacle at right.

More on Rope Halters

I received a comment from Miguel: "Oh, wow. Exactly what I need to know today. Just got my colt back [in his mind, he is still] and I now have two broken brass clips on the standard leads. He also slipped out of the flat nylon halter. He doesn't get out of the rope halter, more concentrated pressure on the poll? Have also read that you can get more control on the nose if you tie a couple of buttons there. Was hoping you would show us how to build the halter itself. I also like the rope halter because I know I can cut it in a hurry if there's a storm. Which we had during the first saddling. He went clear down, eyes back, stiff legged. But he lived through it and he's a much better horse now. Glad to be alive. Can you show us how to build the halter? I have done it twice, but still confused when I think about it."

Miguel, thanks for that comment. I have never had such a rank horse where a rope halter wasn't sufficient. I would be careful about having too much pressure or impact from a knot or button on the nose band as it could slip down and injure the cartilage of the nose.

I know I have seen halters with knots on the side of the nose band where that danger would be lessened. In fact, I think Clinton Anderson markets one.  In the picture above, I have braided rawhide over the nose band of a rope halter that I use that lunging a green broke or less than broke horse for the first time. And I used it on my Mustang who was fond of coming off the ground and pawing at me with his hooves. I seldom use it anymore, but it certainly has more bite than a rope halter. I don't think I would put anything hard, like buttons, on the nose band of a rope halter. How harsh you are with any equipment has a lot of do with it. 

I have never built a rope halter from a length of rope. It's much easier for me just to buy a professional halter, Double Diamond makes excellent rope halters.  Craig Cameron offers excellent rope halters also.  

I always carry about a 12 foot length of 3/8 inch cotton rope, with one eyelet braided into it, for use as a get down or lead rope when I need one when out in the desert or back country. I always have a lariat rope with me as well, and I can use that as an field expedient halter as well.   So I really don't have a need to be able to tie a rope halter.  Sorry partner, not only I cannot construct a rope halter, I don't think I'll even try. I can see myself all tied up in knots yelling for my wife to come and cut me free. Knowing her, she would take pictures of me before she cut me free.

I have seen Craig Cameron tie a halter from scratch on RFD Television. He has a Knot video out, called "What Knot to Do". I have not seen the video but have been meaning to buy one, so I don't know if he covers constructing a rope halter in this DVD, but I think it's worth a chance.

Here's a link to his Knot DVD.

Cowboy Humor: Montana Rancher versus State Department of Labor

I'm sure everybody has heard about the influx of Californians and other liberals into the Great State of Montana. Not only have they hired a bunch of Democrats for state office and bought up about half the land in the state, these transplanted Montanan's have invaded about every segment of state regulatory agencies as well. In an effort to see if ranch hands could be unionized, the State Department of
Employment, Labor Standards Division sent out several eastern educated young men to collect facts on ranch hands such as their pay and benefits.

One of these young men ventured onto a small ranch and made some not so subtle allegations that a rancher was probably not paying his ranch hands well enough, nor providing for benefits. That conversation went something like this:

State Labor Agent: “I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them.”

Rancher: ”Well, that should be fairly easy seeing how I only have two. There’s my hired hand who’s been with me for 3 years. I pay him $150 a week plus free room and board. Then there’s the mentally challenged guy. He works about 18 hours every day, makes about $10 a week, and does about 90% of all the work around here."

State Labor Agent: "You're kidding?!? Those are terrible wages. That's practically slavery. Do you provide any benefits?"

Rancher: "Well, the hired hand gets to keep three horses which I pay the feed bill for. For the mentally challenged gent, he pays his own room and board, but I buy him a bottle of Wild Turkey every Saturday night so he can cope with life.....oh yeah, he also sleeps with my wife occasionally.”

State Labor Agent: “That’s the guy I want to talk to - the mentally challenged one.”

Rancher: “That would be me.”

Tracking - Dragging Sign Cut Areas

I have previous wrote about cutting sign and using areas such as road or natural lines of drift to facilitate locating disturbances, color changes, flat area or any regularities outside of nature that would indicate something has traversed that ground. Dirt roads, the shoulders of roads, open areas, natural lines of drift, fencelines and slopes are all good areas for sign cutting. Fencelines can catch pieces of clothing and give away transit. And if someone is climbing a fence there is a good chance they will leave a heavier pressure release as they come down across the fence. On slopes, it is very common to see a gouge (indicating downhill movement) or a scuff (indicating up hill movement).

Many tracking applications can be enhanced using drags or otherwise preparing areas for sign cutting. The biggest use of sign cut drags are to smooth out any previous sign (animal, man or vehicle) and put a timeline on when the sign cut area was drug therefore give the tracker another way to indicate the time or age of any sign he subsequently cuts in that sign cut area. Additionally, cuts along this sign cut area can be performed more quickly and sign located easier after that area has been drug.

The Border Patrol primarily uses tire drags, which are tires placed on the ground in a triangle type shape, and connected together by drilling through the tires and using steel cable. Sometimes flat or channel iron is used, either between the rows of tires, or along the side or front to stabilize these drags. And if you ever want to get a glimpse of hard work, try drilling holes through steel belted radial tires! Here’s a hint – radial ply tires are easier to make tire drags with.

I have used a simple broom to brush out previous sign at foot trail and vehicle road intersections so I could rapidly determine if there was any transit, or in this case, trespassers or potential poachers. Use of any drag or brush-out will by itself create flat spots, regular patterns, color changes, and it’s own unique disturbances, however the change to the pattern will be much more easier to see.

On a search and rescue for example, once a timeline has been established and projected fastest movement routes of the person(s) being tracked determined, someone will normally run a drag across the roads, sides of roads or natural lines of drift past the projected movement timeline (in a perimeter fashion) so that these sign cut areas can be checked after that to determine if the person being tracked has crossed. This is a valuable tool to reduce the search area as pretty much all search and rescues are exercises in the efficient use of minimal resources, so minimizing the search area enhances chances of success.

When I was on horseback patrolling areas for trespassers, archeological thieves or poachers I would often use my lariat rope and a stout Chamisa bush to drag a section of dirt road or animal trail so future sign cutting in that area would be quicker and let me know what has passed through giving me a timeline.

All along the Southwest border with Mexico you could probably fill up a book with counter tracking tricks that illegal immigrants have tried. Everything from using brooms to brush out sign, tying carpet or other material to their feet, wearing horseshoes nailed to wood and then strapped onto shoes,....the list is practically endless. The only advantage of attempting to cover your sign like this is that natural effects such as rain and wind may obscure the sign more quickly than if it was left alone. So each counter tracking technique will have a weakness. Whether it is brush marks from a broom or brush, carpet fragments or a regular design from the carpet making a very unique pressure release, or the really odd gait (usually too wide or too long) of what seems to be a horse.

Horse Who Bolts

Tim wrote me about a bolting Mustang he has,……I am having a problem with my horse getting spooked and running with out being able to stop him. He is 8 yr old mustang and had not been ridden in several years when I got him. The lady was intimidated by him and had him because of how beautiful he is. I sent him to the trainers and he did good. I still have him in a snaffle but want to know if I should graduate him to a bosal or some thing else to keep him from bolting. I did not break this horse myself because I was told that domestic horses were different to train then mustangs.

Thanks Tim for your question. I don’t think going from a snaffle to a Hackamore (Bosal and Headstall) is going to give you more control. Probably less control. Since you are only going to pull on his nose - pressure from the Bosal is delivered to the nose via the nose band). The level of discomfort (pressure) the horse feels from the hackamore will have a lot of do with diameter and material of the bosal. A horse not ridden for several years is probably not a safe horse to ride until you have basically re-started him. Since you sent him to a trainer, you should probably see what they have to say about him,...if they encountered the same bolting problem and what bit they rode him in.

Imagine having a bit in your mouth with some rider pulling on it,....you get spooked, then run off, this may cause the rider to pull even harder to either hold on or to try and get you to stop. So be careful about thinking the control is in the bit. The real control is in the mind of the horse, the relationship you build with him and his resulting behavior built from that trust.

Watch him when you fit the bit to see if his demeanor changes or it appears it may be seated too deep, or too loose for that matter. I like the bars of the bit to be touching the corners of the mouth not necessarily creating a wrinkle. Check to see if your horse still has his wolf teeth in, or worst yet, non-erupted or broken wolf teeth (just below or at the gum line) that the bars of the snaffle bit may be hitting and causing discomfort.

Eight years old is still a young horse if he hasn't had a lot of rides. I would do some ground work on him and ride in a round pen. Work on lateral flexion of his head and disengaging his hind end. If he bolts in the round pen, ride it out. He may have to bolt once or twice to figure out he doesn’t have to. Brush up on your one rein stops in case he bolts when you ride him out.

Good luck to you, let me know how the your Mustang is working out for you. Safe Journey.

2011 Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium

My wife (who incidentally is a better horse person than me) and I just returned from the 2011 Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium held in Ruidoso, New Mexico. We have been going for the past 10 years and in fact that was our first date 10 years ago and now is our anniversary.

Lots of reason to go every year,....good food, the very best and most interesting people you ever care to associate with,......Chuckwagons from working ranches cooking up some of the best grub anywhere. But we go primarily to watch the Craig Cameron demonstrations held twice daily.

I long ago recognized that when you are in the presence of a Craig Cameron demonstration you are not just being taught by a true horseman but you are also being taught by a master teacher of both people and horses.

Whether or not Craig is starting a colt, much the same way you have seen him do a hundred times before, the lessons and concepts he presents are as valuable now as the first time you have ever heard them.

I have said before that there are thousands, maybe tens of thousands of horse people and trainers out there that can make a difference in owners and horses' lives,......helping understanding basic concepts,.....helping with some common problem solving,......but you'll never spend better money if you can get in front of somebody like Craig Cameron and take your understanding of horses and journey to horsemanship a little further.

Now I know I am going to get Craig's parting wisdom a little wrong but at the end of most demonstrations Craig says words to the effect that "......take some time to get up close and look into one of the beautiful brown eyes of your horse and see if the reflection you see (which is you) is the same thing the horse is seeing and that is a person who is fair and just with the horse." My apologies to CraigCameron to certainly getting his words a little wrong, but I think the idea is the same, and that reflects Craig's true reason for doing what he does,....making the world a better place for horses by teaching humans how to understand horses.

Visit Craig Cameron's website, where you'll find some of the finest working gear and training equipment anywhere.

Scary Objects and Spooky Horses

I received an e-mail from Leslie who wrote ”I have a 8 year old Arabian gelding who is just a pleasure to ride. I am working with him so I can ride in the ACTHA rides. Sometimes I’ll work him on an obstacle such as a tarp, walking over it and picking it up and rubbing it on him and he’ll be fine with it. Then a few days later, he’ll act as though he is seeing it for the first time and be really spooky about it. Do you have any ideas?”

Hi Leslie. This is actually pretty common for a horse to seem bomb proof on one obstacle, then react totally different to the same object a few days later. Something else can be different about the tarp or what’s next to it or the place it’s located. Or it could that your horse was spooked by something else,…..then as a result all things are spooky for awhile until he gets his confidence back. Another possibility is a change in you that the horse detects or perceives.

I recently put a horse of mine through an obstacles course at a strange (to him) location. On objects he has seen time and time again, he was spooked. I think the majority of the problem was with me trying to go too fast and not giving him time to think about the object. I was, in effect, both not acknowledging his anxiety over the obstacles or object, and creating more anxiety for my horse with my impatience.

I think the key is to put him in situations where he can be successful; do so with patience remembering that he is not spooking to misbehave,…he is spooking because he is scared. Let him be scared and let him figure it out. I see too many people ride up to something scary and when the horse balks they start kicking him or jerking his head back around and all this does is create more anxiety and give the horse a better reason to be afraid. I know, because I have done this…..and did so again recently.

With a horse, remember that repetition is the mother of mastering all tasks. I continually expose my horse to the same obstacles. I don’t assume that because he has seen it once, he’ll always be sacked out on it and won’t spook. It is as much training for me, allowing him the time he needs to figure it out. The below video is a couple objects that I am sacking my horse out on: a yellow slicker and a bag full of tin cans. Just because I can drape the slicker over his head and drag the sack of cans today, doesn’t mean that he’ll be great about it next week. I'll continue to give him problems to solve and develop that curious and brave horse.

Horse Hoof Care - Hoof Wraps Soaker

I came across another neat product for horse owners, especially if you own several horses and are having hoof related problems where you need to soak hoofs is Epsom salt or let a wound drain. I have had horses under a halter stand in a bucket of warm water and Epsom salts before, but this product from the people who make hoof wraps may make this chore a lot more simpler and you can place a hoof into a Hoof Wrap Soaker with whatever treatment you are using and leave the horse tied.

Hoof Wraps advertises that, "If your horse likes to fidget with buckets and soaking treatments you could be tied up for a while. Not anymore. Apply the hoof soaker, fill it with your soak of choice and get back to your chores. Hoof Wraps soakers are made with a thick shell of ballistic nylon and a coated nylon liner.

They will fit up to 6 inch diameter hoof and are secured using two straps and an additional string with a cord lock at the top. It is collapsible for easy storage. Cost for one Hoof Wrap Soaker is $34.95 and it comes with two EVA foam pads and an extra strap.

Go see Hoof Wraps Soaker and other products at www.hoofwraps.com

Lenore's Buddy Sour Horse

I receive the following question from Lenore: ”Help! I am new again to horses and the horse I lease is not willing to go off alone. While the info on buddy sour seems reasonable what I want is for this horse to be willing to ride away from the barn and the other horses without balking. I worked with him to move off by walking him to a distance of several hundred meters but when I then mounted, the horse balked and just backed up over and over. I tried to turn him in a circle which he did over and over again but would not go father afield. Suggestions?”

Lenore, Buddy sour and barn sour are the same problem – a fearful horse. Making the assumption that there are no problems with bit fit such as the bit too tight in the mouth (or too loose), or exposed or un-erupted wolf teeth, one thing you’ll probably have to overcome is your horse having learned bad habits from transient owners over the years. Leased horses may go from one leaser to another, after another. Often the leasers are fairly new riders which can compound the problem. 

Being buddy sour is one of the most aggravating problems a rider can have with their horse. The horse is NOT balking at moving off because he wants to be a problem. He is just fearful from leaving the safety of the herd. So if you approach this problem as trying to help your horse become braver after opposed to trying to straighten out a disciplinary problem,...... and you do this with patience, I think you can have some good success in being able to ride out on your own.

I am way past the time when I would get on a horse and just try and make him do something. This creates much anxiety for the horse as well as other problems – so you end up worse off. Spending some time on the ground establishing what the horse knows and what I’d like for him to do, as well as starting to build that relationship grounded in trust goes along way. I have learned that for me anyway, starting a horse like he is a new horse allows me not only to assess his training but gets me established as his leader. So I would say that some round pen time and training under hand should help you.

When you get in the saddle, I would first accept that this process of creating a brave horse with you as the leader, may take awhile. I would start small. Ride him off from the barn and if he usually starts balking at 200 yards, then stop at 175 yards. Create lessons there and back. Practice disengaging his back end, lateral flexion, side passes, neck reining, change of direction, asking for a head set, etc. – do things like this and allow him to be successful.

You need to keep him busy and under control. If you get to the point where you think you are out of control, turn around and do some more tasks, keeping him busy. This is where some people will disagree with me. Some will think that you can’t let the horse “get away” with misbehavior such wanting to go back to the barn. But he ain’t doing it to misbehave, he’s doing it because he is fearful. To make any headway you have to reduce that fear,…don’t make him fear you more than being away form the barn or his buddies.

This will be a constant process of him getting worried then getting calmer, like an accordion effect. The object being that he will learn to think through things that are problems for him, creating a curious and brave horse.Hope this helps.  Safe Journey Lenore.

Fieldcraft - Expedient Direction Finding

When I was a Range Rider (Conservation Law Enforcement Officer) I would sometimes be asked to show visiting people around the 1.2 million acres that made up our jurisdiction. It was telling that many people are very uncomfortable in a remote area where the only landmarks are natural terrain features. I would often be asked questions like, “How do you know what direction you are heading or where you are going?”, or “when you call on the radio and report something how do you know what direction you are telling someone?”

I don’t know,....maybe it comes from a life of being outdoors and what not,....and to this day I still give directions as “East” or “South” as opposed to “left or right”, but it is a good idea to know how to tell direction. Doesn't everyone have GPS in their cars nowdays? It'll be a short time before we see a GPS in the horn of a saddle.

I was riding with a group of people the other day and some these rider’s ability to determine direction was,......well, not real good. I was telling the group about some of the dirt roads and fencelines using directions such as "this fenceline runs EAST until it hits those foot hills in the distance then it turns NORTH".
It was hard for them to follow what I was saying. Then I mentioned that it would help their general field craft skills for trail rides to be able to determine direction. It may come in handy if you were guiding in an emergency response, reporting a fire or something like this.

Of course we all know that the Sun comes up in the East and sets in the west. Time of year affects the declination of the Sun,....whether it is a southerly or northern declination, and this is different where on the planet you are in regards to how far north (or south) of the equator.

I ended up stepping off my horse to show the “shadow and stick” method of determine the cardinal directions. This is done by placing an upright stick into the ground and marking the end of the shadow with a rock. You can wait 30 minutes, a few hours or even several hours if you were at a camp site. Again mark the new shadow position with a rock. If you draw a straight line between the rocks you will have your east to west line with the first rock being east. From here you can determine North and South and therefore NE, SE, SW and NW.

Latest News on American Wild Horses

From the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC): The BLM has begun the roundup of wild horses in the Barren Valley area, a remote area in southeastern Oregon comprised of 3 Herd Management Areas (HMAS): Coyote Lake/Alvord-Tule Springs HMA, Heath Creek/Sheepshead HMA, and Sand Springs HMA. The wild horses of this area are thought to be descendants of cavalry remounts and ranch stock representing a unique piece of history. The BLM wants to remove 275 mustangs from this area in a roundup that will leave an estimated 449 horses behind in this nearly one million acre, public lands area.

The Barren Valley roundup is being conducted by the contractors known as "Sun J." These are the same helicopter wranglers who just completed the Triple B roundup. Their brutal treatment of horses there prompted U.S. District Court Judge Howard McKibben to issue an emergency injunction prohibiting the mistreatment of wild horses by helicopters at that capture operation. Wild horse advocate Laura Leigh of Wild Horse Education will be in the observing the BLM roundups. AWHPC's Deniz Bolbol is also attending the roundup for over a week of public observation, thanks to a grant from the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

At another location, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is accepting public comments on its plan to roundup and remove 287 wild horses from the Flanigan, Dogskin Mountain, and Granite Peak Herd Management Areas (HMAs) northeast of Reno, Nevada. The action will leave behind just 10 to 15 horses in the Dogskin HMA and 10 to 15 horses in Granite Peak, while the equivalent of 872 cattle will be allowed to continue to graze these same public lands. The BLM claims that the removal of horses is necessary to restore the "thriving natural ecological balance," yet the agency proposes no reduction in cattle grazing to help achieve this goal.

Each time the AWHPC mounts a public comments campaign on proposed roundups, they propose that they are building a record demonstrating that public opinion demands a change in the BLM's costly and cruel wild horse policy. If you want to comment on this latest issue, you'll need to do so this week. You can do so here.

9-11 Ride

Today is a day heavy in sadness and we mark the 10th anniversary of the Terrorist Attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City, as well as the Pentagon. And who can forget the bravery exhibited by passengers on Flight 93 who over powered the terrorists who commandeered their plane and gave their lives to save others at the intended target.

I rode out this morning with three ladies and we talked about where we were when we learned about the planes plowing into the towers and how those senseless acts of violence on our way of life have changed us and this country. So what otherwise would have been a good morning to be out in the desert on horseback was considerably dampened by the overwhelmingly grief many Americans have felt in the last 10 years.

Please take a moment to think about the victims and the families from the attacks ten years ago, as well as the men and women who are serving in remote and dangerous places to keep us safe here at home.

As we rode I was struck by different horses,.....a Sorrel, a Paint and a Palomino and thought about that represented in a small way, how this country is a melting pot of ethnic groups, who above all share one thing,...our desire for freedom.

Halter Lead Rope Tie Knot

I am a fan of the Rope Halter, as opposed to a webbing halter. Won't use anything else. I use Double Diamond rope halters exclusively and cut my own lead ropes from either kermantle or yacht braid rope to my desired length. My basic lead’s are around 14 to 15 feet long. I do not use any metal hardware on the lead line. I tied my lead ropes to the Double Diamond rope halters so I can untie them and re-tie a longer length, such as 20 or 25 foot length for lunging with a line in the round pen.

I recently had a friend whose big stout Quarterhorse pulled back hard while wearing a rope halter. The rope halter snapped at the cheek piece, but with the 1,200 lbs plus weight of the horse pulling back, the lead line knot to the rope halter became so tight it’ll have to be worked to save the lead rope for use on another halter.

So I showed him how to tie a lead line to the rope halter so it can be undone easily for switching lead lines, as well as a different knot to use when the rope halter is to be used on a horse that has a bad habit of pulling back.

These are the basic knots I use when tying a lead into a rope halter.

Normally, when tying on a yacht braid rope, I’ll run an extra turn around the halter base knot, so when pressure is put on the lead line, this knot will dress itself up and become tighter. This is a simple and easy knot to un-tie.

If I am using a stiff kermantle rope, from old rappeling or mountaineering ropes, I’ll tie a basic half a square knot, just looping the lead rope end into the halter loop, around the base knot, then back through other halter loop. The stiffness of the kermantle ropes really don’t let you tie anything else. The advantage here is that the knot is easy to un-tie to replace with a longer lead line.

If I am using a yacht braid or other soft rope as a lead line I use a Fisherman’s Knot which is a knot used to tie fishing line to flies and lures.  Which is simply two rounds turns of the lead rope through the halter loop, then back through the two round turns and dress up the lead rope.  

Herd Bound Mare

I received an e-mail question from Darlene on her buddy sour/herd bound Arab. ”Hi Functionalhorseman, I just purchased my first horse a little Arab mare 12 yrs. She's been a rental trail horse for 6 odd years, I have been taking lessons on her for about 8 months and she's a sweetie. She is still at the same facility but is now stalled and not in the rental pen with her herd mates. Hence our problems...the first time we saddled up she got to the front of the ranch (by the trail head) and saw her rental buddies and the brakes went on. I rode that horse in circles figure 8's and every which I could think of and she was not budging. We're going on week 4 and it's not alot better. I'm a novice rider and she knows it. She taking advantage and I want to get it back before it gets out of hand. HELP!! Any advice would be gratefully appreciated, I want to do right by her and it's early so I don't think I've ruined anything yet and I don't want too. Respectfully, Darlene”

Hey Darlene, thanks for writing. You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders and understand that the more your mare gets away bad habits with the harder it is to correct. That is a common problem on rental or lesson horses as they have learned they can get away with imposing their will on new riders. The good thing is that your Arab mare is probably fairly bomb proof because of it.

I think you understand that your mare is buddy sour or herd bound because she is a herd animal and finds safety in a herd. She is only wanting to get to her herd mates because she thinks it is necessary rather than doing it because she wants to disobey you. She needs to trust you and recognize you as the leader.

I would basically start her over like she’s a two year old before her first ride. This will also allow you to see what is missing in her education and teaching her the correct way because the correct way is the easy way. It’s that old saying from Ray Hunt “making the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy”. Some time in the round pen would probably do her good. You are going to have to be firm with her, insisting that she listens and obeys you. This is going to be hard to do with if you are a once a week recreational type rider. So use every chance you get to create lessons. Make feeding her a lesson,...ask her to drop her head, disengage her front and/or back end,..backup,..whatever. If you only have a few minutes, put a halter on her and ask her to lead up correctly. 

Always ensure that there is a release in anything you ask her to do. The timing of the release is important so she relates to the doing what you ask with the release,.... this is the “right thing is easy” part of it. The idea is for her to build respect for, and trust in you.

It may benefit you to ride with someone else so your Arab mare has a buddy to go out on the trail with, reducing her anxiety being away from the herd or barn. If you can get out on the trail, you can separate the horses, first by a little then more distance as their comfort level grows. You'll be allowing her to teach herself that she's okay when alone or separated.

To tell you the truth, one of my primary horses is fairly buddy sour to this day. I can ride him out 20 miles or so and never have a problem, he's always willing to go. But ride with some else, then ride away, he's start looking and sometimes calling for his buddy. I just give him something to do to take his mind of it and we're okay. You can to this point, just settle in for the long haul - it will be worth it. Good luck and Safe Journey Darlene.

Hoof Problems - White Line Disease

Received this e-mail from Karen in South Carolina, My farrier told me my Trakehner has white line disease in his left front hoof and said he would have to cut out some of the hoof. He told me it is an infection that can spread and ruin the hoof. I asked him to wait until I get a Veterinarian’s opinion on it. I have only talked to my Vet over the phone, and he has not came out yet to look at it, but he did say that my farrier’s recommendation sounded about right. I could not find anything in a couple of the equine health books I own, but I did read some article on-line about it. What do you know about white line disease? Have any of your horses had it? What treatment did you do and how did your horses respond?”

Howdy Karen, there is a common perception that Veterinarians and Farriers can’t get along when discussing hoof problems. Some people may find your Vet’s suggestions that your farrier’s recommendation to “cut out the white line disease” sounded about right. That’s probably because the Vet may defer to farrier’s on most hoof related issues, and because cutting out the hoof is the most commonly accepted procedure. My shoer tells me that there is no topical treatment, such as like we have for thrush, to get rid of the bacterial or fungal infection.

Sorry about your horse having white line disease. If you have read the on-line resources about white line, I’m am sure you have found that it is called white line disease because it appears at or near the white line that separates the hoof wall and the hoof sole and is detectable by the soft, powdery hoof wall tissue. I think the jury is still out whether it’s a fungus or a bacterial infection, but it is certain that the diseased portion has to be cut out completely and left exposed to air to be able to get rid of it. I have only seen it on two horses, both diagnosed by a farrier. In both instances, the diseased part of the hoof and some of the sole was cut away. In both cases a shoe was fitted to give the hoof better stability on the affected hoof.

In one case, a lot of hoof wall was taken out, and it took about 8 months for the hoof to grow back sound. Recently this same horse came up with a smaller case of white line disease. It came back in the same hoof and since White Line Disease is most probably e hoof but you can’t help but think the horse is picking it up tha fungus he probably picked it up in the ground where he is penned up. In the second instance, the shoer again cut out the decayed hoof wall and some of the hoof sole (laminae), then fitted a shoe with clips to help protect the hoof as it is missing some of it's hoof wall.

Reader Question on Bug Bites

Trying to help May from East Texas who has a horse with bug bites on his neck. Her other horse is not affected. Fly Spray doesn't seem to work on the affected horse. I told May what I do to treat a horse with bug bite like bumps which get irritated, scratched, then open. If bugs are attracted before then they for sure will be with an open sore.

It may not necessarily be bug bites, it could be an allergic reaction to an ingredient in the horse's feed, or any weed the horse may be able to graze on. In that case, the Vet may tell you to use Tri-Hist. If it is an allergic based reaction then ask the Vet for some feeding options as well. You may want to feed loose hay rather than tightly packed flakes to help get the dust and spoors out.

In any case a product called M-T-G, which is a sulfur - mineral oil based product, works well to sooth the irritated skin. I hose the horse off and scrap or brush the salt off his hair. I do not generally use soap before hand. I'm from the school that rarely gives the horse a bath, just prefer to hose them off from time to time. I guess I tend to think that washing too often with soap products is un-natural and can remove some of the natural protective oils the horse has on it's skin.

When I use M-T-G, which stands for Mane, Tail and Groom, and for the record my wife taught me to use this, I wear rubber gloves as the sulfur-mineral oil based M-T-G really soaks into your hands and you will be smelling like Frankenstein for a time to come. I use a wet rag to apply the M-T-G and really rub it into the skin, cause you know once you turn that horse back out, he's going to roll. You can leave him tied up to dry for a spell as well.

A light weight fly sheet can be used to protect the horse from bug bites, if it is bug bites. I don't really think the East Texas humidity makes this a good option. In any event, just rinsing off your horse and grooming him will give him some relief.

I recently read a quote, I think from the September issue of Western Horseman, to the effect that grooming your horse let you get to know each other and learn each other's personality,....boy ain't that the truth. Good luck May and safe journey.

Cowboy Humor - Cowboys and Indians?

Three strangers strike up a conversation in the passenger lounge in Bozeman, Montana, awaiting their flights. One is an American Indian passing through from Lame Deer. Another is a cowboy on his way to Billings for a stock show. The third passenger is a fundamentalist Arab student, newly arrived at Montana State University from the Middle East.

Their discussion drifts to their diverse cultures. Soon the two Westerners learn that the Arab is a devout, radical Muslim. The conversation falls into an uneasy lull.

The cowboy leans back in this chair, crosses his boots on a magazine table,
tips his big sweat-stained hat forward over his face. The wind outside blows tumbleweeds, and the old wind sock flaps; but no plane comes.

Finally, the American Indian clears his throat and softly he speaks, "Once my people were many,.....now! we are few."

The Muslim student raises an eyebrow and leans forward, "Once my people were few," he sneers, "and now we are many. Why do you suppose that is?"

The Montana cowboy shifts his toothpick to one side of his mouth and from the darkness beneath his Stetson says in a drawl, "That's cause we ain't played Cowboys and Muslims yet".

Rifle Scabbard Question and Tips

I received a question from Josh about hanging a rifle scabbard. ”I have a question on my rifle sheath (scabbard). Every which way I position my rifle sheath it either rubs on my horse or it is uncomfortable. Can you show me how you solve this problem?”

Josh, thanks for your question. I hang rifle scabbards differently based on the saddle I am using. For the past several years I am using a rifle scabbard hung on the off side (right side of the saddle when you’re sitting in it) with the scabbard connected to the cinch D ring using a latigo or connector strap and a snap hook, and to the back of the cantle using the same thing. See pictures left.

I can move the scabbard around somewhat to position for best comfort. Good for you for considering your horse’s comfort as well. A poorly hung scabbard can gouge or wear on the horse if you are not careful. I have a piece of sheepskin with two slots cut into it where I run the front latigo or connector strap through lining so it serves as a buffer where the scabbard could gall or otherwise wear on my horse’s barrel, see picture right.  Hope this helps.  Safe Journey partner. 

A Little Mare Called Reckless

I was sent the story of this amazing horse, called Reckless, and a heck of a story it is. This was a horse purchased by the Marines during the Korean War to carry ammunition to gun positions. A Marine Lieutenant named Eric Pedersen reported bought Reckless, a smallish mare, from a Korean boy who needed money to buy an artificial leg for a family member.

Loved and well cared for by the Marines, Reckless was eventually promoted to Staff Sergeant after an amazing record of service in a very dangerous environment where she was wounded twice. The story could also be called "The Little Mare That Could".

Watch the video story on this horse prized by the Marine Corps.



To read the entire story of this little mare called Reckless, go to her memorial website.