Good Horsemanship

I was watching Julie Goodnight the other night (on RFD TV) as she was helping one of her student-instructors get a horse sacked out on opening gates, and I heard Julie say words to the effect that it had been awhile since she (Julie) last attended a clinic. Then she explained that she likes to attend other trainer's clinics to keep herself from getting stale, and that she believes a person can and should learn from everyone. I wonder if Julie knew how important it was for her to say that as it shows not only a humble approach to her horsemanship, but it highlights the most basic of often forgotten requirements to continue evolving your horsemanship, and that is keep an open mind.

We all have our favorite trainers. They are our favorite because they have a way of presenting the concepts or the how's to do something that gets through to us. We have all probably seen students who's redundant reply to an instructor or clinician is "Yeah, but..." as they try to explain why they aren't listening to the instruction. If you follow Julie Goodnight's advice to continue to seek knowledge, and be the best student you can, you can not only expedite your journey to becoming a horseman but it will most likely save (some) pain and suffering along the way.

In the interest of passing information on notable trainers, I ran across a gent named Ross Jacobs in the Eclectic Horseman magazine edition #63, Jan-Feb 2012. Interesting article on this Australian based horse trainer. Ross maintains a pretty good website and horse owners may want to look it up. Instructional videos are available (at a cost) but there is other free information as well,....if you can do the translation, as they ain't exactly speaking American down there. Ross Jacobs is below at left.
www.goodhorsemanship.com.au

If you haven't heard of Eclectic Horseman magazine, you can see what they have to offer at http://eclectic-horseman.com//

Training a Long Yearling

Megan wrote: "My husband and I recently got back into horses and bought a Palomino mare in foal two years ago and last year she dropped a beautiful filly. This May she will be two years old. Some friends of ours are telling us that since she is now considered two years old it is okay to saddle break her. Although we are anxious to have another riding horse I am concerned about ruining her. What are your ideas on when you should start breaking a horse? Anything you can tell us would be appreciated."

Megan, your filly is considered a long yearling, coming two this year. While the horse racing industry races non-mature horses in this category, it doesn’t mean it is in the horse’s best interest. I'm sure not to make any racing trainers and owners happy with the statement, and to be sure, the majority of people in the racing industry are straight up and provide excellent care for their horses, but I think this practice of putting physical stress on non-mature horses is not in their best interests. I think horses are raced young, before they are physically and mentally prepared well enough, because there is pressure on turning a profit after years of expense counting the brood mare carrying the foal. Well, I'm getting off track here,...the subject is basically how old is old enough to saddle break a horse. Anyway, good for you that you are concerned with your filly. Be patient and you can have a good horse for decades to come.

I am assuming your filly is halter broke now and actually breaking or gentling your filly has already began if you have handled her and petted on her as this is all good for the horse. You can continue handling her, training her to lead up correctly, getting her used to pressure and release, teaching her to back, lunging her, accepting a paste wormer tube, blanketing her, handling her feet and making her safe for a shoer to trim, and getting her to stand quiet, and, possibly ponying her with the mare are all steps in my mind that lead up to and make her safer to saddle break.

I think it is generally safe (for the horse) to be introduced to the saddle at, or around the two year mark. I don’t suggest that you are out riding her mile after mile, but to get her broke and gentled to the saddle, give her a short ride or two a week, then when she is three years old she ought to be physically and mentally mature enough to handle an increased riding schedule even though she may not be physically mature even then.

Many ranches follow this formula......Breaking the horse to the saddle at two years old and putting some schooling on the horse. Then turning out for the late fall and winter, then come spring the horse is used as part of a Cowboy's cavvy (work string).

This is just my opinion. Others may think different. If you are considerable of the horse as you are patient then you'll be fine. Safe Journey to you and your horse.

Josh Armstrong Clinic

This past weekend we hosted a invitation only Josh Armstrong Clinic at our Red Bird Ranch with six participating riders......Josh Armstrong and Betty, a happy student, at left. Few in the Horse world and nobody in the reining world has not heard of Josh Armstrong and Armstrong Equine Services of La Mesa, New Mexico. Josh is a Top 10 Finisher at both the NRHA and Congress Reining Futurities, and a European National Champion Reiner. He is an author and has made a horsemanship video — The First Dimension — available for purchase at his website. Armstrong Equine Services offers training, boarding, breeding, temporary stays and foals for sale. Among their set of Stallions is the well known Von Reminic.

Josh spent three hours in the arena teaching, demonstrating and explaining how to get a better stop on your horse; walk to trot, walk to trot to lope, and walk to lope transitions; rollbacks and doubling. He spent time individually with each rider helping them on their weakest points. One of his strong points is the calm, common sense way he presents the hows and whys. One of the riders had a pretty high strung Roan Mare. Josh took extra time to help this mare, driving her around (see picture at left), help her find a place where she could accept the pressure and find a release.

As much educational as the clinic was, there was a some funny moments, highlighted when we tied the horses up to have lunch and the Roan mare Josh was working mistook a plastic horse statute as a servicing stud, moved over and stuck her hind end in his face.

Anybody in the greater El Paso, Texas - Las Cruces, New Mexico area would be well served to attend a Josh Armstrong clinic or visit any of the events Armstrong Equine Services hosts at their ranch in La Mesa, New Mexico. It's really a pleasure to watch Josh ride bridleless, getting sliding stops and spins off of his performance horses. In fact, Josh has got to be doing what he does because of his love for it, because he certainly ain't making alot of money with the inexpensive fees he charges.

Fieldcraft - Fire Starting

Another field craft skill a back country trail rider or packer needs to have is to be able to build a fire. It’s pretty easy to build a fire when there is no wind or rain lashing your face, but when you’re soaking wet and the wind is honking it’s a different matter. If you are out a long ways from any civilization and get caught in a gully washer then your horse goes lame, getting out of the rain and building a fire may keep you alive if the weather turns cold. Even in moderate temperatures a person can lose enough body heat to become a hypothermia casualty. Another good use for a fire is to signal any rescue crews looking for you. If you are riding with a partner and they fall or get hurt, keeping them warm is in order to push off shock.

I always carry a magnesium fire starter in my saddle bags. It takes up very little room and is much easier for me to light a fire compared to a store bought butane lighter, especially without burning your fingers in the process. Besides the plastic housing on a butane lighter can break and leave you without fuel. Lint from your dryer rolled into a ball and carried with your magnesium starter is a great aid to catching sparks and starting that first little flame.

If you forget the lint, maybe you can locate a bird’s nest to use, although bird feathers don’t catch very well – you may have to remove all the accumulated junk from the nest to leave just the dried grass. Some ticking from your socks, vest or coat will usually also work as a tinder as well.

Building the fire in a hole helps protect it from the wind until it gets going good. Be sure to stack all the kindling, twigs and bigger than twigs, branches and logs nearby so you can feed the fire to a point where it will sustain itself before you go looking for more wood.

There are other things you can do such as building the fire against an embankment, dirt mound or rock wall to help reflect heat. Ensure you have adequate ventilation if you build a fire in a semi–full enclosed space like a cave. Safe Journey and safe fires.

Horse Won't Stand Still

Sam wrote....”I have a quarter horse that I have ridden for 9 years, since he was a 2 year old. Lately I have been attending ACTHA rides. He is calm on the trail and calm during the obstacles, but impatient while waiting for the other riders to complete their obstacle. I took some criticism for circling him last weekend, when he was tossing his head, fighting me and wanted to move on. He even squealed a little. I see this as kind of a spoiled brat behavior and I am not sure how to deal with it. I admittedly did not ride him a lot this year, but he has these moods where he is impatient and might even nip at me when I am leading him. I am considering a vet workup but I think if pain were his issue he would not only act this way when standing still under saddle. Thoughts on how to deal with this?”

Hey Sam, thanks for writing,….actually a problem with the horse not standing still when asked is more common than you would think. Some times it’s feed related. Some times it’s a pain or discomfort issue with the horse relating to bad saddle fit or a physical problem with their hooves or back or instance. A vet check is a good idea, especially if you suspect something.

It is more likely to be a problem that may be alleviated with a lot of wet saddle blankets, or time in the saddle, and, standing tied for awhile to have him teach himself patience. I am not talking about using a snugging post for hours on end,….. I’m simply saying having him tied for 30 minutes is not an unreasonable way to begin and you can go from there.

He may be simply a little buddy sour thinking his herd is moving on without him. I wouldn’t let the criticism bother you. I would think the ACTHA judges are there to judge how you and your horse negotiate an obstacle and not any pre-obstacle schooling of your horse. Of course, if you are standing close to other horses and riders, it is really annoying to have your horse moving around pushing into our horses. But, circling a horse in small circles, or moving his hind end around quickly then offering him a chance to stand still (pressure and release) is a common way to handle a horse who can’t stand still.

If you don't ride him a lot, say only once a week, I think you would see a big difference in his handle by adding a couple of short sessions each week.

Cowboy Humor - Jackpot Roping

One of my old friends called me the other day telling me he was putting on a jackpot roping and was asking me to enter.

I told him that I hadn't team roped in years and didn't think I had the time.

He then told me that it was a charity roping for handicapped kids who were blind.

I said "Handicapped kids? Are you kidding me? Then sign me up. This is one I have a chance at winning!"

Mecate with a Snaffle Bit

Denise asked I'm interested in riding with a mecate reins on a snaffle and am unsure how to do so. I like the idea of having a integral lead rope.”

Denise, thanks for your question. I’ll answer it mostly with pictures and a short video. This question has cropped up several times in the past few weeks. I attribute it to more people interested in trail riding and the popularity of the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA). The Mecate, also called McCarthy reins due to the Anglo pronunciation of the Spanish word, is one continuous rein, usually 20-24 feet long, made from either yacht line (braided rope) or a horse hair rope. When used with a Bosal, the Mecate reins are connected to the Bosal just above the Heel knot. Sometimes a Bosal and Mecate will be one piece where the Mecate is braided into the Bosal.

When a Mecate is used with a snaffle bit, it is common to use slobber straps to connect the reins to the ring of the snaffle. The slobber straps are pieces of leather that connect the reins to the bit. Like the picture to the left showing the off side slobber strap and how I secured the end of the Mecate to it. If you tie your Mecate to the slobber straps in this manner make sure you leave enough tail of the rope and point it downward.

A friend of ours, Arden, was looking for a Mecate so I took a 21 foot length of half inch braided rope, braided a leather popper in one end and wrapped some waxed flat thread around the rope where the center of the reins would be for a eight foot continuous rein.

The running end of the Mecate is looped through the near side slobber strap then you half hitch the Mecate so that the remaining length, in this case about 11 feet, runs downward. The near side is where you would adjust the length of the reins to suit yourself. The remaining 11 feet is now a get down rope. To keep it out of the way until you need it, you can clove hitch it to the horn, which is not my preferred way,....you can coil it and tie it to the near side saddle strings. Or, a traditional method it to get a bit near the end of the rope and tuck it under your belt. That is the bit of the remaining Mecate is pushed underneath your belt from bottom to top. If you came off your horse (it happens) you would have a rope to keep your horse from running away. If the horse ran away before you could get ahold of the rope, it would feed out from under your belt keeping you from being drug.

Anyway, Denise, I hope this video and post helps you rig and be safe with your Mecate.

Barefoot or Shoes? - David's Question

David wrote "Hello, and THANK YOU! I really like your website, and along with others, learning more about horsemanship. What is your input on shod horse vs. barefoot horses? I see a lot of people going barefoot, and wonder if it would be better for the horse. I see proof of better circulation thru the legs as the hoof flexes with movement, as compared to shod and fixed, not able to flex...By the way, we have a mustang/quarter mare that does not like carrots! but a sucker for apples. She has a brand on the left side upper neck under the mane but I can't tell what it says. She is a sweetheart and good mama horse to her 6mo filly. daddy is tennessee walker, all bay and match. Thank you and please keep up good work. About Colic...if you know you going to ride all day, how much breakfast do you give the horse? and how long to wait till you ride? just a little soaked hay enuff? Man thanks fer puttin up with me...David"

As far as putting shoes on a horse, the type of riding and terrain, and even more so, the quality or soundness of the feet will determine that. In a mostly sand or dirt environment horses can go barefoot with no problem.

More than half of my horses are unshod. If you are going to be riding in rocky areas than shoes would make sense. A good farrier can correct some problems with the feet with corrective shoeing. One of my horse's had a pretty bad flare on his back right outside hoof, and in fact all his feet were in pretty bad shape when I picked him up. Consistent and good shoeing has given him the best feet he can hope for.

The hoof flexing or not flexing should have no effect on circulation, shod or unshod. I would think the concussion of the feet striking the ground and the contraction/extension of the muscles having more to do with circulation. But you know God made those horses without shoes and I think if you can get away without putting shoes on then, for the most part, your horse will be better for it. You can always carry hoof wraps or boots in your saddle bags if you think you might get into some rocky ground.

I think it's pretty unusual for a horse not to like carrots. I have a Mustang who won't eat apples for some reason. When I got him, he didn't eat grain either, but now he like's it well enough.

You may be able to figure out your Mustang brand by going to this web site - Mustangs4us. I'm interested in hearing how your Mustang - Tennessee Walker foal works out. That's an interesting cross. I had a Walker-Quarter Horse cross one time and he was a dandy - very willing to learn and please.

If I'm riding long and far I always let my horses eat and get a drink before hand. I think it's good to have some feed in the gut for energy and to keep the gut moving. If I'm short of time and I'm trailering someplace I may just feed them 5 or 6 lbs of alfalfa, and their grain, then hang a hay net of wet Coastal Bermuda in the trailer for them. More than once I got called out to find a missing person and had to leave pronto so I let my horse eat wet alfalfa from a large bucket, while I was tacking him up. I think feeding amount and time between feeding and riding will also depend upon how hard you are going to work them.

There are many cases of narcotics traffickers using horses to pack dope across the border. It is not unusual for some of these strings to go without feed and water in some cases for a couple days. The trafficker's obviously don't care about the horses and always turn them loose after reaching the vehicle load up spot. I think if I caught someone doing this, I rope them and drag them a long piece. Probably couldn't hang them, which would be my first choice, because of a lack of suitable trees.

I know Cowboys and recreational riders who absolutely will not let their horse graze while they are in the saddle. They call it a bad habit. I think it's only a bad habit if they pull on you or otherwise try to eat absent of a cue to do so. Even though grass is scarce out here in West Texas - Southern New Mexico I'll routinely let my horse get a mouthful of wild grass (Indian Ricegrass or Grama Grass) when I'm riding. I think it's good for him. If it's hot , been riding for a long period and we're lacking water, well that's different and I won't let them eat much.

Some arena riders believe in feeding, or a partial feeding, before training as a way to reduce the horse from being barn sour.

When I get them back to the corral, it as important that you cool your horse down before you feed them. Un-saddling, brushing, checking and cleaning feet, then turn them out for a roll and a drink, then they should be ready to be fed. Erring on the side of caution and waiting longer than you think is necessary won't hurt. Safe Journey.

Merry Christmas

On the rare occasion we have enough snow to do anything with, we build snow things. My wife sculpted the horse in the photo.

While my daughter and I used our less than artistic talents to to make this snow cowboy roping a snow calf.

I would take a poll to see which snow thing is more pleasing to the eye,...but I wouldn't want to hurt my wife's feelings.


  Have a Happy New Year and Safe Journey through 2012

Correction - Feeding a Hardkeeper Roping Horse

I previous answered a reader's question on feeding an underweight roping horse.....
"Roping Horse Can't Keep on Weight"

Funder brought to my attention that I made an error: "Horses generally require 2% of their body weight in feed per day, which is 20 lbs for a 1000 lb horse. 20% is 200 lbs a day :)."

Thanks Funder. I have corrected the post. I meant to say that Horses generally require approximately 2% of their body weight in feed per day. Two percent (2%) of an 1,000 lbs horse would be 20 lbs per day,....not 200 lbs.

safe journey

Reader Questions: Anti-Cribbing Measures and Mustang Brands

Question on Cribbing.  Jim asked ”Is there a natural remedy to put on the stall boards to keep horses from chewing them? Thanks”

Jim, I haven’t had a large problem with my horses chewing wood (called cribbing), however when I managed a large stables several of the owners had cribbing problems with their horses and as I recall most of them did not find a good solution. The obvious answer is to remove all sources of wood from your stalls or turnouts, however I understand this is impractical for a lot of people.

Here are some possible solutions you may want to look into:

Anti-cribbing miracle collar from Smart-Pak

Cribbing Strap from Shane's Tack.


The below cribbing solutions are available from Horse Supplies Direct.com

Cribbing Eliminator by Liquid Fence. The company advertises this product as an all-natural equine product that offers a non-toxic, cruelty free, and guaranteed effective solution to wood chewing habits and is a great way to curb wood chewing without having to resort to muzzles and straps, diet alterations, drugs, or painful electric-shock collars.

Stop Crib is a brushable paste to help discourage chewing and sucking vices in horses.

Crib Stop Spray can be sprayed on horse clothing, leg wraps, wood, tails and manes, bedding, tack and many more items.

Red Hot Spray is a chilli-tasting, non-toxic formula of soap, spices and flavouring to stop horses chewing on bandages & rugs.


Question on Mustang Brands.  SFC Stephen asked ”While we are on the subject of BLM and Mustangs, I, owning a BLM Mustang (if one can "own" a Mustang or any horse for that matter) am curious how they choose which Mustangs to catch and allow to be adopted. Do they choose the weak, the strongest, the prettiest or, just the easiest to catch? I am waiting for spring to shave and try to decipher the tattoo on mine. Also, the dates they put on them, is this the actual foal date (if so, how do they know) or is it the date they catch the horse? Any information is appreciated, as always.”


Mustangs & Burros are freeze branded on the left neck by the BLM after they are captured. Details such as age and registration number can be deciphered from the brand. Each brand is unique, so each animal can be identified positively if you can read the brand. It would be difficult for me to explain how to read the brands. You would be much better off by going to this website to learn how the BLM brands and how to read them.

Safe Journey all.

Army Scout - Frank North

Frank Joshua North, born in New York 1840, was better known as William (Buffalo Bill) Cody's partner in a cattle ranch in Nebraska and as a show manager with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show than he is an Army Scout. But Frank North has a relatively distinguished 10+ year career as an Army Scout and, in particular, Chief of Pawnee Scouts during some of the Plains Indian Wars, known for his mastery of the Pawnee language.


North began his service in 1860 as a clerk at the Pawnee Agency in Nebraska where he learned the Pawnee's language and provided services as an interpreter. Prior to 1860, North was reported to have ben a teamster for a number of years, transported goods between Army forts and towns.

In 1864 Frank North served as a guide for the Army and so impressed the Army with his knowledge of the Pawnees and their language that he was asked to raise a unit of Pawnee Scouts. So North entered military service as a Lieutenant of Scouts.

The next year, North was promoted to Captain and again asked to raise a unit of Pawnee Scouts. Most Indian Scouts in the day were mustered in and out based on campaigns and not under contract for a number of years like regular Army soldiers. North's Pawnees Scouts were involved with several successful battles mainly against Sioux and Cheyenne, and sometimes hostile Arapaho.

In 1867 North was commissioned a Major of Scout under General Auger and directed to guard the Union Pacific Railroad and it's workers, reportedly engaging in at least one major battle with the Cheyenne.

Major North and his Pawnee Scouts played an important role in the victory over Tall Bull and his warriors at Summit Springs, Colorado, in July, 1869. North is sometimes accredited with Tall Bull's death. Throughout the next couple of years North and his men were stationed at Fort Russell, Wyoming with the 3rd Cavalry.

During 1871 to 1872, North served a term in the Nebraska Legislature.

Frank North and his Scouts again served the Army, this time under General George Crook in the wars against the Sioux. Based out of Fort Laramie, Wyoming the North led Pawnee Scouts combined with the men led by General Mackenzie to defeat the Cheyenne at Powder River on 25th November, 1876, fives months after Custer's massacre.

The Pawnee Scouts were finally disbanded for good in May, 1877. North also left the army and joined up with William (Buffalo Bill) Cody and Frank's younger brother Luther North to buy a ranch on the Dismal River in Nebraska.

In 1883 Buffalo Bill persuaded North to join his Wild West Show. The following year he was badly hurt when he was thrown from and trampled by his horse during a show in Hartford, Connecticut. North subsequently dies in 1885, supposedly from conditions brought about by his horseback injuries.

Rearing Horse

Ed wrote “I have been working with a 7 year old green broke mare in the round pen, and around our place for about 6 months. My objective is to get her where she can ride me along the river trails next to our place. Our problem is that she works good for a while, then she tends to puff up, get stiff, and rear. She has put me on the ground twice, and the second time came all the way over. Fortunately, I went left, and she went right. Although she lost her mind, she did not run off, and after another 10 minutes in the round pen, I remounted her, and she rode me around the round pen for another 15 minutes or so before we went back to the barn. My question is can this mare be broke of the rearing, or, is she too dangerous to fool with any longer?”

Hey Ed, good for you to, after getting dumped, to get right back on. One question would be does she rear in the round pen when you work her off the ground? If you make it uncomfortable for them to have their front end off the ground by a hard jerk on the lead line. This requires good timing of course. Sometime they have to go over backward to figure out that’s what they don’t want to do....not a suggestion just an observation - hope that won't happen, but much better to have a horse do it in ground training than with a rider in the saddle.

I would make sure you remove any other source of her coming off the ground like too much pressure or no release from the bit; any teeth problems that may be associated with pain from a bit; or a bit seated too deep in the mouth. I knew a guy who had a problem with his horse coming off the ground sometimes and I associated that with his use of a mechanical hackamore and being too heavy handed, so the horse had no way to go but up to find a release from the pressure or pain.

A buddy of mine swore up and down that the only way to break a horse of rearing was to pull their head around causing them to fall to the side, bringing the ground side leg up and staying in the saddle, then get the horse up on his feet and put him to work. I reckon this was his version of pressure and release. I like the use of my own legs too much to try this on purpose.

One of my horses came off his front end a couple times and I reacted by whacking him on the chest with the poppers of my reins which caused him to bolt forward both times and I just doubled him and made him work hard for a few minutes. He hasn’t done it since,……doesn’t mean he won’t do it again given the right circumstances, nor does it mean I won’t see it again in another horse.

Sometimes a horse will get their back end up underneath themselves, especially in backing so their front end will come off the ground with all the shift of weight to their back end. Doesn't sound like this is your problem, but something to look for.

The bottom line is that coming up off the front end (rearing) is very dangerous as you know. If I couldn’t replicate it and fix that behavior in the round pen, on the ground first, then in the saddle, then I personally wouldn’t ride her out until I could fix it. However a lot of wet saddle blankets usually makes a pretty big difference in young green broke horses.

Good luck Ed and let me know how that mare is coming along. Safe Journey.

Horses Slaughter Update

One of the reasons, maybe the main reason, I do the Functional Horseman website is that I think if more people get involved with their horses,..... learning about them, enjoying them, then not only could a few more horses have a fair life, but less of them may end up in auctions being bought by Mexican slaughter plants, since the U.S. plants closed down a number of year ago.

When horse advocates, in 2006, successfully lobbied Congress to cut funding for the required inspections of Horse Slaughter facilities, unwanted horses bought for slaughter were trucked to Mexico to be inhumanely killed.  I have routinely seen horses packed in trailers headed for Mexico.  The result these horse advocates ended up with was opposite to what they were trying to do, save horses, and caused many a horse to be killed in a very inhumane way or neglected because there was not recourse for unwanted horses. The picture above came from a local news report about one of many horse neglect cases in El Paso County, Texas.  

In my perfect world, every horses is raised from birth, cared for, give a fair life from birth to natural death. I am not advocating the raising for slaughter of horses here in the U.S. for the European horse meat market.    What I am advocating is the inspected and regulated humane death for horses.

Congress just lifted a 5-year-old ban on funding horse meat inspections, and slaughterhouses could be up and running in as little as a month. Congress lifted the ban in a continuous resolution spending bill President Obama signed into law, on November 18th, to keep the government afloat until mid-December.

The spending bill did not allocate any money to pay for horse meat inspections, which some opponents claim could cost taxpayers $3 million to $5 million a year. It does allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find the money in its existing budget for inspections. In the era of necessary cuts of government spending, it remains to be seen if the USDA will allocate funding and if horse slaughter facilities will again open.

While there are no slaughterhouses in the U.S. that butcher horses for human consumption now, the USDA did issue a statement saying that if one did open, it would conduct inspections to make sure federal laws were being followed. This is a confusing statement as it seemingly opens the door for slaughter plants to resume operations.

Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of The Humane Society of the United States, stated "If plants open up in Oklahoma or Nebraska, you'll see controversy, litigation, legislative action and basically a very inhospitable environment to operate. Local opposition will emerge and you'll have tremendous controversy over slaughtering Trigger and Mr. Ed."

Well it ain't just about taking and selling the family's horse(s) to slaughter auctions. It's also about having recourse for the thousands and tens of thousands of horses that cannot be cared for, adopted or otherwise humanely euthanized. Due to the economy going south, there had been a tremendous rise in horse neglect cases, with some counties and states reporting a 60% rise in the last two years. I ask the animal activists "what is better for a horse,...to slowly starve to death or to be humanely put down?" There are many people who cannot or will not pay a Vet to come out and put down a horse.  The horse carcass disposal problems also makes it more likely that unwanted horses would be sold or given to a slaughter auction yard. 

I have actually heard people say that with the opening of horse slaughter plants, you will see people raising horses just for the meat market. Really?! How much does it cost to raise a foal to even a long yearling? My guess would be a minimum of $1,200. How the hell is a seller going to get a profit from selling horses for meat then? The only people who make a profit are the auction yard owners and buyers who buy 20 horses for $75 to $100 and sell them for $125. Hard way to make a living.

Sorry for such a long rant. As with most subjects, the truth is somewhere in the middle. I think the solutions include enhanced enforcement and punishment for people who neglect and abandon their horses. Most County Law Enforcement agencies cannot put much into resourcing for animal related crimes. Larger fines as well as using a trained and educated volunteer element would pay for itself. These fines, and jail time in some cases, can also help fund horse rescues and serve as a deterrent.

I also believe the regulated and controlled humane slaughter of horses can provide an avenue to a humane end of life for these animals when there is no other way. Beats the hell of being handled roughly, shipped to Mexico, put into a squeeze chute then stabbed in the neck and withers until the horse is paralyzed, then drug out by a chain and bleed out.

Backing Uphill

Kathleen wrote to me saying she was having trouble getting her horse to back up hill.

Getting a horse to back, which is really unnatural for them past a step or two, begins on the ground under halter moving to backing on level ground under a saddle. Your horse will have to do this well, moving his feet when you ask them to. Many horse back well enough but at an angle, I think because they can’t see directly behind themselves so it is natural to move a little laterally to be able to see behind and in the direction of movement.

Horses keep the majority of their weight on their front end and backing up a hill, or going down hill for that matter, will cause them to add more of their body weight to the front end. This can be aggravated by the rider placing their weight over the saddle horn or otherwise leaning forward making it hard for the horse to pickup and move their front legs.

Not being able to back well on level ground could cause a horse backing up hill to get his back legs underneath himself, not being able to move them and can lead to a horse flipping over worst case.

It would be common for the horse to turn his head and neck to try and look behind himself which will probably result in his back end moving the other direction and getting off a line perpendicular to the incline you are trying to backup. Keep the horse between your legs and control his movement side to side with leg pressure.

I think the keys to backing uphill after backing on level ground can be performed well, is for the rider to look over each shoulder making the rider lean backwards somewhat releasing some of the weight bearing on the front end. Only use rein pressure as necessary, back slow and provide the horse with a release on each step or try. It may be a good idea to get one or two steps out of your horse backing uphill, then ride forward, give him a short break then try again maybe for an additional step this time. I’d say start slow, accept your horse’s smallest try, build on that and shortly your horse will be backing uphill just fine.

Another Look at Wild Horses from the AWHPC

The AWHPC is the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign. I was recently sent a video of some Mustangs filmed at the Calico Complex this past April. The AWHPC reports that these wild horses are scheduled for another Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundup in less than two years, which follows on the heels of the last roundup, one of the most deadliest in terms of dead horses,...a reported 200 dead Mustangs.

No matter what your perspective on the Wild Horse and Burro issue, I don't think any reasonable person could think that these Mustangs and Burro shouldn't be handled with compassion. Mainstays of our American heritage, these animals deserve a fair life and humane treatment from humans. Regardless, you should enjoy this video.

Roping Horse Can't Keep on Weight

Jeremy from Lubbock asked ”My 12 year old gelding is hard to keep weight on. I have been riding him a couple times a week but want to start roping again with my cousin but think the extra work will make him even skinnier. I have been feeding him three flakes of hay a day and he is barely keeping weight on. Have any suggestions?”

Hey Jeremy, right of you to think about your horse and I think you’re right that the additional work load of roping off him even once a week will require more feed. At 12 years old he should be a hard keeper. I don’t want to tell you how to feed your horse, cause I haven’t seen him for one reason, but some general considerations are:

At maintenance, that is just being penned up and no or very little work load, the average horse will require about 2% of his body weight in feed. I don’t know how much the flakes of hay you are feeding him weigh, but it wouldn’t be surprising to find out that each flake of hay weight 5 to 6 pounds as opposed to 8 to 10 pounds, therefore your horse would probably not be getting enough feed at 15 to 18 lbs per day. Two percent body weight for a 1,000 lbs horse is 20 lbs of hay. Other things to consider are quality of hay, and if you are also supplementing him with grain or processed feed.

The thing to do may be gradually increasing his feed until he is keeping good weight on. A lot of people feed nothing but alfalfa. However, I don’t like to do that so I feed both alfalfa and grass hay and provide a small amount of pelleted feed from ADM called Patriot. If you introduce grains or processed feed, then remember to start small and gradually increase.

If you think you are providing your horse adequate feed and he is still not keeping weight on, then a Vet check is in order and maybe some blood work and a fecal exam. A solid worming program, rotating wormers appropriate to the season, is a way to make sure parasites are not the problem. If you can check where you feed your horse and find half chewed bolts of feed that fell out of his mouth, he may need his teeth checked and floated if necessary. Some horses develop sharp points on their teeth that make it painful to eat and that may make it difficult to eat enough. If the Vet comes out to take a blood sample, I'd have him/her check your horse's teeth too.

Good luck and let me know if you resolve your roping horse's weight problem.

Trailering Horses Across Distances

Stephen sent the following question: ”How far, at one time should a horse be trailered. In my case, a mare. I know geldings require some special needs to urinate. Just wondering about a trip from Central Texas to Central Missouri , about 700 miles.”

Stephen, thanks for your question and you previously told me that you were a service member in the Army - thank you for your service to this Nation. 700 miles is about 14 hours or so of driving if you drove straight through. I think 14 hours in a trailer is unnecessary and unpleasant for a horse, especially if hauled by themselves. I would look up “horse hotels” which are stables that provide overnight pens for horses in transit. Baring any of these available on a route you can travel, I would look at planning an overnight stay where you can un-load the horse and either put her on picket line or maybe have some temporary travel panels to erect a overnight pen.

Makes for a much happier and sounder horse to consider her on the trip, maybe stopping at a rest area to un-load her every 3-4 hours or so. Much of this is dependent upon your trailer, your driving tendencies and your horse. One of the best suggestions I ever heard was that people need to go for a ride in the trailer (as a horse would) before they ever haul one, so they can feel what the horse feels on quick stops and sharp turns.

Newer trailers have a torsion bar suspension, rather than a conventional axle, which is much easier on horse as I believe it absorbs more shock. I have thick rubber mats in my trailers to provide better footing and more shock absorption. Make sure you pull your mates from time to time to clean out underneath and ensure your wooden trailer floor doesn't rot out.

Protective shipping leg wraps for your horse is a good idea.....consider these as well as even bell boots on the front end of your mare.

Some horses won't urinate in a trailer because of the splatter from the wooden or mat covered floor. While I don't do it, my wife always puts shavings in her trailer when she transport one of her horses. Good luck and safe journey.

Horse Needs to Stand Tied

Shari and two other people e-mailed me with basically the same problem, having a horse that won’t stand tied and/or pulling back from the tie rail and breaking lead lines.

Once a horse learns they can pull back, break a lead and get freedom it is hard to teach them otherwise. I don’t know how horses are getting their feet trimmed or shod without standing for that. Quickest way to have to find a new farrier is to have a horse that won’t stand for trimming or showing. Also dangerous to have a horse tied while you are trying to saddle him and have him pull back.

Using a web halter and a lead rope with some type of snap, a pulling horse can easily break the lead rope and usually at the snap. This can create a hazard where the rope and the remaining metal piece from the snap get whipped back at the horse. And if the horse get’s beaned in the head with that piece of metal, he’ll for sure think his escape was justified.

A rope halter, with a tied on lead rope, is generally better than a webbed halter and lead rope with a snap, as when the horse pulls back, the rope halter being a small diameter adds more pressure to the poll and is stronger than a lead rope with a snap, however I have seen horses break rope halters also.

The way to teach horses to stand tied is to have them stand tied but hard to do if they pull back and break the lead. I have found it helpful to use a friction device that allows the lead rope to pull through at a controlled rate. There are many on the market: The Blocker Tie Ring from Ted Blocker and the Aussie Tie Ring from Clinton Anderson, which are similar products.


I found some ring clips in a store which I use for cross ties on my farrier’s stand and wash stand. I also use a product called The Clip. See picture at top. I do not like the stop feature on the Clip (see the Clip on the right of the above picture), so I hack saw them off and file it down smooth (see the Clip on the left side of the above picture) . They come in handy tying a horse to a trailer D ring on the inside for trailering or the outside of the trailer when tacking up.

Once I hacksaw the stop feature off and smooth down the metal, which takes about 5 minutes total, I now have a smooth surface on the Clip for the rope to travel across.


Mainly used for horses who spook when tied, the idea is that when a horse spooks the lead rope will feed through the ring or clip at a controlled speed, allowing the horse to escape a little, but more importantly give him time to think and ultimately the horse should figure out that he doesn’t need to spook or pull back. Some horses just have to pull back and escape in order to figure out that they don’t have to.

Links to tie ring products: 

Ted Blocker Tie Ring


Clinton Anderson Aussie Tie Ring



The Clip

Cowboy Humor: The Pastor's New Teeth

A Pastor goes to the dentist for a set of false teeth. The first Sunday after he gets his new teeth, he preaches for only eight minutes (much to the delight of some).

The second Sunday, he talks for only ten minutes. Most of his flock are pretty content to hear the word of God in such a short span.

The following Sunday, he talks for 2 hours and 48 minutes. The congregation had to mob him to get him down from the pulpit and they asked him what happened.

The Pastor explains the first Sunday his gums hurt so bad he couldn't talk for more than 8 minutes. The second Sunday his gums hurt too much to talk for more than 10 minutes. But, the third Sunday, he put his wife's teeth in by mistake and he couldn't shut up......