Question on Handling Hooves and Horse Nutrition

KB wrote me with the following questions: "I have a 9 year old quarter horse mare that cow kicks every time you try to pick up her hind feet. And also we just got a 1 1/2 yr old gelding who doesn't want you to touch his legs at all and I really need to get this problem fixed so that I can safely clean their hoofs and have them trimmed. So any help would be greatly appreciated. And since I was told I shouldn't ever tie the younger horse the first time he is introduced to something new and I don't have anyone else to help me I not sure where to start.

And also I have read so much about horse nutrition that now I feel completely and uterly lost on what they each should have and have had no luck finding a equine nutritionist in this area (Ft. Worth, TX) to try and ask any questions of. And yes, I read in one of your articles earlier that everyone I ask has a different answer, which just makes it that much more difficult to try and figure out the best thing to do. And all I am really wanting to do it provide all the nutrients, vitimins, minerals, etc. that the horses need and do my best to make them safe for myself and the farrier so that we can move on to all the other (fun stuff) that comes along with having horses. And thank you again for any help you may have to offer."

On Horse Nutrition,...first of all I am not a equine nutritionist, I just have some opinions based on my experience and it seems like you have figured out everyone else has opinions as well! I think that educating yourself on nutrition is a process, probably a never ending process, that combines experience and learning from multiple sources (experience, talking with knowledgeable people, reading books, and researching the internet). I think horses do well on their own, but we create a lot of problems when we put them in pens, and because of convenience, throw dry, compressed feed to them a couple times a day. Then we add grains, processed feeds and supplements to solve problems that sometimes we create, and sometimes creating more problems.

One good source of nutritional information is ADM Alliance Nutrition. ADM advocates a "Forage First" approach, which I wholeheartedly believe in. They also offer television based interviews on nutrition, through RFD-TV, with Dr. Judy Reynolds, as well as a nutrition hot line phone number.

Generally, most horses can do well on forage (hay), a salt block and fresh water. I feed both grass and alfalfa hay,....I reckon most people just feed alfalfa.

On the issue of you not being able to handle your horse's feet: Horses weren't born giving to their feet. And if you think about it, with a horse's well defined sense of survival, allowing us to pick a foot off the ground, taking away their ability to flee, is a compromise all of it's own.

It is the responsibility of the horse owner to make his/her horse safe to trim/shoe. Most of us do not pay our farriers enough to train our horses for us. In fact, the easiest way to lose a good farrier is to have him trim/shoe a ill mannered horse.

Your horse probably has some other problems areas as well and the origin of these problems are most likely based out of a lack of respect from the horse to you.  If I am picking up the feet on a horse I am evaluating for the first time, I make sure the horse is comfortable with me at all places around it's body and with my hands rubbing on that horse all over.  When I have a real green horse, I may try using the lead rope or a lariat to pickup their feet with for the first few times.  What I am looking for is a give by the horse then I'll release the pressure. That first time may be two seconds, then I build on that.  You are looking for the slightest try then rewarding the horse with the release.

Most likely you are going to have problems with bad manners, and horses being recalcitrant about letting you pickup their feet is a classic bad habit, unless you get the horse's respect and I think you do that by moving his feet, backing him up, getting that horse to join up with you,....getting that horse to see you as the leader.   Again, work on accepting and rewarding a small try and build on that.  Let me know how you are doing KB.  Safe Journey. 



   

2012 Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium

Just made it back from our annual trip to the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium held in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Reining competition, horse training demonstrations from Craig Cameron, Chuck Wagon cookoffs, brisket and green chile burritos, and Mule demonstrations as well as live music headlined by the Gatlin Brothers and Asleep At The Wheel all made this a welcome get away for a weekend.

Josh Armstrong, from Armstrong Equine Services, highlighted the Reining Horse competition, called "Ride and Slide" hosted by the Zia Paint Horse Club where riders demonstrated flying lead changes and sliding stops among the reining patterns.

We go every year primarily to see Craig Cameron put on several one hour demonstrations. The bleachers around his round pen were again over flowing this year as Craig demonstrated putting a handle on a young horse in one session and in another session he took a two year old that had never been ridden and within an hour he had this two year old giving to pressure and accepting a saddle and rider. Perhaps the best thing Craig Cameron does is demonstrate what is possible with a horse when you approach the relationship from the horse's point of view, and he always explains the why and not just the how.  Picture at right is Craig Cameron working a green tow year old horse from the back of a horse he had previous worked to put a little more handle on.  

For The Love of a Horse Update

For The Love of a Horse (FTLOAH) is a Roswell, Georiga based tax exempt, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization comprised of volunteers dedicated to the resuce and rehabilitation of equines, specifically those with critical care needs that would otherwise be euthanized.

A visit by FTLOAH to the Somerby Assisted Living Center on October 4, 2012, covered by CNN covered this event where For The Love Of A Horse brought a mini and a donkey out to meet the residents.   Judging by the smiles on the faces of the residents this visit brought a lot of joy to these people.

The latest rescue case for FTLOAH is Chief, an Appaloosa gelding approximatley 13 years old. As with most rescue horses, their history is often a mystery other than the obvious fact they were not cared for. Chief is three legged lame due to an injury to his right front pastern, which is probably why he was abandoned. Veternarian Dr. Randy Eggleston at the University of Georgia, believes Chief can be helped and FTLOAH is raising money to pay for surgery scheduled at the University of Georgia this coming week.





This organization can use a hand to continue doing good things for equines and humans alike. There is a pay pal link on their website if you could donate. For further information contact: Miaka D. Palmieri, President, "For The Love Of A Horse" www.fortheloveofahorse.org Telephone: 404.680.0392

Learning From Videos

I received this through e-mail from Wendy R: "Hi. I'm between a basic and intermediate rider. I keep my horse on a friend's farm and don't have a way with either a horse trailer or truck to get my 7 year old Palomino mare to any riding clinics. Even so it would be a minimum of 5 hours or so to get to one, which are normally held at the fairgrounds. I have learned from a couple of your videos like opening gates and getting a horse to stand still but I am looking for more good videos. Do you have any suggestions on a few good, inexpensive DVD type training videos?"

Hi Wendy, sorry that attending clinics is darn near impossible for you. One thing you may want to look into is trailering with someone else to a clinic. Maybe joining a local or regional horse group will give you some contacts. Attending a clinic without your horse is called "auditing".  While auditing a clinic would be helpful, attending a clinic where you can ride and learn at the same time would probably pay off much better.

The advantage with DVD's is the ability to re-play them over and over until you understand the material then go out on horseback and experiment.  I think that sometimes these self learned lessons can be the best kind. 

Everyone is going to have their favorite clinicians, pretty much based on their ability to understand that clinician. My two favorites are Craig Cameron and Buck Brannaman. That doesn't imply that others are less capable, it's just these two come across much easier to understand to my way of thinking. While I have not had the opportunity to view either of the below training videos from Craig Cameron or Buck Brannaman, I have seen other videos they produce and am pretty confident that you would find any of their videos useful and professional.  Good luck Wendy and safe journey.

Practice Makes Perfect, by Craig Cameron Craig Cameron videos

Seven Clinics with Buck Brannaman Buck Brannaman videos

Yearling's Swelling Caused by Protein Deficiency?

Tammy wrote and asked "I have a 10 month Blue Roan Tennesse Walking Horse. She has a swollen barrel so I had the Vet come out. He rubbed her belly and said she was low on protein but she did have a hernia that needed to be removed. He said the swelling was due to low protein, have you ever heard of this????"

Hey Tammy, while I wouldn't call this common (the swelling or edema on your yearling's barrel), it is not unheard of for a protein deficiency to cause non-painful swelling. The mechanism, as I understand it, is that sufficient protein provides a key nutrient that keeps fluid from leaking out of the blood vessels and causing the swelling. Your Vet was probably rubbing your filly's belly to see if there was any pain.  A lack of pain may indicate swelling from fluid buildup from a protein deficiency as opposed to swelling from trauma. 

I would think that a protein deficiency would be a more likely cause of the swelling than some sort of digestive problem where your filly could not breakdown and assimilate nutrients from her feed.

I would work with your Vet on a feeding solution. You may want to visit with the horse feed professionals at ADM Alliance Nutrition. There is a alot of information available at their website under Equine Library, including feeding growing horses.

ADM's spokeperson, Dr. Judy Reynolds, appears on RFD-TV to talk about feeding horses. They also have a telephone Nutrition hotline at 1-800-680-8254.

Your Vet should have talked to you about fixing the hernia. Sometimes hernias don't appear in foals until they are a little older and more active. Did he say what type of hernia?

There are two basic types of hernias: Inguinal and Umbilical hernias. With the Inguinal hernia usually being more serious and have a greater need for a quicker resolution which your Vet should be able to do with no lasting effects on the horse.

Let me know how it works out with your TWH. That's a great breed and Blue Roan is a pretty color. She ought to make a great riding horse for you. Good luck and safe journey.

End of Watch - Border Patrol Agent Nicholas Ivie

On Tuesday October 2nd, 2012 while responding as part of a Horse Patrol unit from Naco Border Patrol Station to a sensor activation, close to Highway 80 just West of Douglas Arizona, which indicated a possible narcotics load up occurring, Border Patrol Agent Nicholas Ivie was shot and killed in the line of duty.

Another Border Patrol Agent was wounded. The subjects, not yet determined to be either a bandit group intending on robbing illegal aliens, or simply a armed narcotics smuggling group, have not yet been captured, or, suspects detained in the general area have not yet been linked to the shooting.

Update:  Since posting this article, a preliminary FBI investigation has now reported that in all probability Agent Ivie was killed as a result of friendly fire. Imagine several agents responding to a remote area in the dead of night, expecting to find a narcotics load or a bandit crew, and you can start to see what kind of situation this is.  The results of the investigation do not make Agent Ivie's sacrifice any less.     


Border Patrol Agent Ivie is the second Border Patrol Agent to die in the line of duty in the last two years from armed criminals operating inside the border in very rough and remote areas of Arizona.  Nicholas Ivie left a wife and two young children. We wish speed in God granting Agent Ivie's family a measure of peace from their grief.

Please keep our Border Patrol Agents, especially those on horseback, as well as our other dedicated law enforcement officers in your thoughts and prayers.
 

Large Animal Emergencies and Horse Rescue Training

A friend of mine traveled several hours to attend a Large Animal Emergency and Rescue (LAER) clinic conducted by Vicki Schmidt, a Maine State Fire Instructor II and firefighter for Buckfield Fire Department. She is also the owner and manager of Troika Drafts, a 100 acre working draft horse farm in western Maine.The training was conducted in in the Silver City, New Mexico which is mountainous and wooded and is always facing a fire threat. 

Getting prepared for horse or other larger animal emergencies such as evacuation from wild fires or floods, horses stuck in things like culverts or trees, or (God forbid) trailer accidents is a good idea.

The LAER clinic was billed as preparing emergency responders and animal owners together, helping each understand the others roles and responsibilities.

Most Rescue Preparedness Training for horse owners revolves around the concept the horse and owner being "Rescue Ready".

Some of the traits that "Rescue Ready" horse would have includes: • Leads equally well from both sides • Stands quietly while tied and blindfolded • Allows straps to be draped over, under, around and between their legs • Allows wraps freely on their legs • Accepts the sound of duct tape, etc • Is not afraid of the light of a flashlight • Is trusting of humans/strangers


The "Rescue Ready" owner should think about the following steps to be ready for an emergency: • Pre-programmed In-Case-Of-Emergency names and numbers in their cell phones • Emergency info posted near phones • Arranges for emergency care of horses • Stays calm in the event of an emergency • Knows their horses ambient vital signs • Respects the authority and responsibility of local responders • Knows knots and safety protocol • Trains their horse to be rescue ready. • Keeps halters handy and other safety items



Large Animal and Horse Rescue Organizations:

Vicki Schmidt, Large Animal Rescue Training program

Arizona Equine Rescue Organization

Clemson University Cooperative Extension

Horse Rescue Resources:

Equine Emergency Rescue - A Horse Owners Guide to Large Animal Rescue. A guide to the methods and tools necessary to successfully extricate a horse or other large animal from entrapment using low-tech, low-risk options that are safer, easier and quicker than extreme techniques. Available from Indie Book Authors.

More Training for the Trail Horse

I was recently asked to bring a horse to a park to support a Law Enforcement Agency picnic. Many of the agents and mission support personnel had young children so they thought horse back rides and the inevitable picture taking would be a good draw for the picnic.

I easily said yes as this would give me a good chance to sack one of my horses out on all sorts of fearful things.

So on a Sunday late morning I arrived with Junior and rode him around the park seeing all sorts of things new to him: a rappelling tower with a group of people climbing and rappelling; baby strollers; volleyball courts with flapping boundary tape; picnic tables and canopies; a jumping balloon shaped like a castle complete with some screaming curtain climbers jumping around like wild banshees,..and all was good until we encountered a large bag sticking out from a pile of saw dust that had yet to be spread.

That flapping bag was the only thing that bothered my horse but it only took a minute or two to get him to drop his head onto it and when it was all said and over with I had him backing into it with the bag getting wrapped around a leg and he was okay with it.

Then it was time to let the kids pet, rub on and sit in the saddle on Junior for short ground led rides. With their parents there to confirm it was their child and to give permission, I ended up putting about 50 kids on Junior back for short rides and pictures taking.

In between groups of kids petting on Junior and wanting to ride him, Junior grazed on the park grass which he has only seen a half dozen times in the last 5 or 6 years. At the end of day I think I had just a little bit better of a horse, and a bunch of happy kids and their parents had pictures to prove it.

Accepting and Learning v Desensitization

Haironhide, now that's a great on-line name.  I once knew a pair of chaps named that.  Anyway Haironhide wrote and said that his horse doesn't seem to be getting better at accepting obstacles such as trash bags flapping around inside of trash cans or a tire laying on the ground. Haironhide also commented that he had been reading that too much desensitization can be bad for a horse.

I think it is theoretically possible to desensitize a horse too much, but I can't say I've ever seen it,....even something close to it.  While I know of some top hand horse trainers who have said they don't like the term "desensitizing", I think Haironhide hit on a better understanding of what we are trying to do with our horses when he mentioned the word "acceptance".

When you horse get's accepting of something when he previously was showing anxiety or reluctance, then that horse is learning to think rather than just react. I wrote back to Haironhide and said when faced with a scary object and a scary person his back jabbing him in the side with spurs, if a horse is forced to approach or go to or by that scary object, it does not mean he is accepting it.

For all we know that horse may think the rider is pushing him past, then away from the object because it is a danger. But in any event it was not a positive learning experience for that horse. It was surviving as opposed to learning.  One of my many faults that I continue to try to correct is to not be in such a big hurry, and to use a pause to help the horse learn.  And what he is learning is that he can think a situation.  I think this is diferent than becoming desensitized to it.

In the picture above I took Junior up to a pen full of Alpacas who he had never seen up close before.  You can see by his head set and ears forward that he had some concern about these strange looking, long necked creatures.  I asked Junior to step forward and when he was real uncomfortable, I allowed him to stop.  When his body language showed me his concern for these Alpacas was reduced, I asked him forward again.  This only takes a few minutes, if it takes that long.  But if it took longer than that, it's still worth it,..... letting your horse learn that he can figure things out,...learning that he doesn't always have to spook or bolt first then think secondly.        

More Cowboy Humor - Get Off the Carousel

My apologies if this offends anyone. We all probably know someone who comes to mind when you read the card below. Some of the toughest and best hands I know drink themselves into a shorter life which is unfortunate.   But, they know what they are doing and approach life with more humor than most.  I just hope most of you can get a chuckle at this.

Feeding Bran Mashes

Cindy M wrote to me and asked: "Hello! Just read the Bran Mash article and was wondering if you give this bran mash to them instead of a meal? in between meals? We are pretty new to the horse world, but already have way too much experience with colic. Wondering if this might help. Thanks for the info."

Hey Cindy, thanks for writing. Giving your horse a bran in a mash is not necessarily a colic treatment, such as when they are exhibiting colic symptoms.  But it may be one of the things you should consider overall for your horse's health, particularly digestive help, and as a preventative measure for colic particular if you keep you horse in a sandy area and your horse may consume sand when it is picking up hay off the ground,....hence the name sand colic.

I give a weekly bran mash as one of my preventative measures for sand colic and for general digestive health. I use a little bit of molasses and corn oil to help the taste and I sometimes include a couple scoops of Sand Clear. I feed it an addition to regular feedings, usually equal time between feedings.

One of the best sources for Horse Nutrition is the book, Equine Clinical Nutrition, by Lon D. Lewis, Williams & Wilkins, 1995. This books states "While some people feed wheat bran to help with digestive health and a colic preventative, Bran has no laxative effect nor soften stools (manure) in horses, and that there is no evidence either way that bran mash can help prevent colic." As much respect as I have for Lewis’ work, I will remain one of those people who think a weekly bran mash is a probably a good idea.

Some people say that using corn oil is counter productive when mixing it with bran or any Psyllium product. I don't see that, especially with the small amounts of corn oil I use. Other people won't use molasses as it may spike the horses blood sugar,..again, I use very small amounts.

Bran is actually the ground up outer layer of a kernel of grain. Most bran available at feed stores is wheat bran or rice bran. The different being that rice bran has a much higher fat content and can more easily go rancid. Bran is a low density feed at about half or less the weight compared to the same volume of grains such as oats or corn. So the same volume of bran compared to its grain counterpart provides only half the digestible energy.

If I'm working a horse pretty hard or have to use him two pretty long days in a row, I may feed him a bran mash each day for it's energy value. Again, with just a small amount of corn oil and molasses to make it a little more palatable to the horse.   

Given the same weight (not volume) Wheat Bran actually provides slightly more digestible energy than Alfalfa, Grass Hay or Beet Pulp, but is actually lower in percentage of crude fiber.  But Wheat Bran is not something you can use to replace Alfalfa and Grass Hay.


Another thing you may consider doing is tuning in SmartPak's Webinar's on Horse Health issues.  SmartPak is a equine supplement distributor, and more than a distributor, as they customize supplement packets based on owner and horse needs.    

This Thursday, September 13th, SmartPak is hosting two Colic Prevention Live Webinars,...one at noon to 1pm the other at 7 to 8 pm.   This is advertised as a free one hour live webinar on Colic Prevention including smart tips to reduce your horse’s risk presented by Dr. Lydia Gray, Medical Director and Jessica Normand, Senior Director - SmartSupplements™ at SmartPak.

I use a pelleted feed product called Patriot from ADM Alliance Nutrition.  What I like about ADM is their motto is "Forage First".  ADM proclaims horses are classified as non-ruminant herbivores, with digestive tracts designed to best utilize good-quality forages....and that research shows that feeding programs relying too heavily on cereal grains, with limited forage, often result in health and performance problems.

ADM has a very good website with horse nutritional information and information on their seminars. You may want to bookmark this site and refer to the very good ADM articles on Horse Health issues.

I hope this helps Cindy,...Safe Journey. 

Horses Healing Children

Still with a sad heart from losing my old friend Roy who often was the first horse many children were introduced to and who brought a great deal of joy to these children, I read an article on how horses were helping heal children who were victims of abuse. The fact that the outside horses are good for the insides of people are no surprise to us,....still good to read about horses healing humans.

The core of the article is below, with the original article here.

Strawberry is the horse that bonded with one victim and helped launch Marley's Mission. The novel approach taken at a place called Marley's Mission is a rare insight into how abuse victims begin to recover from the most horrible of suffering. Marley's Mission may turn out to save kids who might otherwise have nowhere to turn.

The story begins with tragedy. In July 2009, a 5-year-old girl was brutally attacked in her home by a complete stranger. The man had attended a family picnic, introducing himself as the friend of a family friend, and he entered the girl's room after she had gone to sleep. Then he savagely raped the little girl, leaving her with her severe injuries. Her parents, completely distraught, took their daughter, left their home and never came back. The rapist, named Felix Montoya, was eventually sent to prison. But the girl's fate was potentially much worse.

Her parents tried intensive therapy of all kinds – talk therapy, art therapy, everything. Nothing worked. Even the best psychologists have trouble getting children to describe their feelings, especially when those feelings are so unbearable. So the therapist of this little girl, a woman named Ann Cook, began to think of other ways to get her to share her feelings. The girl loved a guinea pig, named Marley. And that led to another idea that changed not only the girl's life, but the lives of more than 160 other victims.

Press coverage of the assault and conviction drew an outpouring of sympathy and money. The family moved into a new house and bought their daughter a present: a horse named Strawberry. And soon something changed in the girl. She spent hours around the horse, petting him, feeding him and just walking around with him. The horse became a companion. And then a minor miracle took place.

Slowly, the girl began to speak. She talked about what she thought was going on in the horse's mind. And in doing so, the girl began to share what was buried inside her heart.

That proved to be the seed of a cause, started by the girl's mother, April Loposky. She teamed up with Gene Talerico, the assistant district attorney who prosecuted Montoya, and Cook, the therapist, to start a horse farm dedicated to helping victims of child abuse.

"You get to have a conversation about the horse with the child," Talerico says. "Instead of talking in first person, now we're saying, well, the horse is behaving this way because of this. The [children] superimpose their struggles on the horse. The horse's struggle becomes their struggles."

One year to the day after the rape, Marley's Mission opened. "We wanted it to go from a day of hurt to a day of hope," Talerico says.

That is what's happened. Marley's Mission was named "Best New Charity" in 2011.

"The strength of survivors was crucial," says Talerico. "It allows people to be buoyed by the courage of others. There are more people inquiring as to what we do and how we do it. When this was on the forefront and people were saying, ‘No more, this is no longer a secret,' the ripple effect of that is incredible."

Marley's Mission now has six therapists, 10 horses and four equine specialists. It serves approximately 80 children, at no cost to their families. On a typical Saturday morning, there are up to a dozen kids at the farm. There is no riding for the children, who are ages 5 to 18. Instead, they walk with the horse and care for the animal while both the therapist and an ever-present equine expert look on.

For one boy we'll refer to as "Vale," Marley's Mission has been life-changing. He was abused between the ages of 6 and 8, and he faced all kinds of hurdles to recovery, including an eating disorder. But Vale says he felt comfortable almost right away with one of the horses, named Lacy, and as soon as he got into the car for the ride home after visiting Marley's Mission last year, he turned to his mom and said, "I'm hungry."

Marley's Mission has used horses to build a connection with child-abuse victims. "The connection I had with that one horse was really awesome," Vale says. "I felt like I really got to know her. I didn't feel like it was just an animal. They really have a sense of how they affect people. They understand how the people are feeling. Around children, they have to be safer about where they are stepping. They can't actually understand ‘I'm sad today,' but they can tell by the way you act."

Vale is now 15, and he says he's "a lot better." He returned to the farm this summer to help out. He says Marley's Mission has not only allowed him to be more comfortable with his own feelings, but also to better express himself to other people.

The hard work of therapy shouldn't be diminished here; survivors of these heinous crimes will work to overcome their pasts as long as they live. But for victims and families, the idea that there is something that can be done to make a child feel better is the most reassuring feeling imaginable. When asked if equine therapy really works, Talerico is almost gleeful. "I've spend two decades doing this stuff," he says. "The successes of this kind of therapy are remarkable."

Marley's Mission is moving to a newer, bigger farm. Plans are to open it on the fourth anniversary of that unspeakable 2009 crime. The new land will be closer to the center of the state, to help children from a wider span of Pennsylvania.

And most importantly, the little girl who was raped that night is still healing. Talerico remembers seeing her in the hospital after the attack, desperately wondering what could possibly be done for a child so young and so hurt. He remembers the look on her face, but also the design on her hospital gown. It had unicorns and horses. "I guess it was fate," he says.

Go to Marley's Mission and donate if you're of a mind to.

The Best Horse, His Name was Roy

Around the winter of 2001, I first met Roy when I went to take a look at several other horses.  As I got out of my truck I noticed a Bay colored horse around 15 hh, at least a hundred pounds under fed, looking at me.  As I walked up to the pens with the owner, this horse who I came to call Roy softly nickered at me.  The owner pointed to the other horses and said "these are the horses I was telling you about." I replied "I ain't interested in them, I'm interested in this one" pointing to Roy. 

 

The owner said "I wasn't planning on selling him, but I'm willing to talk."  The owner was a horse trader who cut corners on his horse care and was on the verge of abusing his stock.  He was in a mood to get out of the horse business, so I ended up cuting a deal with him. As I was leaving I noticed a stack of moldy alfafa near the pens.  I pointed that out to him and said "I'm buying that horse so don't be feeding him that moldy hay, in fact don't feed that to any of your horses".

 

The next day I brought a Vet out to check him over.  The Vet told me that Roy had a bad left knee and a heart mumur.  The Vet actually said, "I wouldn't buy him."  But I decided to anyway.  Roy was an excellent looking horse conformationally wise, was the right size,...most importantly he has a kind eye.  I took the chance that his only problems were nutrition based and having the right owner. 

 

The day after that the Vet called me to tell me he responsded to a colic call on the horse I was going buy.  I immediately drove out to the barn and found out that Roy had been moved to another barn down the road.  I drove over to that barn and talked to the manager and told him that I would appreciate it he only fed grass hay to Roy until the next day when I could pick him up.   

 

A day later the owner sent his wife out to complete the transaction, money for horse, then I moved Roy into quaratine at the facility I managed.  Near as we could figure we was about 17 to 18 years old then. 

 

Good care, mostly from my wife, using good quality grass and afalfa hay, a small amount of calf manna and corn oil each day, and alittle Red Cell, plus a good shoer brought Roy into good condition within a couple months.   

He was a pleasure to ride, having a slow jog that you could fall asleep on.  I was pleased to find out that he was broke to a rope, so I used him for a couple seasons as a team roping horse.  He wasn't the biggest, nor fastest horse in any arena, but I have no doubt he had the biggest heart. 

 

My daughter also rode him in gymkhana's doing barrels, pole bending, flag racing and goat tying.  She also took him on trail rides and despite his age she and Roy kept up with the other horses in our game of brush popping.   That's my daughter on Roy from several years ago in the below photo.

        

 

Roy just did as you asked of him, and never had any quit at all.  In fact, a couple times I was caught on him in hail storms,....doesn't say much about my weather forecasting abilities, but the fact that he stayed calm with marble sized hail hitting him in the head say's alot about him.  One time I had to take my vest off and cover his face, leading him blind until the hail ceased. 

 

Also had him in a couple dust storms that came out of nowhere.  He just put his head down and continued on, taking me back to the barn.  Roy became the leader in my herd helping to raise a yearling paint gelding teaching him how to be a horse and teaching other horses their manners. 

 

My wife, before she was my wife, used Roy for several years teaching horsemanship to dozens of children and a couple of adults.  Roy would carry those children on his back like he was toting an expensive crystal vase. Those children, some of whom are now grown, continue to call my wife and ask about Roy.  I have long thought that my wife just might have married me to get partial ownership of Roy.   

 

On the 4th of July 2005 My wife called me when I was on duty to tell me Roy was three legged lame.  Subsequent X-rays showed that Roy broke a coffin bone wing in his back right hoof.  The Vet said as old as he was, it would not heal.  We tried anyway, and using one of the best shoers around with bar shoes, Roy became sound again.  

 

By this time, Roy was regulated to a lesson horse but was always at the gate of the corral asking to be ridden.  I have used him in several videos and was riding him more and more getting him ready for the fall and winter.

 

I would sometimes sit out by my geldings corral just to watch the horses interact,...thinking maybe if I pay attention I could learn something.  I would see Roy playing the biting game with another horse.  Once that other horse extended his head and neck and had most of his weight on his front end, Roy would quickly spin placing his butt to the other horse then back him into at speeds I could never get him to back when I was on his back.   He also developed a close friendship with my wife's big gelding, Charlie, and they would stand together swatting flies or scrubbing each others' withers. 

 

More often or not Roy would hear me coming for morning feeding and come running and bucking across the corral to make sure he was fed first.  

 

This past Sunday when riding back to the back gate on the property, I yelled Roy's name.  He responded with his bellowing call telling the other horses where he was at.  I told my wife that Roy's call was my favorite sound in the world and it would be a sad day when he was no longer around for me to hear.  Little did I know that day would be the very next day when I found Roy laying down in the corral, bleeding heavily with a compound fracture of his right front leg.  We had a Vet put him down shortly after that and I buried him that morning.

 

I wanted to write about him last night,......just couldn't do it. I lost more than the best horse yesterday, I lost my friend.          

   

Common Bad and Dangerous Habits on the Trail

I received an e-mail from a person, who name I will not use, asking for me to write a post about bad and dangerous habits on the trail. "Dear Functional Horsemanship, could you write an article about bad and dangerous things riders do when trail riding? I enjoy riding and several of us usually ride on weekends, however occasionally some of the riders, some of the original group and some of the new riders, make the ride less enjoyable because they are not so careful with their horses and are not considering others. Thanks, I'd like to print what you say and give it to them, but I know I won't. Please do not use my name too."

Considering the other riders and their horses is the key. I think that riders in a group should ride considering the comfort and skill level of the least experienced rider and the greenest horse. And on the other hand, green riders and/or green horses should choose their trail mates carefully and with knowledge that they may slow up or restrict the ride somewhat.

We all probably know people that we would rather not ride with, if not for their personality then for their trail manners. I used to work with an individual who was prone to letting the reins drap over his horse’s neck while he played with a cell phone, a radio or whatever and his horse would routinely bump into others. Over a period of just a couple years this individual was thrown or became unseated twice, breaking ribs the first time and a femur the second time. I am saying this not because of his bad horsemanship, but his general inattentiveness that posed safety risks to himself and others. So another bad trail habit is a rider that is a danger to him or herself, potentially leaving the group with a casualty to care.

And while I’m writing about this character,….one time I was trying to get down a steep embankment to stop and checkout a truck and cattle trailer who were not scheduled to be in a grazing unit. I told my partner let me choose a path, give me some room and follow me down. I chose a path that I thought he and his horse could handle. Well follow me down he did, ……..right on my horse's butt, but he couldn't rate his horse and ran into me almost causing a major wreck. So, the bad habit here is not controlling your horse, riding too close or up into another horse. Good way to get kicked,….by both the horse and the other rider!

It is no surprise that horses have a herd mentality and sometimes see increased separation as something to worry about. It is the responsibility of the rider behind not to run up into or crowd the horse in front. If the horse in front is prone to kicking then it should be wearing a red ribbon and that rider should mention this horse's kicking trait at the beginning of the ride to all.

Secondly, if you have buddy sour horse in your group be considerate of riding off and causing that horse anxiety and possibly increasing danger to the rider. Sure there needs to be a minimum level for a horse and rider for the trail, but often the trail is a good training ground for green horses and riders. If you accept that horse and rider with your group on the trail, then I would think it is implied that there is responsibility to all horses and riders as well.

If a green rider and horse has to stop for any reason, it be courteous for the others, or at least some of the others to stop and wait.  A green horse stopping by himself and seeing the herd leave may become anxious and hard to control for a green rider.  And if the inexperienced rider allows that anxious horse to catch up   at his own speed, regardless of the rider, than that horse is learning some bad habits, one of which is letting him buy into that anxiety that he is in danger and has to catch up.  If a green horse is like this then maybe the best thing to do is to not set him up for failure by leaving him behind.   It might be easier to teach that horse to think and be brave on easier to acheive things rather than to be seemed to be left behind on the trail.  It would also be the responsbility of the green rider to ask the others to wait.

Another common bad habit is for a rider in a group to suddenly lope off and possibly spooking other horses, or to run up on a group unexpectedly. It would be good manners to ask the group if they mind you loping off. One way would be for the group to stop and let the rider walk off a ways, then lope away. In fact we do this quite a bit and call it leap frogging. It’s good training for the horse who stays behind so when you ask him for a jog or a lope, it gives you a chance to rate him and get him used to those cues, as opposed to running full out to catch up.

One more hard to put up with habit is for a rider, whose horse cannot stand still, to be close to others when everyone is stopped, then his horse is constantly moving around pushing into other riders and their horses.  Have you ever seen one rider's horse standing right next to another horse, turning into the other horse and getting his head through the other horses reins?  
For more advanced riders riding in a less experienced group, you can still have an enjoyable ride by working on communication between you and your horse,…..work on lightening your cues,…..get in back of the group and work on two tracking,….jogging circles,…..walking collected,....or whatever.  The list of what you can do is basically endless.  This can turn a boring ride into a good training session. 

A lot of problems can be alleviated up front by the group agreeing on how they are going to ride. I guess that’s called communication, between humans and horses, and humans and humans.   Of course, there are also non-verbal communications, like those looks my wife gives me, which makes me want to be in Central America or some other place far away. Safe Trails. 

Cowboy Humor - Bottle Refunds

A Texan, a Californian, and a Nevadan were out riding their horses, when the Nevadan pulled out a bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale took a long draw, then another, and then suddenly threw it into the air, pulled out his gun and shot the bottle in midair.

The Californian looked at the Nevadan and said, "What are you doing? That was a perfectly good bottle of beer!! The Nevadan replied, "We make that beer in Nevada,...there's plenty of it and bottles are cheap.

A while later, not wanted to be outdone, the Californian pulled out a bottle of champagne, took a few sips, threw the half full champagne bottle into the air, pulled out his gun, and shot it in midair.

The Nevadan couldn't believe this and said "What did you that for? That was an expensive bottle of champagne!! The Californian replied, "In California there is plenty of champagne and bottles are cheap."

A while later, the Texan pulled out a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 sipping whiskey.  He opened it, took a sip, took another sip, then chugged the rest. He then put the bottle back in his saddlebag, pulled out his gun, turned, and shot the Californian.

The shocked Nevadan said "Why in the world did you do that?" The Texan replied, "Well, in Texas we have plenty of Californians and bottles are worth a nickel."

Managing Mecate Reins

I received many e-mails about riding with Mecate's. I'm chalking that up to the new found popularity of trail riding and the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA). There is no mystery to Mecate's, they are simply one piece or continuous reins which some know as roping reins, although they have a built in lead or get down rope.  It is more common now to see Mecate's made from rope, such as yacht braid, as opposed to the traditional horse hair.

When asked me how to hold the reins I am not trying to be a smart aleck when I reply "pretty much the same as you would any one piece reins." At this stage of my life I believe that making things simple is usually the best way to do most things. And if thats makes me a simpleton, then so be it.  In fact, I'm pretty sure my wife refers to me as "the simpleton" who resides in her house.

Anyway, I shot a couple of short videos to demonstrate how I hold and manage Mecate reins which I make out of 7/16ths inch or 1/2 inch dimater yacht braid or rapelling rope. I tend to use about a seven and one half foot long reins, counting the slobber straps.  I hold the reins together in one hand, with about a 14 to 18 inch loop of excess reins, and my hand generally down, knuckles up and palm pointing towards the horn of the saddle. This is what is comfortable and works for me.

I think a common mistake is to have the reins too long where your hand or hands have too much reins to manage and you could run out of room trying to make contact through the bit. In the video below, I'm riding Roy, my old team roping horse, who I like to talk about because he's such a good horse. Twenty eight years old now and having overcome a broken broken coffin bone on a back foot, he's pretty much been a children's and novice horse for the past 8 years. So now I ride him gently and ask little of him.

General George Crook - Indian Warfighter

Born 1828 and died 1890, General George Crook was considered the Army's greatest Indian fighter. It is by no coincidence that he maximized use of Indian Scouts, particularly members of the particular Indian Nation he was fighting.

General Crook earned his reputation as a relentless enemy of the Indians however personally he had a healthy respect for Indian culture and was in turn respected by the Indians.

Crook graduated from West Point in 1852 and spent the next several years in California and Oregon fighting Indians. It was here he first not only developed his expertise in irregular warfare but learned how to integrate scouts and local volunteers into his military campaign plans.

In 1861 the outbreak of the Civil War brought Crook back to the east where he participated in battles, most notably the Second Battle of Bull Run and Chickamauga. After the war, Crook was assigned back to the West and against Indian tribes again,....this time fighting the Paiute. Because of his successes, Crook was assigned to pacify the Arizona Territory where beginning in 1871 he fought Apache attempts to stay off designated reservations.

It is here in the Apache campaign that Crook's reputation soared, being relentless and successfully integrating Apache and White Scouts (notably Al Seiber and Tom Horn) into his hunts for Apaches renegades.  Crook became to be known by the Apache as "Gray Wolf" and for his honest treatment of the Apache during capture and negotiations.  Honest meaning honest like a horse because you knew what to expect from Crook.

 In 1875 General Crook was transferred to the Northern Plains first to protect and remove Gold miners who illegally entered the Black Hills to prospect and subsequently incurred Indian attacks by the Lakota (Sioux).

In 1876, he led one of several columns against Sitting Bull's Lakota and Cheyenne bands, however be forced to retreat at the Battle of Rosebud while Custer's 7th Cavalry unit was essentially wiped out.

In 1882 Crook again returned to Arizona to go after Chiricahua Apaches who had fled the reservation. This band was led by Geronimo, who conducted a very serious guerilla campaign against the white settlers.

In 1886, General Crook was replaced by General Nelson Miles, a man with little respect for the Apache or Indians for that matter. General Miles finally captured Geronimo and exiled him to an internment camp in Florida.

The campaign against Geronimo and the Chiricahua was Crook's last military campaign. He ended his career being an advocate for the Indian Nations and lobbying for fair treatment for his former enemies until he died in 1890.


 

West Texas Dust Devils

And to think I used to chase Dust Devils on Horseback. I think I'll now stick to chasing the occasional coyote instead as a recent Dust Devil went through my property picking up a set of bleachers and throwing them into the round pen.

The bleachers are heavy enough to easily be a two man carry so I have some new found respect for the power of these mini-size tornados. The bleachers didn't quite make it over the panels so I was left with the job of straigthening the panels and connectors.

When it was all said and done, I had to remove one panel that was damaged too much. Anyway, don't ride into a Dust Devil. Maybe I'm the only person who didn't know that.

How Much Pressure?

Judy R wrote and asked a very good question: "When I am asking my horse to do something using pressure often she ignores me then until I guess the pressures builds and she blows up. An example if trying to teach her to side pass. I'll try to push her over with my leg as I have been taught using the ask, ask then demand with more pressure and tapping her with my leg and boot (I don't wear spurs). I do have to hold her to keep her from moving forward. With other things like trailer loading where sometimes I need to tap on her back legs with a lunge stick to get her to move forward she does fine without freaking out. I'm trying to figure it out but getting totally frustrated. Any insight?"

I know that frustration Judy. With your side pass example it's hard to answer that without watching you and your mare. I would go back to ground work and get your mare to move her front end and back end over independently of each other, and for her to do it well and when asked without a big deal, before you ask her to start side passing. It may also help to incorporate a reason for your side pass like moving to or away from a gate or fence.

When in the saddle, and asking for a side pass, make sure you don't keep your inside leg (leg that is in the direction of the movement) on her which would make her feel blocked in and want to move forward. It helps to tip and hold her head slightly outside as you use your outside leg to ask her to move over. You could also be leaning in one direction which normally makes the horse move in the opposite direction,.....even then there are some horses who may want to move to square up or move into the weight. The ground work first should help.  And make sure your timing is good, so when you get a try from her, you immediately release the pressure.

Your bigger question seems to be "how much pressure is too much"? I am not from the school of making your horse doing something, because forcing her to do something when is extremely anxious is counter productive.

 I think that any pressure that creates more anxiety in general and certainly more anxiety without any positive changes in your horse, are too much. You know your horses better than anyone, so I suggest being a good student to learn when that anxiety is too much which would make acceptance and learning difficult or impossible,....then back off before you get there.  Make sure you reward her slightest try, again with an immediate release of pressure and give her a pause, as pauses will help her relax and that’s a place where they learn. Then build on that. Hope to hear back from you on what you learn is working for you. Safe Journey. 

My Horse Daily - Good Source of Information

Unknown to me until now there is another good on-line source of horse information called My Horse Daily  From the website's "who are we page" it say's: The editors of the country’s greatest horse magazines (EQUUS, Horse & Rider, Spin to Win Rodeo, The Trail Rider, Practical Horseman, Dressage Today, American Cowboy and Horse Journal) now bring you MyHorseDaily, a new online community for horse lovers like you!

From training your young horse to caring for a senior horse in his golden years, MyHorseDaily editors bring you tips from top horse trainers, veterinary how-tos, horse care advice (and everything in between) to support you with your horse, whether you ride English or Western, for a living or just for fun.

My Horse Daily offers free downable guides such as the "How to Help Your Horse Survive Colic" pictured at top, and others such as "Learning About Laminitis", "Diagnosing and Treating Lameness", "Deworming Your Horse" and more. I liked their site, maybe you will.  Safe Journey.