A Government Hostile to Ranching?

I am publicly apolitical to the greatest extent I can manage. But in the past I have written a little about Federal Government abuses of power when it comes to how an ignorant or even hostile bureaucracy treats cattle and other livestock ranchers. Such was the case with the Hages and the Hammonds, relatively unknown families in the horse industry. And now it seems the Government has it eyes set on Ace-Black Ranch which is run by Martin Black, a renowned horsemanship clinician, and his extended family.

But less than two months ago, 14 June 2021, five armed US Marshals and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agents with search warrants showed up unannounced to inspect their property on Bruneau river. The pristine Bruneau River runs through the ranch, and the Ace Black is one of the oldest in ranches in Idaho: “This has been in the family since 1875, different branches of the family, my grandpa bought it in 1967, and then my Dad started buying from him thereafter and we started buying from him shortly thereafter,” said Terry Black.

After almost three days of the EPAs search, the inspectors abruptly packed up and left. They didn’t say what they found, or what warranted the search. On July 23rd the case was in Federal District Court in Boise. The Blacks were never told what they were charged with, but they have an idea. “Ace Black Ranches has changed our irrigation. We went from flood irrigation to center pivots, so that’s required us to change our roads. That's required us to do a little more gravel work to fill those roads and tracks to make our irrigation system work.”

Watch the video at the end of this article.

Readers can also go to this site for a compendium, with links, on the articles on the Hage family and the Hammonds who endured years of regulatory and judicial abuse from the Federal government.

This is not just a blip on Government actions, President Biden's nominee to serve as the head of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) "collaborated with eco-terrorists" in a tree spiking plot before trading her court testimony for legal immunity, according to court documents reviewed by Fox News. In 1993, Biden's nominee to head up BLM, Tracy Stone-Manning, was granted legal immunity for her testimony that she retyped and sent an anonymous letter to the U.S. Forest Service on behalf of John P. Blount, her former roommate and friend, those documents reveal. The letter told the Forest Service that 500 pounds of "spikes measuring 8 to 10 inches in length" had been jammed into the trees of an Idaho forest. ~ Fox News, 16 June 2021

Note: Tree spiking is a dangerous and violent eco-terrorism tactic where metal rods are inserted into trees to prevent them from being cut down. The metal rods damage saws that, in turn, have severely injured people, such as a mill worker whose jaw was split in two from an exploding saw.

Stone-Manning, advocates that Americans undergo Chinese style population control in the name of environmental stewardship. According to the Daily Caller 25 June 2021, Stone-Manning featured a shirtless American baby in an ad for her graduate thesis declaring the child an “environmental hazard.” If confirmed as Secretary of the BLM, Stone-Manning would oversee 155 million acres of grazing land for livestock nationwide, about the size of Arizona and New Mexico. Her position on grazing? “It is overgrazed. Most likely, the grasses won’t grow back, because the topsoil took flight,” Stone-Manning contends. “Worse still, the government encourages this destruction. It charges ranchers under $2 a month to graze each cow and its calf on public land — your land.”

I was an Army Range Rider charged with providing law enforcement coverage in 1.2 million acres of land, much of it owned by the BLM and leased to the US Army. This land included 15 grazing units which the BLM leased to ranchers. I was present at the bidding and even the most dogged grazing units went for much more than $2 an acre...some for $17 an animal unit month...and these are 2008 figures. And use of those grazing units were tied to a maximum number of pairs. So it is misguided at best to believe the ranchers are making their living off the backs of tax payers.

Two things the relatively uneducated public should understand about ranchers grazing on public lands is that these ranchers are best stewards of the land - they not only practice low stress stocksmanship, but low impact use of their deeded land and the land they lease from the US Government agencies. Leased grazing units are substantially better off land health and sustainability wise, than land that has been prohibited for use. The second thing is that ranchers and sometimes the same family have been leasing federal land for many decades and in some cases before the US Government claimed that land and imparted controls.

I really don't know what to tell people other than to get educated on the issues and write their legislators with their concerns. America was settled by immigrants who came here for two primary reasons: 1 - for religious freedom, and 2 - an ability to own property and prosper. Both which were largely denied in the countries they came from. We sure as hell can't afford to lose those God given rights.

7th Annual 2021 Functional Horsemanship Arena Challenge

Our annual Arena Challenge, the 7th year in a row, will be held 2 October 2021. This event is a little unique in the horse competition world for non-Pro riders as I try to blend different facets of multiple disciplines into an event where Cowboys, Dressage riders, Eventers, Team Ropers, Trail riders and yes even Barrel Racers, minus the yippy dogs (ha!), can compete on an even playing field.

It can be challenging for a working cowboy to have to cross an arena on a leg yield or move their horse on a shoulders in maneuver. Likewise, when a Dressage competitor has to draw a slicker off the fence and put in on, or, open and close a gate, it may be challenging. Some may find a 8 foot turn around box hard to do on their horse with forward momentum, and yet others crossing a long narrow bridge difficult. A canter departure on a given lead will be easy for some, while others may find backing their horse in a circle or a serpentine is something they may need to practice.

 
My objective in this annual event, other than to have a safe event, is to promote horsemanship and the desire to increase one's knowledge and abilities. I use some the same tasks over several years in a row to stress certain performance. One year the rider's were required to dismount, stand in a box and back their horses using just a feel on their reins or get down rope, then drop their reins/lead and walk away to demonstrate their horse ground tying. The next year the same was required and an observer could see who worked on it and who did not. Another task was draping a towel over their horse's head and leading their horse blindfolded, such as taking a horse through the smoke of a fire or out of a burning barn.

Additionally, the focus on horsemanship is paramount. I try to design each competitive division course as safely doable yet challenge the horse and rider. Each course is a combination of basic, intermediate or advanced maneuvers and obstacles as appropriate to the competitive division. 

 Common maneuvers and obstacles that have been used in the past and may be used this year include: turn on the hocks; turn on the forehand; backing straight; backing in a serpentine; backing in an L shape; backing in a circle; trot through serpentine cones, move bending through vertical poles; crossing a bridge; trot around a short circle using the garrocha pole; go through a cowboy curtain; retrieve ball from bucket and place on cone; open/close a gate; cross a tarp; retrieve and put on a slicker; dismount/remount; ground tying; backing a horse in hand; trailer loading; crossing ground poles; leg yield; shoulders in; transition from slow walk to fast walk; transition from slow trot to faster trot; canter departures on designated lead; simple lead changes; walk to trot transitions; trot departure to a canter transition; side passing straight; side passing in L shape; and side passing with front feet on platform; and blind fold horse and lead on ground to name some of the tasks that a competitor may see.
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In the Stockhorse division rider’s will be required to throw several loops on roping dummies and perform other roping and ranch horse related tasks. Most rider's in this division can throw head shots and heel trap loops - it's their stock in trade for Cowboys and Team Ropers. But I'll ask them to something different like throwing a loop to their off side and pivot their horse underneath the loop facing up on the roping dummy. Stockhorse competitors may also have work their horses on a Pro Cutter flag; Drag a heavy log; throw a loop around a barrel and trot around the barrel feeding out their slack and wrapping it around the barrel; and, trailer load their horse.

In the lead up to the Arena Challenge, I'll out on several weekend clinics for registered competitors. These clinics are not practice for the Challenge, but are really problem solving sessions, working on getting horses softer and handier.

We are thankful for the great support in the past from many companies. Notable supporters for last year's Arena Challenge includes Cashel Company, Starr Western Wear, Tractor Supply Company, Animal Health International and Eclectic Horseman magazine.  When the awards ceremony has ended everyone has been fed lunch and collected awards and prizes, I'd like to think that each and every competitor thinks they got their time and moneys worth.

What People do to Horses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Correcting a Horse not rating his speed at the trot

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Remembering Secretariat

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

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

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

Nothing like a fine new saddle

Two months ago the UPS truck showed up at the main gate to deliver a Sparky Wallace made saddle. Sparky owns, operates and makes tack and saddles in his shop, Cow Camp Supply, in Fairfield, Montana. He makes really excellent gear at very reasonable prices. When I ordered it last year Sparky said to give him some artistic latitude in carving. He sure did not disappoint me. It's a Wade saddle, 15 inches from horn to cantle with a deep seat and pencil roll cantle. Sparky added 4 inch Monel metal covered wood stirrups with the Hamley twist. The craftsmanship, leather and hardware are absolutely first class. 

 It is the nicest saddle I've seen in person, let alone owned. I have been riding it for two months now and right from the start it was as, or more, comfortable than any of my old broke in saddles. It's as light of weight of saddle as a person could hope for given it's well made construction. I was able to ride a few times with this saddle on Junior, the great horse I just lost. As much as I like this saddle, I would trade it to have my horse back and healthy, but you can't change was is.

Sparky has made Armitas for me, as well as spurs and straps, slobber straps (see below photo of one of the pairs of slobber straps he made for me), and a couple breast collars (Martingales). All of his gear is made to last a life time for two. Go to Sparky's website to see some really nice gear. Cow Camp Supply.

There is a Trinity Sealy song called 'Low Maintenance Girl' where she sings about not needing much other than horses and gear, where she mentions Cow Camp slobber straps. Of all the slobber straps I have used in the past 30 years, I like Sparky's the best as they are fully lined, and he makes them scalloped with a fairly narrower width where they connect to the snaffle bit. They have the weight to drop straight away and give the horse the intended release.

I am putting Trinity' song 'Low Maintenance Girl' below, but it's coming with the warning to you gent's not to let your wives' listen to it or you'll be getting your checkbook out.

Goodbye Junior, I'll miss you greatly

Very bad week for me, losing my best and longest using horse, Junior, on 10 May 2021. Some people write about losing their animals as an effort to put things in perspective and get closure. I think I'm writing about Junior just because he deserves to be written about.

When I took a job as a Army Range Rider 17 years ago, I needed a backup horse as my second horse was a two year old who wouldn't be ready for the rigors  of that job until he was full growed. So found a horse by chance from the area Tick Rider where we used to get stock for our packing courses. That's where I got Junior, then around 4 years old, for $35. He got his name as he had what looked to be a "Jr" hair brand.   If beginnings foretell things, when I picked him up it was likely his first trailer ride and it was in a 50 mph+ dust storm buffeted us for 50 miles or ss.

Before I even got a chance to put 10 miles on him, my primary horse broke a coffin bone wing, so Junior was pressed into service. The next four years Junior gathered cows in BLM grazing units which we had enforcement jurisdiction for and penned up trespass cattle when the boundary fences gave way. We patrolled the desert flatlands and the four mountain ranges that made up the 1.2 million acres we worked in. Miles and miles in the desert or up and down the mountains through pinon and scrub, he never faltered. He certainly wasn't bomb proof. Pretty much found like he didn't like the smell of mountain lions. I don't either for that matter.

We tracked archeological thieves and stopped trespassers in culturally sensitive areas. We went deep into some pretty bad country doing browse study for the Adoud Sheep and Mule Deer Hunts. Once in a while we'd come across an Oryx and it was kind of fun to push them for a ways, albeit at a safe distance due to our healthy respect for their 40 inch horns.

One time when we had a display at a Law Enforcement Fair, a horde of school children (don't know any other way to say it but a horde) got off their bus, saw Junior and ran right towards him screaming, "look, a horse!". We couldn't leave that night until every single child, who wanted to sit a horse, got to and have their picture taken. Funny thing about that night is that I believe it was the first time a child ever sat on him. Over the years, and when it was all said and done, Junior likely had well over 100 kids sit on him. The look on child's face siting on Junior just made me love that horse even more.

Junior was as fast a horse as I've ever seen. We left more than a few people and their horses behind who thought they were themselves fast. He would occasionally buck on me. Always for reason I thought, like when a large Corriente tried to run through us. And another time I was riding with Curt Pate at New Mexico State University in a low stress stockmanship clinic Curt was holding, I pulled Junior off a couple cows we were trailing and he bucked once or twice.  Curt asked "what was that about?", and I replied "He was just likely showing his displeasure."

When I ran a large private barn, we had a two acre turn out which at any given time there would be 30  or more horses in it. One of the boarders had a big stout draft horse, who oddly enough was a bully. Other boarders would find me and complain about this horse biting and pushing their horses around, and my remedy was to put Junior out, and he would straighten that horse out right away.

After leaving the Range Rider position - those jobs actually went away - Junior transitioned in doing events winning several trail obstacle challenges; a Ranch Sorting Championship; and, a Horseman's Challenge, before being pretty much a day working horse and who I would teach clinics off of.

Junior had been battling Navicular but with good success and I had expected to be riding him, although in a much more easy manner, for the next few years. I loved that horse. I'm going to missed him dearly. And I have to thank my Veterinarian, Dr Amy Starr, DVM who made a herculean effort over three days to get him through, but once the hope window disappeared I choose to end his pain. Breaks my heart.  I hope everybody gets a chance to have a partner like this horse was to me. Safe Journey.

Cleaning Felt Saddle Pads - Look at the Strip Hair Tool

For decades I have used a curry brush when cleaning horse hair, especially the tons of it you get during shedding season (which is now where I am at in West Texas). As gentle as I tried to be cleaning those pads I would degrade the pad somewhat, tearing up some of the felt. This year with yet another horse in the string, and shedding earlier than the other horses, I found myself cleaning his pad almost before each ride.

Well lo and behold an ad appears on Facebook showing this tool called 'Strip Hair'. I showed my wife and she said I must have been one of the last people in the world to see that tool and that they have been around for years. Heck, I don't know, sometimes I do feel left behind, so I ordered one right away and quickly received it in the mail.

The Strip Hair tool was designed to shedd out horses and clean pads. I intended it pretty much for just cleaning my pads and it worked. I use different pads for each horse, all of them the excellent CSI pads that I went to years ago. The photo below is a CSI pad, that I had actually cleaned a couple days ago, but after this evening's ride I cleaned one side to show the different after using the Strip Hair tool. The cleaner side was after about 2 minutes of use. Pretty efficient I'd think.

While the Strip Hair tool works well on felt saddle pads you do have to use it at different angles to get the embedded hair up from the pad as not all the hair sticks to the pad in the same direction. The Strip Hair tool advertises that it is useful for grooming horses as well. I'm still using a metal curry brush and hair brush on the horses as it collects the hair where I can direct it to the ground. I did try the Strip Hair on shedding out a couple horses, but the tool does not collect the hair like a curry brush so a decent wind, and we're in the windy spring season here in West Texas, blows the loose hair around in a hair cylcone - uncomfortable for a guy with a mustache. Most ladies would be okay. Bottom line is that I don't think anyone would be disappointed in the Strip Hair tool for at least cleaning felt pads.

Does Rubbing and Petting on Horses do any good?

We all show affection and happiness in different ways,...touching, rubbing and hugging are common. When it comes to horses, it is way more common to see women doing these things to their horses then men. If you haven't seen a Craig Cameron clinic, you ought to, even if just to see him demonstrate when he says' "reach down there and pet your horse's neck", and show how men just pat the horse on the neck once, feeling uncomfortable with more affection than that. Everyone laughs because they know  it's true.

I don't know if women are more likely to anthropomorphize with horses - that is believing their horses have human characteristics and feelings, and therefore understand the intent of affection. You only have to hang around a large barn for a day to her such things as: "that little bay mare over really hates men"; "my horse loves me, he smiles when he sees me coming"; "my horse loves it when I drape my arms around his neck and hug him". I'm not here to say that beliefs such as those are untrue. I just don't know. But what I do know is that to anthropomorphize negative human behavior with horses is almost always wrong. And it's funny, not funny to see somebody, usually a man, think that petting and rubbing on a horse is a waste of time, but believes that when a horse does something he doesn't like, it's an intentional act of defiance just for defiance's sake.

 I have never had a problem with anyone seeing me   rub on my horses thinking that I'm a softy or   whatever they think. I know that me rubbing my   mustache on my horse's muzzle, or burying my face   in his neck, is much more for me than for the benefit   of the horse.

 Then I get this Palomino Gelding who I call Jake. A   nervous little horse who had never really been   taught much. He had to go every place at a trot   always looking around. Not really spooky, but   always alert. I just thought 'well, he's never had a   leader and we can fix that over time'. He didn't like a   lot of rubbing either. He would switch his tail and   pin his ears. So like the saying goes, he didn't need   less of it, he needed more but at a pace he could   accept. And that's what I did, rub and touched him   every chance I had.

Jake made much improvement on his nervousness, learning that I set the pace when leading and that walking was comfortable, even free lunging. One thing that took longer to correct was when I saddled him up and started leading him to the arena, he would exhibit that nervous behavior and want to trot off. He corrected well, it just those first few steps. So one day after I untied him, I just stood there rubbing on him and talking to him (mostly in exasperation) about what it was going take to get him to relax and get some trust in me. I must have stood there 4 or 5 minutes doing this before I said 'well, it's time to get to work' and started leading him off. And danged if he didn't walk out calmly like a gentleman. So each and every time I saddle him and before I lead him off, I just sit there rubbing on him and having a conversation, and he continues to move off like a citizen. Whenever I go into his pen, Jake seeks me out for some rubbing. I always have time for that.

I remembered a passage in Tom Dorrance's book "True Horsemanship Through Feel", to the effect about taking your time to greet your horse and rub on him before you put the halter on. So I've made sure to incorporate this as well. To give Jake a rub on the forehead, scratch his withers and talk softly to him before I put his halter on. And while he has been good for awhile about dropping his head and accepting the halter, he now does it in a softer manner.

So this is a long way to get to the point that I do think rubbing and petting and generally showing your horse some affection does do some good. And not just for the human but for the horse as well. I think the horse finds it reassuring. At some level he understands you can give him peace, and it sets the stage for the next thing you ask of him. I think not to take an opportunity to rub on your horse is like hurrying up your wife to get ready for go out for supper,....and that never works out well, now does it.

Teeth Floating - make it an annual thing

We've been having our horses' teeth floated every year now for over 20 years. When I ran a large public barn and helped owners with colicing horses, I don't know how many times I asked the owner "when was the last time you had this horse's teeth floated?" Floating the teeth, which is a process using a file to grind down the teeth making them even, allows the horse to more effectively chew his feed. When the horse cannot chew adequately, there is a danger of swallowing larger pieces of feed and increasing chances of a blockade. Floating also removes the hooks and points of the molars which can cut up the inside of the mouth and the tongue, making chewing painful. Floating is not the end all to colic prevention just one of many steps in horse care that the human owner can do to reduce colic chances.

Just a few weeks earlier I was talking to a local gent who just bought a new horse and he asked me when and how I get the vaccinations done. I told him that in the spring I have my Vet come out to do annual vaccinations, draw blood for Coggins tests, and float teeth. When the horses are sedated for the floating you can really get the geldings sheaths cleaned up too. He said while he knew some horses had their teeth filed down, he personally never had a horse who had it done. I told him to trailer his horse over, get the spring vaccinations and ask my Vet to do a quick mouth exam which can be done without sedation. He brought the horse over, the Vet, Dr Amy Starr of Paw 'n Hooves Animal Hospital, looked in this mare's mouth and saw cuts and abscesses. She showed the gent what she was referring to and he committed to getting his mare's teeth floated right then. The Vet also found a segment of a wolf tooth that hadn't been removed and she took that out as well.

There are good hands out there that are not Veterinarians who make their rounds manually floating teeth and some even do sedation, over looking some state laws on non Vets giving these medications. I've used them and been generally happy about their work, then about 18 years ago or so, I met my current Vet who does power floating using a specialized battery powered hand drill with flat rotary ceramic bits to clean up the hooks and points on teeth. Power floating is faster and with less chance of damaging teeth.

Back to years ago at the barn helping someone with a colicing horse - some of the replies on why people do not get their horses teeth floated are the cost involved. But you are also receiving that Vet's experience and practiced eye. Like I said, I combine it with spring vaccinations and Coggins draws and yep, it costs some money alright, but so does calling a Vet after hours on a colic case. I think if you own a horse, you at least owe it a dental exam by a qualified Vet. If you have ever bit your own tongue then had issues with chewing, you'll begin to understand the issue.

One of the better sites, for understand the horse's dental anatomy and issues arising from just the simple and necessary habit of eating, is an information page from Colorado State University.

In the video below, you see a short snippet from a floating. The whole floating didn't take much longer, but maybe if someone had never seen power floating before they will see that is no big deal for a sedated horse.

Is the Anticipating Horse just an Anxious Horse?

The quick answer is 'sometimes'. Melanie wrote to ask about her horse anticipating. "Hello, I read your article about the horse anticipating turning at the fence. What I got out of it was to mix things up so the horse does not know when you will ask her to turn and that is keeping her acutely listening to you. My mare does something different where we try to open a gate and she wants to push through it. One time I fumbled the latch and she thought the gate was opening and pushed my leg into the gate. When I am riding her she is fine but going through the gate she is a mess anticipating. She sometimes anticipates other things like taking her halter off and tries to pull her head away thinking the halter is unbuckled. When I correct her she is good but I just don't know what to make out it and wondering what you think of this."

I think we're all tying to accomplish the same thing, getting our horse's responding to cues and not what they think is going to happen nor want to happen. The term 'anticipation' may not be the best term, but we can all understand it. Sometimes a horse may prepare to turn or actually turn before you ask as it gets anxious, such as riding toward a obstacle like a fence. But I am leaning towards the view that true anticipation may be rarer than a horse just being anxious.

I would lead the horse, in hand, through the gate until it walks calmly through. Then I would send the horse through the gate until it does so at a calm walk. I would hesitate after opening the gate, for varying periods of time - maybe 5 seconds to 15 seconds - before asking either. You could also walk up to the gate open it, wait on the horse to just be calm, feet not moving - maybe rub her - then close the gate and go someplace else.

Another note on sending horses through a gate - I like to have the horse go through the gate then disengage his back end away from me so he ends up facing me. It's easier to get him good at this without the gate, so that when he does go through a gate and feels the lead rope he'll his rear end away to face you. In the beginning you'll likely have to tip his head to you, so its easier for him to disengage his back end. But given the chance horse's will respond to a lighter feel on the lead rope and soon you can send him and bend him with a loose lead rope.

On horseback I would continue the same thing. When you open the gate tip her head the other way - away from the gate - slightly, and get her to stand content (see photo above). You could close the gate ride away and do it all over again. Then you could do it with her head tipped towards the open gate (see photo below), but she only moves through the gate when you cue her and then at a calm walk. She will likely move at a fast walk or otherwise show some nervousness, so be prepared to do this again several times. This is well worth the time as going through the gate can be dangerous - my left knee will attest to that.

One time I was in a ranching sorting competition and this young man had a horse who refused to go through the gate. A couple guys on the ground crew used a lariat across the butt of the horse to get him to move into the sorting pen. That didn't do the horse, nor rider any good.  The horse remained nervous and it didn't help that the cattle were sour Corrientes pushing on him. When the young man came out of the pen, I worked with him and his horse sending him in a circle while getting closer and closer to a panel fence, then I sent it back and forth between me and the fence, and fairly soon the horse was moving between me and the fence with just enough room to get by. On his next turn in the sorting pens, the rider was ale to ride his horse through the gate without much problem. On some occasions, if I am leading a horse to and through a gate and they turns sideways and balk, I'll do what I just described and its seems to make them better at being close to fences and going through gates.

As for putting the halter and and off. I have seen too many horses bolt as soon as that halter is loose. I have also seen a woman get pulled off her feet and drug a short ways after getting her hand stuck in the halter and the horse thought he was free. I ask my horses to get soft - get their nose vertical to the ground, so the halter nose band just falls off.  And it's not a bad idea to get the horse's nose tipped just a bit towards you. That is what I would do on a horse who doesn't yet have good manners. But asking the horse to get soft when un-haltering is not just an exercise in getting the horse to drop his head then pulling it back up. You would want the horse to stay soft and not put pressure on the halter as it falls off his nose. You arm and hand are likely still over the horse's neck as the halter nose band falls off - good time to give the horse a short rub, then walk away.

My Navicular Case Study

In all my years I never owned a horse diagnosed with Navicular, until a few months ago. I have seen many horses that have foundered, and others with ring bone, side bone, and other connective tissue issues. Navicular is a general term for degenerative changes in the navicular bone in the horse's hoof, usually the front feet and usually bi-lateral - meaning both front feet.

At first you may notice an intermittent lameness, like I did on my horse Junior. Early on, you may not notice any lameness signs, such as head bobbing, when the horse is moving straight even at a trot because of the condition manifesting itself in both front feet. Although you may feel a slightly chopped or shortened gait. However, it will usually be telling when the horse moves laterally with a front foot.

My purpose in this article is not to take apart Navicular which again is a general term, whether it is called Navicular condition or Navicular disease. I'd like to focus on what I am doing with Junior now that his condition is chronic.

 

Junior is a now 21 year sorrel grade gelding who I bought when he was 4 years old and used him as my primary work horse when I was an Army Range Rider and Conservation Law Enforcement Officer working the desert highlands and four different mountain ranges. Long trailer hauls then long rides looking for trespass cattle and law breaking humans. Junior never let me down. I have rode him attending clinics, teaching my own clinics, day work on ranches and in horsemanship and ranch sorting competition. Junior is by far the fastest horse I ever rode.  He has certainly earned every feeding and then some. 

His feet were in bad shape when I bought him at a USDA Tick Rider auction. With thin hoof walls and the tell tale ridges coming out of the coronet band that foretold bad nutrition, and near collapsed heel bulbs on one back foot. I started him on Joint supplements (Joint pellets from SmartPak and Horseshoers Secret) as soon as I bought him. And my excellent horseshoer, Vince Vesely of Diamond Bar V horseshoeing, has been shoeing Junior for the past 17 years making him as good as he can be which was significant. Mental note - if you have a great shoer, treat him or her well.



He was a match racing horse in Mexico and much like the practice here in the United States, racing horses are started in training before they are fully grown and that training can be very hard on their feet and joints. That's why I am not a fan of Futurities in practically any equine discipline. Apologies to all the great horsemen and women who ride young horses, I know they are under pressure to create earnings quickly and they provide great care for their horses, but sometimes a heavy load of early training does a disservice to young horses in my opinion.

I first started to notice Junior's intermittent lameness in February 2020. Days off migrating to weeks off seemed to help him. When his condition became pretty chronic (early October 2020) I had my Veterinarian Dr. Amy Starr, DVM, do a work up including nerve blocks and take x-rays. She then worked with a equine radiologist and also a equine orthopedic surgeon (Dr. Jorge Ramos, DVM) to determine what the radiographs and her exam showed.

The diagnosis was that Junior had Bilateral navicular changes compatible with navicular disease of the left and right forelimbs; Chronic sesamoiditis of the medial sesamoid bone of the left fore fetlock; and, Mild side bone of the distal phalanges of both forefeet. These are things nobody wants to hear, as this is something you can't cure, only manage for pain. And managing the pain was my intent as Junior was now on his pension plan and planning on living out his days, as long or as short as they may be, as pain free as I make him.

Once I received the diagnosis, I immediately (mid October 2020) started him on Adequan injections and daily Equioxx tablets. In addition, I added a supplement to his existing joint and hoof supplements called Devils Claw Plus from Uclele.

Adequan is given through intramuscular injection and is recommended for the treatment of non-infectious degenerative and/or traumatic joint dysfunction and associated lameness of the carpal and hock joints in horses - according to the manufacturer. It is given again as an IM injection, every four (4) days for the first (7) seven injections, then every 30 days after that. Also according to the manufacturer, Adequan reduces the swelling and inflammation associated with joint disease to improve lameness; Restores synovial lubrication that facilitates movement and reduces local inflammation; Repair cartilage and rapidly aids in the production of new cartilage; and, Reverse the disease cycle that leads the loss of cartilage components by inhibiting harmful enzymes that attack cartilage and synovial fluid. For more information go here:

Adequan

Equioxx is a Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) for the control of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in horses. While it is available as an injection, or paste, I use the chewable tablet form and Junior has no problem eating in in a bucket of few crushed up horse cookies. It is given every 24 hours. And while it is intended for use up to 14 days, I am continually using with periodic blood tests to ascertain any renal issues.

For more information go here: Equioxx

In mid December 2020, after a conversation with Dr Ramos, I replaced Junior's feed supplements (senior joint pellets from SmartPak, Horseshoers Secret pellets and the Devils Claw) with Platinum Performance Complete Joint (CJ) supplement. In late January 2021, Junior looked comfortable, actually he was racing round his 25x45 foot pen, cutting and turning on a dime, bucking and all that nonsense, so I took him for a short ride maybe 10 minutes, then a few days later, a longer ride of 25 minutes including several stretches of trotting.

For more information go here: Platinum Performance CJ

Dr. Ramos, DVM consulted with me several other times as well on other treatment options such as Osphos injections which is a intramuscular bisphosphonate injection given with a 3 to 6 month re-dosing timeline. In layman's terms, Osphos is intended to reduce the degenerative changes, limiting the breakdown of the bone in the feet. Osphos really can't be used in conjunction with NSAIDS such as Equioxx.

For more information go here: Osphos by Dechra

And, Dr. Ramos also counseled me on the possibility of injections of corticosteroids in the coffin bone joint. This is not an easy thing to do as it requires a x-ray to correctly place the injection exactly where it is intended.

For more information on Corticosteroid injections in the Coffin Bone joint

The bottom line for Junior and me, is we'll stay currently with the daily Equioxx, monthly Adequan injection and daily use of Platinum Performance Complete Joint. Since the Platinum Performance CJ is a powder, I have to add an oil to Junior's pelleted feed so the Platinum Performance CJ powder binds to the pellets so he will eat it. I have been using an oil called CocoSoya from Uclele, which is a blend of coconut oil and unrefined, cold-pressed Soybean Oil. Junior who was unimpressed with powder mixed with his pelleted feed, rapidly eats the mix when I added CocoSoya oil, which is a natural anti-inflammatory as opposed to Corn Oil which is inflammatory.

For more information go here: CocoSoya

So after almost a year of being lame, Junior is now useable in mindful way. He has earned his retirement. No more cow work or long rides for him. But I'll use him for clinics and ride him when I can, if not just for his mental health. I hope this article is of some use to someone somewhere. I know some people are just loath to supplement their horses, but Platinum Performance is an amazing product. Also I can't emphasize enough that to bring your Vet into the equation. I'm fortunate to have a great Vet who reached out to specialists to get Junior where he is now. And I'm thankful for everyday this horse has been in my life and look forward to having him around, pain free or managed, for a long time to come.

Riding in your Later Years? How about Exercising

Here it is, well past the end of January where New Year's Resolutions on exercising and dieting come to die. The hectic lifestyles of many people destroys the diet and exercise plans often with the rationalizaton (okay excuse) 'I don't have enough time'. And then before you know it the years have piled on. Decreased health, poor physical condition and injuries make riding horses much harder, not to mention all the time eating chores that come with horse keeping. But it doesn't have to be that way.

I'm in my early sixties and I learned the concept of 'Live Long, Die Short' almost 20 years ago. Even as the injuries and age related degeneration all pile up and make riding, even living, harder, I feel in better health than ever and haven't physically slowed down much. I attribute that to regular exercising. I certainly intend to be riding horses until the day I die, though I'll do it a little more cautiously. And my plan for death is to go kicking and screaming into it just like the passengers in Grandpa's truck.

Many of us live a physical life bucking hay bales, stacking feed bags, carrying buckets, and a host of other physical chores. However the physically tasking some of that may be, many muscle groups suffer from lack of moderate stress to stay healthy and strong, and some of the lack of full range of motion things we do can make us more injury prone.

Like many people, I don't have the time to go to a gym and I find it difficult to carve out dedicated time to workout. What I do instead is to leverage the time I have and fit workouts in between all those chores. The concept is easy. Waiting for a stock tank to fill? Do a set of pushups or curls. Waiting for a bucket of pelleted feed to soak? Pickup that shovel and do some presses over your head.

You don't need barbells and other apparatus. Use what you have around the barn - a pry bar, buckets filled with water, a piece of oil field pipe, a sledge hammer.....use your imagination. Even my new puppy Buck gets it (that's him top right - 9 months old). Using a a Jolly Ball clamped in his mouth he runs all over the place building his neck and front end muscles and dropping the ball at my feet giving me the look that only a puppy can asking for me to throw it again.

I work out about every four days and fit it in like I said, between chores. Clean one pen, do a couple sets. Clean the next pen, then do a couple sets. It doesn't feel like you are adding much time to your work day. And you will get a whole new set of friends,....Mr Ben Gay and Mrs Deep Blue Rub. But the best thing about it is that you start to feel better and maybe that leads to reinforcing that success with other healthier lifestyle practices. If you jump into a routine, any routine, it's best to start slow and build from there, like you would when working with horses.

I am including some photos of my basic routine using expedient common barn items. I try to get 15 to 25 reps of any exercise. If, for instance, a pry bar is just a little too light of weight for curls, I slide a small section of oil field pipe onto the bar for added weight. Buckets are great as you add just the right amount of water to get the weight you are looking for.  I hope this helps someone find an upper body strength routine that works for them.  Down the road I'll do an article on stretching, which is as important if not more important that strength training.          

Dragging Objects on Horseback

James wrote to ask about getting a horse started on dragging objects. "I'd like to be able to drag things off my horse. She seems to be skittish with things behind her. I was told to begin by having someone drag a tarp or a bag and following behind on horseback. I'm not sure how to transition to dragging an object while riding and besides I am by myself most of the time. Do you have any tips on training a horse to drag things?"

Riders wanting to be able to drag something like a bag of tin cans is pretty popular due to this being a  common task at obstacles challenges.  Having someone help you out by pulling a bag, log or tarp, or whatever, and you trailing it on horseback is a very good way to start. 

 If you are by yourself you can do this when leading the horse and dragging something on the other side of you away from the horse. Maybe start with a short piece of rope and build up from there......maybe a empty feed sack  

When I have a rider and horse who is scared of a drag bag or log, I'll often drag the object on horseback and have the riders follow along. I'll stop so often so the rider's can approach the object and get their horses to sometimes drop their noses onto it, which is instinctive for a horse. The horse's fearfulness on the dragging item goes away pretty quick. However, doesn't mean they are sacked out on dragging the object themselves.

I always try to get a horse used to ropes being thrown around it and there are many ways to go about this.  In the beginning, I'll toss the end of my lead rope over the horse's back.  When I need a longer rope, I'll use a lariat most of the time and throw it over the other side of the horse and rebuild my coils by pulling the rope over the horse's hip and then around the horses back legs. I'll do this many times pulling the lariat around his back feet, his hocks and higher up the leg. 

I have rider's tell me they can drag bags but they get surprised when their horse turns away from the object and the taunt rope touches their hip,....well, bronc rides have ensued. This could have largely been eliminated by getting the horse good at ropes around their back end, being careful not to get the rope underneath their tail, which is called rim fired. Horse's generally don't like that, ha!

In Figure 1, I am pulling my lariat around the back end of the Jake.   

Like I described above, whether it's a green young horse or an older horse, I like to get the horse good at ropes around their feet for many reasons, such as if I get careless with lariat or I get caught up in wire.  Years ago I rode a young Paint horse up in the foothills of the Sacramento Mountains and cresting a small hill we found ourselves in some old barb wire on the ground.  I dismounted and got my fencing pliers out to cut away the wire. My horse stood still because I had worked with him on ropes around his legs and he was good about ground tying while I cut the wire away.  This story doesn't end there.  When I cut the wire away from his front feet he stepped one foot forward and right onto my foot breaking a toe.  

       

So sacking a horse out with ropes everywhere is not only necessary to safely dragging objects but helps if they get tangled in wire.  Working on this also includes building on their comfort with the ropes touching them by getting them leading by a rope around a foot. I use both leads rope and lariat to do this. At first I just loop the lead rope around a front foot and pull as light as I can to get the horse to give me his foot, then I release.  Once the horse is good about each front foot, I work on the back feet.  This may be the same thing you do before you start to pickup a green horse's feet getting them ready for the horseshoer.   When leading the horse by a front foot, a 12' lead ropes generally works, but I'll usually use a lariat for a back foot because they are longer, and it's easy to build a small loop and have the horse step into it. The trick on this is to again pull as light as you can and as the foot comes off the ground, continue your pull so that the horse puts the foot forward, and as the foot is in transition moving forward, release the pressure. That's what I am doing in Figure 2, leading a horse by his back left foot.  Once I get that foot hitting the ground, I'll use the lead rope to ask him to take a step forward with the left front.   

I usually start a horse dragging a light load such as a small log by holding onto the rope and backing the horse up with the object dragging towards us. It may seem that a horse would panic as the new object seems to be approaching him, but I have never experienced that, instead avoid any response like that by just going slow about it. I'll stop and walk the horse up to the object, then back the horse up dragging the object a bit, then stop and approach the object again. So this is back a step, approach a step and build on that. Your horse will let you know how much more he can handle and just how fast he can get get good at this. And if you are fairly handy you can slip the rope, increasing the distance between the horse and the object, then stop the horse and pull the object closer to you. 

When doing this for the first time it's likely NOT a good idea to dally the dragging object's rope, instead just hang onto it with your free hand so you can can drop it if needed.

When I feel the horse is ready, I'll turn and walk away from the object letting the horse pull it. I'll move his back end into the rope lightly a few times to see how he takes the feel of the rope touching his hip or leg, and if he is good about it I'll start making turns and the rope will run across his hip with more pressure. You really can't say your horse is good at dragging until you know how he handles the rope running across his hips and hocks. Figure 4, 5 and 6 above depict this process.

I use a small log, getting the horse to trot out dragging it, then progress to a heavier log and trotting the horse out.  Some people may not need to be able to trot and drag, but most times you have to trot to the ground crew when you have a calf on the end of your rope. 

The length of the rope you are using will impact on where the rope lays across the horse's back end and where it applies pressure if turning away from the object. The safety points here are: not to have too short a rope where the object bangs into one of your horses back feet; not to dally until you are absolutely ready to.  Again without taking turns around your horn, it's more easy to throw the rope away if you get into trouble.

Another safety point is how you tie your rope to the object you are dragging. I drill a hole through the piece of wood or log, run the rope through and tie a bowline. Be careful not to make a loop large enough for a horse to get his foot through. In fact, it's probably safer to use a timberhitch on the wood to eliminate any loops. And the last safety point is not to hard tie the rope to your saddle. While I have lunged a horse and have him drag an object, I just looped the rope around the saddle horn without a complete turn so I could get rid of it if needed.