I haven't had much to report lately as due to Spices hoof i haven't been able to do much with her. However, the good news is the crack has almost grown out to the point where it is only just hanging on so i am hoping that tomorrow Sarah (our trimmer) will be able to just file it off and give it a good tidy up. Fortunately, the sole is looking surprisingly healthy in comparison to a few weeks ago with some good thickness. So it will just be the wall which has come off with the crack which will need time to build up. Hopefully, once Sarah has been Spice will be more comfortable and as of next week i can start long reining and lunging her again. If i do this for one month she should then be fit enough to ride again.
I have decided to buy some hoof boots for her for when i ride out on the roads so that at least for the summer she has added protection as although her soles have really built up it has still only been 5 months since she was last shod so theoretically she is still in her transition phase.
The hoof boots i have chosen to buy are the easy-care glove boots, i like the fact that they look quite flexible and that they are also rated as one of the easiest hoof boots on the market to put on.
http://www.easycareinc.com/our_boots/easyboot_glove/Easyboot_Glove.aspx
Friday 30 April 2010
Thursday 29 April 2010
115. A guide to grooming, feeding and handling the equine athlete...
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=i_iN_eyz0NMC&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=quarter+cracks+take+months+to+grow+out&source=bl&ots=vjkVIkgsBW&sig=ttWUV87ywBP0Ow0s4U6CABfBx2Q&hl=en&ei=IWjZS-7PAtmPsAbd_pgh&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=quarter%20cracks%20take%20months%20to%20grow%20out&f=false
Tuesday 27 April 2010
114. Building Trust
Establishing Trust with Your Horse
Relationship Exercises for Horse and Rider
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Oct 10, 2008 Laura Thompson
Just like human relationships, the bond between horse and rider must be built upon a foundation of trust. Without it, neither of you will live up to your full potential.
Essentially, the relationship between a horse and his rider starts with comfort and accountability. Your horse must be comfortable with you, both on the ground and in the saddle, and he should be able to count on you to keep him safe.
Take the sport of show jumping, for example. One of the most frequent problems encountered in this discipline is refusal. The horse approaches the fence, then either slams on the brakes or runs out at the last minute. You might attribute this behavior to rebellion, when it is usually evidence of a lack of trust.
A seasoned horse might develop the habit of refusal if his rider is constantly catching him in the mouth over the fence. He can't trust his rider not to cause him pain when he jumps an obstacle, so he avoids the experience entirely. In order to correct this habit and any other trust issue, you'll need to show your horse that he can trust you.
Beginning on the Ground
Very few trust issues can be solved with the rider in the saddle. This advice might run contrary to everything you have ever been told, but consider the facts. In the saddle, it is much more difficult to eliminate rider mistakes. On the ground, the rider is on an even playing field with the horse.
Start building your trust relationship with your horse by spending some time in the round pen. You can lunge your horse with a lunge line or free lunge—whichever he is more comfortable with. Start working with him on voice commands: walk, trot, canter/lope, whoa. When he begins to respond correctly, reward him.
Ads by Google
FnE Endurance Saddles
The most adjustable saddle ever Free your horse's shoulders
www.fnesaddles.com
Badminton Chauffeur
Professional Corporate Chauffeur Hire For Badminton Horse Trials
www.royalechauffeurgroup.co.uk
Trust can also be built without actually working your horse in the round pen or on his back. Spend time with your horse in his stall, brushing him for at least twenty minutes at a time, or grazing him in the yard. Let him get to know the sound of your voice as well as your own habits.
Consistency in Trusting Your Horse
The largest obstacle most riders face when trying to build a trusting relationship with their horse is consistency. If your horse can't count on you to deliver the same commands, rewards and punishments each and every time he repeats a behavior, he's going to lose trust quickly.
For example, what do you do when your horse starts pawing in the cross-ties? Do you smack him on the shoulder, tell him to "stand!" in a firm voice, bop him on the nose? Your response should be the same each time he paws, and your reward should be the same when he stands still.
Trusting Your Horse
As with most things in the equestrian sport, trust is a two-way street. Not only must your horse trust you to take care of him and treat him fairly, but you must trust your horse to take care of you. If you are constantly afraid that your horse is going to buck you off or run out on a fence or fall on his forehand during a slide, trust issues will develop on both sides.
If you feel that you cannot overcome trust issues with your horse, it might be time to seek the counsel of an experienced trainer. A third party can pinpoint problems you wouldn't otherwise have noticed and offer specific advice tailored to your situation. Sometimes, it's best to admit you need help.
Gaining Your Horse’s Trust
There is nothing worse than owning a horse that is scared of you and does not trust you. It is also dangerous because your horse could harm you if he feels that you are a threat to his safety. A horse’s trust is hard to gain and is very easy to loose. It is possible to gain a horse’s trust, but it could be a slow and tedious process. Once you have gained your horse’s trust, the benefits are endless.
The first thing that you need to remember when trying to earn a horse’s trust is to be patient. Something happened to the horse to make him not trust people and it will take time for him to feel safe around people and to trust you. When you start working with your horse, make sure that you always approach him from the left side and show him what you have in your hands so that you do not accidentally scare him.
The second thing for you to remember is to always wear tight fitting clothes. If you are wearing loose clothing, they might get caught in the wind and scare your horse, and once he is scared of you it will be very difficult to make him think that you are not going to hurt him
You also want to talk to your horse in a low, soft voice. Don’t try yelling at your horse to get his attention, you will only scare him and make things worse. When your horse begins to trust you he will start to look at you more and will begin giving you his full attention.
You also want to be around your horse as much as possible. If you can, feed your horse in the morning and evening, clean your horse’s stall (if your horse is kept in a barn), personally turn your horse out and bring him in at night. Your goal is to be around your horse as much as possible. If you are your horse’s sole caregiver, he is going to gain your trust much faster than if several different people are caring for your horse at the same time.
The benefits of having a horse that trust you are endless. Once a horse trusts you he will do almost anything that you ask of him because he knows that you would never allow anything bad to happen. This will be extremely useful when taking you horse around new things or putting him in new surroundings. Your horse will be much calmer than horses that do not trust their owners. Having a horse that trust you will also be useful on a trail ride. You may ride upon an obstacle that the horse has never seen, but if you reassure your horse that it is OK and he trusts you, he should go right over the obstacle and not think twice about it.
Once you have gained your horse’s trust, your training possibilities are endless.
Relationship Exercises for Horse and Rider
Share Article |
Oct 10, 2008 Laura Thompson
Just like human relationships, the bond between horse and rider must be built upon a foundation of trust. Without it, neither of you will live up to your full potential.
Essentially, the relationship between a horse and his rider starts with comfort and accountability. Your horse must be comfortable with you, both on the ground and in the saddle, and he should be able to count on you to keep him safe.
Take the sport of show jumping, for example. One of the most frequent problems encountered in this discipline is refusal. The horse approaches the fence, then either slams on the brakes or runs out at the last minute. You might attribute this behavior to rebellion, when it is usually evidence of a lack of trust.
A seasoned horse might develop the habit of refusal if his rider is constantly catching him in the mouth over the fence. He can't trust his rider not to cause him pain when he jumps an obstacle, so he avoids the experience entirely. In order to correct this habit and any other trust issue, you'll need to show your horse that he can trust you.
Beginning on the Ground
Very few trust issues can be solved with the rider in the saddle. This advice might run contrary to everything you have ever been told, but consider the facts. In the saddle, it is much more difficult to eliminate rider mistakes. On the ground, the rider is on an even playing field with the horse.
Start building your trust relationship with your horse by spending some time in the round pen. You can lunge your horse with a lunge line or free lunge—whichever he is more comfortable with. Start working with him on voice commands: walk, trot, canter/lope, whoa. When he begins to respond correctly, reward him.
Ads by Google
FnE Endurance Saddles
The most adjustable saddle ever Free your horse's shoulders
www.fnesaddles.com
Badminton Chauffeur
Professional Corporate Chauffeur Hire For Badminton Horse Trials
www.royalechauffeurgroup.co.uk
Trust can also be built without actually working your horse in the round pen or on his back. Spend time with your horse in his stall, brushing him for at least twenty minutes at a time, or grazing him in the yard. Let him get to know the sound of your voice as well as your own habits.
Consistency in Trusting Your Horse
The largest obstacle most riders face when trying to build a trusting relationship with their horse is consistency. If your horse can't count on you to deliver the same commands, rewards and punishments each and every time he repeats a behavior, he's going to lose trust quickly.
For example, what do you do when your horse starts pawing in the cross-ties? Do you smack him on the shoulder, tell him to "stand!" in a firm voice, bop him on the nose? Your response should be the same each time he paws, and your reward should be the same when he stands still.
Trusting Your Horse
As with most things in the equestrian sport, trust is a two-way street. Not only must your horse trust you to take care of him and treat him fairly, but you must trust your horse to take care of you. If you are constantly afraid that your horse is going to buck you off or run out on a fence or fall on his forehand during a slide, trust issues will develop on both sides.
If you feel that you cannot overcome trust issues with your horse, it might be time to seek the counsel of an experienced trainer. A third party can pinpoint problems you wouldn't otherwise have noticed and offer specific advice tailored to your situation. Sometimes, it's best to admit you need help.
Gaining Your Horse’s Trust
There is nothing worse than owning a horse that is scared of you and does not trust you. It is also dangerous because your horse could harm you if he feels that you are a threat to his safety. A horse’s trust is hard to gain and is very easy to loose. It is possible to gain a horse’s trust, but it could be a slow and tedious process. Once you have gained your horse’s trust, the benefits are endless.
The first thing that you need to remember when trying to earn a horse’s trust is to be patient. Something happened to the horse to make him not trust people and it will take time for him to feel safe around people and to trust you. When you start working with your horse, make sure that you always approach him from the left side and show him what you have in your hands so that you do not accidentally scare him.
The second thing for you to remember is to always wear tight fitting clothes. If you are wearing loose clothing, they might get caught in the wind and scare your horse, and once he is scared of you it will be very difficult to make him think that you are not going to hurt him
You also want to talk to your horse in a low, soft voice. Don’t try yelling at your horse to get his attention, you will only scare him and make things worse. When your horse begins to trust you he will start to look at you more and will begin giving you his full attention.
You also want to be around your horse as much as possible. If you can, feed your horse in the morning and evening, clean your horse’s stall (if your horse is kept in a barn), personally turn your horse out and bring him in at night. Your goal is to be around your horse as much as possible. If you are your horse’s sole caregiver, he is going to gain your trust much faster than if several different people are caring for your horse at the same time.
The benefits of having a horse that trust you are endless. Once a horse trusts you he will do almost anything that you ask of him because he knows that you would never allow anything bad to happen. This will be extremely useful when taking you horse around new things or putting him in new surroundings. Your horse will be much calmer than horses that do not trust their owners. Having a horse that trust you will also be useful on a trail ride. You may ride upon an obstacle that the horse has never seen, but if you reassure your horse that it is OK and he trusts you, he should go right over the obstacle and not think twice about it.
Once you have gained your horse’s trust, your training possibilities are endless.
113. No Shoes Versus Shoes
Today, i feel myself once again becoming disheartened with the state of Spices hoof, the crack caused by the abscess bursting through the coronary band is looking worse than ever and is of obvious discomfort to Spice (visible lameness in trot) so i find myself pondering over what to do and becomming ever so increasingly frustrated with the differing opinions and advice.
Having changed podiatrists after my first podiatrist recommended that i ride Spice daily for 30mins a day every day and her getting an abscess just 72hrs later i am even more less confident about my judgements and choices.
All i want is the best for Spice but after 3 months of on/off lameness abscessing and reading articles like the one below i can't help but question my decisions...
The Natural Barefoot Horse Movement
posted by citizen.K on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
Horseshoes are not evil. Marketing schemes might be.
Believe it or not, they are calling it a movement. Barefoot, natural trimming franchises are the new hot trend in horse care. It is a beautiful scam that has been developed specifically to target the inexperienced horseman or horsewoman. The fad has swept the horse world off its shoes and into new barefoot ground where lots and lots of horses are gimping around wishing the pain would stop.
How this movement came to be is a mystery, but Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, a German veterinarian, has been credited as the first to develop this new, radical, strong woman craze on “natural” holistic hoof care. Dr. Strasser has been described as “a rebel”. A woman who isn’t afraid to stand up to conformity. A woman who created a system, of hoof care conformity, to break conformity. A woman with a method, no, a state of mind, that asks all horse owners to think alike on the care about their horse’s feet.
Of course, those in the barefoot movement believe if you aren’t following this new, trendy, horse care method, you must be abusing your horse (for more on that concept, if you haven’t already, stop by the pro-clicker training comments). People who are completely brainwashed by a method or system see only black or white. Of course, if you aren’t clicker training, you MUST be training your horse by brutally beating them. Again, if you aren’t using natural barefoot trimming, you MUST be torturing your horse with horseshoes. Oh the humanity!
Farrier work should under no circumstances cause lameness, footsoreness, shortened stride, or any other displays of pain or discomfort.
As another genius horse person marketing scheme, the target audience, once again, is middle aged women who are hypersensitive to notions of bad things happening, anywhere. The Strasser barefoot method, the clicker training method, and the natural horsemanship method all exist, thrive on, and cultivate scare tactics to further their followings and resulting profits. That sound familiar to anyone?
Yet, do any of these people realize that fitting their horse into this Strasser method of trimming, or any other natural “balance” barefoot trimming method is like making every person wear the same size shoe? How is that correct, or natural? Or pain free?
The Barefoot movementers say trimming every horse foot exactly the same is the way “nature intended”, but yet, they call it abusive to nail a shoe on a horse’s foot, a shoe that fits that horse and enables comfort, traction and shock absorption?
Dr. Strasser has stated herself that her trim may cause death to a horse. What??? Oh, right, but it’s because the horse’s heart cannot heal from the abuse of shoes and a stall. What reasonable person reads that and thinks, “Yes, I need to free my horse from the abuse of a stall and shoes, so I will trim my horse with this method. If he dies, at least I freed him”?
That’s just nuts.
Don’t get me wrong. Dr. Strasser has some good points outside of actually touching a horse’s hoof. Yes, some horses, and almost all pleasure, pet and/or trail horses should live outside 24/7. But, a few of my own horses who lived their first 3 years outside 24/7 would not be happy being outside 24/7 now. No matter what, not every horse can be cared for the same.
Let’s say that again.
Not every horse can be cared for the same.
This is where the “nuts” part of the natural barefoot/Strasser trim comes into play. Each horse’s individual temperament, conformation, health, and job necessitate different care.
And long before Dr. Strasser hit the foot care scene, fore-thinking equestrians knew frequent trims (meaning, weekly, every other week, etc.) and low angles could be beneficial to keeping a horse’s foot balanced, most especially for corrective shodding or treating, for example, navicular and founder.
But, NOT EVERY HORSE’S FOOT IS THE SAME!!!! There is a lot more to equine hoof soundness and happiness than just cutting off so much hoof that the horse’s body has no choice but to increase bloodflow to the region.
Dr. Strasser no doubt has credentials to back up her hoof anatomy knowledge, but all in all she has zero practical, statistical data proving successes of her methods. As stated elsewhere, her insistence that horseshoe nails numb the equine’s foot is so off the wall unproven or tested that it doesn’t even rise to the level of hypothesis. The Strasser trim is also often marketed as a do-it-yourself system (just the right confidence builder insecure women need!), but hoof care is a science that can not be taught by reading one book or attending one clinic. Doing so, buying into a DIY “natural” barefoot trim attitude gives one just enough knowledge to do serious damage.
Trimming a hoof should never, ever leave a horse footsore.
Many horses have been euthanized after a Strasser trim, and horse owners and natural barefoot “farriers” alike have been charged in animal cruelty cases for using the Strasser trim and causing pain and suffering to horses. Horses dying and owners being charge for cruelty themselves should be enough of a red flag for everyone to stay away from Strasser’s naturally balanced, hoof care trimming method. Yet, there are still many advocates for Strasser’s scheme, and even more Strasser franchises going up around the world.
Some barefoot, natural horse care fanatics do actually see the Strasser trim as not only too radical, but also risky for their horses’ health. But, even these natural barefoot fanatics still don’t see any other option besides “natural” balanced, barefoot horse trims. Now available WITH shoes! Adding shoes to a naturally balanced, barefoot horse trims is like adding a McDonalds meal to your vegan, organic diet!
Now, the other methods of “natural” hoof and whole horse care have involved many different “developers”, thus creating different factions of followers. The common thread with each, “unique”, best-ever-everything-else-is-murderous-system is that they are all following the word natural. If barefoot trimmers are following “natural”, wild horse practices, why are they trimming their feet at all? Are there wild farriers that live out in the plains where the wild horses stop every once in a while to get their feet trimmed (and what’s natural about a horse sitting, or playing with a rubber ball?)
Moreover, susceptible people often forget that horses are no longer wild. You cannot put the genie back in the bottle. Just willing your horse’s foot, with a knife, to take the shape of a mythical, perfect, naturally existing horse hoof of yesteryear will not make it so. Taking a horse with horrible feet and cutting them with a stencil does not make them perfect, great, or natural, no matter how long you try.
So many inexperienced backyard breeders have produced so many terribly conformed horses; a special barefoot hoof trim will not conquer their genetics. In many cases, it may be your responsibility to put shoes on a horse with foot problems instead of mandating the horse conform to your needs as a system follower.
“I don’t see any lameness, he just doesn’t like to walk on rocks.”
The fad within this barefoot market is so strange to me. In so many ways, why not just find a great farrier? A great farrier is going to leave a horse barefoot if that is what is best for the horse. I have had many barefoot horses, some of which competed through 4′ jumpers barefoot even, only to get shoes on for bigger fences, for better traction, or for shock absorption. Since all of these horses that were able to live and compete barefoot also had awesome feet, my farriers would leave them without shoes until needed.
The most memorable experiences I’ve had with natural barefoot trimming, or natural balanced trims, were witnessing the soreness the horses experience after a trim, even after receiving these trims for over a year. These horses would be footsore for over a week AFTER a barefoot trim. The horses were in agony when walking through rocks, or walking on concrete.
Are there no hard surfaces in the wild?
I would be told, “Oh, that’s normal”, or in some cases, “I don’t see any lameness, he just doesn’t like to walk on rocks.” No horse my farrier has ever left barefoot has ever, ever been footsore. Not on rocks, not walking to and from pastures, not on any surface at any point.
Having a farrier work on your horse, whether you put shoes on or not, should under no circumstances cause lameness, footsoreness, shortened stride, or any other displays of pain and/or discomfort. You should be able to get on and ride your horse with no problems immediately after your farrier works on him. If you can’t, have a lengthy conversation with your farrier. If it happens a second time, find a new farrier. If that farrier is you, please stop playing farrier.
The number one most important element in horse care, and horse training, is uniqueness. Every horse is unique and must be treated and cared for as an individual. Following methods, fads, or systems limits the ability to tailor for your horse’s conformation, temperament, personality, and health. Why do all these radical people think that every horse should fit into a mold? What is even more interesting is that these are the people who claim other horse people are just scared of change or something new. When it comes to “natural” horse practice dissident, fear of the new is not an issue. Most good horse people take knowledge from every reputable source, method, and system, pull out what might be useful, and apply it when it is applicable. But above all, responsible horse people know THERE IS NO MOLD.
There is no magic button, no magic book, no magic savior, or no magic set of beliefs that will cause a horse to bond with you. Your program of beliefs are not special, and you are not suddenly rising to the top of all whom ever cared for horses, simply because your system title includes a derivative of the word “nature”.
And in this world, there are a lot of conventional farriers that shoe horses who don’t necessarily need it. It is also very true that a horse that has worn shoes for a long time will need time to adjust to being barefoot. Without the accustomed support of a shoe, hoof walls may chip and crack for a few trims until the nail holes grow out and the hoof becomes stronger, but never should this adjustment period include footsoreness.
And though it’s obvious the closed minded nature of anyone buying into these “natural” themed horse care/training, marketing schemes bothers me, the natural barefoot trimmers actually make me angry. Natural trims cause pain and suffering for far too many horses.
One thing is for sure, I’ll never give up horseshoes. I absolutely love torturing my horses by mounting, cold, cruel metal to their feet. The classically trained, traditional farrier and I have such a laugh at all the discomfort the horses experience while being shod! Oh, and the hot shoeing!
The courtesy and manners my horses show the farrier are surely just done out of fear; their blackened hearts singed from years of unnatural hoof trims, metal tearing their mouth apart, and all the abuse from spurs, whips, and nosechains. In fact, one of my horses is so dull and hates the farrier and the evil shoes he tacks on so much, that he stands perfectly still and tries to play with the handkerchief in the farrier’s back pocket!
Silly, tortured horse!
Shoes or no shoes, lets work away from the marketing schemes. Horse people are already crazy enough without all this bad propaganda.
Having changed podiatrists after my first podiatrist recommended that i ride Spice daily for 30mins a day every day and her getting an abscess just 72hrs later i am even more less confident about my judgements and choices.
All i want is the best for Spice but after 3 months of on/off lameness abscessing and reading articles like the one below i can't help but question my decisions...
The Natural Barefoot Horse Movement
posted by citizen.K on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
Horseshoes are not evil. Marketing schemes might be.
Believe it or not, they are calling it a movement. Barefoot, natural trimming franchises are the new hot trend in horse care. It is a beautiful scam that has been developed specifically to target the inexperienced horseman or horsewoman. The fad has swept the horse world off its shoes and into new barefoot ground where lots and lots of horses are gimping around wishing the pain would stop.
How this movement came to be is a mystery, but Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, a German veterinarian, has been credited as the first to develop this new, radical, strong woman craze on “natural” holistic hoof care. Dr. Strasser has been described as “a rebel”. A woman who isn’t afraid to stand up to conformity. A woman who created a system, of hoof care conformity, to break conformity. A woman with a method, no, a state of mind, that asks all horse owners to think alike on the care about their horse’s feet.
Of course, those in the barefoot movement believe if you aren’t following this new, trendy, horse care method, you must be abusing your horse (for more on that concept, if you haven’t already, stop by the pro-clicker training comments). People who are completely brainwashed by a method or system see only black or white. Of course, if you aren’t clicker training, you MUST be training your horse by brutally beating them. Again, if you aren’t using natural barefoot trimming, you MUST be torturing your horse with horseshoes. Oh the humanity!
Farrier work should under no circumstances cause lameness, footsoreness, shortened stride, or any other displays of pain or discomfort.
As another genius horse person marketing scheme, the target audience, once again, is middle aged women who are hypersensitive to notions of bad things happening, anywhere. The Strasser barefoot method, the clicker training method, and the natural horsemanship method all exist, thrive on, and cultivate scare tactics to further their followings and resulting profits. That sound familiar to anyone?
Yet, do any of these people realize that fitting their horse into this Strasser method of trimming, or any other natural “balance” barefoot trimming method is like making every person wear the same size shoe? How is that correct, or natural? Or pain free?
The Barefoot movementers say trimming every horse foot exactly the same is the way “nature intended”, but yet, they call it abusive to nail a shoe on a horse’s foot, a shoe that fits that horse and enables comfort, traction and shock absorption?
Dr. Strasser has stated herself that her trim may cause death to a horse. What??? Oh, right, but it’s because the horse’s heart cannot heal from the abuse of shoes and a stall. What reasonable person reads that and thinks, “Yes, I need to free my horse from the abuse of a stall and shoes, so I will trim my horse with this method. If he dies, at least I freed him”?
That’s just nuts.
Don’t get me wrong. Dr. Strasser has some good points outside of actually touching a horse’s hoof. Yes, some horses, and almost all pleasure, pet and/or trail horses should live outside 24/7. But, a few of my own horses who lived their first 3 years outside 24/7 would not be happy being outside 24/7 now. No matter what, not every horse can be cared for the same.
Let’s say that again.
Not every horse can be cared for the same.
This is where the “nuts” part of the natural barefoot/Strasser trim comes into play. Each horse’s individual temperament, conformation, health, and job necessitate different care.
And long before Dr. Strasser hit the foot care scene, fore-thinking equestrians knew frequent trims (meaning, weekly, every other week, etc.) and low angles could be beneficial to keeping a horse’s foot balanced, most especially for corrective shodding or treating, for example, navicular and founder.
But, NOT EVERY HORSE’S FOOT IS THE SAME!!!! There is a lot more to equine hoof soundness and happiness than just cutting off so much hoof that the horse’s body has no choice but to increase bloodflow to the region.
Dr. Strasser no doubt has credentials to back up her hoof anatomy knowledge, but all in all she has zero practical, statistical data proving successes of her methods. As stated elsewhere, her insistence that horseshoe nails numb the equine’s foot is so off the wall unproven or tested that it doesn’t even rise to the level of hypothesis. The Strasser trim is also often marketed as a do-it-yourself system (just the right confidence builder insecure women need!), but hoof care is a science that can not be taught by reading one book or attending one clinic. Doing so, buying into a DIY “natural” barefoot trim attitude gives one just enough knowledge to do serious damage.
Trimming a hoof should never, ever leave a horse footsore.
Many horses have been euthanized after a Strasser trim, and horse owners and natural barefoot “farriers” alike have been charged in animal cruelty cases for using the Strasser trim and causing pain and suffering to horses. Horses dying and owners being charge for cruelty themselves should be enough of a red flag for everyone to stay away from Strasser’s naturally balanced, hoof care trimming method. Yet, there are still many advocates for Strasser’s scheme, and even more Strasser franchises going up around the world.
Some barefoot, natural horse care fanatics do actually see the Strasser trim as not only too radical, but also risky for their horses’ health. But, even these natural barefoot fanatics still don’t see any other option besides “natural” balanced, barefoot horse trims. Now available WITH shoes! Adding shoes to a naturally balanced, barefoot horse trims is like adding a McDonalds meal to your vegan, organic diet!
Now, the other methods of “natural” hoof and whole horse care have involved many different “developers”, thus creating different factions of followers. The common thread with each, “unique”, best-ever-everything-else-is-murderous-system is that they are all following the word natural. If barefoot trimmers are following “natural”, wild horse practices, why are they trimming their feet at all? Are there wild farriers that live out in the plains where the wild horses stop every once in a while to get their feet trimmed (and what’s natural about a horse sitting, or playing with a rubber ball?)
Moreover, susceptible people often forget that horses are no longer wild. You cannot put the genie back in the bottle. Just willing your horse’s foot, with a knife, to take the shape of a mythical, perfect, naturally existing horse hoof of yesteryear will not make it so. Taking a horse with horrible feet and cutting them with a stencil does not make them perfect, great, or natural, no matter how long you try.
So many inexperienced backyard breeders have produced so many terribly conformed horses; a special barefoot hoof trim will not conquer their genetics. In many cases, it may be your responsibility to put shoes on a horse with foot problems instead of mandating the horse conform to your needs as a system follower.
“I don’t see any lameness, he just doesn’t like to walk on rocks.”
The fad within this barefoot market is so strange to me. In so many ways, why not just find a great farrier? A great farrier is going to leave a horse barefoot if that is what is best for the horse. I have had many barefoot horses, some of which competed through 4′ jumpers barefoot even, only to get shoes on for bigger fences, for better traction, or for shock absorption. Since all of these horses that were able to live and compete barefoot also had awesome feet, my farriers would leave them without shoes until needed.
The most memorable experiences I’ve had with natural barefoot trimming, or natural balanced trims, were witnessing the soreness the horses experience after a trim, even after receiving these trims for over a year. These horses would be footsore for over a week AFTER a barefoot trim. The horses were in agony when walking through rocks, or walking on concrete.
Are there no hard surfaces in the wild?
I would be told, “Oh, that’s normal”, or in some cases, “I don’t see any lameness, he just doesn’t like to walk on rocks.” No horse my farrier has ever left barefoot has ever, ever been footsore. Not on rocks, not walking to and from pastures, not on any surface at any point.
Having a farrier work on your horse, whether you put shoes on or not, should under no circumstances cause lameness, footsoreness, shortened stride, or any other displays of pain and/or discomfort. You should be able to get on and ride your horse with no problems immediately after your farrier works on him. If you can’t, have a lengthy conversation with your farrier. If it happens a second time, find a new farrier. If that farrier is you, please stop playing farrier.
The number one most important element in horse care, and horse training, is uniqueness. Every horse is unique and must be treated and cared for as an individual. Following methods, fads, or systems limits the ability to tailor for your horse’s conformation, temperament, personality, and health. Why do all these radical people think that every horse should fit into a mold? What is even more interesting is that these are the people who claim other horse people are just scared of change or something new. When it comes to “natural” horse practice dissident, fear of the new is not an issue. Most good horse people take knowledge from every reputable source, method, and system, pull out what might be useful, and apply it when it is applicable. But above all, responsible horse people know THERE IS NO MOLD.
There is no magic button, no magic book, no magic savior, or no magic set of beliefs that will cause a horse to bond with you. Your program of beliefs are not special, and you are not suddenly rising to the top of all whom ever cared for horses, simply because your system title includes a derivative of the word “nature”.
And in this world, there are a lot of conventional farriers that shoe horses who don’t necessarily need it. It is also very true that a horse that has worn shoes for a long time will need time to adjust to being barefoot. Without the accustomed support of a shoe, hoof walls may chip and crack for a few trims until the nail holes grow out and the hoof becomes stronger, but never should this adjustment period include footsoreness.
And though it’s obvious the closed minded nature of anyone buying into these “natural” themed horse care/training, marketing schemes bothers me, the natural barefoot trimmers actually make me angry. Natural trims cause pain and suffering for far too many horses.
One thing is for sure, I’ll never give up horseshoes. I absolutely love torturing my horses by mounting, cold, cruel metal to their feet. The classically trained, traditional farrier and I have such a laugh at all the discomfort the horses experience while being shod! Oh, and the hot shoeing!
The courtesy and manners my horses show the farrier are surely just done out of fear; their blackened hearts singed from years of unnatural hoof trims, metal tearing their mouth apart, and all the abuse from spurs, whips, and nosechains. In fact, one of my horses is so dull and hates the farrier and the evil shoes he tacks on so much, that he stands perfectly still and tries to play with the handkerchief in the farrier’s back pocket!
Silly, tortured horse!
Shoes or no shoes, lets work away from the marketing schemes. Horse people are already crazy enough without all this bad propaganda.
Monday 26 April 2010
112. Salt Blocks & Calming Herbs
Today, we bought Spice and the rest of the herd a salt lick as there isn't much grass in the paddock at the moment and they all look a bit sorry for themselves so we thought it would help keep them entertained aswell as being nutritionally good for them. Spice loved it and would not leave it alone for apparently the first hour of it being there so it was obviously something she needed. I also bought her a mixture of 'calming herbs' as i had ran out of the magnesium i was feeding her so thought i would replace it with some herbs which also happen to contain magnesium. I have given Spice herbs before and they really do work - i find they help 'take the edge off' of her anxiety so are well worth the money. The herbs i purchased are chamomile, lemon balm, vervain, scullcap and lime Flowers of which can be bought here:
http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/products/horse-ranges/herbs-supplements/behaviour/placid.html
As for Spices hoof it is still on the mend the crack in the heel has almost grown out but she still seems tender on it. I will know more when the barefoot trimmer visits this s
Saturday.
http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/products/horse-ranges/herbs-supplements/behaviour/placid.html
As for Spices hoof it is still on the mend the crack in the heel has almost grown out but she still seems tender on it. I will know more when the barefoot trimmer visits this s
Saturday.
Thursday 22 April 2010
111. Shedding Soles
A few days ago i noticed that one of the soles of Spices hoof which had the abscess was starting to shed, i thought this was a good sign because it was probably making way for the new replenished sole to come through and having read about it on this site it seems i am right.
http://www.hoofrehab.com/horses_sole.htm - this is an absolutely brilliant site.
One of the most interesting sections i found on the website was about trimming...
'All we have to do is understand how deep the grooves are naturally, and we will immediately be able to tell if the inner structures are too close to the outdoors or too far away. This applies to the front of the foot and to the back. We can’t put exact dimensions to this, because different coffin bones have different amounts of solar concavity, and of course it varies by hoof size. A little bit too much sole bothers horses far less than having too little, so I tend to begin by erring on the side of caution. Wild hooves and healthy domestic hooves with uniform sole thickness tend to have their collateral grooves (at the deepest part) about ¾” off the ground at the apex of the frog, and about an inch off the ground toward the back (Near the termination of the bars). These measurements can be taken by laying a rasp across the foot and measuring down to the bottom of the groove.
If this measurement is ¼” deep at the apex of the frog, you can very safely assume that there is not enough sole between the coffin bone, its sensitive corium, and the outdoors. It must be allowed to build. If this measurement is 1 ½” deep, you can very safely assume material could be removed. The same exact logic applies to the back of the foot as well.
These measurements are far more critical to the horse than toe length or heel height measurements. The coffin bone and lateral cartilages often descend into a lower position in the hoof capsule and this leaves a hoof capsule that is longer than natural. This is unhealthy, of course, but trimmers and farriers who ignore this fact and trim to heel or toe length dimensions add injury to injury by overexposing the nerves in the corium on the bottom of the foot. Thinning the sole tends to cause the inner structures to move lower and lower, lengthening the overall hoof capsule. The flip side of this, is that allowing the sole to build and callus at optimum thickness drives the inner structures upward. The coronet moves down the skeleton, shortening the hoof capsule to natural proportions as the callus builds. The center and right pictures below show the natural sole thickness and concavity of a wild horse's foot.
The more i read about horses hooves, the more interested i am in learning how to care for them. I'd love to learn how to trim Spices hooves myself - the more i read the more sense it all makes and the more wonderfully robust i realise (if given a chance) horses hooves are.
If a horses hoof (when fully grown and conditioned) is naturally capable of baring at least 500lbs of the horses weight to assume that it would be incapable of doing this on hard ground just doesn't stand to reason. Unless there is a genetic/pathological reason why the hoof is compromised (which is probably very rarely the case) in my mind it stands to reason that a very good percentage of our riding horses could go barefoot.
Of course, i might well be wrong... i am only coming to this conclusion from what i have read and of course not everything i read could be true but it sure makes for a compelling argument.
I wont lie, i'm sick to death of having a horse that i can't ride and can't do anything with but walk in hand. It completely sucks which is probably why i am probably trying to convince myself that i am doing the right thing right? The inconvenient truth is it may well take Spice another 6 months to be sound but to go back to shoeing would at this moment in time be for myself rather than Spice. The only issue i have is lameness. I would be lying if i didn't say that Spice's lameness worries me as i wonder what the effects of this lameness are on the rest of her body? I can't help but wonder if i am compromising the rest of her body for the sake of her hooves?
Wednesday 21 April 2010
110. Flies
How to keep away those pesty flies...
During the summer months flies are an annoyance to horses and their bites can be a major irritation. Fly rugs can provide relief and there are also a variety of fly repellents sold in equestrian stores but there are also fly repellent remedies that can be made at home.
Common recipes often involve a combination of essential oils, available from many chemists and health food outlets. Such oils include eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender and sandalwood, the first three being the most useful. These are most commonly mixed with water in a spray bottle and sprayed on as required.
Other fly repellent recipes involve garlic, probably the most powerful natural fly repellent there is, although spray-on garlic-based fly repellents tend to be rather unpleasant smelling especially when combined with the likes of lavender oil.
'Internal' fly repellent have the effect of either causing the horse's body to secrete oils that will repel flies (garlic), or raise the pH (acidity level) of the horse's blood enough to put flies off from biting. Such repellents take time to produce an effect so combining these with a fly repellent spray initially is recommended.
Below are some of the more popular home-made fly repellents.
* White wine vinegar, water and any combination of eucalyptus, lavender, sandalwood or tea tree oils. Mix a few drops of each essential oil into a little washing-up liquid and add to the vinegar and water. Put the resultant mixture into a spray bottle and shake well before using. Variations include the addition of strong, cold tea instead of water, crushed garlic (although this can clogs the 'spray' mechanism of the bottle), meths, and Dettol.
* Take a large lemon with a thick rind and slice thinly. Place in a bowl with a few sprigs of rosemary and cover both in boiling water. Allow to steep overnight and strain the mixture the following morning. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake before applying. A similar response seems to be had by doing the same with leaves, stems and flowers from Elder bushes. (Slipping flowering elder twigs through your horse's browband can also act as a fly repellent.)
* Mix one part crushed garlic to five parts water. Shake the mixture and leave overnight. Strain and pour liquid into a spray bottle.
* An internal fly repellent. The addition of garlic to a horse's feed causes the skin to secrete garlic-scented oils that deter flies. Garlic powder can be bought from most saddleries and feed merchants.
* An internal fly repellent. Adding a little vinegar or cider vinegar to a horses water raises the pH of the horse's blood sufficiently to put flies off from biting.
During the summer months flies are an annoyance to horses and their bites can be a major irritation. Fly rugs can provide relief and there are also a variety of fly repellents sold in equestrian stores but there are also fly repellent remedies that can be made at home.
Common recipes often involve a combination of essential oils, available from many chemists and health food outlets. Such oils include eucalyptus, tea tree, lavender and sandalwood, the first three being the most useful. These are most commonly mixed with water in a spray bottle and sprayed on as required.
Other fly repellent recipes involve garlic, probably the most powerful natural fly repellent there is, although spray-on garlic-based fly repellents tend to be rather unpleasant smelling especially when combined with the likes of lavender oil.
'Internal' fly repellent have the effect of either causing the horse's body to secrete oils that will repel flies (garlic), or raise the pH (acidity level) of the horse's blood enough to put flies off from biting. Such repellents take time to produce an effect so combining these with a fly repellent spray initially is recommended.
Below are some of the more popular home-made fly repellents.
* White wine vinegar, water and any combination of eucalyptus, lavender, sandalwood or tea tree oils. Mix a few drops of each essential oil into a little washing-up liquid and add to the vinegar and water. Put the resultant mixture into a spray bottle and shake well before using. Variations include the addition of strong, cold tea instead of water, crushed garlic (although this can clogs the 'spray' mechanism of the bottle), meths, and Dettol.
* Take a large lemon with a thick rind and slice thinly. Place in a bowl with a few sprigs of rosemary and cover both in boiling water. Allow to steep overnight and strain the mixture the following morning. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake before applying. A similar response seems to be had by doing the same with leaves, stems and flowers from Elder bushes. (Slipping flowering elder twigs through your horse's browband can also act as a fly repellent.)
* Mix one part crushed garlic to five parts water. Shake the mixture and leave overnight. Strain and pour liquid into a spray bottle.
* An internal fly repellent. The addition of garlic to a horse's feed causes the skin to secrete garlic-scented oils that deter flies. Garlic powder can be bought from most saddleries and feed merchants.
* An internal fly repellent. Adding a little vinegar or cider vinegar to a horses water raises the pH of the horse's blood sufficiently to put flies off from biting.
Tuesday 20 April 2010
109. Sore backs and Sore hooves!
Today, i attempted to lunge Spice but after a few steps of trot i could see that she was uncomfortable and slightly lame on her hoof. My heart sank because i thought the lameness had subsided but due to the two cracks where the abscess burst through i think Spice is understandably still tender on it. So, apart from groundwork it looks like i can pretty much write of the next month in terms of doing any real work. I'm so gutted, if it weren't for this dam abscess she'd be fine by now but it really seems to have set us back. I completely understand why so many people are put off by going barefoot as i think the majority of horses struggle with it and are no doubt un ride-able for a considerable amount of time. Having got this far i really don't want to give up but boy do i feel like it!
It also looks like Fen our herd leader may have a sore back :( as she bucked her rider off the other day which was unusual (although at the time we put it down to her being spooked after the saddle slipping). However, it seems like we could have been wrong as today she made it quite clear that she didn't want to be mounted, was difficult to girth up and then acted very out of character for the duration of the ride. She was first diagnosed with a bad back last summer and was then given treatment and time off which seemed to do her the world of good as when her back was assessed just a few weeks ago she was pretty much given the all clear.
But it seems that after just a short time of her being ridden she has become sore again. Fingers crossed, it will just be something she has done in the field and easily mendable because Fen is our herd leader and needs to be fit for her job!
It also looks like Fen our herd leader may have a sore back :( as she bucked her rider off the other day which was unusual (although at the time we put it down to her being spooked after the saddle slipping). However, it seems like we could have been wrong as today she made it quite clear that she didn't want to be mounted, was difficult to girth up and then acted very out of character for the duration of the ride. She was first diagnosed with a bad back last summer and was then given treatment and time off which seemed to do her the world of good as when her back was assessed just a few weeks ago she was pretty much given the all clear.
But it seems that after just a short time of her being ridden she has become sore again. Fingers crossed, it will just be something she has done in the field and easily mendable because Fen is our herd leader and needs to be fit for her job!
Monday 19 April 2010
108. The power of Garlic
Today i decided to give Spice a day off since we had done quite a bit yesterday and her hoof is still repairing itself. I've been cleaning the exit point of the abscess up and applying some pure garlic paste to it to fend off any infection which i think has really helped, i decided to do this after speaking to my partners sister about it and then reading up more about it on the net...
Garlic has anti-septic, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic effects, reducing blood pressure, improving respiratory problems in horses and acting as a fly repellent -
Garlic is used by many horse and pony owners as a regular equine feed supplement. It contains substances with benefits of pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and reduce swelling.
It is believed that garlic is one of the most effective natural healing substances in the world. It is popularly used, in conjunction with anti-biotics to treat equine respiratory diseases and infections in the horse's lungs.
Garlic is rich in Selenium and Sulphur. Sulphur is recognised as having blood cleansing properties that are useful in treating and preventing equine disease. It is also believed to contain over 25 germ-killing compounds.
Many horse owners feed an equine garlic supplement for its insect repelling qualities - the sweat produced by a horse fed on garlic gives out an odour that keeps flies, ticks and midges away - making it a natural fly repellant.
Horse owners also find feeding garlic useful as part of their equine worming program. Regular feeding of Garlic is effective in deterring tapeworms, pinworms and roundworms - but this should not exclude the use of regular wormers.
Garlic can be used used to give relief from the symptons of coughs - it contains a substance that helps to clear mucus in the airways. This cleansing action, together with its ability to reduce inflammation, also benefits the urinary tract.
The recommended amount to feed is half an ounce to 2 ounces per day depending on the horse or pony's size. It comes in several forms for equine use - powder, freeze dried granules and some herbalists claim freshly grown garlic is the best way to feed it.
The benefits of garlic are many and if you do decide to feed a garlic supplement just be careful not to overdo it.
Spice is booked in for another trim in just under 2 weeks time so i will hopefully be able to do more with her then.
I really want to focus on building up her topline as she has definitely lost some muscle tone over the winter period so i was thinking i could lunge her twice a week with side reins and start schooling her twice a week in the arena.
On the other days i think i will do ground work and jumping at liberty and if all these things go well actually start hacking her out again for 30 mins or so but i don't want to do any of these things until i have the all clear from the barefoot trimmer as the last thing i want to do is risk getting another abscess so i am happy to wait 3 more weeks after all i've already waited 3 months.
Garlic has anti-septic, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic effects, reducing blood pressure, improving respiratory problems in horses and acting as a fly repellent -
Garlic is used by many horse and pony owners as a regular equine feed supplement. It contains substances with benefits of pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and reduce swelling.
It is believed that garlic is one of the most effective natural healing substances in the world. It is popularly used, in conjunction with anti-biotics to treat equine respiratory diseases and infections in the horse's lungs.
Garlic is rich in Selenium and Sulphur. Sulphur is recognised as having blood cleansing properties that are useful in treating and preventing equine disease. It is also believed to contain over 25 germ-killing compounds.
Many horse owners feed an equine garlic supplement for its insect repelling qualities - the sweat produced by a horse fed on garlic gives out an odour that keeps flies, ticks and midges away - making it a natural fly repellant.
Horse owners also find feeding garlic useful as part of their equine worming program. Regular feeding of Garlic is effective in deterring tapeworms, pinworms and roundworms - but this should not exclude the use of regular wormers.
Garlic can be used used to give relief from the symptons of coughs - it contains a substance that helps to clear mucus in the airways. This cleansing action, together with its ability to reduce inflammation, also benefits the urinary tract.
The recommended amount to feed is half an ounce to 2 ounces per day depending on the horse or pony's size. It comes in several forms for equine use - powder, freeze dried granules and some herbalists claim freshly grown garlic is the best way to feed it.
The benefits of garlic are many and if you do decide to feed a garlic supplement just be careful not to overdo it.
Spice is booked in for another trim in just under 2 weeks time so i will hopefully be able to do more with her then.
I really want to focus on building up her topline as she has definitely lost some muscle tone over the winter period so i was thinking i could lunge her twice a week with side reins and start schooling her twice a week in the arena.
On the other days i think i will do ground work and jumping at liberty and if all these things go well actually start hacking her out again for 30 mins or so but i don't want to do any of these things until i have the all clear from the barefoot trimmer as the last thing i want to do is risk getting another abscess so i am happy to wait 3 more weeks after all i've already waited 3 months.
Sunday 18 April 2010
107. Applying pressure and releasing pressure...
It's all Ups and downs and downs and ups...Being the pig headed person i am i knew i wouldn't be able to go to sleep tonight if i didn't go back to the yard and find out where i had gone wrong today.
So, armed with my boyfriend (for moral support) i went back up. I had no expectations, i merely went up to learn where i had obviously gone wrong earlier on. So, to start off with i led Spice around for a while yielding her hind quarters and asking her to stop to which she responded well. I then led her down to the stables (through the gate) and asked her to stand still a while - which she did. So, having assessed her overall temperament as being quite calm and feeling calm myself i proceeded in tacking her up with the view of long reining her down to the stables. I asked luke to stand at the side of her shoulder as we attempted to go down and as soon as we got to the gate she hesitated. Instead of applying more pressure (as i had done earlier on that day) i allowed her to stop and stand for a while. I then asked luke to try leading her just a couple of steps forward to which she responded well and followed his lead. We got down to the stables and Spice was still relatively calm so we went back up to the yard and then turned around again to come back down without luke leading her. She responded well and did exactly as i asked her to.
Wanting to end it on a good note, i decided to stop there but luke (my partner) encouraged me to go a step further and ride her down. Not wanting to but knowing that there was no good reason why i shouldn't i attached the reins and jumped on her back. I then walked her down to the stables with luke at the side and back again and then down again with luke staying behind us crazy if you think that just a few hours before she wouldn't even walk up to the gate whilst being long reined!
The most valuable lesson i learned happened on our way back down... as we approached the stables Spice was spooked by a noise coming from one of the stables and immediately turned back towards the field so rather than make her turn back the way she was facing i asked her to stop but i didn't apply any further rein pressure and ask her to turn back around until i was sure she had calmed down and was ready to respond to my cue and only then with the lightest touch did i tweek my rein and ask her to turn around and without any hesitance whatsoever she did.
So, i learned that before asking Spice to do anything i need to assess her temperament and if she is anxious or stressed to the point where she is incapable of focusing on anything but her fear i need to back off and give her the time to calm down before applying any further pressure. I think if i think of it as a scale of 1-10 where fear is 10 and relaxed/calm is 1 anything above a 5 requires me to be extra sensitive and anything below a 5 and i can probably get away with applying some pressure but if i feel that this is increasing her fear in any way and i am not getting the response i am looking for i need to change tack - give her a breather and ask a different way...
The video below shows the results of patience, understanding, compassion, calmness, gentleness, softness and above all respect when faced with fear and hesitance and how wonderful the results can be. I was so proud of her. (apologies for the rubbish quality)
So, armed with my boyfriend (for moral support) i went back up. I had no expectations, i merely went up to learn where i had obviously gone wrong earlier on. So, to start off with i led Spice around for a while yielding her hind quarters and asking her to stop to which she responded well. I then led her down to the stables (through the gate) and asked her to stand still a while - which she did. So, having assessed her overall temperament as being quite calm and feeling calm myself i proceeded in tacking her up with the view of long reining her down to the stables. I asked luke to stand at the side of her shoulder as we attempted to go down and as soon as we got to the gate she hesitated. Instead of applying more pressure (as i had done earlier on that day) i allowed her to stop and stand for a while. I then asked luke to try leading her just a couple of steps forward to which she responded well and followed his lead. We got down to the stables and Spice was still relatively calm so we went back up to the yard and then turned around again to come back down without luke leading her. She responded well and did exactly as i asked her to.
Wanting to end it on a good note, i decided to stop there but luke (my partner) encouraged me to go a step further and ride her down. Not wanting to but knowing that there was no good reason why i shouldn't i attached the reins and jumped on her back. I then walked her down to the stables with luke at the side and back again and then down again with luke staying behind us crazy if you think that just a few hours before she wouldn't even walk up to the gate whilst being long reined!
The most valuable lesson i learned happened on our way back down... as we approached the stables Spice was spooked by a noise coming from one of the stables and immediately turned back towards the field so rather than make her turn back the way she was facing i asked her to stop but i didn't apply any further rein pressure and ask her to turn back around until i was sure she had calmed down and was ready to respond to my cue and only then with the lightest touch did i tweek my rein and ask her to turn around and without any hesitance whatsoever she did.
So, i learned that before asking Spice to do anything i need to assess her temperament and if she is anxious or stressed to the point where she is incapable of focusing on anything but her fear i need to back off and give her the time to calm down before applying any further pressure. I think if i think of it as a scale of 1-10 where fear is 10 and relaxed/calm is 1 anything above a 5 requires me to be extra sensitive and anything below a 5 and i can probably get away with applying some pressure but if i feel that this is increasing her fear in any way and i am not getting the response i am looking for i need to change tack - give her a breather and ask a different way...
The video below shows the results of patience, understanding, compassion, calmness, gentleness, softness and above all respect when faced with fear and hesitance and how wonderful the results can be. I was so proud of her. (apologies for the rubbish quality)
106. Horse Temperaments
Today i had an absolutely horrible day with Spice - she has come into season and her levels of fear proved to be sky high. So, when i attempted to long rein her out of the yard she basically wasn't having any of it and for 20 minutes proved that she would do absolutely anything including walking backwards for the length of a field not to go through the yard gates.
To say i was dissappointed is an understatement i was thoroughly gutted. I couldn't understand how brilliant the day before had gone and how badly wrong today was going. It was as though she had regressed back to the day before day 1!
So what am i doing wrong?
After all our hard work it seems we are still coming up against the same issue...(fear). It seems that once Spice has decided that there is a reason to be afraid there is literally no telling her that there isn't. After 20 minutes of trying my best to get her to go through she was wet through with sweat and i couldn't help but think i was fighting a lost cause.
When i compare Spice to a 2yr old colt who walks out of the yard away from his mother as happy as larry past pedal bikes and motorbikes without so much as a jump in any direction i can't help but question whether my training with Spice is ever going to make any real difference.
Throughout my time with Spice i have been trying to make her more confident, more happy and more secure by using the most gentle training methods possible and whilst i know Spice feels 'safe and secure' with me and respects me i realise that there are still times when her fear will over ride all of this. I do not believe that she will ever stop being afraid of things and stop reacting. So, do i just stick to what she is naturally good at? Schooling and jumping?
Afterall, there's a reason why horse trainers in the police force choose horses based on their temperaments.
I hear all the time that it's never good to let your horse win a fight and i completely agree with this. However, i think it's even more important to assess what your chances of winning are before deciding to take part in the fight. When i think back to today, there were clues before i even set out that things weren't going to be plain sailing. For example, as i long reined spice to the end of the field and back she had a big spook and attempted to bolt which if i had have taken note of this gave me a massive clue as to how she was feeling temperament wise. So, was it wise to then ask her to do something she is knowingly more anxious about doing in view of the fact that her fear levels were already quite high...? knowing that i might get a fight...in hindsight i can say it wasn't. At the end of the day if a horse really doesn't want to do something you wont win the fight afterall you are fighting against a 1000lb animal.
But all i could think about was the day before when she had walked straight through the gates without an ounce of fear so she surely wouldn't have a problem doing it again but i was wrong, for reasons unbeknown to me - she clearly did.
I don't think i can ever take anything for granted with Spice just as humans have 'off days' so do horses and couple that with the fact that she is 'in season' and naturally quite nervous i was probably asking for trouble. So, what have i learned?
To take each day as it comes, never 'expect' anything and always assess everything. Just because your horse jumped 5 foot yesterday doesn't mean it will necessarily jump 5 foot today.
To say i was dissappointed is an understatement i was thoroughly gutted. I couldn't understand how brilliant the day before had gone and how badly wrong today was going. It was as though she had regressed back to the day before day 1!
So what am i doing wrong?
After all our hard work it seems we are still coming up against the same issue...(fear). It seems that once Spice has decided that there is a reason to be afraid there is literally no telling her that there isn't. After 20 minutes of trying my best to get her to go through she was wet through with sweat and i couldn't help but think i was fighting a lost cause.
When i compare Spice to a 2yr old colt who walks out of the yard away from his mother as happy as larry past pedal bikes and motorbikes without so much as a jump in any direction i can't help but question whether my training with Spice is ever going to make any real difference.
Throughout my time with Spice i have been trying to make her more confident, more happy and more secure by using the most gentle training methods possible and whilst i know Spice feels 'safe and secure' with me and respects me i realise that there are still times when her fear will over ride all of this. I do not believe that she will ever stop being afraid of things and stop reacting. So, do i just stick to what she is naturally good at? Schooling and jumping?
Afterall, there's a reason why horse trainers in the police force choose horses based on their temperaments.
I hear all the time that it's never good to let your horse win a fight and i completely agree with this. However, i think it's even more important to assess what your chances of winning are before deciding to take part in the fight. When i think back to today, there were clues before i even set out that things weren't going to be plain sailing. For example, as i long reined spice to the end of the field and back she had a big spook and attempted to bolt which if i had have taken note of this gave me a massive clue as to how she was feeling temperament wise. So, was it wise to then ask her to do something she is knowingly more anxious about doing in view of the fact that her fear levels were already quite high...? knowing that i might get a fight...in hindsight i can say it wasn't. At the end of the day if a horse really doesn't want to do something you wont win the fight afterall you are fighting against a 1000lb animal.
But all i could think about was the day before when she had walked straight through the gates without an ounce of fear so she surely wouldn't have a problem doing it again but i was wrong, for reasons unbeknown to me - she clearly did.
I don't think i can ever take anything for granted with Spice just as humans have 'off days' so do horses and couple that with the fact that she is 'in season' and naturally quite nervous i was probably asking for trouble. So, what have i learned?
To take each day as it comes, never 'expect' anything and always assess everything. Just because your horse jumped 5 foot yesterday doesn't mean it will necessarily jump 5 foot today.
Saturday 17 April 2010
105. Herbs & Horses
Why do horses need herbs?
When horses roamed in the wild they had access to a varied diet which included many plants and herbs. They had an in-built self-awareness, it seems, of what was harmful to eat and also what was good to eat. Self-medication is a phrase commonly used to explain how horses selected different plants at different times to meet their individual dietary and health needs.
A horse is a strong animal with lots of stamina which is used to travelling long distances for its forage when necessary. Today, horses which have been domesticated lead a much more settled life often mirroring their human owners less peripatetic life-styles; their access to a naturally varied diet sufficient to suit individual needs has been severely restricted. The days of horses enjoying herb-rich meadows or original uncultivated downland are long past.
So where’s the problem?
Domesticated horses appear to have largely lost this innate ability to choose what’s good for them, having to make do with what humans provide. Although most horse owners love their animals to distraction and will do anything to keep them fit, healthy and happy, the fact is that, try as we may, we get the feeding needs wrong from time to time and impose, without realising it, a stressful regimen which may cause illness.
The Immune System
Your horse has an amazing defence system against bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites. It’s called the Immune System.
The skin is the primary boundary between germs and the body.
When an insect bites your horse and penetrates the skin a red, itchy bump of some sort will occur. This is the Immune System protecting your horse in very much the same way your own Immune System protects you against a mosquito bite.
The Immune System is degraded by stress, toxins (food, environmental and drugs), allergens, over exposure to UV, viral/ bacterial infections, bad dietary habits, ageing and genetics.
Herbs support the proper working of your horse’s Immune System. So they play a vital role in your horse’s health.
Tips
Study your horse’s body language and get to know when it is stressed.
Make a point of studying the situations which create stress for your horse, and then take steps to remove or reduce them.
Even when your horse appears healthy include immune support herbal products in his diet; but don’t force him to eat anything he doesn’t seem to like. Your horse knows best what suits him. Learn to notice and understand his foody needs – he can’t speak to you!
The Role of Herbs.
Herbs play an important role in a horse’s behaviour, digestion, breathing, skin, joints, muscles, tendons and hooves.
Breathing – use a special herbal respiratory product to keep airways clean and to help with pollutants such a traffic emissions, and pollen from cultivated crops like Rape. Depending on the condition, support these principal formulae with other herbal products. If in doubt, consult your online veterinary herbalist.
Behaviour - use a herbal calming formula for a horse under stress, or which is head tossing, showing signs of nervousness; or overactive geldings and stallions and mares in the breeding season.
Digestion - use a liver tonic and detoxifier on a regular basis. This will ensure your horse has a healthy liver and digestion, enabling it to make the best use of its food. In turn this directly effects your horse’s performance and general health and fitness.
Skin – use special preparations for lumps, itching, & muddy conditions; a herbal shampoo for the horse’s coat, herbal gel for the hoof, sole and heel. There are also products which keep flies away (fly sprays) and internal fly repellents.
Joints, muscles, hooves, and tendons - if your horse’s health is below par wear and tear to muscles, joints and ligaments occurs faster than your horse’s ability to repair the damage. Herbs help to bring the body back into balance, ease pain and facilitate movement.
Various conditions respond to herbal treatments.
Hilary Self, medical herbalist and director/co-founder of Hilton Herbs, offers some examples:
* Hormonal conditions:
Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnus Castus) — hormone balancer
Cramp Bark — smooth muscle relaxant helps reduce cramping
* Skin conditions including scratches, rain rot, sweet itch, dermatitis:
Calendula — anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, soothing, healing
Cleavers — supports lymphatic system in cleansing blood toxins
Burdock — cleanses tissues of waste products
Garlic — rich in sulphur, deters flies, antiseptic
Gota Kola — increases renewal of epithelial tissue
* Cushing’s disease:
Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnus Castus) — has a similar action to conventional medication such as Pergolide
Bilberry — for improving circulation and helping with damage to nervous system
Goldenrod — for supporting microcirculation of kidneys
* Stress related problems:
Valerian — strengthens and restores the nervous system
Scullcap — for anxiety, fitting, hysteria
Meadowsweet — for hyperacidity in the gut often brought on by stress, specific for ulceration
* Arthritis, rheumatism, laminitis, navicular and general mobility:
Dandelion Root — liver support
Dandelion Leaf — cleansing, diuretic to help clear blood toxins
Devil’s Claw — anti-inflammatory, analgesic
Willow — anti-inflammatory
Cleavers — lymphatic cleanser
Ginkgo — circulatory stimulant
Prickly ash - for improving circulation to the extremities
* Problems associated with old age:
Milk Thistle — liver
Rosemary — rheumatism
Marshmallow — soothing and healing to digestion
Slippery Elm — diarrhea, colitis, irritable bowel
Dandelion Root — liver
* Respiratory conditions such as dust allergies, allergic rhinitis, coughs, runny nose:
Garlic — expectorant
Thyme — antiseptic
Licorice — expectorant, soothing healing
Elecampane — expectorant, antibacterial
Plantain — refrigerant, reduces mucous production
Echinacea — immune support particularly for upper respiratory tract problems
* Lowered immunity and viral infections:
Echinacea — strengthens and supports immune response, antiviral
Calendula — antiviral, antibacterial
When horses roamed in the wild they had access to a varied diet which included many plants and herbs. They had an in-built self-awareness, it seems, of what was harmful to eat and also what was good to eat. Self-medication is a phrase commonly used to explain how horses selected different plants at different times to meet their individual dietary and health needs.
A horse is a strong animal with lots of stamina which is used to travelling long distances for its forage when necessary. Today, horses which have been domesticated lead a much more settled life often mirroring their human owners less peripatetic life-styles; their access to a naturally varied diet sufficient to suit individual needs has been severely restricted. The days of horses enjoying herb-rich meadows or original uncultivated downland are long past.
So where’s the problem?
Domesticated horses appear to have largely lost this innate ability to choose what’s good for them, having to make do with what humans provide. Although most horse owners love their animals to distraction and will do anything to keep them fit, healthy and happy, the fact is that, try as we may, we get the feeding needs wrong from time to time and impose, without realising it, a stressful regimen which may cause illness.
The Immune System
Your horse has an amazing defence system against bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites. It’s called the Immune System.
The skin is the primary boundary between germs and the body.
When an insect bites your horse and penetrates the skin a red, itchy bump of some sort will occur. This is the Immune System protecting your horse in very much the same way your own Immune System protects you against a mosquito bite.
The Immune System is degraded by stress, toxins (food, environmental and drugs), allergens, over exposure to UV, viral/ bacterial infections, bad dietary habits, ageing and genetics.
Herbs support the proper working of your horse’s Immune System. So they play a vital role in your horse’s health.
Tips
Study your horse’s body language and get to know when it is stressed.
Make a point of studying the situations which create stress for your horse, and then take steps to remove or reduce them.
Even when your horse appears healthy include immune support herbal products in his diet; but don’t force him to eat anything he doesn’t seem to like. Your horse knows best what suits him. Learn to notice and understand his foody needs – he can’t speak to you!
The Role of Herbs.
Herbs play an important role in a horse’s behaviour, digestion, breathing, skin, joints, muscles, tendons and hooves.
Breathing – use a special herbal respiratory product to keep airways clean and to help with pollutants such a traffic emissions, and pollen from cultivated crops like Rape. Depending on the condition, support these principal formulae with other herbal products. If in doubt, consult your online veterinary herbalist.
Behaviour - use a herbal calming formula for a horse under stress, or which is head tossing, showing signs of nervousness; or overactive geldings and stallions and mares in the breeding season.
Digestion - use a liver tonic and detoxifier on a regular basis. This will ensure your horse has a healthy liver and digestion, enabling it to make the best use of its food. In turn this directly effects your horse’s performance and general health and fitness.
Skin – use special preparations for lumps, itching, & muddy conditions; a herbal shampoo for the horse’s coat, herbal gel for the hoof, sole and heel. There are also products which keep flies away (fly sprays) and internal fly repellents.
Joints, muscles, hooves, and tendons - if your horse’s health is below par wear and tear to muscles, joints and ligaments occurs faster than your horse’s ability to repair the damage. Herbs help to bring the body back into balance, ease pain and facilitate movement.
Various conditions respond to herbal treatments.
Hilary Self, medical herbalist and director/co-founder of Hilton Herbs, offers some examples:
* Hormonal conditions:
Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnus Castus) — hormone balancer
Cramp Bark — smooth muscle relaxant helps reduce cramping
* Skin conditions including scratches, rain rot, sweet itch, dermatitis:
Calendula — anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, soothing, healing
Cleavers — supports lymphatic system in cleansing blood toxins
Burdock — cleanses tissues of waste products
Garlic — rich in sulphur, deters flies, antiseptic
Gota Kola — increases renewal of epithelial tissue
* Cushing’s disease:
Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnus Castus) — has a similar action to conventional medication such as Pergolide
Bilberry — for improving circulation and helping with damage to nervous system
Goldenrod — for supporting microcirculation of kidneys
* Stress related problems:
Valerian — strengthens and restores the nervous system
Scullcap — for anxiety, fitting, hysteria
Meadowsweet — for hyperacidity in the gut often brought on by stress, specific for ulceration
* Arthritis, rheumatism, laminitis, navicular and general mobility:
Dandelion Root — liver support
Dandelion Leaf — cleansing, diuretic to help clear blood toxins
Devil’s Claw — anti-inflammatory, analgesic
Willow — anti-inflammatory
Cleavers — lymphatic cleanser
Ginkgo — circulatory stimulant
Prickly ash - for improving circulation to the extremities
* Problems associated with old age:
Milk Thistle — liver
Rosemary — rheumatism
Marshmallow — soothing and healing to digestion
Slippery Elm — diarrhea, colitis, irritable bowel
Dandelion Root — liver
* Respiratory conditions such as dust allergies, allergic rhinitis, coughs, runny nose:
Garlic — expectorant
Thyme — antiseptic
Licorice — expectorant, soothing healing
Elecampane — expectorant, antibacterial
Plantain — refrigerant, reduces mucous production
Echinacea — immune support particularly for upper respiratory tract problems
* Lowered immunity and viral infections:
Echinacea — strengthens and supports immune response, antiviral
Calendula — antiviral, antibacterial
104. The results of long reining...
Today, i decided it was finally time to ride Spice out of the yard and down to the stables and back. Having got her to the point where she would do this whilst being long reined i figured she should now be ready to do this whilst being ridden and she completely was... She was incredibly easy off the hands and leg showing no resistance whatsoever (in marked contrast to a couple of weeks ago, see post 90) and when i did use my legs she actually broke out into a trot rather than simply speed up.
I managed to ride her down to the bottom of the stables, then make her stand quietly for a few seconds and then ask her to go back, stopping half way up (as we normally do) I then went into one of the neighbouring fields with her and it sounds funny but it seemed as though she really wanted to 'take me for a ride' she was very excited in the field and kept wanting to trot but due to her hooves i didn't want to do too much with her. So, after a couple of minutes i then rode her back into the corral where i asked her to walk up to the mounting block so i could dismount and she stood completely still and quietly while i did so. She was an absolute dream and although i only rode her for all of five minutes she was the most responsive and trusting that she has ever been. It's so nice to see such amazing results. It reassures me that what i am doing is right and whether it takes a year or more i know for sure that with each day that goes by our relationship grows stronger. Needless to say i gave Spice 2 carrots today for being so good. :)
I managed to ride her down to the bottom of the stables, then make her stand quietly for a few seconds and then ask her to go back, stopping half way up (as we normally do) I then went into one of the neighbouring fields with her and it sounds funny but it seemed as though she really wanted to 'take me for a ride' she was very excited in the field and kept wanting to trot but due to her hooves i didn't want to do too much with her. So, after a couple of minutes i then rode her back into the corral where i asked her to walk up to the mounting block so i could dismount and she stood completely still and quietly while i did so. She was an absolute dream and although i only rode her for all of five minutes she was the most responsive and trusting that she has ever been. It's so nice to see such amazing results. It reassures me that what i am doing is right and whether it takes a year or more i know for sure that with each day that goes by our relationship grows stronger. Needless to say i gave Spice 2 carrots today for being so good. :)
Thursday 15 April 2010
103. Bucking
Today, i long reined Spice down to the stable and back to keep up with our training and she was as good as gold. She didn't want to go down (she never really does) which makes it even more rewarding when she listens to my instructions and does as i ask. I am really looking forward to long reining her around the village, i love the way she tilts her head around to the side when i ask her to stop as if she is listening out for my next instruction. She is so sweet at times.
Unfortunately, we have discovered that my friends horse Fenna is a bit sore around the sides where we think that the girth may have been placed too far forward because as soon as Alex went to mount her she had a bucking frenzy. Since Fenna is one of the most placid and calm horses i have ever known it seemed very out of character for her to give such an extreme reaction so we assumed she must have had a good reason and we were right.
What i love about Alex is she never jumps to the assumption that it is the horse just 'playing up' or being 'rebellious' She ALWAYS trusts that Fen has good reasons for her behaviour and deals with the behaviour accordingly. I think this is probably the reason why Fen trusts her so much because they both have 100% faith in each other.
Hopefully Fen will be all better in a week and Spice will be too.
Unfortunately, we have discovered that my friends horse Fenna is a bit sore around the sides where we think that the girth may have been placed too far forward because as soon as Alex went to mount her she had a bucking frenzy. Since Fenna is one of the most placid and calm horses i have ever known it seemed very out of character for her to give such an extreme reaction so we assumed she must have had a good reason and we were right.
What i love about Alex is she never jumps to the assumption that it is the horse just 'playing up' or being 'rebellious' She ALWAYS trusts that Fen has good reasons for her behaviour and deals with the behaviour accordingly. I think this is probably the reason why Fen trusts her so much because they both have 100% faith in each other.
Hopefully Fen will be all better in a week and Spice will be too.
Wednesday 14 April 2010
102. Controlling the flight!
Today, i felt quite ill myself so had already decided that apart from soaking Spices hoof i wasn't going to do anything with her. The good news is her hoof feels a lot cooler than it did yesterday so it seems that the infection is definitely on its way out. I soaked Spices hoof for 5 mins in some tepid warm salt water and then sprinkled some salt over the abscesses exit point in the hope of drawing out whatever may be left in.
After i'd done this and my other friend on the yard had gone home i was just about to let Spice back into the field when she started galloping about like a mentalist. I looked over towards the rest of the herd and noticed that they were all out of sight... which immediately explained why Spice was feeling so anxious. So, since catching her was at that moment totally out of the question i herded her back into the paddock from the coral which she was liable to break through at any moment whether it be jumping over it or galloping straight through it and obviously i didn't want her to do this. So, after herding her back into the paddock (against her will) i basically just watched her gallop about for a couple of minutes. I thought about doing join up with her but to be honest she was in such a state due to her fear i thought this might only make her more afraid. So, i placed my self outside of the paddock against the fence and simply waited for her to come to me. What i noticed was that as soon as she realized she had 'no way out' and essentially 'no other options' she came over to me almost immediately and as soon as she did she willingly followed my every footstep.
This has taught me that when Spice is extremely anxious her first instinct is to 'run away' and 'seek safety'. Her first choice was her herd (quite rightly) but when she realized she didn't have the option of running to her herd she chose me and was more than happy with her choice.
I don't think there was any point in me doing 'join up' with Spice because she was already essentially ready to 'join up' and looking for comfort and solace in her herd i just wanted her to look for it in me (which by closing off her options) i did.
So, if i translate this to a riding situation...if i am out on a hack and there is something in front of us which Spice is afraid of and wants to run away from I need to essentially make her 'run to me' by closing off the option of running away from me. Whether it be walking backwards, turning sideways or going up i must find a way to 'close down' these options. If i allow her the option of 'running away' (in anyway) she will.
I love days like this... when i seem to learn the most important lessons without even expecting or trying to.
After i'd done this and my other friend on the yard had gone home i was just about to let Spice back into the field when she started galloping about like a mentalist. I looked over towards the rest of the herd and noticed that they were all out of sight... which immediately explained why Spice was feeling so anxious. So, since catching her was at that moment totally out of the question i herded her back into the paddock from the coral which she was liable to break through at any moment whether it be jumping over it or galloping straight through it and obviously i didn't want her to do this. So, after herding her back into the paddock (against her will) i basically just watched her gallop about for a couple of minutes. I thought about doing join up with her but to be honest she was in such a state due to her fear i thought this might only make her more afraid. So, i placed my self outside of the paddock against the fence and simply waited for her to come to me. What i noticed was that as soon as she realized she had 'no way out' and essentially 'no other options' she came over to me almost immediately and as soon as she did she willingly followed my every footstep.
This has taught me that when Spice is extremely anxious her first instinct is to 'run away' and 'seek safety'. Her first choice was her herd (quite rightly) but when she realized she didn't have the option of running to her herd she chose me and was more than happy with her choice.
I don't think there was any point in me doing 'join up' with Spice because she was already essentially ready to 'join up' and looking for comfort and solace in her herd i just wanted her to look for it in me (which by closing off her options) i did.
So, if i translate this to a riding situation...if i am out on a hack and there is something in front of us which Spice is afraid of and wants to run away from I need to essentially make her 'run to me' by closing off the option of running away from me. Whether it be walking backwards, turning sideways or going up i must find a way to 'close down' these options. If i allow her the option of 'running away' (in anyway) she will.
I love days like this... when i seem to learn the most important lessons without even expecting or trying to.
Tuesday 13 April 2010
101. Grooming
Today, i decided to give Spice some pampering. I soaked her hoof in some salt water to help cleanse the infected area which she seemed to love and i gave her a really nice groom which i haven't done in ages. Her mane and tail are beginning to grow out nicely (after being pulled by the previous owner) and her hoof although still warm seems to be a lot better, i.e she is no longer in anyway lame but it is undoubtedly still weak and tender in comparison to the other hooves. I really hope i can long rein her tomorrow but until this heat subsides i will not be confident that it is healthy enough. I also took the time to take some photos which was nice.
Monday 12 April 2010
100. Trotting Poles
Alex and Fenna doing some pole work...
Due to Spices abscess I still have to limit her work load so all i did today was long rein her over some trotting poles in the arena and walk her around the yard and through the entrance again. She was very good and listened to my commands attentively. However, there is still a slight reluctance to go through the entrance gate and although she responds well when i prompt and encourage her I'd really like to get to the point where she didn't even think about not going through as only then will i feel that she is accepting my authority and me as her leader. She is definitely a quick learner though as it has only taken two attempts to get her to this point which is a long way from turning around in the opposite direction and trying to jump back into the field! I think she has definitely learned that there is no way i am 'giving in' (at least on this).
With regards her barefoot transition I must admit that at the moment i am feeling very frustrated, i wouldn't mind not going out if i could ride her in the arena and practice maneuvers and jumping or even just longe her but due to her abscess re-occurring i can't do any of these things. I feel as though i have done so much ground work with her that now is the perfect time to start riding her in order to solidify our bond and i guess i'm beginning to get 'bored' of doing the same old same old which makes me think that Spice must be getting bored too.
I read recently that it only takes 5 months for the sole to regain the thickness needed to be barefoot so in view of the fact that it has been almost five months since she was last shod she should now have reached this stage although i guess with wear and trimming she may still have a couple of months to go. But in view of this, if she is still getting abscesses in a couple of months time i think i may have to admit defeat. I am definitely going to see how she goes in hoof boots but i do wonder how comfortable the boots will be and if they will cause any rubbing/soreness.
Sunday 11 April 2010
99. Pole work
Today i trotted Spice over some poles and a couple of small jumps in hand and she really seemed to enjoy it. She was very careful trotting over the poles and followed my directions effortlessly. I'm really looking forward to riding her over them - think she will be great. Just want to make sure her hoof has completely healed before attempting to do anything to strenuous.
Saturday 10 April 2010
98. Jumping!
Today i actually didn't do anything with Spice as she is still a bit lame although not half as lame as she was yesterday as it turns out that it was an abscess which was causing the lameness which has now burst so i am going to give her a week or so off before riding her again.
However, Indy (pictured above) and Alex took the opportunity to test out our new jump set and by the looks of it had lots of fun.
Indy managed to jump 2ft with Mags who is only 5 and hasn't jumped for ages so think she must be a natural and Alex jumped about a foot or so. I can't wait to have a go myself i absolutely love our new jumps but it looks like it will be at least a week or so before i can attempt to do anything like that.
With regards the abscess I am going to let nature take its course (as recommended by my barefoot trimmer) as i think all i effectively managed to do last time she had one was lengthen the healing process and perhaps even at times hinder it.
Friday 9 April 2010
97. Spices Barefoot Trim
Today i had a barefoot trimmer come to trim Spices hooves as i thought that her lameness could be partly due to her hooves being imbalanced. Although the trim has definitely made her more comfortable she is still lame unfortunately :( so it could be that another abscess is brewing or that she has some bruising. The barefoot trimmer advised me not to ride her barefoot on hard ground for at least 6 weeks until the soles have had a chance to thicken up so it looks like i am bound to the yard. However, in a sense this isn't a bad thing as i really need to do some schooling with Spice having not done any in ages. The good news is our jump set just arrived so we now have a jumping arena, and round pen which gives us more to do. The barefoot trimmer did say I could hack Spice out using hoof boots so i am going to see if the ones my friend has will fit her tomorrow and if they do then i should still be able to hack out as normal.
Thursday 8 April 2010
96. Lameness
Arghhh! Today i noticed that Spice was lame again on her hoof - the one which previously had an abscess. She is not crippled but she is walking rather slowly and has a noticeably uneven trot. I'm not sure whether it is the start of another abscess (fingers crossed) i it isn't! or whether she is just foot sore on that particular hoof due to it needing a trim as i noticed today that most of the weight is bearing on the hoof wall rather than the sole which has caused flaring and thus maybe the cause of her discomfort.
So, i have arranged for a podiatrist to come out to see her tomorrow and hopefully as i said it will just need trimming.
Five months into her being barefoot i was hoping that these problems would cease but unfortunately i think the abscess has really set that one hoof back. :(
Will let you all know how it goes tomorrow.
The good news is...when i tried long reining her out of the gate down to the stables today i had 100% success without any hesitation from her at all so i think i've cracked it with regards that.
I was planning on long reining her half way around the block tomorrow and then riding her back but it doesn't look like i'll be doing that now. :(
So, i have arranged for a podiatrist to come out to see her tomorrow and hopefully as i said it will just need trimming.
Five months into her being barefoot i was hoping that these problems would cease but unfortunately i think the abscess has really set that one hoof back. :(
Will let you all know how it goes tomorrow.
The good news is...when i tried long reining her out of the gate down to the stables today i had 100% success without any hesitation from her at all so i think i've cracked it with regards that.
I was planning on long reining her half way around the block tomorrow and then riding her back but it doesn't look like i'll be doing that now. :(
Wednesday 7 April 2010
95. I love long reining!
Today i decided to repeat what i had done with Spice the day before yesterday which was to long rein her out of the yard. I started off being very gentle and asking her to go forward and without any hesitation i had her moving and following my cues. Everything was going well until we got to the difficult bit - going through the yard entrance. Spice had started resisting my cues and had decided that for as long as i was 'asking' she was telling' I kept asking for 3 or 4 minutes until finally i thought o.k i'm not 'asking' i'm 'telling' and with one meaningful swish of the nylon reins against her hind quarters i had her moving - almost as though she read my mind. At every single slight hint of hesitation i swished them again until i had her walking down to the stables in a power walk! I then stopped her, turned her around and then went back up to the yard stopping along the way making sure she was still paying attention. I could see her eyes looking back towards me and one of her ears locked on me...it was a great feeling...we had switched roles, she was the one doing the asking and i was the one doing the telling...
So, having been successful in our task i decided to re-run the exercise using the same energy and technique to ensure it wasn't just a fluke. And sure enough without any hesitation whatsoever Spice walked straight through the gates. It was an amazing feeling...she was listening to me not because i was scary or threatening but because she trusted my authority. I then turned her back towards the yard and before letting her into the field again backed her up and gave her a carrot. Tomorrow i want to long rein her around the block and if all goes well the next day i will attempt to ride her.
If i can ride her just round the block with no issues by the end of the week i will be very happy...
Once i have mastered this, we can move on and look forward to progressing in other areas.
The biggest lesson i have learned from Spice today is to spot the moment she shows any signs of thinking about 'telling' me she is not doing something and act on it by re-asserting my authority.
I think it is o.k for me to ask Spice to do something and it is o.k for Spice to ask me a question about doing something but it is vitally important that there is only ever one of us to do the telling.
So, having been successful in our task i decided to re-run the exercise using the same energy and technique to ensure it wasn't just a fluke. And sure enough without any hesitation whatsoever Spice walked straight through the gates. It was an amazing feeling...she was listening to me not because i was scary or threatening but because she trusted my authority. I then turned her back towards the yard and before letting her into the field again backed her up and gave her a carrot. Tomorrow i want to long rein her around the block and if all goes well the next day i will attempt to ride her.
If i can ride her just round the block with no issues by the end of the week i will be very happy...
Once i have mastered this, we can move on and look forward to progressing in other areas.
The biggest lesson i have learned from Spice today is to spot the moment she shows any signs of thinking about 'telling' me she is not doing something and act on it by re-asserting my authority.
I think it is o.k for me to ask Spice to do something and it is o.k for Spice to ask me a question about doing something but it is vitally important that there is only ever one of us to do the telling.
Tuesday 6 April 2010
94. How to deal with a barn sour horse...
Training a Buddy-Sour or Barn-Sour Horse with John Lyons
'Horses love the familiar even more than we do, so getting separated from home or friends is legitimate cause for upset. But like us, our horse can’t always have things the way he wants them, so we have to help him deal with the emotional trauma he’s experiencing. Through training a buddy-sour or barn-sour horse, we'll have a good, horse-specific game plan.
Fortunately, we have a big horse asset working in our favor. Horses have a one-track mind.
Anyone who’s tried to quiet a horse left behind by his buddies knows that no attempt at feeding carrots or soothing talk will work. And anyone who’s ridden a horse who adamantly refuses to leave the barn can tell you that it seems the horse can only think "back to the barn." So what’s the solution? Use the horse’s own emotions to train him. Here’s the plan.
In a safe area where the horse isn’t upset, work on particular exercises that give you good control. Be specific in your requests. Don’t just lead or walk the horse around.
Cool-headed Training
# Realize that responding to a cue involves the horse's mind, body and emotions.
# Take learning cycles into account.
# Work through the "bad" parts without anger or frustration.
# Ask yourself if the performance problem you're dealing with could be primarily emotional.
# Distractions can be used as an opportunity.
Anticipate what tools you’ll need if he were to get upset. Moving his hip over will give you control of the horse’s hindquarters, which may prevent him from bolting forward or pulling away from you. Moving his shoulder over gives you control of his front end. That will prevent him from crashing into you if you lead him from the ground. Steering the shoulders or hindquarters is also much more effective when riding than just steering the nose.
Let’s concentrate on what we want the horse to do. We’re going to separate him from his buddy or the barn just momentarily, then relieve his concern by immediately returning to the buddy or barn. We’ll work that "get upset and then calm" process while we ask him for specific movements. Getting worried isn’t hard and getting calm isn’t hard. But that emotional roller coaster is. The horse will learn that getting worried is too much work, and he’ll relax and trust your signals. Gradually, we can lengthen both the time away and the distance from the buddy or barn.
The rule we follow is: Ride where you can, not where you can’t. That means we’re not going to have a fight with our horse in a place where we don’t have control, which essentially means we’re not going to fight with our horse.
In the following examples, if your horse gets too upset, then you’ve tried to take him too far too fast. Backtrack in the lesson to where he’s under good control and relaxed, then increase the distance or time'
'Horses love the familiar even more than we do, so getting separated from home or friends is legitimate cause for upset. But like us, our horse can’t always have things the way he wants them, so we have to help him deal with the emotional trauma he’s experiencing. Through training a buddy-sour or barn-sour horse, we'll have a good, horse-specific game plan.
Fortunately, we have a big horse asset working in our favor. Horses have a one-track mind.
Anyone who’s tried to quiet a horse left behind by his buddies knows that no attempt at feeding carrots or soothing talk will work. And anyone who’s ridden a horse who adamantly refuses to leave the barn can tell you that it seems the horse can only think "back to the barn." So what’s the solution? Use the horse’s own emotions to train him. Here’s the plan.
In a safe area where the horse isn’t upset, work on particular exercises that give you good control. Be specific in your requests. Don’t just lead or walk the horse around.
Cool-headed Training
# Realize that responding to a cue involves the horse's mind, body and emotions.
# Take learning cycles into account.
# Work through the "bad" parts without anger or frustration.
# Ask yourself if the performance problem you're dealing with could be primarily emotional.
# Distractions can be used as an opportunity.
Anticipate what tools you’ll need if he were to get upset. Moving his hip over will give you control of the horse’s hindquarters, which may prevent him from bolting forward or pulling away from you. Moving his shoulder over gives you control of his front end. That will prevent him from crashing into you if you lead him from the ground. Steering the shoulders or hindquarters is also much more effective when riding than just steering the nose.
Let’s concentrate on what we want the horse to do. We’re going to separate him from his buddy or the barn just momentarily, then relieve his concern by immediately returning to the buddy or barn. We’ll work that "get upset and then calm" process while we ask him for specific movements. Getting worried isn’t hard and getting calm isn’t hard. But that emotional roller coaster is. The horse will learn that getting worried is too much work, and he’ll relax and trust your signals. Gradually, we can lengthen both the time away and the distance from the buddy or barn.
The rule we follow is: Ride where you can, not where you can’t. That means we’re not going to have a fight with our horse in a place where we don’t have control, which essentially means we’re not going to fight with our horse.
In the following examples, if your horse gets too upset, then you’ve tried to take him too far too fast. Backtrack in the lesson to where he’s under good control and relaxed, then increase the distance or time'
Monday 5 April 2010
93. Long Reining
So (as i said i would in my last post) i used long reins on Spice today and boy did i enjoy it! It was so nice to be in control and not feel threatened by Spices behaviour. I was able to remain completely calm and focused throughout the exercise and this allowed me to 'not give into her ' in ways i probably have before. Finally, Spice realized that i was not going to 'give up' and so it was really not worth the effort trying to make me. I'm not saying it was easy because it wasn't we had a big discussion with lots of 'i can't do this' by Spice and lots of 'you can do this' by me. She wasn't happy... for once her rears were ineffective and all the tricks she had learned were failing her.
What i found fascinating about the exercise was that i was actually able to make her move with just two long pieces of rope attached to her bridle. She had no bit, no leg pressure and no crop/whip. I am definitely going to continue long reining Spice in fact i will do this until we get to the point that she goes everywhere i want her to go without the slightest hesitation or reluctance and only then will i attempt to actually ride her out again.
I know this is going to take a lot of time but i've said before i don't want to resort to using violence against Spice. I want to work on the basis of applying pressure and releasing pressure with lots of reward as positive reinforcement.
My hope is that long reining prepares Spice for the eventuality of riding out alone so that she doesn't feel the need to react so violently but i guess only time will tell...
What i found fascinating about the exercise was that i was actually able to make her move with just two long pieces of rope attached to her bridle. She had no bit, no leg pressure and no crop/whip. I am definitely going to continue long reining Spice in fact i will do this until we get to the point that she goes everywhere i want her to go without the slightest hesitation or reluctance and only then will i attempt to actually ride her out again.
I know this is going to take a lot of time but i've said before i don't want to resort to using violence against Spice. I want to work on the basis of applying pressure and releasing pressure with lots of reward as positive reinforcement.
My hope is that long reining prepares Spice for the eventuality of riding out alone so that she doesn't feel the need to react so violently but i guess only time will tell...
Sunday 4 April 2010
92. Working with Barn Sour Horses...
Working With A Barn Sour Horse - Part One
By Jeffrey Rolo
Working with a barn sour horse can be the ultimate test of patience; a test that can drain even the best of horse trainers. Unfortunately in the midst of frustration or anger, many handlers will make some fatal mistakes that exasperate the problem rather than lessen it.
The Common Mistakes:
Throw In The Towel – There is no denying that dealing with a barn sour horse can be a taxing experience, but once you decide to engage in the "battle of wills" it's important that you follow through until the end. This does not mean placing yourself in a position of danger; if your horse is bucking and rearing on the roadside because he does not wish to ride away from the barn, do not potentially hurt yourself or the horse by forcing the ride.
By the same token do not just give up and return the horse to his stall, because that's exactly what he wanted and if he wins you can rest assured that your next "war" will be all that much more difficult. Take your horse into a riding arena or round pen and work him hard. By hard I do not mean allowing anger to fuel your actions and thereby running the horse ragged; I mean give him a good workout so that next time he might decide the trail ride was more desirable after all.
It's never good to lose a battle with a horse since they always become progressively worse, but in the above case you showed the horse that although you lost the initial battle, ultimately you won the war. Don't wave the white flag the moment you experience your first setback.
Racing Home – One of the initial symptoms of a barn sour horse is a horse that speeds up the pace as he nears the barn on the journey home. Most of the time the horse does this of his own accord since he's simply excited about returning home, but sometimes a rider will actually canter the horse down the final stretch for fun. If only that rider knew how foolhardy such an action was!
It is important that you always take the final stretch home at a leisurely walk. Not only is this better for the horse's health (they should have a cool down period just as human athletes), it will let the horse know that you are in full control at all times.
If you are returning at a medium walk and your horse hastens to a faster walk, don't let him get away with it. Sure, he might still be walking, but he also just determined the pace and the next trail ride he'll push his luck even further. Bring him back to the medium walk, or better yet slow him down even further so that he sees his disobedience and impatience only made matters worse. Never look the other way when your horse misbehaves, no matter how sleight the disobedience.
You may find it necessary to stop your horse completely if he becomes too skittish or insistent… you might even need to stop several times on your return home. This is fine since haste will make waste - take the time to make him return properly. If your horse becomes too insistent you can even turn him around and walk away from the barn again until he settles down.
If worse comes to worst and he refuses to walk home properly, try to dismount him and lead him home. Unless you are a very experienced rider (and even if you are!) you do not want to risk being dismounted by a roadside or on an obscure trail, especially if you didn't bring along any riding partners to watch over you. (You did bring along a riding partner when you worked with a barn sour horse, right?)
When we become tired of holding our horse back and frustration begins to set in it's only natural to want to just let him head home quickly to get the undesirable situation over with. But that natural reaction will only compound your frustrations later as you find your partner turning into a full-fledged barn sour horse.
Bringing Along A Buddy – Herd bound horses resist leaving the property because they do not wish to leave their equine buddy behind. Often the owner of a herd bound horse will have another rider take the herd bound horse's buddy on a trail ride with him so that his horse doesn't have to leave his buddy behind. The thought behind this is the journey goes by smoothly and in time the owner's horse will become less barn sour by observing how easily his buddy rides.
This solution couldn't be any more mistaken!
When you pair up a herd bound horse and his equine companion on a trail ride all you succeed in doing is masking the symptoms, yet the problem still exists. In fact doing this will make the problem even worse over time rather than better, because you need to break the reliance on his buddy to overcome the herd bound problem. Never use a buddy as a pacifier for a herd bound horse; make sure if you have a riding partner he or she is riding a neutral horse.
To view more common errors as well as the key solution to remedying a barn sour horse view the second part of Working With A Barn Sour Horse.
Working With A Barn Sour Horse - Part Two
By Jeffrey Rolo
In the first part of Working With A Barn Sour Horse we looked at some of the common mistakes people make when working with barn sour or herd bound horses. We now continue where the previous article left off…
Feeding After Returning – When our horse does a great job we love nothing more than to reward him for his cooperation and loyalty, which in itself is a wonderful sentiment. We should reward our equine partners for a job well done! Unfortunately one of the common ways horse owners will reward their horse is with a portion of sweet feed, and this is where good intentions can eventually create bad results.
You need to find a balance whereby you can reward your horse for a job well done without setting up a situation where your horse actually anticipates the pending rewards. Rewards should be spontaneous and unpredictable in nature (excluding a good shoulder rub and reassuring words, which a horse can never have enough of), because if your horse comes to expect a certain result upon the completion of his ride he may look forward to that completion too much!
Before you know it your horse may start racing home knowing that a dose of sweet feed will be waiting for him!
So what are some ways to help discourage horses from behaving in a barn sour manner? Well, some good tips were interlaced with the common mistake explanations, but let's look at some resolutions in a more direct manner.
Make Home Less Attractive
One reason horses become barn sour is because they view home as a place of rest and relaxation whereas the trail ride means work. To combat this view make sure you work your horse at the stable regularly, as well as work your horse right after a trail ride concludes.
Most horse owners will immediately dismount a horse, remove his tack and set him free upon the conclusion of trail ride, and while this is absolutely fine for a well-trained and respectful horse, it's the last thing you want to do if your horse is barn sour!
Once you return home from a trail ride take your horse into the arena and work him for a considerable amount of time. Don't run him ragged; just prevent him from becoming too comfortable. When you have finished with your arena work bring him to some crossties, tie him and consider leaving him there for a couple minutes. Return in a bit, remove his tack and then let him stand there some more.
If the above actions seem like they are designed to annoy the horse… well, they are! They are painless and gentle ways to:
bullet Disconnect the "home equals reward" mentality
bullet Show the horse that you are his leader and will call the shots
Just Ride On By
Most of the time when we finish a trail ride we will head back home and immediately walk up the driveway or return path leading to the stable. If your horse is barn sour then try not to do that; instead upon your return home walk right on by the driveway and continue your ride. Do this several times until you are certain that you (not your horse) are ready to finally return home.
One of the reasons a barn sour horse speeds up his pace when he's heading back in a homeward direction is he's anticipating his return to the stable. When he finds that the homeward direction means little since the journey just continues right on by the stable in the opposite direction, he may eventually cease his quickened pace since he'll have no idea when the ride really does end. A homeward direction no longer equals a return home.
And now the key solution to remedying a barn sour horse…
Establish A Bond Of Respect!
When you get down to the crux of the matter you'll see that a horse is barn sour or herd bound because he does not respect you as a strong and reliable leader. Until your horse views you as his alpha leader he will continue to cling to the comforts of home or the security of an equine buddy. He needs to see that you control his comfort and that you are his security.
Consider dropping trail rides altogether for a while and work in the round pen or arena day after day until the horse fully trusts in you and looks towards you for direction. If you cannot keep the horse's focus on you in the round pen you will certainly not be able to direct his focus on the trail.
Bad habits can be incredibly difficult to break, so if you have inherited a barn sour horse I do not recommend trying to fight it out on the trail with him. Earning a horse's respect is far easier on the floor of a round pen than the back of a horse, not to mention far less dangerous. It may take days, weeks or even months to turn a barn sour horse around, but once your horse has enough respect and confidence in you as his leader, chances are very high you'll get through to him.
Just be patient and take it slow. Understand that in the horse world blunt force means very little, whereas respect and security mean everything. Redirect his other sources of respect and security (such as a horse buddy) towards you and you'll be well on your way to making him a perfect riding horse. Just expect to put in some hard hours of work in obtaining that goal.
http://equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/training/general/barnsour_053006/index1.aspx
By Jeffrey Rolo
Working with a barn sour horse can be the ultimate test of patience; a test that can drain even the best of horse trainers. Unfortunately in the midst of frustration or anger, many handlers will make some fatal mistakes that exasperate the problem rather than lessen it.
The Common Mistakes:
Throw In The Towel – There is no denying that dealing with a barn sour horse can be a taxing experience, but once you decide to engage in the "battle of wills" it's important that you follow through until the end. This does not mean placing yourself in a position of danger; if your horse is bucking and rearing on the roadside because he does not wish to ride away from the barn, do not potentially hurt yourself or the horse by forcing the ride.
By the same token do not just give up and return the horse to his stall, because that's exactly what he wanted and if he wins you can rest assured that your next "war" will be all that much more difficult. Take your horse into a riding arena or round pen and work him hard. By hard I do not mean allowing anger to fuel your actions and thereby running the horse ragged; I mean give him a good workout so that next time he might decide the trail ride was more desirable after all.
It's never good to lose a battle with a horse since they always become progressively worse, but in the above case you showed the horse that although you lost the initial battle, ultimately you won the war. Don't wave the white flag the moment you experience your first setback.
Racing Home – One of the initial symptoms of a barn sour horse is a horse that speeds up the pace as he nears the barn on the journey home. Most of the time the horse does this of his own accord since he's simply excited about returning home, but sometimes a rider will actually canter the horse down the final stretch for fun. If only that rider knew how foolhardy such an action was!
It is important that you always take the final stretch home at a leisurely walk. Not only is this better for the horse's health (they should have a cool down period just as human athletes), it will let the horse know that you are in full control at all times.
If you are returning at a medium walk and your horse hastens to a faster walk, don't let him get away with it. Sure, he might still be walking, but he also just determined the pace and the next trail ride he'll push his luck even further. Bring him back to the medium walk, or better yet slow him down even further so that he sees his disobedience and impatience only made matters worse. Never look the other way when your horse misbehaves, no matter how sleight the disobedience.
You may find it necessary to stop your horse completely if he becomes too skittish or insistent… you might even need to stop several times on your return home. This is fine since haste will make waste - take the time to make him return properly. If your horse becomes too insistent you can even turn him around and walk away from the barn again until he settles down.
If worse comes to worst and he refuses to walk home properly, try to dismount him and lead him home. Unless you are a very experienced rider (and even if you are!) you do not want to risk being dismounted by a roadside or on an obscure trail, especially if you didn't bring along any riding partners to watch over you. (You did bring along a riding partner when you worked with a barn sour horse, right?)
When we become tired of holding our horse back and frustration begins to set in it's only natural to want to just let him head home quickly to get the undesirable situation over with. But that natural reaction will only compound your frustrations later as you find your partner turning into a full-fledged barn sour horse.
Bringing Along A Buddy – Herd bound horses resist leaving the property because they do not wish to leave their equine buddy behind. Often the owner of a herd bound horse will have another rider take the herd bound horse's buddy on a trail ride with him so that his horse doesn't have to leave his buddy behind. The thought behind this is the journey goes by smoothly and in time the owner's horse will become less barn sour by observing how easily his buddy rides.
This solution couldn't be any more mistaken!
When you pair up a herd bound horse and his equine companion on a trail ride all you succeed in doing is masking the symptoms, yet the problem still exists. In fact doing this will make the problem even worse over time rather than better, because you need to break the reliance on his buddy to overcome the herd bound problem. Never use a buddy as a pacifier for a herd bound horse; make sure if you have a riding partner he or she is riding a neutral horse.
To view more common errors as well as the key solution to remedying a barn sour horse view the second part of Working With A Barn Sour Horse.
Working With A Barn Sour Horse - Part Two
By Jeffrey Rolo
In the first part of Working With A Barn Sour Horse we looked at some of the common mistakes people make when working with barn sour or herd bound horses. We now continue where the previous article left off…
Feeding After Returning – When our horse does a great job we love nothing more than to reward him for his cooperation and loyalty, which in itself is a wonderful sentiment. We should reward our equine partners for a job well done! Unfortunately one of the common ways horse owners will reward their horse is with a portion of sweet feed, and this is where good intentions can eventually create bad results.
You need to find a balance whereby you can reward your horse for a job well done without setting up a situation where your horse actually anticipates the pending rewards. Rewards should be spontaneous and unpredictable in nature (excluding a good shoulder rub and reassuring words, which a horse can never have enough of), because if your horse comes to expect a certain result upon the completion of his ride he may look forward to that completion too much!
Before you know it your horse may start racing home knowing that a dose of sweet feed will be waiting for him!
So what are some ways to help discourage horses from behaving in a barn sour manner? Well, some good tips were interlaced with the common mistake explanations, but let's look at some resolutions in a more direct manner.
Make Home Less Attractive
One reason horses become barn sour is because they view home as a place of rest and relaxation whereas the trail ride means work. To combat this view make sure you work your horse at the stable regularly, as well as work your horse right after a trail ride concludes.
Most horse owners will immediately dismount a horse, remove his tack and set him free upon the conclusion of trail ride, and while this is absolutely fine for a well-trained and respectful horse, it's the last thing you want to do if your horse is barn sour!
Once you return home from a trail ride take your horse into the arena and work him for a considerable amount of time. Don't run him ragged; just prevent him from becoming too comfortable. When you have finished with your arena work bring him to some crossties, tie him and consider leaving him there for a couple minutes. Return in a bit, remove his tack and then let him stand there some more.
If the above actions seem like they are designed to annoy the horse… well, they are! They are painless and gentle ways to:
bullet Disconnect the "home equals reward" mentality
bullet Show the horse that you are his leader and will call the shots
Just Ride On By
Most of the time when we finish a trail ride we will head back home and immediately walk up the driveway or return path leading to the stable. If your horse is barn sour then try not to do that; instead upon your return home walk right on by the driveway and continue your ride. Do this several times until you are certain that you (not your horse) are ready to finally return home.
One of the reasons a barn sour horse speeds up his pace when he's heading back in a homeward direction is he's anticipating his return to the stable. When he finds that the homeward direction means little since the journey just continues right on by the stable in the opposite direction, he may eventually cease his quickened pace since he'll have no idea when the ride really does end. A homeward direction no longer equals a return home.
And now the key solution to remedying a barn sour horse…
Establish A Bond Of Respect!
When you get down to the crux of the matter you'll see that a horse is barn sour or herd bound because he does not respect you as a strong and reliable leader. Until your horse views you as his alpha leader he will continue to cling to the comforts of home or the security of an equine buddy. He needs to see that you control his comfort and that you are his security.
Consider dropping trail rides altogether for a while and work in the round pen or arena day after day until the horse fully trusts in you and looks towards you for direction. If you cannot keep the horse's focus on you in the round pen you will certainly not be able to direct his focus on the trail.
Bad habits can be incredibly difficult to break, so if you have inherited a barn sour horse I do not recommend trying to fight it out on the trail with him. Earning a horse's respect is far easier on the floor of a round pen than the back of a horse, not to mention far less dangerous. It may take days, weeks or even months to turn a barn sour horse around, but once your horse has enough respect and confidence in you as his leader, chances are very high you'll get through to him.
Just be patient and take it slow. Understand that in the horse world blunt force means very little, whereas respect and security mean everything. Redirect his other sources of respect and security (such as a horse buddy) towards you and you'll be well on your way to making him a perfect riding horse. Just expect to put in some hard hours of work in obtaining that goal.
http://equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/training/general/barnsour_053006/index1.aspx
91. Long Reining...
As usual Spice has given me a headache...It's 2.24am in the morning and i find myself lying in bed 'thinking over' everything that happened yesterday. The first feeling i felt after what happened when i tried to get Spice to go towards the gate yesterday was disappointment. I was disappointed in Spice. All i could think was how dissappointed i was that after all our work she had failed the task i had set before her but really it was me that had failed...
Is it a case of long reining her out of the yard first so i learn what to do with my reins without the risk of getting injured in the process?
Or is it simply a case of simply being more authoritative, firmer, stronger and quicker and in effect 'forcing her to go' as when Spice is flatly refusing to listen to me even before i attempt to communicate with her she is completely disrespecting my authority.
Anyway, tomorrow i have decided to long rein her in the arena and try to perform a variety of transitions so i can get her 'listening' to me and then long rein her out of the yard and then repeat these exercises whilst riding her...
Will let you all know how it goes providing i'm still alive to tell the tale...
One thing is for sure...i never imagined just 'how much learning' was involved in riding!
Is it a case of long reining her out of the yard first so i learn what to do with my reins without the risk of getting injured in the process?
Or is it simply a case of simply being more authoritative, firmer, stronger and quicker and in effect 'forcing her to go' as when Spice is flatly refusing to listen to me even before i attempt to communicate with her she is completely disrespecting my authority.
Anyway, tomorrow i have decided to long rein her in the arena and try to perform a variety of transitions so i can get her 'listening' to me and then long rein her out of the yard and then repeat these exercises whilst riding her...
Will let you all know how it goes providing i'm still alive to tell the tale...
One thing is for sure...i never imagined just 'how much learning' was involved in riding!
90. Barn Sour & Buddy Sour...
This afternoon we decided to hack out and it didn't go well. :( I could tell Spice was going to be difficult even before i 'd finished tacking her up as she was quite irritable. Anyway, as soon as i mounted her (which took three attempts) I asked her to walk forward and she refused so i asked again and she obliged but very reluctantly, in fact she was so reluctant that i was wondering whether she was lame...she wasn't...
After a slow and short walk around the yard i asked her to move forward towards the gate where i was planning on waiting for the others but before i could even point her towards it she was already heading back to the field. Spice had decided that she wasn't going out (at least not on her own.) She was not giving to her right rein at all and the more i pulled the more she pulled. I knew i could not give up and eventually i did manage to turn back towards the gate and walk her out successfully. However, by this time the other horses were already heading out of the gate so it was easier to persuade spice to go this way in view of the fact that she had realized that she wasn't going to be hacking out alone...
So...i really need to start riding her out to get her 'over' this. I feel a bit deflated as if i'm honest i hadn't expected her to be quite so reluctant - especially after all our groundwork but i am going to stay positive as i also have to take into consideration that it has been almost 5 months since i last rode her out alone (so she is bound to be apprehensive).
After a slow and short walk around the yard i asked her to move forward towards the gate where i was planning on waiting for the others but before i could even point her towards it she was already heading back to the field. Spice had decided that she wasn't going out (at least not on her own.) She was not giving to her right rein at all and the more i pulled the more she pulled. I knew i could not give up and eventually i did manage to turn back towards the gate and walk her out successfully. However, by this time the other horses were already heading out of the gate so it was easier to persuade spice to go this way in view of the fact that she had realized that she wasn't going to be hacking out alone...
So...i really need to start riding her out to get her 'over' this. I feel a bit deflated as if i'm honest i hadn't expected her to be quite so reluctant - especially after all our groundwork but i am going to stay positive as i also have to take into consideration that it has been almost 5 months since i last rode her out alone (so she is bound to be apprehensive).
Saturday 3 April 2010
89. Horses and Fear
Today i decided to take Spice for a walk around the village as i knew i only had a few minutes before the rain would start. And since the owner of the yard was mowing one of the lawns i thought it could create a nice little bonding exercise...I was proven right...
As soon as Spice heard the noise of the mower she immediately began to question whether we should continue on our route and asked me if i was sure i didn't want to go the other way. Since i was 100% sure that the mower wasn't going to harm us i told her i was quite certain that i wanted to continue on our route and that no harm would come to either of us. Spice then said '...well i'm still quite scared but if you really think it's going to be o.k then i'll come.' I said, 'good girl spice, i know you're scared but trust me it will be o.k.'
A few steps later as we got closer to the mower (which at this time was still out of sight) the noise of the mower was louder and Spice again hesitated and said...'are you absolutely 100% certain that you want to go this way? cos we could easily turn round and go this way.'
'Yes 100% certain couldn't be more certain in fact, it's just a mower and as far as i know they have never initiated an attack on a human or horse.'
'Ooooh... i hope your right...' Spice said 'cos i'm really scared and i haven't really heard that noise before. For all i know it could be some sort of beast behind that hedge.... but you seem to be convinced that it isn't and i guess you've been right every other time you've said that somethings o.k so....let's go check it out but lets creep along so whatever it is doesn't hear us and keep that lead rope slack so i can be sure that i can run away if i have to....'
'O.k Spice, look i haven't really got hold of this lead rope, you could run away at any time but trust me you wont have to....'
'O.k i trust you, let's go....Ooooohhhhh....i'm so scared oooooohhhhhh..i sure hope you're right about this...'
'ooooooooo' Spice says 'that's what that noise is....listen nat just let me just have a look at this so i can remember what it looks and sounds like so i wont have to waste all this nervous energy on it next time i hear it.'
'O.k spice you have a good look at it and when you're sure you've imprinted it on your memory we can go for our walk in peace yeah?'
'Yeah, o.k it's in there, let's go.'
'O.k come on' :)
As soon as Spice heard the noise of the mower she immediately began to question whether we should continue on our route and asked me if i was sure i didn't want to go the other way. Since i was 100% sure that the mower wasn't going to harm us i told her i was quite certain that i wanted to continue on our route and that no harm would come to either of us. Spice then said '...well i'm still quite scared but if you really think it's going to be o.k then i'll come.' I said, 'good girl spice, i know you're scared but trust me it will be o.k.'
A few steps later as we got closer to the mower (which at this time was still out of sight) the noise of the mower was louder and Spice again hesitated and said...'are you absolutely 100% certain that you want to go this way? cos we could easily turn round and go this way.'
'Yes 100% certain couldn't be more certain in fact, it's just a mower and as far as i know they have never initiated an attack on a human or horse.'
'Ooooh... i hope your right...' Spice said 'cos i'm really scared and i haven't really heard that noise before. For all i know it could be some sort of beast behind that hedge.... but you seem to be convinced that it isn't and i guess you've been right every other time you've said that somethings o.k so....let's go check it out but lets creep along so whatever it is doesn't hear us and keep that lead rope slack so i can be sure that i can run away if i have to....'
'O.k Spice, look i haven't really got hold of this lead rope, you could run away at any time but trust me you wont have to....'
'O.k i trust you, let's go....Ooooohhhhh....i'm so scared oooooohhhhhh..i sure hope you're right about this...'
'ooooooooo' Spice says 'that's what that noise is....listen nat just let me just have a look at this so i can remember what it looks and sounds like so i wont have to waste all this nervous energy on it next time i hear it.'
'O.k spice you have a good look at it and when you're sure you've imprinted it on your memory we can go for our walk in peace yeah?'
'Yeah, o.k it's in there, let's go.'
'O.k come on' :)
Friday 2 April 2010
88. Horses and shelter
The weather here is awful at the moment, windy, wet and cold. The horses understandably don't feel like doing anything and we didn't either. Spice is refusing to use the man made shelter we have in the field so was soaking wet and shivering when i arrived so i dried her off best i could and put her lightweight back on.
It struck me today just how much Spice relies her natural instincts more than anything else as in situations like this as even when i tried to tempt her into the shelter with some hay she didn't budge. In her eyes, she had positioned herself with her bum against the rain and the wind and protected herself from the elements as best she could and as far as she could see there was no better option.
This led me to ask myself the question...when keeping a domesticated horse, is the natural way always the best way? For in the wild Spice and the rest of the herd would have found a woodland to shelter in long before the rain and wind probably even started but when your horse doesn't have access to all the things nature provides in the wild you have to make up for these things in some way or another. For if i hadn't have put a rug on her she'd have been stood there for the next few hours shivering and freezing cold and possibly even ending up making herself ill...
Possible reasons why i think Spice wont use the shelter are...
Her reluctance to being in an enclosed space, feeling trapped - no where to run.
Fear - the scary noises caused by the rain and the wind on the roof.
As there's no way i can prevent these things the only thing i can do is keep her in her rug until the drier weather comes which will hopefully be in the not too distant future!
It struck me today just how much Spice relies her natural instincts more than anything else as in situations like this as even when i tried to tempt her into the shelter with some hay she didn't budge. In her eyes, she had positioned herself with her bum against the rain and the wind and protected herself from the elements as best she could and as far as she could see there was no better option.
This led me to ask myself the question...when keeping a domesticated horse, is the natural way always the best way? For in the wild Spice and the rest of the herd would have found a woodland to shelter in long before the rain and wind probably even started but when your horse doesn't have access to all the things nature provides in the wild you have to make up for these things in some way or another. For if i hadn't have put a rug on her she'd have been stood there for the next few hours shivering and freezing cold and possibly even ending up making herself ill...
Possible reasons why i think Spice wont use the shelter are...
Her reluctance to being in an enclosed space, feeling trapped - no where to run.
Fear - the scary noises caused by the rain and the wind on the roof.
As there's no way i can prevent these things the only thing i can do is keep her in her rug until the drier weather comes which will hopefully be in the not too distant future!
Thursday 1 April 2010
87. Groundwork, Hooves & Magnesium Update...
Today i took Spice for a 15 minute walk around the village and she was absolutely brilliant, so trusting and so attentive. Every day i take her out i see how she improves. I definitely think the magnesium has had an effect on her too. It was quite windy today but she remained calm and relaxed from the moment we left the yard to the moment we got back. When i think back to how nervous and agitated she was when i first tried to lead her away from the herd i realize just how far we have both come. I can't wait to ride her out. Her hooves still seem to be holding up well which is good so my aim is to start riding her out daily for 30 minutes at a time so they get used to walking on hard ground. The last time she was shod was back in November so she has now had almost 5 months of growth. I can't believe how quick it's gone. I am hoping that within 3 months i can hack her out daily for 1hr at a time with no problem. The loveliest thing about doing things with Spice is knowing that she actually enjoys doing them she stands at the gate waiting for me to arrive and even after i've given her food still stands there almost as though she is waiting for me to 'catch her'. But I never want to get to the point where i have to 'catch her' i like the way we seem to 'catch' each other. :)
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