Unfortunately, the Label “trainer” is thrown around far too lightly. Myself, I can, and have, trained horses from halter breaking up to bridle less riding. I have only done so for myself and a few select friends. I do not call myself a trainer. However, I know I have a lot more skill than a lot of the yahoos out there using the “T” word to describe themselves.
To me, being a Trainer is being out there every day with the horses, learning from them as much as the other way around. You have a large pool of knowledge and experience to pull from, and every horse is an individual. If one method does not work, you have the flexibility to try another way. There is no “one-size-fits-all” way to train a horse. There are also no shortcuts – you teach a horse to give to pressure in the bridle, and move away from pressure on the leg. Each movement is broken down into small parts so the horse has a chance to learn each and be rewarded for the correct answer. A horse that you have trained leaves the barn willing and flexible – happy in his job, not bullied into it.
At the bottom of the barrel is ‘Billy down the road’. His claim to fame is that he has successfully remained on top of the rank horse in the next pasture. He then goes and advertises himself as a trainer on craigslist sans grammar and spelling that most of us learned by the fifth grade.
Real ad…enjoy! The emphasis is my own.
TRAINER - $150 (LIBERTY)
________________________________________
Date: 2009-08-23, 10:43PM EDT
________________________________________
Hello thanks for your time i will brake or train or horse i have been around horses for about 4 years i have green broke two qurter horses and saddel broke a draft horse i also do farm work so if you need help let me know.
• Location: LIBERTY
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Some top of the line trainers become “Big Names”. The underlying problem with Big Names is that they have become too busy to do training themselves. They have hordes of helpers doing most of the handling, while the Big Name jets around the country doing expos with pre-screened horses. Don’t forget hawking the special $85 stick or $100 halter you must have. Most of the time, the starting point – the horses – get lost in the rush to commercialize.
Some “Big Names” are better than others. You really have to watch and decide for yourself. Try not to drink the Kool-Aid along the way. If you feel the need to buy strange, expensive contraptions, spend $800 on videotapes, or need to play elaborate games in order to make “friends” with your horse, you need to back away slowly.
Somewhere in the middle, you will find hardworking, knowledgeable, actual trainers. You still have to be very careful with your choice. Even trainers that come with recommendations are sometimes closet abusers. You would be shocked, nay, FLOORED to find out what goes on behind the barn at some places.
Most importantly, you should never leave your horse unsupervised at a barn for long periods of time. Make unscheduled visits. Check up on your horse to make sure it is being properly cared for. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t!
Monday, August 31, 2009
You cannot ride a barefoot horse on rocks...
This one always makes me snicker – especially when we are on a particularly rocky stretch, and someone makes this comment to me…. Not realizing that my horses are all barefoot. All it takes is conditioning them on rocks – either on your normal trails, your gravel driveway, your rocky pasture, or you can add pea gravel around commonly traveled areas in the pasture(like feed and water troughs.)
I stumbled into barefoot by “accident”… the only good farrier in the area (and I mean ONLY – I wouldn’t let any of the other hack jobs near my horses with a ten foot pole) got injured at the appointment before ours. Even though his leg was broken, he knew our horses were polite, so he put us first on the schedule for a few weeks later. The day before he was going to come out, his father died. By this time, having the shoes hanging by a thread was worse than me pulling them off. I bought some easyboots so I could continue riding.
Suprisingly, even without the boots, the horses quickly adapted. It was from that point that I started to research. Many years and many successful transitions later, I got the Pete Ramey DVD set. He showed in a scientific fashion what I had noticed just by trial and error. I picked up a few new pointers, too. I started doing all my own trimming. I also trimmed for a rescue, and was able to transition all of the horses that came through – from a QH with TINY feet, to gaited horses, to OTTB’s with cracked, thrushy pancake feet.
Online I got to know a few more people who did barefoot. This is a video that one of them took of four barefoot horses on day 3 of hard riding. All horse’s feet were maintained by their owners, and did beautifully over the long weekend. You can hear the clacking of hoof against rock.
One thing that always makes me wonder is when we meet up with someone on the trail whose shod horse is sore from the rocks, and they still don’t believe we did the same trail barefoot – when we are right in front of their eyes.
Not all people can go barefoot – you have to do it right. Some horses will transition quickly, others can take a year. Depends a lot on the effort you put into doing it right, and how much you ride. Barefoot is NOT pulling the shoes and - voila! It takes time to toughen the feet – sometimes you have to grow in a whole new, correct, hoof.
The absolute best part about barefoot? You never again have to miss a ride due to loose or missing shoes!
I stumbled into barefoot by “accident”… the only good farrier in the area (and I mean ONLY – I wouldn’t let any of the other hack jobs near my horses with a ten foot pole) got injured at the appointment before ours. Even though his leg was broken, he knew our horses were polite, so he put us first on the schedule for a few weeks later. The day before he was going to come out, his father died. By this time, having the shoes hanging by a thread was worse than me pulling them off. I bought some easyboots so I could continue riding.
Suprisingly, even without the boots, the horses quickly adapted. It was from that point that I started to research. Many years and many successful transitions later, I got the Pete Ramey DVD set. He showed in a scientific fashion what I had noticed just by trial and error. I picked up a few new pointers, too. I started doing all my own trimming. I also trimmed for a rescue, and was able to transition all of the horses that came through – from a QH with TINY feet, to gaited horses, to OTTB’s with cracked, thrushy pancake feet.
Online I got to know a few more people who did barefoot. This is a video that one of them took of four barefoot horses on day 3 of hard riding. All horse’s feet were maintained by their owners, and did beautifully over the long weekend. You can hear the clacking of hoof against rock.
One thing that always makes me wonder is when we meet up with someone on the trail whose shod horse is sore from the rocks, and they still don’t believe we did the same trail barefoot – when we are right in front of their eyes.
Not all people can go barefoot – you have to do it right. Some horses will transition quickly, others can take a year. Depends a lot on the effort you put into doing it right, and how much you ride. Barefoot is NOT pulling the shoes and - voila! It takes time to toughen the feet – sometimes you have to grow in a whole new, correct, hoof.
The absolute best part about barefoot? You never again have to miss a ride due to loose or missing shoes!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Horseshoes VS. Barefoot
There is currently a large debate going on about whether to shoe or go barefoot with your horse. I do not find it to be that simple. The problem is more of a lack of information about the horse’s foot physiology and proper function. Here are my thoughts.
Horseshoes first became necessary when people started keeping horses in cities – tie stalls were very popular, and sanitation was minimal. Horses standing in urine and manure-soaked bedding would get soft feet, prone to cracking and flaking. Shoes helped to protect the foot and keep the horse in service longer.
Over the years, the fact that a horse would often start limping when they lost a shoe was used to prove that shoes are necessary. Obviously, if the horse is sore without a shoe, you must keep them shod, right? I grew up “knowing” that you needed four shoes on a horse in order to ride it. Anything less was barbaric. Most people who were raised with horses learned this same “fact”. Looking at it logically, it is not a case of A, therefore, B.
It is not that the horse is sore because they lack a shoe, it is the fact that their feet were trimmed improperly. For years I stood by, watching while the farrier took the knife to the sole and frog, paring down to the neat and pretty white sole underneath, and trimming the frog to perfectly smooth dimensions, making sure it did not touch the ground . The fact is, the bottom of the horse’s foot creates a thick layer of callous, compressed smaller and smaller, tougher and tougher, as time goes on. Every time the sole and frog are trimmed, this callous is removed. Remember running around in the summer as a child? You couldn’t walk over the gravel driveway at the beginning of summer because your feet lacked callous. By the end of summer, you could barely feel the rocks any more. Same with the horse. Use/friction/stimulation creates callous.
The horse’s foot is a complex structure. The inner bones are surrounded by tendon, ligament and muscle. This is surrounded by the laminae which hold the outer hoof wall to the inner structures. The hoof is designed to take the pressure of the landing on the elastic heel bulbs and frog, dissipating the pressure smoothly throughout the structures of the leg.
The fact is, most shoers pull the structure of the hoof completely out of touch with the ground, allowing the wall to take the entire load. This, in essence, hangs the hoof upside-down, pressure-wise, from what it was designed to do. (This is a very complex mechanical issue, better explained by others. Look it up online – research is your friend!)
Another common issue is long toes. We have not been conditioned to see this. The easiest way to see long toes, is to look at the hoof close-up, from the side. The first ½ inch of growth down from the coronary band will show you the angle that the hoof “wants” to have. If, farther down the hoof wall, you can see a different angle, then you have long toe/hoof wall separation. Once I started looking for this, I realized that most horses have at least some hoof wall separation. Most farriers leave hoof wall separation. Most shod horses have hoof wall separation. Very scary!
Do your horse a favor. Go out, and look at their feet. Chances are, you will see hoof wall separation. Research, research, research. Become educated. Don’t just let others tell you what is okay. You would like to trust your vet and farrier, but sometimes THEY don’t know any better, either!
That being said, there are some great farriers out there who can minimize hoof damage. Hopefully you can find one.
Another option is to take your horse barefoot. This has found great success for thousands of horses and riders. We have NOT “bred the hoof off the horse”. The thing with barefoot is that you must be committed to doing it RIGHT. You must feed correctly, exercise correctly, trim correctly, and condition the foot correctly. You CANNOT just pull the shoes and go. You are doing the horse a huge disservice by rushing it and then saying that your horse cannot go barefoot. Boots are a must for the transition time. Every breed from Mustangs to Thoroughbreds off the track have been successfully transitioned. Again – research and educate yourself.
The best thing about barefoot is that owners generally have a lot more knowledge about the horse's hoof and how it functions. They better understand the hoof mechanics, and can see the difference for themselves. They will not stand idly by while an “expert” butchers the foot.
Whatever you choose, do so with knowledge. So many people think that just because they pay for a farrier every 8 weeks, they have sufficiently cared for their horse’s foot health. Unfortunately, there is a huge range of competence in farriers. I am still ashamed, looking back on the bad shoeing jobs that my horses went through before I knew any better. You owe it to your horse to educate yourself and get it done RIGHT.
Horseshoes first became necessary when people started keeping horses in cities – tie stalls were very popular, and sanitation was minimal. Horses standing in urine and manure-soaked bedding would get soft feet, prone to cracking and flaking. Shoes helped to protect the foot and keep the horse in service longer.
Over the years, the fact that a horse would often start limping when they lost a shoe was used to prove that shoes are necessary. Obviously, if the horse is sore without a shoe, you must keep them shod, right? I grew up “knowing” that you needed four shoes on a horse in order to ride it. Anything less was barbaric. Most people who were raised with horses learned this same “fact”. Looking at it logically, it is not a case of A, therefore, B.
It is not that the horse is sore because they lack a shoe, it is the fact that their feet were trimmed improperly. For years I stood by, watching while the farrier took the knife to the sole and frog, paring down to the neat and pretty white sole underneath, and trimming the frog to perfectly smooth dimensions, making sure it did not touch the ground . The fact is, the bottom of the horse’s foot creates a thick layer of callous, compressed smaller and smaller, tougher and tougher, as time goes on. Every time the sole and frog are trimmed, this callous is removed. Remember running around in the summer as a child? You couldn’t walk over the gravel driveway at the beginning of summer because your feet lacked callous. By the end of summer, you could barely feel the rocks any more. Same with the horse. Use/friction/stimulation creates callous.
The horse’s foot is a complex structure. The inner bones are surrounded by tendon, ligament and muscle. This is surrounded by the laminae which hold the outer hoof wall to the inner structures. The hoof is designed to take the pressure of the landing on the elastic heel bulbs and frog, dissipating the pressure smoothly throughout the structures of the leg.
The fact is, most shoers pull the structure of the hoof completely out of touch with the ground, allowing the wall to take the entire load. This, in essence, hangs the hoof upside-down, pressure-wise, from what it was designed to do. (This is a very complex mechanical issue, better explained by others. Look it up online – research is your friend!)
Another common issue is long toes. We have not been conditioned to see this. The easiest way to see long toes, is to look at the hoof close-up, from the side. The first ½ inch of growth down from the coronary band will show you the angle that the hoof “wants” to have. If, farther down the hoof wall, you can see a different angle, then you have long toe/hoof wall separation. Once I started looking for this, I realized that most horses have at least some hoof wall separation. Most farriers leave hoof wall separation. Most shod horses have hoof wall separation. Very scary!
Do your horse a favor. Go out, and look at their feet. Chances are, you will see hoof wall separation. Research, research, research. Become educated. Don’t just let others tell you what is okay. You would like to trust your vet and farrier, but sometimes THEY don’t know any better, either!
That being said, there are some great farriers out there who can minimize hoof damage. Hopefully you can find one.
Another option is to take your horse barefoot. This has found great success for thousands of horses and riders. We have NOT “bred the hoof off the horse”. The thing with barefoot is that you must be committed to doing it RIGHT. You must feed correctly, exercise correctly, trim correctly, and condition the foot correctly. You CANNOT just pull the shoes and go. You are doing the horse a huge disservice by rushing it and then saying that your horse cannot go barefoot. Boots are a must for the transition time. Every breed from Mustangs to Thoroughbreds off the track have been successfully transitioned. Again – research and educate yourself.
The best thing about barefoot is that owners generally have a lot more knowledge about the horse's hoof and how it functions. They better understand the hoof mechanics, and can see the difference for themselves. They will not stand idly by while an “expert” butchers the foot.
Whatever you choose, do so with knowledge. So many people think that just because they pay for a farrier every 8 weeks, they have sufficiently cared for their horse’s foot health. Unfortunately, there is a huge range of competence in farriers. I am still ashamed, looking back on the bad shoeing jobs that my horses went through before I knew any better. You owe it to your horse to educate yourself and get it done RIGHT.
Old Does Not Equal Skinny
It really amazes me how many people think that it is normal for an old timer to get skinny. No, no, no, no no! Older horses can have various issues, that if not properly cared for, can cause an early demise. The foremost of which is dental issues.
Equine teeth erupt from the jaw at a constant slow pace throughout their lives. This allows for surface wear from chewing tough grasses and plants. However, most horses do not wear their teeth evenly. This can cause sharp hooks and points that can lacerate the gums, causing painful chewing. This will stop a horse from eating as much, and consequently lose weight. A quick floating can take care of those sharp edges.
Tooth loss can also cause problems. An empty socket can cause overgrowth of opposing teeth, preventing proper grinding and causing weight loss.
Sometimes, the older equines have problems digesting as well. Luckily, there are many quality senior feeds out on the market. They provide a more readily available source of nutrition for the aged equine. They can also be soaked and turned into mush for those without teeth.
I remember one incident almost twenty years ago. I was loping my 26yo down the side of the country road, and one of the neighbors saw me. He happened to be having a conversation at that exact time with another neighbor who had come for a visit. Neighbor#1 was saying that he needed to get a horse younger than the 19yo for his daughter. The 19yo apparently was “old and worn out”, and did not have enough energy. Neighbor#2 (Who knew my horse) pointed at me loping down the road and asked if he needed something like what I was riding. Neighbor #1 said yes. Neighbor #1 was completely flabbergasted when told that I was on a 26yo.
Since then, I have had the pleasure to own an even older horse. The girl in the picture up top was 30 at the time of the picture, and still doing 6-plus hour rides in the mountains with vigor. Notice that she is not skinny – she does not even have a sway back! She had been on an all-senior feed diet for two years.
Equine teeth erupt from the jaw at a constant slow pace throughout their lives. This allows for surface wear from chewing tough grasses and plants. However, most horses do not wear their teeth evenly. This can cause sharp hooks and points that can lacerate the gums, causing painful chewing. This will stop a horse from eating as much, and consequently lose weight. A quick floating can take care of those sharp edges.
Tooth loss can also cause problems. An empty socket can cause overgrowth of opposing teeth, preventing proper grinding and causing weight loss.
Sometimes, the older equines have problems digesting as well. Luckily, there are many quality senior feeds out on the market. They provide a more readily available source of nutrition for the aged equine. They can also be soaked and turned into mush for those without teeth.
I remember one incident almost twenty years ago. I was loping my 26yo down the side of the country road, and one of the neighbors saw me. He happened to be having a conversation at that exact time with another neighbor who had come for a visit. Neighbor#1 was saying that he needed to get a horse younger than the 19yo for his daughter. The 19yo apparently was “old and worn out”, and did not have enough energy. Neighbor#2 (Who knew my horse) pointed at me loping down the road and asked if he needed something like what I was riding. Neighbor #1 said yes. Neighbor #1 was completely flabbergasted when told that I was on a 26yo.
Since then, I have had the pleasure to own an even older horse. The girl in the picture up top was 30 at the time of the picture, and still doing 6-plus hour rides in the mountains with vigor. Notice that she is not skinny – she does not even have a sway back! She had been on an all-senior feed diet for two years.
Friday, August 28, 2009
All in the Name of Winning....
Apparently, the desire to win brings out the worst in a lot of people. We have invented cruel ways of tying a horse’s head up, down or around to get a headset. We cut, numb, break, or ginger tails to get a tail set. We lunge a horse for hours to get it “calm”. We add painful nails or irritants on legs or under saddles to get “animation”. We drug. We break and ride and compete babies before they have even had a chance to finish growing. We use crazy bits, rigs, or gimmicks to fast-track horses instead of actually training them. We perpetuate deadly diseases because the horses “look” good. When tests or trials are designed to catch cheaters, the cheaters find ways around the tests.
NONE of this is acceptable! It does not matter if Susie in the barn does it, or the Big Trainer down the road does it, or you are told that you will not win unless you do it. It does not make it right!
All in all, it is difficult to be a real horseman and keep competing honestly. It takes more time, more knowledge and more patience to come by all the fancy moves the right way instead of the quick way.
Most of my friends that used to show have stopped. They got frustrated by seeing the cheaters being rewarded, time and again, with ribbons, while they struggled to place.
If you still manage to show honestly, I applaud you. Please do not give in to the pressure to cheat. It is ultimately the horses who suffer.
NONE of this is acceptable! It does not matter if Susie in the barn does it, or the Big Trainer down the road does it, or you are told that you will not win unless you do it. It does not make it right!
All in all, it is difficult to be a real horseman and keep competing honestly. It takes more time, more knowledge and more patience to come by all the fancy moves the right way instead of the quick way.
Most of my friends that used to show have stopped. They got frustrated by seeing the cheaters being rewarded, time and again, with ribbons, while they struggled to place.
If you still manage to show honestly, I applaud you. Please do not give in to the pressure to cheat. It is ultimately the horses who suffer.
Rescue - What makes a good one?
Rescue is one of the things that is near and dear to my heart. I spent years of my time and thousands upon thousands of dollars in helping horses.
First of all – there is no money in rescue. Not even a little bit. If you are lucky, adoption/rehoming fees will cover the feed bill – nevermind the vet or farrier. The most successful rescues have lots of volunteers, lots of land, and a great fundraising strategy. (This means actual events or organized mailings/flyers/word of mouth/sponsorships – not just begging for money online.) There is a limit on the horses they can take in, and a limit on the rehabbing efforts they will put into any one horse. It would be nice if rescues could spend $5000 for surgery for each horse, but that $5000 spent to keep a permanently lame horse alive might be better spent feeding several otherwise healthy, ridable horses.
In my opinion, a REAL rescue rehabs AND trains the horses before rehoming them. There is a place for retirement farms – hopefully funded by those who used the horse for years before providing that green pasture. However, a horse has the best chance at a good life if it is trained. Plus, rehoming horses leaves a spot open for the next, and the next, and the next…. There are always more in need out there.
When looking for a rescue to support, I do a lot of research. There are several things I like to see before my money goes anywhere.
1. Is the rescue 501c-3 certified?
This is not necessary for a good rescue, but most of the good ones have gone through the trouble to get certified. Plus, you can easily look up previous year’s financial reports.
2. Can you visit the facilities?
If they will not let you visit, this is a red flag. Expect to have to make an appointment. They might have to arrange for a knowledgable volunteer to be there to answer questions. They may also require you to sign a hold harmless form – accidents do happen, especially around horses. The facilities should be clean, and in good repair. They do not need to be expensive -just adequate shelter, safe fencing, clean water. Stalls should have been cleaned in the last 24 hours.
3. Can you see pictures/hear success stories?
Online or in person, they should be brimming with pride at their successes, and ready to show the kind of difference they have made.
4. Is there an adoption contract?
Read it all the way through. It does not need to be iron-clad, but it should show that some effort is going into rehoming the horses. It is personal preference whether the adopter owns the horse, or if title remains with the rescue.
5. Is there a regular vet on call?
A rescue is usually tight on funds, and I would expect them to be able to care for minor issues on their own. However, they should have a good working relationship with a vet for those larger problems. This also holds true for a farrier. It is nice to be able to do trimming without the expense of a farrier, but one should be available for big problems.
I also do not think that a general rescue should be breeding. There are exceptions – if there is a breed rescue who also provides well-bred foals for a specific purpose – but there should certainly not be any questionable/random breeding going on.
I have found that rescued horses are very greatful. They make excellent mounts. If you are looking for a horse, think about adopting a rescue. Just research first!
First of all – there is no money in rescue. Not even a little bit. If you are lucky, adoption/rehoming fees will cover the feed bill – nevermind the vet or farrier. The most successful rescues have lots of volunteers, lots of land, and a great fundraising strategy. (This means actual events or organized mailings/flyers/word of mouth/sponsorships – not just begging for money online.) There is a limit on the horses they can take in, and a limit on the rehabbing efforts they will put into any one horse. It would be nice if rescues could spend $5000 for surgery for each horse, but that $5000 spent to keep a permanently lame horse alive might be better spent feeding several otherwise healthy, ridable horses.
In my opinion, a REAL rescue rehabs AND trains the horses before rehoming them. There is a place for retirement farms – hopefully funded by those who used the horse for years before providing that green pasture. However, a horse has the best chance at a good life if it is trained. Plus, rehoming horses leaves a spot open for the next, and the next, and the next…. There are always more in need out there.
When looking for a rescue to support, I do a lot of research. There are several things I like to see before my money goes anywhere.
1. Is the rescue 501c-3 certified?
This is not necessary for a good rescue, but most of the good ones have gone through the trouble to get certified. Plus, you can easily look up previous year’s financial reports.
2. Can you visit the facilities?
If they will not let you visit, this is a red flag. Expect to have to make an appointment. They might have to arrange for a knowledgable volunteer to be there to answer questions. They may also require you to sign a hold harmless form – accidents do happen, especially around horses. The facilities should be clean, and in good repair. They do not need to be expensive -just adequate shelter, safe fencing, clean water. Stalls should have been cleaned in the last 24 hours.
3. Can you see pictures/hear success stories?
Online or in person, they should be brimming with pride at their successes, and ready to show the kind of difference they have made.
4. Is there an adoption contract?
Read it all the way through. It does not need to be iron-clad, but it should show that some effort is going into rehoming the horses. It is personal preference whether the adopter owns the horse, or if title remains with the rescue.
5. Is there a regular vet on call?
A rescue is usually tight on funds, and I would expect them to be able to care for minor issues on their own. However, they should have a good working relationship with a vet for those larger problems. This also holds true for a farrier. It is nice to be able to do trimming without the expense of a farrier, but one should be available for big problems.
I also do not think that a general rescue should be breeding. There are exceptions – if there is a breed rescue who also provides well-bred foals for a specific purpose – but there should certainly not be any questionable/random breeding going on.
I have found that rescued horses are very greatful. They make excellent mounts. If you are looking for a horse, think about adopting a rescue. Just research first!
Bits - Overview
There are thousands of bits on the market. Which one should you use? I cannot go into huge details here, but will give a brief overview.
The first consideration is bit size. The size of a bit is the distance lip-to-lip where the bit sits. Most horses can wear a 5 to 5 1/2 inch bit. Others may take larger or smaller. A too-large bit will shift and bang the horse’s mouth. A too-small bit will pinch the cheeks.
Generally, horses are started in a simple loose-ring or d-ring snaffle. This bit provides a 1 to 1 ratio of the pull you put on the reins to the pressure put on the mouth. A single joint in the center of the mouthpiece puts pressure on the bars. This does not automatically make it a gentle bit. With hard pressure, the bit scissors in the center, and pokes the roof of the mouth. There are also dozens of different mouthpieces. Generally, the thinner the mouthpiece, the more severe the bit. Add-ons like twists also increase the severity.
Once a shank is introduced, the leverage increases. ( I also want to point out that no bit with a shank is EVER a snaffle. A snaffle is ONLY a bit WITHOUT any leverage. So many people, even catalogues, get this wrong.)The length of the bit from the mouthpiece down is the shank. The length from the mouthpiece up affects poll pressure. The longer these are, the more pressure they exert. Things like added sliding gag action, thin rope nose pieces, and severe chin straps add to the pressure.
The straighter the shank, the less pre-signal. Pre-signal allows the horse to know a command is coming, before mouth pressure engages. (Horses that look like they are “reading the mind” of the rider are often working off of pre-signal – among other things.) Ports provide tongue relief. However, tall ports can put pressure on the roof of the mouth. These should only be used on properly-trained horses and riders with excellent hands.
One of the most mis-understood and mis-used bits is the Tom Thumb. The confusing signals it sends do the exact opposite of what a “training” bit or “colt” bit should. Plenty of explanations of this are out there.
Bitting is a science in itself, but nowadays I have seen way too many people using harsher and harsher bits. The barrel racing circuit is overrun with harsh chain-gag-shank combos that rely on pain to force the horse into submission. Well-known clinicians are pandering crazy twisted-wire mouthpieces that would slice a tongue off in the wrong hands. Don’t even get me started on the “mule bits”, or people who “need” huge shanks to get their horses to gait. You can get gait out of a loose rein with a snaffle.
One recent statement that really annoys me is put out by the AQHA for their trail riding program. One of their recommendations is that you outfit your horse in a stronger bit than you use in the arena – supposedly for more control. Excuse me? How about TRAINING the horse for control – not intimidating it with a stronger bit? A one-rein stop or other techniques work really well for emergencies, and do not require stronger bits.
ANY bit can be nasty in the wrong hands. However, the goal should be to TRAIN the horse to listen to soft and light cues in a mild bit – only moving “up” in bit to further refine the horse, not intimidate it.
The first consideration is bit size. The size of a bit is the distance lip-to-lip where the bit sits. Most horses can wear a 5 to 5 1/2 inch bit. Others may take larger or smaller. A too-large bit will shift and bang the horse’s mouth. A too-small bit will pinch the cheeks.
Generally, horses are started in a simple loose-ring or d-ring snaffle. This bit provides a 1 to 1 ratio of the pull you put on the reins to the pressure put on the mouth. A single joint in the center of the mouthpiece puts pressure on the bars. This does not automatically make it a gentle bit. With hard pressure, the bit scissors in the center, and pokes the roof of the mouth. There are also dozens of different mouthpieces. Generally, the thinner the mouthpiece, the more severe the bit. Add-ons like twists also increase the severity.
Once a shank is introduced, the leverage increases. ( I also want to point out that no bit with a shank is EVER a snaffle. A snaffle is ONLY a bit WITHOUT any leverage. So many people, even catalogues, get this wrong.)The length of the bit from the mouthpiece down is the shank. The length from the mouthpiece up affects poll pressure. The longer these are, the more pressure they exert. Things like added sliding gag action, thin rope nose pieces, and severe chin straps add to the pressure.
The straighter the shank, the less pre-signal. Pre-signal allows the horse to know a command is coming, before mouth pressure engages. (Horses that look like they are “reading the mind” of the rider are often working off of pre-signal – among other things.) Ports provide tongue relief. However, tall ports can put pressure on the roof of the mouth. These should only be used on properly-trained horses and riders with excellent hands.
One of the most mis-understood and mis-used bits is the Tom Thumb. The confusing signals it sends do the exact opposite of what a “training” bit or “colt” bit should. Plenty of explanations of this are out there.
Bitting is a science in itself, but nowadays I have seen way too many people using harsher and harsher bits. The barrel racing circuit is overrun with harsh chain-gag-shank combos that rely on pain to force the horse into submission. Well-known clinicians are pandering crazy twisted-wire mouthpieces that would slice a tongue off in the wrong hands. Don’t even get me started on the “mule bits”, or people who “need” huge shanks to get their horses to gait. You can get gait out of a loose rein with a snaffle.
One recent statement that really annoys me is put out by the AQHA for their trail riding program. One of their recommendations is that you outfit your horse in a stronger bit than you use in the arena – supposedly for more control. Excuse me? How about TRAINING the horse for control – not intimidating it with a stronger bit? A one-rein stop or other techniques work really well for emergencies, and do not require stronger bits.
ANY bit can be nasty in the wrong hands. However, the goal should be to TRAIN the horse to listen to soft and light cues in a mild bit – only moving “up” in bit to further refine the horse, not intimidate it.
Walking a Colicking horse
Colic is a general term for stomach/intestinal pain or distress. Signs include laying down and rolling, looking at the flank, and general restlessness. Colic can be an obstruction caused by sand, enteroliths, dry matter, gas, or tumor strangulation. Twisting of the intestines or prolonged obstruction can cause intestinal death and will result in the death of the horse if surgery does not correct it.
The old information always told us to walk a horse until it stops colicking - that letting it lay down would cause death. However, this is just not true. As long as a horse is not thrashing/rolling constantly when it lays, it is perfectly fine for the horse to rest on the ground. Think about it: if laying down or rolling would "twist a gut" and kill the horse - horses everywhere would have perished.
The truth is - colic death is caused by internal injury to the intestines - complete blockage/rupture or intestinal tissue death. These can sometimes be remedied by timely surgical intervention. You do need to get the horse promptly to a surgical center on your veterinarian's advice. Time is critical in these cases.
The best ways to up your chances of having your horse remain colic-free has to do with your horsekeeping practices. Horses were made to have a constant low-level gut fill paired with almost constant movement - grazing all day is ideal. The way a lot of us keep our horses - in a stall with two large meals per day - is very unnatural. We should always do our best to keep something in front of the horse to munch on - hay or grass - and keep them moving in a paddock or pasture. Walking stimulates the gut, and constant fiber keeps everything moving downstream. Grain meals are also high in carbohydrates - which causes other problems which I will discuss later.
That being said, it IS possible to care for a horse and keep it healthy while living in a stall. However, it takes a lot more work and dilligence than most casual horse owners have the time to provide. If you are a weekend rider and only dump a scoop of grain to the horse once or twice a day, it will be a lot easier and healthier to put your horse on pasture.
The old information always told us to walk a horse until it stops colicking - that letting it lay down would cause death. However, this is just not true. As long as a horse is not thrashing/rolling constantly when it lays, it is perfectly fine for the horse to rest on the ground. Think about it: if laying down or rolling would "twist a gut" and kill the horse - horses everywhere would have perished.
The truth is - colic death is caused by internal injury to the intestines - complete blockage/rupture or intestinal tissue death. These can sometimes be remedied by timely surgical intervention. You do need to get the horse promptly to a surgical center on your veterinarian's advice. Time is critical in these cases.
The best ways to up your chances of having your horse remain colic-free has to do with your horsekeeping practices. Horses were made to have a constant low-level gut fill paired with almost constant movement - grazing all day is ideal. The way a lot of us keep our horses - in a stall with two large meals per day - is very unnatural. We should always do our best to keep something in front of the horse to munch on - hay or grass - and keep them moving in a paddock or pasture. Walking stimulates the gut, and constant fiber keeps everything moving downstream. Grain meals are also high in carbohydrates - which causes other problems which I will discuss later.
That being said, it IS possible to care for a horse and keep it healthy while living in a stall. However, it takes a lot more work and dilligence than most casual horse owners have the time to provide. If you are a weekend rider and only dump a scoop of grain to the horse once or twice a day, it will be a lot easier and healthier to put your horse on pasture.
Cooling a hot horse
I wanted to kick this off with a post that has immediate relevance: cooling the hot horse.
For years there was a rumor rolling around that you could not give water to a hot horse - that it would cause the horse to colic. Luckily, the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta took a scientific look at this. They found that giving water to a hot horse will not cause it to colic. The water should be of moderate temperature (not have ice floating it - cool or room temperature is fine) and should be paired with other temperature-regulating strategies - shade, a fan, and wetting the large muscle groups.
Common sense cooling for an overheated horse: remove tack, move the horse to a shaded location, offer cool or room temperature water, and wet the large muscle groups - neck and chest, and haunches. You can sponge, hose, or use a bucket to pour water over the horse. Use a sweat scraper or your hand to push excess water off of the horse - large amounts of water will not cool the horse as effectively as a thin layer (which evaporates , creating the cooling.) Repeat as necessary.
I do have a related example of someone taking a good piece of information, and then randomly applying it to all conditions: a hundred-mile endurance rider once told me that you should NEVER put water over a horse's haunches. She stated that it would cause muscle cramping and hurt the horse. IF you are in the middle of a hundred-mile endurance ride, this piece of advice has some validity - extreme athletes need to "warm" the muscles before extreme efforts. In the middle of twelve hours of trotting/galloping down the trail, immediate and significant drop in muscle temperature could cause cramping if asked to perform at high effort again immediately.
However, this does not apply to the regular rider taking a ride of several hours. If your horse is overheating, cool them. A hot horse in moderate work can have water poured/sponged over the haunches. You can walk them out afterwards or continue on your ride. Just use common sense.
For years there was a rumor rolling around that you could not give water to a hot horse - that it would cause the horse to colic. Luckily, the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta took a scientific look at this. They found that giving water to a hot horse will not cause it to colic. The water should be of moderate temperature (not have ice floating it - cool or room temperature is fine) and should be paired with other temperature-regulating strategies - shade, a fan, and wetting the large muscle groups.
Common sense cooling for an overheated horse: remove tack, move the horse to a shaded location, offer cool or room temperature water, and wet the large muscle groups - neck and chest, and haunches. You can sponge, hose, or use a bucket to pour water over the horse. Use a sweat scraper or your hand to push excess water off of the horse - large amounts of water will not cool the horse as effectively as a thin layer (which evaporates , creating the cooling.) Repeat as necessary.
I do have a related example of someone taking a good piece of information, and then randomly applying it to all conditions: a hundred-mile endurance rider once told me that you should NEVER put water over a horse's haunches. She stated that it would cause muscle cramping and hurt the horse. IF you are in the middle of a hundred-mile endurance ride, this piece of advice has some validity - extreme athletes need to "warm" the muscles before extreme efforts. In the middle of twelve hours of trotting/galloping down the trail, immediate and significant drop in muscle temperature could cause cramping if asked to perform at high effort again immediately.
However, this does not apply to the regular rider taking a ride of several hours. If your horse is overheating, cool them. A hot horse in moderate work can have water poured/sponged over the haunches. You can walk them out afterwards or continue on your ride. Just use common sense.
Introduction
Owning a horse. From the first dreams of that pony to an adult's realisation of lifelong dreams.... many have to wait a lifetime for that equine companion. You finally bring the horse home, and then the confusion starts. Whether you are a child listening to your parents, or an adult starting from scratch, you start to realise that every other horse owner has opinions -and that THEIR opinion is the only right one.
For some reason, horse owners are one group of people who become very set in their ways. Things are done a certain way because they have ALWAYS been done that way. This oddity also passes the barrier into the veterinary and farrier professions. The professionals you should be able to trust are frequently just as uninformed as the horse owners around you.
The only way to sort all of this out is to leave yourself open to new studies and new information. Talk to everyone, and pull the truth apart from the tradition. Look at scientific studies. Ferret out the real from the misinformation floating around.
I have owned horses for thirty years. Unfortunately, the first fifteen years I fell into the rut of doing it because it had always been done that way. Then I started to open my eyes and use my brain. I started researching new studies and talking to everyone I could, trying to find what is truly the best for the horse. Over the years I have gained a lot of knowledge, and heard a lot of really stupid comments from "experts". I plan to share what I have learned.
I am not the be-all-end-all of information on horse care - but what I do have is common sense. I have spent years wading through opinions, techniques, and questionable practices. I have rescued horses in dire straights. I have seen healthy horses lamed and destroyed due to lack of information. I just hope that you can benefit from some of the things I have learned, and use it as a springboard for your own knowledge gathering.
For some reason, horse owners are one group of people who become very set in their ways. Things are done a certain way because they have ALWAYS been done that way. This oddity also passes the barrier into the veterinary and farrier professions. The professionals you should be able to trust are frequently just as uninformed as the horse owners around you.
The only way to sort all of this out is to leave yourself open to new studies and new information. Talk to everyone, and pull the truth apart from the tradition. Look at scientific studies. Ferret out the real from the misinformation floating around.
I have owned horses for thirty years. Unfortunately, the first fifteen years I fell into the rut of doing it because it had always been done that way. Then I started to open my eyes and use my brain. I started researching new studies and talking to everyone I could, trying to find what is truly the best for the horse. Over the years I have gained a lot of knowledge, and heard a lot of really stupid comments from "experts". I plan to share what I have learned.
I am not the be-all-end-all of information on horse care - but what I do have is common sense. I have spent years wading through opinions, techniques, and questionable practices. I have rescued horses in dire straights. I have seen healthy horses lamed and destroyed due to lack of information. I just hope that you can benefit from some of the things I have learned, and use it as a springboard for your own knowledge gathering.
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