Two nights of no sleep now, and counting. Why this time? Cub went on a mini vacation this week, and came home with a rip-roaring head cold. The first night, I stayed in that half- dozing state, listening to his every cough, snuffle, snorfle, and noise. (Cub has a history of throwing up in his sleep. Don't want him to aspirate.)
Next up? Wrecking Crew. Yep. Twenty-four hours after his much loved big brother came home, Wrecking Crew has the creeping crap. Coughing, slight fever, sneezing all over and just plain YUK. Stayed up last night with him, making sure he was OK.
What's my Halloween costume? A grungy t-shirt with sneeze remnants on it, frazzled hair, and a dazed expression firmly fixed on my face.
Had to pick up hay today. The truck however, said, "Fagedaboudit". After much charging, we got her going and got the hay. What did I do when we came home? I shut the truck off as I unloaded. (Or tried to unload. I couldn't get the bale to even BUDGE.) Went to start the truck up and back up closer to a tree (so I could use the old rope trick to get the bale off,) and guess what? Yeah. Truck said more than Fagedaboudit this time. Charged it again.
She fired, I moved the truck, and said OUT LOUD- "DON'T SHUT THE TRUCK OFF!"
What did I do?
Yeah. Shut it off.
*shaking head*
Some days... I really really wonder about my mental state...
Jumped the truck off- again- got the hay off loaded, fed Sonny some, put the trailer and truck away, and came inside.
I am officially waving the white flag here. Wrecking Crew continues to cough and snorfle and has taken up residence on the couch. Cub is none too lively himself. There are still about 4,000 things that need doing, but there is NO WAY they are going to get done today.
Happy Halloween y'all. Eat come chocolate for us- with the way things are going, it does not look like trick or treating is liable to happen tonight for the Little Mens....
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Fall Means Fire Prevention
Barn fires- a horse owner's nightmare. Fall is upon us, (shoot, WINTER in some spots already,) and there are more horses spending more time in away from inclement weather. I'm going to take a break from hooves for today, and draw on my background as a rural fire fighter and EMT, to share some tips and hints on fire prevention. This is from an article I wrote a couple years ago.
Fall is a time when many changes take place. The days become shorter, horses begin growing wonderful woolly coats for the coming winter months, hay is safely stacked in barns, and preparations for the long winter months become a priority. Among other changes, we set our clocks back one hour, and we are reminded to change the batteries in our smoke detectors. While we worry about our homes, often times our barns are overlooked.
Many of us are tidy by nature and tend to keep our barns clutter free. That’s a great start, but here are a few additional areas to keep in mind for that yearly fall clean up. Cobwebs are not only an eyesore, they ignite very rapidly and burn very hot. They have a tendency to drift down and land on the backs of stabled horses, causing burns that range from relatively minor to extremely severe. The burning webs that drift down and miss landing on your horse will land in his stall- in shavings or straw, or their hay. This will ignite, and create another avenue for spreading flames. Cobwebs also tend to hold onto the chaff from hay, also a highly combustible material. Hay itself can create problems. If it has been cured and baled improperly, spontaneous combustion can and often does occur. Check your hay before you stack it in your loft. Better yet, have your hay stored in a separate building. With the continuing drought situation, many horse owners have been forced to buy hay from other states, and people that they do not know. Until you can test the bales, please check your loft frequently for unusual hot spots, and “wrong” feeling bales. Please note: hay that is grown in northern states with lower relative humidity can become a problem once it hits the south with higher humidity. It will “breathe”, and more moisture may come to the surface. This moisture will create not only mold, but it creates heat. The heat causes combustion, which in turn causes disaster.
Many of us have fire extinguishers in our homes. Many also have them in our barns. A few quick facts about fire extinguishers to keep in mind:
Once a month, please turn the extinguisher upside down, and tap the bottom. With a dry chemical extinguisher, this will bring, or stir, the contents through the entire container. The longer an extinguisher sits in one position, the more material will settle to the bottom. When you go to use the extinguisher in a time of crisis, the initial discharge will be a blast of straight air- something you do NOT want to feed to that fire! Also, check the dates on your extinguishers, and have them filled. If you have doubts or questions, often times firemen are more than happy to provide you with demonstrations on how to properly use them, what to look for, and how to make sure your extinguisher is full and safe to use.
Something of VITAL importance to PLEASE bear in mind- that extinguisher is meant to GET YOU OUT. Your large extinguishers are only good for approximately 30 to 45 seconds- just long enough to get you OUT of a hazardous situation. They are not meant to put the entire fire out. They are meant to save your life.
While you are visiting with your local fire department to learn the proper way to use your extinguisher, it may prove prudent to invite them out to your facility for a tour. (Many departments call this a "Pre-Plan" and keep them in a book in the engines. Sometimes the facility is large enough to warrant an "Automatic Mutual Aid Call" for assistance) Be sure to show them where halters and leads will be located, (on stall doors please,) where paddocks are for turning the horses out, any unseen hazards that might be a problem in the middle of an emergency. Many old converted dairy barns have manure pits. While these pits may have been covered over and safe for equine weight, parking a large piece of fire fighting apparatus on top of one could lead to an additional disaster. Show them all the exits, and make sure those exits are kept clean and clear at ALL times. Show them the hay storage area, and feed and tack storage as well. I am sorry to say that getting your show tack out of the barn is not going to be a priority, but we do not want to chance a fire fighter getting lost in there either in the event of an emergency. Provide them with a map of the barn and paddocks. Take them to possible water sources- many barns are no where near hydrants, and fire fighters must rely on an outside water source, such as ponds and deep flowing water.
Smoke alarms are also found in our homes. We dutifully change the batteries twice a year, at each time change. Mounting alarms in your barn and changing the batteries is also a great way to be alerted to a possible situation. If you are worried that you will not be able to hear an alarm going off, there are some fantastic baby monitors on the market today that have a good range. Place the transmitter in your barn, and have the receiver in your home. There are also many remote monitoring systems available today that are well worth investigating, and investing in. Having the alarms hard wired into your barn is also a fantastic idea if you are building a new barn.
The biggest killer in fire situations is not the fire itself- it is smoke. I have (unfortunately) seen horses and cattle that were removed from a burning structure after a “relatively” short time frame with no visible external wounds. However, often times they have been exposed to enough smoke that within 2 or 3 days of the event they have to be put down due to extreme damage to their lungs. Smoke inhalation is extremely dangerous. Having affected horses examined by your veterinarian immediately can make all the difference in the world.
Just like in hotels and public gathering places, have an exit plan in place and posted for all to see. Hang halters and leads where they can be easily accessed. Invite your local fire department out once a year for a walk through. Having someone on site to look everything over is a very valuable resource- those trained eyes may spot something seemingly small that could turn into a disaster. Clean cobwebs out as quickly as possible. Ban clutter, dust, garbage, and piles of discarded hay. Thump your extinguishers and have them checked on a routine basis, while keeping in mind they are meant to save your life, not save the structure.
Work together with area horse folks- have a list of people to call in case of emergency. Many hands in a situation such as a barn fire make for a safer place for the horses. Have a list of people with trailers, places to take the horses, your vets number, and a back up vet listed just in case. Have that list available and on hand, and with several other people in the area. Delegate someone to make phone calls and round up the troops. Tour each others barns and become familiar with the lay out, in case it is them that needs you. Keep in mind that fire scenes are controlled chaos, and there will be a tremendous amount of activity. The horses will need to be moved as far away from the chaos as possible, and chances are they will have to be hand walked to an “odd” area to be loaded for transport. The majority of the time, it will be dark, and where you will load them will be dark. The horses will be confused, and may be injured. Many times animals will run back into a burning building during the excitement and confusion. They become frightened and try to return to the "Safety" of their stalls. Have a staging area planned in advance, where they can get immediate medical attention.
And finally, the most difficult part. Bear in mind that when a structure goes up, it happens extremely fast. What might seem to be a small fire can turn into a fully involved fire in mere seconds. About the time that small fire hits your stash of bagged shavings (also highly flammable,) you will be amazed at how fast it will spread. Please, wait for the fire fighters to get there, and let them get the animals out. We will do everything humanly possible to get as many out alive as they can- but lets face it. Human life must come first. If you go dashing into the fire to save your animals, they will have to go into the fire to save you- not the horses. Fire is nothing to play around with- it’s a dark, hot, savage beast that can and will turn on you in an instant. Please, please do not grab your handy extinguisher and think you are going to run in and save the horses. If you have stall doors that open to the outside of the barn, by all means open them and try to encourage the horses out that way. I can not stress this enough- going into a burning structure after an animal is not a good idea if you are not trained and wearing the proper equipment. The chance of you dying or becoming gravely injured is very high. And if something happens to YOU, who is going to care for those horses?
Photos from a web search.
Fall is a time when many changes take place. The days become shorter, horses begin growing wonderful woolly coats for the coming winter months, hay is safely stacked in barns, and preparations for the long winter months become a priority. Among other changes, we set our clocks back one hour, and we are reminded to change the batteries in our smoke detectors. While we worry about our homes, often times our barns are overlooked.
Many of us are tidy by nature and tend to keep our barns clutter free. That’s a great start, but here are a few additional areas to keep in mind for that yearly fall clean up. Cobwebs are not only an eyesore, they ignite very rapidly and burn very hot. They have a tendency to drift down and land on the backs of stabled horses, causing burns that range from relatively minor to extremely severe. The burning webs that drift down and miss landing on your horse will land in his stall- in shavings or straw, or their hay. This will ignite, and create another avenue for spreading flames. Cobwebs also tend to hold onto the chaff from hay, also a highly combustible material. Hay itself can create problems. If it has been cured and baled improperly, spontaneous combustion can and often does occur. Check your hay before you stack it in your loft. Better yet, have your hay stored in a separate building. With the continuing drought situation, many horse owners have been forced to buy hay from other states, and people that they do not know. Until you can test the bales, please check your loft frequently for unusual hot spots, and “wrong” feeling bales. Please note: hay that is grown in northern states with lower relative humidity can become a problem once it hits the south with higher humidity. It will “breathe”, and more moisture may come to the surface. This moisture will create not only mold, but it creates heat. The heat causes combustion, which in turn causes disaster.
Many of us have fire extinguishers in our homes. Many also have them in our barns. A few quick facts about fire extinguishers to keep in mind:
Once a month, please turn the extinguisher upside down, and tap the bottom. With a dry chemical extinguisher, this will bring, or stir, the contents through the entire container. The longer an extinguisher sits in one position, the more material will settle to the bottom. When you go to use the extinguisher in a time of crisis, the initial discharge will be a blast of straight air- something you do NOT want to feed to that fire! Also, check the dates on your extinguishers, and have them filled. If you have doubts or questions, often times firemen are more than happy to provide you with demonstrations on how to properly use them, what to look for, and how to make sure your extinguisher is full and safe to use.
Something of VITAL importance to PLEASE bear in mind- that extinguisher is meant to GET YOU OUT. Your large extinguishers are only good for approximately 30 to 45 seconds- just long enough to get you OUT of a hazardous situation. They are not meant to put the entire fire out. They are meant to save your life.
While you are visiting with your local fire department to learn the proper way to use your extinguisher, it may prove prudent to invite them out to your facility for a tour. (Many departments call this a "Pre-Plan" and keep them in a book in the engines. Sometimes the facility is large enough to warrant an "Automatic Mutual Aid Call" for assistance) Be sure to show them where halters and leads will be located, (on stall doors please,) where paddocks are for turning the horses out, any unseen hazards that might be a problem in the middle of an emergency. Many old converted dairy barns have manure pits. While these pits may have been covered over and safe for equine weight, parking a large piece of fire fighting apparatus on top of one could lead to an additional disaster. Show them all the exits, and make sure those exits are kept clean and clear at ALL times. Show them the hay storage area, and feed and tack storage as well. I am sorry to say that getting your show tack out of the barn is not going to be a priority, but we do not want to chance a fire fighter getting lost in there either in the event of an emergency. Provide them with a map of the barn and paddocks. Take them to possible water sources- many barns are no where near hydrants, and fire fighters must rely on an outside water source, such as ponds and deep flowing water.
Smoke alarms are also found in our homes. We dutifully change the batteries twice a year, at each time change. Mounting alarms in your barn and changing the batteries is also a great way to be alerted to a possible situation. If you are worried that you will not be able to hear an alarm going off, there are some fantastic baby monitors on the market today that have a good range. Place the transmitter in your barn, and have the receiver in your home. There are also many remote monitoring systems available today that are well worth investigating, and investing in. Having the alarms hard wired into your barn is also a fantastic idea if you are building a new barn.
The biggest killer in fire situations is not the fire itself- it is smoke. I have (unfortunately) seen horses and cattle that were removed from a burning structure after a “relatively” short time frame with no visible external wounds. However, often times they have been exposed to enough smoke that within 2 or 3 days of the event they have to be put down due to extreme damage to their lungs. Smoke inhalation is extremely dangerous. Having affected horses examined by your veterinarian immediately can make all the difference in the world.
Just like in hotels and public gathering places, have an exit plan in place and posted for all to see. Hang halters and leads where they can be easily accessed. Invite your local fire department out once a year for a walk through. Having someone on site to look everything over is a very valuable resource- those trained eyes may spot something seemingly small that could turn into a disaster. Clean cobwebs out as quickly as possible. Ban clutter, dust, garbage, and piles of discarded hay. Thump your extinguishers and have them checked on a routine basis, while keeping in mind they are meant to save your life, not save the structure.
Work together with area horse folks- have a list of people to call in case of emergency. Many hands in a situation such as a barn fire make for a safer place for the horses. Have a list of people with trailers, places to take the horses, your vets number, and a back up vet listed just in case. Have that list available and on hand, and with several other people in the area. Delegate someone to make phone calls and round up the troops. Tour each others barns and become familiar with the lay out, in case it is them that needs you. Keep in mind that fire scenes are controlled chaos, and there will be a tremendous amount of activity. The horses will need to be moved as far away from the chaos as possible, and chances are they will have to be hand walked to an “odd” area to be loaded for transport. The majority of the time, it will be dark, and where you will load them will be dark. The horses will be confused, and may be injured. Many times animals will run back into a burning building during the excitement and confusion. They become frightened and try to return to the "Safety" of their stalls. Have a staging area planned in advance, where they can get immediate medical attention.
And finally, the most difficult part. Bear in mind that when a structure goes up, it happens extremely fast. What might seem to be a small fire can turn into a fully involved fire in mere seconds. About the time that small fire hits your stash of bagged shavings (also highly flammable,) you will be amazed at how fast it will spread. Please, wait for the fire fighters to get there, and let them get the animals out. We will do everything humanly possible to get as many out alive as they can- but lets face it. Human life must come first. If you go dashing into the fire to save your animals, they will have to go into the fire to save you- not the horses. Fire is nothing to play around with- it’s a dark, hot, savage beast that can and will turn on you in an instant. Please, please do not grab your handy extinguisher and think you are going to run in and save the horses. If you have stall doors that open to the outside of the barn, by all means open them and try to encourage the horses out that way. I can not stress this enough- going into a burning structure after an animal is not a good idea if you are not trained and wearing the proper equipment. The chance of you dying or becoming gravely injured is very high. And if something happens to YOU, who is going to care for those horses?
Photos from a web search.
Not Horse Realted, But It Made Me LAUGH!
I have a confession to make- a pretty big one. I love food. Food blogs, food shows, cooking food- shoot, just plain FOOD.
I've been following Cake Wrecks for a bit, and today's post over there had me snort coffee through my nose. (Yes, along with my food obsession, comes a rather sic sense of humor as well.) Pay a visit, and learn about a wee bit of Pumpkin Levitation.
There will be a horse post in the near future. In the meantime though, Happy Halloween! May all your ghosts, ghouls, and gobblins be adorable and give you lots of treats!
(What do you mean THEY are supposed to get treats from US? Dude something is way wrong with that picture!)
I've been following Cake Wrecks for a bit, and today's post over there had me snort coffee through my nose. (Yes, along with my food obsession, comes a rather sic sense of humor as well.) Pay a visit, and learn about a wee bit of Pumpkin Levitation.
There will be a horse post in the near future. In the meantime though, Happy Halloween! May all your ghosts, ghouls, and gobblins be adorable and give you lots of treats!
(What do you mean THEY are supposed to get treats from US? Dude something is way wrong with that picture!)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sonny's Sunday
Sonny's week was a good one. We had two rides, and a good bit of ground work time.
Wait- there might be some confusion over the definition of "Rides" around here:
A regular training ride would last much longer than our rides do. Because of Big Red's physical history, pushing him into say a thirty minute ride would wind up with a lame and cranky horse. Our rides are at the ten minute mark, and consist of walk, long walk, whoa, and turning left and right. (We are working on installing "Power Steering". Sonny seems to enjoy it!)
In time, we'll work our way up to longer rides. But for now? Shoot, we're both tickled PINK (OK- I am tickled pink. Sonny pretty much stays red, with an added smug look on his face,) to even be doing what we are doing.
Onto today's topic. His hooves. Yep- they are a mess. If you want to give me guff for it, well, you just go right ahead. Just be ready if guff gets handed right back to you.
First shot in the line up here:
Pre trim fore, from one week ago. Very, very sick frogs here.
Treatment plan:
Initial treatment was to open up as much of the frog as I could. Since much of this was (and still is) "alive", I was admittedly conservative. (Having Sonny tap dance on my head? Not worth it. I have time- time is almost always on our side here.)
First five days- thorough cleanings, one to two times a day, and scrubbing in straight betadine, using q-tip to get up into the sulcus.
Skipped one day, and tonight was another scrubbing with the hoof brush, and I sprayed him down with 50/50 bleach and water. This won't go on long- with in a day or two, we'll have to get out my knife again, and clean up the frogs and sole. (And I still have to trim his hind feet. I thought about doing that tonight, however, Sonny had other ideas. Not worth arguing with him over it. We cleaned and treated any issues back there, and I lived to trim another day.)
Am I happy with his hooves right now? Hardly. I need to keep reminding myself though, of all he has dealt with, and be content that he can now balance himself on three legs to have his feet lifted and cleaned. We had made really good progress this spring and summer, cleaning up the funk in his frogs, when the rains hit- again- and disaster struck. All the progress we had made, went right out the window. He was due for a trim at the time of his August incident. To get him back on track, those front feet will be back "under the knife" so to speak this week/ to next Sunday sometime, and the hinds... well, I am not against trimming one foot one day, and the next foot the other day with this horse. The sooner he realizes A) it won't hurt, B) I won't crank his legs up until his hocks lock, and C) he feels BETTER after, life will be a lot smoother.
Go ahead- fire away. We can go more in-depth with thrush and the wide array of treatments available if anyone would like.
~MM
Wait- there might be some confusion over the definition of "Rides" around here:
A regular training ride would last much longer than our rides do. Because of Big Red's physical history, pushing him into say a thirty minute ride would wind up with a lame and cranky horse. Our rides are at the ten minute mark, and consist of walk, long walk, whoa, and turning left and right. (We are working on installing "Power Steering". Sonny seems to enjoy it!)
In time, we'll work our way up to longer rides. But for now? Shoot, we're both tickled PINK (OK- I am tickled pink. Sonny pretty much stays red, with an added smug look on his face,) to even be doing what we are doing.
Onto today's topic. His hooves. Yep- they are a mess. If you want to give me guff for it, well, you just go right ahead. Just be ready if guff gets handed right back to you.
First shot in the line up here:
Pre trim fore, from one week ago. Very, very sick frogs here.
Second shot:
Twenty four hours post trim, same hoof,
Twenty four hours post trim, same hoof,
Third shot:
Several days into treatment of the sick frog, showing how deep the thrush had gone up into
the central sulcus.
Several days into treatment of the sick frog, showing how deep the thrush had gone up into
the central sulcus.
Fourth Shot:
Tonight, after 6 days of treatment.
Tonight, after 6 days of treatment.
Treatment plan:Initial treatment was to open up as much of the frog as I could. Since much of this was (and still is) "alive", I was admittedly conservative. (Having Sonny tap dance on my head? Not worth it. I have time- time is almost always on our side here.)
First five days- thorough cleanings, one to two times a day, and scrubbing in straight betadine, using q-tip to get up into the sulcus.
Skipped one day, and tonight was another scrubbing with the hoof brush, and I sprayed him down with 50/50 bleach and water. This won't go on long- with in a day or two, we'll have to get out my knife again, and clean up the frogs and sole. (And I still have to trim his hind feet. I thought about doing that tonight, however, Sonny had other ideas. Not worth arguing with him over it. We cleaned and treated any issues back there, and I lived to trim another day.)
Am I happy with his hooves right now? Hardly. I need to keep reminding myself though, of all he has dealt with, and be content that he can now balance himself on three legs to have his feet lifted and cleaned. We had made really good progress this spring and summer, cleaning up the funk in his frogs, when the rains hit- again- and disaster struck. All the progress we had made, went right out the window. He was due for a trim at the time of his August incident. To get him back on track, those front feet will be back "under the knife" so to speak this week/ to next Sunday sometime, and the hinds... well, I am not against trimming one foot one day, and the next foot the other day with this horse. The sooner he realizes A) it won't hurt, B) I won't crank his legs up until his hocks lock, and C) he feels BETTER after, life will be a lot smoother.
Go ahead- fire away. We can go more in-depth with thrush and the wide array of treatments available if anyone would like.
~MM
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Clash of the Titans
AKPonyGirl had a great question the other day, after relating the below:
"I had a farrier (the best in the area and the one I would go to if I had a hoof problem) that cracked my 2 year old filly with her rasp on the belly, then grabbed the lead rope from my hands and proceeded to back my filly across the barn lot making lots of noise and waving her arms. It was the filly's second or third trim.
The next time this farrier came out my filly was scared to death of the farrier. I continued to use this farrier for trims for the next several years. The horse would need to be circled and worked for about 30 minutes before she was controlled enough to stand. The horse never relaxed and was never comfortable with this farrier.
I finally changed farriers after the second hot shoeing. It was a disaster and ended with the horse freaking out, knocking over the anvil, the stand and almost the forge.
My new farrier came out to finish the shoeing about three days later. He picked up her right front (which was the foot that caused the freak out) and she heaved a huge sigh of relief, licked and chewed and never moved a foot.
Do you think that horses can have a "personality conflict"? "
In a word, Oh Heck YES.
In this case, I'd have to guess it was the terrific memory of AK's mare, recalling the rough and unfair treatment doled out to her. And I bet that the iron hanger in question was anticipating disaster too, which is exactly what they got every time work was attempted. Those two factors feed off each other, and BAM! Fireworks erupt.
The vast majority of the time, it is the fault of the hoof care provider for making a touchy situation a bad one, and making a bad situation worse.
There can be, and often are, basic personality clashes between animals and handlers.
I don't think people give horses enough credit for their intelligence. Is a personality clash just that- a clash? Is the horse remembering something long forgotten, or never known, by his owners/ handlers? Can they sense something deeper? Or do they just flat out not LIKE some folks, just as we humans don't like some folks? I lean towards it being a combination of all of those options.
Am I giving the horse too much credit for intelligence? Go ask your horse. Some of the ones I have been around sure have a lot to say for themselves..........
"I had a farrier (the best in the area and the one I would go to if I had a hoof problem) that cracked my 2 year old filly with her rasp on the belly, then grabbed the lead rope from my hands and proceeded to back my filly across the barn lot making lots of noise and waving her arms. It was the filly's second or third trim.
The next time this farrier came out my filly was scared to death of the farrier. I continued to use this farrier for trims for the next several years. The horse would need to be circled and worked for about 30 minutes before she was controlled enough to stand. The horse never relaxed and was never comfortable with this farrier.
I finally changed farriers after the second hot shoeing. It was a disaster and ended with the horse freaking out, knocking over the anvil, the stand and almost the forge.
My new farrier came out to finish the shoeing about three days later. He picked up her right front (which was the foot that caused the freak out) and she heaved a huge sigh of relief, licked and chewed and never moved a foot.
Do you think that horses can have a "personality conflict"? "
In a word, Oh Heck YES.
In this case, I'd have to guess it was the terrific memory of AK's mare, recalling the rough and unfair treatment doled out to her. And I bet that the iron hanger in question was anticipating disaster too, which is exactly what they got every time work was attempted. Those two factors feed off each other, and BAM! Fireworks erupt.
The vast majority of the time, it is the fault of the hoof care provider for making a touchy situation a bad one, and making a bad situation worse.
There can be, and often are, basic personality clashes between animals and handlers.
I don't think people give horses enough credit for their intelligence. Is a personality clash just that- a clash? Is the horse remembering something long forgotten, or never known, by his owners/ handlers? Can they sense something deeper? Or do they just flat out not LIKE some folks, just as we humans don't like some folks? I lean towards it being a combination of all of those options.
Am I giving the horse too much credit for intelligence? Go ask your horse. Some of the ones I have been around sure have a lot to say for themselves..........
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Controlling the Brain Through the Feet
Move the feet, get the brain. We've heard it time and time again, if the feet are moving, you get their attention easier and safer. Jackie brought up that her very handsome Ace stands better after a bit of a work out, but yet, he wasn't tired. Isn't the point of moving the feet making the horse too tired to fuss?
In a word, NO.
Not at all.
The point of moving their feet is to get the horse to realize that You, The Human, Are The Boss Hoss. The Leader. The One Who Is In Control. She (or He) Who Must Be Obeyed.
You get the idea.
This has significance on several levels.
One: Horse realizes YOU are in control, not him
Two: Horse realizes that by you being in control, his job is then to do as he is asked
Three: Horse realizes that displeasing The Boss Hoss (ie: YOU) he will have to work harder
Four: Horse realizes that he can indeed, trust you to keep him out of harm's way.
So is the solution to take the horse out on the end of a lunge line or into a round pen and make them run endless circles around you?
Yeah, umm.. Not So Much.
Running endless circles will do two things- first, it will increase stamina, giving you a very fit horse, and second, it gets into their brain in a bad, bad way. Feeling endless pressure to move move move and move move move quickly, the horse will generally get more and more tense and fretful. You have shown the horse that you can make him move, but have you shown them that they can rely on you? Or that you can be trusted to keep them safe? Again, not so much.
The goal is engaging the brain. Get the horse to look to you for direction. To accomplish this, speed and fairly frequent direction changes are in order. You, as the Boss Hoss, MUST stay calm, consistent, and in control the ENTIRE TIME. Start with small goals, and keep things low key. Don't pick a fight (cause you'll LOOSE.) Change the direction, to get their attention. Ask for walk to trot to walk transitions. Whoa, back, and sidepass. Look for a softening of the eye- not a widening and hardening of it. Watch for the head to dip and drop. Listen for a big sigh. Look at the mouth and watch for licking and chewing. When you see this happen, ease up, let the horse whoa, and try the feet again.
As long as your horse realizes that you can keep them safe, problems generally vanish. Is this always the case? No- again-- my favorite phrase of late-- There Are No Absolutes. Period. If there is an injury, a pain memory, or overall physical weakness, you can pretty much expect "issues". (Sonny is a prime example of this, actually. He has had tremendous pain, still has muscle memory of pain, and he also has weakness. End result? A horse that needs a lot of work to have safe while handling his feet and legs.) Working on rebuilding strength, and calmly, quietly working with the horse's limitations (both mental and physical) will wind up in a safer relationship.
Jackie also asked for tips on helping Ace stand better for her to work on him by herself. Moving the feet is a great place to begin, but here are a few other suggestions as well.
First, work in a safe, yet roomy area.
Second, tuck the end of the lead into your belt, shorts, jeans, etc. Do Not Tie the horse (yet.)
Third, no hay or treat distractions. They think "belly", not "hoof" then.
Fourth, be ready to make small improvements over time. This usually is not something that can be "fixed" over night or in one session.
Start small- with Sonny, (since he is such a fuss pot, we'll use him as the example here,) I am happy initially to be able to lift the requested hoof. Way back when we first met him almost three years ago, I was happy to touch his leg with out getting stomped/kicked/bitten.
Once he lifts the hoof, I'll keep my cleaning session short and place the hoof back on the ground.
Ah-HA~ A Pet PEEVE!! If you have a sprained ankle, and the examining Doctor merely drops your foot back onto the table, it hurts. It jolts. It is NOT a nice feeling. If you drop your horse's leg suddenly and allow the hoof to slam into the ground, it is not the nicest feeling for them, either, even if they are not injured. It is NOT a good way to inspire trust in you, the handler, the supposed Boss Hoss.
With Sonny, I have to keep the sessions short. He just can't wrap his brain around too much at one time. For instance, trims are done two feet at a time. I won't trim all four feet in one session and fight with him- it isn't worth him getting upset, frustrated, and striking out again. We'll do the fronts and then the hinds in a couple days to a week.
Now, should Sonny decide to be a putz and start fussing at me, he has to move his feet. With his lameness history, we can not do a lot of circle work with out hurting him. My solution? I'll put him at the end of the line and have him walk- with BIG purpose- around me. We'll change direction with him rolling back over his hocks. If he has been particularly rotten, he also has to back and sidepass as well.
Once he drops his head, I try the foot again. If he behaves, I quit. Sonny likes (actually NEEDS,) to hear a warm "Good Boy!" and get a big long stroke down his neck. If he earns it by being good (after being rotten,) he'll get exactly that. And we move onto something easy for him.
Consistency is the key. Staying calm is crucial. Knowing when enough is enough is critical. Ten QUALITY minutes a day is better than a crappy hour or two every day in my book.
Wow- what a mouthful for the day!
Thoughts, anyone? Fire away!
In a word, NO.
Not at all.
The point of moving their feet is to get the horse to realize that You, The Human, Are The Boss Hoss. The Leader. The One Who Is In Control. She (or He) Who Must Be Obeyed.
You get the idea.
This has significance on several levels.
One: Horse realizes YOU are in control, not him
Two: Horse realizes that by you being in control, his job is then to do as he is asked
Three: Horse realizes that displeasing The Boss Hoss (ie: YOU) he will have to work harder
Four: Horse realizes that he can indeed, trust you to keep him out of harm's way.
So is the solution to take the horse out on the end of a lunge line or into a round pen and make them run endless circles around you?
Yeah, umm.. Not So Much.
Running endless circles will do two things- first, it will increase stamina, giving you a very fit horse, and second, it gets into their brain in a bad, bad way. Feeling endless pressure to move move move and move move move quickly, the horse will generally get more and more tense and fretful. You have shown the horse that you can make him move, but have you shown them that they can rely on you? Or that you can be trusted to keep them safe? Again, not so much.
The goal is engaging the brain. Get the horse to look to you for direction. To accomplish this, speed and fairly frequent direction changes are in order. You, as the Boss Hoss, MUST stay calm, consistent, and in control the ENTIRE TIME. Start with small goals, and keep things low key. Don't pick a fight (cause you'll LOOSE.) Change the direction, to get their attention. Ask for walk to trot to walk transitions. Whoa, back, and sidepass. Look for a softening of the eye- not a widening and hardening of it. Watch for the head to dip and drop. Listen for a big sigh. Look at the mouth and watch for licking and chewing. When you see this happen, ease up, let the horse whoa, and try the feet again.
As long as your horse realizes that you can keep them safe, problems generally vanish. Is this always the case? No- again-- my favorite phrase of late-- There Are No Absolutes. Period. If there is an injury, a pain memory, or overall physical weakness, you can pretty much expect "issues". (Sonny is a prime example of this, actually. He has had tremendous pain, still has muscle memory of pain, and he also has weakness. End result? A horse that needs a lot of work to have safe while handling his feet and legs.) Working on rebuilding strength, and calmly, quietly working with the horse's limitations (both mental and physical) will wind up in a safer relationship.
Jackie also asked for tips on helping Ace stand better for her to work on him by herself. Moving the feet is a great place to begin, but here are a few other suggestions as well.
First, work in a safe, yet roomy area.
Second, tuck the end of the lead into your belt, shorts, jeans, etc. Do Not Tie the horse (yet.)
Third, no hay or treat distractions. They think "belly", not "hoof" then.
Fourth, be ready to make small improvements over time. This usually is not something that can be "fixed" over night or in one session.
Start small- with Sonny, (since he is such a fuss pot, we'll use him as the example here,) I am happy initially to be able to lift the requested hoof. Way back when we first met him almost three years ago, I was happy to touch his leg with out getting stomped/kicked/bitten.
Once he lifts the hoof, I'll keep my cleaning session short and place the hoof back on the ground.
Ah-HA~ A Pet PEEVE!! If you have a sprained ankle, and the examining Doctor merely drops your foot back onto the table, it hurts. It jolts. It is NOT a nice feeling. If you drop your horse's leg suddenly and allow the hoof to slam into the ground, it is not the nicest feeling for them, either, even if they are not injured. It is NOT a good way to inspire trust in you, the handler, the supposed Boss Hoss.
With Sonny, I have to keep the sessions short. He just can't wrap his brain around too much at one time. For instance, trims are done two feet at a time. I won't trim all four feet in one session and fight with him- it isn't worth him getting upset, frustrated, and striking out again. We'll do the fronts and then the hinds in a couple days to a week.
Now, should Sonny decide to be a putz and start fussing at me, he has to move his feet. With his lameness history, we can not do a lot of circle work with out hurting him. My solution? I'll put him at the end of the line and have him walk- with BIG purpose- around me. We'll change direction with him rolling back over his hocks. If he has been particularly rotten, he also has to back and sidepass as well.
Once he drops his head, I try the foot again. If he behaves, I quit. Sonny likes (actually NEEDS,) to hear a warm "Good Boy!" and get a big long stroke down his neck. If he earns it by being good (after being rotten,) he'll get exactly that. And we move onto something easy for him.
Consistency is the key. Staying calm is crucial. Knowing when enough is enough is critical. Ten QUALITY minutes a day is better than a crappy hour or two every day in my book.
Wow- what a mouthful for the day!
Thoughts, anyone? Fire away!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sonny's Sunday
This week was a slow one on the Sonny front. We managed to get in only one other tour of the yard before the rains came, making it two short rides this week for our total. In fact, thanks to the rains, we had limited time actually doing anything aside from hanging out together watching the rain drip down from the Heavens.
Today however, dawned bright, clear, chilly, and breezy. Sonny waited at the gate for me, looking at the gate, his halter, and me, seeming to be begging to get out of the paddock for at least a walk around. After catching up on the paddock cleaning, I did just that. I slipped on his halter, and took him out to the lawn to mow for me.
Sonny's ears were as up as they could get, his eyes bright and huge, and he was softly snorting and blowing a tad as we made our way out. The thought of crawling back up on him had briefly crossed my mind. (Notice the briefly!) His stride was long and light, and it seemed he was being overly delicate in placing his hooves on the sandy ground.
He would snatch a bite of grass or two, and walk on... and did this for a good 45 minutes. The entire time we were out there, he never once stopped that soft blowing and snorting, and he was visibly getting more wound. At one point, he just exploded up into the air, all four feet well off the ground. He got in trouble for that- that kind of behavior is NOT allowed while we are attached via his lead. After a backing session, and then some side passing in both directions, we carefully made our way back to the paddock.
Where Sonny, after backing away from the gate, promptly decided playtime was ON.
He floated. He bucked, he farted, and blew, and he pretended he was an Arabian with his tail up over his back. He pretended to be an upper level dressage horse, showing what a true extended trot really is. He pretended to be a race horse, stretching out for a couple of strides to really run.
The whole time he was cavorting, I was thinking, "Damn glad I didn't try to get up there this morning, cause there's no way I'd have stuck that out."
Being able to watch Sonny this week, and remember our progress, something finally started to sink in.
He is ours.
He is not going anywhere.
There is no deadline on his training.
There is no one telling us he needs to do this discipline.
For so many years now, horses have come into my life with "Stuff". Deadlines, very specific goals, and owners expecting exacting results.
Sonny has none of those attached to him. I don't have to cope with the pressure of that. I don't have to do anything, aside from take it day by day, and Enjoy My Horse.
I'll try to add the pictures again, later on. They are too fun not to be able to share, and they tell a story of their own!
That wraps up Sonny's Sunday!
~MM
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Questions and Answers
Here comes Part Four! I'm going to try and answer some questions in this post, but if I miss one, PLEASE email me or leave a comment and remind me. My memory these days? Pathetic. If I don't write things down right away, my short term memory seemingly eats thoughts and spits them out somewhere. (I'm told this will only get worse with age. Oh. Joy. I can see it now- there will be a giant notebook surgically implanted on my arm so that I can take notes...)
First, going back two posts, Angie asked about Appies and THAT look in their eyes. Oh Angie, I know the look oh so well!! This is actually one of my most favorite topics, after being owned by an Appy gelding for just shy of 20 years. What I learned from Jack and every single Appy I've met since is this: They are one person horses. If they respect you, they will move the Earth for you. If they think you are a moron, you're pretty much screwed.
So what to do when your sweet spotted pal decides he is going to test the mettle of the farrier (or anyone for that matter?) You have to make them think behaving nicely is their idea. If you have children, you are most likely adept at using reverse psychology on them to achieve compliance and avoid bloodshed. More or less you are going to do the same with your App. Give them something to think about. Ask for simple compliance to start, and step it up from there. (The other thing learned about Appies? They never forget, and if they think you are being unfair, you are never going to be able to reach a compromise that day.) Once you spot that twinkle, ask for a head down. Or slide your finger in their mouth, rubbing the gum. Reposition their head slightly, and then move it back. Ask if you can move their feet briefly, in order to get the brain back on the job at hand.
There are specific breeds that tend to be "thinkers", and handlers are often two to eight steps behind the horse. Appaloosas, Arabians, Thoroughbreds to name a few, the handler needs to be EXTREMELY confident (confident- not cocky,), very aware and alert, and able to think on their feet. I've met some of those breeds who may not have been the brightest crayon in the pack, but even one who is not quite as smart as others of their breed are still generally smarter than other breeds.
So Angie, watch the eyes and ears, and try to find ways of giving your horse other things to think about. Move the feet if you can- that helps them refocus on the job at hand.
Lytha- you mentioned how it seems hoof care providers sacrifice our health. Weeeelllllllll.... sort of. My back (disc issues in my way low back,) was a horse related incident, but not hoof care related. Hoof care just didn't help it any. My hand was not even horse related. Dear Husband's knees are not overly horse related, that's thanks to wrestling and football in school. Mikey's back started out roughed up as well. Wade- I'm thinking he is still in decent shape.
We do know one farrier who had his back broken by a mini, and had to have extensive surgery with titanium rods and what not in order to be able to walk again. He isn't trimming any more.
We have our share of cuts, scrapes, bite wounds, and kick marks. It is not a job for the faint of heart, or the timid. If you do not ooze confidence, you will get hurt that much faster. As with anything horse related- it is not a matter of *IF* we'll get hurt. It's more a matter of *WHEN*.
Would I advise someone to take up a career in hoof care? That depends on the person to be honest. There are all kinds of things to help- from Hoof Jacks (a wonderful hoof stand,) to Back Jacks (a WONDERFUL seat for farriers, based on the old strap on milking stool design,) to tool caddy's. Mere physical strength is not the only thing you need, and with those tools mentioned, you don't need to be strong enough to bench press your truck. (But it helps...) You need a nimble mind, a feel for the animals, and confidence in your abilities to stay safe and do the best you possibly can in the worst case scenario. I look at my scars as tattoos with better stories. And I admit- I have the satisfaction of being able to say, "Yeah. I did that." Instead of, "Man I wish I had..."
Do we all sacrifice our health? Nah. We just make do with being roughed up now and again. It's all good!
SkyBar- You had an excellent question about if horses stand better for someone other than their owner. And ya know, I'd say at least 80% of the time, they DO. Why is that? It's kinda like The Dog Whisperer stepping into a room, and commanding- with no words, motions, or eye contact- the unwavering attention of every dog in the room. When I step to a horse to hold, they usually either quit the unwanted behavior completely, or they tone it down considerably.
A good handler is calm, confident, and exudes trustworthy leadership to the animal in question. They do not anticipate disaster. They expect proper, acceptable behavior. They are fair, and consistent. They read the horses well, and can head off any unacceptable behavior, hopefully before it becomes an issue with the service provider.
If the owner is not very experienced, or does not know what to expect, they are nervous. When they are nervous, the horse is nervous. And bad behavior is the result. Or, we'll have one of those owners who thinks the horse expressing their displeasure in manners such as biting, wiggling, pulling, and kicking etc, is kyuuuuttteeeeeeee and they do nothing to correct the behavior. (I hate owners like that. I really, really do.)
ANON- When I read your comment this morning, it was while sipping my first morning bucket o' joe. I had to read it three times, to be honest, to make sure my eyes were not playing tricks on me. The Dude nerve lines the horses, flips them, and hog ties them? Even several hours later, it still leaves me shaking my head in wonder that someone has not done the same thing to HIM before now. HolyFreakingCrap. Knowing that things like that happen, and knowing that there are owners out there who are new to horses, and who are maybe NOT being fed the right information to keep EVERYONE- including the horses- safe, is why I write this blog.
Have we ever run across a horse that we needed to flip and hog tie? Yes. Did we do that? No. Instead, we call in a vet and medicate the horse. We'll lay them down chemically, with a vet standing by, in a flash. We'll take extra time to teach the owners. Our main goal, hand in hoof with providing high quality care, is to make this a better and better experience for the horses, so that should someone else come along, THEY are not going to get hurt. The safety of the horses MUST come first. MUST. Can't get a vet there? Ok, fine- I'll work with you, to help the horse. You are going to pay for it, and you are going to have homework when I leave. (And if you DON'T do follow up? Fagedaboudit. We won't be back....)
There ARE other ways. Boatloads of them. Owners need--- NEED --- to make an effort to LEARN. Ask questions. Read. Take lessons. Watch clinics. Watch everything they can. LEARN. What that particular person is doing is IMO dangerous and unacceptable. Period.
Jackie- You had such an excellent question and point, that I have a post planned to deal with exactly those two things- one being some tips on how to teach the horse to behave better when the owner is handling legs and hooves, and the other was a horse who has moved his feet being able to concentrate better. Those two topics are very near and dear to my heart, and not areas I can just get away with a few words on. Look for that post Monday!! And THANK YOU Jackie- for bringing those up!
Now, fire away folks. Questions are a blast. Comments rock. I know I don't get around to leaving comments where I need to, but please know I read every single comment that comes in, and I appreciate all of you!!
Happy Nekkid Hoofin'
~MM
First, going back two posts, Angie asked about Appies and THAT look in their eyes. Oh Angie, I know the look oh so well!! This is actually one of my most favorite topics, after being owned by an Appy gelding for just shy of 20 years. What I learned from Jack and every single Appy I've met since is this: They are one person horses. If they respect you, they will move the Earth for you. If they think you are a moron, you're pretty much screwed.
So what to do when your sweet spotted pal decides he is going to test the mettle of the farrier (or anyone for that matter?) You have to make them think behaving nicely is their idea. If you have children, you are most likely adept at using reverse psychology on them to achieve compliance and avoid bloodshed. More or less you are going to do the same with your App. Give them something to think about. Ask for simple compliance to start, and step it up from there. (The other thing learned about Appies? They never forget, and if they think you are being unfair, you are never going to be able to reach a compromise that day.) Once you spot that twinkle, ask for a head down. Or slide your finger in their mouth, rubbing the gum. Reposition their head slightly, and then move it back. Ask if you can move their feet briefly, in order to get the brain back on the job at hand.
There are specific breeds that tend to be "thinkers", and handlers are often two to eight steps behind the horse. Appaloosas, Arabians, Thoroughbreds to name a few, the handler needs to be EXTREMELY confident (confident- not cocky,), very aware and alert, and able to think on their feet. I've met some of those breeds who may not have been the brightest crayon in the pack, but even one who is not quite as smart as others of their breed are still generally smarter than other breeds.
So Angie, watch the eyes and ears, and try to find ways of giving your horse other things to think about. Move the feet if you can- that helps them refocus on the job at hand.
Lytha- you mentioned how it seems hoof care providers sacrifice our health. Weeeelllllllll.... sort of. My back (disc issues in my way low back,) was a horse related incident, but not hoof care related. Hoof care just didn't help it any. My hand was not even horse related. Dear Husband's knees are not overly horse related, that's thanks to wrestling and football in school. Mikey's back started out roughed up as well. Wade- I'm thinking he is still in decent shape.
We do know one farrier who had his back broken by a mini, and had to have extensive surgery with titanium rods and what not in order to be able to walk again. He isn't trimming any more.
We have our share of cuts, scrapes, bite wounds, and kick marks. It is not a job for the faint of heart, or the timid. If you do not ooze confidence, you will get hurt that much faster. As with anything horse related- it is not a matter of *IF* we'll get hurt. It's more a matter of *WHEN*.
Would I advise someone to take up a career in hoof care? That depends on the person to be honest. There are all kinds of things to help- from Hoof Jacks (a wonderful hoof stand,) to Back Jacks (a WONDERFUL seat for farriers, based on the old strap on milking stool design,) to tool caddy's. Mere physical strength is not the only thing you need, and with those tools mentioned, you don't need to be strong enough to bench press your truck. (But it helps...) You need a nimble mind, a feel for the animals, and confidence in your abilities to stay safe and do the best you possibly can in the worst case scenario. I look at my scars as tattoos with better stories. And I admit- I have the satisfaction of being able to say, "Yeah. I did that." Instead of, "Man I wish I had..."
Do we all sacrifice our health? Nah. We just make do with being roughed up now and again. It's all good!
SkyBar- You had an excellent question about if horses stand better for someone other than their owner. And ya know, I'd say at least 80% of the time, they DO. Why is that? It's kinda like The Dog Whisperer stepping into a room, and commanding- with no words, motions, or eye contact- the unwavering attention of every dog in the room. When I step to a horse to hold, they usually either quit the unwanted behavior completely, or they tone it down considerably.
A good handler is calm, confident, and exudes trustworthy leadership to the animal in question. They do not anticipate disaster. They expect proper, acceptable behavior. They are fair, and consistent. They read the horses well, and can head off any unacceptable behavior, hopefully before it becomes an issue with the service provider.
If the owner is not very experienced, or does not know what to expect, they are nervous. When they are nervous, the horse is nervous. And bad behavior is the result. Or, we'll have one of those owners who thinks the horse expressing their displeasure in manners such as biting, wiggling, pulling, and kicking etc, is kyuuuuttteeeeeeee and they do nothing to correct the behavior. (I hate owners like that. I really, really do.)
ANON- When I read your comment this morning, it was while sipping my first morning bucket o' joe. I had to read it three times, to be honest, to make sure my eyes were not playing tricks on me. The Dude nerve lines the horses, flips them, and hog ties them? Even several hours later, it still leaves me shaking my head in wonder that someone has not done the same thing to HIM before now. HolyFreakingCrap. Knowing that things like that happen, and knowing that there are owners out there who are new to horses, and who are maybe NOT being fed the right information to keep EVERYONE- including the horses- safe, is why I write this blog.
Have we ever run across a horse that we needed to flip and hog tie? Yes. Did we do that? No. Instead, we call in a vet and medicate the horse. We'll lay them down chemically, with a vet standing by, in a flash. We'll take extra time to teach the owners. Our main goal, hand in hoof with providing high quality care, is to make this a better and better experience for the horses, so that should someone else come along, THEY are not going to get hurt. The safety of the horses MUST come first. MUST. Can't get a vet there? Ok, fine- I'll work with you, to help the horse. You are going to pay for it, and you are going to have homework when I leave. (And if you DON'T do follow up? Fagedaboudit. We won't be back....)
There ARE other ways. Boatloads of them. Owners need--- NEED --- to make an effort to LEARN. Ask questions. Read. Take lessons. Watch clinics. Watch everything they can. LEARN. What that particular person is doing is IMO dangerous and unacceptable. Period.
Jackie- You had such an excellent question and point, that I have a post planned to deal with exactly those two things- one being some tips on how to teach the horse to behave better when the owner is handling legs and hooves, and the other was a horse who has moved his feet being able to concentrate better. Those two topics are very near and dear to my heart, and not areas I can just get away with a few words on. Look for that post Monday!! And THANK YOU Jackie- for bringing those up!
Now, fire away folks. Questions are a blast. Comments rock. I know I don't get around to leaving comments where I need to, but please know I read every single comment that comes in, and I appreciate all of you!!
Happy Nekkid Hoofin'
~MM
Friday, October 16, 2009
Corrections.... And How To Apply Them
This could be a Part Three to the PSA, and PSA Clarification posts, since in those I talk about correcting unacceptable behavior. While I can not control the human portion of the equation (all I can offer there is THINK before you act please), I CAN help you understand how to stop what you see in your horse.
Feel, Timing, and Balance.
Those three words are stressed over and over again in a lot of discussions on horsemanship. Feel, timing, and balance do not just apply to riding though. How do they apply on the ground?
First, you have FEEL. Feel can be literal- as in, you can feel the horse gathering energy under your hand, thus giving you a clue that unwanted behavior is about to happen- but it can also be figurative- as in, your gut instinct says that a problem might be on the horizon. Pay. Attention. To. Feel.
Next is TIMING. Timing is CRITICAL, as behaviors must be redirected or corrected INSTANTLY. Two minutes later, the horse is not going to have a clue what the heck you are talking about, so pay attention and nip it in the bud.
Lastly is BALANCE. I know- you are wondering how the heck BALANCE, which is used when you ride to keep you from tipping over- is going to be useful on the ground, right? Balance, in this sense, is the amount of correction/ redirection needed. You have to have the right balance between not enough, and the horse continues to act like a moron, and too much, where you wind up scaring the beejeepers out of him, making him WORSE for the next time. "Balance" in this case is knowing when enough is enough, and doing just that.
Let's take a look at some of the more common issues, and how to help fix them.
First, the mouth and head.
Biting is a deliberate, direct, INTENDED action. Biting is one of the MOST dangerous issues a horse owner can deal with. Why do I say that? I'd say ask one of my mentors, but he no longer speaks. He had half his face ripped off by an aggressive biter during treatment. I've seen and heard stories about horses removing various portions of anatomy by biting, and I'll tell you what- I will NOT tolerate a biter. Period.
So how do you keep your horse from taking a chunk (literally) out of your service provider? The easiest way is to keep the nose pointed at ALL TIMES away from the guy doing the work. Just tip it a tad, to the opposite side. I don't care if your horse has never bitten before- that nose swings towards me or my husband, and you're going to get a lesson in direction. (And the first couple reminders might even be polite.) If you have a confirmed aggressive biter, get a muzzle, and use it during the times when the horse has other people working on him. It will save you in the long run- trust me.
Most horses just like to nose and not nibble. But sometimes, that nosing can get too strong, and can do damage as well. I had an owner a couple years ago, who let her horse nose me all over (even after repeated requests by me to keep his head off me,) and the horse wound up smashing into my face, blacking my eye and breaking my glasses. Owner had to replace my specs, and I gave them one more chance to behave. Trim time came around again, and know what? They didn't learn their lesson, so I packed up my tools and left. *I* did learn my lesson, and since I hate that much pain in my face, I took my new specs and headed out to horses that did behave.
A nudge can turn into a bump, to a butt, to a smash. When you have someone working on hooves with very sharp tools, control that head please. Contrary to popular belief, hoof care providers do not enjoy pain, or bleeding, which are known to happen when we get knocked off kilter by a head butt.
The same thing applies- keep the nose tipped away from the guy doing the work. If the horse is too much for you to hold, tell the service provider, and ask for a few moments to move the horse's feet in a strong forward direction to get their minds back on the business at hand. We'd rather take an extra ten or so minutes to stay safe, rather than wrestle our way through the job- trust me.
What about pulling away front legs?
While most hoof care providers are stronger than they look, there are times when a really determined horse will snatch a front leg away and throw it forward. If the handler is not paying attention, it can be a very painful lesson for them. (And I admit, in order to get the attention of a couple "handlers" along the way, I have allowed the horse to snatch the leg and guided it with pressure from my shoulder against the horses shoulder to land on the "handler". Got my point across...) The reasons for this behavior are many, but the top two are general pissy-ness and bad manners for one, and pain for two. How can a good handler help? Stand to the same side as the hoof care provider. Tip the nose ever so slightly to you. FACE THE HORSE (ie: your shoulders will be square to the neck.) Take your free hand, and lightly place it on the upper forearm of the horse. You'll be able to feel the muscles prepare to pull, and a tiny amount of pressure there will prevent the horse from yanking the foot. You can rub the forearm slightly, but do not remove your hand from the leg. This works quite well, and gives the horse something to think about.
What about moving away?
Most times, we want the handler on the same side we are. If you don't have an extra person there to steady a wiggly animal, move to the opposite side, and act as a blocker. You don't need big movements, you don't need aggressive grumping and growling, and you don't need to thump on the horse. (MOST times anyways.) Simply put your hand on a hip, and allow the horse to know you are there. If they push into you, poke back. Talk to them. Rub their back and sides. Soothe them. Movement to the side is from horses who are scared. Your job is to let them know that this can be an OK thing. It won't hurt, it isn't scary, and if they stand up it will be done faster.
Kicking is a whole 'nother basket of goodies. Deliberate kicking needs strong correction IMMEDIATELY. Kicking is second on my list of intolerable behaviors, and can kill you in the blink of an eye. (Ever seen the results of a Belgian Draft horse hoof against a 14 year old handlers head? No? Trust me- you really, really do not want to.) If your horse is a confirmed kicker, WARN YOUR HOOF CARE PROVIDER!! This way we can be prepared to either hang on a bit or be ready to get the heck out of Dodge. Kicking and biting are when you the handler need to be on your toes, and ready to "get really, really big". You have about three to four seconds to convince that horse that you are going to eat him for doing what he did. I tend to immediately stand up, raise my shoulders up, stare the horse in the eye, scowl, grump, growl, and drive them back back back back back. I'll count "one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand" in my head, and when I hit three to four, I quit. The horse stands until he drops his head, licks and chews, and then we move up to our starting position and we start again. You can not let the horse get into the habit of kicking. Period. At least not kicking your hoof care providers or vets. What he does to you and yours is your business.
There are just a few tricks of the trade. The vast majority of time, this is all it takes. In all our time working on horses, we don't twitch. We don't chain shank. We get the calls to do the "horses that can not be done"... because we get them done.
(Quick story here. Handler was holding a horse recently, and not paying a whit of attention to what jerkwad horse was doing, and Dear Husband growled at horse and tapped him with his hand on the horse's side. Handler said, "Oh you wouldn't be able to do MY horse because the rougher you are with him, the worse he gets." It was all I could do not to laugh in this persons face. Seriously. Dear Husband and I looked at each other, though, and later on in the truck we had a laugh over it. First, we would not accept this person as a client. Secondly, people who brag about how "sensitive" their horse is have spoiled brats, who don't know squat.)
Fire away with any questions....
~MM
Feel, Timing, and Balance.
Those three words are stressed over and over again in a lot of discussions on horsemanship. Feel, timing, and balance do not just apply to riding though. How do they apply on the ground?
First, you have FEEL. Feel can be literal- as in, you can feel the horse gathering energy under your hand, thus giving you a clue that unwanted behavior is about to happen- but it can also be figurative- as in, your gut instinct says that a problem might be on the horizon. Pay. Attention. To. Feel.
Next is TIMING. Timing is CRITICAL, as behaviors must be redirected or corrected INSTANTLY. Two minutes later, the horse is not going to have a clue what the heck you are talking about, so pay attention and nip it in the bud.
Lastly is BALANCE. I know- you are wondering how the heck BALANCE, which is used when you ride to keep you from tipping over- is going to be useful on the ground, right? Balance, in this sense, is the amount of correction/ redirection needed. You have to have the right balance between not enough, and the horse continues to act like a moron, and too much, where you wind up scaring the beejeepers out of him, making him WORSE for the next time. "Balance" in this case is knowing when enough is enough, and doing just that.
Let's take a look at some of the more common issues, and how to help fix them.
First, the mouth and head.
Biting is a deliberate, direct, INTENDED action. Biting is one of the MOST dangerous issues a horse owner can deal with. Why do I say that? I'd say ask one of my mentors, but he no longer speaks. He had half his face ripped off by an aggressive biter during treatment. I've seen and heard stories about horses removing various portions of anatomy by biting, and I'll tell you what- I will NOT tolerate a biter. Period.
So how do you keep your horse from taking a chunk (literally) out of your service provider? The easiest way is to keep the nose pointed at ALL TIMES away from the guy doing the work. Just tip it a tad, to the opposite side. I don't care if your horse has never bitten before- that nose swings towards me or my husband, and you're going to get a lesson in direction. (And the first couple reminders might even be polite.) If you have a confirmed aggressive biter, get a muzzle, and use it during the times when the horse has other people working on him. It will save you in the long run- trust me.
Most horses just like to nose and not nibble. But sometimes, that nosing can get too strong, and can do damage as well. I had an owner a couple years ago, who let her horse nose me all over (even after repeated requests by me to keep his head off me,) and the horse wound up smashing into my face, blacking my eye and breaking my glasses. Owner had to replace my specs, and I gave them one more chance to behave. Trim time came around again, and know what? They didn't learn their lesson, so I packed up my tools and left. *I* did learn my lesson, and since I hate that much pain in my face, I took my new specs and headed out to horses that did behave.
A nudge can turn into a bump, to a butt, to a smash. When you have someone working on hooves with very sharp tools, control that head please. Contrary to popular belief, hoof care providers do not enjoy pain, or bleeding, which are known to happen when we get knocked off kilter by a head butt.
The same thing applies- keep the nose tipped away from the guy doing the work. If the horse is too much for you to hold, tell the service provider, and ask for a few moments to move the horse's feet in a strong forward direction to get their minds back on the business at hand. We'd rather take an extra ten or so minutes to stay safe, rather than wrestle our way through the job- trust me.
What about pulling away front legs?
While most hoof care providers are stronger than they look, there are times when a really determined horse will snatch a front leg away and throw it forward. If the handler is not paying attention, it can be a very painful lesson for them. (And I admit, in order to get the attention of a couple "handlers" along the way, I have allowed the horse to snatch the leg and guided it with pressure from my shoulder against the horses shoulder to land on the "handler". Got my point across...) The reasons for this behavior are many, but the top two are general pissy-ness and bad manners for one, and pain for two. How can a good handler help? Stand to the same side as the hoof care provider. Tip the nose ever so slightly to you. FACE THE HORSE (ie: your shoulders will be square to the neck.) Take your free hand, and lightly place it on the upper forearm of the horse. You'll be able to feel the muscles prepare to pull, and a tiny amount of pressure there will prevent the horse from yanking the foot. You can rub the forearm slightly, but do not remove your hand from the leg. This works quite well, and gives the horse something to think about.
What about moving away?
Most times, we want the handler on the same side we are. If you don't have an extra person there to steady a wiggly animal, move to the opposite side, and act as a blocker. You don't need big movements, you don't need aggressive grumping and growling, and you don't need to thump on the horse. (MOST times anyways.) Simply put your hand on a hip, and allow the horse to know you are there. If they push into you, poke back. Talk to them. Rub their back and sides. Soothe them. Movement to the side is from horses who are scared. Your job is to let them know that this can be an OK thing. It won't hurt, it isn't scary, and if they stand up it will be done faster.
Kicking is a whole 'nother basket of goodies. Deliberate kicking needs strong correction IMMEDIATELY. Kicking is second on my list of intolerable behaviors, and can kill you in the blink of an eye. (Ever seen the results of a Belgian Draft horse hoof against a 14 year old handlers head? No? Trust me- you really, really do not want to.) If your horse is a confirmed kicker, WARN YOUR HOOF CARE PROVIDER!! This way we can be prepared to either hang on a bit or be ready to get the heck out of Dodge. Kicking and biting are when you the handler need to be on your toes, and ready to "get really, really big". You have about three to four seconds to convince that horse that you are going to eat him for doing what he did. I tend to immediately stand up, raise my shoulders up, stare the horse in the eye, scowl, grump, growl, and drive them back back back back back. I'll count "one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand" in my head, and when I hit three to four, I quit. The horse stands until he drops his head, licks and chews, and then we move up to our starting position and we start again. You can not let the horse get into the habit of kicking. Period. At least not kicking your hoof care providers or vets. What he does to you and yours is your business.
There are just a few tricks of the trade. The vast majority of time, this is all it takes. In all our time working on horses, we don't twitch. We don't chain shank. We get the calls to do the "horses that can not be done"... because we get them done.
(Quick story here. Handler was holding a horse recently, and not paying a whit of attention to what jerkwad horse was doing, and Dear Husband growled at horse and tapped him with his hand on the horse's side. Handler said, "Oh you wouldn't be able to do MY horse because the rougher you are with him, the worse he gets." It was all I could do not to laugh in this persons face. Seriously. Dear Husband and I looked at each other, though, and later on in the truck we had a laugh over it. First, we would not accept this person as a client. Secondly, people who brag about how "sensitive" their horse is have spoiled brats, who don't know squat.)
Fire away with any questions....
~MM
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Walk On The "Wild" Side
I have a confession to make. Every once in a while, a rare moment of peace will filter into Command Central, and I "window shop". (No, not window LICK. That is an entirely different day!) I love to look at various equine-themed sites, and admire horse art, photographs, clothes, .... you get the idea- horse "stuff".
When an email arrived in my box inviting me to do just that a day or so ago, I was tickled pink. My usual lengthy list of things to accomplish for the day had been put on hold (due to a complete lack of ambition,) so any excuse to browse was more than welcome. The timing was PERFECT- kids were outside, horse was content, and I was working hard at ignoring the vacuuming- when I hit this site- Horse and Wildlife Gifts.
Y'all, take a look. I tried to copy some photos to share (with the owners permission, of course!) but thanks to being such an extreme techno-phobe, it didn't work. You'll have to take my word for it, and visit. Spend some quality time browsing the offerings, and enjoy... My favorite so far? Now this seems silly. It even sounds silly coming from me- the oh-so-tomboy-chick, who is more or less anti-froo-froo. But I love love LOVE the matched set of wedding bands. Yeah, horseshoe wedding bands, with diamonds inset on them.
Would I ever actually WEAR one? I don't know. But I sure do like the way they look!!
Definately well worth a visit. Statues, wonderful artwork, and fine jewlery are featured. They have some fantastic original works of art available, and be SURE to check out the really cool table in the Furniture section.
Have fun! (And no winda licken either please!)
When an email arrived in my box inviting me to do just that a day or so ago, I was tickled pink. My usual lengthy list of things to accomplish for the day had been put on hold (due to a complete lack of ambition,) so any excuse to browse was more than welcome. The timing was PERFECT- kids were outside, horse was content, and I was working hard at ignoring the vacuuming- when I hit this site- Horse and Wildlife Gifts.
Y'all, take a look. I tried to copy some photos to share (with the owners permission, of course!) but thanks to being such an extreme techno-phobe, it didn't work. You'll have to take my word for it, and visit. Spend some quality time browsing the offerings, and enjoy... My favorite so far? Now this seems silly. It even sounds silly coming from me- the oh-so-tomboy-chick, who is more or less anti-froo-froo. But I love love LOVE the matched set of wedding bands. Yeah, horseshoe wedding bands, with diamonds inset on them.
Would I ever actually WEAR one? I don't know. But I sure do like the way they look!!
Definately well worth a visit. Statues, wonderful artwork, and fine jewlery are featured. They have some fantastic original works of art available, and be SURE to check out the really cool table in the Furniture section.
Have fun! (And no winda licken either please!)
Monday, October 12, 2009
PSA Clarification
So I took a second (third, fourth, tenth... you get the idea,) look at the PSA of the other day. A couple things dawned on me, one being I really sounded bitchy (which I was,) and the other was, what about the folks who have good intentions, but have no CLUE what to look for?
Thus was born today's post:
When you watch a horse, here is what to look at, look for, and feel for. Yes, FEEL.
First, eyes and ears. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and most times your horse is no exception. (The actual exception here? Mustangs. If they don't want you to read them, you won't know a darn thing until you go sailing across the yard. Seriously. Any input there Tracey and fellow Mustangers?)
Look at (and SEE) a lot of horses and their eyes. Just watch them for a bit. Most horses are expressive in ways that humans can only dream of, and it should not take you long to sort out a happy eye, from a worried eye, from a "I'm-a gonna kick the shit out of you" eye.
Add in the ears, and you can often tell what direction that eye is going to roll in, what side they are going to evade to, and how upset they are.
Mouths- watch lips. A loose, hanging lower lip (I love those!) generally indicates a soft, sleepy, easy to get along with horse. (They also tend to have big, soft, sweet eyes, and relaxed ears.) If your horse is worried, like one of the young animals was this past weekend, the lips will get tight. Some flop their lips, slapping them together as if they are keeping time to their own internal worry clock. Some flop lips, wiggle ears back and forth faster than the speed of sound, and wrinkle eyes and roll eyes at the same time. THAT folks, is a ticking time bomb. Best save that horse for another day, to do all by himself, so you can take the time it takes and be safe. Tip: Slide your thumb into the mouth where the bit rests, and gently massage the gum. Getting the horse to loosen the tight mouth and lick and chew helps to relax some of them.
Head- up or down? A high head equals a tense horse. A high head, rolling eye, flipping ears, and tight mouth or flopping lips and it's pretty obvious that the horse is really, really upset and waiting for disaster. A high head and a tight mouth might be the only sign you get though, before unacceptable behavior occurs. If the head is low, the "adrenaline" switch re-sets to an "off" position, making it much easier for the horse to think things through and be calmer. You can teach a horse to drop their head on command- I've done it with every horse of mine for years now. Add the head down cue with the gum rubbing, and it will help to steady the horse even more.
Feel- I tend to keep a hand on a neck or hip almost all the time. This way, if I miss seeing something coming, I can feel the horse begin to gather himself up, and prevent the action before it happens. (Well, most times. Again- the only time we've been caught way off guard was with Mustangs. They just EXPLODE. BAM. And... you're in the dirt...) One of the fillies we saw this weekend was a prime case for feel. She was so scared, that her entire body could have bounced quarters into the middle of next week. It took me a bit of soft/ but firm, rhythmic stroking, low talking, and just breathing with her to get her to drop her head a bit, loosen her lips, and loosen her body. (Until the person at her head screamed across the yard... at which point she was instantly tight and on guard again, and fighting Dear Husband on our favorite foot- the right rear.)
Tails- A tucked tail will get your head taken off. A tail swishing 90 miles an hour is an eye hazard. And a tail can tell you a warning before a kick is thrown. Watch the horse interact with other horses, to see what his tail will tell you before you get back there.
There you have it. If you passively watch your horse, and SEE what they are doing, you will spot things so much faster. Not just for hoof care, not just for check ups with the vet, but for general health as well. This is a recurring theme on here folks-
You're service providers will thank you, and so will your horse.
Thus was born today's post:
When you watch a horse, here is what to look at, look for, and feel for. Yes, FEEL.
First, eyes and ears. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and most times your horse is no exception. (The actual exception here? Mustangs. If they don't want you to read them, you won't know a darn thing until you go sailing across the yard. Seriously. Any input there Tracey and fellow Mustangers?)
Look at (and SEE) a lot of horses and their eyes. Just watch them for a bit. Most horses are expressive in ways that humans can only dream of, and it should not take you long to sort out a happy eye, from a worried eye, from a "I'm-a gonna kick the shit out of you" eye.
Add in the ears, and you can often tell what direction that eye is going to roll in, what side they are going to evade to, and how upset they are.
Mouths- watch lips. A loose, hanging lower lip (I love those!) generally indicates a soft, sleepy, easy to get along with horse. (They also tend to have big, soft, sweet eyes, and relaxed ears.) If your horse is worried, like one of the young animals was this past weekend, the lips will get tight. Some flop their lips, slapping them together as if they are keeping time to their own internal worry clock. Some flop lips, wiggle ears back and forth faster than the speed of sound, and wrinkle eyes and roll eyes at the same time. THAT folks, is a ticking time bomb. Best save that horse for another day, to do all by himself, so you can take the time it takes and be safe. Tip: Slide your thumb into the mouth where the bit rests, and gently massage the gum. Getting the horse to loosen the tight mouth and lick and chew helps to relax some of them.
Head- up or down? A high head equals a tense horse. A high head, rolling eye, flipping ears, and tight mouth or flopping lips and it's pretty obvious that the horse is really, really upset and waiting for disaster. A high head and a tight mouth might be the only sign you get though, before unacceptable behavior occurs. If the head is low, the "adrenaline" switch re-sets to an "off" position, making it much easier for the horse to think things through and be calmer. You can teach a horse to drop their head on command- I've done it with every horse of mine for years now. Add the head down cue with the gum rubbing, and it will help to steady the horse even more.
Feel- I tend to keep a hand on a neck or hip almost all the time. This way, if I miss seeing something coming, I can feel the horse begin to gather himself up, and prevent the action before it happens. (Well, most times. Again- the only time we've been caught way off guard was with Mustangs. They just EXPLODE. BAM. And... you're in the dirt...) One of the fillies we saw this weekend was a prime case for feel. She was so scared, that her entire body could have bounced quarters into the middle of next week. It took me a bit of soft/ but firm, rhythmic stroking, low talking, and just breathing with her to get her to drop her head a bit, loosen her lips, and loosen her body. (Until the person at her head screamed across the yard... at which point she was instantly tight and on guard again, and fighting Dear Husband on our favorite foot- the right rear.)
Tails- A tucked tail will get your head taken off. A tail swishing 90 miles an hour is an eye hazard. And a tail can tell you a warning before a kick is thrown. Watch the horse interact with other horses, to see what his tail will tell you before you get back there.
There you have it. If you passively watch your horse, and SEE what they are doing, you will spot things so much faster. Not just for hoof care, not just for check ups with the vet, but for general health as well. This is a recurring theme on here folks-
WATCH.
YOUR.
HORSES.
YOUR.
HORSES.
You're service providers will thank you, and so will your horse.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sonny's Sunday
Look at that would ya...
This seems to be a "Between the Ears" type shot.
The day started off brilliantly. This week, Sonny has been out almost every day, twice a day, working on small, simple things. When I say small and simple, I am not kidding.
We work on our walk, whoa, and backing up.
The rest of the time,
He mows the lawn for me.
(I tag along, just because...)
For two days straight now, he has not shown one ounce of being sore in his back. Backing him about ten feet, twice a day encouraged him to lift his belly, and round his back, thus stretching things and making him use the muscles there.
Ah-ha! MUSCLES!! It's been months- literally- since we have done anything together, aside from just share some mutual adoration. (That is, I brush, lead him to grass, and feed treats. Sonny's part is to stand still with his eyes half closed.)
Right before the August Incident, we had just started back to some ground work in hopes of being able to ride soon. That all changed in the blink of an eye, and we went backwards quite a bit, loosing what muscle Sonny had begun to rebuild along his topline.
Recently, reading a post at BrownEyed Cowgirls, where she was talking about her barrel horse Moon, she mentioned something that I quite honestly had forgotten about.
She said that if a horse looses muscle tone, they can not support themselves properly, nor can they do their job. She put Moon back in a program to rebuild specific muscles, (his stifles,) and Moon is now working correctly and well for her.
Looking at Sonny after reading that, I knew we had our work cut out to rebuild those back muscles.
And we started.
The proof is in the pudding, I like to say. With careful, slow planned work, the above picture more or less says it all.
I.
Am.
On.
My.
Horse.
It was maybe fifteen minutes with me perched up there, moving some, turning a bit, and stopping, but mostly with Sonny grazing and me just... sitting.
It Was Awesome.
Of course, Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog was *ticked*, but she'll adjust.
(I love that shot. There's the horse, who hates the dog, and the dog who hates the horse. Not ten feet apart. Why? Because MOM was there....)
Who knows what next weeks Sonny's Sunday will hold for us!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Foot Farthest From The Brain
And a P.S.A.
First, have you ever noticed that if a horse is going to act up during hoof care, quite a few times it is on the right hind? We have. Young stock, older stock, normally good horses having a bad day- if they are going to get froggy, it'll be when that right hind foot is suspended in the air, usually with a very sharp knife being used. Every horse we saw yesterday was froggy with the right hind. Must have been something in the air....
Now, for the PSA part.
When said horse decides to be froggy, please, STOP FREAKING JAW JACKING, LOOK AT THE HORSE, AND CORRECT THE BEHAVIOR.
If you are holding a horse, please watch- actively LOOK AT - the horse.
If you are holding a horse, and someone says, "WATCH that horse!", TURN AND LOOK.
If you are holding a horse, and my HUSBAND is under there, and the horse is actively showing his ass, do not be surprised if I step in and take over.
And under NO circumstances are you to snap at me for having to do YOUR job.
See, that is my HUSBAND under your misbehaving beast. If you are not capable of doing the job, then allow someone who IS, do it FOR YOU. I won't see him hurt, or your horse hurt. You, by that point in time, I don't care so much about. Seriously- if it gets bad enough, you'll be lucky if it isn't me hurting you.
Now, a few more points:
If you are holding a YOUNG horse, who is quite green and not handled much recently,
Just resist the urge to open your trap, and WATCH THE DAMN HORSE.
That about sums up today's PSA.
First, have you ever noticed that if a horse is going to act up during hoof care, quite a few times it is on the right hind? We have. Young stock, older stock, normally good horses having a bad day- if they are going to get froggy, it'll be when that right hind foot is suspended in the air, usually with a very sharp knife being used. Every horse we saw yesterday was froggy with the right hind. Must have been something in the air....
Now, for the PSA part.
When said horse decides to be froggy, please, STOP FREAKING JAW JACKING, LOOK AT THE HORSE, AND CORRECT THE BEHAVIOR.
If you are holding a horse, please watch- actively LOOK AT - the horse.
If you are holding a horse, and someone says, "WATCH that horse!", TURN AND LOOK.
If you are holding a horse, and my HUSBAND is under there, and the horse is actively showing his ass, do not be surprised if I step in and take over.
And under NO circumstances are you to snap at me for having to do YOUR job.
E-V-E-R.
See, that is my HUSBAND under your misbehaving beast. If you are not capable of doing the job, then allow someone who IS, do it FOR YOU. I won't see him hurt, or your horse hurt. You, by that point in time, I don't care so much about. Seriously- if it gets bad enough, you'll be lucky if it isn't me hurting you.
Now, a few more points:
If you are holding a YOUNG horse, who is quite green and not handled much recently,
DO.
NOT.
FREAKING.
SCREAM.
ACROSS.
THE.
YARD.
AT.
SOMEONE.
ELSE.
NOT.
FREAKING.
SCREAM.
ACROSS.
THE.
YARD.
AT.
SOMEONE.
ELSE.
Just resist the urge to open your trap, and WATCH THE DAMN HORSE.
That about sums up today's PSA.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Ouch....
Always a crowd around at trimming time....
Sunday was "Ouch" Day.
This hole? Caused by a small rock (or other piece of debris) that worked its way up into the heel.
Let in bacterium,
and ended up becoming infected.
She is OK-
And this will heal up pretty quickly.
It just goes to show- if you suspect something is "not right" with your horse,
CALL SOMEONE!!
Left untreated this could have been an incredibly painful issue.
Here is the spot, opened to allow cleaning, and air to get to the area.
The next patient in line was a sweet gelding, who had blown one abscess, (top blue circle), but was still quite lame.
His owner was worried that there was a second abscess in the toe, and viola-
There it is (bottom blue circle.)
His owner was worried that there was a second abscess in the toe, and viola-
There it is (bottom blue circle.)
Are the two connected? Hard to tell with out an x-ray of this foot.
But the gelding moved off much better, and was happier.
THAT is what we like to see. When the horses are done being trimmed, they walk off more comfortably, with lower heads, and moving strong and sound.
Monday, October 5, 2009
He Sees Hooves In His Sleep...
Remember this horse? A couple of you winced at his contracted heels, and correctly identified the issue. Now, we need to understand WHY this horse has such an issue.
Blue arrow points out the shriveling of the frog, and the red points out the bar.
In this particular case, the living environment played an important role. He was in a soft area, that was somewhat damp. This promoted bacterial growth in a foot that was not quite up to par in it's health to begin with. The growth invaded at the bars (I didn't get progressive pictures of that exposure to show you...), thus weakening the bars completely, moving at the same time into the frog, weakening/ eating it also.
With the frog gone and bars out of the way, the hoof collapsed into itself.
Treatment:
He will need frequent trimming, washing with hoof solution, and exercise, exercise, exercise.
I'll document his trims as we go along, so that you can see the new growth and de-contraction.
***********************
Now onto the pony feet that haunt my husband so badly at night.
The first shot is merely showing a cleaned sole, with all material removed that the foot was willing to give up.
Finished trim shot, right fore.
Retained sole has been a topic here in the past, and I had no good pictures to share of it. While these are not the best quality photos, they do get the point across fairly well of retained sole.Recap: Sole is retained for a variety of reasons, the main one being excessive length in hoof wall. Sole exfoliates as the horse moves, the ground acting as fine sand paper. A healthy hoof will flex and allow the sole to shed "old" material, effectively removing old growth as intended. When the hoof wall becomes too long, there are restrictions placed on the hoof capsule, which interfere with the normal exfoliation process. Which is more or less what was going on with these ponies- they were quite long, and had a significant amount of sole, that had neither been removed (More on that in a moment,) nor allowed to move naturally.
Sole removal:
We have one pretty significant rule in the practice, that being Remove ONLY what the hoof is willing to give.
Why?
Because when you get digging around in the foot, you stand a very, very big chance of laming the horse and doing severe, significant damage.
Retained sole will work its way out with proper trimming by a skilled hoof care provider. We do NOT remove it forcefully. Period.
That being said, these tiny hooves were willing to give up significant amounts of sole, and we found some very nice foot underneath the old mess.
The arrow above shows a large slice of sole, sliding up with very little effort on Dear Husband's part.
This arrow shows a spot of sole that is ready to give way. Were you to poke it with your hoof pick, it would peel up easily, revealing smooth new sole beneath.
Again, another view of the sole coming up easily, ready to go.
This is not a "take all of it out in one fell swoop" maneuver by any means. We trim a bit, take down some wall, examine the sole closely, and trim a bit more. If you take too much off, it's not like you can glue it back on... As the entire foot shapes up, it becomes easier to see where more material is ready to release, and open up the hoof.
This particular piece popped off as Dear Husband was carefully using the nippers around it.
One last view of sole letting go over the bars.
We see more of this issue in the South, than we did in areas of the country that got snow and good, hard freezes. Not only does the hard ground help wear hooves in a healthy manner, the freeze also helps control the soil bound bacterium, giving horse owners a chance to change hoof health for the better.
Overgrown bars, trapped or retained sole, infrequent (PROPER) trimming all contribute to a weakening of the entire structure. With a softened, weakened, diseased structure, you wind up with pathologies. Pathologies wind up draining your back account,
laming up your horse,
and providing endless frustrations for you.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure folks. Stay on top of your hoof health!
We see more of this issue in the South, than we did in areas of the country that got snow and good, hard freezes. Not only does the hard ground help wear hooves in a healthy manner, the freeze also helps control the soil bound bacterium, giving horse owners a chance to change hoof health for the better.
Overgrown bars, trapped or retained sole, infrequent (PROPER) trimming all contribute to a weakening of the entire structure. With a softened, weakened, diseased structure, you wind up with pathologies. Pathologies wind up draining your back account,
laming up your horse,
and providing endless frustrations for you.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure folks. Stay on top of your hoof health!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Sonny's Sunday
Cub, helping Sonny know which way to go.(And yes, he has on shorts...)
Big Bad Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog, giving Sonny what-for.
Long as they are on opposite sides of the fence, she is one BAD dog!
Sonny, loping along...
There's Jo, telling him once again...
Now if that isn't a smug look, I don't know what is...Sonny today.
He.
Was.
A.
JERK.
First, he tried to thump on me as I picked his paddock.
(And no, he did NOT get away with that move.)
Next, he tried to attack Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog while we were out grazing.
Twice.
(He didn't exactly get away with THAT, either.)
It seems that he was trying to tell me something.
Like, "MOM!! I FEEL FREAKING GREAT!!"
Since he feels so freaking great, I do believe it is time to begin conditioning his big red arse.
We need to put August 23rd behind us, both mentally and physically,
and get down to the business of being useable.
Sound.
Rideable.
Trained.
We need a GOAL.
Tracey has Extreme Cowboy Race.
Nuzzling Muzzles is working on a solid form and continuing training.
Mikey is ... well, Mikey is getting back on after getting buggered up badly.
BrownEyedCowgirls is fixing to turn and burn with Moon.
Brego trains for eventing.
Jennifer with her two handsome boys train to show.
Everyone has goals, and something to shoot for. Me? Not so much these days.
Kinda hard to have a goal when your horse is a rehab case.
Continuously.
But we have reached a stage now, where I hope and pray that we can begin conditioning, and build Sonny up to support his body. We started today. Working on a line in circles would stress his joints. Since we don't exactly have a training facility here, I had to get creative.
We are going to work loose in the paddock for now, and add in massage, cold hosing, hand walking, and see what we can do.
Of course, I had envisioned some long sweeping trots up the long side, with Sonny being calm and careful. Apparently Sonny did not get that memo, as he thought it was time to haul butt, kick up his heels, and P-L-A-Y. All well and good, and he did settle into a long trot and lower his head, lifting his back, and stretching his hind legs up underneath him quite well.
Two laps of that, and we quit. He was warm and blowing, and looked quite pleased with himself.
Who knows- maybe in a month or so, I can actually be ON him continuing the conditioning that way....
Saturday, October 3, 2009
P-h-i-n-e P-h-a-t Phriday!
This is one of my favorite stops. Well bred, incredibly healthy, WELL BEHAVED horses.And a cute filly to boot!
The deep red color contrasts so well with the flaxen mane and tail on this mare.
And she is as easy to handle as she is pretty.
I love this shot. Not only are there lots of really nice horse butts there,
but I can just see it in a painting, hanging over a fire place.
Now if my creaky memory serves, the palomino fillies in these shots are Hollywood Dun It bred. Talk about horses with wonderful minds.
I missed getting a shot of one of my favorite mares there- she is a beautiful red roan with a flaxen mane and tail. Her owner was quite worried, as apparently she has a past history of being
*Really*
Difficult
to trim.
However.... Dear Husband seems to get along with her absolutely wonderfully, as she stood like a champ for him.
Never moved a muscle, and she nickered at him as he walked away to put up tools.
Why do we enjoy this owner so much?
It wouldn't matter one tiny bit if he had a herd full of poorly bred, thrown together mutts out there.
The horses are all easy on the eyes, and have the lines to back it up,
But.
This man
Takes
His
Time,
and
TRAINS these horses.
I know Dear Husband will be safe there.
And THAT is worth more than y'all can ever imagine....
Friday, October 2, 2009
Let's Play, "What Do You See?"
Never a dull moment around here. Yesterday's client call, which we all thought was going to be short and sweet, turned into an educational opportunity galore. Starting with educating ME on needing more coffee before heading out for the day with Dear Husband. I stepped into the client's foyer, expecting that the gated hallway had a large dog in it. First, the hay was a slight clue, that caused me to do a double take. The snort and tiny nicker from deep inside the feed bucket were my next clue that this was not a large dog under observation. Oh no- this was a mini weanling. I looked, and said to the owner, "You have a horse in your house". Owner, who knew I was only about half awake, laughed and commented on my stunning powers of observation.
This particular spot has ponies. Lots of ponies. Always new ponies coming in and needing attention. These ponies are all shades of the equine rainbow, and I love going to see what color has popped up next. The little mare above caught my eye, with her striking coat color and bold dorsal stripe. But it made me wonder- just what color would this be classified as?The next three shots are for our guessing game. I'd like to see who can spot what (and yes Mikey, you can play along too!) and then we can go into detail on Monday with adjusted photos and explanations. Please excuse the second shot, with Dear Husband's mighty paws doing the work, but that was too cool a shot not to share. It also gives a good reference as to how small some feet are, compared to standard sized horses.
This morning, Dear Husband came staggering out to the living room. I asked him how he slept. He looked at me, his bright blue eyes red-rimmed, and hos body quite sore from contorting into odd positions, and said, "I saw tiny hooves in my dreams all night long. They. Haunted. Me."
Poor guy. There are still ten or so of those tiny critters to tackle sometime next week. I'm thinking about now he'd REALLY like to be able to fix my FUBAR hand, so that I could get in there and give him some kind of a break.
Have a great weekend y'all, and fire away with what you see in these tiny feet!
~MM
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