Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2015 i Horse & Rider

Problem-Finder To learn where your horse’s training may have holes, go online for Al Dunning’s problem-spotting routine—“Eye-Opening Warm-Up.” Rehab Schedule After lay-up for a tendon or ligament injury, your horse needs careful rehabilitation. Find a 32-week schedule online in “Soft Tissue Troubles.” Flies: Get Ready Spring begins this month, bringing fly season with it. Brush up on fly predators and other strategies in “Fly-Control Battle Plan.” Nutrients 101 “Horse Health: Vitamins and Minerals,” helps you brush up on basic nutrient needs—smart reading, especially if you use supplements. Join the Herd! We love hearing from you! Send all high-resolution images for Conformation Clinic; Problem Solvers questions; and any feedback, ideas, photos, and letters to HorseandRider@aimmedia.com. Or mail correspondence to 2520 55th St., #210, Boulder, CO 80301. FOLLOW US…

LETTER OF THE MONTH New Breed; New Love I read about editor Jennifer Paulson riding a Mangalarga Marchador in the January issue of Horse&Rider (From the Editor, “A Breed New to Me”), and I’m so glad that she got to experience a new breed! I too come from a family accustomed to Quarter Horses, and I had a similar experience. I first encountered the National Show Horse breed (half-Arabian, half-Saddlebred, five-gaited horse; nhsregistry.org) as a sophomore in high school when I volunteered at a barn for an FFA project. One horse in particular stood out to me because of his massive size and beauty—he was a 17-hand pinto gelding named Dallas, and had quite the attitude. The first time I rode Dallas, I thought, “Wow, this is high!” I was…

“The harder you work your horses, the harder you should take care of them.” Those words, spoken to me decades ago by a wise horseman, ring true today. In fact, they’re like a mantra to me. One way I’ve always taken care of my horses is to ice their legs after hard work. It’s a management concept that hasn’t changed in my lifetime: I remember my father icing horses’ legs when I was a little kid. That’s because ice therapy is inexpensive and effective. Ice, applied after exercise, can reduce swelling and pain by decreasing the blood flow and metabolic processes that come from an inflammatory response produced by exercise or an injury. It also seems to provide therapeutic relief, which is why many elite human athletes seek out ice…

As you work with and ride your horse, you probably find yourself studying the principles of master horsemen you admire and trying to apply them. Thanks to modern media, along with clinic opportunities, doing this is as easy as it’s ever been. Yet as I’ve learned in my own work with horses, as well as from working with other riders in clinics, it’s also easy to misunderstand and misapply certain principles. I’ve seen riders struggle to put concepts into practice, and seen their horses struggle to figure out what they were being asked to do. Here, I’ll strip the myths from six commonly misunderstood training principles. My goal is to give you additional insights that you can apply to your own training efforts. MYTH: Rewarding the slightest try means rewarding…

Training horses involves three techniques: desensitization, negative reinforcement, and positive reinforcement. All three should be a part of your training repertoire, often used in combination for best results. Desensitization depends on a decreased response to a stimulus after it’s repeatedly presented. Desensitization is the most basic form of learning, and is especially important for your horse; as a prey animal, his instincts often tell him to react to stimuli before thinking things through. Negative reinforcement, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t mean punishment. Instead, this strategy involves removing an aversive stimulus in response to a positive reaction. This is the foundation of most training methods that rely on the release of pressure to encourage a response. Positive reinforcement is the addition of a reward following a desired behavior. In horse training,…

I’VE NEVER KNOWN THE HORSE WORLD WITH- out the American Quarter Horse Association in Amarillo, Texas. The organization celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, so I’m guessing many of our readers have known the registry and membership group for the entirety of their horse lives, too. Because of its omnipresence, we tend to take AQHA for granted. It’s faced challenging times recently. And one thing I’ve learned is that as AQHA goes, so goes the rest of the industry. My First Membership A very close family friend bought my first youth membership, back when the association’s youth branch was still called the American Junior Quarter Horse Association. I also received a subscription to the Quarter Horse Journal. This might’ve been the best birthday gift I’d ever received up to that…

Q I once had an older Tennessee Walking Horse gelding that would literally eat his salt block, scraping at it with his teeth. I’ve also known horses that completely ignore their salt blocks. Why the difference, and is either behavior unhealthy? Did my gelding’s age or breed have anything to do with it? KIM ANDREWS, Texas A There are no age, gender, or breed predilections that influence the voluntary salt intake of an individual horse. Salt helps maintain electrolyte and water balance in horses as it does in all animals, and certain individuals may consume more or less salt than others based on need and preferences. The best approach is to provide a salt block and allow voluntary intake, while limiting the amount of salt for horses that gobble it.…

Rest Is Best After Injury When your horse suffers a soft-tissue injury, the tendon or ligament involved heals slowly and may remain weakened for some time after, making it vulnerable to re-injury. That’s why extended rest and careful rehabilitation are at least as important as any therapeutic measures. Rehab, which typically begins with hand-walking, may take up to six or seven months, even though your horse may not experience any pain after three to eight weeks. (For a sample 32-week rehab schedule, see “Soft Tissue Trouble” at HorseandRider.com.) Prebiotic Helps Oldsters The lowdown: Purina now offers feeds formulated to address the needs of horses living ever-longer lives—and encountering new health issues. The company’s ActivAge prebiotic is designed to strengthen your older horse’s immune function, boost his body’s response to vaccination,…

Old to New The Horse Coin Cuff from the Old Money Corp features the Irish half-crown coin attached to a soft leather band. The coin has high silver content, which gives it its luster, and features an Irish hunter horse. A heavy-duty snap secures the cuff in place so you can wear it to the barn as well as with your favorite to-town outfit. More info: $65; (864) 918-1344; oldmoneycorp.com. Bag O’ Bling Keep all of your attire together and in one place so you can focus more energy on your horse’s preparation instead of your own. Here are our handy packing tips. • If you have a specific piece in mind for a show, make sure it’s cleaned, pressed, and fitted well in advance. • Collect and hang all…

Control over a horse’s body movements is a confidence builder for any rider. Here, you’ll learn to boost your horse’s responsiveness to your go-sideways cues, so that all lateral moves become easier. I’ll give you three techniques: one at the hitching rack; one in hand; and one mounted, at a gate. Each builds on the others. The first two focus on moving your horse’s hind end; the third adds front-end movement as well. Master them all, and you’ll be well on your way to controlling your horse’s sideways movements. At the hitching rack. Practice this one at grooming time. (If there’s any chance your horse will pull back, untie him first.) Stand at your horse’s side and use a sweat scraper or hoof pick to create pressure right where your…

IF YOU HAVE HORSES, you know some products truly work and are worth every cent paid. Maybe it’s a timeworn stable-cleaning utensil that remains the most efficient item in your arsenal, a grooming tool that’s the first thing you reach for in your tote, or a piece of tack that never fails to fit and perform exactly as it should. Here, we’ll provide a glimpse of eight products that we’ve found to be true performers. They’re well constructed, made of high-quality material, are cleverly designed, and—bottom line—they get the job done. We’ll look at each, and let you know about materials and construction, what the manufacturers claim their products can do, and what we found out for ourselves in testing those products on real horses and at real barns. Stall-Feeding…

THE RECYCLER Model: VenTECH all-purpose combo wrap. Maker: Professional’s Choice. Why buy: The wrap conforms to your horse’s legs and has additional suspensory straps for support, while a ventilated neoprene outer layer allows airflow for heat dispersion. Cool features: The lightweight, moisture-wicking liners can be removed and replaced easily, and extra liners are available for purchase. More info: (800) 331-9421; profchoice.com. Price: $84.95; price includes a set of liners. THE BASIC Model: Polo wraps. Maker: Classic Equine. Why buy: A set of fleece wraps is a cost-effective alternative to fully equipped shipping boots and can also be used for performance purposes in the arena. Cool features: Multiple patterns or solids available, and each set includes a laundry bag that makes cleaning quick and easy. More info: (800) 654-7864; equibrand.com. Price:…

Q My horse slips out of lead behind when we lope large, fast circles. What can I do at home to work on this problem, and what should I do in the show pen to prevent it from happening? MIKAYLA BROWN, Kansas A It’s frustrating when a horse regularly falls out of lead during fast circles, especially if you compete and get hit with a penalty every time it happens. I suggest starting with a hard look at yourself before you blame your horse for this problem. Are you riding centered above your horse? If not, your leaning can make him lean, too, predisposing him to fall out of lead. Do you anticipate the mistake? Anticipation can will it to happen. Are you overcorrecting a smaller problem? You also can…

On the trail, our gelding had been hesitant. That evening, I felt his back for soreness. One-thousandth of a second later, his incisors slammed into my right hip. “Yes, I am sore.” Steve Nickel, Colorado In with a group of horses, I used my foot to move some hay closer to a horse that didn’t have any. Not liking this, Johnny whipped his head around and bit me on the butt—treating me like another horse. Carolyn Holm, Minnesota I was learning to cinch up my first horse, a 20-year-old Morgan mare. She was kindly and patient, but the third time I pulled the cinch up fast and hard—like the cowboys on TV—she reached over and grabbed my arm with her teeth. I never forgot the lesson. Linda Lanzoni, California While…

WHILE WAITING IN A LO-O-O-ONG LINE AT A big-city coffee bar recently, I couldn’t help but people watch. As always in this horse life, my observations passed subliminally through an equine filter. So as I watched the guy in front of me interact with the people around him, a random thought jogged through my brain: If he were a horse, he’d likely be an “ears-up” one— engaged, attentive, eager to please. To me, the way a horse uses his ears says a lot about his mind. And that led me to start playing a mental game: What kind of equine ear-attitude would other coffee customers have? Starched Ears There was a group of women ahead of me, patiently trying to corral high-energy kids as they relaxed and enjoyed each other’s…

Roy Details: 2004 grade Quarab gelding. Owned and shown by: Madison Lysaker of Holmen, Wisconsin. Class clown: He’s cute with a personality to boot. Lysaker, 18, says she has more funny stories about her gelding than she has time to share them. “When he’s in the pasture he likes to play with my aunt’s calves,” Lysaker explains. “He’ll touch noses with one and then run down the fence line, bucking and playing.” She divulges that Roy also has a sweet tooth: “He loves licorice! And, he’ll steal my water bottle off the fence so he can drink my lemonade.” Hopeful horsewoman: “My aunt has always had horses, so I wanted one,” Lysaker shares. “So, she helped me find Roy. He’s my first horse.” Lysaker describes her connection with Roy as…

Boxing a cow (working him at the short end of the arena) is all about your horse’s focus, his ability to read a cow, and his readiness to move with that cow in a split second. When your horse is stopped parallel with the cow, your horse must maintain that focus. However, sometimes your horse might lose his intensity, forget about the cow, and stand dull and flat-footed. Your horse isn’t ready, which puts him at a severe disadvantage when the cow makes a move. That’s when this exercise comes in handy. I call it “driving the cow.” Here, I’ll show you the steps for this exercise to try at home. It should help your horse regain his focus and be more responsive to do his job. In these photos,…

John Pipkin Pipkin is a carded judge for APHA, AQHA, NRCHA, NRHA, NSBA, and WCHA. He’s officiated at more than 380 shows nationally and internationally. Aside from judging, Pipkin is a professor at West Texas A&M University, where he’s the director of the Equine Industry Program in the Department of Agricultural Sciences. He’s coached horse-judging teams to over 90 champion or reserve champion titles at competitions, including intercollegiate contests held in conjunction with the AQHA World Show, All American Quarter Horse Congress, and National Reining Horse Association events. I judge Quarter Horses in accordance with the industry standard for stock-horse breeds. These standards are balance, structural correctness, quality (breed and sex characteristics), and muscling. The fi-place horse will have the highest combination of positive characteristics in those categories. A mare’s…

Trailering can be a stressful experience for your horse, especially during long trips, which can cause trailering-related health issues. Help your horse have an easy and comfortable ride by planning ahead with these tips. Happy tummy. Offer a drink at every stop, every few hours. Bring water from home so it’ll taste familiar to your horse, or add Kool-Aid mix to make it more palatable for difficult drinkers. Bring hay from home as well (at least enough to get him through the trip, plus a few days at the new location). Avoid grains, new feeds, or high-carb feeds before a long trip to lessen risk of gastric discomfort. Footing basics. Make sure that your trailer’s mats are level and in good repair. Clean excess shavings and manure from beneath them…