Am I just that paranoid

Maybe it's because I am so unused to being helped that I am unwilling to believe that people do something for nothing these days. I help people out for nothing, but since it is rarely done for me - especially when it's to do with work - I always wonder:
"What are you going to ask for in return?"

This week has been a huge jump for me, not one but two people have done nice things without even telling me about it! One lady has given me some rugs that she no longer needs, and they are almost new gorgeously expensive rugs to boot. The other has weeded a paddock, he's a border, he's not supposed to do that, it's my job! It's hard to imagine what's going on in my brain right now. I live in a world where I don't get offered help if my foot is broken ( that's happened twice) or I am hallucinating because I have a fever, I'm still at work, still struggling on. So to get help that is actually useful help, and totally unasked for..... it's like a dream come true!

So to all of those boarders out there who help out their stable staff without being asked, or those who just pitch in to lend a hand when someone is struggling, I say a BIG THANKYOU!!!!!
And if we don't seem immediately greatful, just remember, we're not used to being helped.... we may not understand it.

Thanks Coprice - so Useful

There's a lot to be said about supply and demand, the way it works and what it encourages people to do. Take, for instance, Rice Bran. Wonderful product that has a great use in the horse industry for a quiet means of putting condition onto even the most hyperactive of horses. So many people use it, and mostly it has been used as the last resort for getting weight onto a horse whose lucerne tolerance is through the floor. Difficult to find an alternative "safe" feed for these types of horses!
What has this got to do with supply and demand I hear you ask???

The makers of Rice bran in Australia (Coprice) decided not to let everyone know that they were out of stock, and had no ETA on the product untill no one had more than a pallet left in their sheds, and most stores/suppliers didn't even have that! Back orders waiting up to 6 weeks before the fax comes through to say....
"Oh sorry, we F'd up a little bit, and rather than tell you we'd just yank your chain for a couple of months."
To add insult to injury Coprice didn't even think to add a little amendum to mention what might be a good alternative while they try to source the rice bran elsewhere. Their products are rice based, and I assume they have a nutritionist on their staff who would know which product would at least be a starting point.

Sadly no. I am sure they are just worried about getting sued, sad world that it is.
Had people been forewarned, I'm sure there would have been a run on the product, leading to them being out of stock for an extended period of time. People would have also known to ration their product, and start to gradually change over to a new feed, instead of having the bomb dropped on them when they were out! These are HORSES, with shitty digestive systems, it takes time to change their diets!!!!
It's just my opinion, but it could have been managed a whole lot better.

PS: STILL no ETA on the Rice Bran, apparently it's going to have to be shipped in from overseas.

Your name is not a Tattoo on that stable.

Sometimes in boarding stables horses have to be moved around in the stable block. Whether this is for some new horses coming in, an old one leaving, or a pair that just aren't getting on it's all just part of stable life. The horses settle down very rapidly, as nothing much has changed in their routine. Unfortunately the same can't be said of the owners....
This is the bit I don't really get, why do owners go into conniptions anytime something changes? Where I kept my girl she was always the one who got shifted about, or turned out into the paddock for the night if we needed extra space, or one of the other yards was being mended. It never seemed to bother her, and it definately didn't bother me. So why do people go into melt-down about a minor move? Realistically it is at the owner of the boarding stable's discretion as to where any of the horse's go on their property, and they can shift them all around at a moments notice.

If you're one of these people who freak out at the change, I'd love to hear why.

Insanity..... Maybe there's going to be carnage

So after a LONG time in insano land, where I seem to live at the moment, I'm back again. Well I'm back if anyone noticed me gone.

It's been a pretty taxing winter here, and the horses have been put through the usual stress of their owners trying to work out what rugs to put on their particular horse, what's in fashion at the closest horselands, what their friend is putting on their horse. I could honestly pin them all to a wall and give them a lecture about it!

Not all horses are the same by any measures! Just because Jo bloggs from the next stable, who happens to be your buddy and thinks they're god with everything to do with horses ( that's my job isn't it...*smirk*), rugs her horse when it's clipped in 4 woollens and a big doona does not mean your horse needs it, well does any horse need that..... hello no sub zero tempurates here~!
When it comes to rugging it's all about the individual. One may be naturally hot, another one bitterly feels the cold, their access to shelter from rain and protection from the wind. Are they in a barn with lots of other horses, or a singular stable with only themselves? All these things have to be taken into account, but the biggest one is the individual.

*How to tell you're over-rugging your horse 101:
It's not rocket science. When your horse sweats, surprise, it's over rugged!
Kidding.
The first signs that a horse is over-rugged to the point of being uncomfortable rather than just pouring out sweat will be small. Excess water drinking, erratic behaviour whilst rugging and unusual stable habits - like staying out in the piss-pouring rain all night when they used to stay inside.
Out of these the erratic behaviour is my number one teller. It starts with ears back or removing themselves from the rug as you try to put it on, and finishes with kicking, biting and running away panic-striken. If left unchecked it will become a habit. If the symptom ( over-rugging) is treated quickly, then the behaviour reduces and tends to go away very rapidly.

Just remember a few things. Horses don't have the same ambient tempurature as we do, it's far below ours! Coat growth is not dominated by the temp, it's the LIGHT ( well the periods of darkness) that indicates the seasons, so rugging the crap out of your horse won't stop any coat growth, it might just keep it flat and bleach out the colour.

No one likes to rug an angry horse.

The Clip

We’ve got our clean horse, next is to prepare the clippers and the area we’re going to use. Having a broom handy is a must to remove the mountains of hair from underfoot as either you or your horse can slip.
Clippers are marvellous things, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to wield them, but it takes a little fore-thought and finesse to do a good job. The blades need to be sharp and put onto the clipper head very straight and with just enough tension in the screws to allow them to move freely from side to side without slipping. Too loose and they will slip diagonally or fly off during the clip – neither is a fun experience. Each type of clipper is different, and it’s a case of instruction, instructions, instructions.
Once the process has started make sure to check how hot your blades are getting. If you can’t touch them then chances are they are going to be hot to your horse as well. There are plenty of coolant sprays on the market, but by far the best thing I’ve used is kerosene. It’s available in a reduced smell variety and if you put it in a shallow dish you can run your blades in the kerosene which will both cool and clean them (make sure not to put them in too deep or it may damage the engine), follow up with a little clipper oil on the sides and top and you’re ready to continue.
There are plenty of little areas that can cause someone who is starting out on clipping a lot of problems. Flanks, elbows and the chest area are probably the worst among them. Just remember that skin is supple and should be able to be manoeuvred into a position to make, even if this means asking the horse to stand in a certain way, or to get someone to stretch out a leg, while using your hands to flatten any wrinkly bits out. If in doubt don’t clip to the skin, just go gently over the area, better there be too much hair than a little less skin and a lot more blood!
Heads can also be a big issue. The vibration of the clippers can be annoying to some horses, even frightening to other; they’re big, noisy and foreign. Try to use smaller clippers for horses who are worried, if they continue to be worried by these then maybe it’s time to twitch them, or possibly sedation may have to be used. There is a time when the use of a twitch is passed; once the horse has reached a point of fear there is not a lot that the twitch will do. It’s better to know your horse has a problem with getting a certain area clipped and be prepared so the job is easy and safe. I do believe it is a better experience for the horse to have a minimal amount of discomfort and have a happy endorphin rush as a response, than to be pulled and pushed around while someone swings around their head trying to clip them – safety for all involved should take priority. A quick and easy way to make a twitch is to grab an old snaffle bit and a bit of baling twine, make a hand sized loop out of the bailing twine and attach it to the ring of the snaffle. Once the baling twine twitch is on your horse then you can simply clip the other ring of the bit onto your halter using your lead ropes clip, this way it stays safely attached, and leaves both your hands free! Make sure not to leave them on for long, 5 or so minutes is about all the time you should need to quickly zip through these problem areas, any longer than that and maybe it’s time to think sedation rather than twitch.
Once it’s all over, hose any hair off your horse; give it an Alpha Keri Oil rinse and rug! Then run into the shower for yourself, there’s nothing as itchy as clipped horse hair stuck into your clothes.

Before you Clip

It’s that time of year again when our happy ponies become woolly mammoths. If you compete or only are able to ride late at night or early morning then you have very little option but to clip your horse. A clipped horse will dry quickly, will be able to be kept clean more easily and will reduce the chance of fungal infections of the skin. All in all it is a lot easier to keep a clipped horse than it is to look after your woolly mammoth!
Before clipping your horse there are a few essential things to do. The first is washing your horse, and I mean WASHING it, so it is clean to the skin. No easy task when you’re looking at 2 inches of fur that essentially is semi-waterproof! I like to use a curry comb to really scrub the shampoo through, and as I try to remove all the suds I’ve found a sweat scrapper very useful as I have the hose running, it really gets rid of it all. The next thing to do is a bit of a trade secret – Alpha Keri Oil. Once you’ve washed your horse you’ve also stripped all the natural oils from the coat and skin, it needs to be replaced. The oil will also protect the skin and hair from being heated up or singed should the blades run too hot. I use about 100ml to 10L of water (yes that’s WAY more than the instructions say, but it’s a horse, not a human) and sponge it through the coat. There’s no need to wash it off. Using Alpha Keri Oil straight after clipping and once a week as a rinse while the horse is clipped will also help keep the coat smooth and shiny, and the skin nourished.
If you do these two things before clipping it will make the job quick and easy for whoever the poor sod is who is doing it! Both your horse and the clipper will be happier for it.

Fatty Fatty Boom Bah

Today I was having a giggle at one of my borders who requested some extra hay in the paddock for her horse. Why do you ask? She seems top think there isn't much grass, which there is a good deal of grass, and he's losing weight. The not much grass thing I can cope with, maybe she's blind but I can understand, it's the weight bit that gotmy goat.
This horse is huge! Obese in a sort of fatal looking way, everyone that sees him thinks he should go join the Biggest Losers, who used to be down the road. So when she tells me she's worried he's lost a bit of weight, the look I give her must make me look like I am Barbie. To top it all off the horse has been on and off lame for about 4 months, she tells me she's going to call the vet now. **rolls eyes**. Is it just me or do you maybe think that a little bit of weight-loss could actually help his lameness issue?? Must just be me, she thinks I am insane!

I can never understand why people, who seem to be so obsessed with being slender and muscular, think it's ok that your horse rates a 9 or a 10 on a body score.... that is OBESE people! The extra strain on joints and muscles is there, as well as higher risk of heart problems, feet issues and a stadium full of other health issues. They are really not that much different to us. I watch some of the horses compete these days and I am amazed at how over weight they are, and still managing to get around the course. It's like watching a day at Fat camp - I'm just waiting for one to drop at any moment.
Think of it like this, do you think it's ok to do an hour of dressage training with an extra rider strapped to your horse? That's pretty much how overweight a lot of these horses are - an extra person, problem is the extra person never gets off.

I'm not saying go starve your horse, but keep it in a healthy state of being, not too fat and not underweight either. Muscular and fit with a nice cover of fat is what we should all be aiming for, it will keep our four legged friends healthy and with us for longer.

Chew Chew Chew

One of the most annoying things that horses do when they are stabled or yarded is to chew wood. Not all of them do it, and some do it more chronically than others! Most of the time it just looks ugly and is something that they do out of boredom, but sometimes it can also be an indication of deficiencies in diet ( most likely copper), stomach troubles or teeth problems. If you've ruled out these things, then maybe it's time to put something to stop your horse chewing on the fence, and give him some toys to amuse him, a little extra work wouldn't go astray either!

Recently I have come across two of the worse fence-chewers I have ever had the (dis)pleasure of looking after. We gave them CaCoLiv ( OralX company makes this) to ensure there is no copper deficiency and had teeth and general health checked. Now we have 2 healthy horses eating through nearly a rail a day, (Needless to say the rails are pine - this never happens with hardwood!!!) out comes the crib-stop pastes.
There are three shelf-ready products available to me to use for this purpose:

1. Crib Paste - worked for a day while it stayed thick and creamy ( and ugly), the rain got to it and it turned the rails fluro green! This seemed to work ok on the inside rails, but it melted on hot days and needed to be reapplied constantly.
2. Crib Stop - stayed on in the rain, and all over the horses! It's bright red so my boss didn't like it very much. They didn't even flinch at chewing straight through it, and I discovered I am allergic to it. Yay for me :(
3. Red Hot Liquid - This has soap and herbs in it, and I can tell you it made those rails smell so good it didn't surprise me the next day to find the rails had been eaten twice as much as the day before. I even tried to up the anti with this one and put some detol in it as well, slowed them a little but not much.

Nothing left to try! I know sunlight soap works a treat to stop them, but can only be used inside as it washes off. What next???

A customer at the shop was talking to me about detering possums off her fenceline, and told me vaseline and curry powder works amazingly. The possum treads in it, tries to clean it off it's feet and gets a mouthful of burning goo instead! I LOVED it!!!

Since I'm a cheapskate, and vaso costs to much in the amounts I had to use to paint the fences in it, I looked through the store and found some out of date "Farrier's Choice" hoof grease. Lemon scented and a greeny tan colour, it had just the right consistency I was after - GOOOO!
Found some Massala powder at home, powerful stuff, I can smell it from 20 meters away I'm sure, mixed the 2 together and presto. Cheap anti crib paste that matches the fence colour, stays on in the wet and actually stops the little bastards from not only eating the fence but actually putting their face near it.

Thanks Possum lady!


I'd just like to give anyone putting up fences a word of warming. Rounded rails are easy to chew, they are really not suitable for horse fences, they're also a real bitch to attatch electric fence insulators to, so it's a double bogey! Use hardwood. Treated pine may be cheaper in the beginning, but let me assure you it will cost more in the end. The nice soft pine can be munched through so fast you'll think your horse owns a chainsaw. Fences should be made of striaght, flat hardwood. Not only will it look better for longer, be safer and be easier to secure things onto it, hardwood is also more difficult for white ants to attack, and staves off rot better. Try painting with a paint that has a tar base, Kentucky Fence black is a fantastic product, as it will repel water and has a very acidic taste ( yeah yeah I accidently ate some) which your horse will not enjoy!

White Hooves - a Misunderstanding?

So the old poem goes:

One white foot, buy him.
Two white feet, try him.
Three white feet, be on the sly.
Four white feet, pass him by.

Did we maybe misunderstand what people where trying to tell us by this? I've looked long and hard to find any evidence that white hoof wall is in any way lesser than black hoof wall and still found nothing apart from old wives tales. To say that unpigmented horn is weaker is like saying that unpigmented fur or hair is weaker, and I've never heard anyone say that their white horse's tail breaks more easily or is crappier than their black horse's tail - it really makes no sense.
So.... what have we missed?

The answer came to me last night when I was talking to the vet. Greasy heel!
Horses that have white socks are more prone to this than horses who have pigmented skin/hair, even on an individual horse the greasy heel is more likely to occurr on a white sock than one without. The vet went on to explain to me that the sun plays a part in the process of a greasy heel infection. Often it can start by a small sunburn, photosensitivity or an allergy, this in turn becomes itchy or will leave open areas of skin - perfect for an infection! Add to this concotion wet weather or dewy grass and we have everything we need for the perfect incubator: heat, damp, protection and food!

What can we do to help prevent this quite common infection?
* Reduce the effect of the sun - we can help with this by using fly boots, which are made from shade-cloth material so will reduce the UV on the area and lessen the chance of burn. In some situations this may not be viable as it may increase the humidity of the pastern area. Alternatively putting zinc or sun cream onto the back of the pasterns will also reduce the chance of a burn.
* Reduce the damp - I know it's impossible to change the weathe ror stop the dew, but we can reduce how much stays on our horse and how quickly it dries. Clip out the back of the pastern from heel the fetlock so there is little hair there to trap damp. When there's lots of hair on the pastern it can create it's own little micro-climate, warm and damp and protective for any infection - lose the hair, lose the climate. This also makes it heaps easier to put suncream or zinc on.

Once you have an infection there it is important that you are very consistent with treatment. The scabs will need to be removed to start the healing process, and the skin will need to be kept supple. There are a million and one treatments out there for greasy heel, but when push comes to shove, talk to your vet, as your vet will probably know what treatments will work best in your area and situation.

No Hoof... No Horse :Sole Guard

I like to try things, so I can understand what they CAN do and their limitations. So last trimming we decided to see if some Sole guard would help improve the seperation my horse has in her hind hooves. It was just a temporary measure, as the trimmer was getting to the point where he was running out of options to help get her hinds back on track!

This is her hoof all prepared for the sole guard. See the "ditch (white area) between her outer hoof wall ( grey) and her sole ( dirt coloured atm). This is the area the trimmer has been trying to get to "heal". Also notice in this horse the vertical toe-line where her sole and wall connect, this shows drastic change in her hooves. I should have done something about this sooner!!!! No ones perfect and we trust in our professionals.
That green nstuff I hear you ask? It's blue tack. Under the blue tack is some copper sulfat ewhich has been put into small cavities that had formed. Left unattended they could have become abscesses. Why blue tack? Just in case all the yuck hadn't been removed it's easy to pull out and clean up.

Sole guard is like a rubbery plastic stuff, that comes out liquid and sets into a semi-solid. The SG was put into the "ditch" and covered in a special plastic sheet while it set.

Once dried, the plastic can be removed and the area cleaned up. I will state this is NOT the intended use of sole guard, which s generally used on the.. you guessed it... soles! We were just using it as fake hoof, to see if it worked. I've been told it's a great product, we were just trying to cheat.

Sole guard, used in the proper way, should last a few weeks, depending on your environment and how much you ride. This lasted about a week, and made her no worse or better off for the time it stayed in there. Back to the drawing board eh?

Another trimmer came by to do a different horse, so I asked him what he though we could do?
He was amazed that we'd tried this, and thought it to be a waste of time ( and money..grrr). He felt that putting stuff in there would make it worse rather than better, and suggested to put a roll to reduce the chance of her doing more damage as she rolled over her toe which was currently flat. He explained it like fingernails:
Think of the horses sole as the tip of your finger, and the wall like your nail, in this analogy the quick is the same as the laminae boundary ( sensitive to insensitive). When you "walk" with your finger, you will roll from the pad through the tip and onto your nail. If your nail is too long it will pull back painfully on your quick, this is akin to seperation of the sensitive to insensitive laminae, commonly called "white line seperation". That's YOUR finger which is not weight bearing...... think about it for the horse. Makes a little bit of sense doesn't it?

Hooves rolled ( nice guy did it for free for me! So he could explain it totally), and she walks off pretty well. Weight bearing has been reduced from the walls and increased onto the sole callous. She's great in the arena, and on the grass, still a little tender on the driveway ( gravelly on a hard clay surface). There's improvement, but I'd like to see more....
....the quest is on to find the better way for this horse!!!

Like to learn more about hooves?

http://www.hoofrehab.com/

http://www.uq.edu.au/~apcpolli/

http://www.farriervet.com/evolutionfarriery.html

Horse-Eating Showtime!!!

When you go to a competition or Pony Club and your horse behaves badly what do you blame it on?
I can guarentee you the number one answer to that is FEED, well that's the number one answer that comes out of most people's mouths when I speak to them. "My horse's feed needs to be cut because he was a moron at the Show on Sunday".....
I would love to slap them around, unfortunately that would get me fired.
IF your horse is a bit hyper at a show, but perfectly sensible at home here are a few non-feed related things to tick off your list that may be causing the problem:

*Your horse's paddock companion has been removed from the situation and now your horse is trying feverishly to find him/her. This happens a lot in Pony Club horses who are constantly stabled/paddocked with one other horse. You'll need to take measures to acclimatise your horse to the thought that the world does not implode when his/her friend is removed from the situation. Start small (seperate paddock or move across the breezeway in the barn) and work your way to them not being close to each other for extended periods of time. If you work through this slowly it will be a great acheivement for you both.

* YOU are stressed out. Often people will say the show doesn't frighten them, most of the time we are a little nervous or excited. The horses see this as the same sort of emotion - your senses are heightened and you are alert. To them you are getting ready for a flight or fight response, and as part of your herd, they consider this to be a cue for THEM to prepare. Try to calm yourself, I know a lot of people who use rescue remedy on themselves rather than on their horses ( or as well as) to bring their own mind to peace, which in turn allows them to be a leader, rather than a panic striken insano bomb.... well that's how your horse will see you!

*New situations will often frighten a horse, so be prepared to work through their anxiety by making these outings a part of their routine. Get some friends together and take the horses to the local show-grounds ( first making sure you are allowed to do this at the chosen time), get a lesson at someone else's property or just take your pony for a float ride that ends in some nice grass. Let them understand that although the PLACE may change the CUES for work will not, and most importantly that your behaviour does not either. It has to be the same at home as it is anywhere, after a while it won't matter if you were doing a grand prix test down the median strip of an 8 lane highway or at home in the arena.

*We get a little touchy if we have to change our schedule, our horses are no different. On a show day, you will do all sorts of odd things to them, so make that part a daily thing. Plait up their manes before you ride, braid their forelock while they eat ( take it back out before you go), braid their tail and put a falsie in and have a lesson or lunge, come stupidly early once a week and feed up at 4am while you fuss around them. These things then will become normal for the horse and when you do go out and about will desensitise them to these annoyances, so that you have minimalised the stress factor!

Think about all these things.... then take a look at how the horse will perceive it all. We just see it as a competition, but to the horse it may mean a lot of different things. Try to be their center, and prepare them rather than just dropping them in the fire, or deciding that a little bit of starvation should quiet them up.

Ask the professionals: The Dentist

For every horse owner there are a list of professionals we have to deal with to keep our horses happy and healthy. Most of the time we get to talk to these guys every few weeks, or months, but the dentist may only come around once a year - so watch carefully, you never know what you might learn, and you have very little oppurtunity to do so!

Our new dentist came out yesterday to do about 5 horses on the property, I was crossing my fingers he'd be obliging and teach me a little as he worked. I was really in luck, and he was happy to not only talk about all sorts of stuff, but also to show me, let me feel and take a few pictures as well. I thought I'd share some of the interesting things we chatted about.

Here's the first guy, and we're looking at his canine tooth.
Notice the redness around the base of the tooth? He's just had a lot of soft plaquey stuff removed from it ( you can still see the green tinge to the base of the tooth), the dentist tells me that some sorts of feeds - in general specific types of grasses - often leed to this build up of ick on the horse's canine teeth as they don't get the general abraision the rest do. The other point of interest in this horse's mouth is the small area of wear to his inner lip, mid-way between the canine and the tip of the dentist's thumb( it's a little tricky to see it in the photo, but pretty easy on the day). This little wear was due to the canine being very sharp at the tip, which would normally not be too much of a problem, except when you have a drop noseband on. The drop noseband will push into this area, causing the lips to bulge into the canine teeth, causing rubbing. This is a very mild case, but if left may have caused a nasty ulcer.
Pulling the lip out like this makes it easy to see if rub is occurring here, and if there is, remove your noseband and get your dentist to come out and have a look!
The next horse up a mare. Notice no canines are present, most mares don't have any, whilst the majority of male horses will have 4. Also notice how the incisor has a "hook" to it's rear. This little hook helps to define age, and will come and go at different stages in the horse's life. This particular horse is 7 1/2yo, and the developement of the hook is typical to that age, and should be gone before the dentist has a return visit in a year's time. It should also reappear around age 12, again being worn away about a year later.

The last of the horse's of interest had what is called a TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) problem, very mildly. This was evident when the dentist lightly rubbed a spot just beneath the horse's ear, to get a slight reaction of pain. He described to me a horse he had recently treated who had not seen a dentist for 5 years or more. This horse's pain had become so bad he was unable to be bridled, and eventually not able to be haltered, this horse had very BAD TMJ. The horse was a horror to treat and took about 20 minutes to get the gag on, but when it was all over, the horse was calm and was once again easy to halter. A week later there was no sign of there ever being a bridle issue, the jaws were able to relax and the pain gone.
TMJ happens when the molars are unable to meet up correctly because of uneven wear. Uneven wear can occur from a tooth being broken or a mis-shapen tooth or gum-line, with regular dental work these can be fixed, within reason, or at least be kept in check. These uneven points of wear will stop the horse from being able to relax its jaws properly, and causes tightness in the facial muscles that perform chewing motions. In people it can cause nasty head aches, and I can't imagine it would be any different for the horses!

Just by talking to the dentist while he did his work, I was able to gather lots of new information from him. Not only about my own horse, but about different things that can occurr to a horse in general, ways to see if it's happening and signs to look out for. These professionals have a wealth of information, they have both theoretical knowledge and plenty of hands on stuff too! Ask them questions, ask them to show you.... let them EDUCATE you so that you will be able to do better for your horses. Treat the cost of the visit as the price you pay for an invaluable lesson, not just the treatment. Look forward to the dentist's annual visit ( or more frequently for those babies and oldies) you never know what you will learn.

Television Trainers

Last night as I sat down to watch Catalyst( ABC 8pm good show), which had a special segment on horse behaviour, I became all excited with the anticipation of a good laugh: they did not let me down!

Scientific studies enthrall me, properly designed and run tests to understand animal behaviour are invaluable tools to help us learn how to train. The background study of Andrew McLean into horse cognition and behaviour is great, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was researched, studied and tested over years of learning and watching and you can really see he loves it - the knowledge and the proof.

What made me giggle the most is this statement:
Dr Andrew McLean:
"You really can't even afford to be one second late. It's got to be that much on time because there really isn't that computing ability, that ability to reflect back into what's happened, "
followed shortly after by Warrick's, Andrew's son, reaction ( at Equitana last year in "The way of the Horse" competition) to his colt's rear up and strike out. Warrick avoided a front hoof, and then let the horse drop to the ground and THEN yanked it one in the head with the halter and lead. On time laddio?? Me thinketh not. You just reefed your colts head for standing on the ground.
Now I am not saying we haven't all done this before, no one is perfect. When you are showcasing your abilities, and are speaking about an ideal, with scientific background, which you base your entire learning curve for a horse on - don't let the television public see you doing exactly what you preach NOT to do. The entire thing looked to be a great excercise in public relations and advertising. Although I am sure there are more than a few people who had a giggle at the poor colt getting his head yanked on at the wrong time.

On a bit of a different note, that colt ( branded over 5) would be what - 3yo ( at the time of Equitana)? Why on earth are you jumping it after let me see 3 hours of "training". Too young to be jumping, and not well muscled enough to be putting that much pressure on it's joints with no muscle tone to back it up for carrying the weight of a rider as well as the downforce coming off a jump. Think people before putting that stuff on TV - there are VERY susceptible minds out there that worship what trainers, especially those on the telly, say and do and follow them blindly.

If you'd like to watch the segment:
Catalyst: Equitana - ABC TV Science

So it's Raining.....

Looking outside all I can see is giant black clouds above and lakes of water below. The horses are mushing about in the mud, and the arena has ducks swimming happily on it. I have a closet full of clothes on the laundry floor awaiting the washing machine but there's no where to dry them so they'll sit there a while. I really need to buy a dryer.

We have big yards for the horses to spend their days in in the wet weather, but we're lucky. A lot of the horses in the area will be confined to boxes and not getting worked. For me this is the start of the bad things to come. When the horses get to go out again, they'll be feeling fresh and excitable. They'll run and buck and play on the wet paddocks, possibly hurting themselves, but in the mean-time causing no end of trouble to handle them. They need to run and get the energy out, SAFELY!

So what do we do for our four-legged buddies when the weather gets like this?
Cut down their grain intake, and increase the bulk. This will reduce the sugar content while increasing roughage, it will keep them sane and occupied for longer periods of time. It will also stop me ( and people like me) from getting squished when we try to change their rugs and clean their boxes.
Take your horse for a walk. Either in hand or in the saddle, a good one hour walk will not only be good excercise for both of you it will also stimulate your horse's brain making him less likely to go nutty when you get back on for the first time! It will give you a great excuse to practice your ground work, and also may allow you to overcome some of those demons in the bushes! At the moment we have coucil clean-up piles on the roadside - what better way to get your horse used to all sorts of objects than to go investigate them. Those horse-eating excercise bikes and bags will stand no chance against your horse's brave leader: YOU!
Groom your horse. With wet-weather rugs on your horse has no ability to scratch itself, your horse will thank you for the itches and he'll look better for it! Grooming is also a great way to bond with your buddy, it's the way a herd acknowledges each other, and friendships are formed. A great groom that does not end with a saddle on his back will give him no end of pleasure both physically and mentally. Follow with some little stretches to help him stay supple and you'll thank yourself next week.

Finally when you get back in the saddle when the wet weather subsides, remember your horse will not be as fit and supple as he was last week. Take it easy with them, bring them back slowly. The ground will be slippery, and the going a bit mushy so put some protection on for your horse - bell boots, brushing boots/bandages, just in case! Don't forget your own boots and helmet, so we can all stay safe and enjoy our horses.

Sometimes you can Believe in Magic

It's not often that I believe in things that science can't prove, but when it comes to horses you can trust their responses. Through them I have learned that there can be a little bit of magic, especially when it comes to healing.
Anyone that knows me knows the saga of my mare. Given to me in an utter mess, her hooves the size of tea-cups and her back bent like a bannana so she had no definition of wither or rump, it has been a very long, hard 2 years on both of us to get her to her current condition. Along the way she has taught me more than any course, person or book ever could, she is the one that has pushed me to learn, and also the one that has made me try to help others where I can. There is one person in particular who I owe a lot to for her recovery ( although there are many many others to!) and that is her muscle therapist. She has seen her through from the very beginning, encouraging me along the way while she helped my mare. More still she has the courage to say "I can't do" rather than just ignoring what can't be done and just keeping on going, even though there would be no results.
I owe her such a debt of gratitude, I only wish I could repay it some day.
Last week that day came.
I received the horror phonecall from a friend that my mare was lame - crippled I think was the word, so I rushed down to see her. When I arrived all I could think was she's torn a ligament or actually fractured her leg. Lame like this wasn't in my mare's vocab, she had huge problems when I got her and never a day lame. I checked her joints and feet and couldn't find the heat or lack of movement. The vet arrived shortly and decided on abscess, well maybe an abscess, maybe a bruise.... maybe we should rule that out so we know it's definately not that.
I believe in vets and science.

Poultice and boot on, we're set to treat this - even though I don't think it's the problem.
I call my muscle therapist to see if she can help the horse's recovery as I can feel the pain is high on her leg and across her hip. If nothing else a good rub-down will help. She arrives to a horse who is walking like a puppet in the hind legs, and looks at the boot and me and says it's not in the foot. We get my mare comfy in her stable eating her hay and see if she'll allow any work to be done. Not on your life is that going to happen. She may not be able to put it down but she can threaten very well with the sore leg. So we let her eat hay and discussed the options.
Suddenly we are accousted by a back end in our faces, my mare has decided that she wants treatment and positions herself by backing up into us ( yes she left food for this!!!!), and ensuring that the therapist is lined up with her sore side. My mare turns around to look at her, as if to say "Please will you do somthing about this, it is annoying me". There's not a lot the therapist can do - there's too much muscle spasming and tightness to work through safely. She lays her hands on the points of pain and starts to talk to me as if we were just chatting about life, as my horse's posture starts to change and become more relaxed. After ten minutes or so, she asks me to walk the horse out so was can see if there's any change.
We couldn't believe it.... there was a change, she moved far more freely!!! But nothing was done? How did it happen? The therapist nearly cried... it was her on of her first attempts at doing Reiki on a horse, and something had happened. More than a something - a positive change.
The next 2 visits gave more and more improvement, the muscles relaxed so quickly she could work in deep in the problem areas. A week after I watched her walking around like a cripple, she is now walking around better than ever before, her stride has lengthened and she swings. What we were expecting to be at least a few months of recovery time and rehab has reduced to a few weeks. You could knock me over with a feather.

Maybe science can't prove the healing energy's effect on pain and injury, but a horse can not believe in it and hence no placebo effect can occurr. Insano-horse-person logic, A horse can't lie, therefore the effect must be real.
I don't care as it helped and maybe sometimes my logical mind can believe in a little bit of magic every once in a while.

It's a Wee Problem

When you walk into a dirty stable or yard and become overpowered by the smell of urine what do you think? "Clean it you lazy stable-hand/owner" or do you think that maybe there is an uderlying problem?
If a stable is regularly cleaned and the base allowed to dry out or even limed a stable should not be overly smelly, even with a fresh "wet spot" that's been uncovered shouldn't make your eyes water. If it does then there may be a problem!
Recently I started work for a new client and one of her horse's stables is almost bucket worthy ( as in I need a bucket as I am going to be sick) with an overpowering ammonia smell. At first I just thought that the last person to be cleaning the stables hadn't taken the wet out, so I set to and cleaned it all out. Next day the smell is still putrid and nearly burned my eyes out of their sockets when I uncovered the wet. So what's the probable answer? Excess Protein.

So many horse owners believe protein = energy, it is the one thing about feed that makes me want to strangle people. I like to tell them that when they eat a steak do they want to run up the walls??? Or maybe is that when they drink too much red cordial and eat too many sweeties? Protein helps build muscle and is utilised, but not stored, by the horse. Excess protein is broken down into ammonia and excreted through urine. Too much protein in the diet and your horse's wee will be evil enough to strip paint off your car.

So if your horse's wee smells like your bathroom cleaner then maybe it may be time to re-evaluate your feeding regime!

If you'd like to learn more:

Excerpt from Revised Understanding Equine Nutrition: Protein

Know your Horse

Recently at the stables we had a horse come down with a mysterious illness. Symptoms much like colic, stretching, not drinking or eating properly, little poo and very obvious muscle contractions in the stomach. Along with this he had a high temp and increased heart rate. ( He's ok now) What made me really proud of his owner was that she KNEW his resting heart rate and his normal afternoon tempurature ( see EI coming to Aus did have one, albeit small, silver lining, most people now know these things!). Since I already know how much water each horse drinks, and their output, from there it's easier to tell what was going on and be able to inform the vet appropriately. His recovery time was reduced by our knowledge of what is "normal" for this horse.... yeah the vet had something to do with it as well! Being able to determine their return to normal, and in some cases through normal and out the other side, may make the difference between their being lasting side-effects from an illness, like kidney disfunction or secondary stress colic.

So go out there and discover some things about your horse that you don't know. Heart rates (resting and in work), how many poos your horse does a day ( both daytime and night time), how much water he drinks ( again day/night) and his normal tempurature ( morning/afternoon). All this will help you determine if your horse is getting sick, or is in pain from an injury. They are some of the most important things you should know, and can be the difference between you calling the vet this morning, and rushing out to the vet hospital this afternoon! It may even be more important than knowing which side is his bad side for changes, or his favourite treat!!!!

General Knowledge:
Average Resting Respiratory Rate 8-16 breaths/min
Average Temp. 36.5 - 38.5 C
Average Resting Pulse Rate 25-45 bpm
Average water intake 20-40L/day ( depending on size/conditions)

There is a lot of variation between "averages" and this is why it is so important to know the average specific to YOUR horse.

Owners who let their horses down

Getting the farrier to come to your horse seems such a simple chore, a given part of horse life. It should be simple and hassle-free, and for many of us something that seems to happen like magic during the day.

The Farrier arrives, gets your horse from the paddock, ties them up somewhere safe and goes to work. All is happy and easy as the horse stands still and the farrier does his thing.....
This is where it quite often goes wrong. The horse has not had sufficient work with it to understand it needs to stand still for the farrier, so he prances about and makes life dangerous for the poor bastard hanging off his hooves. Whose fault is this?
As an owner the farrier is generally the one to blame, or the horse is "just bad for the farrier". What it comes down to is its the owner letting the horse down. Pure and simple. As an owner it is your responsibility to train your horse to be accepting of the farrier and the positions he will hold legs in, the noises he will make and the time he has to be tied up for. It seems such a simple thing, and yet it can be the difference between your horse getting a great job done on his feet, and him getting a 'that'll do' job because any longer spent underneath your demon-on-four-legs would reduce the life expectancy of a farrier.
Next time your horse is overdue to be shod, and your farrier won't return your calls, stop and think before you point the finger. Is it the farrier or maybe is it you letting your horse down?

Breaking the Ice

I care for other people's horses, it's not my job it's my life, I couldn't escape it even if I wanted to. Thankfully I don't, although sometimes the people who are owned by these horses almost drive me to the point of insanity, they also make me laugh and most importantly make me learn, so I have learned to live with them and some have even become friends. I know a lot of people look at horse workers and assume they are stupid because of their chosen profession - and maybe I am, but at least I am trying, because we will never know everything.
Over the past few years I have been learning a lot from these horses, their humans and especially my own horse. What has scared me most is how little people actually know about their horse, or even horses in general. Basic things that can mean an injury down the track is avoided, or you catch a colic before it becomes a surgery case or worse.
If I can help someone learn one thing about their horse which may help it in the future I will be happy for a lifetime! Hopefully my experiences with these horses will help, or at least make you laugh.

Tricky