USRider® Equestrian Traveler's Companion-Summer 2022

Equestrian Traveler’s

COMPANION Joint Care

Your Essential Horse-Trailering Resource Summer 2022

Fuel-Saving Tips

Rocky Mountain Getaway

Load With Less Risk Trouble-Free Bathing

An Equine Network, LLC, Publication

Equestrian Traveler’s COMPANIONSummer 2022

Your Essential HorseTrailering Resource

FEATURES 8 Special Section You Are Here

16 Top Training

Trouble-Free Bathing

12 Your Healthy Horse

Joint Care

20 Getaways

Heart of the Rockies

24 USRider Member Story

Honeymoon Breakdown

DEPARTMENTS 4 Trip Tips

Expert Advice for Equestrian Travelers

6 Skill Set

Load With Less Risk

26 Road Gear

Trailering Essentials

28 USRider Member Benefits

How Does USRider® Compare?

30 Handy Checklist

COVER PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO

Fuel-Saving Tips

USRider General Manager: Bill Riss Editor: René E. Riley Art Director: Abby McDougall Contact USRider: (800) 844-1409 P.O. Box 20634, Boulder, CO 80308 memberservice@usrider.org • www.usrider.org USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

Equine Network, LLC, is the producer of award-winning magazines, including EQUUS, Horse&Rider, Practical Horseman, and The Team Roping Journal.

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What Members Are Saying About Recent Services “I am a horse pro My story is too incredible for words. 6 states, 3 weeks, multiple issues. USRider saved me every time! I was never delayed more than 45 minutes each time, even in the middle of the Mohave Desert during a heatwave at 113 degrees in the shade, who knows what the road temps were, but I blew 3 tires and melted a rim. I was back on the road in less than an hour and my horse never stopped eating and drinking in the trailer.”

- J Gillespie, Lafayette CA June 2022

“It was a slightly longer wait...but I had a big F350 dually and a fully loaded 36ft steel gooseneck horse trailer, so it took two trucks to resolve the situation, and I broke down at midnight, so it wasn't a good situation, but was handled flawlessly. Highly, highly recommend this service to everyone with horses (and will now forever be a member myself).”

- H Wools, Sebring FL April 2022

“We ended up not needing the trailer portion of the USRider plan, which is why we got it in the first place, but the whole experience was exponentially better than any time I’ve had to call AAA. I really appreciated that it felt like you guys cared about the situation, and I love that the very first question asked when I call is “are you and your horses safe?”. I signed onto the service for one particular long drive with the trailer but will be renewing when the year is up!!”

- E Lorusso, Boonsboro, MD June 2022

Travel with confidence knowing USRider will get you back on the road safely and efficiently, should unexpected vehicle or trailer problems occur.

TripTips TACKTIP

Choose the Right Halter

PHOTO BY MAUREEN GALLATIN

Leather halters or nylon halters with breakaway connections are ideal for trailering your horse. They’ll break or give if he needs to restore his balance.

Here are three often-overlooked halter-use tips for safety.

Use leather or breakaways for trailering. Leather halters or nylon halters with breakaway connections are ideal for trailering your horse. They’ll break or give if he needs to restore his balance.

However, avoid using these halter types for training, as they don’t apply precise cues to his nose or poll.

Use nylon for everyday needs. Nylon halters are great for leading your horse and to use as you tack up at home and at your trailer. Avoid turning out your horse with a nylon halter, as it doesn’t give or break and can trap your horse in a potentially life-threatening position. Use a nylon halter only when you’re with your horse.

Use rope for training only. Rope halters are great for training sessions, because they apply precise pressure and give you horse easy-to-understand cues. However, don’t use a rope halter to tie your horse in your trailer. The rope won’t give or break, and can dig into his sensitive face if he pulls back or shifts suddenly. Plus, if there’s an accident, the rope halter won’t break free. Use a rope halter only when you’re with your horse.

—Maureen Gallatin

TRAILERINGTIP

Keep Rig Data Handy Do you know the type of oil your tow vehicle requires?

When you come to an underpass with a low height clearance, do you know your trailer’s dimensions? If your trailer tire is low, do you know the pressure rating to safely fill it up with air?

Stop fumbling through the manual while you’re on the road. Instead, gather all such data before you leave home. Write your tow vehicle’s oil type, the recommended pressure (pounds per square inch) for all tires, and your tow vehicle and trailer’s dimensions and weights onto a three-by-five-inch index card. Clip the card to the driver’s visor for easy checking on the road.

Also keep a digital record. Take a photo of the information, and add it to your mobile device’s “favorites,” or enter the data into your device’s note app. No more digging around for needed information.

— Heidi Melocco USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO

Collect and record all essential information for your rig— such as your trailer’s dimensions—before you leave home so it’ll be easy to find during travel.

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HEALTHTIP

Hot-Weather Feeding Sweltering summer heat is a health hazard for your traveling horse. He’s at risk for dehydration, weakness, colic, poor exercise tolerance—even heatstroke. To help prevent overheating, trailer him in the morning or evening when it’s cool, hose him down after travel and exercise, provide plenty of shade, and consider feeding him a hot-weather diet. Here are some tips.

Provide water. Keep clean water in limitless supply available 24/7. While trailering, stop for frequent water breaks.

If you can, find a shady area to park under.

Let him graze. Pasture grass is ideal because of its high water content.

Supplement his forage. If your horse doesn’t have enough grass available for it to be his main food (such as when you’re on the road), try tempting him with carrots, celery, apples, watermelon, squash, or salad greens added to a high-moisture mixture of soaked beet pulp and wheat bran. Start with small meals if your horse isn’t used to these feeds.

Add salt. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of the mixture above to improve appeal and get needed salt into your horse. Be sure to also provide free-choice salt. Note that your horse should be eating at least two ounces of salt In hot weather, pasture grass is ideal because of per day. its high moisture content. Inset: Supplement your Note: It’s normal for appetites to drop off during periods horse’s forage by adding a high-moisture food, such of extreme heat. If this happens, don’t panic. Your horse will as watermelon, to a mixture of soaked beet pulp and start eating again when he feels more comfortable. wheat bran.

— Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD

USRIDERMEMBERTIP

How to Report a Disablement You’ve had a disablement and have called the emergency number on the back of your USRider membership card. What information should you expect to provide? Note that USRider’s Member Care Specialists are highly trained professionals who gather a variety of information to assist in facilitating a speedy and efficient service call. So be sure to have the following information ready when you call: vehicle make and model; year of both the vehicle and the trailer; trailer type and configuration; number of horses; and the precise directions to your current location.

This information helps ensure that the service provider USRider dispatches will have the proper equipment to service your particular vehicle or trailer before heading out on a call. This information also helps the service provider to correctly locate and identify you at the scene.

These factors facilitate more efficient service for you. It’s important to provide a complete picture, as a simple disablement can often turn into a situation involving multiple service vehicles, emergency stabling for horses, and more.

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When you experience a disablement, the information you provide helps the service provider to correctly locate and identify you at the scene.

Summer 2022

------------ SKILLSET------------

Load With Less Risk

By Tom Scheve and Neva Kittrell Scheve

If your trailer has a stepup entry, load and unload your horse on dry, flat ground where he has good footing. Avoid wet grass, concrete, blacktop, gravel, and loose sand or dirt, which can be slippery.

PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO

Your tow vehicle has been serviced.

You’ve inspected your tow vehicle, hitch, and trailer using a thorough checklist. You’ve packed all your tack and equipment. You’ve haltered your horse in a breakaway halter and have applied any necessary safety gear. Finally, it’s time to load!

Before continuing, take a few moments now to relax, concentrate, and focus. You’re in a vulnerable position, because you’re working near or behind your horse’s hind legs while asking him to walk forward into a strange environment. To stay safe, have the right trailer, train your horse to load easily, follow basic safety rules, and pay attention.

Well before you leave, open your trailer’s windows and doors to ventilate your trailer, especially if it’s a

hot day. Stand back and view your trailer’s rear entrance from your horse’s point of view. Is the trailer stall dark and scary or light and airy? Is there anything that might look threatening to your horse?

Before you load, fix any problems your trailer might have in terms of sight, sound, smell, or feel from your horse’s point of view.

Keep in mind that horses react rather than respond. They have a flight response to threats, making them react instantly. With the right training on your horse, good focus, awareness, and the right trailer, you can raise your comfort level and free yourself from the stress that often comes with loading and unloading.

Here are some tips and suggestions on how to safely load with

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step-up and ramp styles of rear entrances.

Step-Up Entry The risk: With a step-up entry (fullheight rear doors without a ramp or Dutch doors), your horse could stumble and slide under the rear of your trailer.

How to minimize the risk: If you have a straight-load trailer, quickly load your horse and secure the latch. Avoid standing behind your horse in case he decides to suddenly back off (and possibly slip).

If you have a slant load-trailer, turn your horse around and lead him out frontward, or take him out a side-unload ramp, if available.

Load and unload your horse on dry, flat ground where he has good footing. Avoid wet grass, concrete, Summer 2022

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PHOTO BY CLIXPHOTO.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF EQUISPIRIT

PHOTO COURTESY OF EQUISPIRIT

Left: Any ramp-style trailer will eliminate the possibility of your horse slipping under the rear of the trailer when backing out. However, if the ramp is steep, your horse can slip on it. The less steep the ramp, the safer it’ll be. Middle: If correctly designed, an entry with full-height doors and the ramp behind is an ideal rear configuration for minimizing loading and unloading accidents, especially on straight-load trailers. Right: An entry with full-height doors and the ramp behind allows you to safely put up the ramp after the doors are closed without worrying about getting kicked.

blacktop, gravel, and loose sand or dirt, which can be slippery.

Ramp-Style Entry The risk: Any ramp-style trailer will eliminate the possibility of your horse slipping under the rear of the trailer when backing out. However, if the ramp is steep, your horse can slip on it.

How to minimize the risk: The less steep the ramp, the safer it’ll be. Keep manure and urine off the ramp before loading or unloading your horse for better traction. If your horse defecates or urinates while on the ramp, sweep off the ramp before you raise it, while staying well clear of your horse’s back legs.

The ideal spring placement on a spring-assist ramp is along the lower rear portion, where the ramp attaches to the trailer. If your trailer has side springs, try to keep your horse away from them as you load.

After the butt bars are latched, tie your horse to the interior tie

rings. Give him enough rope to adjust his head height naturally, but not enough to get entangled.

If you can, pick up the ramp while standing off to the side instead of directly behind it. This will keep you from getting kicked in the head or chest while stooped over. It’ll also keep you from getting trampled under the ramp if the horse suddenly bolts backward, or from getting knocked backward if the horse kicks the ramp before you latch it.

Full Doors with Ramp Behind The risk: See “Ramp-Style Entry,” at left.

How to minimize the risk. See “Ramp-Style Entry,” at left. Note that if correctly designed, an entry with full-height doors and the ramp behind is an ideal rear configuration for minimizing loading and unloading accidents, especially on straight-load trailers. Often, the doors can be latched open,

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creating two side panels that will keep your horse from walking off the ramp sides.

On a straight-load trailer, a swinging divider with no rear post is ideal. You can swing it to one side, creating a large, inviting opening. After you’ve led the first horse onto the trailer (the road-side stall on straight loads) and latched the butt bar, you can close and latch the door on that side.

After attaching the trailer tie, you can safely stand on the ramp behind the closed road-side door without getting kicked while preparing to attach the ditch-side butt bar when the other horse loads.

When both horses are inside and the doors are closed, you can safely put up the ramp without worrying about getting kicked. The same configuration also works well on slant loads, except that you can’t shut one door until all horses are loaded.

Summer 2022

------------YOUARE HERE----------

You Are Here Learn how to use navigational devices to stay oriented and on track while venturing into unfamiliar territory.

By Audrey Pavia

PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO

If you’re an equestrian adventurer exploring the backcountry, you may find yourself disoriented when you venture into unfamiliar territory.

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f you’re an equestrian adventurer exploring the backcountry, you may find yourself disoriented when you venture into unfamiliar territory. Known landmarks disappear. You suddenly realize you don’t know where you are or how to get back. Your stomach knots; your body tenses. You stop your horse, look around, and take deep breaths, fighting panic.

You can avoid such a scenario with proper planning, navigational devices (map, compass, and a global positioning system unit), and orienteering know-how. Here, we’ll give you the basics in each of these areas to help you stay oriented and on track, so you can better enjoy your rides wherever your adventures take you.

Trip Planning Call ahead. Before you leave on your trip, call the agency that manages the land on which you’ll ride, and ask whether the trails are open and the terrain is suitable for equestrian use.

Get topo maps. Don’t just rely on flat maps; also invest in topographical maps. Look for those that come complete with mountain and river names.

Stay current. Use the most up-to-date version of each map. Storms can wash out trails, or cause waterways to overflow and completely change the landscape.

Prepare navigational tools. Print out maps before you leave home, and program your GPS before embarking on the trail. Laminate your maps, in case you run into inclement weather on your ride and to keep maps dry during water crossings.

Keep maps handy. Before you leave home, know how you’ll keep your maps on your body, rather than in your saddlebag, in case you become separated from your horse and for easy access. Wear clothing with deep pockets or know how you’ll secure a carrying tote.

Communicate. Leave a detailed description of your route, and the time you plan to return, with someone at home or at the base camp, especially if you choose to ride alone.

A topo map, also called a contour map, provides valuable information about the terrain that you’ll be traveling. a contour map, provides valuable information about the terrain over which you’ll be traveling.

It shows how steep or flat the land is, how far it is between designated points, the direction in which you’re heading, landmarks, and degree of forestation. You’ll also be able to use the map to find your way. » How to use it: It’s one thing to understand the concept behind a topo map, but you won’t completely grasp it until you use one in an actual trail riding situation. To learn how to read a topo map, take one with you when riding in a familiar area. Take note of the terrain around you as you ride and compare it to the map.

Look at the map’s contour lines. These curved lines indicate different elevations. To determine how much elevation change is depicted between contour lines, refer to the map’s legend, which will tell you. The closer the lines are to one another, the steeper the terrain.

The map’s legend will also identify other symbols you’ll see on the map. Symbols indicate different landmarks, such as springs, quarries, and fire roads. Trails are marked on topo maps; once you >>

Navigational Tools Your most important navigational tools when riding in the backcountry are a topographical map, a compass, and a GPS unit. Here’s what you need to know about each one.

• Topographical (topo) map. » How it helps you navigate: A topo map, also called USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

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A compass may seem outdated in this time of high-tech devices, but it’s still one of the most useful tools when navigating in the backcountry. locate your trail on the map, you’ll know what kind of terrain you’ll be traveling through. » Downside: Topo maps can be confusing if you don’t have experience reading them. All the lines and curves can drive you crazy if you haven’t learned to interpret their meaning. » Buying tips: You can download topo maps for many areas through the U.S. Geological Survey National Geologic Map Database. Private businesses also sell topo maps, many online. Topo Zone offers map downloads with a paid subscription to its website. MyTopo.com makes custom maps with a variety of options.

• GPS unit. » How it helps you navigate: A GPS unit uses installed software along with earth-orbiting satellites to tell you where you’re located along the trail. It can be programmed to give you your route ahead of time, get you back on track when you are lost, and get you back home. It can also tell you how many miles you’ve ridden and how many more you have to go before you reach your destination.

GPS units are incredible tools for trail riders, especially for those conditioning horses or riding in the backcountry. The unit works as your guide, showing you where are and where you’re going. If you get lost, you can program the unit to take you back to your starting point. All you do is follow the directions it gives you. » How to use it: Each GPS unit works a little differently, so you’ll have to read the instructions that come with your particular one. Essentially, >>

• Compass. » How it helps you navigate: A compass may seem outdated in this time of high-tech devices, but it’s still one of the most useful tools when navigating in the backcountry. A compass will point to magnetic north, which is very close to true north.

Using a compass will give you a sense of direction while on the trail. Some compasses also offer scales that will tell you how far you need to travel, once you’ve established a starting and ending point.

USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

» How to use it: To use a compass, place it on the map so its long edge connects your starting point to your destination point. Then turn the rotating capsule until the north-south indicator lines at the bottom of the compass capsule match the direction of the lines showing north-south on the map.

Holding the compass in front of you, turn your body so the north-south arrow on the compass capsule lines up with the magnetic needle. The red end of the needle should point in the same direction as the arrow. The directional arrows point in the direction you need to go.

If you get lost or disoriented on the trail, orient the compass with your map using the trailhead where you began as your destination, and follow that direction back. » Downside: Compasses can be rendered inaccurate when they’re near cars or trucks, power lines, some watches, and gun barrels. » Buying tips: Compasses are available from outfitting stores and online. The Compass Store is one excellent online source. Riders who participate in Competitive Mounted Orienteering use lightweight compasses made from clear plastic. These compasses can easily be laid flat on top of a topo map to give you a sense of direction. The compass will indicate magnetic north, so you can orient your map before you start your ride. These are the best types of compasses for trail riders.

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Navigating By Sky

A GPS unit uses installed software along with earth-orbiting satellites to tell you where you’re located at any given moment. you’ll first load the unit with software that contains maps of the area where you plan to ride. Then you’ll program in your destination and ask the unit to start navigating. The unit will give you directions to your destination from the point of origin. It’ll also show you the route on a map, along with your current position as you proceed. » Downside: GPS units run on batteries, which can die out on the trail, making spares necessary. They’re also prone to software crashes and glitches, so carry a compass and topo map as backups. » Buying tips: Look for a GPS unit designed specifically for recreational use. And invest in one with a modern, high-sensitivity receiver; GPS units rely on satellites for information on where you’re located at any given moment. A good receiver will make it easier for your unit to locate satellites in a timely manner. Buy a unit with a good topo map display and the topo maps you need.

Adding additional maps later on will cost extra. USR Freelance writer Audrey Pavia is a member of the North American Trail Ride Conference and the author of Trail Riding: A Complete Guide (Howell Book House imprint of Wiley).

She’s based in Norco, California.

USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

Before modern navigational tools, travelers used the sky to navigate. In ancient times, those who traveled long distances had an intimate knowledge of the heavens.

The sky can be used to determine your direction both during the daytime and at night. During the day, the position of the sun can help you figure out if you’re headed east, west, north, or south. The sun’s position depends on the time of year in which you’re riding, as well as the time of day.

On the first day of summer, the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon. As the days wind toward fall, the sun begins to travel lower in the sky as it makes its way from east to west. On the first day of winter, the sky is at its lowest point at sunset.

You can learn the positions of the sun at various times during the year simply by taking note of it in your part of the world. (Your latitude determines the exact height of the sun during the different seasons.) If you’re riding within 5 degrees latitude of where you reside (which can be hundreds of miles either north or south of where you live), you can count on the sun being at the same point in the sky on your trip as it is at home.

When you first start your ride, take note of the sun’s position in the sky, then orient yourself. Use a compass to find where north, south, east and west are located. Once you start out on your ride, note your direction of travel. If you’re headed west, then east is at your back. No matter where you are during the ride, you know the trailhead is toward the east.

Using the stars for navigation was another tool employed by ancient travelers, and is still useful today when trail riding in the dark. If you plan to ride at night in the wilderness, become familiar with where the Big Dipper is located in the sky. If you draw an arrow through the two stars that make up the lip of this constellation, you’ll come to Polaris, also known as the North Star.

The North Star remains in a constant position in the sky, while the constellations closer to the horizon rise and set, depending on the time of year and your latitude. Know where in the sky the North Star is located, and you’ll always know the direction in which you’re headed when riding on a clear night.

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------------YOURHEALTHYHORSE------------

Joint Care Protect your traveling horse’s joints to enhance and extend his long-term soundness.

By Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD

In flexion tests, your vet will hold the joint in question in a flexed position for 30 to 90 seconds, then will ask you or an assistant to trot your horse for observation. The flexion will usually exaggerate any lameness problems.

R

iding in a trailer can be hard on your horse’s joints, whether you’re going over rough terrain or going at speed on the open highway. Stopping, starting, and turning also impact your traveling horse’s joints.

Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is probably the most common cause of performance-limiting lameness that threatens your horse—which can be exacerbated by trailer travel—so it’s important to protect his joints from damage. Here, we define DJD, explaining how it begins and progresses. Then we give you strategies to prevent DJD and tell you when it’s time to call your veterinarian.

USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO

Joint Anatomy To understand how joints break down, first you need to know a bit about joint anatomy. Here’s a rundown.

The equine joints most susceptible to breakdown are the fetlock, knee, elbow, hock, and stifle. These are known as the synovial joints. The bones that make up these joints are connected by strong ligaments (deep connective tissues) that begin above the joint and end on the bone below it. Ligaments bridge and stabilize the bones inside the joint.

The outermost layer of a joint is the joint capsule, a shell made from connective tissue that encloses the joint and holds the joint fluid (called the synovial fluid). >>

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The next layer is the synovial membrane or synovium. The synovium is a double-layered membrane.

The final layer facing the inside of the joint is very thin and secretes the synovial fluid. The tissues and membranes between the joint capsule and the inner layer of synovium vary from soft and fatty to very dense, depending on how hard the joint is worked.

Joint cartilage, also called articular cartilage or hyaline cartilage, is tough, pliable tissue that lines the ends of bones inside joints, protecting the joints from trauma. This tissue is a network of collagen (protein) fibers and ground substance, composed of water and the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs): chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid (HA), and keratan sulfate.

Chondrocytes (specialized cells) sit inside lacunae (microscopic holes) in the cartilage, and secrete the collagen and ground substance. Cartilage has no nerve or blood supply; it gets its nutrition from the synovial fluid. When your horse moves, fluid in the lacunae is compressed out. As he takes weight off his leg, this fluid rushes back in.

Joint Breakdown DJD (commonly called arthritis) is a process that involves the thinning and eventual erosion of cartilage.

It’s essentially an imbalance between inflammatory processes that break down the cartilage and synovial fluid, and the ability of the chondrocytes to repair and replenish the ground substance.

When your horse exercises, there’s a normal release of “stress” factors called cytokines. At low levels, these can actually stimulate the cartilage cells and synovial lining to produce more GAGs. However, at high levels, cytokines trigger inflammation, which results in the release of destructive enzymes that can actually break down cartilage.

Joints can become inflamed due to uneven weight (or load) distribution. Uneven loads can be caused by conformational faults, obesity, unbalanced trimming and shoeing, and riding over uneven ground, where your horse’s hoof can’t land flat.

Note that the faster you ask your horse to go, the more force is applied to his joints. This increase in force increases his risk for inflammation and the development of DJD. Another cause of joint inflammation is injury-induced trauma. A fall, a kick, and even a severe misstep—all trailering risks—can damage your horse’s ligaments, which can lead to long-term joint instability USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO

A fall, a kick, and even a severe misstep—all trailering risks—can damage your horse’s ligaments, which can lead to long-term joint instability and eventually DJD. Shipping boots can help protect his lower legs. and eventually DJD. Shipping boots can help protect his lower legs.

Your horse’s age also comes into play. Young, growing horses are able to repair cartilage problems by producing new hyaline cartilage, but physically mature horses are not. The number of chondrocytes also decreases as your horse gets older, as does the amount of GAGs in the ground substance. Thus, the risk of developing DJD increases as your horse ages.

Signs of DJD In early DJD, the only change may be a thickening of the synovial membrane and a thinner joint fluid. If the inflammation isn’t arrested, this progresses to softening, grooving, and eventually thinning and erosion of the cartilage surface where it bears weight. Lameness may be mild, so inspect your horse’s joints daily for any signs of heat or swelling.

As the joint cartilage wears and erodes, unhealthy fluid allows the bone edges to come in closer contact that normal. This can lead to irritation and osteophytes (or bone spurs, sharp, bony projections).

As pain progresses, your horse may still not be obviously lame, but you’ll see such signs as tripping (due to a decrease in joint flexion) and a shorter stride than normal. His gaits may feel uneven or stiff. You may notice he’s reluctant to pick up one lead, and/or balks when asked to go up or down hills. Or, he just may be grumpy and generally less enthusiastic about being ridden. >>

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Riding in a trailer can be hard on your horse’s joints, whether you’re going over rough terrain or going at speed on the open highway. Stopping, starting, and turning also impact your traveling horse’s joints.

If your horse has DJD, he’ll likely feel stiff when you first ask him to work, then improve as he warms up. By the time he feels stiff or appears lame all the time, DJD has already reached an advanced stage.

Treat joint issues promptly. If your horse develops joint heat or pain, apply cold hosing or ice intensively to reduce inflammation. If the problem persists for longer than three days, call your veterinarian.

Preventive Strategies

Joint Supplements

To help prevent DJD, take the following steps.

Look for good conformation. If you’re in the market for a horse, find one with well-conformed joints and good balance. Avoid a horse with feet that are small in proportion with his body; a horse’s feet are his shock absorbers.

Exercise your horse regularly. Daily exercise is good for your horse’s joints. It stimulates the chondrocytes, and strengthens the joint capsules and ligaments.

Good muscle tone stabilizes his large joints. If possible, keep your horse outside, where he has room to roam, play, and stretch.

Maintain hoof balance. Work with your farrier to keep your horse’s hooves meticulously balanced. The hoof is your horse’s base of support. If that base is unbalanced, it negatively affects the entire leg, including the joints.

Condition with care. Allow plenty of time when conditioning your horse. His muscles, heart, and lungs will respond to exercise much more quickly than his tendons, ligaments, and joints. He may seem to be handling his work load easily, but in reality, you may be asking too much of him. Work with your veterinarian to design a conditioning schedule appropriate for your horse.

Inspect his joints. Inspect and feel your horse’s joints daily. It doesn’t take long, and you’ll catch joint problems early.

Over-the-counter joint supplements—also called nutraceuticals—are nutrients (natural substances) that are substituted for or used in conjunction with drugs/ pharmaceuticals. Although there’s relatively little scientific proof that joint supplements can prevent DJD, there’s considerably more to suggest they can at least slow it down. And they can help manage joint inflammation in lame horses.

Joint nutraceuticals come in several categories that include the GAGs, avocado-soy unsaponifiables (ASU), manganese (a mineral), and plant/herbal preparations. Here’s a rundown of each category.

• Glycosaminoglycans. The GAGs include chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate or hydrochloride, acetylglucosamine (a metabolite of glucosamine), and HA. Glucosamine is actually the starting point in GAG synthesis. These are usually included as the purified substance, but natural sources, such as Pernal mussel or hydrolyzed collagen, are sometimes used. All have anti-inflammatory effects.

Research has shown that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin works better than either supplement alone.

• Avocado-soy unsaponifiables. ASUs are fatty acids tightly bound to fiber in avocado and soy and extracted in a laboratory. This formula has no anti-inflammatory effects, but may protect cartilage from breakdown. >>

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• Manganese. Manganese is commonly included in joint supplements, and is important in cartilage formation, but this mineral is very rarely deficient.

Copper, zinc, and vitamin C are also important for joint health, but if your horse’s base diet is adequate, there’s no further advantage to adding more.

• Plant/herbal preparations. Plant and herbal pain-relieving, antioxidant/anti-inflammatory ingredients include yucca, devil’s claw, aloe vera, white willow, boswellia, MSM, bromelain, grapeseed extract, and resveratrol.

Selecting a Supplement

PHOTO BY DAVID STOECKLEIN

Allow plenty of time when conditioning your horse. His muscles, heart, and lungs will respond to exercise much more quickly than his tendons, ligaments, and joints.

Selecting a joint supplement among the hundreds on the market today can be a daunting task. To begin, look at the ingredients list. If your horse isn’t showing any particular symptoms, a glucosamine-chondroitin combination, with or without ASU, is a good choice.

If your horse’s joints are inflamed, you’ll likely achieve the most rapid results with an HA gel. Horses with chronic joint problems and stiffness that don’t respond to the usual combinations may benefit from a product that includes devil’s claw, or another ingredient for pain and inflammation. You might need to experiment to find the best product for your horse.

Veterinary Treatments Call your veterinarian any time your horse has joint inflammation that you’re not able to control within three days. Sudden, severe lameness also always warrants a vet call. Keep in mind, though, that DJD smolders more than it flames. If you even suspect than your horse may have DJD, call your vet, so they can start treatment.

Your vet will perform a lameness exam that consists of palpating (feeling) the joints, watching your horse move at a walk and trot, and flexion tests. In flexion tests, your vet will hold the joint in question in a flexed position for 30 to 90 seconds, then will ask you or an assistant to trot your horse for observation. The flexion will usually exaggerate any lameness problems.

If your vet finds a problem area, he or she will likely take radiographs. They might also use other diagnostic methods, such as ultrasound, a bone scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Your vet will then discuss treatment options with you. If your horse’s joint is actively inflamed, they might recommend a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Topical anti-inflammatories, which are USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

applied to the skin around the joints, include DMSO and the NSAID cream SURPASS. Your vet may also recommend a series of joint injections, either systemic (injected into the bloodstream or muscle) or intraarticular (injected directly into the joint).

Other joint treatments include extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein (IRAP) treatment. Here’s a bit about each one.

ESWT. With this therapy, shock waves penetrate the joints, stimulating affected areas. The goal of ESWT is to decrease pain and possibly speed up joint fusion in such areas as the hock’s lower joints, where advanced arthritis leads to bone spurs.

IRAP. Interleukin-1 is an inflammatory cytokine that plays a key role in DJD. This treatment involves collecting blood into a syringe that stimulates the platelets (small blood cells) to produce IRAP. A laboratory concentrates the protein and ships it back to your vet. Your horse will receive one to three injections. The interval between treatments is typically six months to a year. USR Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD, the owner of Equine Nutritional Solutions in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, is one of a handful of experts in the field of applications of nutraceuticals for horses. She’s an authority in the field of equine nutrition, as well as conditions affecting performance horses. Dr. Kellon’s books include Equine Supplements and Nutraceuticals (Breakthrough Publications).

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Summer 2022

------------ TOP TRAINING------------

Trouble-Free Bathing

Teach your horse to relax and enjoy being bathed with this simple approach-and-retreat method from top trainer/clinician Clinton Anderson.

By Clinton Anderson ~ Photos Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

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Summer 2022

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S

ummertime means more baths for your equine friend, both at home and on the road. For some horse owners, giving their horse a bath is a struggle.

The horse runs in a circle and constantly pulls away. Before long, the handler is soaked to the bone with soap suds clinging to their shirt, while the horse is spotlessly dry standing off having a good laugh.

Bathing doesn’t have to be a frustrating experience for you or your horse. If you follow my simple approach-and-retreat method that allows your horse to gain confidence in new experiences, you’ll have him begging to be bathed.

Success tip: Desensitize your horse to bathing after you’ve worked him, when he’s tired, hot, and sweaty. You’ll be amazed at how fast horses will learn to love being hosed off if you do it after a workout.

Prep Tips Prepare your horse for bathing by first desensitizing him to the hose and water, and give him a chance to accept the experience. Don’t tie your horse when desensitizing him.

I can’t stress that enough. Anytime a prey animal, which the horse is, feels trapped and claustrophobic and can’t move his feet, he’ll feel his only other option is to fight (kick, bite, rear, lunge, or strike). Instead, introduce your horse to the hose and water in an open area where there’s plenty of room for him to move his feet.

A 50-foot round pen is a perfect place to get started. Any sort of open space is what you’re looking for. You don’t want to be worried about your horse ramming you against a wall or panicking and

pulling back against whatever he’s tied to. Round pens are ideal places to work because they allow the horse to move, but you don’t need 300 feet of hose to stay with him.

Wherever you decide to work with your horse, be sure that the hose is plenty long so that you can follow him if he does move.

Don’t desensitize your horse to bathing in a wash rack or on concrete. Wash racks make a horse feel claustrophobic, and concrete, when wet, can get slippery and dangerous. If your horse is frightened, his only option is to pull back against the halter and lead rope which could give him a serious neck injury.

Start out by desensitizing the air space around your horse. Start by spraying the ground around your horse’s back feet at a point he’s comfortable with.

Step-by-Step Technique Now, here’s my simple approach-and-retreat method to trouble-free bathing.

Step 1. Stand by his shoulder.

Stand by your horse’s shoulder at a 45 degree angle. If your horse should strike, you’re too far to the side to get hit. Or, if he should kick at you, you’re too far forward to be reached. Then tip your horse’s head so that his eyes are focused on you and you have his attention.

Keep the water next to your horse.

Follow him with the hose wherever he goes until he stands still and relaxes, then take the water away. gradually work your way closer to his body. If he wants to move away from water being sprayed next to his feet, let him, but don’t take the water away.

Step 2. Desensitize the air space.

Step 3. Follow him with the hose.

Start out by desensitizing the air space around your horse. The last thing you want to do is spray him with water right away. Start by spraying the ground around the horse’s back feet. If your horse can’t tolerate the water next to his feet, there’s no way he’ll accept it on his body. You might have to start by spraying the ground four feet away from him. Find a starting point that your horse is comfortable with, and

Keep the water next to your horse.

Follow him wherever he goes with the hose until he stands still and relaxes. If you take the water away from him when he’s moving away from you, you’ll only reinforce his wrong behavior.

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Step 4. Reward relaxation.

When your horse relaxes, he’ll lick his lips, cock a hind leg, take a deep breath, blink his eyes, lower his >> Summer 2022

water in the middle of his back, then work your way down his hindquarters and up his neck.

Stay away from his head until his body is reasonably comfortable.

Approach with the water, and keep it in the middle of his back until he relaxes. As soon as he relaxes, take the water away, and then begin the process again.

When your horse is comfortable around the water, spray the middle of his back, then work your way down his hindquarters and up his neck.

Step 7. Move to his back legs.

When your horse accepts water being sprayed on his body, move on to his back legs. A lot of horses will be defensive about water touching their lower legs at first, but the higher up you go, the less defensive they’ll be. Remember, if you take the water away when your horse moves, you’ll teach him that to escape the water all he has to do is run from it.

Step 8. Move to his front legs.

When introducing water to your horse’s face, turn down the water pressure, lay the hose flat against his cheek, and let the water run down the side of his face.

From the back legs, move the hose and water to your horse’s front legs, starting at the shoulder then moving down.

head and neck, or stand still for at least 15 seconds. Once he shows signs of relaxing, retreat and take the water away.

Repeat the whole process again until your horse is completely comfortable with the water and doesn’t try to move away from it. You basically want to be able to spray water 360 degrees around him before you even think about touching his body with the water.

Switch sides and start to desensitize your horse’s other side to the water. Note that when you switch sides of a horse, you switch brains.

Each side of the horse thinks independently from the other, so when you introduce something new to your horse, you have to treat each side as though you’re dealing with a completely different horse. Whatever you do on one side, do on the other. Standing at your horse’s shoulder, repeat Steps 2-8 on his other side.

Step 6. Spray your horse.

Step 10. Move to his head.

When your horse is comfortable around the water, start spraying

When your horse is comfortable being sprayed on his body, you

Step 5. Repeat the process.

can move to his head. When you do, don’t stand back and just spray him. Always give him the chance to accept new experiences. Horses aren’t necessarily worried about having water on their faces; they’re really worried about getting water in their ears.

When introducing water to your horse’s face, turn the pressure down on the hose to make it easier for him to accept it. Start out by laying the hose flat against his cheek, and let the water run down the side of his face. Then position the hose in the middle of his face and let the water run down. If he moves or lifts his head, keep the hose on his face and just follow him. Use the same approach-and-retreat method as before. Once he stands still and relaxes as the water runs down his face, retreat. When he’s comfortable with low water pressure, you can gradually turn it up. USR

Step 9. Switch sides.

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Clinton Anderson grew up in Queensland, Australia, learning to ride as a teenager and training with many of his country’s top horsemen. In 1997, he relocated to the United States to perfect his Downunder Horsemanship program. Under Anderson’s guidance, horses learn to respect and respond to their handlers, developing willing partnerships. To learn more about Downunder Horsemanship, Clinton Anderson Walkabout Tours, and more, visit www.downunderhorsemanship.com.

Summer 2022

------------ GETAWAYS ------------

Heart of the Rockies

Colorado’s Winding River Resort offers serene rides through endless forests of aspen and evergreens.

Article and Photos by Kent & Charlene Krone For horse-owning adventurers, Winding River Resort in north-central Colorado is an equestrian paradise.

Here, resort wrangler Marcia Dickerson crosses the North Fork of the Colorado River.

D

eep in the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains lies the Winding River Resort. Located in north-central Colorado outside the historic mountain town of Grand Lake, this scenic haven sits along the North Fork of the Colorado River, and borders Rocky Mountain National Park and Arapaho National Forest.

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Arapaho National Forest is managed jointly with the Roosevelt National Forest and the Pawnee National Grassland. Together, they’re known as ARP and comprise 1,730,603 acres.

Rocky Mountain National Park comprises 265,761 acres that provide varied terrain, including wooded forests, mountain tundra, and the Summer 2022

>>

Continental Divide. It also contains the headwaters of the famed Colorado River. Approximately 349 miles of trails are in the park; horses are allowed on roughly 80 percent of them.

Note: The 2020 East Troublesome Fire created some unstable areas in this region. Check the websites before you go, and ask resort wranglers for current trail information.

Long Peak, at 14,256 feet elevation, is the highest peak in the park. It was named after Stephen Long, who visited the area in 1820. However, Enos Mills was the man ultimately responsible for the national park designation. A naturalist, writer, and conservationist, Mills lobbied for legislation to make this region a national park. His vision became a reality under President Woodrow Wilson in 1915.

Equestrian Paradise For horse-owning adventurers, Winding River Resort is an equestrian paradise. Owned by Wes and Marcia House, the resort boasts 150 spacious recreational-vehicle sites, 24 corrals for guest horses, lodge rooms, tent sites, and cabins. Showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities are also onsite.

Wes has a Tennessee Walking Horse; Marcia owns a Missouri Fox Trotter. Thirty-five gentle horses and a baby-animal farm are also on the premises. Children are encouraged to pet and help feed the baby animals.

We pulled our living-quarters trailer into an RV site with two corrals. Nate and Cowboy, our Missouri Fox Trotter geldings, seemed pleased at the size of their accommodations.

From the flower-filled entryway to the modern bathhouse, Winding River is immaculately maintained. Our stay here was a comfortable, happy experience.

Arapaho National Forest Ride in any direction from Winding River, and you’ll find gorgeous country to explore. Wes will also rent you a six-horse, bumper-pull trailer to access farther-flung trailheads. Before you set out on the trails, pick up a map from the resort’s gift shop.

If your horse tends to be spooky, take note: Backpackers frequently use llamas as pack stock. In addition to the backcountry horse campgrounds, there are three campgrounds dedicated solely to campers with llamas. >> USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

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Top to bottom: The Krones’ living-quarters trailer at one of Winding River Resort’s spacious recreational vehicle sites. The Krones’ Missouri Fox Trotter geldings, Nate and Cowboy, relaxing in their corrals, which were conveniently located near the Krones’ campsite.

The view of the camping area from the trail going west into the Arapaho National Forest.

Summer 2022

We went on three different rides from our camp at Winding River Resort. First, we went on a small, exploratory loop ride into Arapaho National Forest, which borders the resort. To do this loop, go past the snowmobile rental shed, through a gate, and take the immediate first right. The trail winds uphill and passes by numerous slash piles.

Sadly, portions of this area have been hard hit by beetle kill. To aid recovery, dead trees have been cut down and piled; they’re burned as conditions allow.

This loop will take you to long-distance viewing points. It then intersects with the incoming trail; you head back the way you came in. Depending on the time of year, you may see lots of sweet wild raspberries.

If you want to continue riding on this side of camp, follow the all-terrain-vehicle trails that head up the hill and branch off in various directions. You can do large loop rides and figure-eight loops.

Big Meadows For our second adventure, we did the Big Meadows loop ride in Rocky Mountain National Park. To get to this trailhead, exit the Winding River campground, turn right at the Rocky Mountain National Park sign, and cross the bridge. At the three-way split, stay to the right, and look for the Kawuneeche Visitor Center.

Stay to the right of the visitor center, and ride past it. Within a half mile or so, you’ll come to an intersection. Go left to get to Big Meadows. If you turn right, you’ll head down to Grand Lake.

Nate and Cowboy thought this was a pleasant, easy trail. The 700-foot elevation gain to the meadows was a gradual incline on a mostly soft, shaded trail.

Arriving at Big Meadows, we saw where the word “Big” came from. The meadows are huge! They’re about two miles long and one mile wide, much like an expansive, emerald sea hidden in the mountains.

Lush, green grass swayed in the wind. In the distance, Nakai Peak, at 12,216 feet above sea level, stretched skyward.

There’s a hitching post here, but we didn’t use it. Nate and Cowboy have trained us to hobbles! If there’s good grass, we hobble them, so we can all enjoy lunching together.

After Big Meadows, five miles remain on the loop back to Winding River. We left the meadows on the Green Mountain Trail, traveling mostly downhill.

At the bottom, cross the highway, go about a half- >>

Top to bottom: Charlene Krone, aboard Nate, enters Big Meadows while following Tonahutu Creek. Kent Krone rides Cowboy up North Inlet Creek toward Cascade Falls. Charlene Krone along the North Fork of the Colorado River on the return trip from Big Meadows.

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Summer 2022

mile to a junction, and veer right. Instead of a roadside trail, this trail follows the Colorado River and will lead back to the resort.

One joy of trail riding is viewing wildlife in a natural setting. This last portion of trail gave us two special glimpses of animals in their natural environment.

Our first thrill was a beautiful chocolate-colored moose. We stopped along the trail to watch him raise up his large head from the river where he was browsing for underwater foliage. The moose didn’t bother our boys. Nate and Cowboy thought he was a very large horse with a strange-looking head!

We then watched two geese shepherding their newly hatched babies—tiny balls of animated fluff—up river. The parents used their bodies to keep the tiny ones from getting separated and swept downstream.

Cascade Falls On our last ride into the park, we rode seven miles to Cascade Falls. Begin this ride as though you were going to Big Meadows. However, after the visitor center, turn right at the intersection instead of left.

This will take you to the Tonahutu/North Inlet Trailheads. You’ll see two parking lots separated by a bridge. Turn left at the first parking lot. This puts you on the North Inlet trail; Cascade Falls is approximately five miles up.

Pastoral landscapes line the first mile or so of an old trail/road that winds through private property. A wooden rail fence encloses a matched pair of gorgeous dappled-gray Percherons. We stopped to admire them.

A small cabin marked the end of private land. The trail began to wind and climb up along a mountainside. Cliffs were festooned with greenery and boulders of golden hues.

Beware! Before the falls, the trail narrows, and there are sheer drop-offs. Not a place to meet backpackers coming the other way!

A low, rumbling growl signals the falls are nearby.

An intersection with a stock trail to the left loops back to the falls. Friends had advised us to go no farther, so we walked from there to admire the falls tumbling down over the rocks. USR Top to bottom: Charlene Krone rounds a bend as she nears Cascade Falls. Cascade Falls, located at the end of a 7-mile ride from Winding River Resort. The sun sets over the heart of the Rockies.

Seasoned equestrian travelers Kent and Charlene Krone combine their interest in photojournalism with a passion for horses. They enjoy sharing their horseback adventures and equestrian-travel tips with fellow enthusiasts.

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Summer 2022

------------ USRIDERMEMBERSTORY------------

Honeymoon Breakdown

These equestrian adventurers became stranded roadside an hour from their honeymoon destination. Read on for their story.

By Jennifer McRae My husband, Neal, and I were expecting a grand adventure as part of our honeymoon, but we had no idea what lay in store for us and how grateful we would be for USRider.

On the day after our wedding, a Sunday, we left central North Carolina with our Quarter Horse gelding, Max, and molly mule, Sally, in tow. We were headed to Tennessee’s Big South Fork Recreation Area, where we had rented a secluded cabin outside the park. We couldn’t wait to spend a week exploring the area from horseback.

Engine Trouble The drive had gone smoothly until, without warning, our diesel truck just shut off and wouldn’t start again.

The last major town we had gone through was Knoxville, Tennessee, which was one hour southeast of us; our final destination was still one hour west of us.

My husband is a talented mechanic, but whatever was wrong with our truck wasn’t something that was going to be fixed on the side of the road. Our secluded honeymoon location was suddenly presenting a really big problem in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday evening.

How were we going to find a service station in an area we had no familiarity with? If we did find one, how would we know they could work on a diesel truck if they weren’t going to open until the next day? And how would we get there? What were we going to do with the horses? Where would we stay?

Calling USRider Just at the moment when real panic should have been setting in, I was picking up the phone and calling USRider.

Working with the USRider representative, we were able to locate a service shop in Knoxville equipped to work on our vehicle, as well as a wrecker service to come tow both our truck and trailer.

USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

PHOTO BY JENNIFER MCCRAE

“I couldn’t believe we were able to even find such service that day, much less that it was covered fully by my USRider membership.” writes USRider Member Jennifer McCrae.

The wrecker service out of the Knoxville area was able to easily find us on a country state road in a surprisingly reasonable amount of time. They brought with them a rollback wrecker to take our truck to a dealership service shop in Knoxville, as well as a wheel lift truck to tow me, my husband, and our two mounts the remaining hour to our cabin rental location.

The driving skills of the wrecker were greatly appreciated as he navigated the Big South Fork River gorge with our trailer and most precious cargo inside. We also experienced wonderful hospitality and genuine care as our driver stopped at a convenience store to allow us to purchase a few supplies and remained friendly as we picked through the back roads of Tennessee to our secluded cabin site.

I couldn’t believe we were able to even find such service that day, much less that it was covered fully by my USRider membership. USR >>

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Summer 2022

Don't Give Flies A Chance!

Stay Practically Fly Free... One Way Or The Other

Fly Predators

®

Stop Flies Before They Emerge

Bye Bye Insects

TM

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They’re the easy-to-use natural alternative to spraying gallons of pesticides, only to have the flies keep coming back.

Our goal was to create the best fly repellent of any kind, but retain the benefits of Essential Oils. In the past, Essential Oils never kept up with synthetic chemicals.

Now Bye Bye Insects does.

Bye Bye Insects' active ingredients And flies will keep include Geraniol, coming back because Rosemary, Citronella, sprays (even ours), traps and “This will be my eleventh summer using Fly Predators. I could Peppermint and bait only affect the adult fly sure tell they helped with my fly problems right away, and it gets stage, ignoring the other 85% better each year too. I have clinics here in the summer and often Lemongrass. All yet to emerge. By comparison, get asked why I don’t have a lot of flies. I tell them it’s because I ingredients meet EPA’s use Fly Predators. I like the job Fly Predators are doing for me.” 25(b) Minimum Risk Fly Predators stop those future —Lari Dee Guy Abilene, TX Multiple Time WPRA Champion; requirements. flies, Cowboy Hall of Fame, Clinician; Founder: Rope Like A Girl really fixing Smells Great Too your fly problem. There’s no down Besides great performance, Bye Bye side as Fly Predators do not bother Insects also smells and feels terrific. people or animals.

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1-866-404-6021 • ad code zkpfy • spalding-labs.com/zkpfy Fly Predators, Bye Bye Insects and The Little Bugs That Do A Big Job are trademarks of Spalding Laboratories, Inc. Copyright© 2022 Spalding Laboratories, PO Box 778000 Henderson NV 89077-8000 All rights reserved.

------------ROADGEAR------------

Trailering Essentials Essential Travel Solutions

Safe-Tie Clip Make tying your horse a snap with The Clip™ from Smart Tie Products. The Clip is designed to help safely tie horses that tend to pull back or panic when tied. The unique design provides resistance while allowing a release of pressure, so that a panicking horse can calm down while remaining safely tied. The company’s Travel Pack bundles together two Clips, two short TetherRings, and two long TetherRings so you’ll be ready to set out for a show or equestrian adventure.

Wash Caddy

Goodnight Trailering Video

Store your horse’s bath-time accessories and products in one convenient place at home and on the road with this sturdy Wash Caddy from Zymöl.

Bonus: Purchase this handy caddy, and you’ll contribute to a good cause. Zymöl will donate five percent of the purchase price to Susan G. Komen®, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breast cancer research and helping people receive the care they need.

Top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight’s full-length trailering video, From the Ground Up: Stress-Free Trailering, will help ease hauling to smooth your equestrian adventures.

Goodnight gives you the knowledge you need to be safe and confident on the road. Learn how to select a trailer, then learn driving techniques.

Goodnight also shows you her effective trailer-loading training method. (Training flag extra.) The video is available as a DVD and to stream online.

Bedding Alternative Airlite animal bedding offers a cleaner, more economical alternative to traditional trailer and stall bedding. The bedding, made from 100 percent new cardboard, doesn’t break down when trampled and doesn’t aerosolize like shavings, pellets, or straw.

The dust-free, absorbent material pulls ammonia out of the atmosphere and is more durable than shavings. In your trailer, Airlite bedding can eliminate about half of the breathable dust, according to the manufacturer. The bedding composts to pH-neutral mulch in four to six weeks.

USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion

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Summer 2022

OnDemand.HorseandRider.com

Sign up r o f y a d to E E R F r yo u t r i al !

NEW SERIES!

Barrel Racing Fundamentals with Shali Lord Rider Fitness with

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PLUS: More Insights with Bud Lyon and Brad Barkemeyer

Benefits of Membership

Being an insider has its benefits. When you sign up for Horse&Rider OnDemand, you’ll receive the following perks. Weekly video releases from Brad Barkemeyer and Bud Lyon. Access to a video library pre-stocked with more than 80 clips to help with all aspects of horsemanship. A year subscription to Horse&Rider magazine. Free access to digital back issues of Horse&Rider magazine. Members-only content and offers. Plus much more!

START YOUR FREE TRIAL NOW at OnDemand.HorseandRider.com

------------ USRIDERBENEFITS------------

How Does USRider® Compare?

USRider® Equestrian Motor Plan is the premier equestrian roadside-assistance program in the industry. Your membership includes roadside-assistance coverage in any vehicle you’re traveling in (even if you’re not driving), as well as coverage for your horse trailer, whether or not your horse is on board.

In addition, your USRider membership provides an extensive package of discounts on equine-related goods and services, regular equine-travel and safety information, and insurance products.

USRider offers two levels of membership: Classic and Premier. (For plan details, go to usrider.org.) Here’s a handy chart showing how USRider compares with other roadside-assistance plans.

Your USRider roadside-assistance benefits are in full force even when you’re not traveling with your horse and no matter what vehicle you’re traveling in.

USRider

USRider

Classic

Premier

Locksmith

$100

Unlimited

Battery assistance

$250

Unlimited

How does USRIDER compare?

Your roadside assistance benefits are in full force even when you are not traveling with your horses.

NO MATTER WHAT VEHICLE YOU ARE TRAVELING IN – EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT DRIVING – WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.

Typical Motor Plan

RV Motor Plan

Towing

Enhanced or Plus Motor Plan

100 Miles*

Unlimited**

Roadside Service: Flat Tire Assistance, Jumpstarts, Fuel Delivery

$250

$400

Winch-Out

$250

$400

Coverage on Dual-Wheeled Vehicles Horse-Trailer Service and Towing Emergency Stabling, Veterinary, and Farrier Referrals $5,000 Theft Reward for Tow Vehicle and Trailer Winner’s Circle Advantage Discounts One FREE Associate Emergency Disablement Expense Reimbursement 24-Hour Concierge Service * $400 max benefit. ** To the nearest ASE Mechanic or Dealership; otherwise $600 max benefit.

Coverage amounts do not include cost of parts or fluids. USRider does not cover Commercial Haulers.

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Summer 2022

TRAIN WITH THE PROS Training with the top equine professionals has never been easier. Equine Network’s subscription video platforms are home to top-quality videos on the topics that interest you.

From horse care to colt starting, dressage to roping—our video platforms make it easy to learn from the best in the business anytime, anywhere.

Download and start streaming from your smart devices for FREE today!

Click on the brand to start your FREE trial.

------------HANDYCHECKLIST------------

Fuel-Saving Tips

Here’s a checklist of fuel-saving tips to help you keep costs down as you continue to enjoy your equine pursuits.

■ Think small. Drive a smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicle when you’re not towing. Don’t use your tow vehicle as a passenger car.

■ Buy new. Newer models have better fuel economy than ever before.

■ Go electric. Consider a full-size electric truck, such as the Ford Lightning.

■ Maintain your tow vehicle.

Work with a professional mechanic to keep your vehicle in top shape. Keep your engine properly tuned. Repairs can go a long way; replacing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve fuel mileage as much as 40 percent.

■ Keep tires properly inflated.

Check tire pressure regularly to maintain optimum air pressure and to make sure the wheels are in alignment to prevent tires from dragging. Don’t forget to check your trailer tires.

PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO

■ Keep track of your fuel economy. A drop in your car’s fuel economy can be a sign that your vehicle needs work. Regularly check and replace air filters; replacing a clogged air

filter can improve a vehicle’s fuel mileage by as much as 10 percent.

■ Use the recommended grade of motor oil. Check your vehicle’s owner’s manual to see the lowest grade you can use. A grade that’s lower or higher than necessary can lower your fuel mileage. Also, look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.

PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO

■ Plan your route in advance.

Find the shortest, easiest route to enhance your mileage. Avoid heavy traffic by taking alternate routes and by traveling at nonpeak hours.

■ Drive gently. Avoid aggressive driving, and observe the speed limit. Fuel mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 miles per hour.

■ Stop with care. When stopping, take your foot off the gas pedal and coast, then gently brake to a stop. When you see a red light, slow down to give it time to turn green, so you don’t have to come to a complete stop. Don’t

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make jackrabbit starts; it wastes fuel and is hard your horse.

■ Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Vehicles with large engines (pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles) typically waste more fuel at idle than vehicles with small engines.

■ Use cruise control. It will help you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save fuel. Caveat: Don’t use cruise control if you’re tired or fatigued. In fact, if you’re hampered in any way, you shouldn’t be trailering horses.

■ Use overdrive gears. Overdrive typically causes the engine speed to decrease. This saves fuel and reduces engine wear.

■ Use high gears. High gears achieve the lowest engine RPMs, or how many times the engine will rotate in one minute. This will generate adequate power to maintain road speed with a given load.

■ Get the “junk out of the trunk.” Remove unnecessary weight from your tow vehicle and trailer.

■ Double up. Ask a buddy (or buddies) to go with you to your equestrian destination and split the fuel cost.

■ Park in the shade. Keeping your car as cool as possible in the summer will minimize fuel evaporation.

— By Lauren Back

Summer 2022