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CONTENTS •
In This Issue SPECIAL FEATURES
HORSE HEALTH
30 Design a Barn that Works for You
12 Introduction to Equine Thermography
A well-designed barn reduces chores and maintenance, and gives horses a healthy, comfortable home.
44 The Best Horse Fence for Your Property Plan for a safe, functional fence that will enhance property value and provide years of service.
54 New & Noteworthy Products
page
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PHOTO: ©SHUTTERSTOCK/LINDA GEORGE
Two new books, and a collection of products available in Canada from horse industry businesses around the world.
Thermography can detect asymmetrical thermal patterns of heat indicating inflammation in the horse’s body.
18 Proposed National Strategy for EIA Control The CFIA wants feedback from horse owners, riders, facility and competition operators, and anyone with a stake in the equine industry.
22 Grazing Muzzles This simple device can play a pivotal role in equine nutrition by reducing a horse’s pasture intake.
26 Equine Foundation of Canada A small charitable organization that generates big achievements for the health and welfare of Canada’s horses.
MAY 2015
Departments 3 To Subscribe 6 Editorial, Letters 8-10 The Hoofbeat 52 Horse Council BC News BC Heritage Circuit & BC Summer Games 63 Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association News Celebrating 35 Years 57 Country Homes & Acreages
EquiNetwork 66-67 Hitchin’ Post, Horses for Sale 67 Index to Advertisers 68 Roundup
page
PHOTO: ©SUYERRY/DREAMSTIMECOM
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www.HORSEJournals.com •• May 2015 www.HORSEJournals.com July 2013
NO FLY ZONE GREENHAWK’S
E VENT
proud
ly Canadian Insta
May 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal
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THE HOOFBEAT
Soldiering Across Canada Ride with veterans, for veterans, will raise awareness BY MARGARET EVANS
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PAUL AND TERRY NICHOLS
Paul Nichols starts the Communities for Veterans ride as he leaves the BC Legislature Building in Victoria.
A few years ago, when Canadian Armed Forces veteran Paul Nichols was away on a business trip, he visited a little store to buy a necklace for his wife, Terry. On his jacket was a Regimental crest. Curious, the lady serving him asked if he was in the Canadian military. He said he had served in the past. She stared at him then told him her story. She had survived the almost four-year Siege of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the former Yugoslavia. Along with others, she lived for two years in an underground parking lot. Every time she crept out looking for food and water, she faced sniper and machine gun fire. They were shelled almost every night. But it was the Canadian troops who had rescued her.
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www.HORSEJournals.com • May 2015
Paul told her that he had served in Yugoslavia in 1993 when he was with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. She burst into tears and hugged him, still grateful for the service of the Canadian soldiers. Paul was profoundly moved, as were the people lined up behind him — their eyes filled with tears. That haunting moment lingered and he realized the powerful depths of a heartfelt story. He wondered, could a story help heal and make a difference to both a victim and a veteran? At home, he shared the incident with Terry. From it was born a vision to invite veterans and those in military service to ride across Canada, visit communities, share stories, and heighten awareness of the contributions military people have made and the special needs they face as they transition to civilian life. “Paul was on tour in Yugoslavia and he said it was a very busy tour,” said Terry. “There was a lot going on. There was no peace to keep. It was pretty disastrous. He wasn’t injured, but he was definitely affected and came back a different person. He was in his 20s. We were married but had no children then.” Horses became central to their lives in Quesnel where Terry is a therapeutic riding instructor. So the idea of riding across Canada with past and present military members was a natural fit for this veteran and his wife. To get started, they launched Communities for Veterans Foundation. The ride has been in the planning stages for nine months and, on April 13, it started out at the British Columbia Legislature Building in Victoria, BC. They expect to take some 200 days to ride (and in some places trailer) across Canada and arrive in Newfoundland in late October. So far, they have 160 registered riders and expect to sign about 700. Soldiers and veterans will sign up to ride for a few hours or a full day. Terry is providing some riding instruction for those who need or want it prior to getting mounted. One of the challenges is to match each rider with the most suitable horse. “Right now we have the horses for most of BC,” she said. “We have our own horses and we have free lease horses. But sometimes a really great horse isn’t the best horse for the rider, so we’re trying to match the best horse for each rider. We need athletic horses with stamina and in good physically strong condition. But we need horses with a gentle mind, good ground manners. They are difficult to find but they are out there. We’ll be looking for remounts as we go across Canada.” Terry added that the event is pretty exciting for the owners Paul, his wife Terry, and their daughter Kirsten (all in beige shirts and Stetsons) pose with well-wishers from the Vancouver Police Department Mounted Unit.
of loaned horses. The animals become celebrities along with their riders. But behind the fun is some serious, ongoing organization and coordination. There are people taking care of administration, public relations, route planning, and a horse person (their daughter Kirsten) taking caring of the horses. “We have our core group that will travel together across Canada in RVs equipped with portable offices,” she said. Any veteran or serving member can sign up and apply to ride by going to the ride’s website www.communitiesforveterans.com and clicking on the link “Riders Needed.” “Everyone who rides with us shares a story,” emphasized Terry. “We want to hear what their experiences have been and what they want the Canadian public to know about the military and the transition back to civilian life. We want it to be more about communities and support.” Due to logistics, safety and liability, the ride is not for civilians but people can be involved by organizing a fundraising event or an activity that highlights and celebrates our Canadian military. Getting this ride across the country is no small task but people are stepping up to offer help every day. “People are helping with ideas for a route or we will get calls to be invited for lunch, etc.,” said Terry. “Everything is happening organically right now.” Still, the ride organizers need and appreciate donations, sponsorships, and community support. Information is posted
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL AND TERRY NICHOLS
THE HOOFBEAT
daily on their Facebook page (Communities for Veterans, The Ride Across Canada Foundation). Donations in excess of their expenses will be given to organizations that support veterans. For Paul, that moment in the store shone a light on Canada’s veterans and soldiers who live quietly among us, their stories unknown, unheard. Paul and Terry hope that this ride will illuminate the power and purpose of those stories and the special eternal place we hold in our hearts for our soldiers.
The Vancouver Police Department Mounted Unit accompanies riders through Stanley Park as CBC records the event.
To learn when the Ride will be in or near your community, for more information and a contact email visit: www.communitiesforveterans.com.
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May 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal
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PHOTO: ©CLAIRFULTON/DREAMSTIME.COM
HORSE HEALTH
INTRODUCTION TO
Equine Thermography BY TOBY LUKIWSKI, FLASHPOINT THERMOGRAPHY As an equine thermographer, I tend to draw a bit of a crowd during an imaging session while people peek over my shoulder to get a look at the array of colours on my camera screen. Most people think equine thermography is a new modality in the equine industry, but it has been around since the early 1970s, used mainly as a screening tool at racetracks.
What is equine thermography? Infrared thermography is the science of acquisition and analysis of thermal information using noninvasive imaging equipment and software to detect minute differences in a horse’s thermal and neural condition. When an injury is in the acute stages of inflammation, 12
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thermal imaging works by detecting the heat generated by inflammation, which allows direct visualization and measurement of areas of concern, allowing thermographers to quickly and efficiently identify trauma in an injured animal.
How does equine thermography differ from other diagnostic modalities? The major difference between equine thermography and traditional diagnostics such as ultrasound is that one is physiologic and the other is anatomic. An anatomic diagnostic modality will show a specific lesion or problem in anatomic structure. For example, an
PHOTO: ©CLAIRFULTON/DREAMSTIME.COM
above: Equine thermography has been in use as a screening tool at racetracks since the early 1970s. facing page: As a preventative diagnostic modality, thermography can detect micro-damage to structures up to three weeks before a horse will show clinical signs of lameness, allowing training to be modified and healing to take place. ultrasound will show the degree of damage in a tendon or ligament injury. A physiologic modality such as thermal imaging cannot show a specific anatomic lesion, but does show a physiologic change in blood flow that helps localize a lesion and more easily show changes over time. For example, thermography will show whether the tendon or ligament injury is causing inflammation. Thermography is a most effective preventative diagnostic modality due to its ability to identify asymmetrical thermal patterns of heat indicative of inflammation in the horse’s body. Thermography has been proven to detect damage to structures up to three weeks before a horse will show clinical signs of lameness. Before a structure such as a tendon or ligament actually “breaks down,” it goes through a degree of accumulative damage. This weakens the structure without the horse being actively lame, and while training with this micro-damage the horse is much more
Ringbone along the left pastern in a thoroughbred racehorse. May 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal
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PHOTO: ©CANSTOCKPHOTO/MAGGY
HORSE HEALTH
Proposed National Strategy for EIA Control The CFIA Wants to Hear From You BY MARGARET EVANS Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a potentially fatal viral disease that affects all members of the equine family – horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, and zebras. The disease, which is also known as swamp fever, is worldwide and was first detected in Canada in Manitoba in 1881. It is transmitted almost exclusively through blood or blood products, and infected equines are the source of all new infections. Symptoms may include anorexia and weight loss, depression, weakness, intermittent fever up to 41 degrees C, jaundice, small hemorrhages under the tongue and the eye, and swelling of the extremities. Sometimes a loss of co-ordination may be the only sign. The EIA virus is a relative of the human AIDS virus. Clinical signs may give an indication of EIA but a Coggins 18
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blood test is needed to properly confirm the diagnosis. While EIA poses no threat to people, it is catastrophic for equines, and it is essentially untreatable. There is no vaccine and no cure. Animals remain carriers of the virus for life and they inadvertently transmit it to other animals through the movement of large biting insects such as horse flies or deer flies looking for a blood meal. EIA can be transmitted through the semen of an infected stallion and a foal can be infected before birth. It can also be transmitted through contaminated needles or blood transfusions. The virus has the ability to mutate and evade the host’s immune response. A horse may appear to recover from an infection only to have the symptoms return. Options for management are euthanasia or a permanent and secure form of quarantine. Extreme
isolation for a herd animal brings its own level of stress and anxiety. Owners need to look realistically at the quality of life of the contained, isolated horse and whether it is an appropriate fit for the stricken animal. EIA is monitored by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and it is a reportable disease under the federal Health of Animals Act. Currently, their monitoring program has two components. The first is for horse owners to voluntarily pay to have their horses checked. The second is a CFIA mandated response when a horse is diagnosed. It may enforce a level of quarantine, order euthanization (in which case there is compensation for the owner) and order testing of other horses that may have been exposed including those of the owner, the neighbour’s horses, and other horses the infected one may have come in contact with within the past 30 days. But the program has challenges. Testing and reduction of positive cases has been successful in eastern Canada but less so in western Canada. That is because there are many more untested and unmonitored populations of horses in the west (including wild or semi-wild herds) that could be suspected reservoirs of the virus. Therefore, the risk of horses being infected with EIA is higher in western Canada (i.e., west of the Manitoba/Ontario border) than east of that boundary. CFIA is proposing changes, and in February the agency released its report Proposed Risk Management Strategy for EIA Control in Canada. It is seeking feedback from stakeholders in the equine industry on its suggested game plan.
To protect horses in eastern Canada and to step up the monitoring and control of disease in horses in the west, the agency is proposing that all provinces west of the Manitoba/Ontario border be designated as a primary geographical zone for EIA and that an EIA testing requirement for all horses moving east across the interprovincial border be implemented. According to their report, the reason for selecting this point in Canada is based on the relatively high number of EIA cases that have been identified in British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Alberta, and Saskatchewan as well as the logistics of travelling from western to eastern Canada. There is only one principle road which crosses the Manitoba/Ontario border, and this site has been used as a data collection point for livestock shipments in the past. The report said that the logistics of putting a primary zone and movement controls in place will require significant development and assistance from stakeholders. “In recent years, we are not aware of any positive tested equine east of the Manitoba/Ontario border,” said Bill desBarres, chair, Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada. “However, we are aware [there is] evidence that [the number of] positive tested horses located west of that border is increasing in number and geographic locations each year. The market demand for horses from west to east is steadily increasing. Are we prepared to depend on the integrity of venders, custodians, or transporters to protect our Canadian herd from coast to coast to coast, or should the industry become more involved with government to
facing page: Horses infected with EIA transmit the disease to other animals through the movement of biting insects such as horse flies, deer flies, and horn flies. The disease can also be transmitted through contaminated needles or blood transfusions, and the semen of infected stallions. There is no vaccine or cure, and infected animals remain carriers for life.
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HORSE HEALTH
When Pasture is Too Much of a Good Thing
DR. TANIA CUBITT & DR. STEPHEN DUREN
T
he horse has evolved as a grazing animal, hence, pasture plays a pivotal role in equine nutrition. Reported intakes of fresh pasture by horses can range from 1.5 to 5.2 percent of body weight per day. With such a large intake of pasture possible, can horses overconsume? What components of pasture grass can cause problems if taken in at excessive levels?
, What s in the grass?
Pasture has been implicated in the onset of several metabolic disorders in horses. During photosynthesis, green plants ‘fix’ atmospheric carbon dioxide in the presence of light, resulting in the production of simple sugars. When sugars are produced in excess of the energy requirement of the plant for growth and development, they are converted into storage, or reserve carbohydrates. These carbohydrates make up the non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) fraction of the plant. These non-structural carbohydrates follow a seasonal pattern with highest values in spring compared to summer and winter, and intermediate values in the autumn. The overconsumption of non-structural carbohydrates by grazing horses have been implicated in disorders including insulin resistance and laminitis.
Excess grass consumption and obesity
In addition to non-structural carbohydrates causing metabolic issues, the sheer overconsumption of pasture grass can cause obesity in horses. Obesity can result in further problems with insulin sensitivity as body fat mass increases. All of these overweight conditions result in a cascade of problems that at the very least leave your horse fat and intolerant of exercise, to far more severe conditions such as insulin insensitivity and laminitis. It has been reported that excessive pasture intake accounts for nearly 50 percent of all reported cases of laminitis. Obesity, therefore must be corrected. 22
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First step is calorie control
The first step in any weight reduction program is calorie control. Elimination of all grain from the diet is a logical step for overweight horses. A low intake vitamin and mineral supplement pellet should be added to the diet as a means of supplying key nutrients to the horse without excess calories. Another key to success is limiting or eliminating access to pasture. Pasture grazing represents an unregulated source of calories that cannot be easily quantified. It is therefore necessary to limit pasture access until weight loss has been achieved.
How grazing muzzles work
Physical prevention of excessive pasture intake by horses can be achieved using grazing muzzles, which are commonly recommended for controlling grass intake in overweight and laminitis prone horses and ponies. The use of grazing muzzles reduces bite size and restricts intake to the tops of leaves, where the concentrations of sugar (NSC) tend to be lowest. Grazing muzzles may be favoured by owners over other methods of intake restriction that limit animals to very short turnout times or confinement to stables or small bare paddocks. The muzzles enable the animal to graze larger areas and for longer periods, and owners do not have to implement severe changes to their facilities. In addition, a horse that is allowed to graze with a muzzle continues to move around in the pasture and get at least some exercise.
Does my horse or pony need one?
Not all horse owners need to be concerned with pasture intake restriction. For the majority of horses, total restriction is not always a viable or desirable option for financial, welfare, and health reasons. It may also not be necessary for those animals that are not predisposed to a metabolic disorder. The first step in determining if
PHOTO: ©SHUTTERSTOCK/LINDA GEORGE
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Equine Foundation of Canada In the big scheme of things, the Equine Foundation of Canada is not a large charitable organization. But on the success scale it affords hugely important achievements for the health and welfare of the horse. The Foundation was the first charitable organization devoted to equines to be registered by the Canada Revenue Agency. It came into being February 1, 1983 and was originally called the Canadian Morgan Horse Foundation. The driving force behind it was George Wade of Kentville, Nova Scotia, who was passionate about the wellbeing of horses of all breeds, and committed to raising funds for veterinary colleges specializing in equine research to further our knowledge and understanding of a horse’s many medical needs. Today, the principal colleges benefiting from the fundraising work of EFC include 26
www.HORSEJournals.com • May 2015
BY MARGARET EVANS
Video endoscope and Holter monitor were presented to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
PHOTO: DEBRA MARSHALL
MAKING A DIFFERENCE, ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE
facing page: The staff is thrilled with the Haico equine surgical table gifted to the Atlantic University Vet College at Charlottetown, PEI. The University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine; The Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Saskatoon; The Equine Research Centre at the University of Guelph; The University of Montreal Veterinary College; and The Atlantic University Veterinary College in Charlottetown, PEI. Funding is provided to cover some of the costs of much needed equipment for research and equine treatment not covered by their budgets. In addition, the Foundation awards scholarships to equine veterinary students. Funding comes entirely from donations and no one at the Foundation receives a salary. “The gifting to support projects to help horses by EFC depends greatly on the supporting donations by the public,” said Peggy McDonald whose husband Eldon Bienert is EFC’s president. “As a registered charity, we must spend 80 percent of receipted income on our objectives in the [following] year. In 2015 we must spend 80 percent of receipted income received in 2014. Donors to EFC receive a tax deductible receipt. Also, EFC is 100 percent volunteer. No one gets any pay [which is] very unusual for any charity. This does, however, limit us in some ways.” Despite limitations, to date EFC has raised almost $890,000, with just over $400,000 going to various projects in 2013 alone. The University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine each benefitted from a gift in the form of an endowment for scholarships for veterinary students specializing in equine practice. Further gifts to both colleges provided funding for equipment for horse treatment and teaching. Another gift was made to the Atlantic University Veterinary Medicine Faculty to fund a state-of-the-art Haico equine surgical table for the treatment of horses. The table holds animals weighing up to 1,300 kilograms or 2,900 pounds. It has adjustable side panels, some of which can be removed, that assist with safe positioning of large patients. It can be tilted in different directions because of its advanced hydraulic system. The table can be moved around by one person, even with a horse on it, and it is very easy to clean. According to the EFC website Dr. Aimie Doyle, a large animal surgeon at the facility, said that the new table improves the ability of the large animal surgeons to
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_
Design a Barn that WORKS for You
BY MARGARET EVANS
W
hen we moved to the Columbia Valley in the Chilliwack area of British Columbia, the property was idyllic for the lifestyle we wanted except for the fact that much of it was still in bush and, while it had a storage barn, it didn’t have a horse barn. So, as soon as we moved in, we started the process of building one. But we had no idea what all the steps of that process would entail. We had six horses and ponies at the time and my husband dearly wanted to breed thoroughbreds. That meant thinking about immediate needs while keeping future needs in mind.
Planning Like building a house, thorough planning is everything when building a barn. This is going to be a major investment, an addition to your property value, 30
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and a place where you are going to spend a lot of time. A well-developed plan can save money and headaches when you start to build, so it pays to do your research. Start with deciding where to site the barn. You will need to talk to the planning department of your municipal government or regional district for a permit to build. There will be regulations to follow in terms of building the barn at minimum distances from the residential house, property boundaries, and surface water sources. “Considering conservation and environmental issues, and obtaining the appropriate planning permission from your local planning department is essential,” says Judith Bisiker, owner of Bronte Creek Equestrian Sport in Carlisle, Ontario, who recently constructed a barn at their facility.
Put on your meteorological hat. From which direction do the prevailing winds blow? How much rain and snow falls in your area? How cold can it get in winter, and how hot and dry will it be in summer? Ideally, locate your barn on the highest ground with the best drainage and, to at least some degree, sheltered from prevailing winds. Select a site that will allow plenty of space all around the barn for vehicle access. In winter you may need to use the tractor for snow clearing and you’ll need a place away from the barn to pile that snow. “A common mistake is that people don’t think of all the variables about where to build,” says Justin Harries, vice-president of business development and chief marketing officer with Barn Pros, Monroe, Washington State. “Where will you park the horse trailer, tractor, or
your equipment? Think about prevailing winds and how they will hit the side of the barn. Where are the pastures in relation to the barn? Will you have turn-outs or will you have run-outs from the barn? Have you considered a shed roof over the stall doors to the run-outs? Horses like to loiter underneath.” People often say their biggest mistake is that they didn’t build a big enough barn, says Harries. But if the original structure is located on open ground, there could be enough space to add a wing to the barn at a later date. If a shed roof has been added to the original construction, it can be enclosed to create a bigger stall or a storage area if one is needed later. The original barn on our Chilliwack farm was 36 by 40 feet and we added a wing a year later for three extra May 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal
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Plan the Best Horse Fence for Your Property BY EILEEN E. FABIAN (WHEELER)
T
he fencing can be one of the most attractive features of a horse facility. Fencing is a major capital investment that should be carefully planned before construction. It should keep horses on the property and keep away nuisances such as dogs and unwanted visitors. Fences aid facility management by allowing controlled grazing and segregating groups of horses according to sex, age, value, or use. But not all fence is suitable for horses. Well-constructed and maintained fences enhance the aesthetics and value of a stable facility, which in turn complements marketing efforts. Poorly planned, haphazard, unsafe, or unmaintained fences will detract from a facility’s value and reflect poor management. Good fences can be formal or informal in appearance, yet all should be well built and carefully planned. Many experienced horse owners will relay stories about the savings for cheaper, but unsafe, horse fence (barbed wire, for example) eventually being paid for in veterinary bills to treat injured horses. Often, more than one kind of fence is used at a facility. Different fences might be installed for grazing pastures, exercise paddocks, riding areas, or for securing property lines. Land topography influences the look, effectiveness, and installation of fencing. Consider different horse
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groups. Stallions, weanlings, mares, mares with foals, and geldings all have different fencing requirements. Pasture use may range from exercise paddocks (corrals) to grazing or hay production. Paddock layout should allow for ease of management, including movement of horses, removal of manure, and care of the footing surface. Pasture design should allow field equipment, such as mowers, manure spreaders, and baling equipment, to enter and maneuver easily. This will reduce fence damage by machinery and the time needed to work in the field. This article presents information useful in planning fences for horse facilities. The emphasis is on sturdy, safe horse fence typically used in Canada.
The Best Fence Understand the purpose of a fence: The true test of a fence’s worth is not when horses are peacefully grazing, but when an excited horse contacts the fence in an attempt to escape, or because he never saw it during a playful romp. How will the fence and horse hold up under these conditions? A horse’s natural instinct to flee from perceived danger has an effect on fence design. Like other livestock, horses will bolt suddenly, but since they are larger and faster, they hit the fence with more force. Also, horses fight harder than other livestock to free
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themselves when trapped in a fence. There are many types of effective horse fencing, but there is no “best” fence. Each fencing type has inherent trade-offs in its features. A “perfect” fence should be highly visible to horses, which are farsighted and look to the horizon as they scan their environment for danger. Therefore, even when fencing is relatively close, it needs to be substantial enough to be visible. A fence should be secure enough to contain a horse that runs into it without causing injury or fence damage. A perfect fence should have some “give” to it in aid of minimizing injury upon impact. It should be high enough to discourage jumping and solid enough to discourage testing its strength. It should have no openings that could trap a head or hoof. The perfect fence should not have sharp edges or projections that can injure a horse that is leaning, scratching, or falling into it. It should be inexpensive to install, easy to maintain, and last 20 years or more. And finally, it should look appealing. Unfortunately, no type of fence fits all the criteria for the perfect fence. Often there is a
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Pack Em Up, Ride Em Out
Prairie Marie Boutique
By Tania Millen Caitlin Press, 2015, 255 pages, $26.95 ISBN 978-1-927575-72-7, paperback REVIEWED BY MARGARET EVANS If you’ve ever yearned for the freedom, fun, and romance of saddling up for a horse packing trip into the wilderness, grab Pack Em Up, Ride Em Out by Tania Millen and devour every word of it. The no-nonsense essential, practical, and fascinating information is a must-have for anyone wanting to really experience a wellplanned trip into backcountry. Her boots-on-theground advice in the first 60 pages of the book is all about what to know if you go. From equipment and gear to skill sets, and the special qualities of a reliable backcountry horse, this information is priceless. You don’t go past the the trailhead until you’ve read this, then packed it with your gear. How good are your map reading, GPS, and navigational skills? Can you properly pack a pack horse? What is your essential equipment? Can you hobble and highline a horse? Have you planned for the unexpected such as a weather event, bears, injury, or a lame horse? Have you planned an alternate route if the one you are on becomes impassable because of snow, rain or flood? Do you have a suitable friend to partner with? Do you have farrier skills, an ability to repair broken tack, and fire-starting material? What will you do if a horse gets loose, spooks, and bolts? Have you checked the legalities of accessing the region or park where you plan to ride? How long will you be gone and who did you leave your trip plan with? Millen brings an enormous wealth of experience to her book. She learned to pack horses in 2010 and then started exploring Western Canada’s wilderness on horseback. She has completed almost all of the trips she describes in the book, which range from the South Chilcotin Mountains to Tweedsmuir and Spatsizi provincial parks. In Alberta she focuses on trails in Banff and Jasper national parks as well as Willmore Wilderness Park. Trails are rated according to difficulty and length as well as ideal months in which to travel. In addition to trail description and access, Millen includes material on the region’s history, exploration, and development. What a great read! 54
www.HORSEJournals.com • May 2015
The Art of Liberty Training for Horses By Jonathan Field • Photography by Robin Duncan Photography Trafalgar Square Books, 2014, 230 pages, $40.50 ISBN 978-1-57076-689-3, hard cover REVIEWED BY KATHY SMITH In the introduction of The Art of Liberty Training for Horses, Jonathan Field reminds the reader to “Let go of whatever is going on in your life and ‘be present’ in the moment with your horse.” This statement resonates because learning with and from our horses begins and ends with being fully present with them in every way. A renowned natural horseman, Field has dedicated his life to the study of the horse, and shares his knowledge with horse lovers of all disciplines around the world, travelling extensively in Canada and the United States giving clinics and demonstrations. In his new book, Jonathan Field explains that true liberty means much more than removing the tack and equipment and stepping away; rather, it is about playing with horses and communicating with them using body language and subtle intentions, to nurture an understanding and cultivate a connection. Through this connection, an amazing relationship develops, which benefits everything the horse and human will do together. As Field shares with readers the theory, practical knowledge, and the experiences from which he built his liberty training method, we also get to meet and understand the amazing equine partners who shared their lives with him. The book is richly illustrated with 350 stunning, full colour photographs by Robin Duncan, which were taken on Field’s ranch in British Columbia. If you’re interested in learning how to become a better horse person, this book will teach and inspire you.
The goal for designer Marie Marshall is to make your horse shine. She believes a horse is like a rough natural stone, and by adding a bit of colour, style, or sparkle, your horse will shine. Show the pride you have in your horse with a beautiful, decorative browband customized with stones and crystals. Marshall has always loved to design. “I love the feel and beauty of natural stones, each one being unique and amazing. A lot of my designs include natural stones, precious and semiprecious stones, then I add a touch of sparkle, colour, or whimsy to set them off. I have been beading and selling my jewelry for many years, about the same length of time I have been breeding, raising, and selling Paints (Prairie Paints) with my partner, Marlin Lucas. I have loved every minute of developing my Brow Bands, and have many new products coming.” To learn more, visit: www.prairiemarie.com.
PHOTO: BARN PROS
NEW & NOTEWORTHY
Barn Pros The Bighorn Shank By Tom Balding New from Tom Balding, this beautifully crafted bit features the new Bighorn© shank in brown with stainless dots, measuring 7 3/4 inches, with the Tom Balding Correction© mouthpiece. Tom Balding offers literally endless combinations of shanks and mouthpieces, and each bit is beautifully handcrafted on an individual basis by their talented craftsmen. These bits can be customized with initials, brands, or sterling silver mounts. To learn more about the bits, spurs, and headstalls crafted by Tom Balding, as well as trophy bits, buckles, and gifts, visit: www.tombalding.com.
A new building on your property should mean more than four walls and a roof. Each time you walk through its doors to saddle your horse, open your business for the day, or to relax in your home, it should be an experience you love. The barn-inspired, post-frame manufactured buildings by Barn Pros are designed with environmentally harvested materials, infused with the craft and detail of a custom build, and engineered to be easy to construct as well as beautiful.
Barn Pros pre-cuts and assembles as much as possible before shipping, which reduces guesswork, mistakes, and the time spend building onsite. Clients enjoy better cost control because a different supplier or contractor is not needed for each stage of the construction process. Barn Pros’ packages include everything from blueprints to lumber and hardware, and come ready to build. Explore the Barn Pros line of pre-engineered buildings for equine, agricultural, commercial, hobby, storage, and living at www.BarnPros.com.
ROBIN DUNCAN P H O T O G R A P H Y
Professional Portraits in Natural Settings. Gift Certificates Available. The information in these New & Noteworthy features were provided by participating businesses. The products and services mentioned have not been tested or endorsed by this publication. Please contact the businesses indicated in the feature for more information.
www.RobinDuncanPhotography.ca 1070 MINA AVE., VICTORIA, BC V8Z 2N8 250-479-8970 • robinduncanphotography@gmail.com May 2015
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