Canadian Horse Journal - SAMPLE - Sept 2015 by Horse Community Journals Inc.

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CONTENTS •

In This Issue SPECIAL FEATURES 10 The Cost of Domestication How humans reshaped the horse through millennia.

HORSE HEALTH 12 Understanding Tying Up Syndrome This painful muscle cramping usually occurs after a long hard ride, but sometimes for no apparent reason.

22 Winds of Change Across Canada’s Hay Fields In Western Canada, drought is

16 How to Use Slow Feeders A healthier, more natural way to feed

causing worries about hay supplies for the coming winter.

the foundation of every horse’s diet.

50 Horse Shaming How to stop playing the blame game,

TRAINING AND FITNESS

53 Preventing Your Worst Nightmare Learn how to stop a barn fire

and become your horse’s biggest fan.

before it starts.

60 The Business Stable Recovery – A natural path

30 9 Best Cavalletti Routines These exercises offer a concentrated way to school each gait.

Departments 2 Celebration of Horses Photo Contest 6 Editorial and Letters 8 The Hoofbeat 55 To Subscribe 58 Horse Council BC Bob Grimshaw Receives

Lifetime Achievement Award, BC Heritage Championships.

62 Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association News

Having your cake and eating it too.

36 Ride From Your Heart, For Your Heart 7 exercises to improve your posture,

63-65 Country Homes & Acreages

44 Horsemanship with Jonathan Field Lessons from the

66-67 Hitchin’ Post, Classifieds

heart function, and riding position.

to healing.

September 2015

EquiNetwork 67 Index to Advertisers 68 Roundup

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PHOTO: ECONETS

boxing ring – the Flower Petal exercise.

page

PHOTO: ©SHUTTERSTOCK/PIRITA

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HORSE HEALTH

UNDERSTANDING

Tying Up Syndrome

BY HAYLEY KOSOLOFSKI above: Tying up typically occurs after a long hard ride, often resulting from physical exertion beyond the horse’s fitness level. The horse becomes very stiff and reluctant to move, it may be breathing hard and appear to be experiencing colic or laminitis.

There are two simple words that describe painful, exercise-associated muscle cramping in a horse: tying up. While the traditional tying up usually occurs after a long hard ride, some horses can tie up repeatedly for no immediately obvious reason. Regardless of the underlying cause, the clinical signs are similar. And in most cases, affected horses require immediate veterinary care, says Dr. Fabienne Uehlinger of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. “The horse becomes very stiff — it’s usually reluctant to move, it may show signs of colic and be sweating, and it may be breathing hard,” says Uehlinger, a boardcertified specialist in large animal internal medicine. Affected horses often look like they are experiencing colic or laminitis (founder). In severe cases, a horse may pass very dark urine as substances released from damaged muscles are flushed through its kidneys. Damaged muscles release myoglobin, a muscle protein which is toxic to the kidneys and can cause permanent damage.

www.HORSEJournals.com • September 2015

More often than not, tying up occurs as a one-time event due to physical exertion beyond the horse’s fitness level or due to an underlying condition, explains Uehlinger. For example, a tying-up episode can occur if a horse is being exercised after it has been on stall rest, if it has suffered a recent bout of equine influenza, or if it has been exercised too strenuously outside its regular exercise routine. As long as the horse recovers well from the episode, Uehlinger says the animal should be fine without longterm damage. “When we think back to those episodes, we can usually find a reason for why they have happened and we try not to do it again in the future.” However, there are times when a horse ties up repeatedly for no apparent reason. For these chronic cases, veterinarians usually consider two conditions: polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) and recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER). In some cases, these conditions can be inherited and passed down between generations.

right: Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) is typically diagnosed in racing breeds such as Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, and tends to occur in young racehorses in training. Affected horses are often described as nervous or high strung. “PSSM refers to abnormal storage of sugars in the muscle,” says Uehlinger. “That sugar is providing the fuel necessary for the muscle to work. When the horse exercises or moves around, it is not actually able to use that sugar appropriately. It doesn’t have the energy to do what it needs to do, and it ties up.” PSSM is divided into Types 1 and 2. Type 1 most commonly occurs in Quarter Horses and related breeds such as Appaloosas and Paints. Type 1 is also common in draft horse breeds of European descent, such as Belgians and Percherons, as well as in some warmblood breeds. There is a known genetic mutation that is inherited by the offspring of affected horses. Type 2 PSSM tends to occur in light horse breeds such as Thoroughbreds and Arabians, but it may also occur in some Quarter Horses. So far, researchers have not identified the genetic mutation that causes this type of PSSM. RER is typically diagnosed in racing breed horses such as Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. It affects females more often than males, and the condition tends to occur in young racehorses in training. Trainers typically describe affected horses as nervous or high strung. “Acute signs can be very similar to sporadic tying up,” says Uehlinger. “So again, your horse may look like it’s colicky — it’s sweaty, it’s reluctant to move.” However, tying up episodes due to RER are not usually associated with overtly exerting events — such as racing — but may occur during light training. Horses with PSSM or RER can also experience milder episodes that may present as lameness, back pain, an inability to engage the hind end, or poor performance. Unlike sporadic tying up, episodes of muscle cramping associated with PSSM or RER can occur after short periods of light exercise, trailering. or pasture turnout. These episodes are recurrent. In all cases, an acute episode of tying up is considered a veterinary emergency. If your horse ties up repeatedly, Uehlinger recommends talking to your veterinarian about investigating the condition’s underlying cause. As a starting point, your veterinarian may conduct an exercise test by collecting an initial blood sample before lightly exercising your horse for 15 minutes. A second blood sample will be collected about September 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

PHOTO: ECONETS

Slow Feeders

BY JULIET M. GETTY, Ph.D.

A Healthier, More Natural Way to Feed Forage is the foundation of every equine’s diet and needs to flow steadily through the digestive tract. Gaps without forage can lead to ulcers, colic, behavioural issues, stall vices, gorging, choke, cribbing, and even laminitis. Truly, the only way to avoid these problems is to allow your horse steady access to forage, free-choice, all day and all night. 16

www.HORSEJournals.com • September 2015

Responding to this inherent need is the slow-feeder industry. The purpose of this article is to provide a clear understanding of slow-feeders and how they can be used safely and effectively. There are many styles and types from which to choose. The best approach is to contact several manufacturers to see which product best meets your horse’s needs. The purpose of a slow-feeding system is to simulate grazing. Horses in a natural setting eat small amounts of forage as they wander in search of the next tasty morsel. They eat virtually all day and night, taking time to socialize and rest every so often for a few minutes at a time. When they know that they always have access to forage, they become calm and relaxed, rest more often, and walk away from their hay, knowing that it will still be there when they return. In other words, they “selfregulate” and eat only what they need to maintain a healthy body condition.

facing page: Feeding off the ground allows the horses to eat with their heads in a natural grazing position.

Forage restriction is incredibly stressful. Why should this matter? Because stress causes the release of the hormone cortisol, which in turn leads to elevated insulin. When insulin is high, it tells the body to store fat. Your goal is to get rid of the stress. Feed an appropriate forage (low in sugar and starch) free-choice and allow the horse to tell you how much he needs. There are some horses, however, who gain weight very quickly when given forage free-choice. The reason has to do with the sluggish metabolic rate they’ve developed over time. When forage is parceled out only a few times a day, the horse responds by going into “survival mode,” where his metabolic rate significantly slows down in an attempt to conserve body fat. A cycle of ever-increasing obesity is created that can be reversed only through exercise and by removing the hormonal fat-storing response that forage restriction creates. Slow-feeders, when used properly, are an excellent way to reduce stress. As their name suggests, they slow down the rate of consumption by providing hay through small openings. When slow feeders are kept full, they allow the horse to graze whenever he wants, thereby encouraging the horse to eat less and still have free access to forage.

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The best approach is feeding off the ground Chewing with the head low is more in line with the horse’s natural physiology, creating even pressure on the teeth and allowing the jaw bone to move freely in all directions. Furthermore, the muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, and bone structure are not stressed when horses can grab hay in a straight downward motion. Eating with their heads down also protects their eyes and respiratory tract against mold spores and dust and provides for better nasal drainage.

How to start Use at least two feeders per horse and place them as far apart as possible. Even if your horse is in a stall or small paddock, place one on either end of the area. Many slow-feeders made of hard material can accommodate two or possibly three horses at a time, but it is preferable to have more feeders to encourage movement, satisfy the horse’s natural curiosity, and minimize squabbles among herd members. Gradually allow your horse to become September 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

Winds of Change

PHOTO: ©CANSTOCKPHOTO/ACONGAR

Across Canada’s Hay Fields

BY MARGARET EVANS

urking in the Pacific Ocean is a huge stretch of abnormally warm water that first appeared in the fall of 2013. Known mysteriously as the Blob, it has grown in size from 800 km to over 3,200 km and has formed three distinct patches off the coast of Alaska, the coastline of British Columbia, and the Pacific Northwest and the California coast. It has peaked at more than 2.5 degrees Celsius above normal and has caused chaos in ocean ecosystems, changed the behaviour of salmon species, and is being blamed for strange weather patterns including the heat and unprecedented drought in BC, Washington State, and parts of Western Canada. In turn, the drought has caused major concern over the severe lack of moisture for crop and pasture growth, triggering worries about hay supplies for the coming winter. “Hay supply over all BC, Alberta, and Washington State (the areas in which we operate) is greatly reduced this year compared to past years,” says Tamara Wrayton, owner with husband Eddie of Wrayton Transport Ltd., in Langley, BC. “I have heard Saskatchewan is also in bad

www.HORSEJournals.com • September 2015

shape. Several areas of Alberta have declared agricultural states of emergency, which honestly I’d never even heard of!” She says that farmers with irrigation will have a second or third cut, but central Alberta may be lucky to have a first cut. “In general, farmers are saying their yields are down by one third to one half this year,” she says. “One farmer in Airdrie got 25 bales/acre when normally he would expect 100 bales/acre. But it does vary widely by area.” That is very true, especially in Alberta. “We are very fortunate here in this valley,” says Bob Seaman with Valley Hay and Cattle Co., Turner Valley, Alberta. “We have had one third of normal rainfall but I think the clay in this part of the country holds the water. We have close to an average crop. We haven’t done the final numbers yet but in my mind we are very fortunate because we’ve had close to an average crop in most of our fields.” Seaman says that hay supply is sporadic. “Once you get north of the Priddis area and into the Bragg Creek and Cochrane area it is pretty drought stricken until you get to

Cremona. There’s a pocket around Cremona that’s somewhat blessed with rain. They are probably getting not average crops, but not far from that. There are not many pockets of good news. Predominantly, north and eastern parts of the province are drought stricken. There’s hay coming in from Grande Prairie, so there’s obviously some rain there. But hay is moving. Phone calls started coming in May and June and they haven’t stopped.” One pocket that has been struggling is Leduc. We are in a very bad state here,” says Peggy McDonald of Dawnville Farms. “Leduc County is a disaster area from the drought, as I guess the whole province is now. Hay has gotten very expensive and crops are running 20-30 bushels to the acre with shrivelled small kernels of wheat and very little straw. We are a farm which raises its own usually. Lots of cattle going to market because there is no feed or pasture and probably horses going to [slaughter at] Fort MacLeod.” Across the country horse owners are faring a little better although, last year, horse owners on the east coast experienced

While most hay pastures are good, some farmers are challenged getting the hay dry enough to bale. “The heat, humidity, and the thunderstorms have increased growth but made it difficult to get horse quality hay baled dry,” says Sheri Parkinson, chair of special events with the MHC Board of Directors. “Lots of cattle quality hay is available. However, premium hay is harder to find due to the difficulty of baling the wet hay. Weather and poor storage limit the amount of horse quality hay available.” With greater difficulty finding good

quality hay come the pricing issues. “Combined with the erratic weather during the time period typically when first cut operations in Manitoba take place, we may be finding it difficult to find good quality horse hay in large quantities this year that is also affordable,” says Gwen Donohoe, chair of breeds and industry with MHC Board of Directors. “The drought situation across the prairies may lead some hay producers to ship their hay to other areas of the country where they can receive a higher price for their hay. Horse owners may see an increase in hay prices at home

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a critical hay shortage. “Hay was in very short supply in many areas of the Maritimes for the 2014 crop,” says Pam MacKenzie, Purina certified equine feed consultant and owner, with husband Ron, of Clarence Farm Services Ltd., Truro, Nova Scotia. “Last year our supplier got 56 round bales per acre that would have usually made 100. Many stables and horse owners were cutting it close getting to the 2015 hay crop. I have one friend who had one square bale left when her new hay came in. Fortunately pastures came on early and have held up very well, helping many to make it to 2015 hay season. Here in Central Nova Scotia we had one really nice window of hay weather in July. Many hay producers who missed that break are still working (as of early August) to get the crop in between spells of wet weather.” Luckily, the MacKenzies filled their hay shed in three days in July but she noted that, following last year’s hay shortage, hay prices increased 10 to 15 percent in many areas. And that’s pretty general across the country. “Our suppliers are very aware of the drought situation and most are using it to their advantage, prices changing from load to load,” says Jason Vanderveen with Vanderveen Hay Sales Ltd. in Surrey, BC. “The best advice I have for horse owners is to get your supply sooner rather than later. I realize this is not an option for a lot of people, but summertime is always your best bet for quality. Prices will depend greatly on the US dollar, and if the demand stays where it is I believe a price increase is inevitable. It’s already gone up from early summer.” According to Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Agri-News newsletter, the data from the Alberta Average Farm Input Prices has shown that the average Alberta 50 percent alfalfa hay price went up 70 percent from June to July, and has more than doubled from a year ago. “As at July 31, 2014 hay was $83/ton,” says James Wright, risk analyst with the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. “As at July 31, 2015, it was $170/ton.” The Alberta Crop Report stated in its August 4, 2015 issue that the average hay/ pasture conditions ratings across the province were 44.3 percent in poor condition and 39.4 percent in fair condition. By comparison, Manitoba appears to be having a relative good hay crop. “So far, things seem to be good,” says Geri Sweet, president, Manitoba Horse Council (MHC) Board of Directors. “I have talked to a couple of friends who have a regular supplier and have already ordered for the upcoming season.”

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The BEST

Cavalletti Routines BY JEC ARISTOTLE BALLOU

Each of the horse’s gaits offers a unique tool when conditioning for performance and, used correctly, can accomplish results that might otherwise be missed. Optimally, horses should spend equal time in all three gaits during training sessions in order to achieve both looseness and strength. Certain conditioning phases, though, sometimes necessitate prioritizing one gait over another. This article will clarify how and when individual gaits can serve the equine athlete, especially the way he uses his back, and how cavalletti routines can help. 30

www.HORSEJournals.com • September 2015

A majority of riders spend too much time schooling at the same gait and tempo, mainly the trot. While this can indeed lead to improvements in strength, it usually does not foster flexibility nor efficiently change postural habits. In general, walk and canter work are best to create looseness and increase flexibility in the hind joints as well as stimulate postural muscles. Any horse that is able to move well must possess not only tone but harmony in the way his muscle chains work together. Restriction or weakness in one area can

affect a chain further away and disrupt the whole system. Most critically, the extensor (topline) and flexor (bottom line of horse) chains of muscles must work in balance with each other to achieve correct movement. Too much or too little development in one of these systems disrupts a horse’s potential. The individual contributions of each gait offer the best tools for achieving the right balance of effort. Cavalletti exercises, meanwhile, offer a concentrated way to school each gait.

A majority of riders spend too much time schooling at the same gait and tempo, mainly the trot.

The Walk short scuffing trot strides should prioritize riding exercises and patterns at the walk. As these horses work with more flexion in their stifle and hock joints, their quadriceps and flexor muscles will begin to engage more, which in turn leads to better balance between topline and bottom line muscle chains and a looser swinging back with longer strides. Riders sometimes assume they are not getting enough done by schooling at the walk. On the contrary, walking creates looseness, and therefore movement. Without this, there can be no strength gains. Whenever poor posture or restricted movement exist, do yourself and your horse a favour and spend more time training at the walk.

Any time a horse needs to un-learn a poor postural habit — crookedness, stiffness, hollowness — he should spend plenty of time training at the walk. This gait, especially when used in conjunction with cavalletti, allows for training the nervous system to adopt new habits without interference from the larger gymnastic muscles that take over during gaits with more impulsion. At the walk, riders can re-wire new signals to sensory and motor nerves, increase range of joint mobility, and release restricted areas. When the nervous system is correctly wired for good posture and unrestricted motion, gaits with more impulsion can then have a more positive conditioning effect. As an example, horses with

The Best Cavaletti Exercises for THE WALK x

STRETCH & CLIMB THROUGH Arrange a row of four ground poles lying parallel to one another spaced apart at the distance of a regular walk stride (approx. 2 feet, 8 inches), followed by a 20-foot distance with no poles, and then four poles spaced slightly closer than a regular walk stride and raised to a height of 8 to 12 inches.

20' 2'8" apart & raised 8-12" off ground s

2'8" apart

< < <

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Place several poles end to end, forming a long continuous line. Now ride a tight serpentine over this line of poles.

LARGE SQUARE Use four poles (8 to 12 feet long) to form a large square. Now ride a four-leaf clover pattern starting in the centre of this square. Each “leaf” of your pattern should send you through the centre of the square.

SNAKE OVER POLES

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September 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

RIDER FITNESS

PHOTO: NANCY ADAMS/BY HOOVES INCLUDED PHOTOGRAPHY

Ride FROM Your Heart, FOR Your Heart Exercises

to Improve Your Posture, Heart Function, and Riding Position

BY GINA ALLAN AND BARB KOPACEK Every athlete knows how important it is to warm up before taking part in sport, and riders are no exception to that rule. Even a short warm-up routine will be of benefit before commencing physical activity. A warm-up is designed to get the body ready for further activity by helping to relax stiff muscles, stretch tight tendons, loosen tight joints, and generally get the body activated for more intense workloads. As the body increases its movement, and our movements become larger and more muscle groups become involved, the heart begins to increase its rhythm by pumping stronger and faster.

HEART RATE TARGET ZONE Heart Rate in Beats per 10 Seconds

Upper Limit Level II (Advanced)

25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17

Lower Limit for Advanced and Upper Limit for Beginners Lower Limit for Level 1 (Beginners)

Age in Years 50

70 & Over

NOTE: Level I Beginner, unaccustomed to vigorous activity Level II Advanced, active in vigorous activity at least three times a week, or after a month of training at the Beginner level. 36

www.HORSEJournals.com • September 2015

Contrary to popular belief, riding is a very aerobic activity. Studies have shown that a rider at trot (especially sitting trot) and canter tends to use up to 70 percent of their VO2 max, or maximum oxygen consumption, which is the amount of oxygen used during rhythmical, sustained activity involving the large muscles of the body. It is also the amount of oxygen in the body required to sustain itself during aerobic activities such as running, swimming, bicycling, etc. Your riding regime is an aerobic activity provided you sustain the trot and/or canter work for more than 12 minutes. (Optimally 20 to 30 minutes at a time, just like jogging.) Remember that when training you should increase your workout by only 10 percent every two weeks. The increase can be in frequency or duration, and of course, this principal applies to your equine partner as well. The heart weighs approximately seven to fifteen ounces (200 to 400 grams) and is the size of a human fist. In many cultures it is said to be the symbol of love. Each day it beats 100,000 times and is responsible for pumping approximately 7,500 litres of blood, a symbol of joy, through our bodies. Some believe that when we deny ourselves the experiences of joy and love, our heart shrivels, becomes hard and cold, and the blood becomes sluggish, so we creep our way to heart failure. The heart does not attack us; we squeeze the life from it by failing to notice the everyday joys of life. Heart of gold, timid heart, cold heart, black heart, loving heart, warm heart, and brave heart — vivid images to which we all can relate.

What heart-type do you bring to your equine partner when you ride? Eastern philosophy says the heart-centre is the merging point of all polarities in the body, where left merges with right, up with down, back with front, inhale with exhale, outer with inner, male with female, and strength with elasticity. By linking movement to breath as you do in yoga practice, you can open the heart to connect the body and mind. Be aware that any forcing of the breath disrupts rather than enhances the movement of energy, creating an unsettling resistance and dominance. This includes forced submission of our equine partner. Your focus during the following exercises is to feel the energetic function of them, not how each exercise looks outwardly. Try to move gracefully, not forcefully, in and out of the following exercises in an effort to maintain a rhythmic flow of body and breath. By opening, lengthening, and broadening around your horse’s body in this way, you can harmoniously unify your body with your horse’s to create that sought-after seamless flow of energy and oneness. While stretching, remember to initiate each movement with the breath while maintaining a fluid breathing pattern. Try breathing four counts on the inhalation and four counts on the exhalation. The following exercises can be practiced outside at the barn or at your workplace. Try to do them regularly so they help improve your posture, your heart function, and the all-important classical position.

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THREE-POINT-TOUCH

PHOTO: NANCY ADAMS/BY HOOVES INCLUDED PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s only NATURAL.

Begin by standing with your back against a wall with your feet hip-width apart. Ensure your balance is even between your forefeet and your heels. Lift slightly to put a bit of pressure on the outer parts of your feet. Your legs should be straight but not

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locked at the knees. From here we will be working with three points of contact: The back of your head, your upper back between your shoulder blades, and your pelvis. Position your pelvis so your tailbone is pointing down to the floor. Contract the front of your pelvis as if you’re trying to stop the flow of urine. Pull your navel in toward your spine and up toward your sternum. Try to avoid tipping your pelvis by imagining it’s like a bowl of water. Keep the water level in the bowl. Lift your rib cage up out of your hips as if you were being picked up by your underarms. This will enable the back of your rib cage, (an area that is all too often overlooked as it plays an integral role in posture), to lift also. Broaden and lower your shoulders while keeping the lift in your torso. Place your shoulder blades against the back of your rib cage so that your upper back can lay flat against the wall. It is important to avoid scrunching up your shoulders. With your arms straight at your sides and your palms facing forward, lengthen through the back of your neck as if your head was being lifted like a marionette. This will also help you maintain the lift in your torso. Keep your chin parallel to the ground while gently drawing it in and touch the back of your head to the wall. Now you’ve achieved the three point touch.

EXALTED WARRIOR STRETCH

Begin by standing tall in the Three Point Touch position. Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, extend your left leg behind you into a lunge step (approximately three feet). Turn your left foot outward 30 to 45 degrees, square your shoulders and keep your hips facing forward. Exhale again, keeping your shoulders pressed downward. Inhale as you elevate your arms skyward. Your arms should be slightly in front of, or beside, your ears. Exhale again as you place your left arm back toward your left thigh, and keep your right arm reaching skyward. Hold this pose for two or three breaths, then gradually release your arms. Bring your legs together, and arms to your sides as you return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Could you maintain rhythmic, flow of breath during this sequence? 38

HALF-MOON STRETCH

www.HORSEJournals.com • September 2015

PHOTOS: NANCY ADAMS/BY HOOVES INCLUDED PHOTOGRAPHY

Start in the Three Point Touch position, feet hip-width apart. On an inhalation bring both arms overhead, palms inward, keeping your hips facing forward within the Three Point Touch. Clasp your right wrist with your left hand and as you exhale, begin to flex your upper body to the left into a half-moon pose. As you enter this pose keep your arms in line with your ears. Try to rotate your chest slightly skyward, be sure to keep your core engaged, and check that you are breathing in a fluid manner.

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What’s the Antidote? BY APRIL CLAY M.Ed., REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST

e are inundated with images and stories of shaming these days. Some are humorous, some very hurtful. Shaming is attempting to make someone feel pain and remorse for something they have done – or worse yet, for just being themselves. Shaming and blaming are close cousins. When you shame, you are also saying: You are the one who is responsible for the wrongdoing. Sure, there is also humorous and harmless horse shaming. We’ve all heard things like: I poop in my water bucket every day, or I don’t play well with others, when people pretend to speak for their horses. 50

www.HORSEJournals.com • September 2015

Then there’s the other kind of shaming, when a rider speaks openly about the shortcomings of their horse, or uses their inside voice to shame, blame, and complain about their mount. There is very little evidence that animals feel shame for their actions, so if you engage in horse shaming, you are not likely to see any change or improvement as a result. But that doesn’t mean there are no consequences; rather, there could be very real consequences. Whenever I hear a rider describe their horse in negative terms, or outright shame and name call, my ears perk up because this signals trouble in the partnership. There could be a variety of reasons for this

As the team leader, the rider is responsible for problem solving. Rather than blaming the horse, think about the message the horse is sending and create a plan to solve the problem. behaviour such as fear being redirected as anger, perfectionistic expectations, or a general sense of helplessness that culminates in blaming. “As soon as you get to name calling your horse, all objectivity is lost,” says trainer Dustin Cossaboom, “and you can’t solve a problem from that place. Riders need to be able to deal with the situation at hand, and you can’t do that with a label generated by a negative expectation.” Playing the blame game with our horses

Horse Shaming

Harmless horse shaming has no hurtful intent. produces the same result as in our human relationships – it’s destructive and unproductive. It creates a negative inner thought pattern regarding your partner. Your expectation can become tainted and, ironically, help you bring out the worst instead of the best. You also end up putting yourself in a corner where you have limited control. If you don’t really believe you are responsible, your chance of having a successful outcome is significantly reduced. What is the antidote to shaming? Consider honouring your teammate by respecting his differences, working with his weaknesses, and capitalizing on his strengths. This is exactly the approach rider Kelly

McKnight took with his mare, Zan Chin. When they first got together, she was a bit of a puzzle. She was talented, but did not want to accept any pressure on her mouth. With much patience, Kelly eventually stumbled upon the answer – no bit. In fact, he shows her in a halter. He gets a lot of odd looks, but the pair’s performance soon silences doubters. Zan Chin has proved to be a top speed horse, most recently winning the 1.20 meter Open Speed Derby at the Golden Gate Classic in California. McKnight had to really listen, observe, and recognize Zan Chin’s particular strengths in order to make the partnership successful. Another rider might easily have written her off, but his philosophy demonstrates a strong sense of responsibility and reverence for his mounts. “Honouring a horse’s abilities and working around its weaknesses is our job as horsemen. Oftentimes, one tries to train the horse to do something for the rider’s benefit - and often we miss an opportunity to learn something new. Figuring out what a horse is capable of doing well and enjoying is our job. Helping a horse selfactualize is my goal.” Horses may not speak our language, but they do respond to energy and everything else about the way we deliver our aids. Your mindset will come through. What message do you want to send? The good news is that an approach such as McKnight’s is completely obtainable to any rider. It represents a psychologically based horsemanship skill that can be developed and is rooted in relationship skills of the human variety. As the rider, you are the responsible one, the leader in this team. You chose this position; it was never up for debate. So if something is going awry, you need to take ownership of the problem. Don’t expect to never be angry or disappointed in your partner, but remember that labeling and blaming will leave you stuck in negative emotions. Encourage yourself to step back and separate emotion from behaviour. Be curious. Focus on understanding the message your horse is sending so you can respond accordingly. Come up with a plan and try it out, see where it leads. This kind of patient problem solving approach can take time, but the rewards, as in the case of Zan Chin, may be far greater than you imagined. September 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

Barn Fires

Preventing Your Worst Nightmare

BY TANYA BETTRIDGE, PERTH EAST FIRE DEPARTMENT Owning and operating any kind of farm is a tough job. The last thing you need is a fire. Whether it’s a fully engulfed barn, an indoor arena inferno, or a tractor that got way too hot and decided to take the drive shed with it, a fire is usually considered the worst possible thing that can happen. Ask any equine property owner/operator who has had a fire and they’ll tell you that there is a lot more at stake than the barn. How (Why) Did the Fire Start? When discussing any sort of fire, the first question asked is “How did it start?” Some may consider this to be semantics, because the “how” is always the same – there was an unfortunate combination of oxygen, heat, and fuel. While that question is not exactly helpful, its answer is important. “WHY did the fire start?” is the question that really needs to be asked. Because this question takes us back to the first answer and which of those three elements should have been prevented, let’s look at some of the most common ways those elements come into play. FUEL – Something has to ignite and feed the fire. Barns are perfect habitats as hay, straw, dust, and cobwebs make prime fuel

candidates. Oily rags, crops, grass, and wood are also common elements that can be ignited and continue to feed a fire. HEAT – Common heat sources for farm-related fires are hay and straw (spontaneous combustion), heating systems (everything from heat lamps to radiant tube heaters), hot equipment (vehicles, large equipment, and welding tools), and electrical components (such as wiring and fuse panels). Exposure to lightning, cigarettes, and outdoor fires easily increase the risk of a structure fire. OXYGEN – The nature of farm buildings is that they were designed, for the most part, to allow ventilation and air circulation. While that is great for barn occupants, it certainly doesn’t help when it comes to preventing or extinguishing a fire. Often, installed fire separation walls are compromised with the installation of wiring, plumbing, and other utility systems. How To Stop Fire Before It Starts As financial circumstances vary widely throughout the equine community, here are some fire safety tips categorized by affordability: September 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

PHOTO: PERTH EAST FIRE DEPARTMENT PHOTO: DERRICK COETZEE/FLICKR

above: Hay and straw should be properly dried before storing in the barn to reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion.

far right: Tightly stacked bales of hay in a loft with minimal ventilation is a textbook fire hazard in a barn.

PHOTO: ROBIN DUNCAN PHOTOGRAPHY

near right: A halter and lead rope should be available at the front of each stall for emergency removal of horses. Do some emergency preparedness training with your horses to get them used to being handled during an evacuation. They should be accustomed to being approached at night with a flashlight and to being led while blindfolded. Wear a large coat and hat with a bulky backpack to resemble a firefighter wearing breathing apparatus. LOWER COST • Installation of fire extinguishers. • Maintenance schedule that includes checking wiring, clearing dust and cobwebs, looking for signs of corrosion, etc. • Development and implementation of a fire safety plan for your facilities (with the help of your local fire department). • Development and practice of an evacuation plan for your facilities (this includes human and livestock evacuation – involve your local fire department

www.HORSEJournals.com • September 2015

whenever possible). • Enforce a strict “No Smoking” policy in and around your structures. • Ensure all family and staff members are trained on safe use of equipment, especially actions such as ensuring vehicles and equipment are cool before storing, and welding tasks are handled properly and safely. MEDIUM COST – INCLUDE ALL LOWER COST ITEMS, PLUS: • Ionization smoke alarms. • Regular technical and electrical inspections by your provincial safety authority. • Removal of all extension cords, and replacement with professionally installed outlets. • Installation of lightning rods. HIGHER COST – INCLUDE ALL LOWER AND MEDIUM COST ITEMS, PLUS: • Sprinkler System. • On-site water storage. • Hose cabinets. • Monitored fire alarm system. • Video surveillance.

HORSEMANSHIP

Lessons from the Boxing Ring

PART 2

Spins WITH

Little

The Flower Petal Exercise BY JONATHAN FIELD

PHOTO: ANGIE FIELD

www.HORSEJournals.com â&#x20AC;˘ September 2015

n Part 1 of this series (Footwork to Free Up the Shoulders, July 2015 issue) I wrote about remembering what it is like to be a student, and shared some of my personal trials from joining a boxing club this past winter when I stepped into a completely unknown field. These lessons illustrate that horses benefit when their riders are more patient, just as students benefit when coaches are patient. The previous article included exercises for turning your horse on the hindquarters in preparation for spins, and I hope you found them to be beneficial. These foundation maneuvers are not just for spinning horses, but also to develop coordination of the front feet and footwork, which helps free up the shoulders to improve many aspects of the ride. Staying with the same theme, I want to share one more lesson I gleaned from training in the boxing gym. One of the first things you will notice when you step into a boxing club is the pattern of work based on timing of the bells. Everything is timed in rounds just like a real match. The beginning and end of each round is signaled by a bell with three minutes busy and thirty seconds rest. These short lessons can be really physical, such as running stairs or practicing technique with an opponent.

r e m m Su ription c s b Su

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