INSIDE
Kentucky Dressage Association 2016 PLUS Feeding Stallions
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Publisher Jim Hargrove Editor John Hawfield Advertising Sales Kristina Goulet and Colt Williams
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• Horses Magazine has no liability for content, representations in advertisements, and articles may not express the opinion of the editors/publishers/owners. It is the buyer’s sole responsibility to clarify any and all advertising representations. We cannot be held responsible for any representations concerning a horse’s health, eye status, disposition, gait or any other aspect of the horse. Any burden of proof rests solely on the advertisers. • Horses Magazine reserves the right to edit or refuse any advertising or articles submitted for publication. We do not assume any liability for errors, but will correct it in next issue or a credit will be negotiated. Designs by Horses Magazine are the property of Horses Magazine. • Articles, editorials opinions in Horses Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff of Horses Magzine or the publishers. • Address changes must be sent in 6 weeks in advance, magazines are not forwarded by the U.S. Post Office. • Copyright 2016 by Jim Hargrove Creative, Inc. All or part of Horses Magazine, including logos, cannot be reprinted without permission. • Horses Magazine is published twelve times a year by Jim Hargrove Creative, Inc., 2730 Lansing Rd., Bancroft, MI 48414
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Horses Calendar November 1-6 CP NATIONAL HORSE SHOW Kentucky Horse Park Alltech Arena. 5-day hunter/jumper event. The event will feature a full array of hunter divisions, Junior & Amateur Owner Jumpers, the top Open Jumpers from the USA and around the world, and the Maclay National Championship. The CP National Horse Show is consistently ranked as one of the top shows in the United States by the North American Riders Group (NARG). For more information on the CP National Horse Show please visit www.nhs. org or call (561) 753-3389.
November 4-6 MQHA Harvest Classic 4 Judges! MSU Pavilion, East Lansing,
Would you like your event included in the next Horses Magazine and on our web site for no charge? Just send your information to jim@ horsesmagazine.com
Since shedules can change, be sure to confirm the event’s date, time and location before you travel!
USEF and FEI classes with Training Level to Grand Prix Level exhibited. General admission is free, and VIP seating may be purchased on-site. For more information on the United States Dressage Finals please call the United States Dressage Federation at 859971-2277, or go to www.usdf.org.
MI, www.miquarterhorse.com/ for more information
November 10-13 US DRESSAGE FINALS Kentucky Horse Park Alltech Arena The United States Dressage Finals is the national championship competition for the United States Dressage Federation. The US Dressage Finals will be split into Open and Amateur divisions. Each division will hold classes from Training Level to Grand Prix Freestyle. A non-championship competition will also take place, USDF Dressage in the Bluegrass which will be a qualifying competition for The 2016 Great American/ USDF Regional Championships and USDF/ Dover Adult Amateur Medal Program. The USDF Dressage in the Bluegrass will have
March 23-26, 2017 Road to the Horse 2017 The World Championship of Colt Starting Sponsored by Horses Magazine Kentucky Horse Park Alltech Arena. Don’t miss the thrill and excitement of Road To The Horse in 2017. Sarah Dawson, Barbara Cox and Rachelle Valentine have been named as the first three competitors in the 2017 World Championship of Colt Starting. 2017 Tickets NOW Available Call 1-877-772-5425 or order on their web site www.roadtothehorse.com
mayyour all days be
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Equine Heath & Wellness
Feeding for Fertility Feeding for Fertility Stallions and Broodmares
breeding season • Identify mares with insulin resistance and feed accordingly • Be sure to meet protein requirements with a high quality protein source like Whey • Incorporate high Omega-3 sources like Chia and Flax for horses not on fresh grass • Guarantee balanced levels of important trace minerals and antioxidant vitamins • Consider amino acid supplementation with Lysine and Methionine • Begin monitoring body condition early
It’s just common sense that specific nutrients have a vital influence on fertility. The list of nutritional factors with specific impacts on breeding is long, but the solution doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Broodmares and Stallions have nutritional requirements that differ from other classes of horses. Research results offer valuable management information relative to the effect of nutrition on reproductive performance, Calories and the resultant body condition starting with monitoring body condition score (BCS) affect fertility. Thin mares and sooner than later. stallions have reduced fertility. Thin mares Horses Magazine.pdf 8 8/19/16 12:43 PM Maintain a good body condition score with produce fewer follicles, are much less likely mares slowly gaining as they head into the to be cycling normally, have a reduced
conception rate and a higher rate of early embryonic loss. Stallions require more energy, especially during the breeding season due to the constant production of sperm. The type of calories fed is more important if the mare is insulin resistant. Uncontrolled insulin resistance alters hormone levels in the ovarian fluid and the blood. Effects range from slightly prolonged intervals between ovulations to large cystic follicles that fail to ovulate, prolonged or absent estrus behavior, and she may have periods of abdominal pain and laminitis. Feed a low sugar/starch (below 10%), no added fat, mineral balanced diet based primarily on hay. Safe sources of more concentrated calories include beet pulp with no molasses added, soybean hulls and
STUDENTS IN GRADES 6-12: TAKE THE REINS AND JOIN THE IEA
www.rideiea.org
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Riders in grades 6-12 can compete with teams in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA). School-age equestrians, with various levels of experience, compete in Hunt Seat and Western disciplines throughout the school year. Riders not only compete for individual points, but for their team as well.
Founded in 2002, the IEA has more than 12,500 riders on over 1,300 teams competing in hundreds of shows across the United States each year. For more information, please contact Jennifer Eaton, IEA Membership Coordinator, at 877-RIDE-IEA (877-743-3432) or Jenn@rideiea.org.
It’s fun and challenging – and there is no need for any rider to own a horse! The IEA is available to public or private schools and barn teams. Horses are provided to each rider at every event. All mounts are selected by a draw. Parents like that the IEA provides an affordable format for their child as he/she builds riding skills. Many of our riders receive scholarships based on their performance throughout their IEA years.
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A N N I V E R S A R Y
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commercial feeds that guarantee a sugar/starch level below 10%. Stallions should be maintained at a body condition score of 5.5 to 6 based on the Henneke body conditioning score (BSC) of 1 to 10. Scrotal fat deposits can impair temperature regulation of the testes, reducing sperm counts and motility, also resulting in easy fatigue and placing an unnecessary strain on the joints. Open broodmares can be maintained at a BSC of 5 but 2 to 3 months prior to start of breeding season should have feed increased so that they are slowly gaining weight to a score of 6 to 6.5 during the breeding season. Be sure to meet protein requirements with a high quality source Protein is also important. Stallions have a higher metabolic rate, higher muscle Multiple studies have shown mass and the reproductive supplementation with antioxidant tissues have rate nutrients like Vitamin E, selenium aofhigh cellular and vitamin C improves sperm division and cellular quality in both fresh and frozen turnover. During the then thawed semen. nonbreeding season, stallions require 15% more protein than geldings of the same weight. Extra protein required jumps to 25% higher during the breeding season. This amounts to 360 grams of protein for a 500 kg (1100 pound) stallion and can be met with 3.17 pounds of a 25% protein supplement, 2.6 pounds of a 30% supplement or 1.9 pounds of a 40% protein
supplement. Because of the large volume potentially needed you should choose a supplement without added minerals if there are other supplemental mineral sources in the diet. Mares do not need more protein in total when they are in the breeding pool, but protein quality makes a difference. Quality refers to the digestibility of the protein and its array of amino acids. Mares fed a high quality protein showed a more rapid return to cycling and breeding activity in the spring. Try 50 to 60 grams of a high quality protein source as a supplement. A blend of whey protein and a high quality vegetable source such as soybean is ideal. Incorporate high Omega-3 sources like Chia and Flax for horses not on fresh grass Horses have a need for the Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids, which they cannot manufacture for themselves. The Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to improve fertility in mares that are problem breeders. Omega-3 fats also improve sperm quality as a
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secondary benefit to their antioxidant effects. The natural equine diet does not contain EPA or DHA, but you can supplement with 3 to 4 oz/ day of ground Flaxseed and/or Chia seeds for high levels of the plant based Omega-3, Alpha-Linolenic Acid. Guarantee balanced levels of important trace minerals and antioxidant vitamins Low Copper intake has a negative effect on libido in stallions. In mares, the elastic layer of arteries in the reproductive tract suffers. This leads to reduced blood delivery to the uterus and the weakened wall of the uterine artery can rupture during labor, potentially killing the mare. Low Copper stores in the mare can also compromise the foal’s levels which may be a risk factor for osteochondrosis. The testicles are a tissue very high in Zinc. Low Zinc reduces testosterone and sperm counts, resulting in poor sperm motility. Impaired fertility in mares has also been associated with low Zinc. Multiple studies have shown supplementation with antioxidant
nutrients like Vitamin E, selenium and vitamin C improves sperm quality in both fresh and frozen then thawed semen. Zinc and copper also have antioxidant effects as essential minerals in the SOD (superoxide dismutase) enzyme. Stallions with poor sperm motility and low counts improved when supplemented with 20 grams/day of L-carnitine. L-carnitine is a carrier molecule for getting fats into the mitochondria of the cell to be burned for energy. Fat is a major source of energy in tissues like the testicles. L-carnitine is normally produced in the horse’s body from a reaction that uses the amino acids methionine and lysine – both commonly deficient. If considering amino acid supplementation, use 10 grams of lysine and 5 grams of methionine.
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Kristina Goulet
Riding Goals:
An Amateurs Guide to New Year’s Resolutions By Kristina Goulet As the end of the year is fast approaching and we start looking towards 2017, many of us will start thinking about resolutions. Mine usually consist of the usual, you know… eat healthier, exercise, rest more, give up bad habits, blah blah blah. They all seem so generic, so everyone is doing that. They sound great, but for me I guess they are not quite meaningful enough. I wondered about what would make me really do it this year? What is meaningful? What will I stick to? What do I really care about? Well, riding of course! After my 2016 show season wrapped up, my trainer asked me to put together a list of riding goals that I wanted to achieve for next season. What better than to turn this little exercise into my New Year’s Resolution! I feel like this will give me more “sticking power” since it’s a subject I care about, but I still wanted to figure out some things to help me along the way. Here are a few tools I came up with. Hopefully they can help you as well with your riding goals. 1. Write it down. If you’re like me, writing it down seems to make it more real. It’s now not just a passing thought. It’s become an item on my To Do list and I am more apt to take it seriously. I started a journal for my riding goals. I keep it in my truck and can jot things down before or after my lessons. 2. Share it. A lot like writing it down, sharing it with someone (especially your trainer or coach) puts an extra level of seriousness on it. Also, the people you share it with can help hold you accountable. After I wrote down my goals list I sent them to my trainer. We talked about the list, whether or not they were attainable and started working on a plan. 3. Break it down. If your goals are big, try thinking about breaking them down into more manageable steps. For me, one of my goals is to get my lead changes down. This is a big one for me and my horse and gets me a little, well, frazzled we’ll say. My trainer has helped me break this goal down into more manageable steps. 1) Getting my horse more
responsible to pushing her hips 2) Keeping a consistent cadence as I lope through center 3) learning better control of my leg cues etc. 4. Create some milestones. In addition to breaking down your goals into manageable steps, putting some dates to the steps helps to keep you on pace and on track. You can write your timeline in your journal and check in on yourself from time to time. A word of caution though, do not beat yourself up if you fall behind on a goal. Sometimes it will take longer than you expected. Do not lose your momentum, keep driving! For my timeline, because I do show, I used my show schedule for next year and worked my way backwards to set my milestone goals. My lead change milestone is to get them basically solid by the end of January so that I still have a few months to clean them up and finesse. 5. Celebrate! Remember to celebrate your victories, even the small ones. You’ve worked really hard towards your goals; give yourself credit for how far you’ve come. When I’ve met a milestone or have had a few hard training sessions I like to take a ride and do something I and my horse enjoys. GO for a trail ride, have a spa session and just groom, play with some obstacles, whatever you and your horse enjoy. It’s OK to take a break from your goals and enjoy. 6. Reflect on how far you have come. Sometimes as you are busily working towards a goal, it can feel as though you’re not getting anywhere. Especially when you are working on something really tough. Improvements can come slowly, so slow that it can be very frustrating. I guarantee that if you look back a few days, a few weeks, a few months ago, that you will realize you really have made some excellent progress. This is again where the journal comes in handy. Another tool I like to use to check on my progress is videos of past rides. A few weeks ago I was feeling a bit frustrated on my progress. I popped in a video of my first few rides of the show season and wow! I really did improve! I hope these tips will help you as you consider making your resolutions for 2017. I suppose you can use these same tricks on nonriding goals, but who would want to? Happy New Year!
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Kentucky Dressage Association 2016
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The Way of the Horses
Water By Eleanor Richards
than one and a half gallons per hundred
system within the barn is clean, the water
The most important nutrient, water, is also
pounds of body weight per day. These horses
should be safe for consumption.
the most neglected. Horse owners worry about protein, carbohydrates and energy, but few think about the water. A horse can live several weeks without food, but will die in five to six days without water.
need to replace the fluids being lost through exertion and milk production. An 1,000 pound broodmare or performance horse may need 15 gallons or more per day. Due to the wide range of water requirements and the importance of water to the digestive system, fresh clean water must
Every organ in the body needs water.
be freely accessible. Even a horse that has
The digestive system requires it to dissolve
been working and is very hot should have
nutrients and help move feed through
access to water in a managed form. Allowing
the intestinal tract. It is needed to carry
a hot horse to have several swallows every five
waste products out of the body. Water aids
minutes while cooling out is recommended.
metabolism and regulates body temperature. It helps send electrical messages between cells so muscles will move, eyes will see, ears will hear and the brain will function. Water is needed to lubricate the joints and maintain healthy skin. The amount of water needed by the horse varies with circumstances. Temperature, humidity, type of forage, age, over-all health, and activity level play a big part in water requirements. A healthy horse at rest, in a cool environment with low humidity, eating lush green grass, and not producing milk may only have a requirement of one-half gallon per one hundred pounds of body weight per day. This means a horse weighing 1,000 pounds
Water consumption directly affects feed intake. If a horse is deficient in water he will decrease the amount of feed he eats. Water is needed for digestion. Lack of water is one of the main causes of impaction colic. The feed in the digestive tract becomes dry and will not move through properly, resulting in a blockage and colic. The quality of water is very important. If
minerals, and pH levels. These tests should be conducted annually. Ponds, streams, and water from runoff should not be used as the sole source of drinking water. Fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, bacteria, and other forms of contaminants can be present. The water supply can dry up or become stagnant. Bluegreen algae growth in a pond can cause a type of poisoning which may result in the death of the horse. You can lead a horse to water…he will be more prone to drink if it is clean and fresh. * Proper nutrition and management practices can prevent many problems associated with caring for horses. You can learn how to provide your horse with a better life-style by taking the online course “How to Feed for Maximum
drink it or it is contaminated, then severe
Performance” taught by Eleanor Blazer. Go
health problems can occur.
to www.horsecoursesonline.com for more
Water sources come in many forms; public water supplies, wells, ponds, streams, and run-off. Water from a public supplier is probably the safest as the system will have filtration,
period.
purification, and testing procedures are
broodmare may have a requirement of more
extension agency can test water for bacteria,
the horse has access to water, but he will not
may only need 5 gallons of water in a 24-hour The performance horse or lactating
Water from a well should be tested. The health department or local agricultural
regulated and continuing. As long as there is not a breech in the line and the delivery
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information.
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Clinton Anderson
When to End a Training Session I often get asked how long a training session should last. That’s a difficult question to answer because a training session shouldn’t be about a set length of time as much as it should be about how your horse is reacting and listening to you. Instead of asking, “How long should a training session last?” the question should be, “How do I know when to end a training session?” Read my tips below.
Your horse has made an improvement from yesterday.
very last thing he’ll try is taking a step back. When he takes a step back, if you release the pressure, he’ll look for that answer again. However, if he takes a step back and you don’t release the pressure, he’ll go through that whole cycle of options (rearing, ignoring you, turning left, turning right, etc.) again. Then he’ll come back to taking a step backwards. If you miss releasing the pressure the second time, it’ll get even worse. Every time a horse does what you want, or even acts like he’s going to do it, you’ve got to release the pressure so that he knows what the answer is. I’m so obsessed about it that when first teaching a horse something if
When you first teach a horse something, it’s a concept lesson. In the concept lesson, your goal is to get the general idea of the lesson across to the horse. When you first ask a horse to do something, he won’t automatically know what to do. In fact, he’s probably going to do everything but what you want him to do. For example, when you ask the horse to back up on the ground, he’ll probably stick his head up in the air and ignore you. He might turn left, he might turn right, but the
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he even gives the impression that he’s thinking about doing what I want, I’ll still release the pressure. Remember that a thought will soon turn into an action. When the horse finally does figure out that you want him to back up, more than likely, he’s going to back up with his head up in the air and his feet are going to be stiff and bracey. He’s not going to back up smoothly. That’s completely normal. You can’t expect him to understand the concept of the
lesson and to back up with energy in his feet with his head and neck level all at the same time. First he has to understand the concept, and then you can build from there. You have to establish a starting point. Once the horse understands what he’s supposed to do, then you can work on perfecting the lesson. But if you try to perfect the lesson before the horse understands the concept, you’ll run into trouble. After the first lesson, you’ll work on perfecting the exercise. Each time you work with the horse, you’ll look for a little more improvement. From that point on, you won’t end a training session before the horse has shown some improvement from the day before. On the second day of practicing backing up, you’d expect him to back up four steps with energy in his feet. When you accomplished that, you’d quit and move on to something else. What you don’t want to do is get your horse softer and responding better and then keep drilling on him. If you do, you’ll just discourage
him. That’s hard for human beings not to do though. We’re greedy creatures. When the horse is doing well, we want more. If he takes three energetic steps backwards, we want to see six, and then we end up frustrating the horse because he doesn’t feel like he gets to win. So always be conscious of rewarding the horse when he’s doing well. Remember, a little try today turns into a big try tomorrow.
Your horse has a good attitude. Only stop working your horse when he has a good attitude and is respecting you as the leader, or at the very least, has a better attitude than when you started your training session. When horses first come to the ranch for training, especially if they’ve been disrespectful for a while, they get worked more than a horse that is respectful and has a good attitude. So it really comes down to this – the worse the horse’s attitude, the more he’s worked. The better his attitude and the more he tries, the less he’s
worked. You’re telling the horse, “If you come out with a good attitude and try everything I ask of you, you won’t have to work as long. However, if you come out with a sorry attitude, you’ll work much harder.” If you’re consistent with that philosophy your horse will catch on quickly that if he has a good attitude and tries, he won’t have to work as long. Don’t take what I just said out of context or to the extreme though. When you’re working your horse you don’t want to run him out of air to the point of exhaustion, no matter how he’s behaving. If a horse runs out of air, he’ll only be concentrating on one thing – finding air, and he won’t be able to think about what you’re asking him to do. So it would be pointless to keep drilling on the exercise and making his feet move. You have to let him stop and give him a chance to get his air back. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t train on him at the same time. When you’re letting him air up, desensitize
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him. He’s already wanting to stand still, so use it to your advantage. The most important thing to remember is to not quit the horse before he’s using the thinking side of his brain and has a good attitude. If you quit him when he’s snarly or using the reactive side of his brain, you’ll only reinforce that behavior in him.
Your horse is working well. Always end a training session on a good note. If you finish when the horse is frustrated or misbehaving, that’s what he’s going to remember the next day, and then getting him over his problem will take twice as long. If you find that you’re in a time crunch and your horse isn’t performing well at a particular exercise, stop what you’re doing, and practice an exercise you know the horse can do well. That way you’re
finishing on a good note, doing something the horse knows how to do, is relaxed and is listening to you. Sometimes of course, you’re going to have to quit your horse on a note you’re not pleased with. That will happen from time to time. To avoid that problem, before a training session ask yourself, “How much time do I have to train the horse today?” Then plan the session accordingly. If you have a limited amount of time, don’t pick a subject you know your horse struggles with and you can’t get accomplished in that timeframe. Always set yourself up for success, not failure.
Horsemanship Method gives horse owners the knowledge needed to become skilled horsemen and train their horses to be consistent and willing partners. Discover for yourself how Clinton and the Method can help you achieve your horsemanship dreams at www. downunderhorsemanship.com.
Author note: Clinton Anderson is a clinician, horse trainer and competitor. He’s dedicated his life to helping others realize their horsemanship dreams and keeping them inspired to achieve their goals. The Downunder
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Richard Winters
Broadening the Envelope With Richard Winters
I conduct horsemanship clinics and seminars all over the country and around the world. Recently someone asked me, “What is your goal when you begin a clinic with a new group of riders?” There is certainly a whole list of things we would like to accomplish in each clinic. Rein management, focused riding, body control and more refinement are just a few of the objectives. However, This is how I responded. Everyone comes to my clinic with some things that they are comfortable with and many things that they are not comfortable handling. For many people, the envelope of where they feel safe, comfortable and confident is pretty small. My goal is to open up their envelope and increase their comfort level to be able to enjoy their horses to a greater degree.
We just wrapped up a great event at a working cattle ranch in Central California we call “Ride to Rancho”. This weeklong horsemanship experience exemplified my goal of opening up each rider’s personal envelope to greater possibilities with their particular horse. It was my goal to spend a minimal time in the arena and the maximum of time out in the big open country working through real life experiences. I wanted to take everybody’s personal list of
Most equine enthusiasts did not start out with such a small envelope of competency. Most of us had big ideas and grand visions when we were young of what we would accomplish with horses. We envisioned what we saw in the movies and read in books. We would be galloping across big open country, jumping over down timber, riding through beautiful streams and gathering cattle. What happened? For many of my clients, it was simply the effects of time. The invincibleness and immortality that we felt in our teens and twenties is now a distant memory as we live our lives at 40+ years of age. Where did all of the confidence go? For some, there was a specific accident or incident that shattered that confidence. Now those dark memories are ever present with them every time they put their foot in the stirrup. As mentioned earlier, my goal is to build confidence and increase each rider’s comfort level. How do I accomplish this? First, the greatest confidence builder is knowledge. It’s my job as the clinician to share information. Information is power. The information I share gives riders confidence that their equipment is adjusted properly. It’s my reassurance that the horse they’re riding is suitable for their level. (Or in some instances, is not.) It’s helping them understand when their horse is warmed up and prepared to ride. It’s helping each rider to be aware of and act on the signs of trouble before the trouble has overtaken them. Sometimes it’s me personally riding a participant’s horse and giving them a picture in their “minds eye” as to how they can work through an issue.
26 • HORSES MAGAZINE • December 2016 • Download and View FREE on-line at www.horsesmagazine.com
“can’t, won’t, don’t, yeah buts” and shrink it down as small as possible. I have a good friend who is the headmaster at the Thacher School. This is a private boarding school with a strong emphasis on outdoor activities. My friend would always talk about “carefully calibrated challenges.” It has nothing to do with taking unnecessary risks, ignoring safety procedures or being haphazard. Rather it is equipping each student with knowledge, encouragement and a plan to do more than they thought they could ever done on their own. At this year’s Ride the Rancho we accomplished that mission! What do you need to open your envelope and expand your comfort zone? It might be taking a series of lessons. It might mean committing to more training for your horse or possibly attending a clinic. With some solid guidance, knowledge and support you can step up your horsemanship game to the next level. Take a look at these accompanying photographs. These riders are just like you. Many of these riders came with the same questions, concerns and fears that perhaps you are harboring. With help and support they stepped out of their comfort zone, became strong leaders for their horses and accomplished great things. They broadened their envelope. Who’s next?
Download and View FREE on-line at www.horsesmagazine.com • December 2016 • HORSES MAGAZINE • 27
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28 • HORSES MAGAZINE • December 2016 • Download and View FREE on-line at www.horsesmagazine.com
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Download and View FREE on-line at www.horsesmagazine.com • December 2016 • HORSES MAGAZINE • 29
Lynn Palm
How to Put Your Horse in Balance Through Proper Bending Have you ever ridden a horse on a curve or a circle and felt the horse speed up, lose his balance and not be able to follow the path of the curve or the circle? You may have been asking your horse to trot in a curved arc over logs in a trail class, lope a circle in a horsemanship pattern or ride a turn on a hunter course. If you’ve had this experience chances are your horse was making every effort to do what you asked, however he may not have been asked to maintain a proper bend to allow him to be balanced and keep a steady tempo to his gait on the curve or circle. This week’s “How to Put Your Horse in Balance Through Proper Bending” PPT Training Tips will describe what a proper bend looks like and the aids sequence to ask your horse to bend properly. Look forward to many successes with your horses once
just bending the head and neck. When you only ask the horse to bend his head and neck you only bend the head and neck and not the rest of the horse’s body. This can hurt a horse; and when done extensively, can build a horse with a rubber neck (too flexible) that will always lose his balance. Bending a horse properly is bending the horse through his entire body from his poll (top of the head) to his dock (top of the tail). What is the Relationship between Bending and Balance? When the horse is balanced, he will have a proper bend to his body as we discussed above. When a horse is not properly bent on a curve he will be unbalanced and increase or decrease speed which in turn may cause you to lose your balance. When the horse is properly bent, you’ll find it easy to steer or guide your horse because he is responding to lighter aids, to keep the same speed and to feel the horse move with free-flowing strides. Remember: No bend = No balance Bend = Balance Bending Aids Sequence To allow your horse to bend properly on a curve you’ll need to understand and follow a correct aids sequence to get the best responses from your horse. Both legs and both reins have to act together in order to achieve control of your horse’s body. By practicing the correct aids sequence you’ll be able to automatically adjust your aids to feel what you need to do to keep your horse bent properly.
you’ve mastered how to communicate to bend properly! The Bend What does a horse look like when he has a proper bend in his body? If you look at the horse from an “overhead view” – that is if you were viewing the horse directly above him, you would see that from his poll to the top of his tail there would be a slight arc to his body. If you were riding your horse to the right you would see the horse’s head and neck slightly bent to the right. When you’re riding the horse you’ll just be able to see the corner of the horse’s right eye when traveling right. The horse’s spine will be slightly arced, and the horse will be bent around your right leg, and supported with your outside aids. Please note that many riders think correct bending of the horse is
I’ll describe the bending aids sequence as you’re riding to the right. You’ll first start with the inside right leg aid on a curve. You’ll want to do this at a walk first so you can get the feel of what you’re asking from your horse. Your right leg will be first in the sequence with the activity right behind the girth. The active right leg will ask your horse to compress his body slightly inward so he starts to bend. Your rein aid has to come second because it controls from the horse’s poll to the withers. Your right rein or inside rein on the curve has to be next in the aids sequence to slightly flex your horse’s head to the right which will then slightly bend the neck through the shoulder to get the forehand to bend correctly. To flex the horse’s head, you have two different rein aids; either the open rein or the indirect rein (against the neck). The open rein is used to ask for a slight bend of the head and neck, and the rein against the neck is used if a horse wants to bend the head and neck too much to the inside – in this case to bend too much to the right. The open rein is used so there is no pulling on the horse’s mouth. The hand moves
30 • HORSES MAGAZINE • December 2016 • Download and View FREE on-line at www.horsesmagazine.com
sideways for the horse to give to the bit and flex the head to the right. If the horse turns to the right when using the open rein, use your indirect rein for the horse to yield to the pressure against the neck, which also moves the head inward. This will also flex the head right.
Your inside aids are the active aids which create the horse’s bend. Your outside aids support the horse bending through the curve so he stays balanced.
The inside leg and the inside rein are the two active aids used to bend the horse.
1. Use light or vibrating pressure with the inside leg to ask the horse to bend his body.
Next in the aids sequence you’ll use your outside left leg and left rein aid to support the bend of the horse. The left leg keeps his hips from going out on the curve. The left rein keeps the shoulder from going out or the head bending too far to the inside. You’ll use your outside or left leg slightly further back than the position of your right leg. You’ll use a light pressure with your outside leg to keep the hips from swinging out. Your outside leg will keep the horse’s hips slightly inward to create the curve from the withers to the top of the tail. The outside indirect rein is used against the neck to support the balance of the forehand.
2. Using an open or indirect neck rein, to flex the head slightly in the direction of travel to create an arc from the withers to the poll.
Bending Aids Sequence – “How to” Active Bending Aids
Supporting Bending Aids
correctly on a curve you will achieve a balanced horse. There’s no greater feeling than a happier and more willing horse! In the next Training Tips we’ll continue with several different exercises to train your horse to bend correctly. If you would like more step by step guidance for achieving a proper bend you and your horse will really enjoy Palm Partnership Training’s “How to put Your Horse in Proper Balance Through Bending” Parts I and II http://shop.lynnpalm.com/catalog/ product_info.php/cPath/33/products_id/135
3. Move the outside leg slightly back behind the girth to keep the hips from swinging out.
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4. Bring the outside rein against the neck to keep the shoulder from going out on the curve and also to keep the head from going too far inside the curve.
“Keep one leg on one side, the other leg on the other side, and your mind in the middle.” - Henry Taylor
Key Point When you are able to bend your horse
Download and View FREE on-line at www.horsesmagazine.com • December 2016 • HORSES MAGAZINE • 31
Poor topline is more than just lousy saddle fit or bad genetics. It’s a critical indicator of overall health. Fortunately, there is a path to improvement through better nutrition. Put your horse to the test. Start by checking the topline health of your horse with our new assessment tool. Now at
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© 2016 Cargill Inc. All rights reserved.
32 • HORSES MAGAZINE • December 2016 • Download and View FREE on-line at www.horsesmagazine.com