George Morris, Avert your Eyes!

If you’ve ever read George Morris’ Jumping Clinic column in Practical Horseman, you must check out this site. It has the best spoof of the column that I’ve ever read. The rest of the site is pretty darn funny too. Nice to see some horse people with a sense of humor!

For those readers not familiar with hunter/jumper guru Morris, he is one of the most influential trainers in the U.S. The chef d’equipe of the US Olympic Show Jumping Team, he wrote a book considered by many to be the Bible of equitation: Hunter Seat Equitation and American Jumping Style. While he is undoubtedly a master trainer, Morris is also known for a style that can be well, sarcastic, especially toward riders in clinics who are unprepared, dressed sloppily, overweight, or who don’t pay attention. I have audited several of his clinics and learned a lot: I found much of his advice spot on, but also realized that his teaching style did not suit me.

Looking on the Internet, you will find that commentary about Mr. Morris abounds:

Favorite George Morris Quotes

Funny, Mean or Combination Quotes/Sayings

Am I Being Oversensitive . . .?

Here’s the preview on a nice DVD of George Morris teaching on the flat:

Reflections on the End of the Hunt Season

 

Hacking to the first cast of the hounds.

Once again, time has passed too quickly. When the fixture card first came out, the fall season stretched out ahead with promise. It’s hard to believe that for now, we need to pack away our gear until the spring.

Given the breadth of the fixture, I didn’t get to hunt all that often — a mere eight times. And on only one occasion did I have the chance to hunt Kroni. Our last hunt together was on a spectacular fall day when the foliage still had its colors.

This was the season where Freedom stepped up to the plate and proved not only could he hunt, but that he likes to hunt. Each time he’s gone out he’s been better. Today he helped me lead the hilltoppers, riders who prefer not to jump and who generally ride at a slower pace than the jumping field. He never put a foot wrong despite the uneven footing and the slick conditions.

Freedom before the hunt.

This was the first time I had the opportunity to act as fieldmaster to the hilltoppers and I had three concerns: first, that I’d get lost (the territory we hunted is a labyrinth of trails that all look the same when the leaves are down), second that someone in the field would get hurt (there were two accidents at the Thanksgiving Day hunt and the Saturday after Thanksgiving is notorious for accidents caused by dicey footing) and third, that Freedom would find leading the field challenging (either getting upset as the first field left or becoming unwilling to set the pace in unfamiliar territory).

I’d ridden the territory three times and even brought my family out to walk the trails. The problem was that every time I got confused by the myriad turns. Not lost — you couldn’t really get lost, but definitely not sure which way to go. (Our hunt is a drag hunt, so the route is set in the morning by the human foxes and the field masters are responsible for knowing the territory and the predetermined route).

Carolyn and Fortune stayed close to give Freedom moral support.

This morning was beautiful, but cold. It was just 25 degrees this morning when I left home and the trails were covered with frost and wet leaves. When we arrived at the fixture I was amazed by how many people had turned out. I’d hoped that the field would be small; it’s tricky to lead a large group, especially the hilltoppers where the range of rider/horse experience varies. At 17 hilltoppers, the field was pretty large.

From my experience the most successful hunts are those where the field masters establish a rhythmic pace that, along the lines of Goldilocks, is not too fast yet not too slow. I wanted to minimize the “gallop and stop” sequences, especially given the footing, and I wanted to make sure that riders in the back of the field didn’t suffer from the whiplash effect, whereby they are forced to go too quickly around corners or over streams to keep up.

In the end, my fears were mostly unfounded. I took only one wrong turn, but it didn’t put us too far off track. People seemed mostly satisfied with the pace. No one fell off, no one got lost, and no one had the “I’m going to die” look on their faces which I’ve seen on occasion. Freedom was a star. While he wasn’t happy to see the first field charge off ahead, he listened to me and kept a steady pace. He wasn’t rattled by the field coming up behind him and he never sucked back or spooked at anything on the trails.

He’s come a long way since the spring when he still had trouble staying behind Kroni at a hunter pace! In these past months I’ve come to appreciate him — not as a replacement for Kroni — but rather as a horse that tries very hard to please and who really doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. When horses ahead of us were bucking and acting up, he stayed on task and was as steady as a horse that had been hunting for years.

I have great plans for him next spring!

How to Stack and Store Hay for the Winter

Bales of Hay

Last winter hay was scarce and expensive. It doesn’t look like this winter will be much better; weather conditions this summer made it difficult to cut and bale hay, resulting in a shortage in many parts of the country. Here in New England, hay is about $350 per ton, so when you have two tons delivered, you want to make sure that it’s stored properly.

It doesn’t sound like rocket science, but there are tricks to stacking hay to keep the bales from breaking, to avoid heat build up, and to prevent the hay from becoming moldy or infested with insects.

To begin with, it’s important to buy hay that has been baled at the proper moisture level. When it’s first cut, the moisture level in hay is about 80%; to minimize the risk of fire, the moisture content should be less than 15% before it is baled. A few years ago, I was offered some hay inexpensively from someone in the town where I lived, baled in his fields. The sample bales I received were lovely, but I discovered when he’d delivered 50-odd, that the hay has been baled while too damp. The result was bales that first got too hot, then turned moldy. Not a bargain at all.

Ideally, hay should have a moisture level of about 12-15% when it’s baled. Hay that has too much moisture gets hot because it creates an environment where bacteria and mold fungii are able to survive and create heat by consuming the hay. In worse case scenarios, the heat generated can cause the hay to spontaneously combust. Dry hay generally kills the microbes or causes them to go dormant. However, if the hay is too dry then the leaves will fall off.

Here are some tips to consider:

• Storing hay away from your barn — and your horses — is the safest way to go, but not always possible. Where I keep my horses, for instance, the loft is the only place to keep it! If hay has been cured properly before baling, stacking it tightly is not a problem and it will hold its leaf shape better.
• Stack your hay inside if possible; if you leave it outside covered with a tarp, moisture can seep into the hay and cause problems with mold. If you must stack it outside, using a pyramid structure under the tarp will encourage moisture to run off.
• Stack hay on wooden pallets to allow for airflow under the bales (you can get them for free from many businesses). Stacking directly on concrete or dirt will allow moisture to wick up from the ground and penetrate the bales. I’ve also read about someone who stacks hay on top of bagged shavings (wrapped in paper) as they absorb any moisture from the floor.
• Position bales with the cut side facing up (strings on the side) and criss cross each layer. This protects the baling twine from being nibbled by rodents and maximizes stability. It’s terribly frustrating when bales break and you have to move loose hay.
• Store hay in an area with vents or windows to encourage air circulation.
• Do not store hay near anything flammable or any source of heat.
• Do not stack hay higher than you can safely move it or stack it in a manner which could greatly accelerate the burning of a fire.
• Do not allow anyone to smoke around your hay or in your hay storage area.
• Don’t stack new hay in with older bales. Pull the old bales to the front and feed those first.

Research Shows Efficacy of MSM in Horses

In the first peer-reviewed, published study to evaluate the effects of the nutritional supplement methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in horses, Spanish researchers found that MSM exerted a protective effect against the detrimental physiologic changes that occur during exercise. The study, “The effect of methyl sulphonyl methane supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress in sport horses following jumping exercise,” was published in the Nov. 7, 2008, edition of the journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica.

“During exercise, free radicals such as nitric oxide and carbon monoxide are generated that are highly damaging to organs, cells, and DNA,” explained Elena Vara, PhD, a member of the research team and professor of Biochemistry, from the Faculty of Medicine at Complutense University of Madrid. “In contrast, MSM is known to possess potent antioxidant properties that could potentially interfere with the production of these harmful free radicals.”

Read the rest of this article by Stacey Oke, DVM, MSc, in The Horse.

Lions, Tigers and Bears in the Woods

There’s someone on the Chronicle of the Horse Forum with the signature line: My horse is only afraid of two things: 1) things that move and 2) things that don’t move. I had a day like that recently.

Lions, Tigers and Bears - oh my!

It was very windy today with the gusts blowing leaves everywhere. Freedom has only just gone back into work, having had about a week off after hurting himself in the mud. So today he was looking at everything, giving snorts of fake fear and even spooking at the odd scary rock. He’s a pretty brave horse usually, so some of his antics were just high spirits, but there are other horses that just seem to be in a constant state of high alert.

I always joked that my mare, Dezzi, would have survived a long time in the wild. She could spot a horse eating squirrel a quarter of a mile down a trail. Take her out into the open and she constantly scanned the horizon for danger. When she spotted something strange, she would freeze, then turn and try to bolt.

Over time, she improved. She was never a horse that I felt was completely comfortable on the trail, but repeated exposure desensitized her so that she spooked less and became immobile less frequently.

So, what makes a horse brave? To a certain extent it’s their inherent personality. Some horses are just more curious than scared. I think their fear reaction under saddle also depends on how much they trust their rider. Over time, your horse learns to do what you ask and is confident that you won’t put it in danger.

One of my favorite Kroni stories is about a time I got lost while riding in Vermont. I had gone out for a short hack one evening, thinking that I had planned a loop on the dirt roads near our rental house. Ninety minutes later, I realized that we were not headed home. Rather, we were on a dirt road surrounded by fields. Dusk was falling quickly and I was looking for a house so that I could call my husband.

A herd of cattle ran across their field to investigate, stopped only by a strand of barbed wire.

As we were ambling down this road, a herd of heifers saw us from across the field. Curious, they ran straight toward us to investigate. Kroni wasn’t particularly used to cattle, and being charged was not an every day experience. However, he stood his ground even though he was shaking like a leaf. When he finally figured out that they were going to stay on the other side of the strand of barbed wire, he walked off with dignity.

So, how can you teach your horse to be brave? You can help a horse learn to control his anxiety by taking several steps:

• Work with your horse on the ground first to create a relationship of confidence. Your horse should trust you to only ask him to do things that are safe.
• Gradually increase the “risks” you want your horse to take. Always praise your horse for his efforts, even if they are only incremental steps.
• Start introducing “scary” objects to your horse on the ground before approaching it under saddle.
• When your horse gets scared, stay calm. You want your horse to start looking to you for his safety and you need to give him confidence. Talk soothingly to him and stroke his neck to help him stay calm.
• Don’t get angry at your horse if he spooks. Losing your temper only makes a horse more excited.
• If you know your horse is likely to be scared by something (such as crossing a stream), try going with a more experienced horse and let your horse follow him back and forth a few times.
• If your horse doesn’t want to approach something, distract him by asking him to leg yield, circle or back up. If your horse starts to focus on you, he may forget what’s scaring him.
• If your horse is a spook and bolt type, learn how to do a one rein stop. Once you know that you can control your horse if he does run, you will have more confidence riding out.
• Most of all, be patient. It takes time for a horse to give up centuries of instinctual response and become a true partner.

Tips for Buying a Used Saddle

Buying a used saddle is an excellent strategy for getting better quality for less money. It used to be that you were limited in your choice to local ads or local tack shops, but with tack shops now posting saddles on line and many people selling through eBay, your choices are many! However, if you do choose to buy on eBay, it’s important to buy from a reputable seller as you generally do not have the opportunity to return a saddle that doesn’t fit or isn’t as described.

Evaluating a Used Saddle

A well-made saddle will last for 25 years or more if it’s been cared for and stored well. When buying an older saddle, you need to consider the integrity of the tree, the construction of the panels, the state of the stitching and the quality of the leather.

Saddle trees are made from wood, fiberglass, or plastic/resin materials such as polypropylene. While saddle trees are strong, they can crack or twist which renders the saddle useless. You should never ride in a saddle with a broken tree as it can cause damage to your horse’s spine. The tree size determines the width of the saddle. While some saddles have adjustable trees, most saddles come in standard measurements. Some manufacturers use narrow, medium narrow, medium, medium/wide, wide and extra wide; others refer to a centimeter measurement, such as 30 cm.

How to Check the Integrity of the Tree

The tree of the saddle is the part of the saddle that maintains the structure of the saddle and keeps the rider’s weight from creating pressure spots on the horse’s spine. To check whether a tree is sound first hold the saddle with the pommel toward you, then grasp the cantle and pull toward you. There should be a slight amount of “give” but if you hear any cracking or popping sounds, or there is excessive movement, the tree is damaged or broken. Repeat the same exercise flexing the arch of the tree from side to side. Once again, any noises are not good news. Finally, turn the saddle over and inspect the channel of the saddle. The channel should be straight and show no damage. If the tree is twisted, you will see it during this part of the inspection. Do not buy a saddle that has a damaged tree; it is almost impossible to repair a tree and even if you can get it done, is more than a saddle is generally worth.

Most saddles today incorporate a “spring” tree. This type of tree is narrower and more flexible than older style, more rigid trees.

Take into consideration the width of the gullet. A very narrow gullet can put pressure on the horse’s spine; a wider gullet is generally more comfortable for your horse. You can read more about how gullet width influences saddle fit here: Evaluating Saddle Fit: Gullet Width.

Evaluate the Panel Construction

Saddles are made with either wool flocking or foam in the panels. Wool is used because over time it conforms to the shape of your horse’s back. In addition, wool panels can be adjusted to the shape of our horse by a professional saddle fitter who can add or remove wool. This is particularly useful with young horses or horses being brought back into work as the shape of their bodies will change in ways that will affect saddle fit.

Foam panels are made so that they mold to the shape of a horse and then return to its original shape. While newer, and more expensive, saddles have foam panels that should last for many years, in older saddles the foam may have completely compressed leaving no internal padding. Foam panels can also be replaced, but often only by the original manufacturer. They can also be retrofitted for wool (which is only worthwhile for a nice saddle). If you are buying a used saddle with foam panels make sure that the foam has not compressed and that the saddle fits properly without the need for adjustment.

Leather and Stitching

Next check the panels for wear and cracking to the leather. The leather should be smooth and supple and the panels should be the same shape. Older saddles may have show some surface cracking and some dryness, but the leather should not be excessively stiff or worn, nor should there be wrinkles. There is generally some wear on the panels under the stirrup leathers, but the panels should not be worn to the point where the stitching has been worn through or there are any holes in the leather. You should also check the wear on the billet straps.

Billet straps are critical to the safety of your saddle and should be replaced if they are stretched or ripped. This is an inexpensive repair.

Check the stitching to see if there are any areas that have come undone. Pay particular attention to the stitching on the panels. If the stitching is loose under the panels, it they can burst, causing the wool to come out.

A good saddle fitter can fix stitching issues, replace billets or reflock a saddle where the wool has become compressed, but it’s a good idea to get a quote for these services before purchasing a saddle so that you can include these fees into the total cost.

Here are some of my favorite online tack stores with a strong selection of used saddles. The advantage of buying through them is you get the chance to try the saddle first, usually for a week. If you want to try your luck on eBay, you might want to read this first: Avoiding eBay Saddle Scams.

Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop

Pelham Saddlery

Rick’s Heritage Saddlery

www.usedsaddles.com

Middleburg Tack Exchange

Can you train your horse to do this? Jesse Beery’s training secrets.

With Beery's horse training techniques, you can teach your horse this trick.

What a disappointment! I found this great Web site that promises you that you can train your horse and stop bad habits . . . within minutes . . . and the link to request the horse training secrets that more than 300,000 horse owners have used successfully . . . doesn’t work!

Now I will never be able to train my horse to be ridden by a goat.

But, maybe all isn’t lost. The Website says that the techniques described are based on those by Professor Jesse Beery, who made a name for himself as the “go to” trainer of horses in the late 1800s.

Professor Beery and his family lived in Ohio. Growing up on the family farm it emerged that he had a natural aptitude for working with horses. As his skill and reputation grew, he was in great demand as a trainer and — although the didn’t think of it in these terms — clinician. Ultimately, he started a school to help train others in his methodology and then published a series of pamphlets recounting his training methods.

Jesse Beery's horse training books.

Well, the Web site might not work, but I did find a place where you can buy e-versions of the original brochures for a mere $9.99. The topics are:

Book 1-Colt Training

• The All Important Confidence Lesson
• Teaching “Get Up”
• Teaching “Whoa”
• Getting Colt Ready to Drive
• Overcoming Colt’s Fears

Book 2-Disposition and Subjection

• How to Tell Types 1 to 4
• How to Tell Combinations of Types
• How to Handle Horses According to Their Dispositions
• How to Give Subjection

Book 3-Kicking and Balking

• How to Handle Kickers of Types 2,3, and 4
• How to Handle Kickers of Mixed Types
• Curing Balkers of Different Types

Book 4-Shying and Running Away

• How to Handle an Ordinary Shyer
• How to Cure a Confirmed Shyer
• Teaching the Command, “Steady”
• How to Break Habit of Running Away

Book 5-Bad to Shoe & Halter Pulling

• How to Make Colt Gentle to Shoe
• How to Handle a Horse Bad to Shoe
• How to Break a “Halter Puller”
• Final Test for the Strap Breaker
• The Handling of Broncos

Book 6-Miscellaneous Habits

• How to Cure Fear of Umbrellas
• The Horse That Won’t Stand Still
• How to Break Habit of Biting
• How to Treat the Bit Lugger
• How to Break Horse Bad to Saddle
• How to Break Habit of Bucking

Book 7-Pony Training and Special Fears

• Pony Training
• Fear of Cars and Motorcycles
• Throwing Pony While Standing at His Side
• Training of Other AnimalsThe Story of Kate and Queen

Book 8-Teaching Tricks to Horses and Dogs

• How to Teach Horse to Say “Yes” and “No”
• How to Teach a Horse to Jump
• How to Teach a Horse to Count, Tell Age, etc.
• How to Teach Various Other Tricks
• How I Trained My Trick Dog, Snow White

I will report back when I’ve got my dog riding my horse. Then I’ll graduate to the goat, even if I have to borrow one.

Imagine Adopting 30,000-plus horses

Wild horses held by the BLM are to be adopted by Madelaine Pickens.

That’s what Madelaine Pickens, wife of billionaire T. Rowe Pickens has proposed to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Currently there are about 30,000 wild horses and burros currently in holding pens operated by the BLM. Due to financial constraints, the BLM was considering euthanizing more than 2,000 of the horses held and selling “without limitation” an additional 8,000. Many of those animals were expected to end up being sold to slaughter.

The plight of wild horses in the U.S. has been in a state of deterioration since the 1970s. Many people blame the BLM for not properly managing the herds, but rather depending on a capture and adoption. Unfortunately, the BLM cannot account for more than 65,000 animals adopted, leading many to speculate they were sold for slaughter

According to reports on the wire services, Mrs. Pickens plans to create a permanent retirement ranch for the horses and burros that could be open to the public. “We have mismanaged the horse situation and I will fix that,” she said. “Everyone is on board with it. They want this project to happen.” Mrs. Pickens reportedly is seeking to buy 1 million acres in northern Nevada, the state where more than half of the 33,000 wild horses reside.

For more information, here are some other articles:

Million acres sought for wild horse refuge

Tycoon’s Wife to Buy Land as a Refuge for Wild Horses

Wife of Billionaire T. Boone Pickens Plots to Save Wild Horses From Slaughter