*******************************************************************
HORSE MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER AND MORE!!!
*******************************************************************
Topics in this issue:
1) Comments from readers
2) 2004 Horse Management Seminar; call for C-2s and up
3) Feature: Best friends or business associates?
4) Recommended products and services: Bucking strap
5) Rally and rating tips: C-1 prep guide
6) Questions and answers: Rubs, bits, and rallying
7) Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs: Make your own horse
clothing

******************************************************************
Comments from readers
******************************************************************

Dear Stormy,

I got so many great tips and things to share with our kids from that
newsletter. We discussed your rally hints at our HM clinic this month.

Thanks, hope your year is going well.
Marcy Neher, HMO Inland Empire region

******************************************************************
2004 Sierra Pacific Horse Management Seminar update
******************************************************************

The 2004 Sierra Pacific Horse Management Seminar will be held at the
beautiful new Starr-Vaughn Equestrian Center, home of Tommy Mac! This
fantastic facility is right down the road from Rancho Murieta. It is owned
by a Pony Club family and features paved parking, beautiful barns, and a
huge covered arena. We're very lucky to have access to this place for our
Horse Management Seminar on March 7th, 2004.

This year, we're going to use a station format where people will be able to
pick which topics they would like to learn more about and then listen to a
10 minute lesson on the subject. We're looking for any C-2 or higher rated
Pony Clubbers to teach these stations, as well as any adults that would like
to teach a certain subject. For the Pony Clubbers who teach, it will be a
unique experience to be able to teach the same lesson to small groups up to
12 times in a row so you can really practice your teaching skills! All
teachers will need to submit a lesson plan to me by February 21st for
review. Please don't be shy about this, we need all the help we can get,
and will give all the help we have to give in order to make your lesson
spectacular.

Suggested topics to choose from:

Rally expectations
How to use the HM Handbook
How to use the discipline rulebooks
How to study for written tests at rallies
Proper formal/informal/casual attire
How to clean and bed a stall
Poisonous plants
Rules for feeding
Barn safety
Grooming
Horse breeds
Horse colors
Bits, types and fitting
Saddle fit
Halter fit
How to blanket a horse
Shipping wraps
Standing wraps
Tail wraps
Specialty wraps
Equine first aid kit
Boot polishing
Tack cleaning
What is the basic balanced position?
Stretching for riders
Pony parts
Conformation and lameness
Bridle and saddle parts
How to put a bridle together
Equine diseases
Worms and deworming
How to read a thermometer
How to take a pulse
Recordbooks
Conditioning
Polocrosse
How to clean and bed a stall
Horse trivia games
Rally kits: what to label
How to tie a stock tie

Or any other horse management related topic you might be interested in.
Please email me your topic choice before someone else takes it! Any Pony
Clubbers from neighboring regions are welcome to attend either as a teacher
or participant.

Stay tuned to this newsletter and the Sierra Pacific Digest for more
information, or email me directly at: stormy@... .

*******************************************************************
Feature: Best Friends or Business Associates?
*******************************************************************
By Stormy May

Do you prefer your horse to be your best friend, or a business associate?

The question seemed odd to me. Who would want a horse as a business
associate? Well, maybe race horse owners could be that uncaring, but real
horsepeople? After pondering the question for a few days, I began to see
the situation from both perspectives, and how either relationship could be
useful depending on the person's goals and personality. Taking some time to
figure out which relationship you'd rather have might help make some horse
ownership decisions more clear.

The horse as a business associate:

This type of relationship is for the person whose goals are more important
to them than which particular horse they achieve them with. People who
prefer a business associate relationship will buy and sell, lease, or borrow
horses until they come upon the right match to take them to their goals,
whether it be a safe trail horse, the Pony Club "A" rating, an "A" circuit
hunter, or even the Olympics. This category also includes most trainers who
are looking to increase their business through successful show records,
sales, and students. Just because a person prefers a business associate
relationship, doesn't necessarily mean he or she doesn't care about their
horses. They just make sure that the horse they care for is one that can
fulfill their goals. Trainers like George Morris, Jimmy Wofford, Will
Simpson, and Christiana Noelting will often suggest buying a more
appropriate horse rather than trying to make your existing one into
something he is not.

The horse that works well as a business associate is one that has a strong
work ethic. When showtime comes around and money and reputations are
on the line, he will pull through because he knows his job.

Examples of this type of relationship are most Olympic mounts and their
riders.

The horse as a best friend:

This type of relationship is for the person who is more attached to a
particular horse than to any external goals. There are many excellent
riders out there who have let their competition days slip away because they
became more attached to a particular horse than the goals. The horse may
be unable to fulfill those goals for any number of reasons including injuries,
age, size, breed, or temperament. A hidden gift in this type of relationship is
that the owner may find new ways to enjoy the horse that don't involve
competitions, or even riding. Just because they don't fulfill the original
goals,
doesn't necessarily mean that they have failed. If the owner does feel like he
or she has failed, it might be time to rethink the type of relationship they
want.
Trainers like John Lyons, Pat Parelli, Linda Tellington-Jones, Linda Kohanov,
and Ray Hunt typically don't advocate selling your current horse, they offer
ways for people to improve their relationships with their existing horses. I
recently met a person who is a prime example of this type of relationship. Her
current riding horse is the granddaughter of the horse she rode as a child.

An example of this type of relationship is Alec Ramsey and the Black
Stallion.

There are rare exceptions where a best friend relationship can also fulfill
all of a rider's wildest dreams. Can you think of any real-life examples?

*******************************************************************
Recommended products and services: Bucking strap
*******************************************************************

Ok, maybe it's time for me to stop calling it a bucking strap. What I'm
recommending here is a leather or cotton web strap that attaches between the
dee rings of an English saddle and gives the rider an extra handle to hold
to to regain her balance, deepen his seat, or grab onto if the horse starts
acting like she might buck or bolt.

I've been using bucking straps on my saddles for at least 14 years and I'm
sure I've stayed on those unpredictable young horses more often than not
because of it. It is also fantastic to use during longe lessons when you
can't quite get your seat to stop bouncing at the sitting trot. For riders
who don't yet have independent hands, it's handy to hook a pinky finger
under it to keep your hands in the right vicinity.

If you find that you're using it a lot, you may want to get what are called
"breastplate dees", or "stirrup bar dees" to attach the strap to so you
don't pull out your saddle's dee rings. Breastplate dees are dee rings that
slip over the stirrup bar instead of being held by a tack in the leather of
the saddle.

The original bucking strap I had (and still use!) is just a leather curb
strap. Now you can buy them specifically as a hand-hold strap in different
lengths. Buckeye Saddle Shop in Vacaville, CA (1-707-678-3512) carries a
nice line of cotton web straps with scissor snap attachments. Dover
Saddlery (www.doversaddlery.com 1-800-989-1500) carries one in leather for
$17.90 and calls it a "Rolled Grab Strap". State Line Tack
(www.statelinetack.com 1-800-228-9208) has one for $19.99 and calls it a
"Leather Hand-Hold Strap".

*******************************************************************
Rally and rating tips: C-1 prep guide
*******************************************************************

For the next 4 months I am going to spotlight a prep guide for each of the
rating levels. The questions are ones that give a good indication of the
depth of knowledge needed at each level. Only certain sections may be
covered. The guides are not meant to be comprehensive, they are only
intended to get you studying on the right track. Many of the answers can be
found in the Pony Club manuals. Additional resources include veterinarians,
trainers, farriers, and graduate Pony Clubbers. Memorizing this knowledge
from books is a start but the examiners will also want to hear of practical
experiences and applications of this knowledge. These guides should be
used along with the standards.

Please join in! I started 4 months ago with the H-A level, which is
the highest level that tests horse management skills, and I'm working my way
down to D1. If you remember any questions that were asked at ratings you
took, let me know what they were, especially if you realized you should have
studied that section more! Be sure to include your name, current rating
level, and the rating level each question was from.

**Most importantly, I hope there are never any answer keys made for
these questions. It isn't necessarily these questions or answers that are
the most important part. The studying and questioning that you have to do
to find the answers will be the biggest value.**

Good luck!
~Stormy

How would you condition differently for show jumping, dressage, or eventing?
What exercises are good for conditioning the horse?
How long should you do each exercise?
What is the difference between measuring grain in pounds or quarts?
How do you know how much hay your horse is getting?
What different types of hay does your horse get? Why?
If you feed grain, which grains do you feed and why?
Does your horse get any nutraceuticals? Why or why not?
When would you increase or decrease your horse's feed?
How do you know if your grain is bad?
If you go to a feed store to buy hay, how do you know that it's good
quality?
How would you know if your horse is getting enough nutrition from a pasture?
What are some things that make a pasture bad?
How often should you clean your horse's water trough?
What types of bedding are used in your area?
Which bedding types are the most absorbent?
Which bedding types are easiest to clean?
Which bedding types are the cheapest?
Which bedding types are suitable for foaling stalls?
Which bedding types are not suitable? Why?
What should you do if your blanket has leg straps?
Should the leg straps be fastened before or after the chest strap?
What is the main cause of all stable vices?
What are some ways to cure various stable vices?
Who would use a full clip on a horse rather than a blanket clip?
Why might someone prefer a blanket clip over a trace clip?
What are several ways to remove bot eggs?
What time of year are you likely to find bot eggs?
Which dewormers work on bot larvae?
What are some ways to control parasites in a pasture?
Name at least 5 ways to control flies in a barn.
What are 7 conformation faults of the front legs that can be seen from the
front of the horse?
What are 4 conformation faults of the front legs that can be seen from the
side of the horse?
What are 3 conformation faults of the hind legs that can be seen from the
side of the horse?
What are 4 conformation faults of the hind legs that can be seen from the
back of the horse.
What does tied-in mean?
When a horse has bowed tendons? Where could they be located?
When a horse has splints, where are all the possible locations?
When a horse has sidebone, where are all the possible locations?
How can you tell if your horse has sidebone?
When a horse has ringbone, where are all the possible locations?
Can a horse have navicular in their hind feet?
Do you know where to find the USPC trailer safety checklist?
Which things on the trailer should be checked yearly? Monthly? Before every
trip?
What medications would you use on a minor wound? Would you wrap it?
Why or
why not?
How often does your horse get a Rhinopneumonitis shot?
How often does your horse get a Venezuelan Encephalomyelitis shot?
Which vaccinations are often combined with others?
Which vaccinations are required to be given by a vet in California?
When is your horse's next shoeing appointment?
What are some of the horse sports offered in USPC that you've never been to
a rally for?
Name 15 things you'd look for when performing a safety inspection on a D
level rider.
Name several different reasons you'd want to longe a horse.
How long should you longe a horse?
What tack should you use or not use for longeing?
What are the 5 steps in shoeing as listed in the USPC C manual?
What is a buffer used for?
What is a pritchel used for?
How can you tell the difference between nippers and pull-offs?
Does your own shoer have different names for any of the tools listed in the
manual?
Have you practiced your shipping bandage enough that you can get it on
perfectly after only one try? (Note, at this stage you're allowed to do the
wrap "with assistance", however you'll be much more confident if you can
apply it well by yourself!)

For more great questions, see the ponyclub.org website in the forms section,
click on C study guide.
http://www.ponyclub.org/forms.php

*******************************************************************
Questions and answers
*******************************************************************

Dear Stormy, I have a couple questions to ask you about horse management.

1. My horse got turned out with his stable blanket on, and now he has rubs
on his shoulders, right where they come into his chest. Is there any way I
can make them grow back faster?

2. The same horse goes in a soft rubber snaffle. That's fine, except he's
also a chronic bit chewer. He chews the rubber off and makes the bit more
severe than its meant to be, so I end up buying quite a few bits every year.
I'm curious what alternatives in bitting there are that have the same
effect.

Thank you for taking your time to write such an awesome newsletter!

Jess

Hi Jess,

Those are both great questions.

For the blanket rubs, nothing seems to grow hair back better than an aloe
cream, either Horseman's Dream Veterinary cream, Farnam's Aloe Heal, or
the aloe vet cream from Dionne. On an email message list once, someone
claimed that aloe cream would make hair grow on a rock! I haven't tried that,
but it seems to work great on horses. The next step of course is to make sure
it doesn't happen again.

It sounds like your horse must have a different blanket for turnout but that
he got turned out accidentally in the stable blanket which isn't designed
for turn out. If a blanket is a consistent shoulder-rubber though, that
means it doesn't fit correctly. For a while those shoulder sleezys were all
the rage, and they still can be useful in certain situations, but I can't
imagine they would be comfortable for horses to wear long term, I think they
just put up with it. A blanket with nylon lining at the shoulders will help
prevent shoulder rubs, and one with a high cut wither will help prevent
wither rubs. I'm not convinced that shoulder gussets actually decrease
shoulder rubs, but they may. The most important factor though is that the
blanket doesn't slip around, that will definitely cause rubs. I've heard
that Rambo blankets are famous for not slipping but they tend to be out of
my price range for as infrequently as I blanket. If any readers have
suggestions of blanket brands that seem to fit well, please email me at
stormy@... .

I'm glad you're replacing your rubber bits as they get chewed up. Too often,
people don't realize that those chewed areas are like sandpaper on the
tongue and palate. As for the rubber snaffle, you didn't mention if it's
jointed
or unjointed. The unjointed will be milder but you may prefer the feel of a
jointed bit. There are a lot of plastic bits that hold up better than rubber,
but
still are warmer and a little softer than metal bits. If you use an unjointed
rubber bit, you may want to try Sprenger's plastic duo bit, it has a little flex
to it,
so it can be used to soften the individual sides of the mouth better than a
plain
mullen mouth. I believe you can get that through Dressage Extensions
(www.dressageextensions.com) or you may need your tack store to special
order it from the Sprenger distributor. Happy Mouth, and Apple Mouth (sold
through Libertyville Saddle shop, www.saddleshop.com ) also make
unjointed plastic bits but I have never liked the design of two bumps in the
middle of the mouthpiece, right where the tongue and palate come together.
The Happy Mouth or Apple Mouth bits come in jointed designs that will be
very similar to a rubber jointed bit, but with longer wear.

That's the band-aid solution, the real solution is to figure out why he's
chewing on the bit in the first place. I'm assuming that the chewing happens
only when he has a bit in his mouth, and when he's eating. It's pretty rare for
a horse to randomly walk around chewing with nothing in his mouth. If it's
chronic with a bit, and not just an occasional chew to show that he's soft in
the
mouth, is probably a sign of tension, nervousness, pain, or confusion. It may
have no reflection on you as a rider, there are many competitive horses who
have bit issues, even with professional riders on them. Some horses are just
more expressive than others about their discomfort.

I have had very good success with sensitive horses to switch from a bit to a
non-bit method of control. People of the Parelli school seem to use rope
halters instead of bridles, which can work if the horse is schooled correctly to
accept that. Another alternative is the non-leverage jumping type hackamore,
which is just a noseband that attaches to the headstall, and then the reins
attach to the sides of the noseband. It is a little better to use than the rope
halter because it won't slip around the nose as much. I would avoid
mechanical hackamores which can really damage a horse's nose and jaw if
used incorrectly, and they are not useful if you need to use a leading rein. My
personal preference is the Bitless Bridle (www.bitlessbridle.com) which is a
very innovative method of controlling the horse's head using mild leverage for
good control, but not so much that the horse could be injured or frightened.

I have a young horse that I show in dressage who started fussing with the bit
about 6 months after being started. I switched him to the Bitless Bridle and he
completely relaxed. Since dressage showing still requires the use of a bit, I
ride with the Bitless Bridle and then a snaffle headstall and bit over it so I'm
holding two sets of reins. I can warm up mainly using the Bitless Bridle reins
and then switch to the snaffle reins as he balances himself. Before entering
the arena I remove the Bitless Bridle and he remains relaxed with the bit
because at that point I'm mainly using my legs and seat to control him.

If you do decide to switch to a non-bit alternative, give yourself and your
horse
at least a week or two to learn how to work with the new equipment. Start in a
smaller, enclosed area teaching the horse to give to pressure; left, right, and
down at the halt first, then walk, trot, and canter. As you both gain
confidence
with the new control, move to larger areas until you can ride safely out in the
open. If you want to read some eye-opening research about the effects of bits
in a horse's mouth, take a look at the articles on the Bitless Bridle website.

I know there's a lady in Texas working on reins that attach to a non-leverage
jumping hackamore (sidepull) with a second set of reins that attach with slack
to the bit and then to the primary sidepull reins. These reins will be a good
alternative for people who want to try riding bitless but don't want to totally
give up the bit in emergency situations. It will also work well if you aren't
able
to handle two sets of reins. Stay tuned for more information on that.

Let me know how it works out!
Stormy


***********************************************************

Another couple of questions,

Q1: Are individual bridles and saddles required to be labeled or can just the
saddle rack and bridle be labeled? I have seen it both ways but it would be
good if we had a set standard.

Q2: HM Checklist, Equine First Aid Kit calls for 4 leg bandages with
appropriate padding for 4 stable wraps. Are no bow wraps or pillow wraps
or other types of wraps acceptable for padding? And do the bandages have
to be flannel or can they be stable bandages or track bandages?


Thanks..
Barbara Brewer, English Hills PC rally coordinator


Hi Barb,

As per the 2002 HM handbook, bridle and saddle racks are required to be
labeled with the corresponding competitor's number (name could be
acceptable too). Bridles and saddles aren't required to be labeled, although
in my experience, if you would like to see them after the rally, labeling is a
good idea. A tag attached the billets of a saddle, under the flap is a good
place. For bridles, a small bridle tag or piece of labeled tape on the
headstall
of the bridle would work. Make sure nothing will be able to flap in a horse's
eye or mouth.

No bows or pillow wraps are acceptable padding for stable bandages. If the
no bows aren't very thick (few are) then it would be appropriate to have 2
pads per leg for proper thickness. The problem with these paddings are that
they won't work for all horse and pony sizes, so if there is a variety of equine
sizes on the team, they may need to have two separate sets. If the team
chooses to use sheet cottons as padding, they should already be made up
into four individual wraps, ready to put on a horse in an emergency.

The bandages which cover the padding can be flannel, or the stretchy ponte
polyester material often sold as "standing wraps" in tack stores. Track
bandages typically are 4 inch cotton knit bandages which are acceptable,
though if they are 6 inch they will work better unless you have small ponies.

Happy rallying,
Stormy

***********************************************************

Hi Stormy,

Do you know anything more about the name tags on halters? What type of
info is needed? Once we know, I will share the info with the region before the
rallies come up.

April Smith, DC Northern Mines Pony Club

Hi April,

It isn't listed anywhere in the Horse Management Handbook that halters need
to be labeled so I asked Virginia Heyward. Virginia is one of the head Horse
Management people at the national office. Her reply is as follows:

"What we have asked, most of us at least, is that the halter be labeled with, if
known, barn and/or stall number so that if he is found wandering around we'll
know where he goes. Competitor number is not as useful. We do not take
points off for it but insist they do it from a safety, etc. point of view. Hope
that
helps.

Virginia"

Her response comes after years of judging huge East Coast rallies where
there may be several barns of horses at one multi-day rally. It would be easy
for our competitors at overnight rallies to stick a piece of sports tape to the
halter cheekpiece and write the barn and stall number if available, competitor
number, or at least club or team name. The 1" roll of adhesive tape in the
Equine First Aid kit would work great as long as the kids leave enough for
emergency use too. I'd definitely recommend the labeling for anyone going to
championships!

Remember the markers!
Stormy

*******************************************************************
Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs!
*******************************************************************

Want to help your Pony Clubber learn how to sew? What little girl wouldn't
love to make her own polo wraps? Find some fun projects in the book, "Make
your own horse clothing" by Jean Perry. The book is available through the
www.amazon.com website. Who knows, it may even blossom into a career!

Amazon.com reviewer from Mississippi: I own three horses and when you
start buying stuff for three horses you find out rather quickly how expensive it
can be. With this book you will learn how easy it is to make your own horse
blankets, polo wraps, and other useful equipment. This book has helpful
charts, included patterns as well as easy to follow step by step instructions.
Even the beginner can save money and have fun making their
own horse clothing.

********************************************************************
Call for submissions
********************************************************************
Help make this newsletter the best it can be. Do you have any issues you'd
like to see addressed here? How about ideas for recommended products,
books, or videos? Want to submit your own article, or a question for the
questions and answers section? Send them to: stormy@... and
I'll keep a log of topics and articles for upcoming issues.