HORSE MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER AND MORE!!!
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Topics in this issue:
1) Feature: A parent's role during ratings
2) Recommended products and services: Metronomes for riding
3) Rally and rating tips: Sample letter for ratings preps
4) Questions and answers: loose shoes, flowcharts, and bit allergies
5) Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs: A Gymnastic Riding System by
Betsy Steiner
6) Fun and educational websites: sculpture, knowledge, and tack
7) Featured rule: Unauthorized Assistance
8) Horsey Humor: Strange horse laws
9) Free item exchange

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Feature: A parent's role during ratings
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Pony Club ratings can be stressful for all involved, not least of all for
the candidates' parents. As a parent, by the time your child makes it to a
rating, you have already spent countless hours and dollars supporting your
child in achieving his or her goals.

It is certainly normal parental nature to want to step in during this
momentous occasion and help "control" the outcome whether it be by making
sure your B candidate remembers her hairnet, muttering "heels down" as your
D2 candidate passes you on the rail, or by commiserating with other parents
about how this examiner must not know good riding when she sees it.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting Nancy McKnight at her Oregon
ranch called "Two Dollar Window". Nancy has been an avid Pony Club
supporter for probably more years than I've even been alive. She has
cultivated a special knack for pulling together her thoughts and translating
them into insightful written materials that help enrich her region. I have
the good fortune to pass on some of these materials now to a wider audience.
Nancy gave her blessing to use these as I saw fit, so I pass on the same
liberties to the readers of this newsletter.

Originally, Nancy wrote the following for parents of candidates taking the
C3 test, but it really applies to all of the ratings.

RATINGS SUPPORT SYSTEM

1. This is your candidate's test! Not yours, not your instructor's test,
not your club's!

2. This IS a chance to review what part you played in the preparation of
your candidate, to review quietly from the sidelines, to learn how strengths
and weaknesses reflect your support, your teaching, your example...HOW MUCH
INDEPENDENCE DID YOU ALLOW YOUR CANDIDATE TO DEVELOP? WAS THE SUPPORT YOU
GAVE SUFFICIENT TO PROMOTE TRUE GROWTH? WERE YOU REALISTIC IN HELPING YOUR
CANDIDATE UNDERSTAND HIS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES WITHOUT MAKING A JUDGEMENT
CALL ON THE CANDIDATE?

3. BE QUIET and LEARN! Don't judge the candidate - Let the candidate
determine where he stands in comparison to the Standards. Give the
candidate the opportunity to do his own work!!! It is his job to care for
his horse, bandage as the examiners want, clean his own tack, muck his
stall, answer the questions and keep order (mentally and physically).

4. The examiners come with a wide experience in viewing the level of
proficiency within the demands of the Standards. From their view they must
determine how the candidates in this test meet the standard or do not meet
the standard with their performance on the day of the rating. They are not
judging the youngster; but determining how they meet the requirements of the
test. This should be viewed as a means toward improvement no matter what
the outcome. The candidates are the same individuals the day of the rating
and the day after the rating - let's just hope they have a wider perspective
of the standards after the test.

5. As you watch FROM A DISTANCE be thoughtful in reflecting on your part in
the process. The test is really quite straight forward - there are no
tricks and there are no shortcuts. Free Forward Movement (FFM) is free and
forward, Basic Balanced Position (BBP) is basic and balanced. You either
know the unmounted requirements or you don't. There is NO place to hide and
there are no trick questions. Yes, the horse makes a difference, but
understanding and ability to analyze and accommodate the horse's performance
will not be overlooked by the examiners. The candidate must have a plan,
and must be accurate and compassionate in his understanding of his partner,
the horse. Failure is NOT a part of the picture - complying with the
requirements is the candidate's goal.

6. Remember that the STANDARD IS THE STANDARD IS THE STANDARD. Look at the
big picture and don't be caught with the mistake of thinking in terms of
Pass or Fail. Help your candidate determine where he is and encourage him
to dream of where he wants to go. Let it truly be his dream without your
desired demands or expectations inhibiting his true growth.

7. Help provide opportunities to allow candidates to find their own paths
now and after the rating. Every achievement should open doors to greater
growth and enlightenment. Horses provide a means to unending chances for
personal growth.

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Recommended products and services: Metronomes for riding
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Yes, I said metronomes ... you know ... the little clicking things that
musicians use to keep time? Metronomes are a nearly essential tool to use
if you want to create your own dressage musical freestyle, but even if
you're just working on improving your horse's rhythm (or your own!) a
metronome might be a very helpful tool. The smallest practical metronome
that I've seen is one made by Seiko and sold by Dressage Extensions as well
as many music stores. It clips on to your clothing or saddle and has
buttons that you can use to control how fast or slow it clicks. With a
metronome you can finally practice your lengthened canter or trot and make
sure the horse's rhythm doesn't change. It would also be especially useful
for helping to develop a young horse's rhythm, or just use it to help find
music to ride to for fun!

Find it here on the web:
https://store.primediamags.com/shop/equine/viewProduct?pm_id=7225

Thanks to Diane Hoffmann for finding this online!

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Rally and rating tips: Sample letter for ratings prep
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Another great find from Nancy McKnight is a letter she sent out to the C3
candidates in preparation for their August test. This letter can be
modified for DCs, or upper level ratings coordinators to use to help Pony
Clubbers take responsibility for preparing themselves for their tests. I
have taken the liberties to bracket around specific information that will
need to be modified to suit your own needs.

Dear [Pony Clubber],

Congratulations on accepting the challenge of your [C3] rating. I am
enclosing a time line for you to use to help you prepare. I look forward to
getting better acquainted with your needs to put together a clinic that will
help you in preparation.

The test date is [August 12-14, 131 days away]
The required clinic is [June 28-30, 86 days away]

There are many topics you need to study. I would suggest that you take the
ones most troublesome for you and plan time to concentrate on them during a
time when school exams, etc. are not competing for your time. Establish
goals and a time line to cover all the topics. On the USPC website
(www.ponyclub.org) under the "Forms" section there is a very good Written
Test Study Guide which would be valuable to download. No one should give
you the answers, and much of the material simply has to be memorized and
then put into use for your purposes.

At the clinic we will be [longeing, riding on the flat and over fences in
the arena and in the open.] Establish a time line to be sure your vet work
is done on time, your farrier schedule is planned wisely, your conditioning
is done diligently, your feeding schedules are in tune with the
conditioning, your tack is in perfect shape, and you are fit to match the
efforts necessary to accomplish the tasks. We expect you to be ready to
test in [June] with only tune-up and details to cover between the clinic and
the rating.

As an example for your own personal study guide:
[Poisonous plants - parasites - pasture management ... April 4-10]
[Teaching - foot care and shoeing - conformation ... April 11-18]
[Diseases - first aid - nutrition ...]
[Bandaging ...]
[Longeing ...]

Many of the topics require ongoing practice. Don't wait until the last
minute to cram!!! AND RIDE, RIDE, RIDE to develop and maintain the skills
necessary to feel comfortable at the rating. Ride as many horses as you
can, and carefully analyze each of them as the [C3] standard requires. [In
perfect Basic Balanced Position (BBP), freely forward, sensitive to well
applied aids]... and talk, talk, talk. Oral evaluation of your ride is
absolutely essential. YOU CANNOT GET READY FOR THE RATING AT THE CLINIC.
GETTING READY IS A GRADUAL PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT. We will try to help you
pinpoint the requirements of the rating at the clinic, but it is up to you
to practice the skills necessary.

This is a major step in your equestrian career. Do it wisely to get the
full enjoyment and benefit from the rating. I look forward to getting to
know each of you better and to cheering for your accomplishments.

[Your signature]

Stormy's note: Don¹t forget, there are sample questions for each rating
level in the back issues of this newsletter.

Get them here:

D1 sample questions: May 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/14

D2 sample questions: April 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/13

D3 sample questions: March 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/12

C1 sample questions: February 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/11

C2 sample questions: January 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/10

C3 sample questions: December 2003 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/9

B sample questions: November 2003 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/8

HA sample questions: October 2003 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/7

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Questions and answers
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Dear Stormy May,

Our pony club recently had a mounted meeting where a member rode a school
horse with a known loose and significantly laterally shifted rear shoe.
When I expressed surprise and concern, I was told that it was okay to ride
him for flat work. When I researched, everything says that it's NOT okay.
(This same owner also allows her school horses to be ridden with missing
shoes)

What is the standard regarding loose shoes? Am I incorrect in thinking that
this is never proper horse management?

Sincerely,
A Frustrated Pony Club parent

Hi Frustrated,

You were right to express concern about a horse being ridden with a loose
shoe, especially at a Pony Club mounted meeting. The damage can range from
cracks in the hoof wall, to a punctured sole and the inevitable abscesses or
even worse infections leading to permanent lameness or death.

I'm going to go into this question in more depth than you probably expected
because I think it's an important topic for all horse owners and riders to
think about.

There is a lot of information in each of the USPC manuals about shoes and
shoeing, but it doesn't specifically say that you should never ride a horse
with a loose or missing shoe. The closest it gets is in the formal
inspection sheets in the 2002 Horse Management Handbook where at each rating
level, D1-A the horse is expected to have, "feet well trimmed and/or shod".

From a practical standpoint, everybody who owns a horse with shoes for more
than a year or two will have to deal with what to do when a shoe comes loose
or off. As Murphy's law will dictate, it will always happen right before
the most important event of your life, leaving you with a moral dilemma; to
ride, or not to ride.

I won't pretend to have the ultimate authority to answer this question for
you or anyone else, but here are the factors I take into consideration when
I have to deal with this dilemma:

1) Is the shoe just slightly loose, or is it only holding on by one or two
nails? Does the shoe have quarter or toe clips?

If the shoe is just slightly loose, I usually go ahead and keep using the
horse while calling the farrier daily (my farriers often do better with
frequent reminders). If it's a front foot I will probably put bell boots on
to lessen the chance of the horse pulling the shoe with a hind foot. If a
trip to a nearby barn or the farrier's residence is an option I might do
that to make it easier for the farrier to see my horse on a short notice.
I'm even happy to use a different farrier in a pinch (it pays to be on good
terms with all the local farriers). Sometimes I will put several wraps of
duct tape around the shoe and the hoof wall before riding to give a little
extra insurance that the shoe stays in place. By the end of the ride, the
duct tape has inevitably worn through but it has served its purpose.

If the shoe is barely hanging on I usually elect to pull the shoe myself.
Pulling a shoe that is barely hanging on is not as much of an ordeal as one
might imagine. Sometimes it's just a matter of grabbing the shoe and gently
prying it off. If the shoe is loose enough that you can cut the nails
between the shoe and the hoof, that's an easy way to get the shoe off while
preserving the hoof. If you can't get between the shoe and the hoof to cut
the nails, then be sure to do your best to cut the remaining clinches off at
the top of the nails that are still attached before you pull the shoe. If
you don't cut the clinches, you'll end up taking off more of the hoof than
you'd like. The clinches are the part of the nails that are folded over and
visible on the hoof wall about 1/2 inch above the ground. Clinches can be
cut with wire cutters or hoof nippers if they're already risen above the
hoof wall, or even gently chiseled off with a hammer and flat head
screwdriver in an emergency. Watch your shoer the next time he pulls your
horse's shoes off. If you're lucky, he might even let you try to pull a
couple of nails yourself.

If the shoe has toe clips, or especially if it has quarter clips, I am much
more vigilant about not letting the shoe get so loose that it might twist
and have a clip puncture the sole. This has happened to me more than once
and luckily, the horses were only momentarily lame as they stepped on the
clips. In all cases, I then quickly pulled the rest of the shoe off. The
chance for infection by stepping on a clip is much greater than with a
shoeing nail getting in the sole.

2) What is the natural condition of the particular horse's hooves? Are they
naturally strong and resistant to cracks, or are they particularly weak and
shelly?

Some people routinely start shoeing their horses when they are three years
old and started under saddle. Just because a horse has shoes, doesn't
necessarily mean that he needs them. I have started a lot of young horses
over the years and most of the time, for the riding that I do, they don't
need shoes at all. In fact, the only one who did, just needed it on her
front feet when I was working her during the summer so her feet wouldn't
bruise too easily. On the flip side of that, once a horse has had shoes
consistently for 4 or 5 years, they will sometimes come to depend on them.
It's similar to us realizing how tender our own feet are when walking
outside barefoot, but after a summer of running around without shoes, our
feet start to develop a toughness that I'm sure our ancestors took for
granted.

If your horse has lost a shoe, has strong hooves, and seems to be completely
sound and comfortable, you're probably OK using the horse until the shoer
comes out.

3) What surface do you want to ride on, what do you want to do, and for how
long?

Again, there is a spectrum of possibilities to consider.

Least likely to damage a bare foot is wet or sandy ground, most likely is
rocky ground. Least likely footing to pull a shoe is hard ground, most
likely is deep footing or muddy ground. Least likely to damage a bare foot
is standing in a stall deeply bedded in shavings, most likely is doing an
endurance or cross country ride on rocky ground. If the shoe has already
departed from your horse and you have a well fitted Easyboot, Old Mac boot,
or other such product, then you can usually ride as normal until the shoer
arrives. Hopefully by now you're getting the idea that there is really no
black or white answer to your question.

4) Is it a front shoe or a hind shoe?

Front feet in general bear 60% of the horse's weight while hind feet only
bear 40%. This is why you will often see horses with front shoes and bare
hind feet. If the horse has lost a hind shoe, there is a better chance that
it will not get as damaged if the horse is worked, than if he lost a front
shoe.

5) How soon can you expect to get the farrier out?

For example, if the shoe doesn't have clips and is loose but still held on
by 4 nails and the shoer is due to come tomorrow, then I might be willing to
take the chance that the horse might lose the shoe in a lesson today.
Again, it's your call.

6) Where will the horse be kept until the shoe can be fixed?

If the horse will be walking around a few acres of pasture or a dry lot
corral then he probably has just as much chance of losing the shoe or
damaging the foot as if he were being ridden on the flat. In fact, it might
be preferable if he were to lose the shoe while someone is watching than if
he pulls it in the pasture and happens to step on the clip or a nail. If
the shoe is already gone and you have the luxury of a deeply bedded stall
and several wraps of duct tape around the hoof wall, or an Easyboot (or
similar) then the shoer should have plenty of foot left to work with when he
comes.

My personal solution is to have barefoot horses and then use Old Mac boots
when I expect to be riding on hard or rocky ground. This said, barefoot is
definitely not the solution for all horses, particularly ones who have weak
or shelly hooves or problems like navicular or chronic laminitis.

If the owner of the school horses knew that using her horses in lessons with
loose or missing shoes would cause long term lamenesses, hopefully she
wouldn't take that risk. On the other hand, if she realizes that shoes do
come loose, and she's willing to take the gamble that the nails or clips
won't puncture the sole in the process of coming loose, then working a horse
with a loose shoe on the flat would only slightly hasten the process that
will continue without a rider as the horse goes about his daily activities.

As a last thought, (which should probably be your first thought) if you have
a horse that continues to lose shoes on a regular basis, you may want to
consider shortening your horse's shoeing schedule (some horses actually need
shoeing every 4-5 weeks), changing farriers, trying your horse barefoot
(under the farrier's and/or vet's supervision), and/or using a dietary hoof
supplement (these generally take a year to show significant results because
that's how long it takes for the hoof to grow completely out.)

Another option, especially for upper level Pony Clubbers is to consider
apprenticing with your farrier or attending a farrier school. Many farrier
schools can be completed in two weeks! Once you get the basics down, you
may find yourself with a well paying flexible job to get you through college
or at least leave you with enough skills to never have to worry about a
loose shoe again!

Keep it clinched,
Stormy

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Hi Stormy,

We try to make Deer Creek Pony Club user friendly in that we really try and
apply what the clubbers want with the club. We have in the past used
trainers, savvy parents, and C-3 and higher clubbers to sign off the
Flowchart. The kids recently voted they wanted C-1 and higher to be to able
sign off. I wanted your opinion on this? Is there a concern for the maturity
level and verbal skills here? (Not every child is as mature or well versed
as others) Some of our younger C-1's did pass the rating, but I do not feel
can make the flowchart sign off a learning process or know how to ask
"leading" questions to elicit answers that show the rater knows their
"stuff". Your expertise will be greatly appreciated in this matter. Thanks
again.

Margie Moy, DC, Deer Creek Pony Club, Sierra Pacific Region

Hi Margie,

Flowcharts were developed as a tool for kids, parents and officials to help
assure readiness for ratings. They are not a national or regional
requirement. The DC may make a club requirement to have flowcharts checked
off before recommending a child for a rating.

The DC has the final say as to who is appropriate to check off flowcharts.
Perhaps a compromise between your feelings and what the kids voted, is to
say that a Pony Clubber can check off the unmounted sections of flowcharts
for ratings at least 3 levels below them. For example, I think a C1 would
have no trouble determining if a D1 is fulfilling requirements, a C2 would
probably be capable of checking off a D1 or D2, and a C3 could check off a
D1, D2, or D3. Once you get into the C ratings I think the checks should be
performed by instructors or other properly trained adults.

The mounted sections of flowcharts I believe should be checked off by
someone within the club or within the region who is familiar with the riding
standards. Just because the kids have been through the ratings themselves,
doesn't mean that their eyes have been sufficiently developed to recognize
when someone is riding at the various standards.

A nice thing about the flowcharts is that they put the power in the hands of
the Pony Clubbers to show that they are ready for their rating. If they
take the initiative to find DC approved "checkers" for each section, it
makes the DC's job much easier when rating time comes around.

Checkmate,
Stormy

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Hi Stormy,

I use a stainless steel bit on my Appendix Eventer. I do not use a very
hard hand but he gets cuts in the corners of his mouth. Could this be a
reaction to stainless steel or is his mouth just overly sensitive?

Megan

Hi Megan,

I'm glad you noticed the cuts in the corner of your horse's mouth.
Stainless steel is made of iron, chrome, and nickel. Often, horses will
have allergic reactions to nickel that can show up as redness, cracking,
sores or just an aversion to being bridled. An easy to find bit material
that is completely nickel-free is Aurigan®, made by the Herm Sprenger
company. Aurigan® contains copper, silicone and zinc. If you switch to an
Aurigan® bit and the sores go away then you can be pretty sure it was an
allergic reaction. The other metal you could try is copper, but copper is
so soft on its own that if a horse chews at the bit, it will quickly develop
ridges that can irritate the horse's lips, tongue, and bars. You may also
want to experiment with some of the plastic "Happy Mouth" or rubber covered
bits. The drawback might be that they usually have stainless steel rings
and cores in the bit that might still have enough nickel to irritate your
horse's mouth.

There are several other possible causes of the sores that you'll want to
check at the same time.

Make sure your horse is salivating enough. Saliva is a natural lubricant
for the bit. As you are riding, check the corners of the mouth to see if
there's at least a little bit of wetness around the bit. If not, you could
try a bit metal that promotes salivation. Aurigan®, sweet iron, German
Silver, copper, and other copper alloy bits all promote salivation through
the oxidation of the metal. If you don't notice much wetness, you can also
try the old dressage rider's trick of giving the horse a few sugar cubes
before they start work to get the juices flowing.

The bit's mouthpiece shape might also contribute to cuts. Twisted wire,
slow twist, corkscrew, triangular "knife edge", or serrated mouthpiece bits
will often cut or rub the horse's mouth even if you have the lightest hands
in the world.

Lastly, check the rest of the horse's mouth very carefully. Horses
occasionally develop ulcers in the mouth that are unrelated to bitting
issues. Foxtails or other prickly debris in the feed can also cause cuts
and sores in the mouth. If you're in the Southwest area, horses with
Vesticular Stomatitis will show sores in the mouth as well. If you notice
sores in places other than where the bit would rub, contact your
veterinarian immediately.

If it's safe, I'd suggest switching to a bitless alternative while the sores
heal. Bag balm is a good salve to help speed the healing from bit rubs on
the lips. It's like chapstick for horses!

Speedy recovery,
Stormy

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Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs! A Gymnastic Riding System by Betsy
Steiner
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A Gymnastic Riding System Using Mind, Body, and Spirit: Progressive Training
for Horse and Rider by Betsy Steiner and Jennifer O. Bryant

The title is a mouthful but basically this is a book by a well known and
respected dressage trainer who has adapted Pilates exercises into a valuable
workout for horse riders. Betsy calls her exercises, "Equilates". The book
then goes on to give some great lesson ideas that would be especially useful
for Pony Clubbers starting out as trainers or established trainers looking
to add some new tricks to their bags.

Here's what the publisher has to say about it:

Most books on dressage discuss the physical aspects of riding: horse
position, rider position, use of the aids, and movements. International
dressage rider and trainer Betsy Steiner believes that the physical (body)
is just one­third of the riding equation, with two vital components ‹ the
intellectual (mind) and the psychological (spirit) ‹ playing roles of equal
importance. Each level of the classical training pyramid ‹ rhythm,
suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness, and collection ‹ is addressed
in all three dimensions for both rider and horse. Never before has such a
multifaceted training system been laid out for riders and horses of all
levels.

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Fun and educational websites
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The most beautiful horse fountain I have ever seen is made by the
Sacramento, California artist Patricia Borum. You can see this fountain and
other beautiful sculptures on her website at:

http://www.patriciaborum.com/

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Equerry is a nice equine site with some very good interviews of well known
horse people, a great humor section (see an exerpt below) and a
comprehensive guide for first time horse owners.

Find it all at:
www.equerry.com

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For you internet shoppers, this site is not to be missed. I bought my last
two pairs of slip on, steel toed jodhpur boots from them for only $50. each
and the quality has far outlasted both Ariats and Blundstones. I highly
recommend their boots!

www.tack-wholesale.com

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Featured rule: Unauthorized Assistance
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2002 Horse Management Handbook page 28 section 6: Unauthorized Assistance

Competitors are expected to be self-reliant. Assistance is available from
rally officials, HM Judges, and other competitors. When bodily harm is
imminent, outside assistance is permissible. In cases where special needs
arise, e.g., delivering lunches, coolers, medications, etc., to competitors,
the chaperones shall contact the Horse Management personnel to make
arrangements at the neutral zone (a designated area open to parents,
chaperones and competitors). If competitors are having problems with
unsolicited advice and are fearful of incurring penalties, they should speak
to the CHMJ. The penalty for unauthorized assistance in Horse Management
shall be up to 60 penalty points in Horse Management.

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Horsey humor: Strange horse laws
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Here is a collection of some of the wildest horse laws ever passed. A great
many of these laws were aimed specifically at horses and riders. No one
knows how they got there and no one living has a memory of anyone arrested
under them.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

In Omega, New Mexico, every woman must "be found to be wearing a corset"
when riding a horse in public. A physician is required to inspect each
female on horseback. The doctor must ascertain whether or not the woman is,
in fact, complying with this law!

In Hartsville, Illinois, you can be arrested for riding an ugly horse.

In Pattonsburg, Missouri, according to the Revised Ordinances, 1884: "No
person shall hallo, shout, bawl, scream, use profane language, dance, sing,
whoop, quarrel, or make any unusual noise or sound in such manner as to
disturb a horse."

A Wyoming community passed this one: "No female shall ride a horse while
attired in a bathing suit within the boundaries of Riverton, unless she be
escorted by at least two officers of the law or unless she be armed with a
club." And continues with this amendment to the original: "The provisions of
this statue shall not apply to females weighing less than ninety pounds nor
exceeding two hundred pounds."

A misworded ordinance in Wolf Point, Montana: "No horse shall be allowed in
public without its owner wearing a halter."

A Fort Collins, Colorado Municipal Code: "It is unlawful for any male rider,
within the limits of this community, to wink at any female rider with whom
he is acquainted."

Abilene, Kansas, City Ordinance 349 declares: "Any person who shall in the
city of Abilene shoot at a horse with any concealed or unconcealed bean
snapper or like article, shall upon conviction, be fined."

1899 vintage law from Waverly, Kentucky: "Any person who shall ride a horse
in a public place while wearing any device or thing attached to the head,
hair, headgear or hat, which device or thing is capable of lacerating the
flesh of any other person with whom it may come in contact and which is not
sufficiently guarded against the possibility of so doing, shall be adjudged
a disorderly person."

A 1907 Cumberland County, Tennessee statute reads: "Speed while on horseback
upon county roads will be limited to three miles an hour unless the rider
sees a bailiff who does not appear to have had a drink in thirty days, then
the horseman will be permitted to make what he can."

Figure out this 1913 Massachusetts law: "Whosoever rides a horse on any
public way-laid out under authority or law recklessly or while under the
influence of liquor shall be punished; thereby imposing upon the horseman
the duty of finding out at his peril whether certain roads had been laid out
recklessly or while under the influence of liquor before riding over them."

Ice cream lovers beware in Cotton Valley, Louisiana. Citizens aren't allowed
to eat an ice cream cone while on horseback in public places.

It's illegal in Marion, South Carolina, to tickle a female under her chin
with a feather duster to get her attention while she's riding a horse!

A newly married man in Kearney, Nebraska, can't ride alone. The law states
that he "can't ride without his spouse along at any time, unless he's been
married for more than twelve months."

It is strictly against the law in Bicknell, Indiana, for a man to leave his
new bride alone and go riding with his pals on his wedding day. The penalty
is a week in jail.

In Bismark, North Dakota, every home within the limits of Bismark must have
a hitching post in the front yard.

Budds Creek, Maryland, has an antique law which prohibits horses from
sleeping in a bathtub, unless the rider is also sleeping with the horse.

Citizens are prohibited from buying, selling or trading horses "after the
sun goes down" in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, without first getting permission
from the sheriff.

In Pee Wee, West Virginia, people are prohibited from swapping horses in the
town square at noon!

A unique law in Pine Ridge, South Dakota where horses are banned from
neighing between midnight and 6 a.m. near a "residence inhabited by human
beings."

And in Pocataligo, Georgia, horses aren't allowed to be heard neighing after
10 p.m.

Paradise, California, retains a most unusual law that says it is illegal to
let a horse sleep in a bakery within the limits of the community. What about
goats, cows, etc.?? Only horses are mentioned.

In Sutherland, Iowa, a law governs how horses may be seen when on the
streets during evening hours. The animal must always have a light attached
to its tail and a horn of some sort on its head.

No rodeos in this town! No man is allowed to ride his horse "in a violent
manner" if he happens to be in Boone, North Carolina.

Female riders in Clearbrook, Minnesota, be aware of this one governing the
heel length of a horsewoman's shoes. Any such woman can wear heels measuring
no more than 1-1/2 inches in length.

A loony clothing ordinance in Upperville, Virginia, bans a married woman
from riding a horse down a street while wearing "body hugging clothing." A
$2 fine can be imposed on any female rider who wears "clothing that clings
to her body."

An attorney can be barred from practicing law in Corvallis, Oregon, should
he refuse to accept a horse in lieu of his legal fees.

Trying to find a wife? Watch out in Tranquility, New Jersey that you don't
violate this law. The law states that a person can't distribute handbills
while on horseback as a means of advertising for a wife.

McAllen, Texas, has outlawed citizens from taking pictures of horses on the
Sabbath. Any person who "disturbs" or "otherwise antagonizes a horse" in
this manner will be subject to a fine of at least $1.50 and can be jailed
for as much as "three full days and nights."

In Burdoville, Vermont, it states that "no horses are allowed to roam loose
between March 1 and October 20!

In case you have an accident in Hortonville, New York, here's their antique
law: "The rider of any horse involved in an accident resulting in death
shall immediately dismount and give his name and address to the person
killed.

Watch out in Rhinelander, Wisconsin if you are riding a horse while
intoxicated! An old ordinance takes care of the problem. Such a horseman,
per the law, must be given a "large dose of castor oil." Who doles out the
penalty? The horseman's wife! Refusal to take the castor oil results in a
fine!

In closing, a summation of Clergyman Henry Ward Beecher's view on the art of
lawmaking holds so much truth. "We bury men when they are dead, but we try
to embalm the dead body of laws, keeping the corpse in sight long after the
vitality has gone. It usually takes a hundred years to make a law; and then,
after the law has done its work, it usually takes another hundred years to
get rid of it."


Thanks to Laurie Pringle for sending this along,
Contributed to equerry.com by Lynn G.
http://www.equerry.com/html/fun/eq_humor-shl.htm

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