HORSE MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER AND MORE!!!
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Topics in this issue:
1) Feature: Fun learning games for all ages
2) Rally and rating tips: leather cleaner/conditioner mix
3) Questions and answers: Quiz studying, new pony, trailer door safety
4) Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs: Two books by Jane Savoie
5) Horsey Humor: Gas alternatives
6) Free item exchange

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Feature: Fun learning games for all ages
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by Katrina Gowen

When I was teaching regularly and doing a lot of book work with the kids, I
used several teaching aids that I thought would be helpful to share.

Flash Cards

What is needed:
3x5 index cards
An endless supply of tack catalogs
Scissors
Set of Standards
Tape or glue
3x5 card holder

For Quiz Flash Cards
Cut out different types of tack and horse items, tape or glue picture on one
side and the name of item and uses on the other side.

For Rating flash cards
Cut out book work parts in sections, (For example feed) tape or glue on to
cards
write, print off or type answer on back

This helps with the grab bag section of the quiz as well as helps with
future ratings when they need to talk about tack.

Horse Jeopardy

What is needed:
Different colored paper
Standards
Set of Pony Club Manuals
Computer or typewriter

For each color of paper assign a rating level For example tan D1-D3
Set of standards to form questions, as on Jeopardy the answer has to be
stated in the what is form. Example what is a foxes tail called, they would
answer what is a brush. Assign points for each level of questions. For
example a d-1 question might be worth 5 pints, but they can ask for a d-3
level question and it might be worth 15 points. This really helps them get
used to the idea of what the quiz is about.

Horse win lose or draw

What is needed:
3x5 index cards
An endless supply of tack catalogs
Scissors
Set of Standards
Tape or glue
3x5 card holder

Write or tape items for the kids to draw on 3x5 cards
Win lose or draw is where you have a chalk board or pad a paper, markers or
pen. Competitors are then given a time limit to see how many questions the
team can get answered. They have to draw which ever item is on the card,
they get the opportunity to pass or choose another team to draw the same
item. For example the item may be a hoof pick they would have to draw both
a hoof and some sort of pick or the actual hoof pick.

Katrina Gowen received her B from Sundance Pony Club, part of the Cimarron
region. She is currently fundraiser and membership chairperson for Mossy
Creek Pony Club which is part of the South Region.

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Rally and rating tips:
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I found a great recipe for a cheap saddle soap conditioner and I've been
using it on all my tack! It's made my saddles and bridles almost water proof
and it's a breeze to shine them up for an inspection. What you do is take 1
cup of whole milk and mix it with 1/4 of a glycerin saddle soap bar cut into
small pieces (the smaller the better) heat it until it's melted then freeze
it. It took about 5 minutes in-and-out of my microwave to get the bar to
melt and 1 hour to freeze it, but now my black saddles reflect light and
brown leather has become dark with rich colors. My leather is 10 times more
supple and easier to work with and I don't have to condition as often. I
just thought you might want to share this with everyone.

Christina Brennan, C3, English Hills Pony Club, Sierra Pacific Region

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Questions and answers
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Hi Stormy,

Do you know if a bank of study questions for Quiz exists?

Thanks,
Betsy Cameron, Assistant Horse Management Judge extraordinaire and mother of
a C3 Pony Clubber

Hi Betsy,

The actual question banks are guarded under lock and key and not to be used
for studying, but there are a few places where some good questions can be
found. Of course studying from all the listed reference materials is your
best bet (especially for the foxhunting questions).

Hereıs another place to look: www.ponyclub.org from the ³forms² link click
on the appropriate level study guide (B Study Guide, C Study Guide, D Study
Guide).

The most useful all-in-one-place guide was a publication from Spokane Pony
Club. Itıs a little out of date on the rulebook questions but itıs
definitely worth checking out. The guide is available on the Horse
Management Newsletter website at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/files/ under the
"SPC Study Quest...Excel 12-01.xls" link

Happy studying,
Stormy

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Stormy,

We have a pony on trial until Saturday who is making if very difficult for
my 8 year old daughter, she can't even get him to trot and ends up
exhausted. We know he will do it as the trainer can make him with little
work, he is testing my daughter because she is a beginner and she just isn't
strong enough so when he decides to go the other direction she is really
having to work at it. But he does not take off, buck, bite nothing so is
very safe just don't know if I want a horse that is making it so hard for
her to learn. The owners rode with whips & spurs so we were hoping not to.
Of course I have to decide this weekend. I am taking her out of school
tomorrow to see another pony.

Thanks so much,
Arlene Mattioda, mother of a future Pony Clubber

Hi Arlene,

You're describing a very common occurrence. Until the pony and rider form
the right partnership, the difficulty in getting the pony to go is usually
evident, especially with an 8 year old rider. The way I work with it with
my own students is to keep them on the longe line where I can ask the pony
to trot with the longe whip and my voice while the rider asks with her cues
as well. Gradually, I phase out my cues and the rider is doing it on her
own. The next step is off the longe line, if the rider has enough control
of the reins* then I have her continue on a circle around me doing walk/trot
transitions, gradually making the circle bigger until she can reliably do
transitions in the whole arena. The next few rides we usually will have to
repeat the procedure but eventually the rider and pony learn how to work
together.

The more your daughter ends up unsuccessful with the trot transitions, the
more she is training the pony to not respond to her cues. Ponies are always
in training with whatever rider is on them. Right now, your daughter is
training the pony to be unresponsive. With the right work though, she can
learn how to train the pony to be responsive. Ponies are extremely smart
and sensitive. Often when I get on a student's pony to try to get them to
respond better, they act perfectly for me so I can't really school the pony
to improve him. If the trainer can get the pony to respond, then it really
has to be your daughter who, with the trainer's help, teaches the pony to
respond to her cues.

In regards to the difficulty turning, that usually begins as an evasive
habit taught by a beginner where the pony learns that if he sets his neck
and insists on turning, the rider doesn't have enough strength or
perseverance to correct the problem right away. It's usually started when
the pony gets to the end of what he considers tolerable. In this case, I'd
start with the trainer schooling the pony to turn with more sensitive aids
and then with your daughter, keep her in a small enclosed area (like a round
pen) until she can reliably make correct turns even when the pony tests her
steering abilities.

*I almost never let a young rider ride with a bit, their hands aren't
independent enough to be messing around in a pony's mouth. Often, habits
like not wanting to go forward, bolting, bucking, resistance to turning, and
an intense pulling on the bit are signs of pain and discomfort in the pony.
These are often developed or accentuated by the use of a bit by a rider
without independent hands. The alternative that I most often use is called
the "bitless bridle" (you can read about it at www.bitlessbridle.com). I've
found that once a pony is taught to respond to it, most of the time they can
be safely ridden by beginners without the danger of injury to the sensitive
tissues of the mouth. Many people make the mistake of trying a stronger bit
to correct problems that are caused by a bit that is already too strong.
They figure that if a pony is difficult to turn or stop with his current
bit, it's because the bit isn't strong enough. They might experience better
results in the short term, until the pony learns how to block out this new
level of pain. Any piece of metal, rubber, or plastic in a pony's mouth is
extremely strong, it's just that the pony learns to block out the pain
typically by developing coping techniques that we consider to be "bad
habits".

So, if you've already found a pony who you're confident doesn't take off,
buck, bite and is very safe, he is probably worth his weight in gold and
well worth helping your daughter work through the common issues she's up
against.

Best of luck,
Stormy

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Hi Stormy,

I have a question about tying back the trailer doors - my girls got points
off because the doors weren't tied at the Everything But The Horse rally
(EBTH). We use my 3 horse for rallies - I have plenty of tie rings on the
trailer but it seems it would be more of a danger tied as the horse would be
so close to the tied door. Now I know we have PC rules and I want to get it
right - so how should I deal with this. Do the doors have to be tied to the
trailer or could it be something else - like a paint can full of concrete???
Help!!

Thank You for Your Help.
Joan Starrett, DC Hoofbeats PC

Hi Joan,

Thanks for asking for clarification about tying back the trailer doors. The
printed rule is on page 28 of the 2002 HM handbook. As it is written, it is
dealing more with stall doors, but trailer doors present the same problem.
The rule reads, "Doors must be securely fastened, whether open or closed
unless a person is in the stall with a mount. In that case the door must be
shut (but unlocked) or tied open." The safety concern with trailer and
stall doors that aren't secured is that a gust of wind, competitor, or
curious horse's nose could swing the door and either hit someone else in the
head, or in the case of a full door, hit a person's whole body. Many
trailer doors have built-in ways to secure them which are fine to use as
long as they are operational. In the case that the latches are no longer
operational or there aren't any ready-made ways to secure the doors, we
usually try to find some sort of way to tie it open so that they are less
of a safety concern. In the case of a full door, there are situations when
it can be secured by a heavy bucket, brick, rock, or other heavy object.
Occasionally, if no safe way can be found, we ask that the competitors keep
the door securely closed when not directly going in or out.

At the EBTH rally I tried to make sure all of my assistants first informed
the teams with free-swinging doors why they needed to find a safe way to
secure the door, and to help them secure it if needed. If at a later time
during the rally, the same team was found to have their door unsecured, at
that point I gave some penalty points so the competitors would pay closer
attention to this safety concern at future rallies and shows.

Keep it safe,
Stormy

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Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs!
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I received 2 books for Christmas that really helped me see where all of my
riding had gone wrong. I wasn't having fun, I couldn't concentrate and I
tensed up before riding any horse. The 2 books were "That Winning Feeling"
and "It's not just about the ribbons" by Jane Savoie. After reading these
books I put together a plan to get back on to the right track in one week I
felt the turn around in my riding. I had better rides I progressed faster
and I could finally laugh when something stressed me out. I and my partner,
Pree, have made incredible improvements and when I tell her what we can do
vs. what we can't she tries a lot harder.

Christina Brennan, C3 English Hills Pony Club, Sierra Pacific Region

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Horsey humor: Gas alternatives
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Alright folks, step right up! You donıt want to pay $4.69 for gas? No
problem, I have the perfect vehicle for you! Needs no gas, no oil, or even a
battery, just a little grass and water will do these animals fine. Now
everyone has different needs, so choose from the following models:

1. Trail Horse - Your average run around town animal. Has the energy to get
where you are going, the brain to find the best way to go, big enough to
carry the normal sized American.

2. The Arabian- perfect for those who travel long distances in a day and try
to multi task while driving. Although the Arabian may not go to your home or
office with out specific instruction, it WILL go somewhere.

3. The Draft- Calling all soccer moms. This big guy can carry the whole
team, their gear and snacks. Just like the big machines, this guy will
require more fuel, and his shoes will be more expensive than the compact
model.

4. The Western Pleasure- The right car for the high end white collar
workers. This animal works harder and requires more special knowledge so
only the best can figure this out. Be sure to take your cell phone. You wont
be stuck in traffic, you just wont be getting anywhere fast.

5. The Parelli- Salesmen, stay at home moms, and high school kids will all
enjoy this dream. You can load him down with flapping wal- mart bags, ask
him to walk in places a horse wont fit, and you can dance with him as you
listen to the latest tunes.

6. The Ranch - The most dependable animal available. He will go where ever
you ask him to, at what ever speed is appropriate. You can tie him to the
stop sign and he will be there when you get back. Best of all, this model
has been specially engineered to be able to go without water for days and
stay fat and slick by eating sagebrush and dead prairie grass.

Of course all models are available in base colors (sorrel, bay, black)
Special order colors are available (dun, grey, palomino) and for an
additional fee, custom paint jobs are also available (overo, tobiano,
blanket, leopard).

No horse is sold with a warranty, however maintenance plans are available in
the event brakes, steering, or accelerator fail.

Excerpted from:
http://www.kansashorsecouncil.com/humor.html

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Free item exchange
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**FREE**FREE**FREE**

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Spike, 21 years young, 15.2 hand bay Pony Club gelding. His owners don't
want to sell him, but he needs a job. They would be willing to do a board
and care lease at your facility. He can come back anytime, and can stay as
long as you'd like. Spike still has a lot left in him. He's in Wilton, CA
at this time at a H/J barn. He's too much horse for a lesson horse...his
trainer would like to see him go to a dressage barn. He loves to jump, but
gets quick. He needs a confident rider with a light hand.

He requires no special shoeing, is an easy keeper on grass hay and LMF
senior. He prefers a buddy, as he gets nervous when he's alone. He has been
the only horse at home for 5 months, but he had two pygmy goats as pals. He
trailers, ties and stands as a gentleman for the farrier.

Please contact: Kathy Sanchez
kathy.sanchez@...
(530) 271-5870

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Submit your free horse-related items or services here. If you or your club
has items they are willing to pass along to a new family, this is a great
place to list them. Listings can come from any part of the country, or even
overseas!

Free items may include but are not limited to:

riding clothes
rally equipment
horse-related games and toys
tack and training equipment
blankets, wraps, halters
books or magazines
horse-related artwork
and of course...horses and ponies!

The recipient may be expected to handle any shipping costs.

Please provide a phone and/or email contact with each listing. Items will
be listed in the next HM Newsletter and will not be renewed unless an
additional email is sent asking for the listing to be continued.

So...clean out your tackroom and make room for more stuff!

To submit your items, simply reply to this email or write to:
stormy@... .

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Call for submissions
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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.