HORSE MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER AND MORE!!!
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Topics in this issue:
1) Poll: What's your favorite horse-related internet site?
2) Feature: Care of the horse's back
3) Recommended products and services: Amazing breech sale!
4) Rally and rating tips: Quiz prep resource
5) Questions and answers: Mystery lameness?
6) Fun and educational websites: Lorenzo and Talking Horses
7) New USPC test sheets for 2007
8) Horsey Humor: Basic rules for horses who have a barn to protect
9) Free item exchange: Horse Clinic in Northern California

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Poll: Horse-related internet sites
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I'm researching what the most popular horse-related internet sites are.
Where do horse people go for information or just to have fun on the
computer?

Just reply to this email and tell me what your favorite horse sites are or
which sites you visit most.

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Feature: Care of the horse's back
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by Dr. Christine King

Horses are not designed to be ridden. Does that seem a scandalous comment
coming from an equine vet? Well, think about it: the horsešs back is
designed to support the weight of the rib cage and the internal organs in
the chest and abdomen, and in mares the unborn foal. Thatšs all.
Biomechanically, the horsešs spine is not well equipped to support vertical
load from above. The fact that it can is remarkable.

After all this time, it still amazes me that a horse can learn to ably carry
a rider, and even perform some impressive athletic feats under saddle. Išm
even more impressed, with both horse and rider, when I find a riding horse
who does not have at least some degree of discomfort and dysfunction in his
back, because in my experience back problems are very common in riding
horses.

In most cases the discomfort and dysfunction (stiffening or bracing of the
back, reduced flexibility, etc.) are mild and donšt appear to affect the
horsešs health and well-being too greatly. But why should any horse have to
put up with even mild discomfort when something can be done to make her more
comfortable? Besides, horses perform better when they are comfortable than
when they are uncomfortable. They also stay sounder longer.

The more that is required of a horse in the way of power, stamina, or
precision, the greater the impact even small problems have on the horsešs
performance and, over the long haul, on his soundness. For example, merely
bracing the back under an uncomfortable saddle or a heavy or unbalanced
rider alters the biomechanics of the hindlimbs, and over time it can lead to
wear-and-tear on the joints, especially the sacroiliac joints and the hocks.

I could go on and on about the ŗdownstream˛ effects of chronic back problems
in horses, but as space is limited Išll just dive right in to the key
elements of back care for the riding horse:

1. weight of the rider

2. position, balance, and stability of the rider

3. saddle fit and position

4. training of the horse

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1. Weight of the rider.

When I was a kid growing up in Australia and going through Pony Club,
attention was given to the various aspects of horse­rider matching. Such
terms as overmounted and undermounted were commonly used. If a rider was
undermounted, it meant that the horse was too small for the size (height
and/or weight) of the rider; overmounted is the opposite mismatch. Of the
two, being undermounted was the greater sin, as it meant that the rider was
too big for the horse.

There hasnšt been a lot of research done on how much weight a horsešs back
can carry without the load causing damage to the horsešs back. No doubt it
varies somewhat with the individual horse and with the type of activity
being required of the horse. For example, a horse may be able to manage a
much greater load when used as a pack horse than as a jumping horse.

For riding horses in most sports or disciplines, the general consensus on
weight carried seems to be an upper limit of 25% of the horsešs body weight.
For a 1000-lb horse, that means a combined weight of 250 lbs (rider, saddle,
pad, boots, belt buckle, etc.). Note that thatšs the upper limit. Not to
hurt anyonešs feelings, but if youšre hovering close to that upper limit,
then do your horse a favor and either trim down (lose some weight, find a
lighter saddle) or find a bigger horse.

And no doubling! Not even if the combined weight of the two riders is only
100 lbs. The horsešs lower back should never be required to carry any extra
load.

2. Position, balance, and stability of the rider.

The horsešs back is best able to support the weight of a rider about halfway
between the back of the shoulder blade and the last rib. (To be precise, in
the general vicinity of the 12th thoracic vertebra.) If your saddle does not
concentrate your weight in this area of the horsešs back, then it needs to
be repositioned, repacked, or replaced. More on saddle fit in the next
section.

As for balance and stability, no matter how experienced a rider you are, you
will likely not be perfectly even and symmetrical in the way you use your
body. Thatšs because none of us are, unless wešve made it our lifešs work to
be perfectly even.

Almost all of us have one ŗbracing˛ side and one ŗdoing˛ side. For me, my
left side is my bracing side and my right side is my doing side, so
functionally my left side is longer and stiffer and my right side is
stronger but shorter. If youšre very right-handed like me, you probably have
the same basic pattern, although youšll also have specific patterns of
posture and movement that are uniquely yours.

The way we sit, stand, walk, and perform pretty much all activities‹i.e. the
patterns of posture and movement we unconsciously practice throughout the
day‹we invariably bring with us into the saddle. That means your horse not
only has to contend with your weight on his back, but also with the uneven
distribution of that weight. In order for him to maintain his balance and
move forward with any semblance of straightness and evenness, not to mention
ease and efficiency, he has to make adjustments for whatever unevenness you
bring with you into the saddle.

If you really want to do your horse a favor and optimize his comfort and
performance at the same time, then start getting some regular body work
yourself or take some dance or movement classes. Two of my favorite body
re-education tools for riders are the Alexander Technique and the
Feldenkrais Method. But even a regular massage will bring your attention to
your unique areas of tension and unevenness, and sometime just being aware
of a problem is enough for you to begin to make positive changes.

And just one more comment on stability: the less you shift around up there,
the easier it is for your horse to carry you and do what you require of him.
Stillness, not stiffness, is the goal, though. So, whether you just trail
ride on the weekends, youšre a competitive barrel racer, or youšre a
dedicated dressage rider, you will be doing your horse a good turn if you
regularly have lessons with a riding instructor who is skilled at working on
the rideršs position, rather than just on making the horse do what you want.

3. Saddle fit and position.

Good saddle fit is essential for good performance. A poorly fitted saddle is
uncomfortable for the horse, and at the very least it causes a protective
bracing response in the muscles along the back which extends forward into
the lower part of the neck and all the way back to the pelvis and sacrum.
This bracing alters the horsešs gait, balance, evenness, efficiency, and
ability. Over time, poor saddle fit can even contribute to lameness and
persistent behavioral problems. Furthermore, it makes it difficult for you
to be comfortable, balanced, relaxed, and effective up there.

Saddle fit is such an important topic that it is discussed in a separate
article: www.animavet.com/SaddleFit.pdf

4. Training of the horse.

And finally, and alas all too briefly, the horsešs training is an essential
component of back care. The horse must have good self carriage before hešll
be able to comfortably and efficiently carry a rider. ŗSelf carriage˛ means
that the horse has learned to stand and move with balance, poise, ease, and
efficiency. (Think of the most naturally elegant horse youšve ever seen, and
you now have a great visual idea of good self carriage.)

Good self carriage and subsequently the ability to carry a rider well
doesnšt happen automatically in many horses; it must be carefully encouraged
and nurtured with good training. It can easily be undone by careless or
inappropriate training or riding; and as with many things, bad habits of
posture and movement, learned early in life, can be very hard to undo.

In addition to good self carriage, the horse must be physically fit for the
activities required of her. That includes good general fitness (aerobic
fitness or stamina) and task-specific training. But that, too, is a topic
which deserves much more space.

............................................................................

Copyright Š2006 Christine King BVSc, MACVSc, MVetClinStud

This article was first published in Northwest Horse Source
(www.nwhorsesource.com)

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Recommended products and services: Breech deal of the decade
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Here's an offer you won't want to miss. I'm helping out a former Pony Club
parent who was going to get into the business of selling breeches on the
internet but is now moving on to other things. There is a stock of nearly
400 new breeches that need to find homes.

I have tried them and can vouch that they are of excellent quality and
workmanship. The cheapest you would ever find these in a catalog like Dover
is $40 (on sale) plus shipping for the knee patch breeches, up to about $70
for the clarino full seat style.

So what would you expect to pay here...maybe $30-$50 plus shipping? How
about between $12.95 and $24.95 plus shipping! I've never seen a deal like
this on first quality, new in the package breeches. They are very
comfortable, sturdy cotton with 7% lycra for just the right amount of
stretch, a nice zippered pocket that's the perfect size for a cell phone,
front zipper, belt loops, standard waist, and velcro closures at the bottom
of the legs.

This deal only lasts until the line is sold out. Be sure to email quickly
if you want to stock up on the right sizes and colors for you and the
family.

1) Child sizes: 6,8,10,12,14
2) Adult sizes: 24,26,28,30,32,34
3) Colors: Beige, Khaki, Gray, White and Black
4) Styles: self knee patch (extra layer of fabric at the knees), clarino
knee patch, clarino full seat (clarino feels like suede but is washable)

Prices:

1) Child's self knee patch $12.95, Adult $13.95
2) Child's Knee patch $16.95, Adult $17.95
3) Child's full seat $23.95, Adult $24.95

All shipped via priority mail, first pair $7.95 each additional pair $3.95.
All payments via PayPal if possible.

I've put up a webpage with pictures here:

http://www.stormymay.com/breeches.html

If you're interested in selling these yourself, either on Ebay or as a
fundraiser for your Pony Club or other organization, you can also email
about a special bulk purchase price.

To buy, please email: thepetp@...

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Rally and rating tips: Get ready for Quiz!
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I found a fantastic site with THOUSANDS of Quiz-type questions. This is for
the 4H organization, but the questions are very similar to Pony Club Quiz
questions that you might get. Start now to prepare for Kentucky 2007!

Here's a main page where you can find many sorts of questions:

http://www.geocities.com/epchorseprojects/hb_homework.htm

Here's a link to some "Senior" questions, 6,935 of them!:
web.extension.uiuc.edu/dekalb/downloads/4720.pdf

Here's a link to some "Junior" questions:
www.geocities.com/epchorseprojects/HorseBowl/Junior_Horse_Bowl_Questions.pdf

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Questions and answers
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Hi Stormy,

I have a strange problem and I was hoping you could help! The other day, I
put my horse in the round pen to free lunge and after about 20 minutes he
came up "lame". I gave him a day off and put him on stall rest. Then I
took him out and lunged him in the arena for 5 minutes and he wasn't "lame".
Today I put him back in the roundpen and did more free lunge work and after
20 minutes I noticed he was "bobbing" his head but his footfalls were even,
they had the same arc through the air and he didn't look stressed or in
pain. I continued work to see if the "lameness" continued. The "lameness"
only seemed to show in two places in the roundpen, the slightly up portion
and the slightly down portion. Also these areas are slightly chewed up
because the roundpen is our emergency paddock. Do you think I'm seeing a
lame horse or an unbalanced trot?

Thank you,
Christina Brennan, C3 English Hills PC

Hi Christina,

Obviously a vet is the best to consult here, but I'll give my advice as if I
was just standing beside you offering suggestions. It may be that the more
uneven footing in the round pen is just showing where he is not yet balanced
over rough ground but to further look into this issue I would suggest the
following.

First, feel his tendons to make sure there isn't any heat, swelling, or
tenderness from the top of the tendons (under the knee/hock) to the bottom,
at the fetlock joint. I find this easiest when I'm holding the horse's foot
up and the digital flexor tendons are slack. Also check the temperature of
his hooves by placing your hands on them and seeing if any hoof feels hotter
than the rest. Then check his digital pulses in each leg to see if they
feel strong or any one is stronger than the others. If this all seems
normal (compare all 4 legs) then try longeing him on the flat in an arena
again and then on a little bit of a slope where the ground isn't so chewed
up. Donšt longe longer than your horse is conditioned for, otherwise you
Will have a lame horse! A general guideline is no longer than 20 minutes
total.

It could indeed just be an unbalanced trot, or it could be the very
beginnings of a strained muscle, tendon, ligament, or even an abscess. It
might be something that only shows up going uphill or downhill, or on hard
ground or soft ground, so try and longe over a variety of footings. It also
might show more when he's going to the left or to the right. All of these
little tests will help you determine just what is going on. This
preliminary work will help you save time if you need to call the vet because
then you can report your findings and help the vet find the right diagnosis.

My fingers are crossed that it's nothing,
Stormy

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Fun and educational websites
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If you haven't seen Lorenzo, the Flying Frenchman yet, go right now. You
won't be disappointed!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqvvn_lorenzo

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Here's a neat concept, The Talking Equine Network is home to the first
Internet radio show for horse enthusiasts. Their shows are in a talk radio
format and they bring you interviews with all the top riders, veterinarians,
show organizers and other horsey big wigs from around the country. Their
emphasis is on English riding but much of what they cover is entertaining
and interesting for all types of riders.

http://www.talkingequine.com/

Their current show features an interview with Olympian David O'Conner who
talks about many things from his days as a rider all the way to the future
of equestrian sport in America.

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USPC test sheet updates
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The USPC national office has just sent word that the D standards have been
changed slightly for 2007. There is now a new section on Land Conservation.
This section will also be added to the C standards in 2007 and to the HB and
up in 2008. These should now be available on the USPC website
(www.ponyclub.org) click on "forms". The new standards and test sheets will
be dated January 1st, 2007 at the bottom.

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Horsey humor: Basic Rules For Horses Who Have A Barn To Protect
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THE ART OF SNORTING: Humans like to be snorted on. Everywhere. It is your
duty, as the family horse, to accommodate them.

NEIGHING: Because you are a horse, you are expected to neigh. So neigh - a
lot. Your owners will be very happy to hear you protecting the barn and
communicating with other horses. Especially late at night while they are
sleeping safely in their beds. There is no more secure feeling for a human
than to keep waking up in the middle of the night and hearing you, "Neigh,
neigh, neigh..."

STOMPING CATS: When standing on cross ties, make sure you never --- quite
--- stomp on the barn cat's tail. It spoils all the fun.

CHEWING: Make a contribution to the architectural industry.... chew on your
stall wall, the fence or any other wooden item.

FRESH BEDDING: It is perfectly permissible to urinate in the middle of your
freshly bedded stall to let your humans know how much you appreciate their
hard work.

DINING ETIQUETTE: Always pull all of your hay out of the hay rack,
especially right after your stall has been cleaned, so you can mix the hay
with your fresh bedding. This challenges your human, the next time they're
cleaning your stall - and we all know how humans love a challenge (that's
what they said when they bought you as a two year old, right?).

DOORS: Any door, even partially open, is always an invitation for you and
your human to exercise. Bolt out of the door and trot around, just out of
reach of your human, who will frantically run after and chase you. The
longer it goes on, the more fun it is for all involved.

GOING FOR TRAIL RIDES: Rules of the road: When out for a trail ride with
your owner, never go to the bathroom on your own lawn.

HOLES: Rather than pawing and digging a BIG hole in the middle of the
paddock or stall and upsetting your human, dig a lot of smaller holes all
over so they won't notice. If you arrange a little pile of dirt on one side
of each hole, maybe they'll think it's gophers. There are never enough holes
in the ground. Strive daily to do your part to help correct this problem.

GROUND MANNERS: Ground manners are very important to humans; break as much
of the ground in and around the barn as possible. This lets the ground know
who's boss and impresses your human.

NUZZLING: Always take a BIG drink from your water trough immediately before
nuzzling your human. Humans prefer clean muzzles. Be ready to rub your head
on the area of your human that you just nuzzled to dry it off, too.

PLAYING: If you lose your footing while frolicking in the paddock, use one
of the other horses to absorb your fall so you don't injure yourself. Then
the other horse will get a visit from the mean ol' vet, not you!

VISITORS: Quickly determine which guest is afraid of horses. Rock back and
forth on the cross-ties, neighing loudly and pawing playfully at this
person. If the human backs away and starts crying, swoosh your tail, stamp
your feet and nicker gently to show your concern.

From http://www.nchorsenews.com/humor.htm

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Free item exchange: Free Horse Clinic
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**FREE**FREE**FREE**

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

This is something that came to me via email. I don't know anything about
it, other than it looked interesting and I thought I'd pass it along.

Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue offers Free Horse Riding Clinic!
 
Heart of the Redwoods is offering a free riding clinic on January 20, 2007
at Redwood Acres in Eureka, California.  Participants will learn the basics
of riding, balance and communication with their horse.   HRHR's Community
Education Series teaches techniques in groundwork and riding to increase
horse owners knowledge of horse communication and to prevent and/or correct
problems with their relationship with their horse.

There will also be demonstrations by Dr. Koopman (Equine Chiropractor) and
Pete Kriger (Back Country Horseman).  The clinic is limited to 20 riders -
so register early to reserve a space.  Spectators welcome!  For more
information contact:
 
Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue
PO Box 226
Cutten, Ca 95534
(707) 476-0362 Phone/ Fax
Redwoodrescue@...

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

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.