HORSE MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER AND MORE!!!
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Topics in this issue:
1) Feature: The truth about backs, language, and who we really are
2) Correction
3) Questions and answers: How do horses train each other, the new direction
4) Fun and educational websites: back article
5) Horsey Humor: Equestrian Definitions
6) Free item exchange

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Feature: The truth about backs, language, and who we really are
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by Stormy May

With all the talk in ³natural horsemanship² circles about learning the
horseıs language, this aim can never be achieved when it begins and ends
with a faulty premise, that a horse enjoys being ridden. In my studies, I
have come to the conclusion that horses have learned our language far better
and more honestly than we can imagine. This is why all the ³new agey² books
and teachers are talking about how horses are our mirrors. Iım not talking
about horses understanding our spoken language to any great extent, but they
are masters at understanding the language that we seem to have forgotten,
the language of our actions.

As a veteran horse trainer, one of the things that most surprised me to
learn was the science of what goes on in a horse's back when it is subjected
to a saddle and rider. Sure, I knew that horses occasionally got sore backs
and needed treatment or a better fitting saddle, but I certainly didn't
understand what goes on each and every time a horse takes someone for a
ride.

One of the reasons that some of this information might seem to be "new" is
that it wasn't until around 1992 that the "Saddletech" saddle pressure
testing pad was developed. These pads, and other similar devices more
recently developed, include sensitive sensors that can measure the amount of
pressure between horse and saddle. These pressure-sensing technologies lead
to a flurry of interesting scientific studies in the equine world. When
this information was combined with other studies of mammalian muscle tissue
it all suddenly pointed to a huge dilemma. In the Journal of Veterinary
Science Volume 14 No. 11, 1994, well known veterinarian and saddle fit
expert Dr. Joyce Harman reported the results of a study using the Saddletech
pad. She wrote:

"For the purposes of this study, saddles with pressures of up to 1.93 psi
were graded an excellent fit, between 2.0 and 3.38 psi without persistent
pressure points were graded fair and saddles that exceeded 3.4 psi or had
persistent pressure points throughout the session were graded poor. These
numbers were derived from preliminary data indicating that it was difficult
to find an English saddle with pressures below 0.75 psi, which is the
highest pressure found in the capillary bed. Pressures that exceed 0.75 psi
will close down the blood flow in the arterial capillary bed."

So what does it mean if the blood flow is shut down? This is what happens
on a small scale when we press on our skin and it turns white, or if we sit
in an awkward position for a longer amount of time, and we experience our
leg or arm "going to sleep". The author, Mary Wanless, writes in her book
"For the Good of the Horse", "Perhaps one of the horse's saving graces is
that squeezing the blood out of his tissues causes pain for the first ten to
fifteen minutes of a ride, and then his back goes numb."

So, until we learn how to levitate saddles, even a saddle with an excellent
fit, the best air/foam/wool stuffed panels and an average weight rider, will
have pressures which are more than twice what it takes to shut down the
blood flow within the muscles. Dr. Harman goes on to state that in studies
of canine and human muscles, sustained pressure of only 0.68 psi for over
two hours causes significant tissue damage.

It is important to note that the Saddletech sensor pad used in these first
studies used sensors developed to evaluate the risks of pressure sores in
bedridden humans, and only measured pressures of up to 4 psi. More modern
sensor pads, such as the FSA (Force Sensing Array) system developed by
Vision Engineering Research Group (VERG Inc.) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
can record much higher pressures. In one test involving Western saddles
with high priced pads, average peak pressures measured between 8.25 and 14
psi. (Wesley, E.D.; McCullough, E.; Eckels, S.; Davis, E.; Article #9329;
2007; "The Horse" magazine).

Pressure sensing pads also have the limitation of only recording pressures
at the level of the skin. Saddle pressure is transferred through the
muscles to the bony structures underneath (the vertebrae and ribs) and if we
could measure the pressure there, it would be significantly greater. Dr.
Harman writes that, "There is surgical evidence in human medicine that
subcutaneous necrosis [the death of cells] begins closer to the bone before
cutaneous redness and ulceration is seen." This means that if we've been
around horses long enough to notice white spots or tender swellings in the
saddle area, we are only witnessing the end results of a long process of
tissue destruction. The longissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles that a
rider sits on have been developing since the dawn of the horse, when
Eohippus first used them to facilitate movement. Their structure was never
created to bear weight in the form of vertical pressure from above, and this
remains true even after centuries of selective breeding for ³riding² horses.

Other effects of weight on the horseıs back include extension (hollowing) of
the back, which ³may contribute to soft tissue injuries and kissing spines
syndrome.² (DeCocq, P. et al; Effects of girth, saddle and weight on
movements of the horse. Equine Veterinary Journal 36; 2004; 758-763.)
Briefly, kissing spines syndrome is when the spinous processes of the
vertebrae (the long bony protrusions of the vertebrae which form the
structure of the withers and the topline of the back) start to touch each
other and will eventually remodel themselves and fuse together in severe
cases. ³This condition is clinically significant in jumpers but occurs in
all types of horses.² (Marks, D.; Medical Management of Back Pain; Vet
Clinics of N. America: Equine Practice Vol. 15, No. 1; 1999) ³ ŒKissing
spines,ı or impingement of the dorsal spinous processes, occur due to
repetitive undulations in jumping horses - basculing, or rounding over a
vertical fence, overextending upon landing or stretching out and hollowing
the back over a wide oxer can cause this problem. The result is that the
individual spinous projections are pushed together tightly. This generally
occurs from the end of the withers to the beginning of the loin (10th - 18th
thoracic vertebrae). (Nadeau, J.; Preventing Back Pain in Horses; University
of Connecticut Dept. of Animal Science Fact Sheet 2006)

There are a plethora of similarly significant traumas to the back which are
either a direct result of the rider on the back, or the indirect result of
what the rider asks the horse to do (sliding stops, jumps, etc.) Some
examples are: spondylosis, jumpers bump (a prominent tuber sacrale),
sacroiliac joint injury, supraspinous ligament injury, dorsal ligament
tears, stress fractures of the ilium, and lumbosacral joint injury to name a
few. I hope that the reader is starting to get a sense of the risks we
subject the horse to with what we consider to be ³a normal use of the horse²
so that I donıt need to go into detail with each injury.

Letıs go back now to the first trauma that happens when the horse is
saddled, compromised blood flow (ischemia) in the muscles. It is true that
muscles have wonderful regenerative properties, and many times pressure
sores can heal if infection is avoided and the horse is receiving proper
nutrition and time off from more pressure...but what about the pain that was
involved in the process? We are all familiar with the sharp pains
associated with sensation coming back into a limb that has "fallen asleep"
or "gone numb" due to compromised blood supply, but who has experienced the
pain of developing pressure sores, even mild ones which itch and hurt even
before there are any outwardly visible signs? It is exactly this discomfort
that causes us to shift position every few minutes when we are sitting or
standing. If we didnıt, we would develop pressure sores (also called
bedsores) just from the weight of our own bodies on a soft chair or bed. In
researching for this article, I was surprised to find that actor Christopher
Reeve, originally injured in a riding accident, ultimately died at age 52 as
a result of complications from a pressure sore.

A horse, when saddled, has no chance to shift this weight to relieve the
discomfort. He probably tries to tell us in other ways, like fidgeting,
exhibiting a shortened gait, ears back, swishing tail, trying to rub on the
rail, or bucking. These should all be considered signs of a perfectly
honest horse trying to relieve pain. The horse who is more dangerous to
herself is one who quietly goes on with her work, knowing that the
consequences of showing any signs of back pain will be a stronger pain in
the mouth, head, ribs, or flanks, probably combined with a longer session
under saddle. Horses are masters at learning how to ³get along² and most
will quickly discover exactly what it takes to survive. A numb back is
probably much easier to tolerate than the other ways humans have devised to
control horses.

When we subject our horses to these pains for our own pleasures we are
breaching something fundamental in our relationship. The fact that many
horses tolerate these traumas speaks more about their innate grace and
understanding than any proof of our "right" to sit on a horse's back or
their enjoyment of this process.

I hope the above already makes it clear that any time we sit on a horse for
more than a moment without understanding whatıs going on underneath us, we
are compromising the horse's well being. There are two ways we can be sure
that we do not injure a horse. The first is to turn the horse out in a
large field and wish her well in a natural herd, and the second is to study
the horseıs systems so minutely that we can say with authority that what we
are doing is not harmful.

Now that the problem with riding has been detailed, letıs look at possible
solutions. First, we must understand why we want to ride a horse. If the
answers include, ³itıs fun² ³I want to compete² or ³itıs good exercise² then
the discussion above will have little or no impact on what you do and the
current horse world will give you plenty of support in pursuing your goals.
If your answers sound more like, ³I love horses² ³I want to learn how to
have a good relationship with my horse² or even ³I think horses might have
something to teach me² then itıs likely youıve already started to look for
alternatives to the traditional horse world.

The solution has to begin with the premise that the horse knows her own
mind, and in any matter regarding her behavior, she is the authority.
Horses donıt have a spoken language that we can understand but they do have
a language that we can learn. It is a language of physiology and movement.
Once we spend enough time letting go of what we think we know about horses,
we leave space for ³what is² to reveal itself. For example, if a horse
starts bucking under saddle, we might think (or have been taught) that it
was due to him being ³naughty² as if the bucking were comparable to a young
boy beating up on a schoolmate, or maybe we think heıs getting too much
grain, alfalfa, itıs too cold, too windy or any number of countless guesses.
On the other hand, if we start with the premise that the horse has a
perfectly good reason for bucking and itıs our job to determine what that
is, he will begin leading us on a path. Itıs a bit like seeing the horse as
a living language course. Of course the horse is the master of this
language and we are the pupils learning to decipher his movements and
attitudes.

Horses see us for who we truly are behind our masks of words and hidden
meanings. They become privy to what we try to hide from ourselves and other
humans: our frustrations, irritations, dissatisfaction, aggravations, and at
the base of it, our fears. In what other area is it socially acceptable to
beat an animal, where it is even televised and the sportıs greatest heroes
are ones who carry whips in their hands and strap spurs to their heels,
showing their ³mastery² by how invisible they can make these ³aids²? The
horse learns this language of ours and our capabilities for causing her pain
so well that in the hands of an ³expert², the threat of these devices is
sufficient and the devices themselves no longer need to be used.

In order to start to understand the horseıs language and in the process to
relearn our own natural language, we must begin with a horse that we are not
inflicting any pain on, otherwise all we are learning is about the actions
of a horse in pain and then other humans teach us how we can control that
through more pain. Truthfully, this makes up the bulk of information thatıs
been studied for the thousands of years that weıve been riding horses. It
is hard for the typical rider to understand that a real relationship with a
horse must begin on the ground with no halters, ropes, or small confined
spaces. J. Allen Booneıs sentiment about dogs in ³A Kinship with all Life²
applies equally to horses, ³Thereıs facts about dogs, and thereıs opinions
about them. The dogs have the facts, and the humans have the opinions. If
you want facts about a dog, always get them straight from the dog. If you
want opinions, get them from the human.²

As a person progresses in their understanding of horse language, with its
syntax of anatomy, physiology, and psychology, there may come a time when it
is appropriate to get on a horseıs back. Just as signposts point the way to
a destination, I can give a hint about some of the elements that will need
to be understood by the person who has endeavored to learn enough of the
horseıs language to get to a point where riding might be a helpful step in
their lessons.

As a human endeavors to learn the way a horseıs body is designed, the way
certain muscles, tendons, and ligaments work in concert with the skeletal
structure, and the capacities and limits of these physiological elements, he
will learn ways to ³play² with the horse which lead to more freedom and
balance for the horse. In the same way that yoga can help balance our own
bodies and spirits, the person will learn the yoga which balances and frees
a horse to enable her to greater expression.

The next signpost is when the person learns how to work with the horse with
greater discipline, where both human and horse apply themselves to specific
elements which develop the physiology of the horse and the mental focus and
concentration of both horse and human. By this time, another signpost is
that the personal desire of the human to ride the horse will have naturally
dropped away. A person at this level of understanding would have no more
wish to bridle and saddle her equine teacher than she would to bridle and
saddle her best human friend and prod her along a nice ³trail ride².

If you are at the beginning of this journey and canıt quite understand yet
how a person could have a fulfilling relationship with a horse without
riding, maybe it would be helpful to have a little carrot hung out to tempt
you. When a human has learned the horseıs language well enough that she
begins to dance with her equine partner, she collects and balances him not
as the end result of pulling, tugging, and restraining, but as a result of
speaking a common language, never causing pain at any point along the path.
She simply learns how to direct his movements as a conductor leads an
orchestra; only then will the horseıs anatomy reveal that he can indeed
carry a rider, on a strengthened spine that has not been weakened by hours
of a rider pounding on the saddle, with muscles that are free from painful
pressure sores, carried in a flexed and contracted state which leads to
higher blood pressure within the muscle and the ability of this muscle to
endure the pressure from a rider for a few minutes at a time.

In the final analysis, when we follow this path we will experience the gift
that the horses have been holding for us. They can help us relearn our own
ancient language and to live harmoniously with ourselves and the other
residents of this planet. I hope in the following articles to be able to
find the right words to express the fullness of what Iım starting to
experience, but perhaps Iıll have to be content with pointing out signposts.

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Correction
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Thanks to an astute reader who caught a transcription error in the last
issue detailing operant conditioning.

Positive reinforcement (abbreviated as R+) adding something desirable to
make the behavior more likely to happen again
Negative reinforcement (abbreviated as R-) taking away something
undesirable in order to make the behavior more likely to happen again
Positive punishment (abbreviated as P+) adding something undesirable in
order to make the behavior more likely to happen again (should state less
likely)
Negative punishment (abbreviated as P-) taking away something desirable in
order to make the behavior more likely to happen again (should state less
likely)

For a more in-depth view of operant conditioning, please refer to the
Wikipedia article at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning

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Questions and answers
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Hi Stormy;
I liked your article and you did a great job of explaining operant
conditioning. Yes the horse industry has much of the mindset which is heavy
in the positive punishment. Positive reinforcement ultimately is just the
"lack" of positive punishment.

I have a question or actually two. Seems you have some expertise in
this area and I honestly wonder. What operant conditioning is predominant
in natural horse to horse behavior? Over the centuries how have they
learned to communicate and behave towards each other? I honestly don't
know. I do know observing my horses there is a lot of positive punishment
going on in the pasture. I'm appalled at times, but they seem to have it
worked out between themselves.

The other question I have is I know horses are smart however given that
horses brains don't have some of the higher functions that humans do
(probably a good thing) how do we continually take their brain anatomy into
consideration when having this partnership?

Thanks,
Toni

Hi Toni,

Those are fantastic questions!

You asked:
What operant conditioning is predominant in natural horse to horse behavior?

Iıll start this answer with a quote from Myrna Milani, an author,
veterinarian, and veterinary ethologist:

³...the mark of a true leader is the ability to control without force. And,
in fact, wild animals who rely on brute force to maintain their status
typically get eliminated from the gene pool because this approach requires
so much energy.²

Thereıs an interesting story about how I came across that quote. I had
spent some time watching the Dog Whisperer show which airs on the National
Geographic channel. I heard many good things about the show and wanted to
see what it was all about. Beginning with the first show I saw, the trainer
was using positive punishment almost exclusively to correct the dogsı
behaviors. I thought I must be missing some understanding, maybe things
were different with dogs than with horses. I kept watching with curiosity
but I couldnıt get it out of my mind that there had to be a better way.
Then through some Internet surfing I came across a fantastic article on the
4Paws University Dog Training website about the controversy surrounding the
show. The above quote is from that article as well as some of the following
ones. I encourage everyone to read the full article at:
http://4pawsu.com/dogpsychology.htm .

The article states that, ³Leaders in all animals control assets more often
than they control individuals through the use of force... Power struggles
with dogs communicate no more leadership than an adult human in a physical
struggle with a small child or an armed bank robber and his hostages.² It
goes on to discuss how dominance-based training methods, (e.g. those using
primarily positive punishment, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning for more information) are
not how true leaders behave, rather, it is how insecure individuals behave.
This hit home. In my small herd of 4 horses, the one most prone to
aggressive behavior towards humans is the lowest ranked horse in the herd,
while the leader has a very different character.

"A major problem with using punishment is that it suppresses behavior
temporarily but does not necessarily modify the underlying cause of the
behavior," said Dr. John Ciribassi, president American Veterinary Society of
Animal Behavior (AVSAB).

My own expertise with horses comes from many hours spent watching herds and
horse to horse behavior in domestic situations as well as studying videos
and books about wild horse behavior. Mark Rashid and Carolyn Resnick are
people in my documentary who have spent much of their lives watching horse
behavior. Carolyn Resnick has experience with wild herds (actually, feral
would be a more accurate term) and Mark Rashid with large domestic herds.
Many times what is seen in domestic horse situations will stem from living
in close quarters, which is very unnatural for a plains animal like the
horse. I believe because of this, we see much more positive punishment in
the horse to horse interactions than what we would see when they are in
natural herds without the anxieties that we add to their lives. This is
especially true if horses canıt truly work it out together, for example if
they are only meeting each other over a fence or on a leadrope with a person
on the other end.

What I have observed is that in the initial stages of horses being together
in a human-established herd, positive punishment is a form that they use to
determine their ranking. This will look like a horse kicking or biting
another one...although it isnıt necessarily the lead horse who does this, it
does indeed seem to be more typically the insecure horse who feels like they
need to defend themselves. A horse who is a natural leader is not the one
engaging in that behavior, why would other horses want to be around a leader
who threatens them with physical violence unless they are forced to by a
small living area? The natural leader is one who usually stays out of the
squabbles.... in a domestic herd situation, there might not be a horse who
is a natural leader, so what we see is horses who are insecure (usually in
areas that are significantly smaller than what they would claim as a natural
territory) and put together in groups depending on the humanıs ideas. I
have been lucky enough to have for the past 5 years, a horse who is a
natural leader. Watching him with different groupings of horses has given
me a lot of insight about the difference between a true lead horse and one
who looks like theyıre dominating through positive punishment.

A horse who is a natural leader gains that position mostly through the use
of positive reinforcement, adding something desirable in order to make a
behavior more likely to happen again. This might look like leading the herd
to the best grazing area, knowing the right time to lead them to the water
hole, or to keep them safe from a predator. Horses choose to follow those
who seem to make the best decisions for the welfare of the herd, typically
this is an older ³lead mare². Stallions come and go in feral herds,
fighting each other for breeding rights. This is where it does seem to come
down to the strongest (or most persistent) horse winning, and in this way,
each herd will usually end up with a strong protector, but he isnıt going to
fight with the other horses in the herd, his job is to protect them.

You also asked:
I know horses are smart however given that horses brains don't have some of
the higher functions that humans do (probably a good thing) how do we
continually take their brain anatomy into consideration when having this
partnership?

Horses do have surprisingly small brains for their size, an average horseıs
brain has a diameter of about 3 inches. The more I learn about horses
though, the harder it is to make this into a limiting factor. It has been
proven that they donıt have the extent of ³problem solving² abilities that
humans have but I think that perhaps as a consequence of this (and they fact
that they are a prey animal), they have much more highly attuned sensing
systems than we do. These sensing systems reside not only in the brain but
throughout the entire body.

Because we humans are animals who have this ³gift² of a problem-solving
brain, we have to ask ourselves what are we doing with it. Personally, I am
saddened by all the brain power, energy and money we as the human race put
into ways to destroy other people and the relatively insignificant amount
that we put into finding peaceful solutions to our problems. Yet this same
thing is mirrored in the horse world, perhaps even in the same proportion.
Are we using our problem solving abilities to develop more devices such as
bits, spurs, whips, shock collars, and all manner of straps and gadgets to
restrain a horse and keep a horse controlled by pain? Or are we using it to
come up with non-violent solutions to working together with horses? What if
we set our brains to the task of figuring out how to come into partnership
with a horse without having to use any pain-inducing device, working solely
with their natural tendencies? What if we asked our vet schools to do
studies like determining what amount of pressure it takes before pain and
damage begins in a horseıs back? How much force is exerted in a horseıs
mouth by a bit with typical rein contact in English riding? There is so
much we take for granted that deserves a second look.

Keep asking,
Stormy

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Hi Stormy,

Enjoyed reading your latest newsletter and chuckled over the letters - they
relate an all too familiar story. My daughter is going through a rather
similar process since she has gotten into the natural hoof care realm.
(check out Pete Ramey sometime on internet, I think you'll like what he says
- http://www.hoofrehab.com/ He is to hooves, what your mentors are to
training.)

It's tough -- on the one hand, you've been brought up with Pony Club and its
teachings and you've spent a lot of years teaching those very precepts and
rules, and now because you're exploring a "one step further" process, people
get upset about it because it's a little different than what methods we've
all been using up until now. And it seems a little revolutionary....... at
first. But all I can say is that so did Pat Parelli, Monty Roberts, John
Lyons and Tom Dorrance and all the other Natural Horsemanship guys seem
strange and radical when they first came out with their training methods,
and now they're all the rage with their multitude of advocates and a long
list of trainers espousing their principles and their legions of fans
worldwide.

Now everyone is totally accepting and accustomed to their methods, more
often than not fighting over which one is best, or who thought of something
first, or whose gimmick is better than the other, etc. but that movement
didn't actually occur overnight, either, nor without some painful
beginnings. Sometimes it seems like it, because it took off so fast and
spread so quickly, so universally, but I do recall a time when most of those
people were looked at as odd balls too. So take heart, it may take a while,
but eventually when people start seeing results that make them take notice,
the time will come for this method to become less "out there" and more
accepted and understood, too.

In the meantime, I think people are just telling you that they miss those
neat little "tidbits" on horse care, grooming, all the other aspects of HM
that you had in the newsletter that could still continue to be in it, which
have nothing to do with training or your particular choice of training
methods. All of that stuff you used to have in your newsletter is just
"taking care of your horse" which doesn't need to be defined in any
particular way as belonging to a type of trainer or training method, it's
just horse health education in general. That's what makes Pony Club what it
is; it's the attention and time that is spent on Horse Management, not just
on riding. And Horse Management isn't limited to one's type or style of
trainer. That's the point -- we take them all, whatever their type of
training, and enfold them into the Pony Club ideal of a happy kid on a happy
horse, because the horse is being taken care of in the best and safest way
that one can accomplish with as much knowledge about how to do it as
possible - - including various training methods. Horse Management is what
makes Pony Club unique.... the education in feeding, grooming, veterinary...
all those things that are universal to all horse owners and not related to a
particular trainer or type of teaching. Just safety and for the good of the
horse and his wellbeing.

So please don't just say "bye bye I don't need you" to people and let them
go needlessly off your list, just save some room in the newsletter for some
more of those little "teaching moments" when you talk about horse skin care,
what to do for rain rot, practical things to have in your first aid kit and
how to use them, or why alfalfa might not be the best single food for your
horse, or things like that, which we all flocked to your newsletter for in
the first place. Bandaging and nutrition still are of interest, not just to
pony clubbers, but to all horse people. All of those things are still
relevant and not in opposition to your enthusiasm for a new way to look at
training or helping understand a horse's behavior. You've got so much
knowledge stuffed up there in that brain of yours that you can still share
with us, as well as sharing your new direction in training. Just keep the
HM in the HM Newsletter ok? We still need to keep learning about what to do
to prevent thrush or mud fever, or colic (for that you can just post the UC
Davis January Horse Report article, it's totally encompassing and the best
and most thorough thing I've ever read on colic - everyone who is a horse
owner should have it as item number one in their horse care notebook. It
covers it all.) http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CEH/pubs-HR26-1-bkm-sec.pdf

Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that you understand that not everyone is
disapproving of your research or theories if they write a letter like "name
withheld" did. She just wants more of the other educational stuff in the HM
Newsletter as well, because that's why she signed on to get it in the first
place. If it isn't going to have little bits about things like what to do
for dandruff, and how to wrap a hock injury or other Horse Management
things, then yes, she and others will look elsewhere, because that's what
they thought they were getting and what they previously enjoyed getting.
Isn't there room enough in the HM Newsletter for both? I hope so..........
Marilynn.

Hi Marilynn,

I was going to edit your response for length but it is all so relevant and
well thought out that I left it as-is. You are right, there is room for
both. What I realized is that the reason the other information (helpful
tips about bandaging, wound care, nutrition etc...) was so prevalent in the
past is because thatıs what my world was full of, teaching Pony Club and all
the aspects related to that. Now, my world is full of research into how we
can change our relationships with horses and how that relates to the bigger
picture of a paradigm shift from dominance to leadership. Arguably the
current direction of the newsletter is ultimately more relevant than what
color hunt coat is considered formal but thereıs still a lot of other stuff
rattling around in my brain. I think it will take either questions from you
readers or experiences going on in my life to bring them out...so, thanks
for sharing those links and donıt be afraid to bring up some new topics!

Thanks for all the time and thought you put into your email,
Stormy

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Fun and Educational Websites
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Just one website article to report in this newsletter but itıs a great one.
Following, is a link to an article about the horseıs back on the
equine-behavior website.

http://www.equine-behavior.com/The_Horse's_Back.htm

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Horsey Humor
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Equestrian Definitions (author unknown)

If you're fairly new to the horse scene, you've probably heard more
experienced equestrians throwing around words you don't understand. For your
education and amusement, here are some definitions of common equestrian
terms.

Auction
A popular, social gathering where you can change a horse from a
financial liability into a liquid asset.
Azoturia (Monday Morning Disease)
a condition brought on by showing horses all weekend. Symptoms include
the feeling of dread at having to get out of bed on Mondays and go to work.
Barn Sour
An affliction common to horse people in northern climates during the
winter months. Trudging through deep snow, pushing wheelbarrows through snow
and beating out frozen water buckets tend to bring on this condition
rapidly.
Big Name Trainer
Cult Leader: Horse owners follow them blindly, will gladly sell their
homes, spend their children's college funds and their IRA's to support them-
as they have a direct link to "The Most High Ones" (Judges).
Bog Spavin
The feeling of panic when riding through marshy area. Also used to refer
to horses who throw a fit at having to go through water puddles.
Bolt
to gulp feed usually occurs with sandwiches at half-hour holds.
Bran
A wheat by-product occasionally fed moistened to horses, most usually
applied as spackel or stucco on owner.
Colic
The gastrointestinal result of eating at the food stands at horse shows.
Colt
What your mare always gives you when you want a filly.
Contracted foot
The involuntary/instant reflex of curling one's toes up - right before a
horse steps on your foot.
Corn
small callus growths formed from the continual wearing of cowboy boots.
Cribbing
The vice of chewing your pencils while worrying as you figuring cost of
next yearıs hay.
Drench
Term used to describe the condition an owner is in after he administers
mineral oil to his horse.
Endurance ride
The end result when your horse spooks and runs away with you in the
woods.
Equitation
The ability to keep a smile on your face and proper posture while your
horse tries to crowhop, shy and buck his way around a show ring.
Feed
Expensive substance utilized in the manufacture of large quantities of
manure
Fences
Decorative perimeter structures built to give a horse something to chew
on, scratch against and jump over (see inbreeding).
Flea-bitten
A condition of the lower extremities in horse owners who also own dogs
and cats.
Flies
The excuse of choice a horse uses so he can kick you, buck you off or
knock you over - he cannot be punished.
Founder
1.) The discovery of your loose mare-some miles from your farm, usually
in a flower bed or cornfield. Used like-"Hey, honey, I found'er." 2.) A
condition that happens to most people after Thanksgiving dinner
Frog
Small amphibious animal that emits a high-pitched squeal when stepped
on.
Gallop
The customary gait a horse chooses when returning to the barn
Gates
Wooden or metal structures built to amuse horses.
Girth Sores
Painful swelling and abrasion made at the point of mid-section by
fashionable large western belt buckles.
Green Broke
The color of the face of the person who has just gotten the training
bill from the Big Name Trainer...
Grooming
The fine art of brushing the dirt from one's horse and applying it to
your own body.
Grooms
Heavy, stationary objects used at horse shows to hold down lawn chairs
and show bills. (see pit crews)
Hay
A green itchy material that collects between layers of clothing,
especially in unmentionable places.
Head Shy
A reluctance to use the public restrooms at any horse event. Always
applies to pit toilets.
Head Tosser
A blonde-haired woman who wears fashion boots while working in the barn.
Heaves
The act of unloading a truckful of hay.
Hobbles
Describes the walking gait of a horse owner after his/her foot has been
stepped on by his/her horse.
Hock
The financial condition that a horse owner goes into.
Hoof Pick
Useful, curbed metal tool utilized to remove hardened dog doo from the
treads of your tennis shoes.
Horse Trailer
Expensive movable urinal for horses. (and occasionally riders)
Horse shoes
Expensive semi-circular projectiles that horses like to throw.
Inbreeding
The breeding results of broken/inadequate pasture fencing.
Jumping
The characteristic movement that an equine makes when given a vaccine or
has his hooves trimmed.
Lameness
The condition of most riders after the first few rides each year; can be
a chronic condition in weekend riders.
Lead Rope
A long apparatus instrumental in the administration of rope burns. Also
used by excited horses to take a handler for a drag.
Longeing
A training method a horse uses on its owner with the purpose making the
owner spin in circles-rendering the owner dizzy and light-headed so that
they get sick and pass out, so the horse can go back to grazing.
Manure spreader
Horse traders
Mosquitoes
Radar equipped blood sucking insects that typically reach the size of
small birds.
Mustang
The type of horse your husband would gladly trade your favorite one
for...preferably in a red convertible and V-8.
Overreaching
A descriptive term used to explain the condition your credit cards are
in by the end of endurance/show season.
Parasites
Small children (no flames please) that get in your way when you work in
the barn. Many gather in swarms at horse shows.
Pinto
A colorful (usually green) coat pattern found on a freshly washed and
sparkling clean grey horse that was left unattended in his stall for ten
minutes.
Pit Crews
Absolutely indispensable people occasionally noted for their ability to
get lost, be in the way, eat all the food, or be sleeping in the camper when
you finish a 100 mile ride.
Pony
The true size of the stallion that you bred your mare to via transported
semen-that was advertised as 15 hands tall.
Proud Flesh
The external reproductive organs flaunted by a stallion when a horse of
any gender is present. Often displayed in halter classes.
Quarter Cracks
The comments that most Arabian owners make about the people who own
Quarter Horses.
Quittor
A term trainers have commonly used to refer to their clients who come to
their senses and pull horses out of their barns.
Race
What your heart does when you see the vet bill.
Rasp
An abrasive, long, flat metal tool used to remove excess skin from the
knuckles.
Reins
Break-away leather device used to tie horses with.
Ringworms
Spectators who block your view and gather around the rail sides at horse
shows.
Sacking out
A condition caused by Sleeping Sickness (see below). The state of deep
sleep a mare owner will be in at the time a mare actually goes into labor
and foals.
Saddle
An expensive leather contraption manufactured to give the rider a false
sense of security. Comes in many styles, all feature built-in ejector seats.
Saddle Sore
The way the rider's bottom feels the morning after an endurance ride
weekend.
Sleeping Sickness
A disease peculiar to mare owners while waiting for their mares to foal.
Caused by nights of lost sleep, symptoms include irritability, red baggy
eyes and a zombie-like waking state. Can last several weeks.
Splint
An apparatus that can be applied to various body parts of a rider due to
the parting of the ways of a horse and his passenger.
Stall
What your truck does on the way to am endurance ride, 150 miles from the
closest town.
Tack Room
A room where every item necessary to work with or train your horse has
been put, in a place which it cannot be found in less than 30 minutes.
Twisted Gut
The feeling deep inside that most riders get before the endurance ride.
Versatility
an owners ability to shovel manure, fix fences and chase down a loose
horse in one afternoon.
Vet Catalog
An illustrated brochure provided to stable owners that features a wide
array of products that are currently out of stock or have been dropped from
a company's inventory.
Weaving
The movement a horse trailer makes while going down the road with a
rambunctious horse in it.
Whip Marks
The tell-tale raised welts on the face of a rider-caused by the trail
rider directly in front of you letting a low hanging ranch go. (Also caused
by a wet or dry horse tail across the face while cleaning hooves)
Windpuffs
Stallion owners. Also applied to used car salesmen.
Withers
The reason you'll seldom see a man riding bareback.
Yearling
the age at which all horses completely forget the things you taught them
previously.
Youngstock
A general term used for all equines old enough to bite, kick or run you
over, but not yet old enough to dump you on the ground.
Zoo
The typical atmosphere around most horse ownerıs houses before a weekend
excursion.

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