June 2011
This month I have a couple of interesting stories to share with you and some really great advice from Susan Harris
about riding in the summer heat. And I want to mention that I have given in and joined Facebook and I learned how
to text. So many of you use these to communicate with each other, I didn't want to be left out. So now, it is even easier
for you to keep in touch.
Favorite link of the month is this story about Sam and the sale in Colorado.
http://www.quarterhorsenews.com/index.php/sales/sales/10479-csu-legends-of-ranching-performance-horse-sale.html
I knew it! I told her she was going to go out there, become rich & famous and forget all about us. Sam & I worked
together for years before she went off to college. First she rode Larry's Dakota horse and then she got her own horse,
Charlie. Sam took Charlie all the way to the NBHA Regional Nationals and placed well. Sam trained Charlie herself.
I am very proud of her and her accomplishments on and off the horse.
GOOD REPORTS
Congratulations and Good Luck to Virgil Gutshall Jr. and his beautiful new horse, Joker.
SADDLE FIT EVALUATIONS
I have had Beth & Zephr in lessons off and on for a couple years now. Zephr is usually very resistant to the simple
things like mounting, bending and especially stopping. To prepare for my testing with Jochen in a few weeks, I have
been practicing on my students. Last week we looked at Zephr's saddles and discovered the one Beth was using
was too tight at the shoulders and the billets were too far back causing the saddle to be even tighter on the shoulders
as the saddle slid forward during riding.
She changed saddles and this is what Beth had to say about her ride on Zephr last night.
"Here are some things I noticed after making the change to a different saddle after you evaluated the 3 I had:
- Less head tossing
- Less tension in his body
- He was much more willing to move forward due to responsiveness vs. feeling like he was just moving forward to
get out from under the saddle
- More focused on me
- Less anxious
Overall, your recommendation of a different saddle made a pretty dramatic improvement in his attitude and
performance. I imagine it would be even that much better with a saddle that is custom fitted. I think this is the
first time I've heard you say something like, "now I can see why you like him." ;-)
Thanks again. Beth"
All we did was change to one of Beth's other saddles. If you have a horse that is experiencing some behavioral
issues or lameness issues check your saddle fit. Also, keep in mind that as our horses change so does the
saddle fit. Even a custom made saddle of the finest quality will need some adjusting within one year. As our
horses develop or rest their body's change, sometimes dramatically and this will greatly effect the saddle fit.
General rule for saddle fit evaluations:
Horse's age 3-8 - twice a year
age 8-15 - once a year
after 15 - twice a year
My horse, Fancy changed a lot in her 4 year old year. Lesson learned-sensitive TB mares do not tolerate poor
fitting saddles very well. When her saddle is fitting well she relaxes, lowers her head and stretches forward nicely.
She stops and stands quietly, she moves up and down the hills without becoming nervous or jittery. When her
saddle is bothering her, she hollows her back, her head stays up and when she goes down a hill she panics. The
biggest issue I have seen with Fancy is when her back is hollowed, her head is up, she spooks at next to nothing.
It is very frustrating.
SPOOKING
As a trainer/instructor I have always said if your horse is spooking it is simply not listening to the rider. Let's say
you are walking down the road and the horse jumps sideways into the road because it saw a butterfly. Well,
basically that means the horse did not stay on your aids, between your legs and reins that were guiding it straight
down the road. So, we would review with the horse how it is expected to move away from leg pressure and not into
it. We would review centered balanced seat for the rider, using your weight aid to direct the horse in the direction of
travel. Now, as a saddle fitter I am realizing that while all this is absolutely true if a horse is in pain, it can't think
clearly. If the horse is in pain, it becomes intolerant and resistant to the simplest requests.
When the horse's head goes up the blood supply to the head is effected. When the blood supply to the eyes is
restricted the horse doesn't see right. When the vision is impaired the horse panics because it doesn't understand
that it is just a butterfly. When the blood supply to the mouth is effected the horse doesn't feel the bit or reins the
same as before and now becomes "hard in the mouth" and the list goes on.
If you are experiencing a less then happy horse, let's look at your saddle.
SPRING CLINIC PHOTOS
I have posted some photos from the spring clinics on the web page. Click here to see some of what you missed
or go to http://www.bucknhorsehollow.com/photos.cfm
After hay season and summer vacations we will run another clinic series. Kindergarten, Level 1, Level 2 & Level 3.
HOW HOT IS TOO HOT TO RIDE? from Susan Harris
What would be considered moderate exercise under temperate weather conditions can have the same effect as
intense activity when the heat and humidity rise. When is it too hot to trot? A good rule of thumb when assessing
how the heat will affect your workout is to measure the Heat Stress Index (HSI). If the sum of the temperature in
degrees Fahrenheit plus the percent of humidity totals less than 120, all systems are “go.” If the sum is greater
than 150, particularly if humidity contributes to more than half of this number, your horse’s natural cooling
mechanisms will be compromised. You should consider lowering the intensity of your workout, shortening the
length of time, or riding later in the day. If the HSI is greater than 180, a horse cannot regulate his core body
temperature naturally, so he should not be forced to work. For instance, if it is 100 degrees with 80 percent
humidity, leave your horse in a shaded paddock with plenty of cool, clean drinking water and go have a cold
drink yourself.
As always, thank you for reading our little newsletter and for allowing me to be a part of your riding goals.
Happy 4th of July celebrations !
TTYS & God Bless
Terry
