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December
2005 |
Dear Friends: Well, we have headed into winter here
at the Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center in
Blacksburg, Virginia. Cold weather has arrived, we've even
had some snow flurries, and our horses are busy growing
their winter coats. We've taught them to use our new barn
as a run-in if wanted/needed on rainy or snowy days, coming
in from their pasture. Sometimes they choose that option,
sometimes they don't, but we leave that choice up to them
so they have the freedom of space that all horses deserve.
I am busy with clients and with horses who have arrived here for extended training. Additionally, we are busy pulling together more natural horsemanship products we will be offering up the road soon! I was also guest speaker recently at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, before their chapter of the American Association of Equine Practitioners as I taught the future vets extensive horse whispering tricks of the trade. It's very exciting to know that the vet students who graduate from one of this country's finest vet schools are now gaining the horse whispering skills to gentle/calm frightened horses they treat, while keeping themselves far safer in the process as well! I will continue to work with the vet school to further natural horsemanship education, and I know that the future positive ramifications there will benefit all horses who cross their vet paths, as well as the owners. Education is always the key to more humane horse handling methods -- and for keeping people safer! This month marks one year from when we first broke ground in building our state-of-the-art natural horsemanship center and new home on site. We're amazed at how fast time flew and how much we accomplished in such a relatively short amount of time. We have now completed the fencing for our five acre right pasture and have our horses moved into that pasture since it still has lots of yummy lush grass growing there still. We also completed the fencing for another paddock that connects to our round pen. And we're nearly done with the fencing to close off the back pasture, our last fencing chore and we'll be done with all that. Here where we live in southwest Virginia, horses don't have to be put on hay until snow covers the ground completely and no more grass is available to them. We also supplement daily for vitamins and minerals to help their coats grow quickly and thicker to sustain our cold winters comfortably. Remember to add ordinary table salt into supplemental feed when the weather dips below freezing, to encourage horses to keep drinking in cold weather! This helps to prevent episodes of winter colic. Another winter tip: To keep water troughs from freezing over, place a clean, floating wood board inside the tub and this will help to keep the surface from freezing over and water available to the horses. Always break off and remove ice sheets from water troughs so that water is accessible at all times. We have a couple of announcements to make this month, here at the Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center:
Dr. Wally Palmer, of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, located here in Blacksburg, Virginia, who teaches the 4th year vet students in equine rotations, has agreed to serve as veterinary consultant here at the Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center. Dr. Palmer, a long experienced, highly respected equine veterinarian and instructor, is working with us to put into place a program where horses who are here for training have the opportunity to be vet checked, and assisted in any way needed (including teeth floating, etc.), by one of the best equine veterinary programs in the country. We also have on board here at the VNHTC an excellent farrier, Jake Hall, who also works closely with the vet school. We're excited to have Dr. Palmer and his colleagues and Jake Hall working with us here at the VNHTC to serve your horse needs to the best of all of our professional abilities for a whole-healthy-horse holistic approach! Deployment to Iraq I wanted to announce that our #2 son, Trevor Scott (who is an E-4 Specialist in the Army 101st Airborne Division [Air Assault] 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Battalion, 3rd Platoon), has now been deployed to Iraq for a year. This is more formidable than any parent can ever put into words. We had one week to spend with Trevor on leave with us before he was shipped off soon afterwards. When you watch the evening news on action in Iraq, it always seems to be about something " distanced" -- someone else's kid maybe, something political that we often can't quite fathom. But now our son is headed into those dangerous waters, on potentially dangerous missions, though we know he is exceptionally well-trained, and my husband and I hope and pray that all will be well and Trevor is kept safe. There are no easy words to relay these parental feelings. Pride in your child's patriotic accomplishments and commitments thus far crash with a strong desire to pull them home to safety, into our arms, as we did when they were smaller. Trevor chose his path voluntarily, is 100% focused on his chosen career, and so we support him 100%. But that doesn't mean it is always easy not to worry. A few of you horse folks who also have children or spouses/family deployed to Iraq have contacted me and I cherish that support contact immensely. We've slowly been creating an informal support network, a few of us in the same situation. We learn a lot from each other, things we can do to help our own deployed soldier, etc. I welcome that support, because I know I can learn much from the more experienced in these trenches! In honor of our dedicated American soldiers, click on the following link for a beautiful, quite touching, tribute to our American Military (turn up your sound volume): http://www.clermontyellow.accountsupport.com/flash/UntilThen.swf And, if you'd like, visit my Trevor page on my web site here to learn more (and thank you to those many folks who have emailed me, suggesting links to add to that section in support of Trevor and our troops): http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrevorScott.html Please keep our Trevor in your thoughts and prayers, as well as all those who are serving our country selflessly, away from their families and loved ones through the upcoming holidays, and longer...
Embrace your family and enjoy your freedoms -- they are hard earned by soldiers like Trevor and thousands more like him, past and present. I wish you all a wonderful and happy, joy-filled, safe holiday season!
We all can learn from each other!
Horse Training Thought For the Month - Natural Horsemanship Tenet Where knowledge ends, violence begins. Old school methods of training horses involve force, brutality and often causes severe and lasting great emotional and physical trauma to the horse. Luckily, those old school days are ending, and enlightened knowledge about applied horse prey animal psychology is rapidly replacing the " old ways." Horse brutality is caused by ignorance. Horses do not need to be whipped, beaten, intimidated nor forced into compliance to become our safe, cooperative riding partners. Natural horsemanship is about knowledge, the right knowledge, to speak the language all horses are already born understanding, so that we can kindly and calmly communicate our teachings on an understandable level for them to get along well in our " herd of humans." Anger and abuse have no place in horse training. If you are feeling angry or even frustrated when working with your horse, that simply means you need to step away immediately and get more instructional information so that you can better guide your horse as the fair " herd leader." When a horse suddenly isn't understanding something, we have to take personal responsibility as their teacher for that fact, and not blame the horse. Take the time to get enlightened and learn the language of natural horsemanship, to create your quiet, cooperative, willing horse. To learn more about natural horsemanship and how we apply prey animal psychology know-how to train horses, visit my " What Is NH?" web section here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/WhatIsNH.html To learn how to train your horse yourself, step by step the NH way, think about getting the Gentle Solutions book I co-wrote, which you can read more about and order here: https://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/VNHTCProducts.htm#GentleSolutionsBook Check These Out! More Holiday Gift Ideas for Horse Lover Friends and Family:
Horse Movies - For a comprehensive list of favorite horse movies, which make great gifts, check out my Horse Movies section on my web site, starting here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/HorseMovies.html Horse Posters - For hundreds of horse posters to choose from, visit my Horse Posters section on my web site, starting here (they make great stocking stuffers!): http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/HorsePosters.html Horse Books - Aside from the Gentle Solutions training book I co-wrote, which makes a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer, check out my expansive list of more horse books available, sorted by author-trainer as well as by category, starting here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/HorseBooks.html Gifts for Your Horse - For that special horse on your list, check out this web site for some fun equine playtoys: http://www.horseballs.com/ Horse-Related Board and Video Games - Nothing beats the winter shut-in blues, when it's too cold, rainy or snowy to ride our horses, like a rousing horse board or video game. I'm listing below some good recommendations you can check out -- they make great holiday gifts or stocking stuffers. My #1 son, Justin, who is in the video game industry, passed along some of the below video game titles for horse lovers, young and old: Horse Board Games: Horse-Opoly - HORSE-OPOLY is a property trading game based on our equine animal friends. It's a game that actually encourages horseplay! The board features different breeds of horses while each property deed teaches players a little about that breed of horse. While playing the game, players can choose to be a bail of hay, saddle, horseshoe, horse trailer, bag of oats, or a boot! They buy barns and trade them in for stables while trying to become the richest player in the game. So hop in the saddle and take this game for a ride! Game play is for 2-6 players. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Gallop Home - Choose your horse head playing piece. The Friesian, Thoroughbred, Arabian or Paint. Then choose the score card that matches the breed. Travel the beautiful board by the roll of a dice or the pick of a card and collect your training disciplines. Keep score on your score card as you " train your horse." You will also receive points for caring for your horse at the farrier or the veterinarian and for that Blue Ribbon! Get your four " top" training scores and then " GALLOP HOME" to the barn! The first person who gets to the barn gets 25 extra points. Then everyone adds up their score card. The player with the most points WINS! Make sure that water buckets and stalls are clean or you might get " grounded" at the grounded barn! Have fun!!!! CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Herd Your Horses - This colorfully designed board game provides an exciting fantasy environment for two to six horse lovers. In the first game, players pretend to be wild mustang stallions galloping through mountains and valleys, gathering a herd to protect while facing such obstacles as cougars and bad weather. The first player to round up a herd wins. In two other games, players are ranchers rounding up strays and competing to fill out their herds. Players are sure to enjoy the in-depth educational information about horses and horse breeds that is included. This is a great game to saddle up when it's rainy on the ranch, providing enough challenge to play with parents as well as with friends. Herd Your Horses allows you to experience life from the horse's or the rancher's point of view. Along the way, you'll learn to appreciate more than just the majestic beauty of these animals. Meet more than 50 horses, each fully illustrated in color on jumbo playing cards. Each game also includes four horse playing pieces, 42 adventure cards, a game board and game booklet with rules and information about horses. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER The Breyer® Game of Horse Sense - Test your knowledge with 200 fun facts all about horses! While playing this clever board game, kids will learn all about horses - how they are cared for, how they grow and develop, how they are ridden, and the many different kinds of horses there are in the world. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER The Saddle Club Cross Country Board Game - Join Stevie, Carole and Lisa as you make your way around the exciting Cross Country Board course. Complete jumps and collect cards along the way, but watch you don't fail the vet check! Includes 3D molded jumps for authentic cross country experience. Colourful molded horses for easy player identification. Ages 7 + CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER The Saddle Club Board Game - A great gift for the Saddle Club fan. Join Stevie, Carole and Lisa as you make your way around the showjumping course. Complete Jumps and collect cards along the way, but watch you don't lose a horseshoe or miss a jump! This Game contains a Board (507 X 507mm), 4 playing pieces, 40 cards, die, jump pieces, prize stickers and a score pad. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Cowgirls - You don't need to like cowboys, horses or country music to like " Cowgirls" – all you need is an adventurous spirit to take a journey of self-discovery with your girlfriends. Share friendships and swap tales asking questions like, " What led to your first kiss?" " If you woke up one morning and found yourself as a man, what are the first three things you would do?" and " What is the one thing you would buy for yourself if money were no object?" As you gallop to the finish line, you gather charms for independence, power, wisdom, confidence and style - and far more importantly, you deepen your friendships. Made in the USA. Ages 18 and up. For 2 to 6 players. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Horse Racing Board Games - For an extensive list of horse racing board games and reviews: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE Horse Video and Computer Games: Let's Ride Dreamer! Horse Computer Game - NEW - CD ROM Computer Game - Let's Ride Dreamer is adapted from the new movie " Dreamer. Sure to be your child's favorite horse computer game. You will go through the steps of nursing your horse back to health. Be careful as you watch his diet and exercise him. If you follow all the rules and his recovery is speedy, you may qualify for the Breeder's Cup. On race day, you plan your own strategy for winning and then see how well he does. Great for ages 8 to 80! CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Let's Ride! (The Rosemond Hill Collection) CD-ROM Game - Join the Greenfield Riding Club and have hours of fun with show jumping, dressage and cross-country riding simulation. Choose your own strategy, riding speed, course navigation and more. With quizzes, puzzles and more. Choose from 25 horses and have fun tacking up, riding, competing and solving the diamond mystery. Runs on Windows 95, 98, ME, 200, XP. Ages 8 and up. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Lets Ride Champion Series CD Game - Action-packed games include Equestrian, Riding Star and Championship Season-the most popular equestrian games. Runs on Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP. Ages 8 and up. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Rising Star Horse Camp CD Game (An Interactive Learning Game About Horses) - Learn more about horses with pals Star and Two Bits when you play this fun, interactive game. Great for young beginners. Age 10 and under. Runs on Window 95, 98, Pentium 166 MHz or faster. 20 MB hard disk space, 2 MB VRAM sound blaster and sound card. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron Forever Free CD ROM Game - You can join the fun and adventure of finding Spirit's herd by jumping rivers and fences, making friends with the Indians, collecting arrows to trade for food, racing eagles to earn feathers and rabbits to earn carrots. You will nurse Rain back to health and fight the rustlers to free the herd. 266 MHz or higher processor, 64 MB RAM, 100 MB Free Hard Drive Space. 8 MB Direct X Compliant 3D Graphic Accelerator, and Direct X Compliant Sound Card, Windows® 98, ME, 2000, & XP. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER GBA Let's Ride: Sunshine Stables (Gameboy Advance) - Now you can own and care for the horse of your dreams on your Game Boy Advance! Select your horse, choose her saddle, bridle, and then practice your riding. Select from 20+ beautiful horses and take a stroll through the pasture or practice at the ranch. Build the ranch of your dreams by buying buildings and equipment for your horses. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Let's Ride: Corral Club - This is your chance to own and care for the horse of your dreams! Select your horse, choose your riding outfits and even decorate your horse for the rodeo events. Practice at the corral to perfect your barrel racing technique. Train hard to make it to the most prestigious competitions, and win the National Championship. Personalize your character by picking out her clothes, boots, hair color, and hat. You even get to name her! Start with 12 beautiful horse breeds, customize their manes, choose the perfect saddle, and more. Take a stroll through the pasture, galloping, cantering, or trotting with your horse. Even race around barrels to sharpen your skills, competing against your own times. Hear the crowd cheer you on as you race at the rodeo competition. Do your best at the local events to qualify for the regional, county, state, and national competitions. View your high scores, your ribbons and even your competition points in the Scrapbook. You can even share pictures of you and your horse with your friends! Windows XP. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue (PlayStation 2) - Join Barbie on an action-packed, 3-D, horse-riding adventure. Ride through five stunning areas, jump over fallen trees, cross rickety bridges, and avoid other potential hazards throughout their quest. Guide Barbie and her horse over thin cliff edges and logs in rivers, leading Barbie to dismount her horse and explore the trails on foot. You can even help Barbie climb ledges and swing hand over hand along low branches. Gallop the trails with Barbie as you search for and rescue wild horses missing from the stables! Get ready for your adventure by choosing your horse, riding tack and an outfit for Barbie. Finally, chase the horses, lasso them and return them to safety! CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDERBarbie Horse Adventures: Mystery Ride (CD-ROM) - Solve puzzles and steer clear of obstacles as you search for clues to solve the mystery. Explore 3 beautiful locations: a prairie town, desert caves, and Redwood Forest trails. Choose Western style outfits for Barbie to wear. Groom and nurture the horse before setting out on your journey. Features multiple endings with 16 possible suspects the mystery character changes each time. Windows 98, XP, 95, Me. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Riding Academy: Jump & Ride (CD-ROM) - Experience realistic horseback racing. Choose from 6 different horses. 12 beautiful action-packed steeplechase courses to ride and race. Varied terrain with seasonal weather conditions. Suits all players with beginner, intermediate, and expert levels. Split-screen gaming for 3 ways to play: single player, championship, and LAN. Windows XP. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER My Horse Farm (CD-ROM) - Fun and educational for horse lovers of any age. Learn the business of owning and managing a real horse farm. Care for horses and train them to be world-class champions. Outfit riders by choosing from an array of clothes, accessories, and hairstyles. Spend money wisely and make good decisions. Windows 98, 2000, Me, XP. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Cabbage Patch Kids: Where’s My Pony? For PC (CD-ROM) - Your Cabbage Patch Kid has lost a pony and needs your help. Explore the town and uncover the clues that will help your Cabbage Patch Kid and pony find each other again. Choose from 9 unique Cabbage Patch Kids and 4 ponies and play as both the Cabbage Patch Kid and the Pony on the path to find one another. Talk to friendly Cabbage Patch Kids and animals to get clues on how to find each other includes bonus videos starring the Kids. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Saddle Up: Time To Ride (CD-ROM) - Experience the thrills and excitement of caring for your own horse. Varied gameplay including competition, adventure, horse care, and learning. 7 different horses to own and ride customize horse with favorite features. Compete on 14 unique courses ride through 6 different landscapes. Integrated adventure mode replay a course with others in multiplayer mode. Windows 2000, Me, 98, XP. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER The Saddle Club: Willowbrook Stables (CD-ROM) - Search for clues and solve the mystery to save the stables. Play as your favorite Saddle Club member (32 interesting characters). Ride, practice jumps, and race your horse at the Pony Club. Choose your horse's color and markings feed, groom, and saddle your horse. Explore 16 unique locations. Windows 98, XP, 95, Me. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Disney Princess Royal Horse Show (CD-ROM) - Help Disney Princesses prepare for the Royal Horse Show. Players can groom, color, and dress their horses in beautiful accessories to get them ready for the festivities. They can even ride them through the show ring over a variety of obstacles at the Royal Fairgrounds. Featuring 6 horses and 4 princesses, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Snow White. Little girls can decorate the fairgrounds, win awards, and print a scrapbook, trading cards and their very own riding certificates! As a special feature, the game has a " My Princess Desktop Pony" to care for. Windows & Mac. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Gallop Racer (PlayStation) - Get in on the original horseracing sim. No two races are alike: race outcomes are determined by racetrack, conditions, pack, and luck. Be the jockey, or select watch mode, and be a spectator. 1,400 thoroughbred racing machines and 28 different racetracks. For 1 or 2 players. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OR ORDER Using Horses for Guided Learning and Therapy - I wanted to introduce everyone to a couple of great folks I know who are doing very interesting work with horses in programs designed to help the human. Check these out:
Horse Hoof Trimming/Farrier Preparation E-Books Now Available! - I recently was introduced to two quite helpful E-Books (downloadable) written by natural horsemanship trainer/clinician and long time farrier, Darren Wetherill, of British Columbia, Canada, to help folks learn: 1) Trimming Made Easy: Teach Your Horse To Stand For Trimming and More! - how to help your horse prepare for the farrier, and 2) Trimming 101: Learn Basic Hoof Trimming of the Average Horse - the basics on how to trim your horse's hooves yourself, step by step. I particularly liked the comprehensive how to trim book, because with excellent pictures, diagrams and very clear direction throughout, Darren makes easy and crystal clear what can seem like a sometimes complicated procedure. We all can learn a lot from this user-friendly e-book in particular! I would like to share a portion of the introduction of this e-book, in Darren's own words: Welcome to Trimming 101, your how-to guide for trimming the average hoof of a normal healthy horse. In sharing my 20+ years of experience as a farrier, you will benefit from many tips and insights that will save you time and money. For example, you will learn when to use the nippers verses the rasp, which will allow you to work more efficiently and will preserve your tools longer. I will share what has worked for me and what has proven to be the most effective ways for myself and other farriers. You will discover how much hoof to remove and what to look for to avoid injuring or laming your horse. You will also find out how to properly balance the hoof so it is healthy and strong. I will describe how to handle the foot safely and also show how to ask the horse to lift its own foot. This is very helpful when it comes time to trim. This book will also show how to care for and handle your tools to make the job as easy as possible. The sharpness of your tools will determine the ease of the procedure. Lastly, this book covers more than just learning how to trim the hoof it covers important information on how to use your body to prevent stress and injury to yourself. Trimming a horse requires your body to be in a crouched position for long periods of time so it is extremely important that you use your leg muscles rather than your back to support yourself and the horse’s foot. If the horse tries to pull away, the stress will be put on your legs rather than on your back. Being conscious to preserve your back is extremely important when trimming. By properly trimming your horse’s foot, you will maintain its soundness and add to its longevity. Also, by maintaining your correct body posture you will add to your longevity as well. So make sure to take good care of your tools, your horse and yourself... Both Darren Wetherill e-books are easy to order/download online, too, no matter where you live. Check out Darren's web site at: http://www.equinebliss.com/ - and you can order the e-books online on Darren's web site here: http://www.equinebliss.com/products.html (scroll down that page to find the e-books). Darren also has on his web site an interesting " Blog" section, where he gives great farrier and natural horsemanship training tips. Visit the Blog here: http://horsemanship.typepad.com/horse_bliss/ Horse Rescues/Rehab Centers - I'm a big supporter of equine rescues. Periodically I plan to briefly mention some here. Visit them, their web sites, get in touch with them, see what you can do to help. And if you are looking for a new horse, rescues are sometimes the best place to start your search. Adopting a horse and giving it a wonderful new home can be a positive life-altering experience. And volunteering time at a rescue can help you to learn more about horses -- horses are the best teachers there are! I recently received the following email that I would like to share with you: Hi Sylvia, I am writing to see if you could help us in any way possible. Or maybe just spread the word a little. I have started volunteering at a rescue facility for PMU and non-PMU horses and foals here in San Antonio, Texas, that was set up and run by a couple purely out of the goodness of their hearts. They get no profit out of this, in fact they probably have lost a lot of their own money trying to save as many of these horses as they can and they are really struggling right now. I have adopted several from her that I knew would be destined for the [meat] market and they have turned out to be some of the best horses I have ever worked with! We are really struggling right now and could use all the help we can get. If you'd like to visit the website it is www.canexas.com and if you go to the announcements there, you get a pretty good idea of what they try to do and what they go through. I understand that people don't always want a rescue horse but there is nothing wrong with these guys, it's just that the farmers in Canada can no longer afford to keep them. They even have Warmblood crosses that are usually very expensive. And if people need them shipped, they are willing to do that much cheaper than would be the case if you paid a transportation company. I know that there may not be much anyone can do but I guess I feel better getting out there and making an effort knowing that I contacted everyone I could. Thanks so much, Sylvia, and God Bless! C.M. - Floresville, Texas This month, I'd like to call attention to this above organization: Canexas - A Texas PMU Connection in San Antonio, Texas. Visit their web site at: http://www.canexas.com/ - and think about adopting a PMU foal today, or reaching out to help these folks in their fine mission any way you can. To learn more about PMU foals and for more PMU foal adoption resources and links, visit my web site here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/Testimonials8.html For a list of other equine rescues around the country/world, visit here: http://horsewelfare.8k.com/ or here: http://www.equinerescue.com/staterescues.html. Horse
Problem Questions From You & Question - Deworming issues: We
feel blessed to have our horses and it is because of your
advice and the reading that I have done that I have been
able to treat them properly. Now I have one more question.
One of my horses is very resistant to having any type of
syringe put in his mouth. It is all my wife and I can do
together to get his deworming medicine into him. We tried
using applesauce in a syringe, but he won’t go for that
either, he will sniff at it but the second you try to actually
put the syringe in his mouth he starts tossing his head.
Any suggestions on how to work with a horse that won’t let
you put things into his mouth? I would like to resolve this
issue so that by next spring we can worm him easily. Thanks
again.
R.C., Milaca, MN Sylvia's Answer: Try mixing molasses in with the applesauce. I've never seen a horse be able to resist molasses. You can get it in the grocery store syrup aisle. But use molasses, not honey, not syrup, only molasses. And put some molasses on your finger first and stick your finger in the corner of the mouth and rub that molasses on his tongue first to tantilize him with the taste at first. Then show him the source of the molasses: the syringe. I do have written up on my web site how we tackle deworming problems, and I'm assuming you've tried what you read there: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips62.html But it's important to use advance/retreat there if/when needed to get him past this " instrument issue." Rub him with the syringe on his neck, then face. Find the threshold point where he suddenly resists. Draw a mental line there. From that point forward in this exercise, rub him with the syringe where he's okay, but then dart quickly over the threshold line as fast as you can, only to retreat back to the okay areas very quickly for nice scratches/rubs with the syringe. Via that advance/retreat, retreating before he retreats, that threshold line will be redrawn, getting closer and closer to his mouth. By the time he can handle you advancing to his lips with the syringe, still retreat with the rubbing. The more retreats you do there when desensitizing a horse to something they fear like that, the faster they go there. You cannot retreat too much! Don't be thinking about getting it into his mouth. Only focus on him accepting the touch of it, but via many retreats. (The retreat is the release of pressure, and remember: all horse learn from the RELEASE of pressure what it is you want, not the pressure itself, so use lots of retreats for reward there for the horse accepting this.) Once he allows it rubbed by and around his lips without moving away, linger there a second, pause, then retreat. Don't be goal focused, be retreat focused. Once he allows that, point the syringe (with molasses flavored apple sauce) aiming for the corner of his mouth, but then retreat again. Do this dozens of times however long it takes (take your mental watch off, do this lesson when you have all the time in the world to devote to it, not rushed). What you're working on there is not forcing, but instead, getting the horse to willingly invite the syringe there, calmly, rationally. And that's all about perceiving the threshold lines as you go along, cross them quickly but retreating from them quickly, back to safe areas. And if you scratch them with the syringe pleasurefully as you go along there, they refile it as a pleasureful thing, not something to fear. It's all about the retreat timing there though, as you go along in this lesson! Once the horse lets you linger longer & longer by the corner of the mouth (take your time, multiple repetitions -- long way is the short way here!), then and only then go ahead and squirt the applesauce with molasses contents in. And walk away. Leave the horse alone to think about that, and how positive an experience it was. That'll go a long way for the next lesson there. Do this a number of times/over a number of days and pretty soon it will be something they look forward to. One day there will be dewormer in the syringe but he will have accepted it by then. I also want to briefly educate you guys on deworming in general. Deworming again " next spring" is not correct. Let me explain how deworming programs work. All horses should be on a regularly scheduled deworming program, for paste dewormers that would be: every other month, year round. It's not a one time thing. It's not a seasonal thing. It's a year-round, every other month maintenance requirement when owning horses. So...that means if you dewormed with a paste dewormer on December 1st, then your horse would be due to be dewormed again on February 1st, then next on April 1st, and so on, year round. It's a good idea to let your vet guide you on which dewormer to give depending on 1) your area, 2) what time of year it is, and 3) the age of your horse. For example, I use the vet school here, the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, as vet for my horses (and I work with them closely in other areas professionally), and they recommend this time of year/late fall/early winter (for my horses/my region) giving Quest Plus because that gets rid of tapeworms & Strongyles in particular (as well as some other parasites), which is real important to do before going into winter so they keep weight on. Here's more about Quest Plus: http://www.allivet.com/QUEST_PLUS_Equine_Oral_Gel_p/25383.htm The next deworming I'm scheduled to give after that, in January, they have given me Eqvalan (ivermectin) -- more about that here: http://www.allivet.com/EQVALAN_p/10017.htm So...it's not just about regularly scheduling (paste) dewormings every other month, but also about the kind of dewormer your vet recommends each time. You don't just deworm a horse once or a couple times a year -- it's an ongoing requirement for healthy horse upkeep. A good deworming program also involves a rotation of the type of dewormer usually. I would strongly suggest consulting your local vet about this immediately so that he/she can recommend what dewormer is appropriate for your area and your particular horses and the time of year involved. Very, very important to stay on top of that. If you don't, I guarantee you your horse has worms of some sort, that's a given, and it takes a huge toll on them, especially in winter. Unable to gain weight being the outside visual result, but inside serious damage can be done physiologically as well if left neglected there. So...get on top of that right away, keeping to a regular schedule for that (I write down in my horse medical log book when I've dewormed my horses, and what I used, and I write on my calendar the next due date after that so I can stay on top of it efficiently). I always also strongly recommend, and the vet school does here as well, having a horse wellness exam twice a year -- once in the spring, and again in the fall. That's when their equine immunizations are given as well, both times, spread out like that. Certain ones are best given in the spring, others are best given in the fall and your vet will educate you about that for your area. For example: my horses here in Virginia are immunized to Rabies, West Nile Virus, EWT (Intramuscular Eastern & Western Encephalitis and Tetanus), Rhino/flu, Strangles, Potomac Horse Fever (when that is recommended by my vet), and annual blood drawn for Coggins test. These are separated out into fall/spring immunizations times. In the fall I also have my horses' teeth checked/floated if needed (that's where they file down points, done by my vet) as well as have my geldings' sheaths cleaned while they are under sedation for the teeth floating already (easiest way to do it -- extremely important to have done with male horses as " beans" develop just inside their penis and if you don't get them out, it can lead to serious urinary tract complications). And I follow my vet's advice there for all that/immunizations especially. If you've not had a fall exam yet scheduled, you should do so now so that your horses go into winter (the hardest time for them) in the best of condition. It's definitely in the category of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Keeping your horses healthy year round isn't hard if you follow that above regimen religiously. Is important, so is why I've gone into it here. Here's an excellent article you can read about immunizations your horse should receive, but consult your vet: http://www.dclahdvm.com/Articles/immunizations.htm Question - Ear-Shy Horse: Hi. This August I bought a 16 -year-old Arabian. She is like a dream, she's beautiful and likes attention. She's a real doll, and was great to ride and fine on the ground (though flighty like most Arabians ). So we bought her. We got her home and gave her a few weeks to settle in. She acted perfect. Loved being taken out and brushed regularly. The previous owner told me this horse didn't like her ears being touched that much and not to take her halter off, but I thought that a bit harsh, so I eventually took it off while she was in her paddock. Well, the next day when I went to catch her, she became all shy on me with the halter. But she didn't run away from me or even try anything mean. When trying to put the halter on she just panicked, and wouldn't let me get the halter on past her nose. I thought maybe I moved too fast for her, but when I tried it again but slower, she still panicked. It took me a while to get her halter on and all throughout the summer I took it slow on her and now she puts it on perfectly. She just seemed like she had to get to trust me first, as if she thought I might do something to her ears... But now she lets anyone put her halter on and acts as if she's never had a problem. So weeks later, I tried putting her bridle on, but she just won't take to it whatsoever. I've tried moving slowly and not getting her worked up, but she just won't do it. She'll take the bit in her mouth like nothing... opens her mouth without a problem, but when I try to go past there she again panics. She is fine for everything else though. In the paddock she'll let me jump on her back and she actually enjoys it. She responds to leg movements and listens like an angel. I just do not understand why she will not put her bridle on. I've read over all the other bridle problems on your website but nothing seems to help. I'm running out of solutions but still am not about to give up on her. This is something we've tried again and again but she just will not let me put it on her. I do not force her and when she truly gets scared I put the bridle down and she'll walk over to me and nuzzle me and I feel guilty! She's the love of my life, please help us! M.C. - Internet Sylvia's Answer: Hi M. What you've got there is an ear shy problem. Read this link and work on desensitizing her ears better going the route I show here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips14.html There's a real fine art to desensitizing, though, which involves advance/retreat. Retreat before the horse retreats, getting your retreat timing very fast there and she'll progress. Don't be too forward progression focused be retreat focused. I myself wouldn't start with the bridle or halter, but would back up and work with her just accepting my hands there first. If you can't completely handle the ears with your hand, don't even go there with the bridle or halter. Get her past that first following proper natural horsemanship desensitizing techniques (study what I directed you to carefully, taking no shortcuts, but following it to the letter). Then once she handled that well, my hands stroking there, I would then step up to getting her to allow an ordinary wadded up plastic shopping bag rubbed over her ears, again following advance/retreat to accustom her to that, beginning with baby steps, the plastic crumpled in my hand imperceptibly at first, and only opening it up slowly. I can guarantee you in one session I would have your horse accepting that, and pretty quickly too, so, it's all about grasping HOW to desensitize using advance/retreat natural horsemanship methods. After she can do all the above very well, then I would next use one of my training strings (you can get one here: https://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/VNHTCProducts.htm#TrainingString), wadded up in my hand first, and rub that all over her ear, again using advance/retreat. As she accepted that, I'd then let the string open up a little, rub her ears with that. Open up a little more, rub her ears with that. As she accepts that, I'd then let the string open up completely to its full length, dangling, and rub her with that. Incidentally, if she gets tense or stressed at any point throughout this lesson, which of course she will at first, I would instantly return to bonding with her, using some horse whispering relaxation techniques that trigger instant relaxation/calmness in her, particularly: my finger in the corner of her mouth to feather her tongue, which produces her working her mouth (causing instant relaxation in a horse) and asking for her head down (lowered head is a relaxed horse high head is a tense horse. Where the head goes, the mind follows). I go into more in depth the how's and why's of these horse whispering relaxation/bonding techniques here -- they are a very crucial part of my program with every horse I work with: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips58.html I will be doing that throughout the lesson to keep her on rational, accepting mode mentally and physically. Real important to show the horse you can help them relax, supportingly, nurturingly, even as you pose challenges for them to overcome. After she can handle all the above well, then and only then would I bring out my natural horsemanship halter with 12' lead rope attached, the only halter/lead I will work any horse in for lessons (and I sell them here: https://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/VNHTCProducts.htm#HalterLead . I'd wad it up and rub all her favorite spots with it first and then head for working on her accepting that rubbed over her ears quickly at first, then more and more slowly, until she fully allows that halter wad rubbing at any place around her ears. Make it all pleasureful. Use your fingernails to scratch her soothingly as you work there with the ropes. I follow a training philosophy that is: if you're not getting your fingernails really dirty when training a horse, then you're not training correctly. Lots & lots of scratches and strokes (no patting) helps a horse to overcome fears. After that, I'd let the halter/lead open up more/dangle more as I repeat the advance/retreat rubbing over the ears there. Quickly it's no big deal, when done right, like I'm showing you. After that I would repeat the above exercise, but this time with the bridle/bit and by then she would well accept it. You really have to break it all down into baby steps like that with ear shy horses. Gives them the opportunity to digest the expectation in baby step increments and get lots of releases, praise and reward for successful tries. Incidentally...the most common cause of ear shyness like you're seeing there is a past (unenlightened) vet or handler using an old school method of grabbing and twisting a horse's ear to try to get control of them. It's immensely cruel, painful to the horse, and totally utterly unnecessary. Never let a vet or farrier or handler or anyone do that to your horse, or you will have an ear shy horse as a result. Try the above and you'll get on a good track for her accepting haltering/bridling/ear touching. I also have another link on my site about this subject here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips38.html But study these links I've directed you to carefully, reading them more than once if necessary, because like I said, desensitizing is a real art that doesn't always come easily to humans at first, and it's all about timing in your pressure/release, advance/retreat. I teach how in every clinic I do it's much harder to teach in words because it's a visual thing, and about gaining a sense of " feel." But hopefully these links will help you enough. Let me know how it goes!
Question - Horse has problems changing leads: Hi Sylvia. My husband has a 4-yr-old quarter horse. While teaching
him to lope on the correct lead, the horse only wants
to take the left lead - even in the round pen going to the
right. He can and will pick up the right lead, but not without
repeatedly asking. My husband is cueing him by moving the
hip to the right and tipping his nose to the right, then
giving him his head. 9 times out of 10 he'll go into the
left lead. What might you suggest he try or look for to
teach his horse to pick up the correct lead? Thanks
again for your help!!!
S.H. - Bronson, FL Sylvia's Answer: Hi S. Couple things I want to direct you to here. This horse might also have an eye-changing problem to begin with, so this link will let you see if that's partly what you're dealing with there and how you can fix that on the ground first: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips65.html Next, let me direct you to a link on my site that goes into how to teach lead changes (and exercises you can do to help with that) here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips27.html But work on that in this order: fix the eye changing problem first (if that flushes out as a foundation hole still), then work on the lead changes, in that order. Because a horse with an eye changing problem is going to be much tougher to teach in saddle stuff to and so the eye changing issue needs to be fixed first -- is a very common problem, by the way, and one I find so few people seem to know about, but is so important to flush out/fix before moving forward in training -- crucial, actually. Hope this helps and let me know how it goes.
Question - Horse afraid of trailer when it moves: Hi, I have a 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse that willingly hops right onto the trailer but completely panics the moment the trailer starts to move. The last time I tried trailering him - which was after several sessions with a natural horsemanship friend of mine of loading and unloading and standing on the trailer - he reared up as soon as the trailer moved, broke his halter, tried to climb over the center divider and then tried to jump out the top when we opened the back doors. He wound up punching his hind feet through the center divider and then wedged himself on his side in the trailer. I am at a complete loss as to what to do. Any advice? My NH friend, who directed me to your website, is at a loss too. Thank you, L.W. - Hagerstown, MD Sylvia's Answer: Hi L. Well, this is a challenging problem! :-) Sounds like he's possibly had a bad past trailering experience or accident that he's associating trailer movement with. But now he's just made it worse all by himself by his reaction there! Hoy boy. Your trainer friend is right -- this is a toughy. But whenever you're faced with a stumper like that, it's time to step back and do a bit of creative brainstorming. I've
got a few ideas you might try, because obviously you're going to have to get
real creative here, trial and error like at first to see what works, to get him
past what is an obvious dire fear in him. He's not being " bad" on purpose --
he's scared. Think about trying some of these brainstormed ideas, or maybe you
can piggy-back creatively off of them further as well:
Some other ideas you might try:
Try some or all of the above and do let me know how it goes!
Question - Is 17-month old filly too young to ride?: We have a 17-month-old mare black and white, going to be a pretty gal when she grows up. I am too big to ride her and she is too young, that's for sure. (By the way I have read your web site about riding young horses). But, is it safe for a kid about 9 or 10 to ride her? I am talking about the horse's safety. They don't weigh that much. I am talking about riding every now and then just for a few minutes. The horse is very gentle. Believe it or not these kids know how to ride. The girls weigh less than 50 pounds. These small girls have ridden this small mare before and the horse minds really well. The horse didn't need any bits, just a halter and most of the time they rode bareback. Again is this a safe thing for the horse? Sylvia's Answer: The straight answer: not really. See....it's not about them accepting this at that age, but about the crucial growth plates in their legs have not closed up yet. I'm assuming you've already seen me discuss this topic here on my web site: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips2.html Think of the growth plates in the young horse's legs as like the fontanel in a newborn human baby's head (if you have had children, then you'll know what I'm talking about -- the " soft spot" we're real careful not to injure in human babies' skulls). That fontanel in the human baby is indeed a " growth plate," much like what you'll find in the young horse's legs and other parts of their bodies. In the human baby it is there for a couple of reasons: 1) to allow the baby's head to " squash" if needed, to pass through a small birth canal -- the growth plates can actually push together to allow for that contracting if needed if a baby's head were solid and did not have this fontanel/growth plate, many would potentially die in childbirth, getting stuck there -- or brain damaged from the trauma 2) to allow for the tremendously rapid growth the baby's skull makes in the first year of life, the fastest it will ever grow, more than any other year of that child's life. In the human baby, the fontanel (growth plate) will naturally close up by itself (solidify) around the age of 1. Until then, it must be kept protected or the baby can be brain damaged if struck/injured there, because there's not much protecting the baby's brain in that soft spot (if they get struck there, or dropped on it, etc.). Okay...the growth plates in a young, growing horse works in much the same way. The foal's legs grow very, very rapidly and do most of their growth within the first 2 years. So...nature set it up to allow for that -- these growth plates in the young horse's legs are virtual " soft spots" if you want to think about it like that, and very, very malleable and vulnerable to damage if weight is put on them too young. Even 50 lbs of weight is more than that growth plate is designed to take until it solidifies naturally. I show a chart on that page I directed you to, to see the average dates those growth plates close up, which occurs from bottom to top, in that order. Depending on the breed of horse, some close up in the legs at 2 (like some quarter horses), some at 2 1/2 (Some Arabs) some 3 (warmbloods) and actually, Icelandic horses and some others: not until age 4 (the Icelandic people know this and do NOT put weight on the young Icelandic horse's back/don't start serious training until after the age of 4). Until then, until those lower growth plates close up, do not put weight on this horse's back. Nothing wrong with getting a light weight pad or even a light weight synthetic saddle, like maybe 15 pounds-ish and get the youngster used to that, but no one should be climbing on the back of a 17-month-old-horse, no matter how much the colt seems to like it or how irresistible it seems at the time. You can and will do potential permanent damage to those growth plates, and unfortunately, the damage, once done, is permanent. And it contributes to early lameness/structural issues in life. So...resist the urge and stay off this colt and only until your vet signs off on this, via examining that the growth plates in the legs are finally closed off after age two or beyond (some vets recommend X-raying for that) should you then allow for light weight on the back, child being fine. This is serious stuff and I see sooooo many damaged from this horses in my biz who got started too young and the damage is then permanent, the horse having chronic problems the rest of their lives. The long way is the short way here! The longer you wait there, remaining patient and protective there, the better off the horse will be for the longer run. I know this is probably not what you want to hear, but it is what you need to hear. :-) I speak for the horse. Question - Horse afraid of mud: Hi, I've enjoyed reading your answers to other people's horse questions. We have a 3 1/2 yr. old Bashkir Curly gelding we purchased from Oregon. He was initially very afraid of water (being sprayed, washed and crossing puddles, streams). We've gotten him over the fear of water, he actually enjoys it now, but he continues to be very suspicious of mud at the edges of large puddles and streams and typically leaps from a standstill over it. We've been using NH methods for other things he was afraid of and he's made tons of progress, but we have a couple places on the trail that continue to trouble him. Any ideas for how we can get over the " mud-monster?" Thanks, D.S. - Riverside, CA Sylvia's Answer: Hi Dana. Thanks for writing. Fearing mud is quite natural and often it could be caused by a past experience where they got their foot stuck in mud somewhere, sometime, and that's extremely frightening to them because getting a leg stuck in mud takes away their flight, their perceived only means for survival. My own horse Gabe actually DID get his leg stuck in mud one time back when we lived in Northern California, and it not only scared the bejeebers out of him, but me too! We had been on a long trail ride and we'd stopped, I'd dismounted to give the horse a rest by a pond. Gabe headed into the pond to drink/hang out in while I held his long lead. Then he stepped in a mudhole we didn't know was there. And he could NOT remove the leg at first. I loosened the lead, gave him lots of slack to work with there and he struggled and struggled and struggled to get out, for a long while it felt like! I had momentary flashes of having to call in air rescue to lift him out as my heart pounded. But then he managed suddenly to get that foot free and I pulled him out of the water. He was so scared and I was too, for him. So...I am telling you that to show you mud is a realistic fear in horses. They can so easily and quickly slip into a mudhole and get stuck. I was shocked at how easily and quickly it happened. I no longer will ride Gabe in anything I don't know the exact footing of myself, like a pond, river, whatever. My pact with him as his protective leader. I test such waters carefully first myself. For a while Gabe was over the top afraid of mud after that, understandably (even mud in puddles), but I used advance/retreat to ground drive him through them until it was no big deal. But we BOTH remain highly cautious of anything that could be deeper mud and I highly respect his distaste for that and avoid it. Learned that one the hard way! You might try making a small mudpuddle with a hose & dirt and then ground drive him through them -- here's how to teach your horse to be ground driven if he doesn't already know how: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips39.html That's usually the best route to take to get horses past fear of crossing certain things. Doing some tarp therapy, too, will help, culminating in teaching them to cross tarps, which I go into more here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips84.html But the bottom line is: avoid riding your horse through unpredictable-depth mud -- it can be hazardous to their safety! Pick a more solid footing area to cross water with them. Probably/maybe your horse got briefly stuck in mud one time (before you got him even perhaps) and he's learned to avoid them. Respect that and monitor what's safe mud, what isn't, and teach him to cross (ground working him first) the safe stuff. Be compassionate. In my mind, this is a realistic and fair fear for them. Areas we wouldn't get stuck in, they do, due to their weight distribution. Only fair to keep " shaky mud" out of their riding lives! Horse Problems Solutions in General - If you haven't discovered already on my web site, check out my Q& A/Horse Problems/Training Tips section for solutions to common horse issues. The problems are listed in alphabetical order by problem, and I add to the list regularly. You can check them out here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips.html. If you have a horse problem that you do not see listed up there, feel free to email me and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Past Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center newsletters are Archived here: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/News& Press.html
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add you onto our list: Announcements Sunday, December 4, Natural Horsemanship Trainer, Pam Tanner, Despooking Clinic at Gold Hill Equestrian Center in Madison, North Carolina
Mystery Clinician Announced for Upcoming Road to the Horse Challenge! After six months of secrecy, event producer Tootie Bland announced reining champion Stacy Westfall as the fourth clinician and the first woman to compete at the 2006 Road to the Horse Colt Starting Challenge. Westfall will make history as she meets well-known cowboys Craig Cameron, Van Hargis, and Martin Black to start, ride, and compete on previously untouched horses in Murfreesboro, Tenn. February 25-26, 2006 - emceed by top equine radio host Rick Lamb, of The Horse Show and The Horse Show Minute Tickets are on Sale! For more information, visit the Road to the Horse web site at: www.roadtothehorse.com Check Out These Other Natural Horsemanship Web Sites Since I firmly believe we all can learn from each other, I will periodically direct folks to the web sites of other fine NH trainer colleagues of mine, where more can be learned. Check out these when you get a chance:
Dave Seay: www.daveseay.com
John Jones: www.horselistener.co.uk For a list of more leading natural horsemanship trainers, click here: Other NH Trainers.
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Horse Training and Instruction Liability Release The information in this email is provided by the Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center, LLC, ( hereafter called VNHTC) under the following terms and conditions. By making use of this VNHTC email and/or any referred-linked web sites or any of the information that they contain, you hereby agree to the following: RELEASE and WAIVER: If you use this email information or NaturalHorseTraining.com web site (hereafter called NHT) or other referred-linked sites, you agree to release Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center, LLC, everyone involved with the NHTsite, or others referred, from all claims of and liability for, damage, death, injury or loss related in any way to VNHTC/NHT. You agree to indemnify fully VNHTC/NHT from all claims of, and liability for, damage, death, injury or loss to others with whom you share VNHTC/NHT information. You agree to assume the risk of your own horse activities. You understand that horse riding, training and handling is a high-risk sport and endeavor, and you are participating and/or allowing trainer instructional participation at your own risk and/or trainer's own risk. You, HEREBY RELEASE VNHTC/NHT, Sylvia Scott, her family and heirs, from all claims, demands, action or cause of action of any kind or nature whatsoever, whether now known or ascertained, or which may hereafter develop or accrue you in favor of yourself, representatives or dependents, on account of or by reason of any injury, loss, or damage, which may be suffered by you or them, or to any horse or property, animate or inanimate, belonging to you or used by you, because of any matter, thing or condition, negligence or default whatsoever and you hereby assume and accept full risk of danger or any hurt, injury or damage which may occur through or by any reason or any matter, thing, or condition, by any person whatsoever.
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