Principle:
1-A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system or belief or behavior or a chain of reasoning used as a rule to govern one’s behavior.
Many like to think that a technique is what guides us on this journey, or makes what we do ‘natural’ but it is not. Techniques are just a facilitator of our principles to help us achieve our goals. In the parelli system, those techniques and principles were chosen for us, but they are not unique to parelli. Having principles, adhered to and revered as absolute truths, is what lets us know if you are on the right track. Too often, students (of any method) get far to hung up on ‘perfection’ of a task or technique and the principles get lost in the fog. And I often wonder why. This is as common place at the highest of levels as it is at the lowest of levels. The FEI is one of the most notable to let the mebers of their group completely ignore the ‘principles’ and now Dressage is so far away from where it started…yet their own rules never changed……and to make up for it, our perception and definition of the ‘principles’ has become so distorted, we cannot even recognize them when we see them….Such as the principle of having ‘the poll as the highest point’…..it is a rare few individuals who can even recognize what it looks like. Most people ‘think’ they have it, and they could not be farther than the truth.
I have been studying French Classical Dressage lately, and the more I get into it, the clearer the connection between Dressage and NH becomes, most specifically Baucherism….though one does NOT automatically equal the other. (Baucherism is a method discovered and developed by Francois Baucher in the mid 1800’s after he studied François Robichon de La Guérinière’s work from the early 1700’s) In all systems, we usually have a relatively lengthy list of ‘principles’….but when you get to the heart of the matter there are usually only a select few that are highly regarded…and usually only one, maybe two, that are thought of as the “holy grail”…..that usually, if adhered to at all times, it will keep you out of trouble and make your road to success a short one. And usually you can say this about them,
“It matters not what technique you use, what style you ride, so long as you do nothing to lose (principle) and do everything to gain (principle)….you will always be on the road to success”
So I thought I would make a list of principles for myself, since I have been reminded by a book I am reading, just what MY holy grail is, and my lack of adherence has caused me great struggles in my pursuit of my own perfection. Obviously the ‘goal’ is improvement in tangible skills, but really those skills are a facilitator to a higher level of conceptuality and philosophical understanding of the principles….which then garner even greater skills…and so on and so on, repeating the cycle in a never ending circle of self improvement. There is a rule that states, if something applies in every situation than it is a RULE, if it does not, then it is a TOOL.
So here is my list of principles that state I can do anything I want so long as I have, create or do not destroy the following….
1. Relaxation (both physical AND mental/emotional) Front to Back
2. The relationship comes first
3. Never use force, be it physical or mental~ includes: Don’t act like a predator, don’t be direct line, Patience BEFORE justice(long phase one)
4. Lightness and Feel~ includes: Release of the aids, no micro management, Timing the aids at the moment when the horse can optimally comply
5. Hands w/out legs, Legs w/out hands
6. Poll the highest point (except when stretching down) & Nose in-front of the vertical, Back not Hollow
7. Keep the rhythm pure
8. Straightness
Principles I used to use that I no longer use, use sparingly, or only use in a safety situation, and why.
1. “The attitude of justice is effective.” It may be effective but it can be harmful physically if misunderstood and also because it can destroy relaxation, relationship, and rhythm and often eventually involves force.
2. “Immobile Neutral on a circle.” Too much mayhem goes on that is not seen by way of not watching the horse, and it pulls me away from many of the above principles that are FAR more important to me.
For now I think that is about it. Should I come across any more I will update this.
I think if more people put relaxation at the top of their list, they would avert many problems. It needs to be the first thing you get, such as when you first approach your horse, do not do things in that approach that cause him to become tense, as you begin your session, again, do not CAUSE tension…..then your first goal is to reduce and remove what ever tension he had there to begin with. Then you can move on to the days lesson, again not CAUSING tension with any of your requests. Should your request be met with tension….stop…find out what caused it and fix it before moving on. Was he not prepared for your request, was it too demanding due to his level of skill and understanding, did you ask too abruptly or strongly, did you ask at a moment he could not possibly respond correctly, was he distracted….etc….
Relaxation does not mean dead btw. It doesn’t mean create a mindless plug. He should still be alert, sensitive and responsive…..but FREE from tension, both physical and mental.
So these are my thoughts on this rainy day
Savvy On
Michelle
Showing posts with label Hooves~n~Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hooves~n~Health. Show all posts
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Monday, November 21, 2011
Do you REALLY know what Rhythm is?
Do you know the difference between Rhythm and Tempo? We’ve all heard (god I hope we have) that walk is a 4 beat gait, trot a 2 beat gait and canter a 3 beat gait. And we hear the three “R’s” rhythm, relaxation, retreat. But do you REALLY know what RHYTHM is? In my experience in the ‘natural’ world…..the answer is….probably not. You may know someone else’s definition based on ‘their’ overall goal….which is actually…..TEMPO. And also interchangeably use ‘purity of gait’
The greener our eyes are, the bigger we need the picture to be, in order to ‘get’ something. So it is easy for someone to say…..rhythm….in exchange for tempo…when talking about ‘behavior’ and ‘emotions’ in a horse. Or a green horse just learning to ‘rate’ his speed. So we wouldn’t want to see his canter go quickly then slowly then quickly then slowly…..we would like him to be consistent…..but this is actually TEMPO. So unfortunately we don’t, in the end understand and thus incorrectly use the term ‘rhythm’ for ‘tempo’ but it served it’s purpose of helping us identify and correct emotional inconsistencies in our horse, or helping a very green horse get his very basic bearings about himself.
However, in Dressage, Rhythm is a core element, and inconsistencies will cost you big time. It is suppose to be TABOO to cause irregular gaits….ie: RHYTHM…..but they take a fine eye and ear to recognize…..so it would be prudent to REALLY know what it is, what is correct, and what would be considered a crime against nature.
Rhythm: Unconstrained, forward flow of energy through “well timed” steps
Rhythm is the pattern of the beats of the gait….2 beat trot, 3 beat canter and 4 beat walk. It should be even and consistent. It isn’t the ‘beat’ in so much as it is the amount of time ‘between’ the beats….that defines the RHYTHM. We tend to think of the trot as 1-2 1-2- 1-2…. So to define the ‘even’ part….what you need to know is that the time between footfalls should be perfectly even, and it is helpful to think of it as 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8….which 4 strides of trot.
If you counted out loud as your horse trotted along…..
that is exactly what you should hear….1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8……..NOT…..1-—2-3-—4-5-—6-7—8.
Same for the walk there, which is the easiest gait to screw up and cause an ambling or shuffling as described above….mainly from too much contact not enough engagement. The trot however is usually screwed up by posting. So when posting, you should think of an imaginary saddle seat hovering over the pommel. You should be spending just as much time with your ‘front’ on the imaginary saddle as you do with your ‘back’ in the real saddle….and the time in between, spent rising, should be equal to the time in between, spent falling. Usually this is the reason for lack of even rhythm in the trot gait. Do it for too long, and you make it a habit hard to break for you and your horse. Now the canter is a whole ‘nuther story. While it is a 3 beat gait, we must remember there is a suspension phase as well, with it’s own ‘beat’ so to speak. Making the canter kind of like a 4 beat gait…..for the purposes of explaining the canter rhythm…………at least if you want your horse to not be totally flat with no elevation or space of time between strides. So a canter rhythm would be like this….. 123-123-123-123……..not 123123123123123…so it might be helpful to go ahead and count out the suspension beat like this 123s123s123s123s123s123s or how I like to do it….123412341234. The longer the suspension phase….the more uphill, springy, engaged, etc the canter will be.
Let’s talk about SERIOUS deviations of purity of gait. These are things you will see caused by such things as Rolkur and again serious lack of impulsion or odd mix of collection/impulsion….this is where the trot becomes a 4 beat gait because of diagonal pair of legs not hitting the ground simultaneously….or the canter becomes a 4 beat gait such as in the often seen 4 beat ‘pirouette’ where the horse is rearing on two hind legs, swings his torso over, then places his front feet down separately…..that is NOT a canter. This would be caused by focusing too much doing the pirouette on the ‘spot’ rather than focusing on keeping the gait pure (3 clear beats) and sacrificing the ‘spot’. As I said in the beginning, it is ‘suppose’ to be taboo to lose purity of gait or have an irregular rhythm. It is suppose to be taboo to not have the poll the highest spot, and taboo to have the nose behind the vertical….yet we almost exclusively see all these deviations from the most elite in the sport. Adhering to “Winning” above basic cardinal principles….will be nothing more than sacrifice at your horse’s expense.
So now that you know WHAT rhythm is and isn’t, let’t talk about TEMPO again. Because lets face it 1---2-3---4-5---6-7---8 IS a rhythm, it just isn’t an even rhythm or the one we are looking for…..it is an irregular rhythm.
So lets say you have a trot…..1---2---3---4---5---6 as your regular working trot….when you shorten or lengthen the stride…this will shorten….1-2-3-4-5-6 or lengthen 1-------2-------3-------4-------5-------6 but see how it stayed regular and even and consistent….if you ever got 123456…..your horse will likely to be found….on the forehand, strung out, emotionally scattered. Time needs to be spent doing lots of half halts and lots of cavaletti work.
Remember, while we want a canter to have a well defined suspension ‘beat’, we do not want him to move like Pepe Le Pew 123--------------123-------
Hope this has help clear up any confusion about what Rhythm really is……and don’t worry……with this knowledge, despite what Gloria Estephan says….the Rhythm isn’t “Gonna getcha’”
Savvy On
Michelle
The greener our eyes are, the bigger we need the picture to be, in order to ‘get’ something. So it is easy for someone to say…..rhythm….in exchange for tempo…when talking about ‘behavior’ and ‘emotions’ in a horse. Or a green horse just learning to ‘rate’ his speed. So we wouldn’t want to see his canter go quickly then slowly then quickly then slowly…..we would like him to be consistent…..but this is actually TEMPO. So unfortunately we don’t, in the end understand and thus incorrectly use the term ‘rhythm’ for ‘tempo’ but it served it’s purpose of helping us identify and correct emotional inconsistencies in our horse, or helping a very green horse get his very basic bearings about himself.
However, in Dressage, Rhythm is a core element, and inconsistencies will cost you big time. It is suppose to be TABOO to cause irregular gaits….ie: RHYTHM…..but they take a fine eye and ear to recognize…..so it would be prudent to REALLY know what it is, what is correct, and what would be considered a crime against nature.
Rhythm: Unconstrained, forward flow of energy through “well timed” steps
Rhythm is the pattern of the beats of the gait….2 beat trot, 3 beat canter and 4 beat walk. It should be even and consistent. It isn’t the ‘beat’ in so much as it is the amount of time ‘between’ the beats….that defines the RHYTHM. We tend to think of the trot as 1-2 1-2- 1-2…. So to define the ‘even’ part….what you need to know is that the time between footfalls should be perfectly even, and it is helpful to think of it as 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8….which 4 strides of trot.
If you counted out loud as your horse trotted along…..
that is exactly what you should hear….1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8……..NOT…..1-—2-3-—4-5-—6-7—8.
Same for the walk there, which is the easiest gait to screw up and cause an ambling or shuffling as described above….mainly from too much contact not enough engagement. The trot however is usually screwed up by posting. So when posting, you should think of an imaginary saddle seat hovering over the pommel. You should be spending just as much time with your ‘front’ on the imaginary saddle as you do with your ‘back’ in the real saddle….and the time in between, spent rising, should be equal to the time in between, spent falling. Usually this is the reason for lack of even rhythm in the trot gait. Do it for too long, and you make it a habit hard to break for you and your horse. Now the canter is a whole ‘nuther story. While it is a 3 beat gait, we must remember there is a suspension phase as well, with it’s own ‘beat’ so to speak. Making the canter kind of like a 4 beat gait…..for the purposes of explaining the canter rhythm…………at least if you want your horse to not be totally flat with no elevation or space of time between strides. So a canter rhythm would be like this….. 123-123-123-123……..not 123123123123123…so it might be helpful to go ahead and count out the suspension beat like this 123s123s123s123s123s123s or how I like to do it….123412341234. The longer the suspension phase….the more uphill, springy, engaged, etc the canter will be.
Let’s talk about SERIOUS deviations of purity of gait. These are things you will see caused by such things as Rolkur and again serious lack of impulsion or odd mix of collection/impulsion….this is where the trot becomes a 4 beat gait because of diagonal pair of legs not hitting the ground simultaneously….or the canter becomes a 4 beat gait such as in the often seen 4 beat ‘pirouette’ where the horse is rearing on two hind legs, swings his torso over, then places his front feet down separately…..that is NOT a canter. This would be caused by focusing too much doing the pirouette on the ‘spot’ rather than focusing on keeping the gait pure (3 clear beats) and sacrificing the ‘spot’. As I said in the beginning, it is ‘suppose’ to be taboo to lose purity of gait or have an irregular rhythm. It is suppose to be taboo to not have the poll the highest spot, and taboo to have the nose behind the vertical….yet we almost exclusively see all these deviations from the most elite in the sport. Adhering to “Winning” above basic cardinal principles….will be nothing more than sacrifice at your horse’s expense.
So now that you know WHAT rhythm is and isn’t, let’t talk about TEMPO again. Because lets face it 1---2-3---4-5---6-7---8 IS a rhythm, it just isn’t an even rhythm or the one we are looking for…..it is an irregular rhythm.
So lets say you have a trot…..1---2---3---4---5---6 as your regular working trot….when you shorten or lengthen the stride…this will shorten….1-2-3-4-5-6 or lengthen 1-------2-------3-------4-------5-------6 but see how it stayed regular and even and consistent….if you ever got 123456…..your horse will likely to be found….on the forehand, strung out, emotionally scattered. Time needs to be spent doing lots of half halts and lots of cavaletti work.
Remember, while we want a canter to have a well defined suspension ‘beat’, we do not want him to move like Pepe Le Pew 123--------------123-------
Hope this has help clear up any confusion about what Rhythm really is……and don’t worry……with this knowledge, despite what Gloria Estephan says….the Rhythm isn’t “Gonna getcha’”
Savvy On
Michelle
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Wild Thang! video of chacote's freedoms
This is why I do what I do.....rescue those that no one can or will. To be able to set a horse free....free from hunger, free from physical pain, mental suffering, emotional anguish, and downright imprisonment. Freedom from those that neglect their needs, and then freedom from the past. Freedom from themselves. Cha'cote was a long time coming to be confident to do this.....I love the way he is walking in this video...with purpose and self confidence....WANTing to be a part of the fun, and confident enough to make his own fun. It has been 1 year and 10 mos since I rescued him, wild and terrified....begging to be set free.....and we are finally there. Enjoy with me the beauty of freedom.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
DVD Review:**** Dr Gerd Heuschmann: If Horses Could Speak
If Horses Could Speak ****
Savvy On
Michelle
This is a must see for anyone who rides a horse, not just people who ride dressage. It was very informative regarding the way horses move when we ride them, without having to watch a whole series of dvd’s. It was in-depth, but for the purpose of making a point, not for lengthy detailed bio-mechanical education. There was enough in there that was scientific to educate you on why it is important to care about the way your horse moves.
It really makes no difference if you are striving to be a grand prix dressage rider, or working toward passing L4 Finnesse or Freestyle…..you should care how your horse moves beneath you and around you. As for being a classical dressage nut myself, I still don’t know how the world got so far away from the ideals of proper movement in favor of Rolkur and hyper flexion. It is an atrocity how most upper level horses move, and how people are so uneducated that they cheer for it. Cheering for a horse having stolen from him what god gave him, his grace and purity of gait and rewarding the thief with a gold medal. Sickens me for sure. We should not be asking a horse to do, what we have not prepared him properly to do. To ask your horse to circle, while mindlessly letting him travel head high and crooked and then wonder why he is lame or has behavioral issues, is irresponsible at best.
This video also speaks to, albeit not their intention, trainers of the western and natural world as well. And to be honest, I am ashamed that I let my horse move so horribly, for so long, all in the name of the all mighty ‘neutral’. We must take care to realize that learning ‘neutral’ is vital…but it is a temporary tool…..and teaching the horse his responsibilities should also be a temporary tool. We should not carry on for too long, ignoring the fact that our horse needs to move in a healthier way, and ignorance is not excuse. True, if you exercise his mind, his body will follow….but at what sub-standard level of quality? I am disgusted with myself, that I let my eye get so lazy to the bio-mechanics because I was so focused on the behavior. I am grateful that I have watched this, and can make a change NOW….because it is never too late to start building the horse of your dreams. Unfortunately, there are no quick routes to Rome though, it takes time to properly build an athlete, with out breaking him down before he even reaches his prime. Time to get back on the path of classical training. I give this dvd 4*’s, and invite everyone to look in the mirror, because whether we like it or not, intentional or not, educated or ignorant, either we are helping our horse or hurting him....there is no in between.
It really makes no difference if you are striving to be a grand prix dressage rider, or working toward passing L4 Finnesse or Freestyle…..you should care how your horse moves beneath you and around you. As for being a classical dressage nut myself, I still don’t know how the world got so far away from the ideals of proper movement in favor of Rolkur and hyper flexion. It is an atrocity how most upper level horses move, and how people are so uneducated that they cheer for it. Cheering for a horse having stolen from him what god gave him, his grace and purity of gait and rewarding the thief with a gold medal. Sickens me for sure. We should not be asking a horse to do, what we have not prepared him properly to do. To ask your horse to circle, while mindlessly letting him travel head high and crooked and then wonder why he is lame or has behavioral issues, is irresponsible at best.
This video also speaks to, albeit not their intention, trainers of the western and natural world as well. And to be honest, I am ashamed that I let my horse move so horribly, for so long, all in the name of the all mighty ‘neutral’. We must take care to realize that learning ‘neutral’ is vital…but it is a temporary tool…..and teaching the horse his responsibilities should also be a temporary tool. We should not carry on for too long, ignoring the fact that our horse needs to move in a healthier way, and ignorance is not excuse. True, if you exercise his mind, his body will follow….but at what sub-standard level of quality? I am disgusted with myself, that I let my eye get so lazy to the bio-mechanics because I was so focused on the behavior. I am grateful that I have watched this, and can make a change NOW….because it is never too late to start building the horse of your dreams. Unfortunately, there are no quick routes to Rome though, it takes time to properly build an athlete, with out breaking him down before he even reaches his prime. Time to get back on the path of classical training. I give this dvd 4*’s, and invite everyone to look in the mirror, because whether we like it or not, intentional or not, educated or ignorant, either we are helping our horse or hurting him....there is no in between.
He also has a book titled
Tug of War...."Modern" versus Clasical Dressage
Click her for more infoSavvy On
Michelle
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Major pest explosion creates set backs
So check this out...as IF....my life isn't an annoying enough interuption to my horse journey....the stinking weather has wreaking havoc around these parts. The long wet winter, then the long wet spring, cut WAY into summer, including snowing in JULY when it should be 105*.......has caused an explosion of all sorts of pests. Normally one species a year gets out of control, and it is a different species each summer.....last year it was the flies.....but this year makes last year seem tame. The flies are beyond out of control and my spalding fly predators coupled with fly spray, are barely making a dent. My horses water trough is full of aproximately a hundred tadpoles, so at some point we are going to have a frog/toad explosion....I just don't have the heart to dump them out and kill them.....they eat FLIES. I am hearing horrid reports of the rattlesnake boom, but fortunately have yet to see one myself (always a hope regardless of the situation). As if all that isn't enough, we got home on sunday after boating to discover our house engulfed in ants trying to escape the heat. They were in the pantry and all the food in there, in the laundry room and kitchen, a trail across my desk and back down to the dog food that the dog understandably stopped eating. In the hallway and bathrooms, and all over my bedroom night stand. The next to worst, is the leave cutter bugs, that normally do not come in the house, that are also in alarming numbers this season, have decided the warmth of my tv screen and my body at night. It is bad enough that I have a phobia of spiders crawling on me in my sleep, to now have these stupid lawn bugs wake me up crawling on my leg or something. So now for my poor horses misfortune.....JELLOW JACKETS. Living in the country has thickened my city skin, and I no longer run wild screaming at the sight of an innocent honey be....but I have yet to get over my fear of the thier evil cousins the jackets and hornets. OMG, they are off the hook right now. It all started when I went to feed my horses sunday morning and found two yellow jackets sitting on my hay. I screamed for my husband and the fight has been on since then. There was a huge nest in my hay shed, an even bigger one in my tack shed, an even bigger one in the tack room of my horse trailer, not to mention the couple dozen more that are in between the shingles of my roof. I estimate that there were close to 200+ jackets buzzing about my house that morning. We got some spray and my husband knocked down all the nests he could physically reach. We hung a trap and hoped to catch the ones that didn't die from the spray. Well it has not helped the horses water trough at all. We caught a few under the tree, but last night there were still about 30+ hovering over thier water, with the horses in the shadows just watching, parched and desperate for water. I moved the trap near the trough last night after the jackets nested down for the night. I just called my son at lunch today to walk out and see if we had achieved any success. Of course NO. So I googled "jellow jacket trap" to see what solutions I could find to this problem. I was surprised by what I found and hope to have success tomorrow with this FREE home made trap that I will make tonight when I get home. Here is a video I found on one version, and here is an article on the other version. Similar, but a bit different, so I will try both, as the commercial brand is NOT sufficient this nasty out of control season. I swear if fall rolls around and the turantulas are out of control too....I will just faint. What does all this have to do with setting me back on my journey you ask......well it is too damn hot with venomous and annoying pests buzzing about for me to be outside!
Savvy On
Michelle
Savvy On
Michelle
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Well in case anyone is wondering where I disapeared to....
I found this great rock to crawl under and got stuck there. My life fell apart and some things needed tending to. The good news is that Cha'cote is making great progress despite my doing nothing with him. He is coming from a whistle, sometimes even runs to me. He also has found his playful side. He has finally decided that the herd has something to offer him.....FUN. He has even had a fun loving bucking sessions with them. Of course he scared the crap out of himself while doing it, but I think he is ready to be turned out with the herd. The weather has been miserable for california. It is JUNE and it is still raining and SNOWing! So I think, come hell or high waters....literally....he is going out with the herd this weekend or next...for good. I just didn't want to throw him out with out shelter, when shelter is all he has known for 7 years. I am thinking of splitting the pasture into two sections, half for Snookie and Rose and half for Cha'cote and Spirit. That will give him a chance to learn how to play, without the threat of the girls attacking him.
I am going to the horse expo this weekend despite the virus outbreak. My friend and I are going to bleach up before we come home and of course will not be touching ANY horses or shaking ANY hands while we are there. I can't believe they are going thru with this thing, given the nature of how many horses are coming from all over the united states. But they are, so I will be taking advantage of seeing my long lost horse buddy who moved away 8ys ago. I miss her desperately and hope she moves back some day.
Savvy On
Michelle
I am going to the horse expo this weekend despite the virus outbreak. My friend and I are going to bleach up before we come home and of course will not be touching ANY horses or shaking ANY hands while we are there. I can't believe they are going thru with this thing, given the nature of how many horses are coming from all over the united states. But they are, so I will be taking advantage of seeing my long lost horse buddy who moved away 8ys ago. I miss her desperately and hope she moves back some day.
Savvy On
Michelle
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Deadly virus outbreak, imediatly stop touching any horse not your own.
OMG.....this is just one county away from me....infact three bordering counties. Please read and spread the word FAST as you can spread it with your own hands by touching an infected horse or thier tack or buckets....and then bring it home to yours. Be savvy and wash your hands and brushes and buckets, and quarantine your horses NOW. There is NO cure or Vaccine for this. This article was in our news paper yesterday morning.
Deadly virus sickens horses in Stanislaus County
By CAROL REITER
creiter@mercedsun-star.com
An outbreak of a highly contagious and possibly fatal virus in horses that started at a competition in Utah has claimed the life of at least one horse in California and one in Utah, and sickened at least four in Stanislaus County.
The equine herpes-1 infection showed up first at the National Cutting Horse Association's Western National Championships, held in Ogden, Utah, from April 30 to May 8. One of the big money winners at the show, a 7-year-old horse, was diagnosed May 9 with the virus in Colorado. Of the 500 horses at the event, at least two were positive for the virus, and one died. Fifty-four of the competitors were from California.
Steve Lyle, spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, said one horse in California was euthanized at a cutting horse event May 13 in Bakersfield. The horse had been to the Utah event and had severe neurological signs.
At a Glance
Murieta Equestrian Center in Rancho Murieta has announced that all horse events there will be canceled through June 7 because of the outbreak. The center had events scheduled every weekend.
________________________________________
"This is still all unfolding. There wasn't a confirmed case of this virus in California until Monday, and now we have 10," Lyle said Tuesday afternoon.
Four of those confirmed cases are from Stanislaus County. Dr. Carol Van Hoogmoed, a veterinarian at Monte Vista Equine Care in Turlock, said veterinarians at Taylor Veterinary Hospital in Turlock had treated at least one horse that tested positive for the virus. Horses in Kern, Placerville, Amador and Napa counties also tested positive.
Van Hoogmoed hasn't seen a case yet but believes there may be more horses that have been exposed to the virus that may come down with it.
And it can be deadly.
"There's a neurological form of the virus that can end up killing the horse," Van Hoogmoed said.
The virus is highly contagious and can spread quickly between horses or from contaminated feed, buckets or people's hands, Van Hoogmoed said.
The incubation period can range from two days to two weeks. One of the first signs is a horse will start running a fever. The horse also can have nasal discharge, a lack of coordination, hind-end weakness, inability to rise, lethargy and dribbling urine.
"There's no treatment for the virus, and there's no vaccine," Lyle said. Of the horses that come down with the neurological type of the virus, 30 percent will die.
In past years, cases showed up on the East Coast at horse race tracks. The horses were quickly quarantined, and the outbreaks were stopped.
But the Utah show had horses from 10 states competing, and when the show was over, the horses went home, possibly taking the virus with them.
The National Cutting Horse Association, which held the Utah event, said there are reports of cases not only in Colorado and California, but also in Washington, Oregon, Arizona and western Canada. The Washington Department of Agriculture has reported cases in Idaho and Utah.
The NCHA said its affiliates and other show producers in California, Montana, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Washington and Nevada have canceled shows scheduled for this weekend.
Lyle said California's borders haven't been closed because of the outbreak, but the CDFA is evaluating options that could be considered if the outbreak becomes more serious. All California horses that have been in contact with an infected horse and show signs of the disease or test positive for it will be placed under a CDFA quarantine, Lyle said.
More severe restrictions could be on the horizon.
"We could consider a ban on all horse shows in the state," Lyle said. "Some events have already been canceled, but we haven't done that yet. But we do have the right to do it."
California is working with other states, and is asking horse owners to be aware of the signs and symptoms of the virus.
"We're telling horse owners who were at the Utah event to be very vigilant, and catch this right away," Lyle said. "And isolate any horses that were at the Utah cutting."
Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at creiter@mercedsun-star.com or (209) 385-2486.
Read more: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/05/18/1895405/deadly-virus-sickens-horses-in.html#ixzz1MiJBornu
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Another article from online The Record
Tue May 17 2011
Horses contract fatal virus at Utah competition
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - Agriculture officials say horses in Canada and at least four Western states have contracted a fatal equine virus after attending a national competition in Utah.
An Idaho State Department of Agriculture spokeswoman told the Post Register that two cutting horses from Idaho have died from what appears to be Equine Herpes Virus-1.
So far, authorities believe it has infected horses in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, California and Canada. But Idaho state veterinarian Bill Barton says veterinarians across the country are being notified that animals in their states could be impacted as well.
Barton says the virus is easily spread because it can be airborne and transmitted by touch or through sharing brushes, bits or other equipment, but it doesn’t pose a risk to humans. Llamas and alpacas can also be infected.
The Associated Press
Deadly virus sickens horses in Stanislaus County
By CAROL REITER
creiter@mercedsun-star.com
An outbreak of a highly contagious and possibly fatal virus in horses that started at a competition in Utah has claimed the life of at least one horse in California and one in Utah, and sickened at least four in Stanislaus County.
The equine herpes-1 infection showed up first at the National Cutting Horse Association's Western National Championships, held in Ogden, Utah, from April 30 to May 8. One of the big money winners at the show, a 7-year-old horse, was diagnosed May 9 with the virus in Colorado. Of the 500 horses at the event, at least two were positive for the virus, and one died. Fifty-four of the competitors were from California.
Steve Lyle, spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, said one horse in California was euthanized at a cutting horse event May 13 in Bakersfield. The horse had been to the Utah event and had severe neurological signs.
At a Glance
Murieta Equestrian Center in Rancho Murieta has announced that all horse events there will be canceled through June 7 because of the outbreak. The center had events scheduled every weekend.
________________________________________
"This is still all unfolding. There wasn't a confirmed case of this virus in California until Monday, and now we have 10," Lyle said Tuesday afternoon.
Four of those confirmed cases are from Stanislaus County. Dr. Carol Van Hoogmoed, a veterinarian at Monte Vista Equine Care in Turlock, said veterinarians at Taylor Veterinary Hospital in Turlock had treated at least one horse that tested positive for the virus. Horses in Kern, Placerville, Amador and Napa counties also tested positive.
Van Hoogmoed hasn't seen a case yet but believes there may be more horses that have been exposed to the virus that may come down with it.
And it can be deadly.
"There's a neurological form of the virus that can end up killing the horse," Van Hoogmoed said.
The virus is highly contagious and can spread quickly between horses or from contaminated feed, buckets or people's hands, Van Hoogmoed said.
The incubation period can range from two days to two weeks. One of the first signs is a horse will start running a fever. The horse also can have nasal discharge, a lack of coordination, hind-end weakness, inability to rise, lethargy and dribbling urine.
"There's no treatment for the virus, and there's no vaccine," Lyle said. Of the horses that come down with the neurological type of the virus, 30 percent will die.
In past years, cases showed up on the East Coast at horse race tracks. The horses were quickly quarantined, and the outbreaks were stopped.
But the Utah show had horses from 10 states competing, and when the show was over, the horses went home, possibly taking the virus with them.
The National Cutting Horse Association, which held the Utah event, said there are reports of cases not only in Colorado and California, but also in Washington, Oregon, Arizona and western Canada. The Washington Department of Agriculture has reported cases in Idaho and Utah.
The NCHA said its affiliates and other show producers in California, Montana, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Washington and Nevada have canceled shows scheduled for this weekend.
Lyle said California's borders haven't been closed because of the outbreak, but the CDFA is evaluating options that could be considered if the outbreak becomes more serious. All California horses that have been in contact with an infected horse and show signs of the disease or test positive for it will be placed under a CDFA quarantine, Lyle said.
More severe restrictions could be on the horizon.
"We could consider a ban on all horse shows in the state," Lyle said. "Some events have already been canceled, but we haven't done that yet. But we do have the right to do it."
California is working with other states, and is asking horse owners to be aware of the signs and symptoms of the virus.
"We're telling horse owners who were at the Utah event to be very vigilant, and catch this right away," Lyle said. "And isolate any horses that were at the Utah cutting."
Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at creiter@mercedsun-star.com or (209) 385-2486.
Read more: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/05/18/1895405/deadly-virus-sickens-horses-in.html#ixzz1MiJBornu
__________
Another article from online The Record
Tue May 17 2011
Horses contract fatal virus at Utah competition
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - Agriculture officials say horses in Canada and at least four Western states have contracted a fatal equine virus after attending a national competition in Utah.
An Idaho State Department of Agriculture spokeswoman told the Post Register that two cutting horses from Idaho have died from what appears to be Equine Herpes Virus-1.
So far, authorities believe it has infected horses in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, California and Canada. But Idaho state veterinarian Bill Barton says veterinarians across the country are being notified that animals in their states could be impacted as well.
Barton says the virus is easily spread because it can be airborne and transmitted by touch or through sharing brushes, bits or other equipment, but it doesn’t pose a risk to humans. Llamas and alpacas can also be infected.
The Associated Press
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Rolkur no more....the horse that could not canter.
So as I was watching the dvd (the horse than could not trot), I had some thoughts that made me go HMMM. The type of dressage I was trained in was big on the poll being the highest point....PERIOD.....but lots of stretching in a long and low and nose out...IN FRONT of the vertical....not behind it....NEVER behind the vertical. In fact, it was better if the nose was maintained slightly in front of the vertical, rather than strive for it to be ON the vertical.
Then as I exited dressage when my mare was permanently lame, the mainstream was getting into 'deep and round'....that was the birth of Rolkur.....extreme 'deep and round'. I still can't believe it was ever allowed to get so out of control, wide spread, and not only a household name, but practice as well.
Any ways, the dvd shows how the back is actually compressed when the head is low, rather than the believed/percieved 'stretch'. The lower the head goes, the more vertebrae along the spinal column that get compressed. The horse in the dvd, had an inverted elbow, which was in turn causing the scapula to press into the spinous process of the proximal vertebrae..ie: the withers. This in turn caused an inverted rotation of the spinous process.
Now my drawing here is so basic, but it is only to demonstrate what rotation of the spine IS, and which way inverted is. Of course, PLEASE refer to experts on this for more info, google has tons of information, and a good place to start is His website. So here is my little drawings. Hope you understand.
I have plans for...who are we kidding...I always have plans for something....but I have plans for a 'round pen', that I think will work this time. Money is tight as always, and I really want to get the barn done this year. So I have to be 'cheap' in the roundpen department. Not to mention I have a kid that needs braces. UGH. But I think if I focus back on body building, rather than task building, I can get her fit and healthy again, and the canter will come back on it's own. Also, as shocking as this may sound....I am re-evaluating my dressage in regards to the how I shall move forward. I have always been known, (self admitedly) to be VERY narrow minded in my dressage beliefs. So this is a big step for me. Mainly because I am not, and will never be again, the athlete I once was, and I also do not have at my 24/7 disposal a good arena.
So that is my detailed report and thoughts on 'the horse that could not trot' and 'my horse that cannot canter'
Savvy On
Michelle
Then as I exited dressage when my mare was permanently lame, the mainstream was getting into 'deep and round'....that was the birth of Rolkur.....extreme 'deep and round'. I still can't believe it was ever allowed to get so out of control, wide spread, and not only a household name, but practice as well.
Any ways, the dvd shows how the back is actually compressed when the head is low, rather than the believed/percieved 'stretch'. The lower the head goes, the more vertebrae along the spinal column that get compressed. The horse in the dvd, had an inverted elbow, which was in turn causing the scapula to press into the spinous process of the proximal vertebrae..ie: the withers. This in turn caused an inverted rotation of the spinous process.
Now my drawing here is so basic, but it is only to demonstrate what rotation of the spine IS, and which way inverted is. Of course, PLEASE refer to experts on this for more info, google has tons of information, and a good place to start is His website. So here is my little drawings. Hope you understand.
How the spine get compressed, is that the wither vertebrae spread, causing the ones behind it to compress.
So if you can imagine just on of these vertebrae sliding around and not staying straight up, that is rotation. In a normal bend, supposedly the tops should rotate to the outside of the bend. If they rotate to the inside of the bend, then it is inverted. At least that is the way I understood it.
So what is my point, ie, what am i getting at. ya know....The hmmm?? I mentioned in the beginning. Well it is about Rose and the canter. I noticed last year, just before the weather turned that she does not track up correctly behind. No matter what direction of travel, her haunches are over to the left. So now I have a plan for taking a seriously hard look at her anatomy for symetry....and more importantly, Asymetry. Neither her nor Cha'cote want to canter, and I know a good deal of it is the footing at my place. I believe that Cha'cote is simply institutionalized, and also an introvert, so needs to be reminded that cantering is OK, but Rose....I really think is a physical issue that stems from when she 'tied up' a few times a few years ago. It causes muscle death and atrophy, and I have noticed since we moved to this place, the horses have much less development in the shoulder area.
I have plans for...who are we kidding...I always have plans for something....but I have plans for a 'round pen', that I think will work this time. Money is tight as always, and I really want to get the barn done this year. So I have to be 'cheap' in the roundpen department. Not to mention I have a kid that needs braces. UGH. But I think if I focus back on body building, rather than task building, I can get her fit and healthy again, and the canter will come back on it's own. Also, as shocking as this may sound....I am re-evaluating my dressage in regards to the how I shall move forward. I have always been known, (self admitedly) to be VERY narrow minded in my dressage beliefs. So this is a big step for me. Mainly because I am not, and will never be again, the athlete I once was, and I also do not have at my 24/7 disposal a good arena.
So that is my detailed report and thoughts on 'the horse that could not trot' and 'my horse that cannot canter'
Savvy On
Michelle
Monday, March 7, 2011
DVD Review: **** The horse that could not trot.
With Jean Luc Cornille
This is an interesting dvd. It is HEAVILY scientific in nature, so it is a bit like paint drying, however, it is one of the most important things I think we should see. Because all too often we will diagnose something as behavior related, and give it a training prescription....when we are not vets. This dvd clearly shows what we all could easily think needs more 'training' 'respect' etc....when as it turns out, this poor horse could not trot due to a PHYSICAL issue. He is a 3yo warm blood, who had only been backed less than a handful of times. He could trot on his own, but not with a rider. They get into some VERY scientific bio mechanics and anatomy, and it is narrated by the driest person EVER....but I think it is important if you are striving to be, or already are, a horse professional.....you NEED to see this. As this poor colt could have easily been tortured thru his problem and made much worse, instead of better.
However, the dvd has a happy ending, because thru proper exercises, he was able to gain the strength in the muscles he needed to get better, and is now a happily, beautifully moving horse.
They go over the exercises they did for his particular problem, and do allot of slow motion stuff so you can see what your eye cannot see in real time.
So for professionals of any sport, discipline or method...I give this 5*'s, for the average student 4*'s. As we all need to be educated on the prospect of physical vs mental. And don't worry that you don't understand the technical mumbo jumbo....just listen for words you DO know, and google the ones you don't.
Click here for more info on my understandings of what I learned from this dvd
Savvy On
Michelle
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Considering the Horse: #3 Unfixable Horses
Oh dear, this one educated me...BIG time. Please read the whole thing, as the end will likely educate YOU big time too. I guess with my success rescuing, rehabing and rehoming horses...via my success in the parelli program (and my previous knowlege) I just kinda assumed that all horses are 'fixable' by the right person. That somewhere in the world there would someone with the right skill and personality to match each horse and could fix it, and that too many horses never have the good fortune of meeting that person. Same theory on horses with hoof problems. So this chapter and having just seen a few of Pete Ramey's dvds.....both Mark and Pete talk about the ones they couldn't save. Both describe the account as VERY humbling. We are not gods, no farrier or clinician is a god....we cannot save them all. Some are just too far gone, and some the owner get in thier own way. But some, a small number here, but some......no one can save. He wrote some things in this chapter that literally made me cry, and all of this pain is man made.
One of the causes is severe long time abuse....some horses just can't recover no matter how good you are. you can help them, but you can't cure them. Another is undiagnosed serious physical issues, such as ulcers. But the one I had no idea about is in breeding. I knew genetically you could have some huge problems......but I never really put much thought into it. I know of MANY big time QH/Paint breeders who do what is called 'line breeding'....and have heard a few breeders state...."if the colt comes out great...I'm a genious....If it is messed up....I'm a moron".....
WTF??? What on earth could cause a person not to hear how incredibly stupid that is? Maybe they were line bred? I dunno....but the whole thing sounds REALLY stupid to me. There are so many great horses to choose from, why on earth would you choose to breed in a way that could seriously comprimise your end product? One of the great phonoms that has always plagued me, is the breeding of Impressive lines. So many horses have suffered the fate of death due to this human selfishness. It is one of the reasons I will never buy or rescue a 'grade' quarter horse. Too easy for someone to take a 'well bred' hypp positive horse to a 'sale' and not tell anyone of his breeding or his genetic problems, and just say it is 'grade'. They buyer thinks they are getting a great deal, and when they get home, the horse has a siezure....hopefully not while riding, and is ultimately put down. Pitifully sad and is a fault that only humans can claim. Selfish....and usually for the dream of some stupid ribon at some stupid show. Thank god the AQHA has finally recognised this via the genetic testing discovered, and is no longer letting them be registered. But it has not stopped people from breeding them. IF the colt turns out hypp negative...they register it.....if not....it is sold as 'grade'. I think they have now made a ruling that if one of the parents is hypp positive the foal CANNOT be registered, but dont quote me on that as I just don't follow QH news. So to sum up, line breeding is only slightly less risky than in-breeding....which I hope we all know is BAD!!!
So apparently, what can happen is that horses just don't have the genetic make up, that makes them 'normal'. They can display behavior that is highly dangerous to them selves for no apparent reasons. I have once seen a horse like this, but I don't believe it was the breeding, I believe it was from an accident that the foal suffered at one day old. The filly had run into the stall wall pretty hard head first and she was just never 'right'. She had an infection that needed 3x daily care, and it took two of us to get the job done. One to hold her, one to treat her. One day I thought she was doing well, one arm wrapped around her chest, the other around her rump. She was about 5dys old. She leaped straight up and head butted me. I saw stars and then everything went black....and then a thud as I hit the ground. When I awoke, I was certain my nose was broken, though it wasn't, and I had two black eyes. I became more than a little determined to help this filly. I spent several sessions a day with her for a month. I did TTouch massages with her and every NH technique I knew of. Every session ended very well, and every session began as though she had never seen me before. it was the saddest thing I ever saw. I was then, and still am, convinced something was not right with this filly and never would be. Not long after that I wasn't working at that farm due to getting my furrent job with the government. But I worried about her fate, and if I had to lay money on it.....I would bet she is no longer alive. She, as with all TB's, was destined for the race track, and I can't imagine her 'fitting' in very well there, and if still alive, she would be about 6ys old now. I think I will pay Donna a visit and see if she can remember this filly and knows what became of her.
Anyhoo, I need to quote something from the book because I swear it ripped my heart out. It sent chills thru my whole body. Through some of the things that have happened to me in my life, I can feel the pain of the horse in his story, and of her desperate cry for help. Basically it is about this mare who was given to him by the owner with the stipulation he would try to help her before putting her down. Her name was dusty....
"What I soon came to find out, was that Dusty had some problems that were bigger than both of us"
She was very unpredictable, some days she was great, others she would....."pull away, rearing and shaking her head violently".....after getting away, "she would spin and buck in place" and then "stop and look at me. The look of terror that was on her face slowly dissipated into one I can only call helplessness"
One day "at the end of the tantrum, she ran directly into the side of the nearby barn, scraping her head and shoulder before stopping. To this day, it's hard to explain the feeling I got when she looked at me. I swear that she was saying, "can you please help me?"......"I felt the mare was trying to tell me something"
"Less than week later, while grazing with another horse in a 5 acre pasture, the mare suddenly panicked for no apparent reason......she turned and began running as fast as she could. When she came upon a 4 strand barbed wire fence that enclosed the pasture, she never slowed a beat and hit it full speed.
By the time I got there, she was standing quietly about a quarter mile away, being tended to by susie. The injuries she sustained when she went thru the fence were so severe that there was no question that she'd have to be put down. I immediatly went to the truck and returned with my rifle. As I approached, she nickered as if to say,
"There...that's what I've been trying to tell you all along. Finally, now you understand"
One of my best friends has just such a horse. She and I have talked at great lengths over the years about him, and last year he did something like this to himself. He was retired in a 1000 acre pasture with a couple dozen other retirees, and for some reason also went thru a fence. It cost her about a few thousand dollars to save his life, but I had let her know then, horses just don't do the things he does, and maybe she should seriouisly consider puttin him out of his mental misery. He is over twenty now, and has been like this since she got him as a yearling! She has decided, if he ever again does ANY thing to himself, she will give the nod for the vet to grant is life long request. Reading this chapter confirmed to me, that we have been right all along suspecting that he just isn't 'right' and never will be. Is it fair to make a horse continue to suffer this way?
I hope all of you reading this will read the book and story in it's full and original form, as i just can't retype the whole thing for you and Mark of course tells it better than I do.
Please consider that when your horse acts out, he may not need more leadership, he may be trying to tell you something very important and as his friend you should at least try to figure out what it is.
Savvy On
Michelle
Considering the horse: Mark Rashid 2nd edition with updates.
One of the causes is severe long time abuse....some horses just can't recover no matter how good you are. you can help them, but you can't cure them. Another is undiagnosed serious physical issues, such as ulcers. But the one I had no idea about is in breeding. I knew genetically you could have some huge problems......but I never really put much thought into it. I know of MANY big time QH/Paint breeders who do what is called 'line breeding'....and have heard a few breeders state...."if the colt comes out great...I'm a genious....If it is messed up....I'm a moron".....
WTF??? What on earth could cause a person not to hear how incredibly stupid that is? Maybe they were line bred? I dunno....but the whole thing sounds REALLY stupid to me. There are so many great horses to choose from, why on earth would you choose to breed in a way that could seriously comprimise your end product? One of the great phonoms that has always plagued me, is the breeding of Impressive lines. So many horses have suffered the fate of death due to this human selfishness. It is one of the reasons I will never buy or rescue a 'grade' quarter horse. Too easy for someone to take a 'well bred' hypp positive horse to a 'sale' and not tell anyone of his breeding or his genetic problems, and just say it is 'grade'. They buyer thinks they are getting a great deal, and when they get home, the horse has a siezure....hopefully not while riding, and is ultimately put down. Pitifully sad and is a fault that only humans can claim. Selfish....and usually for the dream of some stupid ribon at some stupid show. Thank god the AQHA has finally recognised this via the genetic testing discovered, and is no longer letting them be registered. But it has not stopped people from breeding them. IF the colt turns out hypp negative...they register it.....if not....it is sold as 'grade'. I think they have now made a ruling that if one of the parents is hypp positive the foal CANNOT be registered, but dont quote me on that as I just don't follow QH news. So to sum up, line breeding is only slightly less risky than in-breeding....which I hope we all know is BAD!!!
So apparently, what can happen is that horses just don't have the genetic make up, that makes them 'normal'. They can display behavior that is highly dangerous to them selves for no apparent reasons. I have once seen a horse like this, but I don't believe it was the breeding, I believe it was from an accident that the foal suffered at one day old. The filly had run into the stall wall pretty hard head first and she was just never 'right'. She had an infection that needed 3x daily care, and it took two of us to get the job done. One to hold her, one to treat her. One day I thought she was doing well, one arm wrapped around her chest, the other around her rump. She was about 5dys old. She leaped straight up and head butted me. I saw stars and then everything went black....and then a thud as I hit the ground. When I awoke, I was certain my nose was broken, though it wasn't, and I had two black eyes. I became more than a little determined to help this filly. I spent several sessions a day with her for a month. I did TTouch massages with her and every NH technique I knew of. Every session ended very well, and every session began as though she had never seen me before. it was the saddest thing I ever saw. I was then, and still am, convinced something was not right with this filly and never would be. Not long after that I wasn't working at that farm due to getting my furrent job with the government. But I worried about her fate, and if I had to lay money on it.....I would bet she is no longer alive. She, as with all TB's, was destined for the race track, and I can't imagine her 'fitting' in very well there, and if still alive, she would be about 6ys old now. I think I will pay Donna a visit and see if she can remember this filly and knows what became of her.
Anyhoo, I need to quote something from the book because I swear it ripped my heart out. It sent chills thru my whole body. Through some of the things that have happened to me in my life, I can feel the pain of the horse in his story, and of her desperate cry for help. Basically it is about this mare who was given to him by the owner with the stipulation he would try to help her before putting her down. Her name was dusty....
"What I soon came to find out, was that Dusty had some problems that were bigger than both of us"
She was very unpredictable, some days she was great, others she would....."pull away, rearing and shaking her head violently".....after getting away, "she would spin and buck in place" and then "stop and look at me. The look of terror that was on her face slowly dissipated into one I can only call helplessness"
One day "at the end of the tantrum, she ran directly into the side of the nearby barn, scraping her head and shoulder before stopping. To this day, it's hard to explain the feeling I got when she looked at me. I swear that she was saying, "can you please help me?"......"I felt the mare was trying to tell me something"
"Less than week later, while grazing with another horse in a 5 acre pasture, the mare suddenly panicked for no apparent reason......she turned and began running as fast as she could. When she came upon a 4 strand barbed wire fence that enclosed the pasture, she never slowed a beat and hit it full speed.
By the time I got there, she was standing quietly about a quarter mile away, being tended to by susie. The injuries she sustained when she went thru the fence were so severe that there was no question that she'd have to be put down. I immediatly went to the truck and returned with my rifle. As I approached, she nickered as if to say,
"There...that's what I've been trying to tell you all along. Finally, now you understand"
One of my best friends has just such a horse. She and I have talked at great lengths over the years about him, and last year he did something like this to himself. He was retired in a 1000 acre pasture with a couple dozen other retirees, and for some reason also went thru a fence. It cost her about a few thousand dollars to save his life, but I had let her know then, horses just don't do the things he does, and maybe she should seriouisly consider puttin him out of his mental misery. He is over twenty now, and has been like this since she got him as a yearling! She has decided, if he ever again does ANY thing to himself, she will give the nod for the vet to grant is life long request. Reading this chapter confirmed to me, that we have been right all along suspecting that he just isn't 'right' and never will be. Is it fair to make a horse continue to suffer this way?
I hope all of you reading this will read the book and story in it's full and original form, as i just can't retype the whole thing for you and Mark of course tells it better than I do.
Please consider that when your horse acts out, he may not need more leadership, he may be trying to tell you something very important and as his friend you should at least try to figure out what it is.
Savvy On
Michelle
Considering the horse: Mark Rashid 2nd edition with updates.
Considering the Horse: #2 Problem Causes
This is a very important chapter as I believe it is a subject too many people forget to investigate. PAIN.....that's right.....maybe your crazy horse is in pain. There are a myriad of physical issues that will only manifest themselves into what appears to be a 'training' issue. Limping isn't the only way a horse can tell you some thing is wrong with him. Palpating his body will only yield you results for that body part and only for that moment in time. There is nothing you can on your own do, to observe or palpate......what is going on with his insides.....without a vet's asssistance. Sometimes, we subconsciously ignore the fact that we may need the vet, trimmer, dentist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, saddle fitter, etc......because our finances don't allow for it.......AND worse yet....because we think that our training method is so good, that we our selves can fix the issue. He tells some really great stories about some horses whos 'training' issues were magically fixed with one visit from health professional. Ulcers, teeth, feet and saddles, seem to round out the top of list for 'training' related physical issues. So it is a great reminder for me as someone who rescues to never forget the possibilities of physical causes FIRST.....because there is ONLY one way for our horse to tell us he is hurting.....and that is to act it out.
A great human example of acting out from pain....is when a woman is in labor. We have all seen it in the movies and tv shows.......someone says something stupid, with good intentions, to the 98lb woman trying to give birth to a 10lb watermelon, and the obcenities start flying out of her mouth.....often followed by a death grip to whom ever her fingers can latch on to......concluded with some sort of death threat. When we don't feel good we get grouchy.....why should we assume it would be any different with an animal.
The other leading cause of 'training' issues is abuse. The scars can be both mental and physical, and he gives some great examples of this too. Unfortunately, due to a current owners lack of horse handlinig knowledge, or lack of knowlege in medical investigation......they all too often blame that a horse must have been abused in it's past, and the investigation stops cold in it's tracks. They cannot see that THEY are the ones teaching a horse to behave in that way, due to ignorance of horse behavior....and assume the horse has been hit before. The other unfortunate is that often they are right....as horses are abused horribly every day. Thru cruelty and anger, frustration of a training method not working, lack of knowledge, and well meaning owners getting frustrated. We have a bad day, the horse gets the brunt of it, and we say to our selves it was wrong and we won't do it again. But why do we do it in the first place? Why do we go there? Something to think about for sure. Have you gone too far? Frustration, anger and abuse...start.....where knowlege ends. Get smart fast as your horse NEVER deserves a phase 4 because you don't know what a phase 1 is.
The good part of the chapter is that it educates you to what may be ailing your horse so that it might be corrected....the bad part is that it leads you to the next chapter......'unfixable horses'.....a stark reality.
Savvy On
Michelle
Considering the horse: Mark Rashid 2nd edition with updates.
A great human example of acting out from pain....is when a woman is in labor. We have all seen it in the movies and tv shows.......someone says something stupid, with good intentions, to the 98lb woman trying to give birth to a 10lb watermelon, and the obcenities start flying out of her mouth.....often followed by a death grip to whom ever her fingers can latch on to......concluded with some sort of death threat. When we don't feel good we get grouchy.....why should we assume it would be any different with an animal.
The other leading cause of 'training' issues is abuse. The scars can be both mental and physical, and he gives some great examples of this too. Unfortunately, due to a current owners lack of horse handlinig knowledge, or lack of knowlege in medical investigation......they all too often blame that a horse must have been abused in it's past, and the investigation stops cold in it's tracks. They cannot see that THEY are the ones teaching a horse to behave in that way, due to ignorance of horse behavior....and assume the horse has been hit before. The other unfortunate is that often they are right....as horses are abused horribly every day. Thru cruelty and anger, frustration of a training method not working, lack of knowledge, and well meaning owners getting frustrated. We have a bad day, the horse gets the brunt of it, and we say to our selves it was wrong and we won't do it again. But why do we do it in the first place? Why do we go there? Something to think about for sure. Have you gone too far? Frustration, anger and abuse...start.....where knowlege ends. Get smart fast as your horse NEVER deserves a phase 4 because you don't know what a phase 1 is.
The good part of the chapter is that it educates you to what may be ailing your horse so that it might be corrected....the bad part is that it leads you to the next chapter......'unfixable horses'.....a stark reality.
Savvy On
Michelle
Considering the horse: Mark Rashid 2nd edition with updates.
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