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NATURAL HORSE NEWS Issue
46, March/April. 2004. Cynthia’s
Say… Being so special this little fella is not for sale and if he develops into colt material may carry on where his dad left off. Meanwhile, Solo, the other colt, will join his big brother when he’s old enough to go to his new home with Pauline at Kettering. Its so rewarding to breed horses for people who are natural minded and skilled enough to offer them an easy education. One thing I have learned from these babies is just how fast little hooves grow when they’re on soft pasture. I guess in nature they’re designed to travel alongside their mums who cover 30-40km daily in their search for food and water so the growth rate is pretty fast. In fact I’ve been trimming them every 2 weeks and taking off almost a cm each time to control the cracks forming which is nature’s way of thinning hoof wall so it will break away. Some foals do break hoof readily but some don’t either and I recently trimmed a 4 month old with hooves so long they were causing a big stress on his young legs. So, the moral of this story is pay attention to your youngster’s hooves, handle them well and learn to do them yourself so it becomes an easy part of their general upkeep.
Young Horse Day Report by Nadeen Wallbrook
Stud. 22nd Febuary 2004 For us 2003 had its ups and downs. Wallbrook stud is now proudly entering its fourth year and last breeding season we put our heart and sole into creating four magnificent Friesian Warmblood foals. Sadly one is no longer with us due to a tragic paddock accident. It’s a fact when breeding horses, or any other animal you encounter high high’s and very low low’s. But horses seem to be able to bring you back to what started it all, and that is the love we have for these creatures, it keeps you going and they help you heal. So it was a pleasure for us to offer to Cynthia the opportunity to share with others how special a relationship with a foal can be. How important it is to understand that breeding a foal is simply not just getting a foal at the end of the 340 days. It’s realising the responsibility you owe your little creation. Understanding it starts from selecting a superior mare, to choosing a more superior stallion. That is when your responsibility begins and, as far as I am concerned never ends. This baby’s success in life is in your hands and those hands must hold kindness, understanding, knowledge and friendship. Neo, Niobe and Jethro were our little students for the day. All three were at different stages of their journey to trusting humans. Neo’s natural born temperament allowed us into his life with little concern. Niobe, was a little more cautious, however her start in life was almost 4 weeks too early and requiring intensive veterinary treatment, so her first impression of humans was not that great. Jethro, well he is bold but certainly not brave. His nature was to flee and having no small yard to work him in made this reaction more solid. It’s so important to have safe, small yards to work with the foals, and only a few days before the actual day did we get the yard finished so we can now safely move mares and foals. The day arrived and Reimke with her Friesian x Arabian foal, Niobe were first to demonstrate how to approach your foal and then play the friendly game, finding that ‘great’ place to scratch is a sure way to a solid friendship. Niobe was calm and trusting of Cynthia and accepted Cynthia’s approach. Niobe had never been haltered, but showed no resistance to the use of a savvy string around her nose and picked up yielding very quickly. After no time at all, Niobe had yielded front & back and accepted the butt rope and could gently take forward steps without fear, all in preparation for the halter. We then brought in Molly with her Friesian cross foal. Cynthia demonstrated how to approach a more timid foal, by using the mare to assist in your success. Jethro tried to escape the pressure constantly, but when the pressure wouldn’t go away he made the decision and realised he would survive through it and we witnessed him make a change. He needed to make the decision, rather than the decision be made for him. With this now achieved we can progress with developing his trust and work with him to do things like trim his feet, which needed doing but again without proper yards and handling I am sure his first hoof trim would not have been such a pleasant experience that it was when he was done a week later – proving that this foal accepted us so much so we could trim him without the use of a halter or ropes. Neo, the eldest at almost four months, then assisted with demonstrating the use of the halter and leading. He was a very brave boy by confidently accepting the obstacles placed on the ground for him to walk over, in preparation for float loading. Neo had never been in a float before – but as he was so willing and with the ground work already in place he basically loaded himself. Cynthia loaded him with his mother and then without her. And when asked backed off the float calmly and without fear. It was a good informative day for all, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank Cynthia for her great instruction and well structured day, to the spectators who endured the cold wind and also to Katrina and John for donating the lovely game sausages from Lenah Game Meats. Float
Loading Formula for Success
While this subject was covered at the Young Horse Day for the initial training of a foal, this formula applies to any horse not yet comfortable with the horse float. In order to gain the horse’s confidence, we must first have a rapport with them as a leader which means having their trust with varying situations and objects (including the float which can be parked in their paddock for them to investigate in their own time) and being able to yield them in all directions to both rhythmic and steady pressure. Any horse older than 6 months can easily be taught the 7 Games of Parelli Natural Horsemanship as a great preparation. Then it’s a matter of simulating the loading first by getting them confident about putting their feet onto things like boards, tarps or rubber mats. Once they can confidently walk over something the size of a float ramp, its then time to introduce them to the float. This is best done with a steady, reliable companion to show them the way. Using the principles of comfort and discomfort, approach and retreat, you can ask the horse to expand his comfort zone to include inside the float. It’s a gradual process which if forced, will prove to the horse it’s a dangerous place to be. Always allow the horse to retreat out of the float as many times as they need, but only give them comfort (a rest or respite from a stick tapping on the tail head) when they get back to place they left from. Once a horse can lick their lips in the float and be relaxed without the ramp closed, then unload calmly when you ask, its time to desensitize them to the sound of the ramp going up and down. If this causes them to back off, simply ask them to go straight on again and let them relax before trying the ramp again. It may take 3 or 4 tries before they accept the sound and sight of the ramp being raised (or doors closed) before they are happy to be completely enclosed. Once they are relaxed with this, its time to lower the ramp but try not to build an association with the ramp coming down and being unloaded. Give them a minute or 3, feed them some treats or just let them stand and eat hay before you ask them off. If they choose to come off before asked, politely send them back on and wait again. To retain that confidence you have built with all these steps, I usually put them on at least 3 times without going anywhere and by the third time, have them accepting the back done up and being able to stand and eat quietly for 10-15 minutes. All this training is done with a companion which would either be their mother or an older, quiet and good travelling horse they have been running with. After they accept the closed float I take them for 2 or 3 short drives around the paddock or down the driveway and back - very slowly. Remember when you stop, let them relax for a good 5 minutes or more before letting them off. The longer the drive, they longer they need to relax. Generally, if they will eat some hay and are not looking anxious, they are ok to let off. Unload the youngster first and always remember to untie any horse before you let the ramp down, even if they have a chain behind. Only use a chain behind if the youngster has been trained to a rump rope and knows how to come forward off pressure. Once your youngster can handle drives around the paddock, take them on some short trips of only a few km before trying a longer haul. I take mine to the local shop or a friend’s place where they can get off and learn to go back on without a stressful situation or time constraints. If you do have a long way to go, always stop every hour and let them rest with the front door open for fresh air. If you have a safe place to unload then its good to give them a break and for them to stretch their legs. I would always travel a youngster (up to the age of 3) with another horse if possible and then when teaching them to go on their own, go back to the start of the formula I have just given you. It might also help to have a familiar human travel with them in the paddock at first. For every 3 times I take my horses somewhere, I make some time to load them and go nowhere and that way they are not always thinking the float is a stressful event. January Camp – Horse Psychology Insights We began on the arrival day with a discussion based on horse psychology and our perceptions of them. This created the basis of thought for the whole 3 lovely sunny days and gave us a model to work from. What a pity at the end of it, we couldn’t put all the ingredients learned to the test via the Team Challenge planned for the last morning – the previous night’s 12 hour thunderstorm and 8 inches of rain made us abandon camp and head for the comforts of home again. So here are a few insights from the enthusiastic discussion between myself and the 13 participants. “All we need are a few main ingredients to cause a
horse to believe we are a leader:” Trust – through either gradual or continual desensitisation.
Two kinds of pressure – steady (follow a feel) and rhythmic (follow
a suggestion).
Focus – both physical and mental and both horse and human.
Feel, Timing and balance (that independent seat factor).
Having a plan – for the end result and daily sessions.
But….Be prepared to be flexible in any situation.
Use common ‘horse’ sense and think ahead to reduce unwanted incidents.
Be able to diagnose what isn’t working (ie. Respect, impulsion
or flexion) and use the right tools to fix it. Use patterns to help a horse find comfort, to learn and relax then build on them incrementally. New
Photo Page This
Site now has a new photo page with several albums planned for publishing
very soon. The aim is to have more photos from each event featured in
the newsletter available in an album for you to view as thumbnails or
larger pictures. There will be links from the Newsletter page on the
website or you can click here to go direct. www.naturalhorseworld.com/photos.htm Please be patient as it takes a little time
to develop these albums so check them out in a week or two. Book Review – Making Natural Hoofcare
work for you. Pete Ramey was a full time farrier, shoeing horses for a living and making a name for himself with his gentle handling methods when he discovered Natural Hoof Care. He was introduced to Jaime Jackson’s book and decided to try his trimming method on his own horse and was very pleased with his performance. Pete then stopped perceiving any need for horse shoes as he experimented with natural hoof trimming and got fantastic results. After trying Jaime’s natural trim on all the horses at a public trail riding facility where they wore out shoes every 4-5 weeks over the rough terrain, he learned most of what he shares with us in his book. Now he is trimming around 80 horses a week and says his goal was to provide a book that explains barefoot trimming in detail that begins where Jackson’s “Horse Owners Guide to Hoof care” leaves off. Although he says no formula will work because every hoof is different, the guidelines he passes on which help us listen to what the hoof is trying to tell us, have proved invaluable to me. I have been trimming my horses for 15 years, taking a more detailed interest in natural hoof care for the past 3 years and finally I am beginning to understand the concepts and be able to apply them with confidence. Pete Ramey’s book has helped me figure out the difference between good and not so good trimming methods as all my teachers have had slightly different ways of going about it. This book is written in simple terms and is intended for people with a working knowledge of horses and their hooves which can be obtained from Jackson’s book among others. These are the perfect pre-requisite books for anyone wanting to learn hoof trimming or get a better understanding of it to enable the choice of a competent hoof care professional. At 168 pages and with lots of good quality photos, its fast reading for anyone really into natural hoof care and easy reading for someone who isn’t yet. You can order it over the internet direct from www.star-ridge.com or www.amazon.com or from your local book store. Ask Cynthia – Floating problem solved
Thought I would let you know how I went with the floating problem. I parked the float in the paddock for a week or so. For the first night I put hay in a net at the back by the tail gate. The next night, I put some just in the float. Then the next night, I mixed a feed and put it just out of reach for her. She had to put her feet on the gate to get it. For two nights, she stood at the end of the float looking at it but wouldn’t go in. We did some more practice with leading partly in then backing out, a bit more in and backing out, then all in and back out. That night, she stepped on the float gate to get to her feed, BUT only if I stood at the back with her (not doing anything but standing there), no lead ropes, just her. Same again the next night but I backed away and walked off. She was a bit sad about that, but after about half an hour, she went in without me there. Same again the next night, but after that I put it in further. Practicing in between times as well, and eventually after about 2 weeks she was all the way in eating on her own. So that was that. A little hesitant still going in, but usually only one balk, but she backs out slowly and carefully now, which was the main issue. The bathing issue is much the same, though a little improved. I have only bathed probably twice since I wrote last time, and she hasn’t been quite so bad, but nevertheless I will need to do more work on this. Thanks
for your advice. It was a dream. Karina. Tasmanian
Natural Horse Events Calendar March April May Coming Event Details Ground
Work Challenges Workshop – this is open to students of all stages and is especially suited
to young or green horses as there will be a challenge suitable for everyone.
Bring along a problem you have with your horse on the ground
and I’ll show you how to progressively solve it. We’ll be
covering online and liberty with individual and team situations for a day of fun and progress. BYO lunch and drinks. $65 for the day includes
ground hire. Arrive by 9.30am for the pre-start talk. Observers welcome
- $22. Freestyle
and Energy Management workshop – Have you
ever wondered how you can get your horse to go when you do and whoa
when you want? Or how to get a response to your energy changes which
can be as subtle as breathing in or out? This workshop will show you
how to progressively sensitize your horse to life up and down and help
you achieve more control over his/her energy in varying situations.
BYO lunch and drinks. $65 for the day includes ground hire. Arrive by
9.30am for the pre-start talk. Observers welcome - $22. Easter Camp – This 3 day camp is open to all confident riders who like a challenge. Arrival is planned for Friday with a meet and greet that night, Saturday is a workshop morning followed by the Team Challenge I had prepared for the January camp which wasn’t used due to a washout. On Sunday we’ll head for Golden Valley to ride to the Liffey River picnic area where you can rest or do a short walk to the falls – day riders are accepted for this but horses and riders must be capable of covering 40km. On
Monday, we will attempt the team challenges again and finish at lunch
time. BYO camping gear and cold drinks, $230 pp fully catered for. Observers
welcome on Saturday ($11 – AM Free in the Avo.) and Monday AM
(free). Young Horse Starting Workshop – If you have PNH level 2 skills or more and want to experience starting your own young horse (who must be over 2 and have basic groundwork games in place) then this workshop will guide you through the steps to have your horse accept the human, saddle, rider and be safe to continue educating at home. It is also recommended you bring an older riding horse as both company for your youngster and to practice skills you will need. It also means we can learn all day without tiring the youngsters. Participants
must be prepared to attend the follow up 1 day workshop on the next
weekend to consolidate and advance to faster paces. Cost is $225 and
you will need to BYO food and drinks. Observers at level 2 welcome -
$75. Agfest Tournament Days & Demos – Planning is still in the pipeline for this event so I’m looking for natural horsemanship students interested in taking part in tournaments of all levels and feedback on how many and which days you could be there. It runs over Thursday, Friday and Saturday and is a great chance to show off your skills as you challenge yourself and your horse – a bit like the sheep dog trials but far more interesting! Let me know if you’d like to take part. Classifieds Looking
for good natural horse equipment? www.naturalequine.com.au |
Finale at 5 days old
Finn at 2 weeks and Solo aged 8 weeks.
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