Newsletter 54 - July/August 2005

Cynthia's Say

When Paul took the photo above of me riding Jack (left) and live-in South African student, Sarah riding Rosie, I was humming the Van Morrison classic song 'Days Like This'.
You see, its the middle of winter, the sun is shining and we have the beach to ourselves - it was fabulous and makes up for those rainy days when we stay inside or head for the indoor arena.
We had such a fun day with Paul and Karen, galloping and practicing lead changes on the beach and it made me so proud of our natural horses with their bare hooves and no rugs, looking in top condition.
Sarah has been a great help in keeping all the horses fed and trimmed and I will miss her wonderful attitude and expertise around the horses when she leaves in August, hopefully with all her level 2 skills filmed and assessed.

I'm also heading to South Africa in August to be part of a documentary being made by Tasmanian film makers, Janine Wright and Troy Melville. It will feature Gilbert, the zebra I worked with last year and will record his progress and new home with natural student, Carin Fick and husband Isak.
I'll let you know when its released and where it can be viewed.
Enjoy the rest of winter, yours naturally, Cynthia.

Agfest Challenge Tournament

Now in its second year, the challenge tournament at Agfest in May proved to be quite that for the 16 entrants. The competition was hot between last year's winner and 2nd placegetter who happened to repeat their performance and placings.
Apart from a little rain on the first day, we enjoyed good weather and endured the helicopter, strange sights and loud noises to entertain the crowds in central arena with daring feats of horsemanship.
With Lee 'surfing' (standing while Daisy walked), Nikki juggling, Joylene's dog leading Anawa and my dog Tigga riding Manny it was almost a real circus!
Back at our site we had Peter Laidley doing hoof trim demos, Nola Cooke showing how ETRT can help horses and Rick and Leslie from the Tasmanian Saddlery School doing rope and leather work.

Many thanks to our prize sponsors and congratulations to the many prize winners.

1st - Helen Vagg & Audi won $250 of hoof care product from Peter Laidley, Hoofworks Australia.
2nd - Joylene Dargan & Anawa won a $250 pair of Old Mac hoof boots.
3rd - Sarah Hosking & Rosie won a $250 Torsion Saddle Pad.
4th - Jen Clingly & Zamir won $100 cash from Williams & Saltmarsh accountants in Ulverstone.
5th - Louisa Bygraves & Ben won a $100 voucher with Natural Equine rope products.
6th - Lee Davis & Daisy won $75 of Lessons and a cap from Cynthia Cooper, Natural Horse World.
7th - Nikki Armstrong & Ellie won $55 of ETRT treatment with Nola Cooke.

Junior Section: Prizes donated by Helen, Deb, Horseland and Saddleworld.
1ST - Meg Wyly & Armero
2nd - Ashleigh Harvey & Tommie
3rd - Ella Johnson & Woodstock.

Le Trec Event Results

Although the wet weather on April 30th deterred a few entrants, close to 20 riders experienced this new form of fun competition which originated in France and is very popular there and in the UK.
Once again, Markus and Kristine at the picturesque Shuruga Vineyard on the West Tamar, hosted and organised this wonderful day. They provided some good challenges in the three phases of orienteering, canter/walk in a straight line and the cross country obstacle course, and some lovely prizes to the winners who were:
1st - John Kelly on Sam (1st competitive outing).
2nd - Lee Davis on Daisy
3rd - Louisa Bygraves on Jason
4th - Sandra Atkins.
Keep an eye on this newsletter for the next Le Trec Event Date.

Beginners Riding Workshop
As a follow up to the recent Beginners Natural Horsemanship Weekend in May, I am holding a one day Beginners Riding Workshop on Saturday the 9th of July at the Topline Rugs indoor arena, Westbury.
This workshop is open to anyone wanting to learn the basics of riding from a natural horsemanship perspective or wanting to get going with a horse not ridden for some time, or even a young, inexperienced horse (needs to be already started).
All you need to know is basic ground skills (such as the Parelli Seven Games).

• Learn how to prepare your horse to be responsive and relaxed to ride.
• Learn all the control techniques you will ever need.
• Learn how to gain and give trust and confidence with your horse.
• Learn more about saddle fit and what your horse needs.

The day starts at 9.30am and finishes around 4pm and the cost which includes arena hire is $75 for the day with free hot drinks, just BYO lunch.
A maximum of 10 riders will be accepted (only 3 spaces left), and observers are welcome at $22 for the day.

Student News

Catherine and Meg Wyly (pictured with Rapunzel and Armero) who are former Natural Nous and Pony Pals attendees, have recently moved to Victoria to pursue work and educational opportunities with their horses. We will miss their smiling faces and regular participation and wish them all the best with their Level 2 assessments and their future in a new area.

If you have any nice horse pics or stories you’d like to share, email or post them to me for inclusion in the next newsletter.

Barefoot Endurance Success

Jen Clingly and her purebred arabian gelding, Imaj Zamir recently achieved their goal of a Tom Quilty Endurance Buckle - barefoot!
They have become members of a very small group of barefoot endurance riders to do so without boots, and prove that with gradual conditioning, the horses's hoof can excel in such challenges and be safer in testing terrain.
This was the case when constant rain deluged the course and caused the organisers to halt the event at the 106km mark. "My horse felt sure-footed and was thinking about where to put his feet, while I saw others with shoes struggling like they were riding on ice-skates" Jen said.
Zamir finished the 3 legs of the course midfield with plenty of energy to keep going. The next day he showed no sign of swollen legs or stiffness which may also be attributed to the ETRT treatments he received from Nola Cooke during the ride, and the use of a Barefoot treeless saddle thanks to Wrangler Jayne and Tara Jackson.
Jen would also like to thank her dedicated crew, Deb, Delve and all those who 'warmed the cockles of her heart' with all their good wishes.
As you can see from the photo below, Zamir's rock hard hooves look very much like a wild horse hoof, complete with self made 'mustang roll' on the toe.
Well done Jen for 'keepin' it natural' and good luck with your next achievement - Parelli level 2!

Saddle Fit Suggestions

Over the past few years, awareness about saddle fit has increased dramatically as we look to get better performance from our horses, especially in the field of endurance. In any sport where long hours with a saddle and rider on board, a horse's back, movement, expression and willingness will tell you the truth about your saddle fit.
Today there are a many new saddle designs that are catering for the increased size and broadness of the horses we are breeding now. There are a variety of flexible trees, treeless saddles, adjustable gullets and air panel systems that all help to achieve a good fit on most horses, mules and donkey's.
So what do you look for with saddle fit?
Firstly, notice what your horse does when you approach with the saddle - is he/she trying to move away, pinning their ears, head tossing or even trying to nip you as you put the saddle on or girth it up? If so, they are probably trying to tell you that something is very uncomfortable for them.

Put the saddle on with a thin pad and girth it up to where you can get on so you will be able to see how it sits on your horse's back.
Using a thick pad can be useful when your horse's condition is lighter but shouldn't be used to compensate for an ill-fitting saddle. It would be like putting thick socks on with shoes that are already too tight. Saddle pads were originally designed to keep the underside of the saddle clean, but have now become a complicated choice and is a topic needing its own article.
Looking at the saddle from beside the horse - does it sit evenly? If it's too high at the front then it's probably too narrow and will tend to roll from side to side or slip when you mount no matter how tight the girth. If it sits up at the back, it may be too wide in the gullet and be unstable when you rock it from front to back.
It should also be easy to run your hand freely behind the shoulder as illustrated below in the top photo. If you have trouble freely running your hand between the shoulder and the widest point of the gullet (bottom photo), then its probably too narrow for your horse.

Then view the saddle from the front - does it clear the wither by at least 4 fingers? Even treeless saddles should have good wither clearance like this popular western version below.

Another issue with fit is the placement of the saddle. The design should allow the saddle to fit far enough back from the shoulder to reduce interference when the horse moves. If your saddle does not girth up in the horse's natural girth channel, when positioned back far enough, than it is not the right one.
Some saddle designs have a Y shaped girthing system that allows for the adjustment of the girth positioning.
Now its time to ride your horse so take notice of issues such as high head carriage, reluctance to transition down gaits, reluctance to travel down hill easily, reluctance to stride out freely, a sour expression and raising the head suddenly (even squealing) when you dismount.

Ride until your horse has a good sweat under the cloth and this will tell you even more about fit.
When you remove the saddle, there should be no sign of dry patches as seen right. This idicates that the pressure on the muscle in this area is restricting blood and sweat flow that will lead to muscle damage and dead tissue, eventually growing white hair.

There are so many problems that develop from saddle fit that we can remove or reduce by being aware and listening to our horse. Many behavioural and even health issues start with physical discomfort so its up to us to become good detectives and do our research.
With so much information available today, we have no reason to be ignorant and compromise our horse's enjoyment of being ridden.

For more information on saddle fit, visit www.chirovet.com.au where Dr Ian Bidstrup who is one of the principal lecturers at the Aust. Accredited Saddle Fitters Course, has written some in depth articles.

A rider's story:
Jacky's history- 4 1/2 year old endurance trained TBxQH with a tender back just in front of hips and dips with pressure from fingers.......
I rode Jacky last night just so I could set the saddle up before I ride on the weekend.
We put pressure on his back before saddling up and he was dropping away so gave it a good rub and warmed the muscles and relaxed them - put pressure on again and he was fine - put the saddle on and away we went.
The first interesting thing was he came 'on the bit' (was in a a halter) for the first time without his usual resistance.
The second thing was I actually got him moving sideways to the right at a walk and trot - haven't done this before either as he always resisted me and I could only get sideways from a stand still.
The third difference was for the first time he was able to bend around my leg on circles instead of feeling like a riding a square that I was being pushed to the outside of.
The fourth difference was we took the saddle off after a lot of circles and sideways and making him trot really slow up the hill to work him and use his back muscles - he was not sore at all!! - no dipping - whereas when I took the old saddle off he would drop away if you put the pressure on until you rubbed his back out again then he would be OK.
So I was pretty happy with that but the 40km in it next week will be the real test.
In conclusion I do think Jacky is cold backed (as in needs muscles warmed up well and kept warm) and gets a little stiff - I do not think he has an injury as such - I think for his shape, the old saddle restricts the the movement and flexion of his spine and that obviously doesnt help the muscles! So will keep riding in it and see how we go.
Also he hasn't done his horrible short choppy trot and is so foward it is unbelievable and his canter has gone from a shove along with each stride to a gliding feeling!
I just wanted to let you know that this wasn't even over a period of time with a different saddle - this was a instant difference!! Never understimate what a saddle is doing or not doing for your horse.

What's New?
For those interested in Barefoot performance have a look at this website where injured and rejected racehorses are being rehabilitated at a UK natural racing stabe with great success - www.simonearleracing.com

Also, if you need help with natural hoof trimming these are the people to contact in your area:

North: Jeremy Ford (Farrier) - 63 931135
John Fletcher (Farrier) - 63 261649
Jen Clingly (Trimmer) - 63 695555
Cynthia Cooper (Instructor) - 63 695177

East Coast: Nola Cooke (Trimmer) - 0407 273377
Iluka Bon (Trimmer) - 62 578977

South: Carol Turvey (Instrutor), Craig, Libby (Trimmers) - 62 396070

North West: Lee Davis (trimmer) - 64 257287

New Design Bareback Pads

• Shaped back seam to cater for a higher wither.
• Designed not to tighten directly onto the backbone.
• Changeable english or western girthing system (girth not incl.)
• D rings front and back to tie on your coat, lead rope, water bottle etc.
• Made from quality 16mm felt covered with black or brown suede.

Topics in this issue:

~ Agfest Challenge Results
~ Le Trec Event Results
~ Beginners Riding Workshop
~ Barefoot Endurance Success
~ Saddle Fit Suggestions
~ What's New?
~ Pony Pals
~ Student News
~ Classifieds & Calendar

Anawa behaving as a model stallion should. 
(photo by Jenny Harvey)


Suz Haywood and Tilly enjoying liberty challenges. 

Le Trec Event Photos