Thursday, June 28, 2012

2 New horses at the farm - Fiona and Kylee

Fiona and Kylee Arrive - Bringing New Horses Home

Monday was a very exciting day for me - I got to bring my two new horses home, Fiona and Kylee. Fiona and Kylee are two lovely mares that I am hoping to introduce to the LFEquestrian lesson program. They are very sweet and well tempered horses that are athletic, so I hope they are a good fit.

Whenever you bring a new horse home, it is very helpful to do a few things to help make it a safe and easier transition:
- Help make the trailering experience positive by allowing enough time to load with a natural horsemanship approach
- Introduce the horse to their new home in an environment that won't be too overwhelming for the horse (start with a smaller paddock and fewer horses, or even a stall or private turnout to allow the horse to take in the new environment)
- Show the horse where the water and hay is in the paddock
- Make sure the new paddock is safe and free of debris (or that the stall is clean and free of clutter)

After the horses have a day or two to settle in, then you can introduce them into larger herds or paddocks if that is your plan. Sometimes horses can be very dominant. It can help to introduce a new horse with the dominant herd leader in a small paddock first. That way the dominant horse can learn to accept the new horse without the stress of having to protect their herd. This can really help to minimize fighting and chasing.

I was happy that bringing Fiona and Kylee home went really smoothly. They were introduced into a paddock with 3 other horses that are very submissive and quiet, so I wasn't worried about any horse getting bullied.

All the horses were eating side by side at the hay hut within a day, so it was nice to see they are making friends so quickly.

You can view pictures of Fiona at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lfequestrian/sets/72157630332257558/

You can view pictures of Kylee at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lfequestrian/sets/72157630332247820/

I will have updates about their first training sessions at the farm soon!

Key learning this week:
Introducing a new horse is an exciting experience, but make sure it is a safe experience by doing a few simple things to help make it an easier transition for your horse.

Chica goes for her first trail!

Chica's first trail ride - learning to lead

A couple weeks back I took Chica for her first trail ride. It is always a fun and exciting experience to take a horse for their first trail ride - but I always want to make sure it is a safe and positive experience too.

To help get Chica ready for her first ride I:
- did some ground work for desensitzing like going over logs, tarps, and in between tight spaces like between too barrels or jump standards
- did some communication exercises to make sure we understood each other really well like transitions, halting over poles, steering exercises through pylons and obstacles

When it was time to head out for the ride, I helped make it a good experience by going with calm horses from her paddock - so she had comfort from the horses that we went with.

I also started the trail by leading her from the ground. It didn't take very long for me to realize that she would be relaxed with me, so I was able to get on very early into the ride. We went through forest, around water, open field, and even through the town of Pontypool!

Chica even led a large part of the trail and showed that she can be quite a brave leader - this was interesting because she is not a leader in the paddock. What is important to understand with horses, is that your energy and focus is really important.

Because I stay really focused on the trail and my energy is very calm and relaxed, it helps my horse to stay calm and relaxed. It is important that if a horse is being distracted that you help focus your horse by keeping their attention on the trail. You keep the horse focused on the trail by steering your horse's nose to always be pointed where you want them.

Chica hadn't been under training for very long, and it was her first trail ride that completed her 2 month training package. We had done a lot of work developing trust and understanding before then, so it was really rewarding to have such a positive experience out on the trails.

Since then, Chica has been ridden by her owner and some friend's of her owner and she has been really great on the trails!

Key learning for this week: Having a first positive experience is so important - it sets your horse up to be even better the next time. Take the time it takes to make sure your horse is calm, respectful, and trusting before you hit the trails.... and then when you get on the trail, take the time it takes to do what your horse needs to feel safe and relaxed. That way trails can be fun, relaxed, and safe.

If you are looking for help with getting out onto the trails, come participate in our Natural Horsemanship Trail Riding Clinic Saturday July 7th from 9am - 4pm. The cost is $100 for the day to participate (bring your own horse or borrow one of ours), or it is free to watch. Lunch is optional and is $5. RSVP by emailing lindseyforkun@gmail.com or visit www.LFEquestrian.com for more information. Located at 531 Hwy 35 in Pontypool.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Getting a Good Saddle Fit

Getting a Good Saddle Fit
www.LFEquestrian.com

As most of you may already know, getting a saddle that fits your horse is extremely important. Without a properly fitting saddle your horse can develop physical problems like a sore back, tight muscles, etc, but they can also be in pain so they do negative things like swishing their tail, reluctance to go forward or jump, or even buck.

Yesterday I had Jim Ward (705-786-2226), a saddle fitter that I met at the Everything Equine Trade Show in Uxbridge, come out to the farm to fit my horses. Finding an unbiased saddle fitter is difficult, and I decided to try Jim because he said he would look at any saddle and he wouldn't be bringing any saddles to try to sell me.

The horse that I know needed the saddle fitting the most is my demo/show horse, Thetis. She is a Thoroughbred mare, and was fitted by Allan from Foxhunter Tack Shop last year with a brand new adjustable Collegiate. However, horses change over time, and in the last couple months I noticed she was no longer comfortable in the saddle because of the tail swishing and pinning of the ears - she even did some bucks. When I ride her in the Western saddle, she is just fine.

I did have Dr. Elena Silverman (647-829-8929) come out to adjust Thetis - she is a really good chiropractor that does an excellent job and will massage the tight muscle knots too. She did a couple adjustments on Thetis, as I continued to only ride her Western, avoiding the English saddles all together.

I did go to the Pleasant Ridge Tent Sale and bought Thetis a new saddle, based on her medium-wide measurement and a few other things I knew to keep in mind... but when I tried it at home she still didn't seem 100% comfortable.

This actually interfered with my demo at the Everything Equine trade show last weekend. I wanted to do some big jumps and do something more for the crowd, but I knew the saddle wasn't quite right - so instead I fitted the saddle the best I could by changing the gullet, and using a memory foam/thinline pad to help her be more comfortable, and I kept the jumps low for the demo. Even still she wasn't super comfortable and she did have her ears pinned, so for the other demos I stayed Western because I didn't want to damage my horse.

I was excited to find a new saddle fitter, Jim, and booked him right away to come out to my farm - luckily he lives only up the road in Lindsay so it was much more convenient than previous saddle fitters I have used. He started with Thetis and did a full assessment and noted her right shoulder is more developed from her left (likely because she pulled a bum muscle during our endurance race and was lame in her right hind for a few weeks.... so she likely was working her right shoulder extra hard). He then took a bunch of my saddles and tried them on.

Because I have so many school horses - I also have a lot of saddles. He looked at my brand new Collegiate and pointed out that it's actually slightly too long for Thetis's back. He said it goes beyond the weight bearing ribs in her back - or what Jim calls the 'bucking line'. It was also too tight around the withers.

I always knew to check for wither clearance in the saddle (making sure the saddle doesn't touch the wither bone), but I didn't know that you also need 2 fingers of clearance on the sides of the withers. Jim explained that the saddle shouldn't touch the horse until where the panels start.

Thetis proved to be a bit of a challenging horse to fit... we tried my Collegiate, Wintec's, Avante, Degrada, Santa Cruz, Griffith, and finally landed on my Bates. The Bates is a CAIR system (has air in the panels instead of wool or foam), and it is an all purpose model, so its not ideal for jumping, but workable.

I was asking Jim about my different saddle brands and asked what he recommended. He said that unless you get something fully adjustable like a Schlesse, which are about $4000, or something like the Santa Cruz with the new Genesis system that can fine tune the gullet within a millimeter, its probably best that I have a variety of different saddles.

Jim said its not that a Wintec, Collegiate, etc are a bad saddle and thats why it didn't fit Thetis - its just that they didn't fit Thetis and couldn't be adjusted enough to be comfortable for her. This doesn't make them 'bad', but not useable on her. He did say that certain saddles tend to fit more horses because of their balance, etc. My Collegiate actually proved challenging to find a school horse that it would fit.... and luckily we found a match with Riddler after changing it to extra wide (thank goodness it has an exchangeable gullet!).

The Bates has good balance on Thetis's back, and sits nicely on her. I rode her with no saddle pad so Jim could see the dust pattern after a ride. She didn't buck at all. We didn't need to change the saddle at all, but Jim recommended I ride with a half pad to help bring the saddle off her back a bit more to let the saddle sit higher and give her wither clearance. He said ideally you wouldn't need a half pad, but since I wasn't looking to purchase a new saddle, that this one would be comfortable for my horse with a half pad.

We then went through all of my school horses and fitted them all to their own English Saddle. Luckily I was able to find my brand new Collegiate could fit my school horse Riddler, and my other brand new Degrada saddle fit my school horse Dream, or that would have been a waste!

In the end I have a saddle from my original stock of saddles that fits all of my horses comfortably. A couple need a riser pad or half pad to help with wither clearance, but most of them don't.

Jim also explained that some of my horses would need to use the front two billet straps for the girth to help make sure the saddle stays in the right position and doesn't slip forward - this is different than what we are used to, so we'll give it a try.

Some tips I learnt from Jim:
- Always check that you have 2 fingers of space between your wither and saddle at the top and sides of wither
- Check to make sure your saddle sits behind the shoulder, but in front of the last weight bearing rib (Alan showed me this too)
- Check to make sure your saddle has good balance (that it doesn't tip or rock from back to front of side to side... that it sits level on the horse)
- It is best not use half pads or gel pads because they can make the space smaller and tighter around the wither, however, a half pad might help with wither clearance or balance depending on the shape of the horse, but you still need to make sure there is room for the shoulder to move easily. It's best to ask for the saddle fitter's advice first... don't just use a half pad or gel pad because you think it might be more comfortable.

All in all it was a great learning experience and I am so happy that all my horses now have something fitted to them.

Key tip this week:
Make sure your horse is comfortable with your saddle - it can help save you time, money, and aggravation in the long run. Having a saddle fitter can help you make sure you have something that will work for your horse.

After all of the saddle swapping, I have decided to sell 2 of my English saddles that weren't assigned to any of my horses.... and then perhaps I can get Thetis a jumping saddle instead of an all purpose!

1) 17.5" Medium close contact, Santa Cruz, pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lfequestrian/sets/72157629588942136/
This saddle actually fits Spice, and has good balance for a lot of horses - but in the end we decided to go with other options. New this saddle goes for around $800-1000. It is approx 6-10yrs old (I don't remember - but originally I bought it from Foxhunter Tack shop)... Reduced price to $300 for a quick sale so I can get a new one for Thetis.
2) 17" Medium Avante close contact saddle with exchangeable gullet. Pictures at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lfequestrian/sets/72157629588937706/
This saddle I bought last year from Pleasant Ridge to use in my summer camp... thats all I've used it for. It is a cheaper saddle (new it was about $300 with tax), so the leather is a little stiffer than a higher quality saddle. The panels are nice and wide, and you can buy new gullets for it. I don't have any extra gullets for it - so I decided to stick with my Collegiate, Bates, and Wintec which can all use the same gullets that I already have.... Avante is a different brand and doesn't use the same ones. It also sits a little downhill, so to have good balance it is best for a horse that is built 'uphill', or used with a riser pad/half pad. $100 for a quick sale so I can get a new one for Thetis.
3) I also have some child saddles... I haven't measured them, one is a small child English saddle - good gullet size, medium/wide, fits a lot of my horses but is very small (I'm guessing around 12" but I can measure)... it is meant for a small or medium pony... or little kids under 10 yrs. I also have a little Western saddle... super cute, light brown leather/suede seat, also meant for little kids... these saddles would work great for small ponies and pony rides - I don't have a use for them. Priced $75 each, or $100 for both for a quick sale. I don't have pictures up yet, but let me know if interested and I can get some.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Everything Equine Trade Show - A lot to learn

Everything Equine Trade Show - A lot to learn

This past weekend, LFEquestrian went to the Everything Equine Trade Show in Uxbridge. We did 2 different demonstrations, and then a 3rd demonstration in part with the Natural Horsemanship Association. Each demo had its own message... so here are some highlights and tips:

1) Long Distance Riding - we showed how you can use natural horsemanship to make a safe and trusting horse to do trail riding with, and even to compete in some long distance rides. A big thanks to Marcie, Erin, and Micheala who helped take part in a demonstration race! We did a demo ride and tie race - Micheala and Marcie with our mustang pony Shawna won the race.

Some tips for getting a horse ready for a long distance ride:
- desensitize your horse to various obstacles like poles, tarps, and jumps, so that anything out on the trail won't seem too scary for your horse
- build your communication through ground work so your horse will trust and understand you out on the trail

2) Jumping with Natural Horsemanship - we showed how you can use natural horsemanship to create brave and calm jumping horses. Micheala and Shawna did a nice demo of an exercise you can do to build control and calmness with your horse (start with a pole at the walk. Ride a straight line over the pole, then halt, and do a pivot turn and repeat. Slowly raise the height and change your gait). Then Erin did a demo piece with Shawna showing how you can do traveling circles and make the jump part of a circle so your horse doesn't get anxious or 'worked up' about jumping.

During this demo I showed the crowd how you can help your horse jump by doing ground work - allowing the horse to jump without you interfering on their back. Instead letting the horse figure out jumping on their own. Then I challenged the crowd to create the scariest jump they could - everyone was invited to add anything to jump - hats, blankets, even a sign was added to the mix.

Thetis went over the jump on the first try - so I didn't get to show the crowd how to work through a refusal... but I did get to show the crowd what a brave horse and trusting partnership you can create with natural horsemanship.

Some tips for getting a horse ready for jumping:
- start with the walk and poles. Let your horse understand the idea of what you are doing before you add speed and height.
- start your horse over some jumps without you on it's back
- do other desensitizing and trust building exercises so your horse gets more experience

3) The final demo was with the Natural Horsemanship Association (www.nhassociation.ca). Laura rode Shawna dressage style, and Cindy joined us western pleasure style with Fergie. I was using Thetis. Cindy showed how she uses natural horsemanship to create a safe and trusting partnership that she uses for trail riding. Cindy showed us how Fergie can play with the giant ball, and how they use hula hoops. Laura demonstrated some ground work including going over a tarp and some riding exercises. I demonstrated some sideways over a jump and other movements.

The demo was showing that you can do lots of different things with your horse to help make your partnership better - no matter what your goals are. We showed how ground work can get your riding better, and we gave some ideas for how to get started.

Here are some tips to getting started with a natural horsemanship approach:
- Always start with your ideal cue
- Always release pressure when your horse gets the cue right (or starts to get it right)
- Stay out of a routine and stay in a conversation. This means don't just go ride your horse walk, trot, canter, change direction, walk, trot, canter - instead keep your horse thinking and communicating with you. Try different patterns like figure 8's, and traveling circles. Try tasks that cause your horse to think like halt halfway over a pole, back up over poles, sideways over a pylon, etc.

Key message this week:
Getting forceful with your horse only hurts the partnership - you can't force a horse to trust you and want to be with you. Instead you need to use leadership and communication. Once the horse wants to please you, you can do everything better together!

A big thank you goes to everyone involved to make the trade show a great day. Peter, Brenda, Karen, Marcie, Laura, Micheala, Erin, and of course my wonderful parents Richard and Annette!

See more pictures at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lfequestrian/sets/72157628433031337/

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Champion - Success in the Jumper Ring

Champion - Success in the Jumper Ring

This past Sunday I went with a student to the Bronze level Blue Star Hunter Jumper show. My student was competing in the jumper division with her pony. Horse shows are always a pretty long day, but it can be really rewarding to challenge your partnership with your horse.

Being at competitions really tests yourself and tests your horse. There are some things you can do to help make it less stressful and more fun:
- Make a list, check it twice: Make a list of all the things you need for the show day. Make a list for your horse and yourself. Remember both you and your horse will need water and food, as well as your tack and riding equipment.
- Get a good nights sleep: our bodies function much better when well rested, so make sure you leave time for yourself to get some good snooze time.
- Arrive early: it's no fun rushing around to find things or get ready, it only adds to tension. Your horse might need time to settle too, so arrive 30 - 60 minutes early before you think you need to be there. That way if something goes a miss you've got extra time.
- Be calm and relaxed around your horse: it's quite normal to be nervous at a show, but try to be calm and relaxed around your horse. Horses can feel our energy and mood - if you are nervous and anxious it could make your horse nervous and anxious.
- Practice only what you need to: horses often need a warm up before they go in a competition ring, but its important not to over due it. If you practice too many warm up jumps for example, you could make sure horse tired or muscle sore. You can also make your horse sour to the idea of competitions if it means being over exerted.
- Remember your a natural horsemen: you will be surrounded by a variety of people at horse shows. Some will hit their horses with crops or kick them with spurs. Others might use really harsh bits. It is important to remember what training methods you believe in and stick to them. Give yourself time in the practice ring to work through any challenges with your horse the way you want to.
- Be organized: It is important to know what is happening at the horse show - where to warm up, what the course is, when to enter, the rules, etc. Giving yourself enough time to learn everything you need will help, or bring someone that knows what they are doing.

My student, Alexandra, arrived early with her pony, Cody. We had enough time allow Cody to relax before doing a warm up in the practice ring. We did the warm up very relaxed and did just enough jumps to make sure both rider and horse were ready. It was a muddy day with rain threatening overhead, but we memorized and walked the courses, and they rode their courses with no refusals or knock downs! It all worked out nicely because Alexandra and Cody were champion!

Key Learning this Week: Horse shows can be a fun challenge for you and your horse, but remember to think it through and be prepared so you can both have fun.

Prophet's First Session - Learning to Want to Be with Me

Prophet's First Session - Learning to Want to Be with Me

Yesterday I worked with Prophet - a very sensitive and anxious quarter horse gelding. Deep down he is a sweet and loveable horse, but he is very timid and lacks a lot of confidence. He arrived 2 days ago to be started walk, trot, canter. In his past his owner did a lot of work with him and was progressing fairly well to riding him at the walk, but after getting thrown a couple times they decided to consult me for training. Prophet only ever reacted in fear - he is not a mean horse, just very timid. He is actually incredibly kind to people and animals, and not dominant at all in the paddock with other horses. His reaction is purely out of anxiety and tenseness from being scared and claustrophobic.

When I began to start Prophet last year, I realized he had a lot of confidence and anxiety issues related to the saddle and riding. Without the saddle he was a complete dream and responded to cues relaxed and confidently. With the saddle he was a lot more anxious and tense - like a bomb ready to explode. I did a lot of work desensitizing him to the saddle so that he would stand quietly while I tacked him without him being tied. I also did a lot of work to help him with his claustrophobia - this including sending him in between tight spaces like between barrels, and bumping his sides. We also spent a lot of time developing our communication and trust with a lot of ground games. By the end of summer he was doing amazing things on the ground with a saddle on like sideways over a barrel and responding to cues so softly that it was like magic.

I then progressed to mounting and dismounting from both sides, and eventually to riding him at the walk. The process was extremely slow because I know that Prophet has previous experience of tossing his rider to get rid of the tension - so my approach was to advance his training to the point where he was starting to feel anxiety, but not so far that he would have a melt down and try to get rid of me. The idea is to teach him emotional control - to push him out of his comfort zone slightly, to show him he can handle it, and then go back to things he finds comfortable. This process is time consuming, but it teaches the horse to be a thinker, and not turn into a crazy, explosive, ready to take off type of horse.

I was successful in that the times that I did ride him, he never tried to buck, rear, or run away - he stayed my thinking and willing partner. This is very important because once a horse learns they can toss you off, it is very hard to stop them from doing that unless they become a willing partner.

Over the fall and winter Prophet spent his time at his owner's place not doing a whole lot. Then at the start of June he is back with me to finish his training. I did his first session of the year yesterday. I had the plan to saddle him up and do some ground work to refresh his memory.

Instead Prophet decided to be very anxious and wary of me - and didn't want to be caught. I had to change my plans and instead use my understanding of horse psychology to try and get Prophet to want to be with me.

I followed him around the ring and if he looked like he wanted to come visit, I would invite him in. If he turned away from me I would send him away causing him to canter. I was trying to tell him the message of 'being with me is easy and inviting, turning from me is hard work because you have to canter'.

After about 20 min or so he got the message and finally came over to me. I spent some time just rubbing him all over - I didn't clip him to a lead rope. I didn't want Prophet to think that if he visits me he will get trapped. Instead I rubbed him all over and then allowed Prophet to follow me at liberty (no rope attached). He followed me at walk, halt, back up, and through sharp turns around the ring. I then clipped him up, rubbed him all over, and unclipped him again.

I wanted Prophet to think that being caught isn't a bad thing - I wanted Prophet to want to be with me. This is because if he is already trying to get away from me with just the idea of being caught, then it will be much worse if I try to add a saddle. I had to adjust my plan to suit the horse.

For those of you wondering why I don't just saddle him up and ride the buck out of him... well, first off, that is dangerous, second even if I can ride the buck and push him through it he's likely to try bucking again with a different rider eventually to see if he can ditch them so I'd be putting future riders at risk, and thirdly it'll definitely make the horse harder to catch!

I am going to play with Prophet more this week. My plan will be to 'hang out' with Prophet this week and do only simple tasks. I want to get him to catch me (want to be with me), and then just spend time with me while I teach some lessons or read a book (right now I'm reading the Hunger Games series and I love it!) - this way Prophet can start to change his mind about being with me... something that is apprehensive right now into something positive.

I do have some tricks up my sleeve for new strategies to try with Prophet this summer for training (largely in part to lessons from Don Halladay at the Young Horse Start Clinic run by the Owens last year), but first I need his trust and willingness to be with me. Stay tuned for updates!

Key Learning this Week: Have a goal, but being willing to change it if the horse that shows up in the moment isn't ready for what you want. A good horseman won't let his own personal agenda or goals ruin the partnership.