In previous posts I mentioned that our friend HorseGal got to spend some extended time with the Moses Herd visiting in her OWN neighborhood. Emmie came to train and school them, HorseGal got to watch Emmie AND to ride too, and both of them worked hard to brush out the horses’ shedding winter coats!
HG observed a lot of horse herd behavior first hand, much of which she has not seen before since she has previously visited the Herd only on their home turf. Following (in a few installments) is HorseGal’s immediate diary of her (exuberant as always) feelings, observations, pictures and videos while having the Herd practically next door to her!
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HERD VISIT DAY 1 –They’re heeere!!!!!!!!!! As you can imagine, I was very excited. What a sight the Moses horses were as they were led, one by one, out of the trailer. You could see them, ears perked forward, sniffing the air, as they checked out this unfamiliar spot. They were put into a paddock to stretch their legs and enjoy some hay and unwind.
After unloading from trailer, Connie removes protective shipping wraps from young Glendale’s legs. Hubby holds Gilford and Nora assists with momma Willy.
Gilford watching Connie at the paddock gate
They were so funny as each of them rolled several times. Glendale took a few runs around this new-to-him paddock, bucking some really huge bucks! Then it was time to try out the new sleeping quarters! Momma mare and her boys are an extremely tight group with pretty intense separation anxiety, so it was important that they be able to see each other when they are stalled. After moving them around a bit, we found the setup that would keep all three horses happy. We tucked them in for the night and left them to settle in.
Willy mare and Glendale roll in their new paddock! Like momma like son!
HERD VISIT DAY 2 – Connie’s amazing horse expert daughter Emmie and I went to visit the horses during the evening on DAY 2 of their big adventure! Unfortunately, when the horses had been brought into their stalls after being out for the day, they were put into the wrong ones, so Momma mare was not happy. When we arrived she was pacing in her stall. You could tell she was agitated.
We thought maybe she’d settle down on her own, so Emmie spent some time grooming the two brothers. Then it was Momma’s turn for some TLC. Once Em put her on the cross ties, she was her old self!!! She was so relaxed and let Emmie brush her and clip her. I was Em’s assistant by keeping one of Momma’s neighbors, a resident lesson horse named Charlie Brown, distracted by petting him so he’d leave Momma alone (Charlie Brown loves to reach out and touch muzzles… Momma mare, not so much with a stranger).
I love helping Emmie… I cleaned out each of the Herd’s stalls and cleaned up the barn floor (Emmie had clipped their bridle paths and did some serious brushing!) Then Emmie thought Momma needed to get some stress relief, so we went out to the round pen and boy, did Momma mare let it out. She was worried about being separated from her boys and kept looking back at the barn and calling to them.
And they answered her back…. over and over. Momma was so frantic she galloped at full speed around that pen, bucking and whinnying. I’ve never seen her like that. I was really worried about her. Emmie was in the middle of the pen and I was worried for Em’s safety. Not that Momma would do something mean, but I was worried that in her frenzied state, she might accidently run over Em or that Em might be clipped by a bucking hoof (this was the first time I’d EVER seen Momma buck).
I quickly learned that Emmie had it all totally under control. I really can’t explain in words how AMAZING Em is. She was SO calm and as Momma raced around and around that pen, Em kept talking to her in a calm, quiet comforting and soothing voice (even I started to relax!!!). At one point, she got Momma to change direction with just a slight motion of her hand and lead rope, walking towards her and talking to her. Keep in mind, Momma never broke her pace, and while she was frantically racing around and constantly looking back at the barn and whinnying, she was, at the same time, also paying attention to Emmie.
Emmie said Momma would eventually tire herself out, and that’s exactly what happened. The poor animal worked herself up into such such a heated sweat after her frantic racing around the round pen and it was a cold evening. Eventually, we went back to the barn. Momma was still a little agitated as she saw we were getting closer to the barn and her boys, but Emmie kept a firm hold on her lead rope. We got her back inside (and into the correct stall!) and all of a sudden… it was quiet! It was like a switch was flipped! Once the 3 were back together and all could see each other clearly, it was like nothing had ever happened. They were so quiet and seemed very content! Even Momma, who proceeded to munch on hay.
This all being said, I’m a little nervous about riding Momma mare now because of these separation problems. I think if I ride her and Emmie is on Gilford where Momma mare can see him, she’ll be ok. I did want to take some lessons, which would require separating Momma from her boys so I could ride her in the ring. So right now, on DAY 2, it’s not looking good for me to take any lessons on her unless she can see both of her boys. Maybe I could bring Gilford or Glendale along for the lesson and put them in one of the pens that are in the ring, that might work. I’m leaving it up to Emmie. Whatever she thinks is best, is what I’ll do.
It looks like the walls of no see no tell are starting to crumble. Thousands if not tens of thousands of entries in reference to the horses and riders injured in horse sports these last few weeks are being posted on blogs and other media pages through out the Internet. The voices of riders, horse people, and the public are being heard.
The article below just appeared in John Lyons’ The Perfect Horse. This is the first major Horse publication to do an article of this nature, even though cautiously referring to the New York Times article (links below).
It is obvious the USEA and Horse Racng went too far and its mistakes and misjudgments are public. Now there is no turning back. I’m cautiously optimistic but it appears that although both organizations could hold their advertising as a weapon to the normal venues and publications, there was no stopping the Blogs, Youtube and MySpace. The Sport Horse Industry’s secrets are coming out to a public outcry they never anticipated– and it will not be business as usual.
We all know our sport and pastime is dangerous. There is no such thing as a casual ride but there also is no reason for making things more dangerous or training and breeding irresponsibly.
Someday the bloggers and posters who opposed and got out the word “that was not to be spoken” will be seen as the cavalry that protected the horses when the sports of kings became ruled by fools.
E-news ARTICLE from John Lyons’ PERFECT HORSE website, myHorse.com–
The New York Times reported last week about a lawsuit the parents of a California girl who was killed after a fall at the Galway Downs Event in Temecula, Calif. in November 2006 filed against the United States Equestrian Federation, the U.S. Eventing Association, her trainer and others.
The suit claims Mia Ericksson’s death was caused in part by the governing body’s desire to up the ante on the sport for spectators—to make it more thrilling—while increasing the dangerous elements of eventing.
The New York Times has been taking more and more notice of equestrian sports. In April the newspaper ran a multi-page story about the sport of eventing after Darren Chiacchia was seriously injured at the Red Hills Horse Trials. Last Sunday the newspaper ran happier news, on the tail of Big Brown’s Preakness win, about thoroughbred rescue organizations.
Both Chiacchia, and Laine Ashker, who was seriously injured at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event at the end of April, which was also reported on in the Times, are recovering from their injuries.
Once again the president of the USEA faces a tragedy with his horses.
The 14”1” hand Shetland-Arab-TB eventer known as Theodore O’Connor has died in a tragic barn accident. He is the pony who was shortlisted for the Olympics and seen as a gold medal hopeful.
This was reported by the Horse.com earlier today. Apparently while being ridden back to his barn he spooked, threw his rider and took off. At the barn he slipped and hit the barn tearing and severing ligaments and tendons in a rear leg. The leg injury was irreparable and he was put down.
Some refer to him as the Seabiscuit of eventing. He was described as a pony with a heart almost too big for his tiny body, and abilities that shadowed horses that in height stood above him.
As reported in thehorse.com:
“…The Shetland/Arabian/Thoroughbred cross gelding was the reigning team and individual Gold Medalist from the 2007 Pan American Games and had top six finishes at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2007 and 2008. He was the 2007 USEF/Farnam Horse of the Year and recently had been named to the USEF Short List for Eventing for the 2008 Olympic Games.”
Condolences to the O’Connors Eventing Team.
Rest in peace Theodore O’Connor.
The Horse has set up an open blog so that readers can share their thoughts on and memories of Theodore O’Connor. It can be accessed through Memories of Teddy O’Connor
Where to Bury a Horse
If you bury him in this spot,
The secret of which you must already have,
he will come to you when you call;
Come to you over the far, dim pastures of death.
And though you ride other living horses through life,
they shall not shy at him, nor resent his coming.
For he is yours, and he belongs there.
People may scoff at you,
Who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall,
who hear no nicker pitched too fine for insensitive ears.
People who may never really love a horse.
Smile at them then, for you shall know something that is hidden from them
and which is well worth the knowing…
The one place to bury a horse is in the heart of his master.
Reworked from poem by Ben Hur Lampman, Portland Oregonian, 1921
Our friend CT announces the birth of Jasmine, born to her Arabian mare Gingee. Totally adorable!
Arabian filly Jasmine with momma mare Gingee
They are called Jaz and Gin!
This foal was Gingee’s first
here is CT’s description of the blessed event–
For all my planning, our planning, everybody’s planning, Gingee did it her way. My overnight bag was packed, the vet was put on alert, the barn staff was on a hair trigger. Every afternoon after lunch in the barn she is put in a pasture while the stall is being cleaned. By the time the barn worker returned from taking another horse out to the lower forty, there was the filly at 2:30 in the afternoon, naked in the blaring sun. As luck would have it, her vet was just down the street and two other vets were on their way because of other issues so everyone got to enjoy seeing a newly born without any of the anxiety.
Gingee had a lot of anxiety the first four hours. She just didn’t want the foal near her and had to be tranquilized. They milk pumped her and then tubed the milk into the filly. That kept the filly going until Gingee accepted her. I stayed with Gingee all night and held her head while stroking her mane and that really helped relax her when the foal started nursing. Slowly she began to become more and more fascinated by this little thing suckling by her side. By morning she wouldn’t let it out of her sight and insisted on hanging over it as it slept. Phew!
We’ve put the halter off and on Jasmine and she leads pretty well with a loose rope around her neck. Today I rubbed her all over with a crinkly plastic grocery bag. For that she nuzzled me! Whenever I’m massaging her, she wants to nuzzle my neck, arms, legs, anyplace I let her. Can you tell I’m crazy for her?
NOTE from connie:
Our mare was nervous to allow Gilford, her first, to nurse too… we had to restrain her and the vet tranquilized her when he came. Once she got the idea and the hormones got flowing, she turned in SUPERmom and was highly protective of HER baby towards her big friend Abby, who outweighed her by 500 pounds!
And the more handling the better, in my opinion. Our boys were well handled since a few minutes old, we did a moderate amount of imprinting at birth, and started training them to be handled and to wear a halter, lead etc. as soon as they were a couple days old. And may I suggest ponying beside Gingee to introduce her to the world, it will make your life and hers so much easier as she grows up!
Pleasure driving is most often done at the walk or trot. But sooner or later the horse will canter pulling a cart or carriage, whether directed by the driver or in a moment of startle or panic. It is a good idea for safety reasons to have your driving horse canter in controlled training situations and on different surfaces, to get him used to the increased noise and bumping of the cart. This way he will not frighten himself when suddenly he DOES break into a canter. Please see my Horse training disclaimer
Our young horse in training, Glendale, sometimes starts cantering voluntarily when his load becomes harder to pull, such as going uphill or on rough ground. This is a green horse thing, and we generally let him canter a few strides before slowing him down again to a trot, so as not to discourage his forwardness. At other times we ask him for a canter during his training sessions. A few canter strides out on the street is also a good idea, as the sound and feel of cantering on pavement is different than in a field.
Glendale pulls training cart in walk-trot-canter transitions, in straight line on relatively level grass field.
Gilford, Glen’s older brother, at walk-trot-canter pulling the training cart, getting some refresher training.
Glen, on an outing near home, trots and canters in an open hilltop field (Lake Winnipesaukee below.) It is always safest to canter up a slope, which helps keep the horse in balance and his speed under control.
Glen canters with two in the training cart, our young friend horselover Bailey who joined us!
There is a piece of harness equipment which many folks who train driving horses feel is indispensable. It is called a kicking or bucking strap, and its purpose is to prevent the horse from bucking or kicking out behind at the cart. Having seen a fellow driver using one of these on a carriage drive, I searched around and purchased one when we were training Gilford, and it has become a permanent part of our single harness.
Although Gilford had never shown an inclination to kick out behind, I felt that the kicking strap was a reasonable piece of insurance to have. I came across a story of an experienced, well-seasoned driving horse who suddenly started kicking and bucking, doing serious damage to his cart and himself, because he had received a bee sting on his sheath. (SEE bowersfarm.com article below.)
The kick strap is the one just above the horse’s tail (closest to you), which loops twice and buckles around the shafts on each side. Ours is secured to the harness at the (split) crupper; I believe another style can be fastened directly onto the backstrap if you don’t have a buckle-on crupper. There should be about a hand’s width of slack to allow for the horse’s normal movement. If the horse should try to lift his rump forcefully to kick out or buck, his rump is restrained by the weight of the cart, thus he cannot lift his hind legs into the air.
The simple effectiveness of this safety strap cannot be underestimated. I have seen both Glendale and Gilford start a little buck, humping their back and lifting their butt as if to kick out, and they were instantly discouraged from that action by the strap. If a horse actually kicked the cart behind him, more likely than not it would scare him and he’d kick again, potentially damaging the cart or hurting himself. A kicking bucking horse would be fighting to escape the cart, and could get its hind leg(s) over a shaft. It’s hard to imagine a worse scenario that could be averted simply by using a kicking strap. Maybe one should always be used, even when the horse is well trained and experienced.
We ourselves had a driving mishap years back with the boys’ mom, which most likely a kicking strap would have nipped in the bud.
This brings me to the story of our loaned-out training cart being returned to us with new shafts and wheels replaced. Our friend’s green horse had been doing really well for several sessions pulling the training cart she had borrowed from us. Then one day it was quite windy so she made her session short rather than to push a jittery horse.
She had the horse facing a barn wall as she started unhitching (solo), when the wind spooked the horse who jumped forward and caught a shaft on the edge of a stall door. The horse must have felt trapped, because he panicked and began kicking the cart. The horse ended up with a leg cut requiring stitches but was OK otherwise, and the cart shafts and wheels were bent and twisted.
It is highly possible that this accident would have turned out better if the horse had been wearing a kicking strap… and now remedial training will probably be necessary to get this horse back into driving training.
Hooray, hooray!! We have TWO driving horses! I’ll call this official now because Glendale was so successful on his first “real” outing with the big guys, on a Granite State Carriage Association organized drive, Auburn NH Carriage Drive Pace, May 18, 2008
Trailering Glen and his big brother Gilford to Auburn, NH on Sunday, May 18, we met up with other drivers with their horses and carts, about 8-9 of them. Our route for the day was called a “pace,” which is a timed course meant to be driven at a “pleasure” rate of speed, and just-for-fun placings were awarded to the six horses closest to the median time.
Hubby drove Glen put to the training cart, and I rode Gilford behind them, to give Glen confidence and also to work on Gil’s own forwardness and consistency of gait. I found Gilford very responsive and willing to move right along, thanks indeed to daughter Emmie’s schooling of him during April.
Just starting out, we encounter a bridge which Glendale is pretty leery of crossing in the lead, so Hubby lets him stop and I ride Gilford ahead of him to give him confidence. Our training goal is to build the youngster’s confidence and let him figure out for himself that he’s safe in the driver’s hands.
Though this young driving horse has been ridden over a few wooden bridges on past outings, his balkiness here is normal because he’s immature and inexperienced and, like many horses, he feels less secure leading the way than when following. It would be foolish of us to try to force him to cross the bridge because he could easily veer off to either side and cause the cart to drop a wheel off the edge of a dropoff, or he might stumble off himself.
Nothing could be worse than to create a dangerous situation; the goal of his training is to keep him (and ourselves!) safe. Seeing his big brother cross the scary bridge first is all it takes to get Glendale across. After numerous positive experiences crossing bridges and dealing with other frightening situations without anything bad happening to him, the youngster will gain enough confidence to cross bridges safely, without worry.
Meeting another carriage horse on the trail. As a safety precaution, Hubby exits the cart and holds Glendale by the bridle, called “heading him up”, because we don’t know how the youngster might react to another horse going by. ALWAYS better safe than sorry!
Glendale headed up while another carriage horse passes.
Glendale was awesome and Hubby was being careful to take all safety precautions. Being in an easy-exit training cartlet him easily jump out and hold Glen’s head when encountering bicyclists, walkers, and other horse carts, of which there were many. He did this the first couple of times because we couldn’t predict how Glendale would behave in these new situations.
Meeting two bicyclists who stop on either side of the trail to let us pass. Because the cyclists stopped for us, we keep on driving Glen through. Note how Glen is trying to learn how to steer straight while trotting on this woods trail!
Once he shied sideways from being startled by a bicyclist riding in the woods near the trail… and once he started to climb a bank off the side of the trail because of something he heard, but he stopped for Hubby and backed down again without incident.
Glen watches walkers pass; he was always curious to check them out!
Glendale keeps walking while passing a family of walkers (the first group of people we met caused him to stop.) Glen’s steering is improving already, as Hubby is able to keep him to the right edge of the trail. Then Hubby stops and stands him to let two bicyclists pass coming towards us, but this time does not head him up.
The pace was a short course (about 4 1/2 miles), all for fun, and not a race; it was intended to be done at a moderate “pleasure” speed. The marked trail was level woods roads– sand, dirt and gravel– with one wooden bridge over a stream. There was a fun “obstacle” maze to weave through, and a short series of cones to navigate between.
Glen finishes a fun “obstacle” course of poles, where he is taken through a series of “gates” marked by red on right and white on left. Steering and turning is always good practice.
Going back across the bridge, Glen still wanted Gilford to go first, so we did and then Glen followed right behind.
All in all, the day was perfect– lovely temps, not buggy, no mishaps, and we enjoyed lunching with other drivers at the end while horses back at the trailers enjoyed their hay and their well-earned rest. Can’t think of a nicer way to spend time– and folks there were amazed that our not-yet-three-year-old driving horse could go so nicely.
Returning successfully to the starting line...
AND, as a bonus, Glen finished in sixth place when the median times were figured up, meaning that our rate of pace was pretty average! I’d say we were trotting about half of the time and walking the rest.
Scooter loves a good belly scratch, is the most laid back cat I’ve ever had. Usually he’s in a lap when he does this!
Scooter, orange tabby aka “Tubby,” “Scoots,” Cootsy,” “Cooter,” “my Precious”– you get the idea...
Believe it or not, he is on a continual diet. I got him down to a decent weight recently but he pumped himself back up again when our son Ezra was feeding him for a while. He steals Vijay’s food and even Peaches’ food.
