Q was a box stall horse for almost ten years. He now is in an environment where he can be more of a horse. This is the day he discovered the purpose of trees. When a horse has an itch he needs to scratch.
Q scratching with a latin beat (use your browser’s back-arrow to return to Blog) It’s as if he was dancing. He had been well groomed and curried earlier in the day then of course rolled as soon as he could.
If you are horrified at what he’s doing to his mane and tail don’t be. It seems to grow in better every time. He’s just being a horse and we like it that way. By the way if you think 7 minutes is too long to scratch– he didn’t!
Also, finally caught on camera:Q’s coming to a whistle. It took a long time to get here but he does come to a whistle. At first it was baby steps as in just getting his attention. Next walking to the oppsite side of the paddock and getting him to come over. Believe me I got a lot of “Whaaaaat looks” out of him. Finally we have the recognition that he is to stop what he is doing and come. Well most of the time.
May 13. Today was gorgeous, one of those days which makes you remember why you enjoy living in New Hampshire! Glendale was ready for Session 6 of this year’s driving training– street work and going away from home. We did want a companion horse along, since we were going the farthest to date and he’s still only 2 3/4, so Hubby saddled up Gilford.
I drove Glen in the training cart, starting out following Gilford up the hill, but very shortly had to pass because Glendale couldn’t walk slowly enough to stay away from Gil’s butt. (He definitely was not rushing or acting nervous, it’s just that Gil tends to amble along unless he’s in a schooling session in a riding ring, ie. he has learned he can relax out on the “trail” so he does when possible.) Going down a long grade, Glen in front started to get a little agitated (shaking his head) which made me realize I couldn’t hear Gilford behind us; turned out Dad was walking him off in the grass and Glendale couldn’t hear his hoofbeats anymore. So I had to call back to Dad to put Gil onto the street because Glen was getting nervous. As soon as we could hear Gilford again, Glen settled down.
There were many new things the inexperienced young horse had to get used to today. First there was just plain old steering. Driving on a street challenges the driver to go in a specific straight line, on the right edge of the road without getting the wheel off on the shoulder except when desired. The green horse is not real practiced in going straight, and when he’s not under saddle you have no leg aids to help keep his body straight. It was an ongoing challenge to keep Glen straight, mainly to keep his head straight to his body, especially at a walk. When trotting, his momentum makes it easier to steer him straighter. We had this same challenge with Gilford starting him out, and still do to a small extent.
The driver must remain alert to ditches, mailboxes, bumps, pullouts, etc. and anticipate the best path, while watching out for traffic approaching and from behind. I did not want to keep Glen right on the edge of the road when there were deep ditches to my right, which he might easily drop a wheel into should he shy off to the right for any reason. Our horses are not usually bothered by traffic, thanks to their barn location on a pretty busy corner where they have seen all kinds of traffic, including fire trucks, ambulances and police cars, go by ever since they were foals. Any horse however can spook at any vehicle just by being out in a non-familiar situation and from being tense or nervous for any reason.
Next to challenge Glen was feeling the prolonged weight of the cart pushing against his breeching on a long downhill grade. I kept him to a walk and used half-halts, which are alternating tiny squeezes of the reins, to help him slow himself down and hold back the cart, so he doesn’t feel like he’s getting pushed down the hill. This lightweight training cart, like most 2-wheeled carts, does not have brakes, so the horse must be the brake on downhills. It can easily make a young driving horse uncomfortable or possibly really frightened to experience the cart pushing him down a hill the first time, and this was a long grade, but Glendale handled it well. I stopped him on the slope a couple of times to give him a break from the non-relenting pushing.
Next we turned off into a couple of different hayfields, where we had to stay at the outer edges or on specific tractor paths so as not to damage newly-emerging hay crops. More steering challenges! In one field the farmer was plowing. We approached quite closely, but didn’t want any spooks to cause haycrop damage right in front of the farmer, so we turned back. We practiced standing and not eating grass. Back on the streets, we stopped in a cul-de-sac, and while Hubby chatted with a neighbor, I did a little circle work with Glen in the round asphalt “ring”, tapping the buggy whip lightly on his outside hip to encourage him to step under himself in a tight turn. Then we practiced stopping, a little bit of backing, and standing quietly while we finished our conversation.
Driving past a constuction site was a little excitement when someone started up their air hammer, but Glen just scooted into a trot a little then came back to a walk. Bear in mind he was in front of Gilford most of the time, so he had no reassurance from bring able to watch his calmer brother. The biggest excitement was heading back home, when a small bulldog type critter ran out towards us barking like crazy. This did startle Glendale, who began cantering down the street with me firmly holding the reins and reining back telling him “whoa”– after a few strides he slowed to a walk, I never felt he was panicked or going totally out of control so that was a not-bad reaction to a scary stimulus. I noticed he did make a little butt lift when he started to run, and that the kicking straps caught him immediately, stopping any potential kick out behind. That’s what the kicking strap is for and it did its job!
All in all, a positive and productive training session. Glen got an extra couple of horse cookies back at the barn! (Sorry no pix this time, I had both my hands full! I’m not picture-crazy enough to try to carry a camera while I’m driving training!)
As of early May, the Herd is back home, very happy to have a little grass underfoot and to have their 24-hour turnout and freedom to act like horses. They were almost completely shedded out, thanks to Emmie and Horse Gal and a month of warm April weather.
GLEN and GILFORD RUNNING AND BUCKING happy to be home and FREE! Gilford does a double-twist kickout which is pretty cool.
Glendale has gone back into driving training for 2008, 5 sessions before May 13. Hubby and I took it very cautiously, refreshing Glen’s memory on the training he had not done since last November. First we ground drove him in the paddock, then we reintroduced him to the training cart. We pulled the cart beside and behind him while he was ground driven, and did a little fake hitching by putting the shafts in the tugs but not fastening him in, and I walked the cart around holding one shaft beside him while Dad drove him from behind.
Admittedly, we were using extreme caution in our first 3 sessions, because of a recent training accident which occurred to a friend of ours. Actually she had borrowed our metal training cart, and had ended up replacing the wheels and the shafts on it due to damage. Her horse was OK though slightly injured; that will be another post soon to come! But this accident being fresh in our minds had put the fear of God into us and we didn’t want to do anything too quickly with our youngster.
In session 4 we hitched him on up, then after a few turns around the paddock, we took him across the street from the barn to a small grass field which was new to him. (Hearing his mom screaming in the barn could have been a trial.) I kept a lead line on him while Hubby drove him across the street and around the field a little, then I unhooked the lead line and we took turns driving him around this area, circling about 6 times each. This field was smaller than our paddock, and even bumpier, so we figured if he could pull the cart in this rough footing, he could pull it in almost anything. This was a trial run for him leaving the barn alone. Just to make it interesting, a photographer from the Gilford Steamer happened by and took some pictures.
Glendale driving nicely in rough bumpy field
For Session 5 we wanted to take him further from the barn alone, down into our lower field where the horses have not gone since last fall. We put him to the cart and drove him down the street to the gate (again, I had him on a lead line and Hubby drove him from the cart) but we found the lock on the gate was unworkable due to rust and disuse… so we changed tactics and decided to give him street practice. I had a lead line on him, and we walked him with Hubby driving a couple of different directions away from the barn, making short excursions out and turning to come back again. All the while we were alert to how he was dealing with being alone and leaving his family back in the barn.
This day being a Saturday afternoon was about the worst day of the week in Gilford for street traffic, so it was an acid test. There were motorcycles and cars galore, but Glen did not get concerned. Our goal in this training was to build his confidence at being alone, and not to push him beyond his confidence level and risk making him feel balky. After a while, I unclipped his lead line and Dad did a little trotting while I videoed. Glen was fine with everything.
Almost 3yr.old Glendale driven on street for the first time (I am walking to provide assistance if needed.) He walks uphill feeling weight of cart, turns, trots uphill a little then walks downhill, feeling sustained weight of cart and driver pushing against his rump. Driver’s job is to help horse slow down and be collected, learning how to resist the cart’s weight without letting it rush him forward and thus possibly getting worried about it. (NOTE: he HAS been ridden on streets a good bit, he is used to cars passing his pasture, and he was ponied on streets beside his mom as a foal growing up.)
I did talk to him a lot, watching his ears to see that he was listening to me at his side, even though he couldn’t see me with his blinkers on. He does seem to like the reassurance of people’s voices, and I say “easy, easy” a lot to slow his pace or to get his focus on me when I see something potentially disruptive coming up. Glendale listened to me and he listened to Hubby’s voice cues. Every day a little more challenge for him!
Check out this petition– Support the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit
and sign if you agree with its premise. This is to support industry efforts to improve several major aspects of racing that affect the welfare and safety of the racehorse and will serve as starting points for further action by the Jockey Club’s newly formed Thoroughbred Safety Committee.
…….
The second Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit was held Monday, March 17, and Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion. The resulting group of recommendations (as well as the initial strategic plan) can be viewed at the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation website.
Tragically ironic report on Tigger Too, belonging to David O’Connor (USEF president), perishing May 11 after falling at a water jump in the Jersey Fresh 3-star CCI (cross-country event.) Rider Lauren Kieffer was not injured.
USEA also reports that preliminary necropsy findings on Tigger Too, a seventeen-year-old gelding, showed that he passed away from an acute abdominal aortic rupture. Final necropsy results are pending.
Tigger Too had had three colic sugeries and had much of his colon removed. There is an investigation in progress.
See Peaches’ previous blog by QL Caballo discussing the increasing number of horses and riders killed or seriously injured recently.
The blog carrying this entry, The Jurga Report, also reviews the death of Eight Belles.
This report from QL about the increasing number of injuries and deaths in the sport of Eventing. QL makes this comment–
In case you are wondering why I’m so upset at this, I know eventers who are scared to death about what has happened to the sport but are more fearful of the USEA. It it up to those the USEA cannot affect (US) to start the fire of outrage and opposition to begin changing this sport, which is pushing the physical limits of horse and rider to unattainable levels, too often ending in destruction of rider and horse.
Please be warned that some of these links have very disturbing photos.
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There has been more tragedy in Eventing, the sport of fast-paced field trials for horse and rider. This is becoming a common occurrence. Too common.
The list grows longer.
The list grows faster.
Last week:
Horse Frodo Baggins. Killed.
Horse The Quiet Man. Killed.
How many more? How many do we never hear about?
If the New York Times finds alarming the increasing incidences of tragedy in rider and horse deaths over the last two years, shouldn’t all riders and horse enthusiasts be alarmed? Shouldn’t the USEA (U.S. Eventing Assoc.)? See New York Times on spate of deaths, April 9, 2008 after recent eventing tragedy in which Darren Chiacchia is near-fatally injured. Also see Equestrian accidents spark safety debate by United Press International, April 9, 2008.
For major international riders, as of April 2008 - 14 Eventing Rider Deaths in 2007-08. How many horses? 5 or is it 8 now? How many injuries and deaths of horses and riders are not important enough to report? The industry needs to examine itself and what it is asking of rider and horse. Stop blaming the riders. Report by Lexington Herald-Leader on Kentucky.com
USEA, The governing body of the sport, is responsible for what is asked of rider and horse– training, physical and professional requirements as well as the design of the courses. Instead of press releases, action is needed to save the horses and riders from the business of eventing and perhaps themselves.
The USEA should make video of the accidents public instead of hiding behind copyright laws. Riders need to see these records of tragedy for the purpose of education as well as to bring home the reality of what can, has, and could happen. Riders and trainers should also be able to stand up and question when they feel courses are not feasible or are unnecessarily dangerous, without fear of recrimination.
List of 14 riders injured or killed in 2007 and up to April 2008. How many more must die. How many more must be crippled and spirits and dreams destroyed before something is done?
Hopes and dreams of Laine Ashker, rider and trainer of Frodo Baggins, in 2007 prior to their accident. Laine was very seriously injured in Frodo’s fall. Laine Ashker, Rolex Featured Rider, 4 Parts
Helmets ARE a rider’s best friend (next to their horse, of course!!)
I am so glad Horse Gal has written about this major safety issue, as I am a strong believer in always wearing a helmet when riding or driving horses.
FROM HORSE GAL:
A friend of mine was out trail riding on an absolutely perfect New England Spring day. Out of nowhere a dog came from around a bend in the trail. Neither my friend nor her horse expected it and both of them were startled… especially her horse. With the trail being narrow there was nowhere to go anywhere but straight. The horse spooked and my friend came off and hit a tree… with her head. She, as always, had her helmet on.
Meanwhile, the horse was galloping full tilt down the trail going who knew where. The owners of the dog (they’d been walking him in the woods) came around that bend in the trail and were just horrified at seeing my friend on the ground. They felt terrible that they hadn’t kept him on a leash, but they hadn’t expected to see anyone on a horse.
They helped my friend up, (who was shaken, but other than that ok), and walked with her back to her home (about a half mile), not knowing where the horse had gone. And what do you know — there was the horse, standing right in the middle of her paddock!! Just standing there, waiting… as if to say to my friend “What took you so long”? That must be her safe place and why she ran in there, don’t you think?? Is that smart or what?!
In the process, the horse did have to cross, what can be, a busy road and I doubt if she stopped to look both ways before she crossed, but nonetheless, she made it home safely without her rider. My friend did make herself get right back on her horse just walked around a bit (my friend was too sore for anything more than that). Both of them are fine, although my friend is still quite sore. My friend, who has been riding for many years, since she was a kid, said this was the worst fall she’s ever taken. Another example of why wearing a helmet is just good…. well, horse sense.
Questions from Horse Gal to Connie: Do horses generally do this?? Run home (if they are near their home)?? How smart is it that this horse knew where home was and how to get there?? I find it fascinating that she did that in the panicked and frenzied state the poor thing must have been in. To me it shows a lot about how they think… or at least how this horse thinks. Do you think that she must consider her paddock her “safe place”? I’d be interested in your thoughts on this Connie, and what you suspect your own herd might do in a situation like this. Horse Gal
REPLY FROM CONNIE:
In my experience, horses always run home if they are in familiar territory. If they are on strange ground, such as on a trail ride to which they have been trailered, they may run back to the trailer or run blindly until they either feel safe again or find another horse to buddy up to and stay around.
I have seen horses run pretty wildly around horse show grounds and campgrounds, it’s not a pretty sight. But all horse people will try to help catch them, some more knowlegeably than others, and you just hope they don’t hurt someone or themselves or cause another horse to break loose or
get hurt. If you’re riding on another horse when you hear LOOSE HORSE (or see one coming!) just beware that your own mount will get all excited, maybe try to either join with or kick or chase the running horse. If your horse is tied or not securely penned (such as portable electric tape fencing), get control of him quickly.
One other tip. Bear in mind that it is never good safety practice to ride out alone, but surely tell someone else where you are going if you do. If there is another rider(s), do not go galloping off chasing the loose horse. Nine times out of ten he will return to be with his buddy horse(s) as soon as he’s not too nervous. Use your own judgment of the particular situation, but it’s best to keep YOUR mount calm and quiet and to wait it out for the runaway to come back on his own.
Please understand the following is my experience and not to be taken as advice. If you suspect your horse is colicking call a vet, do not self medicate and hide symptoms - better debt than death.
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To know the arrival of Spring some people rely on the direction of flying geese, others on groundhogs, catepillars, squirrels tails and crocuses. I own a horse who is a weather colicker.
Weather Colicker. Before Q (Quintin) I never heard of such a thing.
I personally do not look forward to the seasons changing because of it. Horses have colics because of as many conditions as you can think of such as stress, feed changes, etc. A weather colicker is a horse who colics when the weather changes. Q prefers to announce seasons changing - Spring and Fall to Summer and Winter. Spring is the worst by far.
For those of you who don’t know what a colic is– simply put it’s any stomach pain, sometimes so severe it might cause a horse to injure himself trying to getting rid of it. This can be by rolling, thrashing, slamming up against walls etc. They will beat themselves into injury, worst scenario twist an intestine which is remedied by surgury or death or both. They can also hurt you as the handler, and that can result in death.
Luckily Q is a drama queen. He usually starts acting up before we hit critical; other horses, the stoic ones, will not show anything until it almost too late to do anything.
The month of March - all was well except for two different storm systems hitting the coast within hours of each other. The second would change the temperature and barometric pressure dramatically which is what you don’t want to hear with a weather colicker. Everything was fine that afternoon. I was hopeful. It looked like we would get through the storms cycles with bank account intact, and then………..
Q and the gang were in stalls because of the heavy rains and wind. I fed them a scoop of mash and some hay. I made sure everyone had clean water and stripped them of the blankets. At 6pm the barn temperature was in the 40’s and the temperature was on the way up outside.
The second downpour had started signaling the second storm had arrived. I decided to pick the stalls before leaving rather than drive in the blinding rain. Got to the last horse’s stall and heard the groan, double bang and groan and the rolling.
Didn’t have to look to know it was Q and he was rolling and thrashing- NOT good. When Q colicks the signs are for lack of a better term dead eyes, cold nose, phlegming and he will just drop to the ground. When you check his gums by pressing with your finger the spot will stay white instead of returning to its normal pink. If he is really full blown into a colic he has no pink gums just pale and unresponsive skin. You also hope for gut sounds.
I knew it wouldn’t be good when I saw he hadn’t eaten his mash. First had to get him up. Luckily this time he did manage it after a couple of tries and there was no need to use a crop or rope to incite his survival instinct to get him to his feet. Checked for gut sounds and none in one quarter, minimal in the rest. He was also very sensitive to the touch near the hindquarters, pinning his ears back. No gum responsiveness. Colic plan in motion- we walk, periodically stopping to determine if will he stay calm and not try to roll.
Because of the storm we started walking up and down the aisle which is no easy task since all the other horses have their opinions, from “OH Poor Quintie” to “Come near my stall and you die.” Moving is critical it keeps them from rolling and thrashing but Q’s gone down in barn aisles so you need to be aware of what he’s doing at all times. You don’t want them thrashing not only because of the cuts and bruises they can get but more importantly because they can twist part of their free floating intestines and if there’s a blockage involved twist that as well, making the colic worse.
Q has banged himself up against walls and anything else to beat the pain out of himself. When nothing else is available he tries to bite the pain out of himself and whoever is around him.
You hope the walking will get things moving in the gut. Sometimes it’s gas, sometimes it is a solid impaction, sometimes cramping and then there’s the “who knows but it hurts.” The latter is probably the worst, your horse will attack you if in enough pain.
We walked. Every few minutes we’d stop and I’d see how frantic or calm he was. It was going to be a long night he was frantic. I was alone and needed to get him under control before chancing the run to a phone to call a vet.
We would stop and he would immediately start pawing, phlegming and weaving - not to mention his determination to lay down and roll - all are not good signs. I checked for gut sounds and gum responsiveness for the second time with no better results. I decided to call a vet - better debt than dead horse - but not having a cell phone we needed to walk more before I could leave him. If he’ll just lay down and be quiet I’ll let him.
We tried many times, he wouldn’t stay up but finally he laid down, stayed still and just moaned. He laid on his side, one of the worst positions to see a horse in since they look so defeated and desperate. I ran up to the house and called the vet then went back to the barn Q - was in the same position. Luckily Annemarie, Q’s doctor, got there about an hour after I called since she was nearby at another colic. (Weather colickers are not as rare as you would think). My friend Margie also had come back to the barn - I had to call her for the house phone number which I couldn’t remember in order to give it to the vet’s answering service.
I will not give Q any drug for the pain when he colicks suddenly unless absolutely necessary. As long as I can keep him from injuring himself and others all he’ll get is my mom’s tonic of flat coke and oil for a bellyache, but that is all. It is my opinion that my medicating him could mask what’s really wrong from the vet, make it appear he’s getting over it when he’s not or worse interfere with treatment the vet will give him.
When AnneMarie arrived the evaluation began as soon as his condition was determined. He was given a shot of sedative known as “ace” (Acepromazine or Acetylpromazine). It quickily put him into LaLa Land. He slumped as AnneMarie put on the 3 foot glove to cover her arm as she reached down the butt hole to remove any blockage within reach.
Next a tube was put through his nose and down into his stomach. Sometimes he has a lot of blood come out through his nose and mouth as this is done. This time we were lucky the tube went in easily and with no flowing blood. First task was to pump out some stomach content to determine what we could be dealing with and then to have a gallon of mineral oil and a full pail of warm water pumped in to get things moving. He then was given another shot for the pain - of banamine.
He was walked back to his stall unsteadily and sweating profusely.
It was assumed he was having a gas colic more than anything else but we would have to wait until around 2am to be sure. That’s when all the meds would wear off and hopefully his gut would have started moving from the treatments and the pain would have passed, along with other things. The irony is the pain killers can slow down the gut too.
I wrapped a horse blanket around me and dozed, one ear alert to any movement or sound from Q. About 1am he start waking up from the “ACE” snorting. He still had some banamine in his system (reducing the pain) but was clear eyed and demanding. He looked indignant as if to say “where is my food!” He had been passing some gas but no poop. He had grumbling in the stomach (a good sign); the gas was there but moving. He was calm but cranky and hungry. He was not very pleased at all that only few handfuls of hay but no grain were in his stall, and that’s what he’d get periodically.
I always hold my breath for the days following a colic. We moved away from this one steadily without incident. Now I just look forward to the next change in season and set aside ten dollars a week to the vet emergency fund. What can I say - some people have Christmas Clubs, I have a Horse Emergency Account.
In Closing:
Please remember colic is dangerous and can be deadly. Colic is a warning sign of something physically going on with your horse that could kill him. Unless you are one of the experts out there, please don’t be a horseowner saying I should have called the vet sooner.
Signs of Colic
The horse lies down and gets back up repeatedly.
The horse bends his head and neck towards his abdomen, sometimes biting at his gut.
The horse paws the ground.
The horse attempts to kick his abdominal area.
The horse stretches, as if assuming an urination position.
The horse rolls around on the ground repeatedly.
There is a lack of normal manure quantities passed.
The horse curls his upper lip (phlegming), sweats profusely or breathes rapidly.
