On August 2 we had our most frightening horse experience ever. We’ve been lucky and sort of charmed at times in avoiding serious injuries working with horses, and that luck continues to hold (knock on wood!)– at least we are still in one piece.
We set out from home with Glendale pulling the metal training cart– with Hubby and our young horse-loving friend Bailey– and this day I rode Gilford. I felt I would practice what Emmie had taught me in my recent Mom’s riding lesson “without stirrups to improve my balance.”
Starting out for the woods trail, passing a sheep farm (those are Gilford’s ears inside the green ear net of course… LOL)
Bailey with Dad and Glendale, who wears a fly net over his whole face and ears…
Turning around at one dead end Dad explored.
Heading up a power line cut and into the woods, Glen’s cart in the lead. Trail is a little bumpy, and Gilford doesn’t neck rein so it’s a tad tricky to steer him with one hand.
We knew that deer flies would be pretty bad in the woods this time of the summer, and they were! Our preparations of bug ointment, fly spray and ear nets slowed the deer flies down to a couple dozen per horse when we reached the wooded trail, and poor Glen in the lead was tossing his head a lot. (The lead horse attracts the worst of the bugs, which latch onto their poll at the top of their neck and buzz annoyingly around their ears.)
Entering a thicker part of the woods
The woods trail seemed pretty peaceful at first, except for deer flies…
Things weren’t too bad until we started down a sloping woods trail, when suddenly my mount Gilford, following behind the cart, began to buck and pitch a fit. I glanced back and saw what looked like a large horse fly on his rump, but I didn’t try to shoo it off– I was too busy holding his head up and single-reining him and trying to stay on him! I was also yelling WHOA! WHOA! so Dad’s passenger Bailey bailed out of the cart (she’s a sensible young girl.) Gilford passed his brother, got in front of him, then stopped and tried to scrape the bug off by rubbing himself on Glen. Not too cool, what with the shafts sticking out and Glen being harnessed to the cart.
Hubby was out of the cart too by then, he grabbed hold of Gilford’s bridle to help me, and I dismounted quickly. We both felt that Gil was being a crazy horse because of the deer flies, and we agreed we should turn back and get out of the woods. As we led the horses around to backtrack, Gil started bucking and rearing again and totally freaked out, he pulled the reins out of my hands and took off galloping back up the trail.
At that point my biggest fear was that Glen might break free of us too and take off after his brother. I had visions of him galloping up the trail with the cart flailing around behind him and crashing into a tree or worse. Hubby had Glen’s head by his left rein, so I grabbed his right rein as we both led him back up the trail. Suddenly Dad started yelling and slapping at himself– his head and neck and back! Glen jumped around then too and got very agitated.
It had taken until that moment for us to realize we were all being attacked by bees (well, wasps technically), which turned out to be yellow jackets. We hurried forward as fast as possible without letting Glendale start running. Gilford came back (not willing to go far without his brother) so I grabbed his reins again, and we booked it until we were out of the woods. Poor young Bailey got two stings which brought tears, but she was very brave.
We stopped then and scraped off a few dead wasps, we all remounted, and we headed down the streets for home. It took a while for the boys to calm down, and Gilford was understandably a bit hypersensitive to flies on the trip back. Once safely in the barn, we counted 6-8 sting welts on Gilford, 11 on Glen, and poor Hubby had nearly 2 dozen stings, including near his mouth which caused his lower lip to swell up. He iced it and took some Benadryl and aspirin. The stings had been very painful at first.
After phoning the landowner, we returned to the location later that day, for two reasons. Dad had lost his glasses (most likely while slapping himself in the face during the bee attack), plus the landowner wanted to spot the nest so he could get rid of it. We expected to find an underground nest, though we were incredulous that bees would go to ground so early in the year because that normally happens in the fall.
We found the glasses, remarkably intact, and finally spotted the yellow jacket nest– it was in a hollow stump at least 3 feet away from the edge of the trail! Those jackets had flown out and attacked the horses just for walking by in the middle of the trail!!! When we had turned around to leave, we had passed the nest again and they had converged on poor Dad, the closest to them at that point, then hit Glendale on Dad’s right. Being on Glen’s other side, I was screened by the horse and somehow I never got a sting myself.
Apparently when we first walked past the nest going out, Glen in the lead had attracted their attention but Gilford coming behind got hit by them first. Dad had brushed one off his forehead but didn’t know it was a bee. Turning around and re-passing the nest was the worst thing we could have done (perfect hindsight!) At the time neither of us realized it was bees, it all happened so fast.
In researching afterwards (yellow jackets) I learned that in late summer, because the colonies are at their fullest maxed-out size, yellow jackets CAN become even more aggressive than normal, and they are pretty bold normally. Scary way to find THAT out– but the nest was destroyed by the landowner who returned at dusk to spray it, on a couple of different evenings.
Neither Hubby nor the horses had any allergic reactions to the stings (if that’s possible for horses?) and we were terrifically lucky no one suffered other injury. This episode was much the most horrifying thing we’ve had happen with horses… horse people beware! I knew from a bee encounter on horseback years ago that underground nests can be exposed in the fall by breaking or clearing new woods trails or even traveling on unfrequented trails, but this attack in late summer was completely unexpected, and unprovoked as well in our minds. Not in the wasps’ minds though.
NOTE: If you were expecting pix of the bee attack and afterwards, dream on! You’ll just have to use your imagination! In fact if I had had my camera in hand when Gilford started bucking, there’d probably BE no camera at all anymore!
NOTE #2: Since Gilford didn’t manage to buck me off, could it be that Emmie’s riding lesson did me some good?? I can tell myself that, but I’d rather NOT put it to the test again like that!!
Sharing a couple of different training runs with the boys as a new pair, in “downtown” Gilford Village. These were late July and early August, putting mileage on them.
FYI– we started them as a pair with Gilford on the left or “near” side because he has been driving longer, is older and more experienced, so we thought he might be steadier facing oncoming traffic. (Glen on right is in the “off” position.) At some point we plan to switch places with them and see how that goes. It would be real nice, better for their continued development, if they became interchangeable.
This neighbor’s field has a couple of interesting visual obstacles, old upside-down rowboats and the like…
During Emmie’s summer visit, she came along with us for a ride in the neighborhood! Whenever their hoofbeats sound like one horse trotting, that means they are in sync with each other.
Fun long trot back out the field and into the street… but cars often pass way too fast for our tastes.
Heading out downhill on a different day, Glen nuzzling at his big brother’s face as he likes to do– the Belknap mountains seen in the distance.
This is probably a Sunday morning, because we stop by the Village store for a Sunday NY Times! Friends and neighbors say hi.
Once again we check out progress on the new Library…
…and put them on a training walk loop through the construction site.
Hardly ever bothered by stuff that doesn’t move!
More trot work in the Village downtown
Return leg, crossing a 2-lane highway
Almost home again!
Their worst “spook” so far was trotting up a steep hill in the rain, near an intersection when three cars in a row passed us in too much of a hurry, making them nervous with all the rain and wet splashy tire noise and slippery pavement, and they started into a canter for several strides. Fortunately they were very easy to slow down again, and stay pretty sensible generally.
It seems we never get tired of looking at horses’ butts!
As promised, here are PIX from Glen and Gilford’s first outing driving together as a pair (see previous post Pairs carriage driving in Chocorus NH for videos.) This was on a weekend trip where we camped two overnights and drove three different days.
Gilford and Glen in their horsecamp
Trotting out on Day 1, giving sort of a visual sense of their motion…
This is their third hitch together, the first two hitches being under supervision of the instructor at the Carriage Barn in Newton, NH.
Laurie G. harnesses her pony Sophie, while Sonja C. assists. Both gals are members of Granite State Carriage Assoc. Sophie is the little lady that Glen was smitten with during the weekend.
More Granite Staters harnessing up, daughter Taryn and mom Pat P.
Taryn and Pat pose for pix before their driveout, their snappy Appy-Arab mare in front.
Another driver, Ginger L., got many compliments on her restored antique wagon, here put to her Canadian gelding.
I’m making an attempt to keep Glen’s mane all on one side of his neck!
Putting on Glen’s hoofboots in front– Easycare Boas.
then comes the harness
Dad and I going out on Day 2 with the boys
Several of us line up for Sonja’s portrait, this one planned for the cover of GSCA’s 30th Anniversary Album, which I was finishing the design of.
Sonja got pix of us coming and going
The second night we had a tailgate pizza party, after which Dad and I rushed off to a concert in Wolfeboro!
The last day there was no escaping the drizzle– Glen’s back is pretty wet already…
but they were willing to go wherever we pointed them, even over wet slippery bridges!
Such handsome boys!! (well, WE think so– like our second set of children!)
When daughter Emmie visited in mid July, I asked her to give me a riding lesson. After falling off Glen during Tom Curtin’s Clinic in June, I decided I needed some coaching to begin developing a more secure, independent seat. Emmie was going to lunge Willy mare while I rode without stirrups or reins. (Thank you HorseGal for the pix and vids!)
You should know that I have taken maybe six riding lessons in my entire life. When I rode on other people’s horses as a teenager, what I knew about riding was from reading books and watching cowboys on TV, and whatever tips I could pick up; it was seat of the pants riding. I was lucky because at age 16-17 I got to play on one good steady horse that taught me much, but after my freshman year in college I didn’t get to ride anymore until my mid-forties, when Hubby and I got our first horse, Willy. Then, for years I learned ABOUT riding techniques, mostly second-hand, by watching Emmie’s riding lessons. I read a lot more, and studied the basics of dressage and hunt seat schooling, which was what Emmie did in her teens.
At a Walk to start out, practicing without stirrups
Walking with arms out LOL
Normally I ride in a lightweight “endurance” saddle which is western-style but without a horn; it has a leather seat and pommel and cordura nylon flaps and skirts. For this lesson, I went in an English saddle. Em instructed me to try to feel as if my heels were being pulled down into the ground, which helped my legs be stronger on the horse’s sides and my seat to sink deeper into the saddle. We discovered that my left leg was harder for me to keep straight down and steady than my right leg– I was off balance on the horse. I have probably always ridden that way, since my half-chaps have always gotten more worn on my right leg than on my left.
So I went around in circles while trying to point my toes forward, drop my weight into my heels, relax my shoulders and upper body and follow the motion of the horse with my pelvis. Immediately I was using muscles which hadn’t been used much before, stretching them in new directions while I focused on how it felt to get my center of gravity over the horse’s center of gravity.
Look ma, no hands!
Willy mare is the type of horse that will make a good rider out of anyone willing to work at it. Being an Arabian, she is sensitive to the rider’s position in the saddle, and it annoys her if her rider bounces around on her back. By watching her ears and keeping tuned in to her reactions, you can tell if you are riding in balance or not. She puts her ears back when someone gets loose and bouncy on her, or off balance in the saddle.
After a little while I do some seat action, stopping the mare by resisting with my seat and NOT following her movement, then starting the mare by making my seat more active and sort of “pushing” her with it… demonstrating her sensitivity to the rider’s weight in the saddle.
I trusted to Em to direct the mare’s speed, and without having to steer I could focus entirely on my balance and body position. I could hold my arms out or on my thighs or my head at the walk. When we first started trotting I pulled myself down into the saddle with one hand holding the pommel in front of me. After a while I felt secure enough to let go completely for a few strides at a time. I didn’t feel quite secure enough to try cantering however.
It was quite strenous to keep my heels down, and it pulled my calf muscles to point my toes straight ahead. I kept on with the self-torture however because I could feel it working. Em said she could see my leg and body positions improving. Finally she had me ride for a spell WITH stirrups, trying to replicate the same feel and position I had when stirrupless. At first I had trouble keeping the stirrup in place on the ball of my foot, which was OK because that meant I wasn’t carrying my weight on the stirrup anymore but rather into my heels– that was a good thing.
Trot work, holding myself deep in the seat with one hand, trying to keep myself there without tensing up my upper body, and letting go with the other hand.
Me taking a much-needed break
Now I feel I have some tools to use and will be able to practice better skills whenever I go riding. Emmie was an excellent teacher! Doing this stuff makes one feel like you’ve never ridden before. My legs were sore for days!
Emmie and HorseGal both managed not to laugh… here’s Em on Willy.
Three days after their first pair hitch training sessions, we took Glen and Gilford to a Granite State Carriage Association drive and ride in scenic Chocorua, NH. It was a Friday through Sunday drive, we camped for two nights and kept the boys penned inside a portable electric fence.
(For those who have trouble viewing vids, see pictures at Pair driving PICS!)
This is Glen’s first reaction to being shut into a relatively small corral with his brother, in a strange new place, with a flirty pony mare nearby to show off to. I think he had to prove he was worthy of the pony’s attention, and maybe he felt like roughhousing after the trailer ride!
With Glen being so frisky the first evening, I was a little concerned how they would be… and I had trouble getting to sleep in the trailer with them continuing to fool around outside. Sure enough, in the middle of the night I awoke to the unmistakable sound of galloping hooves. Convinced it was our boys, I crawled out of bed and got my boots on, but it turned out to be someone else’s horse who got loose! It was caught safely and all quietened down again.
Field warmup before our new pair’s first outing, as usual put to the Eagle 4-wheel carriage.
Very first driveout, first day, one of three drives we took over the weekend. We pull over to let a car pass from behind.
Second day, practicing walk-trot on woods trail. The area offered good variety of terrain suitable for carriages. However, the deer flies were pretty awful in open sections of the woods. Also, Glen wants to fuss around with his brother’s face.
On Sat. night we had tickets to a concert in Wolfeboro, so we hopped into our truck after the community pizza dinner and went to the Great Waters Music Festival while neighbor campers kept an eye on our horses!
Third day– At beginning of this vid Glen, the brown bay on the right, hops over boards covering a drainage ditch. Makes my camera hand jerk & shake a little, neither horse got upset. This last drizzly morning turned into steady rain, you can hear it on the vid. It was warm though, and we had on rain gear, and luckily our harness is synthetic!
Hesitant walk on river trail in rain. They have both stopped of their own accord, worried about the looks of the trail just ahead. After giving them a minute to look, Hubby gets them going again and they sort of creep forward, looking sideways at things as horses do. It must be their. Percheron nature that keeps them calm instead of getting all worked up.
Leave river woods trail, trot over Highway bridge. We meet GSCA friends in woods, the drive organizer leaves her warm dry truck to watch traffic for us while we pull out onto 2-lane highway for short time, crossing bridge over the river then onto a washboardy dirt road. Not sure why the camera sound changes near the end, but maybe just got too wet!
We were all soggy but happy when this drive was done, and time to pack up in the rain to return home! Other club members were complimentary (maybe even a bit jealous?), not everyone gets to drive a pair. A successful weekend overall!
NOTE: if you have trouble loading page or playing vids, please try going onto youTube and see my videos there… horsepaintings
Trucking back onto the grounds at the Carriage Barn, Newton NH, we notice Gilford and Glen in their round pen where they had spent the night… they are resting quietly (possibly snoozing), standing close and perfectly side by side, with Glen in the right hand (”off”) position the same as we have been pairs training them! We have seen this happen all the time with draft horse teams in Acadia National Park at Wildwood Stable, since those drafts have become so conditioned to being in their places as a team. To see our boys doing this now was great fun!!
Warming up on the second day, second hitch… walking around the indoor. They are sort of plodding along, and Glen fools around with big brother’s face… Mary can be heard in background praising their quick progress to an onlooker.
As our friend Clare arrived, the second session started out in the indoor arena again (no difficulties), then Mary climbed into the back of the carriage and off Hubby drove them, out the arena door, up and down the street, into and around a sand ring full of horse jumps, up and down a short steep hill… while Clare and I chased them as best we could and I took more pix.
Practicing in sand ring outside…
At the trot on straightaways they again trotted in sync much of the time. Hubby got more good pointers from Mary such as further cross rein adjustments to make. The boys were close to perfectly behaved.
Second day, second hitch as a pair, walk & trot outdoors with trainer riding inside carriage.
Continuing onto pavement out into the neighborhood… as I thank the stars they have had tons of exposure to cars, streets, roads etc.
We have gathered an audience as we conclude Session 2, Hubby taking a last solo turn around the indoor arena.
Now comes practice, practice, practice! We packed up and headed home to Gilford very satisfied and optimistic, anticipating pairs practice driving at a 3-day Granite State Carriage Drive this upcoming weekend, in a beautiful area near Mt. Chocorua!
_________________________________
Shared with permission of Mary Gray and Ann Miles at the Carriage Barn, Newton NH.
American Cowgirl is the story of the women who helped shape the American West. This trailer features Connie Reeves, who at 101 years old was still riding her horse every day. To see more about this project go to www.americancowgirl.com (fine art photographs, a short blog, etc.)
Always saddle your own horse, and go in the direction that you are heading!
[NOTE: This info is provided by a third party, and unverified... there are good thoughts here. My own comments are added in italics.]
So, you’re moving across the country and you know you can handle it. Of course you can. Your family is ready for a new beginning, your belongings are in the trucks, and you’ve got your precious, loving horse with you. There’s only one problem, this is your first time taking him for such a long drive.
Before you just stick your horse in the trailer and drive on to your destination, there is a lot to consider. Here are some guidelines to help you transport your horse safely:
Preparing your horse for trailering
First, don’t just assume that your horse is healthy enough to endure the stress of long distance travel. You should verify your horse’s health with a veterinarian. Bring enough water, or know where to stop for water, so that your horse can drink about one gallon per one hundred pounds of body weight per day. Carry enough feed for him throughout the trip, but remember - DO NOT give him any grain or rich feed prior to the move since this may cause problems in the stabilization of the large intestine. [I wouldn't give a horse any grain at all while transporting, only non-dusty hay...]
Don’t forget to practice loading and unloading your horse into a trailer as well, as this will help in case of an emergency. While teaching your horse, do not force your horse to get in and out of the trailer; instead, try to get your horse to do so on command. You might want to lower and lead them up the ramp, and then simply command them to “walk”. Also, check your horse’s shoes and make sure you have the correct bandaging for their hooves. Many horses use shipping boots, but if your horse has never used these, you might want to get your horse accustomed to them before trying them for the first time on a long trip.
[I will add, quick-release trailer ties are a good idea, and I think strong springy ties are nice that have a little give to them. Myself I use bicycle tire inner tubes to fasten my trailer ties to. Keep the ties short. Also, be really careful to secure your hay net(s) up high, with an extra fastener so that as the horse empties it, the net will not drop down to below his chest. He could get a foot caught up in it and might panic.]
Checking the horse trailer for safety
You should always ensure that the trailer is safe. All of the above preparation will be a waste of time if you have a defective horse trailer. Inspect the tires, brakes, floorboards, doors, locks, and hitch for proper functionality. Make sure the vents allow for sufficient airflow and that the temperature will be comfortable.
[Plenty of ventilation is extremely important. A light-colored interior with good head room is more inviting for the horse to load into. Dividers between horses should NOT go all the way to the floor, those often make it hard for the horse to keep his balance and he might scramble. They like to travel with their legs spread apart to the sides, it seems to help them balance. If you have a stock trailer with a box, a single horse can be trailered untied in it, or even multiple horses if they are used to that and are good friends. Use secure leg wraps.]
Choosing a carrier for horses
If you are not transporting the horse yourself, you will need to find a carrier. Make sure the horse carrier has a USDOT and MC number, which can be verified on www.safersys.org. Check that the driver is licensed and has good knowledge of the transportation laws in each state it will pass through. Make sure the driver has a live animal transport license and insurance that will adequately cover the loss, injury, or death of your horse during transport.
Following these tips for transporting your horse will not only help ease your mind; it will make your trip with your horse safer and more enjoyable, as well. We love our horses and we want them to arrive safely at their destination. So, the next time you need to transport your horse, remember these guidelines and ensure a smooth trip.
_______________________________
Written by Christine Nguyen of uShip.com, an auction-style marketplace for Horse Transport.
NOTE: if you have trouble page loading or playing vids, try going onto youTube and see my videos there… horsepaintings
WOW, today is the exciting day!! We have Glen and Gilford at the Carriage Barn in Newton, NH. We have harnessed them and led them around so they can see all the stuff in the indoor arena… several carriages and carts, mirrors, doorways etc. Trainer Mary Gray has helped us adjust harnesses and is now observing as Hubby ground drives the boys around the indoor.
Hubby ground drives the brothers for instuctor Mary Gray to watch, this is first time she has seen them or us and she evaluates their readiness.
They are fastened together at the chests only by the pole straps running off their harness breast plates. Always before (at home) we had them fastened on their hind ends as well, feeling the traces taut against their sides to encourage them to stay parallel to each other. I was wondering how they would do without feeling any traces, but they went quite well. They were a little loosey-goosey at times, spreading apart or one lagging behind, but mostly they moved in unison.
Seeing no issues at all with their ground driving, Mary had us go ahead and hitch them to our Eagle 4-wheeler. She helped us set the telescoping pole length properly and checked the fit of the harness parts relative to the pole and carriage.
Then, with a sidewalker assisting at each horse’s head (just in case), Hubby climbs into the box, says “Gilford… Glen… Walk On,” and off they drove. What a thrill! No jitters or jumpiness, no reactions, just walked and steered and that’s it. After a couple of circuits the unneeded sidewalkers sat at the end of the arena to watch (just in case) and Hubby drove around while Mary instructed and coached him, and I furiously snapped pix and video from the ground.
WALK ON says Hubby, and off they go! (first drive-around)
To say it was uneventful is true but misleading, because actually uneventful is exactly what you want. To say that the trainer was amazed is an understatement. Mary told us they were the easiest, smoothest pair she had ever seen start out. Mary commented on how often they were walking in sync with each other (legs moving together at the same striding pace), saying that is the goal with pairs and that it usually takes a lot of training and practice. Our guys were seeming to do it automatically!
Trainer/instructor Mary Gray remarking how amazing our guys are!
Mary says it was a testament to our solid ground work, their breeding and compatibility, and to being so similar in build, stride and disposition. Also that because they knew each other well, they didn’t have any horse issues to work out between them.
Hubby did some trotting then and much of their trotting was in sync too! Looking through the camera from beside them, I could frequently see only one set of legs, as if I was watching only one horse. It was awesome! You’d have to say they are well matched!
First trotting a bit rough, as horses and driver begin to learn how to be a coordinated unit.
Walking and trotting was not as smooth going around the turns at the ends of the arena; in curves and circles the outside horse must learn to stride out a little longer while the inside horse shortens his steps a little, to compensate for moving on a curve. The pairs driver much teach them this and they get better with practice. It is called keeping them both “in draft,” ie. pulling equally, which you strive for at all times, encouraging each horse to pull his half the load. The driver wants to watch the singletree behind the horses, and watch the traces for tautness, to continually finetune their efforts (or lack thereof) and keep both horses pulling evenly.
Here they smooth out and are moving very often in sync with each other. Mary coaches Hubby from the ground– it is awesome!
With nothing left to accomplish in this first hitch session, we ended for the day, leaving the boys at the stable and heading to Plum Island for a very enjoyable overnight with our friend and fellow horseperson Clare T. at her four star beach house summer home.
_________________________________
Shared with permission of Mary Gray and Ann Miles at the Carriage Barn, Newton NH.
