I’d like to start this week’s column by making you aware of my new email address - kristim@hiway16.com

A big thanks to Dianne Klick, for keeping us up to date on the news for Horse Council Zone Seven.


Horse Council BC Zone Seven Equine Seminar held March 1 & 2 was a success with 22 people on Saturday and 24 on Sunday. The Back Country Horsemen had a great display and presentation but could have used more participants. Saturday Biz Bastian presented Homeopathy for Horses and Donna Hawkins, our main speaker presented Judging and scoring of Western Pleasure, Hunt Seat, Trail Class, Horsemanship and Reining.

Photo credit: Chris Hassell

Sunday the new Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) team presented their new program in the zone. Donna Hawkins spent the rest of the day with the New Teaching Methodology now mandatory for Coaches. It was a great way to start off the season and Zone Seven thanks all those who supported it. We hope to have a form for function clinic in September. Keep in touch.

Dianne Klick, director.

That’s all for this week!
~ Kristi :)


(Kristi has updated the 2003 Events List, again)

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One of the more common complaints of owners of spoiled horses is that the horse simply won’t move his body when the handler asks. This horse may not lead well, back up hardly at all, and may completely refuse to move laterally when asked by a handler on the ground.

I’ve heard these horses called stubborn and stupid but really, the fault lies with the handler more than the horse.

Any time a horse does not move as he has been asked, there are a few things that may be going on. The horse may be afraid, and depending on the cause of the fear, may not be capable of performing as requested. For instance, if you are asking your horse to move over towards something that frightens him, chances are you will not succeed - his fear of that scary object is stronger than his respect for you.

Another possibility is that he is not with you at all in his thoughts. This can happen when something else is going on around him that frightens or distracts him. Sometimes it is forgivable, sometimes it is not, and only you can make that distinction.

Again, an example. If you are trying to move your horse around and he is ignoring you because he is looking at the other horses running around outside, that is lack of respect. However, if that horse is ignoring you because you are in a pen with some other horses and they are attacking your horse, well, it would be nice if he would listen to you but you can see why he is a little preoccupied!

Of course, a very common reason for a horse not to respond as requested is very simply a lack of understanding of the cues. As with all of the other training we have discussed, consistency is a huge part of making cues work. This means always using the same cues for the same things, and to make sure that other people handling your horse know those cues and the right way to enforce them if necessary.

The way to ensure that a horse respects you is to insist that they respond to your cues each and every time. Horses learn by repetition, and by consistent and fair handling. A horse that has respect for you is more likely to learn from you, and you can earn this respect quite easily if you know how and apply it consistently.

Continued next week....

If you have comments or suggestions along the way, please share with me at kristim@hiway16.com

As in the last few weeks, the following information does not come from veterinarians, but is compiled from emails that I received when I was on the quest for information about strangles. If you suspect strangles in your horses, please always start by contacting your veterinarian.
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Personal stories continued...
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My personal experience with Strangles was three years ago. The ranch where I bought and had my horse at the time had no Strangles in it. The owner and I took a stallion he was showing and hauled my mare so I could ride around for experience at a local county fair. We did not keep our horses in stalls that day, just rode and tied occasionally to the trailer. Because he was riding a stallion, there was no up close and personal visitation while he rode. Because I was very new at riding my horse out of the ranch setting, there was no contact up close and personal with anyone. We hauled home late that afternoon and all was well.

A few days later, my horse, the horse that showed, and a few of the 4/5 year old's had signs of Strangles as well as the entire yearling barn, e.g., fever, runny nose, mild cough. We had a vet come out immediately and make a diagnosis. It was Strangles.

We treated our horses with some sort of antibiotic, watching their temperatures throughout the day. The senior horses had a good enough immune system that they never got it. The yearlings were kept separated in their barn and treated, the Strangles lasted a little longer with them. Within 3 weeks my horse, as well as the other 3-5 year old's who got Strangles, made full recoveries.

In the area where we picked it up, which is very rural, a particular big barn had Strangles running through it, but it was several miles away and no one from that barn had shown at the fair. Since we didn't have any close contact with other horses, whether it was a correct assumption or not, was that it travelled through the air; maybe by the flies...I don't know. We never changed bedding or had to go to any extremes treating our horses, just the antibiotics for a few days and not riding long or where there was dust.

I have kept my horse vaccinated against Strangles ever since. I was at a horse show a month ago where someone was talking about their horse having just had it; it was there and showing. It irritated me that they would bring a horse who just had it, especially since I was standing right by it. But, we never picked it up; my horse just turned six so her immune system and the vaccine I presume are working.
Jana
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If you have information to share, please email me at kristim@hiway16.com

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