It’s amazing how much activity we can pack into a short amount of time isn’t it?

I hear the Prince George Reining Horse Association just had their schooling show this past weekend. There were also several clinics planned for this past weekend - Jill O’Neill and Randy Ophus in Terrace and Art Knauf in Smithers, as well as a sanctioned team penning in Williams Lake and a gymkhana in the Kispiox. Horse season would appear to be well underway up here in northern BC!

Events coming up next weekend include the Smithers 4-H Spring Show, a dressage clinic in Smithers with Annaliese Farber, a clinic in the Kispiox Valley with Jill O’Neill, a Gymkhana, Clear Round Day and Percentage Day in Terrace, and a Poker Ride in Prince George. For more details, check out the Events page

If you attend any of the local equestrian events, I’d love to hear a short report on the event. It used to be that I would travel to nearly all of them, and was able to report firsthand, but I just don’t show that much anymore. You don’t have to possess great writing skills as I’d be happy to edit it - in fact, if you can just supply me with some basic interesting details about the event (weather, number of participants, main winners if a competition, background about the coach if a clinic, basic feeling about the event from the participants and organizers, etc) I can write something up about the event myself.

Photo credit: Chris Hassell

I did my filly’s first West Nile Virus shots this weekend, so that is halfway done. I

just need to find time to get out there again to do her other shots, and then mark on the calendar when her WNV booster is due. I chose not to do her regular vaccinations at the same time so as not to overload her system. Normally I’m way farther ahead than this with my vaccinations (usually I’m all done by mid-March) but the West Nile Virus sort of threw a wrench in the works this year. At least we know to plan for it next year!

I’m struggling with the full time job I mentioned last week. Having two days off in the middle of the week made it much easier to get things done - like spending time with my horse, writing this column, catching up on emails to friends, and so on. Working full time now I don’t seem to have any time - and seeing as we keep travelling on the weekends there just isn’t much time at home!

‘ Til next week, I hope you are enjoying your four legged friends! Take your critter to some of the local events or just get out there and visit with other horse people - it’s always fun!
~ Kristi :)

Would you like to Share a Trailer Ride? View the rides offered here... or submit your offer for a ride here
Foal Announcements View the latest or...
If you have a Foal Announcement you wish to submit, click here

Last week we started the turn on the haunches, with the first part of the cue being stepping into his space by his head and clucking to him to ask for movement. Most green horses will not understand to move their shoulders sideways away from you, so this is when a secondary cue comes into play. Using the end of the lead rope, a small stick or a whip, gently tap the forearm of the horse (if you are standing on the left side of the horse, tap on the left forearm). This is a cue, so don’t think about forcing your horse over with the tap - instead use it to encourage that foreleg to step sideways towards his other front leg.

As with any cue, as soon as he tries to move in the right direction, reward him by stopping the cue and praise him with your voice and a nice scratch on the neck.

Ask him again to move away from you in the same direction. Repeat it a few more times before switching directions. Once a horse has the idea of any new movement, you can change the direction more often, but when he is first learning, try to keep from confusing him.

After a couple of lessons, when he is understanding that moving away from you is the correct response, you can get pickier by only rewarding him when he crosses over in front - this means the front foot nearest you will cross in front of the other front foot.

If he crosses behind, you may be still allowing too much rearward motion. Again, make sure you are asking him to step forward slightly with the leadrope, and that you are not exerting any rearward pressure.

Test your horse’s response by going back to the beginning of the cue - turn and face him, then step towards him, pushing your lead hand under his chin towards the opposite side. Ideally, after a bit of practice, you will only have to step towards him to cause him moving his front end away.

By this time, your horse should be fairly flexible in your maneuvring both the front and hind ends. In your practice sessions you can work first one side then the other, first one end then the other. Remember to keep these sessions short so as not to frustrate your horse (who by this time is thinking for heaven’s sake, lady, just let me stand STILL!).

After a while, start using obstacles and props to test your horse’s responses. For instance, try to move your horse’s front end towards a rail on the ground.

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

I hope that the past weeks have given you a better understanding of the highly contagious equine disease known as strangles. Between the vet info and the personal experiences, I hope you’ve been able to decide on whether or not to vaccinate, separate some fiction from the facts, and are now able to recognize the basic signs that strangles may be present in a horse.

I’ve included these links as a last set of reference tools for you. If you wish to view them, I suggest you do so right away - of the original links I had compiled two years ago, only about three of them were still legitimate sites. You could print the info and keep it in your horse’s file folder for future reference.

LINK

---> direct link

LINK

---> click on Animal Health (near the top) / then Horse (on the left side) / then Strangles (also on the left side)
---> These two sites did not need registration. They are Australian sites, but the info is still very pertinent to those of us in northern BC.

LINK

---> This is also a direct access site. You can choose to subscribe to Pet Columns if you wish.

LINK

LINK

---> the horse.com suggests subscription but I was able to access these articles without it.





If you have information to share, please email me at kristim@hiway16.com

Northern BC Horse is sponsored by local businesses who support equine sports in our area including:

• Baerental Ranch
• Burns Lake Building Supplies
• Hoskins Ford
• Northern Horse Supply
• Reimer Ranch
• Ridennoure Paint Horses
• The Tack Store

Do you have a horse or equipment to sell? Want to buy a horse or equipment? Check the Free Classified Ads