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Apply your fly spray
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To accustom your horse to fly spray, you need to teach him to stand for the spray. Similar to sacking out, the best way to approach this is slowly and by watching his body language. You may want to start with a water-filled spray bottle to cut down on wasting expensive fly spray.
I find it easiest to start on the neck and shoulder area - this seems to be the least threatening area, maybe because we do so much in that region. Spray once and then pause, reassuring the horse with your voice and hands. Each time you pause it helps teach the horse that the hissing and spray feeling of spray landing on his coat will stop.
If the horse starts moving (usually around you in a circle, as you are holding one end of the leadrope) I will usually keep holding the bottle up and out where they can see it, until they stop moving, then I will lower it as soon as they stop. You can tie a horse but some will pull back frantically to escape and can get hurt. By lowering it when they stop, it encourages them to stop and stand. Once they are standing again, I'll spray again and wait for them to stop again. It seems like doing this over a series of days works so that they are much more tolerant of flyspray.
I also think that the round penning work I talked about will make a difference to how we handle these sorts of things, as your horse will be used to being chased out when he is doing it *wrong* and standing quietly with you when he is *right*.
If you absolutely can't get your horse to let you put fly spray on (and we used to have one like that!), you can try wipes. Wipes can also be used when doing sensitive areas such as your horses face - near his eyes and ears are especially important as they are fly favourites. Instead of spraying near these, wipe your spray on with a rag, using a roll-on product, or using a fly wipe - these are towelettes like baby wipes moistened with repellent. In a pinch you can use your hands to smear the fly spray on these areas, but be sure to wash well with soapy water immediately afterwards |
| If you have tips or questions on equipment care, purchases, fit, or anything else to do with equestrian equipment, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com |
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Past articles are all available in the
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NSC Gymkhana Day report & Intro to Northwest Classic
The weather was awesome, clear and hot as usual for our July gymkhana. I don't think anyone ever goes home without a sunburn from this show!
Our judge Dianne Klick kept a watchful eye on the riders as they performed their patterns, and as there were some new ones it was fun for everyone. The Trotting Water Race was an especially fun one, as gales of laughter accompanied the attempts to keep the water in the cup. Double Scurry and Double Quads were also new classes and the fact that these classes had partners drawn made it equally fun for everyone.
There were lots of helpers that stayed the whole day to make this show run smoothly (thank you all!). Without the support from the parents and friends, we wouldn't be able to run these shows so well.
This year there weren't enough organizers ahead of time to look for sponsors, so award winners took home a nice fancy ribbon. The high point winners were:
Junior C - Roxy Schippers - Peachy
- Kelly Park - Chip
Junior B - Katie Park - Mere
- Mark deWit - Misty
Junior A - Vicky Atherton - Maple
- Ali Hepburn - Dannie
Senior - Kristi McCrindle - Raime
- Kristi McCrindle - Tex
Thanks to everyone who showed up as staff, volunteers, spectators or competitors, it was a great day and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!
The 3rd Annual Northwest Classic is being held this weekend (August 5 & 6) in Vanderhoof. With 2 judges and a full slate of Paint and Open classes, this APHA approved show has drawn entries from all over - right from the Lower Mainland to northern Alberta!
There is a full line of Open (all breed) classes and Stakes classes as well as Paint and Paint Breeding Stock classes. There are also some futurities, with the highlight being the Northwest Classic futurities - weanling halter, yearling halter and yearling lungeline classes. Horses entered in these classes were sired by the nominated stallions from the 1998 and 1999 Northwest Classic Stallion Service Auctions.
The show is being organized by three hardworking and very dedicated ladies from Vanderhoof, Burns Lake and Topley. It is a large show in terms of draw for competitors and therefore must be run professionally each year, and these ladies have done a great job so far!
For more info on the Northwest Classic (the Paint & Open Show or Stallion Service Auction), you can call Barb at 250-692-4347.
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| If you have tips or questions you'd like to share with other local equestrians, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com |
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| Northern B.C. Horse is brought to you courtesy of our advertisers including:
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Thanks to our advertisers for making this all possible...
...for information about advertising, email jim@hiway16.com
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New to showing series...I
Way back when we did our first reader survey (almost time for another one, our readership has grown!), there was some interest expressed in having articles for those people who are new to showing. I've been writing for a while now, trying to compile a series of good information for the new horse show person. Seeing as I'm heading off to Alberta this weekend, I figured it was a good time to pull them out and start the series.
Terms to know for a horse show newbie
Might as well begin here, so we're not confusing anyone new to showing with the terms we throw about during the next several columns in the series.
Rail - the fence along the outside of the arena in question. Riders in pleasure classes follow the fence, or *stay on the rail*.
Rein Back - back up your horse. Some judges will specify a number of steps (each front foot moving counts as a step), or a number of strides (count one front foot each time it moves), or they may just leave it up to you, in which case backing a horse length or about 10 feet is appropriate.
Line Up - when all the entries in a rail class turn off the rail and line up in front of the ring steward (or sometimes judge, listen carefully to the announcer).
Maiden - a maiden entry is one that has not won a first in that type of class (ie, a Maiden English Pleasure horse has not won a 1st place in any English Pleasure class).
Novice - a novice entry is one that has not won three 1sts in that type of class (ie, a Maiden Western Pleasure horse has not won three 1st places in any Western Pleasure class).
Whipper In - the person who checks you into the arena when it is your turn to show (no whips used!)
Ring Steward - the person who goes with the judge and relays their instructions to the riders. Questions to the judge must be addressed to the ring steward.
Hors Concours (pron. O-con-core) - non-competitive. If hors concours is allowed, it means you can enter a class for the experience and not be judged (ie, no ribbon). Hors concours is most often used for pleasure classes, for instance to see if your walk-jog horse is ready to try a lope class. It can also be used sometimes in pattern classes such as seeing if your dressage horse is ready for a level jump, but some shows won't allow hors concours in patterned classes as each extra rider makes the show last that much longer.
No Cross Entry - means that a horse/rider combination entering a No Cross Entry class may not enter another class of the same type. Each club may have slightly different rules about cross entry, so be sure to read carefully.
Can you think of other terms you wondered the meaning of? Email me at kristi@hiway16.com and I'll try to run them in an upcoming column.
If you have tips or questions you'd like to share with other local equestrians, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com
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If you are new to Northern B.C. Horse, check out all the previous issues on the Archive page.
Kristi is building a great knowledge base about horses, with the emphasis on our area of the world.
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Western, English, Penning or Trail riding, all equine sports have a voice on Northern B.C. Horse
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Take your western pleasure horse to a team penning practice, or take your dressage horse on a trail ride... change the scenery for both of you and you'll be amazed at how nice it is to come back to your main focus afterwards.
