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All about horses in northern B.C. Issue #2: November 8, 1999 by Kristi McCrindle, editor What an eye opener... three weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit Spruce Meadows, not just as a spectator, but as the friend of an owner of a horse competing... I tell you, it was an experience! Anyone who has ever competed in a jumping class will be able to appreciate the training that goes into a jumper, and the higher the fence, the more skill required of both horse and rider. It was really interesting to be behind the scenes, and to see up close and personal such Canadian celebrities as Jonathan Asselin and Gail Greenough. Watching these masters ride was a real treat! Seeing the incredibly well designed courses was an experience in itself - each jump is a piece of art. Right from the grand entry way, an arched white trellis complete with a lift-arm to allow horses entry to the ring, to the multitude of fancy jumps, everywhere you looked was a kaleidoscope of colours. Following the harvest theme of the Harvest Indoor Tournament, standards were created to look like grain elevators and sported bird houses and decorations such as bushels of pumpkins, straw bales and cornstalks. Flowers and shrubs were everywhere! There was even a grand-looking center stage the Spruce Meadows people refer to as "the play pen", where the judges and visiting officials sit during the event. These officials were chief officers and vice presidents of the major sponsors of the event, in this case Royal Bank for one, and Canadian Regional Airlines for another - quite grandiose indeed! But the other thing I found very intriguing was that behind all the colourful flowers and fancy jumps, each rider was still just a horseman (or woman!) working with a horse, trying to make the best out of a partnership. Each team warms up first, then does their best against the course and the clock. Each horse still goes back to its stall and a well deserved grooming when it is finished. Each rider is faced with accepting victory or defeat with grace. If all those riders are normal people just like you and me, it shows what heights can be achieved by us doesn't it? Till next week - happy riding! email to editor: kristi@hiway16.com

A common topic here in our north country is whether or not to blanket our horses in the winter. You will find that horses climatize themselves very well, and as long as they have some kind of shelter from the wind, most of them do quite well without blankets. As the daylight shortens in the fall, it signals the horse's body to produce longer, thicker hair. The cooler the weather, the more the hair coat will puff up, which is creating an air space between the skin and the outside air, essentially making a layer of insulation. Blanketing simply flattens that hair, which reduces the natural ability of the hair coat to keep the horse warm. Another problem that comes up with blanketing is when to and when not to - what happens when it warms up during the day causing your horse to be uncomfortable with his *jammies* on? If he sweats due to too many layers, he is worse off than he would have been without a rug. On the other hand, if your horse is down in weight going into the winter, blanketing might not be a bad idea to allow the calories from their food intake to go into fat deposits instead of keeping them warm. Next week? We'll talk about blanket fit, so if you have questions about fitting a blanket, please email me this week at kristi@hiway16.com. I've also been personally addressing the issue of *to clip or not to clip*, and as I plan to bring it up in successive weeks, please send your comments in on body or trace clipping as well.	Past articles are all available in the More on Care and Feed next Monday If you have tips you'd like to share with other equestrians, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com Northern B.C. Horse is brought to you courtesy of our advertisers including: The Tack Store Ridennoure Paint Horses Burns Lake Building Supplies Hoskins Ford Uniglobe Travel North Thanks to our advertisers for making this all possible... ...for information about advertising, email jim@hiway16.com	Hmmm.... here I was busy busy with the other columns of this page, and I haven't given any thought yet at all to technique! Perhaps then I'll go with what *Slider* started on Horse Talk. Slider tells us that we need to remember that for a horse to go somewhere, it will follow its nose. If you think about that, it is true - a horse will turn its head in the direction it wants to take, and then the shoulders follow behind. This comes in handy when we are trying to lead a young horse or a balky horse. When first halter training a young horse, you'll very rarely find a horse that will step forward in response to a direct pull on the halter rope. In fact, the horse's natural impulse is to set back and pull hard against the rope. Seeing as we want the horse to become a willing partner, this is not a good way of getting where we want to go. Instead, try to pull gently towards one side or the other. The effect of this is to turn the horse's head and neck in a chosen direction (do pull gently though, or you can cause neck injuries, especially with a young foal). Because the head and neck weigh so much, this movement off-balances the youngster, usually causing them to take a step towards the direction of the pull. Immediately release the pressure on the rope and praise the horse. Then ask for another step in the opposite direction, pull just enough to off-balance the horse, releasing as soon as he starts to step towards you. At first you might feel like you are zig-zagging instead of getting anywhere, but soon you'll be walking a straight line with a willing horse that is learning to go in the direction of the pull without learning to pull back. This method also works well with a full grown horse that is being balky. Just tug him off balance one way, then the other, until his resistance to being led forward breaks down and he walks on with you. In both cases, you are reaffirming to the horse to follow his nose to get where he has to go. If you have a technique question, or a training tip you'd like to share with us, please email me at kristi@hiway16.com. Events: please contact me with your events, we'd love to add them to our schedule! Western, English, Penning or Trail riding, all equine sports have a voice on Northern B.C. Horse.

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