Rider Balance.

If you, for one moment don't think that your balance does not greatly effect your horse's ability to perform, let me lay out a scenerio that will likely clear it right up for you.

Let's say that you are a 130 pound woman, in good shape.  Find two kids, one that is roughly 20% of your body weight, so about 26 pounds; and the other about 30% of your body weight, so about 39 pounds.  Please use either your kids or a friend's kids for this, I don't want you going to jail and saying that I told you to do it. Lol!  Just playing with ya some.  Now, with you standing upright, like you normally would put the first kid on your back, and have him/her stay as balanced as they can and hand on as best they can.  Walk around with them like that for a little while to see how it feels.  Once you get the feel for that, start having the kid lean left or right, forward or backwards.  Compare the two feelings mentally.  Now, get down on your hands and knees and give them a horsey ride.  Again, once with them balanced and again with them leaning in every direction.  Notice how differently you have to move to stay underneath them when they are leaning.  Now, repeat his entire process with the heavier kid.

By the time you finish this exercise with both kids, you will more clearly see how your balance or lack thereof effects you horse's performance of even the simplest tasks.  The weights that I used as examples are common percentages that we regularly expect our horses to cart around on a daily basis, so it really isn't unrealistic to use those same figures.

Ok, so you have some balance issues that are effecting your horse's performance.  Where do you start to correct it?  Well, first things first.  Check out yesterday's entry titles "Importance of Saddle Fit for Horse and Rider."  Make sure that your saddle is not hindering your effort at a balanced ride.  For the sake of this post we're going to say that the saddle fits the horse and you properly, and move right along.

Ok, the saddle fits you and the horse, what's next?  Let's do some exercises that will help evaluate your balance.  Take a 4" x 4" x 8', and place it on the ground.  Can you walk from one end to the other without falling off or rushing through because you lost your balance?  If the answer is no, then you need to work on your balance on the ground before worrying too much about your balance when mounted.

How do you work on your balance to improve it?  You have quite a few options and they can be a simple or a complicated as you wish to make them.  On the simple side, you can work on increasing the time that you can stand on one foot without losing your balance.  Start on level ground and work up to using a balance board or ball.  On the more complicated end, hire a personal trainer, and work with him/her to improve and balance out your over-all strength.  Also go to some yoga classes to help you remain flexible and also aide in increasing your balance.  Now, most of us will fall somewhere between those two extremes, and some of us will do nothing at all to improve out balance.

So, let's say that you fall somewhere between the two extremes.  You have access to a gym, either at home or a membership, but you don't really have access to a personal trainer, or you really just can't afford to use one.  That's alright, in today's world the internet can provide you with plenty of information to get you started.  Sites like www.bodybuilding.com offer free memberships, and offer thousands of articles written by personal trainers to get you started.  The thing that you have to keep in mind, is that your core strength is what helps keep you balanced.  I mean your abs, right?  Wrong!  I mean the entire trunk of your body, abs, chest, upper back, lower back, and obliques, trained in symmetry to create a strong base from with your arms, legs, and head extent from.  If your core is symmetrically strong, it will increase your over all balance, both in and out of the saddle.  The key is for opposing muscle groups to be equally strong, because they pull on each other, to stabilize the body.

Many exercises work more than one area of the body at the same time.  So, instead of just aimlessly going from station to station at the gym, write out a clear and precise plan for the day that includes; which part of the body you will target, which exercises, how many sets, how many reps per set, and the weight used for each exercise, even if it is just your own body weight.  Make a plan and stick to it.  Your balance will not improve over night, but it will improve, but it is something that will have to be continually worked on.  Which is only fair, we expect our horses to get into shape for riding, so should we.

Improving your balance will not only improve your riding ability, it will increase your horse's athletic performance as well, because he/she will no longer have to compensate for your imbalance.  Over time, as you and the horse get accustomed to your new found balance, your confidence will increase and so will your horse's.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

Importance of Saddle Fit for Horse and Rider.

I'm sure that anyone who has spent any amount of time in a saddle knows how important it is that the saddle fits both the horse and rider properly.  But, for someone that is new to horses and riding a quick internet search will turn up over-whelming results on the topic, this particular part of this blog is likely one of them.  What makes this blog any different from any of the other results?  Nothing really, I guess.  You will likely find the same information here, as you would on any number of the thousands of websites.  What's the difference, you may ask?  I'm going to try to explain it in a way that literally anybody can understand.  I will use examples that you can identify with, and correlate to the horse.  Proper saddle fit, regardless of discipline, is important.

Now, for obvious reasons, if you use a treeless saddle, your saddle will fit almost any horse, as long as the horse is not extremely narrow or long in the back.  But, be aware that these saddles can be quite expensive, and the special blanket that has to be used with them are as well.  The only discipline in which a treeless saddle is not available for, to my knowledge, would be roping, either calf or team, and bull dogging or steer wrestling.  The tree is needed in those activities for extra support to the horse's back.  The main fitting issue with a treeless saddle is it properly fitting the rider, but I'm not to that part of this subject yet.

Regardless of whether you ride English, Western, Australian, endurance or what ever type of saddle, there are different tree styles, gullet widths.  There are even saddles in which the gullet width can be changes, but those are mostly English style saddles in my experience.  If you are not sure if your saddle fits your horse properly, you have a few options.  The cheapest option is looking at how it sits on your horse's back without the pad or blanket, and without being cinched up at all, simply placed on their back where it goes.  It should appear level, with neither the front for back being higher or lower than the other.  You should be able to run your hand between the saddle and the horse's back from front to back on both sides, with little resistance and no gaps or pressure points.  One of the easiest ways to tell is when you take the saddle and blanket off after a good ride, in which the horse begin to sweat.  If there are any dry spots, that is where the saddle is putting more pressure and it doesn't fit properly.

Another cheap way, considering your internet speed and usage, is to look up videos on the internet about fitting saddles.  I'm positive that youtube will have multiple videos on the subject.  Most reputable tack stores will have someone that knows how to properly fit a saddle to both the horse and the rider, and most will not mind your horse being hauled to their place.  Some places may even check your current saddle for proper fit, in hopes of you remembering that in the future when you want a new high ticket item.  If you have the resources, you can also hire a professional saddle fitter to come to your place and evaluate your horse for saddle fit.

** Something to keep in mind.  Saddles fit differently, as the horse's body condition changes.  Think of the saddle much like your favorite clothes in this manner.  As you gain or lose weight, the clothes fit differently than they did.  The same goes with a saddle that fits a horse.  If th horse was in tip top condition when you had the saddle fitted to it, it may very well become ill fitted as the horse loses conditioning for whatever reason.  So, just because the saddle fits today, does not mean that it will still fit properly six months from now.  So, with that in mind, saddle fit should be checked regularly.  And anytime there is what seems to be a sudden change in behavior that is not favorable, like grumpiness, bucking, rearing.  Check the saddle for proper fit, and other areas for pain before assuming that it is training related.  It may take a chiropractor and some time for the horse to realize that the saddle is no longer the problem, but maybe it was to begin with.

Back to the subject at hand.  A saddle that is too narrow places all of the rider's weight on the outside edges of the tree, instead of spreading it evenly over the entire tree like it is meant to.  Think of it like your 10 pound puppy standing on you where most of it's weight is on one of it's legs.  It doesn't take long for that puppy to feel a lot heavier than it actually is.  Whereas, if that same puppy is standing squarely on all four legs, you barely notice it at all.

The too narrow saddle also pinches at the shoulders and/or the hips, causing a restricted movement.  You will probably notice a change in the way the horse moves.  Think of this like wearing a button up shirt that is too tight across the shoulders and chest.  If you stay within the confines of the shirt, it greatly reduces your range of motion.  The same goes with pants that are too tight, especially if those pants are made of a material like denim that does not easily stretch.  Don't believe me, put on the tightest pair of jeans that you can fit into, and try to mount a tall horse from the ground.  Then try it again with a pair that fits properly.  It will be a whole lot easier the second time, I promise.

Over time, using a saddle that is too narrow will produce a sore back, white scars from pressure sores, an altered way of moving, and will usually change a horse's attitude about being ridden, but not in a good way.  Most of these issues are correctable, with usually some adjusting by a chiropractor, a proper fitted saddle, time, and exercise.  The only one that can not be corrected or fixed is the scars from high pressure areas, which these usually show up around the withers.

A saddle that is too wide, will rest the majority of the rider's weight directly on the horse's withers and/or back bone, instead of spreading it over the total area of the tree like it should.  These saddles are easier to compensate for with pads that are built up on the sides, but a properly fitted saddle is still better than just making due with pads.  To give you something to compare this to, imagine being on your hands and knees on the floor, and someone else placing 10%, 20%, 30%, or even 40% of your body weight directly on your spine.  Doesn't sound comfortable to try, much less to try to move around with it for very long on your level floor, much less outside on uneven ground for 30 minutes or longer.

Needless to say, this type of ill-fitting saddle will definately have you calling the chiropractor, if left unattended to.  Of the two main types of fitting issues, this one is easier to correct with saddle pads, especially if you buy a pad that has adjustable shims, shim pockets.  These pads are usually plain colored and ugly as home made soap, but can be covered with a navajo blanket of your choosing.  I would rather have a saddle that is too wide than too narrow, because it can be adjusted somewhat with a pad.

Now, in a perfect world, all horses would fit in one width of tree, and I mean fit it properly.  In a near perfect world, all horses would fit into one of the categories above, wide or narrow.  Alas, this world is no where near perfect, and many horses fall somewhere between wide and narrow, and some are a combination of the two.  Ever seen a horse that the saddle fits toward the back, but is too wide at the withers, so it sets almost directly on top of the withers.  You try a narrower saddle on the same horse and now it fits better at the front, but is too narrow in the pack and pinches the hips.  What do you do for this horse?

There are a few issues for this horse, and the first couple are restricted by your budget.  The first option is to have a saddle custom built, tree and all, to fit the horse and you.  This option is VERY expensive and out of reach financially for most recreational riders and some that are considered professionals.  Another option is going treeless.  This can also be expensive as the cheapest quality treeless saddle that I have found was >$800.00, and they can go up considerably from there.  The final option is to choose the wider treed saddle, and use a shim pad to fill in the gaps at the shoulders, while making sure that the spine/withers have good clearance of the saddle with weight in the saddle and the girth tightened properly.

A saddle that is ill-fitted to the horse also effects you!  A saddle that is too narrow will leave you sitting way above the horse, and leave you with an unbalanced and disconnected feeling.  A tree that is too wide will have you closer to the horse, but will leave you feeling unbalanced from side-to-side as the horse moves beneath you.  A saddle that is too wide in front but fits in the back, or a saddle that fits in the front and is too narrow in the back, will leave you feeling tipped forward and unbalanced.  When the saddle fits the horse properly, it will actually help you stay balanced instead of throwing you off balance.  Now that is not the only balance issues that you may or may not have, but your saddle should not hinder your balance in anyway.

Now, on to the saddle fitting you.  To me, I prefer the saddle to fit like a good pair of gloves or jeans.  It should neither be too tight not too loose.  I'll explain the seat fitting first.

A saddle that is too small will push your center of gravity up and out of the saddle.  Just a small amount of unexpected movement will place you firmly on the ground, unless you are extremely talented at hanging on and part tree frog.

A saddle that is too big, will not help you hold your seat because it will offer you no support, which is kinda on of the purposes of the saddle to begin with.  A rider should not have a whole lot of movement from front to back in the saddle.  You should lean forward from the hips, not actually slide forward in the saddle.  You should sit deeper with your seat, and some lean slightly back from the hips, not move back in the saddle completely.

A saddle that fits you will feel snug, not tight, but allow for some movement, but not excess movement.  Sounds confusing right?  Ladies can relate proper saddle fit with a good pair of control top pantyhose.  Too small, and they cut you in half; too big and they don't do their job.  When you get the right fit, it helps you control what needs to be controlled, but doesn't really restrict your range of motion.  Guys, I guess you could compare it to a jock strap.  Sorry for being so personal with these comparisons, but they were the best ones that I could think of.

Once you make sure that the seat fits you properly, you will need to adjust the stirrup length to the proper fit for you.  Stirrup length is something that varies greatly from rider to rider, and to most riders it is influenced greatly by discipline, experience, and personal preference.  At first riders may want a little more contact with the stirrup, and that is fine; as their confidence grows so can the length of the stirrup leather.

Too short stirrups.  If you stand up in the stirrups and can place more that 4 of your fingers between you and the saddle, your stirrups are too short.  If you look like you are sitting in a chair, they are too short.

Too long stirrups.  If you have to keep your legs completely straight to keep any contact with the stirrup, they are too long.  If you are having trouble swinging your off side leg over, try shortening your leather a notch or two and try again.

Right length, you will know that your stirrup length is right for you, when you can sit, relaxed in the saddle and maintain a comfortable (for you) level of contact with the stirrups without having to push down or pull up your feet.  For me, I know that my length is right when I can feel light pressure from them on the balls of my feet, with my legs totally relaxed as the horse walks around.  I keep my heels down to where it looks like I am standing on a level surface barefoot.  After several minutes of riding, I should not be feeling it in my knees.  If I am, they are too short.  If I am constantly loosing a stirrup, it is too long.

Now, regardless of discipline, every rider should learn to ride every gait and several maneuvers without the aide of stirrups.  This is extremely difficult for some riders, especially if they have balance issues, but it will show you what you need to be working on, because 9 times out of 10, a rider's weaknesses become very obvious when a stirrup or two are lost.  Now, there are the rare riders that naturally, actually ride better without stirrups.  These riders actually need more work with the stirrups.

Ok, now that saddle seat and stirrup length have been looked at, let's look at one final point, that to me is usually determined by discipline and rider preference; and that is stirrup width, which seems to be a mostly Western discipline issue, but still bares looking into.  If you spend long hours in the saddle, either trail riding, ranch work, or training multiple horses per day, a wider stirrup (1 1/2" - 2" wide) gives you more support.  A lot of ropers prefer a wider stirrup.  To me, they are too heavy feeling on me and I don't like them, so I don't use them.  Then there is the narrower stirrups (1" - 1 1/4" wide), they do not offer as much support or gripping surface.  These stirrups are lighter feeling, but easier to lose, so if your riding ability falls apart with the loss of a stirrup, either work to improve it or stick to a wider stirrup.  Then there is the oxbow stirrup (< or = to 1" wide), and these are an acquired taste, ability, or whatever else you want to call it.  I am still getting used to mine, and if I could find lace-up boots that weren't work boots, I would go back to the stirrups that came on my saddle so quick your head would be left spinning like a top.

Once you get the seat fit, stirrup length, and if applicable stirrup width right for you, you can enjoy a comfortable and secure ride that is not interfered with by a piece of equipment that is made to help you.  A properly fitted saddle is equally important to both horse and rider, and is something that should be checked often, on both sides of it, because as you and the horse change shape, the fit of the saddle changes as well.  This is something to always keep in mind.

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time,
Lisa

My Preference of Halter.

I know that there are several types of halters for a person to choose from.  There are nylon web halters, leather halters, store bought rope halters, "cowboy" or shipping halters, the clinicians' rope halters, and home-made rope halters.  The last one is my absolute must have type of halter.

I tie my own halters, and braid the lead ropes to go with them.  I could buy cheap rope to make the halters, but instead I buy a military grade 550 cord or para cord.  It is thin, but strong, and soft and flexible to the touch.  I have found that it will get a horse's attention with a lighter touch than even some of the big name clinician's halters will, and they won't knock the hide off the horse like some of the stiffer rope halters will.  I understand that a lighter touch is required with them,  While I would not recommend my halters for a hard handed person, they work just fine for me.

Everyone has their preferences where halters are concerned, and while I absolutely love the look of a well made leather halter on a horse, I prefer the functionality of a rope halter to any other.

I guess that I should explain why I prefer my home-made halter over the other types of halters and explain what it is I do not like about each type; even though some types have the same issues as others.  Those that have similar issues, I will group togther.

• Nylon-web/leather halters - My first draw-back to these halters, is the hardware on them.  The hardware is usually the first thing to break, on the nylon halter and the leather version, if the leather is not taken care of.  Plain and simple, the hardware is the weakest part of these halters.  My second drawback is the width of the halter.  For training purposes, it is too wide and disperses the pressure too much.  They are ok for horses that are well trained, but in my opinion training is never finished.  So, these halters are just not for me.
• "Cowboy" or Shipping Halters - While these halters have no hardware to break, they are often made of cheap material, and not worth spending my hard earned money on.
• Store-bought Rope Halters - While it is not uncommon to find these for $10.00 or less, they are cheaply made and it is quite obvious.  Again, no hardware to break, but the lead rope is simply tied on and usually cheap as well.  They are usually easily broken.  For training purposes they are too weak to hold up to a horse pulling on them very much at all, especially if teaching a horse to stand tied.
• Clinician Rope Halters - While the material used to tie these are considerably higher quality than the general store bought rope halter, the difference in material does not justify the price difference!  Most of what you are paying for is the actual clinician's name, not the material quality.  Most of these do not come with a lead rope of any kind, and you can easily expect to spend anywhere between $40.00 to $60.00 for the halter and lead together.  To me that is just too much.
• Home-made Rope Halters - The biggest downfall of these lies in the person's ability to tie a knot and follow directions.  If you are not someone who can read directions and follow them, you can probably find a video on www.youtube.com that will show you how.  The advantage is you can choose the quality of material that you want, based on how you use it and your preferences, and of course, your budget.  That's nothing to be ashamed of, we all have them.  You also get to choose whether the lead is permanently attached or has a clip, and the lead rope can be braided out of the same rope type/style/color as the halter to produce a truly matched set.  Also, if you choose to put a clip on it, you get to choose the kind of clip that you like to use.

** Just a side note - I personally am not what you would consider a creative or artsy type person.  But, I find tying halters and braiding lead ropes very relaxing and fun.  I may, in the future consider offering my halter/lead set for sale, just because I enjoy making them so much.  I wouldn't make much profit from them, because it takes so long to do the lead ropes (5-6 hours, of non-stop work), and no one would pay for that. But, I have considered having the lead ropes tested for breaking strength, just to see what it was.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.  Everyone that deals with horses has to figure out what works for them.  While my rope halters work for me, you might find that you prefer a nylon web halter works best for you.  Just like training horses, different things work for different people and horses.  Find what works best for you and your horse.  At the end of the day, it's not so much how you got it done, as it is the fact that you did get it done!

Good luck, happy trails, stay safe, and God bless you and yours.

Until next time, 

Lisa

Apologies to Everyone.

I must apologize to everyone who takes the time to read my writings, over the last year multiple dramas have totally sapped my will and drive to write.  I seriously need and plan to do better.  I plan on writing about several topics that cover horses, and possibly a few that cover the people that love and care for them.  I don't know why my drive/want to write has suddenly returned, but I am thankful that it has, and feel the need to have a pen and paper in hand when seated.  I'm sure that my "articles" will have no type of chronological order to them, as I usually write about whatever crosses my mind when at the barn, or speaking to another person about horses, especially if it is a person that is just learning about horses.

I look forward to the future comments from readers, and sharing knowledge on a subject that I just love to talk about, so, "lets get talking!"

How to Grow Out a Mane & Tail

There are many ways to grow a mane and tail out, but your end results will be determined by genetics and nutrition.  It is impossible to have a thick, beautiful mane and tail on a horse that does not have the genetic potential to do so.  On the same note, a horse that has the potential for a great mane and tail will not be able to fulfill that potential without the proper nutrition.  It is a whole lot like the different hair types in humans, you end up with what your mother and father gave you, and your level of nutrition directly affects the quality of hair that you get to make use of.  So, before you begin to work to get that beautifully thick mane and tail, you need to take an honest look at what you have to begin with.  Make sure that all of your horse’s nutritional needs are being met, because no topical concoction will do near as much for the hair health and growth as good as nutrition will.  Now that we have the genetics and nutrition covered, we can move on to a couple of ways to help the hair grow out and to protect it from breakage.

One of the most popular methods for growing out the mane and tail is to braid them to help protect them from breakage.  The downfall of braiding is that if the braids are too wide or too tight, the braids will pull out or break the hairs when the horse lowers it’s head to eat.  That is the opposite of what you are wanting.  Another downfall is, if the braids are left in too long, they can actually become tangles up, and the process of getting them out can break or pull out the hair.  A reasonable time is two weeks maximum, anything longer and you risk them tangling up.  For the purpose of growing out a mane, I like to use braids that are about an inch wide at the top maximum.  I braid them loosely where they can expand some without pulling and breaking the hair.  I want the hair clean, conditioned, and dry.  Do not use anything that has silicone in it, like Show Sheen, on a regular basis.  To remove tangles or for a show, it is ok, but on a daily basis it will dry out and damage the hair.  I like coconut oil worked into the mane sparingly about once a week at most.  It will help moisturize the hair and make it manageable for braiding, but if you use too much it will make the hair too slick to braid.  I use electric tape to tie the braids at the bottom, it does not degrade in the sun and just fall off like the rubber bands and does not pull as much hair out either, when you remove them to take the braids out.  Since I am too lazy to remove the braids weekly for the oil treatment, I will simply work the oil into the mane bed.  When I take the braids out, I will let the hair rest for a day or two before braiding the hair back up.

As for braiding the tail, I do not personally like doing it, but some people do.  So, I will explain how to.  I want the tail clean, either wash it completely or do a vinegar wash, conditioned, and dry.  Work the coconut oil into it, again sparingly, too much will make it too slick to braid.  The braid needs to start at the end of the dock, and be braided loosely to the end.  There are many options when braiding tails; just braiding it without a bag, a braid in bag, a drop in bag, an old tube sock, or wrap the braid up in vet wrap or Sarhan Wrap  If you are doing this during the summer, you do need to provide something for the horse to use as a swatter, even if it is running hay string through the braid to kind of replace their tails while it is braided up.  You will also need to keep the horse sprayed with fly spray, and I also like providing them with a Rabon block as well.  Anything to help with reducing the fly population, right!?!?  The tail braid is easier and less time consuming to take down and put back up, so if I do braid I will do and re-do it weekly.  I will let the tail rest for a day or so between taking it down and putting it back up.

The other option is growing out manes and tails is not braiding them.  This is the easier option.  I have heard to never brush the mane or tail unless it is damp with some kind of conditioner, I have heard that it should only be brushed dry, I have heard to not brush it at all but to pick it out with your fingers.  I’m going to explain how I do my horses’ manes, everyday or every other day.  If I need to use a leave in conditioner, I will mix one part cheap human conditioner with one part water in a spray bottle, shake well and spray on as needed.  **Check the ingredients for silicone or any –cone and try to avoid them completely if possible.  If you can not, make sure that they are closer to the end of the list then the beginning, the farther they are down the list, the less is in the mix.  When I comb the mane or tail, I start at the bottom and work my way up gradually.  In general, I use a wide toothed comb, but I keep a rat tailed comb to help pick out tight knots, or any knots really.  I still do the weekly coconut oil treatments, but have found that after these treatments the hair does not tangle as much.  I have also noticed that damp hair tends to stretch rather than break, but healthy hair will not break as easily as dry hair anyway.

Regardless of what method you use to grow out your horse’s mane and tail, there are factors that will determine your end results.  The first factor is genetics.  Without the right genetics, no amount of nutrition and care will give you a thick, long mane and tail.  The second factor is nutrition.  Even with great genetics, without proper nutrition the hair will never live up to it’s potential.  If you take care of these two factors, you will find that the mane and tail will grow better, with less care required from you.  Proper nutrition can remedy a multitude of problems; the key is getting your horse on a balanced diet that meets your horse’s daily requirements.  Find what works best for you and your horse and stick to it.  I know that I have touched on genetics and nutrition twice in this article, and that is because I want you to keep it in mind as you read the article, and have it refreshed in your mind at the end of it.

How Important is Rider Fitness?

I have rode horses for a long time, and even though I do not ride as much now, as I might like to, I still think that rider fitness is very important.  I am not currently in shape for riding, but it is something that I am working on.  Of my two horses, neither one of them are in shape either.  But for me to get them in shape, I have to get myself taken care of first.  I think the rider’s fitness is just as important, if not more so, than the horse’s fitness.  I cannot get my horses in shape, if I myself cannot handle the exertion that is required to do so.  If I go out to work with one of my horses, and become too tired to continue before it is over, what have I done?  I have successfully taught the horse that if it can out last me by being hard headed or starting a fight, the work is over.  Is that what I wanted to teach the horse?  No, and my fitness level directly affects my ability to train, handle, ride and condition my horses.  I have to be able to maintain enough energy to finish what I start, and to keep my wits about doing it.  If I am winded and tired, my mind will not work as efficiently at solving problems, that if I were at a greater fitness level I would not have a problem with. 

Let me give a good example of when your fitness level directly affects your ability to train.  Let us say that your conditioning is at the lower level, and you just got a two year old colt to work with.  He is too young for riding just yet, but you are going to start with some ground work to lay the foundation for him to be backed as an early three year old.  We’ll assume that for the most part, he is willing to learn, and eager to please, but every once in a while the stallion comes out in him, and he decides that no matter what he is not going to do something that you know that he knows how to do.  He’s just being a young colt and being a little defiant.  You are asking him something simple, like stopping to face you, something that he has done several times.  But, this time he decided that he is going to stop with his rear end pointed directly at you.  You are already a little tired, and he just slapped you in the face with a challenge, “Make me turn to face you!”  So, you pull up your big boy or girl britches, and take up the task of “making” him face you, but just a few minutes into the work you are starting to wear out.  You know that you shouldn’t stop, but you just can’t keep going, your heart rate is through the roof, you can barely breathe, and you can’t even hear yourself think because all you can hear is your heart beating in your ears.  You watch the colt for a minute, and figure that he is not exactly in the “you win” mood, because his head is up in the air, and he’s trotting around like he just walked in the round pen.  This is where you have to make a decision, stop and lose or keep going and risk falling out.  Which one do you do?  The answer to that question depends greatly on your determination to train your horse.  This is just one of several ways that your fitness level can affect your training.

I’m not saying that only fit people can ride, I’m just saying that a rider’s fitness level greatly affects the horse’s balance and movement.  I don’t believe that your weight has much to do with your fitness level either, but I also don’t think that you can be 400 lbs of fat, and be fit enough to ride.  The reason that I specified 400 lbs of fat is because there are some body builders that are close to 400 lbs, and I would think that they are pretty fit, though riding would probably reveal muscles that they did not know they had. 

So, where do you start when trying to get yourself fit for riding?  I say start small, start waling more.  Get a pedometer; you will be amazed at how much more you walk when you know how many steps you are making a day.  You will find that you walk more, just to get more steps.  Set yourself a daily step goal, and gradually increase it.  I have a goal of 8,000 steps a day for a week.  I am currently on day 4.  After the week is up, I plan on increasing the goal to 10,000 steps a day.  I am also working on my balance.  I looked up exercises to improve balance, and this is what I found; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/balance-exercises/SM00049  the exercises are simple, and can be completed with little or no equipment.  I love exercises that you don’t have to buy anything to complete!  If you have a friend or riding buddy that is also in the process of getting fit, use them as motivation to keep going.  Team up with them for daily exercise.  If you don’t have a friend, take your horse.  Walk with him/her, and work up to jogging or running with him/her.  It will build your bond with your horse and improve your fitness level, and his/her fitness level. 

Get in the habit of measuring yourself on a weekly basis, because weighing yourself alone does not always tell the entire story of how your exercise is paying off, or not paying off.  I have never been what one might call a petite girl, especially if you looked at my weight alone.  I’ll give an example that doesn’t bother me to share.  When I was 19, I barrel raced every weekend, year round.  I was bigger than most of the girls/women that I competed against.  Most of them I outweighed by 30 plus pounds.  I weighed in at 180 pounds.  Sounds fat right? (Now to me it seems skinny!)  Even at that weight, my chest, waist, and hip measurements were 36 – 24 – 36, respectively.  I was not fat, by any stretch of the imagination, and I was quite fit.  I worked at a feed store for 55 hours a week, then went to an Arabian farm and worked another 40 hours in a week.  I survived on roughly 3-4 hours of sleep a night, and still had energy to burn, but I also ate like a human garbage disposal.  I was solid muscle from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, and nothing moved.  I was extremely fit; I could work side by side with men all day, and often out work them.  I went through several other employees at the feed store, because they could not handle having to keep up with me, especially when the trucks rolled in that we had to unload.  I never had to work out then, because everything that I done for a living was a physical challenge.  I worked at the feed store from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday and on Saturdays from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm.  I went directly from the feed store to the farm, which only took about 15 minutes then worked there until usually 1:00 am or 2:00 am.  I had to be back to the farm by 6:00 am to feed and turn out the 17 horses that lived there.  As you can see, lots of work, little rest and I loved every minute of it.  Could I do the same now?  Nope, not even close to it.  Would I like to be able to do it again?  Yes ma’am or sir, you bet I would!  I miss being able to ride several horses a day, and still being able to function afterwards.  Now, I ride for an hour or so, and when I get off I can’t get on another horse, my hips won’t let me for now.  But I do plan on getting back to where I can.  That is another fine example of fitness affecting my ability to train.  I can currently train one horse a day if riding is involved.

Riding is a good form of exercise, especially is you ride in correct posture.  It will work your entire body.  But if you are overweight or obese, and think that you are riding to your fullest potential, you are sadly mistaken.  I’m not trying to be hard on overweight or obese people, as I currently fit in that last category.  I am 5’ 5” barefoot, and weight in at 229 pounds as of my last measurements.  I have at least 50 pounds to loose, and I can’t wait to lose them, plus about 15-20 more. (But honestly, right now, I would settle for the 180 that I used to weigh.)  If you are overweight, and think that you are riding to the best of your ability, I challenge you to lose 5 pounds, and see what a difference it makes.  You should be able to lose 5 pounds in a few weeks just simply by moving more, and not much else.  If those 5 pounds makes a difference, image what 10 or 20 pounds would do.

Now, do not let anyone tell you that you are “too fat” to ride, especially if you know that your horse can carry you with no problem, and if any one does tell you that stand up for yourself.  They do not know you or your horse, so what gives them the right to say what you can or cannot do, or what your horse is capable of.  If you are just starting out in horses, and you get turned down at a lesson, keep looking.  If you run into a brick wall on the lessons, look into buying your own horse, if that is something that you can reasonably afford.  Join in on horse forums, I can recommend an excellent one, http://www.horseforum.com/  It has just about everything you can need where horses are concerned.  I love it and visit it daily.  My user name is PaintedFury, if you join, look me up and send me a friend request, I will happily accept it.  This forum even has a forum for Plus Sized Riders, which I particularly enjoy.  It’s nice to know that I’m not the only horsewoman in the world with my particular problem, and sometimes it’s nice to have someone to talk to about it.  And let me tell you, the ladies and gentlemen in that part of the forum are VERY supportive of each other.  If you are just having a bad day, they will rally around you and pick you right back up.  Big love to all of them!

Ok, to the point of all of this ranting.  Being fit is important to your riding, but it is more important to your health.  Does that make it an easy journey?  No, it doesn’t, but it is a journey worth taking and worth working for.  Do not start on this journey because Joe Blow made some snide remark about you.  Start this journey because YOU want to, for whatever reason, as long as it is a truly personal reason.  If it is because of Joe Blow up there, then it is the wrong reason.  If it is because you want to ride better, or feel better, even just so you can play longer with your kids (either two legged or four legged) those are the right reasons.  Do it for yourself first, everything else is just an added benefit.

Good luck on your journey; and God bless you and your families.

Lisa

Rain Rot – Prevention & Treatment

What is Rain Rot?

Rain Rot is a nasty little fungus that occurs on horses during rainy or wet weather.  The fungus is always present in the dirt, but it needs moisture to actually affect the skin of the horse.  Rain Rot can often be felt before it is seen.  It will form scabs under the hair, against the skin.  It is most commonly on the top line and belly of a horse.  Removing the scabs and exposing the infection to air is the first step in treatment.  How early you discover the infection and remove the scabs will determine what you will find under the scabs, and how long treatment will take.  I usually catch it early because I am always looking for it. More often than not, I catch it before it spreads much and simply exposing it to air works.  If you catch it early, you may remove the scabs to find inflamed skin, but if you don’t catch it early, you will remove the scabs and find pus trapped below them.  Early detection is the key to a shorter treatment time.

Prevention.

The best prevention that I have found is actually a good grooming routine that is done daily.  It removes excess dirt from the horse’s coat, thus removing the fungus before moisture can be added.  This is not 100% effective on every horse.  I have one horse that no matter how much I groom or how dry the weather gets during the summer, she always gets Rain Rot during the summer months.  Why?  She gets Rain Rot during the summer because when she gets hot, she will go roll in the pond, then come back to the barn and roll in the dirt under the run-in, and finally drip dry.  That is the perfect combination for Rain Rot to take hold in.  The most that I can do for her is to treat the spots where she gets it, and try to minimize it as much as possible.

How to treat Rain Rot.

There are numerous products on the market to treat Rain Rot, or at least that are marketed for the treatment of Rain Rot.  I’ve used exactly one of them!  Shapley’s M-T-G (Mane-Tail-Growth) works well, and the oil in it conditions the hair for regrowth.  I’ve also heard that it really encourages mane and tail growth.  The sulfur powder in it kills the fungus that causes Rain Rot. 

If you look outside the products marketed specifically for horses, there are some very good options.  I used to work with a lady that swore that a mixture of 50% Bleach/50% hot water, and a good stiff brush would kill Rain Rot in one treatment. I never could bring myself to use this method because it involved scrubbing all of the scabby places with the stiff brush and the bleach/water mixture.  That just sounded too painful.  Have you ever gotten bleach into a cut or scrape?  It burns like crazy, and most people are going to expect their horse to stand quietly to have this done.  I really don’t see it happening, but there will be people that expect it. 

The original amber Listerine will also treat Rain Rot.  If you’ve ever used it, you know it burns like crazy, but it works.  I’ve also heard that Listerine will encourage mane and tail growth because it kills anything that may impede growth.

Athlete’s Foot cream or powder will also treat Rain Rot.  I personally like using Apple Cider Vinegar. It’s acidic enough to kill the fungus and it also repels flies and mosquitoes.

Treatment often depends on the severity of the infection, personal preference and time.  Regardless of the product that you choose to treat Rain Rot, the scabs that form at the base of the hair need to be removed.  This process can be painful, so do not be surprised if your horse moves around some trying to avoid the pain.  It’s necessary to expose the infected area to air and to get the medication directly on the infected area.  Depending on the time of year, you can bathe the horse. The scabs getting wet will often make them come off easier.  If you take this route, be sure to get as many of the scabs off as possible while the horse is still wet, and use a sweat scraper to remove the excess water.  If it is too cold to bathe, you can use hot water and a wash cloth to soften the scabs over a small area, then move on to the next area, as necessary.  If the infection is caught early, before it spreads, this is usually the simplest way to remove the scabs. If you don’t have a hot water tank at the barn, you can simply bring a thermos of hot water from home.

How to prevent spreading Rain Rot to other Horses.

Rain Rot can be spread from horse to horse by brushes, blankets, and anything that comes in contact with their skin. Those same items can re-infect the same horse again without proper disinfection of those items.  The wash cloths that I use at the barn are just the cheapest ones that I can find, so if I need to throw them away, it’s no big deal.  To disinfect them, I fill the kitchen sink with hot water, add 1 cup of bleach and let them soak, then wash them with a regular load of towels.

To disinfect my brushes I fill the kitchen sink with hot water, add ½ cup of Lysol or Bleach and let them soak for about 15 minutes, then rinse them thoroughly.  I like to use Lysol because it suds up a little, so you can tell when it’s completely rinsed out of your brushes.  Air dry the brushes outside in direct sun light. **Note: If any of your brushes have wooden handles, do not soak them.  Simply dip the bristles of the brush in the sink repeatedly and rinse thoroughly trying to keep the handle as dry as possible.  Soaking a wooden- handled brush can cause the handle to start losing the bristles and ruin the brush.

If you blanket your horse while it has Rain Rot, which I would not suggest, you will need to disinfect your blanket as well.  I usually take blankets to the nearest laundry mat, and wash them with hot water, and color safe bleach.  Wash them again with just hot water, to make sure all of the detergent and bleach are removed from the blanket.  During the winter, I will dry them in the dryer, but during the summer I will line-dry them in direct sunlight.

Conclusion.

While Rain Rot is a common fungus to deal with, especially in humid climates, it is a simple one to prevent and treat.  While prevention is key, treatment is usually simple.