How would you like another usless, unenforceable, high cost to horse owners law?
Jane Flaspholer is seeking signatures to have the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1821-1831) amended to make it illegal to transport "sick horses" across state lines. She, of course, has no plan for "enforcement".
Get Real, Jane! We already have a law banning the transport of a horse across state lines without a Coggins test. Who's enforcing that law? You can cross virtually any state line and never get asked for a Coggins certificate...and if you do, no one looks at the horse to make sure the horse being transported is the horse it is supposed to be. No one at horse shows checks on your horse...they just ask for current Coggins...which is about as useless as anything I can think of...a Coggins taken today means the horse didn't have EIA within 15 minutes of the time blood was drawn...but the Coggins is good for six months to a year; the horse could be infected (not likely) for a year and be getting a free pass on the Coggins cert. Get Real!...the Coggins test and the whole "fight to stop EIA" is just a money maker for veterinarians and governmental agencies.
Jane and anyone who wants to stop sick horses from coming into "public" places or crossing state lines... need to ask to have the horse's temperature taken. If the horse has no temp, he isn't sick at that moment and he isn't going to spread EIA. The Coggins test means nothing, the health certificate means nothing.
You want some meaningful change?...ask public facilities to request the horse's temp be taken...you want to protect yourself...don't accept a horse until after you take its temperature.
The last thing we need is another silly regulation which will do no good whatsoever!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Let Go Of Your Expectations!!!
There are two sides to “expectations”. You need to know both if you want your horse business to be successful.
The first side is your expectations.
When you planned your business, hopefully, you determined there was a need for your product or service. And once you were convinced there was a market, you determined the market was large enough in potential to make your business a success. Finally, you were convinced you could reach your market in an economical way.
Armed with your “market” information, you set some goals for your business…your first of many expectations.
Once you’ve set goals (expectations) you need to track your progress toward reaching them.
The key now to your success is “not to be attached to your expectations.” Attachment always causes disappointment.
Whether you are on track to reach your goals within a specified period of time or not should be nothing more than information…not failure or success…just information.
If you are attached to your goals, and you are on track to reach them, you’ll begin to coast. Self confident and smug, your success will soon become your failure.
If you are not on track to reach your goals, you’ll be depressed and stubbornly try to make what you are currently doing work better.
By being attached to your expectations, reached or not, you are not opening your mind to “change” which is constant, and must be ridden to success. If you are not changing and improving constantly, you will be left behind and failure is the only possible outcome.
Having expectations is fine, if they are guides and goals to success.
Being attached to expectations makes you and your business rigid and blind to new information and new desires by your market.
The other side of “expectations” is what is expected by your market.
Your customers believe that what you are offering—a horse, horse equipment, feed, or a service to them and their horse, such as training---will satisfy one or more of their desires. They actually purchase the “potential” to achieve their dreams.
As much as you don’t want to be attached to your expectations, you can be certain your clients will be attached to theirs.
In making an offer to satisfy the market’s desire, you must say what you mean and mean what you say. Anything less today and you’ll be out of business tomorrow.
We have become somewhat used to the idea that the car we buy is going to break down, the cell phone is going to have “dead zones”, and our computer is going to crash. We’ve become used to the idea that what is promised is not exactly what we are going to get. But as used to those ideas as we’ve become, we still “expect” to get what we were promised, and those that don’t deliver soon become extinct. Want an example? ..…US car makers, big department stores, magazines and newspapers.
Today those that deliver what we want survive…foreign car makers that build to last and provide good mileage…niche stores that have the exact style we want, internet sites that provide “instant” news and “in-depth” features, plus social networking and chat contact with friends.
Whatever your business, you can’t do more to make it successful than to meet your market’s expectations. If you say you can train the horse to be a champion, it better become a champion…if you say your boarding stable feeds horses correctly, they better have plenty of hay all the time…if you say your equipment will last a lifetime, it better be around next year.
If you can’t deliver, don’t say it
Say what you can deliver…a well-trained horse you’ll enjoy riding, a boarding stable in which you’ll feel confident leaving your horse, equipment that will help you get the job done.
While you don’t want to be attached to your expectations, you can be certain your customers are attached to theirs.
The first side is your expectations.
When you planned your business, hopefully, you determined there was a need for your product or service. And once you were convinced there was a market, you determined the market was large enough in potential to make your business a success. Finally, you were convinced you could reach your market in an economical way.
Armed with your “market” information, you set some goals for your business…your first of many expectations.
Once you’ve set goals (expectations) you need to track your progress toward reaching them.
The key now to your success is “not to be attached to your expectations.” Attachment always causes disappointment.
Whether you are on track to reach your goals within a specified period of time or not should be nothing more than information…not failure or success…just information.
If you are attached to your goals, and you are on track to reach them, you’ll begin to coast. Self confident and smug, your success will soon become your failure.
If you are not on track to reach your goals, you’ll be depressed and stubbornly try to make what you are currently doing work better.
By being attached to your expectations, reached or not, you are not opening your mind to “change” which is constant, and must be ridden to success. If you are not changing and improving constantly, you will be left behind and failure is the only possible outcome.
Having expectations is fine, if they are guides and goals to success.
Being attached to expectations makes you and your business rigid and blind to new information and new desires by your market.
The other side of “expectations” is what is expected by your market.
Your customers believe that what you are offering—a horse, horse equipment, feed, or a service to them and their horse, such as training---will satisfy one or more of their desires. They actually purchase the “potential” to achieve their dreams.
As much as you don’t want to be attached to your expectations, you can be certain your clients will be attached to theirs.
In making an offer to satisfy the market’s desire, you must say what you mean and mean what you say. Anything less today and you’ll be out of business tomorrow.
We have become somewhat used to the idea that the car we buy is going to break down, the cell phone is going to have “dead zones”, and our computer is going to crash. We’ve become used to the idea that what is promised is not exactly what we are going to get. But as used to those ideas as we’ve become, we still “expect” to get what we were promised, and those that don’t deliver soon become extinct. Want an example? ..…US car makers, big department stores, magazines and newspapers.
Today those that deliver what we want survive…foreign car makers that build to last and provide good mileage…niche stores that have the exact style we want, internet sites that provide “instant” news and “in-depth” features, plus social networking and chat contact with friends.
Whatever your business, you can’t do more to make it successful than to meet your market’s expectations. If you say you can train the horse to be a champion, it better become a champion…if you say your boarding stable feeds horses correctly, they better have plenty of hay all the time…if you say your equipment will last a lifetime, it better be around next year.
If you can’t deliver, don’t say it
Say what you can deliver…a well-trained horse you’ll enjoy riding, a boarding stable in which you’ll feel confident leaving your horse, equipment that will help you get the job done.
While you don’t want to be attached to your expectations, you can be certain your customers are attached to theirs.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The "half-halt" is on steroids
Get Real! Today's "half-halt" is on steroids.
And the “beefed-up” half halts get great results for any training discipline.
I’ve always employed the half halt. For a horse trainer, it’s a staple. You’ve got to use the half halt if you want horses that respond lightly and consistently, that round up and slow down, and that are prepared for advanced maneuvers such as the flying change of leads.
But I was taught, and I did teach, that the rider asked for a half halt, and then released the cue instantly upon any response by the horse. Any attempt to comply by the horse was thought to be good enough. The horse was trying so the horse would be rewarded; progress would be made.
I’m learning (from some very accomplished horse trainers) a new way of using something old.
The half halt is just what it sounds as if it should be…a halt that isn’t complete. You ask for a half halt by shortening the reins and establishing a bit barrier that would indicate to the horse a stop might be expected. You do not, however, continue the stopping cues. Instead you apply leg pressure to push the horse into the new shortened frame. You want the horse to continue forward movement at the existing gait.
In order for the horse to fit into the shorter frame, the horse must round up his back and compress his stride so that the foot flight is more elevated.
The horse’s response should be to slow the cadence of his footfall.
Done correctly the horse should be in a state of perfect collection and the cadence should be slower and softer.
Previously, I’d have removed the bit barrier the instant the horse made any attempt to comply with my half halt request. (With a lot of practice and time, the horse will eventually learn to collect and slow his cadence.)
Now I don’t remove the bit barrier, but instead I drive continuously with leg pressure until the horse takes the “perfect” position for the movement that I want. This driving action can last quite some time, and can take quite a bit of effort. Don’t discontinue the driving action just because the horse is trying—the horse has to take the “perfect” position.
Once the horse is in the desired frame, moving at the desired speed, with his body in the desired position, the barrier is released.
For the western rider that means the reins are pitched and draped.
For the English rider it means the hand is relaxed and the horse is on the bit, but without rein restraint.
Now the rider must attempt to ride the horse for as long as possible without the reestablishment of any barrier which dictates body position, speed or collection.
Of course the horse is going to return to the longer frame with less collection because it is less work; horses can’t justify working harder if it is not necessary. (Unfortunately horses can’t project the reasoning that if they carry weight in “collection” they’ll remain sounder longer. They don’t grasp the idea that being in better condition now, means they’ll be in better condition later. Of course, lots of rider can’t project that reasoning either.)
When the horse elongates, increases speed or loses collection, the half halt is again employed.
With the half halt on steroids, you do not make any small corrections to help the horse. If you are going to correct, you use the very strong half halt, put the horse back in the perfect position, then remove the barrier completely.
There is no “half way” in the steroid half halt. It is helping the horse to take the perfect position, and then it is leaving the horse on his own to continue in that position.
If you practice the beefed-up half halt, don’t get frustrated, don’t make tiny adjustments, and don’t abandon the method until you’ve tried it for at least 10 training sessions.
Try it; you might like it!
And the “beefed-up” half halts get great results for any training discipline.
I’ve always employed the half halt. For a horse trainer, it’s a staple. You’ve got to use the half halt if you want horses that respond lightly and consistently, that round up and slow down, and that are prepared for advanced maneuvers such as the flying change of leads.
But I was taught, and I did teach, that the rider asked for a half halt, and then released the cue instantly upon any response by the horse. Any attempt to comply by the horse was thought to be good enough. The horse was trying so the horse would be rewarded; progress would be made.
I’m learning (from some very accomplished horse trainers) a new way of using something old.
The half halt is just what it sounds as if it should be…a halt that isn’t complete. You ask for a half halt by shortening the reins and establishing a bit barrier that would indicate to the horse a stop might be expected. You do not, however, continue the stopping cues. Instead you apply leg pressure to push the horse into the new shortened frame. You want the horse to continue forward movement at the existing gait.
In order for the horse to fit into the shorter frame, the horse must round up his back and compress his stride so that the foot flight is more elevated.
The horse’s response should be to slow the cadence of his footfall.
Done correctly the horse should be in a state of perfect collection and the cadence should be slower and softer.
Previously, I’d have removed the bit barrier the instant the horse made any attempt to comply with my half halt request. (With a lot of practice and time, the horse will eventually learn to collect and slow his cadence.)
Now I don’t remove the bit barrier, but instead I drive continuously with leg pressure until the horse takes the “perfect” position for the movement that I want. This driving action can last quite some time, and can take quite a bit of effort. Don’t discontinue the driving action just because the horse is trying—the horse has to take the “perfect” position.
Once the horse is in the desired frame, moving at the desired speed, with his body in the desired position, the barrier is released.
For the western rider that means the reins are pitched and draped.
For the English rider it means the hand is relaxed and the horse is on the bit, but without rein restraint.
Now the rider must attempt to ride the horse for as long as possible without the reestablishment of any barrier which dictates body position, speed or collection.
Of course the horse is going to return to the longer frame with less collection because it is less work; horses can’t justify working harder if it is not necessary. (Unfortunately horses can’t project the reasoning that if they carry weight in “collection” they’ll remain sounder longer. They don’t grasp the idea that being in better condition now, means they’ll be in better condition later. Of course, lots of rider can’t project that reasoning either.)
When the horse elongates, increases speed or loses collection, the half halt is again employed.
With the half halt on steroids, you do not make any small corrections to help the horse. If you are going to correct, you use the very strong half halt, put the horse back in the perfect position, then remove the barrier completely.
There is no “half way” in the steroid half halt. It is helping the horse to take the perfect position, and then it is leaving the horse on his own to continue in that position.
If you practice the beefed-up half halt, don’t get frustrated, don’t make tiny adjustments, and don’t abandon the method until you’ve tried it for at least 10 training sessions.
Try it; you might like it!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Those "complain' are most often the cause
It’s time to quit complain’ and start doin’.
AQHA just released the results of a survey the association did on what is termed a “downturn” in the economy. Summary of the survey: all negatives; one complaint after another about the increasing cost of everything related to horses except the “never increasing” selling price.
Well, complainers, thank you very much….you’ve gotten exactly what you’ve asked for.
If the cost of hay has soared, don’t blame the drought. There are always droughts somewhere…just as there is always plenty of rain somewhere else. The cost of hay is up because the cost of transport is up, the cost of land is up, the cost of labor is up, the cost of store rental, taxes and insurance are up.
You can’t ship hay without paying for fuel, and the cost of fuel is up because we are extravagant wasters. The complainers are driving over-powered, over-hyped, over-rated trucks and SUVs. But they aren’t complaining about that; they’re bragging on it. They can’t afford to feed the horse, but they can feed their ego.
Land and home prices are plummeting as the credit crunch catches up to those who thought there was a way to get something for nothing. You have to pay for what you get, so if you can’t pay the price of horse ownership, don’t get a horse. (Unfortunately those who didn’t “over-buy” are going to have to pay for those who did in the form of government bailouts.)
Local tack and feed stores are struggling to make a profit, while the big lot purchasers (who never have in stock what you need) are getting property tax breaks from city, county and federal government….the biggest money wasters of all. But no one is complaining; they’re just asking for more government services.
AQHA, an association established to preserve the breed, is now so focused on sponsorships, big events, merchandise and image, that it forces horse owners to “join” in order to “transfer ownership records.” A service fee for the administrative costs is one thing…forced membership is another.
Has the cost of horse ownership gone up more than the costs of other things?
Has the cost of horse ownership soared with housing prices, truck and car prices, gasoline and diesel prices, cell phones and flat screen HD television?
Face the facts…if you’re complaining about the cost of horse ownership, you can do something about it. Don’t own a horse…that’s an option.
Now according to some who responded to AQHA’s survey, horses are being sold for as little as $5 per head, or being turned loose on government owned land, which is supposed to prove there are a lot of unwanted horses.
Well, there are unwanted horses, but it’s the complainers who caused it, breeding low quality stock, approving AI and shipped semen, registering and encouraging the breeding of anything and everything, closing slaughter plants and having no plan for the care and future of the horse.
Horse rescue operations are even a contributor to the unwanted horse problem. Once a charity is started, it will be overrun by “welfare” cases. Horse rescues are going to have to change their thinking--remove the emotion, and add responsibility--if they are going to help horses.
And the price of horses isn’t down…it’s the same as it always is.
I just attended two major horse auctions. Good horses sold for good prices and the purchasers were not complaining about the cost of horse ownership.
The horses that sold cheap, were cheap, and will probably suffer at the hands of the complainers who are creating just what they are complaining about.
If you really want to help horses, it’s time to stop complain’ and start doin’.
AQHA just released the results of a survey the association did on what is termed a “downturn” in the economy. Summary of the survey: all negatives; one complaint after another about the increasing cost of everything related to horses except the “never increasing” selling price.
Well, complainers, thank you very much….you’ve gotten exactly what you’ve asked for.
If the cost of hay has soared, don’t blame the drought. There are always droughts somewhere…just as there is always plenty of rain somewhere else. The cost of hay is up because the cost of transport is up, the cost of land is up, the cost of labor is up, the cost of store rental, taxes and insurance are up.
You can’t ship hay without paying for fuel, and the cost of fuel is up because we are extravagant wasters. The complainers are driving over-powered, over-hyped, over-rated trucks and SUVs. But they aren’t complaining about that; they’re bragging on it. They can’t afford to feed the horse, but they can feed their ego.
Land and home prices are plummeting as the credit crunch catches up to those who thought there was a way to get something for nothing. You have to pay for what you get, so if you can’t pay the price of horse ownership, don’t get a horse. (Unfortunately those who didn’t “over-buy” are going to have to pay for those who did in the form of government bailouts.)
Local tack and feed stores are struggling to make a profit, while the big lot purchasers (who never have in stock what you need) are getting property tax breaks from city, county and federal government….the biggest money wasters of all. But no one is complaining; they’re just asking for more government services.
AQHA, an association established to preserve the breed, is now so focused on sponsorships, big events, merchandise and image, that it forces horse owners to “join” in order to “transfer ownership records.” A service fee for the administrative costs is one thing…forced membership is another.
Has the cost of horse ownership gone up more than the costs of other things?
Has the cost of horse ownership soared with housing prices, truck and car prices, gasoline and diesel prices, cell phones and flat screen HD television?
Face the facts…if you’re complaining about the cost of horse ownership, you can do something about it. Don’t own a horse…that’s an option.
Now according to some who responded to AQHA’s survey, horses are being sold for as little as $5 per head, or being turned loose on government owned land, which is supposed to prove there are a lot of unwanted horses.
Well, there are unwanted horses, but it’s the complainers who caused it, breeding low quality stock, approving AI and shipped semen, registering and encouraging the breeding of anything and everything, closing slaughter plants and having no plan for the care and future of the horse.
Horse rescue operations are even a contributor to the unwanted horse problem. Once a charity is started, it will be overrun by “welfare” cases. Horse rescues are going to have to change their thinking--remove the emotion, and add responsibility--if they are going to help horses.
And the price of horses isn’t down…it’s the same as it always is.
I just attended two major horse auctions. Good horses sold for good prices and the purchasers were not complaining about the cost of horse ownership.
The horses that sold cheap, were cheap, and will probably suffer at the hands of the complainers who are creating just what they are complaining about.
If you really want to help horses, it’s time to stop complain’ and start doin’.
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Right "Stretch"
HorseCoursesOnline.com instructor Betty Lindquist will have a special feature article on "horse stretching exercises" in the Certified Horseman's Association magazine, The Instructor, winter issue which comes out in January.
Lindquist, who teaches Equine Massage, says that many of the exercises being taught are "really conter-productive." You simply do not want to use an exercise which actually "tightens" the muscles. Lindquist explains the correct way to "stretch your horses" for maximum benefit to the horse.
Lindquist, who teaches Equine Massage, says that many of the exercises being taught are "really conter-productive." You simply do not want to use an exercise which actually "tightens" the muscles. Lindquist explains the correct way to "stretch your horses" for maximum benefit to the horse.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
EIA "threat" is a myth for money
If your veterinarian tells you EIA is a serious threat to your horse’s health, either he/she doesn’t know the facts, or wants to continue to rake in a steady stream of income based on inaccurate “scare” information. (About $36 million is spent annually for Coggins tests.)
The EIA threat to your horse’s health is nothing compared to the “mandatory slaughter of your Coggins positive horse by many state laws.”
If you want to take your horse to a public facility, cross state lines, or even board at some stables, you’ll need a current Coggins test and that test is going to cost you while putting money in the pockets of veterinarians, testing laboratories and state agencies. If the horse tests negatively, it just costs money. But if the horse tests positive, the most common result is that your horse will be euthanized and there is virtually nothing you can do about it.
I’m not against the Coggins test…it is just a test. What I’m against is the state laws, supported by veterinarians, which slaughter happy, healthy, useful horses which are of no danger to other horses, but which happen to be “in-apparent” carriers. (If you want to protect horses in public places make it mandatory the horse’s temperature is taken daily.)
To support laws that needlessly slaughter useful horses is inexcusable.
Both Bayer Animal Health and the American Association of Equine Practitioners have claimed “Equine Infectious Anemia is a fatal disease that threatens the world’s horse population.”
There are no facts, figures or even light data to support their claim.
There is no national record of how many horses die of EIA in the US each year. Ask your vet how many EIA fatal cases he or she has seen and the most common answer will be “none”. Check with your state veterinary office and ask how many deaths in the state due to EIA each year and the answer will be “none” or “we don’t know.”
I asked Bayer to support its claim and Dr. Kenton Morgan said it gets its information from AAEP. Asked if he or anyone at Bayer questions such statements and he replied, “We don’t edit the stuff, we just post it.”
Posting such stuff keeps the myth alive and my cost your horse his or her life.
I have tried and tried to get a response from the AAEP education committee, but no response is ever made. I’ve challenge several AAEP members to debate the EIA issues on a radio program, and the challenge has always been ignored.
If EIA was such a threat to horses wouldn’t you think horses would be dying from the disease, and don’t you think there would be an effort to eradicate it?
Dr. Don O’Connor, Wisconsin epidemiologist (a person who investigates epidemics and causes) says Wisconsin’s policy is to “control, not eradicate.”
Asked if EIA is an epidemic in Wisconsin, Dr. O’Connor says, “No.” Asked how many EIA deaths were recorded in Wisconsin for a three year period, Dr. O’Connor said, “None.”
While EIA did not kill a single horse during that three year period, Marjorie Pommerening had to have her two horses euthanized (slaughtered) because they tested positive even though they showed no symptoms and where happy, hearty, useful horses. So, statistically, while EIA has not killed a horse in recent memory in Wisconsin, the state’s control policy has officially killed at least two.
The number of new Coggins positive cases (not deaths or even sickness) found each year amounts to .0002857% of the 7 million horses in the US.
If that’s a threat to the world’s horse population, I’m at a loss to know how.
Keep the Coggins test; brand a “positive” horse if you wish, and simply require the horse’s temperature to be taken daily if it is to travel or be housed in a public horse facility. Get your veterinarian and state legislator to support that and save the life of a lot of wonderful horses.
Unless you and horse organizations demand new laws nothing is going to change.
The EIA threat to your horse’s health is nothing compared to the “mandatory slaughter of your Coggins positive horse by many state laws.”
If you want to take your horse to a public facility, cross state lines, or even board at some stables, you’ll need a current Coggins test and that test is going to cost you while putting money in the pockets of veterinarians, testing laboratories and state agencies. If the horse tests negatively, it just costs money. But if the horse tests positive, the most common result is that your horse will be euthanized and there is virtually nothing you can do about it.
I’m not against the Coggins test…it is just a test. What I’m against is the state laws, supported by veterinarians, which slaughter happy, healthy, useful horses which are of no danger to other horses, but which happen to be “in-apparent” carriers. (If you want to protect horses in public places make it mandatory the horse’s temperature is taken daily.)
To support laws that needlessly slaughter useful horses is inexcusable.
Both Bayer Animal Health and the American Association of Equine Practitioners have claimed “Equine Infectious Anemia is a fatal disease that threatens the world’s horse population.”
There are no facts, figures or even light data to support their claim.
There is no national record of how many horses die of EIA in the US each year. Ask your vet how many EIA fatal cases he or she has seen and the most common answer will be “none”. Check with your state veterinary office and ask how many deaths in the state due to EIA each year and the answer will be “none” or “we don’t know.”
I asked Bayer to support its claim and Dr. Kenton Morgan said it gets its information from AAEP. Asked if he or anyone at Bayer questions such statements and he replied, “We don’t edit the stuff, we just post it.”
Posting such stuff keeps the myth alive and my cost your horse his or her life.
I have tried and tried to get a response from the AAEP education committee, but no response is ever made. I’ve challenge several AAEP members to debate the EIA issues on a radio program, and the challenge has always been ignored.
If EIA was such a threat to horses wouldn’t you think horses would be dying from the disease, and don’t you think there would be an effort to eradicate it?
Dr. Don O’Connor, Wisconsin epidemiologist (a person who investigates epidemics and causes) says Wisconsin’s policy is to “control, not eradicate.”
Asked if EIA is an epidemic in Wisconsin, Dr. O’Connor says, “No.” Asked how many EIA deaths were recorded in Wisconsin for a three year period, Dr. O’Connor said, “None.”
While EIA did not kill a single horse during that three year period, Marjorie Pommerening had to have her two horses euthanized (slaughtered) because they tested positive even though they showed no symptoms and where happy, hearty, useful horses. So, statistically, while EIA has not killed a horse in recent memory in Wisconsin, the state’s control policy has officially killed at least two.
The number of new Coggins positive cases (not deaths or even sickness) found each year amounts to .0002857% of the 7 million horses in the US.
If that’s a threat to the world’s horse population, I’m at a loss to know how.
Keep the Coggins test; brand a “positive” horse if you wish, and simply require the horse’s temperature to be taken daily if it is to travel or be housed in a public horse facility. Get your veterinarian and state legislator to support that and save the life of a lot of wonderful horses.
Unless you and horse organizations demand new laws nothing is going to change.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
6 "musts" for horse business success
There are six things you absolutely, positively must do if you want your horse business to be a financial success!
First you must focus…that means you must be able to explain exactly what you do or sell within 10 words or less. Can you do it?
For your FREE report on the six steps to business success, visit www.horsecoursesonline.com and click on “FREE REPORT” in the menu on the left side of the page.
First you must focus…that means you must be able to explain exactly what you do or sell within 10 words or less. Can you do it?
For your FREE report on the six steps to business success, visit www.horsecoursesonline.com and click on “FREE REPORT” in the menu on the left side of the page.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Playing games with horses is playing dangerous
"Horse" comments on "natural horsemanship" by saying that playing games provides a systematic approach for "newbies." One of the major problems with playing games with horses (also one of the major problems with early foal "imprinting").....is the horse begins to think you are equals, and therefore entering your space is perfectly acceptable.
If you want to get along with horses you are not equals and never will be...either you are the leader and dominate the horse (and that's a natural situation) of the horse dominates you, which is the most common result for those who "play games with horses."
If you want to get along with horses you are not equals and never will be...either you are the leader and dominate the horse (and that's a natural situation) of the horse dominates you, which is the most common result for those who "play games with horses."
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
5 Equine Nutrition "Don'ts"
Most horse owners know one of the five things you do not do when it comes to equine nutrition is make sudden changes in forage or diet.
But do you know the other four “do not dos”?
For your FREE report on the five do not dos of equine nutrition, visit www.horsecoursesonline.com and click on “FREE REPORT” in the menu on the left side of the page.
But do you know the other four “do not dos”?
For your FREE report on the five do not dos of equine nutrition, visit www.horsecoursesonline.com and click on “FREE REPORT” in the menu on the left side of the page.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Suit stops wild horse roundup
The scheduled roundup (set for December 1) of wild horses by the BLM has been stopped by a law suit filed by In Defense of Animals and Craig Downer. It’s a legal maneuver which isn’t going to help the wild horses, but will get the “ecologist’s” name in front of the public once again. Could there be a spike in book sales?
It would be much more in the best interests of the wild horses if the ecologist and In Defense of Animals had a plan to let the wild horses be wild, which, of course, they do not…… rather than filing lawsuits which allow the continued growth of herds which the land (and government programs) can’t support.
The suit is based on the 1971 law which declared the wild horses as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the west," which, of course, they are not. The law also specified they “shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment or death.” That’s impossible if at the same time you are going to mandate someone see to it they have adequate food, water and health care.
According to the Bureau of Land Management 37,000 wild horses and burros remain on public lands. At the same time 32,000 wild horses have been removed from the range are being held in government holding facilities---now isn’t that nice place for a wild horse?
Ecologists are supposed to study relationships between organisms and their environment. What most discover is the world is changing, the dedicated range of the west can’t support huge bands of wild horses, and we need to find a way to have a representative herd which could be housed, cared-for and protected. They wouldn’t be wild horses…but neither are the wild horses!
It would be much more in the best interests of the wild horses if the ecologist and In Defense of Animals had a plan to let the wild horses be wild, which, of course, they do not…… rather than filing lawsuits which allow the continued growth of herds which the land (and government programs) can’t support.
The suit is based on the 1971 law which declared the wild horses as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the west," which, of course, they are not. The law also specified they “shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment or death.” That’s impossible if at the same time you are going to mandate someone see to it they have adequate food, water and health care.
According to the Bureau of Land Management 37,000 wild horses and burros remain on public lands. At the same time 32,000 wild horses have been removed from the range are being held in government holding facilities---now isn’t that nice place for a wild horse?
Ecologists are supposed to study relationships between organisms and their environment. What most discover is the world is changing, the dedicated range of the west can’t support huge bands of wild horses, and we need to find a way to have a representative herd which could be housed, cared-for and protected. They wouldn’t be wild horses…but neither are the wild horses!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Show virtually and learn in reality with IPHDA
“How Broke Is Your Horse?” asks Rod Miller.
It’s a question we’re always asking ourselves. (Isn’t that why we show horses?)
Miller has taken the question and turned it into the International Performance Horse Development Association, a fun way to improve your horsemanship, get help from training experts, advance your own training techniques and enjoy big prizes while competing in virtual shows at specific levels of ability.
New and just getting started, I’m betting IPHDA takes off…it’s competition and education in one package, plus the advantages of membership discounts, prizes, and interaction with other horsemen from around the world.
Check it out at www.IPHDA.com
It’s a question we’re always asking ourselves. (Isn’t that why we show horses?)
Miller has taken the question and turned it into the International Performance Horse Development Association, a fun way to improve your horsemanship, get help from training experts, advance your own training techniques and enjoy big prizes while competing in virtual shows at specific levels of ability.
New and just getting started, I’m betting IPHDA takes off…it’s competition and education in one package, plus the advantages of membership discounts, prizes, and interaction with other horsemen from around the world.
Check it out at www.IPHDA.com
Still "no natural" to "horsemanship" and other ideas
Must thank Laurey Hoyt for her comments on "natural horsemanship." (see comments) While I think she has some good points about horsemanship, I don't see how she defends calling it "natural" when there is still nothing natural to it.
Horsemanship is the ability to elicit a specific response to a specific request. Knowing and using the horse's instincts to accomplish that isn't natural, it's just knowledge applied to purpose.
Several things to consider...humans (predators) aren't horses (prey). There's nothing natual about a predator using prey for enjoyment, work, or companionship. It's an unnatural relationship that humans find enjoyable and horses are trapped in. (Good horsemanship tries to make the situation as pleasant as possible for the horse, but it's never the horse's idea of nirvana.)
It's also interesting how "natural horsemanship" practitioners don't seem to take part in competition's which require the horse and rider to respond to a requirement in a specific way. If "natural horsemanship" was truly different and better, you'd think "natural horsemanship trainers" would be proving their claims by simply winning any and all types of horsemanship competitions.
One reader comments in Bowl of Mush that there are a lot of bad trainers out there that have been licensed (in Canada). Of course the comment is correct...there are bad veterinarians, teachers, bad engineers, bad anything and everything that has to be licensed...but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to raise our horsemanship levels by requiring some educational standard.
One thing is for sure...if great trainers are out there that are not "licensed" they'd still be great trainers and better off businesswise if they were "licensed."
Finally, Shawn wanted to know about the damage to the horse's knee (torn cartilage) The point being that there are great risks of infection when injecting horse's joints to keep them showing, and that maybe it's abusive to try to keep them going. There is no question Shawn is correct about the risks. The question of using drugs to keep horses going may be a moral issue not just for horsemen, but for veterinarians as well.
When is medicine right and when is it wrong? As long as it is acceptable in competition is will be used.
Horsemanship is the ability to elicit a specific response to a specific request. Knowing and using the horse's instincts to accomplish that isn't natural, it's just knowledge applied to purpose.
Several things to consider...humans (predators) aren't horses (prey). There's nothing natual about a predator using prey for enjoyment, work, or companionship. It's an unnatural relationship that humans find enjoyable and horses are trapped in. (Good horsemanship tries to make the situation as pleasant as possible for the horse, but it's never the horse's idea of nirvana.)
It's also interesting how "natural horsemanship" practitioners don't seem to take part in competition's which require the horse and rider to respond to a requirement in a specific way. If "natural horsemanship" was truly different and better, you'd think "natural horsemanship trainers" would be proving their claims by simply winning any and all types of horsemanship competitions.
One reader comments in Bowl of Mush that there are a lot of bad trainers out there that have been licensed (in Canada). Of course the comment is correct...there are bad veterinarians, teachers, bad engineers, bad anything and everything that has to be licensed...but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to raise our horsemanship levels by requiring some educational standard.
One thing is for sure...if great trainers are out there that are not "licensed" they'd still be great trainers and better off businesswise if they were "licensed."
Finally, Shawn wanted to know about the damage to the horse's knee (torn cartilage) The point being that there are great risks of infection when injecting horse's joints to keep them showing, and that maybe it's abusive to try to keep them going. There is no question Shawn is correct about the risks. The question of using drugs to keep horses going may be a moral issue not just for horsemen, but for veterinarians as well.
When is medicine right and when is it wrong? As long as it is acceptable in competition is will be used.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thanks for the good suggestions
Thanks for the good suggestions on the knee problem and question of how best to handle the lameness...use of drugs or no drugs.....I'm checking out many of the therapies mentioned...and complete turn out for 6 months or more.
All comments greatly appreciated...as are your opinions...
All comments greatly appreciated...as are your opinions...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Caught in the drug enigma
I'm stuck in the middle...what to do about drugs? I'm against their use to keep a horse performing...but now I have a horse that needs to have his knee injected.
When I bought him I was told he needed the knee injected once every 5 or 6 months...as it turns out, he's going to need to be injected every 5 to 6 weeks...BIG DIFFERENCE! (I thought I could get him sound enough to show without drugs.)
I'm trying to get him sound enough to show by rubbing the knee with arnica (a pure substance that has healing properties), using "sweats" and physical therapy exercises......he's getting better, but it is also getting pretty obvious if I intend to show him, I'm going to have to inject his knee.
I can't inject him to show him and stand by my call for a ban on drugs to keep a horse showing when he shouldn't be....so now, I'm stuck in the middle. What to do?
When I bought him I was told he needed the knee injected once every 5 or 6 months...as it turns out, he's going to need to be injected every 5 to 6 weeks...BIG DIFFERENCE! (I thought I could get him sound enough to show without drugs.)
I'm trying to get him sound enough to show by rubbing the knee with arnica (a pure substance that has healing properties), using "sweats" and physical therapy exercises......he's getting better, but it is also getting pretty obvious if I intend to show him, I'm going to have to inject his knee.
I can't inject him to show him and stand by my call for a ban on drugs to keep a horse showing when he shouldn't be....so now, I'm stuck in the middle. What to do?
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Cahill's newest online course
Teach your horse to do flying lead changes with the help of world champion trainer Nancy Cahill.
Train for Western Riding is the newest www.horsecoursesonline.com equine study course.
Cahill is the trainer of multiple world-champion horses, AQHA Horse Woman of the Year recipient and 5-times coach of the AQHA Youth World Cup team. In her online course, she takes the student through the basic maneuvers required to establish the foundation needed for a smooth, fluid change of leads. Cahill breaks the lead change down into its simplest parts, so the student can master each step, and then feel complete confidence when asking the horse to perform the advanced maneuver.
The 10-lesson course includes Cahill’s DVD Precision Western Riding.
“We want the student to take all the time needed to get a perfect lead change,” Cahill said. “Rushing a horse or trying to force the lead change are among the worst things you can do,” Cahill cautions. “We never want a horse to become confused or afraid of the maneuver, and that’s why it is so important the horse learn the maneuver the correct way.”
Train for Western Riding is the newest www.horsecoursesonline.com equine study course.
Cahill is the trainer of multiple world-champion horses, AQHA Horse Woman of the Year recipient and 5-times coach of the AQHA Youth World Cup team. In her online course, she takes the student through the basic maneuvers required to establish the foundation needed for a smooth, fluid change of leads. Cahill breaks the lead change down into its simplest parts, so the student can master each step, and then feel complete confidence when asking the horse to perform the advanced maneuver.
The 10-lesson course includes Cahill’s DVD Precision Western Riding.
“We want the student to take all the time needed to get a perfect lead change,” Cahill said. “Rushing a horse or trying to force the lead change are among the worst things you can do,” Cahill cautions. “We never want a horse to become confused or afraid of the maneuver, and that’s why it is so important the horse learn the maneuver the correct way.”
Friday, November 20, 2009
Another bowl of mush
The two most important aspects of equine welfare—education and licensing of trainers and handlers and the use of drugs to keep horses participating in events have been ignored (once again) in the new National Equine Welfare Code of Practice.
“Get Real” American Horse Council and all the breed associations which have quickly endorsed the “vanilla spin” code which is completely useless in any way to protect the welfare of horses.
Every horseman says he or she is “committed to the dignity, humane care, health, safety and welfare of horses in all activities.” Everyone is going to claim to be “committed to responsible training techniques” and that “all training should be done with the maturation and ability of the horse considered”.
Who would endorse “excessive discipline” methods? No one!!!!
So “get real” and address the real problems…lack of education, no educational standards, no licensing and the use of drugs to keep horses going when they should no longer be participating in competition (or for recreation for that matter).
“Get Real” American Horse Council and all the breed associations which have quickly endorsed the “vanilla spin” code which is completely useless in any way to protect the welfare of horses.
Every horseman says he or she is “committed to the dignity, humane care, health, safety and welfare of horses in all activities.” Everyone is going to claim to be “committed to responsible training techniques” and that “all training should be done with the maturation and ability of the horse considered”.
Who would endorse “excessive discipline” methods? No one!!!!
So “get real” and address the real problems…lack of education, no educational standards, no licensing and the use of drugs to keep horses going when they should no longer be participating in competition (or for recreation for that matter).
Thursday, November 19, 2009
No "Natural", Just Horsemanship
If “natural horsemanship” is the philosophy of working with horses by appealing to instincts and herd mentality, then every trainer I’ve ever known is a “natural horseman.”
“Natural horsemanship” certainly isn’t new, and it definitely isn’t what today’s “self-labelers” would like you to believe; today’s spin is that natural horsemanship is all love, tenderness and bonding. Get real!!! It is absolutely not that!
A horse’s instincts are based in fear, not love, tenderness and bonding; so horsemanship is not “appealing” to instincts and herd mentality, but the manipulation of those instincts to produce the responses the horseman wants.
You can drop the word “natural” since nothing we do with horses is “natural” for the horse.
The most vocal would have you believe “natural horsemanship” started just a few years ago with Buck and Tom. Get Real! Horsemanship using the horse’s instincts was recorded by the Hittites (an ancient people of Asia Minor) in hieroglyphic inscriptions between 1700 and 700 BC.
If you are going to work with horses, then “get real”, quit “romanticizing" and let’s do the things that benefit horses instead of pandering to your ego by calling yourself a “natural horsemanship trainer.” I’d like to see some credentials instead of some “made up” title.
“Natural horsemanship” certainly isn’t new, and it definitely isn’t what today’s “self-labelers” would like you to believe; today’s spin is that natural horsemanship is all love, tenderness and bonding. Get real!!! It is absolutely not that!
A horse’s instincts are based in fear, not love, tenderness and bonding; so horsemanship is not “appealing” to instincts and herd mentality, but the manipulation of those instincts to produce the responses the horseman wants.
You can drop the word “natural” since nothing we do with horses is “natural” for the horse.
The most vocal would have you believe “natural horsemanship” started just a few years ago with Buck and Tom. Get Real! Horsemanship using the horse’s instincts was recorded by the Hittites (an ancient people of Asia Minor) in hieroglyphic inscriptions between 1700 and 700 BC.
If you are going to work with horses, then “get real”, quit “romanticizing" and let’s do the things that benefit horses instead of pandering to your ego by calling yourself a “natural horsemanship trainer.” I’d like to see some credentials instead of some “made up” title.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
