Bitter Taste

Recently I taught a clinic with about 30 4H kids. Surprisingly, they were all mounted on pretty decent horses and most of the kids had appropriate tack and rode reasonably well. They were all good students and it was a fun and successful clinic.

Afterwards one of the mothers asked me about her daughter’s horse, what I thought of it and what they needed to work on most. Conjuring up a picture of her daughter’s horse in my mind, I remembered the disconcerting grimace, wrinkled lips and open mouth the horse displayed. Sadly, this is something I see a lot and it can only mean one thing: the horse is uncomfortable in the mouth for some reason. Once ruling out a dental or other mouth problem, all evidence points to the bit.

It never ceases to amaze me how horses do their jobs and keep going in the constant face of pain and/or gripping relentless pressure on their mouths. I see it every single time I do a clinic and it is why I have taken to traveling with twenty pounds of bits and bridles so that when I see this happening I can experiment with different bits to find the best solution for the horse—to make the horse more comfortable in his mouth so that he can better tolerate the rider. It is amazing how often just changing the bit to something more comfortable for the horse will make a world of difference. Add to that, making adjustments in the rider’s position and arming them with more knowledge, and often the turnaround is remarkable. I love that about my job—helping horses and riders be better and happier.

As the mother queried me about how her daughter and her horse might improve, I recalled the troubled look on the horse’s face and the gaping mouth and asked her what type of mouthpiece she had on the horse (I could see it was a snaffle but could not see the configuration of the mouthpiece). The mother wasn’t sure so we wandered over to their trailer and asked the girl to bring her bridles out. She brought me two different bridles she used on the horse; one she had just taken out of his mouth, the other hadn’t been used in a while. Both bits were coated deeply in gross dried-on slobber and food particles. It was so thick and dried-on at the corners of the mouth on both bits that I couldn’t even chip it away with my finger nail. The middle of the bits, at the joints, were both clogged up with bits of hay and whatever gross stuff had glommed on to it. How would you like to put that in your mouth? What if you had to put on dirty, smelly clothes every day? What if you had to eat with a fork that had been used again and again and never been washed or even wiped off?

Now I must confess that I do not thoroughly clean my saddle every single time I ride (like I was taught to do when I was a kid), although I do clean it regularly; but I do rinse and wipe down my horse’s bit after every single ride. This blatant display of poor horsemanship was really disconcerting to me on a number of levels. First, it points out some huge holes in the program that these kids are not being taught to respect their equipment and take care of it. Perhaps things have come to easily for some of these kids. Are they really learning the right things?

It also highly concerns me when people show a blatant disregard for a horse’s comfort and well being. How is it that people (adults and children alike) totally lose sight of the fact that the horse is a living animal with feelings, nerves, emotions and taste buds? How is it that we lose sight of the fact that the horse is trying his hardest to do what we ask and to serve our needs and yet we are so quick to blame the horse or say the horse has a problem, as if we have no culpability whatsoever? I have seen this over and over again throughout my career and it is always depressing to me. I know that in many instances, the people started out with a love and passion for horses but somewhere along the way lost sight of the fact that a horse is a living, breathing animal and that it is our responsibility to take care of him and keep him healthy, safe and comfortable.

Empathy for horses should always be taught, to children and adults alike. Respect for your equipment and good horse husbandry are important lessons. Our youth have so many great things to learn from horses and horse sport and these things are part of responsibility, accountability, respect for animals and property and good husbandry. These are small prices to pay for the privilege of working with horses. Are you instilling these values in the youth, students and protégés you influence?

I am renewing my commitment to encourage people to think things through from the horse’s perspective and to increase their awareness of the horse’s point of view.

Enjoy the ride!

Julie

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Mustang Mascot

This week, one of my favorite episodes is playing on Horse Master. It features a 4 y/o Mustang and his owner who participated in the Mustang Challenge. He’s a really cool horse—very classic looking Calvary horse that resembles a TB/Morgan/Mustang cross. He is a really good-natured horse and has progressed well in his training considering that less than a year from the taping of this show (March ‘10) he was running free in the Nevada desert.

Amber is an excellent rider and part-time trainer and she brought the horse along slowly in spite of the 100 day deadline looming, at which she would have to bring the horse to Murfreesboro TN for the “Mustang Challenge”. Although he was working well for Amber, once he got to the coliseum, he was understandably a little overwhelmed. Not surprising given his long 100 day journey from round-up to the show ring.

When he got to the in-gate to ride the obstacle course, the horse declined to participate, balking at the gate and refusing to enter. At that point, Amber did the right thing and rather than make a big scene and have one of his first “show” experiences be negative, she scratched herself from the competition. Although it was the right thing to do, given the situation, it left the horse with an indelible black mark on his training. What he learned from this experience was that if he didn’t want to do something, he could just refuse. This is a bad precedent to set with any horse!

Have you ever gotten into a situation where you’ve pushed a horse too far and come out on the bad end of the stick? I know I have and I hope that I have learned from it, but none of us are immune to mistakes. One of the hallmarks of a really good horseman is knowing when to push and when to quit. But when you make that greedy mistake and push too far, the effects of ending a training session on a bad note can be long-lasting. Pushing a horse too far too fast is a huge risk that rarely pays off.

I confess that sometimes I am concerned that the contests that are so popular today—the trail challenges, colt starting contests and the like—are setting up people to push their horses to failure. Having been on the judging end of some extreme cowboy races, I’ve seen it many times. Have you?

Fortunately for Amber, her horse is so good-tempered and had a solid foundation on him, so we were able to overcome this stumbling block and teach him to be an obedient and a willing partner again. They are still hoping to accomplish big things together and I am confident that they will. Tune in this week to see how they do.

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

 

 

Time to Weigh In

I have been struggling with the “Five Pound Challenge” here lately. What about you? I am still gaining and losing the same five pounds.

Since I love to eat and drink AND I love to work out, my main goal in life is to find the amount of exercise I have to do daily, in order to eat or drink whatever I want without gaining weight. A few weeks ago, I managed to work out all seven days in the week, walking/running a total of 27 miles and I managed to lose weight that week. In fact, I felt great! That was very promising to me except the only problem is that I cannot realistically maintain a 7/day per week workout schedule. Sometime life derails our best intentions. What is it about your life that gets in the way of your weight/fitness goals?

For me, I am not sure which is harder on my diet, travelling or staying home. It doesn’t help that we’ve just moved back into our house after a major kitchen/living room remodel. And since I love to cook and have a really nice new kitchen, the temptation to cook more lavish meals has been high. I know I could spend my cooking energy on less fattening meals but where is the fun in that? Of course, it goes without saying that eating out every meal in a restaurant is bad for your diet. Usually I only eat dinner at a restaurant when I am on the road, but inevitably the calories add up and the workout time diminishes.

What is your progress with the challenge? What makes losing weight a particular challenge for you? And have you found ways to combine weight loss  with making your horse life more productive?

Enjoy the ride!

Julie

 

 

What Would You Do in the Heat of the Moment?

The other night, about dinner time, I got a call from one of my dear friends, Lucy. She was distraught and needed advice on how to deal with her severely colicking horse; we talked it through and she was able to make the right decisions regarding her beloved horse, Scout. The horse was in major distress and the vet said that the only two treatment options remained at that point: surgery or euthanasia. As Lucy and I talked through her options and came up with a plan, it occurred to me that this is something everyone should think out ahead of time so that you are not making these hard emotional decisions in the heat of the moment.

When to euthanize an animal is not always an easy decision, particularly when the animal is young and especially when the condition comes on suddenly. In Lucy’s case, Scout was an awesome trial horse; she had raised from birth on the family ranch, had him trained when he came of age (I had the pleasure of starting him under saddle about 15 years ago) and Lucy had ridden hundreds of miles of Rocky Mountain trails on him over the years.  And now, just hours after taking a lovely ride that morning, the horse lay thrashing, dying of colic. There are few more desperate sights than a horse writhing in pain. But for Scout and Lucy, colic surgery was not really a viable option, making the decision to ends Scout’s pain and suffering much easier to make.

Colic surgery is simply not an option for every horse or every owner and there are many factors that play into this decision.  First, not all colic cases are treatable with surgery and your vet will have a better idea of the options. But even if your horse is a candidate for surgery, there are other factors that should be considered before a decision is made, concerning how much the horse is suffering, his chances for survival, length and difficulty of transport to a surgery center and the financial feasibility. Colic surgery is not a miracle cure; it is an expensive endeavor with low rates of survival.

One of the first things to consider when faced with this difficult decision is how long a drive it is to the surgery center and can the horse stand up and survive the trip, still retaining a reasonable chance of surviving the surgery? For us, here in the Colorado mountains, the nearest surgery center is about a three hour drive through the mountains; that makes the decision easier. Few horses that are sick enough for surgery would survive that trip and still have enough reserves to survive the surgery and post-op. Adding the stress of hauling in a trailer could lead to additional suffering for the horse, only to have him die on the trailer or on the operating table. Before jumping in a trailer and heading down the road, all of these factors should be considered.

If you are much closer to a colic surgery center and the horse’s pain/distress level are manageable enough with drugs that you could make it to the surgery center, the unfortunate question of practicality must be addressed. You must consider the horse’s chances for survival, the cost of the surgery and post-op care, the amount of suffering the horse will endure, whether or not you can personally afford it and the value of the horse. 72% of colic cases can be treated medically and do not require surgery. About 15% of colic cases are good candidates for surgery but sadly, only 50% of the horses that go into surgery will survive long enough to go back home. Of the horses that survive surgery and go home, another 50% of those horses will have mild to severe complications in the next year and a number of those will need to be euthanized.

Colic surgery can cost from $5,000 to $10,000 and up, depending on post-op complications; you don’t get your money back if the horse dies. In today’s market, ten grand can buy a pretty nice horse. So, pardon my frankness but you need to rationally consider whether or not you can afford to drain your savings account, taking a big risk that your horse might die anyway, after much suffering on his part. I have known many horses that have survived colic surgery and gone on to live healthy and useful lives. Certainly many horses have a high enough value, either financially or emotionally, that the cost of colic surgery is warranted, but it is a personal decision that can only be made by you, given your circumstances. When horses are the owners are good candidates, it can be wonderful thing.

These issues are much easier to think through in the non-emergent everyday reality than in the heat of the moment as your horse lays helpless and in agony. If you find these decisions too hard to make, you might consider getting major medical insurance on your horse, which would cover some of the costs of surgery. Also, mortality insurance can help you replace your horse or pay for the surgery if he dies.

Colic is the number one killer of domestic horses; if you are around horses long enough, you will sooner or later find yourself dealing with a sick horse and in the position to make critical decisions about his treatment and care. It is always best to go into these situations armed with knowledge and a plan, rather than make agonizing and expensive decisions standing in your barnyard in the middle of the night .

Once you have decided if colic surgery is a viable option, it will guide your other decisions. If you have ruled out surgery, then your vet will consider other options for treatment. Impactions and spasmodic colic are usually successfully treated with drugs and medical procedures. If your horse’s pain is controllable through medications, he may be able to ride it out. If your horse’s pain can be controlled with drugs and he can rest comfortably for four or five hours between doses, he may be able to pull through the colic. On more than one occasion, I have seen horses that I thought would die in the night, standing bright and alert in the morning. If the drugs do not control his pain at all or if they only keep him comfortable for a short time, it is possible that the kindest thing to do at this point is euthanize your horse.

I hope you are never faced with these anguishing decisions  but if you are, it is far better to know the facts up front and to have thought out what your realistic options are ahead of time. If your horse is put down (or if he dies naturally), you must also know what your options are for disposing of the carcass. In most places, burial is not allowed (check your state and local laws) so you’ll need to know if there is a renderer that will come pick up the carcass or what other options there are for disposal (AQHA Daily had an excellent article by Becky Newel on this subject on August 4, 2010). Since the horse has been poisoned, his remains must be disposed of so that other animals (scavengers) are not inadvertently poisoned.

I know that many of you reading this have already faced these sorts of tough decisions and have spent at least one long and agonizing night with a colicky horse, slogging in the mud in your PJS.  Probably more than of you than I would hope have had the gut wrenching experience of losing a horse to this devastating disease. What helped you the most and what would you have done differently if you could?

Next time I promise to write about something more fun!

All the best,

Julie