Hurricane Irma and JoseWith the upcoming storms approaching the US, here are some safety tips to help keep your horse safe. First and most importantly, no halters! Send your horse out bare if you can. Any equipment attached to their body gives them to potential to get themselves caught on something and injuring themselves. Secondly, try to keep them outdoors! This may sound scary, but if your horse is in a barn that has the potential to collapse, it's better for them to be out and able to run away. Here are some ways to help identify your horse in case of a disaster: spray paint. Non-toxic hair spray paint is a great way to help identify your horse without any equipment. Writing your number in sharpie on their hoof is a great way also. You can also put a dog-tag in their mane, just be sure to braid it in! You can also clip a very distinguished shape or pattern into their coat, even a phone number! But the best way to help identify a horse is a microchip! Just makes sure to note that the horse has one. Stay safe everyone! 💙💙💙
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Being Heavy On The ForehandDoes your horse lean on your hands? If he does he’s carrying most of his weight on his shoulders (his forehand). When his weight is over his front legs it’s hard for him to bend his knees, pick his feet up and move forward. He’ll lose energy, take shorter strides and his paces will be flat and heavy. When he’s like that you’ll find he’s less responsive and a lot harder to ride.
Your horse should carry his weight over his quarters. His hind legs are designed for it. They fold under pressure (unlike his front legs that straighten). As they unfold they send his body up and forward. Control this forward movement with a steady contact and he’ll stay balanced and relaxed. Ride your horse into a steady contact and it acts like a wall. His shoulders and hips get pushed closer together and his back has to round. As it does his hocks move further under his body and his hips drop which sends his body weight back off his shoulders and onto his quarters. You can’t pull your horse off his forehand. Try it and he’ll just pull back. Don’t try the ‘pull and let go’ either! He’ll tighten his back as you pull and fall back onto your reins as you let go. He’ll actually get lower. Any backward pressure on his mouth will make him tighten his back. A tight back can’t round so his hips won’t drop and take his weight. Your horse can only lean if you give him something to lean on. Move your fingers on the reins – as if you were typing – and he can’t. He’s used to sitting on your hands to stay balanced. Take that away and he’ll need to rebalance himself. You can’t just say “Don’t do that.” You need to say “Try this instead.” Before you do anything look at your position. If your horse is leaning forward there’s a strong chance you are too. Look straight ahead, pull up through your body and carry your hands a couple of inches above his withers. You are an upright version of your horse. If your shoulders are forward his shoulders will drop down. Pull up and lean back so your stomach muscles pull and he’ll lift his shoulders up, pull his stomach up and, more importantly, lower his hips. The lower your horse’s shoulders are the more weight they’ll have to carry. Drop your hands and you’ll drop his shoulders. If you straighten your arms at the same time you’ll give him the perfect bar to lean on. Bend your elbows and your arm is less likely to brace against him. If your horse is on his forehand there is little point trotting or cantering endless circles trying to get his weight back on his hocks. Balance is lost in transitions. Go right back to walk and get him rebalanced before you even think about trot or canter. Go large and ride halt transitions at every marker. For all transitions between any pace remember this ‘1, 2, 3’. You need to be consistent. If your horse knows you’ll stop trying he’ll just wait until you do.
Move on into trot. Go large and practise trot to walk or halt transitions at markers. Move on to three loop serpentines – the constant change of direction will keep your horse thinking and he’ll have to use his hocks to get round the turns. Some horses are harder than others. You may find you need to increase the pressure on the reins to have any effect. Do this by ‘typing’ harder against your palms. The harder you ‘type’ the stronger the pressure – but never pull your hands back. If your horse has more trouble in canter you need to work on your transition. Most balance is lost in the upward transition because the rider loses the contact. Suddenly lightening the contact at the moment you ask for canter won’t encourage him but it will drop him straight on his shoulders! Practise on a 20m circle at E/B. Stay in sitting trot. Ask for canter by holding your outside leg back against his side for three strides so he knows it’s coming. Tell him to canter with one sharp nudge with your inside heel. If he doesn’t respond stay calm. Settle the trot and next time you ask tap him with your whip directly behind your leg. (Your whip is there to make your leg aids stronger/ clearer not just to tell him off.) Once in canter ride ¼ of a circle and trot. Your horse will find his balance if you take your time. Remember the 1, 2, 3. Add a few strides at a time and before long you’ll have forgotten it was ever a problem. Good luck and enjoy your schooling. New Show Photos TabWith some of our CSH members being such talented photographers, we've added a tab specifically for their wonderful photos at shows! We hope you enjoy! 💙💙💙
Katie Horse Sunburn-Prevention and TreatmentEllie Fraser | August 1, 2011 |
Summer means sun, and sun means sunburn. We know this and we protect ourselves accordingly, but we don’t often consider that our horses might suffer from sunburn as well. Horses burn similarly to the way that humans do – that is, the lighter the skin, the easier the burn. However, even if you have a fully black or bay horse, they are susceptible to the harsh rays of the sun. Sunburn is just as painful for horses as it is for humans, and shows up in much the same way – red, raw skin, hot and sore to the touch, which, if left untreated, can become flaky, cracked and may blister. Thankfully, we can prevent it in much the same way we prevent our own sunburn. Stay out of the sun! Many people stable their horses during the hottest hours of the day – however, this is only beneficial if your stable is well ventilated and cool. If you don’t stable your horses, try to make sure they have adequate shade – plenty of tree cover, a paddock lean-to or shelter. Slip, Slop, Slap! Just as it works for humans, it works for horses too! Slip on a rug – a lightweight turnout combo offers maximum protection. Don’t forget that it’s hot as well – consider the weight and density of the rug, because your horse also needs to be cool. Slop on some sunscreen – there are several horse sunscreens available, perhaps from your local tack store or feed shed. Otherwise, bust out the same sunscreen you use on yourself! Coloured sunblocks are a great idea – they make it much easier to tell when your horse has rubbed some off or where you’ve already applied some. Slap on a hat – or in this case, a flyveil. This is the best way of protecting your horses eyes and forehead (the areas most susceptible) from sunburn. Several fly masks also come with muzzle flaps, which will help protect the sensitive, soft skin around your horses nostrils and mouth. Already burnt? If your horse is already burnt, treat it similarly to the way you’d treat your own. Aloe sunburn treatments will immediately sooth your horses burn, and will help re-moisturize and heal your horses skin. Otherwise, any soothing antiseptic ointment such as Savlon, Sudocream or Germoline can help. Treating your horses sunburn similarly to how you’d treat your own makes for a simple solution – but remember, we can prevent it just as easily, and prevention is always better than cure. Via Horse Family Magazine Congratulations Ruby and Pippin!Congratulations to Ruby and Pippin. Reserve Champion Pony Pleasure at the VPBA Show! 💙💙💙
Spring has sprung and summer shows are coming!Many things are coming along for the CSH family. Firstly, Abby got her cast off today, congrats! Secondly, both barns have a brand new coat of paint on the jumps with colors great for spring and summer! We can't wait to get riding! Photos courtesy of Melanie Gohrband.
What a Day!The CSH team had a day of fun painting jumps and going on Easter egg hunts. We hope you all have a fantastic Easter! 💙💙💙
The girls are doing great so far! Even with a broken arm and stitches in the forehead the girls still have high spirits and have their eyes on the prize! Congrats girls! 💙💙💙
Katie Feel free to take a look at our Pinterest board! From medical, to exercises, to grooming! We will keep adding to it. 💙💙💙 Katie
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