Only the Nose Knows
Can you guess who this is?
New DOT Regulations
Some of you may know that there are new regs in place as of Jan 1 2007 that require all vehicles that have a combined GVW of 10,000+ pounds have a DOT number on them. The registration is free but you have to pay to get the numbers made (which can be a magnetic sign – unless you have an Aluminum trailer) and it also requires that you carry a safety kit of 3 road triangles and a 10BC fire extinguisher mounted in the tow vehicle. There are likely many other requirements too and I have only scratched the surface. One thing to consider is that the regs apply to the published GVW of your truck and trailer not the actual weight. So if you think you can slide by because the trailer is empty or only has one horse in it think again. The GVW’s are printed on a tag mounted in or on your truck and trailer.
The form you need to register can be found here http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/forms/print/r-l-forms.htm you need both MCS-150 and MCS150A. More info can be found here www.fmcsa.dot.gov and also the NYS dot website. Don’t bother to call DMV they don’t know anything about DOT regs.
Do not risk being pulled over and fined for this new rule. Look up the rules and register.
Test Your Balance
Can you perform the excercise of “Around the World” on your horse or pony? Before and after each lesson with kids, I ask them to do this simple trick to test their balance and agility. Here you see Jillian in the reverse postion, you simply flip your leg and turn four times around in the saddle until you are facing the front again. It is adviseable to try this on a safe quiet mount with someone at the bridle just in case the shift in balance upsets your horse.
Accurate Riding
Improve your riding skills regardless of what level or disicpline you ride. Test yourself eveyday to determine if you are riding with purpose or simply meandering around the arena or countryside. Take whatever excercise you are working on and experiment, slow it down, lengthen the stride, test your balance. Remember, practice makes perfect and it takes thousands of repetitions to change a bad habit.
Study a video of yourself riding and determine what you would like to improve. Almost without fail, relaxation and harmony are common goals. Clarify your weak points and develop a plan to improve them. It is vital to keep a training journal of your goals and progress.
Most importantly, be gentle with yourself. Riding does not ever improve with tension or temper. If you make a mistake, stop, regroup and try again. If your horse makes a mistake, ask yourself if you created that error or did he simply not understand what you were asking. A wonderful rule to follow is to smile and count to 3 before attempting to correct the movement. A smile relaxes your body and lightens your thoughts. Try not to overanalyze the situation. The most beautiful riders appear effortless and light, dancing in perfect harmony with their horse.
Leg Yield Excersises
In preperation for moving up the levels, the horse must become more supple and balanced in order to develop the thrust (pushing power) required at First Level. Remember you have already confirmed that the horse’s muscles are supple and loose, moving freely forward in a clear and steady rhythm while accepting contact with the bit.
The Rider must always check that her horse is fulfilling these basic requirements before moving on to any other excercises. Once established you can move on to the Lateral Movements or Work on Two Tracks.
The objective of working on Two Tracks is to improve the obedience fo the horse and to supple all parts of the horse which will increase the freedom of his shoulders and suppleness of his quarters as well as the elasticity of the bond connecting the mouth, the poll, the neck, the back and the haunches. Lateral work will also improve the cadence and bring the balance and pace into harmony.
The requirements for Leg Yield are that the horse is staight and parrallel to the long side, except for a slight flexion at the poll away from the direction in which he moves. The Rider should be able to see the inside nostril and eye. The inside legs pass across in front of the outside legs. Leg-yielding should be introduced in the training prior to any collection. The shoulders should move slightly in advance of the quarters. Novice riders often make the mistake of pulling the neck out of alignment with the shoulders, or allowing the haunches to trail too far behind the shoulders.
It is a good idea to try 3 steps of leg yield from the center line and 3 steps forward and straight, and then repeat until you reach the wall. This will help the rider feel the hind legs of the horse and control the movement sideways without many problems.
Another excercise is to trot across the diagonal and at X leg yield to the corner. Remember to half halt and balance your horse before transitioning to the leg yield. Have someone video your work so that you can see if you are correct. If problems arise, breathe and slow it down to walk until you can feel the correct aids. This takes patience and practice.
Remember, always ride with integrity and finish after a good moment. Always end your training session with posting trot long and low to reward your horse. The goal is to achieve relaxation, balance and harmony at all times.
Extention of the Gaits
The USDF Glossary of Judging Terms describes the extention of all gaits as “stretching and lengthening of the outline and stride of the horse, and in trot and canter, an increased phase of suspension. The horse covers as much ground as possible with each stride maintaining nearly the same tempo and relatively uphill balance.
In walk, a pace which shows the maximum length of the stride and stretch and oscillation of the neck. The hind feet touch the ground clearly in front of the prints of the forefeet.”
Suspension is the period of time when none of the limbs are in contact with the ground. This is also the aerial phase. The canter and gallop have one aerial phase per stride, the trot has two per stride and the walk does not have any aerial phase.
The Frame of Your Horse
The USDF Glossary of Judging Terms describes the frame as “the longer or shorter outline of the horse dictated by the relative degree of extension or collection. Incorrectly used to discuss the horses level of training as in ‘second-level frame’ or ‘fourth level frame’.”
It is very important to understand that the entire outline of the horse becomes longer in extentions. Students often misunderstand the difference between the working and lengthened strides. Always remind yourself to have a soft neck on your horse, testing yourself by allowing your arm muscles to relax and move your hands forward an inch to verify that you are not hanging on to your horses mouth.
The rider should also move her head from side to side to loosen up the spine and test your ability to remain stable in your seat while relaxing the spine. You should be able to do this in walk, trot and canter. It is amazing how much it will improve the stride of your horse when you relax your body.
Remember to always check in with your body to remove any tense areas because your horse responds to every movement your body makes.
One way to test the length of stride is to count the working stride between 2 letters, next count the exact same distance with an extention and you will find out if you are truly lengthening the stride or just riding faster. Remember, the tempo should remain the same and not quicken as you allow your horse to cover more ground.
Don Kapper at Progressive Nutrition
Someone recently wrote to ask me about my friend, world reknown equine nutritionist Don Kapper. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and a member of the Equine Science Society, the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (PAS), the American Farriers Association and the American Hanoverian Society and the ISR/Oldenburg Society.
In 1983, he assisted in the development of the first comprehensive computer program to balance equine diets. He consults with industry leaders and has lectured throughout the world to owners, trainers and veterinarians.
Don has also been the exclusive Equine Nutritionist for the 1998, 2002, 2004 and the 2007 North American Sport Horse Registries, 100 – Day Stallion Performance Test.
He is the consulting nutritionist to Baileys Horse Feeds, in England, where they currently provide Progressive Nutrition “feeds and feeding programs” to approximately 30% of the Thoroughbred Studs and Racing Yards in England and are growing into Ireland, France and the United Emirates.
In 2003, Don assisted in writing the text and taught the first Equine Science Certificate Class, “Introductory Equine Nutrition” and has guest lectured on “Equine Growth and Reproduction” and “Exercise Physiology” at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
He also wrote the chapter on “Applied Nutrition,” for co-author Dr. Stephen Reed’s, Equine Internal Medicine, 2nd edition, a veterinary textbook that was published in Dec. 2004.
Don has written articles on Equine Management and Nutrition that have been published in several trade journals.
He has guest lectured on “Applied Nutrition” at Veterinary Clinical Science Departments including: Ohio State, Purdue, Iowa State University, Minnesota State University, Texas A&M, Florida State University, the University of Guelph, in Canada, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, in Mexico; as well as universities with horse science degrees, including: the University of Findlay, Salem University, Ohio University, Lake Erie College and the University of Guelph.
Other noted seminar presentations have been given to: the American Association of Equine Practitioners; the Pennsylvania State Veterinary Associations, The Ohio State University Veterinary Nutritional Conference; the Mexico Veterinary Conference; the Northern Texas Veterinary Medical Association; Veterinary Professional Quest; the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s of Ireland, England, and France; Horsemen’s Short Courses at The Ohio State University; the American Hanoverian Society; Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers Association; Michigan, Ohio and American Morgan Horse Associations; and the California Nutrition Conference.
Don and his wife Dee own and operate Outer Banks Farm, where they breed and raise Warmblood horses in Beach City, Ohio. Don can be reached at prognutrition.com if you have any questions about equine nutrition.
True Horsemanship
Horses often find their way to me after being traumatized or handled incorrectly. The owners are confused and comment about their trainer, saying”well he has worked with horses his entire life.”
My grandmother, a wonderful horsewoman, would respond, “that person may have ridden badly his entire life. By that same token we would logically have to conclude that a man is bound to be a good doctor, a good lawyer, a good cook simply because he has performed these tasks for years. However, we know from bitter experience that the doctor may have been killing patients, the lawyer losing cases and the cook distributing indigestion throughout their careers.”
I am a strong advocate for the well being of the horse. As a result I spend considerable time educating people as to how horses think and learn. It astounds me that trainers still believe “beating” a horse into submission is the answer. Always remember that each horse is an individual and must be treated as such. And as my grandmother would say, if the horse misunderstands what you are asking, pause, smile, ask clearly again and you will almost always be rewarded with the desired result.
If you are confused or unsuccessful in your current training situation, ask around and find someone to help you move forward. There are many roads to Rome, you simply have to select the one that suits you best.
Understanding the Biomechanics of Your Horse
As a rider and trainer you are responsible for understanding how your horse moves. The USDF definition of Biomechanics, borrowed from Webster is “the application of the principles and techniques of mechanics (the branch of physics that deals with the motion of material bodies and the phenomena of the action of forces on bodies) to the structure, function, and capabilites of living organisms.”
Thus, when asking your horse to do something, you must be certain you are not blocking him from moving in the desired way. One common mistake is that riders hang on the inside rein, thus blocking the inside leg from coming up under the horse to bend properly or take the canter depart.
A study of the horses muscular structure is important when working with your horse. Each horse is an individual which means that you must take his conformation into consideration when asking for a movement. Dr. Hilary Clayton is an expert in studying and understanding the mechanics of equine performance and lameness. She is the author of two very important books, The Dynamic Horse and Conditioning Sport Horses. These are vital to any serious horseman. The following illustration of the neck muscles is from a recent lecture by Dr. Clayton.
