Equine wellness
Equine
Summer
Your natural resource!
wellness
trail riding
truth about West Nile the
Stage
fright? Prepare him for a stress-free show
Stumbling
blocks What to do about hoof emergencies on the trail
Horse
theft
How to Create a fun & easy
obstacle course
Don’t be a victim
manners Minding your
Trailer-buying
tips
July/August 2010 Display until August 17, 2010
Rider etiquette for the ring and trail
The scoop on
apple cider vinegar
$5.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 4
EquineWellnessMagazine.com
equine wellness
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Contents July/August 2010
34 features 14 stumbling blocks
Learn how to deal with hoof emergencies in one of the most inconvenient environments you and your horse will encounter – out on the trail.
18 stage fright?
Your horse performs perfectly at home, but goes to pieces at his first show. What’s wrong? Prepare him for a stressfree show.
21 just along for the ride?
Learn how to maximize training opportunities during the time you spend with your horse – both in and out of the arena.
26 don’t be a victim
Horse theft is a very real threat. Find out how to protect your equine partner, and what to do if he gets stolen.
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21 30 raring to go
48 west nile virus
34 up for a challenge?
52 Road trip
Ready for a full summer of riding? Acupressure can help your horse overcome stiffness and get back in shape.
Most veterinarians recommend horses get a West Nile vaccine every year. But how much do you actually know about the disease, the risk level and the vaccine?
Obstacles are a great way to add variety to your training program. Here are 5 simple ones you can create yourself.
Follow these three steps to selecting a safe and comfortable trailer you and your horse will love.
41 mind your manners
56 worn thin–part 2
It’s important to understand basic rider etiquette both in the ring and out on the trail.
Take a look at the wear patterns on your horse’s hooves. They’re telling you something important.
60 full of vinegar
Do you have apple cider vinegar in your kitchen cabinet? It’s also something that can do double duty in the barn.
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52 Departments
Columns
10 Neighborhood news
8 Editorial
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37 Equine Wellness resource guide
From agony to ecstasy
32 A natural performer 44 Holistic veterinary advice Talking with Dr. Christine King 64 Did you know?
51 Heads up 63 Marketplace 65
Classifieds
66 Events calendar
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14 equine wellness
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Up for a challenge? Obstacles are a great way to add variety to your training program. Here are 5 simple ones you can create yourself. The author takes her horse through the “car wash.”
By Kelly Howling
W
hen researching this article, I had grand illusions of building (from scratch) a few obstacles for my own horse, including a bridge similar to what you see in trail classes. It quickly became apparent that building these items was not going to be fun, and that I really should not be giving advice to people about construction projects, especially those involving power tools. So I decided to leave those obstacles to the professionals! Instead, I discovered a few fun, simple, inexpensive and safe obstacles you can create to help keep your horse’s training fresh. I have used these with my own horses with great success. People often underestimate the value of obstacles to enhance their groundwork and flatwork, but they’re a perfect way to add new challenges to your horse’s program and break up your usual routine.
1. Get rolling The simplest obstacle is a simulated log.
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You will need: • Industrial cardboard rolls, available at big box hardware stores. These are several feet long, close to 2’ in diameter, and sturdy. • Two clamps These rolls are inexpensive, and light enough that you can place them almost anywhere you want. Use one to simulate a log or jump, and ask your horse to sidepass its length, etc. To create a larger jump, use the clamps to set up three rolls in a pyramid formation.
2. A safer take on tarps Most people just throw a tarp on the ground and ride or lunge their horses over it. This can be unsafe. The horse can catch a foot (or shoe) under the edge of the tarp and drag it with him, or the wind can catch it and blow it under him. You will need: • Two regular length jump poles • Tarp
#1. Get rolling
#2. A safer take on tarps.
Roll opposite ends of the tarp around the poles. This helps hold the tarp in place, and the raised edges cause the horse to lift his feet more as his goes across the tarp, preventing him from getting caught up on the edge.
3. Working the poles If you want to get your hands a little dirtier, create a set of vertical poles. You will need: • Four five-gallon buckets • Four pieces of PVC pipe (or similar item/material) about 3’ long, with caps • Rocks • Sand Place a pole in each bucket and surround it with rocks to hold it in place. Fill in the remaining holes with sand. Cap off the tops of the poles so there are no sharp edges. Voila! You can now work on pole bending, PC games, and create various patterns to ride around. For a more permanent solution, cement the poles into the buckets – but use equine wellness
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