Synthetic Saddles Rock

Volume 19 • Number 12
Saddles:
www.horse-journal.com
December 2012
Synthetic Saddles Rock
Quality design, fit options and a good look at an affordable price.
I
f you’ve gone saddle shopping
with a small budget, you know
the quality available in leather
saddles for less than $1,000 is just
not there. That leaves a choice of
buying a used leather saddle (and
being sure there’s no broken or
repaired tree), settling for a new inexpensive leather saddle (and living
with the imperfections) or giving up
on leather and going synthetic.
The simplest, safest route is a new
synthetic saddle. Few people will
even know your saddle’s not leather
as you ride by. Or even if it’s sitting on the saddle rack, really. Plus,
you can skip that time-consuming
saddle soaping.
When our test saddles arrived, the
first comment was always, “That’s
not leather?” The four saddles we
had—the Tekna S-Line dressage, the
Wintec Pro dressage, the Thorowgood T4 dressage and the hybrid
Thorowgood T8 dressage—showed
great attention to design.
They not only looked like leather,
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
2
Editorial
5
8
10 12
13
14 15 16
Laser Therapy
Turns: Forehand and Haunches
Wound Case Study
Book Review
Equine Privacy
Ask HJ, Safety Thought
2012 Index, Dr. Getty
Commentary
From left, the Thorowgood T8, Thorowgood T4, Wintec Pro Dressage, Tekna S-Line Dressage.
they were virtually just as pliable.
Plus, the material is much more
scratch and mold resistant. The
colors are deep and rich. Stitching
is even and tight. The designs are
intuitive and rider friendly. These
saddles lack nothing when it comes
to quality construction.
Cleaning And Accessories.
Of course, nearly everyone knows
that synthetic saddles are cleaned
with water. (Really. Don’t use anything else.) You must keep them
out of the sun while they’re drying
and not expose them to high heat,
such as blow drying them or locking
them in a hot car (which isn’t good
for leather either). Other than that,
they’re a piece of cake. The suedelike areas did collect dusty debris,
but we wiped that off with a dry
cloth between washings.
We used leather stirrup leathers
and girths on these saddles without
problem. You can also purchase
matching bridles, girths and leathers, if you prefer. While we’ve heard
that leather can cause a squeak
when used on synthetic materials,
we didn’t have that problem.
Tekna S-Line. The Tekna S-Line
saddle from English Riding Supply
is available in a smooth or suedelike finish. We chose the smooth finish, and it was wonderful, appearing
very much like leather. The saddle
was comfortable with padded,
shaped knee rolls and a moveable
knee block. The material is breathable. It had the longest stirrup bar in
continued on page 3
Horse Journal on the Web
Read the news, views, notices, breaking news at
www.horse-journal.com
★ For subscribers only: All back articles available on the web.
★ Our experts blog about competition, controversies and barn life.
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief
Cynthia Foley
Associate Editor
Margaret Freeman
Performance Editor
John Strassburger
Contributing Veterinary Editors
Deb M. Eldredge, DVM,
Grant Miller, DVM
Contributing Farrier Editors
Lee Foley, Steve Kraus, CJF
Contributing Nutrition Editor
Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.
Contributing Writers
Beth Benard, Nancy Butler,
Beth Hyman, Susan Quinn, Esq.
Editorial Offices
6538 Van Buren Road
Warners, NY 13164
315-468-0627
[email protected]
Subscription Services
PO Box 420234
Palm Coast, FL 32142
800-829-9145
www.horse-journal.com/cs
Reprints and Web-Posting
Jennifer Knapp
[email protected]
Horse Journal™ (ISSN No. 1097-6949; usps
011-874) is published monthly by Cruz Bay
Publishing, LLC, an Active Interest Media
company. The known office of publication is at 475 Sansome St., Suite 850, San
Francisco, CA 94111. Periodicals postage
paid at San Francisco, CA and at additional mailing offices. Copyright © 2012, Cruz
Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly
prohibited. Printed in U.S.A. Revenue
Canada GST Account #128044658.
Subscriptions: $49 annually (12 issues).
Single copies are $8. Bulk rate subscriptions for organizations and educational
institutions are available upon request.
Postmaster: Please send address changes
to Horse Journal, PO Box 420235, Palm
Coast, FL 32142. Canadian changes to
Horse Journal, PO Box 39, Norwich, ON,
N0J 1P0. Canada Publishing Agreement
Number #40016479.
Horse Journal™ makes every effort to provide information on horse health, care
and treatment that is authoritative, reliable and practical. It is not intended,
however, to replace diagnosis or treatment by a veterinarian or other qualified
health professional. Horse Journal does
not assume any legal responsibility. Readers should always consult qualified health
care providers for specific diagnosis and
treatment.
Editorial:
Careful Spending
Quality items can cost less in the long run.
M
oving every 10 years or so
That County Dresprix saddle is still
makes you eliminate clutter.
dear to my heart. It’s the one I simply
That’s because, when you’re
had to have way back in the first year of
packing, you find making the “I don’t
Horse Journal. Our testers were skeptineed that” decision far easier.
cal of its adjustable flap, but after the
Well, if you count my time as a young
field trial they thought it was outstandgirl, we’ve been in the same barn for 40
ing, and so have I for nearly 19 years
years. And since we’re moving into the
now. It’s been through four horses,
new barn shortly,
and might need
I’ve started sorta little reflocking
ing, deciding what
now, but otherto keep, toss or
wise it’s in amazgarage sale.
ingly good shape.
Things I know
Longevity. That’s
we’ll never use
what we all want.
again, including
I still wear the
a huge number
Tredsteps half
of bits and some
chaps I bought
young-horse trainin 1998 after our
ing devices, will
field trial. The
go. The barn carts
decade-old BMB
As the last pieces of the barn building fall into
we’ve had since
halters remain
place, like footing, we prepare for the move.
2005 will be pared
my favorites,
down, but we’ll certainly keep the Sceand our Union Hill Lettia saddle pads
nic Road Gorilla Wheelbarrow. It’s been
haven’t started to show wear yet. These
“doing stalls” ever since it wheeled into
were all relatively pricey items, recomthe barn seven years ago. We’ve aired
mended by Horse Journal, and they’ve
the tires a couple times, but otherwise
proven to be worth every penny.
it’s perfect. Its award as Best Buy and
This holiday season, consider giving
Top Choice was well deserved. At a
quality gifts that people can use for
price of under $200 in 2005, its cost is
years to come. Maybe initially it won’t
about $3 a month so far.
seem like that $25 Haas brush is much
The other standout cart is the Agriof a gift, but eight years from now,
Fab #45 Cart. You wouldn’t expect a
when your friend is moving to another
one-year warranty cart to compare to
barn, you’ll be sure it’s a favorite that
Scenic Road’s 10-year warranty, but
goes with her, just as mine will.
it did. Our testers said the Agri-Fab
cart was durable, and they were right.
There’s a loose edging piece and a few
chips in the bed, but otherwise, it’s
worked hard carting hay, bedding and
Cynthia Foley
more around the farm for years.
Editor-in-Chief
The goal of Horse Journal is to provide practical solutions and hands-on information our readers
can take into the barn and use. We work to make bottom-line recommendations on products we
believe will best serve our readers while standing firm with a back-to-the-basics philosophy on
training, nutrition and horse care. We base our evaluations on field trials, research and experience.
Horse Journal does not accept commercial advertising.
Are you missing out on the online fun at www.horse-journal.com?
Keep up with the informative weekly blogs from our Horse Journal editors.
Sign up for our free monthly newsletter.
facebook.com/horsejournal
Efrem Zimbalist III
Andrew W. Clurman
Brian Sellstrom Patricia B. Fox
CHAIRMAN AND CEO
PRESIDENT AND COO
SENIOR VP AND CFO
SENIOR VP OPERATIONS
H o r s e J o u r n a l D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 2
SADDLES
continued from page 1
the trial, and changing stirrups was
a breeze.
The long, shaped flaps add to
its pretty design. The pommel is
slightly cut back, which we liked.
When we rode, the saddle felt
already broken in. It allows a nice
close-contact feel of your horse.
Although we only had the medium-size changeable gullet the
saddle came with, we pulled it out
and put it back just to see what it
was like. You do really need to pull
this saddle apart to get the job done,
but it’s not difficult. We would like
to see a little Velcro on the flap that
hides entry to the adjustable gullet,
and we’d appreciate a couple spare
screws, just in case one gets lost,
but English Riding Supply said they
will send you one if needed.
Wintec Pro Dressage. The
Wintec Pro comes in an Equisuede/
microfiber finish. We chose wool
flocking, but you can also get the
CAIR Cushion System.
When you first mount up, you may
feel like you’re sitting on a cloud,
probably due to its layer of foam
cushioning. But it’s extremely comfortable, especially with its narrow
twist, and you quickly adjust to it.
The panels are well-padded and
appear breathable. Wintec says
it’s an “Equigrip” lining, designed
to help stabilize the saddle. The
saddle has an overgirth attached
to the flaps. It looks like it’s used
to keep the flaps close to the horse,
to ensure they won’t interfere with
your leg and feel. It was an extra
step tacking up, but worth it.
Changing the gullet was the easiest of all these saddles. Long gone
All of the saddles had movable knee rolls.
are those notorious days of struggling with the gullet.
The only thing that bugged us
was the added foam on the saddle
skirt and upper corner of the flap. It
didn’t interfere with riding or feel,
but we felt it added to a puffy look.
Thorowgood. The T4 Thorow-
Synthetic Dressage Saddles
Saddle
Billets
Flaps and panels
Gullet
Tree
Seat
Tekna S-Line
$625
www.english
supply.com
866-569-1600
Y-strap long
billets, slightly
thick.
Movable knee block.
The latex-wool
flocking is thick,
comfortable and
smooth. A saddle
fitter can manipulate
this combination.
Uses Quick Change
Gullet system $25
each.
Lightweight
synthetic
Five-year warranty
We found the
nicely padded seat
comfortable with a
medium twist and
depth.
Wintec Pro
$850
www.wintec.net.au
Contact your local
dealer
Y-strap billets,
pretty thick,
but they’re
adjustable in
length and
placement. The
front billet can
be moved on the
Velcro the knee
block sits on and
secured in place.
Equigrip panels.
Movable knee block.
Choice of wool
or CAIR Cushion
panels. Easy Change
Riser Solution also
available to adjust
panels. $100.
Easy Change Gullet
System
(set $100;
individually $25).
ElastiFlex tree
Lifetime warranty
The foam makes
the seat very
comfortable,
although it was a
bit stiffer than the
other test saddles.
The suede-like seat
was grippy. It has a
medium deep seat
with a narrow twist.
Thorowgood T4
Long billets with
three placement
options,
including Y-strap.
The billets were
also the longest
in our trial.
Suede-like seat and
knee rolls. Movable
knee block. Flocking
is British wool.
Changeable gullets.
$29 each.
SimaTree saddle
tree
Lifetime warranty
Suede-like material
on seat and knee
rolls. Medium twist,
medium depth.
Thorowgood T8
hybrid
$825
www.thorowgood.
com
www.
doversaddlery.com
800-406-8204
Long billets with
three placement
options,
including Y-strap.
The billets were
also the longest
in our trial.
Leather flaps and
knee rolls, the rest
of the saddle is
synthetic. Movable
knee block. Flocking
is British wool.
Changeable gullets.
$29 each.
SimaTree saddle
tree
Lifetime warranty
Supple, comfortable
leather. Medium
twist, medium
depth seat.
$625
www.thorowgood.
com
www.
doversaddlery.com
800-406-8204
Horse Journal
Horse Journal Editor’s Choice
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m December 2 0 1 2
SADDLES
The Thorowgood billets and billet rings.
good is a fully synthetic model
with suede-like seat and knee rolls,
while the T8 is a hybrid, meaning it’s mainly synthetic but has a
leather seat, flaps and knee rolls.
Both saddles are beautiful and
comfortable. The design and look is
very upscale, and the long flaps on
the saddle seem to promote a longer
leg. Test riders said they were automatically in the perfect spot when
they mounted (one rider said her
sitting trot was twice as easy). The
T4’s suede-like seat was grippy but
comfortable and barely noticeable.
Our horses moved wonderfully.
The panels are flocked with wool
that’s easily accessible by your
saddle fitter. In fact, Thorowgood
takes over-the-counter saddles to
Tekna (knee roll removed).
almost custom level with a variety
of panels and trees for cobs, wide
horses, high or low withers and so
on. From there, you can tweak the
fit further with the gullets.
That, however, was a little tougher
than the Wintec, and we found
the hex screw that came with the
saddle didn’t work as well as the
one from our own tool box, but
that’s a minor thing. The flap over
the change area isn’t Velcro-ed, but
it held in place well.
Bottom Line. Your saddle decision starts with 1) Does it fit the
horse? and 2) Does it fit the rider?
Only then should you think price,
and synthetics can save you a bundle. We would be happy with any of
Wintec billets.
these saddles, but our favorite was
the Thorowgood T4. It’s well-priced,
well-designed and comfortable.
Plus, we applaud the multiple fit
options beyond the gullet change. If
you’re not ready for full synthetic,
go $200 more for the T8’s leather
seat and flaps.
One last thought: If you want a
gullet-change saddle to use on a
variety of horses frequently, consider the Genesis tree fit system (see
September 2012). The tree width
changes with a few simple clicks of
the tree. Of course, you pay for that
simplicity, compared to the synthetics, as the all-leather Toulouse
Genesis Aachen dressage saddle we
used cost $1650.
Article by Horse Journal staff.
Replacement Interchangeable Gullets
Each of these saddles allows you to adjust the tree
from narrow to wide with a gullet. While It’s not difficult to change a gullet, using screwdrivers and hex
keys, it’s not a quick process either. Also, although
the gullets look and change similarly, they aren’t
interchangeable among brands. Be aware that gul-
The gullets are color-coded (pictured are
two of the Thorowgood gullets).
Horse Journal
lets can add considerably to the cost of your saddle
(each comes with a medium gullet). Wintec sells a
gullet changer set with the sizing gauge and five
gullets for $100, which is cheaper than purchasing
them individually, but you won’t likely need them
all if you’re using the saddle on only one horse.
Wintec offers a device through separate purchase that helps you determine which gullet
your horse needs.
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m We found the Wintec Easy Change Gullet
System simplest to do, as it opened and
closed with ease.
D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 2
VETERINARY CARE
Veterinary Care:
the greatest potential risk, but of
course, also shows the most significant potential therapeutic effects.
Isn’t this always the case?
Class 3 and 4 lasers are commonly
marketed to horse owners. Class 4
lasers will in some cases generate
between 10 and 12 watts of power at
anywhere between 400 nanometer
and 1,200 nanometer wavelengths
(600 to 1,100 are most common).
These wavelengths can permit the
laser beam to penetrate into
lmost all horse people,
the body up to six inches in
no matter what riddepth, making them popular
ing discipline they
for treating musculoskeletal
choose, universally agree
ailments in horses. However,
that training and showing
this is not to say that Class 4
can at times push horses to
lasers are the only ones that a
their physical limits. Natuhorse owner should consider.
rally, with increased physiClass 3 lasers, which in
cal demands in athletic
most circumstances only
endeavors, comes increased
penetrate into the skin laystrain on the body and the
ers, can be useful for helping
potential for injury. To comwounds to heal, or for use on
bat this, horse enthusiasts
the lower limbs.
continually seek new ways
Choosing a laser that has
Laser therapy, like this Pegasus unit, is a good choice for musto help their horses through
versatility is critical, since
culoskeletal injuries.
preventative health meadifferent ailments will
sures and cutting-edge therapies.
outputs. Lasers with high outputs
respond appropriately to different
One such therapy is gaining rapid
can actually cut and cauterize
types of laser therapy.
and widespread recognition for
(burn) tissues, which make them
having a beneficial effect on horses:
ideal for precision cutting during
Types of Lasers. Within the
Laser Therapy.
surgery. In this article, we are gogenre of therapeutic lasers, there
ing to focus on low-enery output
What is a Laser? Many of us
therapeutic lasers.
think of LASERS as a high-tech
weapon that is featured in a James
Therapeutic
Bond movie . . . but in actuality,
Lasers. Therapeulasers have been adapted over the
tic lasers are often
Type of Laser
Company
years to be able to assist us with
termed “cold lasers”
everything from relieving muscle
or “low-level lasers”
ThorDDV
Equine Thor Photomedicine
www.equinethor.com
soreness to working right beside us
mainly because they
Several different packages
877-355-3151
in our computer printers. LASER
have a relatively low
available.
is the acronym for Light Amplifipower output and
cation by Stimulated Emission of
they usually do not
Vetrolaser Cold Laser
Vetrolaser
www.vetrolaser.com
Radiation. In plain English? A
heat up the skin surIncludes safety glasses.
800-742-8433
laser is a device that generates an
face. These characintense, highly focused beam of
teristics make them
Luminex Vet Laser
Respond Systems
www.respondsystems.com
light, but it’s different than the light
relatively safe for
Rentals available.
800-722.1228
around us in several ways. everyday use. HowThe most important difference
ever, there are some
Pegasus Therapy Laser
Pegasus Therapy Lasers
System
www.pegasuslaser.com
is that laser light consists of one
risks in using lasers.
302-709-3901
wavelength while the light around
The FDA classifies
Financing available.
us is composed of many different
lasers according to
wavelengths. Another key difthe potential hazPTL Pegasus Therapy Laser
LiteCure
www.litecure.com
ference about laser light is that it
ards that they can
877-627-3858
can be generated at a frequency far
present.Therapeutic
higher than our eyes can detect.
lasers are classed
K-Series Veterinary Cube
K-Laser USA
www.k-laserusa.com
Lasers are made with different light
between class 1 and
Financing available.
866-595-7749
frequencies with different power
class 4. Class 4 poses
Laser Therapy Relieves
Muscle Soreness
Units cost thousands, putting a purchase out
of reach for many of us, but not a rental.
A
Best Choices
Recommended Laser
Therapy Units
Horse Journal
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m December 2 0 1 2
VETERINARY CARE
some type of reaction
to laser light, they must
receive somewhere between 1 and 5 joules per
treatment.
A joule is a unit of
energy measurement.
Joules can be delivered
relatively quickly with
powerful class 4 lasers.
For instance, the recommended “standard” dose
of 1 to 5 joules can be
delivered in as little as
10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the
area treated.
The Respond System is a long-time Horse Journal favorite.
A class 3 laser, which
Prices for the Luminex Vet Laser start at $7700 with threeis less powerful than a
month rentals starting at $1625.
class 4, can deliver the standard
are cold-wave lasers and cold-pulse
dose, but usually it can’t penetrate
lasers. Cold-wave lasers emit a
as deep into the body tissues and
single, uninterrupted light beam
the same dose takes much longer
at a fixed power output and wave(25 to 35 minutes) to deliver. When
length. Often termed an “acupuncapplied to the correct location, for
ture laser,” this type of laser is used
the right period of time, with the
commonly for that purpose (in
right energy output, lasers can:
place of needles that must be placed
1. There is strong evidence to
by a veterinarian). It is also often
suggest that the energy produced
used for various skin conditions
by cold-laser therapy is absorbed
and wound healing.
by the enzymes of damaged cells.
Cold-pulse lasers are used when
These cells then show increased
deeper tissue penetration is reregenerative activities because their
quired (such as with muscle ailmitochondria (aka power factories)
ments or problems that occur deep
increase their activity in response
into the subcutaneous and muscle
to the energy from the laser. This
layers). This type of therapy inleads to increased production of
volves the laser emitting alternathealthy cell tissue, which results
ing red and infrared light at high
in improved tissue repair as well as
energy output levels for short bursts
reduced pain and inflammation.
of time. By alternating pulse types,
Translation: This can help imthis laser therapy can successfully
prove the tensile (load bearing and
penetrate deep into tissues without
elastic) strength of, say, an injured
causing burning to the surface laytendon or a ligament that receives
ers of skin.
cold-laser therapy during rehab.
But what are therapeutic lasers
Not only can it shorten the time
actually doing? Research indicates
of healing, but it can improve the
that in order for tissues to show
quality of healing.
Safety First!
No matter what type of laser you use, always protect your eyes, your
horse’s eyes, and the eyes of anyone around you. Laser light can damage the retina without any pain sensation. Even worse, many lasers
generate a light beam at a wavelength that our eyes can’t detect,
therefore giving someone the illusion that the laser is off when it actually could be on! Remember to wear laser light protectant goggles
when using a laser and never point the laser at an eye, whether horse
or human.
Horse Journal
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m 2. Laser therapy can improve microcirculation. That means it can
help prevent blood from becoming
stagnant in the narrow capillary
beds of the circulatory system. Improved micro-circulation after laser
irradiation promotes accelerated
recovery after injury.
For instance, edema in a swollen
leg can resolve much faster, bruises
can dissipate quicker, and healing
can move along at a much faster
pace because improved blood flow
means that more oxygen and nutrients will be delivered to tissues
under repair.
3. Laser light (especially that in
wave form) can pierce the tissue at
varying depths. Therefore, it can
mimic an acupuncture needle. (For
more information on the effects of
acupuncture see, May 2012.) Just
like acupuncture, laser therapy has
been proven to have a beneficial
effect on nerve cells and on the production of beta-endorphins.
Laser acupuncture appeals to
horse owners whose horses fear
needles, or to those who want to
provide more acutherapy to their
horses in between acupuncture sessions with the veterinarian.
Laser acupuncture can be successful (if the operator accurately applies the laser beam to an acupoint)
in blocking painful stimuli by
decreasing the sensitivity at nerve
endings. Therefore, anything from
a bee sting to arthritis can potentially be helped by laser acupuncture (which of course is also the
case with traditional acupuncture).
Laser Use in Horses. There
may come a day when the cost of
lasers enables them to sit next to
the hoof pick in everyone’s brush
box. For now, their cost will likely
make them not feasible for most
horse owners to use on a day-to-day
basis. However, for horses recovering from an injury or for folks that
are heavily involved in competition, they prove themselves to be a
worthy investment or rental.
Laser treatments are painless and
simple, as long as you know where
to point the laser. It’s similar to
holding a flashlight close to your
horse’s skin. But finding sore spots
may require veterinary help.
D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 2
VETERINARY CARE
you’re treating. It must be used at
the right time, at the right exact
location, and at the right settings.
If you feel that laser may be a
therapeutic modality that you want
to try in your horse, use safety precautions and do your homework on
therapy recommendations.
Article by Contributing Veterinary
Editor Grant Miller, DVM.
What To Look For In A Laser
The Vetrolaser cold laser head.
In addition, if you plan on using a
laser on acupoints, your veterinarian will have to point out the exact
location of the points that he or she
wants you to work on. The average
laser treatment only takes about five
to 10 minutes per area, so the use
of a laser could easily be integrated
into the grooming routine on a
daily basis.
Other than avoiding pointing the
laser at the eyes (see safety sidebar), no major adverse reactions
with cold-laser therapy have been
reported (due to their low-wattage
output). Lasers have reportedly
been helpful in:
• Improved healing time and
quality of tissue repair in wounds
or soft-tissue injuries
• Relieving inflammation (pain,
heat, swelling/ edema, redness)
• Trigger point/ myofascial and
muscle pain relief
• Acupuncture adjunct or in appropriate cases, substitution
• Calming effect
• Improved athletic performance
• Easing back pain
• Laminitis
• Assisting sinus drainage
• Increasing the immune response
by activating lymphocytes (immune
cells).
Bottom Line. Equine laser
therapy is gaining momentum as
more horse owners report beneficial
effects of using therapeutic lasers
on their horses. However, lasers are
a complicated device, and trying to
determine which setting, for which
ailment, and what laser to purchase
can be an overwhelming task. You
will want to work with an expert
rather than just go on your own.
To help your horse, a laser must
have the right power and tissue
penetration capabilities for what
Horse Journal
OK, they’re costly, but the therapeutic benefits for your horse may
make it worth financing the purchase or renting a unit. If you’re in the
market for a laser, you may want to consider the following advice:
1. Class 3 or class 4 lasers are reported to show the most significant
effects in horses, with class 4 being preferable in most cases.
2. Finding a laser with versatility (in terms of power output) will increase the number of ailments it can assist you with.
3. It’s difficult to recommend a minimum power output and light frequency since different ailments will respond to different laser setting
configurations. But, as a general rule of thumb, a 10 watt laser with at
least 660 nanometer wavelength will prove to be useful in many common horse ailments.
4. Portability is important. Some lasers are bulky and heavy while others are basically handheld and can travel easily to a show.
5. Finding a laser that can provide both cold-wave and cold-pulse
settings is recommended (cold-pulse laser therapy really penetrates
deeper into the body).
6. Ask about warranties. Some offer them, some do not. You can also
check into rentals, leasing and financing options.
Don’t Confuse LED
Lights with Lasers!
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) differ
from lasers, yet many get the two
confused. There are approximately
1,800 studies in human literature that
indicate legitimate medical uses of
lasers. Studies that cite the beneficial
effects of LED lights are far fewer.
British eventer Zara Phillips using a
THOR LED.
Some manufacturers of LED systems will cite laser studies in support
of their products, and vice versa to a smaller degree. Make sure to do
your homework if you’re purchasing an LED or a laser system. What
are you hoping that the device can do for your horse? LEDs work
on the skin surface and have been shown to aid in wound healing.
Lasers can also aid in wound healing, but also penetrate deeper into
body tissues, in some cases, to help regenerate damaged tissue, aid in
circulation, and mimic acupuncture to help control pain.
Also, take caution when using some LEDs because they can create heat at the skin surface, which is contraindicated for most acute
conditions. By contrast, laser therapy stays cool and can be safely and
easily paired with other therapeutic treatments.
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m December 2 0 1 2
PERFORMANCE
Performance:
Turns On The Forehand And The
Haunches Are Important Exercises
They can help your horse build important core strength.
I
n our July article “Body Building,” we discussed the use of
turns on the haunches and
the forehand as part of a set of
exercises to increase your horse’s
core strength. We’re now going to
explain how to introduce these
concepts to the horse, so you can
accomplish these movements.
An important part of any training is the ability to put your horse’s
body parts, like the haunches or
forehand, where you want them.
It’s a skill that’s applicable to any
discipline, even trail riding (for
instance, pushing the horse closer
to a gate to open or close it).
Throughout the training and
use of these exercises, it’s vital to
always maintain your horse’s forward energy. And as we attempt to
introduce this work, it would not be
surprising to have moments where
the horse “gets stuck” and wants to
step backward in confusion.
So always be sure to monitor the
forward energy carefully, and remember to take plenty of truly forward breaks while practicing these
movements. Once you’ve executed a
few turns, then go to a more forward exercise, such as trotting or
cantering large figures.
Similarly, do not attempt these
exercises until the horse has a reliable “forward button”—when you
close your leg, your horse steps out
willingly or performs the upward
transition you’re asking for—and
until you have enough body control
to have mostly independent hands,
seat and legs and are able to apply
them correctly whenever needed.
Turns on the Forehand. It’s
always easier to start with a fence
on one side, to help define where
the horse can go, so start by walking down the long side of an arena.
Pick a spot where you’re going to
Horse Journal
In the turn on the forehand, the horse’s
hind legs should rhymically step around
the rotating, stepping front legs.
start to ask for the turn on the forehand, and as you approach the spot,
begin to half-halt by pulsing the
reins softly, closing your legs, and
slowing and closing your seat.
As the horse steps underneath
himself and compresses his stride,
bring your outside (fence side) leg
slightly back toward the middle of
his body. Increase the half-halt so
the horse stops his forward motion,
and as you do that increase the
pressure of your outside leg.
Keep your reins straight and short,
and keep the horse’s neck slightly
bent to the outside. Pulse the outside leg along the horse’s side until
you feel the horse take a sideways
step, with the outside hind leg,
away from your leg. Your initial
goal should be one or two sideways
steps away from the pulsing outside
leg, and then immediately walk
straight forward out of the turn.
As your horse gains understanding and builds confidence, increase
the number of sideways steps. Work
on feeling his hind legs move in
your seat and back. You should ask
with your leg and feel him pick up
the corresponding hind leg and step
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m For the turn on the haunches, the horse’s
front legs turn around the hind legs, which
should walk in place.
across the other hind leg as you ask
him rhythmically to do it—never
stepping back. The horse’s hind legs
should make a half-circle around
the forelegs remain stepping actively in place.
Your first benchmark should be
being able to do a complete halfturn. Do no more than one of these
half-turns per long side initially,
so that you can maintain an active,
forward walk in between the turns.
Remember, always think “forward.”
Mistakes Will Happen. Once
you and your horse are performing
steady, rhythmic turns on the forehand along the rail, it’s time to try
doing a full turn on the centerline
or elsewhere in the arena.
Turn down the centerline and
picture in your mind’s eye which
direction you’ll be turning. Initially
plan on three-quarters of a turn and
immediately walk forward out of
the turn. If that goes well, attempt
the full turn. If at any point the
horse becomes stuck or steps backward as he’s rotating, walk immediately forward, wherever you are,
and try again.
D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 2
PERFORMANCE
Remember that, at its most basic
level, a turn on the forehand is
ceasing the forward motion and
channeling it to lateral movement.
Although the horse is not traveling straight ahead, he’s still “going
forward,” at least mentally.
From the rider’s perspective,
there will likely be some mistakes
and adjustments as you figure out
the balance between the rein aids
containing the horse and the leg
aids moving him sideways. There
will be moments when the rein aid
becomes too strong and the horse
stalls out or steps backward, and
there will be times when the leg aid
is too strong and the horse squirts
forward or just swings sideways.
When these mistakes happen,
don’t get frustrated—simply walk
forward and try again. In time, the
balance point between your rein aid
and your leg aids will feel natural
and easy to find.
Turns on the Haunches.
Once you and your horse have
become competent at turns on the
forehand, you can move on to turns
on the haunches, which are considerably harder. Again, start on
the long side of an arena, next to
the rail. Begin to half-halt as above,
only this time you’ll ask your horse
for a definite inside bend. Put your
inside leg in the middle of the
horse’s body, and the outside leg
slightly behind the girth. Also turn
both your hands slightly to the
inside (the direction of the turn) so
that the outside rein can help bring
the horse’s shoulder around.
As you start to half-halt to slow
and collect the horse, try to feel
when each hind leg is in the air as
the horse steps. (It should correspond with your use of the alternating leg aids you use at the walk.) If
you can apply the corresponding
leg while each foot is in the air,
you’ll help the horse to understand
how his feet should move.
Apply the outside leg to start
swinging his body sideways, but be
careful not to displace the haunches to the inside. Keep your inside
leg active in order to keep the inside hind foot moving, as the horse
should continue to step in the same
rhythm as in his normal walk, not
Horse Journal
When teaching either turn, walk forward
energetically between turns to maintain
active steps.
just spin on the inside hind leg.
Just as with the turns on the forehand, start with one or two steps
and then walk forward. Gradually
build up to a full half-turn along
the rail, eventually leading to a full
360-degree turn on the centerline.
In both the turn on the forehand
and the turn on the haunches, one
end of the horse will make small
active steps relatively in place,
where the feet clear the ground and
the joints keep bending, while the
other end makes a larger circle. An
inside “pivot” hoof should never be
settled firmly into the ground.
“Too Big.” When starting out,
haunches turns will most likely be
“too big,” that is the horse keeps
stepping but wanders a bit from
his original location. While training, this is a perfectly acceptable
starting place, as long as the horse
is keeping his momentum, direction and step. With time, strength
and the refinement of the rider’s
aids, the circumference of the turn
should get smaller and smaller,
until the steps of the hind legs are
nearly in place.
Should you run into road blocks
with either of these exercises,
getting help on the ground can
help get you over the challenges.
Most likely, your aids are not clear
enough or they’re accidentally
preventing the horse from moving
his body correctly. But if your horse
really isn’t getting the idea of the
sideways step, a helper encouraging
him from the ground with a whip
(light touches and taps, not hits or
strikes) can help them help grasp
what your aids are asking.
Bottom Line. Once you’ve
got both of these turns mastered,
you can use them in a variety of
ways and for a variety of purposes,
including improving your horse’s
body strength. You can use then on
the trails for maneuverability and
as a “check in” for your horse’s attention and rideability.
Article by Performance Editor John
Strassburger.
Consider This (for the Rider):
■ Stay tall, square and seated on your seat bones. When
you reposition your legs, do it from the hip socket, not by
pinching your knee and swinging your lower leg backward.
■ Keep a steady, pulsating contact (not a gripping
contact) on the horse’s mouth with the reins.
Consider This (for the Horse):
■ While some bend is required, beware of over-bending
or “breaking the horse in half” on either turn. Too much
bend will cause as many problems as too little bend.
■ Be sure the horse always steps forward out of the
turn and does not take even one backward step
during or immediately after the exercise.
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m December 2 0 1 2
CASE STUDY
Case Study:
My Lesson In Wound Care
A seemingly simple injury results in a
four-month break in training time.
A
t first the wound didn’t seem
as if it would be a big deal—
just one of those injuries that
horses suffer to “annoy” you. We
never imagined that it would require a surgical procedure, take 90
days to heal, and radically change
my competition plans for the year.
It began in late March, when my
mare Firebolt, aka Alba, came in
from her night turn-out with a deep
abrasion (think serious road rash)
on the outside of her right hind leg,
just above the coronet band and just
in front of the outside heel. I suspected she’d brushed against a rock.
I cleaned it with Betadine soap
and sprayed it with an antiseptic
and—since we were to drive 500
miles in a few days to compete in
open preliminary and we were in
the midst of a rainy, muddy California winter—I decided to confine
her to her stall to keep the wound
clean and dry.
With her wound healed, Alba returns to
jumping cross-country courses.
10
Horse Journal
That strategy worked well initially, as Alba earned her best dressage
score ever (30.00) and was one of
only three horses in the division to
jump completely faultlessly around
the cross-country course, to finish
fifth. And when we got home, the
wound looked to be healing well, so
I started turning her out again.
But the wound only became
worse. It turned red and angry
looking and painful. Alba was obviously not wanting to bring her right
leg under her and push off. It also
started developing proud flesh and
was more painful.
May 9
Five days after debriding, Alba’s
wound is still swollen and red.
May 14
Healthy pink skin starts to fill in.
Clean, Moist and Still.
That’s when I asked Dr. Grant
Miller, my Horse Journal colleague,
to look at Alba’s wound. Grant said
he should immediately surgically
debride the wound—which means
to cut off the growing proud flesh.
The wound needed to be kept clean
and moist with a wrap and wound
dressing, and we needed to limit
Alba’s movement, which meant she
was confined to her stall with only
10 minutes of hand grazing per day.
Grant showed us how to put silver
sulfadiazine cream on a non-stick
pad, then wrap gauze around the
hoof and leg to hold it in place.
Then we wrapped an entire adhesive bandage around the hoof
and lower leg (similar to what you
do for an abscess) with an outer
criss-cross pattern of duct tape to
envelope the entire hoof and lower
leg. We changed the bandage every
two to four days, depending on how
quickly Alba wore through it.
Crossed Fingers. Grant performed the debridement on May 4,
nearly six weeks after the injury
happened. Alba was supposed to
contest the classic-format CCI1* at
Rebecca Farm in Montana on July
12-15—nine weeks away.
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m May 19
Healthy skin is winning the battle.
May 24
At three weeks, only a small hole is left.
June 2
Healthy skin has closed the wound.
D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 2
CASE STUDY
So while Grant dexterously cut
away the proud flesh and Alba’s leg
bled profusely, I crossed my fingers.
I was particularly eager since Alba,
a 15.2-hand, appendix Quarter
Horse mare, had proven that she is
a fine three-day event horse.
As the weeks progressed, the
wound healed steadily, but Grant
warned that riding her again before
the wound had healed completely
would be one of the worst things I
could do. So, I canceled her entry in
what was to be her final horse trial
before the Rebecca Farm three-day
event. That left four to five weeks
of training and conditioning time
between putting her back to work
and the July three-day event.
Unusually, my primary concern
wasn’t her cross-country fitness.
She was extremely fit when she
began stall rest. But how much of
an effect would five weeks of stall
confinement have? I wasn’t sure.
My greater concern was Alba’s
show jumping practice. The only
thing Alba had done before her previous owner abandoned her with us
in 2008 was barrel race, and the directive of “20 seconds, as fast as you
can!” has never entirely left her.
Show jumping reminds her most
of barrel racing, and my strategy
for dealing with that memory is to
school her over a limited number of
relatively low jumps two or three
times a week. Basically, I try to
keep show jumping from being a
big deal to her.
Riding Again! Finally, on June
5, Grant said we could stop wrapping Alba’s leg and start light work.
I spent the first week just walking
her, to help her regain her strength
and suppleness. On June 12, I optimistically sent Alba’s entry to the
July three-day.
The most obvious effect of her incarceration was that her right hind
foot had grown about half an inch
longer than her left—because she
wasn’t standing on the hoof or using the leg. Our farrier, Mike Piro,
trimmed her on June 14. He didn’t
drastically trim that hind foot, concerned that he’d make her sore.
After Alba had been trimmed, I
started to work her on the flat, and I
noticed that she was still swinging
Horse Journal
Don’t Wait! Suture If You Can
If you’ve had horses for a long time, you’ve probably cared for dozens
of wounds, so you know that it’s not a one-treatment-fits-all situation.
Wounds can be tricky. Most are obviously minor; some clearly require
veterinary care. Alba’s wound appeared minor, but we didn’t anticipate the proud flesh.
“If there is any possible way to suture a fresh wound, that’s ideal to
accelerate healing and minimize down time,” Grant Miller, DVM, said.
“In order to be suturable, the wound must be less than a few hours
old (usually eight hours is the maximum on a wound in that location).
Wounds that extend partial thickness (through two layers of skin) or
extend full thickness (through all three layers of skin) are eligible to be
sutured. Suturing wounds allows them to heal by primary intention,
which cuts the healing time way down. If they’re not sutured, they
must heal by secondary intention, which takes much longer.”
Grant added, “Any wound will benefit from being cleaned daily with
a non-irritating antiseptic, such as Vetricyn, dilute Betadine, or even
water. Then, if it’s wrapped, it will be protected from the nasty environment and be clean and moist. Keeping the horse still minimizes
irritation (rubbing from movement), which allows it to heal faster.”
Location Is Key In Leg Wounds
Where a wound is located on a horse’s leg can often have considerable impact on how quickly and how well it heals. “The farther down
on a limb the wound is, the more difficult it can be to heal,” explained
Dr. Grant Miller. “This can be due to the excessive movement of the
lower limbs, to the fact that the skin is more or less stretched over
bone, to leaving very little wiggle room, and it can be due to the
wound being closer to the muddy or dusty or manure-laden or buginfested ground.”
The difficulty of healing Alba’s wound reminded me of my own leg
two years ago. I was kicked on the front of my right shin, about six
inches above the ankle, while ponying a horse, and the impact cut the
front of my right leg (through half-chaps, two knee socks and breeches). I took off my half-chaps after riding and was surprised to see that
I was bleeding. We cleaned it with Betadine and wrapped it, but two
days later it was horribly and painfully infected.
Despite medical care, the wound refused to heal. In fact, it got bigger.
The nurse said that was because of the location—at the front of my
shin, where the skin is stretched tightly across the tibia’s edge, with no
fat. Basically, every time I took a step, I tore it open more.
A skin graft didn’t hold, and right after that, we left for the 2010
Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. There, Dr. Mike Tomlinson, an
FEI veterinarian, suggested I try the Game Ready cold-compression
bandage. Game Ready had a booth at the WEG, so he told them to
expect me, and I sat in their booth with my leg wrapped every day for
15 or 16 days.
For the first time in two months, we could see my leg healing. Back
home, we rented a machine for two more months, and almost every
day, while I sat at my computer, I wore it, for as long as four hours. By
December the wound was completely healed, with a lovely scar.
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m December 2 0 1 2
11
MEDIA CRITIQUE
her right hind leg abnormally.
We suspected that Alba was suffering from a compensation injury,
that the right hind was weak from
six or seven weeks of abnormal
or non-use, and that the left front
shoulder was tight or stiff from her
attempting to displace her weight
on to it. It would be 10 days before
our equine chiropractor, Dr. Suzanne Guyton, would be here.
But that was 10 days I didn’t have,
if we were to get to Rebecca Farm. I
canceled the entries.
The Right Decision. Skipping
the three-day was the right decision. Even with her chiropractic adjustment, it took two weeks before
Alba felt 100 percent. I spent those
two weeks stretching and massaging her myself and doing numerous
stretching, strengthening and suppling exercises under saddle.
When I spoke with Grant again, he
said, “Alba’s wound healed better
than I expected, due to the fact that
you actually followed and stuck to
my recommendations and did not
deviate halfway through and make
it worse again—which is what the
majority of the clients do because
they listen to somebody other than
their vet.”
Grant also prescribed rubbing
vitamin E oil into the wound site
for several weeks, to prevent the
build-up of scar tissue and assist
the body in replacing genuine tissue at the wound site. “Scar tissue
is just filler tissue—it has very poor
load transferability and virtually no
elasticity,” Grant told me.
Regrouping. After four-plus
months away from competition,
Alba returned to competition at
Woodside in mid-August, the start
of her prep for the classic-format
CCI1* at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event, which
ended up canceled. She was certainly ready for cross-country and
zoomed around the course perfectly, as if she hadn’t been away at
all. Her next two trials went equally
well, and I’m now preparing Alba
to move up to intermediate level
next spring.
Article by Performance Editor John
Strassburger.
12
Horse Journal
Media Critique:
Nature, Nurture And Horses
Nature, Nurture and Horses. By Paul Belasik. Hard cover. 2012. Trafalgar Square Books.
$31.95. Available online at www.horsebooks etc.com or 800-952-5813.
I
struggled with reviewing Paul Belasik’s
new book. In 2010, I was thrown from
a three-year-old the first time I tried to
mount her and then was helicoptored, barely conscious, from our farm to the hosptial
intensive-care unit. The doctors’ consensus
was that my ASTM/SEI-certified helmet and
ASTM/SEI-certified crash vest saved my
life. In the combined 40 years of starting
babies between my wife and me, this is the
only serious injury either one of us has had.
I tell this story because the problem I have with Belasik’s thoughtprovoking and beautifully photographed book is that not only does
he not wear a helmet or any other protective gear, but he also does not
encourage anyone else to do so.
He does address this issue in a note at the beginning of the book, and
while he doesn’t exactly say, “Don’t wear a helmet,” I got the impression that he doesn’t consider it necessary, if you train your horse as he
suggests. I can speak from personal experience that all it takes is one
explosive moment to change your life and those of your loved ones.
So, for this reason, I cannot recommend this book.
But it’s a shame that Belasik so glibly dismisses this safety issue,
because he expresses some interesting ideas in the pages. And they
are greatly enhanced by the extensive photographs. The format of
the book follows four of Belasik’s homebreds from birth and through
their first year of under-saddle training. The three fillies and one colt,
having pedigrees that include Thoroughbred, continental warmblood,
and Iberian broodstock, are detailed as individuals throughout their
various milestones.
I really enjoyed Belasik’s explorations of each horse’s individual
character and his discussion of guiding and shaping their training
progress. I also enjoyed reading about his personal training methodologies, some of which are quite different from others that I’ve studied.
For instance, he puts an emphasis on the horse being in a frame at a
far earlier point in the training than I’ve seen before.
While this book is written by, and presumably for, dressage riders, I
believe the concepts being discussed here would be helpful for anyone
who starts youngsters. But without appropriate safety measures, I
worry that someone could be seriously injured.
Bottom Line: While the format and guiding philosophy of this book
are excellent, I can’t get past some of the glaring safety issues espoused in it. Belasik provides much food for thought in starting young
horses, but I worry emulating it could prove risky.
Best suited for: People with enough experience in dealing with
young horses to use some of his strong and interesting ideas but able
to discard those that are dangerous or not applicable to their discipline’s objectives.
You’ll be disappointed if: You are a newbie to young horses looking
for basic information. Or someone who feels strongly about the importance of safety around horses.
John Strassburger, Performance Editor
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 2
VETERINARY VIEWPOINT
Veterinary Viewpoint:
Keep Your Horse’s Medical
Information Quiet
It’s in your best interest to take a page from
health care’s privacy laws into your barn.
O
n a daily basis, veterinarians
have the incredible privilege
of being able to step foot onto
several different properties and
peek into people’s lives. In some
cases, we also have the difficult
task of having to talk with owners about problems occurring with
their horse. Much of our conversation is devoted to developing a
mutual understanding of what’s
going on with the horse and then to
formulate a plan.
For instance: Suzy calls her veterinarian to come look at her horse
with a right front lameness. The
veterinarian confirms the horse is
lame and then isolates it to the foot.
The veterinarian asks about any
previous diagnoses on the foot or
if it’s happened before. If a cause
for the problem isn’t apparent, the
veterinarian will usually give the
owner a list of possibilities, like a
sole bruise or coffin-joint arthritis.
The veterinarian may then recommend further diagnostics such as
radiographs or ultrasound.
It’s important to remember that,
at this point, no diagnosis has been
made. Just because the veterinarian
mentions coffin-joint arthritis, that
doesn’t mean the horse absolutely
has it. Yes, the horse is lame. No,
we don’t know why yet.
Sometimes the veterinarian may
have to leave and come back with
the proper equipment, which leaves
a waiting period in which a nervous owner calms her nerves by
speaking with friends or perusing
the Internet. (We at Horse Journal
hope that owners doing research
stop by and search our database!)
All too often, though, through
friends and the Internet, horse owners get ahead of themselves on the
diagnosis. Veterinarians are sometimes surprised to learn that the
Horse Journal
horse has been assigned a diagnosis
by the Congress of the Barn Aisle,
based on the vet’s preliminary consultation. All too often these efforts
(while well-meaning) cost the horse
owner time and money because
they steer things off course.
Of course, we all like to seek
counsel and solace in conversations
with barn friends. However, talking with too many people can hurt
more than it helps.
It’s best if veterinary visits are
attended by only those who need
to be present and that chit-chat
about a horse’s health is limited to
persons who need to know it. This
helps avoid unwanted opinions and
theories from others.
There are two major reasons for
this position statement:
1) Veterinarians don’t want horse
owners to be confused about what
may be going on with their horses.
If an audience “participates” in a
lameness exam, the owner may be
inundated with secondary opinions
the instant the veterinarian goes
out to the truck. This can create
confusion and an unwanted detour from the facts. It’s vital to the
horse’s well-being that owners have
a clear, precise understanding of
the horse’s condition.
What this boils
down to is, for the
lifelong health of the
animal, things must
be clear and factual.
If a horse’s medical
history is clouded
with irrelevant and
unqualified “barn
diagnoses,” it can cost
both the horse and the
owner later.
2) Veterinarians
want to protect the
reputation of the
Dr. Grant Miller
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m horse. If gossip gets out about a
horse having a problem he actually
doesn’t have, that equates to someone stating that a car has been in a
wreck when it hasn’t. Unconfirmed
declarations can create major issues
for future use and resale.
Here’s an example: A well-meaning farrier accidently trims a horse
too short and the horse is sore for a
couple of weeks. The owner calls
the vet after the horse has remained
“ouchy” for a couple of weeks. The
vet explains that it’s likely that the
horse has just been trimmed a bit
short, and that sometimes it can
take many weeks for lameness to
resolve. The vet explains that, just
based on a phone conversation,
he can’t be certain of what’s going
on. There’s always the possibility
of something else, like laminitis or
hoof abscesses.
The vet goes on to say that in order
to know for sure, he or she would
have to see the horse, perform a
physical exam and possibly take
radiographs in order to definitively
confirm the cause of the lameness.
At this point, the horse owner
doesn’t want to commit several
hundred dollars to a veterinary visit, so she starts soliciting opinions.
Because the veterinarian mentioned
laminitis, the word around the barn
is that the horse has foundered.
Once gossip like this gets started,
it’s difficult to stomp it out.
In some instances, owners will
start their own treatment for an
unconfirmed diagnosis. This can
waste time and money and, in a few
cases, even exacerbate the horse’s
real problem.
Bottom Line. We
all want what is best
for our horses. But
sometimes, in an
effort to help them,
concerned owners and
barn friends can create
more harm than good.
Keep your horse’s
conditions private,
and discuss them only
with those who need to
know.
Grant Miller, DVM,
Contributing Veterinary Editor.
December 2 0 1 2
13
ASK HORSE JOURNAL
Ask Horse Journal:
She Won’t Jump Oxers
Your horse probably doesn’t
understand the question.
M
y horse willingly jumps
verticals, but doesn’t like
to jump oxers and usually
refuses them. When she does jump
oxers, she jumps over them as if
they’re filled with alligators. What
do you think is wrong and what
should I do?
Performance Editor John Strassburger responds: The first thing
I’d do, especially if the horse shows
other spooky behaviors, is to have
your veterinarian examine her eyes.
If her eyes seem fine, a soundness
evaluation wouldn’t be a bad idea,
to confirm she doesn’t have a physical reason for not wanting to jump
width, like on an oxer.
Assuming there isn’t a soundness reason for her distrust of oxers
versus other types of jumps, the
solution is to break down the question, take time and repeat. Most
often, horses with an oxer issue are
just struggling to understand the
question—they’re struggling to read
the dimensions of the fence and to
understand how they’re supposed to
clear it.
Start with two poles on the ground,
rolled flush together. Trot and canter
back and forth over them. When the
horse is doing that easily, start roll-
ing the rails slightly farther apart (to
a max of about 18 inches). Continue
trotting and cantering back and
forth over them, closing your legs to
urge the horse to leave the ground,
encouraging the horse to jump up
and across the width.
Once that exercise is going easily,
build a small oxer, no higher than
12 to 18 inches. Be sure to make the
front rail and back rail different and
contrasting colors so the dimensions
of the obstacle are clear to the horse.
Start with the front rail placed
in the cups on one end but on the
ground on the other end (like half of
a crossrail). You can set the back rail
normally, in both cups.
Trot positively to the oxer, keeping
the horse straight and in the middle
of the jump with your legs and reins.
You want a bold, forward—but not
fast—gait; keep your horse at a controlled pace and allow her to focus
on the jump, not on you. You don’t
want the horse running at the fence,
as speed will not help. You want the
horse to understand the question,
not blast over it without looking.
It’s this moment where having a
rider with experience over fences is
often important. You want the horse
to understand that giving up is not
an option; you want her to sort out
the question. That means you need
someone with experience to keep
positive pressure on the horse and
to be able to ride it out as she sorts
out jumping over the fence the first
few times. (Your horse may continue
to jump it like a scalded cat at first.)
You also need to have the experience
to know when to back off and when
to keep pressing. If this doesn’t
define your abilities, a few sessions
with an experienced trainer would
be your best bet.
Keep trotting over the oxer with
the lowered half-rail until the horse
is jumping it easily. Then put the
front rail up on both sets of cups to
create a true parallel oxer. But set
the front rail two holes lower than
the back rail, again to help the horse
see the dimensions of the obstacle.
Once the horse is doing the tiny
oxer well, you’ll need to assess the
best way forward. If your horse still
seems anxious about the oxer, then I
would leave a tiny one set up in your
ring and jump it once or twice daily
for a while. Sometimes consistent
repetition is your best training tool.
If the horse seems relatively comfortable quickly, then you should add
size to the oxer over the course of
several jump schools.
You can also change the oxer from
offset to square, and add them in
combinations. Always start with
a relatively easy oxer, and keep it
available throughout the school in
case you need to backtrack and reestablish confidence.
Time and repetition of educational
oxer exercises should help your
horse overcome her oxer phobia.
Safety Thought:
Protect Yourself: Lock Pasture Gates
It keeps the neighborhood rascals away.
N
o one can watch their horses 24/7, unless they can afford to hire night
watchmen. For those of us who can’t do that, locking the pasture gate
is a good preventative to both theft and mischief. It takes an extra
minute or so to unlock the gate when it’s time for the horses to come in, but
it helps avoid potentially liable situations (see November 2012), such as the
neighbor kids thinking it would be fun to let the horses out to run. That
said, never lock your horses in the barn because, in the event of an emergency, like a fire, those precious seconds opening the lock could be tragic.
14
Horse Journal
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 2
2012 ANNUAL INDEX
2012 Index
Apparel
Air Vests 5/12 p1
Jeans, Riding 2/12 p1
Saddle Skirt 4/12 p12
Barn/Horse Management
Blanket/Pad Washes 1/12 p7
Blankets, Winter Turnout 9/12 p1
Brushes 7/12 p7
Clipper Tension Knob 9/12 p14
Clippers, Do-It-All 4/12 p11
Currying 10/12 p1
Eucalyptus 9/12 p14
Fans, Stall 7/12 p13
Hay Availability 9/12 p10
Hay, Slow Feeding 4/12 p14
Liniments 4/12 p10
Mares, Managing 11/12 p12
Massage Products 11/12 p10
Minis 8/12 p5
Parasites 2/12 p13, 3/12 p8
Poulticing 5/12 p10
Skin Problems 7/12 p1, 8/12 p3
Sticky Legs/Blankets 2/12 p15
Radios 4/12 p13
Vacuums, Pasture 5/12 p14
Weaning, Early 8/12 p1
Books/Media
“40 Fundamentals of English
Riding” 4/12 p13
“Barefoot Horse” 11/12 p13
“Beyond Horse Massage” 10/12
p4
“Horse Senses” 5/12 p10
“The Horse’s Pain-Free Back and
Saddle-Fit Book” 9/12 p9
“Jane Savoie’s Dressage 101”
3/12 p12
“Nature, Nurture and Horses”
12/12 p12
“Raja: Store of a Racehorse” 6/12
p14
“Rider and Horse Back to Back”
6/12 p14
“Seven Deadly Sins of Dressage”
7/12 p11
“Still Riding at 80” 1/12 p10
“Zen Mind, Zen Horse” s/12 p1
Editorials/Commentary
Barn/Open in Winter 12/12 p16
Clothes and Horse Sport 9/12
p16
Confidence, Rider 6/12 p16
Do-It-Yourselfers 10/12 p2
Euthanasia 7/12 p10
Fairness to Pet Owners Act 5/12
p2
Feel 4/12 p16
Flurry’s Story 1/12 p2
Green Barn 4/12 p6
Horses Enjoy Work 11/12 p4
Hospice 1/12 p11
Hot Weather Care 7/12 p2
Insurance 10/12 p9
Internet Rating Site 3/12 p16
Kids/ Self-Reliance 7/12 p16
Learn More Than Riding 10/12
p16
Legs, Feeling 2/12 p16
Liability 8/12 p16; 11/12 p2
Med Info/Private 12/12 p13
Natural Environmentalists 8/12
p13
Horse Journal
Pharmacies, Internet 5/12 p11
Prepurchase Exam 3/12 p7
Preventive Exam 6/12 p6
Rescue Groups 3/12 p2
Skin Problems 8/12 p2
Spending 2/12 p2, 12/12 p2
Stress and Ulcers 6/12 p2
Towing Costs 5/12 p16
Trainer/Rider/Horse Triumvirate
11/12 p16
Weight/Fitness 4/12 p2
Letters
Back Issues 1/12 p15
Blanket Repair 4/12 p15
Cushing’s/Joint Pain 3/12 p15
EPM Case History 6/12 p15
Environment/Chemicals 10/12
p15
Hoof Boot Size 1/12 p15
Itching 9/12 p15
Leg Heat Sensor 4/12 p15
Med-Alert Bracelet 2/12 p15
Mounting Safety 10/12 p15
Music in Barn 6/12 p15
Patience 4/12 p15
Pasture Vacuums 7/12 p15
Recycling 9/12 p15
Tack Storage 1/12 p15
Tetanus Vaccine 2/12 p15
Trailering 7/12 p15
Ulcers 8/12 p14
Miscellaneous
AHP Awards 8/12 p15
Ariat Sale 8/12 p15
Farrier, Staff 9/12 p15
Horse Journal Upgrades 9/12 p2
Insurance 9/12 p8, 10/12 p5,
11/12 p1
Nutritionist, Staff 12/12 p15
Pharmacies, Internet 9/12 p13
Nutrition
Devil’s Claw Dosage 5/12 p14
Hay Alternative 9/12 p19
Hay Drive 10/12 p15
IR Horses/Carbs 3/12 p10
Joint Supplements, Oral 1/12 p1,
2/12 p6
Kounty Buffet Recall 5/12 p15
Loading Dose 7/12 p15
NASC 1/12 p6
Salt 10/12 p13
Vitamin E/Selenium 6/12 p7
Performance/Training/Riding
Balance Exercises 5/12 p14
Behavior, Investigating 6/12 p9
Body Building Exercises 8/12 p10
Bossy, Smart Horse 6/12 p13
Canter Exercises 11/12 p15
Conditioning/Fitness 1/12 p8
Jumping Oxers 12/12 p13
Pressing On 2/12 p11
Respect 3/12 p13
Turns on Forehand/Haunches
12/12 p8
Warm-Up Stiff Side 7/12 p16
Safety
Air Vests 5/12 p1
Arena Rails 5/12 p11
Barn Door Chain 3/12 p12
Equipment/Behavior 8/12 p14
Halters, Leather/Trailers 1/12 p11
Helmet Care 9/12 p9
Hot Horse/Warm Water 6/12 p11
ID Bracelet 9/12 p14
Mounting Patience 7/12 p6
Pasture Gates/Locking 12/12 p14
Road Crossing 4/12 p12
Slopes, Steep 10/12 p12
Steel-Toed Boots 2/12 p10
Trailer Tying 11/12 p12
Summer Care
Fly Armor 8/12 p12
Fly Control 5/12 p13
Hoof Care 6/12 p15
Skin Problems 7/12 p1, 8/12 p3
Tack
Aachen Dressage Saddle 9/12
p11
Conditioning 3/12 p1
Grab Strap 1/12 p13
Happy Mouth Bit Recall 8/12 p15
Saddles, Synthetic Dressage
12/12 p1
Women/Saddle Choice 4/12 p1
Yoke, Racing 10/12 p13
Veterinary
Acupuncture 5/12 p6
Bug Bite Allergy 6/12 p12
Colic 9/12 p12
Developmental Disease 8/12 p3
Eastern Medicine 1/12 p16
EPM 4/12 p5
Euthanasia 7/12 p10
Hock Pain 11/12 p5
Hot/Cold Therapy 11/12 p6
Laminitis/Mini 1/12 p14
Laser Therapy 12/12 p5
Ligaments 4/12 p7
Lyme Disease 7/12 p12
Moxidectin vs. Fenbendazole
5/12 p15
NCS 10/12 p14
Pergolide 4/12 p14, 5/12 p15
Pigeon Fever 10/12 p10
Poulticing 5/12 p9
Rabies, New Strain 5/12 p15
Rehab Walking 10/12 p13
Skin, Itchy 7/12 p1, 8/12 p3
Teeth/Older Horses 2/12 p15
Tendon Healing 3/12 p4
Ulcers 6/12 p1; 8/12 p14
Vaccination Choices 1/12 p12
Weight Loss Diet 6/12 p12
West Nile Disease 10/12 p14
Wound Care 12/12 p10
Winter Care
Blankets, Turnout 9/12 p1
Cold Temps 1/12 p15
Neck Covers 11/12 p15
Dr. Getty Joins Horse Journal
W
e’re happy to announce that Juliet M. Getty,
Ph.D., has joined Horse Journal. With her downto-earth approach to equine nutrition, she will
give you the same Horse Journal unbiased look at supplements, feeds and other products and recommend the ones
she knows are the best choices and best values.
An equine nutrition specialist, Dr. Getty has been
called a “pioneer in free choice forage feeding.” Her book
“Feed Your Horse Like A Horse” received strong reviews,
including one that said she did a better job explaining
nutrition than even Horse Journal and EQUUS.
“Feeding your horse properly doesn’t have to be a challenge,” she said. Driven by her lifelong passion for horses,
she makes sense out of those mind-numbing scientific
research studies, using a whole-horse approach to horse
care and nutrition.
Dr. Juliet M. Getty
A professor at the University of North Texas for over
20 years, Dr. Getty now runs her own private nutrition consultation company,
Getty Equine Nutrition LLC (www.gettyequinenutrition.com). She also serves
on the prestigious advisory panel of the Equine Sciences Academy (www.
equinesciencesacademy.com).
w w w. h o r s e - j o u r n a l . co m December 2 0 1 2
15
Our Best
Holiday Deal:
2 Subscriptions for
the price of 1!
Get a FREE year for yourself
when you give HORSE
JOURNAL for the holidays.
TM
Commentary:
Open Barn = Healthy Barn
Closing a barn up tight in winter
can lead to respiratory problems.
A
recurring theme at Horse
Journal is to let your horse be
a horse: Turn out as much as
possible. Start with forage to determine diet. Vary the exercise routine
as much as possible.
Therefore, there is one common
horse-keeping practice in the winter that drives us batty, which is to
shut up a barn tight the instant the
temperature dips below 60°. The
corollary to this is to swathe a horse
in blankets up to his nose.
People tend to gauge the comfort
level inside a barn by their own
needs rather than that of the horses,
which can be completely comfortable in colder temperatures. A more
important consideration is that
horses require fresh air to remain
healthy, gobs and gobs of fresh air.
Horses put out a lot of body heat,
and a closed barn readily collects
that heat and the humidity that goes
with it. A barn that is shut up for
hours at a time and accumulates
dust puts a severe strain on the
horse’s respiratory system. If horses
in your barn are getting sick, you
should consider opening the doors
and windows more, not shutting
them tight. It’s a contradiction to
wet down the hay of a horse with
respiratory problems and then lock
him in a completely closed barn.
Nature provided the horse with
excellent winter insulation. A coat
that is in good condition will fluff
up and protect the horse against cold
and, to some degree, against wind
and rain. A horse that is clipped,
of course, needs extra protection
as does a horse whose condition is
compromised by age or illness.
But, barn managers can be driven
nuts by boarders who leave
them with elaborate memos
of how a horse
needs a specific
level of blanketing to meet each
minute climate
change, not
realizing that
a horse doesn’t
need to curl up
For only $36 you and a
friend will both receive a
year of Horse Journal!
Order Now!
To take advantage of this
limited time gift offer, please
call toll-free
1-800-829-9145 and mention
code 72X2F1
or go online at
http://2for1.horse-journal.com
in front of a cozy fire in the evening
in order to be comfortable.
We can’t suggest guidelines here
about closing the barn in bad weather because everyone’s barn structure
varies, including whether it’s shedrow, center-aisle, hay storage above
stalls, bank-built, and so on. Then
there’s your individual winter climate adding to the mix. You’ll need
to make the call based on your own
conditions and whether your
horses are unclipped, clipped
and blanketed, or a mix.
But start here: Unless snow
or driving rain is actually
blowing down the aisle, think
twice before you shut your
barn up tight.
Margaret Freeman
Associate Editor