Archive for November, 2009
Lameness in Horses is Common but Treatment is up to the Vererinarian
Too many times I have witnessed this scenario: my horse is a little bit off but he can be turned out. The other one is: I’m sure this is nothing, he was worse, then he got better and today he is the worst, “so what are you going to do”, ” I guess I’ll have to call the vet tomorrow”. I have seen people let their horses out to pasture so they can run around which only makes the situation worse. Once I asked a girl, ” I thought the vet said he was on stall rest for three months” her answer ” he was so bored”. Folks, you are not helping the situation at all by waiting to call the vet to see if the lameness goes away. The chances of that are slim to none. The first thing to do is put the horse back in the stall. The next thing to do is call the vet and get him out there that day. Lameness is not a condition that goes away by itself and you can’t always tell the cause.
At one barn the owner couldn’t tell which leg it was and sometimes that is hard to discern. However this horse picked up his back leg and swung it and gingerly put it down. the owner said he couldn’t tell which leg it was but his foot was getting hot. He thought it was OK to ride the horse and let him out to pasture for six days prior. He knew he was off but didn’t do anything. Now the horse may be in more trouble than he would have been if the vet came out when he first noticed there was a slight problem.
People, I know we are in tough economic times, but if you get to the problem sooner than later it will be cheaper in the long run. The other thing is some owners won’t accept the diagnosis, if it comes from a vet they aren’t familiar with. Even if other vets say basically the same thing maybe in a more gentle way, the owner will insist the first guy was totally wrong. The less you listen to the vet and the longer you take to get him out to examine a lame horse the harder it is to make a correct definitive diagnosis and the longer it takes the horse to recover. Don’t administer pain medication because that can mask symptoms and could lead to an incorrect diagnosis.
Do what is best for both of you, get the horse checked immediately and if things don’t seem right call him out again. That will ease your mind and keep your horse healthier and happier in the long run.
Correctly Mounting a Horse from the Ground or Mounting Block
I was watching You Tube the other day, actually about a month ago, and they had some clips of people mounting their horses. Most people don’t think much about it. There is a correct way and a dangerous way that can get you seriously injured.
First up was an English rider. I haven’t ridden English in over 2 years, but I didn’t catch a mistake. The rider took the irons (English stirrups) down on each side and checked them to see if they looked even and were secure. She checked the girth and made sure it was tight enough and evenly placed on the horse. She chose a mounting block and led the horse to the appropriate spot. She placed the reins over the horse’s head and put her reins in her left hand, and grabbed hold of the cantle of the saddle ( the very back end of the seat) with her right hand. Next she placed her left foot into the stirrup and gently put her other leg over the horse coming down slowly. I couldn’t find a fault with anything she did.
Next was another English rider and she mounted from the ground. This is very difficult because the stirrups are higher in English riding. She lowered the stirrups on both sides and turned the left stirrup a bit so she was forced to hop two or three times to get in position to mount the the horse. She held the mane in her left hand and the cantle and hopped up. She adjusted the height of the stirrup while she was on the horse. This is a common maneuver and extremely dangerous. I know a professional trainer who did that all the time. At one show he was riding a horse and put his leg up on the horse to adjust the stirrup and the horse bolted. He fell off and his foot got stuck in the stirrup and was dragged for quite some time until he was able to free himself. He lived through it but he was very lucky.
To mount a horse in a Western saddle from the ground, first check the cinch to make sure it is tight. From the ground put the reins over the horse’s head. Turn the horse’s head slightly to the left and give the command stand. Put the reins in your left hand and put your right hand on the cantle put you left foot in the stirrup and pull yourself up and slowly sit down.
Mounting from a mounting block in a Western saddle is the same but easier for both the horse and rider especially if the horse is very tall.
Teach your horse to stand and to ground tie. Once mounted don’t let your horse walk off right away. I usually flex his head and soften him up and he only moves when he is given the signal from me.
If your horse begins to move when he feels your weight on him and he begins to walk off do which ever is the safer maneuver jump down off the horse, or finish mounting and dismount and do some groundwork and teach your horse to stand still until you signal him to move. Countless numbers of accidents occur because the horse moves off before the rider is secure in the seat. Training the horse first on the ground and then in the saddle is the only way to stop this disrespect.
