Spring Checklist - Don't Forget To Spa Treat Your Barn

Spring is nearly here and with it comes a bevy of farm jobs that need to be completed before the season picks up pace.

Spring Time Is Horse Spa Time

As horse owners we all look forward to our equines' shed of winter coats and 'getting our groom on' to ensure our wee beasties are shiny and clean for the likely uptick in under saddle work. While our horses do their bit to groom each other, they do need out help!

Horses Do Need Help Shedding Winter Coats

Time to Tidy Up The Barn

 

But while tidying the barn, cleaning tack, grooming horses and preparing for the better riding weather is likely on the Spring check list, don't overlook the importance of giving your barn a Spring makeover and clean up too.

While washing down the stalls and doing a deep clean may be a few months away for those of us that enjoy the cooler North-East climate - this is a perfect time for removing dust and cobwebs (especially off light fixtures), cleaning down windows, repairing window screens for the busy bug season that is coming and making a few fence repairs.

A key area of the barn spa treatment that is often overlooked is the hay storage area. Loose hay will form a carpet in the hay storage area, and cleaning it out is a necessity if you don't want to contaminate the new hay crop when it becomes available. As your hay stock supplies are likely rapidly diminishing, the Spring is a great time to do a thorough clean out. 

Tidy Up All Areas of the Barn

 

Sure, you may have diligently raked and brushed out the space during the winter months as the haystack receded, but it is also important to go deeper. If you use tarpaulins or pallets, they need to be removed. Underneath you will likely discover evidence of rodent life. You may find a layer of mold infused moisture and composting hay that has made its way through crevices to the bottom layer. 

Once raked and cleaned, the floor beneath may have patches of dampness that will benefit from being left a few days to thoroughly dry out. A concrete floor can be vacuumed with a Shop Vac. It is always better to use a vacuum rather than broom sweep and brush dust and detritus about, for obvious reasons.

Lime can be added to dirt floor areas to soak up any odors and freshen the ground, before placing tarpaulins or pallets back. Before replacing tarpaulins wash them off and set them to dry outside in the sun to help remove any toxins from their surface. When tarpaulins are laid out flat on the ground remember to secure them to prevent a strong wind sending them airborne.

A clean hay stall or storage area is essential if you don't want to contaminate good hay. Hay is increasingly expensive, and buying good quality hay is important but so is keeping it that way.

If you store your hay supply in a large building, similar tidying up and cleaning out is necessary. 

Clean Up Time!

If you home produce hay then you have hopefully already cleaned and serviced all the equipment and brushed out the hay wagons ready for use before the winter arrived. 

Cleaning out hay wagons after each use will help them last longer!

 

Hay harvesting weather will be here before we know it, and getting ahead of the preparations is better done now rather than leaving everything to the last minute.

Hay Harvesting Time Will Soon Be Here

 

And don't forget to clean up the pasture too. Hay left sitting around hay feeders, left loose on the ground will soon become a mire of manure and mud which you will find yourself cleaning up off your horses.

 

What They Don't Eat Needs Cleaning Up

A clean and tidy pasture is all part of horse management. And when the proper Spring riding weather arrives you'll be all set to get out and ride rather than cleaning the barn.

And when it comes to restock your hay, you know you won't be wasting your new hay supplies before you even get started by having them contaminated with last year's hay.

A pasture at Willowview Hill Farm, Stamford, NY

And don't forget that buying your hay supply early in the year, especially off the wagons is a great way to save money. When supply is plentiful prices will be lower and you will also have a better choice of hay from which to select.

 

 

The Best Therapists Eat Grass ~ But Give Them Some Peace Too

Photo Credit: Nikki Alvin-Smith Studio

  

Whatever life throws at you, and let's face it during the last 15 months that has been a lot for all of us, there have to more options than 'suck it up' and deal with it. The time has been especially difficult for women in the workforce as they do double duty with home schooling kids and lay offs at work or working weird hours from home.

Our kids are stressed out. Youngsters toil with remote learning, our adult kids fight to keep their jobs and income and if they have a family, their sanity. Grandparents find themselves babysitting the grandkids as useful adjuncts to the daily life of their children and find it hard to go back to work even as the job market opens up once more.

For equestrians horses have become more important than ever in their lives in their role of emotional support. The perfect therapist! Plenty of hugs and interaction, no backchat, no noise. Just a peaceful coexistence with joyful time spent outdoors exercising during schooling time or the incomparable calm companionship of just hanging out in the stall grooming and spending time together.

It's no wonder that more and more folks are bringing their horses home to their backyard if they have the option. Sharing the equestrian passion with other members of the household can offer valuable stress relief to everyone.

What do the horses think of all this attention? From their POV I'd expect quite a lot. Boarding barn owners report that their human clients are spending more quality time with their equines and building better partnerships. Horses love attention and having something to do. Freedom to roam and move about being essential to their mental and physical health just as it is for ours.

But is it possible to overdo all that attention to your equine therapist? The answer is yes. Horses can become just as stressed by too much input as by too little. Obviously it all goes to the nature of the beast and the relationship that is currently enjoyed. Trust is essential in this emotional equation, as a horse that is distrustful of its caregiver or rider will become undone quickly with ever more time spent in the presence of the tension-inducing homo sapiens species. Homo sapiens, (Latin: “wise man”) being the species to which all modern human beings belong. But perhaps sometimes not all that wise.

 

 

It is important not to forget to give your horse his downtime and to establish a routine that works for both sides of the partnership. For example, rowdy kids climbing up and down all day on a pony can easily turn a respectful trustworthy critter into a cantankerous beast. 

It's also not fair to suddenly decide to increase the riding time just because you have more free time available. A horse needs to be 'legged up' gradually and new demands must be made with a clear understanding from the horse of what is being asked and how to answer the requests.

A horse may become lame out of seemingly nowhere. It may be possible to get away with a once a week one hour ride on a badly fitted saddle that works well for neither horse or rider (so often heavier riders sit in saddles far too small for their posterior). But when you start riding for longer periods or more frequently the pain may be unbearable and cause behavioral and soundness issues. A horse simply cannot be expected to 'suck it up' and manage any more than the rider should be asked to do. 

So give some thought to your trusty steed and their needs and as always, place them well in front of your own. Our noble beasts deserve our very best efforts and we must not take too much even though equines will so often give so much more than we should ask.

 

 

 

 

Are You Listening to Your Horse. Truly.

I am constantly amazed by how many riders fail to see that their horse is lame or uncomfortable.
The myriad of mistakes that are made just tacking up don't help and as Jochen Schleese, Master Saddler explains succinctly in his new book "Suffering in Silence" an enormous amount of responsibility rests with us. The rider.

First off let's look at saddle position. Incredibly to me, most people don't know where the scapular
 ( shoulder muscle) of the horse lives, moves and places with their saddle. I once visited a farm to view a prospective horse for my daughter. The owner of the farm had a boarding and training operation and her own daughter was now adult and competing. They tacked up the horse together. The saddle was up in front of and over the scapula, and the girth was quickly tightened. Outside we went into the high wind and tiny outdoor ring. Great weather for trying a horse. Seriously. Love seeing them in the elements.
I pointed out that perhaps the saddle was a 'little far forward' figuring they'd fix it.
"No," came the reply, " It's a bit big for him so we place it here because it'll end up there anyway." Enough said.
We watched the horse go.
" He doesn't like to canter," they announced kicking him into next week. No kidding. The young woman ( who was on the heavy side for the size horse which didn't help), dismounted.
" Would I like to try him?" she asked.
" Sure," I answered and undid the girth. I moved the saddle back down his neck and into the right spot. Yep it was too wide for him. I pulled the stupid foam pad up underneath and sighed. It wouldn't help but might be just enough for me to walk, trot and canter him each way to see how I liked him.
It made a significant difference. To the point that the owner gasped when he deftly picked up a canter  on cue and cantered on without issue.

A saddle that is too long for a horse will damage his sacroiliac as will as saddle that pinches the wither. The saddle obviously also needs to fit the rider. So do take a look at Jochen's book, it really is an eye opener for many.

When starting a young horse many people do believe that a close enough fit will do and certainly we know the horse will significantly change his topline and shape as he develops the carrying muscles. But is 'close enough' truly good enough. No. Fit the saddle, refit it as he grows. Regularly. It is the best money you will spend. Use someone that has trained professionally and has sincere experience, good equipment and a good reputation for this service. You can often find help at the showgrounds and pre-book with saddlers on site at the major events.

Then there are the students who present their horses for lessons with tack and other issues. Here's just a few:-

1. The polo wraps that do not overlap at the back of the fetlock but are split and wrapped beneath the joint and then overwrapped back up the leg.  Inevitably the polos end up falling down after an hour. Cutting a wrap of any type across the back of the leg where all the important tendons and ligaments meet and then working the horse is a recipe for damage. There is a great DVD Equine Leg Work that explains every sort of wrap you might ever need to apply and how to do it correctly. Or the polos are too short for their oversized warmblood which serve almost no purpose at all. Buy longer and wider wraps folks. They are made in pony, horse and extra long sizes. If the longer sizes are too big for the front legs you can always cut them down but obviously one that is too short is just a liability.

2. The narrow pinching girth that is snatched up tight the moment the saddle hits the horses back. And yes, sometimes they appear to be thrown up there. How would you like being cinched up right off the bat. Take your time. Walk your horse out. Then tighten it SLOWLY. If he is cinchy try a wider girth that widens at the ventral line ( belly). Many horses will work better and be more forward with this type of girth. Jumpers will appreciate the extra protection from fence rubs too.

3. The disappearing, wrinkles everywhere saddle pad without a contour. Again. You get what you pay for. Buy a quality saddle pad or two, wash them after each ride. Adjust the velcro to keep the pad where you place it and be sure to pull it up in the saddle channel when tacking up. Contoured types are more comfortable for your horse and will stay put.

4. Bit issues. So much to cover here and enough to blog about as a topic on its own. Obviously size is most important and type also. Less is more. I have often directed new students to switch a bit or switch a double to a snaffle bridle. 

5. I won't labor on this one. But yes, no foot, no horse. And bringing a horse to a lesson or clinic with small shoes, long toes, poor farrier work is once again compounding a problem that will ultimately cost you and your horse severely.

Once you have 'fixed' these and other common failings perhaps your horse won't appear as lame or uncomfortable. Of course he may indeed have a sincere medical issue that requires veterinary attention. As the trainer at what point should you say, " Stop. Your horse is lame. Dismount."
This is always a difficult question. Ideally you'd do just that. But sometimes a bit of detective work is required. Does the horse warm up out of it? Does the horse appear lame under a different rider? A whole other list of questions to be asked and analyzed. But yes. If I see it, I work a few minutes and see what I can define. If it isn't just stiffness from standing in the stall I will discuss what I see ( discreetly) with the rider.

If your horse is "acting up" it is highly likely he is in pain. Either you are riding him poorly, confusing him and directly causing him pain or he has a health issue. Unfortunately poor saddle fit can permanently damage a horse. Not all vets are good at seeing lameness. Just like us some are better at it than others. So find a good diagnostic vet, not one that will just go through the motions and expense a lot of money on unnecessary full work ups. There is no point in spending the money on your trainer if your horse isn't up to the job. Good training will help in all cases, but the well-being of your horse must be put first and foremost and you and your trainer must know what issues you are working with.

Yes I know plenty of trainers who want to collect the almighty dollar and will simply ' work the horse through it'. So beware. Especially if your trainer is one of those that likes to suck up lesson time riding the horse for you. While sometimes it is helpful to have the trainer 'remind' the horse of his job or help you train the horse ( which is a different program entirely), ideally your horse will be working ahead of you training wise so you can learn how to ride him yourself. Remember, if the horse looks 'off' he usually is!

Listen to your horse. Ninety nine percent of horses will work happily for you if you are setting them up properly to do so.