Horse You Love Scares You

When the Horse You Love Scares You

Being with your horse should be fun. But if you’re frightened of him, you dread going to the barn and look for excuses not to ride.

How can you overcome this fear when your horse scares you, and get the joy back?

Mental Confidence

Get into the habit of visualizing yourself as a confident rider and horse owner.

In his excellent book, With Winning in Mind Lanny Bassham writes that it’s vital to set up a new self-image which directly conflicts with your old fearful habits and attitudes. He advocates writing a Directive Affirmation to ‘reshape the mind’ and become the person you want to be.

Putting Pen to Paper

The Directive Affirmation

Define your goal in the present tense, as if you’ve already attained it:

e.g. “I am very confident around my horse”

Fix a reasonable time limit:

e.g. three months from now

Write down the pay-back from reaching that goal:

e.g. “I ride my horse with confidence in competitions.”

Outline your plan for achieving the goal:

e.g. “I go through calming exercises before riding. I aim to go outside my comfort zone a little more each day, record every ride and read my Directive Affirmations every day.”

Put copies of your Directive Affirmation in prominent places where you’ll read it several times a day.

Bassham explains that “there are only two possible outcomes. Either you will become the person you want to be or you will stop reading the affirmation. It is that simple.”

Having used this system to get over fear of my own horse, I can attest to the truth of this.

Goal Setting

Your long-term goal is ‘to not be afraid of your horse,’ but to achieve that you need short-term goals.

Venture just a little outside your comfort zone each time you ride or handle your horse. You’ll see below that I told myself ‘to do one courageous thing a day.’ That’s not taking you way outside where your safety area, but it will stretch you a little bit daily and make you feel good about yourself.

For example, maybe you’re afraid to ride alone. Make yourself feel more comfortable by wearing a back protector, putting a neck strap on your horse and having a friend/instructor watch you. But each time you ride, have that person leave you alone, for longer and longer periods, until you’re going solo. Eventually you won’t need that vest or neck-strap.

Keep a Log of Your Rides

Record your daily progress, which Bassham calls a Success Analysis: “write down anything you did well ….. This forces you to be positive about your sport and your performance.”

In her excellent book, Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse Tonya Johnston uses the same principle in her Post-Ride Notes.

Combining features from both books, I devised the following log and filled it in before and after each of my rides while learning to overcome my own anxiety.

Post-Ride Note

(Items written in italics are those which change with every ride.)

Date: March 17th Weather: Cool and very windy

My Mood: Nervous My Horse’s Mood: Calm

Pre-ride Preparation: (i.e. your unchanging routine to help get ready to mount your horse without panicking)

Deep breathing – in the barn – on the mounting block – in walk

Positive Self-Talk:

Reading my Direct Affirmation

Telling myself I’m a good rider

Solution Oriented Attitude:

I have the skills to meet the challenge

Note: I recommend listening to an uplifting piece of music on the way to the barn, as Daniel Stewart suggests in Pressure Proof Your Riding. This will put you in the right mood while you deal with your fear, then become your victory song once you are confident!

You can sing while you groom your horse, or recite a helpful Bible verse. And of course, you’ll be visualizing a perfect ride!

Affirmations:

I can focus my horse on his work

I’m getting good at shoulder-in (my tool for when he tries to spook)

Negative Thought Stopping Cues: (permanent cues to snap you out of negative thinking)

Words: “Go forwards!”

Image: Kelly (my previous quiet horse, now deceased)

Today’s Goals:

Go quietly through four trot poles without leaping over all of them and bucking

Ride back to the barn past the line of trees swaying in the wind without worrying that he’ll spook

Goals Accomplished:

He rushed through the poles, but I stayed calm and made him walk over them

He was very ‘up’ because of the wind, but I got him to focus on shoulder-in and leg yields

Highlights: (This section must include at least two positive statements. No negatives!)

He was testing me, but I stayed firm and quiet in the saddle

He was naughty coming back to the barn and I felt as if he was going to rear. So I got off, intending to lead him back.

Then I remembered my resolution: “Do one courageous thing a day” and got back on.

He was antsy, so I drove him forwards without stiffening up J

He walked quietly back to the barn. Hurray! J

Once you concentrate on the good things instead of the bad, you’ll be amazed at the number of highlights and smiley faces your logs contain. When you get rid of the negative self-talk you allow yourself to be a competent rider.

I was able to get back on my horse that day because I’d been reading my Directive Affirmation morning, noon and night, and filling out the Post-Ride Notes for a couple of months.

Soon afterwards, I forgot to go through my mental routine – I didn’t need it anymore!

The same thing will happen to you.

Physical Confidence

Here are some practical riding tips to increase your confidence.

Ride your horse purposefully forward, with transitions between gaits, changes of direction and circles to keep his brain – and yours – occupied.
Ride with other quiet horses to calm you both down.
Practice the following in the arena so they become a ‘comfortable default’ for both of you in real or perceived emergencies:
- one rein stop: teach this to your horse on the ground, first, so he sees you as his leader and respects you when you use it in the saddle.
- shoulder-in: your horse brings his head and shoulders off the track, and cannot buck, rear or bolt. But he’s still moving, so he doesn’t feel restricted and panic.

Don’t stay stuck with your fear. Using mental and physical tools you can become confident around your horse and enjoy him again.

Resources & Further Reading

Recommended Books

With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham

This book applies to all forms of sport and provides invaluable psychological weapons for overcoming fear.

Inside Your Ride: Mental Skills for Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse by Tonya Johnston

Pressure Proof Your Riding by Daniel Stewart

This book is a mine of useful tips for reducing stress in competitive riders, but also applies to the non-competitor.

That Winning Feeling! by Jane Savoie

Aimed at all riding levels, this book will truly boost your self-confidence.

Other Resources

Soothing Pre-Show Nerves – A Simple Way to Improve Your Performance at a Competition

Think Like a Horse He has valid points to make if you can get past the way he says some things! J

Training Your Horse to Lead and Turn Out Quietly

Teaching the One Rein Stop on the Ground

Shoulder-in & Shoulder-Fore

Clinton Anderson on Spooky Horses

Starting a Young Horse

Starting a young horse is an exciting prospect. You’ll notice we’re not ‘breaking’ him, because that term describes the very opposite of our goal.

The process should be enjoyable for the horse, so he is willing to do whatever his rider asks of him.

Getting Comfortable

Most horses are ready to begin their training around their third birthday

First, “your horse must see you as his ‘comfort zone,’” writes Richard Maxwell in From Birth to Backing. This book was my bible when I backed my own horse, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Additionally, Uwe Spenlen, a German FEI judge and international riding instructor, stresses the need to appreciate each horse’s temperament: “Only those who constantly strive to understand the nature of horses will treat them correctly.”

He warns against ‘instilling fear and resistance’ into young horses.

Join-Up

Join-up is a technique popularized by Monty Roberts and advocated by Maxwell, a student of his. The horse learns to see you as a trustworthy leader whom he wants to follow.

Join-up lays the ideal foundation for a young horse’s training and is best performed in a round pen.

Accepting the Tack

A good join-up is important before putting any equipment on your horse, so that he “knows where to go for reassurance,” according to Maxwell.

Well before it’s time to back him, accustom him to wearing a surcingle, followed by the saddle, in his stall. Add a bridle with no noseband and a brow band which doesn’t pinch his ears.

The horse’s back and teeth should be checked before putting on the saddle and bridle: “you do not want him to associate them with pain,” says Maxwell.

Once the horse is relaxed with the equipment in his stall, let him loose in the round pen. First put on the surcingle so he can get used to the feel of moving with it on, then graduate to the saddle and bridle, without the reins.

Be confident in all your movements. If you think’s this is all normal, so will he.

Lunging/Long Reining

Spenlen highly recommends lunging “for preparing to train under saddle, because it gets the young horse used to work, helps it to understand the aids and obedience and improves rhythm and looseness.”

Maxwell prefers long reining, as he feels lunging will confuse the horse after join-up.

This is a matter of preference. I wasn’t experienced with long-reins so I lunged my horse, and he was fine with it.

On the lunge the trot is the pace where “most horses find it easier to acquire certain looseness and start to let the neck drop,” according to Spenlen.

Maxwell warns against expecting perfection on day one: “once the horse understands the concept of stopping and turning that is probably enough for the day.”

Lunge sessions should not take longer than twenty minutes, with frequent changes of direction. When the horse has learned to walk, trot and canter calmly on the lunge, Spenlen adds side reins. These should not exert pressure on the horse’s mouth, side bar or poll.

They can be shortened very gradually, but only to teach the horse to “stretch towards the bit and not to shorten the neck.” They should be the same length, with the horse’s nose on or just in front of the vertical – never behind the vertical.

However, Spenlen stresses that rhythm is much more important than contact at this stage. Rhythm results from the horse being balanced, while moving naturally and loosely, and is the first phase of the Training Scale.

Backing

Approach backing with confidence and your horse will not think he has reason to worry. As Maxwell says, he is in part already backed “if he is happily carrying all the equipment he needs in order to be ridden” and listening obediently to commands from the ground.

Begin by working him as usual in an enclosed area to give him “the opportunity to move freely and achieve a certain relaxation,” Spenlen says.

You’ll need a helper to hold the horse while you mount for the first time who keeps things relaxed, and doesn’t grip the horse tightly or he’ll panic.

Attach the lunge line to the bit. A lead rein coupling attached to both bit rings will prevent the bit from sliding through the horse’s mouth if your helper needs to exert any pressure on it. A neck strap is also a good idea, for the rider to grab if necessary without upsetting the horse.

A leg-up is the best way to get on the horse’s back. Don’t immediately sit up in the saddle, but lie across it on your stomach. Talk to your horse all the while, and stroke his neck on the other side. It will be the first time he’s seen you on both sides of him at once!

Practice legging up and leaning over your horse several times, from both sides, while your handler holds him lightly.

Keep your upper body low at first, with weight not fully in the saddle, and quickly place your feet in the stirrups to help you balance evenly on the horse’s back.

Gradually raise your body. Once he accepts you sitting up, remain there for a few minutes before dismounting.

Spenlen says, “With nervous or very uptight horses it may be better to let them walk immediately to avoid building up more tension.” Then have your helper gradually bring him back to a halt for dismounting.

Maxwell warns that the horse may be more concerned by your weight coming off his back than when it went on. Have your handler keep chatting to him reassuringly as you get out of the saddle.

Repeat the process of mounting and dismounting several times.

First Ride

Initially, the handler controls the movements of the very unbalanced horse, so begin with a few steps and no contact on the reins. The rider should lean forward slightly and hold the neck strap so as not to get left behind if the horse suddenly stops or lurches forwards.

When the horse understands the handler’s requests to start and stop, the rider should then apply rein and leg aids in conjunction with those cues. The handler then becomes less involved until the rider is dictating the pace.

When it’s safe, remove the lead rein.

You are now riding your horse.

Use minimal rein contact, and steer him with an open rein. To ask for halt, use your voice while pulling gently on the reins and your neck strap.

Instead of carrying a whip, flick the end of the reins on his withers to ask him to move forward. Maxwell suggests carrying a soft rope to tickle him behind your leg as an irritant, rather than a punishment.

Trot and Canter

Ask for trot early on by employing voice and leg aids, with no rein contact. Request just a few strides at a time: your horse is still very unbalanced with you on him.

He’ll find cantering easier but a small circle is hard work for him. So choose a wide open space for the first canter. He’ll tire quickly as he’s not fit enough to keep going at this stage.

Trail Riding

I followed Maxwell’s advice to take a newly-backed horse out alone on the trails early on in his training. Seven days after starting him, I took my gelding out on his own.

Since then he has been perfectly happy to go out on the trails alone or in company.

If your horse has learned to trust you before you back him, the actual process of teaching him to carry a rider will be a natural progression of his training.

Approach backing with confidence. It will be a calm event and a stepping stone on the route to a rewarding partnership with your horse.

Resources & Further Reading

From Birth to Backing By Richard Maxwell, David and Charles (October 26, 2001

Monty Roberts

Monty Roberts Join-up with Martin Clunes’s Horse Watch this video for a light-hearted look at join-up!

The Dressage Training Scale: Prerequisites

Horsemanship How-To: Use an Opening Rein

Behind the Vertical Explained

Improve Your Winter Riding

10 Ways to Improve Your Winter Riding

The onset of winter weather doesn’t have to keep you out of the saddle.

Even without an indoor arena, extra care of both your equine partner and yourself, combined with smart planning, will enable you to exercise your horse throughout the cold months to improve your winter riding.

The Horse

1 Prevent Snow Stilts

Snow quickly accumulates inside horses’ hooves, until they’re wobbling on giant snowballs. Apply non-stick cooking spray or petroleum jelly on the frogs and soles to prevent this before turn out and riding.

Katherine Blocksdorf suggests putting shoe pads on to minimize snow build-up, or removing shoes where possible.

2 Warm Bit

Warming the bit is a kindness to your horse. Place it in hot water as soon as you get to the barn, and it will be a comfortable temperature when you’re ready to put on the bridle. If hot water isn’t available, use your hands.

3 Drying Off

After riding make sure your horse is completely dry before you turn him back out with a waterproof blanket of an appropriate denier count.

4 Food & Shelter

Ensure your horse has constant access to de-iced water. Heated water buckets in the stalls and heaters in outdoor water troughs will prevent the water from freezing.

He’ll need extra feed to generate warmth as well as energy. Older horses also need additional forage, and good quality hay should be freely available.

Provide shelter from the elements so he can get out of the driving wind and snow.

The Rider

5 Appropriate Riding Attire

Dress in layers: you can shed some during exercise and put the layers back on when needed.

Riding with numb, frozen toes is miserable, and warm riding boots such as Mountain Horse Ice High Rider Wide Tall Boots provide a great solution. They cost under $100 and are insulated, extremely comfortable, durable and waterproof.

Wear the thickest gloves you can which allow you to use your fingers.

6 Drink Up

Hydration is as important for you as your horse, so remember to drink plenty of water after riding.

The Ride

7 Take Your Time

As your riding schedule becomes more haphazard, your horse’s fitness level will decrease. Reduce your expectations of him, as he won’t be able to cover the distances or keep up the pace you’re used to.

8 Check Your Route

If possible, examine the safety of the trail where you intend to ride before mounting up, especially if there’s been a snowfall and/or deep freeze since the last time you rode there.

Begin by walking your horse for longer than usual to warm up his muscles, and trot only where it’s safe. Don’t canter or gallop on slippery terrain.

9 Frozen Arena?

If you have a sand arena but are unable to ride because of ice or snow, consider adding a product called Mag Flakes which acts as a de-icer in winter.

10 Trailering

If driving conditions are safe, trailer your horse to a neighbor’s indoor arena.

Although riding in the winter can be a challenge, it’s more fun to get in the saddle whenever possible than suffer months of withdrawal symptoms!

Resources & Further Reading

Tips for Riding Safely and Comfortably in Winter

Winter Horseback Riding Tips

How to Care for Your Horse in Winter

Blanket Q & A from SmartPak

Clipping Your Horse

Deciding When to Clip Your Horse and How

Horse Clipping; not every horse needs clipping in winter, but under certain circumstances you may want to consider removing part, or all, of his coat.

The usual time to begin is from September to October. The hair will grow back, so you’ll need to repeat the process at three to four week intervals during the cold months. The final clip is in January.

Why Clip Your Horse?

As daylight hours decrease with the onset of fall, your horse will start to grow a thicker coat. If you plan to ride regularly during the cold months, clipping your animal reduces the amount he sweats and allows him to dry off faster after work. It also takes a lot less time to groom a clipped horse!

What Type of Clip Is Best?

The amount of coat to remove depends on your horse’s anticipated work load and his living conditions.

Note: After being clipped your horse will need blankets to keep warm, as he’ll have lost his natural protection against the elements.

A full clip is suitable for horses being exercised hard throughout the winter, and stabled with no pasture turnout. It entails removing all the horse’s hair: not only from his body, but also his head, ears and legs.

A hunter clip leaves hair on the saddle area to keep it protected, and on the legs for warmth. In some cases the lower half of the head is left untouched. This clip suits horses in medium to hard work.

The blanket clip is another good choice for horses in regular winter work. The hair from the head, neck, under belly and part of the rump is removed, leaving the legs warm and protected. The large area of coat left on the body resembles the shape of a blanket.

A trace clip suits a horse in light to medium work if he is turned out during daylight hours. The hair is removed from the lower half of the neck, chest, stomach and upper part of the hind legs where the horse sweats most. The low trace clip leaves more hair on than the high trace clip, where the lower half of the head hair is removed, and more is taken off the neck, barrel and hind end.

The Irish clip removes only the hair round the head, neck and chest area which makes it perfect for horses in light work and turned out in the daytime.

Its cousin, the bib clip, takes the coat off just the front of the neck and chest areas. This is useful if your horse is turned out year round.

The horse clipping website created by Lister Shearing Equipment suggests giving a bib clip to a horse that hasn’t previously been clipped as a good introduction to the process.

The clipping styles you choose will depend on how hard your horse will work and what his turn-out situation is.

If your riding will be intermittent during the cold months, he is best left with a full winter coat. Plan extra time after exercise to dry him off before he is turned out again – with a blanket, if appropriate.

Resources & Further Reading

Types of Horse Clip

Clipping Horses

How to Clip a Horse

About Body Clipping

How to Clip a Horse for the First Time (video)

Clipping Challenges (video)

The Big Chill

Horse and Pony Care in Autumn and Winter

Lister Shearing Equipment

Stallion Social Deprivation

Does Your Stallion Have to Live in Solitary Confinement?

A stallion’s life is a lonely one when he’s turned out by himself and stabled where he’s unable to socialize with other horses.

Like mares and geldings, stallions thrive on interaction with other equines, and social deprivation is a sad existence for them. It also creates more work for their owners.

An Alternative Life-Style

In 2009 and 2010 a study subtitled A Possibility to Keep Stallions in Group was conducted to investigate “the possibility of housing breeding stallions … in groups on a large pasture.”

The stallions in the experiment were Freiberger horses owned by the Swiss National Stud and aged between 8 and 19. They were driving horses, but also used for breeding, and had lived at the stud for 5 to 16 years.

A group of 5 stallions was observed in 2009. Of these, 4 were in the group of 8 for the 2010 study.

The Researchers: concluded that, under certain conditions, “breeding stallions could be housed together on a large pasture … (which could) potentially increase horse welfare and reduce labour associated with horse management.”

Background Check

In the wild, stallions without a harem form ‘bachelor bands.’ These consist of up to 15 yearlings or young stallions, plus “older stallions that have lost their harem.”

The study notes that threatening behavior among the members of these bands is natural, as are avoidance and submission. But, “when they interact, stallions typically display the minimum amount of aggression required by the situation.” (My italics.)

These ‘ritualized displays’ become less intense and of shorter duration over time, and “seem to facilitate stallions being able to graze side-by-side.” The good news is that the displays alone help establish and maintain the group’s hierarchy “without involving physical aggression.”

A Stallion Needs Love, Too

Depriving horses of physical contact with each other is bad for their mental health. They are likely to “display more stress-related behaviours than horses stabled in pairs” and develop stereotypies such as weaving and cribbing. “Social interactions should therefore be considered as crucial for (a stallion’s) welfare.”

The earlier a stallion is socialized the better, since “horses that have been living in a group have more refined social skills and are less aggressive towards other horses and even towards humans during training.”

Trainer Jim Brinkman, manager of the Pitzer Ranch in Ericson, Nebraska, says in Owning a manageable stallion “we’ll let (the stallions) run together until they are 3 or 4 and bring the stallions in to determine if they should be cut. It’s good for them to run with a group so they learn how to get along with each other.”

Owners who haven’t done this are understandably loath to turn out their stallions in groups because of the high risk of injury, particularly during the initial introductory phase. But the study suggests that under specific conditions these stallions can also be kept in groups.

The potential for physical aggression significantly decreases and is “kept at a minimum after only three or four days following integration.”

Precautionary Measures

Before being put together, the Swiss stallions spent two weeks stabled next to each other, as “prior exposure can reduce aggression.” These horses were able to see, hear, smell and partially touch their equine comrades through the stable partitions. Except for one stud, they had been hitched next to each other in driving pairs.

In 2009, the 4 stallions were individually turned out for two hours a day. The 2010 group of 8 was exercised on the horse exerciser, half of them at a time.

After two weeks their shoes were removed, to reduce the risk of injury when turned out together.

Close Encounters of the Studly Kind

Each stallion was led on a halter once round the 10 acre field. Then all of them were released together, while 10 handlers stood by with whips should serious fighting break out and intervention become necessary.

The pasture was out of sight of mares and other horses: the stallions remained outdoors for six months.

There were no enclosed spaces, and they had access to six wooden field shelters with wide entrances and straw on the ground. Food distribution was conducted in such a way as to allow each animal to eat without fear of threats or kicks from the others.

Friends or Foes?

It was observed that “when two males encounter each other, they perform a ritual that allows them to assess each other’s fighting abilities … without having to fight.” The stallions indulged in more show than actual aggression.

Those stallions which had previously been turned out with others “had less agonistic, ritual and affiliative interactions than the other stallions.”

Agonistic relates to aggressive or defensive behavior, such as fighting, fleeing or submission.

Table 1. lists 14 different types of agonistic behavior observed among the stallions, including chasing, pushing, kneeling and fleeing or following.

Affiliative interactions were exhibited by such behaviors as nipping at each other in play without pinning their ears back and mutual grooming. They increased early in the stallions’ time together.

Affiliative behavior releases social tension between horses in a group. After 9 days it lessened among the stallions in the study, possibly because they had now formed their social bonds and no longer needed to indulge in it so frequently to maintain them.

Pulling Rank

Interestingly, the lower ranking stallions tended to “engage in more rituals than high-ranking ones.” They appeared to have a “tendency for compromising rather than fighting.”

The higher ranking stallions initiate affiliative behavior – not the lower-ranking ones, as this may lead to aggression from the high ranking stud.

Jim Brinkman’s approach is: “If particular stallions can’t seem to get along, they will stay together longer and work it out or be put with the geldings.” His solution does not include isolating the horse.

Equine behaviorist Sue McDonnell, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine explains in Owning a manageable stallion how important it is for stallions to have “plenty of space.” She stresses that “the least risk for injury comes with huge open spaces.” If there is a fight, usually the weaker horse will back down, and there needs to be “enough room for a horse to get away.”

Your stallion doesn’t have to live in solitary confinement. Under the proper conditions, he can be successfully integrated into a herd where he will be much happier. His stress levels will lower and he’ll know how to behave around other horses. In addition, he’ll be easier for you to handle and less work to take care of.

Resources & Further Reading

Pattern of Social Interactions after Group Integration: A Possibility to Keep Stallions in Group

Table 1 of the study, showing agonistic and affiliative behaviors

Researchers:

Sabrina Briefer Freymond, Elodie F. Briefer, Rudolf Von Niederhäusern and Iris Bachmann

Swiss National Stud: (Website available only in German and French)

Das Schweizerische Nationalgestüt SNG

Sue McDonnell, Ms, PhD

Stallions with Geldings?

Huddling in Horses

Horse Behavioral Disorders

Is Your Horse Happy in His Job?

A common cause of abnormal horse behavioral disorders is poor living conditions. But interesting results were yielded by a study to determine whether specific behaviors relate directly to the horse’s type of work.

The Horses Used

Being studied were 76 French Saddlebred geldings at the Ecole Nationale d’Equitation in Saumur, varying in age from 5 to 16. Their living conditions were identical: no turnout or equine socialization, and one hour of work daily.

Behavioral disorders were observed in 65 of the horses. Researchers of the study state: ‘This very high rate did reflect unsuitable environmental conditions.’

The animals performed one of six different types of work and two main categories of behavior emerged, which clearly resulted from their jobs. The vaulting (voltige) horses were classed separately.

(Note: Information about the behavioral disorders observed and the horses’ work types is shown under Resources.)

Dressage & High School Horses (Category 1)

These horses had a higher tendency to exhibit 2 or more behavioral disorders, called stereotypies.

Over 88% of the dressage horses and 81% of the high school horses developed stereotypies, and were the only horses to crib and/or windsuck.

Two horses in this group were seen weaving, but many more were head tossing or nodding than in Category 2 (below).

Of all the disciplines, the dressage horses exhibited their abnormal behaviors for the longest periods of time.

The researchers suggest that one reason why headshaking and nodding were more prevalent among the dressage horses is because they are required to keep their necks flexed for most of their time under saddle, and work in ‘restrained gaits.’

Eventers, Jumpers and Advanced Riding School (Category 2)

Most common stereotypy in this group was repetitive licking and/or biting in the stalls of such structures as the walls, grids and feeders.

This was observed in 90% of the eventers, 87% of the jumpers and 71% of the advanced riding school horses.

They exhibited different stereotypies from the dressage horses possibly because they were encouraged to move ‘forward in a less ritualized posture.’

Their biting and licking might be negative reactions to the ‘unsuitable conditions (social separation..) they were housed in,’ or they were searching ‘for elements missing in their diet.’

Voltige (Vaulting) Horses

These horses ‘clearly showed more minor stereotypies than the other categories.’ Tongue play was exhibited by 4 horses in the small group of 7.

Constantly wearing side reins to keep ‘their necks bent and their heads down’ may have resulted in their tongues hanging out as ‘a resistance to their bits and ….. pressure on their mandibles.’

The vaulting horses spent ‘spent more time lying down in the box than the other categories.’ It was noted that their jobs required calmer natures. This attribute, combined with a limited amount of ‘interpersonal conflicts’ with humans, may have made them ‘more resistant to possible work stressors.’

The study concludes that ‘work may be a source of chronic abnormal behavior’ in horses. It is naturally exacerbated by restrictive living conditions. However, this research shows that the stressors of individual disciplines have a powerful impact on the kind of stereotypy horses are likely to develop.

Varying the work schedule, and allowing them to ‘be horses’ by giving them adequate turnout with equine companions, will reduce the likelihood of unhappy, abnormal behavior.

Resources

Could Work Be a Source of Behavioural Disorders? A Study in Horses

Researchers

Martine Hausberger, Emmanuel Gautier, Véronique Biquand, Christophe Lunel, Patrick Jégo

For information about how the research was conducted see:

Materials & Methods: 1) Animals and observation procedures.

For explanation of individual abnormal behaviours, see the following definitions from:

Materials & Methods: 2) Terminology and behaviour observed.

“Weaving: obvious lateral swaying, movement of head, neck, forequarters and sometimes hindquarters.

“Cribbing and windsucking: when cribbing, the horse grasps a fixed object with its incisors, pulls backwards and draws air into its oesophagus. Windsucking is similar but no object is grasped.

“Head shaking and nodding: repetitive bobbing of head up and down or recurrent and sudden bouts of head tossing.

“Tongue play: the horse sticks out its tongue and twists it in the air.

“In addition to the “more classical” stereotypes we recorded repetitive licking/biting (walls, grids, feeder…) movements as additional abnormal repetitive behaviors.

For a definition of horses’ work used in the research, see:

Supporting Information – Appendix S1: Type of Work

Horse Blanket for Winter

Does Your Horse Need a Horse Blanket This Winter?

Some owners blanket their equines at the first drop in temperature, while others believe they don’t need any extra help to stay warm because they have winter coats. There are good arguments for and against using a horse blanket. So how will you know whether or not your horse needs additional protection this winter?

The Pro-Blanket Arguments

Under certain circumstances blanketing is advisable.

The Clipped Horse

Clipping your horse in winter makes him easier to keep clean and he dries off faster after work.

However, having lost most – or all – of his winter coat, he’ll need a blanket. The amount of warmth it should offer will be determined by how much hair has been removed.

The Older Horse

A horse that is getting on in years has a harder time keeping warm during cold weather than his younger companions. His metabolism is slower, so his body has to work more to generate enough heat.

Increasing his feed will help, together with ad lib forage. But when the temperatures start to drop it’s time to consider putting a blanket on him.

When the Weather Gets Cold

When the thermometer dips below freezing, your horse may need extra protection.

Katherine Blocksdorf writes, “Horses can be left un-blanketed in very still, cold weather-4F (-20C), and they may be fine.” But very windy conditions blow away the body heat trapped in the horse’s hair.

He should have shelter at all times with access to forage to help him stay warm. Water (unfrozen!) is another must: dehydration is big danger in cold weather.

You will be able to tell from his behavior if he’s uncomfortable.

Freezing Rain

When freezing or below freezing temperatures combine with rain or sleet, (and the wind) your horse will start to feel miserable without extra help. The constant pounding on his coat makes it unable to stand up and trap the hot air from his body to keep him warm, a process known as pilorection.

It’s now time to bring him indoors and dry him off by thatching. “Use dry, shaken-out hay under a rug, and always towel dry the ears and legs,” says Polly Williamson, eventer.

Once he is warm and dry, you can turn the back out with a heavy duty turnout blanket until the bad weather passes.

The Anti-Blanket Arguments

Negative Effects of Regular Blanket Use

In the same way that constant driving rain and sleet flatten a horse’s coat, so does a blanket. If he wears one constantly, his coat hairs lose their ability to spring up and trap air.

The horse then has to wear a blanket all the time in order to stay warm, which isn’t good for him. If an unclipped horse wears one only in extreme weather conditions, his coat will protect him adequately the rest of the time.

How to Avoid the Negative Effects of Regular Blanket use

An Australian company, Macs Equine has developed a blanket to circumvent this issue. It’s called a ‘cool heat horse rug.’ Strips on the underside raise the blanket off the horse’s back and allow the hairs to stand up normally.

The company ships worldwide, and blankets arrive within 8 – 12 business days. This makes the cool heat horse rug worth considering if you want to blanket regularly without inhibiting pilorection.

The Unclipped Horse

If a horse with a full coat can get out of the wind and driving rain or snow, he is unlikely to need a blanket. Possible exceptions to this are if he is very old or sick.

Even if he is in work, as long as you dry him off properly before turning him back out, he should be fine without a blanket. He’ll soon let you know if he disagrees!

Access to forage 24/7 is important to keep that inner oven working, and being able to move around helps generate heat, too.

But remember, when the temperature dips below freezing he may need a blanket.

Ill-Fitting Blankets & Other Crimes

A horse in a badly fitting blanket is in worse shape than when not wearing one at all. It will cause soreness where it chafes, and loose fitting straps create a dangerous trap for legs to get caught in. It is extremely important to make sure the blanket fits that particular horse. This excellent video illustrates how to fit a blanket properly.
Another common problem is horses being expected to live for months on end during the winter without ever having their blankets removed. Imagine wearing very snug (and possibly too tight) pajamas for the whole of winter, regardless of the temperature in the house, and never being able to take them off to have a bath or shower! Wouldn’t that be really uncomfortable?
Blankets should be removed regularly to give the horse’s coat a chance to breathe. Brush him often to maintain his sense of well-being and not being neglected. Grooming also provides an opportunity to check that his shoulders and the inside of his hind legs aren’t getting rubbed. Be ready to switch to a lighter blanket if the temperature calls for it. Keep aware of day to day variations in the outside conditions – there’s no ‘one blanket for all weathers.’
Save the heavy duty one for really cold spells, otherwise your horse will sweat uncomfortably. According to Intelligent Horsecare, “Overheating doesn’t only cause unnecessary discomfort but reduces movement and can cause skin complaints.” Anhidrosis is another negative result from incorrect blanketing.
Don’t get lazy and add turnout blankets on top of stable blankets when the horse goes out. (Yes, people actually do this!)

The decision to blanket is based on many factors, and no one answer fits all horses. Common sense is key here. As Ms. Blocksdorf says: “Let your horse’s behavior and physical condition be your guide.”

Each winter let him tell you whether he needs a blanket or would prefer to be left au naturel. Monitor him daily throughout the cold season and be ready to add extra protection if necessary.

Resources & Further Reading

Should You Blanket Your Horse?

The Right Blanket for Any Temperature

How to Fit a Horse Blanket

Blankets for Horses: FAQs

How to Put on a Winter Blanket (video)

Thatching

Top Tips to Survive the Winter

To Blanket Your Horse or Not to Blanket … That Is The Question

At what temperature should I blanket my horse?

Why Not All Equines Need a Winter Horse Blanket

New Improved Revolutionary Cool Heat Horse Rugs

Cool Heat Rugs

Endurance Riding

Endurance Riding: A Growing Sport

Endurance riding doesn’t require an expensive horse with fabulous gaits or jumping ability: people with ‘ordinary’ equines can participate.

But success in this sport does rely heavily on fitness training. This demands a lot of time working with your horse and forms part of the appeal for many riders.

What Is Involved?

Endurance trails cover varied and sometimes challenging terrain. Depending on the level of difficulty, they can include rugged land, and long climbs with correspondingly steep downhill slopes.

There are three categories of endurance competition, including one for those starting out.

Full Distance

At least 50 miles are ridden in one day, with a maximum allowed distance of 150 miles to be completed in three days.

Limited Distance Rides

These are between 25 and 35 miles long. Allowed times are 6 hours for 25 miles and 8 ½ hours for 35 miles.

Introductory Rides

Less than 22.4 miles, and held in conjunction with official endurance rides hosted by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC ). These rides don’t count towards points or miles with the AERC.

The maximum allowed time for completing any of the above distances includes en route and post-ride vet exams. Within 30 minutes of stopping, the horse’s heart beats per minutes must be down to around 60 bpm.

What Kind of Horse Do I Need?

Rule No. 3 of the AERC Rules & Regulations states that “any breed or type of equine” must be allowed to participate.

Breed & Conformation

The AERC Endurance Riders Handbook, American Endurance Riders Conference (Chapter Three) gives a helpful overview of suitable endurance horse types. Certain breeds naturally have speed and stamina, especially the Arab and many Arab crosses, including the Araloosa (Arab/Appaloosa cross). Pure-bred Appaloosas rate highly, too, as do Standardbreds.

Regardless of breed, good confirmation is essential: the grueling conditions will exacerbate any weaknesses in the horse’s build.

Strong hooves are another must, to withstand the demanding terrain.

Age

“Equines entered in the full distances must be at least 60 months old at the time of the ride” (Rule 3.1) and in Limited Distance Rides they must be at least four years old (Rule L2.1).

The animal’s actual date of birth is used to determine eligibility. If the horse has no papers, the control judge uses discretion in assessing age.

Who Can Take Part in Endurance Riding?

There are two riding divisions: Senior and Junior.

Seniors have four weight divisions (Rule 8.5.2): Heavyweight, Middleweight, Lightweight and Featherweight.

Under Rule 10.1, “A Junior is a rider who was under the age of 16 as of the first day of the ride season in which the ride is held” and must be accompanied by a “competent adult (21 years or older) sponsor throughout the competition.”

This fun and fast-growing sport develops stamina and staying power in both horse and human. The months and years of training together create a close bond between them, and every partnership to successfully cross the finish line of an endurance race is a winner.

Resources & Further Reading

American Endurance Ride Conference

AERC Rules and Regulations

South Eastern Distance Riders Association FAQ

Endurance Primer

Endurance.net

What Is Endurance Riding?

Endurance (USEF)

‘Classic’Events and Ride Calendars

Endurance Horse

Fit to Finish: Training the Endurance Horse

Endurance is “the capacity of something to last or to withstand wear and tear” which explains why appropriate fitness is crucial in the endurance horse.

The much-coveted Best Condition award is another incentive for adequate preapration. The AERC Rules and Regulations state: “all of the first ten completing equines are eligible for consideration.”

Ideally your horse should be fit enough to complete the course and still be in great shape when he crosses the finish line.

How Long Before the Endurance Horse Is Fit?

Training for a 50 mile endurance horse ride can require twelve months or longer. Getting ready to compete in a 100 plus mile endurance horse ride or FEI (international) event takes several years. Many endurance events host 25, 50 and 100 mile distance race opportunities on race day to choose from.

Francois & Laura Seegers explain that not all parts of the horse’s anatomy become conditioned at the same rate.

The heart and lungs need 3 months, muscles take between 3 and 6 months, tendons and ligaments require 6 to 12 months, and the hooves are used to their new work after 7 months. Bone needs between 1 to 3 years to become fully acclimatized!

Knowing this encourages endurance riders to follow a slow and steady program.

Learn to Take Your Horse’s Pulse

You need to determine your horse’s recovery rate after exercise. In order to pass vet checks his heart beats per minute (bpm) will need to be within designated parameters 30 minutes after the end of exercise. This is usually around 60 – 64 bpm.

The Southeast Endurance Riders Association states that “How quickly the pulse drops after exercise is the single best indicator of fitness, and this is why endurance riders and endurance rides put such high priority on keeping track of it.”

They suggest obtaining and learning how to use a stethoscope: “To take a horse’s pulse, put the stethoscope behind and slightly above the left elbow.”

Track Your Distances

One easy way to measure the miles covered during training is to download the free app created by WoofWear especially for endurance horse riders.

Called Track My Hack this valuable tool records distance traveled and the speed and time taken. You can store this information separately for individual horses.

The Training Program

Those with access to a Horse Exerciser have a distinct advantage during endurance fitness training, as they can incorporate this time saving device into their horses’ routine throughout the program.

Weeks 1 – 6

Perseverance Stud begins their conditioning program with six weeks of walking for shod horses. They double all training durations for barefoot horses.

The goal is “To prepare the horse physically and psychologically for more intensive exercise.”

For 4 to 5 days a week the horse is walked at an active pace on the most varied terrain you can find, building up to 2 – 3 hours each session by the end of this period. The Australian Endurance Riders Association Inc. (AERA) suggest a goal of 3.0-3.75 mph walking on flat terrain during the first weeks.
If the horse is already in work before his endurance training begins, one day a week should be spent trotting the horse on the lunge or on a horse exerciser designed to accommodate that gait.
A once a week schooling day, which can include trot and canter, should also be incorporated into the program at this stage.
Towards the end of the 6 weeks, the walk sessions can include short trotting distances. The rider should be cultivating calm confidence in the horse, building to 20 minutes of total trot during the walk sessions.
The horse also needs to be worked on hills to build muscle. Once his condition allows, trot up hills but not downhill, as this puts considerable strain on the forelegs.

Weeks 7 to 12

This phase builds up the horse’s stamina as he learns to trot long distances at a constant pace, in an established rhythm. He also develops the energy-saving trot he will need for competition.

The Steegers recommend 3 to 4 workouts a week, defining workouts as ‘hard work’ in which the horse exerts greater effort than normal. His pulse will be higher than usual 20 minutes after this type of work, indicating that he has been stressed.

Begin with 15 to 20 minutes of walk to warm up, followed by alternating walk and trot.The horse should trot with his neck extended, his head low and his back rounded. This makes it easier for him to carry the rider, as well as creating increasing length and power in his strides.
The AERA gives a goal for the end of week 8 of a 9 – 10 mph average speed when riding 50% walk to 50% trot.They also suggest entering the horse into an Introductory Ride at this point, with the aim of completing it at 10 mph. Test the horse’s fitness two weeks before by completing a 20 mile trial run to ensure he copes well with it.
By week 12 the horse should be doing 2 hours of active, unbroken trot.
Include two recovery days per week.Perseverance Stud uses these days to “allow the horse to recover from the stress. Exercises you can do are twenty minute lunge sessions (ring work) at a steady trot, schooling, a gentle hack or outride, etc.”
Last, but far from least, comes one rest day a week.If the horse seems out of sorts, he’ll need more than 24 hours of rest. Horses become conditioned at different rates, and yours may need a little longer than the average.

Weeks 13 -14

This phase gets the heart and lungs fit, and the horse now learns to canter rhythmically at a constant speed – while having fun!

Over the next 14 days incorporate five canter sessions.Always begin work with walk warm-up before alternating trot and canter over short distances.Switching between these gaits will “clear lactic acid from the muscles” according to the Steegers. An excess of lactic acid causes the muscles to contract or ‘tie up,’ and in extreme cases the horse is unable to move.
Build up the length of these rides to 1 hour of alternate trot and canter, and increase to a total of 2 hours.Now is the time for your horse to learn to canter in a controlled manner with other horses. He must be able to maintain a relaxed, constant and non-competitive speed regardless of the equines around him.
Since his work is more demanding now, allow your horse 2 -4 recovery days and up to 3 rest days per week, paying close attention to his overall demeanor. A lack of energy or being ‘off’ will require more rest time.

Week 15

You are now one week away from your first endurance horse ride, so use this time to build energy reserves. The horse gets light work this week, and will need less concentrated feed.

He should then be ready for his first 25 mile race. The pace should be relaxed, taking 5 to 6 hours to complete the 40 km, depending on the terrain.

Crossing the finish line for the first time will give you a tremendous sense of achievement and make you keen to tackle your next endurance race.

Resources & Further Reading

Endurance Riding Requires Courage and Perseverance of Horse and Rider

Endurance Primer

Conditioning

Welcome to Endurance (FEI)

Endurance Riding Requires Courage and Perseverance of Horse and Rider

Tips and Hints for Endurance Riding

A Simple Method of Conditioning the Endurance Horse

The Ten Commandments of Endurance

Feeding and Training the Horse for its First Endurance Ride

For UK riders (and even from other countries!) here’s an introductory video

(And if you’re wondering what an OS map is, it stands for “Ordinance Survey” J )

AERC Endurance Riders Handbook, American Endurance Riders Conference (2003)

This handbook can be viewed online.

America’s Long Distance Challenge, Karen Paulo (1990)

Go the Distance, Nancy Loving (2006)

The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition, Donna Snyder Smith

Event Horse Fit

Getting the Event Horse Fit to Compete

Event horses are all-round athletes. They must be skilled in the three separate disciplines of dressage, stadium jumping and jumping cross-country, and have the stamina to perform in all three phases within a short space of time. In addition, they require endurance for galloping up and down hills while negotiating rustic obstacles.

Appropriate fitness training is therefore essential for the eventer to perform comfortably and be a real contender in competition.

Initial Planning

World Champion Blyth Tait, event rider and Olympic gold medalist, writes in Eventing Insights that it’s a good idea, when drawing up your horse’s training schedule, to work backwards from the day he needs to be fully fit.

For the animal which has been off for a while, he suggests allowing seventeen to eighteen weeks for bringing him back. He aims to achieve peak fitness in his mount one week before a big event.

This time frame gives enough leeway for any unforeseen setbacks or, if the horse gets fit early, to maintain that level of readiness.

First Phase – Weeks One through Five

He believes in steady roadwork and riding on the trails in walk to start with. In the online edition of Horse & Hound, Josephine Carr writes that the professionals usually build up from half an hour on the first day to one hour on day seven, working towards two hours at the end of the second week.

Then he adds trotting on tarmac (where safe) as this “can help to assist in the hardening of the hooves and strengthening of the bones.” He is careful to maintain a slow pace to reduce jarring on the legs.

He also introduces some “simple flatwork sessions a few days a week.” This gets the horse listening to his rider, develops muscle tone and makes him suppler before the work becomes more arduous.

Now is when he begins giving the horse hard feed, if he was previously out at pasture.

Second Phase – Weeks Six Onwards

Canter Work

It is now time to introduce more canter work, including interval-training.

In his book, Cross-Country Masterclass, Olympic Champion Leslie Law says that he starts this fast work gently in a ‘strong working canter’ over four to five furlongs uphill twice a week. “It does help to work some horses together, as they seem to draw inspiration and encouragement from company.” However, he doesn’t advocate this with strong, excitable horses!

He lets the horse walk downhill again between bouts of galloping, building up to a combination of walk and trot downhill when the horse is fitter. By maintaining the horse’s heart and respiration rate before he gallops again, exertion is gradually increased which “builds up lung and heart capacity.”

Interval training begins with alternating short periods of stress with recovery times. He gradually increases the periods of fast work but allows the same recovery time.

Tait plans these canter sessions every fourth day, with the intention of minimizing potential injury or giving minor stress issues time to repair before the next time. He begins by alternating three five-minute sessions of steady canter with three minutes’ walk recovery time. The length of canter time is gradually increased, but the recovery phase remains at three minutes in walk. A large flat field is used for this work.

His three-star event horses maximize their canter spurts at nine minutes. That time will be less for those riding in the lower levels. Horse & Hound suggests a once a week session of two five minute canters with three minutes’ walk recovery for novice one day eventers. These horses need fewer weeks to reach the necessary level of fitness than upper level equine athletes, and will usually be ready within three months.

Other Work

Between the interval training days, the horse’s flatwork continues, becoming more intensive, and jumping over fences begins. British show jumper William Funnell “starts with some cross-poles built into the flatwork” and includes bounces to “build and maintain the jumping muscles.” He doesn’t believe that high jumps are necessary to get the horse fit.

Training also includes trail riding (or ‘hacking,’ as it is called in the U.K.) which both conditions the horse and relaxes him. Exercising on off days on a horse exerciser also helps conditioning at a low stress pace.

When Is Your Horse Fit?

As the horse becomes fitter and his heart becomes stronger, his heart rate decreases.

You can buy a heart monitor to record the improvement of his recovery rate between canter sessions. Dual Olympic Gold Medallist Jill Ralton explains how to use this to determine fitness. “Careful monitoring of heart rates will help you to assess the horse’s fitness by giving you an indication of just how hard he is working and how quickly he is recovering from that work.”

She explains that the heart rate should be between 130 and 150 beats per minute (bpm) after canter work, and the horse should “recover to 80 bpm before setting off again. This recovery should take around 3 mins.”

Your horse’s heart rate should be below 100 bpm after that time. If not, he is being pushed too hard and the horse should not canter again until it reaches approximately 80 bpm. If his bpm are less than 60 after the three minutes’ walk you need to toughen up your program!

Blyth Tait takes a more relaxed approach: “I do not worry about being overly-technical in analyzing heart-beats.” He prefers to note whether the horse’s breathing is “excessively heavy or if he is taking a prolonged time to recover.” This takes into account what is normal for each horse and he “notices improving recovery rates.”

Event horses have arguably the most arduous yet varied lifestyle of all the English riding disciplines. They must train to a high level of fitness to meet the demands of the three phases of a one or three day event.

This involves developing strength and suppleness for dressage, and combining it with stamina for the stadium and cross-country phases. A horse coming in from a long period of down time at pasture will require between three to four and a half months of training to bring him back to peak fitness.

Resources and Further Reading

Blyth Tait – The Horseman’s Horseman

Eventing Insights: Blyth Tait World Champion

Getting Your Horse Fit Like the Professionals

All About Interval Training

Cross-Country Master Class with Leslie Law

How to Exercise Your Horse for Strength and Flexibility

Interval Training for Conditioning Horses

Interval Training for Explosive Horse Power

Everyday Conditioning: Fitness for the Lower Level Horse