tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:/blogs/the-whinny?p=5
The Whinny
2018-03-22T00:35:20-04:00
Horseback Writer
false
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/5141206
2018-03-22T00:31:54-04:00
2018-03-22T00:35:20-04:00
Clyde Goes To Camp with Kateri Cowley
<p> Until two weeks ago, Clyde was just a young punk colt, minding his own business at the Turkey Run Ranch in Brussels. He started to get a bit suspicious that life might be going to change when his owners, Brian and Jo-Anne Workman, brought out the horse trailer. </p>
<p>It was off to camp for Clyde, all the way to the Can-Am All Breeds Equine Expo in Markham, to get a three-day education in front of a crowd. As it turns out, it was kind of fun. His teacher – cowgirl Kateri Cowley of Alberta – would become his new best friend. Wearing a cowboy hat, leather chinks and a fancy knife sheath on her belt, Cowley introduced the young Quarter Horse to his new career as a riding horse. </p>
<p>Cowley was raised on the Rafter Six Guest Ranch in Alberta, where her parents, Stan and Gloria, would host riders from all over the world, taking them on horseback adventures in the Rocky Mountains. From an early age, she learned to work with both the horses and the people. </p>
<p>She was the Calgary Stampede Princess in 2009 and won of the Calgary Stampede Cowboy Up Challenge in 2014. Cowley works in the motion picture industry as a wrangler and stunt rider, working with the cast and stock on the hit CBC television series "Heartland". But today, as a guest clinician, she’s the equivalent of an equine Kindergarten teacher, showing great patience and skill in guiding young Clyde through his early education. </p>
<p>The round pen was their classroom. Cowley would send Clyde around the perimeter of the pen if he kicked at her or showed any bad attitude. “The better he is, the easier it is for both of us,” said the teacher. It was her job to decide what was acceptable behaviour and it was his job to ask lots of questions. The crowd could easily see a bit of attitude from Clyde as he kicked out at her on the first day. What wasn’t so easy to see though was the way he started to soften by licking and chewing, but then he’d turn his hip toward her in a show of disrespect. It was those signals, or their changes, that indicated when he was ready to learn and accept his lessons. </p>
<p>“If he kicks or bucks I don’t take it personally,” said Cowley, who has learned how to control her emotions to perform her high-risk task. “I’m not an old cowgirl but I’d like to be one, one day.” </p>
<p>When he does something right she allows him to stand still as a reward. Still, she questions, am I strong enough to be his leader? “He’s like a teenager; he’s been his own leader until now, as far as he’s concerned.” His body posture tells her that he’s starting to appreciate what she is to him. When she sees him start to move his hip out, his head in, she sees progress. She takes a step back to take off the pressure as his reward. </p>
<p>Clyde is curious. Cowley encourages that natural desire to check things out, allowing him to sniff the saddle and paw at a blue tarp. If he gets afraid of anything he’ll turn his hind end towards it, indicating that he’s changed his mind about it, or her. </p>
<p>On the second day – his second hour of class - he stayed low-headed as she draped a rope over his back and asked for a few simple maneuvers such as moving his hips, shoulders, and ribcage away from the pressure she applied. She calls it training from the ground, simulating the pressure her leg would apply while in the saddle to ask him to move different parts of his body. As he looks for the answer, his first instinct is to move into that pressure that she applies with the butt end of a whip but he quickly learns to move away. He has to make that choice as she blocks forward movement with her body. He moves sideways; she removes the pressure – “it’s the answer for everything.” </p>
<p>She needs to be able to control his speed and direction. Her goal is for the moves to become softer, to use half the pressure, in half the time, with half the effort. Fast, but slow at the same time. “You know we’re on the right track,” she says, “when he’s saying yes, I’m saying yes,” flashing that smile that always seems to be close to the surface. </p>
<p>By the end of the third day – only his third hour of training – Clyde has accepted being quietly guided under saddle and walking over the tarp, his topline level with no indication of a buck, his ears and eyes telling her that he’s calm, much calmer than he was when they started. Cowley rubs his neck as the audience shares a round of applause. </p>
<p>(806 words) </p>
<p>©2017 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.</p>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/4446448
2016-10-31T22:13:36-04:00
2016-10-31T23:11:44-04:00
A Hollywood Mystery
<p><br> <br>There are things that the animal communicator told me about Holly that still bring a smile to my face, like how she enjoys a stall that is open and airy, or how she likes the smell of fresh pine shavings or feeling the warmth of sunlight. <br> <br>She likes green apples too, and carrots, although she wasn’t used to such treats. Such things perplex her – she’d gotten the basics before but not the treats. <br> <br>It was over six years ago when I called an animal communicator to try to gain some insight into Holly’s view on life, trying to decide whether or not to buy her. <br> <br>I first saw Holly – Miss Hollywood - in a ‘for sale’ photo on the Internet. My first thought was, in my dreams… I kept scrolling. About three weeks later I got a call from her owner: “I hear you’re looking for a horse? We have one for sale.” As it turns out, things weren’t working out with the mare and they wondered if I’d like to try her out. I could take all the time I wanted to decide – the leggy 16 hand tall bay and white Paint beauty was on lease at the moment and another lease arrangement would be fine too. Whatever worked was fine. <br> <br>Smitten by her beauty, I couldn’t resist the temptation. She had been having lameness issues with continuous abscesses in her feet. She was sound enough to ride but kicked out if you asked her to canter. I just figured that I didn’t ride well enough for her tastes, and I was right there, but that was another issue. <br> <br>We went to pick her up and the barn manager says, “Oh, by the way, I can’t turn her out with the other horses because the boarders are scared to go into a field with her to get their horses.” Really? Apparently, she hadn’t been the easiest mare to handle or be around. “Does she load okay,” I asked? She did, and we headed home. <br> <br>Since she was a show horse I figured I should show her. Two weeks after she came to us I was bathing Princess Holly and her Majesty seemed to be enjoying it. Until I got to her tail, then she had a flashback and snapped a new cedar fence post in half, taking a couple of sections of fence with it. <br> <br>“She has an injured tail,” imparted the animal communicator. As Holly told the story, she had caught her tail in a heavy wood stall door but no one noticed. “She’s dealt with this for a long time, maybe three years?” <br><br>The way the horse ‘tells’ the communicator about a physical issue is by inducing a reaction in her body at the point where the horse feels the pain, but in this case, humans have no tail so it was just a guess that the injury was about a hand’s width away from the base of the tail. <br> <br>The next day the vet came out to do the pre-purchase exam. The comment on the report was that her tail had a “corkscrew appearance”. I had made no mention of the bathing incident or the animal communicator’s comments to the vet. <br> <br>Holly did have a hard time lifting her beautiful, thick black tail, and if the communicator was correct, the pain she felt with every step was what made her tense up along the entire right side of her body. She had a continual headache, a dull pain that affected her attitude and made her want to bite. “Sorry for biting,” she imparted to the communicator. Holly was embarrassed to admit it, but she got angry sometimes. “I don’t mean to,” the mare told the communicator, talking in a soft little voice, hanging her head in shame. “I’ll try not to do it again.” <br> <br>From her home in Oregon, over the phone, never having met either the mare or myself or even having seen a photo, the animal communicator painted a picture of a horse that acted like a child who had spent her life in foster homes, a little girl with pigtails, standing in a corner, waiting for someone to adopt her that would appreciate her for more than just her physical beauty. She was difficult, to say the least.<br> <br>I hung up the phone and went to the barn to find Holly standing with her head in the corner of the shed, that little girl, waiting for me to decide.</p>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/3877286
2015-10-01T00:08:28-04:00
2021-05-25T21:30:19-04:00
Touring the Keady Market
Keady Market – Since 1951<br> <br>“If a gate’s closed, close it again. If it’s open, leave it open or you’ll get in trouble.” Those were the simple instructions given by Howard Greig as our group of farm writers from the Eastern Canada Farm Writers’ Association followed him through the chutes in the cattle sheds at the Keady Market.<br> <br>It was late Tuesday morning in early September. The beef cattle were just finishing up their sale while across the road the pigs and goats and sheep waited their turn. Chickens, ducks, geese and rabbits sat in boxes and crates of all shapes and sizes in the auction ring lobby, while outside, before the rain hit, up to 250 vendors sold market vegetables, antiques, deli meat, crafts, home baked goods and sweets. Buskers played their instruments while neighbours shared greetings, a coffee and a few stories.<br> <br>Located in the heart of Ontario beef country, the bustling Keady Market runs every Tuesday from May 19 to October 13, attracting thousands of customers, rivaling St. Jacobs in popularity. It is one of several regular livestock auctions in the province, joining regular sales in Brussels, Cookstown, and Kitchener, and occasional sales in Cargill, Hanover, Wiarton and Manitoulin Island.<br> <br>Keady Market is 10 miles south west of Owen Sound, at a quiet crossroads where you’re more likely to hear crickets on the other days of the week. It started as an auction in 1951 in a church shed, providing somewhere for the locals to bring their cattle to sell.<br> <br>Howard Grieg is the livestock manager and one of the auctioneers at Keady. He says that the auction has declined from 20 years ago but still manages to move up to 1800 head twice a week. Their four-day Calf-O-Rama sale of local calves remains a benchmark for the province. October and November are the big months for cattle, earlier if it’s been a dry year, but this year pasture has been good.<br> <br>Prices have also been good: “Unprecedented” was the word Grieg used to describe the buoyant cattle market. Why? Numbers are down but demand is still holding, said Grieg. The prices started to take off back in February.<br> <br>As he explained, when BSE hit, the typical seven-year beef cycle was just starting to rise up. The cattle continued to come through at that time – the numbers were there then but the money wasn’t. “Lots just got out,” said Grieg, and farmers weren’t about to rent land for $180 an acre to run cattle, especially with seven or eight dollar corn, to start up again.<br> <br>Bruce County is number one for beef; Grey County is number two, says Grieg, but farmland has been getting bought up and fences have been coming down. “It’s a slow process to re-build.” Heifers were let go then, and now they’re worth so much they’re going to market once again, a sign that herd size isn’t about to increase quickly. What would you do, take $2300 to $2500 for that heifer now or put her in with the bull? Charolais sell the highest; Angus isn’t far behind, then Limousin, but there’s not much difference anymore, says Grieg. If the quality is there, they’ll sell well.<br> <br>There aren’t many pigs now, said Grieg. Most of them have gone south. Only one or two were in the pens that day. Pigs sell well in the spring because there aren’t many, but there are even less at this time of year. Sheep attract two or three large buyers. Mr. Greek – ‘Louis’ – from Toronto is a huge buyer. Sometimes he comes to the auction himself, sometimes he sends a buyer.<br> <br>So far Grieg says they haven’t had any trouble with animal activists. “We’re farmers. We know how to treat an animal.” The vet is present all day during the sales, and has the authority to reject an animal or tag it for slaughter only. Up to seven inspectors from various levels of government may drop by at any time.<br> <br>Grieg enjoys being an auctioneer. The most challenging part of the job, he says, is when you have to handle wild cattle. As a licensed RFID tagging facility, Grieg has had to deal with some crazy animals that may have been running in the bush for five years. And he’s careful to always respect a bull.<br> <br>Grace Kuhl is the fifth generation of the Kuhl family to work at the market, joining our tour group with a warm welcome. Her great, great grandfather, Julius, was an auctioneer. Her grandfather, Gary Kuhl, is now the manager; her dad, Scott, and uncle Ron are both auctioneers. Now Grace, who is just starting Grade 11, has an eye on attending auctioneering school next summer. There aren’t many women in that line of work but she’s proud to help carry on the family tradition.<br> <br>(798 words)<br>©2015 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.<br>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/3208373
2014-09-29T07:53:23-04:00
2014-09-29T07:53:23-04:00
EEE Update at Sept 3
<br>While there have been seven confirmed cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) to date (Sept 2) within the counties of Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Frontenac and Lanark, additional suspicious deaths from progressive neurological diseases are being reported by veterinarians in those regions.<br> <br>The problem with confirming reports of EEE is that euthanized horses are not routinely tested for the disease unless the owner requests it, but after a few cases veterinarians are able to identify a typical presentation. Few neurological diseases cause such a quick demise.<br> <br>“This has been a troubling year for EEE,” said OMAFRA Lead Veterinarian in Animal Health and Welfare veterinarian, Alison Moore. “There is some speculation that the wet weather in combination with a relatively warmer than normal summer for the eastern part of the province has led to the proliferation of the mosquito vector,” she told Ontario Farmer. “That in association with a naive horse population has likely led to the devastating results.” <br> <br>EEE presents with neurological signs such as circling, head-pressing, ataxia and depression, which are similar to several other neurological diseases such as rabies, West Nile, botulism, hepatic encephalopathy, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and equine herpes myeloencephalopathy. EEE can affect any horse and is invariably fatal in unvaccinated horses.<br> <br>The virus is normally only found near wooded swamps, transmitted between birds by a certain species of mosquitos known as the “black swamp mosquito”, Culiseta melanura, that feeds on songbirds in that habitat, and to other invertebrate hosts by the bridge vector “salt-and-pepper mosquito”, Coquillettida pertubans, that thrives in cattail and grassy marshes with a mucky bottom. The mosquito flies no further than five miles from its breeding sites, meaning that most cases of EEE will happen within five miles of such swamps.<br> <br>Horses and humans are ‘dead end’ hosts, meaning that sick horses or humans cannot transmit the disease back to mosquitos.<br> <br>The virus has proliferated in the eastern part of the province, where flooded woodlands provide breeding grounds for mosquito vectors. Moore has not heard of any cases yet from her Quebec colleagues, but she suggests that anyone travelling to the eastern regions of Ontario consider vaccination and using mosquito repellants for themselves and their horses. As she pointed out, “most showgrounds are well-groomed and relatively dry so again the risk is much lower than for horses who live near flooded forests”.<br> <br>A vaccine is available but as Moore explained, previously unvaccinated horses need to receive a booster three weeks after the initial vaccine in order to mount an effective immune response. If a horse is exposed shortly after the initial dose, they will not be protected. Even properly vaccinated horses can become infected but they show much milder symptoms such as lethargy, depression and mild loss of control of body movements.<br> <br>“This would not deter me from vaccinating,” said Moore, “however, one must be aware that vaccination will not be protective if the horse is infected around the same time or shortly thereafter being given the vaccine.”<br> <br>(500 words)<br>©2014 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.<br> <br> <br> <br>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/3163131
2014-08-29T16:36:03-04:00
2014-08-29T16:36:03-04:00
EEE Alert
As of August 20, 2014 there have been four cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) confirmed in Ontario. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) issued an equine health advisory in response to the death of a horse from EEE on August 9 in Lanark County. Three more cases of EEE, two in Lanark County and one in Frontenac County, were confirmed on August 20. <br> <br>“There are cases of EEE that appear in Ontario every year or every other year namely in the northern and/or eastern parts of the province,” Alison Moore, Lead Veterinarian in Animal Health and Welfare with OMAFRA told Ontario Farmer. “The difficulty is predicting when infected mosquitoes will reach your area of the province.”<br> <br>The first affected horse, a 12-year old unvaccinated gelding, had no travel history and was euthanized after presenting fever and neurological signs of abnormal eye position and movement, wobbly gait and eventual recumbency. EEE was confirmed on post mortem.<br> <br>Horse owners should always be concerned about EEE since it is usually fatal in unvaccinated horses, said Moore. Fortunately vaccination can prevent or minimize the signs of disease. She also recommends preventing mosquito exposure by bringing horses indoors during high mosquito time at dawn and dusk, using horse-safe mosquito repellent and eliminating stagnant water.<br> <br>Moore explained that the ideal time to vaccinate is before the mosquito season starts in the spring but vaccinating now is better than not vaccinating at all. The horse will not be fully vaccinated until a booster vaccine is provided four weeks after the initial shot and most horses will take at least two weeks to develop an antibody response to vaccination depending on the horse’s immune system.<br> <br>OMAFRA advises veterinarians to consider EEE when presented with neurological signs such as circling, head-pressing, ataxia and depression, which are similar to several other diseases such as rabies, West Nile, botulism, hepatic encephalopathy, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and equine herpes myeloencephalopathy.<br> <br>Scott Weese, DVM, a member of the steering committee for the Center for Public Health and Zoonoses at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, writes in his Worms and Germs blog, “EEE is a devastating but fortunately rare (around here) disease of horses, people and a few other species. Typically, a few equine cases are identified in Ontario every year, with human cases being rarer. However, since people and horses are infected in the same way, the bite of an infected mosquito, finding the disease in a horse indicates risk to both horses and humans in the region.”<br> <br>EEE was first detected in the Ontario horse population in 1938. In 2011 there were four EEE cases in horses and an outbreak in pheasants in Ontario. There was one confirmed case in Simcoe County in 2013. Humans can occasionally become infected and the virus can cause fatal infections in pheasants, quail, captive whooping cranes, emus and dogs. Mosquitos are vectors of transmission of the virus with most cases occurring between August and October, coinciding with peak mosquito season.<br> <br>Ontario’s public health units continue to conduct mosquito surveillance for both EEE and West Nile virus, both naturally hosted in birds and transmissible from infected mosquitos to humans. There have been no positive tests for EEE in mosquitos so far in 2014.<br> <br>Updates will be posted at <a href="http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/nhd_surv2014.html">http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/nhd_surv2014.html</a>.<br> <br>(513 words)<br>©2014 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.<br>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/2992147
2014-06-04T09:14:03-04:00
2016-05-13T13:29:15-04:00
Horse Slaughter Bill C-571 Defeated
<h1>
<span class="font_small">A private member’s bill introduced by NDP MP Alex Atamanenko “In the hopes of legislating severe restrictions on Canada’s horse slaughter industry” was voted down in the House of Commons on May 14, 2014. <br><br>Bill C-571 sought to amend the Safe Food for Canadians Act and the Meat Inspection Act to prohibit the importation or exportation of horses for slaughter or horsemeat products for human consumption. If passed, the bill would have effectively shut down Canada’s horse slaughter industry.<br>Bill C-571 was an extension of a previous bill C-322 that was voted down in 2011, this time providing an exception for when horses have actually been raised primarily to produce meat for human consumption with lifetime medical records to prove that medications and other substances toxic to humans have not been administered. According to Atamanenko, “If this law were in place today there would be few, if any, horses that could be considered eligible as a food animal, especially those arriving from the US.”<br>Atamanenko, a former NDP Agriculture Critic representing British Columbia Southern Interior, further stated on his website, “Tens of thousands of Canadian and US horses with virtually unknown medication histories are being slaughtered every year to produce meat for human consumption…The passage of Bill C-571 would ensure that the same safety standards and accountability required for all animals intended for the human food supply is applied to horses – if the industry cannot live up to these standards then it should not be allowed to operate at all.”<br>In the debate preceding the vote, Mark Eyking, Liberal agriculture critic for the riding of Sydney-Victoria, Nova Scotia, supported Bill C-571, calling it, “a step in the right direction.” He described a $19 million industry that, in 2013, processed over 72,000 horses, 85 percent for export, employing 500 people across Canada. <br>As a horse owner, Eyking separated the issue of the humane treatment of slaughter-bound horses from fulfilling food safety requirements. “The question today is not whether we should we be using horsemeat or disposing of horses in this way. The question today is whether horsemeat is safe. We have to make sure that it is safe and that there are no chemicals or medications in the meat when we sell it or consume it ourselves in this country.”<br>The bill was not supported by Mylène Freeman, MP for Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC, the location of one of five Canadian horse slaughter plants that employs about 70 people in a town of less than 4,000 residents. Their horsemeat is all shipped to Europe.<br>Freeman stated that the handling of horses at that facility is viewed as one of the best in North America; “slaughtering is conducted according to government regulations. The meat is tested, examined, and batches are identified to avoid any problem. If there is contamination, the whole batch is traced and pulled out. That plant's modern system for the handling of animals was designed by Temple Grandin, a professor at the University of Colorado who is a professor of animal science and an internationally renowned expert in animal husbandry. The goal is to respect the animals and ensure their well-being to reduce their stress.”<br>She pointed out that there is already legislation on health and safety for the industry. “We have regulations about transport, about how horses should be slaughtered, and about the types of drugs that are allowed or not allowed. All this is regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.”<br>Freeman conceded, “it is always possible to improve inspections…to ensure that horses in auction houses have correct documentation and that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency meet standards and respect animals.”<br>In the U.S., while Congress did not create an explicit ban on horse slaughter, starting in fiscal year 2006 it prohibited the use of federal funds for inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of horses in transit to slaughter and at slaughtering facilities, effectively shutting down their domestic horse slaughter industry in 2007. Freeman explained that this left many horses suffering welfare issues as they were transported to Mexico or Canada for processing or just abandoned.<br>In Canada, an Equine Identification (EID) system was introduced in July 2010 that requires identification and health information for all domestic and imported horses for the six-month period prior to slaughter. Atamanenko told Ontario Farmer that this system is “very loose” and difficult to enforce. The CFIA “seems content” that the system is working well, which is one of the reasons that he felt his bill was defeated. <br>As he prepares for retirement, a dismayed Atamanenko will now pass the torch to the next government. In a press release after the vote he thanked the efforts of the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition and the Humane Society International, whose agenda is to shut down horse slaughter in Canada, that “have worked so hard to bring about action to clean up the shady and irresponsible practices of this unnecessary industry.”<br>(820 words)<br>©2014 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.</span><br><br><br><br> </h1>
<h1> </h1>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/2972294
2014-05-26T16:29:57-04:00
2014-05-26T16:29:57-04:00
Setting the Record Straight
I got a call last night from someone I hadn’t heard from in about 25 years. Not only was it unusual to hear from him but the reason for his call was unusual as well: he called to complain about a good news story I wrote a few weeks back.<br> <br>The story was about the money that was allocated on April 1, 2014 to the Ontario horse racing industry to help them work through an unexpected transition period – one that was neither deserved nor welcome – that began with the cancellation of the Slots At Racetracks Program.<br> <br>He breeds Standardbred horses; has done for probably close to half a century. The other day he was at a dairy farm where the owner, who dabbles in draft horses, commented that the government had been giving the race horse industry too much money all along, that it was a subsidy to wealthy horse owners anyway, wasn’t it?<br> <br>No, said my friend, it wasn’t. The Slots at Racetracks Program was never a subsidy. It was a business agreement between the Harris government and the racetrack owners. <br> <br>My friend wants to set the record straight and he told me the story.<br> <br>Up until the 1970’s, horse racing was the only legal gambling in Canada. Then the lotteries came along and people would line up for their tickets. The government realized that they had a cash cow, an easy way to tax people, and it wasn’t long before they decided to try to expand gambling into hotels, restaurants and bars. The problem was, people didn’t want gaming in their communities because of the social problems that it created.<br> <br>But what if they put gambling at the racetracks? It was a light bulb moment. The public was accustomed to gambling at the tracks, the infrastructure was there…<br> <br>Horsemen were struggling at that time too, trying to compete with new gambling initiatives and although they realized that the slots at the tracks would cannibalize betting on the horse races, they struck a deal with the Harris government that allowed the tracks and horsemen 20 percent of the take from the slots machines. When municipalities caught wind of the deal, they were given five percent to cover the costs of having these sinful sites in their community. Instantly 19 municipalities in Ontario got a windfall that allowed them to lower taxes and build community centers. Everyone seemed happy.<br> <br>Then the axe fell. Premier McGuinty and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan cancelled SARP with no warning, on advice from a dysfunctional Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. No one expected the guillotine that would use the fine print of the Slots at Racetracks program to cancel the business agreement with only one year’s notice. Multiple-year agreements had only just been signed between the government and some of the tracks. The apparent stability going forward, gave breeders the incentive to breed mares whose offspring would not race for 4-5 years after conception. Breeding racehorse stock is a long-term thing.<br> <br>As my friend described it, the effect has been like when BSE hit the cattle industry and it will take just as long to recover. When he reads the Auditor General’s Report released in April 2014, it almost makes him ill about the lack of planning that went into ruining so many innocent people’s lives.<br> <br>He says that the horse racing industry has just muddled through since then. The government has left the slots at the tracks because they have nowhere else to put them; the tracks took what they could get to survive. People left the industry in droves while horses and horsemen moved to other jurisdictions where they could make a living.<br> <br>In the breeding industry though, the survival hasn’t been good. Last year only one-third the number of mares was bred as there had been two years previously. Many breeders left for good, many downsized.<br> <br>Is there good news? Several breeders are suing the government right now. They made long-term investments in capital and stock only to have the rug pulled from under them. It would be like a dairy farmer being told that he only has one year left on his quota investment. My friend is one of the plaintiffs, and as a group they feel that the government is not on stable footing with their decision. The Auditor General’s report has given them tremendous fuel to prove that the horse industry got a raw deal.<br> <br>What he really wanted to tell me was, the public is being misled into thinking all is well in the racehorse business. Premier Wynne continues to spin that they are helping the horse industry, which maybe they are in the GTA, but not out in rural Ontario. Intentionally half sizing an industry that employs a lot of people does not seem to make economic sense and he wanted to let me know that, out there in the trenches, things are still not going smoothly.<br> <br> (824 words)<br>Appeared in the Ontario Farmer, May 13, 2014<br>©2014 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.<br> <br>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/2597476
2014-02-17T20:21:48-05:00
2014-02-17T20:21:48-05:00
The Ice Storm Cometh
Wendy Swackhamer has 17 horses and ponies, a Holstein heifer, a couple of sheep and some chickens. For her and many others, the 2013 ice storm meant slippery footing for her animals and limited access to water.<br> <br>Wendy considers herself lucky. In terms of the animals themselves being in distress, they were generally fine. Their farm has a fresh water creek and they bucketed water – five to ten gallons per horse - morning and night. “We’ve done that before when the pipes froze one year. We fared great.” The animals made pathways; they adapted. They are normally fed round bales but they gave them square bales near their shelters, more for safety reasons than anything – she didn’t want them to feel they needed to venture out to their hay.<br> <br>Power was completely out for six days. Wendy had a generator to run the fridge and freezer, not enough power to run the geothermal but they had a woodstove in one part of the house. The house was three degrees by the day the power came back on. That’s why she didn’t mind hanging out at the Hillsburgh Fire Hall, leaving her husband and kids at home.<br> <br>While the new fire hall wasn’t set up as a warming center for horses, people were coming for water for their livestock and having a shower while they were there. “These facilities weren’t available in the old fire hall,” said Wendy. “Nothing else was needed, thank goodness. We could have accommodated anyone who wanted to cook a meal, watch a movie and have a cup of coffee.”<br> <br>One couple from Orangeville borrowed a clear water tank, filled it at the fire hall and delivered water to different farms for those who couldn’t transport the water themselves. Finding those most in need was mostly done through word of mouth, said Wendy.<br> <br>Even when the power came back on, the pipes were frozen so the adventure didn’t end there. From the stories she was hearing, anyone able to keep their horses out was okay. If they stayed out, they were able to adapt. Those who kept their horses in had to keep them in for an extended period – the ground was slippery; the gates were frozen. Afterwards, horses were slipping and falling after being locked up for many days.<br> <br>Wendy’s father was Fire Chief in early 90’s in Hillsburgh and a member of volunteer fire department for over ten years. In her father’s boot steps she now runs a unique business called Wellington County Large Animal Emergency Rescue (WCLAER). As one of only about ten people in Canada with her advanced level of training, Wendy is invited to attend as incident command on an emergency scene. She also provides training to emergency first responders and will be part of a team working with Equine Guelph to deliver a large animal rescue certification course in mid-September in Loretto, hosted in part with Adjala-Tosoronto Emergency Services.<br> <br>What would she tell people to do to prepare for the next weather emergency?<br> <br>Ice the same as heavy snow – the same potential to lose power and limiting livestock access to outdoors. It’s a matter of keeping the farm functioning, keeping snow cleared away from fences so that livestock can’t wander over them and keeping laneways clear in case of an emergency. She suggests owning a generator powerful enough to do the job.<br> <br>Hay is what keeps a horse warm. Make sure you have adequate supply of feed, especially hay. Water is difficult to store but consider where you will get it when the power is down? You may need friends or neighbours who can feed your horses if you can’t make it home, someone who knows the layout of your barn so they can at least give hay and water.<br> <br>Most emergencies involve fire or weather, but there are also personal safety considerations, such as what to do if someone was hurt on the farm? What’s your fire number? Who’s calling 911? Some first aid training doesn’t hurt.<br> <br>Where can people turn for help if they have livestock? Currently there aren’t any official resources in place but Wendy is working to get the Town of Erin to set up a plan to deal with animals large and small.<br> <br>“Say someone’s barn collapsed leaving 20 horses homeless, where would they go? We’ve got to find those people who would be willing to help.” An official plan would include setting up a network of resources, including people to trailer livestock, places for animals to go, access to penning for containment, large animal veterinarians, and trained or knowledgeable emergency responders.<br> <br>For your own farm, “Don’t be afraid to ask, I’d be happy to come out and give some pointers,” offered Wendy. She can be reached at 519-830-2484 or <a href="mailto:wclaer@outlook.com">wclaer@outlook.com</a>.<br> <br>(798 words)<br>©2014 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.<br>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/2382053
2014-01-11T21:36:18-05:00
2014-01-11T21:36:18-05:00
The Road To Tulsa
<br> <br>It was the old Gene Pitney song, ‘24 Hours From Tulsa’ that kept going through Karin Zawadowsky’s head as she drove through five states. The adventure seemed like a country song in the making itself. How on earth did her retirement plans for leisurely trail riding end up as an 1800 km, 21-hour trailer ride with her horse to Tulsa, Oklahoma?<br> <br>Six years ago, Karin retired from a 30-year career as a district manager with Human Resources Development Canada. Her plan was pretty simple: “to have a nice life.” That included some trail riding with friends, maybe a few western riding lessons, her and her horse just drifting along.<br> <br>I met Karin through the Wellington Grand Trail Riders – a local group of trail riding enthusiasts that meet on a weekly basis throughout the summer. Talk on the trail turned to thoughts of dressage and I was able to convince Karin that she could enjoy the discipline while feeling safe in western tack.<br> <br>Karin spent a few months in the summer of 2012 learning which dressage letter was which. The letter markers AFBMCHEK make little sense but they mark spots in the ring to pattern a dressage test. (All Fat Brown Mares Can Hardly Ever Kick) Then we lined up a dressage judge to score her on two basic level tests.<br> <br>“It wasn’t a total disaster,” said Karin.<br> <br>Really, it wasn’t a disaster at all. The pair did well and Karin was hooked. Her Quarter Horse, 15-year old ‘Two Steppin’ Hot Rodder’, known to his friends as ‘Dakota’, seemed to be hooked too. She calls Dakota an “ordinary” horse that only started dressage at age 13. He would likely have been quite happy to shuffle along on the trail but Karin found that he actually responded well to his new job. He was muscling up nicely and he had his ears up.<br> <br>In the summer of 2012, Elaine Ward stepped in as Karin’s new coach. Elaine has been the driving force behind bringing Western Dressage to Canada, tirelessly giving demonstrations and clinics and coaching while spending endless hours setting up a new association, the Western Style Dressage Association of Canada (WSDAC). The two ladies hit it off and Karin is now the national secretary.<br> <br>Her first outing in her new sport in 2012 was a demonstration ride at the Canada’s Outdoor Equine Expo. Karin and Dakota joined Elaine and another rider, Tim Fortune, to show some western dressage moves to a curious audience.<br> <br>From there the plan evolved to thoughts of competing at a few western dressage shows in 2013.<br> <br>Those two shows were hosted by Dressage Niagara, which meant that Karin and Dakota would have to drive along the QEW to get to St Catharines and Welland. Karin was pushing to the edge of her comfort zone just with trailering.<br> <br>But from there, somehow, with Elaine’s encouragement, they ended up at World Western Dressage Championship in Oklahoma.<br> <br>Karin hadn’t slept in 36 hours. “I was so tired. It was pouring rain and we were early so things were disorganized.” They got the horses in their stalls and the trailer unpacked and went back to the hotel for a reception that evening where Karin and Elaine and friend Carol Mooney connected with members of the Western Dressage Association of America executive. “It was very exciting,” she said. “There wasn’t time to get nervous.”<br> <br>The show itself was held in a huge coliseum under a distracting jumbotron video monitor. “I had set a fairly modest goal for Tulsa of completing my tests and staying on course and hopefully not embarrassing myself and Elaine too much. Most of all I decided it was an opportunity of a lifetime and that I should enjoy it and have some fun.”<br> <br>Karin and Dakota earned a fourth and a second place on the first day. The next day placing fifth and second in two higher-level classes.<br> <br>Karin’s already making plans to show again in Tulsa in 2014 and to get her ‘A’ license. “There certainly has been an evolution in terms of my comfort level for trailering,” said Karin. After driving Elaine’s 50-foot gooseneck rig on the way home from Oklahoma, “I think I’ve overcome my fears,” said Karin.<br> <br>At 62, Karin now rides Dakota four or five times a week at Dutch Gold Stable in Ballinafad and has weekly lessons with Elaine, as well as taking fitness classes three times a week to strengthen her core muscles. She’s had to compensate for scoliosis that has left her with one shoulder that drops unevenly while in the saddle.<br> <br>“I guess I should feel proud about challenging myself,” said a humble Karin. “Look what you can do when you put your mind to it!”<br> <br>(787 words)<br>©2013 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.<br> <br>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/1320403
2013-08-02T14:33:20-04:00
2013-08-02T14:33:20-04:00
Call to Action for Ontario Racing
Ontario Horse Racing Industry Needs Our Input<br><br>What will Ontario horse racing look like in 2018? That’s the question that three former Cabinet Ministers – John Snobelin, Elmer Buchanan and John Wilkinson – are trying to figure out. They’re advisors in the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel and they have been asked to make a plan. <br><br>They want our help.<br><br>When the McGuinty government called for the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks agreement by March of 2013 it threw the racing industry into a tailspin. Under that revenue sharing agreement twenty percent of slots revenue was being returned to the industry - half to the horsemen and half to the tracks - to the tune of $345 million per year. <br><br>Now the industry must try to figure out how to get by with less. According to Snobelin, approximately $220 million has been earmarked for transition support for 2013. This includes $60 million in each of the next three years set aside for government transfer payments, and for 2013, $50 million in pari-mutual tax reduction and $110 million from gaming product commissions. <br><br>But what about 2014? What then? In what Snobelin called the ‘Buchanan Proposal’ at a recent facilitated discussion at Picov Downs in Ajax, the total government investment would call for the transfers and tax credits to equal the commissions, matching funds. In other words, if wagering went down, government funding would go down. If wagering went up, government funding would go up. <br><br>As Snobelin said, if we don’t turn the industry around, government funding retreats with the industry. <br><br>That leaves the challenge at the feet of the industry itself. How do we get full stands, full races and a sustainable livelihood for horsemen? Growth will be based upon expanding the customer base and increasing wagering. Snobelin thinks we have a great product, but what will it take to make it better? <br><br>The transition panel must produce their findings as a plan for sustainable horse racing by late September, but Snobelin says the document is needed by early September, before the important yearling sales this fall. The plan would be implemented by April 1, 2014 to quantify the public funding required by the beginning of the next fiscal year.<br><br>Our goals are fairly simple, said Snobelin, we want to align the economic interest of all parties and develop a desirable ‘Ontario Racing’ brand. <br><br>At this point the framework of the panel’s “Ontario Live Racing” proposal calls for the Ontario Racing Commission to maintain a purely regulatory role, with sports governance divided into three divisions at the track level: ‘Standardbred Live’, ‘Thoroughbred Live’, and ‘Quarter Horse Live’. Each division would involve a track alliance, a horsepersons’ group and a breed association. As Snobelin pointed out, the client base is often very different and each breed would need to govern themselves. <br><br>When it comes to the ethics of racing, Snobelin admits that the government is not equipped to address issues of equine welfare and life cycle plans for horses, and that such issues are best looked after by horsemen themselves. <br><br>But this is only the outline of a plan and that’s where the public consultation comes in. The open discussion at Picov Downs attracted 140 participants in person and on conference call. The meeting was broken out into seven table discussions covering wagering, grassroots racing, revenue, breeding, funds distribution, governance, and measures of success. The Transition Panel has posted questions for each discussion topic that can be found at www.ontario.ca/horseracingtransition, along with the draft plan that was revised in May, and they encourage input from everyone.<br><br>For example, the breeding sector was the first casualty of the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks program. While $30 million in funding has been marked for continuation of the current Horse Improvement Program (HIP), the panel wants public input to better understand what the indicators of success will be for that program? Will it be the number of foals, race results, or yearling sales results that will show the program is working? What affects yearling prices? Is it available purses? Restricted racing opportunities? How should funds be distributed within the program? Should non-resident stallions be part of the horse improvement strategy? Why or why not? <br><br>As the panel continues to gather public input, Snobelin emphasized that everyone’s ideas will be considered equally as they work towards a plan. Minister of Agriculture, Premier Kathleen Wynne “wants this done,” said Snobelin, “We’ve got to get busy! This is not a report; this is not a study.”<br><br>It’s more than about the money, said Snobelin, it’s about the customer. They’re your future; they’re who the money’s going to come from. The government will support the industry according to the number of customers you have, so think about how to attract customers and interest in your industry.<br><br>The panel can be reached for comment at horseracingtransition@ontario.ca<br><br>(799 words)<br>©2013 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.<br>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/603327
2013-04-24T22:12:15-04:00
2013-04-24T22:12:15-04:00
Guy McLean
<p> </p><p>Guy McLean – A Quiet Way With Horses and Words</p><p>April 16, 2013: Guy McLean and his horses have returned to the Priefert Ranch, his home base in Texas, after an incredible two and a half months on the road. His journey has seen the Australian horseman earn his second championship at the Road To The Horse, a colt-starting competition at the Kentucky Horse Park that challenges the best horse trainers from Canada, Australia and the US to start young horses under saddle over three days.</p><p>This latest tour also brought Guy and his ‘Quietway’ team of horses - Sequel, Hope and Spinabbey - as well as his mount from last year’s Road To The Horse, Aussie, to Orangeville to perform at the CanAm Equine Emporium, where he joined headliners Stacey Westfall and Jonathan field. Many of the 10,000 people through the gates were meeting the Australian horseman for the first time.</p><p>For Aussie, a three-year old quarter horse gelding, it was only his third ride of his life working with the team at liberty. As Guy wrote later on his Facebook page, “To be able to educate this wonderful youngster in the morning and showcase my finished horses in the afternoon and then be able to bridge the gap between them in as little as three days, just proves to me once again how incredible these wonderful animals are.”</p><p>The humble horseman seems to forget that his talent may have something to do with the performance. To him, the credit always goes to the horse.</p><p>For Guy, true horsemanship is about belief and vision. As he told talk show host Rick Lamb in an interview, the key to his performances is high expectations. His original performance stallion, Nugget, showed Guy what horses could do. Guy didn’t know you could canter along without a bridle or saddle, carrying a tarp. Now he knows; now he expects the same effort from every horse as he got from Nugget.</p><p>The world’s best horseman expect their horses to do canter changes every stride, to slide and to spin, said Guy. The world’s worst horsemen expect to get bucked off or bitten or kicked, and the horse says, ‘Okay, I will’.</p><p>Guy’s signature move in his entertaining performance comes when he asks one of his four horses to lie down while he straddles his other three horses overtop, bullwhips cracking, crowd cheering.</p><p>The horses willingly respond to his cues, effortlessly focused and seemingly glad for any chance to nap. That’s how he trains them: he disciplines them through physical work. Their reward is to stand still. They say, “let’s just stand still because if we have too much energy he’ll make us work.” He teases during the performance about how lazy Aussie can be, and how gladly the young horse will find ways to minimize his energy output.</p><p>Guy’s motto reads, “Finding a Better Way,” with Knowledge, Compassion, Patience, and Imagination. Habits are built by doing things again and again, and when he works with his horses he tries to be the same every day and he expects the same from them. While he strives for consistency he will not hesitate to try out something new, but any ‘better way’ needs to make sense to every horse, so he’ll try a new idea on his team before taking it to other horses.</p><p>Guy has a way with words as well as horses, reciting his Australian Bush Poetry to fans who have started asking for more. Australian Stockmen often couldn’t read or write but they could recite stories that would tell about the bush or a tough horse or tough cattle. Guy enjoys sharing his versions of folklore with his fans. “It’s one thing to touch people’s funny bone and make them laugh but if you can touch their heart you’ll touch them forever. With my bush poetry I like to share a little bit of that. “</p><p>One of his latest poems reads:</p><p>"It's impossible," said pride. <br>"It's risky," said experience. <br>"It's pointless," said reason. <br>"Give it a try," whispered the heart.</p><p>As he settles in for a well-deserved rest, Guy writes on his Facebook page, “From the World Arena in Kentucky, to the ski slopes of Canada, to the rolling hills of Mt Pleasant Texas, my Horseman's Path continues to astound me with the sights and sounds, relationships and memories it presents me with and I cannot wait to see where it takes us tomorrow…Australia will always be home but I want the world to see how wonderful horses can be when we understand them and I need to be here where my message will travel to the world.”</p><p>©2013 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.</p><p> </p>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/603089
2013-04-24T21:40:45-04:00
2021-08-16T08:23:54-04:00
Getting Started On The Trail
<p>I’m a trail addict. It’s something I can share with a good horse and good friends, enjoying the woods in all the seasons, but still get involved in competition while pushing my riding skills and horsemanship to higher levels.</p><p>My first competition was in 1976, riding a three-year old Pinto named Topey. We placed 7<sup>th</sup> in the Handy Horse Trail Trials at Al’s Tack Shop in Stouffville. Al has long since passed, and so has Topey, but I’m still doing trail and it’s still as fresh and fun as ever.</p><p>There are so many elements that go into a safe trail ride. It all starts with a well-broke horse, one that has three good gaits and some lateral work. If a horse won’t work obediently off your leg then you’re going to run into some trouble on the trail, like the time I rode Mickey, a 3 year-old appaloosa, and we fell off a cliff. That’s a campfire story I’ll tell some other time, but basically you’ll need steering and brakes that are dependable.</p><p>What about the obstacles? A basic trail course at a show will always have a bridge, gate, poles and a backup. There are usually six obstacles, which can include putting on a slicker, dragging or carrying a sack, turning your horse on the forehand or haunches in some sort of pattern, or getting mail out of a mailbox. Some horses have issues with certain obstacles and that’s something you’ll need to discuss with your horse. Some people are scared of spiders and there’s no reason for that either. Any obstacles that can roll, like PVC pipe, or can catch a horse’s foot, like tires or a hula-hoop, are not recommended for an inexperienced horse or handler.</p><p>If riding around the farm or woods is more where you think you’ll end up, then think about the obstacles you’ll encounter. Plastic bags are number one: feeding your horse out of a bag at home can change his mind about them. You’ll also see tarps, recycling boxes and garbage bags if you ride along the roads. There will be dirt bikes and bicycles, dogs and hikers. There will be turkeys too, the feathered kind. We have chickens and pigeons in the barn that have desensitized our horses to the fluttering.</p><p>The variety you’ll find on the trail or in the trail show ring is endless. There is no way you will be able to imagine everything you could possibly run into, like the time this one horse came blasting out of the woods when it got a tree branch caught in its tail.</p><p>Whatever you decide to set up, start with the basics and start on the ground at home in a secure area. Do the obstacle without your horse, then leading your horse, then riding him. By building on the basics you will create confidence and trust. It’s more than just ‘doing’ the obstacle - holding your breath while your horse slams through or over it - it’s about taking it all in stride, calmly, obediently.</p><p>Get a plan in place in your head for what to do if you encounter something new on the trail. Will you get a more experienced horse to go first? Will you get off and negotiate the obstacle in hand? Take whatever time you need and ride with others that respect your level of experience so that you don’t have to blunder through. What it comes down to is having some solid, basic training – walk, trot, canter, left right, backup and whoa - that can get you through whatever you encounter.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/370909
2013-03-14T11:28:24-04:00
2013-03-14T11:28:24-04:00
Wynne's Press Conference
While the horse racing industry impatiently awaits details, last week’s press conference at Grand River Raceway with Kathleen Wynne, the new Premier of Ontario and Minister of Agriculture, wanted to provide assurance that there was a sustainable future for the horse racing industry to which her government is committed.
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<div>Last year the McGuinty government suddenly announced the end of the Slots at Racetracks Program (SARP) as of March 31, 2013, removing $345 million from the racing business and throwing the industry into chaos. </div>
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<div>“There’s a full range of jobs supported by this industry and I understand that,” said Wynne, “and that’s why minister McMeekin set up the transition panel because we recognized that we really needed to take a look at the decision that had been made and we needed to make sure that there weren’t enormous unintended consequences of the decision that was made last year.”</div>
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<div>“What we’re saying is that we understand there needs to be a transition period in order for the industry to adjust to a new model,” said Wynne. “That’s your sober second thought.” </div>
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<div>“We’re working to ensure that the dates for the 2013 racing season will be in place and provide long-term stability to the industry because those are the two questions that have been floating: is there going to be a season this year, and what’s the long-term viability of the industry?” </div>
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<div>As that March 31 deadline looms, Wynne announced that four more tracks – Grand River, Western Fair, Clinton and Hanover – had reached three-year transitional funding agreements, joining Mohawk and Woodbine. Those six tracks together represent 80 percent of the wagering that happened last year in Ontario. All 14 tracks have rental agreements in principal to lease their facilities to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).</div>
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<div>Dollar amounts have yet to be released while negotiations are on-going, said Wynne, who will continue to enlist the advice of the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel, former cabinet ministers John Snobelin, John Wilkinson and Elmer Buchanan, to guide the establishment of what she calls a “new model” for sustainable horse racing in the province. </div>
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<div>There are negotiations going on with all of the tracks and the owners and operators are going to have to make a decision about whether they are willing to be part of the new model, said Wynne, and that’s the conversation that’s happening right now. </div>
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<div>The third component of her announcement involved the “overall modernization” of the administration of horse racing. “One of the key recommendations of the panel was to integrate horse racing with the provincial gaming strategy and I am committing to the sector that we’re going to work to make that happen,” said Wynne. This includes providing access for tracks to revenue from new and different gaming opportunities.</div>
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<div>John Snobelin, one of several politicians and industry members flanking Wynne during the press conference, explained that in other jurisdictions globally, a symbiotic relationship between gaming and horse racing is the only model that supports a sustainable horse racing industry. He assured people in the industry that, “there is a future that is sustainable based on best practices around the world.”</div>
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<div>When asked what she would say to the breeding side of the industry, Wynne acknowledged that they need stability. “Their work is future work… what I would say to them is that we are committed to a sustainable industry.” she replied, “I hope they can take some comfort from what I’ve said today, that we are reaching agreements with tracks.”</div>
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<div>“We said we needed a second look at this issue and so we took it,” said Wynne, who is “very pleased that we’ve gotten to this point.” </div>
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<div>“We’ve said that a sustainable horse racing industry is going to be a smaller industry. That’s reality that I know the industry is confronting and we’re going to work through this transition with them.”</div>
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<div>When asked if transitional funding could still be regarded as a ‘subsidy’ to the industry, Wynne replied that there was an “arrangement” in place. “That arrangement is changing, the industry is evolving, and we’re going to work with them. I don’t think labeling or parsing the semantics around particular words is going to be helpful at this juncture.”</div>
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<div>“I think what we need to do now is we need to say, what is in the best interest of the industry? How do we protect the animals? How do we make sure we protect jobs and how do we make sure that we have a viable industry for the people who want to take part in that industry, those who want to enjoy it? So it’s about the jobs, it’s about tourism, it’s about the vibrant industry that has been in this province evolving to a place where it can be sustainable and we know, as government, that we’ve got a role to play in that.”</div>
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<div>Up to $30 million will be available for the Horse Improvement Program (HIP) in 2013. The Transition Panel, the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) and breeding industry members are discussing allocation of these funds.</div>
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<div>“Today’s announcement sends the right signal of hope and confidence about the future of the horse racing industry in Ontario,” said Sue Leslie, president of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association.</div>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/342028
2013-03-04T14:50:52-05:00
2013-03-04T14:50:52-05:00
The Horse Human Bond
<div>The Horse & Human Relationship</div>
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<div>Clever Hans was an Orlov Trotter who could do arithmetic, tell time, read, spell and understand German. In public appearances in the early 1900’s, Hans the horse would answer questions asked by his owner, Wilhelm von Osten, by tapping his hoof. </div>
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<div>It was a time when Darwin’s theories were coming to light and an era of great interest in animal behaviour. Hans’ incredible performances attracted great interest. According to Wikipedia, in 1904, philosopher and psychologist Carl Stumpf formed a panel of 13 people, known as the Hans Commission, consisting of a veterinarian, a circus manager, a Cavalry officer, a number of school teachers, and the director of the Berlin zoological gardens. They concluded that no tricks were involved in Hans’s performance.</div>
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<div>What they did discover was that the horse was detecting subtle cues from the people around him, such as posture and facial expressions. The people were unaware that they were giving cues at all. It’s called the ‘Clever Hans effect’, which is still acknowledged in psychological research.</div>
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<div>For those of us who work with horses, Hans showed us that our horses are living in different perceptual worlds, picking up on cues both positive and negative, many we don’t even know we’re giving. </div>
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<div>Animal behaviour professor Martine Hausberger from University de Rennes, France was a guest lecturer at the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare Lecture Series at the University of Guelph recently. She has been working with horse behaviour for 20 years, investigating better ways of leaving our horses with positive memories of work and routine procedures. </div>
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<div>It is her belief that increasing the number of positive interactions with our horse over time will improve the quality of our relationship and the safety of handlers.</div>
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<div>What is a good relationship between a horse and handler? Does human presence cause stress? If you stand still, what does he do? If you walk closer, will he let you near? When you put on his halter, how does he react? The reaction of the horse is an indicator of trust.</div>
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<div>The environmental influence on our horses’ behaviour starts with the dam, which is the first social model for the foal. Hausberger described handling the foal with either ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ contact. Indirect approaches for the first five days after birth, such as a motionless person or gently handling the mare, built trust and familiarity with the foal. The mare needs to be positive for the proper effect, but Hausberger could still detect differences a year later: those foals that had been handled indirectly were more likely to approach observers one year later when compared to foals that had been handled directly - handling the foal itself - which she thought may be seen by the horse as invasive.</div>
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<div>The time between weanling and one year of age is the most important time for contact, says Hausberger, who studied yearlings at 21 farms. Are they better with more handling? There were large differences between farms, but Hausberger warns against the extremes: handlers need to balance between ‘over-invasive’ and ‘not at all’.</div>
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<div>Do horses like to be groomed? Again, they may not see it the same way as we do. While we think we are bonding, Hausberger points out that a horse that scratches on a tree doesn’t fall in love with that tree.</div>
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<div>When it comes to horses at work, Hausberger has noted large differences in the behaviour of horses at riding schools. She was concerned with the high cull rate of riding school horses due to aggressive behaviour. Of 656 horses tested, 44 percent threatened the experimenter at least once. “It’s a bit worrying,” said Hausberger, but why was it happening?</div>
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<div>Aggression may reflect altered welfare – is the horse bad-tempered or suffering? Does the horse have a bad back? He may be more aggressive. “This talks to us,” said Hausberger, although we may not always interpret the signals correctly. </div>
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<div>Again there were large differences between facilities. The daily relationship of the horse with a familiar person had an impact on the relationship of the horse with unknown people. Were the horses happy? Indifferent? Unfriendly? All horses with the same caretaker reacted the same way. </div>
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<div>Hausberger also studied the riding position of beginner riders and the position of the horses’ neck and head during lessons. In one school, an instructor repeatedly told riders that they were “too close”, resulting in riders trying to control the horse more, poor posture, horses with their ears back, showing more aggression and displaying more health problems. Another instructor concentrated on proper riding technique, resulting in more positive horses with less vertebral problems. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Sometimes a horse’s memory can be obviously shaped, but sometimes it’s a just subtle cue – a voice or a routine - that can trigger a positive or negative reaction. Understanding our horses’ point of view can make both our lives easier. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>©2013 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/342016
2013-03-04T14:43:54-05:00
2013-03-04T14:43:54-05:00
O.C.E.A.N.S.
Living with O.C.E.A.N. Syndrome
<div>By Scooter Grubb</div>
<div>Just recently, after years of research, I have finally been able to give a name to what my wife and I have been living with for years. It's an affliction, for sure, which when undiagnosed and misunderstood can devastate and literally tear a family apart. Very little is known about O.C.E.A.N. Syndrome. But it is my hope this article will generate interest from researchers involved in the equine and psychological sciences. You will, no doubt, begin to identify similar symptoms in your own family and hopefully now be able to cope.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE EQUINE ATTACHMENT NEUROSIS SYNDROME (O.C.E.A.N.S) is usually found in the female and can manifest itself anytime from birth to the golden years. Symptoms may appear any time and may even go dormant in the late teens, but the syndrome frequently re-emerges in later years.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Symptoms vary widely in both number and degree of severity. Allow me to share some examples which are most prominent in our home.</div>
<div>The afflicted individual:</div>
<div>1. Can smell moldy hay at ten paces, but can't tell whether milk has gone bad until it turns chunky.</div>
<div>2. Finds the occasional "Buck and Fart" session hugely entertaining, but severely chastises her husband for similar antics.</div>
<div>3. Will spend hours cleaning and conditioning her tack, but wants to eat on paper plates so there are no dishes.</div>
<div>4. Considers equine gaseous excretions a fragrance.</div>
<div>5. Enjoys mucking out four stalls twice a day, but insists on having a housekeeper mop the kitchen floor once a week.</div>
<div>6. Will spend an hour combing and trimming an equine mane, but wears a baseball cap so she doesn't waste time brushing her own hair.</div>
<div>7. Will dig through manure piles daily looking for worms, but does not fish.</div>
<div>8. Will not hesitate to administer a rectal exam up to her shoulder, but finds cleaning out the Thanksgiving turkey cavity for dressing quite repulsive.</div>
<div>9. By memory can mix eight different supplements in the correct proportions, but can't make macaroni and cheese that isn't soupy.</div>
<div>10. Twice a week will spend an hour scrubbing algae from the water tanks, but has a problem cleaning lasagna out of the casserole dish.</div>
<div>11. Will pick a horse's nose, and call it cleaning, but becomes verbally violent when her husband picks his.</div>
<div>12. Can sit through a four-hour session of a ground work clinic, but unable to make it through a half-hour episode of Cops.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The spouse of an afflicted victim:</div>
<div>1. Must come to terms with the fact there is no cure, and only slightly effective treatments. The syndrome may be genetic or caused by the inhaling of manure particles which, I propose, have an adverse effect on female hormones.</div>
<div>2. Must adjust the family budget to include equine items - hay,veterinarian services, farrier services, riding boots and clothes, supplements, tack, equine masseuse and acupuncturist - as well as the (mandatory) equine spiritual guide, etc. Once you have identified a monthly figure, never look at it again. Doing so will cause tightness in your chest, nausea and occasional diarrhea.</div>
<div>3. Must realize that your spouse has no control over this affliction. More often than not, she will deny a problem even exists as denial is common.</div>
<div>4. Must form a support group. You need to know you're not alone - and there's no shame in admitting your wife has a problem. My support group, for instance, involves men who truly enjoy Harley Davidsons, four-day weekends and lots of scotch. Most times, she is unaware that I am even gone, until the precise moment she needs help getting a 50-pound bag of grain out of the truck.</div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/287503
2013-01-23T17:30:00-05:00
2013-01-23T17:30:00-05:00
Horse Racing News Summary
Four press releases on January 23 announced changes to the horse racing industry in Ontario.
<div> </div>
<div>The OLG announced that it has reached agreements in principle with eight tracks, referred to as “gaming sites”, including Woodbine, Mohawk, Rideau Carleton, Hanover, Woodstock, Dresden, Sudbury Downs and Clinton raceways. Agreements in principle had already been reached with Western Fair Raceway and Kawartha Downs last December. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The OLG projects that these agreements will be finalized by the end of February 2013. The press release further states, “OLG continues to engage in lease agreement discussions with its other site holders across the province and remains hopeful that a positive outcome to those discussions is near for all facilities.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>A second press release from OMAFRA announced that the Liberal government had reached, “an agreement in principle to provide transition funding to the province's largest provider of horse racing. The agreement with Woodbine Entertainment Group will ensure races continue at the Woodbine and Mohawk tracks as the industry adapts to a more sustainable model.” </div>
<div> </div>
<div>In order to receive transition funding, racetracks will have to meet accountability and transparency requirements.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Woodbine Entertainment Group confirmed their agreement with the Ontario government in a third press release, an arrangement that, “ensures the continuation of live horse racing at Woodbine and Mohawk Racetracks for the next two years.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>And finally, the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) announced that they would be reporting to the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), effective immediately.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“The ORC will continue to support and be a resource to OMAFRA as the racing industry works to move to a more self-sustaining model.” </div>
<div> </div>
<div>This move was part of the government’s horse racing industry transition plan, which also includes the continuation of the Horse Improvement Plan and providing animal welfare support.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>A revised 2013 racing calendar will be announced as agreements are finalized.</div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/269547
2012-12-20T14:55:00-05:00
2012-12-20T14:55:00-05:00
Thanks, Coach
This story's actually a Fourth Line Frolics from about four years ago. We've come a long way since then, with addictive 'light bulb moments' happening every week.<br><br>
A TRIBUTE TO MY COACH<br><br><div>“Your goal is to get her onto a transition bit. That’s what we’re working towards,” says my coach, as if she’s trying to sort out in her head all of the goals of all of the students she’s dealing with on a regular basis. “Have we done any trail work?” </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“Last week, up on the hill,” I answer. It wasn’t something I really want to remember, tripping over poles at the jog and lope, not really sure what we were supposed to be doing but trusting that it was all part of a grand plan that she had laid out in her mind for us.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“That’s right. We’ll do some more of that next time.” Great. I hope we remember to pick up our feet next time.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It’s raining for the first time in weeks so we’re in the arena for our lesson. My coach doesn’t understand what a treat it is to work inside for me, not having to think about the footing. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“You have to have an arena to compete for the lesson crowd now. They’re not as tough as they used to be. I remember giving kids lessons outside in snowstorms so bad you had to squint to see them across the arena.” It sounded a little like that ‘had to walk uphill both ways to school’ story, but with her, you knew it was true. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“Okay, What have you been working on?” she asks.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“We’ve been doing a lot of walk-trot transitions, and I’ve also given up on counting sheep to put me to sleep. Now I count trot strides. Rhythm. One, Two, One, Two. I’m asleep in no time.” She doesn’t respond to my humour: either she’s not listening, thinking about what she wants to put me through today, or it just wasn’t funny. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“Oh, and Tatti and I have been working through a few issues since she bucked me off in a corn field a few weeks ago.” That got her attention. “It was my own fault: we got playing around and having a little too much fun, galloping through the corn.” I thought I saw a little smirk. The ‘incident’ had actually happened three days before my last lesson but I was too embarrassed to tell her then. She did notice that I was stiff through my right hip at the time but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her why. I’ve still got a bruise and a knot in my calf muscle the size of an egg. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“Okay, get her warmed up,” she says as we walk large circles around the arena. We work away from the wall so that my outside leg has to work: if we’re on the rail the horse will just lean on it for support and you’ll never get that outside leg to work effectively. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“Do a few figure 8’s at the walk.” She had tried to explain in a previous lesson that there needed to be a ‘flat bit’ in the middle of the figure 8, a part where you went straight before you bend the other way. It seemed like a reasonable idea at the time but it wasn’t until today that I actually got it. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>We’re only walking but I can sense her excitement to see things starting to come together, pieces of the puzzle that have definite shapes and colours to her but for me are only sky. I can feel it too; it was only a few strides but it was a deliberate bend into a deliberate straight section into a deliberate bend the other way.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Okay, no time to enjoy that feeling too much, on to the next exercise. We go into serpentines at the trot and jog. She asks me to do a posting trot across the arena then a jog around the bend. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“Where’s your outside leg?” If I only had a loonie for every time I heard that in the lesson. I checked and, as usual, my outside leg was nowhere to be found. Useless. Tatti was showing it with her hind end drifting along behind us like a caboose off the rails.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The next exercise put us along the arena wall, on an inside track, which is about eight feet from the boards. “We’re getting into some training now. Not just riding a finished horse.” She starts barking orders: “Walk. Stop. Use an opening rein to turn her 90 degrees. Close your outside leg on her to turn her another 90 degrees. CANTER.” </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Whah!? We try. It’s sad.</div>
<div>
<br>
“I surprised you with that one, didn’t I?”</div>
<div>
<br>
“Uh-huh.”</div>
<div>
<br>
“Okay, let’s do it again. Where’s your outside leg?” Blank stare. I have no idea. She may as well be talking to the dog, but I trust her. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I’m still seeing that endless blue sky but there are a few different shades of blue now subtly creeping into the puzzle. We try the last exercise a few more times with a bit more success. I trust her when she says that all good things will come easily when the foundation work is done, but not before.</div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/269544
2012-12-20T14:40:03-05:00
2012-12-20T14:40:03-05:00
ORC Race Dates
The Ontario horse racing industry has been holding its breath waiting for the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) to announce race dates for the first quarter of 2013.
<div> </div>
<div>The Ontario Racing Commission has approved a total of 208 race dates for the first quarter of 2013, down by only 16 dates or seven percent from the same time period in 2012. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>In a notice to the industry released on December 14, the ORC ruled on five applications for race dates from four different racetrack operators cautiously seeking a reduction from 224 race dates to 165, or 26 percent. However not all of the applications were successful.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“The year 2013 represents an unusual year with the Slots-At-Racetracks Program (SARP) scheduled to end on March 31, 2013. Until that date, all licensed racetracks and the purse accounts continue to receive their respective share of the slots revenue. The 2013 calendar year therefore includes two distinct periods, differentiated by a change in the economics of the industry,” states the report.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“The question therefore becomes should the 2013 season be treated holistically or as a combination of two distinct periods separated by the end of SARP?”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The ORC decided to approach the two periods separately due to the “significant uncertainty” that will challenge the industry beyond the March 31, 2013 deadline, deciding to act within the ‘known’ and not base their decisions on speculation.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Woodbine and Western Fair Raceway in London have each been allocated 51 days of Standardbred racing in the first quarter of 2013. Flamboro Downs has been reduced from five days per week to four, with a total of 52 race dates; Rideau Carleton has had 27 days of racing approved; Kawartha Downs has been allocated 23 days and Georgian Downs will hold four days of racing.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The new Sustainable Horse Racing Model proposed by the Horse Industry Transition Panel last October has suggested that at least six tracks be maintained with roughly 800 race dates, a 48 percent drop from 2012. The Liberal government has asked the panel members, former Cabinet Ministers John Snobelin, John Wilkinson and Elmer Buchanan, to continue to negotiate on behalf of the government until March 2013.</div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/75294
2012-11-30T09:15:16-05:00
2020-10-13T02:20:25-04:00
Horse Racing Panel Final Report
<div> </div>
<div>Sustainable Horse Racing Model Proposed </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The final report from the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel was released to the public on October 30, 2012. While the proposed Sustainable Racing Model forms a framework for the future racing industry in the province, the race is far from over.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Sue Leslie, Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) president, is unsure who will officially be at the table when negotiations continue, but when the time is appropriate for OHRIA to be involved, they will be there. The government remains in control of how this is moving forward, said Leslie, calling the next phase of negotiations with the racetracks “very complicated and a tricky process to say the least.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Liberal government has asked the panel members, former Cabinet Ministers John Snobelin, John Wilkinson and Elmer Buchanan, to negotiate on behalf of the government until March 2013. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“The panel has tremendous credibility,” said Mark Cripps, spokesman for Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin, indicating that the three panel members will continue to work with the horse racing industry and the OLG on behalf of the government as they negotiate lease agreements with the tracks.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Calling the transition plan “excellent” but indicating it still needed to be “tweaked”, Cripps acknowledged the importance of letting the experts “handle this and get it right.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The next month will be critical as negotiations between the tracks and the OLG determine which tracks are in and which tracks are out. Race dates need to be set by November 30 for 2013. A minimum of six tracks are required by the new model; “the maximum number depends on the number of tracks interested in participating and the distribution of Standardbred B and C races.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The panel report states that all purses will come from wagering under the proposed new program, making the horse racing industry more customer-driven. As a result the total purse industry-wide will decline 45 per cent, to $133.2 million and the total number of race days will fall 48 per cent, to 800.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“We’ve identified 800 race dates,” said Cripps, about half of the current total, indicating that number may go up depending on negotiations with the tracks. Substantial purses will be maintained, which the panel believes is necessary to compete with other jurisdictions.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>As Cripps explained, there was no intention to remove the slot machines from the tracks in March 2013, the deadline for the end of the current Slots at Racetracks program. The machines may remain but the tracks will need to bid on race dates, providing races with full fields to provide a better product for consumers, an objective that is in line with the recommendation in the final report that the horse racing industry needs to be consumer driven.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The new Sustainable Horse Racing Model will also support a healthy race horse breeding sector through the Horse Improvement Program (HIP), and suggests splitting the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) into distinct regulatory and administrative divisions, leaving the ORC with a purely regulatory role.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The report also suggests that the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs should become responsible for both the oversight of the industry through the ORC and the ongoing monitoring of the new racing model to ensure the public interest is protected. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>In addition, new gaming products should be permitted to generate revenue for the tracks. The panel also suggests public funding to assist in the development of lifecycle plans for retired racehorses.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>So far the plan isn’t talking dollars but it is making sense. “The panel recommends an investment of new public funds over three years to build a sustainable horse racing industry on a foundation of sound public policy,” states the report, which withheld “particularly sensitive financial information” that includes the amount of funding that has already been secured for the transition period. The panel advised that such information should be withheld until such time as negotiations between the government and the industry have concluded. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>As the panel report states, “Ontario’s horse racing industry is at a crossroads. A sustainable future is possible, but only if the government takes action now.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The full Transition Panel final report is available at http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/about/transition/finalreport10232012.htm</div>
<div> </div>
<div>(686 words)</div>
<div>©2012 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.</div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/237379
2012-10-21T16:15:00-04:00
2012-10-21T16:15:00-04:00
Horse Racing Report expected soon
Horse Industry Transition Panel Final Report Issued
<p class="MsoNormal">As of Monday, October 15<sup>th</sup>, the final report from the Horse Racing Industry panel is in the hands of the Minister of Agriculture, Ted McMeekin but many are left wondering if the current state of affairs in the Ontario Legislature will affect its use?</p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In an interview with The Motts, Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel member and former Cabinet Minister John Snobelin explained that when the house prorogues, the cabinet still sits and the ministers are still working. He said that nothing in the report requires legislation so the government is still in a position to act on the file, and every indication that he has had is that they still intend to act on the file.</p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Snobelin said he can’t comment on the contents of the report, which represents the consensus of himself and fellow panelists Elmer Buchanan and John Wilkinson, but he remains optimistic about the future of horse racing in the province despite the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks program.</p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I think the industry can be saved,” speculated Snobelin. He has been encouraged throughout the process by the sophistication and co-operation of the people in the horse racing industry, who have been very receptive to looking at the economic realities of the situation and asking what can be done to build a solid foundation for the future.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While he refused to forecast what the government might do with the report, Snobelin commented that Minister McMeekin has been very proactive on the horse racing file and nothing in the report will be a surprise. It is typical for such a report to take up to three weeks to be prepared for public release under normal process.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, the Forest City Standardbred Yearling Sale in London, ON concluded last weekend with an average of $10,519 over 257 head. That compares to the 2011 average of $18,311 for 263 head and an average that has ranged as high as $24,128 in the past 10 years. The 2012 Canadian Standardbred Yearling Sale at Flamboro Downs in September averaged $8,329 over 246 head, down from the $14,621 in 2011.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The 2012 Canadian Bred Yearling Thoroughbred Sale at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion in early September averaged $25,432 over 155 head, compared to $32,456 over 148 head last year.</p>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/208475
2012-09-02T17:35:00-04:00
2012-09-02T17:35:00-04:00
Alf Budweth from Budson's Feed on Hay
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s been ten years since ‘Hay West’ shoved round hay bales into square rail cars to send to farmers in drought-stricken Saskatchewan and Alberta to feed their livestock. While there’s been no talk yet of ‘Hay East’ this year, one hay farmer describes the situation in Ontario as “the perfect storm”. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Alf Budweth, who farms 1300 acres in the Nobleton area with his brother Dave, considers their hay business to be a medium-sized operation in their area, selling horse hay and straw locally in large and small square bales. The brothers also own Nobleton Feed Mill and Budson’s Farm & Feed in Erin. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From all the reports he has heard, their 30 to 50 percent drop in hay yield this year is fairly typical. It depends on the field and the plant diversity, reported Alf, but “that’s half, and that’s been pretty tough.”</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The lack of rainfall has been partly to blame, he says, but also cites the warm early spring followed by the insult of snow that either killed or stunted the alfalfa for the first cut. </p><p></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From a larger perspective, he suggested that adding to the decreased hay yield is the pressure for land to plant other crops like corn, soybeans or even barley. The resulting limited supply of hay is reflected in the price this year, which Alf pins at 14 to 15 cents per pound right now. “That’s unheard of,” he says, especially considering last year’s price of seven to eight cents per pound.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pricing on hay is “a moving target,” says Alf, with the final price depending on quantities and delivery charges, and it’s regional as well, with some areas in the province having rain and others being dry. “We don’t think 14 cents is the ceiling,” said Alf, “especially when the snow flies.”</p><p></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Reports from the Elmira hay auction come in at 10 to 15 ½ cents per pound on July 25 over varying quality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>South of the border, U.S.D.A. reports premium alfalfa hay was selling in July at auction for between $240 and $310 per ton in Pennsylvania, and premium mixed hay between $218 and $240 per ton with prices holding steady over the previous week.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ontario hay is usually in demand south of the border, but Alf wonders if Ontario may become actually become a net importer of hay this year?</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“There’s a lot at play,” said Alf. The dairy and beef guys who usually sell their excess won’t have any to sell as they hold back enough just to feed their own stock and may even need to buy. As it did in 2007, corn silage may take a bit of pressure off hay demand, said Alf, but as of today, “it’s a bad situation”.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Adding to the demand for hay is the parched pasture situation that has resulted in hay being fed through July. Last year the pasture was good until well into November. </p><p></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Budweth brothers will soon know how the yields will fare on about 400 to 500 acres of their second cut that is coming along nicely with a few timely rains. No matter how well second cut comes in though, Alf predicts the reality is that prices are going up: even if second cut comes off well it can’t make up for the low first cut yield.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With gas prices currently hovering around $1.27 per litre, shipping hay from other regions will not be cheap either.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Their inventories are “pretty much sold out,” reported Alf, and they’re not taking on any new clients.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The horse industry is already negative and gloomy, and the hay situation doesn’t help, although Alf is still trying to stay positive. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“For those buying hay, you don’t have hay until it’s in your barn,” advises Alf, who predicts potential bidding wars for hay. It’s not a scare tactic, he says, just reality.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He suggests to secure your hay supply with your farmer, manage it well to reduce wastage and storage losses, and consider alternatives for horses such as high fibre complete feeds or hay cubes. </p><p></p><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'"><br></font>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman"'>©2012 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.<p></p></span></p>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/195250
2012-07-31T17:45:00-04:00
2012-07-31T17:45:00-04:00
OHRIA Plan for Horse Racing
<div>(Published July 31, 2012 in the Ontario Farmer)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) released a Plan For The Future of the Ontario Horse Racing and Breeding Industry on July 24, 2012. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>It paints a picture of a contracted but viable horse racing industry in Ontario that will be depending upon enough government transition and development funding to see it through the difficult changes that lie ahead. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Lawyer Stanley Sadinsky, who specializes in Gambling Law and Policy and is a former Chair of the Ontario Racing Commission and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, was a key member of the OHRIA task force that penned the Plan that is now in the hands of the OMAFRA Horse Racing Industry Panel for review.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Plan calls on the government to provide $210 million in funding, made up of $165 million for a new Ontario Development Fund for overnight purses and operating costs, $30 million to expand the current the Horse Industry Program (HIP) that supports horse breeders, and $15 million for industry administration, marketing, and program and product development through OHRIA. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Plan demands that, “This funding must be sustainable and not transitional in nature” for two reasons: “An unsupported racing industry cannot compete with the government’s virtual monopoly (on gambling),” and secondly, “decisions to invest in racehorses are based on the stability of the purse structure.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Liberal government has so far offered $50 million in transition funding over the next three years after unexpectedly announcing the end of the successful Slots at Racetracks business agreement by March 31, 2013.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Looking ahead, the Plan recognizes that, “The principle challenge will be to grow pari-mutuel wagering so that more industry revenue is derived from this source rather than from government programs.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>According to the Plan, the industry will look very different in the future than it does today. With the province now divided into 29 gaming zones, sixteen of the current 17 racetracks will be eligible to put forth proposals to host a gambling facility for their zone. It is unlikely that a racetrack will survive by offering live racing without deriving revenue from slots and/or other forms of gambling.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>As a result, the Plan speculates a smaller industry that will likely be comprised of one thoroughbred track, between five and eight standardbred tracks and one quarter horse track, with seven to 10 surviving of the current 17. It also predicts a resulting 45 percent fewer race dates with 797 under the new model, down from 1,540 in 2012. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“As for the racetracks that will close and the many individuals who rely of those tracks directly and indirectly for their living, transition funding should be put in place. The existing funding should continue for at least one more racing year while the government replaces existing slot locations with its new facilities.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“As for those racetracks that survive, an early decision is required with respect to the nature and extent of the Development Fund. Until that decision is made and a new financial arrangement has been put in place with each racetrack, the current level of funding should continue.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Plan continues: “A sensible phasing-in process should also accommodate the horses that will no longer be needed as race horses. Both some reduction in breeding numbers and the retirement of horses that are now racing will eventually lead to a stable horse population in the longer term. This should eliminate the threat or the need to cull the horse population.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>While admitting that the Plan is “not the final picture for Ontario,” OHRIA suggests it is a “road map to how, in partnership with government, the industry will chart its own course into the future -- building a strong racing product supported by a breeding industry that produces horses with world-wide appeal.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>In its conclusion, the Plan states, “The government has dealt a severe blow to the horse racing and breeding industry in Ontario and to all those who rely on it for their livelihood. If the government wishes to see the industry survive in the public interest, it must take immediate steps to remedy the harm that has been done.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>A report by the Horse Racing Industry Transition panel is expected in August 2012, that will make recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) about how the government might help the industry adjust to the termination of the Slots at Racetracks Program.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The full 26-page Plan For The Future of the Ontario Horse Racing and Breeding Industry is available at www.value4money.ca. OHRIA welcomes your feedback via email at ohria@ohria.com. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>©2012 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/185224
2012-07-01T09:15:00-04:00
2012-07-01T09:15:00-04:00
What is good hay?
Good hay is when I can look at my mow and breathe a sigh of relief. I know what we grow so I know its composition, but getting it in well is a crapshoot. It's haying time once again. It's a nerve wracking adventure that is at the mercy of the weather, just like any farming.<br>
But when it is the largest component of our horses' diets it is well worth learning as much as you can about it.<br>
As a horse owner, what do I need to know about hay?<br>
If I was boarding my horse, I'd want to know about price. My board this year is likely to go up because hay is in short supply and the price will reflect this. Hay acreage is down as many farmers turn to corn this year, and the hay export market has developed quite well and offers us competition for our excellent Ontario hay. Good for farmers, not so good for us. There's also been a drought through the spring, making yields go way down in many fields. We pulled in 90% yield compared to last year but I have heard reports of as little as 1/3 yield compared to last year.<br>
Hay will be more expensive this year, but beware though of buying based on price. There are many who will take advantage of the higher price and try to sell you baled weeds. <br>
Question to ask your hay dealer: What is the composition of the hay? If the answer is "I don't know," keep looking. (Yes, that was the answer I got from one guy last year who was charging $4.50 a bale - it had pieces of wood in it and it looked like he'd baled his barnyard!) Watch for weeds - not only do you not want your horse eating unknowns, but you don't want those weed seeds infesting your pasture when they come out the other end.<br>
What size is the bale? A forty pounder is easy to handle but the size be should reflected the price too. Also ask about fertilizing. Does the field get regular fertilizing or is the nutritional value getting depleted by continuous harvest? If you get a strange stare, you know the answer.<br>
For hay quality I'm looking for green and clean. Green means it most likely didn't get rained on, which interrupts the curing process in the field and you end up with bleached hay when it has to start curing all over again. Clean means it doesn't have mold growth, which means it was put up at a good moisture level (14.5% is the charmed figure). Cattle farmers have a hard time understanding horse people, since their priorities revolve around alfalfa leaves: They're focussed on the nutritional value where I'd rather have the hay a little drier, lose a bit of leaf and supplement nutritionally than have a bit of mold. It's all a trade-off. Talk to your farmer. <br>
There will likely be a lot of dust in our hay this year as our grasses headed out early and the seeds will be dusty.<br>
Is a hay analysis available? It only costs around $50 or so to analyze the hay and it's easy to do, and it is a valuable tool, not only to the farmer who can detect deficiencies, but to you when you can take that analysis to your feed dealer and have them make recommendations. Many people are overfeeding, trying to compensate for unknowns, but it can save a lot of money to target your nutritional requirements to feed more accurately to your needs. My horses survive on nothing else but a ration balancer and a few extra calories for the nursing mare, although we do have easy keep Paints. For us, we harvest about 16 acres so the cost is about 3 to 5 cents a bale. Not a lot in the larger scheme of things.<br>
A hay moisture meter has helped us to make decisions when haying, keeping any suspicious bales near the door or outside where we can deal with them easily if they overheat. They're around $180 at TSC, an investment that might be helpful if you're taking hay straight off the field.<br>
This year we've gone to round bales and although we haven't figured out a system to feed them yet I do have a few observations so far. Myth: round bale hay quality is poorer than small squares. Not necessarily. If the hay is managed the same it doesn't matter what format it's stored in. Keep it covered or inside, bale in the good timing window, and monitor the quality as you go, which is something that is admittedly easier to do when you're handling small squares. I like the labour savings, and while it doesn't make the best use of our storage facility we can stuff enough in there to do us for now. One observation we made was that there was no chaff on the wagon, which means that good stuff is better held in the bale in rounds than small squares.<br>
Get your hay now if you can. It is going to be in short supply this year.<br><br><br><br><br type="_moz">
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/180801
2012-06-19T16:29:21-04:00
2020-08-12T01:34:37-04:00
Comments to the Horse Racing Industry Panel
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Gentlemen,
<div>Thank you for allowing the opportunity to share some of my thoughts. </div>
<div>I have a degree in Agriculture from the University of Guelph and worked full time on the broodmare farms for eight years as a midwife in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. I am now a freelance writer, writing about agriculture and horses for ten years; I also train horses, coach riders, and breed and show Paint horses. I trail ride with my husband for recreation; we live on a farm and grow our own hay. </div>
<div>Although I am not directly involved in horse racing anymore, my life has been deeply affected by the sudden, short-sighted and misinformed decision to end the slots at racetracks agreements without a plan.</div>
<div>The transition panel is a great move but it should have been done before any cuts were made. It is too late to restore confidence in our industry. The damage is done. It reminds me of the BSE crisis in ruminants: an industry thrown into turmoil overnight and is still recovering, ten years later.</div>
<div>However, I like to offer solutions over complaints.</div>
<div>I would like to see the $50 million band-aid that the Liberals have offered to place over the bleeding artery go first to leadership. The horse racing industry was faltering when the slots at racetracks program was introduced and complacency may have been its biggest enemy with the success of the slots at racetracks program. Now the industry needs help to pick up where it left off in the late 90's, with strong united leadership to make sound business plans, offering assistance to the individual tracks to make them as viable as possible. Leaders need to be shown how to work together. New ideas need to come in from outside the horse industry to improve the product and its distribution. Technology is offering some exciting opportunities for the future that need to be evaluated and explored.</div>
<div>In essence, we need a 'Drummond' Report for the horse industry, and continuation, but gradual phasing out, of the slots at racetracks program. The minimum amount of time involved should be the generation interval of raising a racehorse - four years - so that those in the pipeline can ensure their survival and have a chance to make their own plans.</div>
<div>I don't understand the underlying workings of the competition for the gambling dollar and therefore cannot yet comment, except to say that there are only so many customers to go around, and to expand will require linking world wide.</div>
<div>Undoubtably this crisis will result in extensive culling of the horse herd. I hope this doesn't lead to welfare issues, horses being starved or neglected because they are not worth anything to the owners, or the owners are unable to afford them or the costs to get rid of them. If it costs more to truck a horse to auction than the horse is worth, or more to euthanize it, where will the horses end up? Probably abandoned. The slaughter shutdown in the US has already swelled the ranks of unwanted horses of all breeds and now the strain will really show. The Canadian slaughter industry needs to be checked, federal inspectors doing their jobs to make sure the rules are being followed, to be sure that there is a humane end in sight. Horse rescues cannot absorb the number of unwanted horses we will see this winter. Maybe subsidized euthanasia and disposal should be supported to avoid suffering? This is urgent.</div>
<div>As for people, there are many who will become desperate and despondent, having invested their entire lives and incomes in the horse industry. I saw this same scene happen in New Zealand in the late '80's when the bankrupt government pulled out of agriculture. Store shelves were empty; many despondent people committed suicide. With ingenuity their industry has come back stronger, but at a great cost.</div>
<div>There needs to be advertising of help lines to call, and there needs to be programs in place to help those who want or need to transition from the industry, similar to the Grow Your Farm Profits initiatives that are offered to farmers to improve their business skills and education.</div>
<div>I see a strong role for OMAFRA, and there needs to be a horse industry rep. put in place immediately. We are desperate for such leadership in a void left when Dr. Robert Wright retired. I believe this position could be supported through partnership with Equine Guelph, who have already offered office space and resource sharing, offers that have fallen on deaf ears. It's a no-brainer to me.</div>
<div>That's all I have for now.</div>
<div>Thank you for listening.</div>
<div>Kind Regards,</div>
<div>Karen Dallimore</div>
</span>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/162523
2012-04-30T09:10:00-04:00
2012-04-30T09:10:00-04:00
The Legal Side of Buying a Horse
<div>You thought you had found the perfect horse but after a few months you find out that he’s not so perfect. Maybe he’s developed a bit of attitude or taken a few bad steps. What do you do? </div>
<div> </div>
<div>In a perfect world, you’d take him back and the seller would give you your money back. But it’s not a perfect world.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Karen Thompson-Harry is a family and equine lawyer in Erin, Ontario, who was one of the speakers at the 2011 Erin Fall Fair Equine Tent. She gets most of her equine calls about buying and selling horses.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Basically, the issue is that it is difficult to warranty a live animal. She says she often refers to a previous judgment from 1928, which stated, “As animals are “unknown quantities”, many of which have latent defects, imposing such a warranty would have an extremely depressing effect on trade in animals. Vendors could never be certain that purchasers would not come back seeking damages for defects which were undetected and undetectable at the time of sale. If purchasers desire such a warranty, it is my view they should bargain for an express one.” (Murray v. Reeves Supply Co.)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>In other words, if you want a warranty, you’ll need to negotiate it yourself. So what do you do? Thompson-Harry recommends both a veterinary pre-purchase exam and a contract.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thompson-Harry has acquired many customers who didn’t want the expense of a pre-purchase exam. Anyone who owns a horse knows how expensive vets can be, she said, but the cost of a pre-purchase exam –which can be roughly $400 and up - is minor compared to the cost of potential issues, even if you’re only paying $1,000 for the horse.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The veterinarian performing the pre-purchase exam can’t warranty soundness except on that particular day, and neither can the seller. But, even though the seller can’t say that the horse will stay sound all its life, they are obligated to answer questions honestly. “It is the buyer’s obligation to ask, not the seller’s to tell,” advised Thompson-Harry. Has the horse been unsound? Has is colicked? Has it had x-rays and if so, can we see them? Ask a lot of questions; the seller is not obligated to point out latent defects. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Of course the seller is going to say good things about the horse – “this one’s a real gem” – but she says it’s foolish to buy based on a ‘used car’ selling line. If the buyer has the opportunity, go back several times to see the horse. Take it on trial if possible. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>If the buyer wants the horse for a specific purpose, tell it to the seller. You will be relying on the seller to “tell it straight”. “If things go south, the seller has a problem,” says Thompson-Harry: the seller gave a representation of the horse that became a condition of sale.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>For example, you’re buying your first horse and it’s important that it’s quiet. The seller assures you that it is, but within three weeks of getting it home, it’s crazy. What will the seller say? “You didn’t tell me that,” or, “You rode the horse. He was fine when he was here!” Without a contract it becomes a he said, she said situation where credibility becomes the issue. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>A contract resembles an offer to purchase, just like a real estate offer. Ask the seller to sign to accept the conditions, and put in specifics such as ‘the horse has not colicked’, for example. Also put in the payment terms, such as certified cheque or a series of payments.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The bill of sale can be simple but it is very important. It should contain the names and addresses of the buyer and seller, a description of the horse including colour, size, breed, age, sex, and any other identifying characteristics, so you know exactly what you’re bringing home.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thompson-Harry gets most of her calls from customers who have purchased horses under $25,000, cases that will end up in small claims court. She has found that most deals under $5,000 don’t have written contracts. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The important thing is that you’re clear and up front, advised Thompson-Harry. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>©2011 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.<br>
If you're interested in re-printing this article please contact me. It has appeared in Country Routes, the Ontario Farmer and the Western Horse Review.</div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/143999
2012-02-29T10:13:42-05:00
2012-02-29T10:13:42-05:00
Slots at Racetracks Backgrounder
<div>Recent comments made by Dwight Duncan, Ontario Minister of Finance, have suggested that the Liberal government would review this partnership, known as the Slots at Racetracks Initiative. Duncan’s comments reflect suggestions in the Drummond Report that the McGuinty government, “Review and rationalize the current provincial financial support provided to the horse racing industry so that the industry is more appropriately sustained by the wagering revenues it generates rather than through subsidies or their preferential treatments.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The economic report further recommends that the province, “re-evaluate, on a value-for-money basis, the practice of providing a portion of net slot revenues to the horse racing and breeding industry and municipalities in order to substantially reduce and better target that support.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The monies are not a subsidy, grant or gift to the horse industry. The Slots at Racetracks Initiative began in December 1998. The agreement was created between the Ontario government and the horse racing industry with the objective of promoting live horse racing as well as creating economic development in the agricultural sector, through increased purses, improved quality of horses and enhanced breeding.</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<br>
Here’s how the agreement works: under the Slots at Racetracks Initiative, the horse racing industry receives 20 percent of the total gross slot revenues, with ten percent going to the horse industry, to be invested back into horse breeding, ownership and racing, and ten percent to the racetrack operators. Host municipalities receive five percent of the gross slot revenues on the first 450 machines and two percent on additional machines.</div>
<div> </div>
The agreement recognized that the horse racing and breeding industry is an agricultural based industry that is helping to increase and diversify the tourism, entertainment and export economic base of Ontario. Since then the horse racing industry has flourished and so has the money it has helped to generate for government coffers. Quarter Horse racing has joined Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing in the initiative. </div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div>A 2011 report by the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) indicates a vibrant horse racing industry that employs an estimated 60,000 Ontarians and pays a total of $1.5 billion dollars of wages and salaries each year in Ontario, and it names horse racing as the second largest sub-sector of the agricultural economy in Ontario, exceeding the contributions of hogs, poultry, eggs and wheat in 2010.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Ontario Harness Horse Association (OHHA), explained in a press release that racetrack slots generated approximately $1.7 billion in 2011, from which the Ontario government paid roughly $355 million in operating costs and approximately $345 million to the horse racing industry to cover its negotiated fee. “That means that last year alone, the government of Ontario cleared over $1 billion from revenue generated at racetracks across the province, without investing a penny in the industry.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Slots at Racetracks initiative has been highly successful and supports the racing industry and, in turn, the horse industry in general, as well as the economies of communities across all of rural Ontario. The racing industry is simply asking for the government to leave the agreement alone. Please voice your concerns to your MPP or Finance Minister Dwight Duncan and let them know what the horse industry in Ontario means to you.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/142687
2012-02-24T07:34:01-05:00
2012-02-24T07:34:01-05:00
Ontario Horse Racing Industry - A Letter to our MPP
Feb. 21/12
<div> </div>
<div>Dear Mr. Arnott,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I am very concerned about the proposed changes to the slots revenue sharing put forth in the Drummond report. The report calls the present arrangements "unsustainable". I call them "successful".</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I earn my living from the horse industry: I am a freelance writer for agriculture and equiculture, which allows me to understand the strong chemistry that exists between the two. Just this week I have written an article about the Standardbred O'Brien Awards. I also breed and train horses and use horses for recreational purposes, and I own a farm where we grow our own hay. My life revolves around horses and I enjoy the strength of the horse industry in Ontario that brings an income as well as such great personal enjoyment.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I don't believe that the Liberals should be salivating over horse racing, threatening to tear apart a success story of which they should be proud.</div>
<div>You're not afraid to stand up for us. Please help.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Kind Regards,</div>
<div>Karen Dallimore</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Feb 24/12</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Dear Ms. Dallimore:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thank you for taking the time to write to me. I appreciate receiving</div>
<div>your views on this issue.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The equine industry has a significant presence in Wellington-Halton</div>
<div>Hills. I would guess that many hundreds of my constituents in</div>
<div>Wellington-Halton Hills are employed in the industry. It is an</div>
<div>important component of the economy of rural Ontario. While I firmly</div>
<div>believe that the Government of Ontario needs to get its spending under</div>
<div>control, I do not believe that this should include measures which would</div>
<div>devastate the horse racing industry. I view the current funding</div>
<div>arrangement, not as a subsidy, but as an agreement between the industry</div>
<div>and the Government which allowed for the installation of slot machines</div>
<div>at race tracks -- an agreement which the Government should continue to</div>
<div>honour. If the McGuinty Government accepts the recommendations with</div>
<div>regard to horse racing in the Drummond Report, it would</div>
<div>disproportionately impact rural Ontario.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>On February 22, I was at the rally on the front lawn of Queen's Park to</div>
<div>show my support for the horse racing industry. I want to continue to</div>
<div>speak out on this issue and want to ensure that Ontario's horse racing</div>
<div>industry remains strong and vibrant for many years to come.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thanks again for your email.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Sincerely, </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ted Arnott, MPP</div>
<div>Wellington-Halton Hills</div>
<div>Phone: 416-325-3880</div>
<div>Fax: 416-325-6649</div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/135708
2012-01-24T11:10:00-05:00
2012-01-24T11:10:00-05:00
Talking Horses
Those who know my Paint mare Holly know that she is a bit of a Diva. Well, actually she is the definition of a demanding Diva. Madonna in a horse suit. She was born to be beautiful and talented, raised to show, and came with a sense of entitlement regarding her life. <br>
And up until she came to Sweet Grass Farm she was indulged. <br>
This winter, however, she is living in the shed with her friends, and without a blanket up until last week. <br>
People ask me, how do you know when your horse needs a blanket? It can be as obvious as them shivering, although I would be upset if they got to that point. I'd like to catch their discomfort a lot sooner and I'd like to think I know their temperament well enough that I can tell when something is bugging them.<br>
Take today, for example. Holly has had a blanket on for the past few days when it dipped to minus 15 Celcius because she seemed a bit out of sorts. She wasn't shivering, she was just a bit crankier than usual. Last night I took it off since the temperature in our wonderful Southern Ontario winter has bounced back to the zero mark and she seemed quite comfortable in the shed. <br>
This afternoon I fed them a bale in the field to get them out of my way so I could muck out. Her majesty, Princess Holly, refused to go out to the field with the others. It was a bit windy but not too bad, so I thought. She followed me back to the shed so I took her in, wiped her off and put on her blanket. Well, that mare PRANCED back out to the field with me! I've had her a year and a half and I've never seen her do that. When we got back out to the field she followed me everywhere. <br>
It was kind of like a game of charades, an inter-species pantomime. When you really start to notice what your horse is doing you realize that they've been talking to you all along, sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle. We just don't hear them. I want to play that game.<br>
You can't tell me she wasn't telling me loud and clear what she wanted, then said 'Thank You' the only way she knew how. Luckily I guessed right.
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/133094
2012-01-11T04:29:59-05:00
2012-01-11T04:29:59-05:00
Riding Alone
I walked home last night, Holly in tow. She's been cooped up in the yard with the ice we've had so she's getting a bit plump and bored so I thought I'd take her out for a ride.<br>
It was near dusk so the woods took on a whole different feel than they had in the light of day, one where the deer and heffalumps - those mystical characters from Winnie The Pooh stories who dwell in the woods - weren't as discernable. <br>
Is that a heffalump, asked Holly? How about that? Can't be too careful, being a horse and not knowing what Heffalumps eat, or even what they really look like.<br>
I have heard the saying that the best time to get off your horse is the first time the thought crosses your mind. For me it's usually the second time since I'm a slow thinker and I like to evaluate my options, but I never ignore the instinct that I can honestly say has kept me safe for 40 years. It's far more useful than just relying on luck. I admit that the depth of the snow and the distance from home do cross my mind, but that's why I always wear good walking boots and only go as far out as I'm prepared to walk home when I'm alone. I'll take far less chances than if I'm with company.<br>
So I got off Holly when her body rose up and I could feel her heart pounding through the saddle. We went back into the woods and worked on the ground for a while, clearing some branches off the trail and having her stand straddling a log (a.k.a. a mounting block when you're on a 16H trail horse), until she settled down her imagination. The snow wasn't too deep so we left it at that and walked home, having slayed the boogeymen who could have been there. Today we'll go out with another horse in tow since Holly likes company and the pony could use some ponying. <br>
I used to do the same with Tatti when she was a young lass, using my long western reins to do some ground work with her until she found her sane brain as a three and four year old. I imagine I'll be doing more of that with her too as I return her to her career from the security of being on maternity leave with the herd.<br>
Live to ride another day, that's what I always say.
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/129935
2011-12-22T14:12:15-05:00
2021-06-23T09:56:31-04:00
Christmas Wish List
<div>(This was originally published in Country Routes in December 2010. For those who have been following our shenanigans for the past year, you know how it all worked out...)<br><br>
At this time of year a wish list usually covers the things you’d like to find under the tree on Christmas morning. But I’m a horse addict with a bad case of barn brain: for me, a wish list lays out what I would like to accomplish with my horses over the next year.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The fun part about tackling this project at this time of the year is that anything is still possible. The Leafs could win the Stanley Cup – it’s still far enough away that it can’t be ruled out for certain. Hopefully my goals will be a little easier to achieve than those scored with a puck.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Now is not the time for reality to get in the way though. I still want to believe in Santa Claus and I need to have a plan in case he gets stuck in the chimney trying to bring in my new saddle. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>So what’s my wish list going to include? This isn’t like a New Years’ resolution, which is meant to be broken. Typically most go for the lose weight or get fit route but most of them revolve around making or breaking a habit. Try telling my horse she shouldn’t put her foot in the feed tub every night and it’s easy to see we’re not the only species who has difficulty with habits even if they are obviously counter-productive. My resolution every year is to be nicer to my better half.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>No, this is more of a goal-setting process. Here it goes: I’m going to show my new horse, Holly, which is short for her nickname, “Miss Hollywood” and any reference to the season is entirely coincidental. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The goal looks easy; the devil is in the details. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>This is the point where I like to use a process of positive visualization. That’s a snapshot in my head where I see myself achieving my goal. We’re in the ring and we’ve had a great ride and as the announcer works their way from sixth place to first, I hold my breath and he calls my horse’s name: “In first place, Hot Lady of D Nite”. That’s when my face turns as red as the ribbon - her registered name is a little embarrassing but I didn’t name her, honest! In my head the crowd goes wild as I pull out a piece of paper listing all the people I’d like to thank, just like at the Oscars. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Okay, maybe just the better half claps. It’s December: it’s my dream and we can do anything, remember? I’d really be content just to not be too embarrassed by our performance, like taking a kid to the grocery store and not having them have a meltdown at the check out counter. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Back to the plan. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Assuming my goal is somewhat realistic, it also has to be measurable. I hereby declare that I will compete in at least four shows next summer with an improved performance at each one. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I don’t know how competitive we will be, since there are a lot of variables involved over which I have no control. Who will show up as our competition? Will we both stay healthy and sound? Who knows, but we’ll deal with that as it comes. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>What we can do is lay out a plan to get us there, starting with setting up a place to work her through the winter and securing a good coach. And this is where the Christmas timing could come in handy: I can ask Santa for a show outfit or whatever equipment we need. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>She’ll need to load in a trailer and hang out there in between classes, and she’ll need to get used to the shenanigans at a show ground, everything from dogs and baby strollers to a crowded warm up ring.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We’ll need a team of supporters as well. There’s our goal team, which is a loosely knit group of committed friends who will remind me of my goal on those days when it just doesn’t look like we’re going to make it. The better half enjoys being our driver, groom and show photographer. He’s like a thick-skinned show dad, calming our nerves while trying not to put the safety pin that holds the number through more than my shirt. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Our first show will be on the May long weekend so we’ve got about five months to make this happen. That first show will set the benchmark for the rest of the show season as we try to improve on our debut performance. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Can we get there? You bet! Will the Leafs be playing hockey or golfing by then? That’s something over which I have no control. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>But isn’t Christmas a great time for thinking that all of our dreams can really come true? </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>(798 words)</div>
<div>©2010 Karen Dallimore. All rights reserved.</div>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/128525
2011-12-14T09:15:00-05:00
2011-12-14T09:15:00-05:00
Cat Stuffing (Clicker Training)
Positive re-enforcement vs. negative re-enforcement.<br>
Picture this: trying to stuff a barn cat into a pet carrier vs. throwing in a catnip treat and having it run in there.<br>
Now how does this apply to training a horse?<br>
These thoughts came to mind after a demonstration of clicker training. I'd heard of it but hadn't really thought about it. Apparently it is a method of positive re-enforcement that is used in training 145 species of animals. Clicker training has revolutionized the care of zoo animals since it is much easier to get an elephant to perform a task for a miniature marshmallow instead of saying 'no, bad elephant!' <br>
If anyone doubts the power of suggestion to elicit a response, take the Timmie's challenge. "Timmie's." ( Donut. Click.) "Timmie's" (click) Must go seek out a coffee and donut...<br>
See? It's powerful stuff.<br>
I did try it out on our Holly, enough to get the idea of how it works. I decided on something simple I want the horse to do: stand with her feet square, her head up and her ears forward like she's showing halter. She knows that already, but what I want to do is teach her to do it when I say 'stand'. We went through a lot of carrot pieces but when I said stand and got the desired result I would 'cluck' (I don't have an official 'clicker') and offer a carrot. <br>
Now just the 'cluck' gets her attention as she stands in happy anticipation, better than the usual tapping her on the nose with the end of the lead when the judge comes around to get them to look excited about being there. Holly was usually asleep, eyes closed, when the judge got there so I would have to wake her up. Now all I will have to do is say 'stand' and give a little 'cluck' and voila! There's my pretty girl! I don't know if she'll be drooling but I'll deal with that when the time comes. I've slowly weaned her off the carrot so that she doesn't become an obnoxious, demanding mooch and I'm left with the cluck.<br>
As the clinician explained, it's like having a room full of rowdy children and you find yourself saying go sit down and play quietly, but then ignoring them when they do (usually with a sigh of relief that they're finally quiet). Positive re-enforcement is where you poke your head around the corner and tell the quiet children how much you appreciate their efforts. Feel good stuff.<br>
I'm not sure where clicker training will fit in to other tasks but now that I know how it works it becomes another training tool. Exploring the process also made me more aware of using positive re-enforcement instead of the negative re-enforcement wherever I can. Now I will say 'yes', "good girl" or a pat, when I see a horse doing something right, rather than just saying 'no' when I see them doing something wrong. <br>
If you'd like to share your clicker training experience, please feel free to comment on this post.<br><br><br type="_moz">
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/125869
2011-11-30T03:59:16-05:00
2020-06-14T13:15:49-04:00
Feed By Touch
(This article appeared in Country Routes, 2011. Please respect copyright and do not distribute without permission! karen.dallimore@gmail.com)<br><br>
How many calories do you need? A moderately active human adult male requires about 2,400 calories a day, while women only need around 2,000 calories per day.
<div> </div>
<div>Your 1,000-pound horse, by comparison, will need 17,000 calories just to hang out at the feeder all day. If he’s a two-year old racehorse, bump that up to 26,000 calories or more. It’s unreasonable to expect him to get that out of hay alone. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Feeding horses well is an art but there needs to be good science behind it. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“Your hay test is the backbone of any feed program,” Alf Budweth of Budson’s Farm and Feed Company in Erin told a group of horse owners at the Equine Erin Seminar Series. Equine nutrition was one of the topics addressed in the four-part series of horse-oriented lectures held at Stewart’s Farm Equipment in Brisbane.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Lots of commercial feeds are available but feeding them should revolve around the quality of your hay. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Alf Budweth comes from a farming background, raised on a beef farm and eventually working his way into the horse feed industry, taking over Budson’s from the Stewart family about five years ago. Not only do they feed Erin’s growing equine population, they’re also feed consultants for elephants, rhinos and flamingos at the Metro Toronto Zoo. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Getting back to horses though, the art component of horse feeding becomes apparent when you take into account that every year is different and every horse is different. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Forage and pasture quality is affected by seasonal changes, and since forage and pasture make up seventy percent of a horse’s diet, it’s easy to understand that a feeding program is only valid for a given time. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>“One feed is not appropriate, fed at the same amount all year long,” said Budweth, who suggests body scoring your horse at every major milestone of the year. The Henneke body score is a number on a scale of one to nine that subjectively describes your horse’s condition from bony to bulging, subjectively measuring fat deposition at six places on your horse’s body. A score of one is poor and nine is extremely fat. Your nutritionist will want to know this to formulate a ration.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>One major milestone, of course, is the change of the seasons. At 20 degrees Celcius, an animal doesn’t need energy to thermoregulate. What about at 30 degrees? Add ten percent to his calorie intake to compensate for sweating. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Going the other way, at 0 degrees Celcius, he’ll need 25 percent more energy to stay warm, and at minus 10, add 50 percent to his energy requirements. The research doesn’t go lower than that, but Budweth does: add snow and a bit of wind, and he says that you can expect your horse to need 70 percent more energy. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>A horse can eat about 30 pounds of hay per day, says Budweth, which means that he physically can’t eat enough to maintain his weight under extreme weather conditions. Their stomach is only about the size of a rugby ball. “You need to find a different energy source.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Blanketing and shelter can both help in the extremes, with any extra dietary energy needs coming from grain, commercial feed or strategically fed second cut hay. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Looking at your typical 1,000 pound pasture pet horse though, if he’s getting 13.5 kg of low quality hay with 9 percent protein and a typical 1700 calories of energy per kg, according to the charts he’s actually getting enough energy and protein to do alright even on a regular cold day. He may not need extra concentrated feed at all, but he’ll likely still need what Budweth calls his “Flintstones” – an added vitamin and mineral supplement.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>When you do make changes to his diet, make them one at a time or you won’t know what worked, using the time-honoured replacement guideline: one handful in, one handful out.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It’s impossible to generalize all aspects of a feeding program, but once your feeding program is in place, Budweth suggests that you “feed by touch”, using your best judgement and re-evaluating as circumstances change. “It doesn’t matter what the math says,” advised Budweth. “The label is only a guideline.”</div>
<div> </div>
<div>(692 words)</div>
<div>©2011 K. Dallimore. All Rights Reserved.</div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/125868
2011-11-30T03:55:00-05:00
2020-04-09T05:01:17-04:00
Blanketing
I was sent an e-mail recently about blanketing horses, author unknown unfortunately. It appears to be an opinion piece, but one paragraph stood out:
<div> </div>
<div>"However- a horse MUST have a way to get out of the wind in order for their 'self-blanketing' abilities to function fully. It turns out that blanketing is done more for pleasing the human, than to fill a need of the horse."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It’s true. We often blanket our horse when we’re cold. We’re wimps compared to them. The loft of their coat traps air and does a pretty good job of insulating them, and a good layer of snow and ice on their backs does the same.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>My horses live outdoors with a huge run-in shed. (300 sq. ft. per horse, divided into two sections by a hay bunk) I'm thinking that one may want blanketing this year, (Holly - she didn't like the extreme cold last year) but the rest were fine without - we'll play it by ear. <br><br>
Each horse is an individual and must be treated as such. Some horses, like people, can take the cold; some can't. None should have to when they're soaking wet and exposed to wind. And they will need more feed to thermoregulate.<br>
</div>
<div>What about the loft of the coat? Horses that are stabled, clipped, aged or ill, or in work add an extra dimension to the equation - their coats may not be up to the task. If the horse is lying in manure the coat will be caked and unable to trap an insulating layer of air. Dirt will dry and rub off but caked poop doesn't. They will need a clean place to lie down and regular deep grooming.</div>
<div>
<div>
<br>
I believe, although I've never seen scientific studies, that the horse needs beneficial bacteria in the coat in order for its skin to stay healthy. That bacteria is in the dirt, and it may be possible that a horse kept blanketed is allowing the balance of bacteria to shift which may end up in skin irritations for those horses who never see the light of day all winter. Just my theory. Unfortunately many don’t groom enough when the horse is blanketed since they seem so sleek and shiny and we haven’t got time to groom off the dirt. Let 'em roll! Just maybe after you ride…</div>
<div> </div>
<div>My parents used to raise Chinchillas and they all had a 'sand bath' to keep their coats healthy as an industry standard. Our chickens and cats love a good roll in the dirt too. Grooming them is a good warm-up before riding for us and a good opportunity to check them over, although grooming them wet will make the hair lie flatter for a while and reduce the loft. </div>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I will use a rain sheet as a wind break - what I call a ‘portable shelter’ - if the horse can't get into shelter, which is a trade off for keeping them dry since it does make the coat lie a bit flatter but not as bad as a heavy winter blanket. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>If they get soaked and cold, or if I ride them into a sweat (that doesn't happen often with mine!) I put on a wool cooler which will keep them warm until they dry.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Some horses can take the cold, some can't. Sometimes we have to make a decision at 7 a.m. for what will work best all day, knowing that the weather can change in a heartbeat. If they end up sweating or the blanket gets soaked we're not making progress. They're also a time-consuming P.I.T.A. We can only do our best! Blankets are good management tools and the decision lies in our hands. I know how hard it is to sleep when we're wondering if our friends are comfortable!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Shelter and appropriate feeding are #1. Blankets can compensate from there.</div>
<div> </div>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/125218
2011-11-25T14:00:35-05:00
2011-11-25T14:00:35-05:00
Fixin' Things
There's usually not much incentive to fix things that aren't broken. If things are going well, why change? Sometimes it's fun to explore new things just out of curiosity, but I'm the type that needs a purpose for motivation. There has to be a need or frankly, I'd rather be out there enjoying the woods with my favourite horse. <br>
The first step to finding a solution is to notice that there is a problem. In my car, if there's a funny noise it means I have to turn down the radio before I'll hear it. Lately I've been listening to Pat Parelli audio tapes so if my wheel intends to fall off I sure won't hear it coming - I'll be out herding cattle with some legendary horsemen in my mind and I might not even notice a limp until the guy in the car next to me starts waving and pointing.<br>
But what if I do notice there's a problem? <br>
I can ignore it. <br>
I can hope it gets better by itself. <br>
I can create all kinds of interesting and scary scenarios in my mind of what will happen when the wheel falls off.<br>
I can convince myself that it's the stupid car and absolve myself from any responsibility in the creation of the problem.<br>
I can quit driving and stay home (more riding time...).<br>
I can fix it myself (yeah, right).<br>
I can call the mechanic and get some help from a professional.<br>
I can take my cell phone and CAA membership and just plan on spending time on the shoulder of the road someday, hopefully when it's not below freezing.<br>
So yes, there are always options to solve any problem. Take your pick.<br>
What do I do? I get my car regularly maintained by a professional, fix anything that may cause an issue before the next scheduled oil change, get him to notice oddball things or potential problems that I may not notice, and drive around knowing that I have done all that I can to prevent a wreck. It's called being proactive, and it gives me peace of mind.<br>
Why not do the same with our horses?<br><br type="_moz">
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/118266
2011-10-12T04:41:46-04:00
2020-07-14T08:58:45-04:00
Bad Habits
The best way to stop a bad habit is to get it as it starts - while it's still just a naughty twinkle in their eye. Unfortunately we're not always aware that a habit is forming. I was asked at the Erin Fair what to do when your pony wants to rub its head on you. Awwww, isn't that cute? She's itchy, poor thing. Here, let me scratch that for you. Look at the funny face she makes! <br>
The next week: She wants to rub her head again. Oh, okay. She must be itchy. Jeepers, she's rubbed her bridle off! <br>
Week three: Darned pony, that bridle hurts when she rubs her head on me and it makes it really difficult to get it off her head without clunking her mouth on the bit.<br>
Week four: Now she's started throwing her head when I bridle her because she thinks the bit is evil. Then she got loose when I dropped the bridle on the floor while taking it off. She's almost knocking me over with her exuberant head rubs.<br>
See why I call my pony Snowball? The behaviour quickly snowballs. One thing quickly leads to another, and it doesn't get better unless you make it better. After all, you have created the monster. Now you have to fix it. It's not the pony's fault.<br>
Fixing it, however, takes consistent effort. You have to decide that you don't want this behaviour anymore, but you also need to make a plan to either replace or extinguish it.<br>
How do you stop the head rubbing?<br>
Start by making sure the trigger, for example taking off the bridle, isn't the root of the problem. Is the bridle causing discomfort? Try different bridles and bits and see if the behaviour changes. <br>
Is the pony bothered by bug bites or sores? Check their hair to see if all is okay.<br>
If you've explored any obvious physical cause, then it comes to behaviour. You will need to make the delicious head scratch not so appealing - take a firm hold of the halter and say 'no', but at this point you don't want to make a big deal of this. That wouldn't be fair, considering you've encouraged it either by scratching back or not discouraging it for so long. It may mean leaving the halter on underneath the bridle and taking a firm hold of it while you're bridling and un-bridling. Whatever you do, don't accept any head scratching whatsoever and don't encourage it at any time, even in the field when you're just hanging out. Insist on some personal space when you're near their head. Be consistent. Don't let her rub on anyone else either!<br>
It will take as long or longer to extinguish or replace a behaviour as it did to perfect it, so if you figure the behaviour has been going on for months, maybe years, before you a) noticed it wasn't desireable, and b) decided you didn't want to put up with it anymore, it makes you realize that it's going to be a long road. Good luck!<br><br type="_moz">
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/106654
2011-07-25T11:35:00-04:00
2011-07-25T11:35:00-04:00
Horses Anonymous
A good friend of mine returned from her summer holidays today. Her Facebook entry went something like this; "Just returned from holidays today and rode my gelding. He didn't buck me off after ten days off." No mention about where she went on holidays or how she enjoyed her time away. I'm concerned about her and the possibility that she may have a horse addiction. <br>
I have to admit, I don't even take vacations. I don't want to be away from 'the kids'. Two years ago we voted to spend a 'vacation budget' on harness and a cart and driving lessons with our pony. It's bad.<br>
The first step to a cure is to admit you have a problem, and I'm sure there are tell-tale signs that point to addiction.<br>
Do you cluck to your car when you pull out to pass someone? <br>
Do you always keep a helmet in the car in case you get a chance to ride? <br>
Do your holidays revolve around horse events? <br>
Does any interesting tidbit that someone tells you in a social setting immediately relate back to how it may apply to horses? <br>
Have you ever jolted yourself awake by dodging a kick in your dreams? <br>
Do you lose sleep after a bad ride, trying to figure out how to make it better?<br>
When I started riding as a little kid I used to wear my cowboy boots to school, which was not really an acceptable style in Scarborough but I didn't care. I still think that living next to the old Woodbine racetrack as a toddler was an early source of my addiction.<br>
Send me your thoughts on this one. You know you're a horse addict when __________.<br>
BTW, I've already accepted the fact that I don't want to be cured.
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/104966
2011-07-06T13:43:53-04:00
2011-07-06T13:43:53-04:00
Guest Blog: by Heather Gentles
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<p class="MsoNormal">Leadership</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Does your horse invade your personal space, push you around, toss his head or nip you? These are all signs of disrespect, signs your horse does not see you as his leader. <span style="color:red"><p></p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My older horse is very well behaved, well trained and generally does what I ask him. But there are many small signs of disrespect that started me on my search about leadership. He is nippy, bulges his shoulder when I groom, makes me walk around him, and forces me to step back when holding him while talking to others. Worse of all, he is a grass snatcher on the trail. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It all got me thinking,<span style="color:red"> </span>what are the traits of a good leader? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Leaders instill trust and respect, are visionary, confident and committed. They are knowledgeable but respect other’s expertise; leaders make decisions but change direction if circumstances warrant. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How do these apply to the horse? Be visionary, have a plan, deciding what you want to do, each time you have contact with your horse. Instill trust in everyday interactions, earning respect. If you find yourself in dangerous or scary situations, be the leader: make decisions to safely get out of the situation rather than freaking out yourself.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ray Hunt, an early proponent of natural horsemanship, taught that if you want to control your horse’s mind you need to control his feet. In a herd, the dominant horse makes the other horses move, which is one way they show they are the leader. Thus controlling your horse’s feet makes you a leader in his mind. Does he invade your space and you step back rather than making him step away? If so, he is making you move your feet, thus in his mind he is in charge.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How did I improve my<span style="color:red"> </span>leadership skills? I started with groundwork on a line then moved to the round pen. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A horse that respects you will back up, walk forward and step side to side willingly. In the round pen there are additional ways you can work on leadership as you move your horse around in all directions, control his speed and have him come to you. I used “horse” language with my body language, creating pressure by standing tall with energy to move the horse’s feet and the removal of pressure: sloping shoulders, cocked hip, and lowering my energy, to teach him that he did what I wanted. There are many books and websites explaining these principles in greater detail. I am continually working on focus, consistency, and good timing of my cues whenever I am with my horse on the ground or in the saddle.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Having friends point out my horse’s subtle signals of disrespect has been a big help as I did not recognize many of them myself as they had become a<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> part of our relationship<b>.</b></span> Now, I show my leadership immediately by moving my horse’s feet. Timing and consistency are everything. The change in our relationship has been considerable making the time we spend together and our rides more enjoyable. <br><br>
(Heather Gentles has written this entry based on her work with the 2011 Goals Group and a Fun Day she hosted on Leadership with her horse Raffi. Her goals include stopping Raffi's 'grass-snatching' habit, as well as having an article and photos published as she develops her equine journalism skills. Thanks for sharing, Heather!)<br></p><p></p>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/104599
2011-07-03T05:06:09-04:00
2011-07-03T05:06:09-04:00
Safety First
Fourth Line Frolics - Safety First
<p class="MsoNormal">According to a report from Britain’s Department of Trade & Industry, injuries in the U.K. last year included 36 people injured by teapot covers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Even more dangerous, placemats were responsible for injuring 165.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And in case you thought the bathroom was a safe place, beware of the lowly toilet roll holder, claiming 330 casualties!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(That’s one more than meat cleavers.)</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A friend of mine was injured recently.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She’s a career horsewoman who rides eight cantankerous dressage horses every day.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She fell down the stairs while doing laundry and she wasn’t wearing her helmet.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She may have broken her arm.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Another friend broke her ankle when she slipped on the wooden stairs while running back to the house to get her helmet for her riding lesson. Yet another seasoned rider was left hobbling in a cast after she tripped over her cat.<br></p><p></p><br>
Last week another two fellow riders were side-lined by head injuries right in the middle of riding season. Naughty horse? No, that would be too easy. One got hit in the head by a tennis ball whacked by her guilt-ridden husband who will now be her nurse while she recovers from her concussion, while the other ran into a doorknob while chasing a cocker spaniel. I think she needs a taller dog so she can keep her eyes up while she's chasing it around.
<p class="MsoNormal">Riding is fun but it has its risks. I know that we can and should try to keep ourselves safe around our horses, but there’s just some things we can’t predict or control.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What we can do is deal with what we can control.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I came off a friend’s horse a few years ago. Hard. Short of a seat belt there wasn’t any way I was staying on a mare I affectionately call the Little Red Rocket once she decided to buck. The impact blew the buckle right off my chaps when I hit the ground and I lied there for quite a while, unable to move, calling out instructions to the friend I was with about how to catch the horse and unsaddle her, get my wallet and health card and pull the pickup truck closer to take me to the hospital. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We searched long and hard for a reason so I could have something to fix, but we still have no idea what got into her head that day.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We assumed the mare had PMS and we’ve since stayed at a respectful distance on those days when the whites of her eyes are showing.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When it came time to debate whether or not I wanted to get on another horse, I found that I had choices:</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Give up riding.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Give up riding the Little Red Rocket.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Use a combination of Crazy Glue and Velcro to hold me on.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Work towards developing a deeper seat, better posture, and better balance to help me stay on when my next mount did something unpredictable. (Not if, but when.)</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I can’t change what happened that day but I can prepare myself to reduce the risk.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Legislation requiring riding helmets looks after our young riders. Common sense will have to look after the rest of us, with lots of preparation and a little luck thrown in for good measure. There are things we can do to keep ourselves safe: carry a cell phone, let others know where you might be, wear a safety vest on the roads, don’t ride beyond your personal comfort zone, and ride with other riders who know how to look after you and your level of skill. Take some time to expose your horse to stuff you’ll encounter on the trail or at the show – dogs, kids, dirt bikes and bicycles, plastic bags, cars, anything you can imagine. You’ll need to convince yourself that it’s not scary first before your horse will buy in to it; if you get scared of what he might do, and then he’ll read your lead and get scared too.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I heard a clinician once tell the audience that the best time to get off your horse is when the thought crosses your mind. I like that advice!</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Riding is not an armchair safety level sport:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>part of the appeal of horses is the challenge of working with their unpredictable instincts.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But next time you see one of your horsie friends in a cast or nursing a concussion, ask them if they were actually anywhere near a horse when they had their accident? All I know for sure is that laundry is too dangerous a sport for me!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">©2010 Words For Hire. All rights reserved.</p><p></p>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/101943
2011-06-05T17:00:53-04:00
2011-06-05T17:00:53-04:00
Foaling Phase Two
She should break her water anytime now as she enters the second stage of labour, and the first thing you need to do when she does is check your watch! The whole delivery, from water breaking to foal out, should take between ten and twenty minutes and timing it will help you to keep things in perspective. A minute can seem like an hour when you get excited.
<p class="MsoNormal">The first thing you should see will be a white sack (the amnion) with a front foot in it, with the sole of the foot facing down. The mare will probably get up and down a few times to help the foal get positioned right to come out. The other front foot should soon follow, a little staggered to help the shoulders come through the birth canal a little easier. Resting on top of the front legs should be a nose. So far, so good.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The foal’s feet will have soft feathers on the soles that will wear away as soon as he stands up for a short time. If the feet are facing up, they are either back feet or the foal hasn’t turned over yet for the delivery. If you are unsure, or the foal’s nose isn’t resting on its knees, call the vet.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In this age of cell phones it wouldn’t hurt to arrange to have your vet on the phone for reassurance and to walk you through the foaling. If you suspect things aren’t right at any time, call for help and get the mare up and walking. In the wild, if the mare sensed danger, she would get up and on the move to escape and postpone the delivery until she felt safe. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes the sac that appears is red instead of white. There are two parts to the placenta, or what will be known as the afterbirth: the white amnion surrounds the foal, and the reddish-purple chorio-allantois attaches to the uterus to exchange oxygen and nutrients between the foal and the mare. If the red sac appears early in the foaling it means that it has detached from the uterus a little early and the foal will have limited oxygen supply. When a foal is delivered under these conditions you will likely have to break the thick red sack so the foal can breathe.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pulling too hard on the foal can damage the foal’s legs and the mare’s cervix. Resist the urge to 'help' too much. The shoulders can take a few minutes to clear. If you feel that you need to do something, you can help a little by holding what you gain with each contraction. Allow the mare to work away at it herself, giving her time to relax her cervix and catch her breath. Minutes will seem like hours, but you managed to wait 11 months…</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If the shoulders are clear of the vulva but the foal doesn’t seem to be making any further progress, this is one time where you will have to get in there and help: sometimes a foal may ‘hiplock’, where his hips will meet the mare’s hips head on. If you picture it like a lock and key, you may have to turn the ‘key’ or turn the foal to allow his hips to pass through. It is important to act quickly if this happens because the foal cannot breath on its own at this point, nor can it get oxygen through the pinched umbilical cord.</p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The foal is still surviving on oxygen from the placenta until his rib cage has cleared the birth canal. Once his flanks clear the vulva he can expand his chest and take in air. Once he’s come this far, break the amnion (the white sac) if it is not already broken and clear his nostrils for his first breath of fresh air. </p><p></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Take a deep breath yourself too; you’re almost there.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At this point you will be dying to know if it’s a colt or filly, so take a quick peek but then leave them alone so that the foal can take in that last remaining blood supply through the umbilical cord before it breaks. Let the mare stay down if she will. She deserves the rest. Enjoy watching as your foal starts to struggle to get up and your mare looks around to see what she’s got.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The umbilical chord should break on its own. Treat the naval with an iodine tincture over the next few days, and check to see that it is drying up well. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The foal should pass his meconium – his first poop – within a few hours of foaling. It will appear like black rabbit droppings in sauce. Some caretakers will routinely give an enema to make sure that this important bowel movement occurs. Watch the foal closely for any signs of colic, such as straining or lying down with one leg up over his head like a puppy. </p><p></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You may find a small beige object in the straw after foaling, about half an inch thick and three to four inches in diameter. It is the subject of many wives tales: some say it comes in the foal’s mouth, but it is most likely a free-floating sediment puck that has developed in the womb throughout the pregnancy.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Junior should be up and standing within an hour or so. Try not to interfere too much. It is important that he gets his colostrum and he may be grateful for a little assistance in standing on wobbly legs, but this is all pretty new to him and he will likely figure it out whether you are there or not. He will nurse soon enough. He may try a few times and need to lie down to rest in between, and that’s okay. If he hasn’t figured it out in two to three hours, call the vet for advice. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Resist the urge to pull on the placenta: if your mare doesn’t pass it within six hours, call the vet. Once the mare has passed the placenta, save it for the vet to look at when he or she comes to check your foal the next day. It needs to be examined to be sure it is complete. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Check the foal over to make sure he came complete and healthy, and keep an eye on the mare. She has, after all, done all the work! Make sure she’s eating and drinking, her colour is good and that the foal is nursing on both sides of her udder. </p><p></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is no better sound than that of a foal suckling his dam for the first time. Congratulations. To a horse lover, what can top that?</p><p></p>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/101104
2011-05-27T09:36:23-04:00
2011-05-27T09:36:23-04:00
Foaling Phase One
What to Expect When She’s Expecting<!--StartFragment-->
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<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p> (Copyright 2011 K. Dallimore. Please do not reproduce without permission.)<br><br>
(This first appeared in TROT magazine several years ago, and since I'm waiting for my mare to foal I dug it up and thought I'd share it!)<br type="_moz"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After waiting a little over 11 months, you will probably come out one morning and find a healthy foal waiting for you. However, if you are lucky enough to see it born, knowing what to expect with a normal delivery can help you to enjoy this incredible experience a little better, and although there are usually no problems, knowing a few indicators of potential trouble can signal you to call for help.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It goes without saying that each mare will be different but there are familiar patterns that can guide your way. The most important thing to remember is that horses have been foaling for thousands of years without our help; nine out of ten foalings will be just fine. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’ll start about a week before foaling. Her hips and tail will soften as her muscles prepare to give birth. Your mare will ‘wax up’: you will usually see a discharge from her teats that will start off clear and turn white as the milk starts to come through. Once the milk starts to appear the mare will likely foal within 24 hours. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The milk discharge may even become a flow, in which case you will want to save some for the foal. This first milk produced by the mare is the critical colostrum that the foal needs to consume within 24 hours of birth for immunity. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you know what is normal for your mare you will be able to tell when she is acting differently. She may appear uncomfortable, start to walk a lot, isolate herself from the herd, sweat up, curl up her lip; anything that has you saying, “Hey, she normally doesn’t…” is a sign that something is up. This is the first stage of labour. Some mares are eccentric while some show nothing at all. She will pass small amounts of soft feces as she clears the way for the foal to arrive.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hopefully she is comfortable in the area where she will deliver the foal. If you have a stall or pen set up, get her used to it beforehand, including the sights and sounds of you and your helpers prancing around all night with flashlights. Foaling is the most vulnerable time for a mare and newborn foal If she is used to quiet evenings in the barn your presence can mean danger to her. How many times have you heard, “I just went to the house for a coffee and came back to find a foal!”</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a field situation she will likely try to remove herself from the herd and time the delivery for the middle of the night so that the foal will have the cover of darkness to hide from predators. Often out on pasture a buddy horse will stand watch over the foaling mare for protection. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you think she’s close to giving birth, clean up her tail, check to make sure she isn’t sutured (ask your vet), and let your vet know that he or she may be needed. You can wrap up or braid her tail as long as the wrap’s not too tight.<br><br><i>Check back later for Phase Two!</i><br></p><p></p>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/100919
2011-05-25T17:20:00-04:00
2011-05-25T17:20:00-04:00
Horse at Work
My horse is not my friend. He’s not my dog; he’s not the boss. He’s not my dinner either, although I do respect his concern about that. <br>
He’s my employee. <br>
I would like to think he’s an honest and loyal employee. I’d like to think he’s happy to get up and go to work, he’s cheerful in his job, and he looks forward to every shift with enthusiasm. <br>
It’s a pretty good deal really. There’s a health plan that includes dental, chiropractic and massage therapy, steel-toed shoes for workplace safety, and rubber mats in his stall so that he is comfortable. He’s got room and board, scheduled days off (never a statutory holiday though) and his shifts run from half an hour a day to several hours for an event. Overtime is paid in carrots. <br>
I expect him to work as part of a team, and that includes making valuable contributions. If he believes there may be ice under that snow, I promise to listen. If he is sore, I will try to find out where and why and do my best to make him more comfortable. <br>
My end of the deal is to take endless lessons to ensure I’m well balanced in the saddle and give clear,consistent signals so that his job is easier. I need to take into consideration his mood and health, while not allowing either to become an excuse to not try. <br>
I need to respect that he may just have had a domestic dispute with another herd mate before I got there, and his concerns may not be about me just because I’ve decided to show up at some particular time that is hopefully not his daily nap time. <br>
I need to find a position with his employment that suits his skills, even if it’s not the one I had in mind. <br>
He can expect to be fed, sheltered, exercised and groomed for good health, and to be able to play and hang out with friends. <br>
Fences will dictate that he can’t come and go as he pleases. There have to be walls and office cubicles; there must be fair rules that will make him feel secure. <br>
I need to be the boss, since his decisions may not always be in my best interest as he navigates his way through my world, a long mindset way from the open range of his ancestors. <br>
It’s not a free ride but it is a rewarding career and the retirement package is pretty good too.
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/99647
2011-05-15T06:13:32-04:00
2011-05-15T06:13:32-04:00
Are Horses Born or Made?
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; color: rgb(36, 36, 36); "> </span><!--StartFragment-->
<p class="MsoNormal">Are horses born or made?</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Both, actually. Good behaviour starts with good genetics and but it can also be encouraged by good handling and management.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The roots of behaviour can be tied to breed differences. In dogs, for example, in her book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Animals Make Us Human</i>, Temple Grandin describes a research study talking about submissive behaviour in different breeds. The premise is that dogs that display submissive behaviour are more likely to get along in a pack with less fighting, and dogs who more closely resemble wolves are more likely to display such submissive behaviours. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fifteen breeds were compared, with German Shepherds being one of the breeds the least likely to fight, while Jack Russells and toy poodles were quick to throw the gloves.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To paraphrase, if the dog knows how to say, “I’m sorry” it’s less likely to say, “Bite me”. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When it comes to choosing a horse breed for general purpose use, a group of French researchers determined that riding horses that spend more time turned out than confined to a stall display better behavior and are easier to handle, and these differences were also breed-related. (<a href="http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18215"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18215</span></a>)</p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Camargue or Mérens breeds, which are similar to Quarter Horses and Morgans respectively, were quieter and calmer than others, while French Saddlebreds and Haflingers in this particular study were more emotive.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Where behaviour is genetically linked, we can do something about it by selecting breeds, and animals within the breeds, for temperament. The trait is called trainability, translated as their genetic predisposition to argue with us, or having a ‘nice nature’ – a pleasing attitude. It is a valuable trait, paying for itself in the time, patience and expertise required as we progress towards a well-trained partner.</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Grandin maintains that our genetic selection for certain desirable traits has the unfortunate consequence of the selection for undesirable traits. That means that when we select for looks, for example (more muscled, longer hair, colour, height, you name it) we may be getting a horse that has some problems that come along with it (HYPP, deafness, reproductive problems, or socialization issues, to name a few). </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’ve seen this with dogs, where there are aggressive Labradors, German Shepherds with hip dysplasia, and Shelties needing braces on their teeth.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We see it in livestock, where selection mainly for the best production traits has opened the door to reproductive, hardiness or temperament issues. For example, pigs that gain the most weight are naturally the most aggressive at the feed trough, leading to more fighting. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As Grandin points out, bad can become normal as we lose sight of the strengths of the original animals. Can the same happen to our horses? Are the horses I’m seeing with ‘powerful personalities’ being unintentionally bred that way, or allowed and therefore unknowingly encouraged to be that way? </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The second factor in the behaviour equation comes after birth. As far as behaviour relates to environment, it only makes sense that a well-handled (socialized, respectful, however you want to put it) foal will make a well-adjusted adult. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While I’m uncomfortable with imprinting for a few reasons I won’t get into here, I believe that a few gentle sessions with young foals, cradling them, haltering them, and picking up their feet when they are a month or two old, will carry long-term weight in terms of respect. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It doesn’t take a lot of time to encourage submissive behaviour (softness and giving to pressure) and discourage disrespectful behaviour (head butting, pushiness, biting, pawing) with consistent and fair correction, lessons that will last a lifetime. </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whether they are born or made, some horses are definitely not meant for beginners; a good personality match is as important as physical characteristics for a healthy and safe relationship.</p><p></p>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/98590
2011-04-28T17:15:05-04:00
2021-08-16T08:37:29-04:00
Got a Flat?
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Who knew it would be so easy to change a trailer tire? Tim Togeretz made it all seem pretty straightforward at the Horse Basics Trailer Safety Demo Clinic. </span>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Chances are you won't easily get roadside assistance with a trailer, so pull off the road as far as you can, put on your safety vest and leave the horses in the trailer munching on their hay. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Be prepared to get dirty.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Things to check before you leave home: does your truck wrench work on your trailer tires? If it doesn’t there’s a nifty universal telescoping lug wrench from Canadian Tire (part number 009-1517-8) that will do the trick. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Loosen the nuts before you jack up the trailer or you’ll be literally spinning your wheel. Use some leverage from the wrench, using your foot if you have to get some more power behind you. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Place the jack under the trailer, as close to the flat tire as possible and keep it vertical. It may help to place a piece of wood under the jack to stop it from tipping in the dirt. There is a handy wheel chock ramp called a Trailer Aid ($60), available at tack shops, that can be used instead of a jack. That's what I'll be using.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Remove the nuts and place them on the fender, not in the dirt! Keep in mind how everything came apart and that’s how it will go back together. If you get confused, look at the other tires as an example. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Take off the flat and put on the spare (you did check before you left home to be sure you have a spare, with air?) with the valve stem facing out. Put the nuts on and tighten them in a ‘star’ formation so that they tighten evenly, using as much pressure to tighten them as it took to loosen them. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Lower the trailer and you’re good to go! Check the nuts after 100 km to be sure they’re still tight.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">You should be done by the time the hay net is empty.</span></p>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/96829
2011-04-06T17:25:00-04:00
2020-11-30T07:50:38-05:00
Horse Years
<span style="font-size: larger; "></span><span style="font-size: larger; "></span><span style="font-size: small; ">I had someone ask me today what is a horse's equivalent human age for intelligence? Would they be considered as smart as say, a two-year old child? I had to really think about that. I'd never had the question phrased quite that way. I'd have to say I wouldn't gauge a horse that way.<br>
It got me thinking about 'dog years': it's common that we equate one dog year as seven human years, so a dog who is two years old would be the same as a fourteen-year old child. Some say it's more like 15 years to one, with smaller dogs having a longer life span than large dogs. Some get into detailed calculations, like adding four years to every year after age two. For example, a three-year-old dog is equivalent to 28 in human years; a four-year-old is 32, a five-year-old, 36, a six-year-old, 40--and so on. </span>
<div><span style="font-size: small; ">(Read more: How to Determine a Dog's Age in Human Years | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2088154_determine-dogs-age-human-years.html#ixzz1InSpXRhs)<br>
For dogs though, it's more a measurement of physical growth than mental growth. Mentally I'm guessing that dogs may be like men and remain fun-loving kids all their lives.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small; "> But what about horses? I figure a ratio of about 4:1 is fairly accurate, both mentally and physically, through their younger years. <br>
A yearling would be the equivalent development of a child in pre-school, busy, running on instinct, trying to test their boundaries with no idea that anything can be 'wrong'. Everything goes in the mouth and bites and kicks are not yet tempered by social graces. <br>
A two-year old would be about eight in human years, learning social skills and fitting in with the herd while taking in some meaningful life lessons; a three-year old would be 12, tall, gangly and shy, still hiding behind their hair. <br>
It gets more interesting as they get into their teens, with a four-year old acting like a 16-year old child, cocky and sure but still insecure, and a five-year old coming in at the young adult status of 20, ready to perform adult tasks but without the experience and confidence that time will bring. As they move through their sixes and sevens, they fill out, gain confidence, and finish growing. By eight they have blossomed into full adulthood, carrying their full size, weight and opinions. <br>
i remember a person with a riding school once telling me they only used horses that were 'double-digit' in age and it makes perfect sense. By the time they're 10 they have shown patterns of behaviour, hopefully received a good education, demonstrated their abilities and have proven their reliability and soundness, just like a forty-year old person.<br>
I don't know if this formula applies as they get older. I'll have to think more about that. The average dog is regarded as senior at seven and lives until 12, with many breed differences there. There are certain breeds of horses that mature physically at different times, and I'm not sure about ponies and donkeys, who seem to live forever. The oldest mare I've foaled out was 26, Armbro Flight: she was winning races the year before I was born. The oldest horse I've known belonged to a friend in Rockwood, a Quarter Horse mare named Bordolino who lived to 48 years of age.<br>
But why does the age ratio matter?<br>
It might matter when you're shopping for a first horse for a child or new horse owner, looking for the seasoned reliability of a good ten-year old. A lot of people buy a young horse but ask yourself, are you prepared to adopt a teenager? Or it might matter when you're deciding how fast and hard to push your horse's training.<br>
It matters to me so that I can reference their behaviour and my expectations of them. I want to encourage good social habits when they're foals and yearlings, like how to share your toys, respect your elders and how to act in company. I'm not a fan of riding two-year olds. To me it is like asking an 8-year old child to carry a heavy backpack and expecting them to stay sound into adulthood. They do need an appropriate education, but physically they are way too underdeveloped to carry a load or pull a cart. <br>
I wouldn't expect a typical three- or four- year old to be confident enough to go out on the trail alone. They are still shedding teeth until they're nearly five years old, sometimes resulting in bitting issues that they may carry for a long time after the tooth fairy has come and gone. Often when they're three and four their butts are higher than their withers, putting a lot of stress on a front end when they haven't yet learned how to carry a load properly.<br>
In terms of mental capacity, it helps me to understand their needs, like the need to have company, and my needs: the need for them to have company that is a good influence. By that I mean that it's easier to deal with a young colt who's been turned out with a wise elder than it is to deal with a couple of young punks.<br>
But most of all, it matters so that I can help to develop a horse that is sound of mind and body who can enjoy a long and productive career.<br></span><span style="font-size: larger; "> </span> <br type="_moz">
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/94465
2011-03-07T02:40:00-05:00
2011-03-07T02:40:00-05:00
What's in a word?
<font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">There are certain words that carry a lot of emotion and can unknowingly take away our control of a situation.</span></font>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Take the word “panic”, for example. It is usually used by stock traders to describe the market. Unfortunately such words can become part of a self-fulfilling prophecy. When I see or hear the word “panic” I usually gasp and feel my heart rate go up a little bit. It also makes me feel a little less secure in my world.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“Fear” is another one. To me it implies that you’ve resigned yourself to certain doom from something you can’t control. That’s not really a good thing when you’re dealing with a horse. As a reactive animal who is interested mostly in self-preservation, when horses get scared and look to us for leadership and we’ve lost it, we can’t be much good to them. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Come to think of it, “scared” is another emotive word. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I propose the following: whenever you come across a sensational word that makes you gasp, and there are lots of them on the evening news, replace it with a word that doesn’t evoke so much emotion and see how it feels.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Scared? Try “concerned”.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Panic? What about “reaction”? That’s a word that can go either way, good or bad. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Fear? Try “caution”. Trying to be “cautious” instead of “afraid” suddenly makes the situation more controllable. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’d be interested to know what words you find. Send me a reply if you think of one.</span></p>
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Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/93628
2011-02-25T07:56:22-05:00
2011-02-25T07:56:22-05:00
Read My Butt
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; "><span style="font-size: larger; "></span></span><span style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">The thought of talking to my horse through my butt just makes me giggle. </span> </span>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: medium; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">I’m reading George H. Morris’ classic book Hunter Seat Equitation and it made me laugh: “The seat, therefore, not only is a base of support, but it also becomes a center of communication to the horse’s “motor” which is his back and hind legs.”</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: medium; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">I have British heritage, raised on Benny Hill re-runs, so it makes it difficult not to giggle at unusual times.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: medium; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">It’s hard to take this good information seriously when I’ve quickly developed some startlingly funny visual images of maybe getting the word “whoa” tattooed somewhere...</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: medium; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">However the thought of using your seat does open up a whole new world of communication beyond the usual sight and sound.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: medium; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">I use one of those pilates exercise balls to get the feel of how your butt - your weight - affects the horse. It’s really handy when you wonder why your horse is backing up, for example, and you suddenly realize, it’s because your seat is telling him to back up. When you’ve got a live horse under you and you’re heading in a direction you don’t want to go it’s really hard to think quite as clearly about such things, but it all becomes clear when you’re sitting on a large pink ball in the livingroom.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: medium; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">I started doing pilates a few months ago to improve my core strength, which involves strengthening the deepest muscles closest to the skeleton. When these muscles aren’t working properly to keep the body aligned, the more superficial muscles have to compensate and can end up in a knot. I also use the exercise ball as a desk chair to tighten the abs and improve my posture but it’s become a great riding tool as well, helping to get the ‘feel’ of using my seat.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: medium; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">I think George Morris would approve.</span></span></p>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/93202
2011-02-19T14:35:00-05:00
2011-02-19T14:35:00-05:00
What are you trying to say?
<span style="font-size: larger; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">It may seem unusual to some that I have two careers. For me, I feel fortunate enough to have two passions. I have the opportunity to balance writing and horses while drawing from each to be a “horseback writer”.</span> </span>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span><br></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">It is because of the horses that I live on a farm, surrounded by the issues that affect agriculture every day. Our herd is just a few steps from the back door; we’ve done our Environmental Farm Plan, we grow our own hay, and we have enough hens and gardens to keep the fridge full.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span><br></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">I’d have to say though that the most important cross-over between the horses and writing is probably the concept of communication. If a person is not able to communicate well with people using the complex language that we have at our disposal, how can they communicate with their horse?</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span><br></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">People are more verbal while horses are more into body language but the principles of communication are really the same: think about what you want to say, say it clearly and concisely at a level the (horse)/(reader) is most likely to understand, and make it entertaining so that they’re motivated and interested. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span><br></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">That’s only half of the conversation though: there’s a listening part too. Listen to the feedback. If the (horse)/(reader) doesn’t understand what we’re trying to say it’s usually not their fault - it’s time to look in the mirror and do a better job next time. When you need help to make it clear a good (coach)/(proofreader) is invaluable.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span><br></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">Horses aren’t as fussy about spelling as editors but they do look for the same clarity, consistency, a good outline to the (story)/(training session) and the same ‘pulse’ - an enthusiasm for the topic of the day.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "></span><br></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="font-size: larger; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">Next time you head to the (barn)/(computer), think about what you’re really trying to say.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span style="font-size: larger; "></span></p>
Horseback Writer
tag:horsebackwriter.net,2005:Post/92496
2011-02-09T11:20:00-05:00
2011-02-09T11:20:00-05:00
Welcome!
<span style="font-size: small;">Welcome to The Whinny! You may remember the newsletter I would distribute around the Rockwood area several years ago? It's back! Now it's so much easier to reach you through a blog without stuffing paper into mailboxes! I hope you enjoy my thoughts on things that matter - ideas and tips that may help you enjoy your horse more, events you may enjoy, or even a good read to share. You can find me on </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com"><span style="font-size: small;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> too or if you'd like to contact me privately please send me an e-mail at </span><a href="mailto:karen.dallimore@gmail.com"><span style="font-size: small;">karen.dallimore@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-size: small;">. I'll look forward to hearing from you.</span>
Horseback Writer