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Helpful Horse Tips

Horse Resource – Build Your Horsemanship Library

August 24, 2020 by John Leave a Comment

Build Your Horse Resource

Sometimes horse training can seem like a lonely undertaking. That’s why I think it is important to build a “horse resource”. I can’t run out to a trainer every time a problem pops up with my horse. I wouldn’t want to, anyway. But I need to have some place to get a solution.

It is a library of horse training books, dvds, cds, along with a journal I keep about my horse’s health and training. I collected the foundation of the library as a member of the Downunder Horsemanship No Worries Club. The first month the Club opened, I joined. My membership lasted for 7 or 8 years. Then I added the Clinton Anderson Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground and Riding with Confidence Series. I also picked up DVDs from Julie Goodnight (Balance & Rhythm, Communication & Control), Richard Winters, Jerry Tindell (Groundwork), and Dr. Robert Miller. To round out my collection, I have a few dvds from the Horseman’s Gazette, one called Tapadero about the Californio Vaquero. And, I have some fun ones too, like the Buckaroos of Northern Nevada. You need to have some practical knowledge about equipment. One dvd is all about caring for tack .

Broaden Your Horizons

I didn’t want my horse resource library to be just one trainer or one philosophy. That’s why I went for variety. After studying a variety of trainers, I chose Clinton. I believe it’s important to have one philosophy forming the foundation of your interaction with your horse. While I could have chosen Craig Cameron, Chris Cox, Parelli, or any of the others, I related to Downunder Horsemanship the easiest.

Why have a Library?

With the increasing popularity of YouTube, you might think a library isn’t important. There’s something about having my collection that offers a little security. Maybe it’s the countless hours I’ve spent watching, I don’t know. But. almost every time I watch a video, or read an article again, I pick up something new or see something old in a new light.

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Installing a Horse Trailer Camera

March 5, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

Installing a Horse Trailer Camera

Okay, before talking to Rebecca Gimenez-Husted of Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue last week, I thought the last thing I needed was a horse trailer camera. Our trips aren’t very long and it’s a horse trailer for goodness sakes. How much trouble could two horses get into? But, you know, I’ve always wondered what goes on back there after we close the doors. How do they handle the occasional quick stop? Do they sway if I take a turn too fast?

The main stumbling block is, as many of you know already, I am incredibly cheap. Horse trailer cameras can run from $150 – $300+. But, as much as I am thrifty, I do love a good bargain or an inexpensive hack and I found one. A search of YouTube revealed a video by Dawn P. For $39 I got the Wish Ring Wi-Fi adapter and for $19.99, a backup camera. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/p6ZWOJY2gQI

It took a few hours to install because I wanted to mount in on a piece of wood. If I ever needed to change out the camera, this would make it easier. The camera is a wide angle lens and is supposed to cover 135 degrees. But where to place it so we would get the best view of both horses? I fiddled with this for way longer than was necessary. The first location I tried would have been just as good as the final location I decided on an hour later. Yeah, sometimes I wonder about me too!

I also wanted to hard-wire it into the trailer lights power system. This way my Horse Trailer Camera would come on when I turned my trucks headlights on and I wouldn’t have to worry about power sources.

The final touch was to affix some wire molding to hide the wires and make everything look nice.

The Wi-Fi System

Next, we set up the Wish Ring wi-fi system. The manufacturer had us download a free app to our mobile device. (I put it on both my phone and iPad) Once the system is powered up, the wi-fi signal was easily detected by the device. You add the simple password once and the screen displays the inside of the horse trailer. Frankly, I was a little disappointed at the image quality. We spent a few extra dollars on the camera and I thought that would show through. The important part is that we can see both horses heads. That offers a lot of peace-of-mind. It’s not something that you constantly stare at, but we checked in on them once in a while to make sure everything is going well.

Other Safety Precautions

For the amount of driving we do, we have our trailer serviced annually, We change our tires every three years and there is usually tread still on them. It’s the age of the rubber and its exposure to the elements that wear out tires. We have a first aid kit with bandages and wraps as well as band-aids and NSAIDS for us.

In my conversation with Rebecca, she told me that many injuries occurred to horse owners who pulled over to check on their horse or trailer. They step out of the vehicle focused on the situation at hand and are hit by a passing vehicle. The simple fix: a light-reflective green or orange vest. This was an easy expense at Harbor Freight. We picked up two for less than $10. Then we got one of those orange reflective triangle do-hickies to put behind the trailer to increase visibility.

Also posted in our trailer is the name and number for our veterinarian, along with our emergency contacts. Finally, I have the important health stats that the vet may want to know and the horses’ normal range.

Even if you are not looking to install a horse trailer camera, it’s a good idea to go through a trailer inspection at least twice a year. If you’re prepared for an emergency, you will reduce a lot of the stress if one should happen.

Trail Training | How’s Your Horse on the Trail?

July 9, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

Trail Training

How’s Your Horse on the Trail?

We had a trail training session and I thought I would share it with you. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to ride with a small group at Hansen Dam in Southern California. I took my Quarter Horse mare Jessie and we trailered the hour and forty minutes to the equestrian center. Jessie is a good trail horse. She has lots of miles on her and she likes going places. Part of her mare personality is she also walks with purpose and she prefers to be in the lead.

We were riding in a new area and we didn’t have a good knowledge of the trails, but our trail boss, Debbie, had ridden the area for several years. Jessie still thought she would be better at leading the group.

The Group Ride

There were many river crossings and the trails were narrow and tight in many places. There were six horse and riders with one rider “ponying” a young horse. We began the ride in the third position. The small black gelding in front of us did not seem to mind that Jessie was almost on her rump. I would have preferred we were 6 or 8 feet back. While thinking I could do a little trail training, and since we were a good distance in front of the 4th horse, we did an occasional circle. This put us back in a good position. Unfortunately, Jessie’s fast walk soon placed us right back where we started.

The last thing you want to do on a trail ride is to make your riding buddies uncomfortable because you have to work your horse. But, we needed to work on this somehow. As we rode along, I thought about how I could sneak in some trail training.

Enlist a Friend

We stopped at a water crossing and I enlisted the help of my wife, Ranae. Quickly, I described the situation and asked her to ride in front of us. Now, her Quarter Horse gelding, Dusty, is usually the slowest one of the bunch, so I thought this might be good for both horses.

When we restarted down the trail, Dusty took the 3rd position and I placed Jessie in the 4th spot. Right away she was right on Dusty’s rump. Although the trail was narrow, we began doing a mini-serpentine exercise. We went from one side of the trail to the other three or four times and then I let her go straight. When she moved right up on Dusty, I did it again. We did this for 10 or 15 minutes and I could tell she was getting a bit annoyed. She was doing the exercise, but it was making her work a bit harder.

Increase the Challenge

Jessie was still wanted to pass Dusty and I realized I had let this problem develop. Well, now it was time to work on it with a little more trail training. I asked Ranae if she minded if we bumped her around a bit and she said “no”. My next step was to let Jessie try to figure this out on her own. When I removed all pressure from the snaffle her nose would get to about Dusty’s flank. If she was on Dusty’s left, I picked up the right rein and asked her to move to the other side. Of course

Of course, she had to slow, bring her head around Dusty’s tail to cross the other side. And, as soon as she did, I again relaxed pressure on the bit. Then, she would up to his flank again and I would pick up the opposite rein to ask her to switch sides again. After a few times, she was staying behind Dusty longer and longer before we needed to make the correction.

Be Happy with Little Results

We didn’t completely solve this problem in one ride. Trail training is tough because you have to find a way to work your horse without disturbing others. Jessie was still too close to Dusty, but she wasn’t trying to pass him. Because she was “getting the idea”, I got to enjoy my ride a little more.

This little episode also brought to light that I needed greater awareness of poor habits my horse might be developing. Trail training can be helpful for horses who want to eat on the trail, jig, or get to the front. If you notice those problems early, they are much easier to fix.

Dealing with Obstacles

May 5, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

Dealing with Obstacles

Recently, I hosted a clinic dealing with obstacles. The folks attending had a desire to learn and comprised a number of different skill levels. My task was to not necessarily help them over just one obstacle but to offer my philosophy on dealing with obstacles in general.

Our location was at the Cameron Ranch in Rosamond, California. The Cameron Ranch, home of the trainer and Extreme Cowboy Race judge, Bill Cameron, has a number of different obstacle courses, and just about every obstacle imaginable. As part of my program, I offer a 20-30 minute “philosophy” talk, then turn the students out on the course. Many people move right to the most difficult challenge to “see if my horse can do it”. Often, it does not.

Many people move right to the most difficult challenge to “see if my horse can do it”. Often, it does not. This forces the horse and rider to move to an easier obstacle and begin the day with a loss. I encourage folks to start with a win. Find the easiest obstacle, one you know your horse likes to do, and tackle that. Then, even another easy one would be even better. Get your horse say, “I’m glad we made it out here today. I’m having fun.”

Build on Success

Dealing with obstacles is building on that success. Each “win” gets your horse more confident of his abilities and more trusting of your judgment. After a few success, take a break. Let him soak up his awesomeness. After all, he deserves it and so do you. Sometimes as humans, we want to rush from one success to another. Like the blackjack player who wins a hand and doubles his bet on the next one. Let your horse savor the wins.

After a few minutes break, go back to the obstacle where he performed the best before moving on to more difficult obstacles. He is primed for success now and I bet you find the more challenging obstacles much easier.
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Two Simple Exercises for Gaining Respect

April 28, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

Two Simple Exercises

Two simple exercises helped my horsemanship at the very earliest stages of my learning. My career as a clinician is very, very young. What I can help teach people are the things I learned about gaining a horses respect and making them safe. I don’t really strive to be a clinician in the classic sense. My goal is to blend an adventure riding experience with a learning experience.

Recently, I got to complete my first one-day adventure ride and clinic. The day began with a little philosophy talk, then moved to dealing with obstacles. Afterward, we went on a trail ride and let our horses simply walk down the trail.

Preparing for My Clinic

In preparation for the clinic, I wanted my students to come prepared. In an effort to get everyone thinking about dealing with obstacles, I wanted them to have two simple exercises down pat. These two exercises can help your horse calm down in difficult situations. They can help you gain more of your horse’s respect. Most importantly, these two simple exercises get your horse using the thinking side of his brain. The more he can use the thinking side, the less he will use the reactive side.

The first of these two exercises is yielding your horse’s hindquarters. When you get a horse to cross his back feet you take his power away. It’s that simple. Once you have control of his power, you can direct his energy.

The second exercise is the sending exercise. Sending your horse gets him moving forward. Very little happens in horsemanship without forward movement. Your horse needs to trust you and think about what you’re asking. Having control of your horse’s power and being able to direct that power will greatly improve your relationship.

The video below explains these two exercises and how to begin the training process. It works best if you have a basic, good relationship with your horse. Be safe. This is a quick video used to help my students prepare for our obstacle course clinic. If you don’t think you or your horse is ready, keep working and learning.