Thursday, October 9, 2008
Product Review: Mosquito Halt
Product claim: a repellent that protects against flies and mosquitoes for up to two weeks.
Review: A chemically strong fly repellent, this spray does indeed seem to keep mosquitoes at bay. After hurricane Ike the mosquitoes in the Gulf South have become a real issue, as they always are this time of year, only slightly worse. This spray repels them and does stay on as long as you don't rinse, shampoo, or sweat it off.
Pros: The product does indeed repel mosquitoes and flies, and sticks to the horse until it is washed (or sweated) off.
Cons: It is heavy on chemicals and has an unpleasant perfume-like odor that clings to the horse's coat and even your hands after application. At $17 a bottle, it's a bit expensive.
Bottom line: Yes, it does what it says; it's strong stuff. If you can get past the chemical and perfume smell (which bothers me more than it does my horse) then it's a good product. I recommend it.
Review: A chemically strong fly repellent, this spray does indeed seem to keep mosquitoes at bay. After hurricane Ike the mosquitoes in the Gulf South have become a real issue, as they always are this time of year, only slightly worse. This spray repels them and does stay on as long as you don't rinse, shampoo, or sweat it off.
Pros: The product does indeed repel mosquitoes and flies, and sticks to the horse until it is washed (or sweated) off.
Cons: It is heavy on chemicals and has an unpleasant perfume-like odor that clings to the horse's coat and even your hands after application. At $17 a bottle, it's a bit expensive.
Bottom line: Yes, it does what it says; it's strong stuff. If you can get past the chemical and perfume smell (which bothers me more than it does my horse) then it's a good product. I recommend it.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Counter Canter
Short periods of counter canter, such as the shallow counter canter loop in first level test four are best when teaching a horse counter canter. A more advanced exercise that Karen Brown taught me with Delphi is as follows:
Say you're in left canter. Make a smallish (fifteen meter) circle to the left in the left canter lead while doing left flexions to the inside and right counter flexions to the outside to establish a soft, obedient connection. Once the flexions are established and the horse is obedient they can be small: as you half halt with your seat, lower your elbow on the side you're flexing toward and "raise" the rein "out" to create the flexion. (I use quatation marks here because the movement should be obvious to the horse but through training eventually become so subtle that they are invisible to the casual observer on the ground.) Especially on a green horse, be sure to maintain a clear left canter aid with your seat and legs by sitting into the saddle with the normal swing and jump of the canter and keeping your left leg at the girth to create left bend and impulsion and keeping your right leg behind the girth to maintain the hindquarters and impulsion. (Emphasis on "impulsion!") As you cross the centerline, keep the well defined left canter cues with your seat and legs, all the while maintaining your flexions and counter flexions as you turn to the right. Turn and look to the right (but keep your left lead aids) as you begin a larger (20 meter) circle to the right in left lead counter canter. Be sure to continue the flexions during the entire movement to keep the poll and jaw soft and the horse obedient. As you again cross the centerline, straighten the horse and then ride forward back into the smaller circle to the left in left lead canter. You basically make a figure of eight in canter. This also allows you to practice the three loop serpentine in second level test one if you only have a small twenty by forty meter arena for schooling!
Say you're in left canter. Make a smallish (fifteen meter) circle to the left in the left canter lead while doing left flexions to the inside and right counter flexions to the outside to establish a soft, obedient connection. Once the flexions are established and the horse is obedient they can be small: as you half halt with your seat, lower your elbow on the side you're flexing toward and "raise" the rein "out" to create the flexion. (I use quatation marks here because the movement should be obvious to the horse but through training eventually become so subtle that they are invisible to the casual observer on the ground.) Especially on a green horse, be sure to maintain a clear left canter aid with your seat and legs by sitting into the saddle with the normal swing and jump of the canter and keeping your left leg at the girth to create left bend and impulsion and keeping your right leg behind the girth to maintain the hindquarters and impulsion. (Emphasis on "impulsion!") As you cross the centerline, keep the well defined left canter cues with your seat and legs, all the while maintaining your flexions and counter flexions as you turn to the right. Turn and look to the right (but keep your left lead aids) as you begin a larger (20 meter) circle to the right in left lead counter canter. Be sure to continue the flexions during the entire movement to keep the poll and jaw soft and the horse obedient. As you again cross the centerline, straighten the horse and then ride forward back into the smaller circle to the left in left lead canter. You basically make a figure of eight in canter. This also allows you to practice the three loop serpentine in second level test one if you only have a small twenty by forty meter arena for schooling!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Product Review: Uncle Jimmy's Hangin' Balls
Product claim: A long lasting stall treat that horses love.
Review: This boredom-breaker was purchased recently while Delphi had to stand in her stall several days in a row due to wet weather. It's an eight inch ball of sweet feed with a loop implanted in it that you're instructed to suspend over the middle of the stall just above horse's eye level. However since it's so messy I've had to hang it against the side of the wall to keep the goo from dripping down onto Delphi. Because it is actually food, Delphi has paid slightly more attention to it than the other plastic boredom-breaker toys I've tried. The ball drips sticky goo that gets caught in her mane and coat, and it is very hard to remove even with a damp cloth. The flies are then more attracted to the goo in her hair coat. At $24 it's kind of an expensive treat.
Pros: It does occupy time if Delphi has to stand in her stall and it is more attractive to her than the traditional plastic boredom-buster toys, even the ones with treats. It does not mold and the ants and flies leave it alone even in 95+ degree weather.
Cons: It drips sticky goo so don't stand under it for long periods of time, and the goo gets on Delphi's ears, mane and coat which have to be wiped clean each day. After the initial novelty wears off and she figures out she can't actually eat it, she pays less attention to it.
Bottom line: I don't recommend it simply because of the daily mess at grooming time.
Review: This boredom-breaker was purchased recently while Delphi had to stand in her stall several days in a row due to wet weather. It's an eight inch ball of sweet feed with a loop implanted in it that you're instructed to suspend over the middle of the stall just above horse's eye level. However since it's so messy I've had to hang it against the side of the wall to keep the goo from dripping down onto Delphi. Because it is actually food, Delphi has paid slightly more attention to it than the other plastic boredom-breaker toys I've tried. The ball drips sticky goo that gets caught in her mane and coat, and it is very hard to remove even with a damp cloth. The flies are then more attracted to the goo in her hair coat. At $24 it's kind of an expensive treat.
Pros: It does occupy time if Delphi has to stand in her stall and it is more attractive to her than the traditional plastic boredom-buster toys, even the ones with treats. It does not mold and the ants and flies leave it alone even in 95+ degree weather.
Cons: It drips sticky goo so don't stand under it for long periods of time, and the goo gets on Delphi's ears, mane and coat which have to be wiped clean each day. After the initial novelty wears off and she figures out she can't actually eat it, she pays less attention to it.
Bottom line: I don't recommend it simply because of the daily mess at grooming time.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Happiness is Good Friends and Green Meadows
Three Trakehners: Lola, Gryphon, and Delphi, enjoying a peaceful moment at Blue Fox.Lola and Gryphon, owned by Karen Brown, are offspring of the Trakehner stallion Onassis, who just achieved Elite status.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Product Review: Adequan i.m. (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan)
Product claims: to stimulate cartilage repair and reverse traumatic joint dysfunction.
Review: Delphi received a puncture wound to the front right medial knee in January 2008. After debriding the wound (cutting it down for drainage), her veterinarian Catherine Berry, DVM treated her with a combination of antibiotics, hydrotherapy, sweat wrapping and a single injection of Adequan i.m. near the end of treatment. The results were profound. The knee joint had become inflamed and swollen with infection, and Dr. Berry warned me that even under the best circumstances (i.e. the wound heals and there is no unsoundness) the joint itself would always be enlarged and misshapen (see photo 1). However, after the Adequan injection the knee healed completely, with not even a trace of unsoundness, and after a few weeks the joint returned to nearly normal size. A series of radiographs proved the joint was completely sound.
Pros: the product did indeed meet the claims of reversing joint dysfunction after a traumatic injury (see photo 2).
Cons: it is expensive, ~$100 per dose, and can only be dispensed by a veterinarian.
Bottom line: As there was no control in this case study, who knows that the joint wouldn't have returned to normal with traditional antibiotic therapy only? But Dr. Berry didn't seem to think so.
Review: Delphi received a puncture wound to the front right medial knee in January 2008. After debriding the wound (cutting it down for drainage), her veterinarian Catherine Berry, DVM treated her with a combination of antibiotics, hydrotherapy, sweat wrapping and a single injection of Adequan i.m. near the end of treatment. The results were profound. The knee joint had become inflamed and swollen with infection, and Dr. Berry warned me that even under the best circumstances (i.e. the wound heals and there is no unsoundness) the joint itself would always be enlarged and misshapen (see photo 1). However, after the Adequan injection the knee healed completely, with not even a trace of unsoundness, and after a few weeks the joint returned to nearly normal size. A series of radiographs proved the joint was completely sound.
Pros: the product did indeed meet the claims of reversing joint dysfunction after a traumatic injury (see photo 2).
Cons: it is expensive, ~$100 per dose, and can only be dispensed by a veterinarian.
Bottom line: As there was no control in this case study, who knows that the joint wouldn't have returned to normal with traditional antibiotic therapy only? But Dr. Berry didn't seem to think so.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Shoulder In
Delphi and I have been working on shoulder in, which has the by-product of improving our canter transitions.
Prepare for shoulder in by first riding shoulder fore, where the inside hind leg reaches toward the middle of the front legs, and there is slightly less flexion and bend than in the shoulder in. The exercise is easier if the horse carries more weight with the inside hind leg on a circle, or as Karen puts it: when you "activate" the inside hind. From shoulder fore ask for more angle while keeping the same amount of bend. Out of the short side of the arena, ride the horse as though you were going to cross the diagonal, by leading the shoulders off the track to the inside, then ride shoulder fore along the long side of the arena, being sure that the hind legs stay on one line of the track, and the inside hind leg steps toward the outside front leg. Be sure to control the neck on the outside! Always remember to intersperse periods of riding forward to re-establish looseness, relaxation, and submissive contact in between periods of more difficult lateral work such as shoulder in.
Future inspiration point: the shoulder in prepares the horse to learn travers, which in turn prepares for the first steps of half pass. Exciting stuff!
Here is Karen Brown's student demonstrating shoulder in, showing good angle and just enough bend. Notice Music's inside hind leg stepping toward the outside front leg in both strides of the trot. Nice work, Crystal!
Prepare for shoulder in by first riding shoulder fore, where the inside hind leg reaches toward the middle of the front legs, and there is slightly less flexion and bend than in the shoulder in. The exercise is easier if the horse carries more weight with the inside hind leg on a circle, or as Karen puts it: when you "activate" the inside hind. From shoulder fore ask for more angle while keeping the same amount of bend. Out of the short side of the arena, ride the horse as though you were going to cross the diagonal, by leading the shoulders off the track to the inside, then ride shoulder fore along the long side of the arena, being sure that the hind legs stay on one line of the track, and the inside hind leg steps toward the outside front leg. Be sure to control the neck on the outside! Always remember to intersperse periods of riding forward to re-establish looseness, relaxation, and submissive contact in between periods of more difficult lateral work such as shoulder in.
Future inspiration point: the shoulder in prepares the horse to learn travers, which in turn prepares for the first steps of half pass. Exciting stuff!
Here is Karen Brown's student demonstrating shoulder in, showing good angle and just enough bend. Notice Music's inside hind leg stepping toward the outside front leg in both strides of the trot. Nice work, Crystal!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Warming Up for Rhythm, Relaxation, and Connection
A rider's eye view of the massive indoor at Blue Fox. To give perspective, note Delphi's ears: we're standing at H on the dressage arena (the cones you see Delphi's ears pointing at are B and F) and the horse in the distance is in the same indoor as us on the jumping grid. Grand, yes?In warming up for school-work, I do as much posting trot as necessary to get Delphi relaxed, rhythmic, and connected by bending her deep to the inside around my leg and engaging her inside hind to get her into my outside rein. I insist that she stays supple by half halting on the outside rein after bending deep, even too deep to the inside and using inside leg to engage her inside hind. I do as much of this as needed to get her working in a connected yet forward cadence, before I pick up a firmer connection to begin working toward collection.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Importance of Free Walk
Here's the lovely old racetrack- now turf- at Blue Fox Farm. The old starting gates are still tucked in along the tree line. Great place for Delphi to relax her muscles and mind in free walk while just "being a horse" after a schooling session. It is so important for the Dressage campaigner to have enough regular, stress-free exercise. Brisk walking across country on a loose rein is good, and eight to twelve hours per day of turn out with buddies is better. Both daily is best.
Walk to Canter Transitions
The following describes an exercise Karen Brown taught me for schooling walk to canter transitions. It has proven very helpful for Delphi.
At the walk, first take a few "short steps" (Karen's term for shorter, more energetic steps that lower and activate the hindquarters), counter-bend the horse and perform a half-turn around the hindquarters with the horse bent around your inside leg in the direction you want to canter while moving the outside shoulder around. The rider's aids for the canter depart are: outside leg behind the girth to maintain the horse's haunches while the inside leg creates the bend around the inside leg at the girth. The rider's inside leg gives a little "stomp, kick" at the girth while the outside leg stays firmly behind the girth to encourage the horse's outside hind as it activates into the first step of the canter stride. Remember to maintain a soft, giving jaw and poll by "vibrating" the inside rein while keeping a supple contact with the outside rein.
About the "stomp, kick" manoeuvre: It consists of quickly stepping firmly down into the inside stirrup (the "stomp") followed immediately by a tap at the girth with the inside leg (the "kick"); teaching this now will be useful in eventually teaching flying changes of stride (more on that later, grasshopper).
At the walk, first take a few "short steps" (Karen's term for shorter, more energetic steps that lower and activate the hindquarters), counter-bend the horse and perform a half-turn around the hindquarters with the horse bent around your inside leg in the direction you want to canter while moving the outside shoulder around. The rider's aids for the canter depart are: outside leg behind the girth to maintain the horse's haunches while the inside leg creates the bend around the inside leg at the girth. The rider's inside leg gives a little "stomp, kick" at the girth while the outside leg stays firmly behind the girth to encourage the horse's outside hind as it activates into the first step of the canter stride. Remember to maintain a soft, giving jaw and poll by "vibrating" the inside rein while keeping a supple contact with the outside rein.
About the "stomp, kick" manoeuvre: It consists of quickly stepping firmly down into the inside stirrup (the "stomp") followed immediately by a tap at the girth with the inside leg (the "kick"); teaching this now will be useful in eventually teaching flying changes of stride (more on that later, grasshopper).
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