The ethical responsibility of a horse owner

by Mitzi Summers Most people involved with horses try to anticipate the basic needs that need to be met by each horse and to follow through with this responsibility. We realize that we have taken the horse out of his natural environment and now we have to accept that we are now his caretakers. It is pretty much an accepted fact that the more a horse is turned out the better. Land limitations, number of staff, weather conditions, and schedules for horses being used certainly can limit a 24-7 turn-out situation, but a dedicated plan to allow horses free access to just walking, roaming, and seeking is valid for their physical and mental stability. Having your horses turned out into a large field may be ideal, but it does not limit the owners responsibility to check these horses twice daily if they are not being brought into a stable for additional feeding or use. Twice daily they have to be checked for injuries and any illnesses that may occur, especially colic or foundering. It is ideal if there is enough room for quite a bit of exercise. Standing all day in a 14 foot by 14 foot pen is not the ideal,
Page 4 COUNTRY FOLKS MANE STREAM October 2012

but for some very responsible horse owners there is no other option. What I do object to is some of the limitations of standard stalls. Many that are built and sold are essentially prison cells. They have no place where a horse may simply hang his head out over the door and observe what is going on, or be in sight of his neighbor. There are several human behaviors that I commonly see that with a moment of thought and consideration may make a horses life a bit less confusing and stressful: 1. Your farrier. However, make certain that your farrier recognizes that if a horse starts to struggle while being trimmed or shod, he may just be objecting to his leg being held too long, or at an angle unnecessarily stretched. I have seen farriers who rush through their job in order to work with more horses, i.e. make more money, and do not take the individual horse on whom they are working into consideration. How else can your horse tell you that he just needs to put his leg down FOR A MINUTE and rest, than starting to struggle and move? The farrier who without a thought bangs on your horse with a rasp on his ribs needs to be excused.

Cover photo by Elizabeth A. Tomlin

Eleven-year-old Alexis Oliver of Mayfield, NY won her Costume Class dressed as Mary and her Little Lamb with her pony Pumpkin Spice, at the Fonda Fair in Montgomery County, NY.

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2. Tacking and untacking. Try to lift the saddle and place it gently on his back...the same for unsaddling. When you loosen the girth, hold on to it as you let it drop vertically. Do not let it drop and bang into his foreleg. Learn how to bridle correctly. Do not bang the bit on the front of his teeth and expect him to like the process. When you take the bridle off, let HIM spit the bridle out...do not drop it suddenly and bang into his teeth. Fold his ears FORWARD when putting the crown piece over his ears. 3. When leading your horse, lead him in the way you were taught as a child. Stand at his jowl and have part of his head in front of you. If he does not come, pull on his cavesson noseband or pull him slightly off balance. Do not lead him from the front pulling forward on his bit. You would not want to move forward into painful pressure on your mouth. 4. When backing him from the ground, face him slightly and simply pull on his halter and push on the point of his shoulder, saying back. He will soon learn this just from your body language. Do not ask him in the presently popular natural way of standing in front of him and violently waving the rope. He will not understand. It causes him to react in the startle response, raising his head, hollowing his back, and disengaging his haunches, making it extremely difficult for him to physically back up. A chiropractor told me that his practice has increased several thousand dollars every year by working with horses who have been subjected to this recently marketed method. 5. Take the time to develop an independent seat. First a rider needs to have body awareness. Being lunged correctly on a balanced lungeing horse for many, many hours is the best way to develop the body control that is necessary in riding. A rider has to be able to have complete balance and consistency in their seats. For example, their left leg may need to be in a certain position with a certain pressure to correctly cue their horse, and their right leg may need to be in a different position with varying pres-

sure. The same education needs to be applied to hands and weight. Then all of the separate, independent parts of the body need to agree with each other in applying the aids. As an instructor and judge, I often see this confusion of a riders aids. One leg is telling the horse one thing, and, for example, a hand is telling the horse something else. The unfortunate horse is trying to figure out exactly WHAT he is supposed to be doing, and if he guesses wrong, he is often blamed, instead of the rider blaming their skill level. 6. Learn to half halt your horse correctly. Many riders think it originates in their hands. Half halts are used to physically and mentally prepare the horse for a change....they are a rebalancing, a preparation. They are used whenever the horse needs your help to be in a balanced position to do what you are asking him to do. In my opinion, the ability to half halt a horse correctly through the seat INTO your hands separates people who are passengers to those who are riders actively helping their horse. 7. Be responsible in your riding. Recognize that it is YOUR responsibility to figure out how to explain to your horse what you want of him. Be analytical in your riding. You learn from your mistakes. Do not label your horse, i.e. stubborn, stupid, mean, etc. Work from the positives. Be aware of all of the cruel devices that are marketed to discipline and control your horse. There are bits and auxiliary reins, and aggressive training methods out there that belong in the dark ages. Horses are not trained through force. In spite of the way they look, we all know that physically horses are not really made to be ridden. Their backs are very vulnerable to injury. Their mouths are extremely sensitive. We need to develop the pushing power of the haunches and develop the suspension bridge effect in their backs. When you ride your horses, the sad fact is that you are either making them better or breaking them down. We owe them the acceptance of that responsibility.

New home for Sheldon

Sheldons new owner is Magan Bellamy of Ballston Spa. Sheldon was one of the horses in the Extreme Mustang Makeover. Joe Migdal of Mandak Tack and Horse Sales of Ballston Spa, NY worked with Sheldon and competed in the event held at Gloucester Countys Dream Park, in New Jersey Aug. 11.