The Natural Horse Resource

The Natural Horse Resource is For Sale

2011-06-29T13:14:00.002+02:00

Dear All,

Due to complications that had occurred in my life I stopped updating the Natural Horse Resource about twelve months ago. In that time, when there was no activity, we grew to 335 fans and the website (naturalhorseresource.blogspot.com) is getting 2,000 hits a month. This tells me just how useful and important the existing content on the website is. Imagine how much it could grow if content was constantly being added?

I am looking for a company or publisher - with a passion for all things natural with horses - to purchase the website and Facebook page. This site has so much potential, editorially and financially, but my current situation means I need to hand over all the hard work that has gone on building it up so the site can have a future.

If anyone is interested, please email naturalhorseresource@gmail.com - I look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks,

Frances - Natural Horse Resource

NHR Reader Help: How to Catch a Horse Who Mistrusts Humans and What Next

2010-06-29T00:05:00.008+02:00

Earlier on this month we heard from Joanne Gray via the Natural Horse Resource's Facebook page, owner of Tessa (pic below), a New Forest pony that she rescued ten years ago. Joanne told us that she’d only managed to stroke her once since rescuing her and had contacted the Natural Horse Resource site for some help and advice on how to build up a relationship with Tessa.

Joanne explained that Tessa had bad human experiences in her previous home. “Tessa has some big issues where she was beaten before I rescued her,” says Joanne. “The bloke had beaten her with wood and she was skinny and was full of scars. It’s so sad. I was scratching her – for the first time ever – last week and she was leaning into it then she realised I was touching her. The panic in her eyes was so sad and she bolted.”

Since then, very recently due to various reasons outside of her control, Joanne has had problems getting close to Tessa – and hasn't been able to get anywhere near her. So, we asked professional horseman Franklin Levinson, a regular contributor to the Natural Horse Resource, for some of his expert advice. Firstly, on how to catch Tessa and then the best way for Joanne to proceed after that.

So, Franklin kindly wrote an email to Joanne, via the Natural Horse Resource, and it is posted below to help Joanne and other readers who could also find this information useful (please let us know if you do!!).

Dear Joanne,

Catching Your Horse

To catch a horse that is difficult to catch in an open field, I look for a fence line. Most all open areas today have a fence somewhere. Please tell me if there is no fence line as that is a whole other ball game. I find that fence (preferably near a corner of it) and ease the horse towards it.

Then the trick is to stay far enough away from the horse that it cannot run around you. A horse will always win a foot race with a human. The human needs to stay far enough away so that the horse cannot do this (go around the human). This way the human only has to move a few feet in either direction to hold the horse in a relatively small area.

I gently move the horse to the corner, if there is one. If no corner, okay it stays in the middle along the fence line. Then, using a flag (half a plastic shopping bag from a grocery store affixed to the end of dressage whip), I will begin to haze the horse back and forth along the fence line maybe 10 to 15 yards in any direction before I ask it to turn and change directions. If the horse is in a corner, I will haze it to one direction, then not let it out of the corner, which prompts it to change direction and move in a circle.

As most horses handle better on the left than the right (mainly because humans only handle horses on their left sides), this circle is generally to the left which exposes the comfortable side of the horse to me. After 10 to 15 minutes of hazing the horse back and forth or in a circle, I will begin to take a couple of steps back when the horse faces me. This is a reward (removal of pressure). I will let the animal stand quietly for a minute or two each time it does as I wish – in this case, facing me.

Over time, the horse will either begin to take a step towards me (I reward this by taking another step back) or simply by dropping its head and licking and chewing, showing relaxation and acceptance of what is going on). I may end the session when the horse takes a step to me or shows signs of relaxation – or if the horse really begins to walk to me I may walk away a bit and see what happens.

There is more to this, but I would need a book and video to really show it. So, you see the problems in trying to teach this to anyone in an email, it is like trying to teach you to waltz or tango via an email. Good luck!

Handling Your Caught Horse

Your horse needs to be handled appropriately and a lot over time. I would do so in a small paddock or ideally a round pen (40 feet in diameter). I would begin by asking for a few steps forward and then stop asking (remove all pressure and allow the horse simply to stand quietly for 20 to 30 seconds). After this short break from the pressure of your request, ask for a few more steps and then stop asking again. This sort of advance/retreat (move, stop, rest, move some more) technique will, if done appropriately over some time, begin to develop some trust with this horse.

After a couple of days of this, once the horse has stopped and rested a bit, invite the horse to walk alongside you or to come to you and see what happens. If it doesn't, simply continue the process. If you are doing this correctly, the animal should begin to walk with you and/or follow you around. Always carry the rope and halter.

Eventually, begin to rub and scratch the horse's neck, withers, shoulder and rump a bit. After the horse accepts the touching, begin to gently rub it with the rope and halter.

After a couple of days of this you can attempt to put the halter on the horse and move forward from this point.

As you have seen, progress can be easily and instantaneously reversed through a mistake, impatience, inconsistencies and more. The feet handling is a whole additional issue that would take quite a bit of description. I have written about this quite a lot and there are many Q&As on this issue in the archives of my help center at www.WayoftheHorse.org.

The problem with trying to teach this sort of horsemanship in an email is that one has to see it to really get it. A certain level of experience has to be in place for the receiver to really understand the principles and appropriately visualize the technique.

The most important things are: compassion and kindness, release of any judgment (no anger), knowledge/wisdom of horses (the mind and psychology), patience and consistency and acquired skills. I wish you the best of luck and do hope you will keep me and NHR posted of how it all goes.

Sincerely,

Franklin

A huge thanks to Franklin for taking the time to help! If you have a horse behaviour problem you need assistance with then visit Franklin’s Way of the Horse site. If the answer isn’t in his extensive archives (he has helped a lot of people!) click here to proceed with asking your question directly to Franklin.

Secret Number Four: Develop a Confident Horse

2010-06-25T09:45:00.008+02:00

This is the fourth secret in a series of ten on how to be successful with horses by professional horseman Franklin Levinson. It looks at why developing a confident horse can go a long way towards probable success in all equine matters.

As with children and adults as well, confidence is tied into self-esteem, courage, developing new skills, trying new things, taking calculated risks, approaching scary situations, accepting differences and living a more expanded life.

Confidence is developed over time through appropriately being exposed to new and different circumstances in a thoughtful and safe way. Often this is accomplished with the assistance of a good leader or guide.

In the case of a horse developing confidence, it is exactly the same thing. Over time, the horse needs to be exposed to potentially scary things and new circumstances. It should not be expected that a horse will completely accept something it is afraid of when first being introduced to it.

This is where a human's ability to ‘read’ (understand) a horse's reaction becomes very important. Not taking the animal too close to its fear limit is important to developing confidence and trust in its leader and itself.

Knowing when to stop and reward a horse for even taking one step towards a scary object is extremely important. For my training methods I will reward even a small step a horse takes towards something it is afraid of. Being able to recognise a horse ‘trying’ to comply is an important skill and not to be taken lightly. It is paramount to highly successful training.

Knowing when and how to end a session with a horse on a positive note goes a long way to that horse looking forward to the next session with that human. It also supports the horse learning and retaining the lesson from that session. The hallmarks of good training are: consistency, clarity, calm, skill and, of course, compassion and kindness.

If you have a horse behaviour problem you need help with then visit Franklin’s Way of the Horse site. If the answer isn’t in his extensive archives (he has helped a lot of people!) click here to proceed with asking your question directly to Franklin.

Read about Franklin’s 2010 clinics and new venture at Greece’s Silva Centre on The Natural Horse Resource. To connect with Franklin you can follow him on Twitter: @wayofthehorse.

Click here to read secret number three and the importance of basic training.

Secret number five – developing good habits – coming soon.

Along the Barefoot Path – the Chance to Trim

2010-06-23T20:47:00.007+02:00

Every month The Natural Horse Resource brings you the barefoot blog series Along the Barefoot Path by professional barefoot trimmer Lara Sportelli.

Click here if you missed last month’s introductory post.

Hello and welcome to this month’s Along the Barefoot Path, where I’m going to continue my story.

I had been seriously contemplating my horses’ feet and also my life. We had bought a farm in Italy with the promise of being able to purchase the big field attached to it, where I intended to run a livery and alternative therapy yard. However, the prospective seller had gone back on her promise, which had left me wondering what I was going to do next! I had been studying extensively and was in possession of my livery yard management qualification, but now had no business to run!

Then something quite random happened that would change my life forever. Whilst searching online for the number of the saddlery store (to enquire if my saddle was ready as they were re-stuffing it for me), an advert leapt out that was all about “gestione naturale” (the natural way to keep horses), so I clicked and read, just out of interest.

What I discovered was a vet-run course on how to trim barefoot hooves! Wow, could I really do this and all in Italian, both the theory and the practical? After a little thought I realised that I could do it and also that it would also solve my horse problem of locating a farrier as I could do them myself! So, I contacted Stefano the vet and booked an appointment with him to come and trim my horses’ feet and at the same time find out more about the course.

I met Stefano and watched him at work. Well, what a revelation...an Italian who not only knew what he was doing, but more to the point was also very good at it! As he worked he explained what he was doing and it all made perfect sense to me.

I decided I liked him and when he had finished I had two horses with perfect feet and best of all my boy wasn’t lame. I knew Stefano was someone to be trusted and so I enrolled to become a barefoot trimmer. He told me he had spent some time in England at the Royal Veterinary College and assured me that he would help me if I got stuck with my Italian. I felt so excited about my discovery and just couldn’t wait to get started.

The course began and so did the hard work! But Stefano was true to his word and when he saw a blank expression come over my face he took the time to explain things to me. The theory was hard and after my first intensive weekend I came away thinking I had taken in precisely nothing, until I started to talk about my course and actually realised that i knew far more than I had thought – it had just taken a couple of days to digest and process all the information.

I’m happy to say that I survived the course and completed every aspect of it – and gained my qualification. In next month’s Along the Barefoot Path I’m going to start talking in depth about the barefoot hoof.

Lara Jane Sportelli is a vet trained and qualified barefoot trimmer. She has over 30 years’ experience with horses and although in Italy at the moment, will be back in Devon soon to resume UK-based barefoot trimming services. For more information visit her Barefoot is Best site or to contact her directly please email larasportelli@yahoo.co.uk.

Lara on her red roan pony Flicka nearly thirty years ago competing.

"How time flies," says Lara! :)

Secret Number Three: The Importance of Basic Training for Competition Success!

2010-06-08T15:12:00.007+02:00

This is the third secret in a series of ten on how to be successful with horses by professional horseman Franklin Levinson - and we’re only on secret number three, so there’s seven more to come!

To connect with Franklin you can follow him on Twitter: @wayofthehorse.

Secret Number Three: The Importance of Basic Training for Competition Success!

Successful completion of a horse's and rider's basic training will foster more winning in competition and more success in all activities with horses.

What I experience most often with horses and their humans that have trouble in the show ring is incomplete training in the most basic of fundamental equestrian skills. One step at a time mastered before moving on to the next step is essential. It may sound too simple to be believed, but it is true.

Appropriate use of aids is a skill that is lacking – light and gently responsive hands are essential to success, as is a developed balanced and centred seat. There are teaching techniques that assist all this and more. Perhaps the greatest hindrance to success in the show ring is rider error and not something done or not done by the horse.

Get the basics right to set yourself up for success in competition.

Unfortunately, many riders competing in shows are unwilling to take responsibility for the outcome of the competition. They prefer to pass on responsibility to their 'unruly, uncooperative, spiteful, wilful, stubborn' and 'out to make them look bad' horse. How unfortunate and unfair this is!

The truth is that most problems occurring in the show ring can be resolved through one-step-at-a-time training, going back to the basics and not moving forward until a previous step is mastered – patience, consistency and a more developed sense of timing between horse and human. Again, developed trust will come into play as an essential part of any and all training.

Read about Franklin’s 2010 clinics and new venture at Greece’s Silva Centre on The Natural Horse Resource.

Click here to read secret number one: Attitude is Everything and here to read secret number two: Trust is the Key.

Secret number four – developing a confident horse – coming soon!

Secret Number Two: Trust is the Key

2010-05-25T17:48:00.009+02:00

This is the second secret in a series of ten on how to be successful with horses by professional horseman Franklin Levinson.

With over 40 years' experience with horses we’re sure he’s got more than ten secrets, but we’re glad that he’s sharing these with us!

To connect with Franklin you can follow him on Twitter: @wayofthehorse.

Secret Number Two: Trust is the Key!
Without mutual trust we have nothing going with our horses. A slave may be obedient to their master. But, given the opportunity, that slave might kill that master, run away or somehow sabotage the master and his undertakings.

Many humans think a horse should be their obedient slave. They immediately want to punish what they see as the animal being disobedient. Whipping a horse to get it to jump a fence is punishment. Beating a horse to get it into a float is the same thing. Scaring a horse to make it do anything is fostering fear and not trust. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence around the world.

Even many well meaning horse owners will go to using force on their horses quickly if a problem arises. This is due to mistaken thinking, erroneous judgments, inaccurate information and incredibly inappropriate beliefs about their horses.

It is the nature of a horse to want to follow and cooperate with a good leader. In the wild horse herd there are bullies and there are leaders. A bully can look like a leader, but it is not – observation will bear that out. An alpha horse is not necessarily the leader either. It may just be a more aggressive member of the herd.

Leadership contains wisdom. The herd leader develops trust within the herd by knowing when it is safe for the herd to move, where it is safe to go, where to find food and water (as well as when to stop and eat and drink), when it is safe to rest and when escape is called for. The other members of the herd learn to trust that head/lead mare for their survival.

Franklin Levinson at the New Zealand Horse Trek in 2007.

It is the same for a human leader of a horse. That human has to have the knowledge and skills to assist the horse in feeling it will survive by: controlling the food resources (feeding on time), providing adequate shelter and some protective environment (controlling environmental aspects), setting and keeping boundaries (developing mutual spatial respect with the horse), appropriately and precisely requesting movement and immediately rewarding the horse for attempts at compliance. The reward is a simple rest (break from all pressure of a request) and maybe a “good boy”. That is it.

In the wild horse herd, the lead mare will reward another horse for compliance by simply ignoring it and/or allowing that horse to come a bit closer (not too close) and do homage to that leader through a particular posturing. Learning to reward good effort is a wonderful habit for all humans to get into with their children, employees, friends and their horses.

If you have a horse behaviour problem you need help with then visit Franklin’s Way of the Horse site. If the answer isn’t in his extensive archives (he has helped a lot of people!) click here to proceed with asking your question directly to Franklin.

Read about Franklin’s 2010 clinics and new venture at Greece’s Silva Centre on The Natural Horse Resource.

Click here to read secret number 1: Attitude is Everything.

Secret number three – the importance of basic training – coming soon!

Along the Barefoot Path - an Introduction

2010-05-25T16:42:00.013+02:00

The Natural Horse Resource will be bringing you a new barefoot blog series called Along the Barefoot Path by professional barefoot trimmer Lara Sportelli. This is the first of many entries and an introduction to the blog and Lara!

I’d like to start by introducing myself. My name is Lara Jane Sportelli, a vet trained and qualified barefoot hoof trimmer. I’m going to be writing a blog series called Along the Barefoot Path for the Natural Horse Resource, which will explore my journey of discovering and following the barefoot path from Devon to Italy and back (soon) to Devon again! I thought I would start with my own barefoot experience and then progress on to more complex matters as the blog develops. I think it often helps to understand how and why a person got to where they are – even if the journey is long and a little arduous.

I have a Welsh x Thoroughbred horse called Bob (him and I are in a pic on the left) and a Dartmoor pony by the name of Two Tone. They are both barefoot and in fact Two Tone has never had shoes. When I bought Bob seven years ago, he had back shoes on his front feet and his hooves were packed with putty – they were not in a good way at all and neither was he! From that moment on I was propelled into a journey of patience, consistency, understanding, love and trust.

I found a dentist, Peter Knott; an excellent saddler called Wendy; a horse whisperer, Julie Dicker (who has unfortunately now passed away); and an ‘angel’ farrier, Stuart – all based in Devon.

After 18 months of remedial work with a farrier, we had resolved only a few of Bob’s problems. He was still slipping, reluctant to go down hills and often lame. Each time his shoes came off I felt relieved and each time they went back on I, for some reason, used to stand with my own feet scrunched up. Eventually this reaction led me to believe that something wasn’t right.

It was around this time I remember my friend suggesting that I would make a good farrier as I was so patient with horses. I contemplated this, but realised I wasn’t sure if I was entirely in agreement with metal hooves. Looking back, she was half right when she made that comment, but I didn’t dream at that time that I would ever become a barefoot hoof trimmer – yet seven years on and here I am…a barefoot trimmer! I have always believed there is a path to follow, only some of us take a little longer to find it and understand.

Soon after discussions with my farrier, Bob’s shoes were removed and his feet were left with a normal farrier’s trim. I now know (with experience) that this is so often the downfall when we’re not aware of barefoot facts. Bob went lame immediately and I just wasn’t sure what to do next, so I ended up putting the front shoes back on, but kept the hind ones off as more weight is carried at the front. So, I had a half barefoot horse!

I couldn’t stop wondering why it was possible for Two Tone to be barefoot, never go lame and have perfect feet without ever having worn shoes. I didn’t make the connection at the time with the fact that wild horses never have shoes and that he had come off Dartmoor without shoes and with feet in excellent condition. He had even won the dressage at the Pony Club – after they had initially told me we couldn’t go to camp without shoes (when I explained that he’d never worn shoes he was allowed to go).

Some time later, and on a whim, I decided that our lives were going to change drastically and we bought a farmhouse in Italy (and actually the vet who originally trained me, Stefano, was Italian). The kids, horses, dog and cat all came and we started life on the side of a hill in the mountains – and that’s where I am right now. But things haven’t run smoothly. Through the recommendation of others in Italy I found a farrier to work on Bob’s feet. Unfortunately he didn’t have any qualifications and had learned on the job. The result of his work was bleeding feet along the white line and lameness for three days, which I was told was normal!

There was no way we could carry on like this and so I asked him to remove the shoes and just give a slight trim. I didn’t know what to do or how to find a trained farrier as I had heard the closest one was a five-hour drive away. What was I going to do and, more importantly, what was going to happen to Bob’s feet?

Lara in action in Trim Isola d'Elba, Italy.

Paddock Paradise Series Part Five: On One Acre in Ireland

2010-05-17T17:30:00.020+02:00

Máire lives in Ireland with her cob Ben and elderly pony Rosie. She has set up a Paddock Paradise track system on just one acre of land – and despite having to deal with rain and mud she has seen Rosie’s feet go from strength to strength and now has so much faith in barefoot and the track system that Ben will be having his shoes removed later this year.

NHR hopes this interview will inspire people with just a small amount of land to give a Paddock Paradise a whirl!

How long have you had your Paddock Paradise?

I have been planning it for a while and put it into place finally about May 2009.

Why did you decide to make PP part of your boarding solution for your horses?

I have just an acre at home and always thought I would need to have my horses in livery each winter. Reading Joe Camp’s book ‘Soul of a Horse’ introduced me to the idea of Paddock Paradise. I then bought Jaime Jackson’s book of the same name. I saw that all that I thought of as disadvantages to our paddock: the rock, slope, trees and varied vegetation were in fact advantages that would work very well in a track system.

I was fairly sure I could keep my ponies at home in the winter with this system and this winter past has proven that I can. We have had about six weeks of very heavy rain followed by an unusually long and severe cold spell and the track proved that it could provide far better living for my two ponies than any livery could.

Can you describe the fencing you use and the width of the track?

On the inside of the track I use electric fencing. I have two rows of white tape strung across white plastic electric fencing posts. Some of these posts have had to be replaced as they broke during the frost, but they are not expensive. I need two rows of tape as our little pony, Rosie, is quite expert at getting under the fencing and is prepared to take the shock of electricity. I have had to experiment with the spacing of the two rows of tape to prevent her getting through. Just the top row is electrified.

On the outside of the track, two sides comprise of post and rail fencing, the back end is a wall with bushes growing on it while one side is hedgerow. The width of the track varies from about 9-10 metres to about 3-4 metres. We have just two ponies so this seems fine to encourage movement. They both stick to tracks within that space.

The track has a layer of fine gravel along much of it, about 1 metre wide, and there are two piles of extra gravel, which have proven unexpectedly popular as rolling spots. I have a wide area of mud in one corner, which is dusty during dry weather and in all weathers is another popular rolling spot. I would like to scrape back the front section of the track, which is too muddy, and put pea gravel on it, rather than the fine gravel (which is called “crusher dust” here) on the rest of the track.

The little pony Rosie is barefoot of necessity as she is laminitic. I am hoping this autumn to get the shoes off my cob, Ben, and therefore want the pea gravel as a surface to help harden up his hooves. The crusher dust on the hill going up the left side of the track has become well packed down and is consistently firm underfoot now, even in wet weather, so this is a hard area. I do not have a water hole right now and no immediate plans for one.

Rosie

Spreading hay on the ground does not work. I have tried it and there is too much wind and rain here which leads to a lot of waste. I have haynets in two diametrically opposed corners of the track. Because Ben still has shoes, these haynets have to be higher than I would like. In autumn, when the shoes come off, I will lower them.

Ben

Ideally we know that hay should be spread around the track, on the ground, to encourage movement and and eat and go scenario. However, in reality this is time consuming and can encourage hay wastage – what solutions have you found for hay feeding?

Hay is the main source of food, but in the summer I let them onto the grass in the centre for controlled periods of time, at night time during late spring and early summer. They are both also on a low calorie, low starch balancer, Rosie is on extra oil and seaweed biotin supplement and in the winter they are on “speedibeet”, a fast soaking, no sugar beet pulp.

Do you use a salt block and/or a mineral block? If so, are you able to bury these in the ground to encourage pawing behaviour or is that difficult to achieve?

I have a mineral block in a tub under some trees.

Have you noticed a difference in your horses' condition and hooves as a result of Paddock Paradise?

Rosie has improved noticeably in both condition and hoof growth – she is also moving much better and is noticeably less stiff. She is an elderly little pony and was quite stiff and arthritic looking as well as a bit sore in her front hooves due to chronic laminitis when she came to us a little over a year ago. Our farrier, who knows her well, is very impressed with the condition of her hooves and how well she moves. Ben, my cob, came to use after we had our track system, but he came through a winter of very little riding looking in good condition and fairly fit.

Do you find maintaining Paddock Paradise easier or more difficult than keeping a horse at pasture? Why and can you highlight any particular challenges that you have faced?

Given the limited space we have here, I have found it much easier maintaining the Paddock Paradise. The track itself has required very little maintenance. The only section that does need scraping back is the front section which is at the bottom of the slope and therefore has become very muddy. The crusher dust here just mixed with the mud in heavy rain.

Any other thoughts on your Paddock Paradise and what tips would you offer people who are thinking about creating their own?

What has made ours work well, without too much difficulty, is that we are on rising ground and have a lot of rock (limestone) here. I would imagine that if we were on low ground we would have had to scrape the track back more aggressively to prevent mud coming through. Don’t put crusher dust down – or whatever gravel you are using – on any more than about an inch of mud.

I would encourage anyone to try to make one – experiment! It will not be perfect immediately. We also set the track up first with tape before we scraped back the surface and this helped show us where work needed to be done most on the track. It does help if you have horses that respect electric fencing. Our cob does and as he is the boss, this helps keep the pony in line also.

Thank you Máire for sharing how you created your own unique one-acre Paddock Paradise! To read more about Máire’s Paddock Paradise you can go to her excellent blog Ponies at Home.

Ten Secrets to Becoming Highly Successful With Horses by Franklin Levinson

2010-04-17T11:24:00.006+02:00

This is the first secret in a series of ten on how to be successful with horses by professional horseman Franklin Levinson. With over 40 years' experience with horses we’re sure he’s got more than ten secrets, but we’re lucky that he’s sharing these with us!

To connect with Franklin you can follow him on Twitter: @wayofthehorse.

Secret Number One: Attitude is Everything

The quality of our lives is dictated by our thoughts and beliefs. We see our world not as it is but as our judgments and paradigms (beliefs) dictate. If we judge our horse is bad, then we may think it deserves punishment. Perhaps we think the horse made us look like poor riders or simply made us look foolish.

Actually, a horse is never doing anything to us personally. All unwanted behaviour from a horse is a fear-based reaction to something. Either pain (or the anticipation of pain), misunderstanding of a request, too much input at once, never being rewarded for efforts at compliance, frustration and more, can cause a fearful reaction from a horse.

Notice I said reaction rather than response. They are two different things. A reaction is instinctual and without thought. A response tends to be somewhat thought out and more appropriate given the actual circumstances of the situation. As horses are prey animals their fearful reactions can be well understood as a survival mechanism and should not be punished.

What needs to be established within the horse are feelings of safety and trust that it will be safe (survive). Safety does not live in the outside world. Safety is a feeling only. We either feel safe enough to take that plane ride or we do not. It is the same for a horse. It either feels safe and trusting enough to try to comply with requests made by a human (load into a float for example) or it does not. Therefore, it is easily understood that the development of trust between horse and human is essential, paramount and basic to any successful endeavour, or relationship, with a horse.

The development of trust between horse and human is actually quite easy. It revolves around the human's abilities to consistently lead and guide simple movement by the horse, support the horse in being calm, as well as to always show compassion, kindness and skill when interacting with a horse.

Having as the bottom line and overall agenda of maintaining the animal's feelings of safety, rather than other short term goals (ie, getting him into a float or over a jump) will assure the development of trust and a willingness by the horse to try to comply with the requests made by a human. This approach will definitely provide greater opportunities for success with a horse in all endeavours.

Every instant we are with a horse is an opportunity to develop a deeper level of trust. Every step we ask a horse to take is a chance to earn that animal's trust even more. Success with horses help humans to develop these essential life skills and wonderful attributes: compassion and kindness to others; skilful and accurate communication techniques; self-awareness and enhanced awareness of our surroundings; connectedness to nature and the world around us; consistency in thought and action; being less judgmental and, therefore, less stressed; and more positive attitudes towards ourselves and others.

These are only a few of the positive benefits of conscious and appropriate interaction with horses.

Read about Franklin’s 2010 clinics and new venture at Greece’s Silva Centre on The Natural Horse Resource.

Secret number two – unlocking trust – coming soon!

Star in Your Own Paddock Paradise Episode

2010-04-13T02:13:00.008+02:00

Dear wonderful, amazing readers,

We need more Paddock Paradise owners to interview so we can keep producing quality, informative episodes that help people learn more about PP and natural horse keeping.

We've also asked for contributions on our Facebook page, so please leave a comment here, there or email: naturalhorseresource@googlemail.com if you'd be interested in being part of this original series.

Thank you for your support and natural horse love!

NHR

The Way of the Horse

2010-03-23T09:38:00.012+01:00

US-based natural horsemanship trainer Franklin Levinson believes that the fastest way to a horse’s heart is through trust. After 40 years of working with equine friends he knows that to get the best out of horses, we need to be the best we can be towards them: kind, compassionate, skilful and patient - “similar to a great parent” he says.

Up until 28 March 2010 Frank is holding 'Beyond Natural Horsemanship' clinics in Australia. However, for those of you in Europe, prepare to be excited because he’s currently planning a European tour to the UK, Greece, Italy and Ireland during the spring and summer months.

For those in the States, he runs a horse immersion programme in Colorado, where you can bring your own horse and explore the rocky mountains with Frank at your side.

Also this summer, while running his courses, Franklin is taking up a co-directorship at The Silva Equestrian and Life Enrichment Centre near Corfu Town in Greece. This charity is dedicated to preserving the Skyrian horse and the rescuing of abused animals. Through its equestrian centre, which, amongst other things, offers theraputic riding and trail rides, it intends to help those with disabilities - and eliminate prejudice against disability in Greece. If you want to support this amazing project you can adopt a pony, donate or volunteer to work either with the ponies or on Silva's organic kiwi farm! Find out more at www.thesilvaproject.org.

For more information on Franklin's courses go to www.wayofthehorse.org or if you want to make direct contact you can email franklin@wayofthehorse.org. If you’re a tweeter then you can follow Franklin here: @wayofthehorse.

Franklin Levinson in Sicily, October 2009 (photo credit: www.wayofthehorse.org).

Soul Centre for Horses and Humans

2010-02-11T13:52:00.011+01:00

NHR has been reading Tasmania-based natural horsemanship trainer Cynthia Cooper’s Natural Horse World newsletter (click here to sign up). Along with a new article defining natural horsemanship and lots of lovely pictures from the LightRider competition, there was a section in this issue that needs sharing.

Anyone involved with horses understands the incredible spirit and healing powers they possess – and also knows that our beautiful friends are sometimes neglected and abused, and cannot live out their lives peacefully – and naturally. However, Cynthia has a vision for an equine retirement and investment centre – ‘Horses for the Soul’ – in Tasmania and needs to find a philanthropic investor keen to support the venture on a property between 200 and 2,000 acres.

“My vision is to provide a not-for-profit venture that provides a lifelong home for retired, abused or neglected horses,” says Cynthia. “Some of these horses once healthy and if suited, would then become teachers and guides in the education and rehabilitation of people from all sorts of backgrounds.”

What fantastic idea! If you know anyone that can help, then please spread the word – what a lovely prospect for our horses and humans! You can find out more here and contact her at: naturalhorseworld@activ8.net.au.

Cold Weather Care for the Arthritic Senior Horse

2010-01-19T23:34:00.006+01:00

Steve Wawryk, from the Horselife blog, guest posts for the Natural Horse Resource with some good tips on how to look after your arthritic senior horse in the colder weather.

If you are anything like me, getting out of bed seems tougher the older I get – especially on cold mornings. Those old sport and riding injuries seem to flare up a little more in chilly, damp weather. Your horse is no different! Horses, especially senior horses, usually have some form of arthritis.

When I refer to senior horses I am referring to horses 15 years and older. At the age of 15, horses enter a catabolic state – this is a fancy term for aging where muscles bones and cartilage break down faster than they can repair.

You cannot cure arthritis, but you can do things to help slow down the process and even provide relief from the pain associated with sore joints.

The biggest piece of advice I can give with regard to treating your horse’s arthritis is to turn him or her out.

Standing around in a stall or small paddock doesn’t allow a horse to move as nature intended. Moving keeps cartilage lubricated and relieves the constant pressure of standing in one place. My 18-year-old gelding, who suffers from arthritis, does much better on 24-hour turnout then he ever did in a stall – even during cold Ontario winters.

A little bit of exercise is good, maybe half an hour to an hour around two to three times a week. I always pick up their feet, and stretch and flex their joints before I get on. Once you’re up and in the saddle, start off with around 15 minutes of walking. Once your horse seems to be moving more freely, you can ask for some more speed.

If you are riding outside try to keep the work a little slower than you would in the summer. I do this for two reasons, one the footing may be icy and your horse may slip and pull something – or worst yet fall on you. The other reason for not working too hard is you won’t have as wet a horse to cool down afterwards. When you do get back to the barn, cool the horse with blankets and rub the legs and joints down with some liniment.

It goes without saying that you should make sure your horse has plenty of good food, water, a soft place to lie down and an adequate shelter to get out of the wind, rain and snow. Light riding throughout the winter will help keep your horse limber through the winter months and cut down on the reconditioning time when the warm weather and competition season arrives.

Horselife specialises in bitless and treeless products and is currently running a free saddle trial programme – click here for details. Steve can be contacted through the website or via this contact form.

Preventing Frozen Water Troughs

2009-12-17T09:43:00.006+01:00

If it's frozen where you are (in France we're dealing with frozen water pipes too), then the water in your horses' trough might just well be frozen too. The Horselife blog, written by Steve Wawryk, has some great natural horsemanship and natural horse keeping tips to share.

The latest post is called 'No More Frozen Water Tanks. Your Horses Will Thank You' and is aimed at helping you keep your horses' water trough from freezing over!

If you're struggling with the cold, it's definitely worth taking a look! Brrrrr!

Paddock Paradise Series Part Four: In Florida with Stephanie Thelen

2009-11-27T13:05:00.029+01:00

Stephanie Thelen’s horses are about to experience their first Christmas in her Florida-based Paddock Paradise. With a herd of anywhere between six and ten horses, ranging from three to twelve years of age, she has found Paddock Paradise the ideal solution for effective boarding. Read on to find out more about Stephanie’s set up, what she has found works well and what needs tweaking!

How long have you had your Paddock Paradise?

I bought a new property in February and had the first stage of the PP up and running by mid-March of 2009.

Why did you decide to make PP part of your boarding solution for your horses?

With having purchased the new property, only 4.6 acres, I was looking for a solution to keep six to ten horses comfortably without turning my property into a dirt farm.

My property is very long and narrow and originally I was thinking of creating several large paddocks with limited turn out to the pasture. Yet this would have created a lot of dust and still not a lot of movement for the horses. I stumbled across the term “Paddock Paradise” while searching for solutions on Horsecity.com.

View Stephanie’s slideshow below to watch her Paddock Paradise develop - it also includes a diagram of her track layout.

Can you describe the fencing you use and the width of the track?

My perimeter fencing is Redbrand Non-Climb with a board across the top. I wanted a safe, economical fence that was also nice to look at. My interior fencing is Equibraid electric rope with step in fence posts. I had intended to use three strands of rope, but once two were up it was obvious that it was more than enough, especially since it wasn’t there to contain the horses on the property.

My track width varies from 14’-40’. I run as many as eight horses together on the track at one time. My biggest concern was that they could get away from each other should scuffles occur. The long parts of the track are 14’-20’ wide and the dead ends and gathering areas are 30’-40’ wide.

I am fortunate to have a somewhat varied terrain considering I’m in Florida. My property gradually slopes down from front to back. In the front the footing is mostly sand and at the back it is very similar to wetlands. The footing graduates to a mixture of sand and black dirt to mud at the farthest point. During rainy season there is plenty of standing water.

I hauled in cement washout, which creates a serviceable gravel for driveways. This was put just inside the main gate, extending about 40’. On top of that I added pea gravel, which the horses loved!

They would stand on it happily all the time. It’s been down about four months now and I’m disappointed to say that the pea gravel has worked its way into the cement washout. It's no longer loose and is almost packed firm. If I had to do it again I would probably do as suggested by others and put a road gravel under it and a frame of 4x4s around it.

I have also added a length of palm tree trunk that my neighbors had cut down. The track is very level, flat and uninteresting, but the horses couldn’t care less about this and avoid it.

We constructed two large slow feeders. There are instructions on the Paddock Paradise Wetpaint site as to how I built these. Each can easily hold one to two bales. I have them placed in two different sections of the track. Each night I load up two bales of hay and drive to the very back of the track where I spread about five flakes of hay on the ground.

The salt and minerals are back here as well. One feeder is about one-quarter of the way back up the track toward the front. I fill this, then continue to the other feeder which is on a “branch” of the track about halfway up. Here I fill this feeder as well as throw another four flakes out randomly. Being herd horses, the horses won’t necessarily leave each other to go to the next feeder, so with seven horses around one feeder it is likely someone will miss out. The flakes thrown out guarantee that the horses keep moving within that area and everyone gets a chance to eat.

This hay just about provides enough for a 24 hour period. I do, however (more for my own convenience of keeping horses out of my way), throw out three or four flakes along the track in the morning while doing other chores.

Is hay the main source of food for your horse? And do you manage to supply different types of hay? What else do you feed your horse, if anything?

For a time I was feeding a coastal grass hay as well as an orchard grass/alfalfa mix. This was not a problem to do, I just mixed both hays in the feeder. Now, however, I feed only the orchard/alfalfa mix as the coastal hay has little nutritional value.

I do grain the horses in the evening. For this I purchased feed bags through www.horse.com for about US$8 each. This is one of the best decisions of my life. With a herd ranging from three to 12 years of age, and with different levels of activity, I can feed each horse its needed grain and supplements without any being spilled, stolen by others, chased off their feed, refused and so on. I put the feed bags on, drive out to do my hay, and most are finished with their grain when I get back.

Do you use a salt block and/or a mineral block? If so, are you able to bury these in the ground to encourage pawing behaviour or is that difficult to achieve?

I have both salt and mineral blocks. I buy the 50lb blocks and then let one of the men play at boy. They take a sledge hammer to them and chunk them up. Chunks are placed in a tub and put out back. This way the horses can either lick them or chew them, whichever they like best.

Have you noticed a difference in your horses' condition and hooves as a result of Paddock Paradise?

They do stay more fit. Not overly so, as they are just walking most of the time, but I do not feel the need to lunge anyone before riding to get the extra energy out. I also don’t feel guilty about taking one of the older ones out once a month for a trail ride because they haven’t been stationary between rides.

I had hoped to see improvement in one horse’s hooves especially, but haven’t. My horses don’t have bad feet anyway, but I can’t say I’ve noticed great things about their hooves. The one mare we suspect likely foundered ten or more years ago, and has very sensitive soles, has not changed even with life on the track.

Do you find maintaining Paddock Paradise easier or more difficult than keeping a horse at pasture? Why and can you highlight any particular challenges that you have faced?

I guess the difference in maintenance would be in scooping poop. I probably wouldn’t scoop in a pasture. Now I scoop directly into my Newer Spreader (which I absolutely love) and spread on the pasture inside the track. Otherwise, there is very little maintenance to the track.

Any other thoughts on your Paddock Paradise and what tips would you offer people who are thinking about creating their own?

With wet season here, the most notable thing for me is that the horses walk on the track, packing it down, making it lower than the surrounding ground. Water stands on the track more than the other areas. When the rainy season is over, I plan to haul in fill dirt to raise the track higher than the central pastures.

If I don’t want my horses to stand in one place, I need to provide a reason for them to move around. This includes keeping the hay accessible to them in the back. If I have the time I will walk the track with a bucket of alfalfa cubes tossing them around the track. The horses will travel the track looking for these.

My track is not a continuous loop. It would be except that I split it because I have one aggressive horse that doesn’t play nice. He has a section of the track to himself and the rest of the herd travels the majority of the track. Be sure to make sure they have plenty of room to get out of each other’s way if you have more than a couple of horses.

The PP was an ideal solution for my property. I am thrilled with it and anyone who comes onto the property loves the idea. It is a work in progress and I have more plans for advancement, but the foundation is there and working.

NHR would like to say a big thank you to Stephanie for this fascinating insight into her Paddock Paradise. To read more about Stephanie and her horses you can visit her Spotted T’s Riding Blog.

The Horse As Teacher Teleseminar Series

2009-09-26T09:30:00.006+02:00

Anyone that enjoyed The Path of the Horse series will be delighted to hear that a new, free teleseminar series called The Horse as a Teacher is starting on Wednesday 30 September and continues on the following three Wednesdays.

This series features the authors who contributed to The Horse as a Teacher book, including, amongst others, Stormy May, Anna Twinney and Kathy Pike. They will be discussing the impact horses have had on their lives and how horses have inspired them to help others.

Listeners can ask questions and these can be submitted during registration. All calls start at 12pm (PST), 3pm (ET), 8pm (GMT) and 9pm (CET).

To sign up and receive further information you need to go to www.horseconscious.info.

Cloud, the Wild Horses and the BLM - Information and How to Help

2009-09-16T14:02:00.006+02:00

In June 2009 the BLM (Bureau of Land and Management) in the US released plans to destroy wild horses in holding areas as well as those still remaining free on public land. The BLM has cited poor range condition as the reason for removing the horses, but this doesn’t make sense to many of those who have visited Cloud and his herd over the past few years as plentiful snow and rain has produced good range conditions!

A wild palomino stallion, Cloud, has been documented since he was born by Emmy-winning filmmaker Ginger Kathrens. Her knowledge lead to the emergence of The Cloud Foundation (@thecloudfound on Twitter), which is dedicated to the preservation of wild horses on public land. “Human over management is jeopardising their future survival,” says Kathrens on the foundation’s website.

Kathrens’s films and books have firmly planted Cloud’s existence in our collective consciousness and the threat to the wild horses, and to Cloud’s survival, has recently gained much exposure as the BLM carry out their plans. However, it isn’t just the plans that have caused upset, it is the way in which the horses are being rounded up – at the wrong time of year and in such a manner – that has caused the most concern.

Being chased down a 5,000 foot mountain by low-flying helicopters in over 95°F heat caused some mares to colic and many of the horses became lame. An informative and detailed description of the events can be found on author R.T. Fitch’s blog Straight from the Horse’s Heart.

The capture of Cloud’s herd can be viewed here (by R.T. Fitch):

Watch the lame and tired horses after capture and re-release:

Clearly there is much controversy surrounding these captures. NHR has gathered some links from some of the best sources so that you can go straight to the heart of the story.

Cloud the Stallion’s Facebook page
Cloud’s Facebook page now has over 2,000 fans. The links section on this page contains around 30 links from followers sharing and discussing information. To view these links and information click here.

Straight from the Horse’s Heart
An extremely informative and emotive blog from author R.T. Fitch documenting the development of Cloud and the wild horses’ capture. The name of the site is the same as his book – the profits of which go straight to Habitat for Horses (where he sits on the board of directors).

The Cloud Foundation
Non-profit Cloud Foundation is dedicated to preventing the extinction of Cloud’s herd through education, media events and programming, and public involvement. You can donate by clicking on this link here.

Wild Hoofbeats
Site from Carol Walker, photographer and author of Wild Hoofbeats: America’s Vanishing Wild Horses, has followed the wild horses on Montana’s Pryor Mountain for the last six years and photographs them two to three times a year. If you don’t get goose bumps as she describes Cloud defiantly turning to face the helicopter then we don’t know what will!

You Tube
Click here view countless films from the Cloud organisation and other supporters of the foundation.

What can you do to help?

1. Petition against the removal of Cloud and his herd
The BLM already has 33,000 horses in holding, so to capture more through these ‘gathers’ with market conditions the way there are is irresponsible. The horses are not damaging the range and this petition asks for just 20 of the younger horses to be taken as these will stand the best chance of adoption. By going to the Care2 petition site you can join the fight. The target is 15,000 signatures and currently has just under 12,000.

2. Adopt a wild horse
The National Wild Horse Adoption Day is 26 September and more than 25 locations across the US are hosting wild horse adoptions. For more information, please visit the National Wild Horse Adoption Day site. For information on where the adoptions will be taking place, please click here.

3. Fight for the release of the older horses and reform of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Programme
Here is contact information as provided by The Cloud Foundation:

White House Switchboard 202-456-1414 (fax: 202-456-2461). Ask for Senior Advisors: Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod. Ask for Michelle Obama too (her office is receiving a large number of calls)

Call your senator’s switchboard 202-224-3121 and ask that they support S1579, The Restore our American Mustang (ROAM) Act

Call the Senate Committee of Natural Resources on 202-224-4971 (fax 202-224-6163) Ask that they push the ROAM Act through immediately, it must go up for a vote soon in the Senate.

'Cloud's Legacy: The Wild Stallion Returns'
Watch a clip from Kathrens’s film, which demonstrates the complexities of the wild horses' social group: Cloud persuades his favourite mare to allow his amorous intentions, which prompts a respectful face off with his father (who is also keen on Cloud’s love interest!).

Five Links to Help You Manage Bot Egg Season

2009-09-06T15:41:00.002+02:00

As late summer turns to autumn in Europe, we're only too aware that Bot fly egg season is upon us. There are over 150 species of these hairy flies in the world and they will relish the prospect of laying eggs on your horse’s front legs, cannon bone, knees and sometimes on the throat or nose (depending on what particular bot it is).

Instantly recognisable, as they are yellow dots resembling splashes of paint, it’s important to remove bot eggs as soon as possible to prevent them causing health problems to your horse. When the horse rubs its nose on its leg, the bot eggs find their way into its mouth and then to the intestines.

They can cause lumps on your horse (once the larva has grown and is ready to leave through the skin of your horse), sores, ulcers and colic.

As they rest on the bone, removal can be tricky and is usually easiest with a sharp knife or sandpaper.

Here are five links providing information about bots and how best to remove the eggs from your horse.

How to Get Rid of Fly Eggs on Horses – this is a good basic overview from ehow.com on how to prevent bot flies laying eggs and how to remove the bot eggs if they manage it!

Bots – How to Control Infestations and Remove Bot Fly Eggs – this article on equi-therapy.net offers advice on how to spot signs of bot infestation and tricks to remove the bot eggs from your horse.

Removing Bot Eggs – Jessica Jahiel offers comprehensive advice to reader Karen on some of the best ways to tackle bot egg removal.

Bot Egg Removal – Link to a horse owners’ discussion on HorseForum.com on tried and tested ways of removing bot eggs.

What’s so Bad About Bots – Informative article from Horsetalk explaining why bots are dangerous and what your options for prevention and removal are.

Slow Hay Feeding Your Horse from the Ground: Hayslow and Slow Down

2009-08-19T13:31:00.007+02:00

There’s no doubt that it’s a good time to be a manufacturer of slow hay feeders at the moment. As more and more horse owners are moving away from grain towards the idea of feeding their horses continually on hay, hay feeders that slow down feeding are becoming increasingly popular.

Finding the right slow hay feeder for you is challenging. Most natural horse owners with horses outside will need big, covered slow hay feeders that can contain large hay boules and keep dry. Those who have run-in shelters or who have covered hay feeding areas spread around a track or paddock can use smaller hay feeders that do not need to be so concerned with the elements.

The Natural Horse Resource features a good selection of slow hay feeder suppliers on our Links: Suppliers page, but here are a couple more that NHR has recently discovered.

Hayslow
The Hayslow feeder can store up to 15kg of hay and can potentially keep horses busy for up to 16 hours each day. It reportedly took the creators, William Millar and Arash Blookbashi, based in UAE, 150 days of research to come up with this design.

For more information go to www.hayslow.com or email info@hayslow.com.

Slow Down
The Slow Down was designed by horse lovers Jim and Julie Turner. The feeder tub and plate (which contains holes that the horse pulls hay through) are quickly assembled. It also provides a practical way for soaking hay and draining the water due to a plug at the bottom. Images of the product can be found here.

To see how the Slow Down works, view the film below:

For more information visit www.slowdownhayfeeder.com.

If any NHR readers have had experiences with either of these hay feeders, others that are featured on our site or can recommend hay feeders that we haven’t covered yet, please get in touch: naturalhorseresource@gmail.com.

Excellent Free Natural Horse Resources at Horse Perspective

2009-08-17T16:50:00.008+02:00

Tim Ware runs website Equine Wellness Solutions (www.horseperspective.com). It offers information, a free distance consultation service, videos and books to horse owners interested in understanding their horses whether it be from a behavioural, physical or training point of view.

This site has much to offer. There are many excellent resources available in the articles section of the site. Topics such as hoof problems, energy therapies, navicular disease, thrush and white line disease are covered.

Tim wants to "help people understand horses as horses, as they are instead of how we want them to be or imagine them to be". He has spent most of his life with horses – owning, competing and working on their feet. He originally trained as a traditional farrier in the US and Europe and this was when he noticed that he was often the only one interested in how horses feel and their resulting behaviour.

He discovered that for most of his peers horses just represented a way to make money. He noticed that while they might be interested in the activity that shoes allowed the horses to perform, such as calf roping, they didn’t care about the horse itself. "The horses represented a way to earn a living, or a tool necessary to participate in some activity that interested them. And in some ways, the horses were actually viewed as adversaries, or as necessary evils," he says.

He has been accused of embarrassing a colleague because he petted a horse while his co-worker insisted on controlling it with a stud chain, causing the horse’s gums to bleed. And tells of a woman who asked if he could help her foundered horse, who was in terrible pain, as she had planned to trail ride with her friends at the weekend – which he says "speaks for itself".

Tim believes his materials provide owners with the tools to look after a horse compassionately, whereas traditional horse care information focuses just on making the horse useful to the owner. "The mainstream material, whether from horse care, hoof care (including barefoot hoof care), or horse training, is geared toward making the horse useful, toward providing the horse owner with something. My material is geared toward providing the horse with something – wellness and compassionate use and treatment," he says.

Click here to visit the Equine Wellness site or to contact it directly, email info@horseperspective.com.

Paddock Paradise Series Part Three: On Blue Heron Farm in Middle Tennessee

2009-07-19T16:13:00.021+02:00

Elizabeth TeSelle is a barefoot trimmer and trains in dressage. She has been addicted to horses since she met her first pony at the age of two. She lives with her herd at Blue Heron Farm, in Middle Tennessee.
There's 34 acres of land on the property, but as she can't control the hunting on some parts the horses have access to just a few acres - so creating a track has been the perfect solution. Featuring a variety of different terrain, Elizabeth's unique Paddock Paradise has been a work in progress for several years.
Read the interview below to find out more about Elizabeth's current set up and future plans.
How long have you had your Paddock Paradise?
It’s been a work in progress since I moved to my farm in 2003. When I bought the place, there were five small turnout areas, fenced and cross-fenced as traditionally as possible, despite the topographical challenges of the “down-in-a-holler” topography. I immediately removed one dividing fence, connected up two turnout areas with a gate on one side and added a track-like “chute” on the other. This was before I’d even HEARD of Paddock Paradise. But as a barefoot trimmer I wanted as much movement as possible.

A map of Blue Heron Farm.

Once I read Jackson’s book, my mind went crazy with ideas! I’ve been working on the current setup for about two years now.

Why did you decide to make PP part of your boarding solution for your horses?
Horses are animals of movement. Their feet need it; their GI tracts need it; their muscles and joints need it; their MINDS need it. I had been moving this way anyway, but reading Jackson’s book gave me many more ideas, and justification for those ideas.

Can you describe the fencing you use and the width of the track?
I’m fortunate in a way that many people used to conventional boarding wouldn’t understand – my place, being at the bottom of a narrow holler between hills, is long and thin, with the road on one side and hills on the other. Due to hunting back in the woods, there is a limit to how far back there I can go, so the turnout areas are long and skinny. The creek, which runs through the property from end to end and the hilly and cliffy areas within the turnouts, combine to create natural tracks. For this reason, I haven’t had to actually track my turnouts at all.

I’ve considered adding a track to the Brook Pasture (see image below), but honestly, the horses move around so much in the Brook Pasture/Arena Pasture complex, with its natural circuit, that I haven’t found it necessary. I have added sections of fencing in both the Arena Pasture and the Woodlot that direct the horses around and encourage them to stay on the track.

Diagram of Blue Heron Farm's PP track.

My perimeter fencing is woven wire farm fence with a top wire (barbless, of course). I have several creek crossings that require water gates - I make these from stiff hog panels threaded onto cable. Chains restrict the swing so the horses can’t push under, but allow enough movement so that creek debris gets through when the creek level is up after a rain storm.

The horses on track.

Have you been able to set up areas, for example gravel, water hole, dust bath and so on or are these still a work in progress? If you have set some of them up, what are they and how did you go about creating them?
I have accessibility issues regarding gravel, in that there is no way to get a gravel truck into most of my turnout areas. However, there is a large gravelled area in the new Woodlot, and there is natural rock throughout all areas. Again, this is an unexpected positive side effect of being in a holler with poor, rocky soil next to a creek that is completely floored with rock. When I first moved in I used to spend hours picking rocks out of the pasture! I just have to laugh when I think about that now.

My riding arena, which is primarily sand, is accessible to the horses. Although there is no fence around the arena, they naturally track around it and usually only go into the arena when they want to roll or sleep. I find that they stay fairly clean because of this - they enjoy rolling in the sand so much that they don’t bother rolling in the mud as much.

As for water, the horses have access to the creek, of course. As a barefoot trimmer, it bothers me a great deal that most domestic horses never get their feet wet naturally, whereas horses in the wild wet their feet every time they drink! My horses drink only from the creek (which is spring-fed) and, of course, pass through it many times a day to get from one place to the next.

Ideally we know that hay should be spread around the track, on the ground, to encourage movement and an eat and go scenario. However, in reality this is time consuming and can encourage hay wastage - what solutions have you found for hay feeding?
Up until recently, I had been spreading hay, flake by flake, around the track, and dealing with the subsequent hay wastage and mess. Here, in Middle Tennessee, it’s muddy all winter long, and by spring it was mud and hay!

I am now using slow feeders for hay, primarily small-mesh hay nets hung low to the ground or on the ground, and positioned around the track. Not only does this ensure that my horses will have hay all the time (rather than hoovering up whatever I give them within a few hours!), but it will save me money and keep the ground cleaner and prevent erosion.

Muching hay from the slow feeder.

The most recent addition to my Paddock Paradise is a separate Woodlot section. The topography of my place prevents my being able to connect the Brook Pasture/Arena Pasture track with the Woodlot, but that’s fine. My plan is to use the Woodlot primarily in winter time. The woods provide shelter (in addition to the run-in at the barn, to which they have access), which the horses will appreciate in winter. By keeping them off the other area, I hope to be able to retain some grass there.

For environmental reasons, I worry about the Brook Pasture becoming a mud pit, and if I can hold some grass there over the winter, I will also hold onto the soil. Having, essentially, two separate Paddock Paradise tracks will provide an important solution to the particular challenges my property presents.

Take a tour around the track on Blue Heron Farm.

Is hay the main source of food for your horse? And do you manage to supply different types of hay? What else do you feed your horse, if anything?
The current horses on my Paddock Paradise are both VERY easy keepers. They get hay (orchard grass), and once a day a very small amount of soaked Timothy Balance (which is grass hay cubes with a little beet pulp) as a vehicle for their magnesium supplements.

When I have had harder keepers, I provided additional calories via beet pulp, black oil sunflower seeds, timothy pellets and added oil or flax when necessary. I avoid grain, which is hard on the feet, the GI tract, and the brain!

See the slow feeder hay nets in action.

Do you use a salt block and/or a mineral block? If so, are you able to bury these in the ground to encourage pawing behaviour or is that difficult to achieve?
I feed free-choice loose minerals and loose salt (offered separately). I’m reluctant to bury the minerals - in part because I worry about sand colic, and in part because the minerals aren’t cheap! Currently I offer minerals and salt in both small bins in the run-in shed and on large, flat rocks out on the track (in good weather only). I’m also adding homemade protected mineral dispensers, which will enable me to put minerals out on the track in all weathers. The more stuff out on the track, the better!

Have you noticed a difference in your horses' condition and hooves as a result of Paddock Paradise?
My horses have been out 24/7 for several years, and my conversion of the property to Paddock Paradise has been gradual, so it’s hard to tell. My draft cross mare has amazing feet, due to having been raised right and always kept barefoot. My OTTB gelding, who passed away from melanoma last fall, benefited greatly both from going barefoot and from being out 24/7 on the track. As with many things, hoofcare is holistic and it’s hard to say which change benefited him the most - they all coalesced to help make him a real horse on his own four strong feet. However, going to 24/7 turnout, and especially the Paddock Paradise model where movement is encouraged, certainly contributed to his healing.

Watch the horses move on track.

For many of my hoof care clients, whose horses went from being stalled 12 hours a day to life out 24/7 on the track, the improvement has been truly dramatic. Again, here, the improvement was holistic: at the same time the horses got a more natural lifestyle, they also got an improved trim, a better diet and so on. But, in many ways, the most dramatic improvements are seen from lifestyle changes. Horses were simply not meant to stand around on soft bedding. Asking them to do so damages their feet (as well as minds and GI tracts). Giving them back a life of movement and action heals them.

Do you find maintaining Paddock Paradise easier or more difficult than keeping a horse at pasture? Why and can you highlight any particular challenges that you have faced?

Generally, it is easier. I no longer worry about having to have a grassy rectangle (difficult to achieve anyway on my property!). It is more time-consuming in some ways, certainly: taking hay out to the slow feeders, especially without an ATV, is a bit of a trek (but thanks to the slow feeders I can do it once a day rather than twice as I had to before). It is certainly much easier than stalling. Keeping the track picked up and the manure restricted to pile areas is far less time-consuming that cleaning stalls.

Any other thoughts on your Paddock Paradise and what tips would you offer people who are thinking about creating their own?
Try to think outside the box - the grassy green rectangle box that we’re used to and need to get away from, but even the Paddock Paradise box as well. Jaime Jackson sets out one idea in his book, it is not the only way to do this. My place is a great example of that, and some of my clients are finding that they do not need to track their properties quite as he suggests to get the job done. If your horse is not grossly insulin resistant, you do not need to remove all the grass. Leaving them some grass to snack on (while encouraging them to keep moving past it to other things) is a great option for many situations.

It’s also important to know that any Paddock Paradise is always a work in progress. I have future plans for mine, including either making a track into the woods in the Brook Pasture/Arena Pasture track or possibly (if I can find a way to do this, given topography) connecting it up with the small Alpine Meadow turnout behind the house. I’m always thinking about new ideas and ways to make things better for the horses - and I know I’ll never really be finished.

For me, much of the joy of horse ownership now comes from watching them BE HORSES. For anyone who appreciates that, there is truly nothing like having horses on the track.

Elizabeth's website can be found at: http://www.blue-heron-farm.com/hoofmaiden

To find out more about Elizabeth's Paddock Paradise you can check out her PP page here: http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/Blue+Heron+Farm and her blog here: http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/page/Hoofmaiden+and+Blue+Heron+Farm+Blog.

NHR would like to thank Elizabeth for her brilliant and comprehensive interview on her Paddock Paradise at Blue Heron Farm.

Quality Young Sports Horse Needs Natural Home

2009-06-10T12:43:00.010+02:00

One of our readers has informed us of a beautiful mare, currently based in the UK, who needs to find a natural home.

Maddy is a 15.1hh 6 year old bay Thoroughbred mare. She is home produced and is now ready to start her competitive career. She is a talented young horse with superb paces, an athletic jump and a good gallop. She would be an ideal event prospect, or all PC/RC activities. She's good to hack out alone or in company and is 100% traffic. She's also X/C schooled.

Maddy has excellent manners, is quick to learn and easy to do in all ways. She is an exciting prospect for an experienced and competent rider.

She is regrettably for sale due to lack of finances and time.

Price: £1300 ovno

Telephone: + 44 1608 641179 (Oxfordshire, UK)

Please get in touch if you think Maddy could be the horse for you.

If the Natural Horse Resource can help you in any way with enquiries about this lovely little mare, then please contact us at naturalhorseresource@gmail.com.

Bond With Your Horse and Create Your Ideal Partner

2009-05-13T22:11:00.021+02:00

Jo Bond runs Bond With Your Horse and is a natural horsemanship trainer based in south-west France. Having trained with both Kelly Marks and Monty Roberts, she is now using her wide ranging experience to create her own method for training horses called Ideal Partner. Frances Penwill-Cook catches up with Jo to find out more.

As I pull onto the driveway, set in the middle of a pretty rural village, I make sure I park up quietly as Jo has already started working with a new horse that is staying for a month of training.

The owner is attentively watching the eyes and ear movements of his caramel-coloured Arab. She is learning - quickly it seems - to control her fear of the plastic bag stick that Jo is touching her with in her 50ft round pen. This mare is beautiful, but on odd occasions has been known to bolt and stop for nothing. Not an easy problem to fix, but it is the sort of challenge that Jo relishes. Having had experience with solving this kind of problem before, she is not daunted by the challenge ahead.

In fact it is her success at giving horses the confidence they need - as well as equipping owners with the skills to help their horse - that has lead her to create her own training methodology called Ideal Partner.

“Ideal Partner is part of the wider Bond With Your Horse vision of creating a bond of trust and respect between us and our horses,” explains Jo. “I feel that by doing this we are able to work towards having our ideal partner. The aim of the Ideal Partner programme is to create a well-mannered horse who is a real pleasure to be with. We invest such a huge amount of time, money and emotional energy into our horses that in return I think we deserve to have a horse with good manners.”

Jo has recently produced some short films to demonstrate the type of training both horse and owner will receive on the training courses. Sana, her own horse who stars in the footage, originally came from the show world. “You can imagine how he reacted the first time I approached him with a plastic bag!” says Jo, going on to explain how the training process that she has taken him through has enabled him to relax and keep his adrenalin levels under control. “This is through both desensitisation and taking control of his feet through lots of ground work,” she says.

The first film, shown below, shows Jo taking Sana through a series of obstacles - in hand and ridden - as well as being wormed.

“The definition of good manners is an entirely personal thing,” says Jo, but in her opinion every horse should be:

· respectful of space (definitely no biting, kicking or barging)
· happy to be touched everywhere, tacked up and tied up
· good for the vet and with foot handling
· able to stand still when asked
· willing to go, turn, stop and back up when ridden
· good to trailer load.

“To help him learn those skills the programme focuses on helping horse people,” she explains. After taking the Ideal Partner programme horse people will be able to:

· understand horse behaviour
· appreciate how a horse learns (and to use that to your advantage)
· work fairly and consistently
· be the leader your horse needs
· reward the good (for example, a head rub)
· give a negative consequence for the bad (for example, more work)
· get control of the horse's feet through ground handling
· desensitise the horse.

“A horse doesn't start with any of these skills that are important to us and so it is our responsibility to help him learn those skills to help him become our ‘ideal partner’,” says Jo.

In the following film clip, Sana demonstrates the benefits of the Ideal Partner programme by dealing with a series of ‘scary’ plastics and trailer loading without any problems.

To kick start the Ideal Partner method, Jo is organising a series of three courses over the summer in south-west France. Here is a summary of each:

1) Eliminate Your Trailer Loading Problems
This course will enable you to take control of your horse’s feet using the Dually halter, obstacles and loading.
Length: 2 days.
Cost: €90 per person (max five people).

2) Ground Handling and Desensitisation
Includes ground handling exercises, taking control of your horse’s feet using the Dually halter, obstacles and plastics.
Length: 3 days.
Cost: €135 per person (max five people).

3) Learn to Long Line
Long lining is an alternative to longeing as it gets you moving with the horse and is a great way to warm you both up before your ride as well as teaching a horse the basic aids.
Length: 3 days.
Cost: €135 per person (max five people).

Before the Ideal Partner course starts, Jo is running a weekend of lectures and demonstrations on how to deal with common problems you have with your horse. Sessions will run from 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm in Sarlat at the Horse Club in Stade de Bonnefond (Route de Bergerac) on 13 and 14 June. There are hotels available in the area for those travelling to the event.

The cost is €25 for the whole weekend or €15 per day and to book this event you can email horseclub@orange.fr or telephone +33 5 53 59 03 06.

To find out more about Jo’s Ideal Partner method and the summer courses - or to book a private training session - you can go to her website at www.bondwithyourhorse.com/ or email her at contact@bondwithyourhorse.com.

Sweet Itch - Part Two: Battling with a Blanket

2009-03-25T21:53:00.013+01:00

One of the most effective ways of dealing with those midges is by enlisting the help of a specially-designed blanket and preventing their bites in the first place.
If you have decided to try and fight Sweet Itch with a rug this year, then here are some items that you may need:

· Midge-proof blanket.
· Midge-proof head cover.
· Sewing machine (to speed up process of fixing rips).
· Needle and cotton (for areas that can’t be fixed with the sewing machine).
· Spare material (for rips in the blanket).
· Spare eye net material (for tears in the hood).
· Roll of Velcro (to help secure weakened areas).
· Release clips (to replace lost clips or help fasten hood to inside of blanket).
· Elastic (to replace any stretched areas that have become ineffective).

Midge-proof Blankets and Hoods
Effective blankets and hoods are available on the market, but be sure to buy ones that guard against midges as well as flies and other insects as the netting on the hood and the material of the rug will need to be both breathable and resistant to midge bites.

Recommended suppliers are as follows:

Boett
The Boett blanket is made from a purpose-designed fabric and can be worn in all weathers, 24 hours a day. Although the material is very durable and can withstand much wear and tear (try and avoid barbed wire fencing, which you should anyway when you have a horse with Sweet Itch) horses rolling, biting and journeying around their paddock means that repairs could be necessary. Getting the right size is important - you can view a guide here - and a ‘top and tail’ design is available to protect horses while they are being ridden.

DeMeulenkamp
The DeMeulenkamp rug features strong elastic and three girth straps to prevent sagging around the belly. The blanket is sent in a bag that can be cut up and used as spare material, but the supplier will also send out extra material and mask material for a small charge on request to help you deal with wear and tear. Size information can be found here. The picture above shows a DeMeulenkamp rug and a Boett hood.

Pagony

The Pagony has been designed with less hardwearing material, so it’s cheaper than the Boett or DeMeulenkamp. It is ideal for less severe Sweet Itch sufferers and works really well as a back up or spare while the ‘main’ blanket is being repaired or washed. It is highly recommended to have more than one blanket as they only work through prevention. Once the horse starts itching, they will scratch with the blanket on - thus threatening the coverage of the blanket through tearing or ripping. Mud and dirt encourage flies so you may wish to wash the stinky rug from time to time, which is when a spare rug will come in very handy!

Snuggy Hoods
The Snuggy Hoods range of rugs and hoods are designed to be worn 24/7 and the various sizes available can be viewed here. Also in the range are leg covers that offer greater coverage for your horse against midges. Snuggy Hoods offers an impressive after sales service including alterations, repairs and advice for the life of the product, which might mean that perhaps you could ditch that sewing machine after all!

For an basic overview on the causes and treatment of Sweet Itch, please visit part one of this series on Sweet Itch on the Natural Horse Resource.

Interview with a Barefoot Trimmer - AHA and PHCP member Sossity Garguilo

2009-03-16T16:50:00.008+01:00

Sossity got into natural hoof care thanks to Faith, her Arab/Trakehner mare. When she went lame as a four year old, Sossity started to question everything and natural hoof care came to the forefront of her attention. She asked herself how she had gone through many years of horse ownership without really knowing anything about their feet.

A friend recommended Pete Ramey's book and things happened quickly after that. She read the book cover to cover in one day and in her own words “became obsessed”. Within a few short years she entered the AANHCP training program, helped found the Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners training program and was accepted by the American Hoof Association. Now on the board for both PHCP and AHA, she says, “I feel like the learning has just begun!”

Why is it critical for a horse's hooves to land heels first?

Horses come with a complex shock absorbing system in the back of their feet. The digital cushion and lateral cartilages under and behind the frog, when fully developed, are designed to absorb the impact of a horse’s weight as it lands. When a horse moves comfortably in a smooth heel-first landing, the entire hoof acts as a hydraulic shock absorber. The tissues are fully perfused with blood and normal expansion and contraction take place, which in turn further develops the internal hoof. It becomes a positive cycle of physical therapy.

Conversely, a horse will become reluctant to land on an underdeveloped, weak back of the foot (due to thrush, poor trimming or shoeing, lack of movement, etc). Their landing zone is essentially insufficient and they will land on their toes in order to avoid the sensitive structures. Doing this sends the force of the impact up through the coffin bone’s leading edge and to tendons and ligaments. Not being designed to take the repeated insult, they eventually become inflamed and damaged, resulting in long term lameness issues such as “navicular syndrome” and “navicular disease”. A toe-first landing quickly becomes a negative cycle of physical breakdown. The lack of loading of the back of the foot creates contraction, more pain, encourages thrush growth and lack of circulation and so on.

What does the term “break over” mean?
“Break over” is the term used to describe where the hoof first leaves the ground in movement. A too-long “break over” (long toe) pulls the entire hoof capsule with it, thinning the sole, dragging the frog, bars and heels forward and can cause tripping, ligament injuries and crushed heels among other problems. A shorter, physiologically correct “break over” encourages the hoof to move off the ground more easily, relieving strain on tendons and ligaments. There are many studies showing that shorter “break over” significantly reduces the risk of injury.

How do you compare natural trims to shoes and traditional trims?
A good trim - no matter what you want to call it - respects the horse physiologically. In natural trimming we are trying to provide what a healthy hoof “wants” rather than what fashion, judges, training styles and outdated thinking wants. Given the chance with time, hooves heal amazingly well from a non-invasive physiologically correct trim - and often the use of appropriate hoof protection (such as boots)!

One of the biggest differences I see in my area between a natural trim and a traditional trim is a lack of a good mustang roll. I use the roll to bring the toes back and to round/smooth off the edges of the hoof wall to discourage chipping. Leaving a blunt edge delays “break over” and often leaves the walls to chip in a short period of time after the trim. I almost never touch the sole in front of the frog, whereas I will see traditionally trimmed or shod horses with that area rasped flat. Sometimes that is all that stands between a sound comfortable barefoot horse and a short-strided uncomfortable one.

I also see high heels and long toes very often in shod horses, with underdeveloped hooves and contracted heels, due to the restriction of movement in the back of the hoof.

What can we do to condition our horses’ hooves to riding barefoot?
Perhaps ironically, I think that often the best way to condition them is to use hoof protection. Getting a healthy heel first landing is therapeutic, and as I described earlier, it sets the horse up for solid development in the back of the hoof. This in turn allows the horse to be more comfortable over varied terrain, due to the protective and cushioning effect of a healthy landing zone with a well-developed, thrush-free frog and good internal structures.

In addition, we can provide stimulating surfaces, such as pea gravel, for horses to move on while we aren’t riding them. Thanks to Dr Bowker and Pete Ramey, we know that pea gravel provides excellent, yet comfortable, stimulation to the hoof, allowing it to develop internally and callus externally at the same time.

A Paddock Paradise situation as described in Jamie Jackson’s book is also an excellent way to get movement from our horses so that they are building strong, healthy hooves and bodies throughout the day.

What do your recommend for protecting our horses’ bare hooves while riding on rocky trails?

Boots! Boots allow us to have our cake and eat it too. We can have a healthier hoof and horse and still ride and enjoy them, usually without missing a beat. I use different boots for different scenarios, such as Soft Ride boots for recovering founders, or Renegades or Gloves for riding horses. Many Navicular recoveries go into carefully-padded Epics. There are new glue on boot versions available as well and I’ve used

Equicast products, dental impression material and Vettec products, such as Sole Guard, for transitioning horses with certain types of pathologies and/or where boots are not the best option.

You can watch this film below from Vettec on You Tube to see how Sole Guard is applied:

It’s exciting to be a natural hoof care provider in a time where new and better options for hoof protection are coming out all the time. It makes my job easier and the horses that much happier.

Are you opposed to ever putting shoes on a horse?
I personally don’t plan to ever use a traditional shoe on a horse. However, I recognise that there are times where an owner cannot or will not be able to provide the level of care necessary to manage a horse with something other than a shoe (such as casts, boots and so on). In those cases I understand that shoes may be the best option for that situation. In that event, I think there are better options than traditional steel shoes, such as composite shoes like the Epona shoe. These will at least minimise the problems of peripheral loading and still allow for some support to the whole hoof (not just the walls).

Is it true that on working barefoot horses, the hoof wall will wear off faster then a horse can grow it?
I haven’t ever seen this except in a situation where there were other pathologies, such as a severe limb deformity. I live in a dry, fairly abrasive terrain area of Southern California and almost all of my client horses still need regular trims at five to six weeks. However, horses that are asked to do things that are unnatural to them do need hoof protection! Even wild horses do not move 50 miles a day as in the endurance world. They don’t slide for 15 feet like a reiner. Certain jobs we ask of our horses should be considered unique and I strongly feel that we should protect or support them accordingly. The natural approach strives to respect the horse’s overall health and comfort in whatever athletic endeavours we ask of them.

How often should hooves be trimmed?

In my area, most of my clients are on a five to six week schedule. Founders are often trimmed on a schedule of half that until their feet have stabilised. Some areas that are wetter or less abrasive may do better with a slightly shorter schedule of four weeks. Usually going longer than this allows the hoof to begin to develop flares, small chips or other problems such as too-long toes.

Do barefoot hooves seem to develop abscesses more often than shod hooves?
In my experience, no. I have luckily not had to deal with abscessing much at all, but I know of others in wetter environments where it is more prevalent. Keeping the hoof healthy with good circulation and a hygienic environment seems to keep abscessing at bay.

What do you feel is a common trimming mistake that barefoot trimmers make?

Not bringing toes back enough. I know I made that mistake in the beginning, but once I sorted that out I saw huge improvements in my hooves! Heel-first landings increased, frogs widened, heels stood up better with less running under and concavity returned. It is probably the single thing that had the biggest impact on hoof health in my trimming career.

Any additional information?

I am very proud to be a founding member of Pacific Hoof Care (PHCP). We started as a regional group that has quickly transitioned to national and now international. Here is some information about PHCP:

MissionThe mission of the Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners (PHCP) is: to provide a supportive network and educational foundation for hoof care professionals and horse owners based on a holistic and progressive approach to equine hoof care.

HistoryThe Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners was founded on 2 March, 2008, during a meeting of dedicated hoof care professionals in Sacramento, CA. Founding members recognised the need for a quality, yet affordable education program for upcoming hoof care providers as well as a supportive community for established professionals.

EducationThe Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners has developed a solid training program based on non-invasive trimming methods and the latest research in hoof health. The PHCP chat group provides a forum where students and practitioners can ask questions and share information on any topic pertaining to equine health and well being. As a regional group (Western US) we are able to reduce travel costs for students and provide a supportive network within the natural hoof care community.

Continuing education and professional growth is at the heart of the PHCP organisation. Exploration of new ideas and approaches to holistic hoof care are strongly encouraged.

MembershipThe PHCP membership is composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Many members and students have had successful careers in other fields, bringing diverse life experiences to our work with horses. The collective experience of PHCP practitioners represent many years of experience on thousands of hooves under every imaginable condition.

New members may apply as students entering the training program. Upon completion of the training program they will be granted full membership.

Established professional hoof care practitioners wishing to join our organisation may submit an application with a portfolio of their work, which is then subject to a review by the PHCP advisory committee. Upon acceptance, professionals will be granted full membership.

The Natural Horse Resource would like to say a big THANK YOU to Sossity for this generous and highly informative contribution. If this gives you the Sossity bug, you can find out more about her and view an impressive selection of photos and case studies at her Wild Hearts website. She can be contacted at the following email address: sossity@wildheartshoofcare.com.

We would also like to say thank you to Pat Wagner for devising these questions.

Paddock Paradise Series Part Two: In Connecticut on Due North Farm

2009-02-22T22:18:00.023+01:00

If you're looking for inspiration on how to set up a Paddock Paradise in a small area then read on, this could be just what you need to help you get started!

Konnie Hein runs Due North Farm in Connecticut with her husband. They share this hobby farm with four dogs, two horses (Molly and Cisco) and a pony (Pokey) and were new to the world of horse ownership when they set up their two-acre Paddock Paradise.

Their canine companions certainly keep Konnie and her husband busy as they train them for disaster search and rescue for the State and Federal governments. You can read more about this on their Focused Scenting site! In their time off they trail ride the horses and keep the farm running. Having originally bought the property to relax and soak up the peace and quiet of rural life they admit, with a smile, that they haven’t been able to do that yet!

Konnie with Cisco just before adopting him.

How long have you had your Paddock Paradise?
We built our Paddock Paradise less than one year ago in the summer of 2008.

Why did you decide to make PP part of your boarding solution for your horses?
Our neighbours offered to allow us the use of their back pasture in exchange for clearing it and maintaining it. I knew there would be too much grass available to my already plump horses if we allowed them free access to the entire area. I was researching the use of grazing muzzles when I came across a website describing the Paddock Paradise. I was immediately sold on the idea. It was the perfect solution!

Layout of Due North Farm's Paddock Paradise.

Can you describe the fencing you use and the width of the track?
Our track varies in width from ten to 15 feet with a wider area around the shelter. We used t-posts with plastic safety caps and trees for the outer fence posts and plastic step-in posts (with t-posts for corners) on the inner fence. The outer fence consists of three strands of Safe-Fence polytape and the inner fence is two strands of the same tape. Our horses don’t challenge fences, so this system works well for us.

Have you been able to set up areas: ie gravel, water hole, dust bath etc or are these still a work in progress? If you have set some of them up, what are they and how did you go about creating them?

The horses created their own dust bath area. I would love to install pea-gravel around the water trough and near the front gate, and will likely do that this upcoming year. I plan to install some type of fabric to lay the gravel on, in order to prevent it from disappearing into the mud.

Ideally we know that hay should be spread around the track, on the ground, to encourage movement and an ‘eat and go’ scenario. However, in reality this is time consuming and can encourage hay wastage - what solutions have you found for hay feeding?
I know I probably wasted a lot of hay last year! Last year, we spread the hay along the track twice a day. It wasn’t such a problem for me because I don’t work (unless you count the horses, pre-schooler and dogs as work!) and have the time to spread the hay. After I found out about slow-feeder ideas, from the Paddock Paradise (Wetpaint) website, I purchased a few small mesh hay nets as well as larger Busy Horse hay bags.

My horses are not on the track in the winter, but are in a large paddock near the house, and we use these nets with great success in this area too. I hang them on opposite ends of the paddock, which encourages a lot of movement too. I plan to use the nets on the track this spring when we turn the horses back out.

Molly and Cisco on track.

Is hay the main source of food for your horse? And do you manage to supply different types of hay? What else do you feed your horse, if anything?
Hay is definitely the main source of food for our horses. Since they have some access to grass and other herbs, I don’t vary their hay supply much. For supplementation, I feed ground flax and other minerals mixed into a small amount of Triple Crown Low Starch feed.

Do you use a salt block and/or a mineral block? If so, are you able to bury these in the ground to encourage pawing behaviour or is that difficult to achieve?
I provide my horses with free choice loose salt in a bucket in their shelter. I also have a Himalayan salt block for them. I have not ever buried the block.

Have you noticed a difference in your horse’s condition and hooves as a result of Paddock Paradise?
I absolutely noticed a difference! My horses lost their excess weight and became more muscular overall. The field containing our track is sloped and the hill climbing is great exercise for them. I actually had to increase their rations of hay to keep up with their higher metabolism.

The upper section of our track is very rocky and the rocks help maintain their hooves. Initially, all three equines’ hooves were chipped from the sudden change of terrain when we first put them on the track. As soon as our farrier (a “barefoot” trimmer) trimmed them and slightly rolled the toes, the chipping stopped. We were able to ride them on very rocky terrain from that point on with no issues. Talk about “rock-crushing” hooves!

Pokey on a rocky part of the track.

Our farrier is delighted that we made this change for our horses and notes on each visit that there is hardly any work for her to do. That saves us quite a bit of money for sure. The farrier used to visit every six weeks. Her last visit was more than 12 weeks from the previous one and there was barely any trimming needed. The most notable improvement is with our pony. He came to us with Laminitis last June. His hooves have improved tremendously and he hasn’t been lame a day since we turned him out on the track.

Do you find maintaining Paddock Paradise easier or more difficult than keeping a horse at pasture? Why and can you highlight any particular challenges that you have faced?
I can’t comment to the difference since we have never kept our horses on open pasture. We were relatively new horse owners when we decided to construct our Paddock Paradise. It seems like it is more work, but we didn’t think caring for our horses at home would be easy either!

Our biggest challenge is the mud. A smaller track wears down to dirt rather quickly. I definitely recommend the placement of gravel over fabric in expected “high traffic” areas. We plan to do that this year.

Any other thoughts on your Paddock Paradise and what tips would you offer people who are thinking about creating their own?
I can’t imagine our horses living any other way. I think a lot about “fairness” when I think of traditional horse keeping. How fair is it to such a large and naturally free-ranging animal to keep it in such tight quarters as a stall? Why not provide a way for the horse to express its natural tendency to move? It can be easily done in small areas - we’re proof of that!

To find out more about Konnie and Due North Farm visit the Due North Farm blog or check out her page on the Paddock Paradise (Wetpaint) site.

"Yum yum some lovely herbs on this part of the track," says Pokey contentedly.

NHR would like to say a HUGE thank you to Konnie for her time and contribution on this Paddock Paradise project.

Sweet Itch - Part One: A Basic Overview

2009-02-18T21:27:00.011+01:00

It isn’t easy looking after a horse with Sweet Itch and the problem is much more common that you think.
Sweet Itch or Summer Seasonal Recurrent Dermatitis (SSRD) affects around 5% of horses.
Incredibly a cure doesn't exist, but there are ways to help you manage the problem. Sometimes it can seem as though you’ll never find a solution, but you will, you just have to keep trying!
Sweet itch is a non-contagious disease caused by a hypersensitive reaction to midge bites. It is most prevalent from March to October (in Europe) and creates physical symptoms on the skin and intense itching for the horse.

Signs your horse has Sweet Itch include: greyish spots appearing on the mane and tail area (the shoulders, back, sheath and legs can also be affected), hair loss (where it breaks through rubbing) and sores (caused by the horse’s vigorous itching).

Unless it is managed effectively the itching will not disappear and the sores can eventually cause infection. Each horse will respond differently to treatment, so it is a case of mixing and matching possible solutions to see what works best for you and your horse.

Change the Environment
A grass-kept horse will need particular attention in the morning and evening when the midges are at their worst. Keeping horses away from midge-infested areas at these times can help as it will reduce the chance of the horse being bitten.

It can also help to keep your horse away from wet or marshy land, which is a breeding ground for midges. Being located by the sea or in an elevated position can often cause a horse’s Sweet Itch to reduce or completely disappear - as can moving into a new environment (amazingly!).

Anti-midge Blankets and Hoods
There are many blankets and hoods on the market that help your horse stay clear of biting midges. Some are designed to be worn in all weathers, even when it is very warm.

Although more expensive, it is important to purchase a blanket with anti-midge material, so a normal fly rug or mask will usually not suffice. They are made to fit snugly under the belly, around the legs and chest to avoid midges gaining access to the horse’s skin.

These special blankets and hoods are costly, but often necessary to manage this disease effectively. It is therefore important that you take measures to preserve them as best you can.

Try to ensure that the horse isn’t itchy before you put a blanket on or it could be rubbed to pieces. Avoid putting a blanketed horse into a field with barbed wire, which can also dangerous for an itchy horse.

The Natural Horse Resource will be posting a separate article on anti-midge blankets, rugs and hoods soon.

Sweet Itch Medicines and Remedies
There are many lotions and sprays available to help soothe the itching, but finding out what works best for your horse can be a costly process. Dermit-Stop and Spray Deet Gold seem to be very effective and Wendals Herbs Stop Itch is also well worth trying – it is a totally natural mixture containing burdock root, cleavers, dandelion, fenugreek seed, garlic, nettles, oregano and seaweed.

Feeding oats to your horse can also make a difference due to their antihistamine properties. Steamed oats are also recommended by barefoot specialists and by Jaime Jackson himself. Whole are best and are also beneficial for teeth as they need chewing - so a good and inexpensive addition to add to your horse’s diet.

If it is not possible to manage the Sweet Itch by trying different remedies, blankets, environments or creams, it may be that antihistamine or Cortisone injections are necessary. These really are last resort though and hopefully it won’t come to this!

Don’t miss the next Sweet Itch article on The Natural Horse Resource that covers effective anti-midge blankets. It will also include information on essentials you will need to manage the repair of hoods and blankets and help you to prepare for the 'Sweet Itch' season.

© Frances Penwill-Cook

Paddock Paradise Series Part One: In New York by Tangled Manes

2009-02-12T19:53:00.029+01:00

Each Paddock Paradise varies depending on the environment, the climate, the time you have and the budget you are on. This Paddock Paradise series will look at different Paddock Paradises, the challenges that horse owners have faced and how these problems have been overcome. It will also highlight what works and the benefits of implementing a Paddock Paradise!
JoAnn Johnson lives in upstate New York, at the southern edge of the Tug Hill Plateau - famous for its snowmobiling trails - with her husband Dave and three horses Ally, Jewel and Stella. Her Paddock Paradise is constructed around the edge of a five acre paddock. It has been running for three years and in this time she has been able to experience what works for her and the horses and what doesn't.

JoAnn founded the ‘Paddock Paradise (Wetpaint)’ site to bring a together a community of people who can share Paddock Paradise and slow feeding challenges and solutions. How great is that?!

When you’re warmly welcomed by ‘Tangled Manes’ on joining the site, you now know who it is!

Thanks JoAnn for taking time out to answer our questions.

How long have you had your Paddock Paradise?
We set it up three years ago, in the summer of 2006.

JoAnn and Dave riding around the track of their Paddock Paradise.

Why did you decide to make PP part of your boarding solution for your horses?
When I saw Jaime Jackson's book, it was suddenly obvious that PP is an elegant solution to getting my horses to move around more. Maybe I could have thought of it myself, given a little more time - lol!

One of my horses is insulin resistant, so I wanted her to benefit from the extra spontaneous exercise encouraged by the track layout. I also trim her myself, so wanted to be able to put an abrasive surface like pea gravel under some of the most-travelled lines.

Click to enlarge layout diagram of JoAnn's Paddock Paradise.
(If enlarge feature is not working on your browser, please click here to view full-size diagram on the 'Paddock Paradise (Wetpaint)' site.

Can you describe the fencing you use?
I use Intellirope from Premier 1. It's hung on t-posts with plastic cap tops. My posts are about 24' apart in the front section.

Stella, Jewel and Ally at the far (SW) corner.

Have you been able to set up areas such as a gravel area, water hole, dust bath and so on or are these still a work in progress? If you have set some of them up, what are they and how did you go about creating them?
There is a dust bath area in front of the temporary shelter. I didn't do anything special to create it, it naturally wore down to bare dirt.

I did bring in a few yards of gravel for the area just outside the run-in shed, for the inside of the temporary shelter, and for a short section of the track leading up to the run-in lot. There are rubber mats under the gravel in the temporary shelter to keep it from sinking into the dirt. The other two gravel areas have mostly disappeared.

Pea gravel along the edge of the run-in shed.

Ideally we know that hay should be spread around the track, on the ground, to encourage movement and an eat and go scenario. However, in reality this is time consuming and can encourage hay wastage - what solutions have you found for hay feeding?

I could spend all day answering this!

I use restricted free-choice hay feeders. That means the horses always have hay because they are not able to pull out great big hanks of it to stomp into the ground and relieve themselves on it.

Instead, they pull out a bite at a time. These feeders are spaced out around the track. They seem to best promote movement when they are about 30 feet to 50 feet apart. The dominant horse tends to keep checking to see whether the other feeder tastes better.

I like small-mesh hay nets from Millers or Dover the best because of their portability and ease of soaking if needed. Small mesh webbing bags work just as well, as long as the holes are 1.5" and not 2" big. I use portable fence posts to hang the nets close to the ground.

The horses on track.

Is hay the main source of food for your horse? And do you manage to supply different types of hay? What else do you feed your horse, if anything?
Yes, hay is the main source of food for my horses, and I have each batch analysed at Equi-Analytical to supplement it with the correct minerals. They currently take their minerals mixed with soaked, rinsed beet pulp and Triple Crown Lite pellets for flavor.

In addition, they enjoy balanced timothy hay cubes from Ontario Dehy. I use feeder toys which they push around on the ground to dispense the hay cubes, and/or spread them in a single layer on a tray or in a dry trough.

Wide spot on the south side of the track with a hay feeder and shade in summer.

Do you use a salt block and/or a mineral block? If so, are you able to bury these in the ground to encourage pawing behaviour or is that difficult to achieve?
They have access to a dish of loose iodised salt. I have not tried burying it, although I have also put some on flat rocks.

Have you noticed a difference in your horse’s condition and hooves as a result of Paddock Paradise?
Yes. Having the track direct the horses through gravel patches helps clean out exfoliating sole and helps keep the bars trimmed; it also rounds off the hoof wall edge. All three have improved top lines.

Watch this film of JoAnn's Paddock Paradise to see her horses moving on track.

Do you find maintaining Paddock Paradise easier or more difficult than keeping a horse at pasture? Why and can you highlight any particular challenges that you have faced?
I have to admit that it has been more difficult. Mostly, because putting the hay and cubes out along the length of the track has been time consuming. However, the hay nets and portable posts make that part much faster. Since we're deep in the snow of an upstate NY winter, the posts are currently in the inner field where the snow is not as deep.

The horses stopped travelling around the track when the snow got to about a foot deep. They also stop going around during the part of autumn when the mud is extremely slippery.

Stella sinks into the snow while eating scattered hay piles last year.

Any other thoughts on your Paddock Paradise and what tips would you offer people who are thinking about creating their own?
At first, I set up my track too wide to encourage much movement, and they would just hang out in the 30' space. I adjusted the width closer to 15' and that really does seem to help push my three horses around the track. Having the track along the outside of their field also forces them to move through the 'spooky' section and makes them more confident.

Mud is a serious problem in spring and autumn, and I hope to find a solution for it after we move this summer. I'd like to find some kind of plastic grid to cover with gravel in a path about 18" wide along the whole track - or at least the corners and trouble spots.

I've been thrilled with the results from our three-year experiment.

On track in the snow, upstate New York.

If you would like to contribute to our Paddock Paradise series, please click here for details.

We would really appreciate you joining in - the more PPs we explore, the more solutions we find and the easier it becomes!!

Fifteen Top Links to Help You Understand Laminitis

2009-02-10T19:48:00.010+01:00

Most of us live in fear of the dreaded ‘L’ word.

What exactly is Laminitis, why do our horses get it and how can we help to prevent it?

The Natural Horse Resource has searched our wonderful World Wide Web to bring you some of the best free information online to help answer these questions.

We hope that this post will help all of us to be more informed about Laminitis!

Five links to help you identify the causes of Laminitis, what you can do to prevent it happening and how to treat it if it does!

1. Help Foundered Horses Live provides this information page on their website to help you answer this question.

2. Natural Horse World provides an excellent article covering early and late signs and offers links to dealing with Laminitis recovery.

3. The Laminitis Trust (UK based) offers this top ten list on common causes of laminitis.

4. The Laiminitis Clinic (UK based) has produced this PDF offering an overview on how laminitis occurs and what to do if you suspect your horse has laminitis.

5. The Horse Trust provides this fact sheet to help horse owners identify Laminitis.

Five ways to get more in-depth information on Laminitis
6. The article section of Safergrass.org is an incredible resource offering plenty of articles on laminitis, the risk factors, grazing management and what you should be feeding your horse.

7. Dr Chris Pollitt who created the Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit wrote a huge and very detailed research document, which is incredibly accessible for all to read! It’s available in two parts. Click here to read part one and here to read part two.

8. California-based vet Timothy G Eastman has written an article for Equest Magazine explaining in detail how Laminitis affects the anatomy of the horse’s hoof.

9. Ove Lind from The Swedish Hoof School has written this informative article, which shows how Laminitis can appear ‘in disguise’.

10. Naturalhorsetrim.com offers extensive information on how to deal with chronic laminitis, site includes pictures, diagrams and case studies.

Laminitis-related dates for your diary
11. March 14 - 22: Arnd von zur Gathen, owner of Nösenberger in Hanau, will be discussing what conditions cause laminitis and how can the risk be reduced in the in the equine expertise center at Equitana 2009 (held in Germany). Click here for more information.

12. April 21: A free webcast is available from My Horse University on 21 April 2009 called Countermeasure for Equine Laminitis: Carbohydrate Profiles in Feeds and Forages. Click here to link to the relevant page and to register.

13. July 2: Carolina Equine Hospital is holding a Winter Horse Health seminar in Greensboro, NC. Dr. Mat Gerard, Assistant Professor of equine will discuss some of the common causes and treatments of laminitis. Click here for more information.

14. November 6 - 8 : The Laminitis Conference is being held on 6 to 8 November 2009 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. Registration is now open. Click here for more details.

If you don’t want to read about Laminitis - watch instead!
15. TheHorse.com offers a free webinar where you can learn about what happens in the hoof of a laminitic horse.

Watch the webinar below:

INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
See how much you’ve absorbed by taking Equisearch’s Laminitis quiz.

The Path of the Horse Teleseminar Series - Call Five is Tomorrow

2009-02-06T19:06:00.004+01:00

Just a quick post to remind readers that this week's call is with Alexander Nevzorov's North American representatives, Michael Bevilacqua and Monica Bretschneider.

To register for the teleseminar (available by phone and internet streaming) please go to The Path of the Horse website.

To find out more, please read our recent post: Path of the Horse DVD and Free Teleseminar Series.

Five Ways to Support the Prevention of Horse Slaughter

2009-02-06T17:13:00.012+01:00

Did you know that more than 100,000 American horses were brutally slaughtered last year and that federal legislation is desperately needed to shut down this trade?

Thankfully last month the H.R. 503, the Conyers-Burton Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 was reintroduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr and Representative Dan Burton and their colleagues.

This legislation will prohibit the slaughter of American horses and their export for human consumption.

If you are in any doubt about the HORRORS that horses go through when they are bought for meat, exported and slaughtered, please watch this film made by The Humane Society of the United States:

(DO NOT watch it if you are sensitive to graphic images, we’re sure you can imagine…).

How can we help?

Well, there are a number of ways.

1) The Animal Welfare Institute’s legislative division helps to prepare information for Members of Congress and their staff. If you are a US-based reader, you can support the AWI and the bill by contacting your US representative and asking them for their support.

This is so easy to do - just a few clicks and a few minutes of your time!!

After entering your postcode here you will be directed to a page with your US representative’s name and a form within which you copy and paste text to help you write your letter.

This text includes the following:

“The horse slaughter industry is predatory and predictable. Known killer-buyers from around the US buy horses in their home regions and then haul them to plants in Mexico and Canada. Horses are not being moved to slaughter by responsible horse owners or general livestock haulers. The Conyers-Burton “Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009,” H.R. 503, will simply close a loophole via which horses are being sent out of the US for slaughter in Mexico and Canada thus allowing Federal law enforcement officials to bring violators to justice.”

“Amending Title 18 via the Conyers-Burton “Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009,” H.R. 503, to combat an egregious form of animal cruelty has precedence. The US Congress has utilized this section of law for numerous animal cruelty provisions including the recently enacted animal fighting legislation.”

“There can be no doubt about the cruel nature of horse slaughter. Horses suffer on the way to and during slaughter. In Mexico, some plants still use the puntilla knife to stab the horse to a point of paralysis before actual slaughter. In Canada some horses are shot to death. More than 100,000 American horses were exported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter last year.”

“Horse meat is considered a high-end delicacy in Europe and Asia - American horse meat in particular. All types of horses fall victim to the trade including pet horses, work horses and racing horses. Most are young and healthy.”

“Americans don't eat horses and we don't raise them for slaughter. It's time to end this trade.”

2) US-based readers can support the petition asking for support from the president of the United States, congressmen and senators for the legislation by clicking here.

3) Non US-based readers can ask their friends and families in the States to contact their US representative as pointed out in #1.

4) No matter where you are based you can go to the Unnecessary Evils Blog site and vote against horse slaughter.

5) ANYONE ANYWHERE can donate to the AWI to help support their efforts. Please click here if you are able to contribute.

Finally, anyone believing that a ban on horse slaughter would result in numbers of unwanted horses, then read this press release by the Animal Law Coalition. It reports on a study that proves how the "the number of horses slaughtered was determined by a demand for horse meat primarily in Europe" and also Asia where it is a delicacy.

The coalition has also released a study proving that there is not an increase in equine abuse following the the closure of horse slaughterhouses. Click here for more information.

To read more about horse slaughter in the US and the Animal Law Coalition, please visit the ALC's website.

Path of the Horse DVD and Free Teleseminar Series

2009-01-31T10:49:00.005+01:00

For those of you who haven’t signed up yet for the FREE Path of the Horse teleseminar series, there’s only one more week left after today’s call at 6pm GMT.
These series of calls are available for everybody in the world to listen to!

They are hosted by Anna Twinney and feature discussions with the teachers and visionaries from Stormy May’s Path of the Horse documentary.

To sign up to these calls, go to the home page of the Path of the Horse website and enter your name and email address. You will then be sent instructions on how to listen, either by telephone or via the internet.

Tonight’s call is with Linda Kohanov and Stormy May. The teachers contributing to this series are: Alexander Nevzorov, Carolyn Resnick, Kim McElroy, Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling and Mark Rashid and a brief biog of each can be found on the Path of the Horse website here.

If you recommend three friends during the signup process you get a free 'Path of the Horse' e-book, which includes excerpts from the documentary.

While researching more about the documentary we found this interview Stormy May did with Lou Meyer before she went into production on her film. It includes footage of Stormy May playing with her horses and gives an insight into her motivation for making the film. Please note this interview is half an hour long and takes time to load, it may be quicker to view by going directly to this link.

Here’s the official trailer - it’s now available to buy on DVD.

Paddock Paradise Series - Call for Contributions

2009-01-28T20:33:00.010+01:00

We are producing a series on Paddock Paradise and are looking for contributors and we'd love you to take part!
We have just posted the same call on: http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/ where a discussion on the subject has also been started.

Why a series on Paddock Paradise?
Firstly, because the more people that find out about each other's Paddock Paradises - the challenges and the triumphs - the more we will learn and the better ALL of our Paddock Paradises will be!

Secondly, so that people interested in trying Paddock Paradise - who don't know where to start or what to expect - can see our case studies and gain know how to make their own!

What will we require:
The Natural Horse Resource is looking for proud Paddock Paradise owners who can do the following:

1) Answer ten questions on their Paddock Paradise experience (they will be emailed in a Word document).

2) Share a minimum of two photographs of their Paddock Paradise (hopefully at least one with the horses in it).

3) Supply an aerial view diagram to show how your Paddock Paradise is laid out (we can help to create one if necessary).

4) Supply a piece of footage showing the horses moving around the Paddock Paradise (but this is more on the wish list and not essential).

What you get in return:
1) Free advertising on our site for any services, website, blog etc that you wish to promote.

2) The sheer joy of knowing that our Paddock Paradise community is sharing details that will help others to maintain their Paddock Paradises and give other horse owners the knowledge, support and the confidence to try and create one for themselves.

If if you've got any questions or you're interested in taking part then please contact us at: naturalhorseresource@gmail.com or visit the discussion forum at: http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com/.

Thanks and we can't wait to hear from you!

NHR x

The Horse Forum - A Buzzing Online Community

2009-01-27T18:42:00.003+01:00

The Horse Forum is one of those rare gems that you find online. The subjects up for discussion are up to date and very wide ranging. They include: natural horsemanship training, equine health, riding critique, tack and equipment. The site also encourages its community to share in artwork, stories, articles and pictures.

The forum can boast an impressive number of users and has been known to have more than 350 users online at once. You are able to see who is online when you are and it even offers a chat function, should you wish to get in touch with another member that instant!

The Horse Forum is free to join and well organised. You can even add profiles for your horses so they really become part of the community too.

Click here to join and here to read the rules and announcements.

Petition to Allow Bitless Bridles in USEF Rated Competitions

2009-01-26T17:18:00.001+01:00

As more and more people are riding bitless, doesn’t it make sense that equine competitions worldwide should allow competitors to ride bitless too?

A petition, organised by newly-formed Academia Liberti, has been launched with the goal of collecting 10,000 signatures to support a rule change proposal for the discipline of dressage. This will be submitted to the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) in 2009.

The signatures will not only be used for dressage, but also to support similar rule change proposals for other disciplines and national federations.

The Academy have confirmed that the Federation will not consider any further proposals for two years following this, so it’s really important to sign now rather than later to show support.

The text accompanying the petition states:

“While bits have been a main piece of equipment for controlling horses for centuries, modern times have brought many new ways to communicate with horses that don't require bits, and national and international equine governing bodies should keep up with the new times.

Many people do not need bits to work with their horses, and they should not be required to use one in competition when they have found a better way for themselves. Collection is supposed to be free and not forced by the bit, so to make a bit necessary in matters of either communication or collection is contradictory to horse education ideals.”

To sign the petition, please click HERE or go to:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/allow-bitless-bridles-in-usef-rated-competitions

Paddock Paradise Site & Dedicated Online Community

2009-01-23T19:26:00.002+01:00

Is there an online community dedicated to Paddock Paradise where you can share your PP problems and solutions?

Happily the answer to this question is YES!

Click here to visit: http://paddockparadise.wetpaint.com.

After joining the site, members of this friendly community can upload images and video and take part in the horse boarding and feeding discussions.

Click here to see images and footage of members’ different Paddock Paradise set ups. To check out hay feeding solutions go to the slow feeder area where various ways of feeding hay, from small mesh nets to round bale options are demonstrated.

The more members this site has, the stronger the support network, so click here to view the registration page and join!

Check Out the American Hoof Association

2009-01-18T17:22:00.007+01:00

For our US-based readers who need a good barefoot trimmer, the first place you might start your search is the American Hoof Association website.

The AHA was started by Ivy and Pete Ramey and by clicking here you can pull up a page that will help you find US-based trimmers (it is organised by state).

However, whether you’re in the States or not, the AHA’s website is a great place to research US-based trimmers’ websites. Why? Because most include their website URL with their contact details and most of these sites contain information on the trimmer’s strategy, techniques and case studies.

The American Hoof Association does not ask its members to take expensive courses in order to qualify, not does it require a large application fee (it is just $100). What it does do is ask its trimmers to demonstrate their abilities and skills (with photographic and video evidence) and it certifies only when the trimmer has been peer-reviewed and when they have been “dazzled” by the trimmer’s performance, vision and ability.

Here are some examples of the sort of information you can find by taking yourself on a state by state journey (note that there aren’t trimmers listed for every state yet).

California-based Sossity Gargiulo is a newly-qualified AHA trimmer and offers trimming services as well as resources on hoof care and nutrition along with before/after trimming photos.

Triangle P Enterprises (“Patient, Persistant, Progressive”) is based in Wisconsin and is run by Chad Bembenek, who is also a founding member of the AHA. Chad’s website offers highly-informative case studies that cover the following: a setup trim, a Foundered Gelding, frog infection and white line disease.

Pat Wagner runs Heels First Landings and is based in Washington. Her blog is regularly updated with useful hoof care advice. As well as outlining her trimming services her website offers very valuable information on various subjects such as hoof care/anatomy and case studies.

You can read Pat’s answers to the top ten hoof care questions on The Natural Horse Resource by clicking here.

“The American Hoof Association champions hoof health and comfort for all domestic equines. Through education, peer-review, and support, we strive to unify equine professionals and promote awareness of the healthy lifestyle paradigm as the basis for improved hoof quality among horses.”

American Hoof Association - Mission Statement

Interview with a Barefoot Trimmer: Pat Wagner - American Hoof Association Member

2009-01-17T17:36:00.012+01:00

The following are Pat Wagner’s responses to the top ten hoof care questions asked by many horse owners who are considering barefoot soundness for their horses.
Pat Wagner is a twice-certified natural hoof care practitioner. Her journey into saving equine hooves started when her own mare could no longer tolerate the damaging affects shoes had on her hooves and spiralled into a life of pain and lameness for many months.

When she realised that traditional hoof care was no longer a viable method for keeping her horses sound, Pat travelled to Georgia to train with one of the foremost authorities on natural hoof care, Pete Ramey. Pat recommends Pete Ramey’s book, ‘Making Natural Hoof Care Work for You’, as well as articles found on his website and his latest DVD release ‘Under the Horse’.

Watch the clip below for a preview of Pete Ramey’s ‘Under the Horse’:

Since that time, Pat has spent over five years training with, and teaching, practitioners around the country and attending clinics with experts in their field such as Dr Robert Bowker, Professor of Anatomy and Director of the Equine Foot Laboratory at Michigan State University.

All their horses are barefoot sound now, so Pat and her husband Rich are busy rehabbing less fortunate horses at their farm, Rainier Hoof Recovery Center, in Washington State. Pat is currently a member of the American Hoof Association.

Before getting to the questions, we asked Pat if she had any introductory comments.

Pat: If we have a question about our horse’s hoof health and the response is a firm “yes” or “no”, we should ask someone else’s opinion or do our own research.

The correct response to nearly every hoof-related question is, “It depends…”.

Why is it critical for a horse's hooves to land heels first?
If you consider the biomechanics of the horse, you can understand why heel first landings are natural to the hoof in most instances.

A hoof landing correctly is critical to the tendons and ligaments of the horse’s lower leg. Of the horses whose hoof landing patterns are perpetually toe first, the tendons and ligaments are operating exactly backwards.

When horses climb hills, descend steep slopes or negotiate uneven terrain, their hooves will land how they need to in order to start their journey and arrive at their destination. So when we speak of perpetual landings, we are referring to hoof landings as horses traverse flat ground.

From the side, watch a horse walk past you. What you should see are front hooves coming down on the back of the hoof first (the heel). As the horse’s body moves over the hoof, the hoof will pitch down onto its sole, bringing the entire hoof into play. As the horse’s body moves over and past the hoof, it will break over the toe as it leaves the ground to prepare for the next heel-first landing.

That was my attempt at describing a healthy stride. Unfortunately, this isn’t the stride you will see on many domestic horses and certainly not often

on shod horses. If you do see heel-first landings on a shod horse, hang onto the farrier.

So you might be wondering what the big deal is about a hoof landing heel first? Maybe your horse lands toe first every stride, you ride her every day and she does just fine…or so you think.

Why don’t you try it yourself? Walk around for five or ten minutes coming down toe first on your foot then drop onto your heel. With every step you will begin to feel your calf muscles becoming tense and your tendons and ligaments will feel stressed. It is not painful, but even after a few minutes it is fairly uncomfortable and your legs will tire quickly. Now walk that way for a bit longer, out to your barn, as you move around to do chores.

Imagine being forced, because of improper foot wear, to walk around like that all the time!

When you switch back to landing on your heels first and roll over the ball of your foot, you can you feel the difference in your legs. Heel-first landings are much more comfortable. Am I right?

Toe first landings, for you, might be a great way to tone up your calf muscles, but horses do not have any muscles in their legs below the knee - it is all tendons and ligaments. I certainly wouldn’t be asking a horse to work hard for me if I knew his body mechanics were not functioning properly.

Imagine constant locomotion day and night with toe-first landings. Not just walking, but jogging and running and sending yourself, with someone on your back, over jumps. Ouch!

Horses whose hooves land chronically toe first are not truly sound. While they are working with backwards mechanics, those same horses are usually dealing with other defects in their hooves as well - such as run-under heels and long toes, which force an incorrect break over on their hooves. It is frequently these horses who are labelled navicular.

Horses live with this discomfort until it becomes painful. They live with the pain until they just can’t cope any more. This is when we begin to see chronic lameness for which we begin purchasing all sorts of pricey supplements until we retire the horse, or have it put down and go in search of a younger healthier horse - and the cycle goes on.

So, if you have a horse in chronic pain when it moves, and it’s a mystery to you, your farrier and your vet, one of the first things I would look at is how the hooves are landing.

What does the term “break over” mean?
When I arrive at a barn to trim a horse for the first time, whether it has been receiving pasture trims or whether shoes are removed, the most common problem the hoof has been living with its elongated toes. Typically, when toes run forward, the rest of the hoof (frog and heel) follow.

After toe-first landings, a long toe is the most common and damaging fault domestic horses live with.

To get a feel for what horses living with excessively long toes have to deal with, put on a pair of shoes or boots that are three or four sizes too big for you and wear them for a while.

A hoof with toes that are much longer than they should be cannot “break over” at the correct place.

One flawed tactic that many hoof care professionals use to correct long toes is to allow the heels to become long (high) in an effort to balance the hoof.

How do you compare natural trims to shoes and traditional trims?

A hoof is a progressive unit which has an amazing capacity to adapt to its environment. If you want to see your horse develop hooves that are comfortable on rocky terrain, bring rocky terrain into your horse’s environment. This doesn’t mean forcing a tender-footed horse to walk on rocks, but rather find ways to work up to a horse that is comfortable on the rocks.

The main point to remember is that the hoof changes and adapts to the conditions it lives in and works on. It is not an inanimate object, like something made up from a woody substance, as many perceive it to be.

A hoof horn is keratinised (hardened) protein, the same substance as your own fingernails. The hoof horn is attached to the coffin bone by two layers - epidermal (insensitive) and dermal (sensitive) laminae. These two layers of laminae are zipped together in a Velcro-like manner. Improper diet, neglect, injury and shoes can all have a negative impact on this lamellar attachment.

Horse shoes Nailing steel to a hoof causes a multitude of problems for the horse. Here follows a short list.

The shoe locks the internal structures of the hoof into the state it was in when the shoe was applied and takes the outer structures out of function.

The bars, sole and frogs will overgrow in a vain attempt to remain functioning by making impact with the ground. These elements of the hoof need intermittent (not constant) pressure for healthy circulation and to resist atrophy. Constant pressure kills living tissue, like that of a shoe nailed onto a hoof.

Each time a shod hoof lands, the concussion is more excessive than the horse’s anatomy was meant to withstand. A few good filmed examples of this can be found on You Tube.

The trimming method that has to be done on a hoof for the application of a shoe has to be different than a natural trim. There needs to be excess hoof wall to nail the shoe onto.

Traditional trims The main problem I see with traditional trimming methods is that very often hoof material, which should have been removed, is left behind, and hoof material, which should have been left behind, has been removed.

Backwards trimming methods won’t promote healthy, sound-on-gravel, bare hooves. So by design traditional trimming methods promote the necessity of horse shoes!

When leaving hooves deshod, a common trimming technique is to leave the bit of hoof wall length past the sole - the notion being that the extra wall length will replace the shoe.

That logic has always confused me. Why would we need to replace a shoe on a bare hoof? It’s not like the hoof was born with a shoe attached and we removed it so we need to put something in its place. Also, that particular trimming method causes some of the same issues that shoes cause for the hoof.

Incorrect trimming methods are directly responsible for the need for shoes - and shoes perpetuate the need for shoes.

What can we do to condition our horses’ hooves to riding barefoot?

Most of us still like to use a term “gravel crunchers”, which Pete Ramey coined, to describe the type of hoof that can traverse over any kind of terrain.

The horse owner who owns a gravel crunching horse is to be applauded for getting all the elements of a great bare hoof correct - diet, movement, environment and trims.

However, because we cannot expect all hooves to become sound on gravel at all times, we need to protect those horses from becoming sore footed on long rides over unforgiving trails, or even just being led around the barn.

Some horses live with conditions that promote a sound hoof, while other horses are not in a situation conducive to sound healthy bare hooves and likely will never be.

What then? Shoes? As of now, shoes are the most convenient apparatus, but my hope is if you go to shoes, you search for and find a certified farrier who understands the natural hoof and how to apply as natural a trim as possible that can be shod.

Again, look for that heel-first landing. Then seriously consider removing the shoes for at least part of the year.

Or consider alternative shoes, like the lightweight glue-on shoes.

Hooves adapt to their environment If you have a horse that lives in a stall on fluffy-deep shaving for the majority of its down time and you decide to pull the shoes and take off riding barefoot down a rocky trail, how well do you think that horse is going to do?

As dumb as that sounds, it has been tried. No wonder we hear comments like riding a horse barefoot on the trail is cruel. Yes, it is cruel in that scenario.

You have to help the hooves adapt to the environment you’re going to be riding it on. And no, that doesn’t mean forcing a tender-footed horse to walk on abrasive surfaces until it stops limping.

“Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up on soft bedding” Get those babies out of the stall! Get them into an area where they can move around over varied terrain - just like babies born in the wild. We’re seeing too many clubbed hooves on young horses. I believe a soft hoof being conditioned on soft footing is partly, if not completely, to blame for this condition.

Second, bring the gravel in and spread it around the areas your horse has to navigate every day, for example, in the gateways, around the water troughs, in the paddock and so on. If horses start out this way, it won’t have a negative impact on the hoof and cause sore feet.

What size gravel? Because you will want to keep your expensive gravel clean in order for it to do its job, the most important factor, regarding size, is that it’s small enough to drop through your manure fork. You won’t want to be tossing it out with the manure.

Generally, when we bring abrasive material into our horses’ living area, we need a plan. Don’t dump a truck load of gravel into your paddock in the rainy season only to see it swallowed up by mud. Wait until the ground is dry, then dig out the area and remove a few inches of soil that generally turns to mud and layer in different sizes of rock and gravel.

I always get asked about hog fuel. We’ve tried it. If you layer it deep enough it’s great for a year, maybe two, but as it decomposes, it creates another problem. Not to mention that you never know what you’ll find in hog fuel that could damage a leg or puncture a hoof or what chemicals could have soaked into such a diesel.

What do your recommend for protecting our horses’ bare hooves while riding on rocky trails?

Wouldn’t it be great if we could get a company like Nike to patent a truly perfect athletic shoe, or boot - one that is easy to put on and easy to remove? Marquis is the boot that comes as close to that description as I have found, but it still could use improvement.

There are glue-on hoof boots that many endurance competitors are using successfully, including the Marquis Glue on, by Stride Equus. And the EasyCare boots company has some great new products. One is the Easy boot Glove!

The glue-on type boots aren’t as apt to fly off or cause rubbing like the standard hoof boots, however, for the recreational rider, glue-on boots are not as easy to put on and remove as the regular hoof boots.

As more and more of us are going barefoot and expecting to ride on rocky trails and rugged terrain, the demand for manufacturers to get serious about providing us with a great boot may happen. However, for now, we have to use our best judgment when choosing hoof protection if we need it.

Since we must choose from the boots available to us now, it is important to understand that certain boots work better on hooves of different shapes. For instance, some boots will stay on an upright hoof better and without rubbing than others. So you have to experiment a little to find the right boot for your horse.

An interesting note is that a couple boot manufacturers are distributing identical boots under different brand names - exact same boot, different brand.

Are you opposed to ever putting shoes on a horse?

I’m opposed to ever putting shoes on my own horses. Most horse owners will tell you that shoes remain the most convenient type of hoof protection we can put on our horses today. That’s true, with the exception of the all-terrain barefooted horse that needs no protection.

Although it happens and often at the very worse times, there is less worry about the horse losing a horse shoe on the trail than a boot - and shoes don’t rub soft tissue. I get that. However, shoes do bruise the walls and soles of the hoof.

I couldn’t put shoes on my own horses, but I understand a rider’s situation and the convenience of horse shoes. There isn’t anything as good out there yet as a nailed-on shoe for carefree riding.

So, for summer riding, if your horse’s hooves are correct, sound and healthy, a few months spent in protective shoes applied by a certified farrier (check for that, certification is important and many are not) typically won’t destroy a horse’s hooves. But give them a rest out of the shoes for most of the year. Nearly every farrier reference book includes that statement.

Having said that, I have to explain that the type of shoeing I take issue with for many reasons is “corrective” shoeing. In my opinion, there just is NO SUCH THING as corrective shoes. If the hoof itself is incorrect, you cannot correct it with a shoe.

You may have a horse that doesn’t limp - for a while. I feel that most often hooves heal themselves in spite of the shoe, not because of it. I’ve dissected many cadaver hooves of horses that were put down wearing corrective shoes.

If a bare hoof isn’t sound, it won’t be sound shod - you just won’t see as much limping. If you’re going to shoe to ride, fix the hooves first.

There is something to bear in mind regarding the roulette of horse shoes. There is a large percentage of unqualified horse shoers in the field. Even the best farrier is going to have an off day. So consider the likelihood that at some point in time your horse will fall victim of a poor-quality shoeing job, just as my mare did.

I was given a valuable reining horse who was retired at the age of ten after coming lame from the shoes attached to his feet. He has never completely recovered and likely never will. For him, it took only one set of shoes to ruin his career and devalue him completely.

Is it true that on working barefoot horses, the hoof wall will wear off faster then a horse can grow it?
Yes and no.

Yes, that is true when the hooves are trimmed in the traditional manner and infrequently - leaving the walls longer than they naturally should be, allowing walls to flare, and cutting out live sole material.

In other words, on a flat, flared, incorrectly-trimmed hoof, which goes for two months between trims, the walls might wear faster than a horse could grow them, if you really used the horse hard. However, the horse would then probably develop split, chipped hooves and a pronounced limp long before it could wear the walls down.

And no! Hooves that are frequently and correctly trimmed, are not flat or flared, but are sound going into hard work, will typically not split, chip, or wear faster than the walls can grow. Healthy, well-trimmed walls can stand up to what wild horses test them on, which is much more severe in most cases than what the majority of us ride our horses on.

How often should hooves be trimmed?
One of the key differences between traditional hoof care and natural hoof care is the length of time between trims. The more frequently we can simulate natural abrasion of the hoof, the healthier the hooves.

If I could get to my horses and trim them as often as I’d like, the longest they would go between trims is three weeks. My customers who keep their horses on a four-week trim cycle are the ones always bragging about how well their barefoot horses perform on the rocky trails. However, five weeks between trims still works well for most horses.

Even pasture ornaments shouldn’t go past six weeks because that’s when we typically start to see stretched white lines, which will eventually lead to separation in the white lines. It is then that we see the hoof wall abscessing, white line disease and other issues. It takes a number of trims to get their hooves back to sound health.

If your horses are going eight to 12 or more weeks between trims, they are unlikely to ever develop sounds hooves. There are exceptions to that rule, as with all rules about horses and hooves - such as horses constantly on the move and living on terrain similar to that of wild horses. I’ve seen amazing hooves like this on trail horses in California wine country, but even they need a touch up now and then.

I have met one horse, over 20 years old, who never had her feet touched. Except for some flare in the lower half of her hooves, her feet functioned as well as she needed them to, roaming around her pasture. But typically, when a domestic equine’s hooves are left to their own devices for many months or years, there will be pain and extensive damage.

Do barefoot hooves seem to develop abscesses more often than shod hooves?
Hoof abscess are a conundrum. It sure seems like unshod horses are more apt to develop abscesses, but I don’t believe that is the case.

I hope to write a paper about hoof abscesses one day. They are a mystery and not much research has been done on that topic, so I’ll try to keep my thoughts on abscesses as brief as possible here.

There are as many theories about the cause of hoof abscesses as there are hooves that have been afflicted with them.

Diet is one possible cause and I believe that is true, but neglected hooves allow separation of the white line (access), which can lead to environmentally-induced abscessing, as well as constant pressure from shoes.

First, there are several locations where abscessing can take place in the hoof. One is inside the hoof wall. We’ve all seen those after they’ve worked their way up the laminae tissue and ruptured at the soft tissue of the coronet band. Separation of the white line (too many weeks between trims?) allows debris to work its way up the laminae, destroying both the dermal and epidermal layers in its path up to soft tissue where it bursts out.

Second is the sub solar abscess, which affects the solar papillae that attaches the sole to the coffin bone. When this type of abscess ruptures, often large sections of sole material will be lost and new sole will develop in its place, like a blister.

Thirdly is what I refer to as bar abscesses. These start under unkempt bars and will usually rupture near the heel bulbs or under the sole or throughout the entire hoof.

Interestingly, hooves frequently suffer from acute inflammation (laminitis) concurrently with abscessing.

As we discussed earlier, shoes tend to put the hoof into lockdown, so I believe a shod hoof can harbour an abscess or abscesses for long periods of time. I believe the reasons we commonly see abscessing in recently deshod hooves is that once released the abscesses are allowed to surface. That is just a theory.

What do you feel is a common trimming mistake that barefoot trimmers make?
Not addressing the bars correctly. Like the rest of the hoof, the bars adapt to the terrain on which the hoof is working and living as well as seasonal changes.

There have been a number of occasions where I’ve gone to trim a lame horse and all I’ve done is take down the bars and the horse walks off sound.

Bar trimming is very controversial. In the different natural hoof care camps there seem to be two extremes among the recommendations for trimming bars. One camp teaches students to cut the bars back radically into the live sole. The other camp teaches that we should never touch the bars.

I feel that both methods are flawed. If we take the bars too far back, we rob the horse of its most important horizontal and vertical support for the back of the hoof.

If we don’t ever touch the bars, they become elongated, puffy or flopped over onto the sole and the opposite problems arise.

Because the bars ARE the caudal support for hoof, if they are left unkempt long bars can lock the hoof into a situation where sole material is retained and the hoof capsule becomes elongated. I believe that overgrown bars can put undue pressure on the lateral cartilages, which can cause pain and therefore lameness. This could explain why taking the bars down to the live sole, not below live sole, can cause soundness in previously unsound horses.

Bars that have rolled over onto the sole are great places for hiding debris that will eventually cause abscessing. (Note: if your horse is popping abscess one after the other, especially out the back of the hoof, check the diet and the bar length.)

I feel, as trimmers, we need to avoid these two extremes of gouging out the bars, or leaving them untouched. We need to help the bars find their healthiest length for each hoof. When the bars arrive at their happy place, we will know and that’s when we should leave them alone.

Summary There are many more questions about the proper care of equine hooves than there are answers. I could easily have elaborated on the responses to the ten questions above to create many pages of text.

I believe that proper hoof care - and learning to trim a hoof naturally - is easy, but not simple. There is much more to keeping a hoof healthy than just the correct trim, but I believe the trim is the foundation for a healthy hoof. You can get every other aspect - diet, movement and environment - exactly right, but if the hoof isn’t being trimmed correctly, soundness may never be achieved.

So I ask you, how could Mother Nature have so completely dropped the ball with the horse and his hoof that we superior humans have the answer for where she messed up? Please believe me that there was no mistake in the hoof that was provided for the horse. It is a brilliant piece of anatomy. Our job is simply to assist the horse in maintaining their hoof soundness by making wise decisions regarding our horse-keeping practices.

“If a hoof isn’t sound barefoot, it isn’t sound.”

Pat Wagner, NHCP
Heel First Landings, Inc.
Rainier Washington

The Natural Horse Resource would like to take this opportunity to thank Pat for generously giving her time to produce such an amazing and informative interview.

Leading Safety Stirrup Devices

2009-01-16T12:56:00.016+01:00

Today our post is a response to an email from one of our readers, Emily in Bath (UK), who asked us to give an overview of effective safety devices for stirrups (we love readers getting in touch, so thanks Emily for contacting us about this important safety issue).

As many serious accidents result from being dragged after falling from your horse, there are many devices on the market, which are very affordable, that will ensure your foot breaks away from the stirrup in an emergency.

The Barnes Buckles, Smart Rider Breakaway Safety Stirrups and Toe Stoppers are some of the leading inventions on the market. An overview of each follows below.

Barnes Buckles

Barnes Buckles are made from marine grade stainless steel. They connect the stirrups to the stirrup leathers and are easy to attach.

While they can withstand 1,400kg of pressure, in the event of a fall they will break away at 6kg of pressure to prevent the rider from being dragged.

The cost for a pair is approximately £30 ($43) for the ‘standard’ model or ‘£35 ($51) for ‘professional’.

Distributors of the Barnes Buckle are found all over the world. Click here to find your local supplier.

Barnes Buckles can be also be purchased online from Horse and Harmony (H&H ships to Europe and ROW).

Smart Rider’s Breakaway Safety Stirrups

Smart Rider safety stirrups are available in ‘classic’ for English-style riding or ‘escape’ for Western and are designed by Australia-based SmartRider Pty Ltd.

While most of the distributors are Australia based, some will dispatch worldwide.

The price is approximately £55 ($80) or more depending on where you buy.

Online retailers include:

Freedom Rider (US-based but will ship worldwide)

James Saddlery (Australia-based but will ship worldwide)

Toe Stoppers
Toe Stoppers offer a dual function. Not only are they designed to stop the foot slipping through the stirrup to prevent dragging in a fall, but also to help the rider sustain the correct position in the stirrups.

Toe Stoppers come in various styles: ‘Equestrian’, ‘’Universal’, ‘Race’, ‘Western’ and ‘Endurance’.

Click here to see the difference between the various models.

The cost of Toe Stoppers is upwards of £30 ($43) - the price varies depending on where you buy.

Toe Stoppers are distributed all over the world, but here are some online outlets:

D and VW Shipway (UK-based).

Horse and Harmony (UK-based and ships to Europe and ROW).

Positively Riding (US-based and ships worldwide).

Everything 4 Equine (US-based and do not accept international orders).

If you have any questions or queries for NHR, then please email us at: naturalhorseresource@gmail.com.

Bitless Riding Resource: The Bitless Horse Association

2009-01-14T13:46:00.003+01:00

In an ideal world we would be riding our horses in perfect harmony: bitless, bareback and in a refined way at liberty. In reality we need to make small steps towards achieving these goals and focus on creating a harmonious partnership with our horse.

Some of us already ride bitless, for some the transition can be frightening because of a fear of a loss of control. Usually, however, this is a partnership and training problem. Some trainers, particularly Carolyn Resnick, suggest that if you create a strong bond with your horse on the ground the horse actually needs very little training because you are working together and as a result the control problem should be eradicated (her 'Waterhole Rituals' DVD demonstrates how to set about acheiving this bond).

For people interested in making the transition and finding out more about bitless riding The Bitless Horse Association is a forum that offers an informative and friendly community where fears and questions regarding riding bitless can be addressed and advice offered.

As well as bitless discussions, the forum also contains threads on saddles, barefoot horses, events and training.

Horse & Harmony's Barefoot Saddle Prices Set to Rise

2008-12-31T14:01:00.006+01:00

Here at NHR we’ve just ordered our belated Christmas present from the Horse & Harmony website for a Barefoot Cheyenne DryTex saddle (oh the excitement - and a bargain at £250).

For those based in the UK and Europe, we wanted to let everyone know that prices for Barefoot products are going to rise at Horse & Harmony soon into the new year due to the decreasing value of the British Pound against the Euro (the products are imported from Germany).

The Cheyenne DryTex saddle is available in brown and black in size one, but only in brown for size two. A complete package, including dressage leathers, Aerborn dressage girth and Grandeur saddle pad can still be bought for £382.25. Delivery to Europe comes in at £45. Delivery to Europe from the German-based Barefoot site is 20 Euros outside of Germany, so the saving you make by ordering from Horse & Harmony is still worthwhile.

For wide horses you will need to order the fibreglass pommel insert additionally and safety essentials like Barnes Buckles are also available as an extra with the package.

Other saddles available from the Barefoot section of the site, include: the London (10% off), Trailrider (30% off), Cherokee, Arizona, Atlanta, Cheyenne and the Nevada.

For more product information, email: info@horseandharmony.co.uk.

The Barefoot Cheyenne DryTex.

Cold Feet - How Horses' Hooves Survive in the Snow

2008-12-30T11:11:00.003+01:00

Many of us have experienced snow during this festive season and while in Europe it seems to have disappeared for the most part, in other parts of the world snow and freezing water challenges continue for many horse owners.

Although in Europe the snow meant that the ground has been harder and far better for the horses than the muddy fields, we wanted to find out more about whether our horses’ feet got cold and how their hooves adapt when the temperatures are particularly low.

While looking into this we found a recent blog post by Pat Wagner, certified Certified Natural Hoof Care, American Hoof Association Member (formerly AANHCP Certified Member), who answers our question via an email that she was recently sent from a friend.

Pat reports that horses have a shunt in the main vein at the back of their hoof, which shuts off the blood flow when the climate drops. It opens for a short period to allow warm blood to flow through to prevent the hoof from freezing completely. She also believes that if horses are shoed that this incredible hoof system wouldn’t be able to work as effectively with steel nails driven into it.

To read more visit her Do Horses’ Feet Get Cold in the Snow and to hear more from Pat, discover her Hoof Recovery blog.

I Go Barefoot Range Launched Today!

2008-12-26T16:04:00.005+01:00

Today is the official launch date of the Natural Horse Resource's I Go Barefoot range,which we first mentioned ten days ago on the site.

The range has developed for 2009 to raise awareness for the barefoot movement.

Today we have special offers running - from now until the new year - on the first five products that have been designed for the range in association with Cafe Press: a mug (£8.81), mouse mat (£8.81), magnet (£3.05), postcards (£5.42) and shopping bag (£10.85).

Please note that sterling prices will flucutate depending on the exchange rate with the US dollar and that clothing and other goods will be available early on in the new year.

To purchase any items from this range you will need to visit the Natural Horse Resource shop at Cafe Press (http://www.cafepress.com/naturalhorses).

If you would like further information, please contact us at: naturalhorseresource@gmail.com.

The I Go Barefoot mouse mat is now available at:

http://www.cafepress.com/naturalhorses

Natural Horse Magazine - Enjoy a Great Read

2008-12-18T13:05:00.009+01:00

We have recently featured an interview with Stina Herberg on the Natural Horse Resource following a post about Carolyn Resnick's training methods through her 'waterhole rituals'.

Both Carolyn and Stina are featured in the latest issue of Natural Horse, which is available to read online.

The first part of the article is from Stina's perspective - how she came to rescue her seven horses and what it took to be able to connect with them - despite them resisting her bond and being 'distant' - with Carolyn's guidance and support.

Carolyn goes on to tell, from her point of view, how Stina developed the relationship with her horses by following her advice as per the waterhold rituals and offers her thoughts on the process.

Natural Horse is available in print and online. The online subscription starts at $5.95 for 90 days and a six-month subscription is $9.95. Click here for more details.

This month also includes Frank Bell's advice on how to back up your horse effectively, Deanne Stillman (author of 'Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West') speaking about the possible nonsensical decision from the US government to euthanase 30,000 wild horses and a useful overview from veterinarian Dr Ivana Ruddock on how to keep your male horse's private parts healthy!

Interview with a Horse Owner: Stina and Her Caribbean Herd

2008-12-07T18:50:00.015+01:00

Stina Herberg lives on the small island of St Vincent overlooking the Caribbean sea. In January 2007 she rescued seven horses who were wild and abandoned each offering up its own unique challenges and problems. Now she works with them at liberty due to the incredible connection and partnership she has created with them.

Stina’s natural horse keeping journey began many years ago and in this interview she very generously shares where her influences came from and why she chooses to keep her horses bitless, barefoot and in a natural environment.

Two of Stina’s inspiring films, are viewable in this post, but to find out more about Stina and see more of her films, please click on the following link, which will take you to Stina's You Tube profile.

How long have you owned horses and who’s in your herd?

I had horses as a hobby for many years; I had some horses in Denmark and Norway and now in the Caribbean.

How did you find out about natural horsemanship and what made you want to try it?

I had a wonderful Andalusian mare that did not want to gallop right hand in the western lessons, she only wanted to gallop left hand - the teacher said I should kick her. I wanted to kick him instead and walked out of the lesson, wondering how the Indians ride their horses with no tack, no force. My Evita wanted to gallop as I asked her, she just could not go on both sides at the time.

Is there any natural horsemanship style that you follow more than others?

Yes – Mark Rashid, Carolyn Resnick, NHE, Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling and especially Carolyn Resnick.

What NH study guides or training sessions have you paid money for?

Oh many, I did some wonderful lessons with Maiken Steen in Denmark, she does clicker training, which really opened my eyes.

How often do you work with your horses and for how long each time?

Daily for between one and two hours.

When did you decide to go barefoot with your horses (or were they already barefoot)?

When I finally managed to get veterinarian and scientist Dr Oestblom, who is famous for his film on the wild mustangs (shown on National Geographic and Discovery), to look at my Evita’s hooves.

What made you want to keep your horses barefoot?

The new education I got, for example fixing hooves with iron shoes can destroy your horse.

Can you describe the environment your horses live in and why it works for you and your horses?

Now my horses go in self trim – you can see it here on this video:

Can you tell us what you feed your horses and why?

Grass and bananas, quite unusual, as probably that is not available to the readers on this nice website. Where I live we also run a banana farm and the horses eat the bananas we cannot sell. In Denmark I fed my horses hay, grass and minerals, sometimes Aloe Vera, Flax seeds, garlic and olive oil too.

Where do you shop online to buy your NH equipment?

I get it for free or second hand on E-bay. This horse commercial shopping circus is sick, so I signed out of that a long time ago. You know when the saddle blanket has to match your shirt, what are we concerned about? Ourselves and our looks, or the horse?

What online resources do you use to help you?

Carolyn Resnick’s blog - the best blog with advice I have seen so far: www.carolynresnickblog.com.

What other resources do you use to help you – books, DVDs?

Carolyn Resnick books and DVDs, also get Linda Kohanov, NHE and Jaime Jackson stuff.

Please tell us about one or more of your breakthroughs with the horses?

Playing with my herd in the rain into the dark, fortunately it was filmed, see it here:

Please tell us about one or more games you play with your horses?

See the video from question 13 and you can see the game – it is to follow, to move away, to stop, to pay attention and to keep eye contact. All inspired by Carolyn Resnick’s waterhole rituals.

Any further thoughts on natural horsemanship or natural horse boarding that would be useful for other people wanting to learn more about keeping horses naturally?

Yes, here is my advice.

You walk out to your horse; does your horse want to be with you?

Take all the tack away, use a big field to train and play with your horse.

Does your horse stay with you?

Does your horse come to you?

Does the cooperation you have with your horse feel good in your heart?

If not, learn more, it is possible - you can also get there.

The keyword is ‘time’.

Carolyn Resnick’s Natural Horse Training System

2008-12-05T17:48:00.003+01:00

With some training methods and techniques placing so much emphasis on a formula that can often seem inflexible, Carolyn Resnick’s natural horse training offers a fresh and different approach.

Outlined in her book ‘Naked Liberty’, Resnick recommends throwing out all demands and strong direction in favour of doing small things. Spontaneity and creativity are cited as essential and she believes that hanging out with your horse for an hour a day to develop your skills is crucial. Practising ‘reciprocal movements without expecting any performance,’ she says, is the way to begin and training should only take place when the horse is willing to listen and respond positively.

The ‘Waterhole Rituals’ DVD is available through her blog site and is described as the starting point for the journey with your horse. Her ‘Liberty Training’ DVD is soon to be available and an excerpt from this film can be seen below.

Resnick, who believes she can train a horse faster without tack that with describes tack as the equivalent of taping a human’s mouth up – a horse cannot speak so reacts through body movement, so if he can’t move then how can he show you his response to your instruction?

Carolyn’s effective communication techniques help horse owners worldwide to create close bonds and inspiring partnerships with their horses.

Below is footage of horse owner Stina Herberg’s herd responding to techniques inspired by Carolyn’s methods. Her system has enabled Stina to connect with her herd of rescued horses and work at liberty, even though some were initially aggressive and difficult to handle.

Click here to be directed to Carolyn Resnick’s blog and to find out more about Stina Herberg and her Caribbean-based herd, please check out Stina’s You Tube profile.

Horse Play - That's the Equi-Spirit

2008-11-27T19:09:00.002+01:00

If you’ve got any cash left over to buy your herd something special for Christmas then why not consider investing in some horse toys.

Equine Whispers has got the Equi-Spirit balls - both soccer and smiley face versions - in stock and deliver worldwide. A 25” ball is priced at £55 and a 40” ball at £95.

If you were in any doubt as to whether horses actually enjoy playing with Equi-Spirit balls then look no further - this film of Fresian stallion Midnight Tango says it all:

For more information visit the Equine Whispers website or call 01545 580708.

Natural Horse People - Useful Online NH Resource

2008-11-26T18:38:00.003+01:00

Natural Horse People is a very valuable resource founded by Sam Mignano that nurtures a community of horse owners following the NH path.

The best part of this site is that it offers a community forum for horse owners to share their problems with experts, which are then answered personally by professionals across all areas of horse care, including: hoofcare, dentistry, nutrition, behaviour and communication.

Discussions between members include subject matters such as the various types of treeless saddles (and users' experiences), bitless bridles and this area also offers access to locked archives (from previous forum discussions) on topics such as clicker training, holistic health and trimming approaches.

You have to become a member to join and to post questions yourself, but membership is free.

Barefoot Endurance Horses

2008-11-25T20:17:00.002+01:00

Whether or not it’s possible to keep your horse barefoot if you compete can be a difficult question to answer.

As more and more horses are managing to make the transition and stay barefoot - even endurance horses travelling over 100km in a day - we will publish their stories on NHR so that barefoot success stories, theories, challenges and inspiration can be shared.

Today’s story comes from Les Spark at Free ‘n’ Easy saddles and profiles Jasper, a barefoot Arab, who manages to remain barefoot over long distances during endurance competitions, on hard ground without laming out.

Please click here to read the PDF, where Les shares his detailed research into the barefoot horse and how he went about relating this to Jasper’s feet.

Parelli Power - New NH Course Launched in UK

2008-11-24T19:31:00.001+01:00

City & Guilds has joined forces with Parelli to create a new qualification in natural horsemanship. October saw the candidate guide and learner’s guide published on the NPTC website.

While some criticise Parelli’s marketing might, to impact the UK’s education system in such a way demonstrates not only Parelli’s power, but also its ability to spread awareness for natural horsemanship on a worldwide scale.

The Foundation Certificate in the Theory Behind Natural Horsemanship contains three core units: ‘horsenality’, ‘the seven games’ and ‘safe ride’. The qualification can be achieved by completing a multiple choice paper at an official assessment day held at Parelli’s Stoneleigh Park offices.

To find out more about the course:

Freefone: 0800 0234 813
Phone: +44 (0)2476 692 888
Fax: +44 (0)2476 692 889
Email: uk@parelli.com

Paddock Paradise Series on NHR

2008-11-20T19:59:00.003+01:00

The Natural Horse Resource is looking to write a series of articles based on Paddock Paradise.
Each article will cover a unique Paddock Paradise and the creator's personal experience - the challenges, the triumphs and observations.

Why? Because we’re trying to create an informative community for horse owners. A place where people can learn about Paddock Paradise, how they could make the model work for them and their horses through reading about other people’s real life Paddock Paradises – and it helps to share the problems as well as the achievements!

If you think you would like to contribute (even in a very small way), then we would be delighted. Please contact NHR at: naturalhorseresource@gmail.com and include ‘Paddock Paradise’ in the subject field.

Straight from the Trainer’s Mouth: Standing for Spray

2008-11-20T19:40:00.004+01:00

If you had to go through the summer with a horse that wouldn’t accept you spraying fly repellent on him (no doubt you had to use fly liquid instead), then why not wash and refill the bottle with water and spend the winter making sure that by the time the warmer weather comes you’ll have a calm horse who is happy to stand contentedly while you spray away.
Comprehensive advice from John Lyons on getting your horse used to fly spray can be found on www.myhorse.com. His technique includes giving the horse cues to follow, sacking out and giving confidence to the horse so that you can spray the air without him objecting and then eventually his body. Click on the link to read the Stand for Fly Spray article.

Monty Roberts has a selection of incredibly useful training films on his website that you must register to use - but it’s free to do so. By clicking on this ‘Spooky Water’ link you will be able to watch Monty’s technique as he gets a pony used to a water spray. His theory centres on not allowing the pony to control the person - the hissing sound has become his cue to do so.

Sylvia Scott replies to a letter on her Natural Horse Training about a 25-year-old mare who hates anything that sprays. Her advice starts with desensitising the horse with a plastic bag and gradually moves through various stages of advance and retreat spraying so that that horse gets used to it happening in the air around him and then eventually on him. Click here to read Sylvia’s spray training tips.

If you have any tips that you can share on getting horses to stand for the dreaded hissing spray then please send them in and we will post them on NHR. Please email: naturalhorseresource@gmail.com with ‘Standing for Spray’ in the subject field.

Help Backing Your Horse

2008-11-17T16:24:00.005+01:00

You decide you’re going to buy a horse.

You know it has to be ‘right’ for you and this includes having a befitting personality and being trained appropriately.

And so you come home smitten with a horse that longed for a home and that needs to be backed. Hmmm, what next?
This is a familiar story from so many horse owners all over the globe. While working with professional trainers on backing your new herd member is the ideal scenario, the reality of time and finances means that often you will have to work with the horse yourself. Knowing where to start and what exercises to take your horse through to make him or her safe can be confusing.

While the NHR team was searching for useful internet resources on how to back a horse we came across NH trainer Aeron Mack’s series of films for her show ‘Flip That Horse’. This programme takes a rescued horse from a market or auction and goes through a process of rehabilitation and training so that the horse can have new life in a new home.

The film shows Aeron with two and a half year old Sundance - who wasn’t even halter broken - going through a series of training: leading, sacking out, saddling, mounting, de-spooking and trailer loading.

What is most incredible about this is that these episodes are free to view and she has even included footage where things don’t go quite right. In episode nine Sundance spooks after Aeron mounts her, the saddle slips and she has to let herself fall.

Here at NHR we’re really grateful to Aeron for her honesty. When we watch our home study guides and try and follow them, it’s never as easy as it looks! Your horse can behave unexpectedly and this can be scary as well as confidence sapping. Not to mention that you can have days where you wonder if you’ll ever get it right (and then you have one of those breakthrough days and you realise why you’re working on a partnership with your horse).

It is encouraging to see that even experienced trainers can encounter difficult situations and by allowing access to the film she is confident enough in her own skills to help others to learn by her mistakes - this is really valuable and something that many trainers wouldn’t allow us to see.

To view the first episode, please press play on the film below.

To view the rest of Aeron’s ‘Flip That Horse’ series, click on the following link, which will take you to Aeron Mack’s ‘Flip That Horse’ section of her Natural Horsemanship blog site.

Friday Inspiration from Lorenzo

2008-11-14T13:58:00.008+01:00

For most of us the weekend means less work and more time with our horses. It is for this reason that Fridays on NHR will aim to post something inspiring, which reminds us that a symbiotic relationship with our horses is entirely possible.

Today has brought a film clip from Lorenzo, the 'Flying French Man' and his Camargue horses. To see this for real, his next performance is at the 'Night of the Horses' in Germany on 5th and 6th December at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds.

Have a successful weekend!

NHR

Why Feed Your Horse Hay from the Ground?

2008-11-12T17:03:00.009+01:00

We know that our horses need a high percentage of hay in their diet and evidence that we should be feeding hay from the ground is gaining more and more momentum. As natural boarding/‘Paddock Paradise’ environments are implemented, working out the least time consuming, yet healthiest way, to feed your horses hay can be difficult. NHR will be covering this subject in more detail over time, but here's a start and some links to useful online sources.
There are many questions surrounding how hay should be fed to our horses, including why horses should be fed from the ground, how hay can be fed at ground level without wastage, how to keep it dry from the rain and how to best avoid the increased prospect of worm infestation.

Why feed your horse from the ground?
It is a well-known fact that horses are designed to graze from between 12 to 18 hours each day. Joe Camps, author of the acclaimed ‘Soul of a Horse’ explains in the following film, ‘Why Our Horses Eat from the Ground’, how the horse has been designed, through evolution, to eat with its head down.

At the Progressive Horse, a website from certified barefoot practitioners Ross and Mel Barker, the nutrition page explains why horses should be fed hay from the ground and also offers an inexpensive and effective solution to ground-level hay feeding.

Hay Feeders on the Market
Ground Level Net
The Heunetz.de website offers various sizes of a robust hay net designed for natural boarding stables and pasture. The company has created mesh sizes between 60 and 70mm after running tests and finding that anything under 60mm and anything over 70mm is ineffective.

Big Boy Hay Feeder

The Swedish Hoof School has designed a hay feeding product that keeps the hay dry. It is a move from traditional hay feeders with large mesh squares, which they cite as ‘founder traps’. Images of the Big Boy Hay Feeder can be found here on the website.

Hay Hutch
The Hay Hutch does not incorporate mesh in its design, but it is made of tough polyethylene and can contain enough hay to last several days, which reduces chore time. They come in three sizes and the large one can feed five to six horses at a time.

Duplessis Horse Feeder
Watch the film here on You Tube that demonstrates difference between old hay bale feeders and why the Duplessis model is an effective alternative (it claims to save 30% hay). The product has distributors in North American and Europe. Click here to view the website.

Hay Pillows
In the interest of economy, hay nets stuffed with hay and placed in the paddock can be a good way to feed hay to your horse from the ground - although it may not be appropriate in certain weather conditions. Watch this film on You Tube to see a horse eating from a hay ‘pillow’. Click here to view it.

Please check out the various hay feeders on our 'Suppliers' page for more ideas on how to feed hay to your horses.

If you have any comments, suggestions or ideas on hay feeding from the ground - please post a comment or email us at: naturalhorseresource@gmail.com.

Nine Ways to Help Avoid the Reality of Horse Slaughter from the Credit Crunch

2008-11-10T19:31:00.013+01:00

Everywhere you read news at the moment, whether it’s local or national, there is no end of articles talking about the credit crunch, falling house prices and rising grocery bills. Of course really we’re all very lucky in that while we tighten our belts in the West, in other parts of the world it is about survival. Unfortunately it has also become about survival for many of our equine friends where in many cases luck just doesn't seem to be playing a starring role. Frances Penwill-Cook takes a closer look at the latest news and how we can help reduce our horse care budgets.
The press, both local and national, have been flooded with stories about horse owners, no longer able to afford their horses, contacting horse charities and sanctuaries in a bid to relieve their financial burden. The result of this sudden surge has meant that many rehoming and rehabilitation centres are bursting at the seams.

The Bournemouth Echo reported how the Happy Horses Centre had received its highest volume ever and is up to capacity with 27 animals. “In the past three weeks I’ve had 14,” says David Craig. “It’s only since the credit crunch all this has started. People have lost their jobs or are in fear of losing their jobs.”

Sky.com has reported that the Blue Cross has had 20 to 30 calls in the last month asking for help.

The BBC website reports how Juanita Wilson, who runs Mossburn Animal Centre near Lockerbie has been offered one horse every two days since July and the Horse Trust receiving over 500 enquiries about having their horses rescued or rehomed.

The reality of putting horses on the open market could mean securing a date with the meat man and as a result horse owners are being advised from under-resourced charities - including the Horses Trust, which is at full capacity with 100 horses (as reported in The Telegraph) - that the kindest thing to do could be to have the horses humanely shot rather than neglect them. This is also reflected in an article on the This Is Britsol website (from Western Daily Press).

Unfortunately euthanasia is an expensive procedure and at somewhere between £300 and £600 often this isn’t a sum that the owners can afford.

Lack of funds for euthanasia means the horse is paying the highest price.

As our and the horses’ living expenses rise, what can we do on these tight budgets to make sure our horses are happy and that we hang onto them?

Below are some ideas - please send in comments and suggestions for more money-saving ideas for horse ownership. The more horses we can keep off the open market and out of rehoming centres the better.

Wormers
Try buying online. EVS Direct offer an excellent service and very competitive prices.

Feet
Spend some time watching friends who trim their horse’s feet themselves or ask to watch a specialist so you can learn how to do it yourself. Get advice, use the internet and build up a support network so that you can share your results and get feedback. It makes sense financially in the long term to invest in some gloves, a rasp, hoof knife and nippers and equip yourself to take care of this aspect of your horses’ wellbeing. There is lots of advice and case studies to be found on the ‘Barefoot’ section of this blog resource.

Paddock Equipment
If you need fencing equipment try and buy second hand (from Ebay) or from reasonably-priced online stores like Agrisellex, who are very efficient and will deliver orders over £65 for free.

Shelters
Use the materials you have around you. A tarp roof will keep the rain off and wooden panels constructed between trees will work as a wind breaker. It's not perfect, but it's better than spending £1,000 on one that's constructed for you, and right now the cheaper the better.

Lessons
Stop taking lessons for a while and work on other areas with your horse. Borrow a friend’s home study course or use some of the resources available online from trainers’ websites (there are links in the ‘Techniques’ section of this site). Create exercises and work on improving the communication and bond with your horses to take the pressure off riding and paying for lessons for a little while.

Water
There seems to be no absence of rain, so it might be worth implementing a rain-collection drum to collect and recycle rainwater to fill your horse’s trough. These instructions on Wikihow on how to build a rainwater collection system could be adapted and a bigger drum implemented so that some of your horse’s drinking needs could be met at a lesser cost.

Feed (general)
It sounds really obvious, but often we get fixated on what we’re feeding and resist change. If it’s going to help save money and allow you to keep your horse on, then it’s worth changing brands and considering different, cheaper alternatives.

Hay
Again it sounds really obvious, but it’s worth asking around to try and negotiate free or cheaper delivery with your supplier. Maybe you could also find a kind friend or neighbour who can help you to get the bales delivered. Avoiding large delivery charges is the goal here.

Oats
Feeding whole oats to your horse is not only nutritious and recommended by barefoot specialists, but they are one of the cheapest feeds on the market and full of benefits for your horse. They contain antihistamine properties so can also help with conditions like Sweet Itch (so if you have a SI sufferer feeding oats can also help you to save money), they are easily digested and have 7% oil content. In addition, because they need chewing, they’re also good for the horses’ teeth – so also help to keep those dentist’s bills down. Finally horses love ‘em (especially steamed or soaked)!

Interview with a Horse Owner: Frances on Being Kerwhapped

2008-11-06T15:02:00.044+01:00

Frances lives in the Lot, in South-West France and was the driving force behind the creation of Natural Horse Resource. She's the first to be interviewed and hopes that other horse owners will be happy to be interviewed too as it will help other people on their natural horsemanship journey.

How long have you owned horses and who’s in your herd?

I’ve owned two horses since February 2008. I have a six-year old Breton mare called Olga and a six-year old Appaloosa gelding called Oscar.

How did you find out about natural horsemanship?

I moved to France last year from London and had always dreamed of owning horses. The move to France was part of a desire to lead a different life and make a more relaxed life in the countryside a reality – and horse ownership a reality.

I also wanted to help rescue horses and was considering doing a degree in equine rehabilitation. I discovered Phoenix Rescue Centre and went to visit last December and that’s when I met Letje Visser who runs the horse adoption side of Phoenix. She introduced me to her herd and the horses she had available for rescue. That’s when I met Oscar and Olga for the first time.

Letje has been like mentor to me. She lent me Jaime Jackson’s Paddock Paradise, James R Rooney’s The Lame Horse and a Parelli level one kit. She encouraged me to think about horse care in a non-traditional way. She showed me some Parelli play with one of her horses and he was moving around just to her hand signals and focusing on her movements and body language.

They were communicating in a way I had never seen between a human being and a horse before. I was so inspired and it was like nothing like I had ever previously experienced. I was determined to open my mind and try and achieve the same things with my horses.

When did you decide to go barefoot with your horse?

When I first saw Oscar and Olga they were both barefoot. Oscar was lame and had an ulcer in his front right hoof and Olga was making the transition from shoes to barefoot. Having lived in the UK all my life and spent most horse-related time riding in riding schools or at livery yards, I had never heard of natural horsemanship or of riding bitless, treeless and I never knew that shoes could be so damaging to a horse - I just thought all horses had to have shoes.

The way I felt after spending time with Letje was very similar to the moment Joe Camp describes on his Soul of a Horse website after he read an article about why horses should be barefoot in a magazine.

The following extract is taken from a magazine and is posted on his website:

"'Did you know that a horse's hoof is supposed to flex with every step taken? And that simple act of flexing is just about the most important thing a horse can do for good health and long life?

The flexing provides shock absorption for the joints, tendons and ligaments in the leg and shoulder; acts as a circulatory pump for hundreds of blood vessels in the hoof mechanism; and helps the heart get that blood flowing up the leg.

Without flexing, the hoof mechanism will not have good circulation and will not be healthy. And the heart will have to work harder to get the blood back up the legs. Without flexing, there will be no shock absorption.

And with a metal shoe nailed to the hoof, no flexing can occur.'

Kerwhap! I was slapped right in the face with a piece of indisputable logic.

How insensitive to my intertia."

Kerwhap indeed!

Well, Letje kerwhapped me and after I’d settled in a little with Oscar and Olga she taught me how to barefoot trim and my husband and I have been doing it ever since.

What makes you stay barefoot?

Having seen Oscar’s feet improve considerably over the last ten months and having read and researched information on keeping horses barefoot - most of this information can be found here on the barefoot section of this site - I would never wish to shoe my horses.

There are many success stories now about horses that can be ridden an incredible distance barefoot without any problem. Here’s a particular case study that I love from Curly Horse Country.

I have also have Jaime Jackson’s Horse Owner’s Guide to Natural Hoof Care and The Natural Horse, both are incredible books that have inspired me to stay barefoot and to understand how to keep my horses barefoot myself.

What made you decide to try natural horsemanship out?

After Letje opened my eyes it was like a whole new world opening up before me. It was inspiring, but it was also confusing because I had to almost forget what was familiar and try and learn a different way. It has been challenging, but I feel like ten months later I understand where I am and where I need to go. The bond with my horses is improving day by day, which is really exciting.

I created our own Paddock Paradise, which was working well, but there were some issues because spreading enough hay out around the track so that they had enough to eat, but also to encourage movement and ‘eat and go’ was very time consuming and meant my day was dominated by this.

As we are on the side of a valley our PP slopes and as it has rained alot we had to move them onto a field in the middle because the track was very dangerous and it became an accident waiting to happen. We’re currently working out what to do next. We may unfortunately have to abandon PP during the winter and bring it back for the dryer months.

Is there any natural horsemanship style that you follow more than others?

I started off doing Parelli and found that Olga struggled with this. We made some progress and then did a couple of sessions with a fantastic Monty Roberts trainer (Jo Bond) who did join-up on Olga and showed me how to long rein Oscar. Oscar needs to be backed I’ve ridden him a couple of times, but not for long. I’m taking my time with this as I haven’t done it before and want to get it right. I didn’t feel as though he was really ready to be ridden and so we’re focusing on ground work, desensitisation and improving our trust and communication with each other.

Recently I decided to work out their personality profiles as per Parelli’s Horsenality. Oscar is a left-brained extrovert (dominant, pushy and playful) and Olga is a left-brained introvert (confident, easily bored and aggressive if pushed too hard). I think this will really help me to understand how to deal with them all uniquely and to understand more about how to progress our relationship. I am always looking for new ways of playing and communicating with the horses and into various NH styles.

I haven’t found one way yet that I’m happy to commit to 100%.

Where do you shop online to buy your NH gear?

I bought our equipment from the US, which had interesting importing issues as we’re in France, but I have no complaints about its quality. We still use it now and if people are happy to order from the States I would recommend these suppliers: Silver Dollar Quarter Horses for our halters, rope hackamores and carrot stick and High Ridge Ranch for our Cashel soft saddle.

What online resources do you use to help you?

As the desire to create this online resource has come from a need to consolidate information that is informative and inspiring to people who want to learn more about natural horsemanship, some of my favourite resources can be found via the navigation bar on the home page.

There are so many more I still need to include, but as this is a new resource the pages will just become more and more populated over time - especially once people start recommending sites to us.

I hope the Natural Horse Resource will become the best place to discover NH information and new directions.

What NH study guides or training sessions have you paid money for?

I was really fortunate that Letje could lend me the Parelli Level One home study guide. She’s probably wondering when she’s going to get it back, but I’m still working through it. I had to take a break over the summer for health reasons and then was working on other areas like desensitisation with Oscar, so I will incorporate some more Parelli again between now and Christmas. I always try and watch the Horse and Country channel on Sky (280) and Parelli’s NEC shows when it’s possible.

Please tell us about one of your training breakthroughs?

I had a problem in that Oscar and Olga were very pair bonded. When I took Olga out of the field Oscar would go crazy. He would make such a fuss that Olga would not want to go forward out of sight from him and on top of that she was nervy and unhappy about us going anywhere alone. She was extremely stubborn and opinionated and I just didn’t feel safe.

She was also fairly unhappy about leaving Oscar when I walked her out alone on foot and I wondered how I was going to get to the stage I’d wanted so badly of being able to ride out alone.

Our communication improved through doing more ground work and we had more of a partnership going on. I started to walk her out and then ride her out a little bit more each day, step by step.

One day we were waiting for a new riding friend to come and do our first proper ride out with us, but she didn’t turn up and I figured she couldn’t find our house. I could either wait or ride towards the village by myself to see if I could locate her. I decided on the latter. That was such a big deal for us. I remember feeling really nervous but determined. We set off and made it nearly all the way to the village (3 kilometres) on the road and back. There were things Olga was wary of, crazily-barking dogs, flocks of ducks, smoke, cars and a motor scooter, but she was so brave and we had the most amazing time together. I was really proud of her - and us - and so in the end I was actually rather glad that my riding friend didn’t turn up that day!

Reasons to be Bitless

2008-11-05T20:15:00.011+01:00

Riding bitless is catching on and traditional designs of bitless bridles are being redesigned and improved upon by a new generation.
If you're already bitless then you should find these resources inspiring and if you're considering going bitless then this should be useful information for your thought process.

Reading
The Soul of a Horse on Bitless
Joe Camps's (The Soul of a Horse author) testamonial on why you should go bitless.

Aeron Mack - Why Bitless is Better
Aeron Mack, the trainer behind Flip That Horse offers her thoughts on why bitless is better. This link also includes an inspiring film on what you can achieve bitless.

Cynthia Cooper - Bitless Bridles

Natural horsemanship trainer at Natural Horse World explains why bitless bridles are best for horses.

Nurtural Horse - Bitless Bridles
Zoe Brooks who is behind Nurtural Horse has a very informative page here that shows, through diagrams, the history of the bitless bridle along with how her the nurtural no-bit bridle functions that is being sold on the Nurtural site.

Film
Horse Inspiration - riding bitless and bareback
Beautiful and inpspiring film from Horse Inspiration watching Karin van Rooijen on her Fjord Tiola riding bitless and bareback.

Please note that as this is a new resource, we are just at the beginning and these pages are going to be continually updated with new and exciting online resources.

Links to sites featuring bitless bridles can be found in the NHR suppliers section.

Straight from the Trainer’s Mouth: De-spooking

2008-11-05T16:22:00.008+01:00

Whatever is causing your horse to spook, desensitising your horse is a necessity or a dangerous situation could result.

The sudden and fearful ‘uh-oh’ feeling is one that can be avoided if we equip our horses with enough confidence, trust and information to deal with the situation in a safe and controlled manner.

How to go about this yourself is generously described in the following articles taken from professional trainers’ websites. By following their advice you have the basic knowledge and tools to start the desensitising process with your horse yourself.

Frank Bell, in his article ‘Fine Art of De-Spooking’, describes ways in which you and your horse can work as a team and recommends deliberately finding something scary to work through together so that your horse knows he can trust you in times of trouble. This article can be found here on his Horse Whisperer website and also includes tips on how to desensitise your horse during a trail ride.

On her Natural Horse Training website, Sylvia Scott replies to a question from a lady with a five-year-old gelding who was jumping (forwards, backwards or sideways) on hearing or seeing something new. An incredibly informative and useful resource, this reply from Sylvia offers a very detailed step-by-step approach on how to further desensitise your horse through the use of plastic bags - firstly on the ground and then in the saddle.

When you see a police horse cope with crowds, riots and emergency situations you know that it wasn’t born equipped to deal with this chaos. It is clear that someone has spent time desensitising the horse. Mary Hamilton is a mounted police woman running the Riders Elite Academy. She devises customised training programmes, based on the training methods used to train police horses, that deal largely with mount obedience and despooking.

You can click here to read her article on how to use sensory training to desensitise your horse. She has also appeared briefly on Horse Sense Radio (click here to listen), explaining how she is always listening to her horse and reading each moment of a situation in order to correctly manage her horse’s reactions.

Find Out About the Natural Horse Resource

2008-11-03T13:22:00.009+01:00

NHR is a new resource with the goal of becoming the online reference for natural horse keeping. There is a wealth of knowledge available on the internet and NHR will locate, investigate and publish helpful and informative online resources to assist you with the natural boarding and training of your horses.
Background
The idea behind the Natural Horse Resource was born through the need to bring the theory and practicalities of natural horsemanship to people who are on a budget.

The site was created by horse enthusiast and writer/journalist Frances Penwill-Cook, who having experienced 'traditional' horse keeping all her life had her world transformed when she rescued two horses in France and was taught about natural horse keeping. It all made so much sense! Some of her encounters with this pair can be found at her personal blog site France and the Unknown.

Committed to the idea of natural horsekeeping, she needed to find out more and make it work according to her tight ("I've just bought a house and rescued two horses") budget. Along this journey of trial and error she found that there were many informative treasures on the internet that could help her - so she decided to share them with others as she thought it might help them too - as well as interview barefoot trimmers, trainers and horse owners to find out more specific information!

Often the implementation of new practices can be overlooked because horse owners can see that the cost of horse care is enough, let alone spending money on buying new systems – and some of the most well-known NH training systems out there can cost a lot of money.

Conscientious horse owners new to NH and also those who are already on the NH journey need to find answers to so many questions, which can be overwhelming.

So Many Questions
Questions such as these below, and more, are constantly on the mind of horse owners:

How do you know what NH training route you want to take?
How do you find time to research what is best for you and your horse?
Do you need to implement one training technique or can you combine several?
How can you know what training systems will suit your horse and whether or not you should spend money on it?
What is the best environment to keep your horse in?
What should your horse ideally be eating?
How should your horse be eating?

The Natural Horse Resource Future
Because the site is updated and maintained by one person, often it is difficult to keep up-to-date with posts. If you would like to contribute or guest write a post, then please get in touch. This site works through people helping other people - so contact The Natural Horse Resource at naturalhorseresource@gmail.com if you can make the time to join in - bylines and professions will be promoted alongside any contribution that is made - and we'll be very grateful!

The Natural Horse Resource Vision
The Natural Horse Resource aims to locate all useful online NH information, so that there’s only one URL you need to navigate your unique NH journey.

Contact the Natural Horse Resource

2008-11-03T01:57:00.000+01:00

Here at the Natural Horse Resource we are keen to receive comments, feedback, information and details of your personal NH experiences so we can build this new site into the number one natural horsemanship blog resource.
You can contact us in the following ways:

Email: naturalhorseresource@gmail.com

Telephone: 00 44 207 1937 411

Thanks for visiting!