Horse Sense and Cents

If you haven’t had a lot of experience with horses moving into your stable, or even if you have, there are some simple things you can do to ease the transition for the new arrival as well as you and your existing herd.

1. If possible, find out the grain type and amount being fed at the prior barn. It’s best to slowly introduce a horse to new feeds, so if you can buy some of the former feed and transition over to your choice, this will help reduce the risk of colic. If you do not know what the horse was eating, it’s better to start with low amounts and increase over time rather than risk foundering a horse that is not used to a lot of grain.
2. See if a few bales of hay can be sent with the horse. This way you can introduce him to your hay over time.
3. Figure out turnout arrangements prior to the horse’s arrival. Usually it’s best, if you’re going to be turning the horse out with others, to pick one horse to test their behavior and temperament that will be firm but fair if they get aggressive.  If possible, introduce a new horse to a herd adding one horse at a time.
4. Horses that are not accustomed to grass need to be introduced to it slowly. If you will be eventually turning a horse new to your facility out on acreage where good quality and ample grass is readily available, start with ½ hour of grazing and increase daily by ½ – ¾ of an hour each day until you reach six hours.
5. Have an area on your property where you can isolate new arrivals for about two weeks to ensure they are not carrying illness into the barn that can be spread to others. At least one horse should be in this area with them so as not to add stress to their move, but it’s best to keep them away from the rest of the horses in the barn when possible.
6. Get vet records on the horse to determine when he was vaccinated and any other issues that have been a factor that you should be aware of.
7. Determine when the horse was wormed, when his teeth were last checked and when his feet were trimmed/shod.
8. Be clear about what fees will be covered by the owner and when payment is expected. It’s best to have a written contract, but this isn’t always feasible.
9. Discuss barn rules prior to arrival if the owner will be coming to care for or ride the horse. Also, have safety policies in place that are enforced to ensure riders, horses and property are protected.  Equine liability insurance is advisable in any situation where you will be allowing others to handle horses on your property.
10. Keep a close eye on the new horse initially to determine his normal behavior and be able to recognize quickly if something is wrong.

Bringing a new horse into the barn can be an exciting time, especially for the small operation that doesn’t see a lot of traffic. It can also be a nightmare. If you have a good plan in place to address potential challenges before they occur, though, life should be easier for all involved.

Seven tips for making winter weather a great time to get horsey

There’s so much to do at the farm on any given day, but when footing or blustery conditions cause us to choose to stay out of the saddle, there’s still an opportunity to spend time with horse scents and activities that allow us to connect with our companions (and get excited about the coming of spring). As you start to get frustrated about the weather and grumpy because you can’t seem to figure out how to replace the spiritual energy that comes from the equine connection, here are some ideas to get your mind right and your time well spent:

1. Spend quiet time with your horse. Even if it’s simply watching them enjoy time in the paddock and/or observing how they spend time with other equines, hanging out in the stall or catching up on grooming or handling activities that you may have neglected a bit in active months, you can use this time to learn and bond.
2. If you don’t already have one, buy a calendar or planner that records and tracks all care and issues with your horse. Include records and schedules for vaccinations, the blacksmith, worming, medical surprises and results, mare cycles and findings if you’re breeding, training schedules or objectives – whatever is important for you and your horse to ensure continued health, happiness and success.
3. Start a journal. Really watch your horse and strive to learn from him. You might be amazed at how seemingly little observations can reveal patterns and teach you more about you and your horse.  Horses are great teachers when we let ourselves see what they try to say. There’s also a great opportunity to grow in quietness. Winter provides a time to watch, reflect and connect.
4. Go through all your tack, brushes, equipment, supplies and tools.  Clean it, check it, fix it, discard it and replace or repair the damaged. Think about creating a good first aid kit and having it handy (see http://horsesenseandcents.com/blog/2009/09/page/2/ for some ideas to include).
5. Devote extra time to giving your horse attention he enjoys. This is a great time to learn what he really likes and grow in your knowledge by watching how he responds to you as a result. Use this time to try to better understand how horses communicate and find ways you can develop a language your equine can more easily understand.
6. Explore new ideas for learning more about horses. This could include forum participation, books, conversations with trainers, finding blogs that appeal to you, going to equine conferences or demonstrations or even really listening to what your horse is trying to tell you.
7. Get ready for spring!  Share all your plans and excitement about the coming season with your horse and you may be surprised how quickly he absorbs your enthusiasm.

Sneak Peak excerpt from Turning Challenging Horses into Willing Partners. Due for public release in 2010.

Horse Sense for sour equines

• Rule out physical issues that may be causing pain and the horse’s associated frustration in his failure to communicate.

• Do not continue to push a sore horse, or you will only make him sourer and could turn him mean. Give him the help and the time required to heal prior to resuming training.

• Figure out whether routine or varied activities are the preference of your sour horse and give him what makes him happiest.

• Be patient, flexible, and accommodating with a sour horse when their behavior is justified. Conversely, if you’ve taught a horse to be sour by rewarding bad behavior, resolve to stop the pattern or get some help.

• Try getting a horse out of the routine with some fun activities, trail rides, and long walks if his sour behavior is likely due to too much of the same grind. Some sour horses will bounce back pretty quickly once relieved of the drill that has made them bored and cranky.

• It is rarely effective to discipline a sour horse for his behavior. If a horse has come to resent riding, punishing them aboard only reinforces this conviction. Instead, try finding an easy activity they enjoy and rewarding them for their cooperation. Once you’ve gained a rapport, reintroduce them to the discipline training in lighter doses and with greater rewards for their achievements.

• Horses that have turned sour rarely become standout competitors (unless you change their career to something they learn to enjoy), nor fun pleasure horses. If your aim is to put them back into the routine that created their sour nature (unless this is due to pain you address and correct), you are likely to be disappointed. Consider a different project.

• Find some riding activity that’s really fun for your sour horse and reward him with this after every positive response to a lesson (this could be trail riding, jumping, riding with a companion horse, going fast, going slow, a long rein, a swim in a pond – each horse is different and you need to figure out what makes your horse happiest).

• Know when to call it quits. Sour horses are some of the toughest to turn and sometimes there is no reward for the effort. If you come to hate riding or working with this horse, it may be time to say goodbye. Quality of life (yours and theirs) is something worth considering with these projects.

Some mares are more obvious than others, but if you’re trying to get a clear read on cycling for breeding, it helps to get to know your mare so you can time ultrasounds and/or better schedule live breeding to save money in this challenging economy.

1. If you’re seeing pink snow in the paddocks, at least one of your mares is likely already cycling.
2. Mares often begin to mimic the herd with their rhythms. If you can catch a heat with one mare, it’s likely that others on the property are close in their cycle, particularly as the season progresses.
3. If you don’t have stallions on the property, often a gelding is sufficient to tease a mare (and with some, anything on four legs). The easiest and safest way is to leave the gelding in a stall and bring the mare to him on the lead. If she winks and squats, she’s probably in heat.
4. Get to know your mare. Some are more obvious than others, but all tend to follow patterns. We have one mare who will tease heartily but when she’s really getting ready to ovulate, she stops and winks just about every stride on the way out to the paddocks with no horses in sight.
5. Keep copious records of your mare’s heat dates and follicle sizes/tone (if you’re using ultrasounds) you have them to see patterns. These will change as the season gets later, but helps for next heats and future years.
6. Get a good reproductive vet on board to help you learn, spot issues and provide the best assistance for your mare that’s possible.

Wednesday Quick Tips

1. Never leave a horse without water in the cold months (or any other time, for that matter). Colic is very prevalent during the winter and this can often be traced to poor access and/or subsequent gulping of water when finally provided. Make sure ice has not blocked access and all horses have ample water always in stalls and/or pastures.
2. Provide shelter. While this can be more important in the summer (bugs and baking sun), it’s critical you provide the option to get out of pelting snow and ice, driving winds and harsh elements. Run-in sheds are OK for most (although it’s best to bring horses into a barn when the weather is severe), but you must make sure all herd members have access (with multiple shelters of adequate size where a number of horses share space). Watch the herd as it’s not uncommon for a single horse to deny access to the rest of the residents.
3. Watch the ice. Horses are usually pretty careful and aware of footing conditions in areas they are familiar with, but don’t expect your equine to stay on his feet as you lead him over frozen water or to be smart about staying sedate if you turn him loose in a glazed-over paddock when he’s fresh. Broken legs usually mean death for a horse.
4. Monitor weight. Horses can drop pounds very quickly as the temperatures plummet. Winter coats can hide ribs as they begin to show. Keep an eye on the horse’s topline, hips and use your hands to feel what’s going on under that thick coat. Adjust feed immediately as you start to see weight loss. Winter’s a tough time to put weight on a horse so you don’t want to be managing the issues that come with a thin horse during these challenging months.
5. Help your horse prepare for the elements. If you’re going to be turning your horse out during the winter months, be kind and let him grow a coat (and don’t clip the poor thing). Blankets (and clipping) may save you grooming time, but interfere with a horse’s natural protection mechanism (hair growth), hurts the horse when wet and can get tangled around legs, necks and other body parts. Older horses and those who do not grow a good winter coat may need some extra protection (and make sure it’s a waterproof blanket with good leg straps to hold it in place that you take off regularly to ensure no rubs, leaks, sores, etc.), but most will do better if you allow their natural coat to protect them.
6. Careful with shoes. If you’re planning on your horse being outside during the winter, whether for riding or turn-out, most shoes are a bad idea. Snow balls up in the hoof effectively putting the horse on stilts, the metal impedes natural traction and most shoes add risk to your’s and your horse’s safety.
7. Increase hay portions and regularity. Horses are designed to be eating about sixteen hours a day. This roughage is especially important in the winter months. Sometimes increasing grain will actually cause a horse to lose weight (depending on what you are feeding and your horse). Instead, seek out a decent quality first cutting timothy hay or orchard grass that you can feed your horse all day long (assuming you don’t have an obese horse). This will help keep him healthier and happier during the tough winter months.

1. Make sure your foal is ready – just because the calendar says it’s time doesn’t mean the mind is prepared. Know your baby well enough to recognize when he is independent enough to be able to handle separation.
2. If you’re nursing mare is in foal (again), sometimes you need to step up the timeline to keep her healthy. Make sure you spend ample time with the foal from the onset to prepare him for an early separation. Pairing him with foals that are more independent and using them to help encourage behavior can help.
3. Weaning foals on the same property where mares reside can be challenging, but this is often most easily done in the pastures (vs. stall confinement). If you have enough land, put the mares where the foals can’t see or hear them. The buddy system makes this a lot easier (often foals will bond with another – keep them together when you wean).
4. If stall separating is your only option, sometimes it’s easier to put the foal in a stall adjacent to the mare. Make sure the walls are tall enough (this may require building them to the ceiling) so the baby cannot jump into the adjacent stall (or get hung up trying). With other foals (you should have a good read on their temperament by now), it’s necessary to get the mare as far away as possible from the foal. Sometimes, putting foals together in a stall can help all through the process for a couple of days.
5. Keep an eye on the mare and watch her bag. Some absorb the milk quickly, others may have challenges. It’s important to give the mare ample daily exercise to ensure mastitis doesn’t set in.
6. Teach babies to lead, accept human handling and get familiar with their intended new herd prior to weaning. The more familiar and comfortable they are with what will be required of them next (and don’t rule out the need for a possible vet visit from resulting injuries as a result of the weaning process), the easier it will be for both you and your foal.
7. Ensure your foals trust, like and look to your for guidance and confidence. This can go a long way toward helping them make this tough transition.
8. Start separate foal graining rations early. There are a number of feeds designed for foals (and this does not include mare & foal labelled products – look for those that include a milk supplement) to ensure your foal gets the nutrition he needs early. Mare’s milk starts deteriorating between months two and three and you should start addressing this with special and separate feed for your youngster at this time.  Suddenly throwing grain at them when weaned produces growth spurts that aren’t healthy.
9. Check recently weaned foals daily for injuries and issues.
10. Give your foals the trust, lead and confidence to see you as a  guide through this difficult transition. This needs to start early, but the benefits that result from your time and attention will pay considerable dividends in making this process easier for all.

Editors Note: Friday’s Opinion appeared on Wednesday of this week due the timely (and scary) nature of the issue addressed. So, this week’s usual Wed. quick tips feature is a bit delayed.

Whether you are housing horses in a stall 24/7 (a tough life for a horse unless injury layup is an excuse), offering limited daily time in a paddock, giving horses ample pasture time during the day or night (depending on the season) or operating with a primary turnout situation that has horses in stalls only during severe weather, vet appearances, blacksmith visits, foaling times or training preparation activities, you need stalls. These quick tips assume your horse spends daily time in the stall, but could also apply to those who don’t (and run in sheds).

Quick tips for stall maintenance

1. Know your flooring and address the issues. Wood and mats when wet can be very slippery. Make sure you have enough bedding (sawdust provides better footing on these surfaces than straw) to ensure foals can get up (we bed foaling stalls with straw, but have found that it’s necessary to put a thin layer of sawdust under a bale or two of straw for some less coordinated foals), excited horses don’t fall and periodic accommodations are made to dry these areas out. Wood rots too, so keep an eye on deterioration and fix it before a collapse results in a vet bill. Cement is too hard on horses that spend a lot of time in the stall. Invest in mats if this is your only surface option and bed deep. Dirt encourages digging and urine will produce holes too. We put mats in our dirt stalls (sans one for our mare who has a proclivity for producing slow foals) and pull them out annually to level out the dirt. Still, dirt, although high maintenance, is probably the best solution for your horse. If you’re building from the ground up, put stone down about seven inches for good drainage.
2. Picking stalls saves time and bedding costs. It’s relatively easy to remove manure at feeding times and doing so makes the full stall clean a lot quicker, keeps the stall a lot neater and makes a great impression on visitors. We have a couple of churn machines in our barn and staying on top of the deposits reduces bedding and labor costs dramatically.
3. There are ergonomic tools you can put to the task, but we’ve found a standard plastic pitchfork to be the most durable and easiest tool for the task (even on the straw stalls – so much sold in our area today is so chaffy, standard metal straw pitchforks just don’t work well). We also use a broom in stalls to clear wet spots thoroughly.
4. We’ve found the best stall construction material to be 1” X 6” rough cut oak. It’s tough and affordable. If you screw (vs. nail) the boards in, they’re easy to remove when broken or chewed through. Having cordless power tools (circular saw, drill, etc.) makes it’s simple to render quick repairs and keep your barn in pristine shape.
5. Inspect stalls (and run-in sheds) daily for loose screws/nails, eye-hooks that may have been mangled, boards that are loose, items that may have been pulled in by the resident and other potential injury issues. It’s amazing how some horses are magnets for trouble. Save yourself the heartache and headache of injuries and vet bills by striving to prevent potential mishaps.