Jacinta4

Jacinta and Willy3

Jacinta and Willy horse show

Pony Club horse show Jacinta and Willy

Riding Lessons pictures page 1

Here are some horse riding lessons photos

page 2 pony club fall horse show

Here are more equestrian photos from the horse show. If you recognize horse or rider, and want digital copies, tell me which one, and your email and I'll try to email it.

US Pony Club Horse Show

The Fall horse show was a great amount of fun, thanks to the enormous effort of Ellen, Adriana, Melanie and the college kids, to name a few. These are equestrian photos from the horse show, which featured dressage and stadium jumping. The kids had the choice of taking a combined dressage and stadium jumping test. For the dressage, the kids rode the appropriate equitation tests from the United States Dressage Federation. I thought the horsemanship was great and am only sorry that most of my horse photos came out blurry (You kids ride fast!) or were so far away in the horse jumping or dressage arena that they didn't show up well. However, if you see yourself in these photos, I can send you digital photos. Just let me know which are you, and where to email them:

Training a horse to load in a trailer

How to load your horse in a trailer:

If you've ever had the experience of being unable to load a horse into a trailer, you know the true meaning of frustration. I think of all horse related experiences, loading balky horses in trailers is the truest test of patience. The worst comes out in the horse as well as the horse handler.

And in training horses to load in trailers, patience is key. If you lose it, they will lose it.

To train a horse to load in a trailer, plan well in advance of an occasion where you need to take your horse somewhere. Time is needed--days, possibly weeks of months even, for horses that have had bad trailering experiences.

1. Start by leading your horse slowly around the trailer, letting him sniff and examine it as much as he desires. Better yet, park the trailer in the paddock, or round pen with the horse for a few days. Leave the doors open and let him get used to seeing it. Probably you should remove any halter from your horse so he doesn't accidentally catch himself on the trailer. Check to make sure there are no sharp edges, or anything that could cause an injury. Tie the doors open, so they won't slam on him if the wind blows. Horses are naturally curious and if you are lucky, the horse will get in and out of the trailer to experiment.

2. Halter the horse and lead him up to the trailer matter of factly. Some horses will hop right in. Don't get in with him. I would recommend shutting the door behind him, if the horse does load into the trailer. Snap his halter to the trailer ties and let him stand. Praise the horse and pet him, letting him have time to calm down and contemplate his new situation, at least 15 or 20 minutes. If he kicks, paws and acts up, speak to him in a soothing voice.

3. More likely, your horse did not load into the trailer. Instead, he braced his front legs, and pulled back when you tried to urge him forward into the horse trailer with the lead rope. In that case, circle him around and try again. Don't be rough or angry--just patiently try again. If he still won't load into the horse trailer, put him on a lunge line and with a lunge whip have him walk in circles around you behind the trailer. Keep him moving, and try to drive him toward the trailer. Be very careful to keep your distance, as many horses will kick out at you, or lunge forward if they are agitated. Stay out of range of the hind legs, and don't get run over either.

4. If the horse extends his head into the horse trailer, or starts to load, let him do so. If he still refuses, keep him going. You want him to learn that the most comfortable, easy place for him is pointing his head toward the trailer and moving forward. Every place else should be full of hard work and motion. When he starts to do what is right, make it comfortable. When he refuses, make him do other things that take exertion. But do it patiently and don't lose your cool, though you're probably steaming inside, if your horse is as balky as mine.

5. What's key here is to praise and encourage him and let up the pressure with the lead and the whip when he takes a step in the right direction. Otherwise, keep him moving and exercising. You are trying to teach him that doing the wrong things (not loading into the trailer) take a lot more energy and work than doing the right things (loading into the horse trailer). If he plants his feet and won't budge, don't try to have a tug-of-war. The horse will win. Instead, turn his head and make him do a 360 on the forehand or hindquarters. Or else back him up and make him back in a circle, and see how he likes that.

6. This may take several days or weeks even, but eventually, your horse might get the right idea. If not, I will tell you about sterner measures later.

Causes of colic in horses

First of all, colic in horses is pain in the stomach or intestine. If you are reading this because you notice that your horse seems to have stomach or intestinal pain, stop right now, grab your phone and call the vet. Colic is a major cause of death in horses, and kills horses of all ages and types. Even though many times, a case of colic in horses is not life-threatening, some types of colic can progress rapidly without treatment and the horse can die.

The following things can cause or lead to colic in horses:

1. Too much grain at one feeding (never give a horse more than 5 lbs. of grain at one feeding)

2. Feeding or watering too soon after riding. Horse colic can result if the horse is too hot, and starts to eat or drink. Cool the horse down and let it rest before feeding.

3. Grazing on an overgrazed or bare pasture. Sand can build up in the horse's gut and cause colic

4. Not enough water. The horse's intestine can get impacted with food if the horse isn't getting enough water through its system. In cold weather, horses drink less if the water is cold. Try to warm the water by using a stock tank heater.

5. Too much green grass all at once. Introduce the horse to pasture gradually. Start with an hour at a time. Letting the horse overindulge on rich pasture can cause colic in horses.

6. Rapid changes in weather temperatures.

7. A horse being confined in a stall or small area with too much feed and not enough exercises can cause horse colic.

These are just a few things that can make a horse sick. Try to avoid them. Horse colic is a terrible condition and you want to avoid it all costs.

5.

Treating equine colic

Once the veterinarian arrives at your house, he or she will check the horse's vital signs--heart rate, intestinal motility, eyes, nose and mouth, temperature and droppings. An elevated heart rate and irregular sounds in the intestines (e.g. the left side has gurgling, but the right side has no sound), and if the horse exhibits any signs and symptoms of colic as described in my earlier post, the vet may suspect equine colic. Among the various treatments, a vet may do one or more of the following things to alleviate colic in horses:

1. Using a long, lubricated plastic glove, the vet may perform a rectal probe, if possible, to remove impacted feces, and to feel for solid lumps, lesions or obstructions that may be causing your horse distress or colic. Oddly, many sick horses don't seem to mind the rectal exam, which often acts as an enema. If the feces appear surrounded in mucous, it might mean that the blockage has been building up for a while. If the horse has a temperature, it may suggest irritation, or perforation of the intestinal wall, in which case, many vets will start the horse on a course of antibiotics. (horse colic remedy)

2. The vet may inject the horse with a pain relieving prescription drug like Banamine, that is used to help a horse with equine colic to feel better. Veterinarians are careful about using this drug, because it may hide the symptoms of colic--that is, the horse feels better, but still has colic, and needs time to recover before going back to its ordinary work and feed schedule. (treatment for pain in colicky horses--equine colic)

3. Veterinarians sometimes decide to tube drench the horse with mineral oil. Using a long plastic tube, the vet inserts one end down the horse's nose, into it's stomach. Then about a gallon of mineral oil is pumped into the animal's stomach. Eventually, the oil works its way through the intestine and hopefully pushes the blocked mass out. Some people insert a tube rectally and pump mineral oil that way. However, many veterinarians eschew this practice, because the blockage needs to be pushed out of the intestine from the other direction, which makes sense, if you think about it. (horse colic reduction)

4. The veterinarian may advise that you feed your horse wet grass if possible, or hay that has been soaked in water for a while, if nothing better is available. Grass has a laxative effect. Most likely, grain and dry hay will be withheld. Salt and plenty of water will be strongly encouraged.

5. The vet may advise you to walk the horse every hour or so to get the bowels moving. Sometimes a ride in a horse trailer helps. Don't over exert or over stress the horse.

Hopefully, one or more of these measures will correct the condition. If the colic is not correctible by any of these measures, your vet will probably have to move to more aggressive treatments.

signs, symptoms of colic in horses

Colic in horses is a leading cause of equine death. Horse colic requires immediate veterinary attention. Don't risk a horse from equine colic by postponing your veterinary call about horse colic!!

Common symptoms of colic in horses:

These are some of the most common signs of colic in horses:

The signs and symptoms of colic in horses can be subtle. Some of the following activities are normal equine behavior, but they are worth watching as they can be warning signs for equine colic too. A colicky horse might:

1. roll or thrash around repeatedly. (equine colic symptom)

2. get up and down repeatedly.(equine colic symptom)

3. be lying down in a pasture when all of the other horses are standing.(equine colic symptom)

4. nip at its belly, or kick at its belly with its hind leg repeatedly.(equine colic symptom)

5. repeatedly paw at the ground or stretch out as if it wants to urinate. (equine colic symptom)

6. curl up its upper lip repeatedly or turn its head to look at its stomach.(equine colic symptom)

7. appear droopy, with head down, and troubled or listless looking eyes.(equine colic symptom)

8. refuse to eat, or at least seem to have lost its appetite. (equine colic symptom)

9. have pale gums and pale inner eyelids. Most normal horses have pale pink gums and inner eyelids. If the horse's gums and eyelids look white or grayish, suspect problems.(equine colic symptom)

10. be sweaty, and have an elevated temperature. Most horses have a temperature of about 99-101 degrees farenheit. (equine colic symptom)

11. has trouble moving its bowels, or its droppings are less than usual, or different-runny, hard or small, etc. These can all indicate intestinal trouble or colic in horses. The horse may also try to urinate frequently. (equine colic symptom)

12. has swollen eyes and appear in distress.


If the horse shows signs or symptoms of equine colic, call your veterinarian. Be sure to give any relevant details.

While waiting for the vet to arrive, it is usually advisable to take away any grain from the horse. Some vets recommend that the horse be allowed water and hay or grass, but check with the vet before you give it these things or anything. Many veterinarians won't want you to give the horse any food at all. Be sure to ask before you offer feed.

Some vets recommend that you walk the horse till he or she gets there. Walking can often alleviate the intestinal pain of a colicky horse.

Here is a good link to look at to find out more about the symptoms, causes and treatments for colic in horses: http://www.liv.ac.uk/equinecolic/

Horse blankets

Does a horse need a horse blanket in winter? There is more than one correct answer to this question, depending on several factors: the age and condition of horse, the climate, and use of the horse, to name a few.

Horses in the wild as well as many domestic horses live all their lives happily without horse blankets, even in climates where temperatures drop below freezing. Generally, horse grow a longer thicker coat in winter than in summer. This is often enough to keep them warm, as long as they are well fed, so that they will have sufficient body fat to insulate themselves, and have some kind of windbreak or shelter to get out of icy rain and snow, and away from cold drafts and winds. These horses probably do not need horse blankets.

Horse blankets are good for horses that have been clipped for winter riding or showing purposes, and for fragile horses that need extra protection. This might mean very old horses that have trouble maintaining enough weight to insulate themselves, or for very young horses.

Horse blankets have been known to retard winter hair growth. This might be desirable for horses that are ridden heavily in winter time. A long heavy coat takes much longer to dry if a horse is sweaty and hot than does a short coat. The horse with a long winter coat might catch a chill after a hard workout in winter if its coat doesn't dry soon enough.

If you decide to blanket your horse, be sure that the horse blanket fits properly, as you would not like the horse to get tangled in the horse blanket. Also, be sure that the horse blanket is not left on the horse if it gets wet. A soaked horse blanket is uncomfortable and unhealthy, just as your coat would be if it got soaked.

To make the right decision about whether or not to use a horse blanket for your horse in winter time, consult your veterinarian and professional horse people in your area. Take note of how they care for their own horses in winter. Ask them whether and what kind of horse blankets they use.

4H Horse Camp 08

Here are some pictures from horse camp. It was a fun weekend, with about 50 kids, and 5 or 6 trainers, as well as other horse experts--horseshoers, feed specialists, horse massage people, etc. It was an action packed weekend, lessons going all the time. Luckily, no one got hurt this year. One or two horses had minor injuries from acting up in their stalls, but other than that, they all behaved. Perhaps it was because the weather was in the '90s with high humidity. The felt too lethargic to play tricks.