"THE HIGH POINT" Rockin' Riders 4-H Horse Club October 28, 2008 Issue #2

Welcome!

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURE ARTICLE - "What part of 'Whoa' don't you understand?!"
WHAT'S NEW - "Quiz Bowl Questions"
HORSE SENSE - "Tack Talk - It's a Cinch"
BREED OF THE MONTH - "The Tennessee Walking Horse"
TASTY TREATS - "Argo's Day Treats"
QUESTION OF THE MONTH - "Why do horses need salt?"

FEATURE ARTICLE

WHAT PART OF 'WHOA' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!

By: Joanne Oemig

Whoa. A universal word horses understand. Well, most of them understand it. They may choose to ignore it, but they understand it. Spencer doesn’t understand it.

Spencer is a seventeen-year old Canadian Thoroughbred who at some point in his career as a baby horse failed to hear the word whoa. The universal equine vocabulary bypassed his growing brain cells, but he understands other words. He’s compliant when he hears “would you like to go for some grass?” and will leave without me if I’m not quite ready. Another favorite phrase: “time for carrots”. He immediately heads for my tack trunk and begins an in depth search. But whoa somehow got missed.

Whoa is an important word. Whoa is the Supreme Commander of Equine Vernacular. It means “stop whatever behavior you are presently engaged in”. Without whoa the rider is left with pitiful alternatives such as screaming for help or resorting to profanity.

Fortunately, there is an alternate phrase that Spencer has learned. “Stay there.” Now, that makes no sense whatsoever when we’re doing our workout and I’m asking for a downward transition, say from a trot to a walk. But stay there works well on the ground. Addressing a 17hand, full-bodied (plump) Thoroughbred in the manner I would a dog is a little strange, but I have adjusted to it over the years.

When Spencer and I first found each other, I tried to use whoa. It didn’t work. Out of desperation one day, I shook my finger at him and said stay there. That worked. At first I thought it was my body language. Later I realized I could say stay there in any tone of voice without hand gestures and get the same result. He stops what he’s doing and stays there. Amazing.

An interesting episode with the horseshoer (farrier) proved Spencer’s command of the English language. Spencer is a solid citizen who doesn’t need cross ties and other horse paraphernalia for routine acts like grooming and shoeing. I park him in a nice, shady spot, slip the lead rope over his neck so he won’t step on it, and he stands quietly for his shoeing. On this particular occasion he tried to follow me when I needed to fetch something from my tack trunk, leaving the farrier holding an imaginary left hind hoof. The farrier said “whoa”. Spencer kept walking. “WHOA”. “He doesn’t understand whoa”, I said. “Try stay there”. The farrier didn’t believe me, but he tried it. Spencer froze in his tracks.

I can leave this horse in the middle of anywhere, tell him ‘stay there’, and walk away. He’d still be there an hour later. I can’t get my Golden Retriever to do that. Maybe I should try whoa.

WHAT'S NEW

Each month, the High Point Newsletter will have a set of questions that might be used at the State Horse Quiz Bowl Competition at the end of the year. Bring your answers to the next meeting and everyone who answers them all correctly will be placed in a drawing to receive a prize. The answers will come from your 4-H project books. By the end of the year we will have a quiz bowl competition at our last two meetings!

QUIZ BOWL QUESTIONS

Genetics—Colors and Breeding

1. Name the five basic horse coat colors.
   
2. In addition to the five basic horse coat colors, what are the five major variations to these colors?
   
3. What is said to be the hardest color to describe, but the easiest to distinguish?
   
4. A sire’s offspring are referred to as what?
   
5. What is the male parent or father?
   
6. What is the female parent or mother?
   
7. What is the scientific study of how characteristics are passed from parents to offspring?
   
8. Name the two types of cell division.
   
9. What breed describes the ideal color as that of a newly minted coin?
   
10. What are threadlike structures that appear in pairs or twins in body cells?
    
    
    
    

    HORSE SENSE

    
    TACK TALK - IT'S A CINCH
    
    When you go to a tack store, you’ll see every shape, form and fashion of a cinch. The biggest thing is that your cinch is sturdy and safe, not worn or deteriorated. Beyond that, the different types of cinches are:
    
    
    1. Corded cinches come in a straight or wide center style and double woven. We generally call these “roper’ cinches. They vary in length from 22" for a very small horse to 38" for a very big horse. The mohair blend is better than the plain mohair because of how much it stretches. Stainless steel buckles are better than steel or brass due to corrosion.
       
    2. The leather cinch has recently become popular in the pleasure industry, and it is the traditional cinch used by English riders. There is a good, soft piece of leather next to the horse and it’s easily maintain by simply wiping it down.
       
    3. The nylon cinch with felt lining. There is no stretch; the felt gives a cushion to the horse but like the leather, it does not breathe.
       
    4. The neoprene cinch has also become very popular. It has a soft layer next to the horse, usually with a flap that keeps the cinch buckle off the horse. This a good cinch to use in a barn where you’re riding a lot of different horses. It’s easy to wash and disinfect so you don’t spread germs from horse to horse.
       
    5. The nylon cinch with synthetic wool lining is very soft on the horse, but like the leather and neoprene cinches, it does not breath. Corded cinches are the only ones that breathe to give air to the horse.
       
    6. On your cinch buckles, you want a round one with no center bar and one that doesn’t have any sharp corners sticking out. Center bar buckles are very dangerous and you rarely see them any more.
       Source: America’s Horse, June 2008
       
       
       

       BREED OF THE MONTH

       
       
       
       
       THE TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE

       
       The Tennessee Walking Horse is anything but a slow horse. They have, among their three gaits, a running walk, which is as fast and smooth as running water. Thoroughbred champions can run the mile in about a minute and a half, and Standardbred champions trot or pace a mile in about two minutes. Then they are through for the rest of the day. But the average Tennessee Walking Horse can do the same running walk for several hours, traveling from six to eight miles an hour. They are not bred for a flash of speed but for sustained travel in comfort to him and his rider. The running walk is the normal gait for the Tennessee Walker. He performs it with lots of animation. His head nods in rhythm with his feet, his ears swing, and sometimes his teeth snap which gives the sound of a Spanish castanet. Spectators often draw back in alarm at the noise, not realizing that the horse is merely moving in the gait with every muscle he has. This gait is so steady that the rider can hold a glass of water on the palm of his hand without spilling a drop.( I want to try it!) The foundation of the running walk is the slower flat foot walk with the same trotting action. In this gait, the horse is traveling 4 or 5 miles an hour. He nods his head to make the relaxed rhythm which makes the gait nice and easy for him and his rider. The fastest of the three gaits is the rocking chair canter. It has a high, bounding, elastic movement. They can canter straight between corn rows or around an apple barrel and never miss a beat. Where did the Tennessee Walker originate? About 200 years ago, Americans rode over the mountains from Virginia and the Carolinas, into the area know as Tennessee. With them they carried a Bible in one hand and a gun in the other. They must have been very good riders and steered with their knees and heels! They rode sturdy stock horses, Thoroughbreds, Morgans, and soon the Standardbreds came. The middle basin of Tennessee was soon a melting pot in which these four horses mingled to make one large family. From each breed a trait was contributed. The result was a breed of horses with distinctive characteristics. From the Thoroughbred, the characteristic of stamina; the Saddlebred, comfortable gaits; the Hambletonian blood contributed stride; the Morgan blood, a quiet disposition and gentle manners. In order to form the registry, one lone stallion was selected. His name, Black Allan. He was the great grandson of Rydyk’s Hambletonian, and his mother was the great-great-great granddaughter of Justin Morgan. He came from two great American breeds. His mother was a famous trotter and everyone expected him to become one as well. However, he wanted to pace. So in disgrace, he was sent to the back country and traded for cows and donkeys. Yet through him, more than any other stallions, came the most beautiful and true Tennessee Walkers.
       Today, the Walking Horse is no longer only found in Tennessee but in most states. The offspring of Black Allan are everywhere. They are pleasure horses used by many different people. From the businessman who want an easy mount to others who want a companion. They are very smooth and fun to ride.
       
       Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association
       
       
       

       TASTY TREATS

       
       ARGO'S DAY TREATS
       
       Ingredients:
       
       1 packet of Quaker oatmeal (dry)
       1 handful of Sweet Feed
       2 spoonfuls Applesauce
       1 spoonful Honey or Molasses
       1 handful Cherrios
       4 Sugar cubes
       a pinch of Brown Sugar
       ½ cup Water
       
       Method:
       You can mix this right in your horse’s feed bucket. Mix the oatmeal with the water. Add sweet feed and applesauce. Stir together. Add the Cheerios, brown sugar, and honey or molasses. Mix again and place sugar cubes on top. This serves one horse.
       
       
       

       QUESTION OF THE MONTH

       
       Alyson asks "why do horses need salt?"
       
       Minerals for Horses
       
       The primary minerals needed in horse nutrition are salt, calcium and phosphorous. No other animal faces a critical need for salt like the working horse. A horse may lose up to 75 grams daily (454 grams per pound) through sweat and urine. For this reason, salt should be available free choice to the horse at all times. Calcium and phosphorous are the other two critical minerals needed in horse nutrition, since most other minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sulphur, copper, cobalt and zinc, which are required by the horse, are only needed in small amounts and are usually provided by normal feedstuffs. Trace mineralized salt should be used with horses. Therefore, the primary concern in mineral nutrition is to provide adequate levels of calcium and phosphorous in approximately a 1.3 to 1 ratio. Proper calcium-phosphorous ratios can be obtained with common feedstuffs by using a combination of grain and hay. In rations where only forage is utilized, an adequate calcium-phosphorous ratio is normally maintained and no supplementation is indicated. However, if alfalfa or lespedeza is the primary forage source, excessive calcium would be fed and abnormal bone growth in colts may occur. Therefore, limiting alfalfa to 1/3 of the hay source is recommended
       
       
       

       
       

       2008 - 2009 Rockin' Riders 4-H Horse Club, Rockwall County, TX

       
       

"THE HIGH POINT" Rockin' Riders 4-H Horse Club August 26, 2008 Issue #1

Welcome 4-Hers,

We hope you will enjoy this first edition of the Rockin' Riders 4-H Horse Club Newsletter, "The High Point". We need your input! What kind of things would you like to see included in the newsletter? Do you have a particular horse you would like us to feature? Do you have a training issue that needs to be addressed? It can be about anything relating to 4-H. Please call or email with your ideas. We appreciate your input!!

The Staff

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURE - "Molly"
WHAT'S NEW
HORSE SENSE - "The Correct Bit"
BREED OF THE MONTH - "The Spanish Mustang"
TASTY TREATS - "Apple Explosion"
QUESTION CORNER - "Saddle Safety"

FEATURE

MOLLY

This is really touching! It is an amazing story of an animal's understanding, it's will to live and go forward even in a most difficult time.

Meet Molly. She's a gray speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Katrina hit southern Louisiana. She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled. While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier, and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected and her vet went to LSU for help. But LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight, and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood (that) she was in trouble. The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana . The little pony gained weight, her mane felt a comb . A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.

The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports. And she asks for it! She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too.' And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse', she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people. And she had a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life', Moore said, 'She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.' 'She's not back to normal,' Barca concluded, 'but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. This shows the ground surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind!

WHAT'S NEW

We Are!! Please check the website for meeting dates, times and upcoming events.

HORSE SENSE

DOES YOUR HORSE HAVE THE RIGHT BIT?

How do you know if your horse has the right bit? If your horse does the following, his/her bit is comfortable:

He travels in a round balanced frame.
His mouth is quiet and remains closed when he feels pressure.
He carries his head at a 90 degree angle to the ground.
He remains relaxed and is willing to obey when you make contact with the rein.
Then Your Horse likes his bit!

How to tell if she/he doesn’t:

He keeps his neck elevated.
Opens his mouth or sticks his tongue over the bit when pressure is applied.
Carries his head above or below the vertical.
He is tense or frightened when you apply rein pressure.
If you answered yes to these questions, your horse is not happy with his bit or it is uncomfortable and needs a different one.

BEST BIT FITTING

How do you know if your horse's bit fits properly? Here are some pointers on making sure it does.

Snaffle Bit: the bit should rest against the corners of the mouth without creating a full wrinkle. This allows the horse to pick up the bit and hold it comfortably. It also prevents the bit from having constant pressure on his lips. The horse can feel a distinct release when the reins are loosened.

Curb Bit: is heavier and can move around in the horses mouth if it is too low. The curb bit should be set with one full wrinkle at the side of the mouth. The width of the bit is correct when the rings or shanks come in contact with the corners of the lips without pressing inward. A bit that is too narrow will uncomfortably press against your horse's teeth. If the bit is too wide it will slide around, irritating the horse.

The wrong bit in your horse's mouth can damage his mouth. If your horse fights the bit that you are using, don’t try using a harsher bit. A harsher bit will only intimidate your horse into being submissive. It could also create pain and fear which will cause more problems.

So having the bit fit properly not only helps you to have a happy and comfortable horse, it also betters the communication between the horse and rider giving you more enjoyable rides. No one likes an irritable horse. So make your horse happy by insuring that his bit is comfortable for him.

BREED OF THE MONTH

THE SPANISH MUSTANG

The Spanish Mustang dates back to the time of the Conquistadors. Today, however, they are a rare breed. When Christopher Columbus sailed to the new world, a large number of Spanish horses were brought. In years to come, the Spaniards would bring large numbers of horses as well. The Spanish Mustangs are small, athletic and very intelligent horses. Numbers of Spanish Mustangs escaped or were freed and formed small herds in remote areas of North America, primarily in the Northwest and West. There are still herds of Mustangs that are protected legally by the Wild Horse Act: the Sulphur in southwest Utah, the Kiger in Oregon, and the Pryor in Wyoming and Montana. By the late 1800’s, many of the original bloodlines had been destroyed. The U.S. government forced Native Americans onto reservations, destroying many more horses in the process. The once pure Spanish feral herds were now improved with the addition of draft and European horses. Because of their small height, they were considered too small for Calvary use and they were replaced slowly by taller and heavier breeds. Only a handful of horses remained. Through the Native Americans concern, the Spanish Mustang was preserved. In the early 1900’s, Robert Brislawn noted the strengths of the mustangs and by the mid 1920’s efforts were underway to preserve them on a national level. In 1957, he had enough quality horses that he began the Spanish Mustang Registry (SMR), which is now the oldest registry in the United States. The feral horse herds today have few pure Spanish horses left in them. There are about 4,000 Spanish Mustangs registered today. They continue to increase in number. The Colors include black, bay, chestnut, and varieties of dun. There are also buckskin, palomino, cream, roan and white, gray, overo and calico. They range in height from 13.2 to 14.2 hands, and weigh about 700 to 800 pounds. They are used for dressage, speed events, ranch work, cutting, team penning, endurance riding and more.

The Spanish Mustang Registry

TASTY TREATS

In this section of the newsletter we will feature a horse treat each month. This month's treat is:

Apple Explosion

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 spoonfuls molasses
1/2 cup water
1/4 diced apple

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in order listed excluding the apple. Grab some batter and stick a piece of the apple into the batter so it cannot be seen from the outside. Do this to every piece of apple, and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
*Tell us if your horse enjoys this treat!

QUESTION CORNER

In this section we will have questions asked by readers. They can range from having to do with horses and ponies, to tack & feed, or barns & equipment. Anything that relates to the 4-H Horse Club can be asked. This month we are answering a question asked by Sarah. She asked:

"How do you know if your saddle is secure?”

Your saddle should be placed slightly behind the horses withers and the girth should be placed underneath the horses’ stomach and fastened tightly. When mounting, if the saddle slides under the horse, it is not properly secured. The girth should be tight. You should not be able to put your fist under it. Some horses will inflate their stomachs while you are tightening the girth so it is always a good idea to check the girth after you have walked the horse for a few minutes.