Rising Sun Stables

I don’t care how long you’ve been around a horse, or how long you’ve trained.  There will be times when you have to remind yourself of the basics.  This is what I do when I attempt anything with one of my horses.

When attempting to solve any horse problem always begin by asking ‘why’. Why is this problem happening? Understanding the problem will help you understand how to solve it.

Why does my horse not want to be caught? Is it because every time you catch your horse it means he has to go to work? Does he know he is going to be separated from his pasture buddies and would rather stay with them? Does he have a wound that needs taking care of and when you catch him, he knows discomfort will follow?

Why does my horse buck when I ride? Is it because the saddle is pinching or the girth is too tight? Are you heavy and unbalanced in the saddle? Has he learned that he can unload his rider and go back to his stable where he doesn’t have to work?

Why does my horse bite? Is it because the girth is done up too tight and sharply? Have you been frequently hand-feeding treats and he thinks every hand should have a treat in it for him?

Why won’t my horse pick up the correct lead? Is it because you aren’t being clear with your cues?

Some problems are caused by health or physiological issues. Most horse problems are caused by people. So when you have problems with your horse ask yourself honestly how you might be causing it. Understanding why a problem may be occurring allows you to change your behavior so that you can better influence your horses. The first question to ask is not how I solve this problem, but why is this happening.

A couple Things That Never Work

Getting angry or frustrated will only make your problems worse. Anger has no place in horse training or handling. Yelling, hitting or kicking will only teach your horse to fear you. Your horse won’t stop faster because you shout whoa! You won’t catch a cagey horse by stomping up to it in anger.

If you feel yourself becoming angry or frustrated find a way to end the session with your horse on a good note and take a break. Frustration sometimes sets in because we are unclear about how to solve a problem or what we are doing doesn’t seem to be working. That’s when it’s time to ask for some help from an experienced training or coach.

‘Horse Time’ is not ‘People Time’

Horse training or retraining is not a lock-step procedure. Horses learn at different rates and some may catch on quickly, while some take much longer. Don’t set a deadline.

Horses are very sensitive to body language and mood. If you are in a rush, your horse will feel he must rush too. But he won’t know why you are rushing. You might be rushing because your favorite TV show is about to come on. But he might read your sense of urgency as impending danger and his behavior will reflect that.

If you have only 15 minutes to work with your horse do something you know will lead to success in 15 minutes. In the case of teaching your horse to be caught that means you may only go out and walk around and check the fences, hay feeder and water trough so you can be a non-threatening presence in your horse’s pasture. Don’t use those 15 minutes to try to catch a hard to catch horse as you might end up spending those minutes re-enforcing that he can out-run you.

If your horse is hard to lead spend 15 minutes walking and halting. Don’t ask for anything more. If you have only 30 minutes to ride choose an exercise you can do in only 30 minutes. Save the bigger lessons for when your time is more flexible.

Know How to Plan

Before you begin plan what you are going to do with your horse. Have all the equipment you’ll need handy. Plan your time so you can work uninterrupted. You will have a difficult time teaching if you give your horse only part of your attention. You’ll confuse him if you try to teach him while telling the dog to go lie down, talking to another person or running off to fetch a piece of equipment.

Know To Be Satisfied with Small Successes

If your horse moves away when you get on, feel successful if you can make him stand quietly saddled while you stand beside him. If your horse doesn’t like the sound of clippers praise him if he can stand quietly when the clippers run five feet away from him if this is all he can tolerate right now. Don’t try and solve the whole problem the first time out. Only by re-enforcing good behavior will you eventually replace the unwanted behavior.

I hope this helps!  Remember if you’re having a problem leave a comment and I’ll see if I can help you out!

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Brad here, I thinks it's time for me to do another Blog so here it is.

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Having just moved to Oklahoma I’m learning about all the new risks to our horses.  One risk I learned of this last week was the threat of Blister Beetle Poisoning.  I have found through research that the Blister Beetle is one of the most venomous insect that cannot sting.  They are only dangerous in they are ingested or touched. There are a few caterpillars in this category and two groups of beetle, but the most venomous is the Blister Beetle.

There are around 2000 species of blister beetle worldwide, and when they occur in large numbers they can cause a large problem for livestock. The Blister Beetle produces a toxin called Cantharid in, a chemical that cause blistering on the skin and if eaten also inside the intestine tissue. These beetles live in grass and hay, the natural food source source for many animals and when they are eaten by these grazers, it can cause them serious harm. A cow or horse need only eat 10 or so beetles accidentally to become seriously ill, and this is likely to kill the animal.

Alfalfa and hay growers don't often see the need to treat for blister beetles in their crops.  It's not economically feasible when they can sell untreated hay to customers who don't fear the beetles' toxin. Horse owners and the people who sell hay have to find hay grown farther from home each year.

Many experts say “Oklahoma is full of blister beetles and now Kansas is getting them too.  “Many have to go farther north to get hay.”  Through my research I have found that many growers think it's the other guy's problem.  My growing fear is when it hits home, that's when they'll wake up.”

In Arkansas, blister beetles have been known to defoliate whole fields. That's the only time growers find that spraying pays.  All horse owners and alfalfa growers should be concerned about blister beetle.  My research has showed me that Just about every state has problems with blister beetles at some time or another.  No one is immune to the problem.

Here are six ways buyers and growers can avoid the pest:

1. When buying hay for horses, find out when it was cut. Purchasing first or last cutting hay, at least here in Oklahoma, is relatively safe. They have never spotted the blister beetle in Oklahoma before late April or even early May, and most first cutting is done in April. Final cuttings are made in early October, after adult beetles die.
2. Reduce weed problems. The fewer flowers to attract beetles, the fewer beetles there will be.
3. Cut at bud stage rather than first bloom, again to keep from attracting beetles.
4. Cut alfalfa with a sickle bar and don't condition it. Driving on windrows can kill blister beetles, too, and the toxin will end up in bales. Live beetles migrate out of cut hay.
5. Watch grasshopper populations. Immature blister beetles feed on grasshopper eggs, so large numbers of grasshoppers could be followed by blister beetles.
6. Growers and buyers should work together to reduce blister beetle risks.

If you hope to buy blister beetle-free hay, then you better come across with some help to guarantee that the hay is blister beetle-free. Say you want to purchase some summer cuttings that might be higher in protein, but you don't want to run the risk of blister beetles. Then pay for the treatment. Or meet the grower halfway. Or give him a premium when he sells that hay to you.

Safety cost money, nothing is free.  If I come across anymore issues that concern me I will do a Blog on it.  I feel if I’m concerned then there has to be others that are concerned to. 

Please continue the prayers for rain, I know Oklahoma and much of Kansas needs it.  Hope everyone has had a safe and joy filled weekend.  God Bless.

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I want to apologize to everyone, I haven't done a Blog for a couple days.  Brad, Shayne and I went to Kansas Thursday.  We were gone all day, had a wonderful time It's hard riding in a truck and trying to type on a computer.  Yesterday I didn't feel well, feel some better today.

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Brad and I both worked Cheyanne last night! She decided she doesn't want to stand for us to mount so this is what we did!  This is how it should be handled.

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Brad and Shayne are cleaning horse pens today.  Its very hot out and they sure are working hard.  I feel guilty that I'm not out helping them.  

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Happy 4th of July and God Bless everyone.  Well, its a little cooler here at the stables.  We received about a 1/2 inch of rain last night.  We were starting to worry that the pastures were going to burn up.  God saved us again.

I've been giving little tips on training, I think todayu I'm going to step back and make sure all my readers know an important rule.  This should be learned before you even attempt to train.

You need to know how to ride a horse, this means sitting on one correctly. Learning to ride includes the use of your whole body. It is not enough to sit in the correct position on a standing horse. You need to practice using your body as the horse moves.

Center of Gravity

When you are riding, your center of gravity is located about 10 cm below you navel. In order to maintain your horses balance, you must align your center of gravity with that of your horse. Your position will vary depending on the work you are asking of your horse. This is why jockeys that gallop race horses are hunched over the horse's neck.  As the speed of the horse increases, the horse's center of gravity moves forward.  Why dressage riders doing collected work keep the center of gravity further back, helping to slow and collect the horse.   As the movement of the horse slows, the center of gravity moves back.

If you can maintain your balance over the shifting center of gravity of your horse, your horse will stay balanced.   Will be more confident with your aids and will not have to work as hard.  No matter what style of riding you are interested in, balance is important.  The rider's position can influence the horse's way of going to a great extent.  Learning to relax and allowing you to feel the horse's movement can greatly add to a rider's enjoyment.

No matter what your style or riding is, having a good, balanced position is important. In the basic seat position, you sit erect, deep in the saddle with your body balanced and relaxed. Sit tall in the saddle, do not slouch.  You should be able to draw a line from the point of your shoulder  to your heel and from the point of your knee to your toe. Your leg should maintain a frictional grip, maintaining light contact with the horse's body through your inner thigh and upper half of your calf. Your foot should be turned out slightly in a natural position with any weight on the ball of your foot. Your heel should be lower than your toe to allow more flexibility in your ankle. Your hands and arms should be relaxed and supple with your elbows in close to your body. You should hold the reins just above and in from of the saddle horn or pommel. Most positional problems have their beginnings with bad habits.

Develop the following good habits and you will ride in a desirable position.

Head 
You should be looking up and watching where you are going. The weight of your head is noticeable to your horse.  They will usually go in the direction you are looking. For example, you can ride in a circle with minimal leg or rein pressure simply by looking into the center of the circle.

Often a rider will look down when they are riding to check diagonals and leads. This can make it harder for the horse to work because it puts extra weight on the front quarters, making it harder for the horse to stride forward.  The extra weight can also make it harder for an unbalanced horse to travel. It is important that you hold your head up to help you feel your horse and develop your seat. 

Shoulders
As you sit in the saddle your shoulders should be level. Shoulders that are not level are a sign you may have your weight shifted to the lower side. This makes the horse lean in the same direction. Loping / Cantering in small circles will cause you to want to drop your inside shoulder, so pay careful attention to keeping them even.

Back
your back should be erect, but not locked and rigid.

Arms
your forearm(s) of your rein hand should come straight forward with the hand held vertically just above or on either side of the horn / pommel. The hand should follow the natural movement of the horse's head. When riding one handed, the lower arm should be held at a 90 degree angle in front of the waist. The fingers of the hand holding the reins should be curled around the reins with the thumb held down firmly over the index finger and reins.

Your forearm and reins from the horse’s mouth up to your elbow should form a straight line. This straight line includes your wrists which should not be bent. Your elbows should remain in close to your sides and slightly in front of your body.

Hands
riding with two hands the rider's hands should be placed 4-5 inches apart with the thumbs facing upwards and the fingernails of each hand facing each other. The hands should be held slightly in front of the withers. The hands should remain closed with the fingers tight on the reins without being rigid.

Seat
The inside of the thighs should remain in contact with the saddle without gripping. Your seat bones should be in contact with the saddle so that your body sits at a 90 degree angle to the saddle. Be careful that you do not sit back on your buttocks and back of your thighs. Sit up, take your feet out of the stirrups and twist your legs until the insides of your thighs are in contact with the saddle.

Legs
The legs are used to balance the upper body in the saddle and cue the horse. 

A western rider uses a longer leg position then an English Hunt Seat or Saddle Seat rider, but a similar length to a dressage rider. The differences in riding style are caused by the shape of the saddle and the forward movement of the horse. For all saddles, the stirrups need to be short enough that the legs and ankles can act as shock absorbers.

For western riders, the stirrups should hang so that the bottom of the stirrup touches your ankles. If you are involved in cattle or other events you may want the stirrups slightly shorter. The lower leg is important for leg aids. It may be used to squeeze, kick or bump the side of the horse. The lower leg needs to be kept still when you ride, or your leg aids will not be as effective. This is because the horse has been getting signals all the time and does not know which ones to obey. The distance between your lower leg and the side of the horse will depend on the length of your legs and where they fit against the body of the horse. 

Foot
Foot position affects how you can use your legs. The ball of the foot should be resting on the stirrup with your weight carried down through your heel, so that your heel is lower than your toes. If you place your weight on your toe, it will point down and it is possible that your foot will slip through the stirrup. Putting your foot too far into the stirrup makes it hard to flex your ankle.

The feet of the rider should be nearly parallel to the side of the horse. Toes pointing outward can cause problems, especially if wearing spurs. You can accidently jab the horse because of an incorrect foot position. The direction of the foot will turn the whole leg. This makes it hard to get the inside of your calf, knee and thigh against the saddle. Because your legs grip the saddle by friction you will not have as firm a grip if your legs and feet are turned outward. Gripping the saddle too hard with your legs will push you up and out of the saddle, making it hard to sit the gaits.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th.   Enjoy the BQs and fireworks check back tomorrow for more tips, recipes or just the going ons.

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Brad and I went for a moon light ride last night.  Its been so hot during the day we have decided to do most of our training after the sun sets.  Brad does some early in the morning, but I have some trouble sleeping at night, so he lets me sleep in.

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Here at Rising Sun Stables we have been breeding our mares for foals next year.  We are later than usual this year because we moved our herd from Michigan in late March. The mares were just finishing their heat cycle then.  We have bred Lady and Dee but Gracie our Black and white mare hasn't come in, so we are thinking that she was bred in Michigan.

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Life at a horse stable doesn't stop because its hot or cold outside.  There are animals that need to be grained and watered.  Some of our animals are out to pasture and they have a pond to drink out of.  We are trying to get vinegar and garlic into their systems to fight the flies and ticks. 

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Horses are athletes. They need practice too.  Athletes, preparing for the Olympics spend months, perhaps years, preparing for their competition.  Why should you and your horse be any different?

Your partner (horse) will need to be in shape and look good   Exercise your horse to keep him in shape, and work on your horsemanship skills. It doesn’t matter what you’re planning on doing, should it be western pleasure, or barrel racing your horse should be in shape.

Getting your horse in shape and doing a good pattern is not all it takes for horsemanship. Your horse needs to look good.  Don't you spend a lot of time putting on your makeup, curling your hair, and getting ready?  The same should go for your horse.

You will want to spend some quality time preparing your horse prior to the competition. You need to spend days, maybe months, brushing your horse to get his coat slick and shiny. Exercise him and get his muscles in shape.

I have only mentioned a couple of long term preparations in getting your horse ready for competition. Most people know how to groom their horse the day of competition. You might think you can pull that horse out of pasture and take him to a competition, but is he really ready?

Work towards perfection. If he’s not perfect, keep practicing.  No one is perfect, and if you’re not prepared, it will show in the arena.

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Being from Michigan I have never had to fight TICKS.  I now find that a few of the horses have ticks in their ears, so I have been doing so research.  I thought I'd share some of the info I have found.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can be used as a bath or as an oral medication. As a bath, simply add three to four cups of apple cider vinegar to your Horses bath. Be sure to clean your horse entirely, focusing on the legs, ears, and neck areas. Apple cider vinegar can also be added to your pet’s water. Add 3 cups to your horse's water daily.

2. Neem Oil

Neem oil is a natural insecticide. It has both antiseptic and antibacterial properties so you can basically apply it on your horse's body with confidence and ease. What’s more, it can repel insects like mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks.

3. Eucalyptus

If you want an all-natural insect repellent for your horse, eucalyptus can greatly help. Eucalyptus acts like a natural deodorizer and can keep ticks away because they won’t be inclined to attach to your horse

4. Lavender

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Karen is feeling under the weather today so I figured it's a good day for me to write.  As some of you may know Karen has been writing a book about her childhood. For those who don't know, she was raised by people who owned a junkyard.  Karen was allowed to attend school one day a week so she and her siblings could work in the junkyard. Even with only one school day per week Karen had a 4.0 GPA.  Her "so called" parents were mentally and physically abusive.  Karen received many beatings as a child.  I used the term "so called" for a reason. She would learn as an adult these people were not her parents.  In fact she was kidnapped from a hospital in Canada as a baby. To this day, nearing fifty, she still doesn't know who her parents are/were, when her birthday is or anything else regarding her identity.  Basically she lives a life with "Roots Unknown".  All this (and more not mentioned) and she has the most positive attitude of anyone I ever met.  I have been encouraging Karen to write this book ever since we met.  I believe it is a story that needs to be told.  Especially when you see all she has been through and the positive attitude she has.  She is VERY inspiring to say the least.

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The day has just started and Brad and I have already met a challenge.  I have talked about Cheyanne in past blogs.  Well her training is coming along pretty good but we have a challenging situation.  We are having a problem getting a bridle on and off her, because she doesn't like her ear touched.

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?"Lord,make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, faith;
where there is darkness, light;
where is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console,
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen."

*Good bless and keep sharing the Good News

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Well Brad worked with Dee again today!!  Things started out pretty good, and ended pretty good.  Its just what happened in the middle that Brad will be feeling for a couple days.

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Brad and I worked with both Dee and Cheyanne today.  Dee may be an old girl but she is showing much promise.  We believed paired with Twister, their baby will be awesome.

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Like Brad stated a few Blogs ago, every time you handle a horse you should be in training mode.  We have been trying to teach our 16 year old son Shayne this.  You are either training or untraining when you handle a horse.

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Busy day today. Brad rode DD after I rode her for a bit. She is coming along well. Trimmed hooves on our Paint mare Gracie, worked on facebook and the website and finished the day helping our neighbor gather cattle.

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Wow! What a long but fun night. Brad and I had a wedding reception that he sang at. I always love to hear him perform. All went well and we met some great people. Hopefully made some good contacts too.  It's Sunday morning and our 17 yr old mare "DD" needs worked in the round pen. Hard to believe at 17 she has been rode very little if any but she is coming along real nice. Brad has done most of the work with her. I'm sure he or I will ride her again today.

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