Tracy Meisenbach: Proper leg wrapping. Why is something so easy, so hard?

Leg wrapping is one of the most common forms of leg protection and one of the most misunderstood. The leg from the knee down has no fat, no heavy muscle layer and no articulated bone structure. It moves front to back and cannot safely extend forward unless the elbow and humerus are completely engaged.

The front legs are prone to damage from the rear legs and hoofs. A hard hit by a rear hoof to the pastern, cannon or quarters can permanently injure a horse and remove him from competition. Wraps and boots can help protect from the strikes and also help your horse not hyperextend his tendons past their limit.

A standard leg wrap is made of felted fleece, 4.5 inches wide and 9 feet long. In the old days they had thin ties to keep them on, now they have wide Velcro straps, a vast improvement. To  understand how wrapping affects the leg you first have to look at the anatomy of the leg.

 The deep flexor tendon (red) and the superficial flexor tendon (blue) as well as the sesamoid bone are what the wrap protects. As you can see the deep flexor tendon goes down into the hoof. Injury to this important tendon can completely remove your horse from competition.

The tendons need to be able to move up and down smoothly within the tendon sheaths and to not encounter anything that hinders this smooth movement. If the wrap has one layer tighter than another it can cause the tendon to “hitch” on the edge of the tighter layer and create a bow. This can easily be avoided by making sure the first layer of the wrap against the horse’s skin is one solid smooth piece.

How to create a smooth inner surface? Turn the wrap so the inside of the wrap is facing the leg. The roll should be under the tail. Place the top of the tail against the mid point of the knee and unroll down. It does take some practice to be able to do this smoothly and easily, and a fidgety horse can make it a chore. However, once you are used to it you can do it as fast, or faster, than the old fashioned style. I used to wrap 8 polo ponies all the way around in about 35 minutes.

 Once the tail length is set move your hand down the wrap, keeping it smooth. Bring the roll to just under the curve of the pastern. This smooth layer of wrap will mean that there is no uneven tension down the back of the leg and no ridges that the tendons can hang on. It is imperative to allow free and fluid movement of the leg. So why not do this in the opposite direction, go from the bottom to the top and wrap down? Because the tendon is already stretched just by the leg being straight, like a big rubber band.  When a horse is just standing around his leg is at the mid point of its flexion. When he lifts the leg in it retracts the tendons to their shortest length and when he extends out in full stride the tendons are at their longest length. So you don’t want to push DOWN on an already stretched tendon. This is why wrapping from the top down is such a bad idea, because you are pushing down on a tendon that is already stretched. You want to support the tendon, so the first layer is smooth, then wrap UP, so the tendon is NOT hyperextended before the horse even starts running.

  


Now flip the wrap over so it’s going to unroll the correct way and unroll toward the front of the leg. Always wrap counter clockwise on the left legs and clockwise on the right. This keeps the tendons toward the inside of the leg and aligned within the sheath. Flipping the wrap also creates a triangle of extra padding right at the inside pastern, which is where most of the hard strikes occur

 Wrap around the front and then to the back, putting tension on the wrap as you encircle the leg. Wrap UP, making sure the inner layer stays smooth all the way up the leg.

 Raise the wrap level each time you circle the leg and keep the tension even and smooth.

   




Your last wrap up the leg should be right under the knee capsule, with about two inches of tail sticking up.

   




Fold the tail over and continue wrapping around the leg. This will be where you start to wrap downward

 Wrap over the tail. This keeps the wrap from sliding and provides another layer of protection at the top of the tendons, which is also a common strike zone. Be sure you are pulling the wrap consistently tight, loose wraps can cause more problems than tight wraps as they can slide and wad up at the top of the pastern, or come loose and cause a horse to trip over them

Wrap down, evenly spaced layers.

Go under the pastern and then back up. This creates a nice support layer and prevents a hard grab on the pastern.

Wrap back up the leg. So now we have a smooth layer down the back, a wrapped layer up, a wrapped layer down and now for our last wrapped layer back up.

A good, smooth, evenly spaced wrap job, tail tucked in securely, all the hard hit areas with an extra layer, nothing preventing the tendons from moving freely up and down.

When you end up here you've done the job correctly. The tapes should be flat along the side of the leg, not across the back. The front triangle is in place right under the knee. It takes a lot of practice, but it keeps your horse safe and can prevent a hard hit from damaging your horse’s legs. Practice makes perfect, so practice, practice, practice!









Copyright June 2014
Tracy Meisenbach
Article and photos cannot be used, shared or published in any form, printed or electronic without author's written permission.

Tracy Meisenbach: Buying a dream horse? Or getting taken for a ride?

                               

             You’ve finally decided to buy a horse.  You might be a kid who is horse crazy and finally talked your parents into taking the plunge or you might be an adult who has always dreamed of owning a horse and now you have the time and money to make your dream come true!  In either case there are some guidelines that you need to follow to be sure you get the best possible horse for your riding enjoyment.

The first thing you need to do is assess your needs.  Are you planning on being a pleasure rider or a competitor?  Do you want to ride English, Western or both?  Will you work with a trainer or on your own?  The best advice for a beginner is to start simple and work your way up.

If you plan on pleasure riding, and this is where all riding should start, then a well-trained gelding or mare is your best bet.  Buy a horse with a several years of training on it.  A quiet horse with seasoning is going to get you on the trail sooner and safer than a green horse.  Regardless of whether you ride English or Western a calm horse is going to make the difference between a spook and run or a look and learn.  There is no substitute for actual time under saddle and a green horse simply won’t have the conditioning to deal with a new experiences and an inexperienced rider at the same time.

           If you are an inexperienced rider take some lessons.  Think you can’t afford it?  Well, can you afford the hospital or vet bills and time off from work because of an accident that could have been avoided if you’d had some instruction?  In all likelihood taking lessons will cost less and provide more than a trip to the emergency room.

Now you’re looking for the horse.  Are dreams of a fiery black stallion going through your head as you peruse the ads? Probably. Drop them and face reality. Stallions are not for beginners.  Most boarding stables won’t even allow them.  Their handling issues and stabling requirements are double an average gelding’s.  This is not to say that stallions are vicious troublemakers. Good ones aren’t; I’m rather fond of the three I have.  But a good stallion can become a bad stallion with very little mishandling. Don’t risk it and leave the stallions to the people who have breeding farms and the facilities to keep them.  A nice mare or gelding will be the best riding horse for a beginning rider.

Thinking of buying a cute fuzzy colt and growing up together?  This is another bad idea that can have catastrophic results. The money you spend, raising a colt you can’t ride for several years, is double what you will pay for the average sound trained horse. You’ll spend that amount of money before you even start to train the colt.  Baby horses are not like puppies.  A baby horse will one day be about 1000 pounds and have the ability to kill you with one kick.  Learning as you go with horses is a recipe for disaster. And if you mishandle a horse you can’t just stake him out in the back yard and ignore him, you’ve got to sell him or dispose of him, generally at a substantial financial loss.

What is your purchase plan: Private seller or auction? If you are inexperienced with horses I would avoid auctions. There are too many things that can be wrong with a horse that a beginner is not going to look for.  Some traders are unscrupulous and will sell drugged horses or horses that have a disability masked by drugs or shoeing.  At an auction there is usually no time to get a vet check in and because of the transient nature of auctions it’s hard to trace a horse that is sold as un-registered.  For your first horse it is better to buy an animal you can get a history on, or your enjoyment in your horse can be going, going, gone.

After checking internet ads and newspapers you finally find the ad that interests you, you’ve made a decision and you’re going to see the horse.  Call the owner and get the important details.  Always have a notebook and make some notes on each horse you call about.  If the horse sounds suitable make an appointment and stick to it; the owner has a life outside of selling his horse and he deserves courtesy from you. Do not waste the owner’s time by not showing up or not calling. They are putting things aside to deal with you, be courteous. And don’t be a tire kicker. It is beyond rude. If you can’t afford the horse don’t waste the seller’s time. If you’re “just looking” let them know. Horse farms are busy places and require a lot of effort, taking time out to deal with a potential buyer means other chores get put aside and have to be caught up on later.

The first impression is the strongest and most people fall in love with just one look.  Try not to.  Animals have a way of winning our hearts and big soft-eyed silky-coated geldings really have a lock on it.  When you arrive take note of the surroundings the horse is kept in.  Is it clean and safe? Are there other horses?  Are they well cared for?  Observe the horse.  Is he quiet?  Does he allow his head and feet to be handled?  Is he easy to saddle and bridle?  A major concern for me is to arrive at the seller’s and find the horse already saddled and warmed up.  Sorry, but I’ll come back and look another time or strike it off my list.  I want to see the horse’s manners when he’s fresh and un-worked.  This is how I will be dealing with him at some point every day and I want to know he’s not bad mannered or dead lame without a warm-up.

Now carefully check over the tack.  If the horse is being ridden in a hack-a-gag with a tie-down he’s probably too hot for a trail horse and not quiet enough for pleasure, he will also have major retraining issues.  If he’s in a snaffle or plain curb then it’s a good bet he’s a quiet horse.  Make sure the equipment is safe for use, I’ve seen some bridles that were held together with string and a promise, if it looks like it might break don't get on or request they supply something safer.

Ask the owner to ride the horse first.  Why?  Because you want to observe the horse in his most comfortable situation.  If he’s tossing his head and fidgeting while the owner mounts then you’ve got re-training ahead.  Is the horse quiet when mounted? Does he move off freely with no fuss and is he responsive to cues?  Are his gaits even?  Observe the horse moving at all three gaits in each direction.  Make note of anything that doesn’t look right or you feel should be addressed.  If the owner doesn’t have a suitable answer then you need to make note of that too.

Ride the horse yourself (Provided he didn’t buck the owner off).  Does he respond to leg and rein cues?  The owner may tell you the horse uses different cues from what you’ve been taught, and this is ok as long as the horse listens to your efforts to interpret his normal cues. (Some trainers use their own cue system, if the horse is a candidate for purchase ask them to elaborate on it)  Does the horse feel smooth with no bobbing or hesitation?  Turn a few tight circles in each direction.  Are there any hitches in his gait?  Does he move out confidently with no lugging on the reins or head tossing?  If the horse is trained for a specific discipline put him through his paces.  Run a barrel pattern or take a few jumps.  Is he riled up afterwards and hard to control?  Or does he calm down as soon as the exercise is over and remain attentive?

After you ride then offer to unsaddle the horse and put him away.  Does he stand quietly while being un-tacked?  Is he cinchy or does he display aggressive behavior such as ear pinning or lip curling?  At this point I usually ask to see the horse load if the owner has a trailer handy.  While a bad loader can be corrected I want to know it beforehand.  Observe the horse and owner carefully and record your observations.  Watch the horse as he is returned to his stable or pasture.  Can you lead him to his pen on loose lead or does he try to drag you back to the barn?  How does he react when first turned loose?

Make notes on all you have observed and if you feel the horse is a good prospect make a second appointment to see him, this time with your trainer or another trusted horse expert.  There is a reason to take the expert only once. You need to know how you feel about the horse.  It’s your money paying for him. I’ve seen too many people that get talked into too much horse by an enthusiastic trainer.  You don’t need a horse that is going to require a lot of refitting before you can even ride it.  If it’s too much horse for you admit it and move on.  Taking the expert the second time lets you get a good outsider opinion and also lets you watch a qualified person you know handle the horse.  Observe the horse carefully again. Does he behave the same as he did the first time?  Consistency is a big factor in enjoying your horse and if the horse seems to change from day to day you’re not going to enjoy him nearly as much.

If the horse is supposed to be registered ask to see the breed association’s papers.  Vague promises about having to dig them up won’t do, make it plain that papers must be produced before money changes hands.  Once you see the papers check the description of the horse against the actual horse, hopefully it will match.  Also check to see that the listed owner is the person you are buying the horse from.  If not make sure there is a transfer giving ownership to that person and a blank transfer to sell it to you.  Trying to sort out a paper trail on a horse is a frustrating and time-consuming task.  Avoid it if possible.

            Now is the time to decide whether you want the horse or not.  Two visits may not seem like enough, but face reality and understand that others are probably looking at the horse too. After three visits most sellers are going to get pretty fed up if you don’t make a commitment.  Prior to the vet check most sellers require a deposit.  Depending on the price a few hundred dollars usually works.  Pay by check and write on it that acceptance of payment guarantees an established deposit for {description of horse}.  If cash is required get a signed receipt that also includes the description of the horse and the notation that the deposit is pending a sound vet check.

If, after all the riding and trials are through, you think the horse will suit you then set up a vet check.  Be sure the vet is not the same one the owner uses and that it is a vet you trust.  If the owner refuses to allow a vet check walk away and never look back.  However, this is unlikely, since the owner should want to know if anything is wrong with the horse and it’s your money paying for the vet check.  Most vets will give you a thorough rundown of the horse’s pluses and minuses.  Watch how the horse reacts to the vet and again look for consistency in his behavior. Request shot records and proof of a negative Coggins test. Some states now require a Coggins test every time the horse changes ownership so know your state laws regarding Equine Infectious Anemia.  If the current Coggins is over 6 months old request a new one.  While a year is standard for most states, a year is also a long time and the horse may have been in contact with a carrier in that time.  Play it safe and get a new Coggins.  Also ask about the horse’s de-worming program and any other medical care he has had.  Getting it all out in the open now can save you a great deal of heartache later.

In this day and age it is imperative you ask about genetic testing for any horse you look to purchase. The stock horse breeds carry HYPP ( from the Impressive lines) PSSM 1, HERDA, GBED and MH. Ask if the horse is tested or comes from tested parents. A reputable breeder will test and tell you the results. If the horse is positive walk away. Do not buy a positive horse. The care and upkeep they require can mount to thousands of dollars a year if they are symptomatic. Don’t let someone tell you they can be easily managed, that is only in the mildest cases, and a horse can go from asymptomatic to chronically affected overnight. Don’t think it doesn’t matter if you are buying a gelding, they can have symptoms just as bad as breeding stock. Ask to see the actual lab copies of the tests. And make those results a part of the bill of sale, so later on if the horse does have issues and you retest and find he has the defect you have grounds for fraud.

Now the horse has passed the handling, riding and vet check.  His papers are in order and his health is fine.  What next?  You need a place to keep him.  Hopefully you have a place picked out to board him or a pasture to keep him in at your place.  He needs a halter and lead, bridle and saddle, a good pad and various grooming tools.  Line up a vet and a farrier and make contact with your local feed store.  Then it’s read and listen to every tidbit you can.  Save the good and discard the bad.  Once you get the horse home acclimate him for several days before going on any long distant rides and then get him into a routine.  That’s when the fun starts.

(Note: While helmet laws are not in effect in all states and liability issues differ from state to state, I recommend wearing a helmet whenever trying out a new horse.  Riding an unknown horse, whatever your skill level, is a dangerous undertaking, so use caution.)

Tracy Meisenbach
Copyright 1997

All rights reserved foreign and domestic

Do not share, republish or post with written permission

Tracy Meisenbach: Smooth Selling or Making Waves?

The time has come to sell your horse.  It might be a backyard pleasure horse or it might be a World Champion.  Either of these horses needs the same basic marketing to get the best possible home and price.  There are several steps to making a smooth sale. Following them can mean the difference between an easy transaction and a big nightmare.

Evaluate your horse honestly.  What are his strong points and weak points?  Is he registered or grade?  Has he been genetically tested for defects that could affect his life or  performance? Does he have a discipline he excels at or is he just a pleasure horse? Does he have any bad stable manners or ring habits?

Anything you find wrong with him as an owner, a buyer will find twice as bad. Don’t advertise a horse has having "halter" potential unless he really does.  A halter professional will shoot him down in a second and your credibility will take a severe hit. Please don't use the word RARE in your ad. There is very little that is truly rare in the horse world and using that term immediately sends up red flags. If your horse is truly rare, why is he not being marketed at a higher level than craigslist and facebook? Black, cremello, blue eyes, Friesian, Gypsy Vanners, NONE of these are rare. In fact the market is flooded with some very poor specimens right now. Using the word FOUNDATION in your ad, to provide merit, without a show record is also a red flag. Pedigree is a good selling point, as long as conformation and ability go with it. No horse is worth $10,000  based on pedigree or color. Be honest and objective and price

your horse accordingly.

If the horse will be too spirited for a beginner rider, say so up front and don’t let a novice talk you into letting them try the horse.  They could be injured on your property and you can be found liable.  Remember it’s easier to sell your horse on what he is then on what he might be. Set ground rules for a visit. No open toed shoes, loose dogs or loose children. Have your state’s limited liability signs posted at the gates to the barn and pasture. Do everything you can to protect yourself, before you get sued.

Prepare your horse for sale.  This doesn’t mean spraying Thunder down and putting an ad in the local paper.  If you take short cuts you’re going to get a lot of time-wasting lookers who will never see past the dirt and shaggy mane.  Make an effort to actually sell your horse.  You wouldn’t show up at an important job interview in a T-shirt and Bermuda shorts would you?  Every person who looks at your horse is interviewing it as a potential investment.  This means you need to make your horse appear at his best.  Clip him enough to be tidy, wash him if he’s dirty. Feed him up or slim him down as he needs it.  He needs to look well cared for and loved.  Work on his ground manners and barn manners.  Get him to the best he can be and a buyer will notice.

Advertising is a key point.  If you are going to do photo advertising then take good shots.  Don’t stand your horse in a hole or take a cute picture of him rolling.  This makes your horse look unbalanced and makes you look unprofessional.  Stand him on level ground and point your camera right at the midpoint of his barrel while you are in a crouch position.  This prevents his head from looking huge or his hips and withers from looking uneven.  Don’t take pictures with a fence as a background. This "cuts" your horse in half and can make him look uneven against the straight edge of the fence. If you are going to shoot a video than take one of the horse un-tacked first and then being saddled and ridden.  Again go for level ground and bland backgrounds.  You want the horse to stand out, not the fact you have a nice board fence. Do NOT use

photos of you standing in the saddle to market your horse. You look like an idiot

and completely unprofessional. It’s a redneck trick and just points out the level of seller you are.

Setting up your ad can require a lot more thought than you might have considered. If your horse is a young stallion and you advertise him as a stallion prospect, you are in essence saying he will have all the necessary equipment to reproduce another horse when bred to a mare. This includes a working penis, two testicles and a sperm count in the upper digits. What? Two testicles? But your horse is only six months old, how the heck can you assure that?  The answer is; you can’t! Advertising a yearling or weanling as a future breeding prospect is foolish and leaves you open for a lawsuit.  You have no idea what the colt is going to look like as an adult.  If you stipulate in print that your horse is a breeding prospect then you are giving the buyer reasonable expectation that the colt will meet breed and show ring requirements.  Should the colt fail to reach these standards you might find yourself sued for misrepresenting your horse.  The same goes for selling a filly.  You had better have some concrete proof she can reproduce or her broodmare potential is in question.  The best bet is to sell a foal based on their bloodlines, conformation and disposition.  Give the buyer something they can see and touch and don’t speculate on the future.

Once the horse is ready and your ad outlined, then place it where you’ll get the most exposure.  Put it in the local paper, horse trader magazines, and national breed magazines or on the Internet at one of the popular horse sites.  If you have a certain time of day it is easier to reach you then list that in your ad.

Examine the prices of comparable horses and stay in that range.  Also know the area you’re in and understand its market base.  A $1000.00 horse in Montana might bring $4000.00 in Los Angeles, but unless you want to haul your horse to California to sell it then plan on getting a $1000.00 if you advertise locally.  If you advertise on the Internet be prepared for sending videos and photos.  I typically charge a ten-dollar deposit on videos, that way I know the person is interested and that I’m going to get the video back if they aren’t.  For photos there is no charge, but I do ask that they be returned if the person doesn’t like the horse.

Keep notes on all calls.  This is important because it tells you who is looking and why.  It also gives you a list of people who have horse interests in your area.  If you set up an appointment always get a return phone number.  That way you can call them if they are late or a no-show and find out what happened.  Sometimes you want to reschedule and sometimes it’s better to simply tell them not to come.  If your horse is registered it’s a good idea to have a copy of your horse’s papers and his vet records by the phone so you can answer questions about his health and background.  If you’re selling a mare or stallion have their produce record or show records.

Showing the horse.  A buyer finally arrives to look at the horse.  What are the best ways to show him off? First don’t saddle and warm up the horse prior to someone getting there.  It looks fishy and makes them think you’re hiding something. (If you are hiding something then you need to stop and be up front about it; because with the laws now protecting a consumer you could be sued for fraud or misrepresentation) When the person arrives introduce them to the horse and let them watch you groom and tack it up. Make sure your equipment fits and is in good safe condition.  Take the horse to an enclosed area and warm it up.  Show the horse at all of its gaits going both directions. If the horse is being sold as a specific discipline horse then work it with that in mind.

Next allow the buyer to try out the horse. (I recommend requiring them to wear a helmet. I keep an old one on hand just for this purpose.) Observe how they are with the horse.  Are they nervous or jerky?  Does the horse seem uncomfortable?  Are they confident and caring? Does the horse respond smoothly?  After the ride un-tack the horse and demonstrate any other training you feel would show the horse off.  I like to load and unload the horse from a trailer and then hose him off to show docility.  Too many people have bought the "perfect" riding horse only to find out it’s a battle to get it in the trailer or give it a bath.

If the buyer is interested in your horse now is a good time to go over the horse’s paperwork.  Make sure the Coggins, ownership transfers and health records are all in order and easy to read. Having current photos of foals produced is a good selling point for a mare or stallion.  Allow the buyer time to think about their purchase.  I've heard the “ Someone is coming back at 5:00 with a check” line so many times I usually just walk away and go look at another horse.  If someone really is coming back at 5:00 make it plain, but don’t try to force a decision.  Allow the buyer to make another appointment that fits into your schedule.  Often they want to bring a trainer or friend to see the horse.

This isn’t unusual and is no reflection on their trusting the seller.  They simply want verification of their opinion of the horse.

Two visits, possibly three, are the limit I set.  The week-long try outs while bringing every member of the family out to see it tells me the person isn't committed to buying a horse and he needs some other horse besides mine to be the guinea pig. While the objective of selling the horse seems to be to get the money in your hand that’s not really the case.  By offering this animal for sale you are advertising your business, integrity and professional ethics to the world.  One bad sale put out by word of mouth can ruin a horseman.

If the buyer has determined they want the horse then let them set up a vet check. The buyer should also make a deposit on the horse.  State laws concerning deposits vary, but the general rule is that if the vet turns up something wrong with the horse you refund the deposit. If you already know something is wrong with the horse, such as cribbing and tell the buyer the horse has this problem and the buyer still pays a deposit then the vet determining cribbing as a flaw is not grounds for return of the deposit.  But as I said, check your state laws and also have a bill of sale handy for just this purpose.  If the horse passes the vet check then make payment and transportation arrangements.  Typically if the horse is within 25 miles I’ll deliver it free, anything over that and I charge by the mile. If they are picking the horse up then be sure you have a set time to meet them and call that morning and confirm it’s still on.  Last minute details can add up and make for a long wait.

Selling a horse is often a heart wrenching experience, so make sure you have the best possible home for your horse and get the best possible price.  Look at all the necessary components of making a good sale and then try to stick to them.  This will make your sale go as smoothly as possible and provide a safe secure home for your horse.

Notes:

I've been asked several times to allow a horse to go on try out.  I don’t

recommend it for a few reasons.  The horse can be injured while at a new place and can come in contact with communicable diseases, which will end up back at your barn if the horse returns.  If you do allow a try out then have a contract drawn up stipulating all requirements and have the full purchase price of the horse held by an escrow company. If the horse is injured, he’s considered sold and the escrow company will release the money to you, whereas a disgruntled buyer can stop payment on a check or return the horse. It is also a good idea to require insurance be carried on the horse while he is on try-out. Make sure you are the beneficiary since you will be sustaining the loss if the horse has to be put down.

Craigslist has spawned a level of scammers that didn't exist when I started in this business. Don't EVER accept a cashier's check or money order for your horse. They are too easy to forge. No one is going to pay top price, add a little extra and buy your horse sight unseen, while having a friend pick it up. It just doesn’t happen, so do not buy into that line of scamming. If someone wants to pay with anything other than cash, require a personal check and make a copy

of their photo ID. That way you can take them to court for theft by check. Paypal is really not safe because the person can dispute the sale after they take your animal and sometimes get a refund. Do NOT let your horse leave the property until payment is secured and verified. If you do then don't be surprised if you get scammed.

Good luck and smooth selling

Tracy Meisenbach

Copyright 1997

All rights reserved foreign and domestic

Do not share, republish or post with written permission

Tracy Meisenbach: Riding to Compete or Competing to Ride

            Riding is a lot of fun. It’s a physically active sport and also requires a lot of mental engagement. When coupled with the fact that it brings us closer to those great hairy beasts we are obsessed with, it’s often the best form of therapy against the stresses of daily life. As more and more people discover the joys of riding and horse ownership I see a definite reduction in the quality of riding and training, vs the quantity of riders and horses. It’s not a good trend.
            When I started out in horses good equitation was drilled into us from the moment we got on a horse. Classes like western pleasure and hunter under saddle REQUIRED a good, well presented rider. It wasn't about the bling, it was about your seat and hands. Now judges don’t even look at equitation in these classes, as is evident by the leaning back and pumping heels you see at World and National shows.
            Back in the day you learned to ride and then when you finally got good enough to be in tune with your horse you started competing, first at a local level, then regionally and finally, if you were good enough, nationally. It was a big deal. A National championship meant a lot because it was the result of years of work and dedication. Horses that showed in halter also showed under saddle, proving that their conformation was truly form to function. Now, except in very rare cases, those days are gone. Poor riding has become the norm and it’s a disgraceful trend. I see top level trainers that have less riding ability and ring etiquette than local 4 H riders. I see leaning back, horrible bouncing, legs pumping with every post, constant hand movement, and constant spurring. It’s almost like the show ring has become a puppet show full of poorly guided marionettes.
            In the speed events it’s become even worse. The riding I see at rodeos and jumping competitions is downright scary and embarrassing. Whoever invented the super extended, kicking every stride, barrel racing method was an idiot. It looks bad, actually slows down the horse as he braces for each kick, and creates a non-existent seat as your butt flies up a foot out of the saddle before slamming down onto the horse’s back. And the jumping with the exaggerated two point, super short stirrups, death grips on the reins and constant see sawing around the ends is just deplorable. WHERE HAVE ALL THE RIDERS GONE?

            In the here and now a trainer can win big money and still ride really bad.  Why? Because most of the trainers are being judged by people, who are also trainers, and they ride bad too. When you look at the stock horse industry the hunter section has become a travesty. There are judges hired to assess English classes that have NEVER ridden in that event. They've never been to USEF shows. Their exposure to English classes has been watching the other stock horse boys ride. Well that’s like learning to be a mechanic from someone that has no idea how to work on a car. Their ignorance is reflected in the horrible trending down of equitation. Let’s face it, proper form while riding is a thing of the past. Even in the Olympics someone that leans back and has a leg that swings like a pendulum can get a gold medal, the Beijing games were proof of that.

            So let’s step back a moment and look at why proper riding has gone away. Riding is a discipline, like ballet or gymnastics, which requires “form” in order to create the correct “function”. Of course you can muddle through, but in doing so you risk injury to yourself and your horse. And you waste a lot of time and money before you get good results. We need to remember the horse should NOT be used as a guinea pig while we try not to kill ourselves while learning to ride. Think about it, you’d never go hop in an airplane and just fly off into the blue. You’d never reach the end of the runway before killing yourself. A horse needs the same mindset. He’s a set of earthbound wings and to guide him safely and to take advantage of his power and flight you NEED to know how to handle him correctly. Here’s a list of things you should know before you EVER ride into the competition arena (barring leadline class!)

1)      Proper equitation. This means the automatic alignment of ear, shoulder, hip and heel. Your back should be straight, no duck butt or leaning over the cantle. Your shoulders soft but square, knees slightly bent, just barely able to see your boot toe if you look down. Your upper arm should be in line with your body NOT extended out with your hands wide open like the western pleasure riders do today. Arm down, hand closed, wrists flexible. Heels should be DOWN. Mot level, not pumping with every stride, DOWN. You should be able to snap back to good position within seconds and YES you maintain it through speed events, over fences and doing any patterns. If you CAN’T then don’t punish your horse with competitions until you can. It’s not your horse the judge doesn't like, it’s your riding.

2)      Know all the gaits, while maintaining proper equitation. This means that at a walk, jog, lope or walk, trot, canter your butt is in the saddle, it doesn't bounce. You don’t sway like a drunken camel rider, you don’t crouch like a monkey on a stick. You RIDE the horse at all times.

3)      You can stop the horse without raising your hand to your chin, jerking on the reins, throwing yourself backwards, leaning back over the cantle or sticking a spur in your horse’s side. A stop is subtle, it is graceful and it is gentle. You want to know why horses dread stopping? Because poor riders have made it a sequence of torture that starts with jerking the reins and ends with back pain that even the average chiropractor can’t fix. Learn to stop and don’t move on until you do.

4)      Know how to move both ends of your horse and the middle. If you can’t do a slow turn on the haunches, forehand or basic sidepass, and correct flying lead changes you have no business running barrels, jumping or even going down the trail. Your horse has a keyboard down his side and each button tells him what you want to do. If you randomly whop the buttons like a cat walking across a laptop you create confusion and resentment. Learn the cues before trying to learn the event. And if your horse hasn't mastered these skills he has no business being worked on a pattern or over a jump course. Don't create problems because you are in a hurry to get in the show ring.

5)      It is ONLY after you master the above 4 that you can even consider moving on to pattern work and speed events. Do NOT try to learn patterns and speed while learning equitation. You will create more bad habits in yourself and frustration with your horse than you can ever undo. Learn to ride FIRST. Don’t play tough, don’t “cowgirl up”, don’t go all “redneck fever”. LEARN TO RIDE.

6)      Once you know how to ride, and are working in unity with your horse, then you can add speed, turns, harder stops and obstacles. And after you add these things your equitation is STILL important. It’s important for your safety and for your horse’s physical health. I see comments all the time about lameness, sore backs ( both people and horses) being ring sour, dangerous behavior and once I investigate the common denominator is usually the rider. The rider bounces, jerks, flops, doesn't balance or take into consideration the physical structure of their horse. So LEARN to ride. Take lessons from someone that KNOWS how to ride and that does not mean the local Natural Horsemanship trainer that thinks standing on the horse’s back or laying it down is a demonstration of ability. You want to know what it means to ride with your butt in the saddle and your horse upright.

New Rider Common mistakes        

1)      Thinking a new bit will fix YOUR problem. If your riding is causing your horse pain or confusion a newer harsher bit is NOT going to fix anything, it’s going to make it worse. More pain added to more frustration usually means a showdown at some point and people always lose.

2)      Make sure your tack and clothing fit the job. Don’t ride in tight boots, slippery pants, really baggy clothing. The barn is a place to work, not show off the latest fashion trends. Make sure your horse’s equipment fits him too. I realize the big belt bridles and bling buckles are all the rage, but they fit poorly and rub and annoy the horse. Use common sense. When you “bling” out and then fail to turn in a good ride you look ridiculous.

3)      Learn correct terminology. LISTEN to other horsemen at competitions. Look at what they use and KNOW the difference between good training and flashy training. Don’t mimic the jerk and spur crowd.

4)      When you have a problem with your horse the first thing to assess is YOU. Once you’ve eliminated all issues that could be rider error THEN examine what could be causing the horse to react. Is it pain, fear, frustration, illness etc? LOOK at the situation and assess it from the horse’s point of view. Don’t think that spurs, harsher bits or “getting tough” are going to fix it.

5)      Don’t go beyond your abilities. Your ego is NOT the deciding factor here. There are two lives at stake and the other one deserves your consideration. Your lack of riding ability and ignorance can condemn your horse to the canners if he becomes unmanageable through your poor handling. Take the time to learn correct methods to get solid long term results.

Riding should be enjoyable, for both you and the horse. Proper riding makes it easier on both of you. Don’t stack the deck against yourself and try to learn too many things at once. Instead learn slowly, learn completely and learn safely. Wear a helmet, it’s your life at stake. Don’t follow dangerous trends and don’t let your ego rule over common sense.

Don’t compete in order to have a reason ride, instead ride well so you have a reason to compete.

Tracy Meisenbach

Copyright 2014

             All rights reserved foreign and domestic
            Do not share, republish or post with written permission

Tracy Meisenbach: Prospect or Project

Repost:

Prospect or Project: Which are you creating?

           At various times in my long horse owning life I have fallen into the “prospect or project” method of horse owning. Most of my prospects have turned out very well, and most of my projects have also turned out well, after twice the time, effort and money that the prospects take. In fact for a period of time in the late 80s/early 90s I had quite a roaring business in buying projects, fixing them and reselling them as prospects. I prospered because of the ignorance or laziness of other people. While my wallet got fat, my body, and frustration levels, took severe abuse. Would I do it all over again? Probably not. I can buy, or breed, better prospects and bring them up right and not waste the time on fixing endless project horses. This is not to say that some “project” horses aren’t worth the effort. If their only flaw is the stupidity of the person trying to sell them, then they may be worth the effort. If they are the product of poor breeding choices, poor handling and poor conformation then they probably aren’t worth the time and trouble it takes to “fix” them. It costs just as much to feed and care for an unsuitable horse as it does a good horse.

Most people don’t distinguish between a prospect and a project. I do. A prospect is a horse with the potential to do a certain discipline or even several disciplines, in such a manner as to require a minimal amount of effort to get there. A project is a horse that has to be rebuilt, usually after some cack-handed “trainer” has already messed up the horse’s mouth, brain and natural personality OR some stupid breeder has created a horse based on only one, or NONE, of the principles of good breeding.

Prospects are generally bought as weanlings, yearlings, two year olds or three year olds and have the breeding, conformation and personality to be trained to an upper level for whichever discipline you choose. Dressage prospects have great butts, long sloping shoulders, natural cadence and the ability to round up. Race prospects have natural speed, heart and power. Jump prospects have rear power, focus, good legs and drive. Reining and cutting prospects are catty on their feet, sensible, bold and flexible. You get the drift; Prospects are born, not made. You can plan on producing a prospect with careful nicking of bloodlines and conformational traits, but if the genes don’t align all you’ve created is a well-bred horse with little potential for long-term use.

Projects have generally been through a few owners or trainers. They have “issues”. They usually get advertised as having great bloodlines, a lot of potential and some aspect ( height, age, color) that shows they are perfectly suited for whatever task the advertisers deem fit. Some of the ads are flat out ridiculous. There should be no ten-year-old prospects. At ten years old a horse should have had a good job for a few years and be pretty well settled into his life’s work.

Where do prospects come from?
Good breeders, good handlers and good horsemen.

Where do projects come from?
Most of the time they come from people who don’t know diddly about training beyond reading a few natural horsemanship books and watching old Fury re-runs. Projects also come about when a horse flunks out of the field for which he was bred. There are a lot of racing prospects that become dressage and hunter under saddle projects. Ditto western pleasure prospects that become games or trail riding projects. Teaching a horse to spur stop is one of the quickest routes to becoming a project horse for someone else. Some of these fix quicker than others, depending on the amount of discipline related training you have to undo in order the send the horse in a different direction.

As I stated before, good prospects are born, not made. The horse hits the ground with every physical trait he needs to be a good horse. He is also born with the intelligence to be guided by training toward achieving his peak performance abilities.

That being said, all good prospects have the potential to become bad projects through poor handling. All projects do NOT have the potential to be a good prospect. In fact some projects remain projects their whole lives, never achieving any level of consistency that is indicative of a good working horse.


What creates and fosters a prospect?
1) Good breeding choices that are founded on the five principles of a horsemen:
a) Sire and dam that have merited reproduction through their own abilities
b) Bloodlines that merit reproduction and carry no major genetic defects
c) Conformation
d) Ability
e) Marketability

You’ll notice that COLOR is NOT listed as one of the five principles of horsemen. Color is gravy, icing, the cherry on top, or whatever other treat you want to call it. Color comes into play after all of the other five principles are invoked.

2) Good handling from an early age
a) Respect for humans
b) Social skills
c) Fostering intelligent thinking
d) Careful honing of the horse’s physical characteristics


People that know how to handle horses produce good prospects. Prospects are raised with manners, common sense and good social skills. They are not treated like large furry children and allowed to run rampant until they are 1200 pound lap dogs with no manners. If you can’t provide the above for all of your colts then QUIT raising them. STOP breeding horses. You’re not producing prospects, you’re producing projects that someone else has to take on and fix.

The average prospect has been trained to lead, load, bathe, have feet handled and keep his teeth and feet off of people by the time he is a year old. At two years old he can lunge, ground drive, tie, have light items placed on his back, pony off of another horse, walk over things without freaking out, tolerate flapping items, avoid fences and trees and respect boundaries in regards to his handler’s person. By three years old this horse is ready to saddle and start a career. If he’s done none, or few, of the above by this age then he’s a project, not a prospect. If he’s done several of the above, but in the wrong manner, then he’s a project not a prospect.

I do not in any way advocate riding horses two and under, nor in over working young horses. I do advocate daily, sensible handling. I advocate teaching a horse to use his brain and keeping him mentally and physically active. Fat spoiled yearlings with no social skills are NOT cute. They are not prospects for anything except becoming actors on the hit show “Refilling the Emergency Rooms of America.” Three year olds that can barely be caught, don’t know what work is and think people are nothing but feed buckets and scratching posts are NOT good prospects.

How do you create a project?
It’s really simple: breed for a foal that you had no intention of training. One of the most jaw dropping things I’ve ever heard was a statement from a breed advocate that excused the lack of training on a group of horses by saying “ These people are BREEDERS not TRAINERS”. Say again? If you can’t put the basics on a horse: leading, tying, loading, feet handling and standing for treatment, then you don’t need to be breeding anything, except maybe dust mites, because they don’t take much handling. Not every breeder needs to be a world class reining trainer or Olympic level rider, but all breeders need to have a basic understanding of safe horse handling and the ability to teach the foals they produce to behave. If you can’t do it yourself, and you’re not rich enough to afford a trainer to help you with your yearly crop of four legged manure machines, then don’t produce any more of them. There is no written law that says you have the right to produce “projects” that someone else has to risk their life dealing with. Those of us that train for a living do NOT have a requirement that says we have to fix your mistakes in order to give a horse you created a long productive life. Your poor choices are not our problem, so quit trying to lure us into buying them with your bountiful adjectives, rare colors and ancestry back to Noah's Ark.

How do you create a project?
1) Breed junk to junk and get junk
2) Breed based on emotion, not merit
3) Breed for the low end market that thinks $500.00 is a good price for a foal
4) Don’t handle your babies once they get past the cute fuzzy stage
5) Don’t handle your yearlings at all
6) Try every single training technique just long enough to confuse your horse and mess up his head
7) Breed for one or two specific traits, like color and pedigrees, and ignore good physical traits as well as performance records on the sire and dam. 

Hint: If your pedigree doesn’t have some actual performance champions in the first two generations then it’s NOT from champion stock and probably doesn’t need to reproduce. A few top horses five generations back do not mean a thing. 

Another hint: Having Man O’War in your horse’s pedigree in this day and age means NOTHING. Ditto Seabiscuit, Wimpy, Skowronek, The Godolphin Arabian, Justin Morgan, Roan Allen, Hambletonian etc. They are too far back to mean anything beyond the fact that someone recorded their descendants.
Having Impressive and Poco Bueno in your horse’s pedigree means you better be HYPP and HERDA testing before breeding them.

8) Ignoring proper veterinary and farrier care until the point that your horse has physical flaws that are impossible to clear up
9) Taking on more than you can physically, or mentally, handle. This form of non-accountability is what creates the most projects as well as hoarding.
10) Ignore the physical, and mental, limitations of your horse and trying to push him into a discipline he is clearly not suited for.

Prospect or project? 
Which are you creating? We owe it to our horses to make sure they have long productive lives, with every advantage that will ensure their survival in today’s volatile market. If you aren’t producing good prospects after years of breeding, if you aren’t honestly contributing to the improvement of the equine market, then take some accountability, stop breeding and stop expecting other people to fix your mistakes. In all likelihood the only fix is going to be when the slaughterhouse buyers take your problem off of your hands and onto the plates in Europe. Don't blame the buyers that don't want your "projects", blame yourself for creating them.

Tracy Meisenbach

Copyright 2007

             All rights reserved foreign and domestic
            Do not share, republish or post with written permission

Tracy Meisenbach: Because My Daughter Grew Up With Horses.

               

            Because My Daughter Grew Up With Horses © 
While watching my daughter ride today, I took time to reflect on the young woman my daughter had become and the choices she would face in the future. As I looked at her I could see the athlete she was, and the determined woman she would soon be.

I started thinking about some the girls we knew in our town who were already pregnant, pierced in several places, hair every color under the sun, drop outs, drug addicts and on the fast track to nowhere, seeking surface identities because they had no inner self esteem. The parents of these same girls have asked me why I “waste” the money on horses so my daughter can ride. I’m told she will grow out of it, lose interest, discover boys and all kinds of things that try to pin the current generation’s “slacker” label on my child. I don’t think it will happen, I think she will love and have horses all her life.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has compassion. She knows that we must take special care of the very young and the very old. We must make sure those without voices to speak of their pain are still cared for.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned responsibility for others than herself. She learned that regardless of the weather you must still care for those you have the stewardship of. There are no “days off” just because you don’t feel like being a horse owner that day. She learned that for every hour of fun you have there are days of hard slogging work you must do first.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned not to be afraid of getting dirty and that appearances don’t matter to most of the breathing things in the world we live in. Horses do not care about designer clothes, jewelry, pretty hairdos or anything else we put on our bodies to try to impress others. What a horse cares about are your abilities to work within his natural world, he doesn’t care if you’re wearing $80.00 jeans while you do it.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned about sex and how it can both enrich and complicate lives. She learned that it only takes one time to produce a baby, and the only way to ensure babies aren’t produced is not to breed. She learned how babies are planned, made, born and, sadly, sometimes die before reaching their potential. She learned how sleepless nights and trying to outsmart a crafty old broodmare could result in getting to see, as non-horse owning people rarely do, the birth of a true miracle.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she understands the value of money. Every dollar can be translated into bales of hay, bags of feed or farrier visits. Purchasing non-necessities during lean times can mean the difference between feed and good care, or neglect and starvation. She has learned to judge the level of her care against the care she sees provided by others and to make sure her standards never lower, and only increase as her knowledge grows.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned to learn on her own. She has had teachers that cannot speak, nor write, nor communicate beyond body language and reactions. She has had to learn to “read” her surroundings for both safe and unsafe objects, to look for hazards where others might only see a pretty meadow. She has learned to judge people as she judges horses. She looks beyond appearances and trappings to see what is within.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned sportsmanship to a high degree. Everyone that competes fairly is a winner. Trophies and ribbons may prove someone a winner, but they do not prove someone is a horseman. She has also learned that some people will do anything to win, regardless of who it hurts. She knows that those who will cheat in the show ring will also cheat in every other aspect of their life and are not to be trusted.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has self-esteem and an engaging personality. She can talk to anyone she meets with confidence, because she has to express herself to her horse with more than words. She knows the satisfaction of controlling and teaching a 1000 pound animal that will yield willingly to her gentle touch and ignore the more forceful and inept handling of those stronger than she is. She holds herself with poise and professionalism in the company of those far older than herself.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned to plan ahead. She knows that choices made today can effect what happens five years down the road. She knows that you cannot care for and protect your investments without savings to fall back on. She knows the value of land and buildings. And that caring for your vehicle can mean the difference between easy travel or being stranded on the side of the road with a four horse trailer on a hot day.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned that color, sex, and age do not establish a horse’s, or a person’s, intelligence, ability or value. She has learned that only personal actions can tell you the merit of each individual, all other labels are put on things because of snobbery or fear by narrow minded people. A good horse has no set color, or age, or sex, neither does a good person.

          When I look at what she has learned and what it will help her become, I can honestly say that I haven’t “wasted” a penny on providing her with horses. I only wish that all children had the same opportunities to learn these lessons from horses before setting out on the road to adulthood.

Written and copyrighted January 21, 2008

U.S. Library of Congress #TX0007159977

By Tracy Meisenbach

Brookneal VA

www.trinityapp.com

All rights are reserved by Tracy Meisenbach, this article may not be reproduced, disseminated, published, or transferred in any form or by any means, except with the prior written permission of Tracy Meisenbach. All rights reserved by foreign and domestic. Do not share or copy without written permission.. Do NOT plagiarise this article and change the topic to livestock, dogs, cats or anything else. Theft is not flattering, it is theft.