Biosecurity means doing everything you can
to reduce the chances of an infectious disease being
carried onto your farm by people, animals, equipment,
or vehicles, either accidentally or on purpose.
Showing Your Horse
■ Use your own trailer. Don’t ship your horses with
horses from other farms.
■ Ship only in a trailer that has been cleaned and
disinfected. If you can “smell horse” in the empty
trailer, it has not been cleaned and disinfected
properly.
■ Don’t let your horse touch other horses, especially
nose to nose.
■ Don’t share equipment (e.g., water, feed buckets,
brushes, or sponges).
■ Wash your hands, especially after helping other
people with their horses.
■ Don’t let strangers pet your horse, especially those
with horses at home or people who have been out
of the country in the past 2 weeks.
■ Before leaving the show grounds, clean and disinfect
tack, boots, equipment, and grooming supplies.
Brush off dirt or manure; then disinfect (spray or
wipes are easy to take with you).
■ When you get home, shower, blow your nose, and
put on clean clothes and shoes before going near
other horses.
Visiting Other Farms, Horse Shows,
or Auctions
■ Have a pair of shoes or boots that you save for
visiting and don’t wear around your own horse.
■ Wear plastic shoe covers. Plastic bags from
newspapers work well.
■ If you are going to be working with horses on
another farm, wear coveralls or plan to change
clothes before returning to your horse.
■ If there are farms you visit all the time and you can’t
change clothes and shoes, be sure their vaccination
program and biosecurity practices are as good as
your own.
For Visitors to Your Farm or Horse
■ It is best to have only one way into your farm. Mark
this as the main entrance.
■ Park away from the horses. Doing that will help
keep disease-carrying organisms from being tracked
from car floors or tires to your horses.
■ If the farrier or veterinarian needs to park closer, be
sure their tires and shoes have been disinfected.
■ Ask all visitors to wear clean clothes and shoes. Give
visitors plastic shoe covers, or brush dirt off their
shoes and spray them with disinfectant.
■ If you have many visitors, such as at a farm tour
or open house, make a footbath for them to walk
through.
Bringing Horses Back From a Show
■ If one horse has been shown, all your horses need
to be vaccinated. Horses that show can bring home
germs. Discuss what vaccinations the horses need,
and how often, with your veterinarian.
■ If possible, keep horses which were off the farm
isolated for at least 2 weeks. Make sure there is no
nose-to-nose contact.
Bringing in New Horses
This is the most likely way for infectious diseases to
come in.
■ Keep every new horse isolated for 30 days. Don’t
use pitchforks, grooming tools, or feed and water
buckets on any horse but the new one. Mark these
with red tape, or use red brushes, etc., only for the
isolation area.
■ Work with the isolated horse last each day.
Alternatively, wear boots and coveralls when
working with the isolated horse and remove them
before working or going near other horses. You can
keep these in a plastic-covered tub near the horse.
■ Always wash your hands and blow your nose after
working with the new horse. You could carry germs
to your other horses in your nose.
You Are the Best Protection Your Horses Have
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Program Aid No. 1825
Biosecurity—
The Key to Keeping
Your Horses Healthy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis
of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability,
political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family
status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means
for communication of program information (Braille, large
print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET
Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director,
Office of Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building,
14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC
20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Mention of companies or commercial products does
not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture over others not mentioned.
USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of any
product mentioned. Product names are mentioned solely
to report factually on available data and to provide
specific information.
Cover photo: APHIS photo by Norman Watkins.
Issued June 2005
Making an Easy Footbath
You will need:
1. A low plastic pan or bin, wide enough to
fit an adult’s foot, shallow enough to step into
easily
2. A plastic doormat (the “fake grass” mats
work well)
3. A disinfectant that works when manure or dirt is
present, such as Tek-trol or One Stroke Environ
4. Water
Mix the disinfectant with water following label
instructions. Put the doormat in the plastic pan. Add
disinfectant so that the bottom of the “grass” is wet.
Ask visitors to walk through the footbath, wiping their
feet on the mat. The “grass” scrubs their shoes a bit as
they wipe them, and applies the disinfectant. When
the liquid starts to get dirty, empty it and put in new
disinfectant.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Biosecurity on the Farm
by: Heather Smith Thomas
June 01 2008 Article # 12089
Disease can come home with you in exposed horses, on your equipment, and even on your skin and
clothing. Here’s how to avoid these scenarios and keep your horses healthy.
Reducing the risk and frequency of contagious disease outbreaks can be a challenge, but the horse owner
can do a few things to help control introduction or spread of diseases on a farm. Toward that end, Josie
Traub-Dargatz, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of equine medicine at Colorado State University,
suggests horse owners read a USDA biosecurity brochure found at
www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/HorseBioSecurity_final.pdf.
"This was written by a veterinary medical officer in New Jersey who has horses and was excerpted from
a presentation she did for 4-H kids," says Traub-Dargatz. "This veterinarian tried to address the ways
disease could be introduced to your place or expose your horses, and what you can do to reduce these
risks."
As defined by the USDA, biosecurity means doing everything you can to reduce the chances of an
infectious disease being carried onto your farm by people, animals, equipment, or vehicles, either
accidentally or on purpose.
Reducing the Risks
"There are things you can do (to reduce the chances of introducing disease)," she says. "Doing any one
of those will reduce the risk, but the question is by how much. When a farm has a mobile horse
population, it is very difficult to completely eliminate introduction of disease agents."
Limiting Spread of Contagious Disease
Following is a synopsis of tips from the USDA’s biosecurity brochure for horse owners.
To reduce the risk of bringing home a disease if you are taking a horse somewhere and later returning
him to the farm:
1. Use your own trailer, and don’t haul any other horses besides your own.
2. While away from home, don’t let your horse touch any other horse, and especially avoid nose-tonose
contact.
3. Don’t share equipment.
4. Wash hands after touching another horse.
5. Don’t let strangers pet your horse.
6. Before leaving the event, clean and disinfect your tack, equipment, etc.
7. When you get home, shower and put on clean clothes and footwear.
When visiting other farms, horse shows, sales, and other places where there are horses:
The Horse: Biosecurity on the Farm Page 1 of 4
http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=12089 8/12/2008
1. Have shoes/boots/clothing that you save for these occasions and don’t wear at home, or use shoe
covers/plastic bags you can throw away.
2. When working with horses on another farm, wear coveralls or change clothes after you get home,
or make sure the other farm’s vaccination program or biosecurity is as good as your own.
For visitors to your farm:
1. Have them park away from the horses, to keep pathogens from being tracked from vehicles or tires
to your horses.
2. If a farrier or vet must park closer, make sure tires and shoes were disinfected.
3. Give visitors plastic shoe covers (plastic bags will work) or brush off shoes and spray with
disinfectant.
4. If you have many visitors, as for a farm tour, use a foot bath.
Using disinfectants:
Disinfectants range from bleach to commercial veterinary/medical-grade disinfectants. See article
#10683 at TheHorse.com to learn about disinfectants most suitable for your need.
1. Surfaces must be clean; brush off loose dirt/manure and wash with laundry detergent before using
disinfectant.
2. Grooming tools: Clean with detergent, rinse, then dip in disinfectant.
3. Tack: Wipe with a disinfectant-dampened cloth. (Take caution and ask a saddler about the best
solution for this process)
4. Bleach as a disinfectant: Use three-quarters of a cup per gallon of water (or one part bleach to 10
parts water) after completely cleaning dirt/manure from the item you’re disinfecting.
5. Commercial disinfectant sprays: Use according to label after dirt and manure are removed.
6. Other types of commercial disinfectants: Use according to label directions.
7. To create a footbath: use a disinfectant that works even when dirt and manure are present. Mix
with water according to directions. Use in a shallow plastic pan or tub with a rough plastic (“fake
grass”) doormat on the bottom for wiping and scraping shoes and boots. Change the liquid
whenever it starts to get dirty.
Horse owners need to realize there's a difference between infectious and conta- gious disease. "Infectious
disease may be caused by a pathogen that causes disease in the animal, but may not be contagious," says
Traub-Dargatz. "For instance, West Nile virus is not contagious horse-to-horse, but strangles or influenza
is. If it's a contagious disease between horses, direct horse-to-horse contact poses the biggest risk."
Exposure might occur at a show or trail ride, from horses across the fence, or a new horse brought to the
farm.
Some farms have a buffer zone ( on map on facing page)--a double fence between properties, with a lane
between. "If horses cough across that air space, some diseases may spread, but at least it's not nose-tonose
contact," she says. "That's the biggest risk. If horses are socializing across the fence, you and your
neighbor should agree on a preventative medicine plan, so you are both on the same page regarding
management for disease prevention. If your paddock is next to a public road, trail, or bridle path ( on
map), this could be a bigger concern, and you might want to make sure your horses can't get nose-tonose
with other horses that might be ridden by."
Vaccination can be a critical aspect of controlling infectious diseases because in many instances owners
can't prevent exposure. "But remember that vaccination can't prevent disease in all the animals, for all
The Horse: Biosecurity on the Farm Page 2 of 4
http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=12089 8/12/2008
the diseases we are concerned about," she says. "Vaccines perform better if we keep the disease
challenge lower."
Water sources can be an issue if your horses drink from a pond or ditch shared by neighboring horses,
livestock, or wildlife ( and on map). Some diseases such as leptospirosis and salmonellosis can be spread
this way. It might be safest to have your horses drink from a waterer ( on map) or tank where you have
more control over the source and the delivery method.
Regarding physical separation of horses (of unknown disease status), many people wonder how far away
and for how long a new horse should be kept separate from other horses on the farm. "For some diseases,
if horses share an air space, they can be exposed," states Traub-Dargatz. "Influenza, for instance, can be
spread to other horses within 150 feet. That's at least 10 stalls away. With a disease like strangles, it
usually takes actual physical contact or shared water, tack, etc. Keep a new horse as far away as you can.
It's best if the horses don't share the same air space (they're not in the same barn, and on map)."
This also helps with the next biggest risk--people going from horse-to-horse, inadvertently carrying
pathogens.
"In the same barn, even if one horse is 10 stalls away, people are less likely to take enough precautions,
just because they forget," she says. By contrast, if the isolated horse is in a different barn, you're more
apt to remember to take precautions when moving between horses.
If visitors come to your farm, ask where they've been in case there's a need for them to wash their hands
or clean their footwear. "Have visitors check in before they have contact with your horses, especially if
they were recently at another farm, a sale, etc.," she says.
"At a show or public event, it's difficult to keep people from petting horses," notes Traub-Dargatz.
"Whenever you take your horse somewhere, you are assuming a risk. When you bring those horses
home, watch them carefully to see if they become sick."
The extent of a disease outbreak on your farm from that exposed horse could be reduced if you take
action quickly once illness is detected. There's always some risk in taking horses off the farm, but the
safest events are where all the arriving horses need a health certificate and vaccinations.
Isolating a Sick Horse
"It's important to take temperatures on horses coming back from a show, since fever is often the first sign
of disease," states Traub-Dargatz. "By then, you are into the realm of trying to contain the disease rather
than preventing it, since it's already on your farm. But you may be able to reduce how many animals get
sick, with appropriate action at that time."
If a horse has fever, your initial response might be to move horses away from either side of him, but it's
possible that they've already been exposed (especially if it's a respiratory disease) and, in that case, you
are merely spreading the problem.
"Optimally, you would move the horse with the fever somewhere by himself, not with any other animals,
and leave the exposed horses where they are, and monitor them--rather than moving them to another
barn and possibly exposing the horses in the other barn," she says.
Avoid Bringing Disease Home
The Horse: Biosecurity on the Farm Page 3 of 4
http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=12089 8/12/2008
It's not just your horses that interact with other horses and carry diseases home. If you are interacting
with horses that are not on your property, always wash your hands afterward. Horses can shed disease
agents even if they look healthy.
"If you take your horse somewhere, take you own water buckets, don't share equipment," she advises.
"When filling a bucket, don't put the hose end into your bucket; hold it above the bucket." If the hose end
was recently in someone else's water bucket, there might be pathogens on the outside of the hose.
People generally would never use the same bit that was used by another horse, but many forget that
pathogens can be carried on other equipment, such as a wipe rag or grooming tool.
"Another thing you can do, depending on the event, is leave your horse by your own trailer (tied or in a
portable pen) rather than in a stall that's been used by many different horses," notes Traub-Dargatz. "This
is potentially less stressful for the horse, as well, since this is his own space he's familiar with."
This is definitely better than putting your horse in a pen next to a strange horse, especially if the two
pens share a water source. The horse next door could leave secretions in the water that might be
infective.
Take-Home Message
Prevention generally is easier than cleanup, especially when it comes to contagious diseases. Take these
measures to reduce the likelihood of a disease hitting your farm.
Editor's Note: Visit TheHorse.com and register for our upcoming live Webinar on Disease Prevention,
sponsored by Intervet.
Readers are cautioned to seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian
before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.
Copyright © 2008 BLOOD-HORSE PUBLICATIONS. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole
or in part in any form
or medium without written permission of BLOOD-HORSE PUBLICATIONS is prohibited. THE
HORSE, THE HORSE logo,
THEHORSE.COM and THEHORSE.COM logo are trademarks of BLOOD-HORSE
PUBLICATIONS.
The Horse: Biosecurity on the Farm Page 4 of 4
http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=12089
June 01 2008 Article # 12089
Disease can come home with you in exposed horses, on your equipment, and even on your skin and
clothing. Here’s how to avoid these scenarios and keep your horses healthy.
Reducing the risk and frequency of contagious disease outbreaks can be a challenge, but the horse owner
can do a few things to help control introduction or spread of diseases on a farm. Toward that end, Josie
Traub-Dargatz, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of equine medicine at Colorado State University,
suggests horse owners read a USDA biosecurity brochure found at
www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/HorseBioSecurity_final.pdf.
"This was written by a veterinary medical officer in New Jersey who has horses and was excerpted from
a presentation she did for 4-H kids," says Traub-Dargatz. "This veterinarian tried to address the ways
disease could be introduced to your place or expose your horses, and what you can do to reduce these
risks."
As defined by the USDA, biosecurity means doing everything you can to reduce the chances of an
infectious disease being carried onto your farm by people, animals, equipment, or vehicles, either
accidentally or on purpose.
Reducing the Risks
"There are things you can do (to reduce the chances of introducing disease)," she says. "Doing any one
of those will reduce the risk, but the question is by how much. When a farm has a mobile horse
population, it is very difficult to completely eliminate introduction of disease agents."
Limiting Spread of Contagious Disease
Following is a synopsis of tips from the USDA’s biosecurity brochure for horse owners.
To reduce the risk of bringing home a disease if you are taking a horse somewhere and later returning
him to the farm:
1. Use your own trailer, and don’t haul any other horses besides your own.
2. While away from home, don’t let your horse touch any other horse, and especially avoid nose-tonose
contact.
3. Don’t share equipment.
4. Wash hands after touching another horse.
5. Don’t let strangers pet your horse.
6. Before leaving the event, clean and disinfect your tack, equipment, etc.
7. When you get home, shower and put on clean clothes and footwear.
When visiting other farms, horse shows, sales, and other places where there are horses:
The Horse: Biosecurity on the Farm Page 1 of 4
http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=12089 8/12/2008
1. Have shoes/boots/clothing that you save for these occasions and don’t wear at home, or use shoe
covers/plastic bags you can throw away.
2. When working with horses on another farm, wear coveralls or change clothes after you get home,
or make sure the other farm’s vaccination program or biosecurity is as good as your own.
For visitors to your farm:
1. Have them park away from the horses, to keep pathogens from being tracked from vehicles or tires
to your horses.
2. If a farrier or vet must park closer, make sure tires and shoes were disinfected.
3. Give visitors plastic shoe covers (plastic bags will work) or brush off shoes and spray with
disinfectant.
4. If you have many visitors, as for a farm tour, use a foot bath.
Using disinfectants:
Disinfectants range from bleach to commercial veterinary/medical-grade disinfectants. See article
#10683 at TheHorse.com to learn about disinfectants most suitable for your need.
1. Surfaces must be clean; brush off loose dirt/manure and wash with laundry detergent before using
disinfectant.
2. Grooming tools: Clean with detergent, rinse, then dip in disinfectant.
3. Tack: Wipe with a disinfectant-dampened cloth. (Take caution and ask a saddler about the best
solution for this process)
4. Bleach as a disinfectant: Use three-quarters of a cup per gallon of water (or one part bleach to 10
parts water) after completely cleaning dirt/manure from the item you’re disinfecting.
5. Commercial disinfectant sprays: Use according to label after dirt and manure are removed.
6. Other types of commercial disinfectants: Use according to label directions.
7. To create a footbath: use a disinfectant that works even when dirt and manure are present. Mix
with water according to directions. Use in a shallow plastic pan or tub with a rough plastic (“fake
grass”) doormat on the bottom for wiping and scraping shoes and boots. Change the liquid
whenever it starts to get dirty.
Horse owners need to realize there's a difference between infectious and conta- gious disease. "Infectious
disease may be caused by a pathogen that causes disease in the animal, but may not be contagious," says
Traub-Dargatz. "For instance, West Nile virus is not contagious horse-to-horse, but strangles or influenza
is. If it's a contagious disease between horses, direct horse-to-horse contact poses the biggest risk."
Exposure might occur at a show or trail ride, from horses across the fence, or a new horse brought to the
farm.
Some farms have a buffer zone ( on map on facing page)--a double fence between properties, with a lane
between. "If horses cough across that air space, some diseases may spread, but at least it's not nose-tonose
contact," she says. "That's the biggest risk. If horses are socializing across the fence, you and your
neighbor should agree on a preventative medicine plan, so you are both on the same page regarding
management for disease prevention. If your paddock is next to a public road, trail, or bridle path ( on
map), this could be a bigger concern, and you might want to make sure your horses can't get nose-tonose
with other horses that might be ridden by."
Vaccination can be a critical aspect of controlling infectious diseases because in many instances owners
can't prevent exposure. "But remember that vaccination can't prevent disease in all the animals, for all
The Horse: Biosecurity on the Farm Page 2 of 4
http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=12089 8/12/2008
the diseases we are concerned about," she says. "Vaccines perform better if we keep the disease
challenge lower."
Water sources can be an issue if your horses drink from a pond or ditch shared by neighboring horses,
livestock, or wildlife ( and on map). Some diseases such as leptospirosis and salmonellosis can be spread
this way. It might be safest to have your horses drink from a waterer ( on map) or tank where you have
more control over the source and the delivery method.
Regarding physical separation of horses (of unknown disease status), many people wonder how far away
and for how long a new horse should be kept separate from other horses on the farm. "For some diseases,
if horses share an air space, they can be exposed," states Traub-Dargatz. "Influenza, for instance, can be
spread to other horses within 150 feet. That's at least 10 stalls away. With a disease like strangles, it
usually takes actual physical contact or shared water, tack, etc. Keep a new horse as far away as you can.
It's best if the horses don't share the same air space (they're not in the same barn, and on map)."
This also helps with the next biggest risk--people going from horse-to-horse, inadvertently carrying
pathogens.
"In the same barn, even if one horse is 10 stalls away, people are less likely to take enough precautions,
just because they forget," she says. By contrast, if the isolated horse is in a different barn, you're more
apt to remember to take precautions when moving between horses.
If visitors come to your farm, ask where they've been in case there's a need for them to wash their hands
or clean their footwear. "Have visitors check in before they have contact with your horses, especially if
they were recently at another farm, a sale, etc.," she says.
"At a show or public event, it's difficult to keep people from petting horses," notes Traub-Dargatz.
"Whenever you take your horse somewhere, you are assuming a risk. When you bring those horses
home, watch them carefully to see if they become sick."
The extent of a disease outbreak on your farm from that exposed horse could be reduced if you take
action quickly once illness is detected. There's always some risk in taking horses off the farm, but the
safest events are where all the arriving horses need a health certificate and vaccinations.
Isolating a Sick Horse
"It's important to take temperatures on horses coming back from a show, since fever is often the first sign
of disease," states Traub-Dargatz. "By then, you are into the realm of trying to contain the disease rather
than preventing it, since it's already on your farm. But you may be able to reduce how many animals get
sick, with appropriate action at that time."
If a horse has fever, your initial response might be to move horses away from either side of him, but it's
possible that they've already been exposed (especially if it's a respiratory disease) and, in that case, you
are merely spreading the problem.
"Optimally, you would move the horse with the fever somewhere by himself, not with any other animals,
and leave the exposed horses where they are, and monitor them--rather than moving them to another
barn and possibly exposing the horses in the other barn," she says.
Avoid Bringing Disease Home
The Horse: Biosecurity on the Farm Page 3 of 4
http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=12089 8/12/2008
It's not just your horses that interact with other horses and carry diseases home. If you are interacting
with horses that are not on your property, always wash your hands afterward. Horses can shed disease
agents even if they look healthy.
"If you take your horse somewhere, take you own water buckets, don't share equipment," she advises.
"When filling a bucket, don't put the hose end into your bucket; hold it above the bucket." If the hose end
was recently in someone else's water bucket, there might be pathogens on the outside of the hose.
People generally would never use the same bit that was used by another horse, but many forget that
pathogens can be carried on other equipment, such as a wipe rag or grooming tool.
"Another thing you can do, depending on the event, is leave your horse by your own trailer (tied or in a
portable pen) rather than in a stall that's been used by many different horses," notes Traub-Dargatz. "This
is potentially less stressful for the horse, as well, since this is his own space he's familiar with."
This is definitely better than putting your horse in a pen next to a strange horse, especially if the two
pens share a water source. The horse next door could leave secretions in the water that might be
infective.
Take-Home Message
Prevention generally is easier than cleanup, especially when it comes to contagious diseases. Take these
measures to reduce the likelihood of a disease hitting your farm.
Editor's Note: Visit TheHorse.com and register for our upcoming live Webinar on Disease Prevention,
sponsored by Intervet.
Readers are cautioned to seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian
before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.
Copyright © 2008 BLOOD-HORSE PUBLICATIONS. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole
or in part in any form
or medium without written permission of BLOOD-HORSE PUBLICATIONS is prohibited. THE
HORSE, THE HORSE logo,
THEHORSE.COM and THEHORSE.COM logo are trademarks of BLOOD-HORSE
PUBLICATIONS.
The Horse: Biosecurity on the Farm Page 4 of 4
http://www.thehorse.com/PrintArticle.aspx?ID=12089
Clipping Hunter/Jumpers
Appendix A: Hunter/Jumper
with Robyn Brown
Robyn Brown is one of Victoria's consistently most successful eventing trainers and riders, but
she is also keenly in demand at that time of the year when trim taut athletes start to look like
hairy Yaks - the time of the year, when you start to think about clipping.
Before you start:
Make sure you have a safe area, preferably an enclosed area with no junk
lying around, check that it is dry, especially if you are using a wash area.
Make sure all extension lead connections are wrapped up if you are out in
the weather so they stay dry. The horse should be clean and dry, mud and
dirt in their coats makes it harder for the clippers to cut the hair. You get a
better clip if you wash the horse but in winter this is a little difficult so
you just have to brush the mud off and make sure the horse is dry before
you start, as wet hair is very difficult to clip and wet hair blunts the
blades.
The advantages of clipping is that it is much easier to keep them clean and
to dry them off after working and also it looks much smarter. It depends
on your program of competitions when you decide to clip a horse. If you
have a horse competing in the autumn and early winter then I will clip out
fairly early in the autumn about April, as soon as the coat gets a little
thick If they are competing I don't mind clipping them again if the coat gets a little thick and they
are starting to sweat. Or you can wait until their coats are fully through and then clip them - but
if you are competing early in the season and your horse gets really sweaty then it's better to clip
them twice, once at the beginning of autumn and then again late autumn early winter and if they
are competing at a three day event, I'll clip the second time about a week before the Three Day. I
don't believe that the horse has to look terrible for a few days after the clip. A lot of people say
you need a week for the coat to look decent again but I think that if you do a good job the coat
should look perfectly fine the next day.
The most important thing is to take your time. Make sure you go over the horse two or three
times each area, sometimes at a slightly different angle. That way you will get all the lines off all
the excess bits of hair, make sure you keep the blades flat against his skin. The fiddly bits take a
lot of time, you need to take your time and let the horse get over the ticklish bits, some are really
sensitive. I don't mind doing a little bit in a sensitive spot, then going on to another area if the
horse is getting upset and then coming back and doing a bit until you get the job done properly
and not just give up because it is too difficult.
It takes about an hour to clip a horse (one that is quiet and behaves)
or about an hour and a half if the leg hair has to come off. With
regard to what clip to use you need to take into account the
environment you are keeping the horse in and the type of work they
are doing. I think if they are working hard they need to have all the
body clipped, leaving a saddle patch. I leave a square where the
saddle goes, it prevents rubbing and burning and pressure areas. If
you are going to take thei legs off, the horse needs to be stabled or
kept somewhere very dry. If the horse is going to be in a paddock or
in mud, then it is best to leave leg hair on. Faces again depend on
how the horse is kept. Some horses look better with the face off, if
they are the woolly kind. For cosmetic reasons, if I take the face off,
I also take the ears off, if the face hair is left on then so are the ears.
I generally don't clip horses ears right out as I had a bad experience
once where a horse jumping into water got water in his ears and got
distracted and hit the next element and somersaulted. A trace clip or
blanket clip are the standard when a horse is living outside and
worked hard. This clip takes off the underneath of the neck and
belly and hindquarters or you can take off the whole neck and again
you leave the legs on. There are variations of this clip to make the
job look a lot smarter. For a designer clip, the horse needs to have a
fairly nice coat for that clip to look good, if the horse is hairy it
doesn't quite come off!
Whilst caring for the clipped horse you will automatically have to
put more rugs on, don't let him/her stand around for too long
without something over his loins before or after you are going to
work them. Always keep the coat clean, I usually shampoo weekly
or brush thoroughly but most clipped horses won't stand being
brushed. A cotton rug (which is washed at least every second week)
against their skin all the time is best, and that just helps to keep the
clipped coat looking good, it stops the splitting and the greasiness
and scurf. If a horse is sweaty from working hard, I always hose off
and then rug up straight away. I don't like not washing them
because then the grease and dirt builds up and you end up with the
coat rubbing. If you have a horse that is prone to rubbing in the hips
and shoulders then you can put silk in those areas of his rug.
Appendix A: Hunter/Jumper
46
When you are clipping after you have checked you have a safe environment and that the horse is
clean, then just let the horse get used to the sound of the clippers running. Start on the shoulder
with the clippers running against the line of the hair making sure that the clippers are lying flat
against the horse's skin. Always keep one hand on the horse when you are working - that way the
horse knows where you are and you can feel how the horse is reacting to the clippers and you
can sense if the horse starts getting upset or ticklish.
Remember to dip the clipper blades in kerosene at regular intervals. This cleans the hair out of
the blades. Horses can be difficult for different reasons. Some haven't been clipped before and
obviously don't know what it is about, some are ticklish and some don't like the feel of the
vibration or the noise. Sometimes using a twitch can be of assistance and if you suspect a
problem then it is wise to tranquilize first as this easier on all parties concerned, the horse, the
handler and the clipper.
Quite often once a horse has been clipped and had a good experience then the next time they are
usually better to clip. With horses that are likely to kick, I always blindfold the eye on the side I
am working as they generally won't kick out at something they can't see. You can also use
hobbles, but I would only use these on horses that are used to them.
Retrieved July 21, 2008 from,
http://www.horsemagazine.com/CLINIC/B/BROWN_ROBYN/clipping.htm
with Robyn Brown
Robyn Brown is one of Victoria's consistently most successful eventing trainers and riders, but
she is also keenly in demand at that time of the year when trim taut athletes start to look like
hairy Yaks - the time of the year, when you start to think about clipping.
Before you start:
Make sure you have a safe area, preferably an enclosed area with no junk
lying around, check that it is dry, especially if you are using a wash area.
Make sure all extension lead connections are wrapped up if you are out in
the weather so they stay dry. The horse should be clean and dry, mud and
dirt in their coats makes it harder for the clippers to cut the hair. You get a
better clip if you wash the horse but in winter this is a little difficult so
you just have to brush the mud off and make sure the horse is dry before
you start, as wet hair is very difficult to clip and wet hair blunts the
blades.
The advantages of clipping is that it is much easier to keep them clean and
to dry them off after working and also it looks much smarter. It depends
on your program of competitions when you decide to clip a horse. If you
have a horse competing in the autumn and early winter then I will clip out
fairly early in the autumn about April, as soon as the coat gets a little
thick If they are competing I don't mind clipping them again if the coat gets a little thick and they
are starting to sweat. Or you can wait until their coats are fully through and then clip them - but
if you are competing early in the season and your horse gets really sweaty then it's better to clip
them twice, once at the beginning of autumn and then again late autumn early winter and if they
are competing at a three day event, I'll clip the second time about a week before the Three Day. I
don't believe that the horse has to look terrible for a few days after the clip. A lot of people say
you need a week for the coat to look decent again but I think that if you do a good job the coat
should look perfectly fine the next day.
The most important thing is to take your time. Make sure you go over the horse two or three
times each area, sometimes at a slightly different angle. That way you will get all the lines off all
the excess bits of hair, make sure you keep the blades flat against his skin. The fiddly bits take a
lot of time, you need to take your time and let the horse get over the ticklish bits, some are really
sensitive. I don't mind doing a little bit in a sensitive spot, then going on to another area if the
horse is getting upset and then coming back and doing a bit until you get the job done properly
and not just give up because it is too difficult.
It takes about an hour to clip a horse (one that is quiet and behaves)
or about an hour and a half if the leg hair has to come off. With
regard to what clip to use you need to take into account the
environment you are keeping the horse in and the type of work they
are doing. I think if they are working hard they need to have all the
body clipped, leaving a saddle patch. I leave a square where the
saddle goes, it prevents rubbing and burning and pressure areas. If
you are going to take thei legs off, the horse needs to be stabled or
kept somewhere very dry. If the horse is going to be in a paddock or
in mud, then it is best to leave leg hair on. Faces again depend on
how the horse is kept. Some horses look better with the face off, if
they are the woolly kind. For cosmetic reasons, if I take the face off,
I also take the ears off, if the face hair is left on then so are the ears.
I generally don't clip horses ears right out as I had a bad experience
once where a horse jumping into water got water in his ears and got
distracted and hit the next element and somersaulted. A trace clip or
blanket clip are the standard when a horse is living outside and
worked hard. This clip takes off the underneath of the neck and
belly and hindquarters or you can take off the whole neck and again
you leave the legs on. There are variations of this clip to make the
job look a lot smarter. For a designer clip, the horse needs to have a
fairly nice coat for that clip to look good, if the horse is hairy it
doesn't quite come off!
Whilst caring for the clipped horse you will automatically have to
put more rugs on, don't let him/her stand around for too long
without something over his loins before or after you are going to
work them. Always keep the coat clean, I usually shampoo weekly
or brush thoroughly but most clipped horses won't stand being
brushed. A cotton rug (which is washed at least every second week)
against their skin all the time is best, and that just helps to keep the
clipped coat looking good, it stops the splitting and the greasiness
and scurf. If a horse is sweaty from working hard, I always hose off
and then rug up straight away. I don't like not washing them
because then the grease and dirt builds up and you end up with the
coat rubbing. If you have a horse that is prone to rubbing in the hips
and shoulders then you can put silk in those areas of his rug.
Appendix A: Hunter/Jumper
46
When you are clipping after you have checked you have a safe environment and that the horse is
clean, then just let the horse get used to the sound of the clippers running. Start on the shoulder
with the clippers running against the line of the hair making sure that the clippers are lying flat
against the horse's skin. Always keep one hand on the horse when you are working - that way the
horse knows where you are and you can feel how the horse is reacting to the clippers and you
can sense if the horse starts getting upset or ticklish.
Remember to dip the clipper blades in kerosene at regular intervals. This cleans the hair out of
the blades. Horses can be difficult for different reasons. Some haven't been clipped before and
obviously don't know what it is about, some are ticklish and some don't like the feel of the
vibration or the noise. Sometimes using a twitch can be of assistance and if you suspect a
problem then it is wise to tranquilize first as this easier on all parties concerned, the horse, the
handler and the clipper.
Quite often once a horse has been clipped and had a good experience then the next time they are
usually better to clip. With horses that are likely to kick, I always blindfold the eye on the side I
am working as they generally won't kick out at something they can't see. You can also use
hobbles, but I would only use these on horses that are used to them.
Retrieved July 21, 2008 from,
http://www.horsemagazine.com/CLINIC/B/BROWN_ROBYN/clipping.htm
Tips on Clipping Parts of the Horse
Grooming expert Gretchen Canova Gabor offers advice on how to clip various areas of your
horse.
By Gretchen Canova Gabor with Linda Macklin
Face and Head
Have someone with you to hold your horse and help
soothe, if necessary. Always start on the side keeping one
hand over the nose. This will give you more control, but you do
not need to press down hard. Most horses will allow you to use
larger body clippers on the side of the face but most of the time
you will need to switch to a smaller clipper for the rest of the
face. Clipping hair too close will create lines on the face.
Forelock: cover the whole forelock with a finger or your
hand to make sure that you do not cut the forelock by
accident if the horse moves its head suddenly.
Eyes: you may need to cover the eye with your hand to
avoid scaring the horse and to avoid clipping eyelashes by
accident. Make sure that you gently touch the clippers down
near the eyes to help reduce the chance of the horse moving away from the clippers as
you clip.
Bridle path: select the hair that you want to clip before you begin clipping. If the horse's mane is
very thick you may need to braid the forelock and a portion of the mane that may be in the way
to avoid cutting too much hair. Always start clipping a thinner bridle path and then if needed,
clip wider. The bridle path should only be two fingers wide.
Mane
If you are new to clipping, start on the underside of the mane first. This will give you a chance to
cover up any crooked lines or accidental clips of the mane. You may want to clip in short
sections near the mane until you feel more confident with the control of the clippers. When you
feel you can maintain a straight line, start clipping longer sections near the mane. Use one hand
to hold the mane down while clipping near the mane, especially if the horse twitches near the
withers. This will give more control.
If the horse twitches near the withers I will put firm pressure down with one hand on the
mane and clip with the other to lessen the vibration of the clippers on the horse's skin.
This also lessens the twitching of the skin. The base of the mane near the withers is always hard
to decipher when you have a fuzzy horse. Pre-select hair before you begin clipping. Make sure
you carry the weight of the clippers around the mane. If you press down hard and the horse jerks
away, you increase the chance of cutting off portions of the mane. For getting a perfectly straight
line you may have to hold the mane down firmly and clip excess hair vertically with the clippers.
Belly Near the Stifles
To make it easier to clip this sensitive area, you will need to stretch the skin out flat. Otherwise
you may cut the skin accidentally because it is too loose. I always have a hand pressing with
medium pressure to flatten the skin as well as to reduce the clipper vibration in this ticklish area.
Have someone hold and soothe your
horse during clipping, if necessary.
Photo by Linda Macklin
Appendix A: Hunter/Jumper
49
If you are having a hard time, you may need to have someone hold up one of the horse's legs
while you quickly finish.
Chest
Be aware of the cowlicks that abound in the chest area and make sure you clip going against the
direction of hair growth. You will need to pull the skin flat to make clipping easier and avoid
cutting the skin by accident.
Cowlick on the Flank Area
The flank cowlick will be easier to clip if you do the sides first creating crescent-shape clip
markings, then finish the cowlick by clipping down vertically.
Legs
When clipping the legs I always place myself so I can see the horse's face out of the corner of my
eye. If the horse raises his head, I back off. Make sure you have your forearm or hand with
consistent pressure above the hock or above the knee when you are clipping on or near the legs.
This allows you to feel the muscle tighten before the horse moves. Sometimes this pressure can
be soothing to the horse as well.
Many horses are better if you pick up their leg to clip along the tendons. You can also
clip in short sections diagonally to clip the hair along the lower legs. If you pick up a leg,
make sure you hold its weight in your quads and not in your lower bag to avoid injury to
your back if the horse suddenly pulls his leg out of your hands. Never put your fingers
over the end of the horse's hoof when you pick it up. If the horse jerks his foot down
quickly, he may step on your fingers. Always hold the leg near the fetlock or along the
coronary band for better support. Do not press down hard and be sure to watch the corner of the
clipper blades on the lower legs to avoid breaking the skin by accident.
Make sure all coronet hair is clipped evenly to make a better appearance when the
hooves are oiled at the show.
Top of the Tail
To help create the "V" above the tail, use one finger to draw a line going against the direction of
the hair from the center of the dock along the center line of the horse's rump. Then create an
upside down "V" by drawing a line up from each corner of the dock to this center line of the
rump. Always start by clipping a larger "V," then you can make it smaller. The left side of the
"V" is always harder to clip. The size of the "V" varies with the size of the horse or pony.
Imagine creating a triangle with two 45-degree angles at the bottom.
After Clipping
Run a warm towel over the horse's entire body to remove dander, dirt and excess cut hair. This
also will help to reduce some of the lines. Reward your horse with treats or a chance to graze.
Clipping usually requires that your horse stand still for up to two hours or more. He will want to
move or go in the stall to roll.
Gretchen Canova Gabor has always had horses in her life. From a young age she was
braiding at shows and picking up tips from show grooms. When she was 13, she rode Silver Star to the
small pony championship at the then-AHSA Pony Finals. She has been involved with the Goucher College
equestrian program since 1995, and served as the associate director from 1998-2002. She left to complete
her undergraduate degree and begin a master's degree in elementary teaching and special education. She
continues to help Goucher with showing and braiding.
Retrieved 7/21/2008, from
http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/grooming/clippingparts_051407/index.aspx
Copyright © Primedia Magazines, Inc. All rights reserved.
horse.
By Gretchen Canova Gabor with Linda Macklin
Face and Head
Have someone with you to hold your horse and help
soothe, if necessary. Always start on the side keeping one
hand over the nose. This will give you more control, but you do
not need to press down hard. Most horses will allow you to use
larger body clippers on the side of the face but most of the time
you will need to switch to a smaller clipper for the rest of the
face. Clipping hair too close will create lines on the face.
Forelock: cover the whole forelock with a finger or your
hand to make sure that you do not cut the forelock by
accident if the horse moves its head suddenly.
Eyes: you may need to cover the eye with your hand to
avoid scaring the horse and to avoid clipping eyelashes by
accident. Make sure that you gently touch the clippers down
near the eyes to help reduce the chance of the horse moving away from the clippers as
you clip.
Bridle path: select the hair that you want to clip before you begin clipping. If the horse's mane is
very thick you may need to braid the forelock and a portion of the mane that may be in the way
to avoid cutting too much hair. Always start clipping a thinner bridle path and then if needed,
clip wider. The bridle path should only be two fingers wide.
Mane
If you are new to clipping, start on the underside of the mane first. This will give you a chance to
cover up any crooked lines or accidental clips of the mane. You may want to clip in short
sections near the mane until you feel more confident with the control of the clippers. When you
feel you can maintain a straight line, start clipping longer sections near the mane. Use one hand
to hold the mane down while clipping near the mane, especially if the horse twitches near the
withers. This will give more control.
If the horse twitches near the withers I will put firm pressure down with one hand on the
mane and clip with the other to lessen the vibration of the clippers on the horse's skin.
This also lessens the twitching of the skin. The base of the mane near the withers is always hard
to decipher when you have a fuzzy horse. Pre-select hair before you begin clipping. Make sure
you carry the weight of the clippers around the mane. If you press down hard and the horse jerks
away, you increase the chance of cutting off portions of the mane. For getting a perfectly straight
line you may have to hold the mane down firmly and clip excess hair vertically with the clippers.
Belly Near the Stifles
To make it easier to clip this sensitive area, you will need to stretch the skin out flat. Otherwise
you may cut the skin accidentally because it is too loose. I always have a hand pressing with
medium pressure to flatten the skin as well as to reduce the clipper vibration in this ticklish area.
Have someone hold and soothe your
horse during clipping, if necessary.
Photo by Linda Macklin
Appendix A: Hunter/Jumper
49
If you are having a hard time, you may need to have someone hold up one of the horse's legs
while you quickly finish.
Chest
Be aware of the cowlicks that abound in the chest area and make sure you clip going against the
direction of hair growth. You will need to pull the skin flat to make clipping easier and avoid
cutting the skin by accident.
Cowlick on the Flank Area
The flank cowlick will be easier to clip if you do the sides first creating crescent-shape clip
markings, then finish the cowlick by clipping down vertically.
Legs
When clipping the legs I always place myself so I can see the horse's face out of the corner of my
eye. If the horse raises his head, I back off. Make sure you have your forearm or hand with
consistent pressure above the hock or above the knee when you are clipping on or near the legs.
This allows you to feel the muscle tighten before the horse moves. Sometimes this pressure can
be soothing to the horse as well.
Many horses are better if you pick up their leg to clip along the tendons. You can also
clip in short sections diagonally to clip the hair along the lower legs. If you pick up a leg,
make sure you hold its weight in your quads and not in your lower bag to avoid injury to
your back if the horse suddenly pulls his leg out of your hands. Never put your fingers
over the end of the horse's hoof when you pick it up. If the horse jerks his foot down
quickly, he may step on your fingers. Always hold the leg near the fetlock or along the
coronary band for better support. Do not press down hard and be sure to watch the corner of the
clipper blades on the lower legs to avoid breaking the skin by accident.
Make sure all coronet hair is clipped evenly to make a better appearance when the
hooves are oiled at the show.
Top of the Tail
To help create the "V" above the tail, use one finger to draw a line going against the direction of
the hair from the center of the dock along the center line of the horse's rump. Then create an
upside down "V" by drawing a line up from each corner of the dock to this center line of the
rump. Always start by clipping a larger "V," then you can make it smaller. The left side of the
"V" is always harder to clip. The size of the "V" varies with the size of the horse or pony.
Imagine creating a triangle with two 45-degree angles at the bottom.
After Clipping
Run a warm towel over the horse's entire body to remove dander, dirt and excess cut hair. This
also will help to reduce some of the lines. Reward your horse with treats or a chance to graze.
Clipping usually requires that your horse stand still for up to two hours or more. He will want to
move or go in the stall to roll.
Gretchen Canova Gabor has always had horses in her life. From a young age she was
braiding at shows and picking up tips from show grooms. When she was 13, she rode Silver Star to the
small pony championship at the then-AHSA Pony Finals. She has been involved with the Goucher College
equestrian program since 1995, and served as the associate director from 1998-2002. She left to complete
her undergraduate degree and begin a master's degree in elementary teaching and special education. She
continues to help Goucher with showing and braiding.
Retrieved 7/21/2008, from
http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/grooming/clippingparts_051407/index.aspx
Copyright © Primedia Magazines, Inc. All rights reserved.
Friesian Grooming Tips
Appendix B: Dressage
Keep your Friesian horse looking beautiful with these grooming tips from Sabine Schut-Kery.
By Sabine Schut-Kery
I love the luxuriant hair and feathers of a Friesian, but the look
must still be neat. Excess hair under the jaw and chin gives your
Friesian a coarse look. Clipping this hair is easy and will
instantly add to the beauty of your horse's head.
Heavy feathers on your Friesian's lower legs can make him look
heavy boned and give the impression that he is heavy moving. I
sculpt my horse's legs by clipping excess feathering from the
backs of their knees and the front and sides of the cannon bones.
I like to bang the bottom of my Friesians' tails, but I leave the
tops alone. Warmbloods and similar types often have their tails
sculpted at the top for a clean look when they are moving.
Friesians do not lift their tails when they move, so I allow the top
sections of my horses' tails to grow naturally.
A braided mane enhances the neat, formal look expected of a
horse and rider. The braided mane also reveals the shape and
carriage of the horse's neck. However, the
typical Friesian's abundant mane will look like a row of sausages
if crammed into normal braids for dressage. For an elegant
appearance, I like a French braid woven tightly along the top line
of the neck. Unfortunately French braids are not very durable. I
braid just before going into the warm up ring, and I expect to
rebraid often. Once you get the hang of it, you will find that you
can braid very quickly. I finish the braid with black tape because
it gives a neat appearance and prevents flyaways. If your horse
has an extra thick mane, you may need to make a French braid
on both sides of the neck.
Sabine Schut-Kery earned her Bereiter license in Germany after a three-year apprenticeship with Jan
Bemelmans. Her love of baroque horses and dressage has culminated in a unique career that combines
competition and exhibition riding. In 1998, she moved to the United States to work as head trainer for
Proud Meadows of Waxahachie, Texas. She has trained two of Proud Meadows Friesian breeding stallions
to Grand Prix, earning five USDF Horse of the Year awards and bronze, silver and gold medals. She lives
in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Retrieved July 21, 2008 from, http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/grooming/friesiangrooming_072307
Copyright © Primedia Magazines, Inc. All rights reserved.
Keep your Friesian horse looking beautiful with these grooming tips from Sabine Schut-Kery.
By Sabine Schut-Kery
I love the luxuriant hair and feathers of a Friesian, but the look
must still be neat. Excess hair under the jaw and chin gives your
Friesian a coarse look. Clipping this hair is easy and will
instantly add to the beauty of your horse's head.
Heavy feathers on your Friesian's lower legs can make him look
heavy boned and give the impression that he is heavy moving. I
sculpt my horse's legs by clipping excess feathering from the
backs of their knees and the front and sides of the cannon bones.
I like to bang the bottom of my Friesians' tails, but I leave the
tops alone. Warmbloods and similar types often have their tails
sculpted at the top for a clean look when they are moving.
Friesians do not lift their tails when they move, so I allow the top
sections of my horses' tails to grow naturally.
A braided mane enhances the neat, formal look expected of a
horse and rider. The braided mane also reveals the shape and
carriage of the horse's neck. However, the
typical Friesian's abundant mane will look like a row of sausages
if crammed into normal braids for dressage. For an elegant
appearance, I like a French braid woven tightly along the top line
of the neck. Unfortunately French braids are not very durable. I
braid just before going into the warm up ring, and I expect to
rebraid often. Once you get the hang of it, you will find that you
can braid very quickly. I finish the braid with black tape because
it gives a neat appearance and prevents flyaways. If your horse
has an extra thick mane, you may need to make a French braid
on both sides of the neck.
Sabine Schut-Kery earned her Bereiter license in Germany after a three-year apprenticeship with Jan
Bemelmans. Her love of baroque horses and dressage has culminated in a unique career that combines
competition and exhibition riding. In 1998, she moved to the United States to work as head trainer for
Proud Meadows of Waxahachie, Texas. She has trained two of Proud Meadows Friesian breeding stallions
to Grand Prix, earning five USDF Horse of the Year awards and bronze, silver and gold medals. She lives
in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Retrieved July 21, 2008 from, http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/grooming/friesiangrooming_072307
Copyright © Primedia Magazines, Inc. All rights reserved.
Western Keepers
Welcome to your semester as a keeper! Some of this may be a little repetitive but as you
probably already know each barn does things a little different. The biggest key to making this
semester run as smoothly as possible is communication. You will need to communicate with
your seat instructor, the head keeper, fellow keepers, pre keepers, vets, farriers and more.
How this semester turns out will depend on your attitude going into it. Some people feel
that keeper is a waste of time, they may have had a job that involved the same type of work, and
they think they know it all… Keeper is not a waste of time so try to think positively. Think of
your semester being a keeper as a very long job interview, an actual job, or a way to prove that
you are hard working and reliable so that you can get some GREAT job references for your
resume.
This semester you will learn how to communicate and work with many different types of
people. No mater where you go there will be problems that will need a solution and you will be
better equipped to handle them. In the horse industry things happen and as a keeper you will be
able to experience many things ranging from superficial wounds to colic surgery. Enjoy your job
and remember SAFTY first.
Western Keeper Survival Guide
33
Getting to Know Your Horses
The first thing you need to do is go to the western barn and find out who your horses are,
where they live, write your name and phone number on their feed card, find out any injuries
or conditions they are being treated for… You also need to learn their behavior, how they
eat. For example, are they picky or do they wolf it down? How they live, are they messy or
do they keep their stall nice and neat? Do they have any stall vices, weaving, cribbing, et
cetera? Are your horses always happy and searching for a treat or are they grumpy and ready
to bite or kick at any minute?
There are horse information forms you should receive in class your first week that
addresses the above areas and many more. If you do not have these forms by the second
week then you need to ask for them in keeper class. This information is very important and
needs to be logged every semester (since some things change).
Getting to know your horse is very important and can keep you, others, and the horse
safe. So take the time to know everything there is to know about each and everyone of your
horses. If you know your horse you will be able to catch the slightest signs when something
is not right.
Keeper Clipboard
It is important that you document everything that you do. This should be done on a
clipboard that is kept on the tack room wall. This is so the string manager and seat instructor can
keep track of all of the activities each horse is doing. Things that should be included are horse
names, whether or not they were turned out, whether or not they were ridden, their med schedule
and their lunch hay schedule, if they had a bath, were clipped... Also, if there is anything new
that has popped up, it should be documented clearly and described in detail.
Daily Care of Your Horses
1. Morning checks.
* Your horses should be checked before 8am every morning.
* Run your hands over each horse (especially their legs).
* Look for visible injuries, heat, swelling…
* Open the stall doors and put the chains up.
* Make sure they ate their food the night before and that they have water.
* Pay attention to anything that may be out of place.
Western Keeper Survival Guide
34
2. AM Water.
* Water between 6-8am
* Make sure your horse has a clean water source, some horses may defecate in their
buckets or dunk their hay. In either case, the buckets should be cleaned and refilled.
* If your horse has an automatic waterer make sure it is functioning properly and not
leaking.
3. AM Medications.
* Between 6-9am.
* Most of the western horses only have am medications. These medications should be
given on a consistent schedule, at approximately the same time every day.
4. Lunch Water.
* Between 11-1pm.
* Make sure water source is clean and full.
5. Lunch Hay.
* Between 10:30-12:30pm.
* Each horse should get one flake of grass or alfalfa, some horses may get more
depending on their weight.
* Your seat instructor will help monitor who gets what, but if you notice a horse’s weight
is changing, then let them know right away.
6. PM Water.
* Between 7-9pm.
* Make sure water source is clean and full.
7. PM Medication.
* Between 7-9 pm
* Around the same time every day.
8. PM Hay.
* Between 8-9:30pm.
* Each horse should get one flake of grass or alfalfa, once again this depends on each
horse’s current condition.
9. PM Checks.
* Between 9-10 pm.
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* Check your horses and make sure they are acting normal and do not have any injuries.
* Drop the chains and shut the stall doors.
10. Turnout.
* You will sign up for a 1 hour time slot every day. Your horses should be ready to go
out when your T/O time begins. In addition, you will need to start bringing them in a
couple minutes early (so that you do not run over into the next keepers time).
Communicate with the keeper that turns out before and after you then you will know
where to T/O first and which horses to bring in first.
* All of your horses will have a designated T/O buddy, some will go out alone. Work this
out with your seat instructor before you T/O the first time. These pairs my change as the
semester goes on. For example, two horses may stop getting along with each other or a
horse may leave and be replaced by a new one.
* Most of the western horses do not need protective equipment; but you need to find out
which horses need bell boots… before you turn them out for the first time.
* Check to make sure all possible exits to the T/O pen are closed and latched.
* Pairs can be turned out anywhere, except the round pen and the 4 stall lot (the small lot
by the class rooms). Singles can go out in small lots or large lots. Get to know your
horses T/O behavior, some horses will not handle being turned out where they cannot see
any other horses, some horses will try to escape from certain T/O areas ex: Macy does
not go out in the UPHA arena because she got injured trying to jump out.
* Western horses do not go out in certain weather (unless it is in an indoor arena).
* Do not T/O if there is lightning.
* Do not T/O if the ground has a lot of ICE on it. If it is a thin layer most horses will be
okay. If your horse is old and rickety or struggles with lameness problems you will want
to turn them out inside to prevent further problems (or in a close location like
Westminster).
* If your horse can not be turned out due to weather you must hand walk them inside the
barn.
11. Brushing & looking for injuries (after T/O). Brushing after T/O is important for
many different reasons, the horses are supposed to be kept in show condition and it
helps with the overall appearance. Also, the barns are a high traffic area and you
Western Keeper Survival Guide
36
don’t know when potential donators, prospective students or non horse people (they
may think that the horses are not being cared for properly) will walk through. We
want to give a good impression to everyone that enters the barn.
* Brush each horse after T/O & PICK OUT THEIR FEET. Brushing doesn’t mean a
thorough groom job. A quick brush off will work, if your horse is really dirty you may
have to hose off, vacuum, or brush more thoroughly (it depends on HOW dirty they are).
* While you are brushing each horse look for visible injuries, heat, swelling and lost
shoes. If your horse loses a shoe you will need to look for it so that the farrier can put it
back on (this is important & saves money).
* Injuries need to be treated right away to prevent infection and help aid the healing
process.
* After you are finished, check your horses off for turn out on the Horse Usage Chart.
12. Stalls.
* All of your horse’s stalls must be cleaned every day.
* If your horse is on the mount list or someone is signed up to ride them you do not have
to clean the stall. Make sure you check it at the end of the day, because a rider may have
missed class or simply not cleaned the stall. If the stall was not done you can call the
person that rode the horse and ask that person to come back out, “Remember that you
attract more flies with honey than vinegar! Be nice!” If you cannot get a hold of the
rider, or you find out that they did not ride then it becomes your job to clean the stall.
* Make sure to let your seat instructor know if someone did not take care of the horse
properly.
* Plan on cleaning ALL of your horse’s stalls on the weekend, even if someone signs up
to ride them. Riders are less likely to show up to ride on weekends. This is a sad reality to
being a keeper, but if you don’t expect it then it will be a pleasant surprise when the stall
gets done.
* The morning barn staff tries to clean as many stalls as they can, but this is not their only
job and they have plenty of other things to do. Treat them with the highest respect, get to
know their names, do anything you can to help them out, and make sure you tell them
thank you.
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* Even if the barn staff cleans your stalls you need to go back in and flip the shavings,
clean out any pee spots and fresh manure. After you make sure the stall is CLEAN you
will need to bed it.
Western Barn Duties
1. Stall fronts. Each keeper is responsible for cleaning their stall fronts.
* Keep stall fronts dust and cob web free.
* Make sure you have adequate signs on your stall fronts that provide important information
about each horse ex: any particular habits, special needs, behavioral issues…
The following barn duties need to be kept up by ALL of the keepers. If everyone is not
pitching in then you will need to assign weekly cleaning duties to make sure the barn looks
like a show barn at all times. You do not know who may walk through the barn.
2. Aisle ways.
* Pick up trash and other things that are left out.
* If the horses pull things down ex: halters and lead ropes, coolers, sheets, blankets or towels
than fold them nice and neat and hang them back up.
* Keep aisles swept, racked and watered as needed.
3. Grooming Stalls.
* If a horse is in the grooming area the stall must be swept and any manure, or pee needs to
be cleaned up immediately (by the person who put the horse in the groom stall).
4. Trash Cans.
* If any of the trash cans in the western barn start getting full take and dump it in the
dumpster (this will not take very long).
5. Muck Buckets.
* If it gets full dump it in a wheel barrow and take it to the manure pad.
* They can get very heavy so dump it before it is overflowing.
6. Shavings Area.
* If the shavings start to spread outwards tidy (re-pile) them up with a rake or pitch fork.
7. Hay Storage.
* Do not open a new bale until the open bale is gone.
* If loose hay falls on the ground rake it up and FEED it to the horses. There is nothing
wrong with it and it cost way to much money to dump it.
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* The loose hay needs to be raked and fed at least once a day. Keeping the hay storage area
clean will reduce waste, help prevent mold spores from getting into the hay and ground
where it is stored, and give the barn a clean professional appearance.
8. Full Wheel Barrows.
* If there is an unclaimed wheel barrow in the barn DUMP IT!!! This sucks and you may not
feel responsible for it, but if you do not do it no one will.
9. Pitch Forks.
* If they are not being used they need to be hung on the hooks outside the tack room doors.
This will prevent help prevent them from being broken and will also help the overall
appearance of the barn.
10. Saddle Pads, Girths…
* Girths need to be hung nice and neat and by SIZE in there specific area.
* Saddle pads need to be organized and hung in the proper location. If you see a saddle pad
in the wrong place hang it in the correct one.
11. Wash Racks.
* Keep them swept out so they don’t clog.
* Keep supplies on shelves organized (throw away empty bottles and other trash).
* If you use it CLEAN IT!!!
12. Tackrooms.
* Keep counters clean and wiped down.
* Keep sink clean.
* Make sure take is clean, hung in the proper place, and nice and neat.
* Sweep the floor daily.
* If the laundry tub starts to get full bring it to the laundry room, sort it into the proper tubs
and bring the empty tub back to the tack room.
* If you are in need of any supplies write it on the supply board (outside tack room door).
Write the date, supply needed and quantity.
* Tack cleaning buckets need to be cleaned daily and filled with fresh water.
13. Keeper Cabinet. These will get messy almost as fast as you clean it.
* If you use it PUT it away in the proper location (which is not always where you found it).
* Keep it organized.
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* If something is almost out, put it on the supply list.
If it is empty, throw it away.
Horse Care
These are duties that need to be done, but they only get done once a week – when needed.
1. Tails.
* Once a week.
* Wash, Infusium, show sheen, blow dry, braid and put it back up in a clean sock.
* All tails need to be kept up and clean. If it falls out of the sock put it back up
immediately.
2. Manes. If you do not know how to do a western mane then have someone that knows
show you. Do not be afraid to ask for help, it does not mean your stupid.
* Approximately once every 2-3 weeks (will very on how fast each horse’s mane grows).
* Should be “about” the length of the long side of a credit card (your school ID works
great). Always leave it 1-2 fingers longer, just incase you mess up.
* You can use thinning sheers to trim it to the desired length (do not cut straight across
with regular scissors).
* Some manes will need to be pulled if the are excessively thick.
3. Clipping. It is very rare for western horses to be body clipped, so do not do it unless
your seat instructor tells you to. If you have not clipped a western horse the WWU way then
have someone show you how to do it.
* Once every 2-3 weeks.
* The horses should be ready to go to a show at all times (just a quick trim in a moments
notice).
* Muzzle and inside nostrils should be clipped with 40’s.
* Eye whiskers should be trimmed VERY CAREFULLY with 40’s.
* Bridle path with 40’s.
* Ears balded out with 40’s, if it is winter and the horse is not going to a show you can
use 10’s.
* Use 10’s for face white (follow the direction of hair growth).
* Use 10’s for socks, boots… on leg white below the knees, and to trim long hairs around
fetlock...
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* Use 40’s to clip hair around coronary band.
* Use 10’s to clean up the jaw line and underneath the jaw.
4. Sheaths and Utters.
* When needed.
* If your horse is rubbing its tail or swishing its tail excessively it may be trying to tell
you its time to get cleaned.
* Use warm water for cleaning.
* Make sure you rinse well.
* If you are having trouble cleaning all the build up off you can cover it with Vaseline
and come back and finish in a day or two.
5. Bathing.
* As needed.
* If it is pretty cool or cold then you can use a hot towel.
6. Groom Boxes and Brushes.
* Make sure boxes have the horses name and list special equipment or care needed.
* All brushes should be labeled with the horses name.
* Need to be cleaned once a month.
* Clean with hot soapy water.
* Dry thoroughly.
7. Waterers and Feed Boxes.
* Clean as needed.
* Water buckets are to be cleaned and re-filled by the riders.
* Waterers need to be cleaned once a week and if the get very dirty.
* Feed boxes and buckets need to be cleaned when they start to collect build up. Boxes
get swept with a hand held broom and buckets need to be cleaned with hot, soapy water.
Medication
It is not your job to decide what medications your horses are on. During your first keeper
class, you should find out what supplements your horses are on for morning or night checks. Be
sure you read the containers to see the dosage schedule. If there are any questions, ask the string
manager, but not before reading the label!!! If you think your horse needs other medication
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bring it up to your seat instructor or string manager. However, it is their decision whether or not
a horse will get any other medications. Be aware of what your horse is on at all times.
* Read the required text so you will know how your horse may react to a medication and so you
know why the horse is on that medication.
* If your horse needs special medication ex: needs Bute for a few days, has an infection and
needs SMZ’s… then write it on the laminated sheet above the meds counter (in the old tack
room). You need to write down the horse’s name, what they are getting, how much, am or pm
and the start and ending date. Since it is only temporary it should not be added to the regular med
chart.
Farriers, Vets…
When these people come to take care of your horses, introduce yourself and make yourself
available to help them.
* If your horse needs shoes approve it with your seat instructor before putting it on the farrier
chart.
* If your horse goes to Jim and Lolo you will need to meet them right away. They will already
have your horse on a schedule and it is your responsibility to know what day they need the horse
and that someone brings the horse to them and puts it away.
* Also if your horse goes to Jim and Lolo in the H/J barn you need to write your name and phone
number on the farrier white board in the H/J barn.
* Make sure you are there to hold a horse if a horse needs held. Be cooperative and helpful
because we want them to come back!
The veterinarian will most definitely be called out in your time as a keeper. It is not your
duty to call the vet. The protocol for injuries is in the general section. When the vet comes out,
use it as a learning opportunity. Make yourself available to help.
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* Do not talk to one vet about what another vet is doing, or that they have been out to see the
same horse… We like to keep the peace.
Sheets and Blankets
Whether it is the spring or fall semester, your horses will be using sheets, blankets and
coolers. It is your responsibility to make sure your horses have their own sheet and blanket.
* Sheets and blankets should be well fitting.
* Labeled with the horses name (this should be done as soon as you find a blanket that fits) since
things have a habit of getting mixed up or sprouting legs and walking away.
* Labeling can be done with markers, embroidery, stencils, etc. However, they should all be
labeled onto a separate piece of cloth and then sown onto the blanket, sheet, and cooler.
* When the blankets, sheets, and coolers are not in use they need to be folded neatly and put in
there appropriate location.
Keeper Checks
You need to work as a group to have the horses and barn looking immaculate for keeper
checks.
* You will be given a day and time during finals week and that is when you guys should be
ready.
The following are things that need to be done before checks.
* Make sure your horses are clean and have been bathed within the last 2 weeks.
* Manes should be trimmed to proper length or freshly washed and braided in some cases.
* Tails need to be washed and put up (put on a little extra conditioner and do not rinse it out all
the way, this will help prevent damage to the hairs).
* Horses need to be clipped, if they were clipped thoroughly in the last 1-2 weeks you can just be
a quick trim to clean them up.
* Water source and feed buckets or boxes should be cleaned.
* Tack should be clean and labeled.
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* Stall fronts need to be dust and cob web free. All halters, towels, sheets… That are hanging on
stall bars and hooks need to be folded nice and neat. If the horses pull them off right away then
shut their doors during keeper checks.
* Brush boxes and Brushes should be cleaned and labeled.
* Stall signs should be current and hung neatly.
* Feed cards should be clean and legible.
* Stalls should be stripped and freshly bedded.
* Aisles should be picked up and swept or racked.
* Tackrooms need to be picked up, swept, tack cleaning water changed, counters wiped, things
put away in the proper location, and the keeper cabinet needs to be clean and organized.
* Wash racks and grooming stalls should be cleaned out.
* Manure tubs and trash cans need to be emptied.
Thanks in advance for all the hard work, have fun, communicate with each other and be
safe.
probably already know each barn does things a little different. The biggest key to making this
semester run as smoothly as possible is communication. You will need to communicate with
your seat instructor, the head keeper, fellow keepers, pre keepers, vets, farriers and more.
How this semester turns out will depend on your attitude going into it. Some people feel
that keeper is a waste of time, they may have had a job that involved the same type of work, and
they think they know it all… Keeper is not a waste of time so try to think positively. Think of
your semester being a keeper as a very long job interview, an actual job, or a way to prove that
you are hard working and reliable so that you can get some GREAT job references for your
resume.
This semester you will learn how to communicate and work with many different types of
people. No mater where you go there will be problems that will need a solution and you will be
better equipped to handle them. In the horse industry things happen and as a keeper you will be
able to experience many things ranging from superficial wounds to colic surgery. Enjoy your job
and remember SAFTY first.
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Getting to Know Your Horses
The first thing you need to do is go to the western barn and find out who your horses are,
where they live, write your name and phone number on their feed card, find out any injuries
or conditions they are being treated for… You also need to learn their behavior, how they
eat. For example, are they picky or do they wolf it down? How they live, are they messy or
do they keep their stall nice and neat? Do they have any stall vices, weaving, cribbing, et
cetera? Are your horses always happy and searching for a treat or are they grumpy and ready
to bite or kick at any minute?
There are horse information forms you should receive in class your first week that
addresses the above areas and many more. If you do not have these forms by the second
week then you need to ask for them in keeper class. This information is very important and
needs to be logged every semester (since some things change).
Getting to know your horse is very important and can keep you, others, and the horse
safe. So take the time to know everything there is to know about each and everyone of your
horses. If you know your horse you will be able to catch the slightest signs when something
is not right.
Keeper Clipboard
It is important that you document everything that you do. This should be done on a
clipboard that is kept on the tack room wall. This is so the string manager and seat instructor can
keep track of all of the activities each horse is doing. Things that should be included are horse
names, whether or not they were turned out, whether or not they were ridden, their med schedule
and their lunch hay schedule, if they had a bath, were clipped... Also, if there is anything new
that has popped up, it should be documented clearly and described in detail.
Daily Care of Your Horses
1. Morning checks.
* Your horses should be checked before 8am every morning.
* Run your hands over each horse (especially their legs).
* Look for visible injuries, heat, swelling…
* Open the stall doors and put the chains up.
* Make sure they ate their food the night before and that they have water.
* Pay attention to anything that may be out of place.
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2. AM Water.
* Water between 6-8am
* Make sure your horse has a clean water source, some horses may defecate in their
buckets or dunk their hay. In either case, the buckets should be cleaned and refilled.
* If your horse has an automatic waterer make sure it is functioning properly and not
leaking.
3. AM Medications.
* Between 6-9am.
* Most of the western horses only have am medications. These medications should be
given on a consistent schedule, at approximately the same time every day.
4. Lunch Water.
* Between 11-1pm.
* Make sure water source is clean and full.
5. Lunch Hay.
* Between 10:30-12:30pm.
* Each horse should get one flake of grass or alfalfa, some horses may get more
depending on their weight.
* Your seat instructor will help monitor who gets what, but if you notice a horse’s weight
is changing, then let them know right away.
6. PM Water.
* Between 7-9pm.
* Make sure water source is clean and full.
7. PM Medication.
* Between 7-9 pm
* Around the same time every day.
8. PM Hay.
* Between 8-9:30pm.
* Each horse should get one flake of grass or alfalfa, once again this depends on each
horse’s current condition.
9. PM Checks.
* Between 9-10 pm.
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* Check your horses and make sure they are acting normal and do not have any injuries.
* Drop the chains and shut the stall doors.
10. Turnout.
* You will sign up for a 1 hour time slot every day. Your horses should be ready to go
out when your T/O time begins. In addition, you will need to start bringing them in a
couple minutes early (so that you do not run over into the next keepers time).
Communicate with the keeper that turns out before and after you then you will know
where to T/O first and which horses to bring in first.
* All of your horses will have a designated T/O buddy, some will go out alone. Work this
out with your seat instructor before you T/O the first time. These pairs my change as the
semester goes on. For example, two horses may stop getting along with each other or a
horse may leave and be replaced by a new one.
* Most of the western horses do not need protective equipment; but you need to find out
which horses need bell boots… before you turn them out for the first time.
* Check to make sure all possible exits to the T/O pen are closed and latched.
* Pairs can be turned out anywhere, except the round pen and the 4 stall lot (the small lot
by the class rooms). Singles can go out in small lots or large lots. Get to know your
horses T/O behavior, some horses will not handle being turned out where they cannot see
any other horses, some horses will try to escape from certain T/O areas ex: Macy does
not go out in the UPHA arena because she got injured trying to jump out.
* Western horses do not go out in certain weather (unless it is in an indoor arena).
* Do not T/O if there is lightning.
* Do not T/O if the ground has a lot of ICE on it. If it is a thin layer most horses will be
okay. If your horse is old and rickety or struggles with lameness problems you will want
to turn them out inside to prevent further problems (or in a close location like
Westminster).
* If your horse can not be turned out due to weather you must hand walk them inside the
barn.
11. Brushing & looking for injuries (after T/O). Brushing after T/O is important for
many different reasons, the horses are supposed to be kept in show condition and it
helps with the overall appearance. Also, the barns are a high traffic area and you
Western Keeper Survival Guide
36
don’t know when potential donators, prospective students or non horse people (they
may think that the horses are not being cared for properly) will walk through. We
want to give a good impression to everyone that enters the barn.
* Brush each horse after T/O & PICK OUT THEIR FEET. Brushing doesn’t mean a
thorough groom job. A quick brush off will work, if your horse is really dirty you may
have to hose off, vacuum, or brush more thoroughly (it depends on HOW dirty they are).
* While you are brushing each horse look for visible injuries, heat, swelling and lost
shoes. If your horse loses a shoe you will need to look for it so that the farrier can put it
back on (this is important & saves money).
* Injuries need to be treated right away to prevent infection and help aid the healing
process.
* After you are finished, check your horses off for turn out on the Horse Usage Chart.
12. Stalls.
* All of your horse’s stalls must be cleaned every day.
* If your horse is on the mount list or someone is signed up to ride them you do not have
to clean the stall. Make sure you check it at the end of the day, because a rider may have
missed class or simply not cleaned the stall. If the stall was not done you can call the
person that rode the horse and ask that person to come back out, “Remember that you
attract more flies with honey than vinegar! Be nice!” If you cannot get a hold of the
rider, or you find out that they did not ride then it becomes your job to clean the stall.
* Make sure to let your seat instructor know if someone did not take care of the horse
properly.
* Plan on cleaning ALL of your horse’s stalls on the weekend, even if someone signs up
to ride them. Riders are less likely to show up to ride on weekends. This is a sad reality to
being a keeper, but if you don’t expect it then it will be a pleasant surprise when the stall
gets done.
* The morning barn staff tries to clean as many stalls as they can, but this is not their only
job and they have plenty of other things to do. Treat them with the highest respect, get to
know their names, do anything you can to help them out, and make sure you tell them
thank you.
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* Even if the barn staff cleans your stalls you need to go back in and flip the shavings,
clean out any pee spots and fresh manure. After you make sure the stall is CLEAN you
will need to bed it.
Western Barn Duties
1. Stall fronts. Each keeper is responsible for cleaning their stall fronts.
* Keep stall fronts dust and cob web free.
* Make sure you have adequate signs on your stall fronts that provide important information
about each horse ex: any particular habits, special needs, behavioral issues…
The following barn duties need to be kept up by ALL of the keepers. If everyone is not
pitching in then you will need to assign weekly cleaning duties to make sure the barn looks
like a show barn at all times. You do not know who may walk through the barn.
2. Aisle ways.
* Pick up trash and other things that are left out.
* If the horses pull things down ex: halters and lead ropes, coolers, sheets, blankets or towels
than fold them nice and neat and hang them back up.
* Keep aisles swept, racked and watered as needed.
3. Grooming Stalls.
* If a horse is in the grooming area the stall must be swept and any manure, or pee needs to
be cleaned up immediately (by the person who put the horse in the groom stall).
4. Trash Cans.
* If any of the trash cans in the western barn start getting full take and dump it in the
dumpster (this will not take very long).
5. Muck Buckets.
* If it gets full dump it in a wheel barrow and take it to the manure pad.
* They can get very heavy so dump it before it is overflowing.
6. Shavings Area.
* If the shavings start to spread outwards tidy (re-pile) them up with a rake or pitch fork.
7. Hay Storage.
* Do not open a new bale until the open bale is gone.
* If loose hay falls on the ground rake it up and FEED it to the horses. There is nothing
wrong with it and it cost way to much money to dump it.
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* The loose hay needs to be raked and fed at least once a day. Keeping the hay storage area
clean will reduce waste, help prevent mold spores from getting into the hay and ground
where it is stored, and give the barn a clean professional appearance.
8. Full Wheel Barrows.
* If there is an unclaimed wheel barrow in the barn DUMP IT!!! This sucks and you may not
feel responsible for it, but if you do not do it no one will.
9. Pitch Forks.
* If they are not being used they need to be hung on the hooks outside the tack room doors.
This will prevent help prevent them from being broken and will also help the overall
appearance of the barn.
10. Saddle Pads, Girths…
* Girths need to be hung nice and neat and by SIZE in there specific area.
* Saddle pads need to be organized and hung in the proper location. If you see a saddle pad
in the wrong place hang it in the correct one.
11. Wash Racks.
* Keep them swept out so they don’t clog.
* Keep supplies on shelves organized (throw away empty bottles and other trash).
* If you use it CLEAN IT!!!
12. Tackrooms.
* Keep counters clean and wiped down.
* Keep sink clean.
* Make sure take is clean, hung in the proper place, and nice and neat.
* Sweep the floor daily.
* If the laundry tub starts to get full bring it to the laundry room, sort it into the proper tubs
and bring the empty tub back to the tack room.
* If you are in need of any supplies write it on the supply board (outside tack room door).
Write the date, supply needed and quantity.
* Tack cleaning buckets need to be cleaned daily and filled with fresh water.
13. Keeper Cabinet. These will get messy almost as fast as you clean it.
* If you use it PUT it away in the proper location (which is not always where you found it).
* Keep it organized.
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* If something is almost out, put it on the supply list.
If it is empty, throw it away.
Horse Care
These are duties that need to be done, but they only get done once a week – when needed.
1. Tails.
* Once a week.
* Wash, Infusium, show sheen, blow dry, braid and put it back up in a clean sock.
* All tails need to be kept up and clean. If it falls out of the sock put it back up
immediately.
2. Manes. If you do not know how to do a western mane then have someone that knows
show you. Do not be afraid to ask for help, it does not mean your stupid.
* Approximately once every 2-3 weeks (will very on how fast each horse’s mane grows).
* Should be “about” the length of the long side of a credit card (your school ID works
great). Always leave it 1-2 fingers longer, just incase you mess up.
* You can use thinning sheers to trim it to the desired length (do not cut straight across
with regular scissors).
* Some manes will need to be pulled if the are excessively thick.
3. Clipping. It is very rare for western horses to be body clipped, so do not do it unless
your seat instructor tells you to. If you have not clipped a western horse the WWU way then
have someone show you how to do it.
* Once every 2-3 weeks.
* The horses should be ready to go to a show at all times (just a quick trim in a moments
notice).
* Muzzle and inside nostrils should be clipped with 40’s.
* Eye whiskers should be trimmed VERY CAREFULLY with 40’s.
* Bridle path with 40’s.
* Ears balded out with 40’s, if it is winter and the horse is not going to a show you can
use 10’s.
* Use 10’s for face white (follow the direction of hair growth).
* Use 10’s for socks, boots… on leg white below the knees, and to trim long hairs around
fetlock...
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* Use 40’s to clip hair around coronary band.
* Use 10’s to clean up the jaw line and underneath the jaw.
4. Sheaths and Utters.
* When needed.
* If your horse is rubbing its tail or swishing its tail excessively it may be trying to tell
you its time to get cleaned.
* Use warm water for cleaning.
* Make sure you rinse well.
* If you are having trouble cleaning all the build up off you can cover it with Vaseline
and come back and finish in a day or two.
5. Bathing.
* As needed.
* If it is pretty cool or cold then you can use a hot towel.
6. Groom Boxes and Brushes.
* Make sure boxes have the horses name and list special equipment or care needed.
* All brushes should be labeled with the horses name.
* Need to be cleaned once a month.
* Clean with hot soapy water.
* Dry thoroughly.
7. Waterers and Feed Boxes.
* Clean as needed.
* Water buckets are to be cleaned and re-filled by the riders.
* Waterers need to be cleaned once a week and if the get very dirty.
* Feed boxes and buckets need to be cleaned when they start to collect build up. Boxes
get swept with a hand held broom and buckets need to be cleaned with hot, soapy water.
Medication
It is not your job to decide what medications your horses are on. During your first keeper
class, you should find out what supplements your horses are on for morning or night checks. Be
sure you read the containers to see the dosage schedule. If there are any questions, ask the string
manager, but not before reading the label!!! If you think your horse needs other medication
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bring it up to your seat instructor or string manager. However, it is their decision whether or not
a horse will get any other medications. Be aware of what your horse is on at all times.
* Read the required text so you will know how your horse may react to a medication and so you
know why the horse is on that medication.
* If your horse needs special medication ex: needs Bute for a few days, has an infection and
needs SMZ’s… then write it on the laminated sheet above the meds counter (in the old tack
room). You need to write down the horse’s name, what they are getting, how much, am or pm
and the start and ending date. Since it is only temporary it should not be added to the regular med
chart.
Farriers, Vets…
When these people come to take care of your horses, introduce yourself and make yourself
available to help them.
* If your horse needs shoes approve it with your seat instructor before putting it on the farrier
chart.
* If your horse goes to Jim and Lolo you will need to meet them right away. They will already
have your horse on a schedule and it is your responsibility to know what day they need the horse
and that someone brings the horse to them and puts it away.
* Also if your horse goes to Jim and Lolo in the H/J barn you need to write your name and phone
number on the farrier white board in the H/J barn.
* Make sure you are there to hold a horse if a horse needs held. Be cooperative and helpful
because we want them to come back!
The veterinarian will most definitely be called out in your time as a keeper. It is not your
duty to call the vet. The protocol for injuries is in the general section. When the vet comes out,
use it as a learning opportunity. Make yourself available to help.
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* Do not talk to one vet about what another vet is doing, or that they have been out to see the
same horse… We like to keep the peace.
Sheets and Blankets
Whether it is the spring or fall semester, your horses will be using sheets, blankets and
coolers. It is your responsibility to make sure your horses have their own sheet and blanket.
* Sheets and blankets should be well fitting.
* Labeled with the horses name (this should be done as soon as you find a blanket that fits) since
things have a habit of getting mixed up or sprouting legs and walking away.
* Labeling can be done with markers, embroidery, stencils, etc. However, they should all be
labeled onto a separate piece of cloth and then sown onto the blanket, sheet, and cooler.
* When the blankets, sheets, and coolers are not in use they need to be folded neatly and put in
there appropriate location.
Keeper Checks
You need to work as a group to have the horses and barn looking immaculate for keeper
checks.
* You will be given a day and time during finals week and that is when you guys should be
ready.
The following are things that need to be done before checks.
* Make sure your horses are clean and have been bathed within the last 2 weeks.
* Manes should be trimmed to proper length or freshly washed and braided in some cases.
* Tails need to be washed and put up (put on a little extra conditioner and do not rinse it out all
the way, this will help prevent damage to the hairs).
* Horses need to be clipped, if they were clipped thoroughly in the last 1-2 weeks you can just be
a quick trim to clean them up.
* Water source and feed buckets or boxes should be cleaned.
* Tack should be clean and labeled.
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* Stall fronts need to be dust and cob web free. All halters, towels, sheets… That are hanging on
stall bars and hooks need to be folded nice and neat. If the horses pull them off right away then
shut their doors during keeper checks.
* Brush boxes and Brushes should be cleaned and labeled.
* Stall signs should be current and hung neatly.
* Feed cards should be clean and legible.
* Stalls should be stripped and freshly bedded.
* Aisles should be picked up and swept or racked.
* Tackrooms need to be picked up, swept, tack cleaning water changed, counters wiped, things
put away in the proper location, and the keeper cabinet needs to be clean and organized.
* Wash racks and grooming stalls should be cleaned out.
* Manure tubs and trash cans need to be emptied.
Thanks in advance for all the hard work, have fun, communicate with each other and be
safe.
Saddle Seat Keepers
As stated in the General Keeper Survival Guide, this is not meant to be a “How-To”
guide on every aspect of being a keeper, but a reference for you to go to for helpful hints and
ideas on what to do in your time as keeper, as well as for you to know what is expected of you
from Gayle Lampe as a Saddle Seat keeper.
As a Saddle Seat Keeper, you are in charge of a certain set of stalls. Whatever horses are
in those stalls are your responsibility. If a horse moves out of your set of stalls into a different
Keeper’s set, that keeper then is responsible for that horse unless Ms. Lampe otherwise states.
The amount of stalls that you will have depends on the amount of keepers that semester.
Horses in certain areas of the barn require different forms of exercise. We try to keep our
“top” show string in the Brick barn (“lower” barn). These horses often will do more long lining
and jogging on the weekends and when not ridden in class, and many of them are projected
during the semester. Horses in the 10 stall, 4 stall, Hunter/Jumper (“upper” barn) and 8 stalls will
be used in class more often than not, but may Long Line when not being used in class. More than
likely they will be lunged or turned out on their “off days”. Be sure that you are checked off to
jog with Laura before (or at the very beginning of) your time as keeper, as you may be asked to
jog and are not allowed to do so unless checked off with Laura. This is especially important in
the lower barn.
Time Management
All horses must be checked in the morning (“morning checks”) before 8:00AM. During
morning checks, check each horse and his or her stall individually. Make sure all waterers are
working properly (8 stall horses must be watered), that they have eaten all of their breakfast, they
are all still wearing their clothing properly (Blankets, sheets, neck wraps, standing wraps etc),
and that everyone looks happy and healthy. If your aisle or hallway has not been picked up after
the morning feed, it is your responsibility to do so at this time. Ms. Lampe has riding classes
starting at 8:00 AM on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 10:00 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Be sure that your horses and area have been checked before riding classes start so that YOU (not
the rider or teaching tech) will notice if a horse is sick or lame and let Ms. Lampe or an instructor
know as soon as it is noticed. If you are in charge of the horses outside, be sure that the top part
of their door is opened and secured during morning checks, weather/temperature permitting.
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As soon as permanent strings are decided the first week of classes, every keeper should
claim a “Keeper clipboard” located on the easel outside of Ms. Lampe’s office. On the back of
this clipboard should be a copy of your class schedule, that way in case something happens to
one of your horses Ms. Lampe knows where you are. On the easel above your clipboard you
should have an index card taped to the easel with your name, the stall numbers that you are in
charge of, and your phone number. Be sure to always be available by phone in the event of an
emergency. This clipboard is for Ms. Lampe to write notes pertaining to your string of horses.
Check this clipboard multiple times during the day. The clipboard in the middle of the easel is
for notes pertaining to all strings (Ex: Bill is coming on Wednesday, check your horses and write
down who needs shoeing.)
It is important that all instructions are followed through quickly. During keeper meeting Ms.
Lampe will go over each string and make changes in feed, and ask the keepers to clip, etc. ALL
instructions, whether verbal or written on your keeper clipboard, must be carried out THAT
DAY.
Stall Conditions
Banking a stall:
• Saddle Seat stalls should be banked. This is especially important in stalls with tail boards
to help prevent the horses from becoming cast under their tail boards. Banking should be
clean shavings, 1-2 feet height, and rotated daily. When the stall is cleaned, don’t just
take out the middle and add new shavings to the middle. Sift through the banking, pull
one (or two, or all) walls down to the floor and add clean bedding to the wall. This will
keep fresh shavings in the stall at all times and prevent the banking from becoming
moldy.
o There should be enough bedding on the floor of the stall that when the horse rolls or
walks around that they don’t scuff the floor of their stall with their feet. Usually 6-8
inches of bedding on the floor should suffice.
o It is your responsibility as a keeper to be sure that your stalls are being properly cleaned
and re-bedded. Check your stalls every day. If a horse does not go in class, it is your
responsibility to clean that horse’s stall. If you feel that a rider did not properly clean or
re-bed one of your horse’s stalls, inform Ms. Lampe and call that student back to do it
properly.
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o If you have an unusually messy horse, even if that stall had been cleaned that day, it may
need to be picked out throughout the day.
Waterers:
o The waterers in the “Upper” and “Lower” barns must be watched carefully. They have a
tendency to break more easily that the ones in the outside stalls. Check ALL waterers daily. If
one is dripping or leaking leave a note on the white board outside of Mike Wessel’s office and he
will get to it. Be very specific as to what is wrong with the waterer so that Mike can bring the
proper equipment to fix it. Keep waterers clean. This is a good task for pre-keepers to do, but
make sure that you TEACH them how to do it, as cleaning waterers is also a good way to break
them. Some horses like to dunk their hay in their waterer, so be sure that the hay is cleaned out or
this will cause the waterer to start leaking. Waterers should be fully cleaned with baking soda at
least once a week.
o 8 stalls do not have automatic waterers. Each horse should have 2 buckets of water, and water
buckets should be dumped daily and scrubbed at LEAST every other day to ensure that the
horses always have fresh, clean, water. If a horse likes to dump his or her water buckets, consult
with Mike Wessel about the most appropriate way of securing the buckets to the wall (Usually a
bungee). Some horses get their water dirtier than others, and buckets may have to be dumped
during morning checks and night meds.
Feed Boxes:
o Feed boxes should also be cleaned at least once a week. Some of our horses are picky eaters, and
if old grain or hay is left in the feed boxes they will not eat the new hay/grain. Know your
horse’s eating habits. Be sure that your horses ALWAYS have 1 salt block (white) and one
mineral block (brown). Some horses eat these like candy, and some never touch them. If you
notice your horse has run out of one or the other more can be found in the supply shed next to the
4 stall barn. Be sure that the salt/mineral blocks are in the manger with the holes in the bottom.
The grain goes in the manger with the solid bottom, or else we aren’t feeding the horses-we are
feeding the mice.
The Horse List:
o The horse list is Ms. Lampe’s way of keeping track what each horse does on a daily basis and
by whom. If that horse is going in class, Ms. Lampe will put a “C” by the horse’s name. If it
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is not going in class, she will put what she wants it to do, or the name of the person
projecting the horse.
o Here is a guide to the symbols that may appear next to your horses name on the horse list and
what they mean (This is also in your applied riding syllabus):
R=Ride
J=Jog
LL= Long Line
L=Lunge
W=Hand Walk
T.O.=Turn Out
R or L=Ride or Lunge
Lampe= Lampe is riding that horse that day
o Make sure that EVERY DAY on the horse list you circle or write down what you did with
that horse, write your name (if you worked the horse) next to the horse’s name, and put an X
on the number next to the horses name (The number is the stall number that the horse lives
in). This is important so that Ms. Lampe knows what the horse did, who did it, and that it was
actually done.
o If someone else signs up for one of your horses, be sure that they do the same. If you come to
check your horses and night and someone has signed up for one of them but not crossed his
or her name off, call that person and see what he or she has done with the horse. If a student
signs up for a horse that stall and the horse are their responsibility, but it is YOUR
responsibility to MAKE SURE that it gets done.
o This also pertains to projected horses. Ms. Lampe will write the name of the people
projecting the horses by the horse’s name on the horse list, but they are to write WHAT they
did with the horse on that day and cross off the horse once they are finished working it.
o One keeper (Decided at the beginning of the semester) is in charge of keeping the horse list
up to date and printing copies for Ms. Lampe. The horse list file is located on Ms. Lampe’s
computer in C:\Documents and Settings\glampe\My Documents\SS HORSE LIST. It is an
Excel file titled SS Horse List.xls
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Horse Appearance:
o At all times horses should be presentable. Make sure that your horses are trimmed. Bridle
paths and whiskers and legs should be trimmed whenever the hair becomes long and noticeable.
Ears are to be clipped for “Special occasions” (ex: prospective weekends, World Cup tryouts,
horse shows, end of the semester checks) or whenever Ms. Lampe specifies that she would like a
horse’s ears trimmed. Guidelines on how to clip can be found in Ms. Lampe’s book, Riding For
Success:
“It is a good idea to trim the ears first, moving on to less sensitive parts of the
horse as the clippers become warm with use. You should also find the quietest running
clippers that are available. You will need a set of sharp, unbroken #40 clipper blades. It
should go without saying that hot, noisy clippers with dull blades will soon teach your
horse to hate having his ears trimmed. Horses seem to have a little bit of elephant in them
when it comes to remembering a bad trimming experience, and as they do not seem to be
very forgiving, it is very important to make this as pleasant of an experience as possible.
In many cases it is a kindness to twitch the horse so that you do not accidentally jab him
while he is resisting you. If you do not know how to twitch a horse, have someone who
does know help you. The twitches that attach to the halter are not as effective as the ones
held by another person, so your best bet is to have a long handled twitch held by someone
you can trust. Sometimes a gum chain is needed instead of or in addition to a twitch, or as
a last resort, someone might need to hold the horse’s other ear (remember to hold the ear
forward, do not pull it backward). Some horses even need to be tranquilized for ear
trimming. In some cases, if the horse's ears are stuffed with cotton, he will be much more
agreeable during the trimming process. It's certainly worth a try, but be sure to get all of
the cotton out when you are finished.
You should clean the horse’s ear out first with
Listerine to remove excessive dirt or dry skin. This process
will reduce the chances of dulling your clipper blades. The
entire inside of the ears should be trimmed as closely as
possible with the exception of a diamond-shaped area of
untrimmed hair left at the tip (See illustration). The hair on
the back side of the ears should not be trimmed, but the edge
of the ear where the inside and the backside meet should be
closely trimmed, even at the tip of the ears.
When trimming the ear, you should press the blade
snugly against the skin and occasionally flattening the ear
and turning it slightly inside out with your left hand
(assuming that you are right-handed and trimming with that
hand). This will allow you to get the closest possible trim.
After you have finished trimming the ear, you should wipe it out with a clean
towel dampened with a solution of 50% alcohol and 50% baby oil. The alcohol will clean
the ear but will dry too quickly if used alone, while the baby oil if used by itself will
make the ear look too greasy and will collect dust. If you are showing, this process should
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be done the night before your class, because if a drop of this solution, loose hair, dead
skin, or cotton drops down in the horse's ear, he might refuse to put that ear forward or
might constantly shake his head in an attempt to remove what is in his ear irritating him.
This does not make for a pleasant sight in the show ring. Do not use the baby oil solution
before you are completely finished clipping, as it will clog the motor of the clippers. An
even easier method of wiping the ears is to use baby wipes that will not have enough
moisture on them to drop down into the sensitive part of the ear.
With the soaked towel, you can do an excellent job of cleaning out the ear and
removing loose hairs and dead skin. Once the ear is clean, you can see if you missed any
hairs, and if so, do a quick touch up job with the clippers. With alcohol and baby oil
rubbed on the inside of the horse's ears, they should now appear to be slick and shiny on
the inside. Ideally, the ears should be trimmed no earlier than two days before a class at a
show, because the hair grows back rapidly. You should not be able to see any fuzzy hair
sticking up on the edge of the ear when you look at the horse from the front.
*Don't forget.....When trimming, never allow the horse to chew on the cord because if he
does, it can kill him and it will not matter how good of a job you have done on his
ears....if he is dead!”
o When clipping bridle paths, be careful around Morgan, National Show Horse, and Arabian’s
forelocks. They are a requirement for these breeds to show. Consult Ms. Lampe before trimming
any thickness off of the forelock, and NEVER shave them all the way off, no matter how silly
you think they look!
o Ms. Lampe may specify to let a horse’s bridle path grow out. When the portion of the bridle path
starts to stick up, but is not long enough yet to fall over on its own, it should be banded over to
help it lay flat against the horse’s neck.
o If you think a horse needs to be body clipped, ask Ms. Lampe. Sometimes we will not body clip
a horse that may need it because that horse may be leaving or turning out and need his/her hair to
keep them warm. Usually Ms. Lampe will inform you if she thinks that a horse requires body
clipping.
o Tails should be kept braided up and clean. Most of the time, the length of the horse’s tail that is
braided up should be surrounded by a sheet to help keep it clean. If you have a horse that
repeatedly dunks his tail in his water bucket, leave a sheet off of the braided-up part of the tail to
allow it to dry. The following is Gayle Lampe’s 20 step system for correctly washing and
braiding your horse’s tail (from Riding for Success):
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“Gather these necessary items before you begin:
• Show Sheen
• Shampoo
• Cream Rinse
• Vinegar
• Bucket
• Hair Dryer
• Clean Cloth or Sheet
• String or Ribbon
• Lots of time, patience, and elbow grease
• Make sure there is warm water
• Electrical, Friction, or Duck Tape or Vet
Wrap
�� Unbraid and pick out tail. If the tail is matted and tangled, spray on a liberal amount
of show sheen before you try to pick out the tail so you will not break off as much
hair.
�� Dip tail, including the whole tail bone in a bucket of warm, clean water. Allow the
tail bone to soak and become wet all over before you use soap. In addition to dipping
the tail, running water from a hose can be applied to the tail.
�� Shampoo tail bone thoroughly, massaging the entire bone with your fingers, as this
will not only clean the tail but stimulate circulation and hair growth. Then shampoo
the length of the tail. This will not take nearly as much time nor effort as getting the
feathers and tail bone clean.
�� Rinse tail bone and hair thoroughly in a bucket of clean, warm water. In addition to
using a bucket, the tail can be rinsed by running water from a hose.
�� Repeat shampooing the tail bone.
�� Put about 16 ounces of vinegar in a bucket of clean, warm water and rinse again until
the hair is squeaky clean. (The use of vinegar helps to rinse the soap out more
efficiently.)
�� Check and make sure the entire tail is thoroughly clean, giving extra emphasis to the
tail bone itself and the roots of the hair that come out of the tail bone. It is imperative
that there be no gummy, sticky, dirty spots. During the process of washing the tail,
you should loosen up some dead scaly skin or dandruff. You should scratch the tail
bone with your fingernails and attempt to loosen up as much of this as possible. When
you pick out the tail, make sure you gently pull the loose skin out of the hair and
remove it entirely from the tail. If the tail hair and bone do not feel completely
clean at this point, repeat the process again as many times as necessary until you get
the desired result.
�� Put cream rinse on tail and massage thoroughly. Rinse tail.
�� Rinse again with clean, warm water. Repeat this step as often as necessary. If the
conditioner is left on the tail bone it can cause the horse to rub his tail.
�� Shake out the excess water from the tail.
�� While the tail is still wet, spray on a liberal amount of show sheen over the entire tail
including the feathers and the length of the tail.
�� Use a hair dryer to blow dry the tail if you do not have time to let it air dry.
�� Leave the tail alone for about one half of an hour while you do something else. This is
to make sure the tail is completely dry because when it is warm from the hair dryer,
sometimes it feels drier than it actually is.
�� If the tail is not completely dry, repeat the drying process again until it is dry.
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�� If needed, spray on more show sheen and dry the tail completely once again.
�� Hand pick the tail. Do not ever brush or comb the tail! Separate each hair one at a
time until you have picked out the whole tail. Hand picking the tail while damp will
speed up the drying time.
�� The tail can now be braided and tied up if it is completely dry. (If the tail is braided
while it is still damp, the hair will rot and fall out and you will be very disappointed
the next time you unbraid the tail!)
�� Divide the length of the tail into three equal parts, putting a string or ribbon in one
strand that is longer than the length of the hair. Once the tail is braided, tie it up
with the string or ribbon. Do not braid the feathers, but instead allow them to hang
loose. Start the braid about 2 inches below the bone. The braid should hang straight
down from the bone and should not pull the hair to either side. The braid can then be
wrapped around itself several times.
�� Put a clean cloth, sheet, or gauze around the braid.
�� Put duct tape, masking tape, or electrical tape over the tail wrap to keep it in place.
Put tabs on the end of the tape so it will be easy to remove when you are ready to
unbraid the tail.”
o NEVER wrap a tail in vet wrap- it will keep the tail moist if it gets wet and the tail will rot, then
the next time you take it down the tail will no longer be attached to the horse, but in your hands.
o Hoof Grease your horses often. It doesn’t hurt to do it every day, unless one of your horses has
soft feet already. Corn Oil is a good and cheap substitute for Hooflex. Reducine the coronet
bands of the horses that are prone to ¼ cracks. Help keep our horse’s feet healthy so that we can
keep our farrier Bill happy!
Barn/Tack Room Appearance:
o As a keeper, it is your responsibility to make sure that your barn or aisle way is kept clean and
organized. Stall fronts should be clutter-free and tack rooms should be organized. The 8 stalls
seem to be the hardest to stay on top of because there aren’t a lot of places to put things. Keep
your aisle ways raked or swept as often as you can and keep the tack rooms swept and picked up.
o Because more than one keeper shares the tack rooms, be sure to share responsibilities. Delegate
cleaning tasks so that one keeper is not always stuck picking up the tack room.
It is hard to pick up after the number of riding students enrolled in Saddle Seat, but help
them by specifying a place for everything.
guide on every aspect of being a keeper, but a reference for you to go to for helpful hints and
ideas on what to do in your time as keeper, as well as for you to know what is expected of you
from Gayle Lampe as a Saddle Seat keeper.
As a Saddle Seat Keeper, you are in charge of a certain set of stalls. Whatever horses are
in those stalls are your responsibility. If a horse moves out of your set of stalls into a different
Keeper’s set, that keeper then is responsible for that horse unless Ms. Lampe otherwise states.
The amount of stalls that you will have depends on the amount of keepers that semester.
Horses in certain areas of the barn require different forms of exercise. We try to keep our
“top” show string in the Brick barn (“lower” barn). These horses often will do more long lining
and jogging on the weekends and when not ridden in class, and many of them are projected
during the semester. Horses in the 10 stall, 4 stall, Hunter/Jumper (“upper” barn) and 8 stalls will
be used in class more often than not, but may Long Line when not being used in class. More than
likely they will be lunged or turned out on their “off days”. Be sure that you are checked off to
jog with Laura before (or at the very beginning of) your time as keeper, as you may be asked to
jog and are not allowed to do so unless checked off with Laura. This is especially important in
the lower barn.
Time Management
All horses must be checked in the morning (“morning checks”) before 8:00AM. During
morning checks, check each horse and his or her stall individually. Make sure all waterers are
working properly (8 stall horses must be watered), that they have eaten all of their breakfast, they
are all still wearing their clothing properly (Blankets, sheets, neck wraps, standing wraps etc),
and that everyone looks happy and healthy. If your aisle or hallway has not been picked up after
the morning feed, it is your responsibility to do so at this time. Ms. Lampe has riding classes
starting at 8:00 AM on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 10:00 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Be sure that your horses and area have been checked before riding classes start so that YOU (not
the rider or teaching tech) will notice if a horse is sick or lame and let Ms. Lampe or an instructor
know as soon as it is noticed. If you are in charge of the horses outside, be sure that the top part
of their door is opened and secured during morning checks, weather/temperature permitting.
Saddle Seat Keeper Survival Guide
25
As soon as permanent strings are decided the first week of classes, every keeper should
claim a “Keeper clipboard” located on the easel outside of Ms. Lampe’s office. On the back of
this clipboard should be a copy of your class schedule, that way in case something happens to
one of your horses Ms. Lampe knows where you are. On the easel above your clipboard you
should have an index card taped to the easel with your name, the stall numbers that you are in
charge of, and your phone number. Be sure to always be available by phone in the event of an
emergency. This clipboard is for Ms. Lampe to write notes pertaining to your string of horses.
Check this clipboard multiple times during the day. The clipboard in the middle of the easel is
for notes pertaining to all strings (Ex: Bill is coming on Wednesday, check your horses and write
down who needs shoeing.)
It is important that all instructions are followed through quickly. During keeper meeting Ms.
Lampe will go over each string and make changes in feed, and ask the keepers to clip, etc. ALL
instructions, whether verbal or written on your keeper clipboard, must be carried out THAT
DAY.
Stall Conditions
Banking a stall:
• Saddle Seat stalls should be banked. This is especially important in stalls with tail boards
to help prevent the horses from becoming cast under their tail boards. Banking should be
clean shavings, 1-2 feet height, and rotated daily. When the stall is cleaned, don’t just
take out the middle and add new shavings to the middle. Sift through the banking, pull
one (or two, or all) walls down to the floor and add clean bedding to the wall. This will
keep fresh shavings in the stall at all times and prevent the banking from becoming
moldy.
o There should be enough bedding on the floor of the stall that when the horse rolls or
walks around that they don’t scuff the floor of their stall with their feet. Usually 6-8
inches of bedding on the floor should suffice.
o It is your responsibility as a keeper to be sure that your stalls are being properly cleaned
and re-bedded. Check your stalls every day. If a horse does not go in class, it is your
responsibility to clean that horse’s stall. If you feel that a rider did not properly clean or
re-bed one of your horse’s stalls, inform Ms. Lampe and call that student back to do it
properly.
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o If you have an unusually messy horse, even if that stall had been cleaned that day, it may
need to be picked out throughout the day.
Waterers:
o The waterers in the “Upper” and “Lower” barns must be watched carefully. They have a
tendency to break more easily that the ones in the outside stalls. Check ALL waterers daily. If
one is dripping or leaking leave a note on the white board outside of Mike Wessel’s office and he
will get to it. Be very specific as to what is wrong with the waterer so that Mike can bring the
proper equipment to fix it. Keep waterers clean. This is a good task for pre-keepers to do, but
make sure that you TEACH them how to do it, as cleaning waterers is also a good way to break
them. Some horses like to dunk their hay in their waterer, so be sure that the hay is cleaned out or
this will cause the waterer to start leaking. Waterers should be fully cleaned with baking soda at
least once a week.
o 8 stalls do not have automatic waterers. Each horse should have 2 buckets of water, and water
buckets should be dumped daily and scrubbed at LEAST every other day to ensure that the
horses always have fresh, clean, water. If a horse likes to dump his or her water buckets, consult
with Mike Wessel about the most appropriate way of securing the buckets to the wall (Usually a
bungee). Some horses get their water dirtier than others, and buckets may have to be dumped
during morning checks and night meds.
Feed Boxes:
o Feed boxes should also be cleaned at least once a week. Some of our horses are picky eaters, and
if old grain or hay is left in the feed boxes they will not eat the new hay/grain. Know your
horse’s eating habits. Be sure that your horses ALWAYS have 1 salt block (white) and one
mineral block (brown). Some horses eat these like candy, and some never touch them. If you
notice your horse has run out of one or the other more can be found in the supply shed next to the
4 stall barn. Be sure that the salt/mineral blocks are in the manger with the holes in the bottom.
The grain goes in the manger with the solid bottom, or else we aren’t feeding the horses-we are
feeding the mice.
The Horse List:
o The horse list is Ms. Lampe’s way of keeping track what each horse does on a daily basis and
by whom. If that horse is going in class, Ms. Lampe will put a “C” by the horse’s name. If it
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27
is not going in class, she will put what she wants it to do, or the name of the person
projecting the horse.
o Here is a guide to the symbols that may appear next to your horses name on the horse list and
what they mean (This is also in your applied riding syllabus):
R=Ride
J=Jog
LL= Long Line
L=Lunge
W=Hand Walk
T.O.=Turn Out
R or L=Ride or Lunge
Lampe= Lampe is riding that horse that day
o Make sure that EVERY DAY on the horse list you circle or write down what you did with
that horse, write your name (if you worked the horse) next to the horse’s name, and put an X
on the number next to the horses name (The number is the stall number that the horse lives
in). This is important so that Ms. Lampe knows what the horse did, who did it, and that it was
actually done.
o If someone else signs up for one of your horses, be sure that they do the same. If you come to
check your horses and night and someone has signed up for one of them but not crossed his
or her name off, call that person and see what he or she has done with the horse. If a student
signs up for a horse that stall and the horse are their responsibility, but it is YOUR
responsibility to MAKE SURE that it gets done.
o This also pertains to projected horses. Ms. Lampe will write the name of the people
projecting the horses by the horse’s name on the horse list, but they are to write WHAT they
did with the horse on that day and cross off the horse once they are finished working it.
o One keeper (Decided at the beginning of the semester) is in charge of keeping the horse list
up to date and printing copies for Ms. Lampe. The horse list file is located on Ms. Lampe’s
computer in C:\Documents and Settings\glampe\My Documents\SS HORSE LIST. It is an
Excel file titled SS Horse List.xls
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Horse Appearance:
o At all times horses should be presentable. Make sure that your horses are trimmed. Bridle
paths and whiskers and legs should be trimmed whenever the hair becomes long and noticeable.
Ears are to be clipped for “Special occasions” (ex: prospective weekends, World Cup tryouts,
horse shows, end of the semester checks) or whenever Ms. Lampe specifies that she would like a
horse’s ears trimmed. Guidelines on how to clip can be found in Ms. Lampe’s book, Riding For
Success:
“It is a good idea to trim the ears first, moving on to less sensitive parts of the
horse as the clippers become warm with use. You should also find the quietest running
clippers that are available. You will need a set of sharp, unbroken #40 clipper blades. It
should go without saying that hot, noisy clippers with dull blades will soon teach your
horse to hate having his ears trimmed. Horses seem to have a little bit of elephant in them
when it comes to remembering a bad trimming experience, and as they do not seem to be
very forgiving, it is very important to make this as pleasant of an experience as possible.
In many cases it is a kindness to twitch the horse so that you do not accidentally jab him
while he is resisting you. If you do not know how to twitch a horse, have someone who
does know help you. The twitches that attach to the halter are not as effective as the ones
held by another person, so your best bet is to have a long handled twitch held by someone
you can trust. Sometimes a gum chain is needed instead of or in addition to a twitch, or as
a last resort, someone might need to hold the horse’s other ear (remember to hold the ear
forward, do not pull it backward). Some horses even need to be tranquilized for ear
trimming. In some cases, if the horse's ears are stuffed with cotton, he will be much more
agreeable during the trimming process. It's certainly worth a try, but be sure to get all of
the cotton out when you are finished.
You should clean the horse’s ear out first with
Listerine to remove excessive dirt or dry skin. This process
will reduce the chances of dulling your clipper blades. The
entire inside of the ears should be trimmed as closely as
possible with the exception of a diamond-shaped area of
untrimmed hair left at the tip (See illustration). The hair on
the back side of the ears should not be trimmed, but the edge
of the ear where the inside and the backside meet should be
closely trimmed, even at the tip of the ears.
When trimming the ear, you should press the blade
snugly against the skin and occasionally flattening the ear
and turning it slightly inside out with your left hand
(assuming that you are right-handed and trimming with that
hand). This will allow you to get the closest possible trim.
After you have finished trimming the ear, you should wipe it out with a clean
towel dampened with a solution of 50% alcohol and 50% baby oil. The alcohol will clean
the ear but will dry too quickly if used alone, while the baby oil if used by itself will
make the ear look too greasy and will collect dust. If you are showing, this process should
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be done the night before your class, because if a drop of this solution, loose hair, dead
skin, or cotton drops down in the horse's ear, he might refuse to put that ear forward or
might constantly shake his head in an attempt to remove what is in his ear irritating him.
This does not make for a pleasant sight in the show ring. Do not use the baby oil solution
before you are completely finished clipping, as it will clog the motor of the clippers. An
even easier method of wiping the ears is to use baby wipes that will not have enough
moisture on them to drop down into the sensitive part of the ear.
With the soaked towel, you can do an excellent job of cleaning out the ear and
removing loose hairs and dead skin. Once the ear is clean, you can see if you missed any
hairs, and if so, do a quick touch up job with the clippers. With alcohol and baby oil
rubbed on the inside of the horse's ears, they should now appear to be slick and shiny on
the inside. Ideally, the ears should be trimmed no earlier than two days before a class at a
show, because the hair grows back rapidly. You should not be able to see any fuzzy hair
sticking up on the edge of the ear when you look at the horse from the front.
*Don't forget.....When trimming, never allow the horse to chew on the cord because if he
does, it can kill him and it will not matter how good of a job you have done on his
ears....if he is dead!”
o When clipping bridle paths, be careful around Morgan, National Show Horse, and Arabian’s
forelocks. They are a requirement for these breeds to show. Consult Ms. Lampe before trimming
any thickness off of the forelock, and NEVER shave them all the way off, no matter how silly
you think they look!
o Ms. Lampe may specify to let a horse’s bridle path grow out. When the portion of the bridle path
starts to stick up, but is not long enough yet to fall over on its own, it should be banded over to
help it lay flat against the horse’s neck.
o If you think a horse needs to be body clipped, ask Ms. Lampe. Sometimes we will not body clip
a horse that may need it because that horse may be leaving or turning out and need his/her hair to
keep them warm. Usually Ms. Lampe will inform you if she thinks that a horse requires body
clipping.
o Tails should be kept braided up and clean. Most of the time, the length of the horse’s tail that is
braided up should be surrounded by a sheet to help keep it clean. If you have a horse that
repeatedly dunks his tail in his water bucket, leave a sheet off of the braided-up part of the tail to
allow it to dry. The following is Gayle Lampe’s 20 step system for correctly washing and
braiding your horse’s tail (from Riding for Success):
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“Gather these necessary items before you begin:
• Show Sheen
• Shampoo
• Cream Rinse
• Vinegar
• Bucket
• Hair Dryer
• Clean Cloth or Sheet
• String or Ribbon
• Lots of time, patience, and elbow grease
• Make sure there is warm water
• Electrical, Friction, or Duck Tape or Vet
Wrap
�� Unbraid and pick out tail. If the tail is matted and tangled, spray on a liberal amount
of show sheen before you try to pick out the tail so you will not break off as much
hair.
�� Dip tail, including the whole tail bone in a bucket of warm, clean water. Allow the
tail bone to soak and become wet all over before you use soap. In addition to dipping
the tail, running water from a hose can be applied to the tail.
�� Shampoo tail bone thoroughly, massaging the entire bone with your fingers, as this
will not only clean the tail but stimulate circulation and hair growth. Then shampoo
the length of the tail. This will not take nearly as much time nor effort as getting the
feathers and tail bone clean.
�� Rinse tail bone and hair thoroughly in a bucket of clean, warm water. In addition to
using a bucket, the tail can be rinsed by running water from a hose.
�� Repeat shampooing the tail bone.
�� Put about 16 ounces of vinegar in a bucket of clean, warm water and rinse again until
the hair is squeaky clean. (The use of vinegar helps to rinse the soap out more
efficiently.)
�� Check and make sure the entire tail is thoroughly clean, giving extra emphasis to the
tail bone itself and the roots of the hair that come out of the tail bone. It is imperative
that there be no gummy, sticky, dirty spots. During the process of washing the tail,
you should loosen up some dead scaly skin or dandruff. You should scratch the tail
bone with your fingernails and attempt to loosen up as much of this as possible. When
you pick out the tail, make sure you gently pull the loose skin out of the hair and
remove it entirely from the tail. If the tail hair and bone do not feel completely
clean at this point, repeat the process again as many times as necessary until you get
the desired result.
�� Put cream rinse on tail and massage thoroughly. Rinse tail.
�� Rinse again with clean, warm water. Repeat this step as often as necessary. If the
conditioner is left on the tail bone it can cause the horse to rub his tail.
�� Shake out the excess water from the tail.
�� While the tail is still wet, spray on a liberal amount of show sheen over the entire tail
including the feathers and the length of the tail.
�� Use a hair dryer to blow dry the tail if you do not have time to let it air dry.
�� Leave the tail alone for about one half of an hour while you do something else. This is
to make sure the tail is completely dry because when it is warm from the hair dryer,
sometimes it feels drier than it actually is.
�� If the tail is not completely dry, repeat the drying process again until it is dry.
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�� If needed, spray on more show sheen and dry the tail completely once again.
�� Hand pick the tail. Do not ever brush or comb the tail! Separate each hair one at a
time until you have picked out the whole tail. Hand picking the tail while damp will
speed up the drying time.
�� The tail can now be braided and tied up if it is completely dry. (If the tail is braided
while it is still damp, the hair will rot and fall out and you will be very disappointed
the next time you unbraid the tail!)
�� Divide the length of the tail into three equal parts, putting a string or ribbon in one
strand that is longer than the length of the hair. Once the tail is braided, tie it up
with the string or ribbon. Do not braid the feathers, but instead allow them to hang
loose. Start the braid about 2 inches below the bone. The braid should hang straight
down from the bone and should not pull the hair to either side. The braid can then be
wrapped around itself several times.
�� Put a clean cloth, sheet, or gauze around the braid.
�� Put duct tape, masking tape, or electrical tape over the tail wrap to keep it in place.
Put tabs on the end of the tape so it will be easy to remove when you are ready to
unbraid the tail.”
o NEVER wrap a tail in vet wrap- it will keep the tail moist if it gets wet and the tail will rot, then
the next time you take it down the tail will no longer be attached to the horse, but in your hands.
o Hoof Grease your horses often. It doesn’t hurt to do it every day, unless one of your horses has
soft feet already. Corn Oil is a good and cheap substitute for Hooflex. Reducine the coronet
bands of the horses that are prone to ¼ cracks. Help keep our horse’s feet healthy so that we can
keep our farrier Bill happy!
Barn/Tack Room Appearance:
o As a keeper, it is your responsibility to make sure that your barn or aisle way is kept clean and
organized. Stall fronts should be clutter-free and tack rooms should be organized. The 8 stalls
seem to be the hardest to stay on top of because there aren’t a lot of places to put things. Keep
your aisle ways raked or swept as often as you can and keep the tack rooms swept and picked up.
o Because more than one keeper shares the tack rooms, be sure to share responsibilities. Delegate
cleaning tasks so that one keeper is not always stuck picking up the tack room.
It is hard to pick up after the number of riding students enrolled in Saddle Seat, but help
them by specifying a place for everything.
Sport Horse Keepers
Welcome to your semester as a keeper! Some of this my be a little repetitive but as you probably already know each barn does things a little differently. Please read this guide very carefully. It will make your job as a keeper much easier. You are probably feeling a little overwhelmed right now. The first thing that should be done is to start developing a routine that works for you. This will also make the entire semester much easier.
This semester you will learn how to communicate and work with many different types of people, including fellow keepers, your pre-keepers, your seat-instructor, the head keeper, as well as the myriad of outside professionals that come in to help our horses like the farrier and the vet. No matter where you go there will be problems that will need a solution and someone to follow through with that solution. You are now the person that will have to solve these problems. Of course, there are many people in this program who are more than willing to help. It is one of your first missions to find these people, introduce yourself, and make yourself available to help them so that they will want to help you.
Anything can happen in the horse industry and your keeper semester at WWU will be no different. Try to be as prepared as you can, stay calm, keep your cell phone on and on your person at all times, and have fun. Enjoy your semester as a keeper!
These are Your Horses
As soon as you find out who your horses are, you need to go to the barn and introduce yourself to them. Over the next few days, note their habits. It is imperative that you know their habits inside and out so you know immediately when something is not quite right. Then the issue can be dealt with immediately. Catching problems early will make it less likely that you will have to stay up with a sick/injured horse all night.
Note your horses’ eating habits (ie fast or slow, messy or clean), stall habits (ie quantity and quality), water habits (ie cleanliness), and their basic stall habit(ie weaving, cribbing, attitude etc). You also need to be aware of any cuts, scrapes, scars, etc. so if something new comes up, you will be able to tell if it is new.
You should receive sheets in you first keeper class that will allow you to record all of this important information on each horse. If you do not receive them, it is a good idea to make your own notebook just for this information. When you finish filling out the horse information sheets, which should be ASAP, they should go into a binder in your keeper cabinet. All horses in eachseat string should be listed alphabetically for easy access. Update the information as needed, which is anytime that something changes.
As stated earlier, all of the information in this guide is very important. Noticing when something is wrong because you know what is normal for your horses can potentially save one of your horse’s lives!
Keeper Clipboard
It is important that you document everything that you do. This should be done on a clipboard that is kept in your barn. This is so the string manager and seat instructor can keeptrack of all of the activities each horse is doing. Things that should be included are horse names, whether or not they were turned out, whether or not they were ridden, their medication/supplement schedule and their lunch hay schedule. Also, if there is anything new that has popped up, it should be documented clearly and described in detail.
Daily Care of Your Horses
Morning Checks:
Lunch Hay:
Night Checks:
Turnout
Other Duties
Clipping
Mane Maintenance
Every sport horse needs its mane pulled, scissored, or bladed every few weeks to
keep it in show condition (again, please refer to special conditions described in Appendix A for Baroque breeds such as the Friesian). Manes should be done before every horse show and every University activity that showcases our program.
Check with your seat instructor for information regarding specialty grooming for hunters, jumpers, and dressage horses’ manes. Do not assume that all sport horse manes can be done using the same technique.
Sheath Cleaning
Labeling
Barn Duties
Aisle way
Tack room
Wash rack
Blanket racks
Wheelbarrows
Blankets and Sheets
Farrier/Veterinarian/Etc
Medications and Supplements
This semester you will learn how to communicate and work with many different types of people, including fellow keepers, your pre-keepers, your seat-instructor, the head keeper, as well as the myriad of outside professionals that come in to help our horses like the farrier and the vet. No matter where you go there will be problems that will need a solution and someone to follow through with that solution. You are now the person that will have to solve these problems. Of course, there are many people in this program who are more than willing to help. It is one of your first missions to find these people, introduce yourself, and make yourself available to help them so that they will want to help you.
Anything can happen in the horse industry and your keeper semester at WWU will be no different. Try to be as prepared as you can, stay calm, keep your cell phone on and on your person at all times, and have fun. Enjoy your semester as a keeper!
These are Your Horses
As soon as you find out who your horses are, you need to go to the barn and introduce yourself to them. Over the next few days, note their habits. It is imperative that you know their habits inside and out so you know immediately when something is not quite right. Then the issue can be dealt with immediately. Catching problems early will make it less likely that you will have to stay up with a sick/injured horse all night.
Note your horses’ eating habits (ie fast or slow, messy or clean), stall habits (ie quantity and quality), water habits (ie cleanliness), and their basic stall habit(ie weaving, cribbing, attitude etc). You also need to be aware of any cuts, scrapes, scars, etc. so if something new comes up, you will be able to tell if it is new.
You should receive sheets in you first keeper class that will allow you to record all of this important information on each horse. If you do not receive them, it is a good idea to make your own notebook just for this information. When you finish filling out the horse information sheets, which should be ASAP, they should go into a binder in your keeper cabinet. All horses in eachseat string should be listed alphabetically for easy access. Update the information as needed, which is anytime that something changes.
As stated earlier, all of the information in this guide is very important. Noticing when something is wrong because you know what is normal for your horses can potentially save one of your horse’s lives!
Keeper Clipboard
It is important that you document everything that you do. This should be done on a clipboard that is kept in your barn. This is so the string manager and seat instructor can keeptrack of all of the activities each horse is doing. Things that should be included are horse names, whether or not they were turned out, whether or not they were ridden, their medication/supplement schedule and their lunch hay schedule. Also, if there is anything new that has popped up, it should be documented clearly and described in detail.
Daily Care of Your Horses
Morning Checks:
• These should be done before 8 am every morning.
• Include running your hands over every part of every horse to check for injury, giving them morning meds, checking their water source, and opening their doors and putting chains up.
Lunch Hay:
• Every horse should get one flake of either grass or alfalfa. This depends on your seat instructor and what your horse eats at meal time. Remember that your horses’ breakfast is at 4 a.m., so lunch for them is at 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
• You should also check water sources at this point.
Night Checks:
• This includes night meds, one flake of hay, water checks, unhooking the chains and closing the door.
• Another once over to check for illness/injury should be done at this time.
Turnout
• Each horse will have a T/O pair or will be a designated single. Pairs can only go in big areas like Westminster, Monroe St. lots, or either indoor arena. Singles can go anywhere. Monroe St. lots should not be used when it is muddy.Stalls
• Every horse needs to be brushed and have his/her hooves picked out when brought in to help check for injuries/lost shoes and to keep them in a presentable state. We have guests on tour at WWU every day. Therefore, it is important for us to put our best foot forward: KEEP THE HORSES CLEAN!
• Every horse should wear at least splint boots for T/O. You need to check if other equipment is needed. Bell boots are required for those that play hard or have round shoes/pads. Horses are not to wear sheets or blankets in T/O.
• Sport horses go out in all weather with exception of thunder and lightening. Check with your seat instructor if you have any questions about the weather.
• Do not assume that it is OK for your horses to miss their T/O for a day or two. It is NOT.
• Check to make sure all possible exits of a T/O pen are closed and locked!
• Mark on the horse use list with a T/O once each horse has been turned out.
• If you have a scheduling problem with your T/O, try to trade times/horses with another keeper and bring the issue to class on a Monday/Wednesday so that it can make the general schedule.
• Stalls must be done every day! If your horse is going in class, you do not
have to do his stall since the rider will. Check to be sure the rider did the stall.
• You are allowed to call the rider if the stall did not get done and they did ride. Remember that you attract more flies with honey than vinegar! Be nice!
• Not every time a rider signs up will they come to ride on the weekends. This is a
sad reality to being a keeper, but if you don’t expect it then it will be a pleasant
surprise when the stall gets done. Notify the seat instructor when this happens so
that they can take appropriate action against the rider.
• The morning barn staff tries to clean as many stalls as they can, but this is not
their only job and they have plenty of other things to do. Treat them with the
highest respect, get to know their names, do anything you can to help them out,
and make sure you tell them thank you.
• If you are unsure as how to clean a stall, check the general section, watch others,
and ask someone for help if you have questions.
Other Duties
Clipping
- H/J horses are typically clipped every two weeks to be kept in show condition. In
addition, they should be clipped before any horseshow as well as any University
activity where our program is on display. Take pride in your horses and make
them look nice! - H/J horses get their ears, muzzle, jaw, and bridle path clipped; typically with #40
blades. Fetlock tufts, long hair on the backs of the legs, under the pasterns and
around the coronet bands should be trimmed with #10 blades. - Ears should be clipped inside and out so that it is easier for you to keep
them clean in their sawdust environment. Even so, it is important to use
only cool and sharp clipper blades so that you can prevent any discomfort
to the horse. HJ ears should be clipped with #40 blades so that the
appearance of the ear is clean, with clearly defined edges and the point of
the ear with slight point at the end, not rounded or with diamond tips like
the SS horses. - The muzzle and jaw should be done by blending. If a horse is particularly
fuzzy, don't shave down to the skin, but blend the hair so it is short, but
not unnatural looking. - No HJ should have fetlock tufts. One should shave just enough hair
around the coronet to see the band and shave the tufts off by blending the
hair into the short leg hair. - Feelers around the eyes do not get clipped on any Sport Horse..
- There are additional articles on clipping and body clips in Appendix A
- Dressage horses are not clipped as close as the horses in other seats but
they must be trimmed so that they look neat and clean at all times. Take pride
in your horses and make them look nice! - Bridle paths, under the jaw line, and outside edges of ears should be
trimmed every 2 weeks with #10 blades. - Leave feelers around the eyes intact
- Trim muzzle feelers to a uniform 2” in length
- Do not clip the inside of the horses’ ears but make sure that the hair
inside the ears does not extend beyond the edges of the ears. - Trim long hairs on the back of the legs and feathers on fetlocks and
pasterns with #10 blades; going with the hair. This applies to all horses except
the Friesians. - Specialty trimming for Dressage Friesians is described in Appendix B.
- In addition, there is an article on grooming Dressage horses for
competition.
Mane Maintenance
Every sport horse needs its mane pulled, scissored, or bladed every few weeks to
keep it in show condition (again, please refer to special conditions described in Appendix A for Baroque breeds such as the Friesian). Manes should be done before every horse show and every University activity that showcases our program.
Check with your seat instructor for information regarding specialty grooming for hunters, jumpers, and dressage horses’ manes. Do not assume that all sport horse manes can be done using the same technique.
- Hunter’s manes must be braid-able on the right side of the horse’s neck
- Dressage horses’ manes must be braid-able; different braids than hunters do!!
- Jumpers’ manes do not have to be braid-able, but they do need to lie flat on one
side of the horses’ necks.
Sheath Cleaning
- Every horse needs his sheath or her udder cleaned whenever an accumulation
of smelly black goop, called smegma, is present. For some horses, once per
semester is sufficient. On the other hand, some horses require daily attention. - To learn how to clean a sheath, read the section in the general guide.
Labeling
- At the beginning of the semester, every horse needs to have a labeled halter and lead rope; brush box, bridle, and stall and this should be updated as needed.
- The brush box label should describe any special needs that horse has under saddle including what tack to use and any quirks that riders need to know.
- The bridle label should include what bit the horse goes in.
- The stall label should include any habits the horse has, meds, hay schedule, T/O partners and habits, as well as any quirks needed to know by anyone that may come into contact with that horse.
Barn Duties
Aisle way
• Work study should provide a waterer/sweeper, but if it is not being done, don't be shy about doing it. Take pride in your barn and make it look nice.
Tack room
o Sometimes, riding students forget that they did not bring their mothers or maids with them to the barn!
o It is your job to clean up after them when they don't clean up after themselves.
o Please inform seat instructors when this happens so they can take the appropriate actions.
o Saddle pads need to be folded and put away neatly if they are clean and dry, sent to the laundry if they are dirty, and hung neatly on racks if they are damp.
o Boots need to be paired up and put in appropriate cabinets or brush boxs.
o Sweeping and dusting must be done daily. Barns are dirty, and the work will pile up fast without daily attention to details!
Wash rack
o The wash rack needs to be swept and picked up daily.
o Practice and enforce that no one is to pick out feet in the wash rack. It clogs the drain.
o Practice and enforce that no on is to clip or pull manes in the wash rack. It clogs the drain.
o It is your job to unclog the drain. It isn't a pleasant job, but it has to be done. If you need help figuring out how to clean the drains, ask.
Blanket racks
o All blankets/sheets/coolers need to be folded nicely whether it is on the horse’s door or on the blanket racks at the end of the aisle.
Wheelbarrows
o Wheelbarrows need a home. That home is not at the manure pad. It is your job to find them an appropriate home. Keeping them in that home will require persistent replacement by you.
o Do not leave partially full wheelbarrows in the barn! They draw flies, look nasty, and make everybody else’s jobs harder.
o Please police other students that you see doing this; if they do not heed you then
report them to the seat instructors.
Blankets and Sheets
Whether it is in the spring or fall semester, your horses will be using sheets, blankets and coolers. It is your responsibility to make sure your horses have their own well fitting items. It is also your responsibility to label them with each horse’s name. The sooner this gets done, the less likely it will be that they grow legs and wander off. Don't laugh because it does happen. Labeling can be done with markers, embroidery, stencils, etc. However, all horse clothing should be
labeled onto a separate piece of cloth that is then sown onto the blanket, sheet, or cooler. Please make sure when the blankets, sheets, and coolers are not on the horse, that they are folded neatly and put in an appropriate place.
Farrier/Veterinarian/Etc
When these people come to take care of your horses, introduce yourself and make yourself available to help them. Put your phone number on the farriers white board. Make sure you are there to hold a horse if a horse needs to be held. Please be cooperative and helpful. We want them to come back! In fact, if you make a good impression, you may find a job or a job reference through your contacts with these professionals. Be sure to read the article by the farrier’s station so you know how to appropriately hold a horse for the shoer. If you can't find the article, ask the shoer and they will be more than happy to explain it to you.
The veterinarian will most definitely be called out in your time as a keeper. Even so, it is not your duty to call the vet. The protocol for injuries is in the general section. When the vet comes out, use it as a learning opportunity. Make yourself available to help.
Medications and Supplements
It is not your job to decide what medications your horses are on. During your first keeper class, you should find out what supplements your horses are on for morning or night checks. Be sure you read the containers to see the dosage schedule. If there are any questions, ask the string manager, but not before reading the label!!!
If you think your horse needs other medication or if you have questions about any medications or supplements, bring them up with your seat instructor or string manager. It is their decision whether or not a horse will get any medications and/or supplements. Be aware of what your horse is on at all times. Read the required text so you will know how your horse may react to a medication and so you know why the horse is on that medication.
Getting Horses Ready for Break
In both semesters of keeper there is a week long break as well as the break between the semesters. Your seat instructor may decrease the grain ration to prevent weight gain during the period of lower work load for your horses. Make sure the holiday workers can easily find important information for medications your horses. This can be done by updating stall cards, horse information sheets, as well as any notes that you think they need to know about your horses. The important information is what medications the horses are on, any quirks they have, feed schedule, turn out buddies, turn out quirks, etc. A master list should be made to make the break keepers’ job easier. Master lists should be posted in each respective tack room.
A Word about Bio-Security
Just like the rest of our planet earth, our population here on planet WWU Equestrian Center is growing! Over the last few years we have observed an increasing number of horse health issues that are related to our population and high traffic from horse to horse. Therefore, it has become important for us to increase our awareness of potential contagious conditions and to take measures to minimize the chances of horse and human illness.
All of us need to work together to improve the way we handle our horses and the equipment that we use to care for them. At the end of this Guide, there are two documents that provide good information about the dynamics of contagious disease, and prevention of carrying disease from horse to horse, horse to human, or human to horse. Please read them. Although we will not be able to implement each and every procedure described in these papers, each one of us can do our part to improve the level of bio-security on planet WWU Equestrian Center.
All of us need to work together to improve the way we handle our horses and the equipment that we use to care for them. At the end of this Guide, there are two documents that provide good information about the dynamics of contagious disease, and prevention of carrying disease from horse to horse, horse to human, or human to horse. Please read them. Although we will not be able to implement each and every procedure described in these papers, each one of us can do our part to improve the level of bio-security on planet WWU Equestrian Center.
Is Your Horse Sick or Injured?
This part of the guide is to give you ways to recognize symptoms that will help you better report what is wrong with your horse as well as give you things to look for with regard to illness and injury. Please make sure to become familiar with the Horse Health Check chart that is posted in your barn. The chart will give you information you need at a glance so that you can make informed observations and reports of each horse’s condition.
Recognizing a Sick Horse:
Colic:
Founder:
Dehydration – heat stress:
Other Infections or illnesses:
Recognizing an injured/sick horse:
Eye Injuries:
Superficial Wounds
Deep Lacerations:
*********Please make sure to notify seat instructor in the event of illness/injury; no matter how insignificant it may seem.**********
Recognizing a Sick Horse:
- lack of normal appetite
- elevated temperature (99-101.5 is normal)
- failure to drink
- absence or changes in bowel movements
- Changes in attitude and/or behavior
Colic:
- Most common form of illness a keeper will run into: call your seat instructor or
Dr. McClaren ASAP if you suspect a colic. - Symptoms: lack of appetite, dullness, heavy breathing, staring or kicking at sides, sweat,rolling, lying down and getting up, pawing, elevated temp, pale mucous membranes, dehydration, lack of gut sounds, abnormal gut sounds, elevated heart rate, etc.
- Caused by weather changes, feed inconsistencies or changes, gas, etc
- Keeping a consistent supply of salt and water available to the horse will reduce chances of colic
- Will require a keeper rotation or “colic watch” until head keeper is satisfied that the problem has been resolved.
Founder:
- Also very common on WWU campus; particularly with horses that are fed high grain rations
- Call your seat instructor or Dr. McClaren ASAP if you suspect founder.
- Symptoms: reluctance to move, weight off of affected feet (usually front) by rocking back or by lying down, hot hoof wall, strong digital pulse, rotated coffin bone on x-rays
- Caused by the horse over eating, failing to properly cool out, over work, sudden changes in feed/water/routine or many other reasons
Dehydration – heat stress:
- Common when weather is hot and humid.
- Symptoms: panting, red mucous membranes, high temperatures, reheating, abnormal sweating, abnormal skin pinch, absence of sweat
- Caused by heat , over work, shipping stress, weather changes, etc
- Cold hose pulse points to cool the horse
- In the event of a dehydrated horse, force-feeding a salt solution will stimulate drinking.
- A severely dehydrated horse may require IV fluid/electrolyte replacement therapy
- Call your seat instructor or Dr. McClaren ASAP if you suspect your horse is dehydrated or suffering heat stress.
Other Infections or illnesses:
- A snotty nose, high temperature, and/or cough should be reported to your seat instructor or Dr. McClaren ASAP. With as much turn over as WWU gets, horses may carry illnesses onto campus. Because we have so little space, quarantine is difficult.
- Stopping a contagion early is necessary and requires a concerted effort from all students, faculty, and staff.
Recognizing an injured/sick horse:
- Blood
- Lameness/abnormal movement
- Swelling
- New cuts/scrapes
- Abnormal bumps
- Change of attitude
- Change in stall habits
- Call your seat instructor or Dr. McClaren ASAP if you suspect your horse is sick or
injured.
Eye Injuries:
- Require immediate attention!!!
- Most injuries require treatment every two hours, requiring a keeper rotation.
- Call your seat instructor or Dr. McClaren ASAP if you suspect your horse has an eye
injury. - Swollen, tearing, gooey, closed, painful eyes need to be looked at and treated
- The vet may be called to determine severity and course of treatment.
Superficial Wounds
- Raw or slight bleeding, Alu-spray or Blue-cote (Victor Gall Remedy) should be used and noted on clipboard
- Bare skin with no blood can use Corona, an Aloe-based ointment or Vaseline.
- Girth galls should be treated with Bickmore’s Gall Salve before and after every ride. Bickmore’s should NOT be used for any ailment other than girth galls and saddle sores!
- Abscesses or injuries on the foot that may cause abscesses should be soaked in a warm water/Epsom salt/Betadine solution and packed with icthammol
- Sensitive soles should be painted with a warm mixture of Venice Turpentine and DMSO
- Fungus/Dermatitis should be treated with a Betadine bath or other medicated shampoo such as Denorex
- Cold swellings may be treated with DMSO; use caution when handling DMSO; wear rubber gloves
- Dry hoofs should be treated with water based topical applications like Hoof Maker (sport horses) or oily preparations such as Hooflex (saddle horses). Check with individual seat preferences
- Soft hooves may be treated with hoof sealer over the hoof wall and clinches (not the coronet bands)
- Thrush should be treated aggressively with Thrush X, Thrush buster, Kopertox, or the like.
Deep Lacerations:
- Immediately inform instructor
- Stop bleeding with direct pressure
- Do NOT run water on deep wounds
*********Please make sure to notify seat instructor in the event of illness/injury; no matter how insignificant it may seem.**********
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