School Daze

Biosecurity- the Key to Keeping you Horses Healthy, USDA Guide

2009-08-18T16:47:00.001-05:00

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.

Daily Grooming Routine for Dressage Horses

2009-08-18T16:44:00.003-05:00

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/grooming/routine1862/

Biosecurity on the Farm

2009-08-18T16:44:00.002-05:00

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:
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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
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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
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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.
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Clipping Hunter/Jumpers

2009-08-18T16:42:00.002-05:00

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

Tips on Clipping Parts of the Horse

2009-08-18T16:42:00.001-05:00

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.

Friesian Grooming Tips

2009-08-18T16:40:00.000-05:00

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.

Western Keepers

2009-08-18T16:39:00.002-05:00

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.
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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
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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
Western Keeper Survival Guide
41
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

2009-08-18T16:39:00.001-05:00

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
Saddle Seat Keeper Survival Guide
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
Saddle Seat Keeper Survival Guide
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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
Saddle Seat Keeper Survival Guide
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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):
Saddle Seat Keeper Survival Guide
30
“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.
Saddle Seat Keeper Survival Guide
31
􀂙 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

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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:

• 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.
• 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

• 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

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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

2009-08-18T16:07:00.001-05:00

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.

Is Your Horse Sick or Injured?

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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:

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.**********

Keeper How To’s

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*** This is just a quick reference to make sure you know how things are done here at William Woods University. ***

1. Cleaning a stall (authors: S01 Saddle Seat Student Teachers)

It is easier to clean a stall when the horse is not in it, however, at times this cannot be helped, so be careful when working around the horse. Putting the wheelbarrow in the doorway of the stall helps to keep the horse inside.
Remove any sawdust that is wet by either urine or another source, all manure, and any hay that has been soiled. If the stall is really wet, after digging down to the bottom of the stall, lime should be sprinkled on the bottom and then covered with a thick layer of sawdust.
If the stall was banked (extra bedding piled on the edges of the stalls), pull it down, fluff it up, and spread it around the stall. The sawdust should be approximately 6-8” deep, deep enough to be comfortable, but not overly deep to waste shavings. Bank the stall with fresh sawdust, 1-2’ high on the sides.
Dump dirty sawdust on the concrete pad in front of the H/J barn. Do not leave full wheelbarrows in the barn. It is unclean, draws flies, unprofessional, and lazy. Also, do not leave empty wheelbarrows on or around the manure pad. They commonly get run over by those that take the manure away as well as clutter up the aisle around the arena.
Replace as many wheelbarrows that were taken out with that many wheelbarrows of clean sawdust, or until the stall is sufficiently bedded. Pile the new sawdust around the edges of the stall about one foot high, with exception of under the feed box to help keep horses from getting cast.
If using straw, take out all soiled straw. Place sawdust or lime at the bottom of the stall to absorb any excess urine. Clean straw should be used to re-bed the stall to where it is around 6-8” deep in the center and 1-2’ high on the sides.

2. Sheath and udder cleaning:

Should be done every four to six weeks, if not, a dirty sheath could lead to urinary tract and kidney infections as well as severe skin chaffing, tail rubbing, and inflammation of the area.
Some horses require daily attention; these horses are usually maintained simply by running warm water to rinse away daily build-up.
Bare hands are most efficient, but most use rubber gloves. Fingernails should be cut short before attempting to clean a sheath or udder to prevent discomfort t the horse.
Materials: something to loosen the smegma: Warm water, Vaseline, K-Y jelly, &/or Ivory Soap
Carefully work yourself back to the sheath, constantly aware of the horses’ attitude.
Begin working and rubbing your cupped hand up the horses’ sheath. Your hand should be consistently rotating and rubbing to loosen the smegma. When the penis and around the penis is clean, insert a finger into the end of the penis to remove any build up, called beans.
When the sheath is clean, rinse well, possibly over several days.

3. Clipping and Manes:

This section is to give you a word about manual restraints. The actual how-to is different for every seat, so in each seat section there will be a guide to how to clip your horses according to your seat requirements.
The purpose of manual restraints is to educate, not man-handle.
Skin pinch- grasping a flap of skin on the shoulder can be just distracting enough; commonly used when giving injections
Hold a Foot up- this works if a particular leg is needed to stay on the ground or if the horse to stand still. Diagonal legs to the one that is needed to be still, or lateral legs work.
Chain shanks- the chain should be long enough to go through both nose rings and to the opposite cheek ring without displacing the halter. These are useful in leading or longeing a rambunctious horse.
Lip twine- tie baling twine to one side of the halter and slip the twine over the top gum of the horse. When the end o the twine is looped through the other side of the halter, it acts as a lever to increase pressure when the horse needs it and relaxation when the horse is being good.
Twitches- the handle of the twitch should be long to create leverage and keep the horse and handler safe. These twitches slip over the horse’s nose to cause a distraction from the discomfort of clipping, mane pulling, etc.
Blindfold- this can provide just enough of a distraction to get done what needs done or by simply taking the problem away if it is something the horse is uncomfortable seeing.
Tranquilizers- these should be last resort used only on horses that are dangerous to handle under stressful situations. The head of the string will okay and administer tranquilizers if they feel it is necessary.
Remember- be patient, unemotional, quiet, soft, and calm. An excited handler will only incite a violent response from the horse. They are emotional creatures.

4. Turn Out:

Sign up for turn out times and stick to them!
Always turn horses towards the gate before turning them loose
Never chase them away when you turn them loose
Always remove halters if they are nylon or leather halters if the partners play hard
Pairs or triplets should always go in large turnout pens, NOT the 4-stall lot or the
round pen.
Introduce horses to each other before turning them out together; note aggressive
behavior and possibly find a different partner
Horses in bar shoes and/or pads always need bell boots
Riding takes precedent over T/O
Stay near your barn to be sure you can catch your horses in a hurry if you need to.
Be cooperative and communicative with other keepers and pre-keepers with
regard to turnout times.

Keeper Survival Guide Intro

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Introduction to the Guide

Welcome to the Keeper Survival Guide. The purpose of this guide is to do just that: guide you through your semester as a keeper. This guide is set up to give you a little bit of an idea as to how things are done here at William Woods University. It is highly suggested that you read this guide, or at least familiarize yourself with it enough that when you need it, you can find it. This guide is separated into five separate parts: General Keeper Guide and then a separate guide for each of the four seats to address the idiosyncrasies of each of them. This guide is for you as a new keeper so you can get a head start on your time management for the semester. That is the key to success for your semester as a keeper. If you know what you have to do and how often you have to do it, you should be able to do well this semester.

So, now you find yourself as head of a string of horses. It may be a little overwhelming, but it will settle down. Basically, you are in charge of their day to day care, as well as cooperating with the vet, shoer, instructors, WWU staff members, other keepers, pre-keepers, riders, and student teachers. Remember that horses here at William Woods are special and require special treatment. They are worked very hard every day and deserve the best treatment that can be given to them. It is your job to make sure they get it.

Requirements for Your Semester as a Keeper

1. Understanding Equine Medications by Barbara Forney

This book is a must have for anyone who is to be in the horse business. It
is a great addition to anyone’s equine library.
It is a great tool for a keeper to know what each medication does to your
horse as well as how it interacts with other drugs.

2. Small Clippers

Your horses should be clipped every couple of weeks (check your seat for further instructions) so having your own clippers will make it easier for you to get them clipped on time.
School clippers are unreliable as is depending on someone else to have reliable clippers.
Clippers are something that will be used often in the “real world”, so they
are good to have for jobs outside of school.

3. Body Clippers

Every semester there are several horses in each string that are too hairy to work as hard as the horses do here, comfortably. Body clipping them is often a solution.
School clippers are often unreliable as is depending on someone else’s clippers.
Body clippers are a valuable tool that is used in the outside work place that every serious horse person should have.

First on the To-Do List
The first thing that needs to be done after you know who is in your string is to do your horse health checks. This means that you go to every horse’s stall and get to know what is normal for that horse. This includes running your hand over every part of that horses’ body to find any bump, scar, etc. that is normal for that horse as well as noting eating and drinking habits. It would also be beneficial to you if you weight taped all of your horses’. This is so when it is time to medicate, vaccinate and/or worm your horses, which is done at least once a semester, you know how much of each substance to give.

The second thing that should be done is a thorough stall check. This should be done to every one of your horses’ stalls to be sure there is nothing that can obviously harm the horse. If there is something, and you cannot remedy the problem yourself, notify the barn manager by leaving a note on his board or searching him out. Some of the things that may be found are loose nails that can be easily remedied by you; find a hammer and fix it; or a leaky waterer that should be brought to the barn managers attention by stating if it is over-flowing or leaking out the bottom. There are many other things that you may come across, so be observant.

You should also get your keeper clipboard started. There is a handout in your syllabus that you can model your clipboard after. The purpose of the clipboard is to appropriately document everything that your head keeper may need to know like turnout, medications, hay schedule, riders, stall cleaning, as well as anything that may be abnormal for that horse. Many keepers also use their clipboard to document how often things like clipping, sheath cleaning, and other activities get done.

Keeper Grading Rubric

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A grade of A is earned when:

* The student exhibits outstanding, dependable, conscientious, very efficient
care with horses and equipment at all times.
* The student produces an outstanding ability to follow the oral and written directions of the instructors of the course.
* The student exhibits exceptional work habits with a cooperative and helpful attitude while working with the horses, the other keepers and the Instructors.
* The student is very cheerful with others while sharing group keeper duties. The student dresses properly for the job - no shorts are allowed while in the barn performing keeper duties - she or he remembers to wear leather athletic shoes or boots at all times.
* The student’s clipboard and/or notebook is very detailed, very legible, very neat
and easy for the instructors to follow what is being done with each horse on her
or his string each day.

A Grade of B is earned when:

* The student produces work regularly at an above average level with all keeper
duties, on a day-to-day basis 7 days a week.
* The student is cooperative and cheerfully shares in all group keeper duties.
* The student has an above average attitude when working with her or his assigned string of horses, the other keepers, and the instructors.
* The student’s keeper log is neat, detailed and complete.

A Grade of C is earned when:

* The student carries out assigned work at an average level and is not consistent in the quality of her or his work.
* The student is willing to share with group keeper duties but is not a leader of these activities.
* The student follows the instructors’ written and oral directions sometimes, but not as quickly and with no thought or attention to detail.
* The student’s log only contains basic content with no detail or attention.
* The student complains about the amount of work and ends up being part of the problem not part of the solution.

A Grade of D is earned when:

* The student shows poor work habits, using no organizational skills.
* The student demonstrates poor care of horses and tack on a day-to-day basis 7 days a the week.
* The student is not dependable.
* The student has a negative attitude.
* The student does not follow written or oral directions from the instructors.
* The student’s notebook is incomplete and messy, lacking sufficient detail.
* The student failed to check her or his horses for a day for any reason.
* The student failed to clear an absence with the string manager and/or did not find an approved Substitute Keeper.

A Grade of F is earned when:

* The student earns a D as outlined above and/or any of the following:
* The student is unreliable.
* The student allowed a horse in their string to go without water for 12 hours or more.
* The student left a horse on her string tied in the stall overnight or all day.

Getting Sawdust with the Tractor

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Safety Rules:

Don’t touch the PTO (spinning part that powers sawdust wagon) when it is
running!!!! Make sure the tractor is off if you have to connect it. Don’t even go
near it if you have loose clothes, hair or jewelry, because they can get caught.
Don’t run over any people, horses, barn animals or equipment.

If you aren’t sure, GO SLOW!

If you don’t know, ASK!

If you break something, tell someone.

Remember, the sawdust wagon is not a car. You have to take turns really wide, because the back part will turn narrower than the front. It takes practice to judge when to turn, but a good rule is wait as long as possible and then turn the wheel as far over as it goes. This results in the tractor turning a little sharper than 90 degrees, and the back end will miss the walls.

Blue Front loader

Make sure both the direction control and gear shift are in neutral to start. It will beep if they aren’t.

Push in both clutch and brake and select gear ( 2 or 3 is good) and direction.
Take off the parking brake. A red light above the steering wheel will remind you it is on.

To pick up shavings, lower arm and have bucket level to the ground. Push throttle forward or use gas as you drive into shavings pile, pulling back and left on the arm/bucket control to scoop up shavings. If is does not have enough gas, it will stall. Also apply brake and clutch so you don’t drive up shavings pile.
With both brake and clutch pushed all the way in, switch to reverse.
Make sure arm is high enough that it doesn’t hit sides of sawdust wagon.
Dump sawdust by pushing bucket control stick up/right.
When you are done, lower arm so that it is sitting on sawdust or ground and put parking brake back on.
This drives similar to an automatic car. It also has toys like air conditioning and windshield wipers that have pictures on the buttons. There are other levers, but you don’t need to touch them to get shavings.

Orange tractor

Put the left gear shift in neutral and the right one on “S” to start tractor. If it is cold out, first turn the key counterclockwise and hold it for 30 seconds. You will see an orange light come on to indicate it is charging. Push in both clutch and brake then turn it on. If the parking brake is on, stomp on the brake first. Put the tractor into gear...for driving on the street 3 or 4 and H works well, for driving in the barn 2 and L is good. Pushing the throttle up or stepping on the gas will
make it go faster.
If you are putting shavings directly into stalls, you will need a second person to raise and lower the chute. DO NOT DRIVE FORWARD if chute is still lowered into stall!! If you are making a pile against a wall, the chute can stay up.
Push in the black button on the PTO controller and move it forwards to turn it on. Some times you have to pull it a little back before it will go down. When making a big pile, let it stack up pretty high before moving forward slowly, otherwise you will have a huge stack at the end and a tiny amount at the beginning. You can leave the PTO on while you drive, until you run out of room or shavings. To turn it off, simply pull up until it clicks.
The orange tractor drives like a stick shift, so gently remove your foot from the clutch when you want to move, and make sure the clutch is all the way down if you shift gears.
Put it back where it belongs. You can turn around behind the dressage barn. Use Low gear if you are reversing. Pull up on the metal ring while the brake is pushed down to lock the parking brake.
Pull out the red kill switch to shut off engine.

Keeper Syllabus

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William Woods University
Course Syllabus
EQS 391

I. Required Texts:
Keeper Survival Guide

II. Course Description:
This course is a team taught course with four Instructors actively involved with the students. Class will meet every Monday-Wednesday from 1-3 p.m.. This class time will allow the Instructors to cover topics of concern to all keepers, will be a time to have the vet in to treat different problems with the horses, and will be a time for Instructors to do rounds and go through each keeper's string of horses. This structure will allow the keeper to see and experience every possible ailment or problem that occurs during the semester and to understand the treatment of each. This time period will also allow the Instructors to answer specific keeper questions regarding each student’s string, and the students to ask for supplies or to relate any problems or difficulties that they are having.

Each student will be assigned approximately the same number of horses. The student will be in charge of all the day-to-day care of this string of horses 7 days a week. The student’s job as a keeper is to be considered the same as if he/she were working at a full time stable job. This course will teach the student what is and what is not acceptable when caring for horses. The student will practice all applied skills and will experience problem-solving skill development daily. The student will be responsible for his/her strings daily turnout, hand walking, lunging, long lining or jogging, clipping, trimming, shoeing records, medication, vet work, bandaging, and the vital signs. The student is also responsible for the care of his/her strings tack. The student will rotate with other keepers in the upkeep of the tack rooms and wash racks. The keepers are responsible for the general appearance of the barn aisles and the barn; this includes keeping their horse’s stalls clean.

The type of job that the student produces as a keeper for a string of horses tells the Instructors what type of worker the student will be after graduation from William Woods. Instructors often refer to keeper performance when providing students with job recommendations. A good keeper will be recommended highly to future employers as dependable, knowledgeable and an employee that they would like to have. A poor keeper can receive nothing but that qualified type of recommendation. A successful keeper learns to balance her or his personal life, academic life and keeper duties. To do this, students will learn organizational skills that will help them provide quality care for their string of horses and maintain their ‘life’ during this course. PLEASE NOTE: Keeper is a very time-intensive class. It is strongly advised that you schedule a relatively light course load during your Keeper semester (12-14 hrs.)

III. Prerequisites to Learning:
EQU 201 – Techniques of Horse Management

IV. Course Objectives: Students will be able to do the following:
1. Demonstrate daily horse management, preventative care, and maintenance procedures.
2. Demonstrate safe and effective turn-out and lunging techniques.
a. Saddle Seat keepers will demonstrate safe and effective long-lining and jogging skills.
3. Demonstrate emergency medical care and procedures for sick and/or injured horses.
4. Show sound time management and efficient reporting techniques.
5. Apply riding school facility management as it relates to the school horses well-being.
6. Describe and apply specialized show grooming techniques for each seat.
7. Demonstrate administration of supplements and medications to horses.
8. Integrate the best interests of the riding school with the best interests of the horse when making horse management decisions.
9. Demonstrate Interpersonal communication skills and teamwork skills when dealing with the other keepers, the Instructor team, the barn personnel, the farriers, and the vets.
10. Apply critical thinking skills in solving daily problems involved with keeping horses.

V. Degree/Major Objectives
This course meets the following objectives for the Equestrian Science Degree:
• Demonstrate skills in equine management and identify the theories upon which they are based. (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)
• Routinely feed, condition, maintain and monitor horses (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)
• Identify characteristics to observe when selecting or purchasing horses. (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)
• Demonstrate skills in riding, conditioning and training of horses. (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)
• Recognize and discuss issues concerning specific riding seats (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)
• Recognize signs of illness and administer proper treatment for equine health management. (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)
This course meets the following objectives for the Equine Administration Degree
• Demonstrate skills in equine management and identify the theories upon which they are based. (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)
• Routinely feed, condition, maintain and monitor horses (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)
• Demonstrate skills in riding, conditioning and training of horses. (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)
• Recognize signs of illness and administer proper treatment for equine health management. (Objectives 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)

VI. Degree/Major Requirements
This course fulfills the following requirements;
• Horse Management Practicum is a required course for both the Equestrian Science Degree and the Equine Administration Degree.

VII. Assessment
The course objectives will be assessed through the following means:
Attendance Course Objectives 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Daily Journal Course Objectives 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Student evaluations Course Objectives 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Faculty reports Course Objectives 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Check In class work Course Objectives 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
See Table I for Assessment of Student Learning Course Objectives Chart

Required Activities
1. ALL KEEPERS ARE REQUIRED TO CHECK THEIR HORSES EVERY MORNING BY
8:00 A.M. AND BETWEEN 9:00 AND 10:00 P.M. SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. IF THE STUDENT FINDS ANY HORSE THAT IS LAME OR SICK WHEN DOING HIS/HER ROUTINE DAILY HEALTH CHECK - NOTIFY THE STRING MANAGER OF THE HORSE IMMEDIATELY SO THAT THE HORSE DOES NOT GET USED IN CLASS THAT DAY.

When completing the AM and PM routine horse checks - make sure that the student rubs his/her hands over the horses entire body so that the student doesn’t miss any hidden cuts or scratches. The statement, “Oh I didn’t see that,” is not an answer that will be acceptable.
Cribbing straps need to be checked several times a day. Be sure to check each horses cribbing strap as soon as possible after the horse has been ridden in class, turned out, or after Friday riding. The keeper needs to make sure that the straps are not too tight or too loose. As a group effort, please help each other watch all cribbing straps on all horses.
Between 8-10:00 p.m. all horses should be settled and tucked in their beds for the night. This is to make it possible for the student to catch any horse that may be sick or colicky. Evening checks should be done with thought towards not being alone in the stables complex after 7 p.m. The barns are locked at 10 p.m. Work should be finished no later than 10 p.m. The Instructors would like the student to utilize the buddy system and be very aware of their surroundings when working in the barns at night. The student may also the use Security to escort the student to and from the stables at night.
During the PM check - make sure that all stall doors are latched, the tack rooms are locked, check to see that each horse has eaten all of his/her grain and hay, and the automatic waterer is working. Look the barn over carefully to make sure everything looks normal.
All horses must be clean and groomed by evening check. If the person who worked the horse did not groom him properly, then the keeper must do it.
If any horses are left improperly, care for the horse first and then notify the Instructor immediately after caring for the horse.
Keepers are responsible for feeding supplements and medications to their horses. Supplements, lunch and dinner meals of hay and grain are usually fed during the a.m. and p.m. check times. Please follow Instructors directions to the letter. If the student does not understand what they are to do - they should keep asking questions until they do.

2. Students will maintain a daily keeper clipboard or notebook of what is done with each horse. The clipboard is one way the Instructors will communicate with the keepers. Accurate shoeing records, vet records, health records and tack inventory for each horse must be kept current on the keeper clipboards or notebook on a daily basis. See Table II for a daily log page template

The log should show in detail the organizational skills that the student used
in her or his daily keeper duties. The student must keep up the log on a daily
basis. This log is the student’s responsibility to maintain through out the
semester.
Keepers are required to submit a self assessment via email to
lmcclare@williamwoods.edu by the end of the 4th week, 8th week and 16th week of
class. Keepers are asked to please review the Rubric (Table III) prior to
submitting the self-assessment.
The daily journal entries and the self assessments are expected to reflect college level communication skills and will be reviewed for clarity, grammar, spelling and other formatting components.

3. If the student has a specific problem that the Instructors need to do something about immediately, make a note on the white erase board in the barn and/or on the keeper clipboard about what horse and/or what problem there is. Leave a note on the door of the string manager's office also to inform her of the problem. Use the following format:

PROBLEMS
Spot has heat in left front leg, does not appear to be lame on it
9/11
Blanca has rubbed a raw spot on her tail 9/12

The Instructors will respond to these problems as soon as possible. Treatment will either be prescribed via the board or will be administered one on one with the keeper. If the student has not had an immediate response – (immediate is defined as response by that day), he/she should follow up on any problem by making a point of seeing an Instructor or a string manager that day and showing her what the problem is.

Communication is key! Keeper clipboards/logs and the white erase board are the
students way of communicating with the course Instructors on a daily basis as to what kind of care is being given to each horse. The student will state what has been done in brief notes each day about each horse. Any doctoring or lameness routine that a student is responsible for must be written on the clipboard daily by the student or Instructor. THE STUDENT MUST ASK THE COURSE INSTRUCTORS QUESTIONS IN PERSON ON HOW THINGS ARE TO BE DONE WITH DOCTORING AND LAMENESS

4. IN THE EVENT OF A SICK HORSE - tell the string manager. If the student cannot find the string manager, any Instructor or Mike Wessel either in person or by phone, then call the EQS faculty pager.

CALLING THE VET - No one calls the vet except Instructors, EQS Administrative Assistant or Mike. If the student finds an emergency situation on a weekend or at night and the student can not reach any one of the Instructors by phone, the student should use the pager.
All keepers are required to work together as a team in the event that a 24 hour watch is put on any horse. Two keepers will be watching the horse at a time, for two hour segments, around the clock until the horse gets well or leaves for the Veterinary Hospital.
Security is available to take the student to and from the barn in the evenings if the student has a sick horse. Please use this service. Make sure that Security stays with the student while the student checks the sick horse and then that they take the student back to the dorm.
If a horse on the students string founders, colics or is just not up to par - be sure to ASK if the ALERT feed sign should go up that states - NO GRAIN - GRASS HAY ONLY. THE INSTRUCTORS CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS - IT MAY BE LIFE OR DEATH FOR THE HORSE INVOLVED.
When a horse rubs his tail or is scratching his body constantly - please discuss this with the class Instructors as to what should be done. This needs to be taken care of right away without involving the vet if possible.

5. STALL AND FEED SIGNS MUST BE LEGIBLE AND CORRECT AT ALL TIMES. Keepers are responsible for any changes to the feed signs which are made by the faculty.

6. KEEPERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR OWN CLIPPERS AND CLIPPER BLADES!

Keepers are responsible for keeping their string of horses clipped and trimmed. DO NOT clip a horse that is tied or cross-tied - as this is a good way to cause a wreck and get hurt. Enlist someone to hold a horse that will not stand. Do not twitch the horses any more than necessary. Each keeper should know which horses on their string need to be twitched and which ones do not - some horses will not tolerate a twitch and it is very important that the student can identify who they are. Do not grab an ear to make a horse stand still for clipping.
Bridle paths and muzzles need to be done once a week. Their jaws, ears, and legs are to be done every two weeks. Keepers are responsible for body clipping their horses as requested by the string manager.

7. Riding and jogging take precedence over turnouts. Daily turnouts should not be done in the dark in the back paddocks unless the students are told to do so by the faculty. When horses are turned out - the keepers must stay in the barn area. The student should always be available to catch the horse should someone need the ring for riding or should the loose horse disturb a riding class in the outdoor ring. The Instructors do not want to create a dangerous situation caused by a spooky horse being ridden while a loose horse is running and bucking. The keepers horses are that students responsibility - not someone else. Communicate with the other keepers as to when they will be turning out. It is highly recommended that all keepers meet together and make a turnout schedule that accommodates everyones needs.

Horses are not to be turned out with their blankets on - unless they have been body clipped and are in blankets suitable for turnout. Body clipped horses must wear turnout rugs or blankets in their stalls at all times.
Horses must be cleaned off after turnout. The flooring in the arenas is corrosive to skin and must be cleaned off of the horse
Do not turn out any horses with other horses than the ones that the Instructors have approved. The keeper will find that horses are happier if the keeper develops a turnout routine and sticks to it.
DO NOT for any reason, lead a horse through a paddock or arena where there is a loose horse. This behavior is just asking to get kicked in the head by a loose horse. Please keep safety in mind at all times.
Safety in turning out horses means that each horse is all the way in the paddock and facing the gate before he/she is turned loose. DO NOT make any clucking noises or kick dirt at the horses. This only makes them difficult to turn loose as it teaches them to get excited about being turned out. Always use a calm reassuring voice when working around horses. Screaming around horses only teaches the horses to fear humans, not respect them.

8. All automatic water pots must be cleaned once a week with baking soda. The Instructors will
show the students how to do this.. Some horse’s water pots may need to be cleaned more often. Be careful not to change the floats, because this is how they overflow and break. Be careful when cleaning around them. Any horse with buckets must have the buckets rinsed out daily. When a new horse comes in that does not know how to the use the water pots, the student must hang buckets for him until he uses them. The keeper (not the feeders) is responsible for keeping their horses’ buckets full of water.

If an automatic water pot is flooding a stall - turn off the shut off valve for that stall and get Mike or one of the barn workers to help right away - not the next day.
In the event of cold weather, the water pots in some barns will need to be shut off so that they don’t freeze. This will mean that each horse will need to have 2 buckets hung in the stall and these will need to be checked 3 times a day - at least.
All horses automatic water pots need to be checked regularly through out the day to make sure to that they are working. Nothing will make a horse sick faster than lack of water. Letting a horse go without water for more than one of these checks will negatively influence the students grade. If this is repeated, the student will fail the course

9. Feed boxes, hay mangers, the area under waterers, and salt blocks need to be kept free
from moldy grain or hay at all times. Sometimes this will mean cleaning some boxes on a daily basis - especially in very hot weather. The student must get to know horses stall habits.

Each horse needs to have a mineral salt block at all times, unless stated otherwise.

10. Keepers are responsible for all tack used on their string of horses. Broken tack needs to be
taken to each string manager to be repaired and to get replacement tack.

If any tack is found dirty and not put away correctly - notify the Instructor of the class by leaving note on her office door.
All saddles, bridles, halters, lead ropes, and any other tack used by a keepers string of horses must be clearly marked at all times.
Keepers will be rotating tack room duties. This will be discussed in the Keeper class. The last keeper to leave the tack room in the evening is responsible for locking it.
Cleaning the brushes - this will have to be accomplished as often as needed. When horses are checked throughout the semester, the buckets will be checked. Some horses will need their brushes cleaned more often than others. All brushes, curries, and hoof picks need to be marked at all times. Please only wash brushes on the weekends so that they can dry in time for Monday morning classes. The brushes need to be set brush side down - against the wall to drain excess water - so that they will dry. Setting them in the sun is even better.
Halters and lead ropes must be marked at all times. If one of the students halters and lead ropes walks off - go look for it in another barn right away. It is amazing where the student will find it. Please check daily to see that each horse has a useable halter and lead rope hanging on his/her stall.
If tack rooms are left trashed - it is the keepers responsibility to notify both the Instructor of the class and the string manager. The keeper must clean it up. Daily cleaning will be done on a rotating basis. This means the tack room, wash racks and the aisle ways in some cases.
Supplies and medications will be kept on the wash racks and in the keeper cabinets in small containers. The small containers will be refilled when necessary from large containers in the supply room. Keepers are to be careful and conservative when using supplies and medications so that these expensive commodities are not wasted.
Any items needed for the tack rooms and wash racks will be obtained by Mike Wessel or Kristen David. Write a note describing keeper needs on the large white board by the supply room.
Keepers are responsible for all blanket and cooler repairs that are needed. The box of repair supplies lives in the laundry room.
There is heat in most barns where the keeper's string will be stabled. Please report to the string manager if it is too hot or too cold in the barns. DO NOT CHANGE THE THERMOMETERS - JUST REPORT IT!

11. Swollen legs - if one of the horses in the students string has a swollen leg when doing the a.m. health check - notify the string manager immediately. A decision will be made about taking them off the riding list and what treatment needs to be done.

Bandaging – Keepers are responsible for any horse that needs to live in bandages. The student will also learn how to apply a poultice, sweat bandage, ice bandage, and wound bandages.

12. Manes and tails need to be washed once every two or three weeks or as often as requested by the string manager. All tails, if in socks/wraps will be taken down and picked through - thoroughly dried - re-braided and put back up in the sock/wrap. The tails that are down still need to be washed and conditioned every 1-2 weeks. A tail that falls out of its wrap or becomes partially unbraided needs immediate attention.

Mane and tail grooming/shortening is a topic near and dear to each instructor’s heart.
Remember all the seats do this differently - so check with the instructor before you remove any hairs!. Students should feel free to discuss with the Instructors any ways that they have learned to do this job before they arrived at WWU. The student will be expected to do it the way each instructor likes, but we all like to learn new ways to do things.
Sheaths and udders need to be cleaned at least once a month. Some horses will wub their tails horribly if they are not kept clean every day. Cleaning your horse is easy to combine with washing their tails. Get to know your horses’ habits.

13. Please watch the tone of voice when discussing problems with other keepers, student
teachers, or other Instructors. It is pretty hard to live down other peoples impressions of the students problem solving techniques (as a screamer)! The golden rule the student needs to adhere to is- DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT YOU WANT DONE TO YOU!

14. Cobwebs - keepers are responsible for dusting and de-cobwebbing their horses stalls. This
would be a good place to enlist the eager freshman who wants to help. The horses must be taken out of their stalls when the keepers are de-cobwebbing their stalls or other wise they will be bouncing off the walls. The Instructors ask that the student take pride in keeping the barns as neat and clean as possible.

15. CLEANING STALLS - keepers are responsible for their stalls cleanliness every day. If the barn workers did not clean the stall or if the stall is dirty due to the horse being a piglet, the student must clean and bed the stall.

16. IF A FIRE OCCURS IN THE STABLES - Call 911 immediately. Stay calm, have someone get an Instructor or Mike to the scene immediately. One person needs to stay at the site of the fire and keep all others from running into it. Remember the Instructors can always get new horses - save the humans.

Keeper grades will be reflected by the responsibility shown as well as the efficiency that each keeper demonstrates on a daily basis. The student's horses, stalls and equipment will be looked at daily. Keepers will be graded on how well they can follow oral and written directions. Keepers will be graded on their ability to motivate themselves while completing their keeper tasks.

All keepers are required to stay on the job until the last day of finals week. Any student leaving before the last day will have his/her final letter grade dropped by one letter grade.

Grades:
Keepers will be graded upon attendance, submitted assignments, attitude, attitude and attention to detail. See Table III for Rubric.

Attendance Requirements:
The keepers string of horses demand daily attention. ALL KEEPER DUTIES COME BEFORE ANY SOCIAL FUNCTIONS. Class attendance is required. If a keeper is unable to care for her or his horses, she/he must find a suitable replacement that the string manager has approved prior to the absence of the keeper. It is the keeper’s responsibility to put the substitute keeper’s name and phone number on the stall door of each horse he/she will be responsible for. The information regarding substitute keepers, their horses, and their phone numbers must also be given directly to the string manager prior to the keeper’s absence. A student may only be gone one weekend during the semester unless the additional absences are discussed with the string manager.

During the week, Monday - Friday, keepers should make a point of visiting with the string manager of their horses daily. Daily attention to the keeper clipboard is mandatory. The Instructors will be looking at the students horses everyday to see that the students are completing all keeper duties.

IX. ADA Guidelines:

Students who choose to disclose a disability are responsible for notifying the University of their disability on a timely basis. Questions about disability services should be directed to Margie White, the University’s coordinator for disability services. She may be reached at 592-1194 or margie.white@williamwoods.edu . Her office is on the first floor of the Academic Building.

X. Academic Integrity Policy and Community Code
It is the expectation of the University that all of its members will uphold the Academic Integrity Policy and the Community Code in adherence to high ethical standards. Details of the Academic Integrity Policy can be found at the following web address: http://www.williamwoods.edu/2005catalog/poldetail.asp?sectionid=273
Details of the Community Code can be found in the Student Life Handbook.

Academic Policy – Plagiarism
In all academic work, it is important that the ideas and contributions of others be appropriately acknowledged, and that work that is presented as original is, in fact, original. Insuring the honesty and fairness of the intellectual environment at William Woods University is a responsibility that is shared by the entire campus community.
http://www.williamwoods.edu/2005catalog/poldetail.asp?sectionid=272

XI. Final Exam:
All EQS students are required to attend the final exam time set for each class by the Registrar’s office. If a student does not attend the final exam at the time posted for each class, they will automatically receive a grade of NC. Riding finals time schedules are posted outside my office as soon as I receive them. There will be no excuses or exceptions, so make your vacation plans accordingly.

XII. Illness:
In the case of extreme illness notification and documentation is necessary. Additional absences will result in a grade of W. Students are advised to consult their student handbook for ramifications of the W grade.

XIII. Changes:
This syllabus is subject to changes, additions or deletions as deemed necessary by the instructor.

A Personal Note to Each of You:
Above all keepers, this can be an enjoyable learning experience if you allow it to be. To be a keeper you must learn to manage your time with both the keeper responsibilities and academic ones. The Instructors realize that you are learning as you go along. The Instructors know that mistakes will be made. Do not feel that the Instructors expect you to know everything. The Instructors expect you to ask questions, learn from your mistakes and handle your responsibilities in a professional manner. The Instructors expect that you will ask if you have a question about some procedure.

Each of the four seats will do some things differently. In class, you will be given instructions on how to do things. These instructions will be considered part of the requirements for this class. If general instructions given in class are different than specific instructions of the string manager, please ask about the discrepancy in class or in writing to Linda McClaren. The Keeper Survival Guide is a work in progress and new information can always be added.

The horses that the student is caring for are our friends and they all mean a lot to us. If you treat them with kindness and respect you will usually get the same in return. Caring for our four-legged friends is a very important and rewarding job. The members of this class have to work together at all times in order to allow being a keeper to be our best effort. If a situation or problem arises with any horse - and the keeper of the horse can not be reached the Instructors would like to believe that all of the other keepers would do anything they could do to save that horses life. This is the attitude we are looking for in a great keeper.

REMEMBER DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING! ! ! Always ask questions - no questions are stupid except the ones you didn’t ask.

The Instructors would like to thank all of you in advance for all of the hours you will be putting into learning to do the keeper job correctly. It is a lot of hard work, but in the end you will feel a real sense of accomplishment. You will feel like it was well worth it. The horses and the Instructors all appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts. Many, Many THANKS ! ! Let’s get started!

Thank you, Faculty Team

Keeper Watch Information

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→ Watches are not optional
→ Watches do not excuse you from any class
→ When calling people to set up the watch, please start with people who have not participated in a watch yet. Refer to the Keeper/Pre-Keeper role on the sign-up clipboard.
→ Please sign up for times in a legible fashion on the sign-up sheet provided for you in your tack rooms
→ Set up 2 hour time blocks for each shift
→ A KEEPER must stay with the horse at all times!
→ 2 people must stay with the horse at all times!
→ Please answer the phone! It might be the vet.
→ Please make sure to record temperature, heart rate, capillary refill time (CRT) and comments regarding the horse’s attitude and behavior on the chart during each shift
→ Please record all medications/treatments administered along with the time of each treatment
→ Please record each time the horse urinates/defecates, the color and consistency of said elimination, and then remove urine/feces from the stall
→ Please record each time a bag of fluids empties in the appropriate column (large or small bag?) on the watch chart provided for you in your tack rooms
→ Please pass along information to the next shift (phone #s, orders to call head keeper, things to watch for, etc) by writing in notes at the bottom of the watch chart.
→ THANK YOU!

Western Project Rider Guide

2009-08-18T12:38:00.001-05:00

Congratulations! You are projecting a William Woods horse. That means that you have been trusted to further the training and skills of one of our horses.This guide is meant to clarify your responsibilities as a project rider, and to help you develop a solid system of communication with your project horse’s keeper.

Keeper Obligations

Each keeper is responsible for the daily maintenance of their string of horses. This includes basic grooming, hoof care, mane and tail care, turn out, lunch/night feeding, injury/wound treatment, and medication supplement administration. Keepers are also ultimately responsible for the horse’s physical comfort (stall, blankets) although much of this is done during the week by applied riding students. Whether a horse is projected or not, the keeper is in the end, held responsible for the above items.

Project Rider Obligations

Riding--The project rider is given special access to a western horse to provide that horse with more consistent handling. This horse is then removed from the regular string of horses, and is no longer available to other western students for free riding opportunities. This makes it imperative that the project rider plan for ample riding or working opportunities for their project horse. Most students will ride the projected horse in class, and then at least three more rides/workouts per week. This means adjusting your schedule so that you can get arena time to work the horse. The arenas are open during lunch 12-1 on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 12-2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You would need to work around the drag (most students will move to the other arena when the tractor arrives). Some project riders choose to schedule their rides on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You can also ride after classes are over for the day at 6 pm. I expect the horse to be worked in some way by the project rider 5 days a week minimum, with six days a week preferred.

Horse/Stall Maintenance

Every time you work your project horse you are responsible for their grooming, stall and equipment and buckets if applicable. It is reasonable to give a projected horse one day off per week, and sometimes two days off depending on the horse. You are not required to clean your projected horse’s stall on his off days, although doing so will endear you to both the keepers and your instructor. Since consistent handling is one of the reasons a horse is projected, I encourage project riders to be very hands on with their horses. This would include clipping, mane pulling or washing/braiding, tails and hoof care whenever possible.

The keeper/project rider TEAM

A strong positive relationship between the keeper and the project rider is essential. This is one of the best examples of you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours! Communicate your desires and needs to your horse’s keeper, and everyone will be kept in the loop. If the only time you can ride interferes with the horse’s turn out time, then talk with the keeper and help be a part of the solution. If you are out of town and will be unable to ride, speak with the keeper about alternate arrangements. Do whatever you can to communicate your intent to do the daily maintenance tasks and a timeline for doing so, in order for the keeper to be able to cross it off their list of things to do. Although you are not required to clean your horse’s stall on his off days, it’s preferred that you take responsibility for your horse whenever possible.

Record Keeping

Since much of your riding will occur outside of class, you will be responsible for recording the days you work your horse on the horse usage chart. This is located on the wall opposite the grooming crossties. The horse usage chart tells the keepers and your instructor who has been ridden that day and through the week/weekend. The ride list only tells the keepers which horses I intend for students to ride—not necessarily who was sick, who ended up lame etc. Please be diligent about recording your rides on this chart.

What if Projecting isn’t going according to plan?

If the projected horse is heading a direction other than what I or the project rider intended, then every effort will be made to correct the situation. This may include supervised rides, teaching tech help, and occasionally adding a second rider for a time. The project experience is meant to be a tool for training horses and riders. The goal is always to produce a horse that is an asset to the western string. Your greatest source of pride as a trainer is when anyone can get your horse to perform well. The student project can end at any point either because the student no longer wants to work that particular horse, or finds that they don’t have time to work a horse on their own. It will also be terminated if it becomes a detriment to your riding instead of a benefit.

Thank you for taking on the responsibility of projecting a horse, and don’t hesitate to speak to your horse’s keeper or your instructor if you have questions or concerns.

Too Hot to Trot?

2009-08-18T12:29:00.002-05:00

Avoid potential heat traps for your horse.
By Sarah Christie

Summer is the time to get your horse in peak condition; take some extra long rides and enjoy the rays. But as temperatures rise, so do the risks of your horse experiencing heat stroke, dehydration and other health problems associated with heat. If not recognized and treated properly, these health issues can be debilitating and even life threatening. Managing your horse’s summer training program and adjusting it to fit the weather is imperative.

Temperature Control

Horses and humans have something in common—both rely on sweating as the primary means of internal temperature control, or thermoregulation. In fact, it can be said that the horse’s physiology in some ways resembles a radiator, designed to circulate fluids and dissipate heat. Tiny glands beneath the skin produce beads of sweat, which evaporate soon after they come into contact with the air, cooling the surface of the skin. Those bulging veins and delicate capillaries on the neck and shoulders of a hard-working horse are taking advantage of the evaporative process to cool the blood by routing it near the surface of the skin. As the blood is cooled and recirculated, it helps regulate core body temperatures. The dilated nostrils that bring in huge volumes of oxygen to the lungs also exhale body heat with every breath. Under normal circumstances, these natural adaptations are sufficient to keep a horse’s body temperature within safe parameters. But when horses are asked to exert themselves in conditions of high heat and humidity, the potential for heat-induced illness is very real.

Hot Stuff

What would be considered moderate exercise under temperate weather conditions can have the same effect as intense activity when the heat and humidity rise.

The Cool Equestrian

Your horse isn’t the only one at risk of heat stroke or dehydration. Riders must take precautions to prevent overheating in summer months. Dehydration can cause dizziness, headaches and muscle cramps, all of which could create a dangerous situation while riding. Follow these simple steps to avoid a heat-induced disaster.

• Try to schedule your riding times in the morning or evening hours, when the temperatures are less punishing.

• Drink plenty of fluids. This isn’t difficult to do around the barn. But if you go for long trail rides, consider a water bottle holder for your saddle. These can be attached to the pommel of either English or western saddles, and they hold a 12-ounce bottle firmly in place while riding. For extremely long outings, wear a 1-gallon water bladder backpack with a long flexi-straw for continuous sipping, such as the CamelBak.

• Soak a bandana in water and tie it around your neck. The evaporation will cool your carotid artery, keeping your core body temperature down. Neck coolers and vests that stay cold for an extended period of time after being soaked in water are also handy.

• Wear a hat to keep the sun off your head, and shade your face and neck. Make sure your riding helmet has plenty of ventilation. There are cold packs that fit right in your helmet to keep a cool head. You can also purchase extended helmet visors for sun protection.

• If you are out on the trail and the heat is getting the best of you, dunk your shirt into a stream or water trough and wear it wet. You won’t make a fashion statement, but it will bring your body temperature down immediately and limit the amount of fluids lost to sweating.

• During steady exercise in cool conditions, fluid losses can be as high as six to seven liters per hour—when the weather heats up, losses can double. Since electrolytes are also lost, the best time to have them is before depletion begins.

When is it too hot to trot?

A good rule of thumb when assessing how the heat will affect your workout is to measure the Heat Stress Index (HSI). If the sum of the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit plus the percent of humidity totals less than 120, all systems are “go.” If the sum is greater than 150, particularly if humidity contributes to more than half of this number, your horse’s natural cooling mechanisms will be compromised. You should consider lowering the intensity of your workout, shortening the length of time, or riding later in the day. If the HSI is greater than 180, a horse cannot regulate his core body temperature naturally, so he should not be forced to work.

For instance, if it is 100 degrees with 80 percent humidity, leave your horse in a shaded paddock with plenty of cool, clean drinking water and go have a cold drink yourself.

But sometimes you have little or no choice about whether to ride. Competitions are rarely cancelled due to heat. Sometimes the thermometer just sneaks up on you, and you are out on the trail or deep into a training session before you realize the temperature has climbed beyond the comfort zone. Or maybe you are intentionally conditioning for heat tolerance because you know that an upcoming event will take place in hot, humid conditions. Either way, you need to know the signs of heat stress and how to avoid or treat them.

Dehydration

Dehydration literally means “to remove water.” But horses don’t just lose water when they sweat. They also lose essential minerals and salts, called electrolytes (potassium, sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium and other ions), which are essential to all of the body’s metabolic processes and nerve functions. Slight dehydration causes little, if any, change in behavior and can be easily remedied by drinking fresh water. Moderate dehydration can cause lethargy, and you should administer electrolytes and provide access to water. Severe dehydration is a serious condition requiring IV fluids. If not attended to properly, severe dehydration can cause colic, collapse and even death.

A racehorse running at a full gallop can lose as much as two-and-a-half gallons of sweat in less than two minutes. It may take an average horse an hour to lose the same amount through prolonged work, but in either case, if not allowed to replenish the fluids lost through sweating, he will steadily dehydrate.

The Signs

The first sign of dehydration can be observed by testing the elasticity of the skin. Pinch an inch or two of skin on your horse’s neck forward of the shoulder, and pull it toward you. What happens when you let go? The skin on a fully hydrated horse will snap back immediately—if your horse’s skin “tents” (doesn’t instantly snap back) when pinched, he’s dehydrated.

Testing a horse’s capillary refill time (CRT) is another vital sign to monitor when checking for dehydration. Apply pressure to your horse’s gumline (using your thumb) for a couple of seconds. When you release your thumb, the normal pink color should return to the pressure point within two seconds. If not, your horse needs hydrating.

Bowel movements become dry and hard as dehydration advances, urine will appear dark yellow and opaque, even tinged with brown, and the horse’s performance will start to deteriorate. Finally, in the dangerous advanced stages of dehydration, a horse that normally sweats under working conditions may stop sweating completely to conserve precious body fluids.

It goes without saying that horses at rest should enjoy unlimited access to fresh water. But horses in transit or in work should be able to take a drink too, especially when temperatures and humidity soar. When hauling during a heat wave, try to travel at night or in the early morning hours. If that is not possible, pull over at least every two hours and offer your equine passenger a bucket of water.

Horses that don’t like the taste of strange water and refuse to drink pose a challenge. If possible, take some water with you from home. Failing that, take him to the trough with other horses you know will drink willingly. The sight and sound of others slurping on a hot day has inspired many a finicky drinker.

Endurance horses are encouraged to tank up at every opportunity along the trail, and many endurance riders administer oral electrolytes during competition and heavy workouts to maintain healthy metabolic function. When it comes to administering electrolytes, speak to your veterinarian regarding a program that will keep your horse going strong. Prevention is the best protection against dehydration. Many vets recommend feeding a scoop of electrolytes daily, year-round and providing access to a mineral block. In addition, making sure water is available during and after exercise can help prevent a dehydration crisis.

Thumps

“Thumps” is the term used to describe a condition known as synchronous diaphragmatic flutter (SDF). This condition is a sign that a horse is in severe metabolic distress from dehydration. A horse with thumps will display rhythmic twitching or “thumping” in the flank area, in time with the beating of the heart. Sometimes it is so subtle that you can only feel it under your hand. In severe cases, it is observable from several feet away.

Thumps can occur when excessive sweating causes dehydration and massive electrolyte loss. As the bloodstream is depleted of salt ions, the function of the nervous system is compromised. The phrenic nerve that runs across the heart to the diaphragm muscle begins to fire in time with the heart beat, stimulating the diaphragm muscles to contract and causing the distinctive, thumping flutter.

Thumps should be regarded as a warning sign that the horse is suffering from acute dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Immediately stop, administer water and electrolytes, and call your veterinarian for treatment instructions. If ignored, the consequences include founder, colic, heat exhaustion or collapse. Recognizing this sign of impending metabolic failure can help to avoid more problematic consequences.

Cooling Off

To help a heat-stressed horse’s core body temperature cool down, you can speed the evaporative process by moving him to a shaded area and hosing his entire body with cold water, according to veterinary studies conducted prior to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that focused on the management of horses in heat and humidity. The cold water will not harm the horse. Jonathan Foreman, DVM, University of Illinois, states that “if you put nearly freezing water in large volumes all over the exercising muscles of the horse, you can draw a lot of heat out of the muscles and horse will not tie up afterward.”

To assess whether your horse is recovering well after exercise, take his pulse with a stethoscope or by feeling for the pulse with your fingertips behind his jaw. After 30 minutes, if the heart rate remains above 64 beats per minute, the condition is serious—call the veterinarian.

Managing Heat Through Condition

Preventing heat stress should start long before summer. As a horse works, his body is essentially burning calories, or metabolizing energy. The harder the body works, the more energy it burns. One of the waste products of this process is heat. How efficiently the body rids itself of this heat is determined not just by ambient temperature and humidity but also by the physical and metabolic condition of the body itself. Heavily muscled horses such as American Quarter Horses and warmbloods have a greater challenge dissipating internal body heat than lighter breeds, such as the Arabian and the Thoroughbred. Obese horses are hampered by a thick fat layer that traps heat inside. Fat horses sweat a foamy lather that contains high concentrations of vital electrolytes and does not evaporate easily.

But as a horse becomes more fit, he also becomes more efficient at dissipating heat. Less demand is placed on working muscle groups. Less exertion means less heat generated by the muscles, less heat means less sweat, less sweat means less fluid and electrolyte loss. Capillaries just under the skin serve as tiny heat exchangers as blood is pumped to the surface. As the body becomes better at conserving and utilizing electrolytes and minerals, less vital body salts are lost through sweating. This actually alters the consistency of the sweat itself, making it thinner and more easily evaporated, thus more effectively cooling the skin. Keeping your horse in shape through the winter and spring will help him adjust more easily to summer temperature spikes.

A key part of building condition involves nutrition, and diet can and should be managed for heat stress reduction. You already know overweight horses are more prone to heat exhaustion, but this is particularly true if they are fed a diet high in protein and calcium. Rich alfalfa hay and oats can predispose some horses to heat-induced health disorders. Alfalfa’s high protein level and the high fiber content of oats cause internal heat buildup and excessive sweating, which can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Feeding grass hay, natural pasture or dryland hay, in combination with a highly digestible grain mixture, will partially minimize the risk.

Common sense, proper nutrition, a sensible conditioning schedule and the ability to recognize the warning signs of heat stress will allow you and your horse to weather the warm summer months safely. Just remember, if you are hot on top of the saddle, your horse is even hotter under it. When in doubt, chill out.

The author lives in hot and sunny California.

Equine Skin Problems

2009-08-18T12:16:00.003-05:00

Recognizing and treating equine skin disorders.
By Marcia King

The signs are obvious: A couple of scaly, crusty areas on your horse where the hair has fallen out. Your horse has some sort of skin disease, but what? And, more importantly, what should you do? Attempt to treat your horse yourself but risk a delay in getting the right kind of treatment for your horse? Summon the veterinarian to your farm, only to be told to administer a common, over-the-counter medicated shampoo?

Knowledge is Half the Battle

Effective treatment begins with appropriate treatment, and the foundation for appropriate treatment is recognizing the skin condition. Explains Sandy Sargent, DVM, resident in veterinary dermatology at the University of Tennessee, “Skin diseases are caused by infectious agents (bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses), allergies (to insect bites, dietary factors, drugs, environment), abnormal reactions to sunlight, physical and chemical agents, hereditary factors, or they can be neoplastic [cancerous] in origin.”

Many of these disorders share the same appearance—various degrees of hair loss, itchiness, lesions that may or may not be painful to the touch, oozing sores or skin that is reddened, crusty, scaly, flaky, thickened or swollen. So while clinical signs and history are sometimes all that’s needed to identify some problems, other skin conditions require testing to diagnose. Consequently, the absence of an accurate diagnosis makes it trickier for the horse owner to supply a successful best-guess treatment.

Most skin diseases clear up quicker with early diagnosis and correct treatment. “Diseases like pastern dermatitis (greasy heel, scratches) can be difficult to cure if the underlying cause is not diagnosed and treated early,” Dr. Sargent warns. “And while many diseases are self-limiting (they can and will heal on their own), inappropriate treatment can interfere with this healing process.”

That said, Dr. Sargent says that it’s usually OK for horse owners to try to treat mild cases of hair loss and crusty lesions with over-the-counter antibacterial and antifungal shampoos and/or sprays. “Look for products containing chlorhexidine or Betadine,” she says. “Avoid products that do not list ingredients. Be sure to rinse the shampoo out well and dry the horse quickly, as a persistently damp coat can be a cause of skin problems. If the horse has a thick winter coat, spot-treat the affected areas instead.”

If the condition worsens soon after applying a topical product or doesn’t improve within seven to 10 days, stop the treatment and call your veterinarian. You should also seek veterinary advice if multiple horses, people and/or other contact animals are affected; if the lesions grow or spread rapidly, or if any tumors are found.

Skin Specifics

To help you better understand the most common (and not so common) skin problems that affect horses, here’s a closer look at causes and cures.

Dermatophilosis (rain rot, rain scald, mud fever) is a bacterial infection aggravated by prolonged exposure to moisture coupled with injured skin. “Chronically infected animals are the primary source of infection,” Dr. Sargent explains. “Transmission can occur by flies, ticks, grooming equipment and tack. Once the disease has occurred within a barn or an individual horse, it is generally there to stay, just waiting for favorable weather conditions to reappear. In fact, any horse can be infected and once they have been, will often get it every year.”

Look for: Lesions over the back and rump, although any area can be affected. “The lower layer of hair is firmly matted in small scabs which, when plucked may leave a characteristic ovoid [egg-shaped] bleeding surface,” Dr. Sargent says. “The undersurface of the scab is concave with the roots of the hair protruding and may have a covering of yellowish-orange pus. The affected areas are sore to touch, but are not itchy to the horse.”

Treatment: Often resolves spontaneously after moving the horse to a dry environment. Also helpful is daily bathing with antimicrobial shampoos (chlorhexidine or povidone iodine) for the first week, then twice weekly until healed. Severe cases require oral or injectable antibiotics.

Staphylococcus aureus is a highly resistant bacterial infection, reports Fairfield T. Bain, DVM, who practices at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky.

Look for: Warm painful skin, focal crusts, most commonly in the pastern region, but similar lesions elsewhere on the skin can occur. “In some cases, the infection seems to rapidly involve deeper tissues,” Dr. Bain warns. “If allowed to become chronic, the underlying tissue can begin to scar and thicken.”

Treatment: “With the increasing resistance issues of certain bacteria, especially Staphylococcus, it is important to obtain a culture and sensitivity pattern to make sure that the correct antimicrobial agent is selected,” Dr. Bain emphasizes.

Dermatophytosis (ringworm) is caused by various fungi. “The organism invades the hairshaft, weakening it and causing it to break off,” Dr. Sargent says. “Predisposing factors include age (young and aged), poor nutrition and crowded conditions. The fungi can persist in the environment for up to one year and therefore are an important source for reinfection.”

“Horse-to-horse transmission is common, especially in groups of young
horses or in sick horses that are immunosuppressed. Spread of the spores
via infected tack, blankets, bedding, trailers or fencing can occur. It is rare for healthy horses to get ringworm more than once as usually a horse develops immunity after being infected,” Dr. Sargent explains.

Look for: Small hairless lesions that sometimes look like hives and scaly or
crusty areas, typically located in the saddle, face and neck areas. Lesions
may or may not be itchy or painful.

Treatment: “Ringworm is usually self-limiting, with the horse getting better in one to three months without treatment,” Dr. Sargent states. “Exposure to sunshine is thought to be beneficial. To shorten the course of the disease, affected horses can be treated topically with a wide variety of antifungal treatments, such as chlorhexidine, miconazole, nystatin, terbinafine, et cetera. Widespread lesions are best treated with antifungal rinses or dips, such as lime sulfur or even diluted vinegar. Disinfecting the environment, tack and grooming equipment with diluted bleach or commercial antifungal premise sprays is extremely important.”

Lice and mite parasitic infestations most commonly occur in late winter and early spring when the horse’s hair coat is at its longest.

Look for: Extreme itchiness. Additionally, horses troubled by lice often rub or bite at affected areas (usually the legs).

Treatment for both problems: Includes topical insecticides, selenium sulfide shampoos, lime sulfur dips and oral dewormers, such as ivermectin. All in-contact horses and the environment must be treated. Treatment often needs to be repeated at least once, as new lice and mites can hatch from eggs (which are impervious to treatment).

Culicoides hypersensitivity is an allergic response to gnat bites. “This very itchy disease is initially seen only in the warmer months,” Dr. Sargent reports. “As affected animals age, the disease generally becomes more severe and reactions can be seen year round.”

Look for: Peeling skin, crusts, scaling, hair loss and redness primarily involving the forehead, crest of neck, withers, shoulders, rump, ventral midline and the base of the tail.

Treatment: “There is no cure, therefore, management is extremely important in providing comfort to these allergic horses,” Dr. Sargent says. “Since culicoides are primarily night feeders, keep the horse inside from dusk to dawn. Fly spray repellent is a must. In severely affected horses, prednisone is usually necessary to control the itchiness.”

Squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant skin tumor of the outermost layer of the skin. It’s primarily found in light-colored skin, eyelid area, genital area and occasionally the mucous membranes.

Look for: Reddened, roughened or ulcerated skin.

Treatment: Removing or debulking the tumor, chemotherapeutic drugs, cryosurgery (destruction of unwanted tissue by freezing), anti-inflammatory therapy or radiation therapy.

Sarcoids are the most common skin tumors of the horse, Dr. Sargent says. “Thought to be viral in cause, sarcoids frequently occur in areas subject to trauma and may spread to other areas on the same horse or to other horses through biting, rubbing, fomites (inanimate objects such as tack, grooming tools, et cetera) or insects.”

Look for: Wart-like, proud flesh-like or flat plaque surfaces, usually on the ears, lips, neck and ventral abdomen or around the eyes.

Treatment: Surgical removal, topical therapies.

Equine ear papillomas are viral-induced skin tumors likely transmitted by black flies, Dr. Sargent reports. They occur in horses of all ages.

Look for: Warts in the ear.

Treatment: Topical products, although rarely effective.

Viral papillomatosis (warts) are also viral-induced tumors that occur in young horses less than 1 year of age.

Look for: Small warts on the muzzle and lips.

Treatment: “Spontaneous resolution usually within three months, although a vaccine made from the wart itself has been used and may speed resolution,” Dr. Sargent says. “Surgical excision or cryosurgery are effective if removal for cosmetic reasons is needed.”

Melanoma is a common tumor in older horses and is seen more often in gray or white horses.

Look for: Round, nodular or ulcerated slow-growing lumps underneath the tail, perianal region; less commonly on the lips and base of the ears.

Treatment: Surgical excision unless tumors are numerous.

Pemphigus foliaceous is a relatively common autoimmune skin disease that can become very severe and affect much of the body. Says Dr. Bain, “Because of the severe crusting it can be very painful.” It usually affects horses age 5 years and older.

Look for: Painful crusty or blistering skin most commonly affecting areas on the head and lower extremities, although other areas can be involved. Lesions tend to develop in waves and coalesce to form larger and more diffuse areas of crusting.

Treatment: “Often a lifelong process, involving the use of significant immune-suppressive medications (corticosteroids and other immune-suppressive drugs),” Dr. Bain states.

Bullous pemphigoid-like disease is a blistering, autoimmune disorder occasionally seen in foals. “This condition results in blisters that progress to ulcers in the mouth, around the eyes and anus,” Dr. Bain explains. “This may be due to antibodies in the mare’s colostrum that react to certain components of the foal’s skin.”

Look for: Blisters around the mouth, eyes and anus. Affected foals often drool and do not nurse well.

Treatment: Generally involves antibiotics and topical treatment of the oral ulcerations to aid in healing, sometimes supplemental feedings until the oral ulcerations heal.

Allergic contact dermatitis occurs when irritating substances come into direct contact with the skin of hypersensitive horses. Irritants vary, but can include bedding, fly sprays, shampoos, liniments, et cetera.

Look for: Lesions occur in areas that come in contact with the offending substance and vary from mild redness, flaking and itching to severe hair loss, skin thickening, pain and occasionally skin sloughing.

Treatment: Remove the causative substance and wash the skin with copious amounts of water. Adds Dr. Sargent, “In severe cases, topical or systemic anti-inflammatories and antibiotics may be required.”

Urticaria (hives) is a common, allergic response that can be caused by many things, including diet, insect bites and drugs (the most common cause).

Look for: The sudden appearance of hive-like lesions, which can occur anywhere on the bodybut typically on the face, neck, chest and upper legs, Dr. Sargent says. “They may or may not be itchy. Lesions typically last from a few hours to a few days.”

Treatment: Identifying and eliminating the causative agent. According to Dr. Sargent, “Severe urticaria reactions can be treated with antihistamines (hydroxyzine hydrochloride) and corticosteroids.”

Photosensitization is an abnormal, inflammatory skin reaction to UV light that occurs in areas with white hair and pink skin. “A systemic disease, there are two forms of photosensitization,” Dr. Sargent explains. “A primary form associated with eating certain plants (St. John’s Wort, oats, clover, vetch, alfalfa, et cetera), and a secondary form that occurs with liver disease.

Look for: Skin that becomes swollen, red, cracked and oozing. In many instances there will be loss of skin. With secondary photosensitization, the horse will also be itchy.

Treatment: “Primary photosensitization is treated by eliminating access to the offending plants and keeping the horse out of the sun,” Dr. Sargent notes. Topical antibiotic/steroid ointments are also beneficial, he says “With secondary photosensitization, treatment is directed toward managing the liver problem.”

Pastern dermatitis (greasy heel, scratches, mud fever, cracked heels) is a syndrome caused by a variety of diseases including bacterial infections, dermatophilosis, fungal diseases such as ringworm, chorioptic mange, irritant contact reactions, photosensitization, et cetera. Draft horses with a lot of feathering on their legs seem to be particularly susceptible.

Look for: Inflammation and foul-smelling crusts on the rear half of the pasterns and matted hair.

Treatment: Treat the underlying cause; remove the horse from unsanitary, wet conditions; and minimize contact with irritating chemicals, plants, et cetera. Gently clip and clean the area, and apply shampoos, soaks, topical or systemic antibiotics and/or steroids per veterinary recommendation.

Risk Reducer

You can help reduce the risk of your horse developing skin problems by utilizing appropriate management practices. “Good insect control is very important, as insect bites and insect allergies are a common cause of itchy skin,” Dr. Sargent says.

Avoid excess bathing with shampoo, which can contribute to or cause skin disease. Limit your horse’s exposure to rain, provide shelter for outside horses, and groom regularly (but not excessively) with clean grooming equipment. Don’t share tack or grooming supplies with affected horses. “Frequently run your hands over your horse,” Dr. Bain says. “This can be one important way to find skin disease as you might feel a nodule or crust before it becomes visually obvious.”

Be wary about using home remedies recommended by other laypeople: “Some can be very irritating to the skin,” Dr. Sargent warns. “Products containing full strength iodine, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, fungicides, turpentine, kerosene, motor oil, Listerine, et cetera. My rule of thumb is if I wouldn’t put it on my own skin/wound, I wouldn’t use it on my horse!”

Stay away from products that don’t list ingredients, and avoid using multiple products or switching from one product to the next from day to day: This makes it difficult to determine whether any one product is working or whether the products themselves are perpetuating or causing skin lesions. Only use products developed for horses—they are made to address equine pH levels.

Should your horse develop skin problems, don’t push the panic button. With mild cases, shampoo or spray with antibacterial and antifungal products, as described earlier, and monitor your horse’s condition. If you don’t see improvement within seven to 10 days, or your horse’s skin problems spread or worsen, summon your veterinarian.

Perfect Ground Manners

2009-08-18T12:08:00.001-05:00

John Lyons and Maureen Gallatin

There’s a long-standing comic line that asks, "Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit?" The answer is, "Anywhere he wants to."

While it still gets a chuckle, the moral of the story is: The gorilla is so big and dangerous, he can call the shots.

That’s exactly the situation that we don’t want with our horses. Our safety, and often theirs, depends on our being able to control them and their good ground manners. And since we can’t control our horses by muscling them around, we have to depend on good training.

That’s all fine and good when we have our horses bridled, or even at the end of the lead rope. But what about when we enter the stall and they’re less than pleasant?

We know from watching herd dynamics that horses generally go out of their way to avoid a fight. But when they feel threatened, they may lash out. A horse who is aggressive in the stall is most likely scared. But he’s also dangerous.

In some situations, a stalled horse may have developed the bad habit of threatening the horses next to him and has carried that over to threatening people. Or he may feel insecure or aggressive. In many cases, it’s not yet a full-blown aggression — just a brash move to tell that us we’re not very high on the pecking order in his mind. But we can’t let that go on or it will become outright aggression.

We can’t fault a horse for his attitude, and we shouldn’t punish him for being scared. Threatening him or scaring him further will only compound the problem and make it increasingly dangerous for us. However, we can use a series of small moves to teach him what we want him to do. And the better he knows his job, the less fearful he will be.

The horse who kicks will most likely take refuge in the corner with his rear end to you. Do not enter the stall with him.

Turn and Face

We’ll start by establishing a standard: What do we want the horse to do?
I want a horse to turn and face me when I open the stall door. That way, I’m in a safe position, away from his hindquarters. And I want the horse to come toward me in a friendly, non-aggressive manner, so I’ll set out to teach that response.

You can use this method with a horse who ignores you when you come to the stall. But it’s especially helpful for the horse who threatens to kick. Normally, that horse will put his nose in the corner farthest from the stall door, with his rump facing you. So that’s the position we’ll work with.

If the stall door opens on the right of the stall, move the horse clockwise, so that he’s facing you as he comes around. If the door opens on the left, move the horse counterclockwise.

We’re going to apply our magic formula to getting our horse to turn around. We need a motivator to get him to move, a spot or part of the horse’s body that we want to control, and a direction in which we want that spot to move. And, of course, we need a reward, which is usually the release of the motivator.

For purposes of photography, we’ve taken the stall door off. But if your horse is at all dangerous — turning his rear toward you or threatening to kick — you should work from outside the stall with the door open a foot or so, only enough for you to stand in the doorway. Be sure to control the door, so you can close yourself outside the stall anytime you feel that’s necessary. Be sure that no one stands behind you, blocking your path. Under no circumstances should you get in the stall with a horse who threatens to kick you.

Use noise or your body language to get the horse to move around the stall.

1. Stand in the stall doorway, letting the horse settle down and get used to your being there. That lets him know that you’re not a threat. (He doesn’t have to "kick you out.") Your next objective will be to move him around the stall a step or two at a time, teaching him where you want him to stand.

2. Kiss to the horse, then make a noise or movement to get the horse moving a little. We want the horse to take a step or two, but not to run around the stall. If the horse gets upset, close the stall door and let him settle down. The next time, use a much softer motivator.

Typical motivators might be shaking a halter or tapping a lead rope against the stall door. Use very light noise to begin with—just a little irritant, an attention-getter like a "knock, knock" sound.

When the horse takes a step, stop bugging him with the noise or motion. Some horses are too afraid to move, so you might have to settle for him turning his head in your direction. If you get a reaction, stop the noise as a reward. It’s a starting point to communicating with this horse.

If you don’t get any reaction, you can toss a lead rope or lariat, for instance, at the wall behind him. But hold onto the other end so you can reel it back to yourself. You don’t want to have to go into the stall to retrieve it, and you want nothing dropped into the stall that the horse could get tangled up with. All you want to do is stimulate a little movement on his part. Also, be sure not to let the rope get near the horse, so he doesn’t think he has to protect himself by kicking at the rope.

The moment the horse takes a step forward, let him relax. That tells him he did what you wanted, and that he’s safe. You might even step out of the stall to let him settle down and realize that you don’t intend to hurt him.
If the horse backs up, use the same motivator to get him to step forward. If he’s backing up, he’s protecting himself and perhaps preparing to kick. You want him to think "forward."

3. After a little break, ask for another forward step or two, and then let him relax. Keep him moving in the same direction. Use that process until you can get the horse to move around, to face you for a moment. He’ll likely look at you, then circle the stall, going back to his original position. Don’t let him hang out in his favorite corner; ask him to step forward again. You can let him stop a few steps past the corner.

Ask him to step forward again, until he’s looking at you again. He’ll probably look at you a little longer than the first time, but he’ll likely circle the stall again. After about five times like this, he’ll probably stop in the middle of the stall, deliberating which way to go.

4. Step toward the horse as if you’re planning to pet his face, but step back, ideally before he moves. (Do not turn your back on the horse as you exit the stall). Remember, you are a threat to him. So you want to remove the threat before the horse thinks he has to move.

Many times, the horse will stand in the middle, looking as if it would be safe to approach him. But as you get close, he gets scared and wheels around to go to his corner.

If that happens, don’t punish him. Just repeat the lesson as you did before until he’s back in the middle position. Then begin to approach again. Don’t walk all the way up to him, but back out of the stall before he moves. After a few times, he’ll realize that you don’t mean him any harm and that it might be okay to stand there.

5. Work up to where you can pet the horse’s face, and eventually halter him. Once you’ve done this a few times, the horse will begin to associate your call, whatever that is. You can say his name, kiss to him, or use body language — just be yourself. He’ll learn your pattern and that it means you want him to come to greet you. If he doesn’t, use the lesson to position him facing you.

You’ll want to repeat the lesson for several days until the horse gets into the habit of greeting you when you come calling. Don’t get sloppy or in a hurry and just walk in to get him. Spend time petting him and hugging his head, and he’ll learn to look forward to your arrival.

If need be, toss a lead rope or halter toward the wall behind the horse to get him moving at least one step.

Out of the Stall

Let’s say that your horse wouldn’t think of kicking, but he might inadvertently bash you into a stall door as he rushes to get out of the stall. If that’s the case, it’s not fun and definitely not in the category of perfect ground manners. If your horse is a bit pushy in that department, it’s time to "raise the bar."

In previous months, we worked on using bridle or halter cues to get the horse responsive while leading. In a perfect world, you’d do those lessons before this one. In this session, you are going to show the horse that he can only take the steps forward that you allow.

Put a halter and lead on the horse and lead him around in the stall, asking him to go forward and to stop on cue. When you feel that you have reasonable control, ask the horse to stand while you open the stall door. Do not allow the horse to walk forward until you tell him to do so. Take a step forward, ask the horse to take one step forward, then stop him. Pet the horse when he stops.

If the horse tries to push past you, pull the lead rope toward his left shoulder. Continue to hold pressure on the lead until the horse backs off. Let him stand and pet him. Begin again.

When you get to the door, have the horse stand and wait inside the stall while you step outside the stall. Do not get yourself into a position where you can get crowded into the doorjamb. Ask the horse to step forward, but stop him before he walks completely out of the stall. You are aiming for one foot at a time, though that may be hard to do the first few times.

Keep your horse straight as he comes through the opening. Make sure that you do not pull his head toward you, which could cause him to bang his hips as he goes through the door.

With a little practice, your horse will learn to wait for your signal, and you’ll have transformed pushy, rude behavior into polite obedience.

Into the Stall

Many people have been trained to lead their horse into a stall and turn him around before they remove the halter. There’s nothing wrong with that system, but I prefer to do it another way, one that’s just a little safer. I send the horse into the stall ahead of me.

To do that, be sure the door is fully open. Lead the horse toward the stall and ask him to stop facing the opening. Let’s say that the stall door slides to the left. Standing to the left of the opening with the horse’s nose facing into the stall, ask him to step forward into the stall. Be sure to let out the lead rope so that you don’t force him to turn too soon, hitting his hips as he goes through the door.

If the stall door opens by sliding to the right, then stand on the right side of the horse as you send him into the stall. That way he has enough room to turn around to face you.

Continue to hold the lead, as that will signal him to turn around to face you. Now you can enter the stall and walk up to the horse’s head. Pet him, ask him to drop his head (which is good practice for getting him to drop his head prior to unbridling), and remove the halter. Pet him, and walk out of the stall.

Bringing your horse to a point of perfect ground manners in his stall isn’t hard. It’s just a matter of spending a little time teaching him what you want, and then being consistent each time you’re in the stall with him.

This horse has not fully committed himself to being caught, so it could be dangerous to approach him now. It's tempting to walk up to him, but our objective is to teach the horse to come to us.

This horse is now ready to be haltered, and without John having entered the stall. Best of all, though, the horse has learned that he doesnt have to be afraid.

When Home is Castle

• The horse who kicks at people in his stall is most likely scared, but he’s also dangerous.
• Do not punish the horse for kicking out.
• Wait until you've trained your horse to turn to you on cue before entering the stall.
• Get the horse to move a step or two at a time, so he learns you can control him without hurting him.
• Once he’s haltered, spend lots of time hugging his head.
• Continue your lessons by teaching your horse good leading manners.

Overcoming Grooming Grumpies

2009-08-18T12:00:00.002-05:00

By John Lyons with Maureen Gallatin

Some horses love to be handled, and they’ll stand quietly for everything from ear clipping to washing their tails. But if your horse doesn’t stand like a statue, don’t worry. We’ll talk about what you can do to make grooming a better experience for both of you and what cues you’ll need to establish good, safe control.
Emphasize the Positive.

• Choose a time and place to groom when and where your horse is most likely to stand quietly.
• Don’t tie your horse when you first start your grooming lessons.
• Use leading lessons, moves and counter-moves to position and reposition your horse.
• Focus on the positive. Don't react to your horse’s moody mannerisms.
• Spend plenty of time petting your horse’s head before you approach his body.
• Use patterns and timing to build your horse’s confidence that he’s not going to be stuck standing still forever.

De-stress the Situation

If you have a horse who gets crabby when it’s time to groom him, you’ve probably already learned that trying to “discipline” him into cooperating doesn’t work… or it doesn’t work for very long. You have to take a different approach, one that will set you and your horse up for success.

To find a good starting point, you want as many things working in your favor as possible. Choose a time when your horse is most likely to be relaxed. Avoid busy or confusing times, such as when the tractor is picking up manure, at mealtime, or when horses are going in and out of the barn. Consider working with your horse after he’s had some turn-out, or after a ride, when he’s relaxed and not brimming with energy or nervousness like he might be when he first steps out of his stall.

Then find a good “classroom” for the first stand-for-grooming lesson. If you normally groom in the barn and that’s the scene of your horse’s restlessness, try beginning the lesson out in the pasture, or maybe in his stall.

By doing that, you’re not giving into him and he’s not getting away with anything. You’re just breaking the lesson down into pieces and getting good control of the individual parts. Later, you can move from the classroom into the real world of the barn aisle.

Don’t tie your horse to begin with. Ironically, you have to be able to tell him to move in order to show him that you want him to stand. So put a halter or bridle and lead rope on your horse, and use the lead to cue him. I usually use the bridle because it gives me more precise control.

An important insight into solving grooming problems is to spend lots of time handling your horse s head and then work your way back to the horse s body.

Clarify the Signals

Next, consider specifically what you want your horse to do. Though it may seem obvious, it isn’t to him. You have to be able to tell the horse where to move his head and feet. You can’t just tell him when he did the wrong thing.

When I’m grooming a horse, I want his head at a relaxed level—not too high, as if he’s on alert, and not too low, so that I have to bend down to brush his face. I like him to stand relatively square, so that he can stand relaxed for a while. I want him to move around easily when I request it, such as to shift his weight or to pick up a foot. And I want him to do all of that with a trusting, rather than a defensive or aggressive, manner. Everything I do has to build that trust.

Trust comes as a by-product. As the horse learns that I can control him, he also learns to trust me. While feeding him carrots gets him to trust me as a carrot-provider, it doesn’t necessarily translate to letting me groom him. For that, I have to set up small requests that he can easily answer correctly and that I can reward him for.

Use steady, light pressure on the lead to tell your horse that you want him to drop his head. The moment he drops it even a smidge, release the line.
Let’s take the parts individually.

Begin by leading your horse to the classroom. We ask the horse to move forward by telling his hip to move forward. We don’t pull him along. We want him moving on his own steam; we’re not dragging him.

Stop him when you’re at the place you want to work and pet him. If he doesn’t stop easily, pull the lead rope toward his shoulder until he takes two big steps over with his hindquarters and stops his front feet. The moment those front feet pause, release the lead.

You may have to do the hips-over maneuver a few times before he gets the idea. Pressure on the lead means you want him to move a part of his body. Release of that pressure tells him he did what you wanted.

Overcome headshyness by controlling the head and briefly exposing the horse to the threat.

Now you have a way to stop his front feet. If the horse walks forward when you begin to groom him, you can move his hip in order to stop him. If he backs up, tell him to step forward. His move, your countermove.

Standing still is hard for some horses. We can’t force them to stand still. We can only offer them the opportunity and show them that standing still is an okay—and even safe—thing for them to do. Don’t punish your horse; just give him an alternate activity.

You may need to work on leading lessons for a few minutes, then offer the horse the chance to stand. If he doesn’t accept it, work on leading lessons for a few minutes more. When he makes the mental connection that moving around sent him back to work, he’ll stand for longer periods.

Next is head position. If you’ve taught your horse the bridlework lessons that we’ve talked about in previous issues, then you’re way ahead. You can position his head, his hip or his shoulder and establish control easily. If not, here’s how to teach your horse to drop his head on cue, using pressure from the lead rope:

After you’ve worked with the hips-over exercise about 50 times (changing sides each time), you’ll find that the horse begins to relax and his head hangs lower. When you see that happening, you can move on to controlling the elevation of his head more specifically. Pull the lead rope down, using light pressure. Hold the pressure steady, and the moment that the horse drops his head, release the lead.

He’ll most likely raise his head before he drops it. Don’t pull harder, but just keep the pressure steady. Be sure to release it the moment that his head drops. Work with that exercise until the horse will drop his head on cue.

The key to teaching a horse to be comfortable about standing for grooming is to spend lots of time working on his head. It’s not uncommon for a horse to be defensive of his sides, so the more you build a horse’s confidence by stroking his head, the more he’s going to allow you to do with his body without getting tense.

We want to get our horse past the point of just tolerating being groomed. We want him to love it, so we have to get him to the point where he’s willing to relax and let his head hang naturally. We can give him that idea by telling him to drop his head, and then we can reward him by releasing the lead and smooching with him when his head is down.

Once you’ve told your horse to drop his head, you can begin to pet him for very short periods, a second or two at a time. If he tries to pull away as your hand approaches, drop your hand and use the lead rope to ask him to bring his head back to you. When he learns that you won’t “chase” his head with your hand, he’ll be more accepting of your petting.

Timing and Patterns Matter

Setting up a pattern will also build the horse’s confidence, especially when it comes to getting past his head and neck.

When the horse is comfortable with you petting his head and stroking his ears, then pet his head, make one stroke down his neck, and immediately return to petting his head. Repeat that a few times, then stroke his head, neck, shoulder, then his head again.

In time, you can build up to grooming more of the horse, each time beginning with and returning to his head. When the horse gets familiar with the pattern, he’s much more likely to allow you to do additional things, such as rub his belly or lift his tail.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR KEEPERS, PRE-KEEPERS & RIDING STUDENTS

2009-08-18T11:58:00.001-05:00

In an effort to provide a quality education, it is of the utmost importance that everyone makes an effort to conserve. The Equestrian Studies Division must stay within budget, so we can afford what is most necessary for the horses and students. We are asking that everyone pay special attention to the following:

1.)When cleaning stalls, please only remove wet shavings that can no longer be used. Do not be extravagant with the use of the shavings (consult your seat instructor/string manager regarding the necessary amounts of shavings). If we saved on just one load a month that is $5,000/year that could go into more important areas, such as tack and health care. If we save on one load every other month that is $2,500. that could buy a lot of splint boots and bell boots!

2.)If a horse is not eating all his hay, discuss with your seat instructor/string manager the possibility of cutting back on the hay. A lot of hay is getting thrown into the manure pit.

3.)Do not use supplements or medications that are not cleared through your seat instructor/string manager. Only use the exact amounts (read all labels). This is a very costly concern!

4.)Make certain that you check out any products through the proper channels. It is absolutely necessary to keep a tight inventory/check out system. Unused items should go right back to the inventory.

5.)Please do not use baling twine or duct tape for repairs, blanket racks, signs or labels, if at all possible. There are alternate ways to do this, and we want to be professional in our efforts, just as graduates should be when running an equine business.

6.)Arena lights are to be off at 10:00 PM. The facility is to be locked up by the official student worker at 10:30 PM. It must be cleared through the seat instructors/ string managers to allow students to be in the barn after lock up, and it must be decided who is responsible for lock up. It is crucial that all driveway gates get closed, and all tack rooms get locked. Failure to lock up is recorded on the nightly security reports.

7.)For turn outs, only use the security flood lights on the building walls, not the arena lights. For weekend riding, use every other light switch for the RARA arena, and put the lights on the low setting in the UPHA arena.

8.)Keep all barn doors shut when the heat or air conditioning is in operation.

If we make a joint effort to conserve, everyone will benefit.

Thank You for the Team Effort!

Gary Mullen
EQS Chair

Clipping Tools and Essentials

2009-08-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

If you want a professional-grade body clip, you'll need the right tools for the job. Here's a list of everything you'll need to take on your horse's winter coat.
By Annie Eldridge

Full-size body clippers: Two pairs are a useful luxury. If one pair needs to cool down after getting too hot during a body clip, you’ll have a spare on hand. This saves time. If you only have one pair of clippers, take extra care to lubricate the blades as you go. Buy the strongest, most powerful clippers you can afford. Variable speeds are nice—you can lower the speed around sensitive areas, like the horse’s face and flank.

Small clippers for tricky body parts. Lyman prefers clipping exclusively with large clippers. But if you’ve never clipped before, you might find it easiest to clip the head, elbows, flank and lower legs with small clippers. Use a number 10 blade to match the larger clipper’s cut (although some people like to follow up with a number 15 or 30 blade on the horse’s face, ears and pasterns). An extra-wide number 10 blade can help quicken the job.

Sharp blades. “Even the most accomplished clipper can’t do a good job with dull blades,” Lyman says. If you’re clipping for that one big show—that means everything to you—spring for a new set of blades. Otherwise plan to resharpen your blades after two clip jobs; blades can be resharpened three or four times before they need to be replaced.

Extra blades. You shouldn’t really need these during one clip job, but you never know … always better to have a spare set just in case. Most blades snap onto clippers these days, but if yours require a screwdriver, have one of those handy, too.

A sturdy outdoor extension cord. Use a heavy outdoor extension cord that’s long enough to maneuver around your horse and remain out of the way.

Blade wash in a container, clipper oil and plenty of rags. As you start to clip, stop whenever the clippers feel hot or you hear the motor struggle. Dunk the clipper head in blade wash, with the motor running, then oil the blades. Next, rub a rag over the clipper blades and resume your work. Skipping this step strains the clipper’s motor, and letting your clippers run hot won’t be very pleasant for your horse, either. Spritzing your clipping blades with cooling lubricant spray, while the motor is on, also helps the blades cut smoothly.

A soft brush. As you clip, brush the piles of cut hair off your horse and out of your way.

A portable light. If the lighting in your clipping area isn’t ideal, you can purchase an inexpensive, portable flood light at any hardware store. Place the light and cord well away from your horse. Some clippers feature headlights, which help light the way as you clip.

A sturdy stepladder. If your horse is taller, you’ll need a higher vantage point when you clip his rump and back. Stand on something that’s sturdy and secure.
Tape or chalk to mark lines. Any sort of trace or partial body clip requires even, tidy lines to discern the areas of hair you’ll leave unclipped. You’ll clip steadier lines if you mark them first with masking tape or chalk on your horse’s body.

Saddles

2009-04-29T23:49:00.001-05:00

Saddles

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Bits and Bitting

2009-04-26T01:02:00.000-05:00

Bits and Bitting

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Saddle Seat

2009-04-26T00:52:00.000-05:00

Saddle Seat

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Hunters and Jumpers

2009-04-26T00:47:00.000-05:00

Hunters Jumpers

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Dressage

2009-04-26T00:40:00.000-05:00

Dressage

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Western Riding

2009-04-26T00:37:00.001-05:00

Western

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Employment Communication and Interviewing

2009-02-07T16:27:00.000-06:00

Employment Communication and Interviewing

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The Job Search and Resume

2009-02-07T16:26:00.002-06:00

The Job Search and Resume

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Oral Communication Essentials

2009-02-07T16:25:00.000-06:00

Oral Communication Essentials

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Listening and Nonverbal Messages

2009-02-07T16:24:00.000-06:00

Listening and Nonverbal Messages

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Interpersonal Communication and Teamwork

2009-02-07T16:22:00.001-06:00

Interpersonal Communication and Teamwork

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Visual Aids

2009-02-07T16:20:00.001-06:00

Visual Aids

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Proposals, Business Plans and Special Reports

2009-02-07T16:18:00.000-06:00

Proposals, Business Plans and Special Reports

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Business & Legal Uncategorizable-Unca Business-Management

Business Research and Report Writing

2009-02-07T16:16:00.000-06:00

Business Research and Report Writing

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Persuasive Messages

2009-02-07T16:15:00.000-06:00

Persuasive Messages

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Negative Messages

2009-02-07T16:12:00.000-06:00

Negative Messages

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Positive, Neutral and Social Business Messages

2009-02-07T16:11:00.000-06:00

Positive, Neutral and Social Business Messages

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Message Formats

2009-02-07T16:10:00.001-06:00

Message Formats

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Print and Electronic Messages

2009-02-07T16:08:00.000-06:00

Print and Electronic Messages

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Principals of Business Communication

2009-02-07T16:07:00.001-06:00

Principals of Business Communication

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Technological, Legal and Ethical Considerations

2009-02-07T16:05:00.001-06:00

Technological, Legal and Ethical Considerations

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Multicultural and Global Communication

2009-02-07T16:00:00.002-06:00

Multicultural and Global Communication

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Business Communications Foundations

2009-02-07T16:00:00.001-06:00

Business Communications Foundations

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General Guidelines for Conducting Interviews

2009-02-01T23:21:00.002-06:00

Introduction
Interviews are particularly useful for getting the story behind a participant's experiences. The interviewer can pursue in-depth information around a topic. Interviews may be useful as follow-up to certain respondents to questionnaires, e.g., to further investigate their responses. Usually open-ended questions are asked during interviews.

Before you start to design your interview questions and process, clearly articulate to yourself what problem or need is to be addressed using the information to be gathered by the interviews. This helps you keep clear focus on the intent of each question.

Preparation for Interview
Choose a setting with little distraction. Avoid loud lights or noises, ensure the interviewee is comfortable (you might ask them if they are), etc. Often, they may feel more comfortable at their own places of work or homes.
Explain the purpose of the interview.
Address terms of confidentiality. Note any terms of confidentiality. (Be careful here. Rarely can you absolutely promise anything. Courts may get access to information, in certain circumstances.) Explain who will get access to their answers and how their answers will be analyzed. If their comments are to be used as quotes, get their written permission to do so. See getting informed consent.
Explain the format of the interview. Explain the type of interview you are conducting and its nature. If you want them to ask questions, specify if they're to do so as they have them or wait until the end of the interview.
Indicate how long the interview usually takes.
Tell them how to get in touch with you later if they want to.
Ask them if they have any questions before you both get started with the interview.
Don't count on your memory to recall their answers. Ask for permission to record the interview or bring along someone to take notes.

Types of Interviews
Informal, conversational interview - no predetermined questions are asked, in order to remain as open and adaptable as possible to the interviewee's nature and priorities; during the interview, the interviewer "goes with the flow".
General interview guide approach - the guide approach is intended to ensure that the same general areas of information are collected from each interviewee; this provides more focus than the conversational approach, but still allows a degree of freedom and adaptability in getting information from the interviewee./LI>
Standardized, open-ended interview - here, the same open-ended questions are asked to all interviewees (an open-ended question is where respondents are free to choose how to answer the question, i.e., they don't select "yes" or "no" or provide a numeric rating, etc.); this approach facilitates faster interviews that can be more easily analyzed and compared.
Closed, fixed-response interview - where all interviewees are asked the same questions and asked to choose answers from among the same set of alternatives. This format is useful for those not practiced in interviewing.

Types of Topics in Questions
Patton notes six kinds of questions. One can ask questions about:

Behaviors - about what a person has done or is doing
Opinions/values - about what a person thinks about a topic
Feelings - note that respondents sometimes respond with "I think ..." so be careful to note that you're looking for feelings
Knowledge - to get facts about a topic
Sensory - about what people have seen, touched, heard, tasted or smelled
Background/demographics - standard background questions, such as age, education, etc.
Note that the above questions can be asked in terms of past, present or future.

Sequence of Questions
Get the respondents involved in the interview as soon as possible.
Before asking about controversial matters (such as feelings and conclusions), first ask about some facts. With this approach, respondents can more easily engage in the interview before warming up to more personal matters.
Intersperse fact-based questions throughout the interview to avoid long lists of fact-based questions, which tends to leave respondents disengaged.
Ask questions about the present before questions about the past or future. It's usually easier for them to talk about the present and then work into the past or future.
The last questions might be to allow respondents to provide any other information they prefer to add and their impressions of the interview.

Wording of Questions
Wording should be open-ended. Respondents should be able to choose their own terms when answering questions.
Questions should be as neutral as possible. Avoid wording that might influence answers, e.g., evocative, judgmental wording.
Questions should be asked one at a time.
Questions should be worded clearly. This includes knowing any terms particular to the program or the respondents' culture.
Be careful asking "why" questions. This type of question infers a cause-effect relationship that may not truly exist. These questions may also cause respondents to feel defensive, e.g., that they have to justify their response, which may inhibit their responses to this and future questions.

Conducting Interview
Occasionally verify the tape recorder (if used) is working.
Ask one question at a time.
Attempt to remain as neutral as possible. That is, don't show strong emotional reactions to their responses. Patton suggests to act as if "you've heard it all before."
Encourage responses with occasional nods of the head, "uh huh"s, etc.
Be careful about the appearance when note taking. That is, if you jump to take a note, it may appear as if you're surprised or very pleased about an answer, which may influence answers to future questions.
Provide transition between major topics, e.g., "we've been talking about (some topic) and now I'd like to move on to (another topic)."
Don't lose control of the interview. This can occur when respondents stray to another topic, take so long to answer a question that times begins to run out, or even begin asking questions to the interviewer.

Immediately After Interview
Verify if the tape recorder, if used, worked throughout the interview.
Make any notes on your written notes, e.g., to clarify any scratchings, ensure pages are numbered, fill out any notes that don't make senses, etc.
Write down any observations made during the interview. For example, where did the interview occur and when, was the respondent particularly nervous at any time? Were there any surprises during the interview? Did the tape recorder break?

How to interview someone

2009-02-01T23:21:00.001-06:00

Interviews matter. Interviews are the foundation of good reporting. They are the best way of understanding a complicated situation and seeing it from someone else’s perspective.

A wise, old editor of mine used to say “report it out.” She meant ‘go talk to people, don’t rely on your own opinions and judgment.’ It’s a good maxim. One of my rules of thumb is to do one interview for each 250-500 words of final copy.

So here are my top tips for a good interview. Your mileage may vary and I’m keen to hear any other suggestions. (See also how to give a good interview and why interviews go wrong.)

Preparation
Choose the right format. Sometimes a face to face interview is good. More often, for me, a phone interview works best.
Face to face. For a feature about an individual, I like to do several face to face interviews. The first is really a get-to-know session without notes and off the record. It is a reconnaissance. Then the major interview. Finally a follow-up interview around the time I’m writing the piece.
Phone interviews. I love phone interviews. There’s something confessional about them and it’s easy to strike up a rapport with someone. I type quickly enough to take a more or less real time transcript during a phone interview which makes this form of interview particularly efficient. Also, a phone interview cuts out travel time and waiting around for people to turn up. Also, it makes interviews much easier to schedule as most people can find 20 or 30 minutes in their diary but a face to face interview seems to require an hour and a lot more commitment.
Avoid email interviews. I’ve done two or three email interviews in my time and they’ve all been unsatisfactory. The results have been stilted and unnatural.
Have a backup. For face to face interviews, I prefer to use two recorders or one recorder and hand written notes. Nothing could be worse than getting back from an interview and finding that you didn’t have any record. Mind you I ended up spending 15m of an interview with Google’s Sergey Brin talking about digital Dictaphones instead of Google’s future.
Have enough time. I was promised an hour-long interview with an airline executive for an profile I was writing for a UK magazine. On the day, the PR involved said it would have to be a 15 minute phone interview. I talked to my editor and we agreed that I should do it but the three page feature would be cut to a half page news item. Left to my own devices, I would have pulled out altogether.
Manage PR people. PR minders are a frequent nuisance when I interview people. They’re helpful when they book up an interview and make sure that the people turn up. However, I find their silent presence on phone interviews oppressive and I suspect that it intimidates the interviewee as well. Generally now, I won’t do an interview unless it is a one to one deal.
Don’t give questions in advance. I don’t prepare questions in advance and I always say no to people who ask me to send them a list of questions. Partly, this is because I don’t work that way and partly I don’t want people over-preparing. Also, my interviews tend to be quite free-ranging. Similarly, I don’t give copy approval to interviewees. Apart from anything else, it would be logistically impossible for most of my work. (The exception is for certain corporate assignments where the work is being published by the company that employs the interviewee.)
Avoid group interviews. An interview is essentially a one-to-one situation but many interviewees like to have a colleague in on the interview. Often they do this if they feel that their technical knowledge isn’t up to scratch. If I interview two people, it becomes harder to properly attribute quotes. Also, you miss out on potentially valuable contributions. Only one person can talk at a time. I would rather do two separate interviews. Again, I am increasingly against doing this.
Prepare and research in advance. I don’t usually prepare a list of questions, although I’ll sometimes have a list of topics to cover. However, I do like to Google the interviewee, look up their employer and review other related interviews for angles and questions. I have an interview template in Word and I usually set this up before the interview with all the contact information and some initial thoughts and topics for the interview.
Avoid the word ‘interview’. Most people think an interview is a scary thing. They think of job interviews or the kind of TV interviews that politicians do. Neither model works for a good journalistic interview. I prefer the words ‘chat’, ‘conference call’ or ‘conversation’.
Confirm the time and date in advance and send reminders. One in four interviewees don’t turn up or aren’t available when I call them. I’ve started sending Microsoft Outlook meeting invitations which form a sort of contract because they have to be accepted or rejected by the interviewee. It’s also helpful to send an email reminder the day before. I am researching ways to offer interviewees a choice of interview slots on a self-service basis so that I can semi-automate the process of booking interviews. At the moment, arranging the interview usually takes longer than actually doing it. Does anyone have any suggestions?
The interview itself
Introduce yourself. I like to introduce myself at the start of every interview. I tell people who I am, my relationship to the publication I’m writing for and what the piece is about. I call it the Government health warning. It’s a courtesy but it’s also a kind of protection. Doing it consistently means that any interviewee knows exactly where they stand.
How to record interviews. I like to do interviews on Skype and use HotRecorder to record them to MP3. A headset is a must and I use a Plantronics USB CS60 handsfree headset for Skype calls. This leaves both hands free for typing notes. I also have a Microsoft ergonomic keyboard which is quieter than my old Dell keyboard so that the sound of typing doesn’t intrude on the interview.
Observe the legalities. In the UK, you have to tell people you’re recording a conversation because of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, or RIPA as it is charmingly known. I tend to say ‘I’m keeping a record of this conversation to make sure I don’t forget anything.’ Even if it weren’t a legal obligation, I think it is a courtesy to say so. I don’t record all my interviews.
Be yourself. My interview style is discursive, subjective and personal. My favourite interviews are the ones where I find common ground with the person I’m talking to and we have a fun, stimulating conversation. This means I have to come to the party dressed as myself. I interviewed Stephen Bungay a while ago for this blog and I had expected to chat for an hour. We ended up talking for four hours.
Be enthusiastic. People like people who like them. They are also conditioned to think of an ‘interview’ as a potentially hostile situation and be on their guard. Consequently, you should be upbeat and positive. Do this genuinely if you can. Otherwise, engage your sincerity simulator.
Shut up. You should be talking about 10-20% of the time at most. (This is my biggest weakness - I often end up interviewing myself!)
Listen hard. Sometimes you can pick up a word or a phrase in an answer which you can play back to the interviewee and get something much more intimate, interesting or honest. Interviews aren’t scripted Q&As, they are intense professional conversations and you need to concentrate.
Capture the basic information. I use a template form for all my interviews that captures: name (get the spelling right), job title, contact details, time and date of interview and intended publication.
Job titles can be difficult. Sometimes people have very long-winded or obscure titles. These don’t work well on the printed page. If this is the case, I like to get a more informal job description agreed with the interviewee. Tech companies are notorious for acronym-laden job titles. The important thing is to get the interviewee’s agreement to whatever you use. I like to ask: ‘how would you like me to describe you in the article.’
Get past the canned speech. If an interviewee has been media trained, my heart sinks. Usually, it means I have to listen to 10-20m of self-important waffle prepared for them by their PR department. Sometimes you have to let people do their duty and then you can get to the interview. Sometimes asking the same question three times will elicit, on the third go, a more honest, human answer. Building a rapport with them on non-controversial subjects (like their job title or their recent career history) can put them at their ease. I’m not trying to trick people into saying something they don’t want to say. I’m trying to trick them into saying something in a natural, human way. A good interview sounds like an intelligent conversation over coffee not a standup PowerPoint presentation.
Don’t lose control. Sometimes, especially with self-important interviewees, you can get into a bit of a tug-of-war over who is in charge of the interview. Never forget that you are the CEO of the interview. You don’t have to be bossy but its important that you get what you need from the interview and you steer it in the direction you want to go.
Focus on what you need. Sometimes people get absorbed in details or get too waffly and abstract. Sometimes you need a specific quote or a good story. A timely intervention is sometimes required to redirect the interview. Phrases like ‘do you have any stories that illustrate that point,’ or ‘how does this relate to the bigger picture’ can be very useful ways to do this.
Respect the interviewee’s privacy. Although I make transcripts of all my interviews, I don’t like to share them with anyone else. I know this is an ironic position but corporate clients often ask for the transcript as well as the finished article. There are three problems with this. First, redacting a transcript for public consumption is a task in itself, not a freebie. Second, it encourages clients to start rewriting my piece. Third, I think it’s not fair to the interviewee because an interview has some usable bits and a lot of filler.
Be courteous. Say thank you afterwards. If you can provide a copy of the final article, do so.

NATIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE U.S. HORSE INDUSTRY

2009-02-01T23:12:00.000-06:00

State Breakout Studies
The horse industry is a very large and important part of our national, state and local economies. It is diverse, involving agriculture, business, sport, gaming, entertainment and recreation.

The economic study done by Deloitte Consulting LLP for the American Horse Council Foundation in 2005 validates what the industry has known for some time, that the horse industry is a highly-diverse, national, serious and economically significant industry that deserves the attention of the general public, the media and federal, state and local officials.

State breakout studies were also done for the following states:

California | Colorado | Florida | Indiana | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maryland | Missouri
New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | Ohio | Oklahoma | Texas | Wyoming

California:
Order the Full State Study Here

The California horse industry produces goods and services valued at $4.1 billion.
The national industry has a $7 billion impact on the California economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
311,100 Californians are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The California horse industry directly provides 54,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in California and other states) generates additional jobs in California for a total employment impact of 130,200.
There are 698,000 horses in California, over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Colorado:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Colorado horse industry produces goods and services valued at $956 million.
The national industry has a $1.6 billion impact on the Colorado economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
102,400 Coloradans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Colorado horse industry directly provides 5,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Colorado and other states) generates additional jobs in Colorado for a total employment impact of 21,300.
There are 256,000 horses in Colorado, over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation. There are 698,000 horses in California, over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Florida:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Florida horse industry produces goods and services valued at $3.0 billion
The national industry has a $5.1 billion impact on the Florida economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
440,000 Floridians are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Florida horse industry directly provides 38,300 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Florida and other states) generates additional jobs in Florida for a total employment impact of 104,700.
There are 500,000 horses in Florida , over 60 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Indiana:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Indiana horse industry produces goods and services valued at $779 million.
The national industry has a $1.3 billion impact on the Indiana economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
90,000 Indianans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Indiana horse industry directly provides 8,400 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Indiana and other states) generates additional jobs in Indiana for a total employment impact of 22,500.
There are 203,000 horses in Indiana, over 80 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Kentucky:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Kentucky horse industry produces goods and services valued at $2.3 billion.
The national industry has a $3.5 billion impact on the Kentucky economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
194,300 Kentuckians are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Kentucky horse industry directly provides 51,900 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Kentucky and other states) generates additional jobs in Kentucky for a total employment impact of 96,000.
There are 320,200 horses in Kentucky, over 50 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Louisiana:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Louisiana horse industry produces goods and services valued at $1.6 billion.
The national industry has a $2.4 billion impact on the Louisiana economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
54,200 Louisianans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Louisiana horse industry directly provides 5,500 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Louisiana and other states) generates additional jobs in Louisiana for a total employment impact of 24,300.
There are 164,000 horses in Louisiana , over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Maryland:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Maryland horse industry produces goods and services valued at $1 billion.
The national industry has a $1.6 billion impact on the Maryland economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
65,600 Marylanders are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Maryland horse industry directly provides 10,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Maryland and other states) generates additional jobs in Maryland for a total employment impact of 28,000.
There are 153,000 horses in Maryland , over 40 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Missouri:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Missouri horse industry produces goods and services valued at $718 million.
The national industry has a $1.3 billion impact on the Missouri economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
125,100 Missourians are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Missouri horse industry directly provides 42,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Missouri and other states) generates additional jobs in Missouri for a total employment impact of 56,000.
There are 281,000 horses in Missouri, over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

New Jersey:
Order the Full State Study Here

The New Jersey horse industry produces goods and services valued at $710 million.
The national industry has a $1.1 billion impact on the New Jersey economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
55,900 New Jerseyans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The New Jersey horse industry directly provides 9,600 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in New Jersey and other states) generates additional jobs in New Jersey for a total employment impact of 21,400.
There are 83,000 horses in New Jersey, over 80 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

New Mexico:
Order the Full State Study Here

The New Mexico horse industry produces goods and services valued at $503 million.
The national industry has a $759 million impact on the New Mexico economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
91,100 New Mexicans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The New Mexico horse industry directly provides 35,700 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in New Mexico and other states) generates additional jobs in New Mexico for a total employment impact of 45,000.
There are 147,000 horses in New Mexico, over 60 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

New York:
Order the Full State Study Here

The New York horse industry produces goods and services valued at $1.4 billion.
The national industry has a $2.4 billion impact on the New York economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
152,000 New Yorkers are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The New York horse industry directly provides 12,700 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in New York and other states) generates additional jobs in New York for a total employment impact of 35,200.
There are 202,000 horses in New York, over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Ohio:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Ohio horse industry produces goods and services valued at $1.4 billion.
The national industry has a $2.2 billion impact on the Ohio economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
181,700 Ohioans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Ohio horse industry directly provides 12,700 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Ohio and other states) generates additional jobs in Ohio for a total employment impact of 42,700.
There are 307,000 horses in Ohio, over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Oklahoma:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Oklahoma horse industry produces goods and services valued at $766 million.
The national industry has a $1.2 billion impact on the Oklahoma economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
117,900 Oklahomans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Oklahoma horse industry directly provides 12,400 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Oklahoma and other states) generates additional jobs in Oklahoma for a total employment impact of 31,600.
There are 326,000 horses in Oklahoma, over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Texas:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Texas horse industry produces goods and services valued at $3.0 billion.
The national industry has a $5.2 billion impact on the Texas economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
455,600 Texans are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators.
The Texas horse industry directly provides 32,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Texas and other states) generates additional jobs in Texas for a total employment impact of 96,300.
There are 979,000 horses in Texas, over 60 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Wyoming:
Order the Full State Study Here

The Wyoming horse industry produces goods and services valued at $191 million.
The national industry has a $286 million impact on the Wyoming economy when the multiplier effect of spending by industry suppliers and employees is taken into account. Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher figure.
33,100 Wyomingites are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees, and volunteers. Even more participate as spectators
The Wyoming horse industry directly provides 1,400 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees (in Wyoming and other states) generates additional jobs in Wyoming for a total employment impact of 4,900.
There are 99,000 horses in Wyoming, over 60 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation.

Working in the Horse Industry

2009-02-01T23:11:00.000-06:00

Summary:
This article contains information on the nature of careers with horses. The discussion includes information on the structure of the industry, the role of experience, the role of college education, the work environment, compensation, and benefits.

About the Author:
Seth Burgess is a former owner/operator of a breeding and training farm; since 1986, he has owned and operated a national service called Equimax. Equimax maintains a List of Jobs and a List of Job Seekers for the horse industry. Subscriptions to the lists are purchased by job seekers and horse-industry employers.

Contents:
A. The limits of this discussion
B. The basic character of the horse industry
C. Types of people that seem best suited to the work available
D. The role of college education
E. The role of experience
F. The work environment
G. Compensation and benefits
H. Career building and the search for job security
A. The limits of this discussion
No clear-cut line exists between careers that involve horses and careers that don't. Although a person who earns a living by training horses certainly has a career in the horse industry, it is also true that a person who sells western wear and a travel agent who books equine vacations are also associated with the horse industry. This article focuses primarily on careers that are directly associated with the horses themselves, but the reader should keep in mind that there are ways to be associated with the horse industry that are not covered. A variety of generalizations are made here. As with most generalizations, many exceptions can be found.

B. The basic character of the horse industry
At its heart, the horse industry is an agricultural industry. Underneath the glamorous advertising and beautiful farms or businesses that the reader may have seen exists an environment that is closer to a family-owned farm than to a corporate giant such as General Motors or AT&T. Even the largest operations with multiple ownership retain many aspects of the small businesses that we associate more with Main Street U.S.A. than with the Dow Jones industrial average. Many potential employers who start or purchase horse-industry businesses do so because they like horses, not because they are primarily interested in succeeding at business or even making a profit. Many well-respected stables, farms, and ranches got started because they grew too big for the owner to handle alone. For the potential employee, this work environment has two important characteristics.

1. In most horse-industry businesses, the breakdown of labor is minimal. No corporate-style structure exists where separate departments handle sales, accounting, public relations, data processing, etc. People working with horses frequently wear lots of hats. For example, the owner may perform all of the administrative functions plus help train the horses. The trainer may handle breeding and sales in addition to training. Farm help may handle daily care of horses as well as maintain pastures and fences. If you are considering working in the horse industry, a broad background and the ability to perform many different tasks can be helpful.

2. Horse-industry jobs are frequently offered by people who have little or no experience in personnel management. Candidates for jobs with horses should NOT assume that a potential employer knows what they are doing, understands business, and understands how to hire and keep good employees. Many employers do understand these things, but many do not. Each opportunity should be checked out as carefully as possible. Once a job is accepted, the employee may have to spend more than the average amount of time "working things out" with the employer. The employer/employee relationship will evolve and change. It will have smooth times and rough times. Be ready to "work things out" one more time unless you are absolutely sure that no more progress can be made.

Except in a few places like Lexington, Kentucky, horse-industry employers are spread out all across the country, usually in rural locations, and not in large numbers in any one area. These factors provide special challenges for the job seeker. An ability to relocate easily is frequently an advantage, and uncovering the right opportunity can require greater than average amounts of time and expense.

C. Types of people that seem best suited to the work available
Given the fact that horse industry employers are spread out geographically, people who have a minimum of commitments that tie them down seem to be more successful overall. Children, financial obligations, or a spouse who works in a different line of work may make building a career in the horse industry more difficult or even impossible. Success seems to follow people who are willing and able to move wherever the right job is offered and people who have minimal financial needs. A few people do well in a single location and make high salaries, but they are the exception.

D. The role of college education
For the most part, a college education is not a requirement for obtaining work with horses. Most employers are primarily concerned with hands-on experience. A distinction should be made between the background needed to "get" a job with horses and the background needed to "do" the job after being hired. If you want to be a doctor, for instance, an M.D. degree (or the equivalent) is necessary both to "get" a job as a doctor and to "do" such a job. Because most horse-industry employers are essentially indifferent to equine-related college degrees, the dynamic is quite different with horse-industry jobs. College education may be one of the ways to gain the skills needed to "get" a job with horses, but it is by no means the only way, and it may not be the best way. The most valuable reference a candidate for employment can give a potential horse-industry employer is not a college degree but a reference from someone the employer knows, respects, and trusts. For instance, if your desire is to become a trainer, an apprenticeship with a well-respected trainer who will give you a good reference may be considerably more effective at "getting" you a job than a college degree, and it would certainly be less expensive. On-the-job training is very common in the horse industry. So-called "working student" relationships can be arranged to enable you to learn various types of riding, obtain certification as an instructor, gain barn management skills, etc.

College education has value, but it should be approached with an understanding of its role. A college education will do two things for you that the other approaches will not. (1) Broad-based skills such as writing, communication, and research are frequently a very important part of "getting" any job. If you are unable to communicate about your background and to research each potential opportunity properly, you will not get very far in any job market. Do not underestimate the value of knowing how to write a letter, speak clearly, be polite, be objective about a situation, and follow through on job leads. (2) The other advantage of a college education is that you may advance faster and move higher within the industry as a result of your education--even if the effects are not immediately apparent upon graduation. This may become more apparent over time. But remember: there is no guarantee that you will advance faster or move higher simply because you have a degree.

Consider all the alternatives. Be sure your area of interest is really an area where jobs are available and not just an area where the only possibilities are to teach or do research (unless that is what you want). One exception to these comments should be noted. A master's degree in Equine Reproduction can be an important step to becoming a breeding manager on a farm. It's not the only way to get there, but it is a good one.

E. The role of experience
Experience is where the rubber meets the road. Just as there is no substitute for maturity in life, there is little if any substitute for experience in the horse-industry job market. The experience does not have to be gained in a job context, nor does it have to be extensive. Many people gain experience with their personal or family horses, go on to get jobs based on little else, and move up the ladder through on-the-job training. People who know how to care for horses on a daily basis are in high demand. Skills like cleaning stalls, feeding, watering, and handling horses will qualify you for a stable help position. This type of work always needs to be done on a daily basis, and it is difficult for employers to find competent people willing to do such work day in and day out. This means that there is generally a lot of turnover in positions such as stable help and groom, and new opportunities are coming along all the time. Even if you have little or no background with horses, six months or a year of volunteer work at a local stable on weekends may be all the preparation you need to move into a paid position. As you move up the ladder, more specialized experience will be needed. As a rule, if you try to keep all your options open and be a "jack of all trades," you won't fare as well. It is best to decide on your long-term goal early in your career, determine how to get there, and go for it. As you work your way up the ladder, you will find that jobs are not only more specialized but also become more competitive. Because the vast majority of horse-industry businesses are smaller low-key operations, it is possible to arrive at a level of experience where most operations can't afford you and don't need you. This usually takes 20 years or more, but keep in mind that the career ladder does not keep going up indefinitely and that people with higher skill levels fit into fewer numbers of jobs.

F. The work environment
The work environment in the horse industry feels more like working "down on the farm" than in a "corporate office." This means that the hours are frequently long and irregular. Many jobs require that you be "on call" during much of your off time. Even at the higher levels, the work may require a great deal of physical strength and stamina. People with back problems or other physical disabilities may not be able to do the work required in many situations. Frequently, employers expect or even require that you live on their premises. This will restrict your personal freedom to a degree, and it may influence your ability to "get away from your work" emotionally. Travel can frequently be part of your job. Although this can add to the variety and excitement of the position, the demands put on you at horse shows, races, or events can cause stress. Work with horses can also put you outside in all kinds of weather, sometimes when you would give anything to be in an office behind a desk.

G. Compensation and benefits
Many people consider work with horses to be a fringe benefit in itself. Working with animals in general, working in a natural environment, working with your hands, being outside most of the time, avoiding the 9-5 world, working with the cycle of life-- these are all things that can be found in jobs with horses. These benefits are so popular that many people will take a cut in pay just to obtain them. Therefore, in comparison to many other lines of work, the horse industry pays poorly. Entry-level stable help and groom positions may pay between $150 and $250 per week plus a place to live, with utilities paid (sometimes). Upper-level positions of any type begin to drop off dramatically above the $20-25,000 per year level. Some positions provide for commissions on lessons or sales. Some provide incentives or bonuses based on wins or profits. The most common benefit is housing. Housing provided by employers varies greatly; it may be a barely livable room in the barn or a beautiful multi-bedroom home. In a few situations, housing may be available for a family even if only one person is actually working on the property. The most common arrangement seems to be a mobile home. Long-term employment usually involves time off. One day per week is the most common arrangement. Somebody or even everybody commonly works holidays. Paid vacations may be provided, but they are usually not more than a week or two. Health insurance coverage is not common, but it does occur. In some specialized types of work, such as at a summer camp, meals are included. Occasionally an employer will provide a vehicle for personal use. Work expenses are customarily reimbursed. Sometimes employees are given a "road fee" when traveling. A "road fee" is a set figure per day for meals and other expenses, and any expenses in excess of that figure come out of the employee's pocket. Retirement benefits are extremely rare.

H. Career building and the search for job security
If you've read this far and have not given up, you can see that there are many reasons to consider a career with horses carefully before jumping in with both feet. Ultimately, you will have to decide if you are sufficiently suited to the lifestyle and to enduring the special difficulties related to the work. It is hard to make this decision without actually giving the work a try. If you have little or no job experience with horses, it would be good to do some investigating. Talk to employers, and talk to workers. Find out what they think and what they are looking for. Find out how people in upper-level positions got their jobs. The answers may surprise you. Do some volunteer work on weekends, but make sure you work a full day to get the true impact of the workload.

If you have decided that you want to seek full-time employment, here are some things to remember. In the beginning, pick your employer more carefully than the job you will be doing. It is better to start out cleaning stalls for a well-respected, financially sound, established farm than it is to be called a "barn manager" in a backyard operation going nowhere. Pick an employer who is "people oriented." This will provide you with a better work environment, and the farm's customers will receive better treatment, which will in turn result in more business and a more profitable operation. Investigate each opportunity as carefully as you can. Try not to accept any job before interviewing in person with your potential employer at the place of business where you will be working. If you are hired, consider arranging for a trial period of 4-6 weeks after which you and your employer can assess how well the relationship is working.

Job security in any field is built by providing a service that the employer needs at a price that the employer can reasonably afford. Remember that you are selling a service. If you earn $250 per week and work for an employer for 5 years, your services have cost the employer $65,000. That is not "small change" in anybody's book. To build job security, continue to improve your abilities, spend time being sure that you understand your employer's needs, and be careful not to ask for salary increases that price you above your competition. If your employer can hire someone for less money than you, who can also do better work and with whom he can maintain a better relationship, you may find that your job disappears. Because many horse-industry businesses are not the sole or even the primary source of income for their owners, such businesses come and go at a somewhat higher rate than some other types. Even a top job may end unexpectedly, and job security depends on the ability to provide what future employers are looking for. If you specialize in an area that is in low demand, such as an off-beat training technique, and you must continually try to convince employers that your way is best, you may find yourself out of work much of the time.

Good jobs can be found and sound careers can be built in the horse industry. If you take the time to investigate carefully, are realistic about what you expect, and can provide what employers are looking for, you are likely to do quite well.

SELECTED JOBS IN THE HORSE INDUSTRY

2009-02-01T23:10:00.002-06:00

Prepared by Dr. Amy Ordakowski
University of Maryland
Animal Health
! Veterinarians (Government and
Private)
! Alternative Therapy
# Chiropractic Medicine
# Acupuncture
# Acupressure
# Magnetic Therapy
# Homeopathy
! Research Scientist
! Nutritionist
! Cooperative Extension/Outreach
! Veterinary Technician
! Laboratory Technician
! Physical Therapist
! Equine Dentist
! Dental Technician
! Farrier
! Animal Care Technician
! Professor/Lecturer
Breed Registries and Associations
! Executive Positions
! Administrative Personnel
! Human resources Personnel
! Operations Personnel
! Member Services Staff
! Registrations Registrar
! Stewards
! Judges
! Youth Program Staff
! Technical and Licensing Staff
! Marketing and Promotions
Entertainment/Vacationing
! Dude/Guest Ranch, Wagon Trains, Trail Rides, Outfitting, Camps
# Cook
# Counselor
# Entertainer
# Maintenance Staff
# Recreation Director
# Trail Guide
# Wrangler/Stable Hand
Government and Law Enforcement Opportunities
! Veterinarian
# Research (health/disease)
! USDA
# Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS)
• Animal Care Investigator
# U.S. Forest Service
• Forester
• Packer
• Recreation services
• Trail Maintenance
# U.S. Department of the Interior
• Fish and Wildlife Service
special agent
• Bureau of Land
Management Contractor for
Wild Horse and Burro
Program
! Mounted Police Patrol
Horse Sales
! Auctioneer
! Agent
! Appraiser
! Bid Caller
! Clerk/Cashier
! Ring Assistant/Spotter
! Sales Manager
! Support Staff
Manufacturing, Distribution, and Sales
! Examples of businesses:
# Tack Manufacturer/Distribution
# Feed Manufacturer/Distribution
# Co-ops
# Veterinary Products
# Book Distribution
! Bookkeeper
! Administration/Operating Staff
! Data Entry Staff
! Marketing Specialist
! Researcher
! Human Resources Staff
! Salespeople, Retail and Wholesale
! Trailer Manufacturer/Distributor
Publishing Industry
! Publisher
! Writer
! Editor
! Marketing/Promotions
! Art Director/Artists
! Researchers
! Advertising
! Support Staff
Racing
! Administrative
! Judges
! Video Race Patrol
! Photo Finish Operator
! Track Announcer
! Simulcasting Director
! Clerk of Course/Sales
! Stewards
! Clocker
! Starter
! Official Race Timer
! Identifier
! Track Stable Superintendent
! Handicapper
! Television Announcer
! Training Center Manager
! Security Patrol
! Wagering Personnel
! Pedigree Evaluations
! Track Maintenance Crew
! Trainers
! Grooms/Hot Walkers
! Exercise Riders
! Jockeys/Harness Driver
! Pari-mutuel Manager
! Pari-mutuel Clerk
! Money Room Personnel
! Telephone, Interacting, Internet
Wagering Staff
Show/Board/Breeding/Lesson Farm
! Farm Owner/Manager
! Sales Manager
! Administrative Staff
! Trainer/Exercise Rider
! Riding Instructor
! Ground and Stable Maintenance
! Veterinarian
Sporting/Competition/Trade Show Organizations
! Event Manager
! Management/Event Staff
! Announcers
! Judges
! Timers
! Photographers
! Media Relations
Supports to the Horse Industry
! Attorney at Law
! Equine Consultants
! Expert Witness
! Insurance Agents
! Bookkeepers
! Accountants
! Real Estate Agent
! Internet Companies
! Hay/Feed/Bedding
! Horse Van/Trailer Driver
! Photographer
! Food Concession/Caterers
! General Contractor/Builder
! Farm Sitter
SOURCES
Reynolds. 1998. The Complete Guide to Horse Careers. New Horizons Equine Education Center, Inc.
Livermore, CO.
Kreitler. 1995. 50 Careers with Horses. Breakthrough Publications, Inc.

What you might not learn in (high) school

2009-02-01T23:10:00.001-06:00

This list is the work of Charles J. Sykes, author of the book Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, Or Add. (The list has appeared in newspapers, although not necessarily in this book.)

Rule No. 1: Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teen-ager uses the phrase "It's not fair" 8.6 times a day. You got it from your parents, who said it so often you decided they must be the most idealistic generation ever. When they started hearing it from their own kids, they realized Rule No. 1.

Rule No. 2: The real world won't care about your self-esteem as much as your high school does. It'll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it's not fair. (See Rule No. 1)

Rule No. 3: Sorry, you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.

Rule No. 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he's not going to ask you how you feel about it.

Rule No. 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity. They weren't embarrassed making minimum wage either. They would have been embarrassed to sit around talking about Kurt Cobain all weekend.

Rule No. 6: It's not your parents' fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me," and other eloquent proclamations of your generation. When you turn 18, it's on your dime. Don't whine about it, or you'll sound like a baby boomer.

Rule No. 7: Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your bedroom.

Rule No. 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life hasn't. In some schools, they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. Failing grades have been abolished and class valedictorians scrapped, lest anyone's feelings be hurt. Effort is as important as results. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life. (See Rule No. 1, Rule No. 2 and Rule No. 4.)

Rule No. 9: Life is not divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off. Not even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don't get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on. While we're at it, very few jobs are interested in fostering your self-expression or helping you find yourself. Fewer still lead to self-realization. (See Rule No. 1 and Rule No. 2.)

Rule No. 10: Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be as perky or pliable as Jennifer Aniston.

Rule No. 11: Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.

Rule No. 12: Smoking does not make you look cool. It makes you look moronic. Next time you're out cruising, watch an 11-year-old with a butt in his mouth. That's what you look like to anyone over 20. Ditto for "expressing yourself" with purple hair and/or pierced body parts.

Rule No. 13: You are not immortal. (See Rule No. 12.) If you are under the impression that living fast, dying young and leaving a beautiful corpse is romantic, you obviously haven't seen one of your peers at room temperature lately.

Rule No. 14: Enjoy this while you can. Sure parents are a pain, school's a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you'll realize how wonderful it was to be a kid. Maybe you should start now. You're welcome.

Horse Industry Interview Questions

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Horse Industry Overview
Professional Interview Question Hints – in random order

Education/preparation/past work history

Do you have a current resume/CV/articles about you/horses/customers/barn?
How long in industry?
How you got into the industry?
Formal education?
How many jobs have you had, what were they, how long did you keep each job?
Biggest challenge to gaining employment?
*Why* did you get started in your aspect of the horse business?
Location – did it affect your job search?

Current job (day-to-day, duties)

What’s your day like (daily schedule; sleep?; eat?).
What are your hours?
Favorite part of the job? Least favorite part of job? Hardest part?
Most surprising/unexpected part of job?
Most rewarding part of the job?
Regrets?
Salary? Benefits? Coaching fees? Tips? Goodies? Housing?
Commissions (lessons, horse sales, etc.)
Hauling fees? Do you own your own truck and trailer?
Living expenses? (Insurance, etc.)
Start-up expenses?
Memberships? (Costs?)
Magazine/newsletter subscriptions (costs)?
Things you wish you would have learned before taking the job?
Things you wish you had learned regarding that specific job before accepting the position?
Moonlighting?
Horse show duties?
How do you find clients/customers? How do you keep current customers?
What public relations strategies do you use?
How much schmoozing do you do?
Life outside the horse business? Do you have one? Do you wish you had one? Hobbies?
Family? Plans for family? How does current family affect your time on the job?
How many days on the road? Winter in Florida/Arizona?
Licenses/certifications? (Costs?)
Who are your connections in the industry (friends/family/networking acquaintances)?
Do you see changes in your industry? Are they for the better?

Future goals

Have you met your current goals with your current job?
Goals? How have goals changed since you first entered the industry?
What would you rather be doing?
How long do you see yourself staying in the horse business?
If money weren’t an issue, what aspect of the horse business would you most like to be involved in?

Advice to others

Advice to potential industry employees.
Moral/ethical problems encountered and how you dealt with them?
What is your perception of college equine programs?
How to deal with clients? Any good stories? Anecdotes?
How to deal with fellow employees?
How to deal with employees (if owner of business). What do you expect from your employees?
How to deal with employers. What do you expect from your future employer?
Advantages/disadvantages of owning own horse?
Who’s been your biggest help in getting where you are? Mentors/idols/advisors/role models?
How do you determine your rates/fees/charges?
Advantages/disadvantages of your particular job?

Interesting stories

Ever been injured badly enough to affect your work day? Loss of profit/time/ability due to injury?
Pet peeves/gripes about the industry and horse people in general (or in particular).
Worst job you ever had?
Any legal trouble? Insurance claims?

Tentative Projects and Due Dates

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Survey of the Equine Profession, Spring 2009

Point Break Down Tentative due date (subject to change)

Photo (good and bad) 25 February 12, 5 p.m.
Print advertisement (good and bad) 25 February 19, 5 p.m.
Web page (good and bad) 25 February 26, 5 p.m.
Resume cover letter 100 April 2, 5 p.m.
Resume (final version) 200 April 2, 5 p.m.
Interview with professional 200 May 8, 5 p.m.
Miscellaneous 25

Total 600

Grading scale
93-100% A
83-92% B
73-82% C
63-72% D
Below 63% F

Format for submission of projects, Survey of Equine Professions.

• All submissions, digital or on paper, must have the student’s name displayed at the top of each page.

• Please, when using photos/ads/websites, state the source (i.e. the magazine or website used).

• When submitting a file via e-mail, the submission should take the form of a separate attachment. Don’t type your project into the body of the e-mail.

• When submitting digitally, the attachment’s file name should include the student’s name, e.g. “jane_doe_photos.doc”

• When submitting digitally, the e-mail used to submit the attachment should be written using casual but proper grammar, and should be signed by the student. The “from” portion of the e-mail should include the student’s full name, as well as the e-mail address.

• Digital submission attachments can take the following formats (all others need prior permission):
.txt .doc .docx .wps .ppt .jpg
.gif .pdf .mpg .png

• No grammatical or spelling errors. None. Not one.

Survey of the Equine Profession Syllabus

2009-02-01T22:55:00.000-06:00

EQA 210 Survey of the Equine Profession
Spring 2009

Instructor: Karen Pautz
Office: Stables #103
Office Phone: (573) 592-4343
Dressage Barn: (573) 592-4282
Office Hours: Available on Owlnet
E-mail: kpautz@williamwoods.edu

University Mission: An independent voice in higher education, William Woods University
distinguishes itself as a student-centered and professions-oriented university committed to
the values of ethics, self-liberation, and lifelong education of students in the world community.

Course Description:
Survey of the Horse Industry is designed to introduce the prospective equine industry professional to the ins-and-outs of the “real” horse world, focusing on developing personal and business promotional skills.

Textbook:
None required. Students will receive handouts and online reading assignments throughout the semester.

Prerequisites:
None

Equine Administration Program Objectives

Upon program completion, students will be able to do the following:
1) Demonstrate skills in equine management and identify the theories upon which they are based.
5) Apply economical principles to the equine industry.
7) Apply the business skills necessary for managing a training or teaching facility.
8) Explain the national as well as global significance of the equine industry.

Degree/Major Requirements:
This is a required class for the Equine Administration major, and an elective for Equestrian Science.

Acceptance of Late Work:
All course requirements will be due on specific dates. Work turned in past the specified date will be accepted, but with a deduction of 10% of the total points possible per week late, in addition to points deductions due to less-than-perfect work.

Course Objectives:
Along with discussions of the myriad employment opportunities available in the horse industry, students will get hands-on experience developing their work resume and cover letter, as well as writing press releases, developing advertisements, creating videos and websites, and exploring other promotions and public relations aspects of any horse job.

The following guidelines should help students understand the skills and proficiencies they are expected to develop through involvement in this class.

1. Develop a strong, ready-to-use resume specific to the equine industry
2. Write a cover letter for that resume directed to a specific employer or job
3. Identify the “goods and bads” of photos, print advertisements and websites and develop a working lingo in order to communicate with ad designers and sales reps
4. Learn more in-depth (things you should have learned while you were in school) information regarding life in the horse industry through a thorough interview with a current horse professional

Attendance Policy:
Attendance at each class meeting is strongly recommended, as the information given there may not be obtained in another way. Students, regardless of attendance, are responsible for all work, and may not approach the instructor the next day asking “did I miss anything important?” While I will not dock grades for absences per se, you will be held accountable for information and will not be allowed to make up quizzes or other work done that day. Athletes and others on official school absences are to: 1) give me a schedule early in the term of expected absences 2) remind me a few days before the particular absence 3) make arrangements to take any scheduled exam before the absence.

ADA Guidelines:
Students who choose to disclose a disability are responsible for notifying the University of their disability on a timely basis. Questions about disability services should be directed to Margie White, the University’s coordinator for disability services. She may be reached at 592-1194 or margie.white@williamwoods.edu . Her office is on the first floor of the Academic Building.

Academic Integrity Policy and Community Code
It is the expectation of the University that all of its members will uphold the Academic Integrity Policy and the Community Code in adherence to high ethical standards. Details of the Academic Integrity Policy can be found at the following web address: http://www.williamwoods.edu/2008catalog/poldetail.asp?sectionid=273
Details of the Community Code can be found in the Student Life Handbook.

Academic Policy: Plagiarism
In all academic work, it is important that the ideas and contributions of others be appropriately acknowledged, and that work that is presented as original is, in fact, original. Insuring the honesty and fairness of the intellectual environment at William Woods University is a responsibility that is shared by

Grading criteria

Point Break Down-
Photo (good and bad) 25
Print advertisement (good and bad) 25
Web page (good and bad) 25
Interview with professional 200
Resume cover letter 100
Resume (final version) 200
Miscellaneous 25
Total 600

Grading scale
93-100% A
83-92% B
73-82% C
63-72% D
Below 63% F

Computer technology
Students are encouraged to submit work electronically. Where applicable, work may be submitted through Owlnet or to kpautz@williamwoods.edu in .doc, .txt, .rtf, .pdf or .ppt formats. To submit work in other formats, please contact Karen Pautz first. Karen will check to make sure the file will open, and will e-mail a response confirming the receipt of the readable file.

Karen is responsible for the content of this course. She is not responsible for technical problems with OWLNet, Internet, e-mail, printers, computers or equipment in the equestrian classroom, electronic classroom, computer labs, library or your own residence. For these issues please contact helpdesk@williamwoods.edu or call them at 592-4224. Please do not wait until minutes before class to try to find needed information or print out work that is due; computer and printer glitches happen and you will not get much sympathy! (akin to “The dog ate my homework.”)

Protective Equipment

2009-02-01T22:53:00.000-06:00

Protective Equip Men Ti

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Business Presentations & Slid horse

Halters

2009-02-01T20:40:00.002-06:00

Equine Care Halters

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Business Presentations & Slid horse

Safe Use of Grooming Products

2009-02-01T20:40:00.001-06:00

Safe Use of Grooming Products
by: Charlene Strickland
June 01 1999, Article # 335

No matter how you use your horse, you want to enhance his natural good looks and keep his “outside” healthy. With a companion animal or sport horse, you also assume the role of equine beautician. Even if your horse never enters a show ring, you could be a big-time consumer of grooming aids. You can choose among hundreds of products, in the bottles, tubes, and cans packed on the shelves of your tack shop. Which ingredients do you want on your horse?

We’ll explore the lotions, creams, and ointments you wipe, spray, or brush onto hair and hoof, along with grooming tools and beauty wraps. Although the substances might boast therapeutic benefits, they aren’t in the same category as medications. And realize that even though these are cosmetic concoctions, anything you use on your horse can lead to harm.

Off The Shelf And Into Action

To groom your horse, you aim to clean, condition, polish, and protect his haircoat, skin, and hooves. Cleaning comes first. Before you reach for topical solutions, you clean with traditional grooming tools—curry, body brush, or a textured cloth. These hand tools remove dirt and scurf from hair and skin through pressure and friction. The massaging and stroking stimulate circulation.

You can save time by splurging for a specialized vacuum. Choose a model built for the rigors of sweeping dirt off the horse’s coat.

Horses don’t need to be bathed, but you probably include shampooing in your grooming regime. Like other grooming products, the shampoo you apply is a surfactant, or a surface-active substance. It cleanses by lathering and dispersing the soap evenly. A good equine shampoo cleans without removing natural oils of the skin. Some therapeutic shampoos might “degrease” an oily coat. Stain lifters remove brown blotches from light-colored hair.

To condition the coat, you soothe and moisturize hair and skin. Although a well-fed horse will have a shiny coat naturally, conditioning and polishing can make him gleam even more.

Conditioners might contain emollients, or agents that soften skin. These products also rehydrate, to replenish body fluids. Those for mane and tail will detangle twisted hairs.

To revitalize and rejuvenate hair and skin, you might choose a therapeutic conditioner. Some might be exfoliating, or remove dead cells from the skin.

After cleaning comes polishing. Increase the shine with “rubbing” (vigorous brushing or rubbing with a cloth). Use a finishing brush, rub rag, or grooming mitt to distribute oils throughout the coat.

Here you’re faced with a barrage of brand-name products, all promising to make your horse shine like no other. The result of polishing is a haircoat (or hoof) that reflects light in an attractive luster. You also can apply cover-up products to alter the appearance of the color of hair or hoof, along with a gel or mousse to smooth and style mane, tail, and forelock.

Another aspect of polishing is trimming excess hair. You’ll probably pick electric clippers to take hairs off the muzzle, ears, face, jawline, and lower legs. You might even shave the horse’s body, shortening the winter coat to make him easier to cool out after exercise.

With the coat clean, conditioned, and polished, you’ll feel the results of grooming by stroking the smooth hairs. Along with admiring the sheen of a finely groomed animal, you appreciate a pleasant fragrance. Brand names add fragrances to please the human, not the horse.

Products also protect from the effects of environment and insects. Sunscreens can shield the hair and skin from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun. They have SPF ratings or contain PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid).

Insect repellents ward off flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and other bothersome creatures. Insects irritate the horse by landing on him, and their bites can sting or even inflame the skin. The horse reacts by rubbing to alleviate the distress.

In your grooming tasks, you look at the results on the surface. Yet what you do to the hair coat affects the skin as well, and contributes to its well-being.

Grooming helps you manage your horse’s health. “We look at grooming as a part of groundwork,” said Tom Tweeten, PhD, a biochemist with About the Horse Science, Inc. “You get a feel for the horse on the ground, before you ever get on its back. It’s part of the warming up process.”

So what’s good, and what’s potentially harmful? Time to read the fine print on product labels!

What’s In The Bottle

You don’t need to interpret every aspect of a product’s formula, but you should examine the label. Because these aren’t products intended for human use, manufacturers don’t have to declare components. Some label their products with the list of ingredients, along with dosage and administration, and precautions. Other companies protect their trade secrets with vague statements (such as “patented ingredients”) or no information.

Brand-name recipes are produced by combining materials of different chemical formulas. The resulting solutions are compounds.

Organic compounds include lipids (such as fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides) and proteins. Your horse’s living cells are made up of these organic compounds. His hair and hooves consist of the protein substance keratin.

As you read labels, consider the roles of ingredients. Each ingredient contributes a function, and the ingredient should be compatible with the hair’s keratin structure. For example, does the product contain a solvent? The American Heritage Dictionary describes a solvent as “a substance in which another substance is dissolved, forming a solution; A substance, usually a liquid, capable of dissolving another substance.”

Examples include alcohol, used as a solvent or cleaning solution, and glycerin, both a solvent and an emollient. Acetone can be used as an organic solvent.

Making a typical product involves extracting raw material to blend it into a formula. Many liquids begin with oil and water. With the popularity of “natural” products, you’ll see essential oils as ingredients. These are distilled from a plant, and usually mixed with a carrier oil.

Citronella, from a tropical Asian grass (Cymbopogon nardus), is one such oil. The aromatic oil obtained from this plant is used in human and equine insect repellents. Cedar oil also adds a fragrance that can repel insects.

In conditioners, you’ll see examples of humectants, or substances that promote retention of moisture. Glycerin is from glycerol, a liquid obtained from fats and oils. Cy Faries, of Exhibitor Labs, Inc., explained, “Glycerin is a wonderful humectant. Used in the same material with alcohol, you maintain the balance and still get rapid drying, as in hair spray.”

Another popular moisturizing ingredient is aloe vera, from the plant Aloe barbadensis. Aloe is known for its soothing and healing properties. Surprisingly, nettle is another ingredient that soothes the skin.

You’ll also see moisturizers containing oils from avocado, lavender, almond, rose, rosemary, pine, and wheat germ. Lanolin, fat extracted from wool, is another natural ingredient.

David Fletcher, of Unanimous, praised jojoba for its properties. “Jojoba is a therapeutic agent, which prepares skin for growth. It removes sebum. The skin retains proper moisture.”

Vitamin E is added to moisturizers, and Panthenol (vitamin B-5) is used in repairing dry, brittle hair. Jim Cummings, of Cowboy Magic, explained, “Panthenol is vitamin B-5 made from rice bran pantothenic acid. Panthenol attaches to hair shaft barbs to fill in and add smoothness, plus other benefits.” He also described silk protein: “A byproduct of vaporized silk molecules, recondensed into a liquid form to add strength, shine, texture, and ability to hold moisture.”

Petroleum-based products also can function as emollients. Petrochemical, or a chemical derived from petroleum, doesn’t mean harmful. Petrolatum, known as petroleum jelly, remains a staple for many uses. Mineral oil is an effective lubricant.

Cindy Carfore, president of Shapley’s, described how an oil-based product balances a drying or healing action with moisturizing. “M-T-G has a drying agent and conditioning agents to keep the skin moist and conditioned. It protects against the elements that cause fungus.” This conditioner is designed as a leave-in product, to condition the hair and skin.

The lubricant silicone comes from the mineral silica. Used on hair, this substance improves how hairs slide against each other, remaining slick and reflecting light. It also repels dust and dirt.

Shampoos are detergents, made of chemical compounds. Many contain sodium laureth sulfate and/or sodium lauryl sulfate. Both are derived from lauric acid, and they are found in top-quality salon products.

Cocamide is a detergent product, made with coconut oils and an organic compound, amine. You’ll see cocamide MEA (made with the amine, monethanolamine) and cocamide DEA (with diethalolamine).

Products might contain astringents, to dry and tighten skin. Witch hazel can help relieve itching.

Antiseptic, antimicrobial, or antibacterial properties of some products can prevent or treat minor skin irritations. Examples of natural ingredients include thymol (of thyme oil), eucalyptol (oil from eucalyptus), and the popular tea tree oil (from Melaleuca alternifolia).

Pyrethins are compounds found in many fly repellents. They form the active ingredients of pyrethrum (from chrysanthemum flowers). One brand of repellent contains DEET, a colorless, oily liquid that earns its name from d.t., or diethyl toluamide.

Products benefit from added fragrances, to improve the smell of the formulation. Natural fragrances, such as verbena or chamomile, can please your nose without irritating the horse.

Lotions And Potions

You’ll read confusing product claims as you explore brands. To stand out in the marketplace, companies present their product’s features and benefits. Marketers want to convince you to buy the bottle, rather than the actual contents. Be a smart consumer by examining claims to separate objective fact from subjective opinion.

Some manufacturers have experience making human personal care products. You’ll see the adjectives “human-grade” or “salon-quality” applied to equine products.

A relevant definition is “pH balanced” or “pH neutral.” The pH value indicates acidity or alkalinity, with 7.1 as neutral. A horse’s skin is in the range of 4.5 to 6, or more acid than alkaline. A high alkaline soap affects the skin’s protective acid mantle. Some name-brand human shampoos are as high as 11.

You’ll see the claim “mild but effective.” As in the “gentle but spirited” horse for sale, a product must strike a balance between safety and action. You want to buy a product that works on your horse, without damaging hair or skin.

What if you want to color hair harmlessly? Try a tack shop alternative to the drugstore to match your horse’s shade. Carfore described Show Touch Up as a temporary coloring. “It’s a color pigment, not a paint or a lacquer. It coats the surface of the hair shaft, to cover temporarily a blemish or scar.” This product washes out with soap and water, or, as in the case of the darker pigments, washing with baby oil. (A permanent dye would strip hair color.)

How do lotions and potions really work? Most often, the answer is subjective, as you won’t be able to obtain proof. For example, you’ll see combination products, such as a shampoo that washes in a fly repellent, or a fly repellent doubling as a sunscreen and also polishing the coat. You won’t know how the product really works on your horse until you buy it and try it.

You might see the terms “harsh” or “gentle” to describe cleansing substances. A detergent, like the compound you scrub on your skin, is harsh on the skin. Soap, made from natural oils and fats, is most likely gentler than the sink cleanser or solvents found in dishwashing liquids. Propylene glycol, a shampoo ingredient, has been linked to sensitivity reactions in humans.

A product might coat the hair, or actually penetrate it. Faries explained how the body of the hair shaft, the cortex, is soft. He described the cuticle, or the sleeve around the cortex, as follows: “The cuticle is like snake skin, with embriations like scales. It’s a tough material, and very flexible. It can bend without breaking.”

He described how his color-intensifying Quic Color works by penetrating between the embriations, and through the translucent cuticle, refracting light outward. The result is a richer color to the human eye.

Fletcher explained how an agent can penetrate into the hair. He uses biotin in the product Restoration. “It’s hydrolized, which means the molecular structure of the biotin ingredient has been reduced down to absorb into the cuticle layer. It stimulates the skin so the papilla of the hair will grow.”

Fletcher added, “It’s expensive to penetrate the hair shaft. It’s cheap to coat it. A product may contain four ounces pure product, and the rest is filler.”

As a consumer, you’re bombarded with ads for “natural” formulations. What does a “natural solvent” or “99% natural” really mean? In some cases, either could represent plain water. And when you read “aloe-enriched,” you might infer a thick gel of moisturizing aloe. The enrichment can be a very small percentage of this essential oil.

Investigate the facts behind “miracle” or “revolutionary.” For example, just because a product has a connection with NASA doesn’t mean it helps animals on Earth.

Find out which manufacturers maintain their own laboratories, and how they conduct product research. In most cases, research consists of testing the product on a range of horses. Research rarely is conducted according to scientific protocol.

You’ll read lots of negative claims, too, as in “non-greasy” or “non-oily.” Oil and grease imply messy, yet oils—especially the popular extracts from plants—are present in many products.

Equine Cautions

How much can surface treatments change the horse? As you examine products, remember medicine’s guideline to “first do no harm.” For that balance between mild yet effective, you need to groom with care.

Follow the application directions, such as diluting a concentrate with water at recommended proportions. To mix a concentrate with water in an emulsion, as with a fly repellent concentrate, shake the bottle of mixture well before use. Shaking disperses the concentrate through the water.

When using a potent shampoo, like an antibacterial brand, leave it on the coat for the specified time before rinsing. Manufacturers also might specify frequency of treatment, and restrictions on using conflicting grooming products.

Investigate possible side effects. Applying too much product can backfire, as in improper use of polishes. Silicone has been linked with skin problems, because it tends to build up on the coat. It’s hard to wash out the residue. Faries noted, “A molecule of silicone will attach to itself. It forms almost a vacuum, and it’s not water-soluble.” He added that a hybrid silicone and organic formula, an organic molecule, has the advantages of silicone’s sheen and detangling, without sealing off the hair.

Individual horses can have sensitive skin and can react to ingredients. Just because a horse is a large animal, he’s not insensitive. A typical horse has more than 50 square feet of skin, and an uncomfortable sensation on all that area could create quite a feeling of irritation.

A grooming product might be the cause of irritation, itching, burning, heat rash, or hives. Although it’s difficult to trace a specific skin condition to a product, high alkalinity in a shampoo can cause a horse to rub.

A horse might have an allergic reaction to a certain substance. If you suspect your horse might be allergic, look for hypoallergenic products and read labels carefully. You also can conduct a test by applying a small amount of product on a patch of the horse’s skin.

A dry skin condition might be traced to alcohol’s drying effect. Alcohol rapidly evaporates and cools the skin, reducing the oil on the skin. Dryness also could be caused by overuse of shampoos formulated for human use. Tweeten noted, “Human care products are used daily. Humans shower every day. Do we want to use a human care product that will be put on the horse one day, which is designed to be replenished 24 hours later?”

Products can pose more serious dangers to the horse. Just as in household products, many of these are hazardous to health.

Read the label of any repellent. Fly repellents can contain toxins that cause a poisonous effect through physical contact, ingestion, or inhalation. The herb pennyroyal is toxic. One gel cautions against contact with the skin—and yet it’s made to apply onto the horse’s skin.

Some brands are labeled nontoxic. The label might imply the product is safe to ingest, but don’t do it or let it get in your horse’s drinking source.

Try to keep a repellent out of the horse’s eyes. If you apply a gel to the inside of the ear, realize that it’s likely to melt and run down inside the ear.

Show horses undergo special beauty treatments. With some breeds, it’s a standard practice to sand the hoof walls smooth, then apply a shiny hoof polish for a slick appearance. Remove the polish after the show, so the wall doesn’t dry out.

If you use a facial highlighter on the muzzle and around the eyes, apply only enough for the effect. If the oil or cream gets too hot, excess product will melt. Remove highlighting products after a show.

The tools you use also affect the horse’s well-being. A sensitive horse might object to the stiff fibers in your body brush. Rubbing the hair and skin with a metal-toothed currycomb can cause pain and irritate the skin. Clipper blades get hot with continued use in a body-clipping session, and the blades can burn the skin.

Use grooming appliances with care. Stand the horse on a dry surface, and keep an eye on the appliance. Never allow the cord to contact water on the barn floor or be in the way where a wayward metal-shod hoof can cut into the cord.

With any scissors or blade, watch the horse’s movement when you use the instrument. He could spook while you’re scraping off bot eggs, and you could lacerate the skin.

Grooming wraps can cause discomfort and injury. Incorrectly applied, a tail wrap can inhibit circulation and actually cause permanent damage. A mane tamer or hood of stretchy fabric might smooth the mane, but fabric or fasteners can snag on objects in the stall or pen. Close observation is necessary to avoid problems when extra horse “clothing” is being used.

A neck sweat, used in combination with a sweating lotion, “reduces” the neck by creating heat. If you combine the sweat with an attached hair dryer, blowing hot air, you can overheat the horse, cause dehydration, or even give him an electric shock from the appliance. The sweating lotion can run into his eyes and burn. Rinse all lotion off of your horse when you remove the wrap.

Human And Environmental Cautions

Grooming-related accidents usually involve a product. Any of these items can harm you—directly or indirectly. Whenever you groom the horse, position the animal in a restricted area. Tie him so he remains in one place.

The horse can hurt you as he evades a grooming treatment. Train him to accept the noise of clippers and pump spray bottles. Avoid startling him through the static shock of rubbing. If he spooks, he can step on you, or hit you with his head or body.

Watch for dangers in the barn while you’re grooming. Hoses and electrical cords involved in grooming can entangle you or the horse.

Many of these products aren’t “green” (good for the environment). Fly repellents are considered hazardous materials when shipped, and many labels note, “Do not recycle bottle.” Many also are labeled as “Flammable.”

Products can include chlorofluorocarbons, known to attack the ozone layer. However, most brand-name products have become less harmful. Look for biodegradable solutions, which means that microorganisms can break down the prouct into compounds found in nature. A green product contains no phosphates, chlorine bleach, or dyes.

By using products with care, you’ll enjoy admiring your well-groomed horse. His smooth skin, a gleaming coat, and a silky tail will reflect your concern.

Using the Twitch Properly

2009-02-01T20:39:00.001-06:00

Using the Twitch Properly
by: Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB
November 01 2004, Article # 1872

I attended a short course on horse behavior at New Bolton Center where you explained how a twitch works and your recommendations for how to use it most effectively. It seemed to make so much sense why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and especially why horses can get to hate the twitch. Can you describe that in your column in The Horse magazine so I can show my employees and refer friends to their web site? I think it would be helpful if you could show the timeline for the endorphins that are released when the twitch is used. Also, please go over the part about how to fix a horse that is difficult or impossible to twitch. Tara

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for remembering. I looked over my presentation and will try to summarize it. I find it easier to demonstrate using a twitch than to describe in words, but here goes.

How does a twitch work?

The twitch works in three ways; it's important to understand how and when each applies. The figure above right schematically depicts some important features of how the twitch works. This is based on research we did here in the Behavior Lab at New Bolton Center more than 10 years ago. The first way a twitch works is by providing some minor physical restraint. The twitch, whether the pliers type (called a humane twitch) or the rope and pole type (often called a rope or chain twitch because of the loop that is twisted around the fleshy part of the nose), holds the head from moving as much. Some horses can be held in place by a twitch, but any horse that tries can easily break away from the restraint.

Second, the twitch provides some discomfort, especially when first applied. This discomfort, like a skin grasp, usually distracts the horse from minor manipulation or discomfort elsewhere.

And third, after some time in place, the twitch causes release of endorphins. These are chemicals released by the body that are naturally analgesic (pain-killing). So in this manner, the pressure of the twitch on the nose probably works like acupuncture or acupressure to release endorphins. Or just as likely, the endorphins are released because the twitch causes pain, and any time the body experiences pain, endorphins are released. It's nice to think of it as acupressure, but science just doesn't know yet.

So referring again to the figure, when a twitch is first applied, it is providing only the minor physical restraint and the mildly painful distraction. These two aspects will work for some horses for some procedures. You often see the handler rush to get a twitch on just before the procedure is about to begin, then rush through the procedure, then get the twitch off as quickly as possible. If it is on for only a minute or two, all that the horse has experienced, and all that it will remember about the twitch, is that it was mildly painful. It varies among horses, but the endorphins are not released until about three to five minutes of having the twitch in place. So the horse that gets a quick on-and-off use of the twitch never gets a chance to feel the "high" and pain relief of the endorphins.

For many horses, there is a struggle during uncomfortable procedures, and they end up slipping off the twitch, again and again. In such cases, as the struggle continues during the session, handlers understandably become frustrated and each repeated application of the twitch tends to be quicker and rougher. These horses have the experience that teaches them to escape and avoid the twitch. "I feel pain at my nose and elsewhere (wherever the procedure is being done), I struggle, the pain in my nose goes away, and they stop hurting me."

So one way to think of the full effectiveness of the twitch is that, like a tranquilizer or pain medication, it takes some time to work. And waiting for the natural analgesia to work, and finishing up while it is still working, is perhaps the most important concept in effective use. I remind vets that they wouldn't think of injecting an analgesic or tranquilizer and trying to complete the procedure within the first minute. Rather, they would wait for the drug to take effect. They would not continue with an uncomfortable procedure after the medication had worn off. The twitch is the same.

Do...

Approach and apply the twitch in a calm, confident, non-confrontational manner;
Apply the twitch in an efficient, unhurried manner;
Maintain appropriate tension--not too tight, not too loose; and
Monitor response/respect limits of analgesia. Don't start a procedure until you see signs of analgesia (such as the horse beginning to hang its head or become listless), and stop and remove the twitch while they are still present. Stopping while signs of effectiveness are still present will avoid leaving the horse with a bad memory of the twitch.
Don't...

Employ rough handling and demeanor;
Add punishment (shouting, rough handling, extreme pain) during twitch application;
Lead by the twitch, which can be especially uncomfortable for the horse; and
Contact teeth and gums with the twitch; this can be especially and unnecessarily painful.
For the wooden-handled models with a loop, a rope is most always better than a chain. The chain is preferred by some because it gets a bite and is less likely to slip, but it can very easily damage the tissues.

Other Tips

It is helpful to practice the twitch with your horse before it is really needed, so that you can take your time and get to know your horse's individual pattern of twitch response before there is an emergency. How tight is just tight enough for this horse? How long does this horse take to become drowsy from the twitch? How long does that analgesia last? You can share this with your veterinarian.

If the procedure is almost done, and you think your horse is about to lose it, you can stop while the twitch is still having some positive effect and take a short break. For most horses, only a few minutes off the twitch restores their ability to have another fairly good rise in endorphins when the twitch is re-applied.

Rehabilitating an Escaper

Set aside a special time for re-training when you're not going to do a procedure. Just start over and go slowly, step-by-step. Reinforce increments of compliance with a food treat, massage of a favorite spot, or whatever makes your horse happy. Once it is applied, try to keep it on long enough for endorphins to be released. Be sure to follow the recommendations for gaining and maintaining compliance listed above.

If a horse has learned to slip the twitch, try to break that avoidance cycle. This requires some skill with the twitch, so you might need to see a behavior specialist at least at first. Remember, the horse has been taught by us to hate the twitch and has been reinforced for escaping it; don't attribute undesirable complex motives to him.