‘My horse is my therapist.’ Though you may have said this in jest, it turns out to be no joke. Horses are used, increasingly, to facilitate psychotherapy.

A troubled youth steps into the pasture to meet a therapist, a horse specialist, and his equine partner. The teen has gotten in trouble with school, and he’s been sent to therapy for anger management. But here in the pasture—far away from the clinical office—he’s just a kid with a horse, forging a bond and learning to deal with his emotions as the horse responds in kind.

This is equine-facilitated psychotherapy, and while the method is unique, the results are decidedly positive in cases that involve mental issues. It can be used for psycho-social and mental-health needs that include anxiety, psychotic, and mood disorders; behavioral difficulties; mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and major life changes that include environmental changes, divorce, grief, and loss.

Although the horse’s value in physical therapy has long been acknowledged (see “Horse Therapy History,” page 2), the psychotherapy branch is relatively new. We’ll introduce you to it with explanations and insights from practicing therapists and counselors.

Equine Responses Hold the Key
The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH International, which also incorporates the group formerly known as NARHA) defines equine-facilitated psychotherapy as “an interactive process in which a licensed mental-health professional working with or as an appropriately credentialed equine professional, partners with suitable equine(s) to address psychotherapy goals set forth by the mental-health professional and the client.”

“Horses sense what’s going on underneath the surface with people,” says Jody Enget, PATH International’s president of the board of directors and executive director at Pikes Peak Therapeutic Riding Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “Someone might seem to be functioning on the outside, but if he or she has problems running deeper, the horse can unveil them.”

How so?

Enget explains that the act of working with a horse and walking around a therapy center releases energy, encouraging clients to open up to their treatment. When a client needs to learn about empathy and anger management, a horse’s physical responses can be a powerful motivator.

“People always say horses have unconditional love,” Enget remarks. “I disagree—they’re a fight-or-flight animal. If someone were working with an at-risk kid and said, ‘You have anger issues,’ the kid might not take any advice. But a horse will sense that client’s anger and shy away. The kid will see that and say, ‘What can I do, I don’t want to hurt the horse.’ This teaches a lesson about empathy and the effect anger can have.”

Programs designed for military veterans recovering from post traumatic stress disorder are seeing excellent results by incorporating equine therapy. Horses for Heroes is one such program.

Equine Therapists at Work
While an equine-facilitated psychotherapy session may vary, most include a certified therapist, a therapy horse, a horse specialist to monitor safety and the horse’s behavior, and the client.

Pikes Peak Therapeutic Riding Center, the oldest, largest, and only accredited PATH premier center in Colorado, provides therapeutic riding and hippotherapy (see “Equine Therapy Defined,” page 2). In 2008, the center implemented a Horses for Heroes program to provide equine-assisted therapy for local military.

Clients learn basic horse care and horsemanship skills while engaging in situations that encourage discussion about the problems they face. Enget says the center most often treats troubled at-risk youth and military veterans coping with PTSD.

“We’re teaching people the relationship skills needed to work with a horse,” Enget explains. “And those skills easily relate to their difficulty relating to people in their lives. You really just teach the clients horsemanship skills, and the issues will start to emerge.”

Rocky Top Therapy Center in Keller, Texas, has provided therapeutic riding and hippotherapy to clients for more than 20 years. The center has aided school-age children through a program called Right Trail since 2001. In 2010, the center received a government grant to create a branch of the Horses for Heroes program that cares for military personnel and veterans. Rocky Top’s executive director, Mike Hogg, says the program encompasses therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, and equine-facilitated psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families of members of the military.

“It doesn’t take long after meeting for the counselees to bond with their horse partners,” Hogg says. “That helps the counselee relax and start talking about what his or her real problems are. The horse facilitates getting down into the areas where the hurt resides, and that’s where the counselor can help the client to start piecing things back together and get that person to where he or she is living a higher quality of life.”

A therapeutic riding session at Rocky Top Therapy Center typically takes place in one of the facility’s pastures, and the sessions focus on groundwork.

“It’s quiet in the pasture, the client is out there with the horse, and it makes for a conducive environment for counseling,” Hogg says. “People feel very relaxed out there and are more likely to share what’s disturbing them.”

Hogg says the center treats clients suffering from depression, schizophrenia, and other disorders. The program doesn’t include medication, but the counseling that’s included as part of its overall treatment often has excellent results.

“People come here because it’s different,” Hogg says. “I had one colonel tell me all he knows is when he sends his people out here, they come back better.”

Not reading the labels your horse’s grooming products. Whether dilute in water before application or use gloves. Read the label and directions; it might save you hours of working up a lather … with conditioner. It takes longer to wash it all off then it did to lather.
Brooke Anderson, Texas

The biggest mistake I ever made was getting so caught up in moving up the levels and training that I forgot why I did it anyways. I lost that feeling you get when you accomplish something and the moment you cross the finish line after a clean cross-country and you feel as if you are walking in the clouds. Don’t ever lose that relationship with your horse where you are simply inspired by riding them and the partnership you have built. Because at the end of it all, whether you win or lose, you have a best friend for life who will try their heart out for you. ENJOY THE MOMENT!
Bobby Ann Christensen, via Facebook

Trusting someone else to feed my horses.
Elizabeth Brix, via Facebook

An acquaintance fed her horse’s hay on sand = sand colic.
Sally Weaver Lampson, via Facebook

Leaving my horses in someone else’s care and they ended up starving him... needless to say I care for my horses now and they never miss a meal.
Cayln Elliott, via Facebook

Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
Natasha DeFeudis, via Facebook

Not having enough patience. It is easy to get frustrated on a bad day with your horse, but anger and violence never work with horses and never will. Its important to learn how to step back when you start to get angry and re-evaluate the situation and try to find a positive way to get your point across.
Maria Strong-Zupan, via Facebook

Never let anyone ride your horse! No matter how experienced they say they are!
Cheryle Klein, via Facebook

Not trusting my gut as to what was right for my horse. I am his voice, and I must speak up for him.
Trish Muskus, Florida

Having a “trainer” tell me how to ride/ fix problems on my horse when she was too afraid and inexperienced to ride her own horse. Once I saw her in action at her barn, I began to realize she had no idea what she was doing.
Dee Kellner, via Facebook

From a trainer’s point of view, I have learned to take boarders that trust in me that I have their horses and their own best interest at heart, listen to what my team (vet, farrier) says and take a consultation lesson with me before they make the move. Not everyone “meshes” and it’s a big decision.
Tulip Pond Farm, via Facebook

My biggest mistake was using a General Large Animal Veterinary Practice. Although the primary veterinarian was a well-respected horseman, his partner was not. A dog ran into the arena and started chasing my colt. He broke free and jumped out of the arena and slammed into the barn wall! He took a couple of seconds to get up. My least favorite vet that showed up. At the time I thought we did proper treatment. We did take x-rays, but he did not recommend splinting. Later he called and told me that the x-rays where okay. I did ask him to get his partner to look at them, but I didn’t hear anything. By Saturday night I was greatly concerned and I called in an Equine Specialist. Repeat digital X-rays did show a fracture! With his age, there was a decent chance with surgery. But this colt had heavy halter breeding, so his weight at that time was a concern (over 650 pounds). After a stiff splint was applied we drove him the 2 hours to the recommended University, but too much damage had been done and they we not able to approximate the fracture. Hard lesson learned, I should have immediately called the Equine Specialist when the Cow Vet showed up! To this day I only use Equine Vets and refuse to allow any vet I don’t trust on my property.
Jan Makens, via Facebook

My biggest mistake was not knowing the signs of Cushing’s disease. Neither the vet nor farrier caught the signs of foot trouble and thyroid issues (although they were separate from the Cushings). He went probably more than a year untreated. If I had known the symptoms, I would have gotten him tested. His last four years were very expensive, but I learned so much about him and diseases and ailments that I wouldn’t have given it up. He ended up passing (via euthanasia) last March because his arthritis had gotten too painful after three months of quarantine due to Strangles... But that’s another lesson.
Gina Hoeft, via Facebook

Pay the veterinarian. Other opinions are just that.
Kevin Cottrell, via Facebook

My biggest mistake in horse care when I was starting out was not finding a great coach to show me the way. If you work with the wrong people and don’t ask questions, you do yourself and all your horses a big disservice. Safety is overlooked, nutrition can be overlooked and bad habits are developed. My advice is to find a great coach or mentor who is certified or highly qualified to show you the ropes, so you don’t miss out on the right experiences.
Claire Ziff, Alberta

Read more answers to this question in the June 2013 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

With nutrients to optimize digestive balance, EQ8^TM Gut Health features live probiotics to enhance the functionality of the hindgut and provide an extra barrier of protection for the intestinal wall. Through the use of BioFuze^TM technology, specific only to Buckeye® Nutrition, live probiotics are evenly distributed in the feed and remain protected to become beneficially active in the horse’s digestive system.

“The BioFuze^TM technology that we use to add probiotics to EQ8^TM Gut Health is something that separates us from other companies,” said Amber Moffett, manager of research and development, Mars Horsecare US Inc. “We are the only ones that have the ability to add live probiotics.”
Buckeye® Nutrition’s system of utilizing the BioFuze^TM technology allows for the probiotics to be uniquely applied to the extruded particle. Because probiotics are heat sensitive, the BioFuze^TM technology ensures the viability of beneficial bacteria when it reaches the small intestine.

“We all know how critical digestion is for the performance of a horse, whether athletic or reproductive,” said Moffett. “The beauty of EQ8^TM Gut Health is that it has live probiotics as well as high fiber, high fat and digestible starch sources that allow the horse to eat smaller meals. This is the trifecta of a well-balanced diet for horses.”

EQ8^TM Gut Health utilizes cooked grains to ensure optimal starch digestion in the foregut. With the risk of excess starch reaching the large intestine minimized, the feed also minimizes any digestive imbalances that could lead to health issues such as loss of appetite, poor performance or recurrent colic. The feed is also scientifically formulated to support proper stall behavior and reduce excitability in the horse, whether in the show ring or out to pasture.

“If a horse doesn’t have a healthy digestive system, then they are not able to utilize the nutrients that we give them,” said Moffett.

Horse owners like EQ8^TM Gut Health because it helps their horses to feel better, look better and perform better. Allison Springer, 2012 Olympic Qualifier and Rolex Reserve Champion, feeds EQ8TM Gut Health to her horse, Arthur. As an Irish Sport Horse, a breed of horse known for its challenges in regulating its body weight, Arthur maintains his weight regularly and is able to perform.

“Since I started feeding EQ8^TM Gut Health, I have noticed significant improvement in Arthur’s health and overall attitude,” said Springer. “I know his digestive health had so much to do with our great season.”

Buckeye® Nutrition, with more than 100 years of developing equine nutrition products, takes feed safety seriously, implementing many programs mandated in human food manufacturing facilities. For more information about Buckeye® Nutrition, visit www.BuckeyeNutrition.com or call the Buckeye® Nutrition Care Line at (800) 898-9467.

Is your trail horse cinchy? That is, does he act up when you saddle him, even before you reach for the cinch or girth? (Generally the term “cinch” is used for a Western saddle and the term “girth” is used for an English one; these terms can be used interchangeably when discussing this behavioral issue.)

Signs of a cinchy horse include tensing, head raising/bobbing, ear-pinning, pulling back, threatening to bite, and kicking at the cinch or girth. Such behavior is not only annoying, but also can post safety risks to both you and your horse. Sometimes, a horse is fine in one area, such as at a trailer, but acts up in or around his stall.

Here, I’ll first explain where cinchiness comes from. Then I’ll tell you how to deal with it.

A ‘Fear Memory’
In my opinion, cinchiness is a problem created by humans, and horses are just expressing their emotional discomfort. Having started hundreds of colts in my career, I know that a certain number of them will have a strong negative reaction to the girth the very first time it’s tightened.

Whether this reaction is caused by pain or panic, it’s a real emotion on the part of the horse. On the first saddling, if the horse is girthed up abruptly and tightly, the pain or panic he feels is very traumatic and is permanently logged in the horse’s brain as a “fear memory.”

Research has shown that once a fear memory has been logged in a horse’s brain, it’ll always be there. Since you can’t erase the fear memory, the only option is to override the reaction it causes by using training or replacement behavior.

Horses become cinchy because humans are insensitive to the amount of pressure they put on him, either the first time he’s saddled or in subsequent saddlings. Whether or not the horse actually feels pain or discomfort we don’t really know, but certainly cinchy horses develop resentment about the action of girthing.

Replacement training is a method to replace one behavior or emotion with another. In this instance, you can replace your horse’s resentment with positive associations by rewarding the appropriate behavior (relaxed acceptance of girth pressure). Just make sure that you reward only the correct behavior.

The “Blow Up” Myth
Contrary to popular belief, horses don’t “blow up” so that the girth isn’t tight. First of all, the girth goes across a ring of bone, which a horse can’t really expand. Secondly, horses don’t have the ability to take an action now that leads to a

different outcome in the future.

Rather, a gradual loosening of the girth may be caused by compression of the saddle, pad and your horse’s haircoat, and muscle contraction as your horse works.

Horses that have been gut-wrenched (suffered a sudden tightening of the girth) will learn to flinch at any girth tightening; this is often mistaken for “blowing up.” If every time I walked up to you, I punched you in the stomach, you’d soon learn to flinch at my approach.

Step-by-Step Technique
To teach your horse to accept the cinch, it’s helpful to use the same desensitization techniques as you would for a first saddling. To follow each step, click on the numbers below.

“In my opinion, cinchiness is a problem created by humans, and horses are just expressing their emotional discomfort,” says Julie Goodnight.

Photo by Heidi Melocco

Step 1. Put safety first. Never tie your horse while you girth him up, or he could develop a dangerous pull-back problem. Position yourself in such a way that you won’t get hurt should he decide to bite or kick. Keep your left elbow out or even a stick or a crop so that if the horse swings his head around to bite, he hits his face against a hard solid object as a deterrent.

Step 2. Start slow. Saddle your horse, but leave the girth loose. Massage the girth area, and watch for any negative reaction. If he’s not bothered by the girth massage, then pull the girth up around body. Pull it tight, then release it. Repeat this step over and over, increasing the pressure each time.

Gradually, start pulling down on the saddle at the same time you pull up on the girth, always with a release in between.

If your horse shows a negative response to pressure at the girth area (tensing, raising head, pinning ears), slow down, and stay at that stage until he’s ready to move forward.

Step 3. Advance and retreat. As you progress through these steps, use my “advance and retreat” method. That is, advance only as far as you can until your horse tenses, then hold that ground until he relaxes and accepts the pressure.

The instant your horse relaxes, retreat (momentarily release the pressure or walk away from him) as a reward. (For more on my “advance and retreat” method, click here.)

Give your horse as much time as he needs to become desensitized to the girth before you fully saddle him.

Step 4. Fasten the girth. If your horse has come this far with no adverse reaction, actually fasten the girth. At this point, the girth should be just tight enough to hold the saddle in place (it’s extremely critical at this stage that the saddle doesn’t slip under his belly), but not so tight that it’ll cause him discomfort. At first, just snug the girth up just enough to safely hold the saddle in place.

Step 5. Walk him forward. Now, desensitize your horse to the feel of the tightened saddle and girth while he’s moving. While leading him, move him one step at a time. After each step, stop and praise him, and allow him to relax and accept the new stimulus. Gradually work toward your horse moving in a relaxed, steady manner.

Step 6. Slow down. Cinch minimally at first, and then gradually tighten the cinch as you get ready to ride. Lead your horse around between tightenings so he can get accustomed to the tightness. As you finish tacking and getting ready to ride, tighten the girth gradually, going up a notch every few minutes, allowing him to relax and accept the new level of pressure for a few minutes.

Before you step up into the saddle, make sure the girth is adequately tight so that the saddle doesn’t slip when mounting. Warm up your horse, and tighten the girth again.

Step 7. Avoid a too-tight girth. Of course, you don’t want your girth to be so loose that it doesn’t hold your saddle safely in place. However, a too-tight girth can compromise safety by leading to behavior problems, such as bucking and balking. It can also lead to more cinchiness issues.

Tighten the girth enough to keep the saddle centered during mounting and dismounting; this degree of tightness will vary with the individual horse.

For instance, a horse with prominent and well-defined withers won’t need a girth as tight as a horse with low withers and a very round shape.

Tightness Check

To check for tightness, don’t slip your fingers in generic viagra online the girth just below the saddle, as is commonly done. Most horses are concave in this area, so the girth may always feel loose here.

Instead, place your fingers under the back of the cinch at your horse’s sternum, right between his legs. This is an area where the girth crosses bone, and you’ll get a much more accurate feel for how tight the girth truly is.

Julie Goodnight (www.juliegoodnight.com) is a top horse trainer, clinician, and riding coach. She shares her easy-to-understand lessons on her weekly RFD-TV show, Horse Master (www.horsemaster.juliegoodnight.com), and through appearances at clinics and horse expos held throughout the United States.

Colic is the number-one killer of horses. Knowing exactly what to do from the moment you first notice colicky behavior can speed your horse’s recovery and spare you a lot of anxiety.

Colic isn’t a specific diagnosis; it’s an umbrella term for abdominal pain. Such pain has many causes, including gas in the digestive tract; obstructions and feed impactions; bowel twists; strangulating tumors; ruptures; and even nervous, cardiopulmonary, or musculoskeletal issues elsewhere in the body.

We talked to Julie Dechant, DVM, MS, DACVS, of the Equine Surgical Emergency and Critical Service at the School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis, to find out how best to handle a colic emergency. Here’s what she had to say:

DO call your veterinarian immediately if you notice symptoms such as restlessness, sweating, groaning, looking at the belly, pawing or stamping the ground, or lying down and attempting to roll. Delays in treatment can reduce your horse’s chances for survival or prolong his recovery—plus wind up costing you more than it otherwise would have with prompt advice and treatment.

DO be prepared to answer your vet’s questions. Jot down observations of your horse’s condition. Does his pain seem severe and unrelenting, or mild and intermittent? At what time did he last seem normal? Did you witness the onset of colicky behavior, and if so, when did it begin? If possible, examine recent manure piles and note the amount and consistency. If it’s safe to do so (more on safety in a moment), assess your horse’s vital signs: temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, mucous membrane color, capillary refill time (see Web icon for how-to help). Write down any instructions your vet gives you, then keep a running notation of any changes in your horse’s condition.

DON’T attempt to medicate on your own. Many medications (such as bute or Banamine) can alter the clinical signs your vet needs to accurately assess your horse’s underlying problem.

DO (if possible) move your horse to a safe place, such as a well-bedded stall or small paddock. Pain may make him thrash about, and you don’t want him to injure himself. At the same time, put your own and any helpers’ safety first, as a colicky horse can inadvertently injure those trying to assist him. In the worst-case scenario, you may need to wait for your vet to arrive to deal with the pain before you handle your horse.

DON'T allow your horse to eat. Whether or not to give water is controversial, as some causes of colic may be aggravated by continued drinking. Your best course is to give him small amounts of water—say, three swallows every five minutes or so; this will help many types of colic while minimizing the risk of causing harm.

DON'T walk your horse to exhaustion. If he’s persistently trying to roll, yet is safe to handle, walking him for 10 minutes at a time may provide a useful distraction from the discomfort. But constant walking for prolonged periods can exhaust an already sick horse. If he’s lying quietly, it’s fine to let him rest.

DO keep your vet apprised of any changes in your horse's condition.

When Your Vet Arrives...

...he or she will review your horse’s medical history and the progression and duration of colic signs, then conduct a general physical examination. Your vet may also:

• Insert a nasogastric tube (stomach tube) to decompress your horse’s stomach and possibly administer oral fluids and mineral oil.
• Perform a rectal examination to feel for blockages.
• Perform an abdominocentesis (tapping of abdominal fluid) to check for abnormalities.
• Collect blood samples for further testing.

If your horse must go to a hospital setting, he may undergo abdominal ultrasound, abdominal radiographs, and gastroscopy (scoping of the stomach), as his condition is further investigated.

Being Prepared
To save time and anxiety in the event your horse ever does experience colic, do these things in advance:

• Determine what’s normal for your horse, including his vital signs and his regular habits. The latter includes how he eats, how often he likes to lie down, whether he’s prone to pawing, what his manure piles look like and how often he produces them.
• Post the phone number of your regular vet (and a back-up) in a prominent place in your barn and home, and/or program them into your cell phone.
• If you don’t own a truck and trailer, plan how you’d transport your horse in the event he needs to go to an equine hospital. Know where such a facility is, and how to get there.
• Think over the decisions you might be faced with in a colic emergency, such as the expense of surgery. Do you have financial or practical considerations that would affect that decision-making? It’s easier to consider such things when you’re not in a stressful, red-alert situation.

Need help finding your favorite H&R article from 2012? This complete list of 2012 articles should help.

Al Dunning’s How’s My Riding?
"Sitting Pretty,” Practice Pen, Jan., pg. 32
“Hard-Working Pair,” Practice Pen, Feb., pg. 32
“Trail-Course Prep,” Practice Pen, March, pg. 32
“Al Says, ‘Relax’” Practice Pen, May, pg. 46
“Small-Fry Horsemanship,” Practice Pen, June, pg. 28
“Rail Work,” Practice Pen, July, pg. 38
“Fence Work,” Practice Pen, Sept., pg. 40
“Reining Prep,” Practice Pen, Oct., pg. 40
“Schooling Session,” Practice Pen, Nov., pg. 34
"Sit Up in the Saddle," Practice Pen, Dec., pg. 34

Barns, Property Maintenance
“Melt Ice Safely,” Your Horse, Your Life, Jan., pg. 18
Stable Gear: “Stall Fronts,” Jan., pg. 64
“Savvy Storage,” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 20
“Spring-Clean Your Barn,” Your Horse, Your Life, March, pg. 20
“Messy Job Made Easy,” Your Horse, Your Life, March, pg. 20
Special Advertising Section: “Barn & Ranch Makeover,” March, pg. 57
Stable Gear: “Barn Carts and Caddies,” April, pg. 78
“Nip It in the Mud,” May, pg. 80
“How to Handle a Hay Shortage,” June, pg. 56
“Three-Pronged Fly Control,” Your Horse, Your Life, June, pg. 30
“Small Size, Big Benefits,” Your Horse, Your Life, June, pg. 28
“Tack Theft—Now What?” July, pg. 68
Stable Gear: “Barn Fly Control,” July, pg. 78
“Winter-Prep Steps to Take Now,” Your Horse, Your Life, Sept., pg. 26
“Easier Hay Soaking,” Your Horse, Your Life, Oct., pg. 24
Stable Gear: “Winter Water Options,” Oct., pg. 70
“While You Wait,” Your Horse, Your Life, Nov., pg. 20

Behavior
“Sore Back; Foal Eats Manure,” Whole Horse Q&A, March, pg. 14
“Hematoma; Saddling Woes,” Whole Horse Q&A, April, pg. 14
“Rearing to Go—In A Bad Way,” Problem Solvers, June, pg. 88
“Club Foot; Sometimes Spooky,” Whole Horse Q&A, July, pg. 20
“Trailering Fears; Bowed Tendon,” Whole Horse Q&A, Aug., pg. 12
“Pasture Predator?” Your Horse, Your Life, Aug., pg. 19
“Clinician On Call,” Aug., pg. 43
“Keeping Kelly,” Aug., pg. 62
“Trailering Fears; Bowed Tendon,” Whole Horse Q&A, Aug., pg. 12
“Popped Splint; Trail Fears,” Whole Horse Q&A, Sept., pg. 14
“Barn Sour; Shoe Boil,” Whole Horse Q&A, Oct., pg. 15
“Eye Discharge; Pulling Back,” Whole Horse Q&A, Nov., pg. 12

Bob Avila’s Winning Insights
“Breeding Time Machine,” Practice Pen, Jan., pg. 30
“How Not to Lose,” Practice Pen, Feb., pg. 30
“Don’t Skip the Basics,” Practice Pen, March, pg. 30
“Tire Kickers,” Practice Pen, April, pg. 33
“Industry Update,” Practice Pen, May, pg. 38
“Horse Divorce,” Practice Pen, June, pg. 45
“What You Need to Succeed,” Practice Pen, July, pg. 36
“Know When to Quit,” Practice Pen, Aug., pg. 32
“Neck-Reining: Part 1: Introduce the Concept,” Practice Pen, Sept., pg. 34
“Neck-Reining: Part 2: Introduce the Curb Bit,” Practice Pen, Oct., pg. 32
“Neck-Reining: Part 3: The Romal Advantage,” Practice Pen, Nov., pg. 28
"Rules of Engagement," Practice Pen, Dec. pg. 26

Breed, Show Associations
“Did You Know? Surprising Facts About 10 Breeds,” Jan., pg. 50
“Once More, for the Memories,” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 18
“New National AQHA Championship for YOU!” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 18
“Important USEF Drug-Rule Changes,” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 18
Gallop Poll: “If Wishes Were Reiners,” Your Horse, Your Life, Feb., pg. 18
Have You Tried: “Entry-Level Reining,” Practice Pen, Feb., pg. 38
“New Show Options for All Breeds,” Your Horse, Your Life, March, pg. 18
“Happy Birthday, APHA!” Your Horse, Your Life, April, pg. 18
“PtHA, AQHA Innovations,” Your Horse, Your Life, May, pg. 20
“Inudstry Update,” Practice Pen, May, pg. 38
Have You Tried: “Saddle-Log Programs,” Practice Pen, May, pg. 48
“Save Big at AQHA Novice Championships,” Your Horse, Your Life, pg. 24
“Painted ‘n Pretty,” Your Horse, Your Life, pg. 24
“Genetic Test for Appaloosas Now Available,” Your Horse, Your Life, June, pg. 26
“Arabians Slide to Paychecks,” Your Horse, Your Life, July, pg. 24
“AQHA Video Delux,” Your Horse, Your Life, Sept., pg. 20
“Find a Trainer, Help a Youth,” Your Horse, Your Life, Sept., pg. 20
“Philanthropy at Pinto World,” Your Horse, Your Life, Oct., pg. 22
“Numbers Up at Quarter Horse Shows,” Your Horse, Your Life, Nov., pg. 18
“ACTHA Rides Benefit Service Members,” Your Horse, Your Life, Nov., pg. 18
"Not Too Common: Grullas," Your Horse, Your Life, Dec., pg. 16

Have you ever wished that you could cut your horse-care costs in half? Or maybe dreamed that your horse could be exercised more times throughout the week? There’s a way to achieve both those goals and retain ownership of your horse. It’s called the “half lease.”

In this type of agreement, the owner of the horse—or lessor—splits the horse’s care expenses and riding time with a lessee. It can be a beneficial way to save money on board, feed, vet bills, etc., and it can be great for your horse if your own saddle time is limited. With respect to the lessee, a half lease can act as a steppingstone into horse ownership.

However, it’s not an agreement that should be taken lightly. In fact, it’s a deal that should be in writing—every time.

“I receive numerous calls every week from people who’re involved in disputes over arrangements, such as leases and half leases. Yet nothing is in writing,” says Julie Fershtman, attorney at law and equine law specialist. “Without a written contract that clarifies the arrangement between the parties, resolving these types of disputes is never easy, quick, or cheap,” she notes.

So what should the contract include? That’s where we, and Julie, come in. tapping her expertise, we’ll share four hypothetical scenarios to show the importance of certain contract provisions. We’ll also go over all the bullet points every contract should include, should you decide to write your own. (Note: This list will also be helpful if you have an attorney draft it.)

If you decide to half lease your horse, we hope this article will help protect you—and your lessee—in the event of an incident.

Scenario #1
Mary is half leasing Bandit, her 15-year-old Quarter horse gelding, to her friend Kevin. During one of Kevin and Bandit’s rides, the horse spooks at the delivery truck driving past the arena. The quick movement unseats Kevin, and he falls off, breaking his arm. Kevin then decides to sue Mary for the cost of medical expenses.

In this case, Mary could’ve attempted to avoid a costly lawsuit, and more, by using a carefully worded release of liability.

This is one of the most important factors for the horse owner to consider, and Julie stresses that “homemade” releases are more likely to fail in court than those drafted by attorneys.

“Because their horses are used in a half lease, the owners accept a degree of risk that someone might be injured by that animal,” says Julie. “I wish more people were aware of this risk. To me, the risk of liability is far more significant than the risk of injury to the animal. I don’t mean to diminish the value of the horse, but when a person is killed or seriously injured, it could be millions of dollars in liability. If the animal is injured, that number is far less.”

Keep a couple of important factors in mind with the release of liability.

First, most states will enforce a properly worded release of liability, so make sure that your state does (more on that later), and make sure your document meets state law requirements, as they all differ.

“It’s important to remember that people who sign releases can and do sometimes sue. The release might cause a dismissal of the case, but not always,” says Julie.

Second, don’t assume that a release will be effective for a minor who’s injured. A release signed by someone under 18 isn’t valid. Even if the parents sign for the child, there could be some issues. Some states won’t enforce it and some will.

“A lessor who’s uninformed accepts a tremendous liability risk in that situation,” Julie warns.

To find out about which agreements your state allows and will enforce, it’s best to speak with an attorney.

Another action you can take as the lessor, suggests Julie, is to purchase an appropriate liability policy, such as a personal horse owner’s liability insurance policy. However, the insurer should be notified that the horse is subject to a lease arrangement.

With this type of insurance, she adds, the policy is designed to protect you if someone were bitten, kicked, struck, or thrown by the horse, and, at the very least, provides a legal defense.

Scenario #2
Kara is half leasing Jazzie, a 10-year-old Appaloosa mare, from her trainer. She and Jazzie get along great, and the arrangement is working well. A month into the half lease, Kara receives an unexpected bill from her trainer for half the cost of Jazzie’s hock injections and two chiropractic appointments. Though Kara agreed to pay half of Jazzie’s board and vet bills in her contract, she had no idea the mare was on such an expensive regimen.

There are two things Kara could’ve done to avoid the surprise bill. First, she should’ve done her homework and talked extensively with her trainer about Jazzie’s care and upkeep and all of her veterinary expenses.

“The lessee needs to be very comfortable with the horse that will be half leased. If willing to enter an agreement, the lessee should do his or her homework and understand the history of that particular horse—any quirks or propensities and special care needs,” says Julie.

Second, this particular issue could’ve been addressed in Kara’s contract. Along with the provision of all the fees the lessee is responsible for, the trainer could’ve listed all of the extra care Jazzie receives on a regular basis. (These can be as little as extra supplements in the mare’s diet to more costly chiropractic, equine dental, massage, acupuncture treatments, etc.)

Or, Kara could’ve insisted that the contract cap her expenses to a certain limit. Another option to cover this in the contract would be to set an approximated flat fee per month, rather than half the expenses.

Chip Cook knew something was wrong the moment he looked out his kitchen window. Star, his wife’s 20-something Thoroughbred mare, was lying very still in a large mud puddle in the pasture.

“Her legs were stuck out stiff and parallel to the ground,” Cook says. “Honestly, I thought she was dead, and as I walked out there I was thinking of the best way to break the news to my wife.”

When Cook reached the mare, however, he found she was alive, but exhausted. “The mud puddle is about 10 feet around and about two feet deep,” he says. “It’s been there for years, and the horses regularly lie down in it to cool off or get a good layer of dirt on to protect themselves from bugs.”

This time, apparently, Star had gotten down into the mud but was unable to get up. “She has arthritis, so her mobility is limited, and we’d just gotten a rain so the sides of the puddle were very slick,” Cook says. “I could see that she had been thrashing, trying to get up, but she’d pretty much given up by the time I got there.”

Cook, a firefighter and part-time farrier, had stopped at home between shoeing appointments last summer just to grab a quick lunch and get a respite from the heat wave that was gripping the Suffolk, Virginia, area. But now he faced a major change of plans.

He encouraged Star to try to get up again, but it was clear she could not, so he ran back into the house and got on the phone: “My first call was the veterinarian, then my wife and finally a few firefighter and horse-minded friends I hoped could come over and help us figure out what to do.”

As part of his firefighter training, Cook had taken a Large Animal Technical Rescue course, and although he’d never had to participate in a rescue, regular reviews of the material had kept it fresh in his mind. He was standing out in the mud puddle considering the options for a rescue strategy when the help began arriving, including Tiffany Omler, DVM, of Coastal Equine Veterinary Service.

Stable, but stuck
“I really didn’t know what to expect when I headed over,” says Omler. “Sometimes, if an older horse has been down for a long time, things can be pretty bad. They can be dehydrated and even in shock.”

Even if a horse is not physically injured, the fear and stress of being trapped can cause circulatory shock, a failure of the cardiovascular system that leads to many potential complications as the organs and tissues are deprived of oxygen. Once shock begins, it can trigger a cascade of events that can quickly lead to death.

Exactly how long Star had been down wasn’t known, but it could have been anywhere up to the seven and a half hours since she’d been seen at breakfast, at 6 that morning.

Omler waded cautiously into the puddle to check Star’s vital signs and do a physical exam as best as she could. Fortunately, she found no signs of shock: “Her heart and respiratory rates were normal and her gums were a healthy pink color.” Feeling the mare’s legs, Omler also found no obvious injuries or fractures, nor did she see any evidence of colic-like pain or muscle cramping, which could indicate tying up.

Star’s good physical condition, says Omler, was probably due in part to where she was stuck: “It was an extremely hot and humid day, but she was in a puddle of water. I’m pretty sure that is what kept her from dangerously overheating.”

Another stroke of luck lay in the position of Star’s head: “She was too exhausted to even hold her head up, but fortunately, it was resting on the edge of the puddle,” says Omler. “Had she been positioned differently, her nose could have ended up in an area deep enough for her to drown.”

Although Star wasn’t in a physiological crisis, Omler decided some medication might still be helpful. “With her arthritis, an anti-inflammatory like bute made sense to keep any pain or stiffness under control,” she says. “I also gave her the corticosteroid dexamethasone, which can be very helpful in cases like this where the entire body is stressed. If she had been dehydrated, we would have needed to give her fluids first, but that wasn’t necessary.” Once Star’s medical needs had been tended to, the focus turned toward how to get her out of the puddle. Omler suggested first rolling the mare onto her other side. “A lot of times when horses are down on one side for a while, simply flipping them over works,” she says. “I think they just exhaust a certain set of muscles and rolling them provides a fresh start, so to speak.”

Working carefully, Cook and his friends attached ropes to the mare’s legs and gently pulled her over. The group stood back and anxiously watched what Star would do, but she only lay still, making no attempt to rise. “She was pretty well done trying,” says Omler. “If anything we may have made the situation worse, because her legs were now pointed toward a steeper side of the puddle.”

Plan B was to physically pull Star from the puddle. “Pulling a horse can be very dangerous for the horse and the human,” says Omler. “It’s not something just anyone can attempt. You have to have proper training and equipment. Thankfully, this entire group had it.”

Cook retrieved rescue gear from his truck, and carefully they threaded the heavy-duty straps around Star’s barrel and between her front legs so the mare could be pulled straight forward. “You can’t pull horses by the tail or the legs or the neck,” says Cook. “The only safe way to do it is to pull them by the body.”

A group of firefighters and horsemen lined up along the rope and, at the count of three, pulled together. The recent rain, however, had made the ground around the puddle slippery, and they could get no traction. “It quickly became clear that we weren’t going to be able to do it,” says Cook.

The wet conditions also ruled out the use of Cook’s truck to pull the mare out. “It was just too soft to get the truck close enough to her,” says Cook. “A tractor could have done it, but we don’t have one.” The group pondered the situation for several minutes, trying to think of any other means they might have to pull Star from the mud. Then Omler had an idea: “What about Ed?”

A mighty pull
Ed is the 15-year-old Belgian who shares Star’s pasture. Throughout the commotion, he had been keeping his distance and grazing, “pretty much uninterested in what was going on,” says Cook.

Cook thought the big horse might have just the skills they needed. “I have a part-time carriage business during the holiday season,” he says. “During the summer, Ed’s just a fun trail mount, but in the winter, he spends his weekends pulling wagons.” Maybe he could drag Star from the puddle.

Cook went to the barn to retrieve Ed’s harness while Omler rechecked the mare’s vital signs. They were still strong and Star was relaxed, despite her exhaustion. “I’m not sure if she knew we were trying to help her,” says Omler. “But she was very cooperative.”

Once the big horse was harnessed, Cook led him to the puddle and attached the straps that were around Star. Everyone stood back as Cook asked Ed to walk forward. “He moved right out, but he’s used to a wagon immediately rolling behind him,” says Cook. “When he felt tension on the rope, he got confused and stopped.”

Pulling a rolling cart and dragging something with resistance are two different skills, and Ed had never done the latter. Cook asked him to pull a second time, and once again, the big horse stopped when he felt the tension in the line.

“He was just sort of baffled, so I kept encouraging him,” says Cook. Finally, after a few false starts, Ed seemed to get the idea. He hunkered down and pulled against the weight of Star. After four powerful strides, the mare was lying on solid ground. “It was really smooth and easy once Ed figured it out,” Cook adds. “It worked just like it was supposed to.”

Star was quickly unhooked from Ed and the harness straps removed from her body. The mare lay still for about 90 seconds then, in one swift motion, climbed to her feet. “She was maybe a little shaky at first,” says Omler, “but she was standing on all four limbs
with no obvious injuries.”

Seconds later Star---ever the alpha mare---lunged toward Ed with her ears pinned. “That might have seemed a little ungrateful,” says Cook, “but it was nice to know she was feeling good enough to boss him around like normal.”

Omler once again checked Star’s vital signs and found them strong. A thick layer of mud on her coat was the only evidence of her ordeal. Since the mare’s head and eyes were also crusted with dirt, says Omler, “I clean-ed them off and checked her corneas for scratches. But her eyes seemed fine as well.”

By the time the veterinarian was finished with the exam, both Star and Ed were back to grazing as if nothing had happened, and Omler went on her way. “I told them to continue the bute for a day or two, if she seemed like she needed it, and call me if she developed any problems,” she says. “Then I drove home and marveled at how well everything had worked out.”

Cook was similarly thankful for their good fortune: “If I hadn’t come home for lunch that day, or if I had not had the rescue training and harness on hand, or if she had gotten injured struggling…. I’m sorry this happened, but if it had to, everything turned out just the way you’d want it to.”

And everyone, of course, gives full credit to Ed for the role he played that day. Says Cook, “It’s a great story and I’m glad he gets to be the hero of it.”

As for the mud puddle, it’s still there, but Cook reports that Star no longer goes anywhere near it.

August 5, 2012--I'm sure you've seen TV shows that are done as flashbacks; I can remember "Seinfeld" was among those using the genre more than once.

Because I want to deliver good news first for a change, that's the way I'm going to start my postcard, with McLain Ward leaving the grandstand this afternoon and telling me as I passed him, "We needed that."

He was referring to the fact that a few minutes earlier, Rich Fellers had just delivered a perfect trip--the only one produced by the U.S. squad today in the first team competition. It insured the U.S. will have a spot in tomorrow's final team round. Just eight of 15 nations qualified, so it was no sure thing--can you believe Germany, France and Belgium didn't make it?

Rich Fellers pats Flexible after a job well done

© 2012 by Nancy jaffer

Rich, the World Cup winner and his steady mount, Flexible, are continuing on the roll they have enjoyed for most of this season. They looked beautiful over the fences, but what struck a chord with me was the way Rich lovingly touched the stallion in appreciation after his round. It was more like a caress than even a gentle pat. The two seemed to be communicating in a bubble, blocking out the applause from the crowd of 20,000, as they offered a message to each other.

Reed Kessler on Cylana

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

Rich is tied with 11 other riders for first place, less than half the 32 who were in that position yesterday. Today's course was more difficult, with several options and a number of eye-catching fixtures; I loved using Big Ben as one of the standards, but the point of having a triple combination marking the Great London Fire left me puzzled.

In the previous U.S. round: Reed Kessler, eager to avoid the time penalty she incurred yesterday, pushed Cylana a bit harder and wound up with two rails down.

"I was desperate not to have a time fault today,"  the 18-year-old conceded, and she didn't. But she also didn't get the scope she sought at "B" of the triple combination and got flat to the vertical at the next numbered obstacle.

"I really wanted to be the first American to bring home a clean round," she said. No question she was under pressure.

Which brings us to what happened before that: Beezie Madden, who had been eliminated from the individual qualifying round yesterday after problems at a double with Via Volo, got around with only 4 faults for a knockdown at the initial element of the first combination, something she attributed to over-riding that made the mare a little flat. Normally the team's anchor, she had been moved to the less vulnerable second position, with Rich appropriately taking over as last to go. It was a brilliant strategic move on the part of coach George Morris, giving Beezie more of a comfort zone and the team a cushion for safety.

Beezie Madden and Via Volo meet Big Ben

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

Starting out the U.S. effort was McLain on Antares, looking strong as usual, but with a foot in the water that McLain blamed on himself for getting too close to it on take-off.  That insured the competition would be a nailbiter for U.S. supporters until each rider had gone.

"I think a little bit in the back of my mind, I was forcing things a little bit, just thinking I needed to log a solid score," McLain said of his failure to clear the water fault-free, noting perhaps it would be better "to let things happen a little more."

Okay, that's probably enough of the flashback technique, but I thought it was a good way for you to get the picture of what happened with the U.S. riders on this day of surprises. So are you ready for one more? If you haven't been watching the action on TV or your computer, would you like to guess what country is in the lead?

McLain Ward and Antares

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

How about Saudi Arabia?

Yes, the Kingdom's riders have only a 1 penalty total, after being able to drop a 4-fault knockdown score from world championships silver medalist Abdullah Sharbatly on Sultan. He was one of two Saudi riders (the other isn't here) who had their eight-month suspensions for a controlled medication positive in their mounts commuted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which enabled Sharbatly to become an Olympian. The Saudis have tremendous horses and have medaled in the past, so it's not as much of a shock to see them heading the list as one might think.

The day started with rain that was, as they say in these parts, bucketing down. Great Britain's Nick Skelton, the favorite for top honors with Big Star, was totally soaked when he entered the ring, but that didn't prevent him from turning in a clean round as he continues on his quest for Olympic individual gold.

Though Nick normally tends to be rather unemotional, he spoke in glowing superlatives about his mount.

"There are no negatives with this horse; he is the perfect animal," Nick said.

Ben Maher also was fault-free with Tripple X, (love that spelling) enabling Britain to drop the eight penalty total of Peter Charles, the team's weak link with Vindicat, so only the 4-fault score of Scott Brash (Hello Sanctos) counted. It is tied for second with the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland on that mark.

As McLain said, "We need zeroes," which is the key to success in the Nations' Cup format. One person can run up a big score, but that can be dropped if the others are fault-free; if everyone has just 4 faults, however, it adds up and it's fatal to medal chances.

Unrefined salts have long been the darling of some gourmet cooks and up-scale restaurants because of the subtle differences in taste from refined table salt. However, “raw” salts are being touted as better for horses’ health with a range of claims being made, including that your familiar white salt block or table salt is harmful or inadequate.

What is salt?

Salt is a chemical composed of one molecule of sodium and one molecule of chlorine—sodium chloride, or NaCl.

Halite is another term for salt in its natural form in mineral deposits on land. Halite forms in areas where ancient seas or salt lakes evaporated, and is the material retrieved during salt mining. Halite deposits are most often contaminated with other “evaporite” salts, chemicals that tend to precipitate out at near the same concentration that makes salt crystals. These include gypsum (calcium sulfate) sylvite (potassium chloride) and carnalite (potassium magnesium chloride).

All salt, whether on land or in the sea, originated from seas. Salt deposits found on land are at the site of previous sea beds or salt lakes that formed due to continental shifts. They remained after water evaporated.

The salt deposits become buried but tend to migrate toward the surface. These inland salt deposits are found on every continent, often in close association with oil or natural gas.

Definitions You May Need:

• Rock Salt. Salt mined from the earth. Unrefined rock salt has the highest levels of contaminating minerals.
• Sea Salt. All salt is sea salt, but this term refers to salt made by evaporating ocean/sea water, aka solar salt.
• Solar Salt. Salt formed by evaporating sea or salt-lake water outside. Thin layers are allowed to fill large, shallow flats and evaporate by the effects of wind and sun.

What’s wrong with processed salt?

In a nutshell – nothing. Salt processing, which basically involves the removal of contaminating minerals, was begun to provide as pure a salt as possible for research and industrial uses and to make the salt more suitable for use in processed foods. Too much calcium in salt makes vegetables tough when they are cooked. Iron in natural salt deposits will cause loss of antioxidant vitamins and accelerate fats going rancid in stored foods/feeds. Sulfate salts produce an unpleasant smell and taste.

The criticism leveled at “processed” salt comes on several fronts. One is that “chemicals” are used to manufacture it. Salt is a chemical. All the other compounds found in raw salts are chemicals.

There are salt-purification methods that actually don’t use additional chemicals at all, just heat and repeated washings with pure water, to produce a 99+% pure salt. Others use chemicals (other minerals) to make the contaminating minerals in salt precipitate and settle out. These do not remain in the final cleaned salt product.

“Chemical additives” is another common scare tactic. Iodine, a nutritionally essential mineral, is added to some salts. You can purchase salt with or without iodine. Horses need iodine as much as people do, though. Unless the diet is composed of things grown close to the ocean, iodine will be deficient in most equine diets. Other additives in table salt are present in low amounts. Their purpose is to keep the salt free flowing and inhibit moisture absorption to some extent. These include various calcium or magnesium salts, and silicates. All of these things are nontoxic and are present in the environment naturally. Your horse would get far more of them from a mouthful of dirt than 1 or 2 oz. of salt.