| Issue #19 |
Buckaroo Wants to Hear from You...
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What is Hot at Buckaroo
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Jerry Tindell
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| Amy Allen-shoes to barefoot part 2 |
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Farah DeJohnette-feeding horses
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Larry Trocha-Bucking | |
A Christmas on the 101 Ranch-
Out in the ranches in the West one may experience quite a different Christmas from the conventional one.
Out, for
instance, in the biggest ranch and diversified farm in the country,
known to fame as the "101 Ranch," out at Bliss, Oklahoma, run by the
three Miller brothers. There are eighty-five thousand acres of
profitable land where they raise pretty much everything, including
particular Cain--at least, at Christmas. The land is in what used to be
the Cherokee Strip, and when the Government opened up the territory to
the people, Joe Miller raced off, at the crack of the pistol, on his
father's
Kentucky
thoroughbred, riding forty miles to the desired claim. The horse that
had run the race so nobly used his last breath to finish, and fell dead
at the close of day on a spot that his rider has marked with a monument
to his memory. The ranch has had its vicissitudes since that day, but
its development by these three young men, from a range of un-tracked
prairie to a profitable and perfectly-conducted establishment is truly
wonderful.
to read more visit
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Check out What Is Hot at Buckaroo Leather
Hand crafted from the finest Hermann Oak Golden Bridle leather, this Old
Martingale style Choker shaped breast collar features an over the
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Be apart of the excitement and learn fascinating Old West History, see new products, meet some amazing horse trainers!
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Buckaroo Leather Wants to Hear from You.......
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12/26/10
Buckaroo John
In this past year I have enjoyed hearing from all the Buckaroo "Pardners" and horse friends on Facebook. The topic that is always coming up is horse training and types of HorseTack used.
On my facebook fan page I have started an area of discussion to talk about these important questions. Below is the first of many discussions I hope to build via facebook. Take a moment to add to this discussion or start another topic. Buckaroo Leather wants to hear from you....
Ride American!!!!
Thanks for asking so many tack questions, so we are starting with our most asked about topic! Looking
through tack catalogs and watching "clinics" about training and devices
one would assume that a person needs a ROOM built on the barn , just
for Training tack and trick devices.
Is all this necessary or are many Horse persons looking for the easy way out?
Please give us your thoughts...
Testimonial from a happy customer and Horse........
Exceeded my expectations! Thank you Buckaroo Leather for Dream's (pictured above) custom made bridle and reins. Honestly as beautiful as it
is, it's the "feel" of the reins and the quality of the workmanship that
makes this the best bridle reins combination I have ever owned. Even
Dream couldn't stop staring at himself when I took him into the Dressage
Arena with the big mirrors;) Thank you John!
From all of us at Buckaroo Leather have a Happy and
Safe New Year!!!!
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12/26/10
Jerry Tindell
HORSE SENSE FOR THE HUMAN
Horses and Mules Live by a Code
We know there is a pecking order,
a discipline process, motivators and purpose and these are the guidelines by
which they function. It is all set
into play by the lead animals. As
they go through the ranks and rise to that position they start to dictate all
the rules. That's what builds the
pecking order, discipline, motivators and purpose and unifies the herd. What's so special about this process is
that it is not negotiable. As the strength of the lead animal
deteriorates or he otherwise becomes unable to perform, that position is filled
by a brand new start, but the process never
changes - there are no new rules. That's
what makes it such an honest system.
Now let's talk about the fear and
flight within the animal. Animals
become so aware, which is why they have the flight instinct - they leave things
they don't want to confront, things they are concerned about. This does not pertain to horse-to-horse
relationships - the former herd rules still apply there. Fear and flight come into play when
dealing with a stimulus outside their 'family' or herd. The flight process, which is so special
to these animals, allows safety and removes their fear, because they can get away from the fearful thing. It is important to understand that this
process does not build fright in the
animal.
The Human in the Equation
Humans must learn how to read the
horse and mule. We must possess
the qualities to be a leader and we most definitely need to have some form of
direction. That direction must
have purpose and it must remain the same all the time. Likewise we must find motivators. Motivators for the horse and mule are
very simple. The beauty about what
the human can offer, if he follows the guidelines of the animal's world, is to
protect the code of the pecking order, the discipline process and build
motivators. That means we must be
fair but firm with the direction and purpose; when we release (reward) an
expected result, it becomes the motivation for the animal to repeat the
lesson. Lessons must make sense to
the horse or mule! When a horse
moves another horse around using discipline and
motivators, he releases the pressure and stops as soon as the other
horse yields. On the other hand, when we humans give direction, are we
clear about what we want? Have we
given it enough thought to communicate it to the horse? Think about what you want to do and
then simply ask them to do it.
Remember you are dealing with an animal that lives, breathes and makes
decisions. Every time we establish
a connection with our stock (even as subtle as eye contact or body language) we
are giving them direction, whether good, bad or indifferent. If we give direction at all, we don't
always release it on time, if ever, therefore there is no motivation on the
animal's part to get better, in fact it builds negative motivation because it
doesn't make any sense to him!
I believe that the human has a
big job and responsibility to not change the rules, but rather follow what has
been built for us by our animals.
A few things the human needs to master:
1)
How to read and understand the horse or mule so
we can produce direction
2)
Correct ways to give direction
3)
How to motivate and give purpose
4)
Learn timing and proper release (reward)
5)
Know what correct behavior is so it all makes
sense when we do release them
I am so
fortunate to have the opportunity to handle animals at clinics and for
training. Unfortunately I see so
many horses and mules that are simply fed up with the human (if the shoe fits,
wear it).
They exhibit behavior
that tells me they are tired of being jerked on, pulled on and kicked with no
purpose or release. They are
resentful and mistrusting. We pick
them to death--the human is greedy, not satisfied and upset because they're not
getting the result they expect when they often don't even know what they want
from the animal in the first place.
Don't put a human spin on things and then get mad because it's not
working. The horse or mule only
gets mad when we ask him to do something, then don't recognize when they've
done it, and we ask them to do it again and again with no release or reward for
the try...only picking and nagging.
We must get out of ourselves and get into our horse. I am not suggesting that the human
become complacent or passive and allow the stock to do the wrong thing, but
that we use the blueprint the horse or mule came with and be responsible for
protecting it.
I really believe that we must teach
them to be well mannered, keep them right, and that will make them happy. Let's follow the rules that work within
the herd - not mix it up and produce only frustration for horse and human. Teach them to be soft, supple and safe. Allow them to be what they are and work
within parameters they can understand.
Remember: "You'll
never have a thoroughbred if you keep treating him like a nag"!
Jerry
Tindel
jerrytindell@verizon.net
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Transitioning from shoes to barefoot-the second trim
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12/26/10
Amy Allen
Horsemanship and Barefoot Trimming
Left front solar view before trim left front side view before trim
Its been 6 weeks since I pulled the shoes off this horse and trimmed her hooves.
right hind solar view before trim right hind side view before trim
In the solar view of her left front (after trim), you can see her toe is
starting to shorten and hoof widen. This horse is also building a toe
callus. Currently the area where the toe callus is building is very
smooth and pretty wide, from the apex of the frog all the way to the
toe, however as her hoof starts to change its shape from long and
narrow, to shorter and wider, the toe callus will be located closer to
the hoof wall at the toe and she will start to gain some concavity. The
concavity will allow the coffin bone to be suspended higher up in the
hoof, which will lead to less sensitivity to rocks and other uneven
surfaces.
left front solar view after trim left front side view after trim
Also, as she continues in her transition her sole will gain thickness, which will also add protection and less sensitive hooves.
What are some key elements to transition and healthy bare hooves? The
trim, diet, exercise to promote circulation which promotes healing, hoof
protection and time.
Can I ride my horse during barefoot transition? Absolutely, but be aware
of stride and movement. If your horse is showing signs of pain, put on
some boots and most likely your horse will move right out, this will
increase circulation and healing.
The owner of this horse reports she has some sensitivity to rocks, which
would be expected, but under saddle in the arena there is noticed
improvement in her movement and she is now doing roll backs comfortably.
After 2nd Trim
To read more of Amy's Blog click here.....
Amy Allen - Horsemanship and Barefoot Trimming
728 W. Hurley Waldrip Rd.
Shelton, WA 98584
360.480.5327
www.allenacres.com
Farah DeJohnette
Feeding Horses Optimally and Supplementation
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12/26/10
Farah DeJohnette
I would like to offer some ideas about nutrition and supplementation as
people seem to have a hard time navigating this subject with their
horses. As someone who feeds myself well, it makes common sense to me to
use similar guidelines in food choices for my horses. I eat as much
unprocessed whole food as I can and that's how I feed my horses and
dogs.
What is whole unprocessed food? It is food that has literally been
unprocessed or minimally processed. An Apple or Carrot raw is an
unprocessed food. So is a steam crimped, rolled or whole oat. A hay
pellet or Alfalfa pellet has been processed into meal and pressed into
pellets so there is some processing but you are getting a relatively
pure product in Alfalfa pellets. With Hay pellets you need to be label
savvy to make sure your not getting a lot of uneccesary ingredients
especially if your feeding them to Cushings or Insulin Resistent horses
as they can have high molasses content. Chopped Dengie and other brands
of bagged hay often have molasses added as well and you need to be aware
of that if your horse needs to avoid it. Molasses in itself is not the
worst thing but it is not a necessary ingredient and is over used as
sugar is in human food.
Diets should be clean and simple not too fancy. If supplementation is
needed for balancing vitamin and minerals, a free choice set up is nice
so horses can pick what they want and in what amounts as they would in
nature. For specific supplementation issues, such as Joints, Real
mineral deficiencies, Probiotics, and specified health issues
(allergies, respiratory, immune weakness, hoof) you want to pick high
quality hand crafted mixes that cater to your horses needs. Most big
name supplements have a lot of leeway in how much they put of actual
therapeutic amounts for their dosing. I will repeat be a SAVVY label
reader. Do the math. How much per scoop not per bucket
of the so called active ingredient is in the supplement. Also, what
kind of other fillers and artificial flavors are in there. Make sure the
dosing is to the weight of your horse not just a scoop AM and
PM. You may have a Mini or a Draft and the amounts will vary a huge
amount. I find that you get what you pay for a lot in supplements so you
may say "wow that supplement is expensive!" And buy the cheaper one. I
can almost guarantee the cheaper one is of lower active ingredients and
quality. Again check labels against price. It goes up as active
ingredient amounts go up which is what makes them effective. You could be wasting you money on the cheaper one.
To close I am going to give you some recommendations on some resources
and feeds that are in my program. Also remember to consult with your
vets before making changes in feeds and make any changes very gradually.
Free choice high quality hay is the main source in my horses diets and or grazing
Whole oats, crimped or rolled oats
Alfalfa Pellets (if my hay has no alfalfa mixed in it)
Hay Pellets
Ground Flax seed
Kelp or Seaweed powder or pellets
Free choice Minerals
Whole Apples, Carrots
Treats made from good ingredients
Visit Farah DeJohnette's website, blog, and video horse training. You can also follow her on facebook.
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Larry Trocha- Horse Trainer
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12/26/10
Larry Trocha
Larry Trocha is an expert horse trainer with years of experience. Buckaroo Leather is honored to have Larry contribute to our newsletter with his knowledge of horse training. He has been in business since 1980 and has rained winning horses in all 3 events, including association champions, circuit champions and limited age-event champions. Larry provides Expert training for every level of horse, from green colts to finished horses.
Below is a portion of his Training Newsletter with information on bucking. To read more of Larry's Training Newsletter or to Subscribe please click here......
Okay, lets get started with the training questions. Here is an excellent question about colts that buck:
Hi Larry,
Thanks for your helpful tips. I really appreciated your solution to the
"spooking" problem. I gave it a try and it really worked. I didn't have
to walk home on foot.
I have a question related to training colts. I have no problem getting
my youngsters moving from walk to trot and back to walk, but some of
them don't want to canter - either bucking or crow-hopping in response.
How do you control
this? The bucking can come from the excitement of speed or from
resentment of being asked to move faster.
I don't overwork my youngsters, seldom riding more than 20-30 minutes and
stopping on a good note when they perform some request well, even if it
isn't the request I wanted to practice.
Any tips?
Thanks.
Diane McCluskey
Hi Diane,
Your question is one of the best I've ever received. It is a problem
that many people experience and don't know what to do about it. I hope I
can shed some light here in this newsletter.
Anyway, I'll try to offer a solution that has worked well for me.
I really don't have a standard
procedure that I use when its time to lope a green colt. I
kind of pick and choose the time when I feel I can do it
without causing a wreck. If I can get the colt loped a few times without
a mishap, I know I'm
over the worst part.
Some colts I'll lope the very first ride. Others, maybe the tenth ride.
I've had some real athletic (and broncy) colts that I didn't ask to lope
until I'd ridden them for a month. To try to lope them sooner, would
have definitely gotten me bucked off.
However, there are times when you really need to get on with the program
and get the colt loped "now".
Here is what I usually do when I need to lope a colt that I "know"
will buck with me:
Before I ever ride a colt, I've tied his head around and taught him to
give laterally to the bit. I've also "doubled" him (pulled
him) from the ground so he
knows what that is too. As long as I can get the colt's head when
I need it, I feel I can control him.
So, let's say I'm on a colt and the colt is humpy and threatening to bog
his head and buck. The first thing I'll do is reach down one rein and pull the colt's
head around to get control. Then, I'll change sides and pull his
head around on the other side. I want to remind him that I can "take his
head away" whenever I want.NOTE: If the colt
struggles or resists giving his head, it may be necessary to use quick
PULLS AND RELEASES instead of a steady pull.
Next, I'll start bumping his sides with the calf of my leg. The
bumping will be light at first but I'll soon increase it to a pretty
strong "thump". I thump his sides with one leg at a time and I'll
have the colt's head pulled around while I thump. I do this "thumping" to "entice" the colt to buck.
If he is going to buck, I want him to try it now "when I'm ready for
it". Most colts will oblige but as long as I have their head pulled
around, they really can't do it very well. I'll do this "pulling his head around and thumping his sides" until the
colt has loosened up and
there is no longer any hump in his back.
On most colts, this is all that is needed to prepare them to lope with
no bucking.With colts that are more
determined to buck, I'll go a step further and "spank" them on
the butt with the ends of the reins. (Of course, I have their head
pulled around when I spank them so I can maintain control).
Spanking their butt makes them scurry around in a circle, gets them
moving and loosened up. Usually, a swat or two will be enough to get the
hump out of their back.
I do have an alternative method that I use on exceptionally big or broncy colts.
I'll prepare these colts on the "ground" with a specially designed
hackamore (bosal). This hackamore is made of metal and is comfortable to
the horse until I decide to make it very "uncomfortable".
I'll tell you, a couple of firm "bumps" from this hackamore will
have "any" colt listening and wanting to be good.
I'll lunge the colt and teach him to stop from the word "whoa". Any time
I say "whoa" and he doesn't respond, I'll bump him with the metal
hackamore. This hackamore has such an affect that most colts wouldn't
even think of arguing with it.
Once the colt fully understands the ground work, I'll "ride" him with
this metal hackamore. If there is even the slightest hint of the colt
misbehaving, a small bump from the hackamore will instantly change his
mind. I'll probably jinx myself by saying this but I've never had a colt buck
or even try to buck using this method.
An even safer alternative would be to lunge the colt in the metal
hackamore with a rider on his back. Have the rider ask for the lope and
if the colt acts up, bump him to make him quit.
Hope this helps. Be careful, use good judgment and don't take
unnecessary risks.
By the way, there are two videos
that I recommend you watch. One is "Colt Starting Magic" and the other
is my "Inner Circle video #1".
Colt
Starting Magic will give you a thorough understanding of how to
start colts safely with or without the use of a breaking pen. No
snubbing horse is needed either. You'll see exactly how to start colts with
nothing left out.
Inner
Circle video #1 does a great job of showing you how to establish
control on a green colt. I demonstrate three consecutive rides on a
snorty, goosey, ready-to-buck, 2 year old gelding.
You'll see how I teach the colt
to slow down and stop, how to lope with control in a big arena and most
importantly, how to keep him from bucking me off. This is probably one
of the best videos I've done. It reveals the solutions to many problems.
Take Care,
Larry Trocha Training Stable
24846 N Tully Rd
Acampo, Ca 95220
Cell# 707-480-0507
HorseTrainingVideos.com
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