Riding Tips: Sitting the Trot

I recently exchanged lessons with the barn manager where Shorty lives. Jennifer is awesome and takes great care of the ponies at her farm. She teaches beginner level riding lessons and carriage driving, so we thought it would be fun to exchange lessons. She got a more demanding dressage lesson from me, and pretty soon I'll be driving a carriage!

One of the things Jen and I worked on was the sitting trot. Jen rides a Norwegian Fjord named Jerry who adorably pudgy and very sweet. Jerry is a bit of a bouncy ride, so when I asked Jen what sitting his trot felt like, she responded that she indeed had problems moving with her horse. This is pretty common with OTTBs too, who can occasionally feel like jack hammers instead of horses especially when they just come off the track.

I started Jen on the longe line and did some gymnastic exercises to warm her up and get her stretched out. One sufficiently warmed up, I had Jen drop her stirrups, cross them (making sure she pulled down the buckles a bit so they didn't pinch her thigh) and stretch her leg down while still keeping her heels slightly lower than her toes.

From there, I had Jen hook both hands under the gullet of the saddle (the reins were knotted and fastened to the front D ring to ensure they didn't slip or get tangled) and pick up a sitting trot. I instructed her to stay loose through the hips and pelvis and instead draw her abdominal muscles in towards her spine to absorb the shock of Jerry's lumbering trot, all while sending her weight down to her heels.

The first attempt went well, but I noticed she was still pinching a bit in her leg, so I had her stop, shake her legs out and do a few stretches. "This time, " I said, "Keep her your legs relaxed and lightly draped around the horse."

Success! Jen was able to move and follow Jerry using her abs to control her upper body. Once comfortable, I had her take her inside hand off the saddle and place it where her hand would be if she were holding the reins. Finally, she took her other hand off and sat the trot without using her hands as a brace. She started to get a bit "grippy" in her leg, so I had her widen her hip angle and imagine pulling her legs just a tiny, tiny bit away from the horse's side. While this change is not noticeable to a layman standing on the sidelines, this prevents the rider from pinching the horse's side and becoming stiff.

To round the lesson off, I sent Jen out to the rail with her stirrups back and off the longe line. We did a sitting trot one more time. While I noticed significant improvement, and I'm really proud of her, she knows she still has to work and practice to develop her muscles to adapt to this slightly different, more open, method of riding.

To sum it up, Jen said, "I'll be sitting the trot furiously for the next few months."

Riders trying this at home can modify this exercise if they are unable to be on the longe line or don't have a helper. I still suggest tying your reins in a knot and buckling them to the inside front D ring (meaning you have to switch sides when you change directions) just in case you lose your grip on the reins.

Ride on the rail putting your outside hand on the knot in your reins and hook your inside hand under the gullet, pulling up. Pick up the sitting trot, keep reminding yourself to breathe, sit up tall, draw your abs in towards your spine, and relax your legs down long with your heels lower than your toes. Try not to let your toes point in an outward direction, as this will pull your legs away from the horse's side and put you behind the vertical; instead, swivel your ankle a bit so your toes are parallel with the horse's side, giving you maximum connection and surface area with the horse.

Switch your hands when you change directions, so your inside hand holds the saddle and the outside hand keeps the horse on the rail. Don't be too concerned if your horse is a bit confused at first, keep your leg on and use your soft seat, inside leg and plenty of encouragement to get a nice relaxed, rhythmic trot from your horse.

Once you're comfortable (which could take a few sessions) try riding the sitting trot with no stirrups and no hand under the saddle. Then go back to stirrups. You may find that the stirrups feel too short all of the sudden, so it may be prudent to lower your irons a hole on each side to keep that nice long dressage-y leg if that's what you're going for. Hunter riders, jumpers and eventers should probably raise them back up for jumping though!

When Students Don't Listen

The vet came out to see Shorty today and do his fall vaccines. She felt that he was looking pretty good today. We did flexion tests and he came up with slight lameness, but its much better than what he looked like three months ago.

I picked up extra lessons from another riding instructor who is going out of town for five weeks on overseas ministry. I started teaching her lessons tonight.

Many of the students the instructor, let's call her C (since I've already introduced A and B), have some serious holes. One student has been cantering for three weeks but refuses to put her leg at the girth. She pushes her legs forward onto the horse's shoulder and leans back on the cantle. I asked her to bring her leg back, which she deliberately ignored. Thanks.

In addition to my forward legged rider, in the same group I had one girl whose head was in la la land, a student who refused to speak and rode very timidly and a girl who would not stop complaining about the horse she was on. This lesson of four girls felt like a train wreck to me. It is very rare that I walk away from a lesson saying, "Damn, I'm glad that's over!"

Typically, I ask my students to walk their horses on a longer rein in circles to start off the warm up. From there, we go into the trot and then slowly gather up the reins. I do a lot of stretching work too, stuff like arm circles and 2 point position. With this group, I asked them to walk circles with their horses and they started running into each other because they weren't looking up. At the trot, the situation got worse. I asked them to do some stretching exercises; arm circles were half hearted and 2 point positions were weak. When I offered some advice to my new students to help them, no effort to change was made.

Finally, I brought everyone back in the center and asked them a question. "Who here is glad to be here?"

Everyone shrugged and looked at me in a dull sort of questioning way.

"Are you sure you guys want to be here?"

In response, I got a few slight nods.

"Okay, well, to be honest with you guys, I feel like I'm teaching a lesson to a group of senior citizens. Where's the energy? Where's the excitment? I'm not getting a whole lot of response from you guys, which makes me think you guys really aren't into riding."

I got a whole bunch of excuses. "I had a test today." "I stayed up late last night." "I rode yesterday." "I don't like the horse I'm on." "Its raining and cold."

I explained to them that a true rider is happy to be in the saddle every time she rides. There's no such thing as a successful fairweather rider. You're in this sport 100% of the time, all in, or you aren't. A true rider gets on the horse even when she has a cold. She gets on even when she pulled an all-nighter studying. She feels like she must ride everyday and spends every second she can at the barn with her horse, even on the days she doesn't ride. She has goals for riding and wants to develop her skills and improve the abilities of the horse she rides.

The lesson was only half an hour, so by the time this conversation had transpired our time was nearly up.

"I'm giving you guys homework. I want you to take a notecard and write down three things you want to learn how to do on horseback and three things you want to be able to do in the barn on your own. For example, your three riding goals may be to learn simple lead changes, jump 12" and perfect your 2-point, and the barn you'd like to saddle up by yourself, take the bridle on and off by yourself and be able to do polo wraps without help."

We shall see what happens next week, but each of my students seemed excited about writing down their goals. I promised them that I would do my best to help each student exceed her goals and help her set new ones along the way. I also told them that jumping through flaming hoops and learning how to ride with the reins in your teeth are probably a bit unrealistic, so I'm hoping I don't get any crazy requests. :)

Unemployment and Laminitis SUCK

Whoops! It appears I haven't updated in a while.

Well, there are some personal reasons. They are, in this order:

1. I was laid off from my job as a marketing specialist and administrator at an industrial manufacturer on June 30th
2. I got a new job at a gourmet cookie company on July 1st- SCORE
3. I learned quickly that the job sucked, the bosses were unbearable and they decided I would be better suited to "customer service," i.e. data entry, instead of marketing
4. I took a freelance job writing articles for eHow just to have some creativity in my life, so I've been spending my evenings writing articles for small sums of money and the thrill of it
   
5. And then, on September 17th, they laid my off by calling me in the conference room at 5:25 pm (the workday ends at 5:30) and telling me that I'm doing a great job but they're eliminating my position and I have 5 minutes to clear out my desk, turn in my key and say goodbye
6. And THEN, I was like, "Awww... well, I still have a pony"
   

Its been a crazy summer and the fall has been a brutal one thus far for me. I'm upset at being laid off for reasons outside my control twice in the past few months, and, of course, there's always that ever-present OMG I'M TOTALLY FREAKING OUT BECAUSE I'M NOT MAKING MONEY RIGHT NOW feeling in the background.

But hey, I'm alive. I've been filling the void in my life the past two weeks by going on interviews, scouring the internet and all of the contacts I have for jobs, working at the barn to pay off my board (my barn manger is a saint and has let me work off all of my board by cleaning stalls 6 days a week, 2 hours a day- which works out to $10 an hour and was really, really nice of her), teaching more riding lessons and stepping up my freelance writing and necklace making activities for the income. I've also increased my baking activities, since I love making things that require copious amounts of sugar, butter and chocolate, hence the cheesecake cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, frosted brown sugar cookies, brownies and orange slice cookies I've made in the past two weeks. YUM.

Shorty is doing alright. I'm sorry to say that we had to go back in shoes after his laminitis returned after pulling his shoes off. I thought at first that he had developed an abscess in his front right, which is not unheard of for a horse that wore shoes for a while and then suddenly went barefoot. I waited a day to see if a soft spot would make itself known somewhere on the sole so I could have the vet come out to drill it, but no spot made itself apparent. While poking around, I noticed sensitivity in the toe, which is a big red flag for laminitis. Given his past history, I called the vet out right away for radiographs.

I was really, really lucky. He had 1 degree of rotation, which should go back to normal as his foot grows out. The radiographs showed Shorty has a very thin sole, like 1 mm thin (a horse should have 3-5 mm of sole). For the time being, he is wearing shoes in front, but he's still barefoot behind. He also wears a thick leather pad and sole pack until his sole grows out. Given how thin his soles were, I say I'm lucky because he could have easily had more rotation, causing his coffin bone to puncture the sole. When that happens, it looks like this and is very painful:

He's been sound, knock on wood, with front shoes, but that feels very false to me in a way. I feel like I covered up the problem and didn't address it, but my first priority in his care is to stabilize the coffin bone to prevent penetration. I will have radiographs done soon to check is progress. Once his sole has grown out, which could take six months or more, I'd like to try barefoot again. I think the springtime would be a good time to try. Ohio ground tends to become solid and unforgiving during the winter months, and it probably isn't the best choice for a sensitive horse to get his bearings without shoes. So, my goals for this fall and winter include improving our ground manners, honing in my basics of equine massage (Shorty is my test pony and he loves it), growing out Shorty's feet and taking small catch rides around the farm when Shorty looks up to the challenge. Oh, and getting a job.

It was totally an accident, but...

We cantered today! For the first time since March, Shorty cantered under saddle.

Granted, my intention was only to walk around the field for fifteen minutes and put him away. He was spooked by one of the other boarders, who happened to walk by carrying a fold-up chair to go sit by the pasture with her horse. Shorty did a neat little rear, buck, bolt combo and cantered off on the right lead- his more difficult side.

So, even though this was an accident, I'm glad he did it. I don't condone spooking, but I'm glad he felt well enough and sound enough to pull such an athletic stunt on his own. I was initially surprised, but the boarder later reported that I had a big smile on my face as Shorty bolted through the pasture. Silly boy!

I did check his legs and hooves just in case he injured himself. All clear! No bumps, bruises, heat or swelling... yet. I rubbed him down with lintiment just to be sure. He was wearing his Easy Boots at the time, so his feet are fine, too.

:)

We're Barefoot!

I apologize for not blogging for a while. Things at work got crazy, and, long story short, I got laid off (sorta). It's the kind of hot mess that sucks now, but I'll probably laugh about all of the crap that has gone down in the past five months or so in a few years.

But, as for the Short man, he's doing okay.

I made a pretty big decision in April after Shorty took a chunk of his left heel off that was about the size of a silver dollar. I had the vet come out to take a look because I was worried about proud flesh forming and wanted a professional opinion. As I sat outside Shorty's stall, waiting for the vet, I made a decision: Shorty will be a barefoot horse from now on. The poor horse has nicks and scrapes all over his lower legs from his seeming inability to control where his legs go. With a bit of research, I realized that hooves are actually numbed by shoes, which may contribute to part of the clumsy problem- ever try to walk around with your foot asleep? In addition, while the hooves are numb, major problems can continue to progress unchecked until the damage is severe, sometimes irreversible.

Now, we did have an issue in December with laminitis. At first, it was thought to be funky, spoiled grain that caused the issue. The vet has since hypothesized that Shorty actually hemorrhaged the hoof by banging it into the stall wall while rolling. He's a big guy and rolls often in his nice pine bedding, so it is likely he got cast and whacked his hoof while pushing off the wall to get back up. It is still possible that it was the grain after all, but my quirky paranoia when it comes to my horse caused me to call the vet before the laminitis was severe, so the actual cause may never be known.

So, Shorty has been barefoot for about six weeks now. I've gotten to be quite handy with the rasp to keep the edges rounded instead of ragged. Shorty was very, very tender at first but seems happier and more comfortable now. His hooves, particularly the frogs, have expanded a bit, which I take to mean circulation throughout the hoof is increasing. This is a good thing. Thanks to my vigilant rasping, we have no flares, cracks, splits in the hoof. The old nail holes are growing down and nearly gone, and with frequent applications of the hoof hardening product, Keratex, Shorty's hooves are tougher and stronger every day.

Shorty's current living situation is 22 hours of turnout a day, which is great. Assuming we don't have severe weather, he comes in twice a day to be checked over and fed grain. Once he's done eating, he goes back outside with his friends. He's out on grass or dirt for most of the day, and his stall has a nice deep bed of shavings, just in case he wants to take a nap on a soft bed after eating his grain.

I have invested in Easyboot Gloves, a type of hoof boot with no cables, clamps, or wires. They're tough to fit and sometimes difficult to wrangle on, but I started walking around on Shorty in the nice, soft arena (the footing in there is Equitread- very nice!) for a few minutes at a time under saddle with them on with the vet's blessing. Its a far cry from the trail riding and hunter pace races we went through last year, but given time I'm sure we'll get back to that level. For now, all I can do is work at Shorty's pace and do what he feels comfortable with.

Does This Look Like a Scam?

I received this email in my inbox today:

Hello, I saw your advert as a Private Instructor. My daughter want to learn horse ridning and lots more. Kindly let me know where you are located and also your area of specialization on what you teach. Also give me the price of the lesson per hour.

This feels like a scam to me? It just has a sort of... weird feel. The poorly structured sentences, the spelling errors, and the foreign sounding name are only the beginning.

For one, I never placed an ad as a private instructor. I work for a farm that does their own advertising. However, I am listed on ARIA's website, with my email. ARIA also lists what state I work in and the area of study that I am certified to teach. So, to me, this feels like someone trying to get personal information. I have elected not to answer this email.

Am I crazy and paranoid? Anyone else get this feeling?

In other news, I am leaving tomorrow night to attend the Ohio Equine Affaire. I'm on a mission to watch as many clinics and demos as I can, and stock up on bell boots. Shorty has gone through several pairs in the last few weeks.

I also need new boots, badly. Both my Mountain Horse winter tall boots and my Ariat Terrain summer boots and half chaps have huge holes in them, and I'm tired of picking rocks out my boots before riding and having constantly wet, smelly, muddy socks.

My sister lives very close to the fairgrounds where the event is held. Like, walking distance. I'll be sure to take lots of studious notes, shop 'till I drop, and come home ten pounds heavier after gorging myself on cheesecake with my sister.

Peace!

First of all, read this article. Published in the New York Times, it discusses the alarming statistic that racehorses in the United States have a much higher fatality rate than those in Europe.

As for my student, A and her horse T, I did two lessons with her. T is a good boy but a tough saddle fit, and the saddle used on him was too small. In addition, A was using two saddle pads to correct the issue, which actually made it worse. T is similar in size and shape to Shorty, so I let her try out my dressage saddle. Lo and behold, the horse was 85% better than he'd been in the other saddle. During the second lesson he looked 100% better. He was happy and relaxed with a light, forward stride and plenty of impulsion.

Shorty moved to a new barn on February 28th. The whole moving experience was... interesting. I hired a friend to haul Shorty to the new place because it had snowed a great deal the day before (18 inches!) and I'm not totally comfortable with my trailering skills yet. Unfortunately, my friend got stuck in the driveway coming in, and we spent four hours digging him out. Somehow, he busted a brake line in all of this, and I thought that Shorty wouldn't get to move after all.

A friend of a friend offered to drive Shorty over. By then, it was dark, and I wasn't totally sure I was up for it. However, I did really want to get Shorty out of there, and the thought of waiting another week made me feel disappointed. The friend of a friend brought over a teeny, tiny, parallel load, ramp-up trailer. I've only ever hauled him in a huge, roomy, 3 horse, slant load, step up trailer. However, he walked right on, no questions asked. We loaded on the street because the driver was afraid to get stuck in the driveway. Shorty's chest was pressed against the chest bar at the front of the trailer, and his butt was against the door. Thankfully, the ride took five minutes. We unloaded on the road at the new place (backing out was fun but Shorty was good) and walked down the half mile driveway in the dark. He strutted into the new barn like he owned the place and immediately settled in his new stall. A fresh pile of hay was waiting, and he instantly tore into it, sighed once, and looked at me as if to say, "Now what?" What a good boy! OTTB's may be hot under saddle, but when it comes to transport and new places, they rule.

The new place is really cute and the horses are well cared for. It's more of a private facility, although some lessons do take place. There are only seven horses, and they spend most of the day outside. The only major downside is the fact that there is no indoor riding arena, although they are breaking ground on a limestone arena that may, eventually, get a roof. I hope to post pictures soon.

Okay, there's a second downside... MUD! There's lots of it here in Ohio, especially in the spring when we get torrential rainfall.

Goody!

My first online query! Oh Goody! This one comes from a former student who left my instruction to purchase her own horse and keep him at home. Due to travel time and my busy schedule, I decided not to teach her at her new facility.

The other day, she sent me this message (reprinted with permission with contact information removed):

patty im seriously going to rip my damn hair out. haha. T's head is so high and his trot is so sparatic and unevenly paced because some times he'll to this really fast, choppy trot that is so hidious it would make you throw up if you saw it and then some times he'll go really slow and if i ask him to extend he just does the fast choppy shit and while doing all this he still has his head touching the sky. i just want to rip his head off. and then when we canter he bolts right into it and picks up the wrong lead going to the right and then when i ask him to trot after canter he wjust wont settle to a normal moving trot. and then once i walk him after we canter he will just raise his head and start down that really sucky trot again. im starting to not even like riding him anymore because its always such a fight and not enjoyable at all. he is truly the most frustrating horse i personally have ever ridden in my life. do you think its possible that you could come over to ride him and see whats going on? patty i really really need you to help me on this one. i cant understand any of this and i hate not enjoying riding any more. please?

My response:

I have a few ideas on what it could be. Honestly, there are so many variables! For example, some geldings get cold backed when their sheaths are dirty and itchy. Many horses toss their heads if their teeth are rubbing the insides of their cheeks because they haven't been floated in a while. A lot of times, its the saddle fit. I found with Shorty that using a special pad called a Supracor pad, even with a saddle flocked for him, really helped out his sensitive back.

One other thing that helped Shorty was having a chiropractor come out. A lot of times, racehorses have old injuries in their backs and necks that can put their spines out of alignment. Although it isn't a cure all, it can be a big help in the long run. I also do some light tissue massage on Shorty on days where he looks stiff (which is usually any time is is below freezing outside) before I put the saddle on to warm up his muscles. Applying liniment to sore and stiff joints doesn't hurt either. On days where he looks uncomfortable, I skip the tack altogether and handwalk. During our walk, I do lots of stretches with him to help alleviate his stiff areas.

You should know that typically racehorses aren't cantered to the right on the track. As a result, they become very smooth to the left and usually barely canter at all to the right. Every singe OTTB I've seen had trouble cantering to the right. He bolts because he is off balance, and that's why he doesn't settle into the trot after the canter.

At this stage in his life, he needs a lot of support and understanding from you to learn what his job is. Retraining a racehorse means undoing all of the things he learned early in life, and that's very hard. Its like telling you to write with your left hand after you've used your right for several years. I don't think that T is intentionally acting up to frustrate you, and I can tell you that traveling with his head in the air probably doesn't feel good to him either. He is most likely just as frustrated as you are.

I will call you tomorrow to set up a time.

As for you readers, I'll keep you updated on this horse's progress. I am excited for the challenge. Although I didn't mention this in my response to my former student, sometimes attitude has a lot to do with it. It sounds as though she expects her horse to behave this way, so she's getting in the saddle with a biased opinion of the ride. When that happens, it is easy to fly off the handle at every little mistake. There have been days where I've felt like I was at the end of my rope, and on those days I don't ride or do a light trail ride with friends. Just like our horses find things to spook at, we find things to be angry about. One of the things that I'd like to work on with her is a concept I learned from a wise instructor: half halting your mind. Just like an off-balance horse runs on the forehand, sometimes we get our priorities out of whack and spread ourselves too thin. A wise rider recognizes when this happens and puts herself back in perspective and back in the moment with the horse by focusing on positive feelings rather than negative emotions.

Being pissed off at your boss is a negative emotion. Frustration, anger, discomfort and similar empotions are all negative. Achieving that lightness in the bridle from a horse who is on the bit is a positive feeling. Riding a well-executed shoulder in is a positive feeling. I tell my riders to develop positive feelings and shut out negative emotions.

Like I said, I'll keep you updated!

In other news, Shorty's recent radiographs look perfect. Thankfully, no rotation occured and his hooves aren't even sore anymore. The vet used hoof testers again, and this time he showed no sore spots. He is cleared to go back on turnout, but only on soft ground for now as a precaution. I can also have is shoes put back on. I'd love to keep him barefoot, but it wouldn't work out for him. With his joints as unstable as they are, Dr. Genovese, an expert on OTTBs, recommended that Shorty stay in shoes to support his weak joints and weakening tendons. But that is a blog for another day entirely.

*Snort* GONE

The vet came out again today to check on Shorty. He's still not 100% sound (which is to be expected) but he's surprisingly chipper. Dr. Wade put the hoof testers on him and found him to be sore in the very toe, rather than at the apex of the frog, indicating that SOMETHING ELSE is making him sore now.

Make no mistake about it, he did have laminitis but has progressed beyond the acute stage. While the laminae in his front hooves are still healing, the vet beleives that Holly, my farrier, also trimmed him too short. Radiographs confirmed that Shorty's sole is very thin, especially when compared to the radiographs I had done in September to check the progression of his arthritis.

Of course, the only time I've ever had a problem with Holly is the day Shorty has laminitis... go figure. As pointed out by Andrea, it was weird that Holly didn't catch the laminitis or even think of it until I walked in the barn, but then again Shorty is a stoic horse that tolerates pain like a champ. Shorty grows out a lot of beautiful hoof to work with, even during the colder winter months, so it is alarming Holly took off too much. Perhaps she had an off day, but she picked a hell of a day to fall off the wagon. I'm very thankful that I got to the barn when I did to prevent her from putting shoes on. Otherwise, his laminitis might not have been caught in time, and Shorty would have suffered a great deal more than he's already had to handle.

Dr. Wade tentatively cleared Shorty to start up on grain again. I'm avoiding Ultimate Finish altogether. He doesn't need a high energy feed while on stall rest, and, to be honest, I'm wary of using it again. Instead, he got 1/4 of a cup (a small handful) of Grow N Win today. It was the first time he's had grain since last Wednesday, and he inhaled it in one snort!

I will say that through all of this, Shorty's personality continues to impress and amuse me. When I first met him, he was as bland as brown rice. He'd stand at the back of his stall and take no interest in the world around him and didn't care to have his personal bubble invaded by anyone. In high school, I'd gone through severe depression that lasted over three years, so I knew how he felt. At the time, I couldn't afford to purchase him, but I did go out of my way to improve the quality of his life. One of the first things I bought him was a padded halter with a breakaway because his old one chafed his nose and didn't have any sort of safety option. I showed it to him, let him sniff it, put it on him and let him wear it for a while. That was the first time I'd seen Shorty take an interest in something other than food.

Four years later, he's my boy and he's into everything. He must see, touch, smell, taste and hear everything. He simply cannot walk past the garbage can in the barn without at least sniffing it, if not sticking his entire head in there so see if anyone threw out something good. Christmas decorations are constantly in danger of being nibbled on. He's been especially curious about everything because he's been cooped up on stall rest. Today, while Dr. Wade was looking at him, he wanted to nibble on my sleeve, chew on his blanket, pick up the vet's bucket of tools, eat the end of his leadrope, say hi to his neighbors, drag me down the aisle for no apparent reason, and so on. Although I was firm in telling him to refrain from biting, chewing, bragging and engaging in other naughty behaviors, I gave him a break because I know he's bored out of his mind. Honestly, I'd rather have a horse that is into everything than the depressed horse who is in pain. The fact that he's so excited about life makes me feel that he's feeling much better and healing rapidly.

Secret Slaughterhouses and Racehorses

This video comes from CNN.com. Here's the link to the article.



Miami, Florida (CNN) -- Freedom's Flight is a beautiful thoroughbred with an impressive pedigree. His bloodlines can be traced to two of the greatest race horses of all time, Seattle Slew and Secretariat.

But, unlike his kinship, Freedom's Flight's racing career ended before it had even started. It was almost two years ago when the thoroughbred's leg snapped right out of the gate at Miami's Gulfstream race track. The animal's days as a cherished racehorse came to an abrupt end.

"He came from the famous Clairborne farm and ended up on one of the worst farms in America," says new owner Richard "Kudo" Couto.

That "worst" farm in America turned out to be an illegal slaughter farm in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Couto, working for the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, participated in a raid on the farm and rescued Freedom's Flight. The timing of that rescue may have saved Freedom's Flight's life. The horse was limping around on his broken leg, he had sores on his body, and you could see his bones protruding from his dirty coat.

Some 18 months since his rescue, Freedom's Flight looks more like the stunning race horse that was worth thousands of dollars than the injured horse that was sold for $50 to an illegal slaughter farm.

"Prior to his rescue, I didn't know that illegal slaughter farms existed in the country -- let alone under my nose in my own county," says Couto.

This new knowledge has motivated Couto. "It really made me buckle down and basically dedicate my life to shut this industry down. It's become personal for me," he says.

Couto suspects that there are more than 100 illegal slaughterhouses in the area. There is only one slaughterhouse that operates legally, Cabrera's, and there the United States Department of Agriculture inspectors are housed on its property.

Many of these illegal places are concentrated in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County. The roads are dirt, the vegetation thick and uninviting. This is the western fringe of Miami along the rim of the Everglades, an area considered a sort of no-man's land.

There are signs in English and in Spanish advertising animals for sale. Tarps are put up to hide what is behind the chain link fences, but most of these businesses are open to the public. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist after walking the properties and seeing the dead carcasses, the guts in the trash bins, the slaughter tables, the knives -- all of the tools of running this type of operation is right in front of you," says Couto.

CNN visited several of these establishments. At one location where a pig was being carved on one table and a chicken on the other, we asked to film on the property. "This slaughterhouse isn't as clean as you can see, try Cabrera's," said the unidentified man behind the slaughter table. Like several places we visited there was blood on the floor, dirty butcher knives and an overwhelming stench.

Couto says it isn't the slaughtering of animals that has put him on this mission. It's the way the animals are treated.

"These animals are living in extreme filth. They're beaten. The way they're slaughtered is inhumane," says Couto.

Couto has been on a one-man crusade to shut down illegal slaughterhouses that are operating without licenses and without oversight by the health or agriculture departments. He was first exposed to what he calls the "dark underbelly" of the area when, with the Florida SPCA, he was investigating the slaughter of horses for their meat.

Motivated by Freedom's Flight, Couto left the South Florida SPCA to form his own organization called ARM -- Animal Recovery Mission.

For the past year he has used a video camera to collect evidence. Couto has simply walked right into dozens of slaughterhouses and has filmed bloody slaughter tables.

"I go in acting like a customer," he says, "I ask them, 'How much for the pig?' And they'll say 120 dollars. 'How much for the kill?' '20 bucks. We'll slaughter it for you for 20 bucks.' It's that easy."

One local agency that spends a lot of time in the area because sections of it are considered protected wetland is the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management. Carlos Espinosa is in charge of enforcing the county's environmental regulations.

"When we come across other issues relating to other departments, we pass that information on to other departments," says Espinosa.

Couto took his story and his videos to every local agency he could think of with oversight responsibility. He tried to set up a task force with agencies in charge of violations such as animal cruelty, illegal structures, illegal businesses, permit problems and zoning issues. A sign-in sheet from one of these meetings shows many of the agencies attended the meeting, but Couto says nothing came of it.

CNN contacted Miami-Dade Animal Services Department, an agency that had a representative at that meeting. Spokesperson Xiomara Mordcovich said the agency does not deal with issues involving farm animals and directed us to the Miami-Dade Police Department.

The Police Department declined an interview. "We are not actively investigating any incidents involving illegal slaughterhouses," the department said in an e-mail. Then it referred us back to Animal Services and also to the code compliance department.

Charles Danger, director of the Miami-Dade Building and Neighborhood Compliance Department, admits that it was because of Couto's persistence that it is now putting together a multi-agency task force he called "Operation Miss Piggy and Mr. Ed."

According to Danger, part of the reason nothing has been done to clean up this area is because of fear for the safety of inspectors.

"Every time we go in there, we have to go in there with the police -- and even the police don't want to go in there," says Danger.

Danger says the Miami-Dade Police Department is now on the new task force, which also includes agencies such as the state health department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "It comes from a lot of years of illegal operation. We have to do it together because it's not going to be easy," says Danger.

One organization that will keep tabs on the progress is the Animal Recovery Mission. Couto says he will not go away quietly. He calls his mission "redemption and revenge for Freedom's Flight and what he went through."

Beware the Funky Grain!

Merry belated Christmas everyone!

Most of my Holiday season was somewhat expected. Eric bought me two pairs of riding breeches, and, especially for a non-rider, my husband has excellent taste. One pair is cammo, which I'm not totally in love with, but the other pair is navy blue with gold checks. Perfect! More importantly, i got to spend a little time with family, watched Sherlock Holmes on opening night (RD Jr is sexy as!) and enjoyed sitting on the couch for the first time in a very long time.

But alas, more of it was spent at the barn with a worried pit in my stomach. Shorty was quiet on Tuesday. I thought perhaps my boy was colicy, so I handwalked for about thirty minutes. He was completely sound and bore weight equally on all four hooves. He pooped during his walk and again in the cross ties. I listened to his hind gut with my stethoscope and heard sounds in all four quadrants. He was eating fine and drinking. Thinking perhaps his arthritis and the weather was to blame, I wrapped him with his back on track wraps, kissed him on the nose and bid him goodnight with his usual handful of cookies.

The next day, Holly the farrier came for a visit. It is not uncommon for Holly to do Shorty's hooves while I'm at work. I often leave her a check, and she's given me nothing but great service and good shoeing. I got off work a little early and headed straight to the barn to find Shorty with his shoes off, getting trimmed. Holly noted that he was a "touch lame" on his left front. Shorty's never had hoof issues, so I was immediately alarmed. I picked up one of the pieces of trimmed hoof and noticed blood in the laminae, known as sub-surface hematoma. I looked at the piece of trimming and back at Shorty, who was standing in the crossties slightly parked out and putting more weight on his heels. He had a strong digital pulse and a slight amount of heat. My stomach sank... laminitis.

I immediately called the vet and told Holly to put Shorty away without putting his shoes back on. The vet had a four hour wait, so I went to Tractor Supply and bought ten bales of shavings (my car was packed to the ceiling, including the passenger side front seat) and put every single one of them in his stall to give him a great cushion (after picking it out of course). I cold hosed his front hooves, dried them and wrapped them with several diapers, vet wrap and duct tape), wrapped all four legs with standing wraps, took his TPR and changed all of his stall signs to "No treats, no grain, no turnout until further notice."

Once finished, I decided to let Shorty rest quietly in his stall. He was very interested in his hay, so I gave him a big pile of soaked flakes. He laid down several times, but did not trash, so I knew that colic was not my concern... his hooves were the primary source of his discomfort.

I still had time to wait for the vet, and in thinking back to my time in equine health and equine lameness and conditioning, I realized that I should look for the cause. Shorty is not on any medications, and he only gets two and a half pounds of grain twice a day... hardly enough to cause a 1,200 pound horse to develop laminitis. I hadn't switched grains in several months, and I always take a long time to make the switch.

I came down to two possibilities. Scenario one: a well-meaning student passed out too many sugary treats and triggered a GI upset in Shorty. Scenario two: Shorty was given toxic grain. I'd already checked Shorty's grain bucket and knew it to be empty. I checked Shorty's bin in the grain room. The bag of Grown N Win looked and smelled normal. It was about halfway consumed, so if it was the culprit I would have noticed it a while ago. The Ultimate Finish was recently opened. I often leave extra bags of grain in the grain room for the farm owner to replinish as needed, and he had recently opened this new bag. It looked normal, but, surprise surprise it smelled AWFUL. It smelled like cat piss, actually.

The vet showed up and confirmed my diagnosis on laminitis. Luckily, the case was caught early, and radiographs revealed that no rotation of the coffin bone occurred. He is expected to make a full recovery and to go on living a happy, useful life. It should be noted that horses who experience one laminitic episode are often prone to getting it again later in life, so I must be careful in how I manage him. However, the vet believes that a week of stall rest, bute twice a day, cold hosing, wrapping and deep bedding will provide a sound horse.

I made the decision to pull Shorty off his grain completely, although the vet seemed to think Shorty could eat the full amount with no adverse effects. Even if I did return the grain and get another bag of UF (which I will eventually do when I have the time), I would not give a laminitic horse grain. I've always remembered lots of lower quality hay as the primary diet for the laminitis case, and there's plenty of crappy hay at the barn, so Shorty has a constant hay pile in front of his nose and will not get grain for quite a while. Plus, Shorty would go nuts on stall rest with the extra energy. Although he's the master of giving me his cutest face, he's been a trooper about the lack of grain, and I love him even more for that.

I also made the decision to quadruple the vet's estimated date of going back to work. The vet said a week, but I think I will give him the month of January off from work. I will gladly take him for handwalks and put him back on turnout as soon as he's approved, but there's no rush. I'd like to give him time to let his hooves grow out and his gut to recover without the added stress of working. I'll also be getting a second opinion from the veterinary hospital before I officially put the saddle back on. Even one month seems rather short to me, even for a very mild case such as this. Hmm... we'll see.

Its a Damn Shame

I work with school horses that are more than obliging when it comes to slowing down. They may not be refined and athletic movers, but they're more than happy to walk and stop when asked... until now. I noticed this issue when some of the best school horses wouldn't halt at X when my students were preparing for a dressage show. It got to the point where I had to tell my student K to start thinking about the halt at A, when she entered the arena. Yeah, it's that bad. They still missed X at the show, and I could not figure out why. At home, several other horses have been plowing through the bit, taking half the arena, sometimes more, to stop. From a walk, mind you.

I took over the Wednesday night lessons because B* is pregnant. On Wednesday, I spent a lot of time getting to know what my new students know, where the holes are, what their goals are, etc. That night, one of my students demonstrated her "emergency stop."

"You mean 'emergency dismount', right?"

"No. The emergency STOP."

"Okay, show me this emergency stop."

My new student trotted a few steps, viciously ripped the reins back over her thighs and stood up in her stirrups. The horse, an old veteran named Tilly, gaped her mouth open and continued walking through the rider's heavy hand.

Sigh. I have discovered the reason why the schoolies are not stopping, and I'm once again appalled by the piss-poor riding instruction that is allowed at the barn. I hope B never comes back!

Needless to say, my new students took turns on the lounge line riding without reins. When not on the line, they were told to practice the following: SIT down in your saddle, EXHALE, light REIN pressure. I also had to re-teach how to turn because I can't stand it when riders haphazardly rip their horses heads away: LOOK, LEG, light HAND.

These kids are cantering. B allowed them to jump 18" and barrel race at what they called "full speed." (For me, "full speed" is sixteen seconds, and I doubt that any schoolie can pull that off, plus the kids have no clue what a lead is or how to change it.) What that reall means is, B told them to go as fast as they could, which usually ends up being a painful extended trot that is heavy on the forehead and poorly-balanced.

I don't blame the kids. I blame B and I blame my boss for hiring her on her sunny personality alone without testing her equine background. Someone whose claim to fame is showing 4H in high school is not riding instructor quality! I'm ARIA certified with a degree in equine studies and I take joy in riding some of the rankest, most misunderstood and aerodynamic horses in the barn, but I consider myself to be a beginner instructor. I'm not dissing 4H either; its a great program and I was once a member myself, but I would hope that an instructor would ride at a level that is higher than her students.

I do feel bad for my students though. They're going to have to re-learn everything from lesson one. That means no cantering for a while, and now that they've learned it they don't want to do anything else. However, with their riding as shaky as it is, I feel that I must put them through the basics before they can go on. The rider that deomonstrated her "emergency stop" has been B's student for eighteen months! That's a lot of time and money wasted. Its a damn shame.

Shorty's Special Ladyfriend

A few days ago, I blogged about the various transgressions of my boss.

When I mentioned that I was thinking about moving Shorty, and told him about the heaves diagnosis, he freaked out. I half expected it, to the point where I was ready to move that day if needed. He's done that before, and it isn't pretty.

I my surprise, he freaked out in a good way. He wants to fix up the run-in shed on the property for Shorty and put one of his horses with him. We've been trying horses out to see which would get along with Shorty. He didn't like Annie the pony, Oliver is too old to go out in the cold (he's thirty three), and the other pony, Bubba, is an escape artist. I haven't put Shorty out with his special lady friend, Tilly, but we will try it tomorrow.

It would take work, but there's a possibility that we can turn the shed into a cool place for Shorty and a turnout buddy to enjoy the outdoor life with a dry, but well-ventilated shelter. I already own two electric water buckets and wouldn't mind buying a blanket for Shorty's turnout buddy for the really chilly days.


Ultimately, I will do what is best for my horse. If I suspect that the wool is being pulled over my eyes, I will not hesitate to move Shorty. On the other hand, it is convenient to keep my horse where I teach, so I'm willing to give it a shot.

Fall 2009 Recap: Because I'm Bad About Blogging On Time

Before I launch into a whole huge tirade about Shorty's living situation, I have some good news! At a hunter pace race at Southfarm, we got first place out of twenty eight teams. We also got a fourth place at the Chagrin Valley Hunt Ridestrong Hunter Pace. Yay! Here's a picture of Shorty hanging out with his new girlfriend, Tilly, at Ridestrong.

Also pictured is me talking to my two teammates, Heidi and Barb. They are also my adult riding students. They loved both paces. I'm the one in the blue breeches. :)

And now on to other things.

Namely, I am looking for a new place to board Shorty. After four years of working with a boss who is occasionally insane, I have decided enough is enough.

The funny thing is, it all started with a window. I cannot tell you how many times I've put up with him using my flyspray on his horses, stealing my first aid supplies, losing my halter, failing to feed my horse correctly, "forgetting" to put the fuzzy protective sleeves on Shorty's cribbing collar if they fall off and him refusing to turn on Shorty's fan in the summer, even when it is legitimately hot and I pay extra for the luxury. I've come to the barn to see Shorty with a stovepipe leg that went unnoticed. I've come to the barn to find my blankets gone and my horse with poop in his waterer.

Before I purchased Shorty from this boss, Shorty lived in a piss-soaked stall with a light dusting of bedding, a dirty waterer and feed bucket and was fed crappy hay and not enough grain. I was initially hired to train Shorty to prepare him for sale. When the horse didn't sell, I was told I would no longer be paid to ride the horse, but could continue working with him if I wanted to. Since the Shorty was too hot for the lesson program and no buyers lined up to see a generic OTTB, I continued working with the horse for free.

Over time, the two of us bonded. I started supplying Ultimate Finish to boost his weight. I bought blankets for him to keep him warm in the winter. I bought a new halter for him because the old one was too small and chafed him. I started adding bagged bedding at my expense. When my boss refused to get him vaccinated, I paid for the services out of pocket (had his teeth, sheath and shoeing done too). I showed him a few times to boost his marketability; that's how we got started with the hunter pace races.

Last November, my boss gave me the ultimatum. "Shorty's going to the auction next week. I can't afford to keep him anymore. I just thought you should know." My heart sank. Where do OTTBs like Shorty end up? Honestly, they go on double decker trailers to Canada to become dog food. Knowing this, and sensing that my boss wasn't kidding, I went home and weighed my options. Yes, I am student with limited funds. Yes, I drive the world's crappiest car. Yes, I have student loans. But no, I cannot let this horse slip through the cracks. I showed up at the barn the next day with a check in hand.

For the past year, I have kept Shorty at the same barn, but have provided the majority of the care. I do all of the cleaning; he does the feeding. I measure the feed out and supply the grain, so it isn't that hard. I've put up with the aforementioned with patience, often correcting the issue (like moving the flyspray bottle back to its rightful place) without complaint.

It goes without saying that horses need fresh air. Knowing this, I do my best to get Shorty outside and try to keep clean air in his stall by keeping the window open. Since early November, I have been opening his window, only to find it closed the next day. I confronted my boss about this and asked that he leave it open. He refuses because, "the horses will be too cold." I have explained before that really, the horses don't care about the cold. They handle it very well. Just ask any Icelandic enthusiast. A friend of mine owns fifteen Icelandics- they live outside 24/7 without blanketing, and they do just fine as long as there is food and unfrozen water. We're the ones that hate it. So, I can't open my window and my horse's lungs suffer because my boss gets cold and is too cheap to buy a better coat and actual barn boots.

I ignored my hatred for the situation until I heard a single dry cough escape from Shorty's lips during a warm-up a few days ago. I had a horse with heaves (basically equine asthma) before, and it was devastating. The disease usually shows up in older horses and can be identified by labored breathing, wheezing, flared nostrils and reduced tolerance for exercise. Horses that have had it for a while will have a line of muscle on the underside of their ribcage called a heave line. Its usually triggered by living in dusty environments, and let's face it: almost all barns are dusty.

So, knowing this, I immediately hopped off, untacked and grabbed my stethoscope. Sure enough, I could hear a slight whistle as he exhaled, which is an indicator of the disease at work. I called the vet with Shorty still in the crossties. She came out today and confirmed my suspicions. Indeed, Shorty has heaves, probably from living on racetracks for five years during the early part of his life. However, it is very mild at this point and was caught in its early stage (thanks to my paranoia).

The best thing for a horse with heaves is to live outside, they way they were intended to live. That will not be provided at my current barn: fifteen minutes of turnout in the indoor is the standard for all of the horses (except mine, who gets hours of it everyday because I come up everyday and put him out with his geriatric turnout buddy). Even the four hours I give him everyday isn't enough.

For those who are wondering, the symptoms of heaves can be alleviated with medications. Typically, prenisolone can be given to open up constricted airways. However, long term use of the steroid has been linked to founder. Also, the disease is progressive. Considering that Shorty is only 11 years old, I need to do more than pump him full of drugs. We're talking soaked hay, pine pellet and cardboard bedding, watered riding areas and outdoor living. It is clear that this will never happen at my current barn, so I am shopping around for a new place.

If you are in the Northeast Ohio area, do you have any suggestions? Criteria are as follows:
Ten or more hours of turnout daily
Indoor riding arena nice, but not necessary
Must be able to soak hay
Must be able to handle splint boots and blankets
Well-ventilated stall

I can clean said stall, provide pellet bedding and high quality hay for soaking.

Just a Short One

A lot has been going on my life, with three jobs, classes full time, a horse and a developing business. I am very behind on providing updates, and I promise I will in the near future.

In the meantime, I recieved this in my email and was appalled. Uncut Scandic Blue Tounge

One look at the horse, and you know he's not comfortable. Take a closer look at his tounge. The pressure of the bit is so harsh, his tounge is blue!

Here's something we can all do about it: sign this petition.

Here's something else: check out the Natural Dressage Website and notice how the horses look well-fed and happy on the ground and under saddle. I wish more people would embrace this methology and approach to training animals.

That's all for now, but updates are on their way. I have some good news regarding a certain spoiled OTTB! :)

Equine Germaphobia

Truck owners lament that they get a lot of people asking for their help when moving. As a trainer and instructor, I get people asking to use my tack.

I'm an equine germaphobe. On my horse's behalf, I do not share saddle pads, girths, bridles, bits, buckets, brushes, or any other items of that nature with any other person in the barn. To me, these items are as personal as my underwear. Too often, these items are carelessly passed through the barn, causing transmission of disease and bacterial/fungal infections.

Sure, I've cleaned my fair share of stalls and enjoyed a delicious cookie without washing my hands, but I will never share something as intimate as my horse's girth with another rider. I often shrug and accept my dusty, dirty hands and face, but I use baby wipes to clean my horse's brown spots in between baths. I often disinfect Shorty's feeder, waterer, brushes, buckets, and bits with diluted Listerine.

That doesn't mean that I don't get throngs of people asking to use my stuff. The purpose of this blog entry is not to engage in a penile listing of all of my stuff, but to illustrate. For example, my Matha Josey barrel racing saddle is one of the best saddles for the sport, and I have a rare collector's edition model. Do people want to use it all the time? Yes. I have an Albion dressage saddle with leather so soft and cushiony I feel like I'm riding on a pillow. Do people want to sit in my delicious dressage saddle? Absolutely. Do they want to borrow my Supra Cor pad or try out my Tom Thumb bit? Do they marvel at Shorty's awesome new splint boots or ask to borrow my Back on Track wraps in lieu of using poultice? All the time!

Do I let them? I let a student of mine borrow my western saddle on the condition that she acquire (borrow) a different girth and pad. I'll never let someone use my dressage saddle on another horse because it is flocked specifically for Shorty and the seat is padded specifically for me and my balance issues (the right side has a tad more padding due to an irreversable issue in my hip that causes it to sink unless propped up). I don't, as a rule, share brushes, buckets, scrubbies, sponges, girths, saddle pads or similar items. I will allow someone lacking in first aid supplies (I have two huge trunks of first aid stuff for one horse!) to use a dab of novalssan or some guaze, particularly in emergency situations. One of my students used my bute, 2 grams a day, for ten days. The horse needed the bute, and she didn't have the money to purchase her own (which baffles me- 100 grams is $40!), and I ended up giving her the drugs.

A purchased a pony pad by mistake. Yes, A is the another RIDING INSTRUCTOR at the farm and should be able to pick up a pad and say, "This looks like a pony pad; I should get a bigger one." Nope. The pad didn't even completely fit under her saddle, so she asked me if I would lend her one of my "many saddle pads." Yes, I do have four English pads and two western ones. That way, if one gets sweaty or hairy (usually both), I can fold it up, stick it in my laundry basket, and take the basket home when the thing is full. I usually get one, maybe two, rides from a saddle pad before I decide it needs to be washed. Shorty's back is so sensitive that a dirty, hairy, itchy pad will do us no favors, so I'm somewhat anal in that regard. I routinely switch out polo wraps and splint boots for the same reason, as well as the fuzzy thingies on Shorty's cribbing collar.

I felt greedy for sticking to my usual germaphobia when A asked for a pad, but I did decline to lend her one. Her horse has rain rot because she doesn't brush the mud off of it routinely, and I don't care to expose my horse to it. I straight out told her, in no uncertain terms, was she allowed to use any of my horse's equipment for herself or her horse. I felt bad for turning her down, but there are plenty of extra pads in the school horse tack room that she could use, or she could simply go out and buy a larger pad. Even a cheap baby pad would work.

Yes, I am a germaphobe when it comes to Shorty's tack. I feel like an asshole for it, but I also feel I have to protect my horse's health in every way that I can. I want to help others, but I won't sacrifice the frgaile well being of my special guy. Am I a bad person? Probably. Were we taught in grade school to always share? Yes. I'd straight out open my wallet and fork over all of my cash to a needy person (and usually end up doing so when I see a collection can for Last Chance Corral), but I still can't bring myself to share my tack.

Is anyone else in my wonderful readership also an equine germaphobe? Speak up! I'd love to hear about your ideosyncracies and minor lunacies when it comes to your horse's health.

The Angry Student

Yesterday, after my lovely walk with Shorty, I taught lessons for my fellow instructor, A. I've talked about A before- she's the one that used a rusty bit for her horse and punished the mare for not holding still.

Anyways, her students are, for the most part, obnoxious and unaccustomed to greulling equitation work. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for playing games, going through obstacle courses, and having fun on horseback. However, I also believe in correct positioning and balance for maximum enjoyment. Are you having fun if your upper back hurts because you are stiff? Do you think the horse has fun when you hang on the reins? The answer is no.

So, I decided to introduce them to equitation class 101. Of course, they rolled their eyes when I asked them to drop down into their heels, bring their shoulders back, and look where they were going. One girl, whom I've mentioned before, whined when I asked her to soften her death grip on the reins. "But A TOLD me to do it THIS WAY."

"Do you think Jazzy looks happy right now?" I asked. "Earlier, you complained that Jazzy isn't listenining to you. She doesn't want to turn because there's too much pressure in her mouth. It hurts her to turn because there's nowhere for her head to go. When she leans on the reins, she is asking you to soften your hand. Your rein length is fine, but your hands are too rough."

The student continued to whine. "If I give Jazzy too much, she will buck me off."

"I seriously doubt that."

"You don't know Jazzy at all!"

"Ummm... excuse me? I've been teaching here for four years, and I've ridden Jazzy many times. She is a total sweetheart, and would never hurt one of her riders. If she bucked with you, its because she's telling you to be gentler with your hands."

After much whining, I got the student to loosen up... a little. I even got her to follow Jazzy's head with her hand a bit through an elastic elbow. Sadly, that all came to a halt when Jazzy, an old Arabian mare, stumbled a bit. Instead of absorbing the small stumble, the student ripped the reins, not once, but FOUR TIMES.

I can't remember exactly what I said, but I made her dismount. I will not have an abusive student in my class, and I'm more than happy to entertain phone calls from angry parents. I stick to my guns, and, strangely, my boss trusts my judgement.

I sent the student out of the arena and had her sit in one of the lawn chairs nearby to watch the rest of the lesson. Two minutes later, she asked to come back in.

"Not unless you promise to be nice to Jazzy. If I see you pulling too hard on the reins, I'll take you right back off again."

Instead, the student decided to make phone calls on her cell.

The rest of the lesson went well. One of the students, who is a bit older and more mature than her classmates, asked to switch to my lesson day to learn more. As for the angry student? For the sake of equine everywhere, I hope she learns to be more patient.

Back in the Saddle Again...

It felt great to sit on my horse again after so much time off! The vet declared Shorty ready for light riding, which is good enough for me. We started very slowly, due in part by Shorty's stifle arthritis. Today, I hopped on with my trusty bareback pad and hackamore and we walked in big circles in the arena.

Normally, a horse that had five weeks off, particularly an OTTB, would be breathing fire. But truly, Shorty didn't have his time completely off. We did lots of ground work, got out of the stall often, and even had the opportunity to put him back on turnout with SMBs, provided he was cold hosed/iced before and after his romp outside. Certainly, he did not spend five weeks couped up in his stall, but instead got out just as much as he would if he were completely sound.

However, his activities were monitored closely, and the swelling, heat, and tenderness is completely gone.

Last week triggered a chain of events that led me to think about a new way to help Shorty. Bear with me: on Thursday, I broke my glasses. They're flexon, apparently indestructable, but I've broken five pairs of them in twelve years. All weekend, I had duct tape, and later plumber's putty, holding the fragile frame together. On Tuesday, my eyes were checked, I picked out a new frame (since I break flexon no matter what, I opted for cheap plastic frames this time), and they told me to come back in a few hours to pick up my newly-made glasses.

Normally, I would have gone home and come back, but the starter on my car is shot. I try not to start the old girl more than is absolutely necessary. I hold my breath when I start my car if I'm running errands or filling up on gas, because I never know when it will refuse to start.

Anyways, I decided to walk around downtown. I walked over to Borders. After browsing through the literature and historical non fiction sections, I headed over to the horse section. There, amid titles of "My First Pony Book" and "Horsekeeping for Dummies" was a spiral bound manual on equine massage. Massage you say? Intrigued, although slighly put off by the steep $30 price, I ended up purchasing the book and a few others, including "Centered Riding 2." Heck, my Managerial Economics book was $230.

I realize that one book will not give me the tools to practice on other horses, but I am comfortable with doing some of the lighter stuff with Shorty. Effleurage, or gentle, downward strokes, is meant to warm up muscles and encourage proper drainage. The idea is, the light touches slowly increase circulation before and after exercise. So, before hopping on today, I spent about fifteen minutes switching between superficial and deep effeurage. I didn't feel any knots or hot spots, but found a few sensitive spots (or rather, re-discovered them because I've found them while grooming many times). As I did this, Shorty looked worried that I would try to pull his mane (I don't anymore because he knocks me off the chair gladiator-style and gets very aggitated), but eventually he started to fall asleep in the aisle. I also did some stretches. Shorty loves carrot stretches from side to side, and I gently shook hands with him and stretched out his hind legs as well.

I rode around at a walk for twenty minutes. He seemed very stiff to the right, but moved nicely off my leg. Many joked that Shorty would be a ball of nervous energy after so much time off, but he was completely quiet and, actually, somewhat bored with the whole thing.

After our ride, I groomed Shorty very well, did more stretches and another fifteen minutes of effleurage. As I get a further in the book, I may try some of the other princples as well. Again, I would never administer massages to other horses without a lisence, but I feel comfortable giving Shorty's muscles some attention before and after rides to increase his comfort.

We will probably work at the walk for the remainder of the working week and hopefully start trotting again by the weekend, maybe as early as Friday. We'll see how Shorty feels.

American Riding Instructor Certification

I figured I would pass this along, since I've received a lot of questions about my ARIA certification in dressage. For one, I was primarily a western rider for twelve years, and have only truly ridden dressage for four; why did I go after dressage certification first? Well, the answer is simple: dressage applies to everything jumping, western, barrels, reining, trail riding... you name it. Maybe I'm being a little cocky here, but I didn't feel challenged going after western certification, because I knew I would probably be able to get it, but obtaining dressage certification would require me to work a lot harder. So, that's what I did. Plus, I really want to work towards high certification with the United States Dressage Federation.

Here's some more info on ARIA, for anyone else interested. There are several degrees of certification, much like BHS.

What is ARICP?

Established in 1984, the American Riding Instructor Certification Program (ARICP) is a program offered by The American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) to recognize and certify outstanding teachers of horseback riding who instruct their students in a safe, knowledgeable and professional manner.

Who is it for?

ARICP Certification is meant for the serious, above-average instructor who teaches safely and in a professional, competent manner, with high standards of honesty and integrity. Minimum age and experience requirements apply for each level of certification.

How does the certification procedure work?

ARICP certification is an important aspect of an instructor's career and requires that candidates make it a priority. The certification process is accomplished by evaluating the instructor's qualifications and teaching ability through written and oral testing, and, at Levels II and III, by a video submitted by the candidate. Instructors meeting the standards for a particular level will earn certification at that level. ARICP offers certification to instructors in three levels of experience and in 14 teaching specialties. To ensure that ARICP-Certified Instructors' standards remain high, re-certification is required every 5 years. This also gives the instructor an opportunity to upgrade his/her level of certification and to add new teaching specialties.

Where is the certification testing held, and what is the fee?

The testing is conducted at one-day test centers held throughout the year at different locations around the country. The fee is $595.00. When a group of at least 6 instructors at a single location desire ARICP Certification, special arrangements can be made for testing at their site. It is also possible to test individually by appointment at ARICP's office in Bonita Springs, Florida. The fee for private testing is $795.

What are the advantages of being an ARICP Certified Instructor?

ARICP Certified Instructors have nationally recognized credentials. Their employment prospects are improved. ARICP Certified Instructors are listed in the nationally-distributed ARICP Directory of Certified Riding Instructors and on our Web site.

ARICP Certified Instructors may obtain insurance discounts through several major insurers. ARICP Certified Instructors also receive the quarterly magazine Riding Instructor.

How do I apply for Certification?

Program size is limited, so it is important to apply early in order to assure yourself of a place. You should register at least 30 days in advance. Late registrations will be charged a surcharge for mailing materials overnight. You may register online or mail in a form or call 239-948-3232. You may charge your fee to your Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express card.

So, what has my ARIA certification done for me? Well, when working with inexperienced, distanced, and arrogant colleagues, its good to have a certification to back you up. My Saturday lessons are packed, and even my miser boss is giving me more free rein to make decisions (my boss is a subject for a whole different post... maybe a series.) Even though I went from the top of the game, NBHA world finalist, Quarter Horse Congress champion to a lower level dressage rider, I feel like I know more about riding, and teaching, than ever before... and this is just the beginning. I do hope to go for advanced level certification with ARIA in dressage, maybe western too, and possibly jumping. We'll see.

The Long-Awaited Update

Shorty's leg is getting better, slowly.

For the past week, I've been spending even more time than usual with my horse. Every morning, before work, I've been getting to the barn during AM feeding to take off his wraps, cold hose, and put ice packs on while Shorty eats. Before trucking off to work, I would put Shorty's splint boots on and take him for a handwalk in the arena.

After work, I go to the barn to clean Shorty's stall and buckets, groom him, go for another hand walk, hand graze for as long as possible, cold hoze/ice pack his legs again, dry him off, and poultice wrap him up for the night. I've been trying to make Shorty still feel loved and cared for, so I've been doing one extra little thing each day. Yesterday, I clipped his whiskers, which is something he actually enjoys. The day before, I gave Shorty a super-bath, complete with whitener and conditioner.

I also surprised Shorty with a number of stall toys to play with while he is on stall rest. He loves his lik-it, but didn't really play with the Jolly Ball. He thought highly of the treat roller thing until he figured out how to pin it in the corner of his stall and dump out all of the treats. He's getting extra hay, soaked beet pulp, and lots of treats, too! I did reduce his grain ration since he is a TB out of work (which usually ends up looking like a sugar-high toddler unless you take some preventative action), and he hasn't been out on grass much, so I've had to beef up the forage. Plus, it gives him something to chew on.

I hope to start lightly under saddle again by the end of next week with the vet's blessing. Fortunately, she felt that the swelling was a the result of a very large bruise and lightly strained tendon. She said the cold hosing, bute, poultice routine that I has already employed was exactly what she'd prescribe, and there's not a whole lot more I can do. I did shell out some $500 for ultrasounds, but knowing that Shorty isn't permanently damaged is worth every penny.