The InTellIgenT horsemanshIp magazIne 1

The InTellIgenT horsemanshIp magazIne 3

Dear ReadersAs I write this it has rained for forty days and forty nights and I have had no choice but to build an ark in my garden. That’s not strictly true but it feels pretty close to the truth as having recently lost the use of my neighbour’s stabling (it’s being pulled down for landscaping) I needed to organise something for my horses within a couple of weeks. You may think this was pretty unreasonable of my neighbours, but to be fair they had given me at least eighteen months warning, and I decided to take the ‘head in the sand, arghh, panic, approach’. NOT IH, and not to be recommended, though it worked out well in this case.

I am very grateful to Jon Williams Stables who managed to supply stables that don’t require planning permission (they’re put together on slides) at such short notice (www.j-w-s.co.uk). Their wonderful workforce carried on through the pouring rain to make sure my boys had a roof over their heads and didn’t get washed away in the torrential rain and thunder.

Of course, this brings up the topic of ‘Should horses be subjected to living in stables at all?’ Many of us have horses that have to live in stables at least part time (due to heat, flooding, weight problems, laminitis, destructive tendencies, injury, lack of grassland, travelling, competition, protection). We are going to discuss the ways in which we might enrich the stabled horse’s life in the Autumn IH Magazine. If you have a contribution to make to this please get in touch with the IH Editor (editor@ihhq.net).

letter from ContentsKelly Summer 2012

page 3 letter from Kelly

page 4 Diamond Jubilee

page 6 Barefoot and hoof Boots

page 8 no Fear part 2

page 10 Ih Course Dates 2012

page 11 Courses and events with Ihras

page 12 The Fab Five!

page 14 on the Bit

page 16 opening a Can of Worms

page 18 shy lowen

page 19 Charity news

page 20 The First Timers’ guide to Investigating ‘Kissing spine’

page 22 how practiced is your practitioner?

page 24 meet a member - mel raven

page 25 Your letters

page 26 my World - Kelly marks

page 27 no lights, no Camera, But action!

page 28 ask the experts

page 30 post Traumatic Fall Disorder

page 31 Be Careful What You Wish For

page 32 Ih news

page 33 Fit not Fat

page 34 an expert in Your own Field

page 36 any horse Can!

page 38 poppy

page 40 Where are they now?

page 41 hoYs 2012

page 42 spotlight on Ih recommended associate - lyn Dixon

page 43 praise for Ih recommended associates

Do you have a contribution for Intelligent Horsemanship Magazine? Do phone, email or send your carrier pigeon to the IH office!

Intelligent Horsemanship Office:Address: Lethornes, Upper Lambourn, Hungerford RG17 8QP Phone: 01488 71300 Fax: 01488 73783 Email: editor@ihhq.netWebsite: www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk

On the cover: The Queen’s Trumpeter Photo courtesy of Sarah WestonWhilst we endeavour to ensure that all articles in the Intelligent Horsemanship Magazine are compatible with broad IH principles, it should be noted that the views expressed by contributors to the Intelligent Horsemanship Magazine do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor or Kelly Marks.

Kelly marks and Intelligent horsemanship

BySharonStephens

Arch

ie’s T

ales Archie’s Worm

Count Result

Great news Archie!

All this poo picking has been worth while. We don’t want you to get worms in your tummy!

What! I had better look out for those worms too!

HA HA! It’s ok Archie, that’s just an earth worm!

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By Major Ann O’Flynn, RVO HCMR

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her majesty Queen elizabeth’s Diamond JubileeNo celebration of the Queen’s reign would be complete without the presence of horses. In the parade from Westminster to Buckingham Palace due to take place on 5th June, there will be one hundred and sixteen men and horses from the Household Cavalry. This will include fifty three musicians, with the trumpeters clearly identified on grey horses, and the two drum horses, Achilles and Mercury.

Major Ann O’Flynn, from the RoyalArmy Veterinary Corps, is theRegimental Veterinary Officer. Writingexclusively for the IH magazine, she tells us more about the preparations for the day and her role within the Household Cavalry.

Although the soldiers are all excited there is an incredible amount of hard work to do beforehand. For them, this is their every day job and there is the serious security role of protecting the royal party, which is hidden behind the rich pageantry of the occasion. On the day no one can fail to be moved by the sheer noise of all the horses’ feet, the jangling of the tack, and the sight of the magnificent horses.

Hand-picked from Ireland and Wales, and usually Irish Draught crosses, the majority of the horses are black and over 16.2 hands. This tradition goes back to King Charles II who declared that he wanted his Life Guards to put the fear of God into their enemies.

There are four intakes of horses every year and for ease of identification each intake is named with the same letter to indicate their year, rather like the old system of car registration numbers. This year horses beginning with L and M have graduated and will be joining their more experienced colleagues in the Queen’s parade. Younger horses tend to be kept in the middle, with the more experienced horses on the outside closer to the cheering crowds.

This parade will be the last ceremony for a great favourite, Thomas, a horse that has been all around the world with the Household Cavalry Musical Ride, and is renowned for giving kisses. He will be retired shortly

When they return from rest, they look as if they have been on a gap year...

As the Regimental Veterinary Officer (RVO) for the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR), I am responsible for the veterinary health care and welfare of over three hundred horses that provide the daily Queen’s Life Guard.

You can see them on duty three hundred and sixty five days of the year, guarding what was the traditional entrance to Buckingham Palace, on Whitehall, outside Horse Guards Parade.

The Household Cavalry also escorts Her Majesty the Queen on state visits and for the annual state ceremonial occasions, such as The Queen’s Birthday Parade, the State Opening of Parliament and of course, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Parade.

Sometimes I really do have to pinch myself – it’s hard to believe I have the privilege of being a vital part of such an iconic British tradition – it is a very exciting place to be! Our horses are respected and lauded around the world.

As part of my day-to-day job I go round the stables each day, checking on any new injuries and, with my veterinary technician, I oversee the daily treatments for all the horses. These are mainly administered by the soldiers in the Troops. Considering that eighty percent of HCMR soldiers have never been close to a horse before they arrive, it is quite a feat for them to reach such a good standard of riding that they can go on parade after just twenty weeks, and achieve a good enough level of animal husbandry skills that I can trust them to carry out most routine treatments for simple things like cuts and grazes.

Most of the cases I see are orthopaedic (lameness) cases, which is not surprising given that the horses are trotting on the hard roads of London all year round, carrying some hefty soldiers wearing approximately 7- 8kg of ceremonial kit, so the horses’ feet and backs take a lot of wear and tear.

I also get my fair share of colic, skin disease and kick wounds to deal with. So, in many ways, my job is just like any other equine vet but I do have the advantage that I don’t have to drive around the country to see them all. They are generally all in one of our three military locations, so I tend to see a lot of horses each day; my record for one day is over fifty!

In addition, as the Commanding Officer’s ‘subject matter expert’, I devise and set the policy for the way the whole Regiment works on matters regarding equine health and welfare.

I am also the Officer in Charge of the HCMR Forge where I lead and manage a team of fifteen farriers, all trained soldiers who have been selected from the ranks to train as military farriers. I am responsible for their training, personal development, welfare, education and discipline. It’s a lively and pro-active team that is great to work with, and my job is made so much easier because I work alongside these fellow professionals every day.

I really enjoy the responsibility of leading men, having the honour of looking out for them, and enabling them to fulfill their true potential.

It is an amazing job, but totally life-consuming. I love working with the horses. In the main they are noble, gentle, loveable creatures and I get a great deal of satisfaction from making them better, enabling them to do their ceremonial duties and show off on the national and world stage!

There are downsides too. Sometimes I lose track of what day it is, and at busy

times of the year I can go without leaving the premises for days on end. In return however, I have the honour of ensuring the heath and fitness of Her Majesty the Queen’s State Ceremonial escorts and being in the parades myself!

In the Army, you don’t get a choice of where you work, who your team is, and when you will move on, although you can always express your preference for certain jobs over others. The needs of the Army come before your own, and that is hard to take sometimes.

The on-call hours are relentless, especially as I am the only vet in the unit, and that can be quite tiring. Nevertheless, there are fewer surprise emergencies than I might get in general veterinary practice because our animals are all safely secured at night. I work alone for much of the time but can call someone else in if I have a difficult case whilst retaining total case ownership.

Recently we have started our Regimental Drills for the State Opening of Parliament. This is when the horses and men start practicing for the formations they must use during that particular parade. It can be a tricky time as new horses get used to being close to one another and the men sometimes have to get used to riding different horses. A few clashes here and there may mean a busy time for me with my stitch-up kit! Hopefully this isn’t going to be the start of a lot of injuries as we need our horses fit and ready for their busy summer season – the whole world will be watching!...no one can fail

to be moved by the sheer noise...

afterwards and is likely to be re-homed to live out the rest of his days in a country field.

Meanwhile, waiting in the wings for an opportunity in the future is new drum horse, Digger. At 19.3 hands high, nine years old and still growing, he is set to become one of the tallest horses in Britain.

The Regiment has a total of two hundred and twenty three horses based at their barracks at Knightsbridge, and currently fifty two more are based at Windsor, or are in training or out at grass at the Defence Animal Centre in Melton Mowbray. The horses get more leave than the men! When they return from rest, they look as if they have been on a gap year; they have dreadlocks in their hair, are totally unkempt and are covered in mud. It takes a week to bring them back to their former glory.

Alternating their Cavalry duties with the daunting tours of duty in places such as Afghanistan, the soldiers are encouraged to really get to know their horses and to improve their horsemanship at the annual Regimental Training Camp which takes place in Norfolk. These three weeks of training cover security procedures including riot training, and also activities such as show-jumping, cross-country and hacking. The horses all really enjoy this too. It is so nice to see them out in the fields breathing fresh, country air – it makes a change from the busy, city streets of London.

Monty was extremely honoured to have been invited to take part in the Diamond Jubilee Pageant at Windsor in the presence of her Majesty in May. The Pageant involved over five hundred and fifty horses and more than one thousand dancers, musicians, and performers from around the world.Monty rode Cherokee Gray Hawk, a 15.2 grey gelding born in 2007. Hawk had been ridden on parades before and proved to be a super on the Willing Partner program. He now lives in Dubai with Neil and Natalie McLean, and was specifically flown in from Dubai to participate in Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration.

Photo courtesy Anton Phillips

Photos with kind permission of the Household Cavalry/MOD

The Household Cavalry have their own Facebook Page at The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

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How do you know if the boot you have chosen is a good fit? Select a boot based on your horse’s measurements and fit the boot as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Does it go on easily? Does the hoof fill the inside of the boot nicely without bulges or gaps? Check that the fastenings are not too tight. When the boot is on the hoof, you shouldn’t be able to twist it from side to side by any more than around five degrees (unless stated differently by the manufacturer).

If the boot twists this can be an indication that it is either too big or the wrong shape; a smaller size or an alternative model should be tried. If the boot is too small it can rub the horse especially if he has under-run heels - check your measurements again and try the next size up to see if that fits better. Some boots have special wraps or gaiters that act as ‘socks’ to help protect sensitive skin.

There is a wealth of information and equipment now available for anyone wanting to make the transition from shod to barefoot and the availability of well made, flexible and well fitting boots is a real bonus.

Visit www.trelawneequine.co.uk for more barefoot information and details of a range of hoof boots for barefoot horses.

By Lucy Nicholas of Trelawne Equine

Barefoot and hoof Boots

Looking after a barefoot horse is no harder than looking after a shod horse...

For most owners looking after a barefoot horse should be no harder than looking after a shod horse once a new routine is established. However owners should consider their situation before deciding if being barefoot is the best option for their horse. For a horse to be successful barefoot, barefoot advocates would say there were three critical factors:

1. A good, regular trimming schedule 2. A good diet based on food that the

horse’s body evolved to thrive upon3. Exercise, including natural movement in

the field, and little or no confinement

Hoof care professionals are often asked, “Can all horses go barefoot?”

I

A good bare foot. Photos courtesy Lucy Nicholas.

t should be no surprise that barefoot hoof care is on the increase and has become mainstream in these days of ‘natural’ animal husbandry and horsemanship practices.

‘Barefoot’ in modern times describes a horse or pony that is able to perform all of its normal activities without the need for permanent hoof protection.

Hoof care professionals are often asked, “Can all horses go barefoot?” Many believe that, “Every horse can go barefoot, but not every owner can.” Some professionals insist that some horses are unable to go barefoot due to genetics, structural, or conformational problems, and that it is fairer to the horse to remain shod. For others shoes are a convenience that keeps a horse sound on most surfaces with only a little effort by the owner.

In fact many barefoot horses are kept in less than optimum conditions yet still display the soundness and vigour of horses that are kept closer to the ‘ideal’.

Who should trim your horse?A good hoof care professional is very

important. They will be responsible for keeping your horse’s feet sound and will be your biggest source of information about your individual horse’s diet and maintenance needs. Thus you need to feel confident about their methods.

One of the contentious issues in the hoof care world is that trimmers, unlike farriers, may not have a recognised qualification. It is legal for a non-farrier to trim a horse’s

hoof as long as they are not preparing the hoof for a shoe. However, in 2010, in order to safeguard the horse’s welfare and help to protect the owner, LANTRA (the UK’s Sector Skills Council for land-based and environmental industries) produced the National Occupational Standard (NOS) for Equine Barefoot Care, with input from some of the recognised trimming associations in the UK.

A good trimmer will be more than happy to provide an initial consultation and assess your horse. They should give you the opportunity to ask questions and understand what your horse will need in order to be sound and happy as a barefoot horse. You need to feel you can communicate with them and ask them any questions, or tell them about any worries you have.

Key management issues for barefoot horses

It makes sense to provide the barefoot horse with as much opportunity to exercise himself as possible.

Ideally, barefoot horses should be kept out at pasture 24/7 with good shelter, water and forage available. The pasture could be arranged into a track system, often known as ‘paddock paradise’, which has been written about extensively by Jamie Jackson. The track encourages horses to travel along paths as they would in the wild. A circular track works better than a straight one as it encourages a more natural pattern of movement.

Diet is also critical. The hooves are a very good indicator of the quality of a diet. Some horses have a less-than-ideal diet but still have the quality of hoof to work without shoes. They are often doing a higher level of work so that the food they eat is burnt off and they maintain a healthy weight very easily. However, by keeping the diet as natural as possible, improvements can be made that make a huge difference to hoof quality and overall horse health.

Horses, just like humans, have different tolerances to levels of sugar and starch. Barefoot horses that are laminitis-prone, insulin resistant, or have any kind of metabolic disorder, usually do better when grass is kept to an absolute minimum or there is none at all. The ideal feed is soaked hay.

Good quality, low-sugar forage should form the largest part of a horse’s diet. However, it is important to make sure that your horse still has all the vitamins and minerals he needs to thrive. A deficiency or imbalance will be reflected in his hooves and general health. The best thing is to have your hay and grass analysed and then supplement accordingly. Different parts of the country will tend be rich or lacking in certain minerals. These can be added in order to balance the diet cost-effectively and without the danger of over-supplementing. Alternatively you can use a broad spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement in order to cover possible imbalances. Avoid those with added sugar.

Transitioning after removing the shoes

Making the transition from shod to barefoot for a horse with less than ideal hooves may require time, patience, and a little investment at the outset. It is necessary to build up the foot’s ability to cope with different surfaces gradually. Soles which are unused to being in contact with the ground may be sensitive and some may need some sort of protection while the sole hardens.

Practices such as stabling may not be compatible with keeping a horse barefoot.

Hoof bootsSome horses need hoof protection in the

form of hoof boots either while making the transition from shod to barefoot or indeed permanently when ridden in order to remain comfortable.

In theory, you should be able to find boots for any horse. There is a range of hoof boots on the market that will fit very small ponies right through to very large heavy horses, and there are a few companies that will make to measure. The latest boot on the market is the Easyboot Glove Back Country which is ideal for leisure riders doing less than twenty five miles at a time and is available in a great range of sizes.

Ideally, barefoot horses should be kept out at pasture 24/7 with good shelter, water and forage available.

Easyboot Glove Back Country.

This article contains extracts from the new book ‘The Barefoot Horse – An introduction to barefoot hoof care and hoof boots’, by Lucy Nicholas, published by J.A. Allen.

ISBN: 978-0-85131-987-2Price £15.99

Available from good bookshops and equestrian retailers, including www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk call CBS: 01892 837171 with stockist enquiries or to order direct.

WIN a FREE copy of the book

Just answer the following question: What is the name of the latest boot on the market?

Send your entry in to editor@ihhq.net by 15th July, 2012

Did you know?An earlier article on Barefoot Environment by Gillian Bradley (Summer 2011) is now available as a flipbook on the IH Members’ section of the Intelligent Horsemanship website.

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No Fear!! Part 2

TouchingThe first technique is for things with which you can touch your horse. It helps to start with something that feels really comfortable when it touches the horse and doesn’t make much noise. The technique itself is known as advance and retreat, that is, pressure on – as it advances – and pressure off – as it retreats. The real secret here is to understand that it is not just the touching that teaches the horse that the object is safe, it is the fact that it is prepared to go away, i.e. non-predatory behaviour.

An easy object with which to start is an extendable feather duster. Start by asking the horse to touch the duster with his nose, and once he does, move it away immediately; timing is critical throughout the exercise. Repeat this at least twice more before approaching the horse at the shoulder, keeping the end of the duster at least a metre away. If he keeps still, move the duster away instantly. If he moves,

By Sarah Weston

gently move with him, keeping the duster at approximately the same distance until he stops, and then take it away instantly. When you move with him, do it without emotion and without saying anything, otherwise you may reinforce his fear. Don’t try to stop him moving but allow him to circle around you and just suggest a stop with a very light pressure down the line.

Repeat this as many times as it takes for him to accept the duster without moving away. Then you can move the duster closer and eventually touch him with it. The best place to start touching him is often at the withers, and once you have touched and moved away a few times, it can help if you give him a lovely rub. You may really help the horse too by breathing out as you touch the place that he is worried about.

Then, start to move around your horse’s body, getting him accustomed to the feel of the duster elsewhere. Don’t use the

duster as if you are really trying to get rid of cobwebs, use a deep flat touch in a sawing motion – they often love this.

When you move to the opposite side of the horse, be prepared to start right at the beginning in the same incremental way. Horses don’t seem to pass information from one side of the body to the other, and they can be just as sensitive on the second side.

Fearful horses are often afraid of people or of things; most of the time it is one or the other. This first exercise will tell you a lot about a horse. If he is more afraid of the movement than he is of the object itself he may well have been hit in the past and you may well need to spend more time repeating the movement itself. The extendable feather duster is especially useful for horses that have been hit because each movement can be followed by a lovely rub. In time the horse will welcome the movement rather than fear it.

Once you have worked with the feather duster you can move on to other objects, but they should not be things that will actually hurt him in any way. For horses that are frightened of sound or sudden movement, the bags on a stick can be extremely useful. Often the horse will be more relaxed than you would expect as he begins to trust you to use the same logical technique every time you introduce something new.

Extra tipFor horses that are afraid of water apply a very small amount of water and then rub the wet area. This effectively takes away the sensation of the dripping water.

Riva, a dressage horse, was afraid of pheasants and if one shot up beside her it would upset her completely. The feather duster and the bags onthe stick made a significant impact on her behaviour.

Chasing The second technique involves things that your horse can follow and includes anything from an umbrella, to a dog, motorbike or tractor. It is essential that you are in charge of both the horse and the object, so if you are working with a vehicle you need the driver to co-operate with you fully. It helps to develop hand signals that you both understand.

Always keep yourself between the horse and the object that he may be frightened of (this is a great general rule). You’ll find that when he is asked to follow something, if it stops he will approach it, and hopefully touch it, or he may touch you as if to ask, “are we okay with the thing?” Of course it does help if you are not afraid of ‘the thing’ yourself!

Use an umbrella and start with it fully closed and walk in circles to the left, with the umbrella held out in front of you in your left hand but pointing forwards and right. Every so often come to a halt and note your horse’s reactions. If he is brave and goes up to touch it, or is prepared to stand and look at it, walk forward again in order to take the pressure off him. Once he is happy with the umbrella in this state, open it a little and repeat the same thing. You should gradually be able to open the umbrella completely (beware of the automatic opening ones that shoot open) and also place it high up and low down so that he can investigate it from all angles.

Extra tip:This exercise need not end with following. It’s a good idea to work with a partner who can take it in turns and follow you with the object, or to move past you on the left and right with the object at a narrowing distance.

Milo was afraid of tractors even though he lived on a farm and his feed was delivered by the tractor every day. Using the same technique we asked Milo to follow his owner’s tractor up and down the road by the farm. He became quite enthusiastic about this. The next time he met a tractor when they were out riding, even though he had only had one session of training, he was delighted to be asked to follow the tractor down the road.

Over, through and roundFor objects that you can go over, through and round, such as tarpaulins, water and horse agility obstacles, it is good to start off by circling them in both directions. Once again, it is important to be between the horse and the object, so if you are leading to the right, you will need to be on his right. You’ll find that the horse will look at the object closely and his ear will be pinned to it too. Keep on circling until he is really relaxed and you’ll find that he is prepared to get closer to the object and may even touch it.

Once he is relaxed about circling the object, you can begin to approach it. When you feel any resistance at all, turn and face him but look at his feet rather than his eyes. All you need to know is what his feet are doing. Ask him to take just one more step and, when he does, back him up very gently for three strides. You’ll find that his head will come down and he will relax as you take the pressure off him. Ask him to come forward again and you will generally find that he will take one extra step or put his head down to look at the object and sniff it. Once again, take the pressure off him by backing him up for three strides.

His next move generally will be to place a tiny part of his toe on the object as if testing the water. Once again, back him up for three strides. In time your horse is likely to put one front foot and then two front feet, one back foot and then two back feet onto the object, but the good horseman is the one who breaks the exercise down by gently backing the horse up each time he offers something more. The backward steps in this context are a reward for being brave and a promise that you are not going to force him to do something all in one go.

Extra tip:In order to slow your horse down as he negotiates an obstacle and to ask him to look at it more carefully, bend down a little and study it yourself. Many horses will match you and do the same.

Genoa was afraid of crossing the wooden huntsman’s bridges out on a hack. Practising with a wooden board at home, his owner was able to build up his initial confidence before working with the real thing. Genoa learned that he could trust his owner to keep him safe.

TPhoto courtesy of David Vatcher.

Photo courtesy of Julie Noviss.

here are three very basic techniques for getting your horse used to new objects and they can be adapted for most situations. All of them rely on three vital elements – incremental approach, repetition and timing. When

we ask a horse to overcome his fear, we are asking him to give up his automatic, instinctive reaction, his non-thinking reaction, and instead to trust our judgement.

For all of these exercises, it is wise to wear a hard hat, sturdy boots and gloves, so that if your horse does react strongly you are well protected. However, if you observe his reactions carefully, you should be able to measure your actions carefully in order to work without drama.

All of the exercises begin on the ground but can be repeated from the saddle once it is safe to do so.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Weston.

Photo courtesy of Russell Sach.

This exercise can really help to traffic proof your horse. Photo courtesy of Horseworld.

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Intelligent Horsemanship Course Dates 2012Come and have the experience of a lifetime with our expert tuition in the art and science of equine behaviour. It will change the way you view not only your relationships with horses but also the people around you.

Please telephone the office to confirm availability on courses before sending in your application: 01488 71300. Numbers are limited on all courses.

Late spaces do sometimes become available. Please email us on brenda@ihhq.net or ring 01488 71300 if you would like to go on our waiting list.

Perfect Manners Weekend Course with Kelly Marks £325June 9th - 10th July 14th - 15th July 28th - 29th

Foundation Course with Kelly Marks £575June 11th - 15th June 18th - 22nd July 23rd - 27th August 6th - 10th

Horse Psychology with Kelly Marks £170June 25th - 26th

Stud Practice/Handling the Young Foal with Ian Vandenberghe £170 (£85/day)June 16th - 17th

Feeding and Nutrition/Horse as an Athlete with Ian Vandenberghe £170 (£85/day)June 23rd - 24th

Intermediate Course: Leading and Loading the Less Easy Horse with Kelly Marks £250August 18th - 19th

Helpers are always welcome on the Five Day Foundation and Perfect Manners Courses. In return for helping out you can observe much of the course. It’s an ideal low-cost way of learning about IH techniques or refreshing your memory. Please ring on 01488 71300 between 9am and 4pm weekdays for more information. For intermediate courses it is necessary to have completed the Five Day Foundation course first. We need suitable horses for this course for students to work with, so if you think you have one please email info@ihhq.net – you are then welcome to attend the course with your horse free of charge.

Simply the Best“Kelly and the wonderful team at IH, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all of your help with Merlin the pony that I brought to the leading and loading course. He is a changed pony. We have successfully loaded him four times since and taken him to a show where I was dreading loading him to come home. He walked straight up the ramp and travelled back perfectly!”

“We have now happily moved to Germany, having loaded Merlin at 4 am in the dark. He walked in perfectly and was amazingly well behaved all the way, even with the three hour delay getting on to the ferry!”

Nicole Gillard

Horsing about is good for business...EVER THOUGHT about persuading YOUR BOSS that a day out with horses for the staff is just what you all need to boost business? IH can show you feedback from very happy business clients:

“We’ve had some inspiring presenters at MD2MD over the years and our session with Horse Whisperer Kelly Marks must be up there in the Top Ten. Kelly’s fascinating talk and practical demonstration using her horses illustrated how communication is often unspoken – and unintentional”.

Crackling Rose!IHRA Rosie Jones and her partner, Hannah, are travelling the world from September 2012 for seven months, and will be looking for horses to see and places to stay en route.

“This is a plea for horsey links and travelling advice. I am really looking forward to learning more about local horse training techniques. I am open to running individual sessions or group clinics if there is interest, and would love to know about any fantastic horse people that I should meet or have lessons with. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you know someone or something that might help - rosiejoneshorses@yahoo.co.uk”

“Our basic itinerary is as follows”: 1 IndiaSeptember 2012

IndonesiaEarly October 2012

2

AustraliaMid Oct - Mid Nov 2012

Fiji and New ZealandMid Nov - Mid Dec 2012

3

4South America (Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Brazil)January - early March 2013

5

More Courses and Events with the IH Recommended Associates

Photo courtesy of Sheila Reed

Photo courtesy of Sheila Reed

Practical Skills Workshopswith Jim Goddard

Groundwork Workshop Covering

• Howtogetaheadcollarona young or tricky horse

• Safeleadingtoandfromthe paddock

•Movingyourhorse’sfeet

• Howtohandleyourhorseand create boundaries

• Usinggoodgroundwork techniques to enhance further training

• Leadingexercisestocreatea supple willing partner

OR

Long-lining WorkshopCovering

• Exercisingyourhorseina physically balanced way

• Preparingahorseforfurther training

• Desensitisingahorsetothe lines and introducing a horse to ridden exercises

• Increasingco-operationand partnership between you and the horse

• Enhancingcommunication through the reins

Half-day workshops run from 9.00am - 1.00pm including a demonstration, hands-on sessions and a group discussion to consolidate your learning.

Available throughout the summer and autumn at Griggs Ghyll House, Dallington, East Sussex or at your own yard.

•£65perperson

Email: jimgoddardhorses@btinternet.com

Hands On Horsemanship in association with HorseWorld, Bristol

Practical equine handling with Sarah Weston (IHRA), Bronwen Packham (IHRA) and Jenny Major (MRPCH)

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to really immerse yourself in horses for a weekend and to hone your

skills around them. You will be able to touch and observe horses, experiment with different approaches, and notice what works for you and what works for them. Working with equines at this raw level will enhance your relationship with all equines and improve your timing and touch.

It’s also a wonderful opportunity to see some of the day to day activities that go on at one of the top equine charities.

• 21st and 22nd July • 15th and 16th September

• £250 per person

For details contact Bronwen at Bronwen@equineharmony.co.uk or telephone 07963 503429

One Day Introduction to IH with Bridget Hughes and Liz Pitman

23rd June 2012 - Saxmundham, SuffolkThis course can also be held at any suitable venue in East Anglia, whenever we are free. Arrange a course and earn a free place!•IHMembers£95•NonMembers£105

Call Liz Pitman on 0772 9629022 for more information

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The Fab Five!

By Sarah Weston

IH Courses in Depth: The IH Five Day Foundation Course

So many light bulb moments I could single handedly light up Blackpool illuminations. Joanne

ngage in any discussion about the IH courses on the IHDG and many people will urge you to start your

IH journey with the Five Day Foundation course. An opportunity to immerse yourself in horses for a whole week, the course covers everything from Join Up to foot handling, ridden technique to saddle fit, with real experts on hand at all times. There’s a great balance between theoretical and practical sessions with opportunities to talk to other students about their experience during the breaks and over lunch; indeed students often get together in the evenings as well to have a meal and unwind.

For many people, the Five Day Foundation course is a turning point in the way that they view horses and their behaviour. For some, like me, it led to a complete change in career and outlook on life.

IH student, Hazel, commented, “It was definitely one of the best weeks of my life. I was a bit nervous on the first day, but we were given such a lovely welcome by Kelly and Sandra. It was great how well all the students worked together over the five days; such a great gang.”

“There was a variety of different levels of experience among us, and what really impressed me was how the course allowed for that. My husband revelled in jumping in at the deep end, learning to fit the Dually, leading, using a 20ft line, doing lots of Join Ups, groundwork, picking up feet, tacking up and long-lining.”

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The facilities at Hartsop Farm are ideal for this course, with the purpose built classroom, three round pens and paddock space for the practical work. Whilst some of the horses are old hands at teaching, students often get to work with horses that have come in for training, or they can even bring their own.

Some horses, like Sarah, become firm favourites with students and always have something to teach them. Hazel recalls that Sarah was a sweet, sensitive soul. “All the wonderful horses taught us such a huge amount about ourselves as well as about them. Brook taught me about energy projection levels and which is my weaker rein. Reno showed me how to read each individual horse and demonstrated to me just how subtle I can be.”

Therese, an IH student who travelled from her home in Sweden, recounts, “Sarah is the queen of horses and she knows it! She taught me to be soft not weak and how to use body language. One week after the course a horse belonging to a friend of

mine got loose and was running towards a road. I had ONE chance to catch this horse that didn’t know me at all, and I felt that if I didn’t make the right move I was never going to catch her. I thought about Sarah and what she had taught me. When I put it into action, the horse stopped and I was able to catch her. Thank you Sarah, you taught me well.”

When students complete their first Join Up with a horse, it is often an emotional experience. By the time they complete their last one, the students can’t wait to go home to practice it with their own horses.

Hazel says, “Impy will always have a very special place in my heart for being such a sweetheart and for being the first pony I ever joined-up with.”

Later in the course, students are able to practice a full Join Up with tack followed by long lining in the pen.

IH student, Caroline Ramsay recalls, “When it came to the full Join Up with long lines in the pen, I was with George, a coloured cob with a handlebar moustache and soup plate hooves. He was a darling, but were there really only two long lines? With some well placed help and advice from Linda I finally conquered them, and George and I left the round pen with respectably low pulse rates.”

Kelly is closely involved with the course throughout and, as you’d expect, is keen to ensure that students are taught Join Up in its purest form and make sure that they understand the key concepts behind it. She makes it very clear from the outset that Join Up is so much more than just a way to communicate with horses. She says, “In fact, by learning the components of Join Up we start to learn all the skills that are necessary to make us complete horse people. There are the ones that you would expect, such as how we can use our body and our eyes, getting our timing right, and the practical elements of thinking about it from the horse’s point of view. Even more vital but less well recognised are the skills that we need to develop, such as mindfulness, focus and intention.”

“I find it funny that on the Friday, when I ask people what they feel is the most important thing they have learned during

...a great balance between theoretical and practical sessions...

... Join Up is so much more than ‘just’ a way to communicate with horses.

the week, a large proportion say, ‘How to breathe, and how that effects the horses you’re with’. I’m sure that they would be most unimpressed if we had said on the Monday, ‘You’re going to be thrilled by the end of the course because you’re going to learn how to breathe!’”

Caroline reports, “Our week had the near-perfect mix of the spiritual and the social, the hilarious and the humbling.”

Hazel adds, “I found the whole week to be incredibly educational, life-changing and huge amounts of fun. It is very intense with loads crammed into the five days, and the first couple of nights I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow! It also has a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and you soon get into the swing of it. I ended each day with a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction.”

Some of the work is videoed so that

IH student, Dee Joins Up with a horse called Sarah, one of the course favourites. Photos courtesy of Dee Dee Wilkinson, SouthWest Coaching.

students have the opportunity to watch and analyse their progress, and to have constructive feedback after their sessions. The ridden assessment is often an eye opener for students who may have ridden for many years without having regular lessons or analysing their riding style.

The theoretical sessions are also invaluable.

“The saddle fitting session with Julia Fisher was a real eye-opener,” says Caroline, “I didn’t realise there were metal parts in the saddle, let alone that careless manufacture, fitting, or riding can cause them to poke into my horse’s back. I think a lot of us booked saddle fittings for our horses that day!”

Start your journey with IH... ring the office today!! Tel: 01488 71300

Five Fabulous Forum Favourites“I want to do the course all over again. The team is amazing and so are the horses.” Hazel

“I learnt a lot about what a horse IS.” Tim

“It’s helped to affirm my own core beliefs and thrown up many interesting points for me to consider in all of my dealings with horses and people.” Kellie

“I learnt more about horses that week than I have in the last ten years.” Lindsey

“We were all made extremely welcome and comfortable at Hartsop Farm - the bottomless biscuit tin and endless coffee were well appreciated.” Fin

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‘On the bit’By IHRA Jim Goddard

I’m often asked, “How can I get my horse on the bit?” It’s a term that lots of us use, but it is open to many different interpretations. It’s something I have discussed with Kelly and Monty on many occasions.

... just the weight of the rein is a pre-signal to the horse...

o me it means the horse taking responsibility for carrying the bit and is the start of process of self

carriage. Using the bit we can ask him to

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soften at the poll, jaw and chin, and lift his wither and barrel to allow his hindquarters to drive him forward. Wow! That’s an awful lot to communicate to a horse through a little piece of metal in his mouth.

Because I’m asking a lot of the horse, there are a lot of things that could go wrong. For instance, pulling on the horse’s mouth may encourage him to bring his head up, his back to hollow, and his barrel to drop, so that even if he is trying to soften

at the poll the rest of his body simply can’t follow. If I don’t allow him sufficient rein to lift his body up and to move forwards freely, it will feel as if he’s moving but with the handbrake on. I may feel as if the horse is ready to spook or jump because of the heightened tension in the reins.

So how can we help a horse understand us better?The bit is designed to act on the lips, bars, tongue and, in some cases, roof of the mouth. Therefore it is imperative to be sensitive when we use it. It is important for the bit to hang over the bars of the horse’s mouth and for us not pull it up into the

corners of the mouth. When the bit is tight the brakes are always on, and it will not encourage the horse to hold the bit himself. It’s also difficult to release effectively since the bit can’t be de-activated even when the rein is released.

When I pick up the reins, the bit begins to work on the lips and bars of the mouth so that just the weight of the rein is a pre-signal to the horse that something is going to happen. With a well-trained horse, this will be enough for him to start to ‘listen’ to the signals given through my body. This level of communication is the Holy Grail of horsemanship.

Reaching that point takes work. I like to use a sweet iron snaffle with weighted rings which help to give a pre-signal to an aid through my horse’s mouth, and this lets me warn the horse that something is happening so that he’s well-prepared when I ask for it. This allows him to respond in a much lighter way.

What’s the technique? As with all IH principles, we are essentially looking for a system of pressure and release in order to encourage the horse to take responsibility for his own body carriage. When I’m using the bit I want my horse to find his own point of release where he is comfortable and I’m happy with the lines of his body - that is, soft at the poll, jaw, and chin with his back and barrel lifted so that he can drive his hindquarters through. My responsibility is to give him a length of rein where he can find the release of pressure which puts his body in the right position.

The most important aspect of this is that I keep my hands still and push forward with my legs. If I keep changing the length of my rein it can send confusing signals to the horse’s mouth and he won’t be able to find the release. Instead his adrenalin will rise, his head come up, and his body drop. If this happens by mistake, I lengthen my reins immediately, allowing his adrenalin to drop before we go back to work.

Photos courtesy of Anna Goddard

Making a gentle brace. The horse softens at the poll.

Release the rein as a reward for softening.

Jim Goddard is the Recommended Associate for East Sussex and covers the South East. He can be contacted on: 07540 607231 or 01424 838427 or by email at: jimgoddardhorses@btinternet.com Website: www.jimgoddardhorses.co.uk

However, if I’m happy with the length of my rein and my horse moves his head up or around to find the release, I will keep asking him to go forward with my legs until he softens at the poll and drops his head. I then instantly drop the reins back down onto his wither so that he gets a complete release. I can then pick them up again and ask for more. I make sure the horse understands when standing still first of all, and then move into walk and subsequently trot and canter.

On a young horse, I often ask on a circle with the inside rein and leg once we start moving. This is often easier for the horse than a straight line to begin with.

After a few weeks’ work, I should start to see the horse soften at the poll, pick up his back and barrel and move forward into the rein just from the pre-loading of the bit caused by picking up the rein and squeezing with my legs. The key is patience and fairness. There has to be a place where he can find the release of the pressure so that he knows where the right position is for his body.

Whilst I start with the weighted loose ring snaffle, later I will use the bit I intend to use for competition but, as with all training, the transition is incremental and I like to have everything in place before I change the bit. I will go back to the snaffle if I am training the horse to do something new or schooling him.

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Opening a Can of Worms The Dangers of Encysted Redwormby Simon Daniels, Technical Manager at Intelligent Worming

he small redworm is the parasite that is most dangerous to our horses today and it is also the

parasite that is present in the highest numbers in the population. Fifty years ago the most dangerous and prevalent parasite was the large redworm, however, the way we have wormed our horses over time has greatly reduced the numbers. At the time, we were unaware that the way in which we targeted the large redworm was over-exposing the small redworm to the worming chemicals and starting the mutation towards resistance.

Veterinary parasitologists still only understand the basic biology of these parasites and their life cycle. Work is

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There are over fifty different species of small redworm...

The symptoms of this condition include sudden-onset weight loss, colic and diarrhoea with cyathastomins present in the faecal matter.

Cyathastomins. Photo courtesy of Intelligent Worming

continuing, but lack of funding means that advancement has been gradual. However, there has been a huge advancement in our understanding from when broad spectrum wormers first became available.

The small redworm is a nematode that is part of the strongyle family. There are over fifty different species of small redworm and they are classed as a sub-family called

cyathastomins. While each different species can be identified, it is extremely difficult without extracting DNA and running a genetic fingerprint to tell each species apart. Because of this, we tend to group all of them together and refer to them as cyathastomins. The drawback to this approach is that it makes it difficult to monitor and understand scientifically each different species and the variations in their life cycles.

The cyathastomins have a non-migratory life cycle; they undergo several developmental stages from fertilised eggs to mature adults. As with many intestinal parasites, the fertilised eggs are excreted in the dung. These then hatch out on the pasture to 1st stage larvae and continue to develop there through a 2nd and 3rd stage. The 3rd stage larvae crawl around in the grass and are ingested by the horse as it grazes. These then migrate though the horse’s gastrointestinal tract to the large intestine, specifically the colon and the caecum where fibre is digested.

To continue their life cycle the larvae need to develop through a further three stages before they mature to adults and can mate. All of the 3rd stage larvae encyst into the wall of the large intestine to carry on their development. From here they complete their encysted stages, Early L3 (EL3), Late L3 (LL3) and Developmental L4 (DL4).

This is where it starts to get complicated. In a straightforward situation the L3 larvae encyst and go straight through the EL3, LL3 and DL4 development stages before remerging back into the intestinal lumen within a matter of weeks where they mature to adults, mate and lay eggs. However, it is not always this straightforward. Sometimes when the L3 larvae encyst they can also stop at the EL3 stage. This is similar to hibernation and means the EL3 lie dormant in the gut wall.

This dormant period is not fully understood as the larvae can become reactivated and continue to LL3 after a few weeks, months or even up to two years! This is a problem because we currently have no way of detecting any encysted burden, although scientists are developing a blood test.

The diagram below illustrates the 3rd stage larvae entering the large intestine, moving through the encysted stages, and maturing to adults.

Why the larvae enter an inhibited

encysted stage is not fully understood. Two theories have come forward from recent research. One theory is cold conditioning. Over the winter months 95% of a horse’s cyathastomin burden can become encysted due to the cyathastomin larvae coming into contact with cold and frosty ground. Once the larvae are ingested this seems to trigger them to go into an inhibited state because if they continued to develop they would not survive the cold weather outside.

The second theory is that there is a negative feedback message between encysted larvae and the adult cyathastomins in the gut lumen. If there are enough adults present within the large intestine, then a message is sent back to the encysted larvae to prevent any more from emerging. This has implications for the type of wormer that is used at different times of the year, as killing the adult burden may remove the negative feedback message and lead to a mass re-emergence.

The cyathastomins are most dangerous to horses at the point that they re-emerge into the gut lumen from their encysted development. If the encysted burden re-emerges en masse this can causes colitis and lead to the clinical disease known as larval cyathastominosis. The symptoms of this condition include sudden-onset weight loss, colic and diarrhoea with cyathastomins present in the faecal matter. If the horse has a high redworm burden then the owner may see redworms in the dung. However, this is not very common and worm eggs cannot be seen by the human eye. This condition is most commonly seen in young animals in the early spring, and affected horses generally have only about a fifty percent chance of survival. However, any horse with a high cyathastomin burden and specifically a high encysted burden is at greater risk. If you spot the symptoms it is very important that you call your vet.

Whilst a faecal egg count cannot detect the encysted burden, if there is a high cyathastomin burden then it is likely that there is also a high encysted burden, especially if you work on the theory that the majority of

a horse’s cyathastomin burden is encysted. Therefore, if a horse has a high faecal egg count it is likely to have a high encysted burden. While a faecal egg count does not directly relate to the level of parasites present in the gut, there is a correlation for results under 500 eggs per gram.

For example, if a horse has a faecal egg count reading of 100 eggs per gram this can equate to 100,000 cyathastomins in the gut. This would count as a low reading that the horse’s system is capable of controlling. However, if a horse returns a high faecal egg count of 1000 eggs per gram and above, allowing for the encysted larvae, the overall cyathastomin burden could be huge, putting this horse at much greater risk of intestinal disease.

Strategic use of faecal egg counts throughout the year helps to provide a better picture of a horse’s overall parasite status by monitoring trends. After three years, it is possible to evaluate the horse’s parasite status and if a high encysted burden is suspected or not.

Larval cyathastominosis is extremely rare. However, high encysted burdens can also have other detrimental effects such as a reduction in the uptake of nutrients. If a horse is struggling to maintain weight and condition but is receiving a more than adequate ration, then there could be a link to encysted cyathastomins.

Also of concern is the development of anthelmintic resistance. There are only two worming chemicals that are effective against the encysted stages of small redworm development: fenbendizole when given as a five day larvicidal dose, or a single dose of moxidectin. There is widespread resistance to the benzimadazole chemical which is active in the five day treatment, although in many places it is still fully effective. It has been suggested that even where resistance is present, the larvicidal effect may still be effective. However this is not fully understood.

Moxidectin has been subject to heavy use since its launch in the late 1990s in the UK, and in some places there is reduced efficacy.

While we can implement the best pasture management and hygiene practices to break the cyathastomin life cycle, if we do not have the chemical weaponry available to reduce a high burden when we need to, then our horses will be at a much greater risk of parasite associated disease.

Ideally, encysted treatments should be saved for the most appropriate time of year to reduce the risk of anthelmintic resistance developing. Understanding the cyathastomin life cycle and risk assessing the horse when designing a worming programme are key to scheduling these treatments.

Photo courtesy of Intelligent Worming

Top tips:• Goodpasturemanagementwillhelp

break the cyathastomin life cycle.

• Alwaysseekadvicefromyourvetora suitably qualified person on how and when to worm your horse.

• Strategicallyplannedfaecaleggcounts will help build a picture of your horse’s parasite status.

• Whenusinganthelmintics(chemicalwormers) check that it is the correct drug for the purpose, a suitable time for treatment, and that the dosage is as accurate as possible.

WIN!

A one year Intelligent Worming Programme for one horse, inclusive of the risk assessment process, programme design, one year management of the programme, and all faecal egg counts. The only additional cost will be the wormers prescribed in the programme bythe Consultant.

Just answer the follow questions:

• Approximatelyhowmanyspeciesofcyathastomin are there?

• WhatisthefullnameofKelly’shorsePie?

Send your answers to: editor@ihhq.net by 15th July, 2012

If you are interested in following a sustainable worming programme contact Intelligent Worming on 01267 22 33 22 and find out how to get started today.

Diagram from Matthews and Bartley 2011.

By following a strategic worming programme it is possible to reduce safely the level of wormers used annually. At the same time, the use of faecal egg counts within a programme provides information on a horse’s parasite status from the trend of results. This ensures that the parasites are only reduced when necessary, using the correct strategy to do so.

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Shy Lowen IH charity of the year Charity newsIt’s good to be back! Many of the IHRAs and IH members support a very wide range of charities

throughout the year. Here is just a selection from those that are being helped.

By Bernadette Langfield

Everyone at Shy Lowen is delighted to have been chosen again as the Intelligent Horsemanship Charity of the Year, and it put the icing on the cake when Kelly and Monty became Patrons of our ‘Home of Happiness’.

Monty and Kelly unveil a plaque at the sanctuary. Photo courtesy of Bernadette Langfield.

A student forms a relationship with one of the Shy Lowen horses. Photo courtesy of Bernadette Langfield.

Towards the end of our last reign we were shown on Channel 4 in a short documentary entitled ‘Teen Horse Whisperers’, which focused on our work with young people who have been removed from mainstream education and placed in local authority pupil referral units. We introduce these young people to wild Carneddau ponies. The ponies come to us if they fail to sell at auction following the annual round-up on the Welsh hills.

Often these troubled young people have never touched a pony before, so it is a massive challenge for them to be given the task of taming one. They are confronted by a pony which reflects their own behaviour; sometimes it’s the first time they’ve realised how powerful their behaviour can be. It’s magical to watch them.

The success of this approach has encouraged other schools to bring pupils to Shy Lowen to follow a similar programme. Indeed, we have recently taken on one fourteen-year-old who is not able to

attend school at all, so for him school is Shy Lowen. He has a real affinity with Chula, a failed racehorse described as ‘unhandleable’.

This aspect of the sanctuary’s work provides vital income for the charity at a time when people are finding it very difficult to make charitable donations. It allowed us to send several members of staff and volunteers on the Five Day Foundation Course at Intelligent Horsemanship. They have shared their new found skills with everyone else at Shy Lowen.

We have recently started running our own low cost, one day sessions called ‘A Horse Whispering Experience’. These are designed to introduce people of all levels of experience to horse behaviour and communication. It’s proving to be very powerful and moving.

Last summer we gained the support of local celebrity, Mike Badger, formerly of The La’s, a band famous in the 1980s for their number one hit, ‘There She Goes’. Mike organised a music event at Shy Lowen to raise funds for us, so on July 2nd we had six hours of wonderful live music in glorious sunshine. It was a fantastic day with people sitting on blankets having picnics, and all the Shy Lowen staff and volunteers dressed as cowboys. This is going to become an annual event and the next one will be on Sunday 1st July, 2012. Watch out Glastonbury!

Photo courtesy of Bernadette Langfield.

The futureWe are sometimes asked to provide riding lessons for underprivileged people, and we are exploring whether this will be possible in 2012. We would love to hold lessons with a ‘no whips, no kicks’ policy. However, we have a fairly major obstacle in the way as Shy Lowen is situated on a piece of land which was once used as an illegal dump. We had to clear eight hundred tons of rubble from the site before we could use it in the first place! Furthermore, the soil is clay and in winter becomes deep mud whilst it bakes hard in the summer. We would really love an indoor arena or, failing that, a really good all-weather arena.

It would also be wonderful to see our horses and ponies with grass available to eat all year around rather than just the three or four months a year as it is at the moment. It would save a fortune in hay too as we currently use twelve big round bales every week. We are told that we would need an intricate land drain system and holding ponds in order to improve things, but in the meantime we are seeking additional grazing land locally in order to reduce the burden on the main site.

We’d also like to get a portable round pen and transport, so that we could visit schools that are crying out for us to introduce more young people ‘at risk’ to the benefits and peace of being with horses.

Donations to Shy Lowen can be made using the following methods:• www.paypal.co.uk: Click the ‘send

money’ button and enter: ihcharity@yahoo.co.uk as the reference.

• Direct bank transfer: HSBC Wantage Branch, Intelligent Horsemanship Charity Donations, Account No: 81248715, Sort Code: 40-45-36

• A cheque made out to IH Charity Donations to: Michelle Powers, 18 Elizabeth Crescent, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3JA.

In August 2012, a team of specialist equine veterinarian bikers will set off from London on a 3,200 km

motorcycle tour across Europe, visiting nine countries in sixteen days to deliver eight continuing education lecture courses to the European veterinary profession. This year they are supporting SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad - www.spana.org), specifically the Disabled Riding Centre in Mali, which caters for abandoned and orphaned disabled children.

They are also supporting two equine clinics, one in Bamako, Mali and another in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Both of the clinics badly need diagnostic and surgical equipment in order to make a real difference to the lives of desperately poor people and the long suffering donkeys. Sponsorship is urgently needed for this tour and anyone with links to equestrian companies who might be prepared to cover some of the costs in exchange for the prominent display of their logo are urged to contact Prof. Derek C Knottenbelt for more information: knotty@liv.ac.uk Donations can also be made through www.justgiving.com/horsepower2012

IHRA Sally Hamilton rode 20 miles in a loop from Whitchurch Hill to Wallingford on 1st May, 2012 raising over £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, and in memory of Kelda Guzman, a vet, who sadly died of cancer in her thirties.

IHRA Sarah Weston has been losing weight, eating healthily, and getting fit, for charity. Read more about how she did it on page 33. Along with several other horse lovers, she has been sponsored to lose weight in aid of Equine Market Watch. The charity, with the motto “We will NOT look away” attends many of the horse and pony auctions, and campaigns for the welfare of animals sold through them. It also campaigns against the indiscriminate breeding of low value foals. The charity takes in horses that have no one to care for them along with elderly horses and those with serious veterinary issues.

This initiative has gained £350 for the charity and the group has lost the equivalent of two whole people in weight! So far Sarah has lost 32 lbs.

To join or sponsor a member of the group go to Facebook Page“Kick Off the Pounds for 2012”

Disappearing RA?

Horsepower 2012

Saddle Sore?

IHRA Sandra Williams has uncovered another brilliant IH focussed cause at Park Lane Stables, near Teddington.

“Here, in a narrow residential street, was a well oiled machine; children from all walks of life, some with learning or behavioural issues, working together for the good of the horse as well as each other.”

“Proprietor, Natalie O’Rourke, has attended the IH courses and implements IH in every corner. This is not a yard of roomy stables and riding facilities, but a row of old livery stalls surrounded by houses. The horses are trailed to the stables from little pockets of land secured from local councils.”

“The children help one another to groom, tack up, mount and dismount; there is no shouting, bullying, sulking, or bad manners. With a permit to ride through Bushy Park, each hack sets off accompanied by instructors and helpers. The pavement has to be spotless for pedestrians so no sooner does a ride leave than another little group of kids, all in their IH hoodies, appear armed with shovels and brooms to make the pavements clean and tidy.”

Park Lane Stables

John Jones, the Horse Listener, provided a fitting finale for HorseWorld at the end of their year as the IH charity. Training and Re-homing Manager, Sarah Hollister, reported, “John had such a quiet way with the horses and his timing was unbelievable, it was almost impossible to spot all the tiny little releases/rewards. He worked with a mixture of timid and over-confident ponies and it really was an education to see how easily he handled them.”

Wil Robinson completed the London Marathon on 22nd April, 2012 and raised over £1,000 for HorseWorld. “I’ve got blisters in my blisters!” he said after the event. Come and congratulate him at the IH garden party where he will be the blowing his own trumpet, literally!

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By Jessica Kidd and Sue Palmer

The First Timers’ Guide to Investigating ‘Kissing Spine’Part Two Treatment

nce ‘Kissing Spine’ has been diagnosed, treatment options are divided into conservative, medical

and surgical. Often multiple treatments from each group are used.

Conservative treatment could involve a change in the horse’s saddle, a prolonged period of rest, physiotherapy, or changing to a lower level of athletic pursuit. It is often overlooked but it is common for a rider to not be a good match for the horse; a big person on a small horse is a sure way to create a sore back.

Physiotherapy from a reputable Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist is always a good idea, particularly for the muscular pain associated with kissing spine and areas of pain which develop elsewhere on the horse as the horse tries to take the load on another part of his body.

Physiotherapy in relation to the treatment of kissing spine focuses largely on encouraging the horse to use his back correctly. A horse with weak stomach muscles and weak core stability muscles will have more of a dip in his back which will cause the dorsal spinous processes to come closer together. Exercises that build these muscles, such as pole work, hill work, and working the horse in a correct outline can therefore help to relieve the painful symptoms that can arise from kissing spine.

O A saddle that fits properly and distributes weight over as wide an area as possible will help a great deal, as will a pad designed for back protection. Monty and Kelly recommend the Cavallo pads for this reason.

Medical treatment can be used directly on the DSPs (Dorsal Spinous Processes) or administered to the horse as a more general systemic medication. Many horses respond to the use of anti-inflammatories such as phenylbutazone although this is likely to just ease the pain rather than directly affect the kissing spine. That said, the majority of horses with kissing spine also have muscular back pain and anti-inflammatories can help break the muscular pain cycle.

Medications can also be injected directly into the affected areas. The procedure is exactly the same as blocking the DSPs but potent anti-inflammatories (steroids) are used instead of local anaesthetic. It doesn’t seem to make sense that this helps so many horses because the bones will still be rubbing on each other, but it is the most commonly used treatment because it works.

In competition horses it is important to take drug withdrawal times into consideration. Steroids in the back have a longer drug detection time than in joints and prolonged withdrawal times may be needed, which limits use of the longer acting steroids to outside the competition season. The most effective steroid is DepoMedrone (methylprednisolone acetate). The risk of laminitis is exceedingly

small, but do make sure to mention if your horse has ever suffered with laminitis. Various other substances may be injected into backs but we know very little about how these work and any potential side effects, so they are best avoided.

Some horses only need one treatment so it does not necessarily mean an ongoing course of treatment. Tiludronic acid (‘Tildren’) is used to treat kissing spine but it is important to note that this use is ‘extralabel’ because, although it is licensed for use in horses to treat bone spavin, it does not have a license for treatment of kissing spine. The implications of this must be discussed with the treating vet. Tildren belongs to a class of drugs called bisphosphonates which is the same class of drug used to treat osteoporosis in women. This class of drug acts by limiting re-absorption of bone so the rationale for using it is to slow the re-absorption in the DSPs caused by the overriding of adjacent DSPs.

Like every treatment for kissing spine, Tildren does not work in every horse but can be a useful adjunct treatment. It can be used concurrently with all other medication and the only observed side effect is mild colic in the first four hours after treatment, which occurs in about one in twenty horses. For this reason, the intravenous infusion of it is best done in a hospital or practice setting.

Shockwave treatment falls into the medical treatment category and is effective in many horses. Properly called extracorporeal shock wave treatment, it uses sound waves to affect the bone surfaces and is thought to have a pain killing effect in the area. It is not painful for the horse to receive the treatment but the machine can be noisy so some horses are sedated for the treatment. It is a useful treatment when drug withdrawal times do not allow direct medication and many horses receive shockwave treatment during the competition season and direct medication in the off season.

Surgical treatment, put simply, involves removing the bits of the DSPs which are interfering with adjacent DSPs. It is rarely the first treatment undertaken for kissing spine but can be so considered if there are profound safety or behavioural considerations. If a horse has

become unsafe to ride, many people do not want to attempt medical or conservative treatment and then have to ‘test the waters’ and risk the rider or horse getting hurt. DSP

surgery is a major procedure in horses and does carry a risk of complications.

Horses generally stay in the hospital for about a week and have six to twelve weeks off after surgery before being ridden again, although the procedure and aftercare will vary from surgeon to surgeon. Generally surgery should not be undertaken unless the horse has undergone a DSP block which led to a significant improvement as this is an indication of the level of improvement that can reasonably be expected from surgery. Response to past medication can also be used as part of the selection process for surgery but it can be hard to quantify if other treatments are used concurrently.

Physiotherapy can also help post-operatively. In some horses, once the offending DSPs have been addressed medically, the muscular pain in the horse’s back is automatically relieved, allowing the horse to move more freely. In others, the physiotherapist might use manual therapy (such as massage or mobilisation) or electrotherapy to help ease the pain and tension, allowing more efficient use of the musculature.

The outlook for horses with kissing spine is not all ‘doom and gloom’. Not all horses with kissing spine get better or return to their previous level of work, but the majority do. One large study of horses treated surgically found that seven out of ten horses went back to their previous level of work, which is still pretty good odds. Undiagnosed separate conditions in the same horse will worsen the outlook. There are many racehorses, event, dressage, and pleasure horses with active kissing spine that have a very good quality of life and exercise to their full potential.

IHRA and Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist, Sue Palmer, made a study of the scientific literature surrounding kissing spine:

A survey was conducted in 1980 of 443 horses with back pain. 202 of these horses (38.6%) were found to have vertebral problems, with the most common being crowding and overriding of the dorsal spinous processes in the back of the thoracic and front of the lumbar regions. (1)

In 2002, a study assessed the results of surgical treatment of 209 horses. Diagnosis of kissing spine was made from clinical examination and results of x-ray, bone scan and spinal nerve blocks. Surgery had been recommended when conservative treatment, including three to nine months rest, steroid injections and physiotherapy, had failed. Between one and six DSPs were operated on in each horse. After their operation, the horses returned to lunging work after two weeks and ridden work at three to six months. 72% of the horses returned to full work, and a further 9% improved sufficiently to be used for some athletic work. (2)

In 2004 researchers x-rayed and bone scanned 33 apparently normal riding horses that showed no clinical signs of back problems. The results showed that 26 of the 33 horses had radiographic or scintigraphic abnormalities in their back. 15 of these 26 showed abnormal spacing of the DSPs; this means that only 18 out of the 33 had no crowding of the DSPs. This study suggests that a high proportion of clinically normal horses can have radiographic evidence of kissing spines which is not causing the horse any current problem, although it is possible it may do in the future. If horses were routinely examined, particularly at pre-purchase, they

could be falsely labelled as having ‘kissing spine’ even though it was causing them no problem whatsoever. (3)

25 Warmblood foals were x-rayed to look for signs of kissing spine as part of a study carried out in 2010. None of the foals showed signs of impinged or overriding DSPs based on the current definitions. (4)

References:1. JEFFCOTT, L. B. (1980), Disorders of the

thoracolumbar spine of the horse - a survey of 443 cases. Equine Veterinary Journal, 12: 197–210.

2. WALMSLEY, J. P., PETTERSSON, H., WINBERG, F. and McEVOY, F. (2002), Impingement of the dorsal spinous processes in two hundred and fifteen horses: case selection, surgical technique and results. Equine Veterinary Journal, 34: 23–28.

3. ERICHSEN, C., EKSELL, P., HOLM, K. R., LORD, P. and JOHNSTON, C. (2004), Relationship between scintigraphic and radiographic evaluations of spinous processes in the thoracolumbar spine in riding horses without clinical signs of back problems. Equine Veterinary Journal, 36: 458–465.

4. SINDING, M. F. and BERG, L. C. (2010), Distances between thoracic spinous processes in Warmblood foals: A radiographic study. Equine Veterinary Journal, 42: 500–503.

Physiotherapy. Photo courtesy of Simon Palmer.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Kidd.

72% of the horses returned to full work...

Kasbadali (Right) winning the Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on 1st April, 2012 following surgery for kissing spine. Photo courtesy of Tim Syder.

Dr. Jessica Kidd, European Specialist in Equine Surgery – Surgeon. Head of Surgery, Valley Equine Hospital Ltd.Tel: 01488 71999 www.valleyequinehospital.co.uk

Sue Palmer – Chartered Vetrinary Physiotherapist and IHRA is based in Stafford and works throughout the UK. www.holistichorsehelp.com

Photo courtesy of Sarah Weston

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how practiced is your practitioner?When a horse has a behavioural problem, it pays to ‘check the physical first’. But how do decide who you can trust to check and treat your horse? In Sue Palmer’s article, the common theme is that the most highly trained and best qualified practitioners will almost invariably have sought to qualify through the human route first and then you can usually be satisfied that they have a sound and thorough grounding in all aspects of anatomy and physiology. If your practitioner is not so qualified, or is not working in conjunction with your veterinary surgeon, then they may not have sufficient expertise to be working with your horse and may be operating outside the law. Remember, your horse cannot speak and let you know if the treatment he is receiving is causing him further damage or having little or no effect. Whilst personal recommendation is always good, do be aware that there are charlatans out there who can make a good case for what they do and what they believe in.

Remember, your horse cannot speak

and decided that it should be treated by physiotherapy under his/her direction.” ‘Physiotherapy’ is interpreted as including all kinds of manipulative therapy. It therefore includes osteopathy and chiropractic but would not, for example, include acupuncture or aromatherapy.”

The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal TherapyThe Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT) is a Clinical Interest Group of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and represents the interests of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy. Members of the ACPAT will always work in co-operation with a Veterinary Surgeon. Category A membership is available to Chartered Physiotherapists who have, through supervised clinical training and/or a postgraduate qualification, demonstrated competence in the administration of physiotherapy to animals via a recognised ACPAT upgrading route.

Qualifying as a Veterinary PhysiotherapistAt present there are four ways of qualifying as a Veterinary Physiotherapist in the UK. Entry requirements and course structure vary for each of these routes.

UniversityofWestEngland(UWE)Students from the University of West England (UWE) graduate with an MSc or Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) in Veterinary Physiotherapy. UWE students will already be Chartered Physiotherapists registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC). Graduates are eligible for Category A membership of the ACPAT.

HarperAdamsUniversityCollege (HAUC)Students graduate with an MSc or Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) in Veterinary Physiotherapy. HAUC students are expected to have obtained the equivalent of a 2:1 in an animal science/health or physiotherapy degree and have animal handling experience. Successful students are eligible for membership of the National Association of Veterinary Physiotherapists (NAVP). At the time of publication no further details were available.

RoyalVeterinaryCollegeStudents from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) graduate with an MSc or Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) in Veterinary Physiotherapy. RVC students will already be Chartered Physiotherapists registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) and the CSP. Graduates are eligible for Category A membership of the ACPAT. Please note that this course is no longer available (as of 2012).

CanineandEquine Physiotherapy TrainingA slightly different route is via the Advanced Certificate in Veterinary Physiotherapy (AdvCertVPhys), developed by Canine and Equine Physiotherapy Training (CEPT) and using the facilities at Nottingham Veterinary School (note that the CEPT website states that the course is not academically affiliated with Nottingham Veterinary School nor the University of Nottingham). CEPT students are required to have some form of higher education or further education qualifications, and a good working knowledge of animal care and handling. Students who achieve a merit on the course may apply to the University of Nottingham for a one-year research masters in a topic related to veterinary physiotherapy. This is run by the University of Nottingham and is separate from the CEPT AdvCertVPhys. Successful students on the CEPT course are eligible for membership of the Institute of Registered Veterinary and Animal Physiotherapists (IRVAP).

Qualifying as an Animal Physiotherapist

TheCollegeofAnimalPhysiotherapyThe College of Animal Physiotherapy grants successful students the title of ‘Animal Physiotherapist’. It does not mention on its website what qualifications are required to enrol on the course. The teaching is covered by distance learning and practical placements. Successful students become members of the International Association of Animal Therapists (IAAT).

Animal ChiropracticThe situation for Chiropractors is different as in order to use the title ‘chiropractor’, practitioners must be registered with the General Chiropractic Council. Therefore any animal ‘chiropractor’ must have qualified as a chiropractor in the human field initially.

TheInternationalVeterinaryChiropracticAssociation(IVCA)IVCA is an international organisation dedicated to promoting excellence in the field of Veterinary Chiropractic. Membership to the IVCA is only granted to qualified veterinarians or chiropractors upon successful completion of approved veterinary chiropractic postgraduate training, board certification exams and adherence to membership rules and regulations.

TheInternationalAcademyofVeterinaryChiropractic(IAVC)IAVC runs basic and advanced courses exclusively for professionals from both the veterinary and human chiropractic fields. Successful students are eligible for membership of the IVCA.

TheMcTimoneyCollegeofChiropracticOffering an MSc in Animal Manipulation, validated by the University of Wales. Students should be fully qualified and registered in a field of manipulative therapy (i.e. chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist), hold a BSc in Equine or Animal Science, or be a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. However, mature students who do not hold formal academic qualifications can apply under the Assessment of Prior Experience system. Successful students are eligible to join the College of Chiropractors Animal Faculty.

The McTimoney College of Chiropractic also offers an MSc in Animal Chiropractic (Small Animals), validated by the University of Wales. This course is open to students who hold a professional qualification in Chiropractic, which would qualify the holder for registration with the GCC or other registering body. As with the MSc in Animal Manipulation, successful students are eligible to join the College of Chiropractors Animal Faculty.

TheOxfordCollegeofEquinePhysicalTherapyOxford College of Equine Physical Therapy (OCEPT) runs a course to qualify as an animal manipulator. Applicants under 25yrs old are required to hold a degree (BSc, or possibly BA). Other non-academic entrance criteria can be applied for mature students (over 25), but substantial prior experience and a general competence in handling horses is a necessary prerequisite. Graduates are eligible to join the Association of McTimoney Corley Spinal Therapists.

Animal OsteopathyThe title ‘Osteopath’, like the title ‘Chiropractor’, is protected by law. Anyone calling themselves an osteopath must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), and therefore in order to qualify to treat animals, you must first qualify as a human osteopath.

TheSocietyofOsteopathsinAnimalPractice(SOAP)SOAP was set up in 2004 following close consultation with the GOsC. The aims of the society are to promote the professional development of osteopathy within the area of animal treatment. SOAP offers a certificated course covering the main topics needed to get established within a veterinary practice.

SOAP also runs an MSc in Animal Manipulation (Osteopathic Pathway)validated by the University of Wales, and run in conjunction with the McTimoney College of Chiropractic. Students applying for this qualification must hold a professional qualification in Osteopathy, which would qualify the holder for registration with the GOsC.

SummaryConfused?! It is difficult, even as a professional working in the field of animal therapy, to comprehend the different routes to qualification, and the benefits of membership (including the existence of a complaints procedure if necessary) of each of the many organisations within the animal field. However by ensuring that the therapist who treats your animal has undertaken rigorous training and achieved nationally recognized qualifications, you increase the likelihood of receiving a good standard of expertise – an important factor when choosing a therapists.

This information is correct to the best of my knowledge in June 2012. Relevant websites are given for reference; please visit these for more up to date information. This article does not cover massage or any therapies other than physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy.

References: The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT): www.acpat.co.ukCanine and Equine Physiotherapy Training (CEPT): www.ceptraining.co.ukCollege of Animal Physiotherapy: www.tcap.co.ukCollege of Chiropractors Animal Faculty: www.colchiro.org.uk/default.aspx?m=21&mi=139&ms=55&title=Animal+-Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP): www.csp.org.ukGeneral Chiropractic Council (GCC): www.gcc-uk.org/page.cfmGeneral Osteopathic Council (GOsC): www.osteopathy.org.uk/Harper Adams University College (HAUC): www.harper-adams.ac.uk/Health Professions Council (HPC): www.hpc-uk.org/International Academy of Veterinary Chiropractic (IAVC): www.i-a-v-c.comInternational Association of Animal Therapists (IAAT): www.iaat.org.ukInstitute of Registered Veterinary and Animal Physiotherapists (IRVAP): www.irvap.org.ukInternational Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA):www.ivca.de/engMcTimoney College of Chiropractic: www.mctimoney-college.ac.ukNational Association of Veterinary Physiotherapists (NAVP): www.navp.co.ukOxford College of Equine Physical Therapy (OCEPT):www.ocept.infoRoyal Veterinary College (RVC): www.rvc.ac.ukSociety of Osteopaths in Animal Practice (SOAP): www.uksoap.org.ukUniversity of West England (UWE): www.uwe.ac.uk

Sue Palmer, IHRA and Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist continues:If like me, you are confused by the different routes that your animal physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath might have taken to qualify, assuming they have any qualifications, read on!

Animal PhysiotherapyThe title ‘Animal Physiotherapist’ or ‘Veterinary Physiotherapist’ is not protected by law, which means that anyone can in theory call themselves an animal or veterinary physiotherapist regardless of their qualifications. However, the title ‘Chartered Physiotherapist’ is protected by law and can only be used by physiotherapists who have achieved a high level of academic and practical training in all aspects of physiotherapy in the human field.

An animal physiotherapist should work alongside your veterinary surgeon to provide the best possible treatment for your animal. It is illegal for anyone other than the owner to treat a horse without the veterinary surgeon’s consent.

Most Veterinary Physiotherapists are aware of the benefits and limitations of the title ‘Veterinary Physiotherapist’, and the law relating to this title. Animal Physiotherapy is covered in Section 19 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, which “allows for the treatment of animals by ‘physiotherapy’, provided that the animal has first been seen by a veterinary surgeon who has diagnosed the condition

Photo courtesy of Simon Palmer.

letters

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Mee

t a m

embe

rMel Raven 33, from Driffield, East YorkshireHow did you first hear about Intelligent Horsemanship? I was searching for help with my first horse and found the IH discussion group.

Do you have horses?I have owned Jos for two and a half years now, and he is my second horse. He is a 14.2 Norwegian Fjord horse. He came from a local dealer but was originally imported from Holland. All I wanted was a quiet hack to walk and trot around on, and to help me rebuild my confidence in riding again. As soon as I sat on him I knew I was going to buy him, and he arrived two days later. Within twenty four hours of him being home, we were cantering in the school and trotting round the countryside like old pros!

He has turned out to be so much more than a safe hack. He is bombproof, forward going and fun. He will have a go at anything – showing, fun rides, TREC, pony camp, and he has been used on a Centered Riding Instructors’ Course as a mount for the trainees. I can take him anywhere safe in the knowledge that he will cause hilarity and amusement wherever we go. He is a big attraction at shows and events – many people have never seen a Fjord horse before. This also satisfies my need to talk about him as often as possible!

Jos is a comedian with just the most loving personality. He is loyal, and really looks after me – he has been known to ‘catch’ me if I wobble sideways when we’re jumping! He is basically like a big labrador in a horse’s body – if he could live in my house, I think he would. He tried to climb into the back of my car at a show once!

I could never contemplate owning another breed of horse ever again; apparently this is a common trait among Fjord owners! I am looking forward to doing some endurance rides and pony camps this year. Jos may not be looking forward to the new horse-walker that is being installed at our yard though!!

What involvement have you had with Intelligent Horsemanship? I have attended a couple of Monty’s demos at Bishop Burton College, which I really enjoyed. My first horse, Hamish, went to Sarah Dent’s for three weeks to be restarted and schooled. I also learnt a lot from the ex-perience which has really come in handy when dealing with my overfriendly and slightly thuggish Fjord!

What’s the best thing about being a member of The Intelligent Horsemanship Association?Having the information and support available to help me look after Jos properly, and the mutual understand-ing when things go wrong. It is lovely that Kelly and the RAs take time to answer questions from people like myself on the DG as well.

The Intelligent Horsemanship Magazine would love to find out more about our members! If you would like to be featured here please email: editor@ihhq.net for a questionnaire.

Your letters

Hi Kelly,Thank you so much for posting the Guardian article, ‘Not Just Horsing Around - psychologists put their faith in equine therapies’, on Facebook. I can’t tell you how happy and relieved I was to read it. I have been a firefighter for nineteen years. I’m currently undergoing stress counselling and EMDR therapy, through the Fire Brigades’ professional counselling service, due to prolonged exposure to trauma at work and a personal family tragedy. Last year, I bought a young pony for my daughter and since then have spent most of my spare time around horses at the livery yard. I can’t explain what I feel when I am with them, but it is very special. I seem to have an affinity with them. I have built relationships with all the horses at the yard, including the big old grumpy Cob that isn’t supposed to like anyone! I can only describe the feeling of love and trust I get as ‘total’. I have been trying to explain these feelings to my counsellor and she has shown a lot of interest. This article goes a long way to explaining it further.

All the bestAnon

Star letter

Dear Kelly,This is a very belated note to say how much my friends and I enjoyed the Henfield demo - what a testament to you all that the lights going off did not ruffle many feathers, and Monty et al just got on with it and put on a fantastic show - thank you all for your efforts! It was an inspirational evening.

Caroline Jones

Dear Kelly,Following the article in the last magazine about loading, I wanted to share three points I learnt the hard way when my horse knocked me over and injured me whilst unloading:

1) Always take control - do not allow a third party to rush you or dictate how to handle your horse.

2) Be sure to find the time to put on gloves, a hard hat and long line.

3) Understand that it takes time for the horse’s eyes to adjust from darkness to light (which I think this was the cause of the accident).

Val

A copy of ‘Perfect Confidence’ by Kelly Marks worth £16.99 goes to the writer of our Star Letter

Do you have something you’s like to share with us? If so, you can send your letters to us at:

Lethornes, Upper Lambourn, Hungerford RG17 8QP

Email: editor@ihhq.net

Photo courtesy of Up Close Photography

Dear Kelly,May I say how good the IH Magazine is - excellently produced, and full of such interesting articles and pictures. Could I ask you something - what is the name of the medallion thing which Monty wears round his neck? I like them so much better than ties.

Could you not mass produce them and market them to raise money for IH? I for one would love to buy one!

Lesley Evans

Editor:

This is a Western scarf (sometimes known as a ‘wild rag’) slide and there lots of really beautiful ones available on e-bay, if you search under ‘Western Slide’.

When Monty gets back from South America we’ll find out more about the ones that he wears.

Photo courtesy of Up Close Photography

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MyWorldBy Kelly Marks

Welcome Your Challenges!s I write it’s coming up to my favourite part of the year and one of my favourite horsey occasions,

The Royal Windsor Horse Show which this year also celebrates Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. Some of the five hundred and fifty horse display acts from the Diamond Jubilee Pageant will also be participating in the Horse Show in the main arena. As my niece Daisy plans to ride Harry in the Novice Show Hunter and I am riding Corky in the Coloured Horse class I need to think quickly how to desensitise them to everything from Cossack trick riders to the Canadian Police!

This year we’re not expecting to come home laden with trophies, though the truth is that if you do happen to win a trophy at Royal Windsor you only get to touch if for a few seconds and then it’s whisked away. (If you’re lucky you may be able to visit it...) For me the greatest benefit of the competition is as a yardstick to measure how the horses and I are coming along. In my own mind I know what will make us a winner or a loser.

One of the most profound statements I have ever heard about competition was by Timothy Gallwey, author of The Inner Game of Tennis. He said, “You don’t go

into competitions to win. If that is all you go in for I can tell you how to win every competition you enter... just make sure you never enter in any competition where anyone is as good as you”, which for most of us would be ridiculous. The whole enjoyment of competition, and possibly life, is pushing yourself that little bit more and the journey to self discovery. If you just wanted ribbons, you would look for a haberdashery shop.

Often life offers us opportunities and brings up issues that were not only unexpected but also certainly not what we’d have chosen ourselves. Rather than bemoaning the fact, we’re doing ourselves a favour if we look at those times as a real chance to ‘show what we’re made of’ and become the hero or heroine of our own life’s drama. I know more than a few IH members are bravely working through hard illnesses or difficult personal circumstances at the present time and I’m truly in awe of their courage and determination.

For some people getting up the courage to just attend the Five Day Foundation or Perfect Manners course is an achievement in itself. I read what people say on the forums: “I’ve lost all my confidence – will I be made to ride?” (No) “I’m fifty is that too old to do the courses?” (Our upper limit is no-one more than thirty years older than Monty). “If I’m not experienced with horses will the others think less of me?” (No)

In Mindset - How you can Fulfil your Potential Dr Carol S. Dweck writes, “Do you go to school to learn or to prove you’re smart?” Unfortunately there are some

people with a fixed mindset who believe that all our abilities are carved in stone and can’t be changed. They would never try too hard or try something they might not be good at because they might appear ‘foolish’ and, oh my goodness, how awful would that be?! They don’t understand that the world is divided into learners and non-learners, and we know which side we want to be on don’t we, team?!

According to Dr. Dweck to avoid creating this fixed mind set in children, we should be sure to praise them for effort, not for being ‘smart’, or they will avoid situations where they might ever appear less than perfect. This brought me back to horses. One of the key concepts when teaching a horse something new is that you ‘never punish him for trying’; it’s the effort he makes that is going to eventually bring the result you want. A ‘shutdown’ horse won’t learn anything new. Create a horse that tries and soon you will be able to shape that effort more accurately in the direction that you’d like him to go.

The story of the racehorse Seabiscuit is of a horse so broken that he was going to be destroyed, but along with his team of people - owner, trainer, jockey – who were damaged themselves in one way or another, against the odds, they all transformed themselves into winners. Seabiscuit’s author, Laura Hillenbrand, had a parallel story of hardship through illness, yet something in the story of ‘the horse that could’ inspired her to gather the strength to write her wonderful book.

Malcolm Gladwell, another author I’d recommend, suggests that as a society we’re most attracted to the idea of effortless and almost magical talent - which is fine but, for those of us who feel that we are constantly falling short, who keep picking ourselves up, keep studying, examining what’s working and what isn’t, and discussing every nuance of possible improvement with anyone that might help or be interested, when things do come right, we have to be sure to say, “Oh really, it was nothing...”The Inner Game of Tennis Timothy GallweySeabiscuit Laura HillenbrandMindset - How you can Fulfil your Potential Dr Carol S. Dweck

ot all of the drama at the February demonstrations was due to the presence of actor now

horseman, Martin Clunes. At the Henfield demonstration all of the lights suddenly went out leaving Monty to work in the dark. Fortunately he had the presence of mind to ask for the arena to be illuminated by car lights and spotlights powered by a generator so that the show could go on.

Leonie Collier of Jamodo Media, who had come to film the event for the Online University and Horse and Country TV, explains that there was a power cut in the local area and, as the thousand strong audience made their way to their seats, the arena was thrown into darkness. “People used the light from their mobile telephones to reach their chairs but everything else came to a standstill”.

Once sufficient lighting had been assembled, Monty began to work with the horses. “As a filmmaker, I couldn’t help noticing that there was an altogether more ethereal atmosphere than usual. The subdued lighting cast mystical shadows on the ground, and peoples’ concentration was heightened by fewer distractions.”

“Monty began to recall how he had worked under the moonlight as a young man, spending days at a time working with the mustangs in the wild. He spoke of slowly tracking the horses, using the full moon to his advantage, helped by his faithful steed. In that moment the whole audience was transported to the open plains of America, imagining being under that moonlight with Monty and the wild horses.”

Monty uses an incremental learning technique he calls ‘the stream and the lake’ to build a spooky horse’s confidence. He uses a large tarpaulin in the middle of the round pen (‘the lake’) with a thin piece of tarp across the path of one side of the pen (‘the stream’). Usually the horse tentatively picks his way over the stream or jumps it extravagantly. As the horse becomes more relaxed, ‘the stream’ is gradually widened until the horse is confident enough to cross ‘the lake’. On this occasion, however, the ‘spooky’ horse calmly walked over ‘the stream’ with Monty and then straight over ‘the lake’.

Leonie says, “I could hear the audience gasping in amazement and feel their emotions rising as they witnessed the horse’s rapid change. The horse gave Monty something really special that he had never encountered before. Monty released the horse from his long-line and walked around the tarp, the final test of trust, and sure enough the horse calmly followed him.”

As usual, there were some dramatic results for many of the horses that went to the demonstrations. Sunny, a semi-feral foal from Dartmoor, was worked with by Kelly, and had her first headcollar put on. After the demonstration her owner, Millie Lond, wrote to say, “I can now touch her all over and even brush her, including her legs. The farrier came out for the first time and she was very well behaved.”

The new venue at Bury Farm, Slapton in Buckinghamshire proved to be very popular with everyone including Monty himself. “It is a spanking new building, laid out beautifully, and wonderfully managed. Kelly and I have given it a five star rating on our list of venues and we have provisionally booked it for 2013.”

Martin Clunes and his two Clydesdales joined the team at the demonstration at The Hand, in Clevedon, Somerset. Glenda Foley, an IH member, described it as “… one of the best demos I’ve seen and well worth the trip from Liverpool. Martin Clunes’ horses are just adorable and so laid back! The whole thing was thoroughly enjoyable and very inspiring. Watching Martin work would help people realise that anyone can do it if they take the time and trouble to study the concepts. Although he isn’t the fully polished article he added his brand of humour to the whole thing.”

Alex Morgan, now established as the tour’s rider, rode one of Martin’s horses for the first time and within minutes was able to carry an umbrella on him whilst mounted.

No Lights, No Camera, But Action! Dramatic events on monty’s short Tour

By Sarah Weston

N

Dancers in the dark. Photo courtesy of Katrin Junker.

Martin accomplishes a fine Join Up. Photo courtesy of Matthew Webb.Judge Penny Hollings riding Corky in the driving rain - she said he gave her a lovely ride

Easy does it. Alex on board preparing for rain. Photo courtesy of Matthew Webb.

A

“...the world is divided into learners and non-learners...”

“The whole enjoyment of competition, and possibly life, is pushing yourself that little bit more and the journey to self discovery.”

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Ask the ExpertsQ. I was interested to read the article in the last edition about To Bit or not To Bit as my friend and I ride my horse bitless. What are the legal consequences if my horse spooked in a bitless bridle and my friend fell off?Emily Parslew, Matlock

A. Solicitor Esther Stirling responds: On 3rd April 2012, the Court of Appeal gave judgment in the case of Turnbull v Warrener, a personal injury case which will be of particular interest to IH members since it involved the use of a bitless bridle.

Mrs Warrener owned a horse, Gem, who her friend, Ms Turnbull, agreed to exercise while she (Mrs Warrener) was pregnant. Gem was ridden in a bitless bridle for the first time following a dentist’s advice that Gem should temporarily not be ridden in a bit.

Mrs Warrener was present when Ms Turnbull rode the horse initially in an enclosed school, without incident. Ms Turnbull then cantered Gem in the open, at her suggestion but with Mrs Warrener’s agreement. The horse sped up despite Ms Turnbull’s attempts to stop and veered through a hedge. Ms Turnbull was thrown onto a road, and was injured. Ms Turnbull claimed that Mrs Warrener was strictly liable for her injuries under Section 2(2) of the Animals Act 1971 Act.

The act provides:For a horse owner to be liable under the Animals Act, either for damage to people or to property, it would have to be found that:

(a) their horse was, unless restrained, likely to cause damage or if the horse caused damage, it was likely to be severe; and

(b) that damage would be caused by a characteristic either

(i) not usually found in horses; or

(ii) only found in horses at particular times and in particular circumstances.

That test is notoriously difficult for the courts to apply. Sub-section (a) is usually satisfied with horses. It is generally accepted that if a horse causes damage, it is reasonably to be expected that it will be severe. Sub-section (b) is more problematic. The 1971 Act imposes liability for the owners of animals which come from a dangerous species. Section 2(2) can also apply to an animal which is not usually dangerous, but can become dangerous from time to time.

It is not intended to make animal owners routinely liable for damage which results from a ‘general’ characteristic of the animal. It will only impose liability where there is something particular about how the animal has behaved when it caused damage.

It is a defence under Section 5(1) of the Act for the animal’s owner to

show that the person who suffered injury (‘the claimant’) caused

the injury by their own acts. Section

5(2) provides a further defence: no liability will be imposed where the claimant voluntarily assumes

the risk of injury.

At the original trial, the Judge dismissed her case. The Court of Appeal has now upheld that decision, though for different reasons. It found that:• AstowhetherGem’sbehaviourfell

within Section 2(2), horses are inherently unpredictable in their behaviour. The experts agreed that a horse must be introduced slowly to a bitless bridle. Quite when a horse was ready to be cantered in an open space would vary from horse to horse and would be a matter for the rider’s judgment. By not slowing down when asked, Gem had behaved in a way which was normal for a horse in those particular circumstances. The court therefore found that Section 2(2) was satisfied.

• However,MsTurnbull(anexperiencedhorsewoman) had voluntarily assumed the risk of cantering Gem in the open using a bitless bridle. The fact that she had initially ridden Gem in an arena demonstrated her understanding of the need to accustom Gem to the new bridle. Mrs Warrener could rely on the Section 5(2) defence and would not be liable.

Many horse owners will welcome this decision. Fans of riding bitless will be pleased to see that the courts did not criticise the fact that Gem was ridden without a bit, though the fact that his behaviour had changed in the particular circumstances of first being ridden bitless did bring his behaviour within Section 2(2).

Had Ms Turnbull not known that Gem was being ridden for the first time in a bitless bridle, the decision would no doubt have been different. A horse rider cannot accept a risk they do not know of. There lies an important lesson for those of us who allow others to ride or handle their horses: it is important to tell them of anything which might affect the horse’s behaviour, or any traits you feel the other rider needs to understand.

Photo courtesy of Alice Beardsworth.

Q. My horse spooked and kicked a parked car while we were hacking, causing damage. The car was parked in our gateway, which is private, without permission and partially blocked the gate, which we have to ride through. The owner of the car wants me to pay for repairs. Am I liable? How will my insurers deal with the claim?

A. Solicitor Esther Stirling responds: All horse owners should carry some form of public liability insurance which should be considered an essential. If your horse is insured, that policy will almost certainly provide such cover. An element of public liability cover may also be provided with membership of a group, such as the Countryside Alliance, or via BHS Gold Membership, though the policy on which a claim like this would usually be made would be your own horse insurance.

There are usually three questions to be asked if you are involved in an accident which may give rise to an insurance claim:• Doesmypolicycoverme?• AmIliableforthedamage/injurycaused?• Howwilltheclaimbehandled?

Your Policy What your policy covers will be summarised in your policy schedule and terms and conditions. They will determine whether you are covered for any compensation you must pay to the injured party, injury to you and/or your horse, and costs. If you are in any doubt, seek clarification from your insurers, consult your insurance broker (if you have one), or consider asking a solicitor to review the policy. More than one policy may need to be reviewed – for example a personal accident policy and your horse insurance.

Your policy may not cover loss arising from certain activities. It is very important that you take out a policy that covers what you do. For example, does it provide cover for a friend riding your horse? Or letting someone else ride your horse as part of a business? There will almost certainly be an excess for you to pay if a claim is paid.

LiabilityInsurers will only pay a claim if they consider you are liable. Liability for damage like this is seldom completely clear-cut. You should keep a detailed note, as soon as you can after the accident, of what happened. If there are any witnesses, ask them to make a statement. Photographs can be helpful. The sooner after the incident a record is made, the more weight it will carry.

Unless there is strict liability under the Animals Act 1971, (in which it is not necessary for a claimant to show that you acted unreasonably, or carelessly, for you to be liable) the claimant must establish that you have acted negligently. They would have to establish that:• Youowedthemadutyofcare;• Youbreachedthatdutyofcare;and• Thathasdirectlyledthemtosufferloss.

We all owe duties of care to others when we are using the roads, and generally to those around us when dealing with our horses. You owe a duty of care to people on your land (even trespassers) and to neighbours. The duty is, in simple terms, to take reasonable care in the circumstances to avoid harm being caused, either by your acts or omissions. What amounts to reasonable care will vary with the circumstances.

Whether you have breached your duty of care depends on all the facts of the case. Here, we need to examine whether it was reasonably foreseeable that damage to the car might be caused. How small was the gap? Is your horse generally quiet, or was it foreseeable that it might spook? Should you have dismounted and led the horse? Was there an alternative route? Could the car owner have been asked to move it? Or was it reasonable (or necessary) to ride through the gap, which was wide, and out of character for your horse to spook? All of the circumstances must be examined.

The final questions are whether (i) your actions caused loss; and (ii) if so, what that loss amounts to. Loss must be reasonably foreseeable. It must not be ‘too remote’, in other words it must be directly connected to your negligent act. This is reasonably straightforward here. If you are found to have breached your duty of care, it will have caused the damage to the car and the owner can claim reasonable repair costs as damages.

Does it matter that the car was parked where it should not have been? It does not affect the duty of care you owed them, but the car owner could see their damages reduced for contributory negligence if it were found that by having parked there, they contributed to the damage they suffered.

Making a claimYour insurers will require you to report all claims promptly, and will need you initially to complete a claim form. Your insurers will handle the claim, either themselves or through solicitors. You can, in some circumstances, instruct a solicitor of your own choice rather than your insurer’s panel firm, particularly if in a claim like this, you can show that specialist knowledge about horses is required. If a horse’s temperament is disputed, a report from a vet or behavioural specialist may be required.

Insurers require full disclosure from you, both when you take out your policy and when you make a claim. Any failure to disclose something which might affect cover might lead them to decline cover and even to recover from you monies they have paid out.

Insurers may contest liability, or concede it and pay the car owner’s reasonable claim. They will have the power under your policy to settle on the terms they think best. Save for supplying information, and paying your excess, you do not always need to be actively involved: claims-handling is part of the service they provide, and one way at least in which the worry that can be caused by being involved in an accident can be reduced.

Esther Stirling is a lawyer in the dispute resolution team at Henmans LLP. A horse owner and IH follower, she deals with disputes involving horses, amongst others. Henmans LLP handles commercial and personal matters for individual and business clients, with particular expertise in the equine, rural and agricultural sector. www.henmansllp.co.uk

Photo courtesy of Fiona Given.

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Ever heard the saying ‘Be careful what you wish for, it may come true’? Using our imagination, in other words visualising, is one of the most effective methods of bringing about change in our lives. Visualisation is the process of creating a mental image or intention of what you want to happen or feel. By imagining the future the way you want to see it your subconscious mind guides you on the path to achieve your dreams and goals.

In the moments before a competition, top sports men and women often mentally rehearse how they will perform in the competition down to the smallest detail, complete with images of a previous best performance or a future desired outcome. The athlete will often use visual (images and pictures), kinaesthetic (how the body feels), and auditory (the roar of the crowd) senses to make the visualisation feel real to them. Using the mind, they call up these images over and over again, enhancing their skill through repetition, similar to physical practice. With mental rehearsal, minds and bodies become trained to actually perform the skill imagined.

And what about when you wake up after a dream thinking it has really happened? If not a dream, how about a nightmare? Now there’s a strong emotional response! That’s because your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between what we call reality and what we call fiction. What is programmed into your mind begins to be your reality.

Research is finding that physical and psychological reactions in certain situations can be improved with visualisation. Such repeated imagery can build both experience and confidence in an athlete’s ability to perform certain skills under pressure, or in a variety of possible situations. The most effective visualisation techniques result in a very vivid sport experience in which the athlete has complete control over a successful performance and a belief in this new ‘self’.

Visualisation and many other coaching techniques work equally well for horse riders. Whether you are hacking, jumping, competing, taking riding lessons or showing, confidence is essential.

Here’s a recent experience of a client who used visualisation to overcome their fear of jumping...

fficially there is no such thing as ‘Post Traumatic Fall Disorder’, but there are certainly lots of ex-riders

out there who have ‘lost their bottle’. The old adage is that if a rider comes off they should get straight back on; fear has no place in horse riding. Sadly fear does have a place in riding because it is a dangerous sport and it is not always easy to defy Newton’s Laws of Gravity.

With over thirty years’ riding experience on hundreds of different horses, I suddenly found that I was too frightened to ride my

new young horse. Merely sitting on her back made me tense and she picked up on this and became nervous too.

Before that, I had a nasty tumble from my previous horse, Joe. Whilst out riding he whirled around and bolted down a steep tarmac-ed lane. As he tried to slow, I came off over his neck and hit the ground very hard. I did significant damage to my sacrum and was briefly knocked unconscious. I wound up in A and E.

Physically I got better but the shock caused a greater long term problem, especially as the same thing happened again a few months later. Physically and psychologically damaged, I decided to send Joe back to his lifetime owner.

I bought Didi for her very gentle temperament and good conformation. However, in the early part of the year, I fell off her twice; the first time when she shied at a dog, but the second was in the arena when I should have been able to sit the spook. I don’t blame her, all she did was move backwards sharply, but I questioned how I had been unable to absorb the motion and lost my seat.

After that I found I was waiting for her to shy. Despite trying to relax by dropping my weight and wiggling my toes, I still found that I was tense. I was also holding my breath and gritting my teeth, grabbing my reins and clamping my thighs, and I

By Barry Godden

Post Traumatic Fall Disorder Be careful what you wish for... it may come true!Barry godden gives us a frank insight into how it felt to lose his confidence following a fall from his horse.

just couldn’t lose the disconcerting feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew my fears were getting deeper and there was no way that I could ride the horse out of the yard. Every time she made a sudden move I would panic, my heels would come up and I’d pull her back into the slowest walk.

The biggest problem lay within the subconscious part of my brain that controlled my reactions. Instead of absorbing movement, I resisted it and stiffened up in the saddle. I questioned whether I should just call it quits.

Barry tried a range of solutions including the Alexander Technique and sought the help of a good BHS riding instructor. Although things improved, he eventually decided to stop riding altogether but was kind enough to share this personal account with IH readers.

Confidently riding on holiday

“If you are in the same predicament, we would hope that you would turn to a Recommended Associate as many are experts in dealing with confidence issues of both horse and rider. Kelly’s book ‘Perfect Confidence’ has helped an enormous number of riders to recover from a loss of confidence or to build it up in the first place.” If you’re keen to know more you may wish to seek the help of a Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) Life Coach who will be able to help you

learn more about yourself and achieve the change you want in your life. NLP offers a completely safe therapy to remove fears and anxiety, and increase confidence. The techniques are clinically proven to bring about effective and lasting change. NLP is practical and focuses on your goals, the changes you want, and on achieving them step by step.

life Coach and nlp practitioner, andrew hancock also has a passion for horses. he describes one method of recovering from a bad fall and the effect it can have on your mind.

“For many years I’ve been terrified to take my horse show jumping or in fact jumping of any kind. My fear came from a fall and as the years passed I became a real expert in procrastination. If you need an excuse to avoid taking your horse show jumping just ask me. I could write a book on it! But deep down I knew this was really holding me back. With nothing to lose I decided to check out whether NLP coaching could help.

NLP coaching sessions were great fun and made a huge difference so quickly too. During the session I was asked to recall a time when I had really enjoyed show jumping. The coach guided me through visualisation enabling me to experience show jumping like a movie with my horse and me the stars of the show. I could see the show jumping experience as a large colourful movie full of wonderful sounds. Best of all I could see myself in the movie with a huge grin on my face as we jumped each fence. It was such a thrill to be show jumping. The following week, full of excitement, I booked a show jumping lesson and enjoyed every minute! What a transformation! What a difference it has made to my confidence, my riding and best of all my relationship with my horse.”

When faced with negative emotions or limiting beliefs about a situation such as a riding fall, it is important to address these with your coach first and then move on to use visualisation techniques. Visualisation is such a powerful process because as you create pictures in your mind of seeing yourself with what it is you want, you generate thoughts and feelings of having it now.

There are certain specific visualisation exercises that have been proven to produce consistent results. A simple visualisation technique you can try involves writing a movie script of your life. Pick an event that you desire to manifest. Write a movie script of the day it happens.

O

Describe it colourfully and in vivid details. You are writing it as it is happening, NOW, not as if it will happen. Feed as much of your senses as you can into the movie. What are the sounds and smells around you and how do they all make you feel? The more of the senses you involve, the more you will engage your emotions, the more real the visualisation will feel, and the more effective it will be.

Most importantly you need to use this visualisation script; read it before falling asleep and again first thing when you wake.

Remember your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between reality and fiction so have fun with it! It might help, at first, to choose to visualise what is in your realm of believability but never fear stretching yourself. You can always change your visualisation and goals as your consciousness grows.

Using visualisation, a combination of confidence coaching and other NLP techniques, you can build a better relationship with your horse, remove negative emotions and behaviours, develop confidence building skills, be calm and relaxed around your horse, and develop strategies for those difficult situations.

Andrew Hancock has a Facebook page and is on Twitter (@nlp4equestrians).

Four favourite quotes:

• Don’t let life change your goals, because achieving your goals can change your life.

• ‘Success’ depends on the second letter.• To pursue your passion with all your

heart and soul is success in itself.• Action may not always bring happiness;

but there is no happiness without action.

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The Intelligent Horsemanship News

On Friday 24th February, Kelly hosted a conference for the Recommended Associates at Oaksey House, Lambourn. RAs from all over the country, Ireland and France attended.

Monty was a special guest at the event and talked on a number of topics including ridden work. He explained that there are four key principles a rider should adhere to:•Askratherthandemand,butbeclear•Stayoutofthehorse’sway•Aimformaximumimpactwith

minimum intervention•Cuesshouldbeclear,calm,cool,

collected, concise, controlled, immediate and fair

Afterwards the RAs shared key thingsthat they had learned over the past yearincluding:•Usinga‘bridge’inthereinsofa

young horse to allow him to learn about contact for himself without the added dimension of the human hand pulling or taking pressure. The bridge can then be dropped when the horse softens correctly

• Workingclosetothebitduringin-hand work to refine responses especially in lateral work

• Practisingwalkingoverapieceof non-slippery wood before approaching the ramp when working with a difficult loader

• Howworkingwithrescueandferalponies can sharpen up your timing

• Shadowingahorsefromoutsidetheround pen if it is not safe to remain in the pen in order to start to create a bond and effective communication

The day ended with the award of prizes for those RAs who had received the most evaluation forms – all positive of course!!

IHRA Stephanie Heeran, from Tipperary, commented, “It really was an honour to spend the day in Monty’s company, listening to his experiences and learning from all that he has done. His passion for what he does is infectious. What an inspiration Kelly is for all of us. It was also nice to meet everyone and put faces to names.”

IHRA Sue Palmer receives her prize from Monty

Family Gathering

Final Destination!IHRA Joanna O’Neill has moved again to a permanent address at West Woodburn near Hexham, Northumberland and will be able to cover the North East and the Scottish Borders. Her mobile telephone number is 07889 422996. Her email is unchanged: joanna@newleafhorsemanship.co.uk

See Sea HorsesIf you watched the Sea Horses film on the Christmas DVD, and wondered what it would be like to meet and photograph the horses from the Cumbrian Heavy Horse Centre, Simon Palmer is running his photography clinic on 10th June from this location and there will be the chance to photograph the beach ride on the very same beach. Spaces are available now online.

10th June - Cumbrian Heavy Horse Centre (£95)

Visit: http://www.into-the-lens.com and click on clinics

New BHS ChairmanBHS Members! Please vote in the Board of Trustees Election! IH recommends Lynn Petersen and Claire Aldridge. Read more about them on the site. Lynn has attended the IH courses with her lovely horse James.

Find your BHS membership number then go to http://bhs.mi-vote.com

By public demand, green Duallys for small ponies are now available from IH.

Go to our online shops at: www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk

Intelligent CowmanshipIH Member Vikki Chamberlain wrote to us from her home in Northern Spain to tell us about local farmer, Rafa, who uses IH techniques on his dairy cows in order to handle them, teach them to lead, and to accept the hosepipe!

Going Green

onty’s ‘Eat Like a Horse’ article (Summer 2011) planted a seed in my mind about losing weight and

getting fit. When I was told that Mark Rashid would be visiting the UK in 2012 for a series of ridden clinics, it motivated me to get going. Mark’s ideas sit very well on my IH ‘hat-stand’ where I collect all kinds of horsemanship. I wanted to attend the clinic on my own horse, Theoden, and not ‘get in his way’ by being overweight or too ungainly.

I bumped into Sally Lewis, a personal trainer, when she needed help with her semi-feral New Forest foal, Indiana. I looked at her and she looked at me and I said, “I think I might need you, more than you need me” She asked me about my level of commitment. How many times a week was I prepared to exercise? Oh, I am sure I can fit in three. “How about five?” she said, handing me a skipping rope.

I took advantage of the winter lull in work to make fitness a priority in my life. Apparently no-one gets fit just from their own job, no matter how physical it is; our bodies just adjust, compensate, and we eat more.

It turns out that all the things you need to get fit are the same as you need when training a horse, motivation, time, patience, technique, consistency and commitment.

I met Sally at the local gym once a week and she pushed the limits of what I could do. From only being able to run for two minutes with lots of heavy breathing, I gradually increased to seven miles in one hour and ten

minutes. I imagined I was a cross-country horse and actually enjoyed plodding down the lanes and through the woods hopping the odd branch.

I got the kit too. A super supportive bra and proper running shoes that were a size and a half bigger than my normal boots; I’d probably been cramping my feet for years. I started to get things in shocking pink and luminous green so that I wouldn’t be flattened by a car. Bit by bit the clothes I bought were in smaller sizes and more shapely.

Now between running days, I cycle – sometimes up to where I keep my horses eight miles away – or I go to the gym. People in the village have got used to the sight of me puffing and panting around the place and are always very encouraging; three of them have even joined me at the gym!

On grim days when it is cold or wet, or I am tired and hungry, I get inspiration from David Walliams and John Bishop whose Sports Relief feats were tremendous. Carol, at our local gym, had been twenty-two stone and then reduced to eleven. She ran the Paris Marathon in April, 2012. If she could lose all of that, surely I could lose three stones? By concentrating on the word ‘fitness’ and not the word ‘diet’ and thinking of the what I eat as a lifestyle choice, I have changed the way I think about food.

Instead of going on to a strict diet, I have changed the things I eat – more fresh fruit and vegetables and lowly oatcakes for elevenses and ‘threeses’. No carbohydrates after three o’clock and two palm-sized portions of protein a day. I have everything in my favour, including a fresh fish stall at our local shop every Thursday.

I visualise how it will feel to reach my goals and to be able to wear what I want.

You can imagine my absolute glee when I got down to the same weight as Kelly and she said she would race me to get down to 9 stone 4 lbs. I was born at more than 9st 4lbs! In fact, I was tiny and premature, but I have made up for it ever since and always liked my food.

It seems that I have caught the running bug and I feel lousy on the days when I don’t do any exercise. I ran six miles for Sports Relief in April and now have my sights set on ten

miles at the BUPA Great South Run where I will be running for the Alzheimer’s Society. The benefits, however, go way beyond that. I’m a much better shape and I can wear nice clothes. I will be wearing tight fitting jeans on my horse at the riding clinic.

I feel amazing compared to how I did before and I have been able to reduce the medication I was on for fybromylagia and high blood pressure. I’ve got more energy altogether and seem to be able to manage my time better even though I am committing at least an hour to exercise, five days a week. It seems strange putting myself first all the time but my husband and horses have benefited too. I wore a bikini on holiday for example and my horse now stands still when I get on him!

M

TOP TIPS

•Getagoodpersonaltrainer–theycostless than being ill.

•Enjoyawidevarietyofexercise.•Eatawidevarietyoffood–lotsofpretty

coloured vegetables are good for you. •Planmealsahead.•ResurrectyourTupperware.•Keepafooddiaryandmapsofwhere

you have been – make it fun.•Getareallygoodbraandrunningshoes

– especially if you are a woman!

Photo courtesy of Craig Dearnley

Me eating toast as a child

By Sarah Weston

Fit not fatPregnant PauseIH was delighted to hear that IHRA Sue Palmer is expecting a baby on 11th September, 2012. Congratulations to her and her husband Simon. “I’m planning to work as long as I can, probably until mid August, and then taking a couple of months off to enjoy precious time with our baby before starting back at work,” says Sue. “Simon and I will share ‘baby duties’ and we’re looking forward to introducing baby to clients and their horses!”

Our favourite vet Jessica Kidd and husband Sam are also expecting, not one, but two babies! No motorcyclingfor her for a while then!

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HRA and permaculture expert, Lyn Dixon, explains how to create an ideal world in your own pasture.

In the next edition we will talk about how to enrich your horse’s grazing within the boundaries set by yard owners!

‘Permaculture’ is a huge umbrella term for the conscious design of sustainable systems. These can include every aspect of our life from growing food, setting up communities, homes and offices, and the land on which we keep our livestock.

A sustainable system is a system that requires minimal external input i.e., practically everything needed for the maintenance of that system is provided from within the system itself. The system has a natural order of succession evolving according to environmental pressures, the behaviours of its inhabitants, and in turn their adaptation to the system in which they live. Nothing is static, everything is dynamic.

A good example of a sustainable system is a forest. If pasture is left untended by humans and the effect of over-grazing is removed, grassland reverts to forest in a relatively short space of time.

Here at Penrhos we had a hilly area which was over-grazed by sheep and was species poor and scrubby. We removed domestic grazing animals from it twenty-six years ago. With no tree planting and very little human management, it has reverted to species rich woodland with trees up to fifty foot tall, and undergrowth at all levels beneath the mature canopy. Rather than ‘reverted’, I consider that it has ‘succeeded’, and succession is what people need to understand and recognize if they want to arrest that succession at the grassland stage. Whilst much pasture is on the edge of constant collapse, it can be steered back to good health.

The aim is for maximum results for minimum input by steering and blending with what is already there rather than making radical changes that could impact in a negative way. We look to encourage and maintain species-rich pasture in the grazing areas on our land and turn to the patterns in nature to guide us. No-one ploughs, sows, reaps and mows the healthy grasslands of the savannahs and alpine pastures. Instead there is a symbiotic relationship between habitat and its inhabitants, evolving, adapting and succeeding, or not, according to circumstances.

Each year, here at Penrhos, some plants dominate and others regress in cycles. Weather, grazing and resting, all steer the conditions to the advantage or disadvantage of individual plants within a complex system.

The naturally regenerated woodland is mostly managed by fallow deer. Twenty years ago, the deer population was far too high and out of balance with the environment as they have no natural predators except people. The impact

became obvious in the poor health and diminishing diversity of flora and fauna; nearly everything we had planted was destroyed. After a cull, their grazing and behaviour came into balance with their environment which benefits all.

A vision of productive pasture may conjure up an image of glossy, five inch high rye and other grasses bred specifically for high sugar content, dotted with the blooms of clovers grown for their high nitrogen and calcium content. Whilst this mix is excellent for the production of meat and milk, it isn’t appropriate for horses. Livestock fed in this type of system routinely need additional medical and dietary support.

In fact, the greater the variety of wholesome plants in your pasture, the healthier and more contented your horse will be. He will build up a natural resilience which will help to reduce the need for unnatural medical intervention and which can prevent or ameliorate physical and psychological problems.

Ploughing and reseeding fields is expensive and temporary. It is often not suitable for the land on which the horses are kept and often fails to improve the pasture. When a field is ploughed, the vegetative top layer is turned under and becomes food for worms. Worms are tremendous soil improvers and their positive effect on pasture health is amazing to begin with. However, this sudden input of food creates a population explosion in the worms, but because it is from an unsustainable, finite source, it is followed by famine. Then the worm count crashes as does the fertility of the land. Accordingly, in order to maintain the fertility of the land in this way, the whole cycle of ploughing and reseeding has to be repeated again and again. Otherwise, sward depletion

An Expert in Your Own Field Part One

I

Photo courtesy of Patrick Monahan www.photographyfromwales.com

Photo courtesy of Chris Dixon Photo courtesy of Chris Dixon

Before After

Photo courtesy of Sarah Weston

starts after just two years and the pasture is poverty stricken, hitting its lowest point at about five years.

Later, as the natural balance is restored, fertility rises again. After nine years more resilient, natural pasture may emerge.

If reseeding of any type takes place, low sugar grasses/grazing mixes should be used i.e. those meant for horses, not for sheep or cattle. This also applies to hay and haylage swards. You can feed your worms, and therefore your pasture and your horses, by spreading well composted manure.

Within a meadow many plants, for example docks, are what are known as ‘biodynamic accumulators’, in other words their roots have the ability to take up a specific mineral from the soil and accumulate it in their leaves. Dock seeds can lie dormant in the soil for eighty years. When conditions are beneficial to them, for example when there is bare earth, they germinate. This is why they frequently seem to invade a previously dock-free field after ploughing.

However, a few docks are not all bad news. Their leaves spread out and protect the soil from rain erosion and the tap root stabilises and helps to drain fragile soil. They are also biodynamic accumulaters of calcium. This calcium is brought to the surface from a depth where many other plants cannot access it. When the green parts of the plant die back in the autumn, the calcium is released at the surface and becomes available to the shorter rooted plants and through them to the horses.

Generally though, keep an eye on bare areas. Nature loves a vacuum and will fill it, often with unpalatable or poisonous plants. These germinate quickly and, because they are not grazed, protect the soil. Fill the gap with useful plants before natural succession steps in. Rich pasture mixes should be regularly broadcast by hand on bare areas, keeping it an easy task rather than waiting for an invasion of weeds.

Grazing sheep will help to keep your horses and pasture healthier as unlike horses they prefer herbs and flowers to grass. Horses will leave all the woodier plants such as knapweed which then predominate over the grasses. Sheep love knapweed and will also eat all of the flower heads so that there are fewer seeds. They help with the control (not always eradication) of plants such as ragwort, dock and creeping buttercup.

Sheep will also graze the lush grass around the horses’ dunging areas, ingesting and digesting most horse worm larvae without harming themselves.

Horses are natural browsers. I have grown a fodder strip of willow, ash, lime, hazel, and sweet chestnut adjacent to the pasture here. The trees can be grazed directly by the horses or pruned and thrown to them. If you can only grow one species, choose a local variety of willow. It grows from a 15” stick pushed into the ground and establishes quickly. It is nature’s aspirin and

our horses love it. They eat every part and peel the bark off. It also keeps them busy, gives their teeth and gums a good work out, and provides additional minerals and vitamins. It is ideal for laminitics as it is anti-inflammatory, eases pain, and makes them work for their food.

Gorse is another fodder crop worth encouraging. As a legume it fixes nitrogen in the soil. Horses will nibble contentedly at gorse hung in bundles and laminitics can perform their grazing behaviour with no risk of gorging.

Laminitics should not be grazed on ‘starvation strips’ or the aftermath of hay crops, where grass is shocked by close grazing or cutting, and the sugars are too high. Think of ways to let them chew and trickle feed whilst on the move. You may well be able to throw the grazing muzzle away.

Gardeners encourage the flowers and vegetables in their gardens, feeding and trimming the desirable plants, weeding out unwanted volunteers and sowing new seeds into bare patches. The same pattern can be applied to pastures. As Head Gardener we can employ the sheep to weed out plants that we wish to discourage.

They give spring grass a light cut, encouraging grass roots to tiller out and spread into the bare patches.

As with horse training good timing is the key, and comes from close observation and the correct response. As with the best training, we don’t want an unsustainable quick fix. We need to find the good things that already exist, work with what we are given, blend, steer, encourage and nurture.

I would encourage people to have an active and positive interest in their pasture. Watch horses grazing and see what they choose from verges and hedgerows that they cannot source at home, and then find out the herbal use and nutritional content of these plants; they can be diagnostic. Cleavers (goose grass) for example, supports the lymphatic system, helping to flush out impurities and prevent the build up of fluid in tissue.

Once you get into this way of observing, steering and nurturing your pasture, and therefore your horses, it becomes a joy to watch them both thrive.

Three golden rules:•Avoidploughingandreseeding•Befriendyourlocalsheepfarmer•Gettoknowyourhorse’sfavouriteplants

Lyn Dixon is an IHRA based in South Snowdonia and runs courses on the horse and the environment, and their effect on each other. This incorporates the principals of Permaculture Design. Please see www.konsk.co.uk for permaculture and e-mail Lyn on lyndixon@phonecoop.coopfor course details.

Photo courtesy of Chris Dixon

By Lyn Dixon

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What are the key principles that can be used when schooling ‘normal horses’ that would allow them to advance to higher levels?

I believe that any horse that is sound, ethically and gently trained, and ridden in a well balanced saddle that truly fits horse and rider, can be schooled to perform a passable piaffe, passage, Spanish walk and lateral work in walk, trot and canter.

Step 1: Riding position

It is important to make sure that the riding position works with and not against the nature of the horse. Your riding position is dependent on your conformation and on the design and fit of the saddle. The most important aspect is the position of your pelvis. It needs to be upright when you are sitting in the saddle with the base of balance being the two seat bones. To find this position rock your seat between slouching backwards to then pushing your waist forwards by hollowing your back. Now find the half-way point so that you have an upright pelvis and a natural curve in your back. Your shoulders should be in a direct vertical line above your hips and your heel (or ankle bone).

Many saddles will place your legs too far forward because the stirrup bars are too far forward. You may need to change your saddle or use a Heather Moffett seat-saver. The ideal leg position is as if you were standing on the ground with your knees slightly bent. With this longer leg position you will be able to use the seat more effectively and negate the effect of your musculature on the horse’s way of going.

In this ‘default position’ forward aids, downward aids, and turning aids, are all easy, invisible, and gentle on your horse.

Take the simple upwards transition from halt to walk, or walk to trot. Many riders resort to flapping their legs and move so much that it hinders the horse. This force

on the horse’s ribcage causes him to stiffen his back and chest muscles which prevents him from being able to move forwards easily.

The leg aid should be a simple closing of your lower leg in the way that a nut cracker would close around a nut. At the same time your little toe should lower and your leg roll a little. Your body must not become tense in any way; you need to allow the movement underneath while maintaining tone.

The aids for downward transitions are all the same as each other and have nothing to do with the reins. They come from the correct use of your seat, specifically the muscles around your pelvis. Clench your buttocks (gluteus muscles) as well as the muscles at the top of your thighs

and slightly tense your abdominals. You should be able to slow your horse quite easily and bring about a seamless transition.

By closing these muscles you lift your centre of gravity up a little and ‘draw’ your horse’s back up. He feels that your seat is no longer free and slows down to match. When making a downward transition from rising trot resist the temptation to sit, and instead slow the pace of the rise and come into the sitting position, closing your seat.

Turning is all about using the weight aids of the seat rather than the reins. If you put more weight into one seat bone than the other, this allows your horse to follow that weight and to turn.

When turning left for instance, angle the left side of your pelvis more forward and place more weight on your left seat bone by flexing your back slightly more on the left hand side. You should aim for a small thrust forward rather than a sideways action. This avoids collapsing your inside hip and stops your shoulders turning too much. It also allows your outside leg to slip back a little behind the girth from the hip rather than the knee.

Step 2: Response to light aidsIt is essential that your horse understands how to go forward and responds to the lightest aids.

Start off with a helper on the ground to back up your aids by using body language. Ride a 20m circle of walk-trot-walk transitions, making sure you and your helper give the appropriate aids at exactly the same time. Praise your horse as soon as he responds to each request. You should soon only need support from the ground if your horse doesn’t respond.

Continue until your horse understands the lightest aid for a forward transition and is making good progress with his downward transitions too.

Step 3: In-hand workIn-hand work allows you to develop the gentle aids that you will need for the lateral movements later on.

Start your in-hand work with a bit, a bitless bridle, or just a headcollar and lead ropes.

The position in which you stand in relation to your horse and the way in which you hold him is critical. Start on the near side of your horse, by his shoulder and facing him. The left hand holds the left rein whilst the right hand holds the right rein, which comes over his withers. The right hand is positioned a little further back than the left at a comfortable height for you to be able to touch your horse where a rider’s leg would be.

Start with halt and walk transitions. To ask your horse to walk on from halt, angle your body slightly forwards and use your right hand to ‘pulse’ on your horse’s side where the rider’s leg would rest. Project your energy in the direction of the movement. Praise him when he moves forward. To halt, step a little more to the front of the horse and turn to face his quarters. Repeat these transitions on both reins. When the horse is responding to your body language you are ready to start your lateral work.

Step 4: Lateral workIn-hand and ridden lateral work both lead to much greater suppleness.

For a movement on the left rein stand on the near side of your horse. Ask for a little inside flexion by using a slight feel down the left rein followed instantly by a release. Put your right hand about half way down his shoulder and pulse with a little pressure. The pulse needs to be released quickly when the horse flexes so that he doesn’t begin to push into the hand. The aim is for the horse to lighten his inside shoulder by lifting the weight off it.

Once your horse can walk round in a circle offering you left flexion with the weight off his left shoulder, your right hand can be used further back where the rider’s leg would normally rest. Now you can begin to pulse here instead, asking your horse to give a little bend and step away from the pressure with his hind legs. Only ask for a few steps at a time and repeat the exercise on both reins.

Next you can move in a straight line down one long side of the arena asking for the hind quarters to step away from the pressure. Now you are beginning to develop shoulder-in and leg yield. If bend is lost, you should go back to the original exercise.

When you start to develop these steps in ridden work, it really helps to have worked the horse in-hand so that he understands what he is being asked to do. Then, with a helper on the ground you can ask them to use their hand on your leg to pulse in the correct place. This not only helps the horse to translate your leg aid but also educates your leg to give the correct aid.

Working your horse along classical lines is within everyone’s capability, and these exercises can turn any mount into a light responsive one. You will enhance your horse’s gymnastic ability, make him look younger and feel better.

By Omar Rabia, author of ‘Cobs Can!’

Any Horse Can!It can be difficult to find simple techniques that will help every horse and rider combination. The UK doesn’t have its own classical riding heritage so riders rarely experiment with their ‘ordinary’ mounts or seek to advance their schooling.

Four key steps to turn your ‘normal’ horse into a dressage horse:

• Riding Position

• Response to Light Aids

• In-Hand Work

• Lateral Exercises

The classical seat is the ideal position. Photo courtesy of Laura Baird Chamfron

Cadence and impulsion developed through transitions.Photo courtesy of Laura Baird Chamfron

Lateral work exercises.Photo courtesy of David Harrison

The prospect of having such a young pony was daunting as if there were any mistakes made there would be no one to blame but us. Our vision for Poppy was for her to be a safe mother/ daughter ride, to compete and to show, a pony that could be taken out of the field on her own, regardless of the weather or day of the week.

Initially I had a gradual plan of groundwork and spookbusting. When Poppy was two years old, out came the Perfect Manners and Perfect Partners books, the feather duster, plastic bags, and things to walk over or under. She was amazing, unfazed by anything, and very keen to investigate. Getting her off the tarpaulin was probably the hardest part! That part of the plan was promptly completed.

From there I limited the work to simply going for a walk no more than once a week; she had the rest of the time to be a pony and mature. Our walks were always purposeful, an adventure to see what we could find and explore, including traffic, seeing her wild relatives and all the other life on the forest, encountering different terrain, tourists and noise. We also attended the occasional show where we sought out anything unusual - balloons, banners, bands, tents, and donkeys.

Everything was going beautifully until one day when I found Poppy standing in the field unable to move. I knew straight away what was wrong as I had witnessed one of my ponies die from this condition before. Poor Poppy had Atypical Myopathy. We telephoned the vets and told them we were on our way with her.

It was a horrible few weeks not knowing whether she would live or die and, if she survived, what the prognosis would be. Thank goodness she made a full recovery and was back in the show ring by August, 2010 where she took Reserve Champion – I cried!

By last autumn, Poppy had matured physically and mentally so we decided to lightly back her. There was no rush as she was still only three so I did little bite-sized lessons with her. The surcingle was introduced, then the long-lines, followed by the saddle and the bridle.

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What are the clinical signs? •Suddenonsetofseverestiffnessor

weakness unrelated to exercise •Headshakingandnodding•Unusualvocalisation•Darkred/brownurine•Recurrentchokelikespasms•Increasedrespiratoryrateandeffort•Muscletwitching•Sweating

Not all of these signs may be present and the horse may still be able to stand, eat and pass droppings.

What are the risk factors?‘Atypical’ means that there is no typical scenario. The cause is unknown but has been linked to the toxins produced by the bacteria clostridium sordellii.

•Horsesturnedoutatpasturefulltime•Young-stocklessthanthreeyearsold

are most at risk •Horsesinpoorcondition•Un-wormedandun-vaccinatedhorses•Poorpasturewithawatercourseand

accumulations of dead leaves •Springandautumn•Suddenadversechangeinweather

(i.e. heavy rain)

How do you prevent it?•Useregularvaccinationandworming

programmes•Usepasturewithgoodgrazing•Avoidusingpastureswheredisease

has previously been found•Usesupplementaryfeedingespecially

during periods of poor weather •Ensurecleanfreshwaterisavailable

at all times

What are the treatments?Treatment includes the following: •Intensivefluidtherapy•Anti-inflammatories•Correctionofelectrolyteimbalances

Jenny points out that the first pony she owned to have the disease was a recently purchased fit, five year old, gelding that had recently started his vaccinations and was fed daily. The day before he died he was worked and appeared to be absolutely fine. Poppy was twenty four months old, in great condition and immunised and fed. “Having identified the part of our field that posed the greatest risk according to the criteria, all of our ponies have been excluded from that area and we cordon off all sheltered areas in the spring and autumn”.

Atypical Myopathy is a potentially fatal condition which occurs in the paddock, affecting the horse’s muscles. Fortunately it is not common, but it can be fatal in as little as twelve hours from onset and the survival rate is very low (about 25%). In any suspected case immediate veterinary intervention is required in order to give the horse any chance of a survival at all. Diagnosis is made by an assessment of clinical signs and a blood test showing increased levels of muscle enzymes.

Atypical Myopathy

We went for walks all tacked up so that it became normal, and then I introduced short reining*. Poppy was brilliant, and it was a massive contrast to the amount of time and effort required to get Splash to accept any form of equipment. In fact Poppy acted as a buffer for me, re-assuring me of my own ability to use Intelligent Horsemanship methods. Ten minutes of work with Poppy could equate to weeks or even months of work with Splash to make the same progress! The two ponies could not have been more different.

I felt this was almost too good to be true, wondered what was round the corner and double checked I hadn’t missed out any part of her education. My three week plan for Poppy was all done within one week. She really didn’t care if I was by her head, her side or up on her back. We did a little bit of riding in walk and then turned her away for the winter.

In February this year we re-started Poppy, repeating all of the previous work before progressing to the next step. She was happy long-lining on paths out in the forest but she didn’t really see the point in the field. I found it hard to move her on the long lines in this area and if I used a bag on a stick to encourage her, she would want to investigate it! Mum acted as a dual control at her head in order to get forward movement and then I was able to work on steering.

Next I would lead her out on the Forest, get on her back for a little while and then get off again. We repeated this at a local fun activity ride at our riding club where no-one objected to a woman in her forties being on the lead rein!

To ensure we got the next stage absolutely right, we booked ourselves in for a week with IHRA, Nicole Golding, at her yard in Woodmancote, near Cirencester. Here we could work on steering, walk, trot and canter. It was lovely to sit back and watch Nicole long-line Poppy, and to see Poppy’s attention levels increase as they worked up to transitions.

Poppy was often worked twice a day: a short ridden session in the arena, and later a ride out with Nicole on her Exmoor Pony. The terrain was perfect - safe fields, quiet roads and hills for faster work. We even went through an underpass beneath a very busy main road.

In this environment Poppy took a quantum leap in growing up. Her walk/trot transitions became smooth and were at my request rather than hers! Save for one little canter out on a hack, we decided not to work at canter because she wasn’t quite ready.

Since returning home with improved steering and forward movement, Poppy has been worked just three times a week.

We hack out for miles alone and in company and her wonderfully comfortable canter has come along naturally. We have gently introduced her to riding with other ponies around to prepare her for any future ridden shows. Mum has also had the pleasure of riding her – after all, she is hers!

Our plan for the next year is more gentle progression and only after that will I introduce her to faster, more exciting work with a view to competing with her the following year.

Prior to learning about Intelligent Horsemanship I don’t think I would have been able to bring on Poppy even though she has been an easy pony, never mind Splash who most certainly was not!

*Short reining – is the practice of walking alongside a pony on either side with the reins in the riding position and using the hip as a squeezing aid to walk on.

I like to set up a pony for success, not just for my own benefit, but for the benefit of the pony and any future owner the pony will have. No-one can guarantee a home for life, although I’d like to think that I can.

I have been told that I am very lucky to work with such a lovely pony as the one my Mum has. Yes, except it’s not just luck. It’s well thought out, incremental training that has produced such a delightful pony.

You may have read about Splash, my remedial pony, in the last edition of the magazine. In contrast, Poppy is a pony without any issues, brought up using Intelligent Horsemanship methods.

Poppy was born in a field adjacent to ours in May 2008 and was just eight hours old when we first met her. Whilst cute, we paid her little attention as she didn’t belong to us. At eight months of age she moved to the yard up the road and only reappeared next door a year later. She had grown into a confident young lady and looked as though she might grow to a full size 14.2 New Forest Pony. She was also for sale! With my encouragement, my Mum bought her.

PoppyBy Jenny Crouch, MRPCH

The InTellIgenT horsemanshIp magazIne40

Tell us a little about your horse: Boo is a nine year old, 15.3hh, Thoroughbred x Arab gelding that I have owned for three years. He has now become my best friend after what can only be described as a terrible start to our relationship. At first he was an aggressive and difficult horse, but once I showed him that he could trust me his true colours came out. I found that he was full of character and loved to play and be groomed. I have caught him with his head in my locker a few times trying to get his treats!

Boo loves his jumping and is showing a lot of talent in this area as well as on the flat. I bought him to compete on but quickly found out that he had a loading problem. I went back into his history and soon discovered the cause of the problem; he had been beaten as a youngster and turned a trailer over.

By Hannah Bradshaw, IH Member

Where are they now?how did you become involved with Intelligent horsemanship? I have always been a fan of Monty and the Intelligent Horsemanship team so, when I saw that Monty was going to be at Aintree Equestrian Centre I jumped at the chance to apply to take my horse to him. I cried when I found out that they wanted to use Boo!

We arrived at Aintree a bit late and went straight into the round pen to be assessed. Later, when it was time for the loading part of the demonstration, Boo was brought in and Monty began by doing some much needed groundwork, schooling him and getting him to walk over a tarpaulin and wooden board.

After the groundwork was established, Monty walked Boo up to the box giving him the chance to walk straight on. Boo decided it was a better option to just stand still and so the team simply made a pen and closed it behind him. Boo was still able to move about or resist going up the ramp if he wanted to. However within a short time Boo consented to go in.

Monty led him back down the ramp and then turned to go straight back into the horsebox, repeating this a few times. Then the pen was opened and Monty and Boo came back down the ramp and straight back in again. The pen was then made wider, giving Boo the option to stop or go backwards if he wished, but again he went straight in with no hesitation.

Finally, Monty unclipped the line and walked up the ramp. Boo followed him in! Then it was my turn to load Boo and he went straight up to the ramp and on. When we came back out I gave Monty a big hug!

how did you progress after the demo? After the demonstration I progressed by making sure that Boo responded to me on the ground, got him to walk over things and then I began to load him onto the lorry. I did this at least twice a week up until our first show. He loaded first time to go to the show and our season began. There have been a couple of times when Boo has decided not to load, but I have remained calm and followed Monty’s wise words to help me to get Boo into the lorry.

I still have a practice every now and again when I have access to a box, even if we aren’t going out competing. I just like to keep on top of it and to make sure Monty’s magic continues!

Thanks to Monty and the IH team, Boo and I went on to have a fantastic season, being placed every time out and receiving such lovely comments. Boo qualified for the North West Show Jumping Championships and we were placed 7th and 11th in two big and strong classes.

What are your plans for the future?We plan to compete in our second season together and just spend time having fun. I’m hoping to do some bigger jumping classes in order to affiliate him for BSJA in the winter. I want to head out to some larger shows to enjoy some showing classes, and I’d also like to try eventing with him. Not forgetting our trips to the beach!

The InTellIgenT horsemanshIp magazIne 41

LG Arena, The NEC, Birmingham

Weds 3rd - Sun 7th October 2012

Following the most successful Horse of the Year Show ever, ‘The World’s Most Famous Horse Show’ returns to Birmingham’s NEC from 3rd – 7th October 2012 and promises to be another exceptional not-to-be-missed event. Over the course of five magical days, it will host the finals of the most highly-regarded national showing and show jumping championships, as well as a total of eleven international show jumping classes including the crowd favourite Puissance. Spectators will once again be glued to the edge of their seats as stars from across the globe tackle the infamous red wall as part of Saturday’s evening performance. All this alongside an exciting line-up of equestrian entertainment!

Intelligent Horsemanship has teamed up with Horse of the Year Show to offer you the chance to win tickets to the show, so that you can experience the incredible atmosphere, breadth of dazzling displays and tense competition first-hand.

Returning to the show in 2012 is the popular Think Like a Pony team, who will be on hand to provide demonstrations and answer your questions all week in the Think Like a Pony Interactive Feature Area.

The show’s packed schedule also includes high-speed Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry Racing, the thrilling Equimax Pony Club Mounted Games for the prestigious Prince Philip Cup, a Dressage Special with British Olympic Dressage Team Captain Richard Davison, as well as a Show Jumping lecture-demonstration with top international rider Tim Stockdale and a breath-taking theatrical display.

With two arenas, 1,500 horses, 1,400 competitors and a huge variety of shopping at over 250 stands, The NEC is transformed into an equestrian extravaganza with something to excite every visitor.

Tickets are on sale now. For show information and ticket prices: www.hoys.co.uk

WIN TICKETS

Competition Terms and ConditionsThe first correct answer/s drawn from the bag will win the prize. The judge’s decision is final. Open to UK residents only, excludes employees of Grandstand Group, the publisher, associated agencies and their families. Prizes are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. No cash alternative available.These tickets cannot be resold and Grandstand Media Ltd reserves the right to withdraw a ticket donation at any time if it appears on eBay or any other reseller platform. For full T&C’s visit www.hoys.co.uk .

Intelligent Horsemanship has 2 pairs of tickets to be won. Tickets are valid for the Gala evening performance at Horse of the Year Show on Sunday 7th October 2012.To enter, simply answer the following question and send your answer, together with your name, address and telephone number to: Intelligent Horsemanship Competition, Grandstand Media Ltd, 7 Waterside, Station Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4US (Closing date 31st July, 2012).

Q: Who will be hosting the Interactive Feature Area at this year’s HOYS?

Photo courtesy of Steve Dawe.

Photo courtesy of The Event Photographer.

Spotlighton Ih recommended associate

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Ih magazine meets Lyn Dixon

How long have you been involved with horses?I was nine when I first got involved with horses and spent much of my childhood riding bareback over the local mountains. I was fortunate to have my own horse at twelve. He was only just four then but he taught me so much. We came to believe in each other. That was forty-six years ago, please don’t do the maths!

Why did you decide to qualify as a Recommended Associate?Because it was the intelligent thing to do! It started with an eight year old cob called Sam. My boss at a large trekking centre bought him. Sam had pulled a milk cart in Manchester. The local boys had taken over the deliveries and been extremely heavy handed with him.

He arrived with highly sensitive and sore withers and a mouth like iron. His was aloof and sceptical especially when approached with tack. My boss handed him to me and said, “There you are girl, that’s your guide horse for the summer”.

I rode Sam bareback, not touching his withers, attaching the reins to a plain cavesson nose band. He became a dream, coming to my whistle, doing things like backwards riding to help nervous children forget their fear. At the age of twenty-nine he offered me an amazing piaffe when I drew myself up from my centre, imagining the horse rising and rolling, dropping and fluid beneath me. I was over-awed.

That was when I realised that things are given through trust; demanding and taking lead to resentment. I wondered how I could find a way to communicate these things and where I could find people who felt the same.

When I first saw Monty working, I felt like an orphan finding her family. I met Kelly in 1997 and have been an IHRA for fifteen years.

What is a typical day for you?There is no typical day. As well as my being an IHRA we have a smallholding where we practice and teach permaculture design and grow most of our own food. (www.konsk.co.uk)

The day is spent according to bookings. I might go to a client’s yard to teach them and their horse, or teach the design of systems for horses at home. I like to spend time with my horses, working with my mare, keeping an eye on our ewes or gardening.

What’s important to you when you see an owner and their horse for the first time?That it’s important to them to embrace the ethos of Intelligent Horsemanship in the training of their horse. That doesn’t have to be IH with capitals. However, it does have to be safe practice, considerate thought and appropriate response, rather than unconsidered reactions born out of fear or anger in a dangerous situation.

What are the common challenges you face in your work as an RA?To spot the missing foundation blocks in a horse’s training. This can mean taking some very knowledgeable owners back to very basic exercises; a bit like teaching basic maths to Einstein, but when their light-bulb moment comes it’s smiles all round.

If you could change one thing in the world of horse, what would it be and why?There are so many things - gadgets, over-feeding, over-stabling, and disrespect for land, fat show animals, pot hunters, and fragile egos around horses. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot of good out there too!

Indiscriminate breeding would be the thing I’d most like addressed; the consequences would be significant.

What would be the first piece of advice you would give someone looking at buying/loaning their first horse?Wait six months before you even start to look. Consider. Shadow a horse owning friend for a month in the middle of a cold wet winter. Stop going out or buying new clothes! Start seeing ‘a coffee and cake’ as actually, that’s ‘a bale of hay’. You can’t have your life as it is and a horse. You can either have your life as it is or your life with a horse.

What is the most common issue you have to deal with when working with horses?It is common for people to use too much physical strength especially in early training. This hardness can create a brace in the horse which by-passes his natural softness. ‘Waiting’ is so much more effective than ‘weighting’.

What are your plans for the future?As well as continuing to help horses and their owners, I am drawing attention to intelligent pasture management and the effect that the design of environment can have on a horse’s physical and mental well being. I will be running courses and writing a book on Equine Systems Design.

IHRA Lyn Dixon is based in South Snowdonia, North Wales. She can be contacted on 01341 440 256. Email: lyn@integralhorsemanship.co.uk Website: www.integralhorsemanship.co.uk

praise forIH Recommended Associates

Bronwen PackhamSomerset“I contacted Bronwen as my horse had issues with loading and travelling”She was extremely helpful and explained things extremely well too. When problems arose, Bronwen worked through them, leaving the session on a positive note. I think anyone who owns a horse should have some training to make sure that they are safe in what they choose to do with their horse.Vikki Palmer, Somerset

Ann-Marie MarekWales“I was experiencing ground and ridden problems with my new horse”Ann-Marie was prompt in replying to all of my enquiries, explaining what she was going to do and why extremely well. Some of our sessions took place at my property and some at livery with Ann-Marie. She has proved invaluable in helping my horse carry out rehabilitation exercises recommended by equine clinic. I could not have done it without her. She is my horse’s saviour!Linda Grove, Swansea

Anne-Lorraine Picard-NizouFrance“My horse was using some very strong behaviour against me”Anne-Lorraine helped me in every possible way. I think that without her I would have sold my horse, and let a very good horse go. I learnt how to use my body and my energy in order to keep my horse focused on me. I feel I have a better understanding of his reactions and I know how to anticipate them. Today, my horse has become not only an excellent sports horse, but also a horse that has complete trust and faith in his rider. Guillot De Suduiraut Benedicte, France

Sally HamiltonBerkshire“We needed help with our two horses”We are extremely happy with how Sally explained the way things would happen. We are feeling so much better about everything since Sally visited us. We are now looking forward to doing the foundation exercises from Perfect Manners. After that, Sally is coming to teach us long lining before we progress with riding. We look forward to a long and bright future of horse ownership – thanks to Sally setting us on the right path. I think our horses are really happy too because they have the owners they deserve. Gemma & Brenda Day, Headley

John JonesHerefordshire“Thank you so much. We are so amazed and grateful for what you did for us today.” Donna Davies re: a foot handling issue

“Thank you so much for such a super weekend. I feel inspired with positive vibes and am delighted to report that Sam continues to turn, lower his head and place it right into the headcollar.” Catherine Lord

“Thank you so much for a wonderful weekend of self discovery with your herd. When I handled my own horses today I understood how they mirror me completely. I was calm, unhurried and prepared for each communication with them and they responded with lightness.” Lou Pell

“Thanks again. I have come away with my soul wonderfully refreshed, and with a very clear goal to put animals and the countryside back in my life at the earliest opportunity! Ruth Walsh

Carrie DavisCheshire“We were experiencing behavioural problems with our recently purchased horse”Carrie has been extremely helpful. She handled our horse in a calm and professional manner. She was able to adapt her teaching style to ensure my thirteen year old daughter could understand. She is extremely knowledgeable. Our Thoroughbred mare was difficult to handle – we couldn’t pick her feet up, remove her rugs or tack her up for riding. After only three sessions we could pick all of her feet, saddle and tack up with ease and ride her out on a hack or in the paddock. My daughter has grown in confidence, is more aware of the horse’s behaviour and how to respond. I am really pleased that we have chosen to build a trusting friendship with the horse rather than trying to ‘bully’ her into submission. Sue Macklin, Cheshire

To find your local IH recommended Associate visit: www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk and click ‘Horse Help’