Practical Horseman Summer 2019

As you first skim through this issue of Practical Horseman, look at the event riders in Jim Wofford’s column starting on page 36. Next, examine the photos of top hunter rider Sandy Ferrell on page 90. What do you see in common? Sandy, like the eventers, is wearing a safety vest. She started wearing the vest after a riding injury in 2015 left her with three fractured vertebrae and another fall in 2016 solidified the habit. I remember when Sandy wore the safety vest riding in the ring at the Devon Horse Show in 2017. It caught people’s attention because it was so novel. Even now, you typically don’t see riders wearing a vest in the competition arena if they don’t have to. But when you really think about it,…

On PracticalHorsemanMag.com An Excerpt from “In the Middle Are The Horsemen” Eventer and natural-horsemanship advocate Tik Maynard relates his educational journey in the horse industry as a working student, learning from several professionals across disciplines while striving to mold his own training philosophies. In this book excerpt, Maynard examines David O’Connor’s system for training young horses and how he teaches humans to speak the language of the horse. Prac Podcast Features Top Riders in the Sport Take Practical Horseman with you on the go with the Practical Horseman Podcast, featuring conversations with respected riders, industry leaders and horsecare experts to inform, educate and inspire listeners. Recent episodes are with guests George Morris, Margie Engle, Anne Kursinski, Sharon White and William Fox-Pitt. New podcast episodes are released every other week and…

1 Overall: This rider has a classic leg position but she could work to make her legs a little stronger. She also could practice keeping her horse straight. Leg: She has an excellent position with her foot in the stirrup. The iron is on the ball of her foot and the angle of her ankle is pointed out about 45 degrees and the outside bar is angled slightly ahead of the inside bar. All of this is classic. I like the angles behind her knee and at her hip for this size jump and the effort the horse is making. It almost looks as if the horse jumped out from underneath her and she’s a little loose in the saddle. She could work without stirrups to help make her base…

Sweat is the major mechanism for removing excess body heat from the horse. The degree to which a horse sweats depends on several factors: environmental conditions, type of work or exercise performed and the horse’s individual fitness level. The act of sweating is really an incredible self-preservation action to prevent overheating through evaporative cooling to dissipate the excess heat produced. Sweat is essentially made up of water and specific charged minerals or electrolytes. Hydration and electrolyte replacement is vitally important for alleviating the risk of thermoregulatory dysfunction or failure associated with dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Water is Life Water is the most important nutrient for all life, and deprived of it, a horse can perish within 48 hours. Fresh, clean water should be available at all times. Working horses should…

1. Pinch Test The skin on your horse’s neck doesn’t quickly return to its place after pinching. 2. Mucous Membranes The horse’s mucous membranes in the nose and mouth are dry or red. 3. Capillary Refill When you press your finger on the gum, the spot should change from white to red quickly. The longer it takes the capillaries to refill shows the severity of dehydration. A veterinarian should be contacted immediately if a horse is suspected to be acutely dehydrated. How Platinum Can Help Electrolyte Balance Protocol: Administer 1 scoop of Platinum Performance® Equine* twice daily and 2 scoops of Platinum Electrolyte 1-2 times daily. When: Supplement electrolytes after exercise, during hot or humid weather and other common causes of heavy sweating. Anhidrosis (Non-Sweaters) Protocol: Administer 1-2 scoops of Platinum Performance® Equine*…

These pictures show Marie-Joelle Cote competing her 7-year-old Friesian-Canadian gelding, Cortado, at First Level. They are now working toward Second Level. In addition to their dressage work, they both love working out on trails and enjoying the snow. All three of these pictures show how serious Marie-Joelle is about her riding. She and Cortado appear to have trust in each other and are concentrating. When I work with riders at clinics, I often point out the different challenges that walk, trot and canter pose for the balance between horse and rider. This series of images of Marie-Joelle and Cortado is a good example of this. In this article, I’d like to take a closer look at the different gaits of the horse and how the rider can best follow the…