Anthropomorphism - What a Stupid Horse

Anthropomorphism - The attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal, or object. (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/anthropomorphism)

Simply saying something like "that stupid chair"  is interpreting these things in human terms. People can be stupid; chairs cannot be "stupid". 


Saying "that is a stupid horse" or saying that "that horse did that on purpose so I would fall off" is the same thing. You are attributing positive and negative human behaviors and intentions to an animal. The intentions of the horse are not the same as the intentions of a human. The intentions of a human may be based on things like spite, hate, envy, etc. as well as love, empathy or compassion. Intentions of a horse are based solely on its evolutionary characteristics. Horses have evolved as prey animals. They are always on alert and have a strong "flight" response to perceived threats and harms. That is why a horse is likely to shy or buck at the slightest thing like a shadow on the ground, or a bird, or a sound. It is in their nature to be ready to flee in the face of danger or the unknown. The underlying intention of this behavior has nothing to do with the rider; it has everything to do with its evolutionary survival mechanisms.

So how does one deal with this?

I have watched different people deal with this in different ways. One of the most common responses is to get angry and try to wrestle with the horse - pulling hard at the reins and kicking the horse (my daughter used to do this too). This may temporarily control the horse but what did this teach the horse? It taught the horse that it will be punished for doing something in which it has no control. It's the same as calling a dog that won't come. Once the dog finally comes, I see many people so angry that they beat the dog. What did that just teach the dog? It taught it that if it comes, it will be punished/abused. That is the complete opposite of the lesson that you want to teach your dog. This is also the complete opposite of the lesson that you want to teach your horse. For the dog, regardless of how angry you are, when it finally comes, you need to be full of praise and positive reinforcement (such as treats). This teaches the dog that to come is a good thing to be rewarded. That will make the dog more eager to come the next time. For the horse, it's the same thing. You need to reassure the horse that it has nothing to worry about. You need to continue as if nothing happened. By not acknowledging the fear response, you teach the horse that it can trust you. And trust is a much more permanent form of control than is anger.

Remember, It is not a "stupid" horse or a "bad" horse for doing this. It is just a horse, doing what horses do. To say anything else is to attach human characteristics and intent to its behavior - anthropomorphism. 

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d1/28/2d/d1282d5ae03ee836ff14f06729f728c1.jpg

Equine Colic - A Matter of Life and Death

Help - our horse just had a bout of colic. The fun never ends...but what is colic?

Colic in horses refers generally to gastrointestinal pains. If that's all it is, then I get colic all the time! Simple relief for me includes some rather unpleasant noises and odors. For a horse, it's not quite so simple. I'm learning that Equine Colic can be a life-threatening situation. In fact, colic is the leading cause of death for horses.

Unlike you and me, horses cannot belch to relieve gas pains. Moreover, because of their deep chests, when a horse rolls in an attempt to relieve the pain, it could cause the intestines or colon to twist (torsion) - a similar thing can happen to large chested dogs too. This is a life and death situation that is usually solved through emergency surgery.

From http://equinegutflush.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/colicrxhorse.jpg

What is the cause of equine colic - it's largely unknown but the prevailing school of thought suggests it's generally a result of diet. Horses have evolved as grazers that require almost constant eating and food in their stomach. They were not built to digest the high protein, high carb diets many horses today receive (Note: view my previous post on equine dentistry and floating teeth, another consequence of the present-day equine diet).

Some horses are more prone to it than others. It is also more likely to happen when there is a change in food which is why most people change their horse's diet slowly. And it seems to happen more frequently during the change in seasons with large temperature swings.

To relieve less serious bouts of colic, horses are walked frequently day and night. When the vet came out to see my daughter's horse, he stuffed a tube down his nasal cavity to pour electrolytes and mineral oil into the stomach. And he did a rectal exam to clear out any fecal compaction (nice, eh!). They fed him only minimally for the next day or so and put some apple juice in the water bucket to entice the horse to drink more. They also put some apple sauce in the beet pulp and bran to get him to eat it.

While I haven't received the vet bill yet, I'm not looking forward to it. But it could have been a lot worse if the people at the barn didn't catch it as early as they did. My daughter had to sleep at the barn that night and walk him every two hours. Just think of how this prepares daughters for the real world.

Cheers,
DDD

Follow-up (April 15, 2015) - I received the vet bill for the main visit and a follow-up visit. While I have learned over the past to cringe when I receive mail from the vet, this one wasn't as bad as I thought. It was just under $350 for the two visits. Considering the vet had his arm up the horse's butt past his elbow, that seems like a small price to pay!

Second Follow-Up (April 27 2015) - This weekend the vet had to come out again - Yikes! The horse was dehydrated again. He was outside all day before my daughter had her lesson and the weather had gotten cold again that day. The large variations in the temperature at this time of year (and it seems especially drastic this year) affect eating and drinking behaviors. They suspect he didn't drink while he was outside because it had gotten cold and the water was frigid. So I'm certain there will be another $350 bill coming my way in a week or so. And while I may have indicated earlier that these bills are smaller than I expected (considering what the vet has to do), they are beginning to add up!!

Equestrian Snow Birds and the Winter Wellington Riding Circuit

My daughter spent her school break this spring down in Wellington, Florida. She went down to be a groom and stall hand for a nationally ranked dressage rider who is trying to qualify for the 2015 Pan American Games this July in Toronto. A holiday it was not! She was up before 6am to start tending horses and usually in bed by midnight after she finished tending horses. Only to repeat it again the next day...and the next. She had to go back to school for a rest. And, while she was absolutely exhausted, she had a great time and didn't want to come home. I guess that is what having a passion for horses and dressage is all about.

What I found interesting though is the number of kids that are down there with their horses competing. They send their horses down with their trainer/coach around Christmas and fly down for the various shows to compete. The trainer/coach continues to ride and train the horse while the kid is back at school. There was a great article in the New York Times today telling the story about these young equestrian snow birds and how they commute down to Wellington from New York every weekend to ride (http://nyti.ms/1y9geFR ). 

Some of the kids that my daughter competes against during the summer have their horses down there racking up qualifying points. I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, I think this is just another example of the ability to throw money at something to gain an advantage that most other kids won't get because their parents cannot afford the expense. But getting into this sport, you quickly realize that money buys advantage. And so, on the other hand, everyone is entitled to take every advantage they can in a competition (as long as it's within the rules - not like Lance Armstrong!).

I'll let you decide for yourself as to whether you think this is fair or unfair. All I know is that my daughter is quite cognizant of the cost of the sport and that the depth of the well is not endless. She appreciates all that she receives and contributes all that she can. And she has not once complained that she is missing out. She was just grateful for the experience - that she could go down and work during what was supposed to be a holiday. I guess, as a parent, that's all I can hope for - and that will surely serve her well as she continues on her life journey.

Yours truly,
DDD

Story of my Life

This picture is so appropriate. All I seem to do is feed it money and I get poop in return...

Alas, at least I know where my daughters are...and it's not hanging around the mall.

Signed,
DDD (Dumb Dressage Dad)

The Dressage Show - And Four to Go!

Going to the show just adds to the adventure. You can pay someone to trailer your horse or you can trailer your horse yourself. It costs at least $100 each way but likely more to have someone trailer your horse depending on the distance to a show. If you're going to lots of shows, it's probably worth the investment to get a trailer. We bought a light European one, a Fautras (Fautras Horse Trailers). (Note - Even thought they are pricey, I would highly recommend the Fautras over other European trailers because they have two large doors in the front and a lifetime warranty on the floor. It also has a loading mechanism that allows for one person to load a horse. We really like ours - the Provan Premium - and selected it over others after our research.). The European trailers are more expensive but they can be pulled by a smaller vehicle. And since they have surge brakes, you don't need a truck with electric braking capabilities. But there are many types of trailers that are less expensive however you generally need a truck to tow them.

If you do trailer your own horse, you may want to look into travel insurance. One company that I'm aware of that specializes in horse travel is US Rider (note: they are available in both the USA and Canada). It's kind of like the AAA for horse travel to help out when you're stranded on the side of the road. They go so far as helping to secure emergency stabling. It is well worth the cost.

When you get to the show, you need a place to store everything you packed. The solution? A tack stall. Yes, that's right - paying for a second stall just to hold all the stuff the horse and rider needs because you don't want to be going back and forth to the truck and trailer (make certain you order this extra stall on your show application form - think about splitting it with another rider to cut costs). And now that everything is unloaded and the horse is in its newly prepared stall, now you can sit back and take a breath - ahhh, NO!! Now you need to take care of the horse since it just had such a long journey, go check in to the show office, sign in, get your bridle number (if you don't have a bridle number on the horse when it is outside its stall, you can/will get fined/penalized or disqualified), and then start to prepare for the show.

No rest for the weary DDD (Dumb Dressage Dad).

The Dressage Show - Three to Get Ready

Okay, you've spent the time filling out all the show applications and spent the money for the show fees. Now the time is near and it's time to start getting ready and packing. The fun just never ends.

 Packing is one thing. Packing for a horse and a show is something exponentially worse. There is much truth to the saying that "people have dogs; cats have people; and horses have staff" - holy crap!!!! We needed blankets for every potential type of weather, travel wraps, standing wraps, bell boots, halters, bridles, saddles, food, treats, hay...and more hay, stall shavings, electrolytes, grooming supplies, fly spray, stall fan, extension cords, and on and on and on. See the links below for a couple of examples of a horse show checklist to see what I'm talking about. .

Showmom Packing List

85 Must Haves for your Horse Show (85 - Holy Crap!!)

A portable tack box or two helps to help keep things organized. We like the Stanley tool boxes as they have wheels and a handle and can take a beating.




And all this is just for the horse! We still have to pack for ourselves! The rider needs to remember boots, blazer, helmet, gloves, breaches (and something to wear over top of the breaches so they stay white for the show!), hair net, etc. And then clothes for other times especially if you're staying over night. And then food and beverages because the days at the show tend to be long. And remember to bring some comfortable chairs.

Finally, I would strongly recommend packing a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream for the morning coffee for those early mornings on overnight trips. It helps to temper the chaos of the morning activities for DDDs (dumb dressage dads).

Now it's off to the show...

The Dressage Show - Two for the Show

Part 2 - Two for the Show

Wow, who would have believed that signing up for a show would be such a headache...for so many reasons. The paperwork involved is insane and requires a full time secretary.

Every show releases their "prize list" which is the rules, regulations, and applications for their specific show. Some applications forms are 6 to 8 pages long to complete when you include the stabling forms. Multiple signatures and multiple association membership numbers are required from the rider, the coach, and the owner of the horse.

And don't forget to include copies of the Coggins test (for Equine Infectious Anemia), copies of the horse FEI passport (yes, an actual passport for the horse issued by the International Equestrian Federation! - or a Equine Canada or USEF passport - see helpful links) and copies of all association memberships for the rider, owner, and coach.

To make it even more interesting, we did one show in another country. This required a vet check within 10 days of import to ensure the horse appears healthy as well as dealing with various federal departments of agriculture and customs/immigration inspections.

Finally, when you're filling out the forms, don't forget to make hotel reservations. You need to do this early to ensure you get into a half-decent hotel. And trust me, this is important! We stayed in a real dump once and it made the show much less enjoyable.