NickerNews Horse Blog

Horses and Cow...birds

Cowbirds are ordinary birds. Nothing flashy about them. If you’ve ever held them in your hand or looked at them up really close, however, you’ll see they are strikingly beautiful in their dullness.
That and their horse-hovering behavior make them an avian favorite of mine.
Cowbirds hang out with horses. The horse moves. The cowbird moves. They don’t pester. They just chill.

CLICK HERE for 30-seconds of Cowbird & Comet

In my neighborhood, there are only a few pairs of them every summer. I suppose if we were inundated with them, I’d have a different opinion. Cowbirds are parasites. They lay their eggs in other birds’ nest and take no part in raising the young.
Maybe I should have a different opinion. But then we all have our faults, right?

Temple Grandin at Pineland

Sunday will be busy for Dr. Temple Grandin.
The best-selling author and authority on humane handling of livestock (and other fields) will lecture for 21/2 hours at Pineland Farms before moving on to the University of Southern Maine in the afternoon.
The morning lecture is devoted to animal handling while the afternoon session speaks to working with autism.
Can’t wait to hear her at Pineland.
For more information or to register, CLICK HERE
Hundreds are expected for both events. University officials have had to create a satellite room for the Pineland gig which is free but requires pre-registration. Tickets are running scarce.
Grandin visited several years ago and spoke to a large agricultural crowd, according to Rick Kersbergen, UMaine extension professor.
“She’s very popular here in terms of her animal welfare advocacy roll and in terms of her autism rolls. She really likes to combine these and hit a region with both her passions,” said Kersbergen.
Her own autism lets her “perceive the fear that animals have,” added Kersbergen. It makes her especially qualified to advise in matters of humane animal handling, he said.
For more information, contact Sonia Antunes at sonia.antunes@maine.edu
or 1-800-287-1426 toll free in Maine or (207) 342-5971.

And now a survey for Maine horse folks

The University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension and Department of Animal and Veterinary Science are looking for ways to improve educational programming to support the equine industry. They’re asking Maine horse owners and enthusiasts to complete a survey to help develop educational programs.
CLICK HERE to take the survey.
Contact Donna Coffin at donna.coffin@maine.edu for more information.

Says Coffin:

“It should take about 10 minutes to complete and we will close it by June.
We will be using the results to develop a fall-winter all day educational sessions for equine owners around health and disease concerns and other topics of interest.”
View results as they come in by clicking here.

Horse Survey Says...

A few years ago, American Horse Publications worked with Kentucky Equine Research, Merck Animal Health, and Pfizer Animal Health to offer a survey to thousands of horse owners. About 11,000 of us responded.
To download 2009 results, click here.

From it, we can glean some interesting figures.
The survey was broken down by activity category and region. Not surprisingly, pleasure and trail riding was the most popular activity in ALL regions.
Maine fell into the Northeast region which includes the other New England states as well as New Jersey. Two-thirds of respondents voted trail riding as their preferred activity, dressage was the next popular activity here, with 37 percent.
It’s in stark contrast to most western states, where dressage tallies less than 20 percent. The western states have the most respondents saying they use their horses for work, at about 20 percent.
Other popular categories were “Natural Horsemanship” and “Lessons and Training”
You can take this year’s AHP survey by CLICKING HERE.

I took it. It took about 10 minutes.

But don't delay. Survey closes May 15.

And let me know what you think of it!
AHP is a nonprofit association that promotes excellence in equine media. Its members include equine-related publications, digital media, professionals, students, organizations and businesses.

Fit to be Tied

Not long ago I was touting the virtues of Barn Fit, that casual, versatile level of fitness that comes from shoveling manure, tossing hay, and running around after horses.
As long as you’re Barn Fit, you’re good.

Or not so much.

Two forces have propelled me to seek a greater level of fitness: Cajoling teenagers and Cholesterol levels.
My sons and blood tests both claim I'm lame.
So I've dug my running shoes out of the closet and hit the pavement for the first time in years.
It hurts.
It’s nauseating.
It’s humbling.

I’d thought the ol’ body would grant me some credit, a hall pass of sorts for having strong arms and back. I could skip past the beginner stuff of aching muscles, short breath, and wavering will power.

No chance.

I thought my athletic past would help me out. I could magically revert to those days when I felt downright elated after running 10 miles. I could run 40 miles a week and not be crippled and complaining.

No dice.

I thought leg strength from riding would transfer and make running easier.

Forget about it.

In fact, from a muscular standpoint, it feels like Barn Fit and Gym Fit are diametrically opposed.
But I’m determined to bridge the divide.
Why?
Teenagers, cholesterol, and my new bucket list item:
Ride & Tie.
Ride & Tie is two riders and one horse. Think leap frogging: One person rides ahead, ties the horse after a few miles, then starts running. Meanwhile, the runner catches up to the tied horse, mounts up, passes the runner, ties the horse, and starts running. And so on. For miles. Strategies are key.

Check it out!

And Build your Bucket List!

Another Maine Horse Atrocity

Complaints to the state Animal Welfare program have been made over the years. But so far, no action has been taken against William and Anne Kozloff.
They operate Whistlin’ Willows Farm in Gorham, the scene of horror last month when at least 23 horses died of botulism.
It’s a painful death. Horses’ facial muscles become paralyzed. They can’t swallow. Even if you have the time and money, it’s hard to save them.

How did they get botulism?

They were fed silage. Silage is that crappy hay in round bales, wrapped in thick white plastic and half-rotten by the time it's fed out.
Cows can handle it. Horses cannot.
Take one whiff of it and you’d know better.
Apparently the Kozloffs lost their sense of smell.
It’s something they might need as they consider the effects of burying some 25,000 pounds of horse carcasses on their property. Neighbors are concerned about the decomposing bodies contaminating the water table.
One wonders if the tragedy and environmental impact could have all been avoided if the Kozloffs had operated within their means and if the state had been more diligent and vigilant in its welfare oversight.
Moving forward, let's hope the Kozloffs can regain more than just their sense of smell.

Click for Portland Press article on deaths.
Click for Portland Press article on run off concerns.

Horse Trailer Trials

My first trailer was a Kingston straight-load double. Sometimes I hauled two horses. Other times, I took out the divider and hauled one horse loose.

My next trailer was a Featherlite four-horse stock. Another bumperpull, it suited my needs just fine. Usually I’d haul two horses loose, separated by the center wall. It was easy to pick up 100 bales from the field, too.

But my herd has grown to four horses and I became more interested in hauling longer distances safely and having a dry place to store tack and hay.

I needed a gooseneck.

So after much hemming and hawing, surfing and researching, I called Bobby Fantarella.
I met Bobby of the Trailer Depot at the Equine Affaire one year. Click for Equine Affaire review. He’s a natural salesman, but is laid back and informed. He helped me with some decisions without any expectation that I’d buy one of his trailers. I liked that.
I honed my choice down to a simple Featherlite gooseneck with room for gear and hay.
In the end, my investment in the Featherlite bumperpull paid off with a good private resale. The folks at the Trailer Depot in Northford, CT, gave me a good price and great service for this 2011 gooseneck.

The horses walked right in, two at a time.
Yay.
Ready to roll.

Evidence-Based Horsemanship at Red Deer

Dr. Steve Peters presented two talks on Evidence-Based Horsemanship at the Mane Event in Red Deer, Alberta, this weekend. Word got around. The second talk was the most well-attended lecture of the event.
Evidence-Based Horsemanship is a book and collaboration by Peters and Martin Black (who competed in and won the Trainers’ Challenge event here Sunday). EBH suggests we work with, not against, the way a horse functions on a neurological and physiological level.
CLICK HERE for more information.
Many attendees shared exciting anecdotes after the presentations. Epiphanies and revelations, they got me thinking: We need to be aware of the science of not just horse behavior, but of our human behavior, too.

One man said the talk made him more informed of horse/human interaction, especially vis a vis his autistic son. He said his son gets along well with horses. But with people, it depends. The boy is especially tuned into a person’s body language and energy level. He picks up good, bad, high, low right away and makes decisions based on these findings.

Can we be more horse-like, too? And by that, I mean more aware of our own body language and the messages it sends? Wouldn’t it be helpful?

Another horseman mentioned his past struggles in school. Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, he did poorly for years until he worked with a teacher who let him take walks and exercise a lot. After these breaks, he could perform much better. He compared his learning needs to those of his own horses, especially the young ones who might only handle short spurts of training well.

CLICK HERE for more on articles on Evidence-Based Horsemanship.
CLICK HERE for EBH website.
CLICK HERE to order book.

On the Red Deer Road

Work with Evidence-Based Horsemanship has brought NickerNews to Red Deer, Alberta for the Mane Event.

Tens of thousands are expected for the three-day event.
Vendors galore. Lots of schmaltz.
Drizzling and in the 40s.
Feels just like the Equine Affaire! (except these Canadians sure are polite!)

I’m excited to see Mike Kevil and Martin Black in the Trainer’s Challenge with Kerry Kuhn.
I’m also intrigued by Michael Richardson. Richardson does most of his horsemanship from a wheelchair. He was a talented horseman in the English style before heading west to Montana to cowboy. On his way home from a roping event, he crashed his Jeep, crushed his spine, and nearly died. No kidding.
According to his website, his goal it to “make us aware of our own expressions and body language, the primary language that the horse knows and understands…to establish a line of communication and build a relationship with the horse and human by addressing the subtle changes in the horse expressions and body language.”
“Michael’s goal is to build a rapport with the horse and human rather than use aids for domination, control, manipulation, or submission. He shows us how we succeed through releasing, through observing, and enjoying the journey, rather than being preoccupied by the destination.”
Sounds good, eh? (Yes, I'm speaking Canadian already.)

A Buck-mania Alternative in Greg Eliel

The movie, Buck, has made the man a big deal.
His clinics, including the one at Piper Ridge Farm in Limerick later this year, have filled quickly and many hosts are taking the unusual step of limiting auditors, such is his popularity.

Given the craze, what’s the chance of getting personal, one-on-one attention?
This is not to say attending a Brannaman clinic wouldn’t be worthwhile. But for my money, I think I’d consider Greg Eliel.

Greg worked with Buck for several years before striking out on his own.
His website considers the efforts riders need to make before approaching their horses – self-awareness and an open mind, for starters.
Gena McGrath hosts him at Sprintpoint Farm in Durham, June 22 to 25. (See events page for more info.)
“Everyone here loves working with Greg,” said McGrath. “He cares about the horses and what they need and he is fantastic at helping their human students to learn and grow.”
According to fellow horseman, Randy Rieman, “Greg’s got a genuine interesting in helping people and understands the value of a practical education. He’s not ego-driven. I’ve known him to be courteous and easy-going.”

Full Horse Clinics as Economic Bellwethers?

This fall's Buck Brananman clinic at Piper Ridge Farm in Limerick, Maine, has been full for months.
Kim Stone has a full clinic this weekend at Triple J Farm in Bowdoin.
Chris Lombard has been filling clinics steadily, even in the winter.
Can we call this an indication of economic turnaround combined with good talent in high demand?
Just one look at the Events Calendar gives an indication of how busy we’ve become. A few barn owners have different takes on the horse and rider economic scene and attitude:
Says Jan Smith Marconi at Triple J:
“There was a very early and enthusiastic response to the clinic dates. I see this as a very positive move for the horses. It appears that many more people are truly taking the time to learn more about their horses and themselves.
“People tell me that showing has become very expensive and political, that they'd rather spend their money and time learning and having fun. I'm not so sure that people have more money, just spending their time and money more wisely.”
Deb Cayer of Memory Lane Vacations and Ellis River Riders told me: “I’ve actually been to two versatility clinics already and they were full.”
Ellis River Riders will host three clinics and all are expected to fill quickly.
“These clinics have all been very affordable which has helped a lot…As I see it, people are out there wanting to learn and looking for good, one-day events that they can truck in for the day.”
Frannie Burridge has hosted clinics for decades at her farm in Limerick.

The economy might be improving, said Burridge: "But I believe the biggest factor is the clinicians' ability to market themselves. Twenty years ago, people came from as far away as Canada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Then the clinicians starting having more clinics in a geographical area, which mainly kept people from having to travel, but the clinics got smaller and smaller, This process is very hard to reverse, once it is set in motion. The only one I sponsor that has never let this happen is Buck Brannaman. Buck is an extremely good businessman in addition to being a good horseman and clinician...I do believe that good marketing, good teaching, backed up by being a good hand with a horse, is what it is all about."

Polite and Privileged Grazers

This weekend I got the lawn mowed and put my horses on grass for the first time since the fall. It just so happened to be the same activity for both feats.
Using the herd instinct to my advantage, I turned one out on the nearby lawn and left the others to ogle from the paddock. (They looked a bit tweaked, I must say.)
Comet, pictured here, happily grazed for an hour, always in sight of her herd mates.

Was this for her own herd security or to rub it in?

How does one quantify equine taunting and/or glaring?

She was keen on staying close and easy to catch after her snacking stint. One at a time, Brooke and Shea took their turns and always stayed close and within sight of the others.

Alas, Peppermint was not so lucky. I had to explain to her that because of her criminal record and history of prior offenses, there was NO WAY she could be trusted to stick to the lawn. Heck, Pep will go where the grass is always BROWNER, just for the fun of it. She is the pony (like most ponies) who does not toe the line when it comes to instinctive herd behavior.
She got some time on grass, too, just with shackles, er, a line attached and her parole officer on the other end.

Dating Our Articles Makes It Easier

NickerNews readers may not realize it, but a fair amount of technology and planning has gone into our site. Over the years, we've tried hard to keep up-to-date with social media, sharing, and all that stuff.

But despite our best intentions, readers still sometimes struggle to find an article they initially saw last month or last year.

No More!

Beginning this week, ALL NickerNews articles have a date stamp.

Interested in our first articles? Just CLICK HERE and scroll to the bottom.

And did you know we have a CrackerJack search engine? It's at the top of the home page and every page. Enter a key word, a favorite guest columnist, or a subject.
Please let us know how we're doing! Just CLICK HERE to contact us.

Not a Horse Pro, But Not a Newbie

It’d be easy to come home from the Horsemen’s Re-Union completely humbled and downtrodden. After watching nothing short of amazing stuff all week, I was thinking: I know nothing. I’m a lousy rider. Even if I win the lottery, quit my job, and devote my life to horsemanship, I'll never learn all I need to learn.

That might be true in part. But I’m choosing rose-tinted glasses this time around.

I returned from California and saddled up for a brisk ride in the mud and under grey skies. I was my usual disheveled self, mismatched clothes and Jed Clampett hat. This time, though, I dressed with pride, knowing that Ron Wall, in my mind the event’s most impressive trainer, was my equal when it came to appearance.
[Fellow Australian Ken May told me Wall's scruffy hat has been with him since childhood. "I think his mother gave it to him," laughed Ken. Wall wears his boots like a gangsta-wannabe, loose-laced, Timberland-type things with pants neither fully in or out of them.]

Peppermint and I moved through the fields, crossed ditches, and streams, and finally moved out on drier ground. It wasn’t pretty, but I stayed on and had fun. Pep seemed to relish the afternoon as much as I did, responding to my every request quickly and willingly.

Could I be lighter with my cues than I was on the last ride?
Could we open and close gates more smoothly today?

I think so.

I recalled a visit from a friend two weeks back. He’d never ridden but wanted to try. We put him up on Shea, the gentle giant. He gripped the horn and smiled nervously. He listened attentively to the new foreign language of horsespeak:

Try not to grab the reins or pull on her mouth.
If you feel you need to stop, just pull one rein to get control of her head and turn her.
If you get going too fast, Do Not clamp down with your legs, that means Go Faster to her, etc. etc.

After 30 minutes, he dismounted, a little thrilled and a little overwhelmed. Just like I was at the Re-Union.
For him, it was the first of what we hope will be many rides as he discovers what most of us already know:
We’re lucky to be forever learning, forever privileged with the partnership that is riding and horsemanship.

Cut Healing Trial

One of my horses managed to cut herself in two nearly identical spots, one on each hind leg. The superficial wounds took off the hair and skimmed off a layer of skin. The exposed area is one half inch by two inches. There is no bleeding.

It's too bad, but serendipitous. I figured I'd make the most of it and experiment with treatment.

Call it Old School versus New School.

I put Cut Heal (fish oil, linseed oil, turpentine, and balsam fir) on one boo-boo.
The other got Neosporin, which has a bunch of chemicals too long to name in this blog post.

I'm kind of wishing I had a third leg on which to apply NOTHING.
But, no, I'm not into harming any animal for the sake of science!

My only observation so far is that it was a lot easier to apply the Cut Heal (with that cute little fabric ball soaked with the liquid and attached by a stiff wire to the bottle cap). I applied the Neosporin by dabbing some on my finger and smearing it. Both methods only took a second, but she seemed more bothered by the Neosporin. (Or, my ointment-y finger versus the fuzzy oil ball.)

UPDATE: Less than a week later, both legs look good. But Cut Heal looks best. The Neosporin ointment seemed to attract dirt to the hair surrounding the cut. In future, I'm using Cut Heal -- cheaper, cleaner, and I'm a sucker for old school remedies.

EBH debuts at the Horsemen's Re-Union

There’s jumping in the deep end. And then there’s jumping in the deep end with sharks.

That’s what Dr. Steve Peters did this week at the Horsemen’s Re-Union in Paso Robles, California.
Peters, a neuro-psychologist, made his formal debut in the horsemanship world by presenting a short lecture to a few dozen of the best horseman in the world (along with us Regular Joes).

At a packed trade show hall, Peters explained some of the science behind the book, Evidence-Based Horsemanship, which he co-authored with Martin Black.
The horsemen, including Chris Cox, Craig Cameron, Bryan Neubert, and Joe Wolter, listened attentively to the hour lecture and many stayed afterwards to ask Peters specific questions on horse brain function.

“It’s pure genius on the part of Martin Black and Dr. Steve Peters to put together this book. It really opens up a whole new can of worms,” said Larry Mahan, one of the most successful rodeo competitors in history and an emcee at this event.

Steve Harris, a trade show vendor added: “The extraordinary thing was not necessarily the reception for Dr. Peters, but who was there. The best horsemen in the world had questions for Dr. Peters.”

Western Horseman magazine reporters video-taped an interview with Peters immediately after the question and answer session.

The Debut of the Horsemen's Reunion

Too often the horse world is made up of pockets of expertise, isolated from each other by nature, purpose, and ego.
But to the thrill of attendees of the Horsemen’s Re-Union, those pockets have been knit together and individual mandates have been set aside.
Some of the world’s best horsemen are here.
In the same room.
In the same round pen!
They sit beside each other, signing autographs round-table fashion. They work together, starting groups of horses with team work and like minds.
There is a no bull sh*t but friendly atmosphere here. From a spectator's perspective, it seems a bit like an alumni football game at a high school reunion. Except in this case, the alums are still at the top of their game. Craig Cameron is 63 and fit as a fiddle, for instance. If anything, the vets have a bigger tool box of experience from which to solve problems with these colts.
The knowledgeable announcers and color commentators are doing a great job of fielding questions from the audience and ribbing the pros when they lose their hat or take a spill.
There might be a little good-natured disconnect between the locals and out-of-towners -- the Canadians, Australians, and one horseman from Switzerland. But beyond the accents and differing techniques, they nonetheless find plenty of common ground.
For a moment, anyway, these men seem to have set aside their own agendas for the greater good of a successful event and the promising starts of 40 young horses.
We watched Bryan Neubert, Joe Wolter, and Ty Van Norman collaborate on the starting of several colts. They worked quietly and cohesively and we watched for two hours as the group progressed and moved from one exercise to another.
Stay tuned for more!

Horses Getting Bumped Down the Log

Herd dynamics fascinate me. So why did it take me so long so realize I was part of it?

It dawned on me one bleary morning as I trudged out to feed breakfast hay in my bathrobe and Carhartt sweatshirt. (As if you needed further confirmation that I am a bit hick.)

I witnessed the top-down, trickle-down dynamics as the horses shuffled for position in the new order. I moved Brooke. Brooke moved Shea. Shea moved Pep. Pep moved Comet. It was a fluid pecking order. Everyone knew her position and I was at the top.

Over the next few days, I paid more attention to their movements when I arrived. They didn’t need to move the next horse down the line. They seemed to do it simply to assert their new position, after I’d inserted myself at the top.

Speaking of Herd Movement:

Ever watch a really good tennis player against a lesser player? The good player barely moves as he hits his shots. The lesser player chases those shots all around the court and uses tons of energy.

That’s what higher ranked horses do, too. They can move others without lifting a hoof. All it takes is a pursing of the lips, pinning of the ears, or swish of the tail.

NH Boy gives Mustangs a voice

Today, Declan Gregg, a nine-year old boy from Greenland, New Hampshire is meeting President Obama. He will give him Denise Brown’s book, Wind, Wild Horse Rescue and urge him to consider today’s Million Horse March and the Slaughter House Prevention Act of 2012.
It’s part of an on-going effort to keep horses out of the slaughter stream. At the moment, unwanted mustangs and domestic horses alike get loaded on trailers bound for the slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico.
Concerned horse lovers are tackling this sad scenario in a number of ways:

Some advocate for humane transport.

Some want to make sure facilities don’t resume horse slaughter in the U.S.

Some work to keep as many mustangs on the range and out Bureau of Land Management hands altogether.

Wind, Wild Horse Rescue is a children’s story about the plight and rescue of a mustang. The New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is using it as a teaching tool.

"Declan’s a great kid," said Brown, the author. "The future of wild horses is in the children's hands today."

Advocates Lose a Weapon

In Iowa, there are 19 million hogs and 54 million chickens kept inside buildings, more than any other state in the country. Folks trying to ensure their good treatment lost an important tool last month when the state made it illegal to secretly record video of animal abuse.

Farmers say there are plenty of safe guards for welfare of their animals.

Advocates don’t think so.

"Iowans deserve to know where their food is coming from. They deserve to know how the animals they're consuming have been treated. They deserve to have the farms held accountable for the conditions in these facilities," said Suzanne McMillan, spokeswoman for the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
It’s no surprise that Governor Terry Branstad signed the law. He has strong ties to the agricultural industry. Agri-lobbyists say those legitimately employed can report abuse at these facilities. Uh-huh.

You gotta think: If these farmers are so humane to their animals, what do they have to hide? Other states are already introducing similar legislative bills.

Ok, so these aren't horses we're talking about.
But it surely could be.

I suppose that's the silver-lining with horse abusers: they usually commit their crimes in open air.