Laura Thompson's Blog
Posted by Laura Thompson
A Suite101 reader asks:
"Laura, I was wondering if you could help me with my horse. He is always rushing fences and I can't seem to get him to slow down and wait for my cues. He never refuses anything but he seems to think he needs to run at every fence just to get over it. Help?"
Rushing fences is a common problem in hunters, jumpers and three-day eventing. The problem is usually one of three issues:
- The horse is excited when he sees fences and speeds up to get to it faster. Some horses love their jobs and get a little over exuberant.
- If your horse is under-muscled, he might be rushing fences because he is afraid he won't be able to get over them otherwise. This problem is solved with endurance work and strength exercises.
- Some horses turn to rushing fences because they are in pain (usually legs or back), and if they jump longer, faster and flatter, they don't have to arch as much over the fence. This problem requires a veterinary consult.
- Rider interference is the last reason why horses rush fences. You might be unintentionally "goosing" him before the fence, which he takes as a cue to speed up.
Honestly, in most cases, a horse rushing fences is responding to something the rider has done. That is my experience, and it tends to be true with all training-related problems. One of the ways to test this theory is to have a trainer or riding instructor ride your horse and see if he is still rushing fences.
Make sure that, on the approach, you are as calm and unintrusive in the saddle as possible. Concentrate on keeping your center still -- if necessary, try hopping up in your two-point so you can't "goose" him forward.
Additionally, work on developing your horse's top line and abdominal muscles so he has sufficient strength to jump nice and round. Rushing fences is often the result of lack of muscle, and your horse doesn't realize that speed doesn't compensate for energy and strength.
Posted by Laura Thompson
Normally I use this blog to answer questions from readers and to provide links to articles I've written as well as to other sources online. However, I occasionally feel the need to rant about something and this seems like the perfect spot.
Lately I've received a number of questions from Suite 101 readers about training their own horses. Some of these questions address the very basic fundamentals of horse training and give me pause because, if a would-be horse trainer does not understand the basics, how can he or she expect to communicate the appropriate behavior to his or her horse?
Horse training is a sensitive, time-consuming project that can be both frustrating and disheartening for the most experienced of trainers. A beginner, on the other hand, might find himself a candidate for the loony bin after a couple of weeks. That is, unless he solicits the assistance of an experienced horse trainer.
If you are relatively new to the equestrian sport, or if you have never trained a horse before, I urge you to do one of the following:
1. Hire a horse trainer to assist you with the process. This is a great learning experience and will still allow you hands-on bonding time with your horse. It just ensures the training process is done right the first time.
2. Buy an experienced horse. It is much easier to purchase a veteran horse (a "schoolmaster") than to train a baby yourself. Although an experienced older horse might cost more, you will save thousands on training and headaches in the future.
I do not say this to discourage horse lovers from pursuing their passion. I say it as both a warning and a plea because I hate to see depressed or injured horse owners licking their wounds in a corner. And believe it, if you don't know what you're doing you will be either depressed or injured – and probably both.
Posted by Laura Thompson
A Suite101 reader asks:
"Hi Laura. I just purchased a Thoroughbred as a jumper prospect and I've noticed he has these dotted lines up and down his front legs. They don't hurt him but I don't think he was born with them. Do you know what they could be?"
Without a picture I can only offer conjecture, but I'm guessing the dots you are seeing are the result of a procedure called pin firing. It has been used on race horses for decades but is now considered mostly obsolete because better techniques have been devised.
Pin firing is a therapeutic treatment used to help horses recover more quickly (and more thoroughly) from certain leg injuries, such as bowed tendons. It involves sticking red-hot metal pins into the horse's tissues, which causes cauterization of the area. It is usually done under mild sedation and is considered safe by the AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners).
Although the pin firing itself should not cause you to worry with regard to your new horse, I'm surprised his medical history was not divulged prior to purchase. If he has suffered an injury in the past that required pin firing, you should have been made aware of it.
My advice is to ask a veterinarian to confirm the pin firing history when he next comes to your barn for injections or other treatments. I would also contact the previous owner to request a detailed medical history and to learn the circumstances surrounding his prior injury.
Good luck!
Got a question? If you have a horse question you'd like Laura Thompson to answer, e-mail her at horses@suite101.com and she'll answer in an upcoming blog post.
Posted by Laura Thompson
I don't know about you, but I worked my way through every horse movie I could find growing up. In fact, my heart still skips a beat when I see a new movie on television or in the theaters that focuses on horses, even from a peripheral perspective.
What are your favorite horse movies? Here are some of mine:
1. Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
Gabrielle Anwar stars as Sonora Webster in this 1991 horse movie about the woman with the high-diving horse. She proves that neither poverty nor blindness can deter her from reaching her goals, and although it is based on a true story, the movie is highly fictionalized.
2. Dark Horse
One of the best horse movies of the nineties, Dark Horse stars Ed Begley, Jr., and Ari Meyers as father and daughter. Allison Mills gets into trouble with boys and alcohol, and as a result is sentenced to provide community service at a horse ranch. She falls in love with one of the horses and learns about love when disaster strikes.
3. My Friend Flicka
My favorite horse movies are those that were filmed before 1070. My Friend Flicka (and its sequel, Thunderhead: Son of Flicka) tells the story of Ken McLaughlin (Roddy McDowell) and his supposedly untrainable horse, a mare named Flicka. This 1953 classic was remade in 2006 with a female main character instead of a boy.
4. National Velvet
Velvet Brown (Elizabeth Taylor) steals the hearts of everyone who watches this 1941 horse movie about a young girl who wants to take the horse she won in a raffle to the Grand National race. With the help of a traveling trainer, Mi Taylor (Mickey Rooney).
5. The Man From Snowy River
A beautiful setting in the mountains of Australia combined with a breathtaking score and gorgeous horses almost eliminate the need for actors in this 1982 horse movie. However, Kirk Douglas and Tom Burlinson do an amazing job.
Other favorite horse movies:
- The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit
- The Black Stallion
- Black Beauty
- Primo Baby
- Lightening, the White Stallion
- Phar-Lap
What are some of your favorite horse movies?
Posted by Laura Thompson
Today, when you go out to the barn to ride your horse, I urge you to forget about the looming competition or the flying changes you're trying to master. Just go out and be with your horse.
Most of us start riding horses because we love the animals. We enjoy the freedom of riding, the sense of balance and control it brings, and we exalt in the natural rhythms of our horses' gaits.
Then we start learning more about riding and perhaps develop an interest in competition. We become obsessed with improving our skills and reaching the next goals on our to-do lists. We forget why we started riding in the first place.
Every once in a while, it's a good idea to just enjoy your horse. Take him for a long trail ride through the woods, spend an hour grooming him in his stall, or hand-graze him in the yard while you read a book or chat with friends. Just be with your horse.
Not only is this beneficial for the rider, but for the horse as well.
Some people mistakenly believe that animals -- horses included -- are devoid of emotions, and therefore incapable of bonding with humans or other animals. These people would have you believe that human beings maintain an exclusive patent on love, joy, loneliness, grief and everything in between.
I disagree.
i have worked with horses all my life and to say that a horse cannot feel emotion seems ignorant beyond forgiveness. Horses desire human companionship just as we desire their presence in our lives, and I encourage you to rekindle that bond with your horse today.
Competition is great and so is the desire to be a better rider. But at some point, you have to go back to the foundation of your relationship with horses. It will rejuvenate you more than you realize and might even provide opportunities for breakthroughs that will eventually improve your performance. Who knows?
