CARD - Therapeutic Riding Programs

Wonderful organization that runs a therapeutic riding program
http://www.card.ca
I was recently told about a great organization that runs a therapeutic riding program. They do such great work.
I felt it better to use their own words to describe what they do so the below information describes what they do.
I thought in my small way I'd pass it on in hopes that they can gain some more support

Their contact information:

Phone: 416-667-8600

Postal address:
4777 Dufferin Street,
North York, Ontario, Canada
M3H 5T3

"The Community Association for Riding for the Disabled is dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults with disabilities through quality therapeutic riding programs. For almost 40 years, CARD’s therapeutic riding programs have had a direct and positive impact on the lives of thousands of children and adults with disabilities. Founded in 1969, CARD (the Community Association for Riding for the Disabled) was the first therapeutic riding centre in Canada. Today, CARD works with specially trained physiotherapists, equine experts, 19 therapy horses and more than 350 volunteers to help more than 500 children and adults with disabilities a year gain greater physical, cognitive, psychological and social skills. CARD is 100% self-funded through public grants, private donation and fundraising events"

Check out their website and consider supporting them with either a little time or money.

Youtube horse videos I like

I think these videos are cool.

Youtube videos I like
I think these videos are cool. Love Wilbur the donkey/pony baby that was the "Little surprise that arrived" at Epona Horse Rescue when they rescued his mom a little black pony. For those pro-slaughter people out there if you can actually look at this little guy with so much life and such "Hoospa" and still think that he isn't worth saving then you should check yourself in to the nearest hospital because obviously your heart has stopped working!

Wilburhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u8DL_B0pW8


Amazing rescued horse that simple is "amazing"

Animal Miracles - Shagra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMj2K2-K8wo&feature=related

And the following videos are by a trainer that kind of reminds me of Crocodile Dundee and I don't know who but he is something special to see on a horse.

Starting a 4 year old Noriker (draft horse) Stallion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrPlgTjEoKY&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Black Horse - Wild Spirit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM0ATvwUzDU&NR=1

Horsetraining
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3B-wA7ff4w&NR=1

Retraining of a horse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAiYLxul8wM#watch-main-area

Buckjumping Stallion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1voou8gUw3Q&feature=channel

Nice Thoroughbred Elli Ross has for adoption

Just thought I'd post a really nice 3 year old TB mare that Elli Ross rescued from OLEX on Tuesday night. She can be adopted for 500.00 and looks and sounds like she'd be worth every penny. Here's Elli's blog if anyone is interested in contacting her about adopting this beautiful horse
http://horsemenforhumanity.blogspot.com/

Older Mounted Police Horses being auctioned in Dallas, Texas

On the remote chance that someone from the Dallas Texas Area that is looking for a gentle first horse I'm posting that there are several retired Mounted Police Horses being auctioned in Texas right now and these horses would be of a temperment and training that would make them excellent first horses for someone. I would suggest if you buy one that you get someone who has riding experience to work with them a short time as some haven't been ridden in awhile but once horses are well trained like that it doesn't take much work to get them back to being gentle riding horses.


http://www.lonestaronline.com/listings/details/index.cfm?itemnum=931805591#TOP

http://www.lonestaronline.com/listings/details/index.cfm?itemnum=931805590#TOP

http://www.lonestaronline.com/listings/details/index.cfm?itemnum=931805589#TOP

http://www.lonestaronline.com/listings/details/index.cfm?itemnum=931805588#TOP

Art by Lucinda Knowlton

Art by Lucinda Knowlton

Why and artist is posting about horse care issues

It may seem odd seeing help for horse owner's and horse rider's on an art site but I'm hoping that if you benefit from the information you may buy one of my products as I plan to use the money I get from my artwork and related income to Rescue a horse from auction. http://www.zazzle.com/lucindaknowlton/gifts - even buying a postcard or a keychain would bring me that much closer to my first rescue or buy a print of my work on http://www.artistrising.com/galleries/Lucinda_Knowlton or donate to the rescue I volunteer at Horse Rescue Ontario (I volunteer for Horse Rescue Ontario or any of these other worthy horse rescues: s.a.d rescue in Alliston or CanningtonRescue and last but not least I'm sure that Ellie Ross who is an amazing and untiring rescuer straight from the jaws of the killbuyers could use some donations at http://horsemenforhumanity.blogspot.com/and New Horizons rescues and retrains mostly standardbreds from the racetrack and retrains them as riding horse to give them new lives www.newhorizonsequinecenter.com

What are the Vital Signs for Horses

What are the Vital Signs for Horses

Temperature:
Normal body temperature of a mature horse at rest is 99 to 101 degrees F.

Heart and Pulse Rate:
Normal mature horses - 28 to 40 beats per minute.
Newborn foals - 80 to 120.beats per minute
Weanlings - 60 to 80 beats per minute
Yearlings - 40 to 60 beats per minute

Determine Pulse Rate:
Horse should be calm, rested and relaxed to obtain an accurate heart rate.
Press your fingers against an artery. There are several locations where an artery can be felt.
1. back edge of lower jaw
2. inner surface of the groove under the jaw
3. inside the elbow, up and forward against the
chest wall.
4. under the tail, close to the body
5. the inside or outside pastern.

Dehydration:
Check skin pliability for dehydration. Pinch a fold of skin on the neck and release it. It should quickly return to its original position. If the horse is dehydrated, the skin returns slowly and tends to stay in a fold.

Mucous Membranes:
Gums, inside lips of a mare's vulva and nostrils should be pink. A fire engine red color usually denotes illness. Anemia causes a pale color. Lack of circulation causes a bluish-purple color.

Quantity and Condition of Circulating Blood:
Rate of capillary refill (the rate blood returns to an area) indicates the quantity and condition of the circulating blood. Capillary refill can suggest anemia, colic, congestion and shock. You can determine capillary refill time by pressing your thumb on the horse's gum and releasing it. It should take about two seconds for the blood and normal color to return to the area. Longer capillary refill times can be indicators of dehydration or a circulatory problem.

Catching Founder or Laminitis Early

Overweight, easy keeping horses and ponies as well as horses that have had laminitis in the past are susceptible to laminitis, which is also commonly known as founder. During times when the grass is richer and fructans are higher in the grass these horses should be kept away from grazing. Grass with high amounts of sugar are large contributors to founder.
Since the timeline of treating founder is very short before permanent damage can result I would suggest that you have a record of your horses blood pressure and heart rate as one of the earliest and most telling ways of identifying laminitis in it’s early stages is that the horse will have a sharp increase in blood pressure/and or heart rate. If you find it’s heart rate or blood pressure has gone up abruptly then immediately contact your vet.

Overcome Your Fear of Riding

Overcome Your Fear of Riding

At 5, I was a horse crazy kid. I rode my pony, Sandy, everywhere. I didn't own a saddle, so I rode bareback , staying on with the same comfort level as a monkey sitting on a branch, without fear of falling off my precious little haflinger. We wandered aimlessly, saving the world from demons and dragons. Stopping now and then, I lay dreaming, while he protected me from all the demons as he grazed. He was my best friend in the world. One day my father came up behind us without speaking and spooked Sandy by smacking him on his rear end. Sandy reared up in terror and as I was getting up from falling off his back I looked up. The last thing I remembered was seeing his back hoof coming directly at my face. I awoke in the hospital with a bad headache and a skull fracture. By the time I got out of the hospital, my parents had sold the “dangerous animal” that would surely kill me. I never saw my little blonde friend again.

Years passed and when the opportunity arose for me to ride again as an adult, so did a great deal of fear. My fear of horses had developed to the degree that most psychiatrists would consider it a phobia. I was petrified, scared for my life, by even seeing the sight of a horse! My mouth became bone dry, my heart pounding and I would break into a sweat the closer I came to a horse. Despite my phobia I had always been amazed and intrigued by the big beasts with their incredible beauty and grace. How did my love turn into this?

I did get back on a horse and rode years later, with a stubborn desire to heal from this phobia. Now I ride every chance I get. I’m too old now to play games of fighting demons and dragons on my horse but my intense love of them has returned to replace the fear. I managed to work through the terror that had grown in my head. I'd like to share some of what I found worked in learning to cope and eventually to ride again.

This was a slow process for me. I began by getting close enough to just see the horses but didn't touch them. Then as my comfort level increased I reached up to pet a horse named Romeo, a stallion. As stallions are known for their fiesty, agressive natures may seem quite surprising that this was the first horse I made contact with. I pet him more, fed him carrots and grass that I picked for him. Eventually, I moved on to grooming him. I cleaned the stables with the other horses near me as they were coming in and out with their riders and eventually developed the courage to attempt to ride again myself. These are what helped me increase my comfort level:

Slow and steady

1. Take lessons from a qualified instructor. Honestly explain your fears and concerns. If the instructor pushes you to go too far beyond your comfort level, find another riding school or at the very least make it very clear to your instructor that you are not ready to do what they are asking.

2. Take it slow.

3. Make sure that you are riding what experienced horse people refer to as a "confidence builder". This is a horse that doesn't bolt, fidget much, or prance around and is very, very quiet and possibly even too lazy to move fast.

4. Don't worry about appearing foolish. Focus on your own goals and be proud of your accomplishments.

5. Work on doing things the right and safe way. Feeling secure in the saddle will be the quickest and best way to overcome your fear. Make this clear to your instructor. Ask him or her about the three points of contact that makes your seat most secure. These are the pubic bone and your two seat bones and if these three are in contact with the saddle it gives you better balance and security. Get them to show you the most balanced way to hold your body in the saddle and the correct form.

6. Relax. If you tense up your body will be tense and you will lose your 3 points of contact. Try some breathing exercises where you breathe deeply through your diaphram.

7. For the first few lessons with the horse at a walk focus on your position NEVER let anyone bully you into anything you aren't ready for. When you are comfortable and not as nervous you can then take a leap of faith and trot a few steps. Go slow though - you'll get there.

8. When you're riding concentrate on the technical aspects of riding. eg. Are my feet in the stirrups in line with my ears? Is my posture correct? Are my reins held correctly in my hands? Are my arms holding the reins at the correct angle? Am I leaning too far forward or too far back? If you remember to breath and think of other things besides your fear it will go a long way to conquering that fear.


9. A good way to gain confidence is to have a friend use a lunge line with the horse going in circles so that you only have to focus on a few things at once.

10. Try closing your eyes for short periods while you ride and just feel the rythm of the horse and work on balancing from just the feel of its movements. This also develops more of a connection and trust between you and your horse.

11. Try some exercises to improve your balance such as holding your arms straight out to the side and bringing them back to touch your shoulders. Without raising yourself from the saddle reach back and try and touch the horses tail and then reach forward towards his ears. This alsoincreases your flexibility.

12. Spend time grooming your horse. Talk to it when you're riding or grooming because if you're talking to it you're focusing on what you're saying rather than on the fear you're feeling. Constantly talk to your horse whether you're on his back or working with him on the ground.

13. Become comfortable with your horse on the ground, leading it, grooming it and putting its tack on. These all help increase your confidence.

14. Research horse riding and handling. Books and videos are available at your local library about riding, grooming and handling horses as well as caring for them, first aid and training as well. Knowledge is another key element to reducing fear.

15. Most of all breathe and be patient with both yourself and the horse.

16. Take the time to study and watch riders that you admire for their skill and note how they hold their bodies and other elements that you think might improve your own skills.

17. Some good links on Youtube to watch for improving your riding seat are:



18. Some good links on Youtube for improving your riding seat are:

Excellent Link for getting a good seat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhr7h0TExAI&feature=related
How to improve you classical seat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sl6SeJEzOo

Good Thigh contact:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8qMg4Lh24Y&feature=related

Piano Hands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4euwFV75f0&feature=related

Ankle Position: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMUzBO03Emc&feature=related

Stop Pulling on your horses mouth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J4yjVQDvac&feature=related

Good Luck and have fun. I hope you grow to enjoy being with horses as much as I do!
Romeo the horse that helped me start my journey back from my phobia

Create Your own Equine Emergency and First-Aide kit

If an emergency occurs with your horse it's a good idea to have already set up your own emergency kit as you can find it easily and often in an emergency situation those few seconds you spend searching for the right supplies to help your horse really could make a difference. I suggest strongly that you have one made up for your barn as well as another for in your horse trailer if you plan to trailer your horse anywhere. In addition to what's on the list I would suggest you also try to keep ice or cooling blocks in your freezer at home ready at all times.

Suggested items for an Equine first aid/ emergency kit:

Triple antibiotic ointment - 1oz. (28.4 gm) tube. Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Bacitracin Zinc.
Sterile Saline - 12 oz. squeezer bottle' for wound or eye irrigation.
Epsom salt - 1 lb. (.45 kg) container for soaking hoof abscess/infections.
Povidone Iodine Solution - 4 ounce 'squeezer' bottle with 'flip-top' for cleaning wounds, skin infections, etc.
Artificial Tears (sterile) - 15ml. dropper bottle for eye application (screw cap for reuse).
Horse Liniment - A warm, soothing treatment for temporary muscular soreness caused by overexertion, minor injuries and/or arthritis.
Emergency Blanket
2 - clean, white, 100% cotton, hand towels.
2 - Polo Wraps
2 washable, full-size fluffy leg quilts for use with track bandages.
2 - 4" (10.2 cm.) rolls cohesive flexible bandages (4" x 5 or 6 yards(10.2 cm x 4.6 - 6 meter, self-adhesive, lightweight compression and breathable)
8 to 10 - absorbent, hospital-grade, gauze pads.
5 or six - large, non-stick, sterile, highly absorbent and hospital-grade, Telfa-type pads.
3 pair vinyl gloves ('fits all').
Scissors
Tweezers (stainless Steel)
Hoof pick with rubber coated handle
Stethoscope
Thermometer - heavy duty Veterinarian-quality
Some type of ice Gel for cooling off swelling areas
Tourniquet for Emergency Bleeding Control ONLY.
Jointed pliers/heavy wire cutter all in one (or one of each).
Flashlight with fresh batteries installed.
10 – 20 feet (3.5 – 5 meters) Rope. (A type of rope that is strong but supple and will not unravel or be abrasive on the horses skin if you need to make an emergency halter with it.)
Duck tape roll. (Good for repairing equipment or protecting bandage over hoofs but do not allow it to come in contact with horse skin as it would be extremely painful to remove)
Quick link-type snap-hook for use with the utility rope.
'Wet Ones' travel pack
Note Pad.
Pen and/or pencil.
'Horse First Aid and emergency Reference Guides(Reference/Instruction sheets on: Horse first and Dealing with Equine Emergencies)