Inside Out

There are a handful of inspiring quotes that circulate around the horse community, on bumper stickers, t-shirts, and Facebook posts. Surely you’ve heard many of them. How about, “The wind of Heaven is that which blows through a horse’s ears.” Or, “God forbid that I should go to any Heaven in which there are no horses.” Or my personal favorite, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” This quote is often credited to Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, and Will Rogers. I don’t care who said it because I’ve always believed that the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man, a woman, and especially a child!

As a lifelong sufferer of “equine insanity” I’ve been horse crazy for as long as I can remember. I can share story after story of the benefits of human/horse interactions. But my experiences really have no scientific evidence to prove the benefits of these interactions. However, there have been studies conducted supporting the claim that the outsides of horses are good for the insides of people.

A study conducted by Washington State University looked at the effects of Equine Facilitated Learning on stress levels. This study was conducted with students in grades 5-8 who participated in weekly riding lessons for 12 weeks. Working with horses may cause more stress than usual. Imagine standing in front of a 1,200 pound animal that has the potential to seriously injure you. This study was conducted to see if working with horses could lower stress levels throughout the day for theses children. It was found that after working with horses 12 weeks, stress levels were lower throughout the day.

Another study conducted by the University of Illinois looked at the benefits of Autistic children working with horses. Over time subjects showed an increase in self-awareness and volition. This study showed that an increase in these traits may be an underrecognized benefit of working with horses. Finally, a study conducted by the University of North Texas looked at the benefits of at-risk children and adolescents working with horses. After working with the horses, these at risk individuals had an increase in positive behaviors and a decrease in negative behaviors.

As you can see, horses, like dogs, cats, and other therapy animals, can have a huge impact on people. I know it’s true and if you’re a horse person you know it’s true. But now there are more and more studies proving the claim that horses are good for people. Please join me by adding a bumper sticker, t-shirt, or Facebook post to remind the world that there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of everyone!

Photo courtesy of PATH International

For more information on Equine Assisted Therapy check out these websites:

www.discovernac.org

www.pathintl.org

 

Calling In Sick

Just a few weeks ago I was on my way home for the weekend. After a tough few weeks of classes, all I wanted to do was go and ride my horse. After making the two hour drive and working my horse, I noticed a lump on his chest. I called my mom and veterinarian in a panic! Turns out, my boy Vinney contracted what is called Pigeon Fever.

With winter coming, and Pigeon Fever season coming to an end, I thought I’d give you some facts about this infection.

Pigeon Fever is a bacterial infection that is most common in warm climates. There are 3 different forms of this infection.

An external abscess on the chest.

1. An external abscess develops just under the skin. Picture a large pouch full of infection, that’s an abscess. These can appear anywhere, but with Pigeon Fever they commonly appear on the chest, giving the horse the appearance of a Pigeon.
2. An abscess can also develop when bacteria are carried through the body. These abscesses can develop in the liver, kidney, or lungs. This version is harder to treat, as horses with this strain don’t show signs like horses with external abscesses.
3. The final type of Pigeon Fever settles in the legs. This strain causes swelling and ulcerations in the lower portion of the legs. This strain can also cause lameness, lethargy, and loss of appetite

The main carrier of Pigeon Fever is a fly. Insect bites are the number one way to transfer the disease from animal to animal, but not the only way. Contact between horses can also transfer the infection, as well as contact with infected soil. The bacteria that causes Pigeon Fever can live in the soil for up to 8 months, so it is important to block off that area to reduce the spread of infection.

Vinney showing a lanced abscess. 

Most horses develop the most common type of Pigeon Fever, resulting in an external abscess that ruptures on its’ own. However, it is important to have your veterinarian to not only help determine the type of infection, but to help speed up the process of draining the abscess. The preferred process of drainage is to lance the skin and drain the abscess into a bag, to avoid the spread of the bacteria in the soil.

When I first heard the diagnosis from the vet, I was terrified! Pigeon Fever is quite a hassle, but not an impossible infection to rid your horse of. With proper veterinary intervention, wound management, and fly prevention, the infection will go away. After a few more weeks of cleaning and draining an abscess, Vinney is back to working and wishing he was still sick so he could just eat!

Why Horses?

In my 14 years of working with horses, I am always asked one question, why horses? I always came up with some pretty lame excuse like, “just because” or “my older sister rides, so I should ride too.” I never really understood the true benefits of working with horses until now. When I was younger I participated in a lot of other activities like dance, softball, basketball, and soccer. There was even a point that I wanted nothing to do with horses, and my mom almost sold my beloved pony Sassy. It’s a good thing she didn’t, because I wouldn’t have been able to receive all of the amazing benefits in the years to come.

Sassy and I at the 2008 Utah State 4-H Horse Show after Showmanship at Halter. 

 

 

Horses offer a lot of health benefits. Believe it or not, riding a horse is one of the best exercises you can do. Horseback riding uses specific muscle groups to stay in one position, mainly the core muscles. Alongside the abdominal muscles, the legs are vital in horseback riding. All of these muscles work together to help maintain proper posture while on the horse. This also takes incredible coordination, you are constantly having to adjust your position to guide the horse at all of the different gaits. 

Horses help teach body awareness while developing strong muscles and coordination.

Not only do horses offer health benefits, they help people develop incredible character. There are a host of traits that people can develop by working with horses. Horses help teach responsibility. Not only are you taking care of yourself, you are in charge of looking after a large animal that has needs similar to your own. Horses can also teach patience. There is a massive communication barrier between horses and humans. It can be frustrating to work with an animal that simply doesn’t understand. But getting after the horse gets you nowhere, instead you must remain patient and work through the issue with the horse. Another important trait is self awareness. The horse can’t be told to say yes when it knows it should say no. Horses mirror our actions, and simply respond to what their rider does. Working with horses offers an insight on how our own actions affect others. This self awareness can improve people’s daily lives immensely.

There is no doubt in my mind that horses have shaped who I am today. Without horses I would be a completely different person. I asked my mom why she continued to let me work with horses. One reason was to keep me from getting a distracting boyfriend, good move mom, who has the time when you have horses? But the main reason horses have stayed in my life for this long is to make me a better person. I am more compassionate, responsible, accountable, and patient (depending on the ride). I know that horses shaped me, and are continuing to shape lives everywhere. 

If you are interested in working with horses, contact your local horse council for more information on how you can get involved with these awesome animals.

 

Some Useful Websites:
American Horse Council: www.horsecouncil.org
Utah Horse Council: www.utahhorsecouncil.com

 

The Perfect Fit: 4 “Shoes” You Should Check Out

Horses are like shoes, there is a color and style for everyone. In this post I am giving a quick summary of four major horse breed associations.

American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA):

Located in Amarillo, Texas, the AQHA is the largest equine registry in the world. In 1940 a group of ranchers got together with one goal in mind, to preserve the short, stocky, good-minded horse that those ranchers preferred. The mission of the AQHA is to preserve the quarter horse line as well as showcase the uses of the modern quarter horse. AQHA is divided into multiple sections: ranching, racing, riding, and showing. All of these sections have different events for members, but promote the versatility of the American Quarter Horse. Whether you like to ride slow in the western pleasure pen, or go from 0 to 40 in a few seconds, AQHA has something to offer.

American Paint Horse Association (APHA):

We can credit the creation of the American Paint Horse Association to Rebecca Tyler Lockhart. She always loved the look of the Quarter Horse, but they weren’t flashy enough. The first American Paint Horse was registered in 1962. Like AQHA, APHA offers different programs from recreational riding to showing. The mission of APHA is to promote meaningful experiences and preserving the American Paint Horse.

The Jockey Club

The Jockey Club is the breed registry association for Thoroughbreds. Founded in 1894, The Jockey Club was created to promote Thoroughbred horse racing. The association is dedicated to improving the breed as well as create a favorable opinion of horse racing in general. Another main mission of the association is to keep record. The Jockey Club is a founding member of the International Stud Book Committee. This committee is in charge of over 60 stud books and maintaining individual rules for each book. The association is also a leader in critical areas of the industry and improving them. These areas range anywhere from medicine to life after racing.

Arabian Horse Association (AHA):

The Arabian Horse Association is a merged group of American and International Arabian Horse Associations. This association was made to have a focus point for Arabian owners favorite recreational and competitive activities. The main goal of this association is to promote the values of Arabians. The Arabian Horse Association has plenty of events all across the country year-round. They also offer over 500 competitions throughout the year, offering 23 different contests to compete in from halter classes to traditional costume classes.

If you want to learn more, visit these association websites for more information!

AQHA: www.aqha.com

APHA: www.apha.com

The Jockey Club: www.jockeyclub.com

AHA: www.arabianhorses.org

 

The Horse: A Brief Crash Course

History

When we look at horses today some of us would never guess that horses were once much smaller. The modern horse is descended from a small dog-like animal called Hyracotherium (Also known as Eohippus)

Eohippus photo, courtesy of Beverly Davis.

. Over time these horses evolved into the modern horse we see today, but not before going through some major evolutionary changes. Ancient horses had not one toe, but 4 toes. These toes evolved into splint bones on the modern horse. Horses also evolved from being around 2 feet tall to 5 feet tall.
Characteristics

During their evolution, they also developed some unique characteristics and behaviors that shaped them into our modern society. Horses are herbivores with special diet requirements. Unlike cattle, horses have a simple stomach like a human. The digestive tract of the horse is almost 100 feet long, but the organs hold small amounts of food. Because of this, horses do well with eating small amounts throughout the day.

Behavior

On the predator and prey scale, horses definitely fall under the prey category. Horses are hard programmed with a flight response when faced with a threat. They also band together in groups, which is a characteristic common in prey animals. This trait has evolved over many years, and horses can have trouble being separated from their groups even today. Despite their large size, horses can still travel quickly. Their skeleton has evolved to enhance their running ability. The shoulder is not anchored in a socket, which allows for greater mobility.

Vision

A grazing horse can see almost all the way around its body because of the placement of the eyes on the side of the head. The horse has three different “types” of vision.

The field of vision for a horse

Binocular Vision: vision using two eyes with overlapping fields of view, allowing good perception of depth.

Monocular Vision: vision in which both eyes are used separately.

Marginal Sight: this is the area that is right along the border of the horses blind spot.

Uses

Horses were traditionally used for many purposes. People have used horses for warfare, farming practice, food, transportation, and pleasure. Horses back in the day served a different purpose than the modern day horse. There are still people that use horses for food or work purposes. With the industrial revolution, the horse made a shift from work animal, to pleasure animal. Today horses are competing in lots of different events from cow cutting to racing. Many of these events have roots back to the early days of the domesticated horse. The next time you see someone with a horse, don’t be afraid to go up and ask them about the history of that animal, you might find something you don’t know.