Buckaroo Texan Blog

Attending a horsemanship clinic in October in Texas is like attending a clinic in March.  You have to be prepared for any kind of weather.  This past weekend was an example, in the other extreme of the roping clinic I did a few weeks ago.

This clinic started with warm windy weather as we arrived and settled in for the night.  I feed my horses and gave them Essentials in their feed.  As usual before a outing, I had fed these two horses essentials for several days to enhance their immune system and to be sure the stomach had plenty of probiotics for easier digestion under stress. 

Friday morning we woke up to lots of wind and very warm temperatures, climbing well into the 90’s by afternoon.  I gave the horses essentials and XanGo juice in their feed.  I also added a bit of magnesium supplement and Eleviv.    These products work to reduce inflammation, and support natural vigor and balance. We got thru the day with the horses feeling great.  My more nervous horse, Rojo, who has had metabolic issues in the past, got thru the day with his body well supported nutritionally to keep his nerves, muscles and all systems in good working order.    He was able to stay focused and handle the situations well.  

 Friday night a norther with rain moved in, howling rain, thunder, lots of lightning and a 40 degree temperature drop made for a miserable morning for the horses.  Saturday morning found the horses wet and shivering.  I gave them hay to warm them up and waited for the rain to let up to feed them grain and supplements.    The workouts later in the day proved good for both horses.  They warmed up, dried off, ate well and enjoyed their lessons.  Rojo has a harder time staying with me in these conditions, but came thru.  Knowing his past, I was very glad to have paid close attention to his nutritional needs before this event. 

(Photo by Carol Akers)Sunday was very cool with misty rain and light showers. Rain gear was in order.  The ground was not as slick as Saturday so we rode out in the pasture.  It was a  misty October day that was refreshing to man and beast alike after the brutal heat of the summer.   I loaded the horses a couple hours before leaving to let them dry off in the trailer before heading home.  The weather was closing in with more rain, so I wanted the horses to be mostly dry in the stock type trailer I have for the 4 hour trip home.  The horses had a few carrots when I stopped for fuel.   They were glad to be home and have hay and their grain when we arrived home mid evening.    Just paying attention to a few small details for the horses and myself probably prevented colic or colds for any of us.

A group of us Buckaroos planned a Ranch Roping clinic for the end of September, thinking the weather would be cooler.   We have had some almost fall days here in drought stricken Texas and we were expecting a nice cool weekend of weather in the high 80’s or low 90’s.   At my ranch I had had quite a few mornings in the 50’s and even in the 40’s so the horses were actually starting to fuzz up just a bit.

I took precautions in case the temperatures got hotter than expected.  I gave my horse XanGo juice in his feed the night before and also put some in water bottles for us both to sip on during the two day clinic.   Four days before the clinic I gave my horse a pack of essentials everyday, instead of every couple of days, to build up his system with the probiotics and algae.     I also  took carrots, oranges and apples for us to snack on.

Saturday of the clinic, the temperature soared to 99.  I kept a bucket of water in the shade to offer to my horse every time we were between working cattle or taking a break.  He also got a carrot every time I offered him water.  He also got several slices of an orange a couple times in the afternoon and I ate some too.

Sunday, the temperature reached 105 by the time we were done. I think my horse drank close to 15 gals just during the day and I had at least 8 20 oz bottles of water.!   We both had a pack of Essentials to start  the day.  I mixed XanGo juice in his morning feed, and gave him a small amount of hay .  We both had water, oranges, apples and carrots during the day.  I kept my bandana wet with ice cubes rolled up inside during the afternoon.  It was so hot, the water in the bandana did not drip much, just evaporated.   My horse trailered home just fine.  I knew he was very well hydrated before leaving the clinic site for the ride home and he got his evening meal after dark. The  temperature already had dropped into the 80’s.  My horse and I had a very enjoyable clinic and stayed comfortable.    Really paying attention to our mental,  physical and biological well being sure pays off with bouncy health that snaps back easy after stressful events!

Guest Post by Dr. Madalyn Ward

Horse Health Care in Heat and Humidity

Horses have difficulty dealing with dry heat, but they have even more
difficulty coping with the combination of heat and humidity. Part of
the reason is that horses can cool off in dry heat through the
evaporation of sweat, but in humid weather sweat just serves to
insulate your horse, making him even hotter. Plus, some horses have
trouble sweating (anhydrosis) during humid weather, which means they
have no way to cool off at all.

Is Your Horse Too Hot and Humid?
Luckily, there are simple ways that you can help your horse stay cool
during hot humid weather. During these weather conditions, the first
thing to do is to calculate the temperature-humidity index (THI):
simply add the air temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) to the
percentage of humidity.

For instance, if the air temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the
humidity is 60 percent, the THI is 140. When the THI reaches about
150, your horse may have difficulty cooling off. At a THI of 180, you
should not work your horse and you should take active steps to keep
him cool.

Another method to check whether your horse is getting too hot during
humid weather is to take his temperature. A horse’s normal temperature
range is between 99.5 and 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and can reach 103
and 104 degrees during workouts. If your horse’s temperature reaches
105, he is danger of being overheated and can suffer chronic or
permanent damage. Above 105 degrees, your horse will be suffering from
heatstroke and will need immediate veterinary attention.

5 -Ways to Keep Your Horse Cool in Heat and Humidity
Good horse health care during hot humid weather is neither complicated
nor difficult. You just need to be proactive. Here are 5 steps you can
take to keep your horse cool and comfortable.

1. Offer Plenty of Cool Water
Like people, most horses prefer to drink cool tasty water on hot humid
days. For a horse that means having access to plenty of cool (shaded)
water in deep buckets or troughs. In hot weather many horses want to
drink deeply. Drinking plenty of cool water will help your horse stay
cool. A horse at rest will drink 10 gallons or more per day, while a
horse in work can drink twice as much. Avoid automatic waterers, which
only allow horses to sip rather than gulp water. Plus, water from
these automatic devices tend to taste like chlorine, which many horses
dislike.

2. Provide Well-Ventilated Shade
Most horses can cope with hot humid weather in their natural
environment, but stalled horses can often become overheated due to
poor ventilation. To keep these horses cool, provide ventilation with
strong fans. Adding misters that spray droplets of water can also keep
confined horses cool. For pastured horses, offer well-ventilated
run-in sheds if trees are not available for shade.

3. Cool Your Horse Before and After Workouts
Horses in training should be kept as cool as possible before, during,
and after workouts. Before starting a training session, you may want
to hose down your horse with cool water. Keep training sessions short
and to-the-point, as horses worked at higher intensity over a short
period of time are less likely to overheat than horses worked at low
intensity over a long period of time. Finally, wash your horse down
after his workout. Be sure to scrape off excess water after his bath
since water can act as an insulator if left on his skin. Don’t bathe
horses who have trouble sweating (anhydrosis). Instead, sponge these
horses with air-temperature water mixed with a liniment like Sore No
More. This practice also helps horses who are prone to heat rashes.

4. Provide the Right Horse Feed
Don’t feed a lot of hay during hot humid weather since the digestive
process can make your horse feel even hotter. Instead, consider
cutting back on grass hay and adding a flake of alfalfa. In addition,
you can keep your horse’s gut healthy and functioning with probiotics
such as Acidophilus and Bifidus from Simplexity Health, or Pro-Bi.
Offer daily electrolytes in the morning feed if your horse is in work.
Finally, consider adding cooling foods such as blue-green algae,
apples, citrus foods, barley grass, fresh peppermint, lemon balm, or
cilantro.

5. Consider Your Horse’s Fitness and Environment
Horses who are fit and well-conditioned usually adapt to hot humid
weather more easily than horses who are out of shape. In addition,
horses who live in constantly warm climates are also more adaptable to
this kind of weather than horses who live in climates with extreme
seasonal changes. Take these factors into consideration when deciding
how much heat and humidity your horse can stand before his health is
adversely affected.
  

Guest Post  by Alan Joel

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Are the heat, sun exposure, and dry summer air making your skin look  like a piece of parchment? If so, then don’t panic. You can take some simple steps at home to transform your skin from a piece of parchment  to skin with a healthy glow. In this article we give you three simple recipes to exfoliate, cleanse, and nourish your skin.
>>> Healthy Skin Recipe #1: Exfoliant <<<
One of the keys to having glowing healthy skin is to remove all the dead or sun-damaged cells that have accumulated on your skin. You can make this simple skin scrub with ingredients you will find in your kitchen cupboard.

Mix 1 part cornmeal with 1 part organic oatmeal, and store in a sealed
container. (If you have sensitive skin, mix 1 part cornmeal with 2
parts organic oatmeal for a softer scrub.)

To use this mix, dampen your face (or any part of your skin you want
to exfoliate) with warm water. Pour a handful of the mixture in your
palm and gently rub it on your skin. If the mixture starts to feel too
dry, just add more warm water. After you are done scrubbing, rinse the
area with warm water, and then pat dry. Moisturize with an antioxidant
lotion. NutraBeautiful is an amazing restorative lotion. Glimpse and Burt’s Bees products are also wonderful.

Healthy Skin Recipe #2: Cleansing Mask <<<
Another key to having glowing skin, especially on your face, is to
cleanse and tighten your pores. A mask is the perfect way to do this.
This simple recipe works well, and gives you that requisite salon
“funny green face” look.

Mix 2 capsules of acidophilus, 2 capsules of enzymes, and 2 capsules
of blue-green algae with spring water to form a paste.

To use this recipe, apply it evenly over your face, paying special
attention to any problematic areas, such as the oily T-zone. Avoid
putting this paste around your eyes. Allow the paste to dry, and then
rinse with warm water. Pat dry and moisturize. The acidophilus and
enzymes will pull toxins and other pore-cloggers out of your skin,
while the blue-green algae provide direct nourishment to your skin
cells. This formula also works well on skin problems elsewhere on the
body, including feet that feel itchy from foot fungus.

Healthy Skin Recipe #3: Moisturizing and Soothing Mask <<<
If you have dry skin, this cooling mask is perfect for you. It will
soothe and moisturize your face, and is simple to use.

Mix the whites from 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt. Be sure
to mix well.

To use this mixture, apply it to your face and leave it on for 2-4
minutes. Rinse well afterwards with warm water, and then pat dry with
a soft washcloth. Moisturize as needed, with lotion or creme from Glimpse.

Enjoy-   Madalyn

My 4 year old Quarter Horse gelding, Rojo, is a nervous type of personality.   He is the youngest in his herd of geldings and does not have a lot of confidence around other horses moving at fast paces while riding.
Our training times are generally just him and me.   I
generally have to haul him somewhere to be able to ride with other horses around. By using the buckaroo way I have developed ways to help the nervousness in horses.

1. Building confidence in a young horse starts with total respect of his handler.  He needs to be able to see me as more important than any distraction going on.   This can be something that you think is perfect until you take your horse somewhere.  You can’t believe how your horse is
acting!  He never does this at home!    That is a sign that your relationship is not as strong as you thought.   Whether leading on the ground or in the saddle you must have full respect of your horse at all times and any place.   Clinics are a good place to work this out.  Mostly this will involve  you learning how to get that respect.   Most of us need help on how to get this respect so we can fully enjoy our horses.

2.  Before you saddle up, do a pre-flight check on your horse with acupressure.    The following points are generally beneficial for horses that are overly reactive, high energy, easily spooked or fearful.     GV 24, Bl 15, Ht 7, Pe6 and Pe 7.    These points are described further in several books
on horse acupressure.  My favorite is “Equine
Acupressure” by Nancy Zidonis, Amy Snow and Marie Soderberg.    Have you ever watched a good horseman rub a
horse or even just touch a horse in the area on their forehead just below the poll?   Notice how the horse seems to let down, relax, and then focus on the person doing the rubbing or touching.  This is GV24.   Bl 15 is located 4
inches off the spine behind the withers, and also, has a calming effect.   Pe6 and Pe7 are located on the inside of the foreleg just above the knee joint.   Pe 7 is closest to the knee and Pe6 is above it 2 to 3 inches.  Ht 7 is located
on the lateral side of the foreleg, at the rear side of the knee and slightly above it.  Playing with these points a little before saddling and starting your lesson can help to settle your horses mind and balance his energy.
3.  On a horse that is having   difficultly  daily with being overly reactive, I will give 1 to 3 capsules of Eleviv before saddling.   This is a natural supplement to just let his body relax and let his mind think instead of react.   I have had some good results with Rojo by having him on a
program of 1 capsule of Eleviv before every ride for a month, then just giving him the supplement every few days, then giving him the supplement when I put him in a new stressful situation.  I am not a young rider and I don’t always react in advance to be there for these high energy youngsters, so I take a few extra of the Eleviv for me too.  Nothing turns fun into disaster faster than nervous rider on a nervous horse.   The experience is funny later as long as you don’t have a big wreck.
4.  Once you have determined you have a fearful, overly reactive horse in some situations, be sure to look at your horse’s nutrition program.  For Rojo he gets probiotics, algae and enzymes with his feed several times a week and
daily, if I have hauled him to a new place to ride that has lots of activity going on.   Also, I have found these stressful situations will cause  inflammation in horses.  To counter the inflammation causes  I will give them mangosteen juice several times a week and plenty for me too.  Rojo does well on 1 to 2 ounces.   On days that are nonstop for me I will drink 6 to 8 a day straight out of my own bottle.    It  relieves me of soreness the next day and helps me really sleep well.
These steps I have described are ways to support you and your horse so that nervousness and anxiety can be controlled, so you and your horse can think and learn together.   Happy Trails-   Jeannie

My training is in the Buckaroo Way and I offer consultation services to those who believe in partnership of horse and rider.

There is nothing like riding as one with your horse!! Have your ever had trouble sitting your horse at the trot and lope? Does your horse not seem to understand your cues going right but does great going to the left. You may have stiff hips. To really ride with your horse you need to be flexible.

Here are some things to look for if you think you might have stiff hips:

1. You ride like a clothespin. Yes, this sounds funny be is exactly how you feel to your horse. You are sitting in your saddle and think you are getting with him at the walk but when you go to a trot or lope, you seem to shoot up out of the saddle no matter how relaxed you try to get.

2. You can’t get on your horse! Stiff hips on one or both sides can make you so inflexible that you can’t bend your legs into mounting position and swing up smoothly

3. No matter what your brain tells your legs to do, the horse seems to not respond to your cues to bend and turn and if you over compensate to make sure he understands, you come up out of the saddle or feel very wompy jawed in the saddle. This can be your stiff hips not letting your legs get into the proper position for the cue. Stiff hips can cause a brace from the hip all the way down through the leg.

Here are some natural solutions that will help stiff hips:

1. Yoga- these are stretches that strengthen the body and your core. Certain exercises will work on the whole body to get it in balance and certain ones can be done to work on the stiff hips and legs. This is something you can do and get benefit from in as little as 10 to 15 minutes a day, 4 to 5 times a week and make you a more flexible horse rider.

2. Acupressure Chiropractic work can put your stiff hips back in alignment. Especially if you feel some pain in your hips after sitting for a period of time and then getting up to walk and it feels like your get go just won’t go. The acupressure work generally needs to be followed up with exercises and supplements to keep you strong and flexible.

3. Natural supplements to fight inflammation, like XanGo juice. I conferred with a friend that had started the XanGo juice about the same time I did. She had been having the same difficulty with one of her stiff hips being out of alignment. We had both struggled with the same type of problem for quite a long period of time. My friend noticed she was more even, sitting in the saddle and could independently use her right and left legs with greater accuracy and was not feeling the awkwardness, soreness and tightness as before. It came on as a gradual change for both of us over a couple of months. That was 5 years ago, and both of us are having our joints and hips stay fluid and flexible.

My training is in the Buckaroo Way and I offer consultation services to those who believe in partnership of horse and rider.

 Jeannie