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9.
Is your horse
spooky (Training & Exposure to many things….talk to him to keep him
calm)
10.
Driver
inattention to surroundings don’t let your guard down when driving, PAY
ATTENTION!
5 components of driving:
1.
Horse, suitability, health mood
2.
Carriage: fit, safe, suitability
3.
Harness: fit, condition, cleanliness, are the buckles worn are
there stress points.
4.
Driver: experience, green horse & green drivers do not
usually go well together
5.
Surroundings: know what is going on around you and have a plan
When harnessing, do not do it in a stall. Start from
the front and work towards the back with the bridle going on last. DO NOT
back the horse into the carriage with the shafts on the ground. When putting
to the order is shafts, tug, traces,
then breeching. NEVER tie a horse when still hitched it’s an accident
waiting to happen. Unhitch and put a halter over the driving bridle and tie
using the halter. Whips should be carried at all times; it is a tool for
communication, NOT for punishment. Do not use your reins slapped on the
horse’s butt you are confusing him. When you lift the reins, you are
telling him to stop then when you slap him with them to tell him to go.
Always have one extra hole on all your straps, so that if it breaks you
still have something you can buckle into even if it is a bit snugger than
usual….at least that can get you home. Your frame of mind affects the
horse so ALWAYS have patience and a sense of humor, NEVER anger. This is
only a brief list of the things Susan talked about, she is an excellent
speaker, we enjoyed her when she came out to Tommy Cope’s Farm about 3
years ago and were pleased she could come again today. I learn something new
every time I go to a seminar like this even if I have attended it before.
Penny Godbey supplied us with a wonderful lunch, Thank you Penny and Faith
for getting Susan to come today.
Horse Days Ahead
August may be called the dog days of summer, but we
certainly haven’t had many good horse days lately. It’s so hot by 8am
that one breaks a sweat just coming in from the pasture. Ride any later in
the day and you risk heat stroke, or being carried away by horseflies the
size of songbirds. By evening when it should be getting cooler, the clouds
burst open and drench man, beast and everything in between. Knowledgeable as
we are, in both equestrian pursuits and the vagaries of
North Carolina
weather, the WWDC August Safety Clinic was scheduled indoors.
But I’ve noticed lately, coming back from the barn in
what should have been the cool of the evening, the days are already getting
shorter. Fall is creeping up on us, and soon we’ll have a nice selection
of outings and events from which to choose. For example:
September 18—The WWDC
de-spooking clinic will be at Paradox Farm.
September 24-26—Carolina Carriage Club has a Pleasure
Show
October 8-10—
Carolina
Classic Saddlebred, Morgan, Roadster, Hackney & Open Show
October 16—TTC Horse Driving Trial. Come to drive,
volunteer, or just watch!
October 18 &19 —NC State Fair Draft Horse Show
October 22—NC State Fair Carriage Driving Show
October 30—WWDC Halloween
at Paradox
November 20—WWDC Turkey
Trot at TLC
So clean your harness, polish up your cart, and wash
the summer grime off those horses, “Horse Days” are almost here!
TTC HDT
Update:
Barbie has found a Judge, Craig Kellogg (R) & TD
Lyle Peterson for the Oct 16th HDT at TTC. Lyle is also a
blacksmith and will be our cones course judge & designer.
Beth will be able to supply electric to maybe 4-5
trailers but NO WATER for $25.00. If you are self contained the cost is
$20.00. She will check with other farms close by to see if they can
accommodate more camping.
We are accepting entries until October 1st.
Heat & your Horse…
Pay attention
to horse’s physical state during hot summer temperatures.
Our temperatures are running wild at which is leading a number of equine
owners to study their horse’s heat tolerance with more than a little
caution. Other than a general lack of enthusiasm and desire to move to
shade, a normal well-acclimated horse should be able to handle this heat and
humidity with little concern, However, the need for owner awareness
increases when a horse begins to exercise and engage in more strenuous
physical activity.
A horse’s
body temperature – if it is normally around 101 degrees Fahrenheit –
will increase a few degrees with exercise in hot summertime environments. If
not exercising, a horse’s heart rate should be around 40 beats per minute;
respiration rate 12-20 breaths per minute, though this is variable; and body
temperature around 101-102 degrees Fahrenheit.
Maximum heart
rates during heavy exercise may reach 200 beats per minute or more, and
respiration rates can triple or race even higher. Intense levels of work can
raise a horse’s rectal temperatures to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, plus or
minus, which for any substantial length of time will be harmful. This means
that it is vital that the horse has the ability to decrease excessive body
temperature quickly during recovery, Otherwise, heat stress becomes a big
concern.
Under most
conditions, equine owners should expect a horse’s major physiological
measurements – heart rate, body temperature and respiration rate – to
decrease dramatically within 5 minutes following heavy or prolonged
exercise. A horse should reach characteristic ‘resting values’ within
10-15 minutes at the longest, If the horse is really ‘hot’ from
exercising, recovery is best done by hand, walking the animal in an area
with good air flow and away from direct sunlight.
Cooling the
horse’s body with water is recommended as long as the equine’s heart and
respiration rates have dropped to near resting value levels, and possibly
even sooner under critical heat stress conditions. Humidity and air flow
causes evaporation and as a result, your horse may sweat more than you
think. That makes it especially important to pay attention to the animal’s
physical clues – its respiration rate, heart rate and body temperature –
during times when your horse may be at risk from the heat.
If a horse
does not appear to be producing sufficient sweat, contact your veterinarian,
who can quantify the animal’s sweat rate and take appropriate action. Your
Vet has evaluation methods in which drugs are administered that cause a
horse to sweat, and might even use absorbent pads to quantify losses.
Anhydrosis, or the inability to sweat, is a problem with a small percentage
of horses, but one that should be diagnosed accurately so that an equine
owner is able to determine the extent of use to which the horse can be put
during periods of excessive summertime temperatures.
--
Ben Chase
Rockingham and Guilford County Extension Agent
Agriculture & Livestock
North Carolina State University
North Carolina Cooperative Extension,
Physical address: 525 NC 65, Suite 200, Reidsville, NC 27320
Mailing address: PO Box 200, Wentworth, NC 27375-0200
(336) 342-8235
800-666-3625
Fax: 336-342-8242
Email : ben_chase@ncsu.edu
http://rockingham.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=animalagriculture
Just
had to send this on....from the CD-L
Four
girl friends spent weeks planning their Rodeo weekend. Two days before the
group is supposed to leave, Betty's husband puts his foot down & tells
her she isn't going - that he wants her to spend some "Quality
Time" with him instead. Betty's friends are very upset that she can't
go - but with camper spots and stalls reserved and entry fees paid for,
there's nothing to do but push on without her.
Two
days later, the three friends get to the rodeo - only to find Betty has
already checked in, she's cruised around in the warm-up pen & has just
hosed her horse off. "Wow," they exclaimed, "how long have
you been here - and how did you talk your husband into letting you go?"
"I drove all night and got in early this morning," Betty said.
"Yesterday I was sitting in my chair when my husband came up behind me
& put his hands over my eyes & said, "honey,
tonight's your lucky night." I pulled his hands off & there he was
wearing nothing but skin. He took my hand & took me to our bedroom. The
room had two dozen candles and rose petals all over. On the bed, he had laid
out handcuffs and ropes! He told me to tie & cuff him to the bed, and I
did. And then he said, "do whatever you want." And here I am!!
~Never
get between a woman and her horse~
All,
See entry info below for Sept 19th HDT. I did the Do Over HDT last
Sunday and it was very beginner friendly and a short 4k marathon.
I did dressage twice, cones twice, and the short marathon once. Got
great input from the judges on how to improve on dressage then drove the
test again for a better score. You should encourage others to try
this.
I went down on Sat., walked the courses, and stayed for the pizza dinner and
hazards course walk clinic all included in the fee.
Reba Wagner
Ever
had a competition where you wish you could do it all again?
Here’s
your chance!!
The
“Do Over” HDT
At
Claire Reid’s Big Sky Farm
September
19, 2010
Beginner Competitors
Clinic by Kelly Valdes on Saturday before the shows at 6pm for dinner
discussion and then a course walk. All are welcome to attend. Dinner is
included in the entry fee but you must sign up by the closing date on
Friday.
Mornings
only – Dressage
starts early and will be immediately followed by cones and marathon.
Assigned starting time is for Dressage with Cones and Marathon to
immediately follow. Hazards will not be timed. The courses will be open to
inspect on Saturday before the shows.
Entry
Fee - $50.00 payable to MCDC with entry, includes the “Do Over” entry. For
a “do over” you must sign up before the closing date to re drive your
dressage test before the cones and/or marathon courses.
Entries
will be limited to avoid the afternoon heat.
Dressage
Tests: Training Test #2, Preliminary Test # 2, Intermediate Test #2,
Advanced FEI Tests or test of choice (must specify before)
September
Dressage Judge, Sherri Dolan, ADS “L” Judge
Entries
Closed: Friday
9pm before the show, entry fee must accompany the entry. Drive times will be
emailed or posted at the show grounds by noon on Sat. Late entries accepted
if time permits.
Organizer
Kelly
Valdes; H: 910-692-4164; C: 910-603-2449
E-mail:
FKVALDES@aol.com
Stabling
$30.00 per night does not include shavings. Make check to Big Sky Farm.
Entries
to: Marcie Quist 509 Deer Path Road, Vass, NC 28394
Home
number (evenings) and Fax (910) 245-4428, cell (daytime) (910) 639-1699
E-mail: quistlaw@gmail.com
Entry
Sept. 19
Entry________
Name____________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________
Phone___________________________________________________________
Email____________________________________________________________
Stabling (number)
________
Beginner’s
Clinic Dinner (number) __________
Division
(Training, etc) ___________________________________________
Class (Single
Pony, etc) ___________________________________________
DO Over entry?
______
Accommodations:
Days Inn
910-692-8585, Microtel Inn 910-693-3737, Residence Inn by Marriott
910-693-3400, Best Western 910-944-2367, Motel 6 910-944-5633, Hampton Inn
910-692-9266. For camping, contact organizer.
Directions
to Show: from
North: Take
Rt. 1 south. After you pass Vass exit you will enter Southern Pines, NC.
Across from Hyland Hills Golf Club turn left on to N. May St. At the first
stoplight, turn left onto Connecticut Ave. drive 2.5 miles. Turn left onto
Tremont Place (dirt road). The show grounds are ½ mile on the right. From
the South: Take Rt. 1 north. You will enter Aberdeen and then Southern
Pines. Watch on your right. You will pass KFC, BK, Mac’s Breakfast, RBC
Bank, Microtel, and Kangaroo gas. After Kangaroo gas, Exit right toward
Southern Pines Business District onto Broad St. At the stoplight turn right
onto Morganton Rd. Stay left and the road becomes May St. At the second
light turn right onto Connecticut Ave. drive 2.5 miles. Turn left onto
Tremont Place (dirt road). The show grounds are ½ mile on the right.
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