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Many riders are tense and tight and don't realize it. Tension
in the seat, back, legs, shoulders and other areas block communication
with the horse. Have your students sing the "Hokey Pokey"
and do the movements. It never fails to get riders smiling
and to loosen up those tight areas. And "That's What
it's All About!"
Jorine Seale
Pinebrook Farms Owner
Magnolia, TX
CHA Clinician
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Keep a fan going
constantly in the tack room during hot and humid weather.
Not only will this keep the air fresh, but it will also prevent
mold from growing on tack and help dry saddle blankets.
Polly Haselton Barger
Ashland City, TN
CHA Clinician
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Have a plan for disposing of
dead horses. As much as we would prefer not to think about
this, when the time comes it is very helpful to have thought
it out. Your plan should address how to dispose of the horse
(bury?, renderers?), where to dispose of it, how to keep it
out of sight of clients, how to move the carcass or dig the
hole, where to euthanize the horse and how to deal with your
staff once it happens.
Ardith Turpin
CHA Instructor
Horsemanship Director YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin
Middeville, MI
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Flehmen Response: This is a commonly
seen behavior of horses where they curl their nose up and
reach upward with the head. This is a reproduction related
behavior primarily displayed by stallions when they are analyzing
a mare's urine to see if she is ready for breeding. By curling
the nose and lifting the head, the horse allows the odors
to reach special odor sensing receptors further back in the
horse's skull. This allows the horse to analyze odd smells.
This behavior may be displayed by any horse, not only breeding
stallions, and is usually done when the horse encounters unusual
odors. The Flehmen response might also be an early warning
sign of colic and if a horse is displaying this behavior for
no known reason, it should be monitored for colic.
Julie Goodnight
CHA Clinician
Salida, CO
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