RE:Bitting a young fjord
This message is from: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Liz, I get the digest so I don't know how many others have responded to your posting, I hope you don't mind one more. You might want to try starting out again a little differently with regards to the bit & the way you work your pony. Go back to a soft full-cheek snaffle & re-work on the lunge until he is working forward, long & low (stretching for the bit) - this is a simplified explanation. When you reback him, start with your legs & seat to get him to start to bend , relax & supple (again, this is simplified). Work on his balance & bending & the bit will not be an issue. I have a mare that gave me incredible workouts with my legs & seat because she was so drafty & had a hard time bending but I persevered & my efforts paid off. If you can get your fjord to work off you legs & seat & leave his mouth alone he will soften & your real training can begin. Jerry (on the list) has mentioned Chris Irwin (www.chrisirwin.com) many times & I purchased his series of DVD's last winter. I was having similar problems with my mare (she is not one of my riding type fjords, she is one heavy & drafty mare) that you described (she wanted me to hold her up & would just push through the bridle) & I restarted her in the round pen (to have her gain my respect as confident/predictable leader & when that was established she would respect my space & would easily yield her hips to me when I asked (from the ground 25' away by my just pointing to the hip she would swing it away & bring her front in). (Chris Irwin goes through this very clearly). When she was working happily with me free in the round pen, I put her on the lunge where I mastered a true & proactive lunging technique. Lunging is an art & is an extremely valuable tool when done correctly. At first she was very stiff & was not bending well. With flexing at critical times during our sessions, after 3 weeks I had her stretching long & low at the trot, very relaxed & mouthing the bit & starting to bend. I then got back on her & started to ride & supple her. Just this week (4 weeks later) she is finally working long & low at the trot. The other day she magically dropped her head so low at the trot that her bottom lip skimmed the sand. It was amazing & not just a one time event. She worked like that in both directions, very happy, very relaxed. We are making some excellent progress & she is not heavy on the bit at all (but if a rider that rides from their hands instead of their legs & seat gets on her, she WILL become the plow horse she looks like & start leaning on the bit very heavily & will take you places you don't want to go - naughty horse? NO, poor riding technique? YES!). When I ride her (or another good rider does) you have a very light horse in your hands. I do have contact but I have learned to push her into the contact with my seat & legs & make her do the work. The more contact I ask for, the more work my seat & legs have to do. This is a way of working that you (as a rider/trainer) have to convert to. I had to completely relearn everything I knew over the years & now I can't imagine pulling on my horse's mouth or even on her head as I lead her (we also learned some excellent 'in-hand' techniques from the Irwin series). I am also luck enough to have a local trainer that is certified by Chis that I can call upon to help, but having those DVD's is invaluable. Best of luck with your training & your quest for knowledge! As for bits, a simple soft snaffle is sufficient for your initial training, use a full cheek though so the bit does not pull through your pony's mouth while you are lunging. Catherine Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:30:04 +0100 (GMT Daylight Time) From: "Codynfliffi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Bitting a young fjord This message is from: "Codynfliffi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Need some ideas please. Questy is 3 years 3 months, and a pure bred fjord. Been long reining 6 months using a liverpool driving bit on mildest settings. Works well. Broken to ride first week of May and doing well. Riding in school gently, and about to start light hacks out. He was broken with a grackle bridle, and straight bar happy mouth gag on snaffle setting. Not stunning but Ok. Advised to strengthen bit as he got strong. Went to loose ring snaffle fulmer. Great steering, but became very strong. Advised to swap to the liverpool bit for riding. He is strong but "gobby" ( much playing with bit and head movement) and at times the breaks are ignored. Swaped last night to a cheltenham gag. He hated it. So did I. Yes fab breaks but upset pony. He was afraid to go forward incase it hurt. So thats gone. Where next. What do I try. FYI Back, and teeth checked, saddle checked and schooling is 3X a week max 20 mins. We are in the Uk so ride English and he will be broken to drive quite soon. He is one fantastic quick learning happy little chap. Not bargy either. What bits are good for young fjords. Than
Good Guard Stock dogs with horses
This message is from: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs at my farm. They are the best I've found around both horses & people. The horses have great respect for them (aren't threatened) & the dogs work around & with them very well. They have a good presence around the farm, they don't bite unless really, really directly threatened, instead they are great barkers & strangers don't get out of their car until I come out. If people do get out of their vehicles before someone comes, the dog will keep them standing in place until we come. Swissy's don't wander & have a shorter coat than some of the other mountain dogs (dealing with the fjord's shedding is enough for me, I couldn't deal with more hair!), love being around the farm & 'idol worship' their owners. My dogs came from Europe so they still retain much of their fantastic droving instincts (strong, calm & confident). You can visit my website: www.greaterswiss.ca see some pictures of them. Catherine The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
equine insurance alternative
This message is from: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> snip <> Janet you bring up a good point. Personally, instead of paying the insurance company for a possible future claim, I simply put away a monthly $ figure into an investment account (blue chip, I buy the indexes= good returns on the investment, but that's another story). That way, even if you only purchase a gic or some other kind of bond or put it into a high interest savings account, the money is always there for an emergency & it works for you & grows. I advise my dog clients (I also breed Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs) to do the same, instead of paying $50.00 per month for pet insurance, I tell them to discipline themselves & save it instead. It does not work for everyone but for those who have good discipline & really want to purchase the insurance, it's a sensible viable alternative to paying an insurance company for something that may never arise in your horses' life time. If some tragedy does happen & you need the funds, at least you have something available depending on how long you have been saving for before disaster strikes. JMHO Catherine The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
bits, rein aids
This message is from: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> snip< Subject: RE: PARELLI,,, and many others This message is from: "Faeo, Victoria" Jean, that sounds like just the DVD I need to get for Einar. He sometimes responds very well to the bit commands but is inconsistent, and doesn't like to stop when he is trotting - of course that is a seat command mostly, right? I guess I need to ask that one, too: How to stop? Ha! I don't think he remembers his training on that one, or else I don't do it right. Vic >> Hi Vic, Julie Goodnight (www.juliegoodnight.com goes through all of this stuff systematically from how to give the correct seat & leg aids & when to use your hands & how. In her series of dvd's she has one called Collection & Refinement that demonstrates the rein aids and collection. I found it very straight forward & once you get your seat working for you (her first 3 dvd's) the rein aids become magical with the softest of contact. She is an excellent instructor & has a very compassionate approach for the horse. regards, Catherine -- The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Goodnight dvd's
This message is from: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> SNIP< www.juliegoodnight.com > catherine, is there one of hers that you are specifically speaking about when you are telling us about the balanced seat? it sounds like a great resource, but she has 5 videos on her site, and i can't really afford all 5 at the moment. many thanks laurie>> Hi Laurie, I would recommend the first two for sure, then the third one later on. You should still find someone to help you (a coach or at least someone on the ground that can help you lunge). You should also get someone to video you as you progress so you can compare what you look like compared to what you should be doing. Depending on how much flexibility you have, take your time & be prepared to be patient to allow your muscles to stretch from he ground before you expect too much from the saddle. Regards, Catherine -- The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
balanced seat etc - sort of long
This message is from: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> snip< Subject: RE: PARELLI,,, and many others This message is from: "Gail Russell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have been spending bedtimes reading Sylvia Loch's The Classical Seat, and it pretty much says the same thing. Has anyone ever devised a good system for letting a rider know when s/he is balancing on the reins? Maybe a piece of yard that takes up a loop in the rein, that would break with too much pressure? Or some kind of bell on a piece of elastic that would warn when there was too much pressure, or sudden pressure.>> Hi Gail & others working on balanced seats. I found the Julie Goodnight dvd series EXTREMELY helpful in helping me understand & find my balanced seat. She has good exercises that you can do on the ground by finding your balanced position (she has excellent repetitive examples) & then finding your balanced position & seat bones on the horse. Then she progresses to finding your balance on the moving horse & eventually to being able to glue yourself to the horse (walk, trot & eventually canter/lope) while 'standing' in your balanced position with your hands behind your back (forget about pulling on your horse's mouth, there is nothing to pull on - you will find your confidence at your own pace & when you have balance it's black & white). This is something that helps you train your body to find your perfect balance and rhythm on the stationary horse, then adding movement. I find her series effective because it repeats the key points & you can do work on the ground (all that stretching & suppling of your muscles using an exercise ball) & then finding & maintaining good confident balance on the horse's back. Once you find your real balanced seat, you will be amazed at how quickly you will discover when your horse runs through the bridle or lands heavily on the forehand. I have a 15 year old green mare that would expect me to hold her up until I found me independent seat. Now I can ride her with the softest hands & I can drive her into collection where she actually carries herself. This was not possible when I was not sitting in balance, instead she would stiffen & fall on the forehand & expect me to hold her up - again, all this stemmed from the way I was sitting on my horse. I purchased the Julie Goodnight series in December & it really made a huge difference in my riding in a matter of weeks. (I heard about her series on this list, thank you to whomever posted it last fall!) One of the most important things I'd like to share with any riders that are trying to improve their seats (I was going to say 'older' riders, 'older' meaning 40+ yr olds, perhaps not as fit or as supple as we were in our teens & 20's ), is that 50% of the work at improving your riding has to be done on the GROUND. I had not ridden for 20 years & I decided to relearn my 'seat'. I found that the problems of flexibility & posture while riding were problems I had to resolve on the ground BEFORE I could effectively find my seat & use it to ride my horse properly. The 'power posture' dvd was recommended to me & it's helped me with my upper body & posture. After years hunched over a computer this series of simple stretches has helped me straighten up so that when I do sit on my horse it's easy for me to get & maintain the straight alignment comfortably so that it releases the tension that was there before I worked on my posture. I also use the exercise ball for stretching & strengthening my psoas muscles which keeps my leg more comfortably in the natural position & therefore freeing up my body to correctly communicate with the horse from my 'seat' & legs. The goonight series also has a practical approach to the rein aids, she is constantly reinforcing that you should you should be trying to work softly from the horses lips & not going as far as the bars of the mouth. I use a medium eggbutt snaffle bit & set it a little lower in my mare's mouth (so I have not creases at the side of her mouth) & left her noseband very loose without any pressure. When I first started focusing on her mouth I had to keep telling myself to work with my seat & legs & leave her mouth alone (prior to this I was all hands). If I found myself with weight in my hands I would release & try to work around it with me seat/legs. This is not such an easy thing to do & initially you feel that you have no control of your horse (because you may have been riding with the 'security' of the reins for so long) but you have to keep telling yourself to let your hands soften contact & learn to drive with legs & seat (& you likely have to retrain your leg/rein aids as well). I maintained my goal of soft contact while constantly reminding myself to work with my seat/legs FIRST (& hands last) & when she started to dive on the forehand I'd release the pressure & drove her forward with my seat & legs. Within a few sessions she had developed new behavior, a really soft mouth (she mouths her bit like a pacifier) & we now have s
Re: Seameal
This message is from: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello, We use Essex Cottage Farms Sea Greens, it's pure sea kelp. Their website is www.efarms.cc Diane
Young Fjord Stallion for sale`
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello to the list. We have a small horse farm (10 fjords) & have decided to sell our coming 4 year old reg. stallion. He is a grey dun, nice pedigree (back to Hastein (ny), Hilda (WG) on his sire's side) & Anvil Baldur & Regn (dam's side). He is easy to handle, smart, trainable & well socialized. We have had a bridle on him & he has started to lunge (no backing). He is moderate in bone, excellent movement & will make a good riding/driving horse. We will be starting him in the basics (dressage) this spring if we don't sell him. His dam (born 1992) had never been trained for anything, we started her earlier this spring on the lunge & she's a remarkable mare, willing & flexible (considering her age & lack of conditioning). She's got great movement & canters easily. This mare has been fat most of her life with us (4 years) & in a few short weeks she's accepted the bit & bridle, side reins, saddle & roller & lunges well. When backed for the first time she 'took it in stride' & is progressing like she's done it before. She's a very good mare (thanks to Anvil Acres breeding). His sire is out of Hastein (Helena Klement's Stryker), I have never met Stryker, but Helena says he's the most willing, kind & trainable stallion she's ever owned. This youngster has two great parents & we feel he's going to make a great addition to someone's fjord family. If you would like to see pictures & pedigree, you can email me privately: [EMAIL PROTECTED] His name is : ECF Oslo (CAN 2691), dna & chipped, you can see him at the canadian fjord stud book records website. We are located 1 1/2 hr. from the US border at the East end of Lake Ontario in Ontario Canada. (We have a foal on the way that he's sired, due in June). Email us with any questions, Diane
Selenium deficiency
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello, Re: selenium deficiency I like to resolve things naturally with my animals whenever possible & find that Kelp meal is a great supplement when used properly. It is a great source of many minerals but should not be overdosed. You might consider using kelp as a supplement (especially since it's readily available in Nova Scotia). The daily amount for an average horse is 2 ounces per day, I'd start with 1 - 1.5 ounces per day per fjord. (it contains .1 ppm, 5 ppm is toxic to horses). Yours truly, Catherine Woodliffe Essex Cottage Farms - www.efarms.cc Urban Wolf - www.UrbanWolf.cc
Mycotoxins?
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello, Mycotoxins are fungi that are found in cereal grains & in moldy foods (aka: aflatoxin - produced by aspergillus & vomitoxin, known as deoxynivalenol - DON, produced by Fusarium variety. When cereal grains are not fit for livestock consumption (because they contain mycotoxins), they are sold to the pet food companies where they actually allow it put into pet foods! They cause some very serious illness & deaths in dogs & cats & farmers don't use the affected grains & fruits for their livestock (that's why they end up in commercial pet foods). (which is why we only feed whole foods to our dogs: www.UrbanWolf.cc ) There is also myositis, which is different. What are you feeding your horse? Have you considered thyroid? If you email me privately, I know an holistic vet that now practices for small animals, but worked with horses, she may be able to do a telephone consult for you. Cheers! Catherine On Tuesday, July 6, 2004, at 11:38 PM, fjordhorse-digest wrote: Is this what they say it is? This mycotoxin? Anything I should do? thanks, Jennie
Lori's updates
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Congratulations! We've never met Lori, but as a fellow Canadian, I'd like to say how much we all respect you for all your wonderful efforts in both dressage & most importantly, with Fjords! cheers! Catherine On Monday, July 5, 2004, at 10:23 PM, fjordhorse-digest wrote: The photos show a demonstration we did, and a show we recently competed in with our gelding Vili. Vili (Gjest x Cindy) has been here since January, he is a son of our great broodmare Cindy and full-brother to our mare Sparrow. In Vili's first show we rode Training Level Test 1 with a score of 66% and Training Level Test 2 with a score of 73.1%. Vili won both classes and got the High Score award for Training Level and the whole show. GO FJORDS!! I hope you enjoy the photos. Lori Lori Albrough Bluebird Lane Fjords Moorefield Ontario
motor oil & horses
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Please don't handle or use motor oil of any kind on yourself or animal, it's a carcinogen & you don't want the toxins in your horse's bloodstream. Whenever we have an infected area, we soak it in a sterile saline solution (+/-1 cup salt per gallon water, boiled & cooled to as hot as you can stand it on your hands). Soak the area with this solution 2-3 times per day (soak the foot) & then apply a good quality anti-biotic ointment or wash again with betadine soap. This will get the infection out, clean the area & dry it up. Try to keep the foot out of wet grass & mud for a few days & it'll clear up. A hot salt water soak is the most effective old fashioned treatment for our dogs, ourselves & our horses we've found for infections. cheers! catherine On Sunday, July 4, 2004, at 02:07 AM, fjordhorse-digest wrote: Also long time horse friends of mine swear by slathering the area with used motor oil. It does not look the nicest, but will clear it up.
Older fjords, trained horses under $3,000.00
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> We LOVE old horses! We have two 27 year olds, both are sound enough to ride, although one has some calcification in one knee so she is only ridden by children. We also have a 21year old that is the most willing mare! She gets ridden every day & is the first in line waiting in the morning. We also just bought a marvelous 24 year old mare that had only been driven, but, after 4 sessions is already walk, trot & is able to go out on trails, she's a truly bomb proof Fjord! Never underestimate the value of an older fjord. As long as they are sensible, well socialized & have some basic training, they are an excellent asset to any farm. We just bought 24 year old 'Lesa' from Eunice & John (Deere Country Fjords) as a birthday present for my 9 year old daughter. I backed her 2 times & she caught on right away on what was expected of her. She hasn't made a bad move yet & was one of the major contributors to the 'pony rides' at my daughter's 9th birthday party. She's now starting to get in condition & will be cantering soon. This little mare is perfect for us to ride! As a breeder & parent, I totally appreciate sound & stable older horses. We will always have some old timers here on our farm to retire & to enjoy their 'golden years'. Cheers! catherine PS, this mare was well under $3,000.00 & was purchased for 'the wife - actually 'husband' & kids'. Those 'cheap' horses (I'm referring to an earlier posting I read about listers not knowing where to find 'good fjords for under $3000.00') are out there if you are experienced enough to know what to look for & if you are an experienced enough trainer to see it's potential. They may not be the total 'performance' horse (as in dressage prospect - but how many of us need that calibre of horse for pure the enjoyment of the breed), & they sure do make VERY safe & sound riding horses for family & friends, & many have good pedigree's & are still able to be bred. jmho catherine On Wednesday, June 16, 2004, at 07:27 AM, fjordhorse-digest wrote: Lately I have noticed some older Fjords (like 19) going for high prices. What is the general age span for a Fjord? How long can they be bred or lightly ridden? I would like to eventually buy a trained Fjord (that 19 year old seemed perfect for me!),
Re: wildlife
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> When my neighbor told me about the siting (50 ft from his picnic table in his back yard!) I thought these cats didn't sound particularly wary of people & horses might be easy to get. I have two very old horses, one is lame & would not be able to defend herself. Since then we have brought our horses in from the pasture for night & they stay in the paddocks near the barn. It's better to be safe! Thanks to everyone, cheers, catherine On Wednesday, June 16, 2004, at 07:27 AM, fjordhorse-digest wrote: Where I live in Wa State, every year a horse or two is attacked and usually killed by a cougar. When there are sightings going on, people tend to pull their livestock up closer to the house at night or put them in the barn. But if they are really hungry, they can easily jump a 6 foot fence. You just want it to be easier to hunt elsewhere.
Wildlife question
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello Listers, I noticed that several of you live in the mountains & I have a question about cougars. My neighbor saw two cougars (wild, not zoo escapees) in his back yard & they seem to include our farm as part of their territory. We pasture our horses on the edge of the bush near where they have been seen & I don't know if we should be concerned about their safety. Sorry if this sounds like a silly question, but black bears are one thing, cougars are something totally new to us. cheers! Catherine (in South/Central Ontario - east end of Lake Ontario)
Re: saddle slipping
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello All, I'm in desparate need of some advice. For the past month my vet and I have been both having problems with my saddle slipping sideways on my classic barrel-shaped mare. I'm using a wide tree (38cm) all purpose saddle which seems to fit her well. After searching the archives, I tried the Professional Choice girth, per Gayle W's suggestion. I also use one of those "non-slip" rubber pads you put under throw rugs. These have helped, but the sideways slipping is still really dangerous. I know it's not just me because my vet is an excellent 3-day event rider, skinny and *way* more fit than I am, and she's having problems. My vet has been cranking up the girth, which I hate to do. And that doesn't solve the problem. Yikes, we haven't cantered my mare yet, 'cause trotting is still such a challenge. Any suggestions? (PS sorry if this is a repeat - I tried to post twice before and didn't see my message). Eileen and 'Jane', the beautiful barrel with legs Hello Eileen, Does the saddle always slip to the same side all the time (ie off to the right?) & does it happen when you ride without your stirrups (crossing them over the saddle)? Maybe your horse isn't flexible/bending yet? Riding in a tight space in the same direction all the time, horses seem to have a favored direction that they are more flexible in, maybe both of you aren't quite balanced/flexible yet? A couple of things, have you tried riding bareback until you get your balance (in case it's a balance issue)? I hadn't ridden for 20 years (yikes!) & started on my chubby mare bareback until I got my natural relaxed balance back. We both needed the gentle conditioning & bareback trot did the trick. (that's just in case you don't have relaxed balance on the horse yet). Another great way to get balance is to work on the lunge with a helper & work on walk, trot & eventually canter with no reins (just side reins) & (again, eventually), with no stirrups (cross them over). If you do that every day for a few minutes, you will develop a better seat (& posting with no stirrups is a great work out!) - of course this isn't a good idea if the saddle still slips even when you aren't using stirrups. The other thing, maybe the saddle is too far forward, try moving it back to set just behind her withers. I have a close contact crosby & a passier dressage saddle & both will slip no matter how tight I do the girth if it's too far forward on one of my larger girls. Does the saddle actually fit your horse? Maybe it's too big? I'm no expert, but I had this problem to a lesser degree when I first started working with some of my fjords several years ago. cheers! catherine
Intro.
This message is from: ulli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello LIst, I am new to the list & would like to introduce myself. My name is Catherine Woodliffe. I live outside of Belleville Ontario & live with 9 fjord horses, two aged grades (27 years old) & one percheron gelding, we primarily ride our horses but now have a few of them trained to drive. I've also been involved in breeding show dogs (American Staffordshires for nearly 20 years) & now Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, which we also use for carting (if you don't know what they are, visit our website: www.efarms.cc/swissy.htm ). It's nice to see such a diversified group of Fjord lovers on this list! cheers! catherine
