Turning Despair into Hope for Horses - Keep the positivity going

Despair ...

 "to no longer have any hope or belief that a situation will improve or change"

 

I love Facebook and Social Media 

I hate Facebook and Social Media.

I love being connected to the greater world

I hate being connected to the greater world.

I know I don't live inside a bubble

I wish I lived inside a bubble.

I want to know how others think, love and cherish

I shudder at how little others think, love and cherish.

It's remarkable how quickly your positive thoughts and feelings one moment can deep dive into doom, gloom and despair the next.

I have 4 Facebook pages and anyone can follow any of them whenever you want.  It serves a purpose of capturing thoughtful moments, special occasions, inspiring quotes and a vehicle for some of my blogs.

I find it very hard to receive other people's facebook page images of dead horses, mutilated dogs and abandoned cats, then sleep easy at night!

I'm filled with despair at human kind and where we are heading with such ability to disregard the life and rights of others. Where has all our kindness gone? Where is our compassion?

I suppose that I have not joined up with some who cry out to stop sharing such images in case it does in some way help to raise awareness and spur people into corrective action.  Hope springs eternal!

I have even joined and supported one such group "help the horses of Fosse Park" and joined them to protest last year outside Parliament for better protection for neglected horses.  (See post from last year). 

I have learnt over the years from first hand experience, that with large animals the RSPCA acts only when a horse is actually on the verge of death,  - as happened last night right outside my own home.  This too should change and I wont donate to them until it does.

In addition to last nights tragedy on my door step, I am currently looking after 2 abandoned ponies, plus filly and foal - a total of four gorgeous hungry mouths - also close to my home.  Dragging 60 litres of water into their field each day and spreading a bale of hay out for them is all I can do, but I won't watch them starve to death or die from dehydration when I can do something no matter how small.

Abandoned Mare

With her foal and youngster

Overgrown, neglected hooves on the young gelding

Its such a topsy turvy world: the land owner (where the four under my watch are temporarily residing) does nothing with his land - its disused, full of broken glass bottles, wood pallets, butane gas canisters, and general debris.   There's no proper fencing to keep livestock off the road.  Yet, he's put a sign up (as is his right) warning that these horses will be removed if not claimed and taken.  Why?  What harm are these four doing?  Of course he is right to be worried, as 4 small ponies today, could easily become 10 or 24 in a matter of days or weeks...  

... It seems we abandon our horses as easily as we discard our litter all over the road side.

There are days when it gets to me and seems overwhelming.  There is such a sense of hopelessness as people all over the country report via social media similar problems and sightings of animals in plight. 

Is this the slippery slope down for mankind, how much further south can we head?

I hope not.   I chose (on most days) to believe not.  Each bad day, where I'm having doubts an 'angel' seems to appear in some form or fashion.  Take yesterday,  as I fed and watered the four 'strays' two men (strangers), approached wanting to know if the horses were mine.  One had brought a bag of carrots and another a small container of water for them.  I wanted to smile at the 3 litres of water for 4 animals thinking - that's not really worth bothering, but I answered their questions and thanked them for their help.  

The joy and relief to know other people will help and do whatever they can - however small is priceless; a tonic.  People do what they can, with what resource they have, and using what knowledge they possess, it's not up to those of us who may know a little more to go around putting others down with our facts and know how.

I am blessed to know people like Margrit Coates and Chris Day who remind me of the need to be positive around horses especially those that are suffering.  To be, as the quote above suggests  that bright 'light' for them in that moment.

Last night, as I drove off and rounded the corner, the Police and RSPCA were in attendance of a distressed horse they had now put out of it's misery. A woman walking her dog passed the field and  saw the horse in distress and called everyone she could think of.  She was wrapped in a blanket clearly in shock at what she had witnessed.

Life can be a cruel awakening if you are blanketed from it's reality.

These are the moments where hope is restored and where one by one each of us really can make a difference.  I expect that lady didn't sleep well last night but I hope in her heart she knows she did good today!  She did something, she took action and helped a horse in need.  

Now all we have to do is to start finding ways to take action BEFORE horses suffer so needlessly.  

If you feel you haven't done enough yet to raise your voice to support horses after all they have done for mankind through wars, agriculture, policing and sports, or simply because you see their beauty, and feel the wisdom in their eyes,  you can do something NOW.

On Valentines Day there will be a further protest in London.  Further details are on the dedicated Facebook page.

Join in! What have you got to lose? 

Both horses and humans have so much dignity to re-gain.

Heavy frost adds to the beauty

Today is a new day.  Tomorrow will be too.  I thank goodness for nature, for landscapes such as this morning and for heavy frosts that lace your eyes with a freshness that inspires hope. 

This morning's slow sun rise

Vicious Circles and Red Shoes

Have you ever glanced out of a car window and caught a glimpse of something on the other side of the road that reminds you of how far away from your real life you are, right now?

I was being driven along a Belgium highway the A102 heading to Brussels airport, on a rainy afternoon, and on the opposite side of the carriageway I saw a car pulling a horse trailer and in a nano second I heard my thoughts cluster into a mass of "there's my other life -  the real me going past"!

"IT" (your real life) can sometimes seem so far away.  At my side was a designer handbag and briefcase, IPhone, Mac laptop  and swaths of budget documents. I was destined for a London meeting scheduled in a few hours time. How important I must be - being chauffeur driven at speed to my next appointment in an other country! Yet, in fact how very unimportantt I actually felt in life's grand scheme of things and my overall life's purpose.

In that moment, where would I rather have been - 'suited and booted' in a speeding car or pulling a horse trailer in my muck boots and baseball cap?  How did I get to be so far away from my 'True North?'

The answer is complex.  The more horses I have the more I have to leave them to work to pay for them, watching others enjoy nature and being outdoors.  To stop working means no horses, hence the vicious circle!  Agghhh!   If only I could find my red shoes to take me back home!

Some say... 'be careful what you ask for in life....' To prove a point within just a few months of that rainy thought provoking drive,  I was looking after 9 horses (including my own herd of 3), 24 x 7 for 8 straight days.  

The physical regime was a shock to the system for sure.  Not just the mucking out, muck heap stepping, and yard sweeping but all the walking involved!  I had my step counter going and cranked up between 22,000 and 31,000 steps a day! Needless to say I shed some pounds, toned up legs and arms and inherited a few deep shoulder knots - all very welcome losses and gains!

It felt fantastic to be outside all day long.  I felt alive and inspired unlocking gates at 7am before daylight, on my own with only the dawn's chorus of crows keeping me company.

I loved the end of the day, doing late night checks, just me and the horses, everyone relaxed and quietly munching hay.  I'd never have known hay munching could sound so relaxing over-shadowed only by the call of night Owls. 

It was a treat to find my guys snoozing peacefully in their beds  - I too slept like a baby!

Essy

I guess we discover a few things about ourselves when we leap into someone else's shoes and life for a week.

Inside the boots of a yard manager revealed the immense responsibility that comes with looking after other people's horses and property.  You watch every cloud and study every TV weather forecast for signs you need to lock down anything the wind could take, or vary the horse's routine for tomorrow.  At times being on your own you realise the risks you take - of injury, accident or just hitting problems on your own.

Then there's the daily challenge of "Rug Management" which in my view should be a compulsory curriculum topic at school. There's all the different weights, liners, neck attachments, leg straps, belly straps, breaking straps, rugs that dry over night and rugs that don't.

It was a unique experience to have friends and family turn up at work to help out!  In my corporate day job there's no way 'the old woman' could show up and chip in!

Here she is collecting rubbish, and climbing fences en route to filling in rabbit holes!

Old Woman at Work!

Old Woman fence climbing at 76!

It's also heartwarming and inspiring when someone else's mum turns up for a morning's hard labour for some muck heap compression!

Muck Heap Jumping!

I did learn that when you spend 28 years of your life in one career, it's hard to leave it totally behind you as you step into another line of work.  For me, it was impossible not to turn each day into a tightly managed agenda with each activity timed to precision to make sure each day was fully productive.

Given another week at the helm and I like to think I'd have found the space to let go of thoughts of productivity and efficiency but who knows, maybe that habit is a part of my personality and drive, and nothing to do with my chosen career?

I'd have lost a lot more weight too - a great feeling to fit in clothes comfortably and not crave sugar and food all day long despite such a physical workout!

It's good to try your hand at something new.  I felt lucky to have a brief glimpse into a lifestyle I've often wondered if I could do.  Would I want to, long term?  Could I do it?  Its been a privilege and honour to have some up to date insight to help me work all that out.....!

My final thanks for a great week in my life go to my herd and Mr Esquire for keeping us all going with a friendly nudge and cuddle -  when we were ready to drop!

Essy Demanding Cuddles!

A little 'Self Examination'

Have you ever paused to wonder ...

Am I a good pupil?    

 

 

Does my trainer look forward to our lessons? 

Do you ever stop to think about whether or not you are good to be around ?  Think of it from both the perspective of our horses, and from that of other humans.  

What makes a pupil (of anything) a good one?  A pupil is a "person who is taught by another" says the dictionary.  Whether or not we are easy to teach and are there to learn,  is therefore at the heart of being a good pupil.  

Rarely would a rational person disagree with that, although some do enter a room or menage with the attitude of "go on then; show me what you got"!  (Heads up - these people are NOT easy to teach and are NOT there to learn, so do everyone a favour, say 'no thanks' and leave - right away)!!

As a corporate trainer, and sports coach I am often asked or expected to teach something to someone.  In my teaching and coaching experience the following two principles are mission critical in any teaching process:-

Principle No. 1 : The pupil MUST WANT to learn, change and/ or be taught! 

Principle No. 2: The pupil must know the difference between honesty and excuses!

... Without these, everyone is wasting their time (and usually their money, or reputation)!

It's not about being studious, a book worm or tyring to please the teacher.  It is about being open minded, and willing to listen; to try something out and analyse the result, honestly; taking accountability for your part in the learning process and the result achieved (or not).

Sounds simple, yet how often in riding lessons do you witness a rider really listening and trying to learn?  Rarely!  So many riders have 'an answer for everything', an excuse ready to explain why they won't try something,  or they have the memory of an elephant to justify the last time 6 years ago when..... and it didn't work!

I want to curl up and die when I hear riders explaining away (after trying something new) the lack of desired result, blaming the horse and never themselves.  You hear reams of rubbish pouring out of them including:-

'he/ she (their horse) isn't in the mood today'

'isn't able to concentrate'

 'has been grumpy all day'

or 

'she remembers the last time when we did this and it didn't  ....'

  
How do you spot a good pupil or better still, become one?

The answer is SPAT!

Stop, Pause, Assess, Think  = Listen and Learn!

STOP = First, check your understanding of what you were supposed to do and what you actually did do!  Get your trainers feedback to help you with this step.

PAUSE = Analyse the result you got. Don't focus on the part that went wrong or frustrated you.  Again get feedback from your trainer to keep things in perspective.  This is your limbo moment before judgement and action.  It should simply be about stating the facts.

ASSESS = Commit to doing it again, but this time identify one thing you will do differently and be clear what that one thing is, change only that!

 THINK = Slow everything down, don't rush the moves.  Think each element through in turn, slowly and visualise it happening as it should, then prepare and do it!

Make no mistake most of the stuff we riders come out with is utter rubbish, excuses and anything but the truth - we simply don't realise it.

I have such empathy for trainers and riding instructors who must spend so much of their time feeling like running screaming from the arena in search of a brick wall to hit their head against!  

Don't be the one that takes your trainer to the brink!

At the same time,  I confess to getting very angry when I hear a trainer placating the rider, agreeing with their 'self spun yarn of rubbish' and as a result, doing a dis-service to the poor horse getting drilled to boredom till the rider 'gets it'!  

Am I being too tough, unforgiving and lacking in compassion?  Perhaps.  My preference is that for those pupils (bright or not) who really are trying to learn and who show their vulnerability and admit their failings - will get buckets of compassion, good will and lots more from me.  Those who don't can go and waste their money with a coach who likes to do 'bad business', over and over and over and as perhaps they both enjoy listening to the sound of their own voices.

Thinking through one of my favourite quotes...

" Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

 ... makes me ask ' what will you do in your next lesson to be a great pupil?  How much could you learn if a 'different you' showed up?  Just how much could your horse fall back in love with lessons and learning if you arrived mentally ready to learn too? 

Happy New Year Wishes

New year resolutions excite me. The promise of change, opportunity, renewed energy and the new potential of spring on its way.

Instead of sharing specific promises to myself and my herd here's a quote that holds within it the central wish Essy and i (on his behalf) could ever wish for.  

If it speaks to you as it does to us, pass it on, print it out, stick on your fridge or lorry door, and revel in what it could mean for the future well-being of our beloved horse companions.

Happy New Year and good health to horses everywhere!

Friendship is...

Borrowing your pals clothes - even if it is pink!

The moral of this short post is that we can all learn to try something new, do the once thought of as "impossible" and surprise ourselves that it actually is ok! 

Going the Extra Mile...

...Going the extra mile and it's NOT just for Christmas! 

I'm always reflective and a little restless at this time of year.  As I mused my way to London and back today I was considering how each Christmas brings something very different for me and for my small herd.

Last Christmas I had moved the horses to be living 1 mile from my front door which was great for me.  This Christmas I have moved them to be 12 miles from my front door - not so great for me!

I still see them every day, some days twice such as this week as Essy has a cold, bless him.  A right snotty nose.  But after 24 hours of Essential Oils (Garlic, Eucalyptus and Seaweed), the mucous seems to be abating so it wont be the feature of this posting.

The best thing about this Christmas is that despite now being 12 miles away from me, where they are is actually the best Christmas present I could have wished for, for all of us.  Here are just some of the reasons why...

It's hard to put into words the value of finding a livery manager who cares for your horses as if they were her own, and means it!  A lot throw the sentence around like confetti, but do not mean it.  Of course you don't' find out till you move in!  Some mean it when they say it, but once you've moved in you realise its an empty promise - as how they look after their horse is a marathon short of your own expectations.

This year we four have a yard manager who cares in so many ways for the well being of horses - hers or her customers. When it comes to my horses and how I like them to be cared for, nothing has been too much trouble and not once have I had to ask twice!

1. She's put down rubber matting across the yard to help them avoid walking barefoot on stones
2. She's happy with me putting buckets into the fields with essential oils in - peppermint and garlic
3. She notices any lump, bump, bang and knock and takes photos immediately to send to me for discussion
4. She pre-empts my every wish including on 'stable day's' giving them lucie brix to munch on as a change from hay
5. We've only had one 'in day' so far this winter!  She get's it - that horses need to be out roaming in fields not coped up in stables
6. She never complains about the long list of health supplements (care of Mr James Hart's wonderful solutions), to be added to feeds
7. She allows hay in the field on frosty days
8. She feeds ad lib hay and on the floor - no fan-dangle devises, hay nets, hay bars or other unnatural contraptions
9. She's open minded and eager to learn about barefoot, massage, working with herbs and oils and homeopathy
10. Shes smiley, positive and up beat all the time  - no moods, no sulks, no game playing
11. She doesn't go 'rule crazy
12. She doesn't rip off her customers and mark up wormers, or charge for her time holding a horse

But.... despite how awesome the above list feels, its topped by the depth of how much she cares.  Here's how....

1. When Essy's nose bleeds started up again 3 weeks ago (and far worse than ever before), she did her own Internet research and knew the importance of keeping Essy calm and quiet.

How many of us can say our yard managers have gone off and done their own research on your behalf or that of your horse?  With nothing 'in it for them'?  That's a first for me!

2. To push the example of 'going the extra mile' a little further, with Essy's bleeds continuing for a week, she got more concerned about what we would do if we needed to get him to hospital quickly.  I no longer have my own transport and neither does she.  Or, I should say - didn't! Yes, you guessed it - within one week she has been out and bought a yard horse box, for us all to use, pictured above.  Blimey!  That's going to be hard to beat...

3. Yet the best is still to come.... this morning I marvelled at our fortune.  Since Christmas day we've had these beautiful blue sky, cloud free, sunny days, cold but gorgeous.  Ive watched Essy and Solar loving their field, rolling each morning and at times just gazing around them at neighbouring horses, as stunned as I've been at such weather at this time of year.

Then this morning, the icing on the cake was watching Grace and her best buddy Toastie, sharing a slice of hay together in the field.  A small herd of three mares, Toastie and Grace have a particular bond.  To see Grace with other horses after 2.5 years of being next to horses but alone, is more than heart warming. More than special.  It is as breathtaking and yet as natural as the beauty nature throws us with frost, sun and blue skies.

So when all the unwrapping and cooking and drinking has been done, at this festive time, the only celebration I want to revel in is at having found Chelsea, having moved to West View and at how lucky we are to have an even better quality of life that I could only dared to imagine before now.

Happy New Year!

Love Solar Sue, Essy, Grace and me

It is raining Bull Shit!

 

I'm always bothered when it rains BULL SHIT!

Especially when it pours all over the equine world!

When the impact affects the well being of a horse and leaves the horse's human confused, distressed and with no idea which way to turn, it makes me positively mad.

Sadly,  I bet most horse owners will recognise the flood of BS I'm about to expose.  This true story involves a young warm blood, a very caring owner, a farrier,  some mysterious spasmodic lameness and a monsoon of BS!

The lovely mare is shod in front and bare behind.  She's not in work, having just moved to a new yard and a new human owner. Both girls are taking their time to get to know each other and to settle into their new home.  So far so good!

On occasion over the last few months (on soft ground) this sweet natured horse is lame.  At times hopping lame! There's no heat, swelling, lumps, bumps or cuts or nicks.

She arrived with foot X rays which the new owner's vet has looked at and said shows navicular.    She's also got side bones on both front pasterns.  Neither fact is the subject of this post.

A reputable farrier (as they all are) came, recommended and fitted T-Bar Shoes on both fronts, saying "they will give her more support" and "in a few days she'll come right"!

...There it is... the Bull shit... 

For a few brief moments everyone nods and agrees knowingly, mostly because we've heard this sort of BS from farriers for decades.  It's familiar, therefore we assume it's correct.  Minutes later your brain kicks in and you start to question what's just been said (I hope).

What exactly do the words "ssupport her more" mean?  

A dictionary definition offers us this: 

                "Support = 

a thing that bears the weight of something or keeps it upright"

Example: "the best support for a camera is a tripod"

Helpful, but the horse isn't like a camera and therefore not unstable without shoes beneath it!  Nor will a horse fall over or fall down without the support of shoes. How do I know?  I have 3 horses all barefoot and none of them fall down!  They all manage to stand vertically upright, unaided, just fine.

True, the shoes will bear the weight of the horse, but we all seem to forget that the horse was designed by nature for it's feet to bear it's own weight.  Never are horses born wearing man made shoes.

So, is it possible that shoes do provide some sort of support to a horse or horse's foot?

We humans wear underwear (largely for support)  - meaning to hold things up, or in, and in one place - still! This doesn't apply to feet - especially not a horses which are rarely still!

We also wear shoes, again not to support our weight but to protect our feet from cuts and from the terrain. Our weight bears down on them (as with a horse) and receives no relief in the process.

As children Start right shoes were the so called "best" because they 'supported children's feet'.  Sounding familiar?  There's a difference.... Start right had a reputation for letting children's feet grow and move.  They didn't cause pressure points or remain fixed around the foot as metal shoes on horses do.  They were not the best because they held our feet into a static posture preventing us from running, rolling our feet or bending, quite the reverse!

Can we learn something valuable from that for our horses foot care?

Sadly horse shoes are not mirroring the wonders of a Start right shoe.  Instead they hold the whole foot immobile and unable to bend, roll, and flex.

This is far from helpful and far removed from how nature designed the horse's foot to operate.  Anything that stops the hoof from flexing, side to side, is hindering not helping the horse and is out of step with what a healthy hoof needs.

Fortunately for humans, we can take our shoes off after a long day in them to get some relief.  Unlike our horses!

So far, I'm at a loss to imagine how a T Bar shoe can provide support and help a horse to 'come right'.  Perhaps I'm missing something more fundamental about the workings of a horse's foot. Perhaps I'm getting side tracked with parallels to humans, our shoes and support underwear?

Let's get into equine foot mechanics, then maybe we'll discover what the farriers seem to know (or believe), or just BS us with!

Some of my own observations: 

1) It seems to me that the T Bar rests across the back of the frog and across the heel purchase area, both usually untouched by traditional u shaped metal shoes.  So, presumably the horse has no feeling in this area and can't feel this new point of pressure!  Wrong many horses will be bruised to bits below the T Bar, we just can't see it.

2) All the different bits of anatomy in the foot work together to form a cohesive functioning whole. If one bit is not functioning correctly, this can cause strain on other areas. This strain may lead on to some of the well known hoof problems such as Navicular Syndrome, White Line Disease and Laminitis to name a few.

3) When asked, most of us have no idea what the function of any individual part of a horses foot is for.   For example how would you answer this question.... "what is the function of the horses toe?" When I was asked that 3 years ago I had no idea whatsoever!  Not something I'm proud of but I quickly went and found out!  

Truthfully, we don't stop to think about the function of particular parts of the foot.  It's so basic,  we ignore it.  Yet, if we stopped to consider  the function of each part, we would be able to make more informed decisions about hoof care and spot the BS when it hits us from the so called 'experts'.

As an example the horse's foot has the following functions:

• Support of the horse’s weight  - (who'd of guessed it?)

• Propulsion - (sends the horse forwards, upwards etc)

• Shock Absorption - (useful to prevent pain big time)

• Circulation - (critical not just for blood but to send kinetic energy around the foot)

• Protection for internal structures -( most of us don't even know what those are)

• Traction - (grip to you and I - so that's how barefoot horses can jump and do dressage)

4)  I recommend investigating the function of the frog. To wet your appetite here are 3 of the main functions (and yes, there are more)....

1. Circulation – pressure into the back of the foot squeezes blood vessels in that area and pushes the blood to other areas of the hoof, the pressure varies depending on the phase of the stride.  

2. Traction – the frog is made of soft horn that is non-slip (like the pads on a cat’s paw) and the wedge shape helps arrest forward motion as it digs into soft surfaces. 

3. Flexibility of the hoof capsule – the frog allows the hoof to absorb uneven ground by allowing independent heel movement.

These 3 functions all require movement in the back area of the hoof.  Sideways movement, vertical movement, and movement such as rocking or listing side to side like a boat.  Having read that, how can a T Bar shoe, that holds the foot in a fixed position.... promote health in the horse's foot?  

I don't get it!  Do you?  Could you explain it to someone in your own words and not notice how daft it sounds as you try! 

Facts and observations aside, on this occasion, I hope I'm proved wrong and that our lovely warm blood mare comes right and soon, for her sake and that of her human partner.

Meanwhile I shall not limit my views about the misunderstanding of the role of the T Bar shoe and helping horses be free of pain, if for no other reason than simple logic.  I can't yet see any logic behind why we continue to view it as a helpful devise, can you?

Useful Further Reading on the Equine Foot and Anatomy:

http://www.appliedequinepodiatry.org
http://www.natureshoof.com