Soft and Collected

Collection has to do with how a horse holds itself together as it is moving.  Horses need to be collected in order to move softly on their front ends and drive with their hind ends.  In order to have collection, you must first have impulsion. What is impulsion? Impulsion is the energy that is created in the hindquarters to move the horse forward. If the horse his "pulling" himself along with his forehand, he does not have impulsion. When he is instead "pushing" with his hindquarters to get forward movement, he has impulsion.

What does collection look like?  It starts with a rounded back which is achieved by a level to low headset.  The hind quarters in turn come up under the horse and help move it forward.

Now lets link this to barrel racing.  When your barrel horse has its head held high, it is not using it hindquarters and is very hard in the mouth.

However, when we get a horse to soften and drop their heads the picture is quite a bit different.

So the big question is how do we achieve it?

There are several ways but in order for a horse to be collected it needs to have its head down and nose in.  I believe that the best method is to teach collection from the beginning however sometimes we need to force it on horses when they compete.  Lets start by looking at a few training devices that help teach a horse to be collected.

The German Martingale

The Running Martingale

Draw Reins

Each device works on the principle of changing the direction of pull coming from the reins/riders hands.  Which device you choose to use depends on you and your horse, they do not all work on different horses.

The German and Running martingales work on the principle of a set head height.  They allow the head to move freely when it is below a certain height however, when the head comes above that height they abruptly stop it.  They can be used as either a safety device or as a training device depending on how it is being used.  

Draw reins on the other hand provide constant inward pressure.  Depending upon where the non bit end of the reins is attached determines whether the pressure is more inward or downward.  Draw reins allow a rider to control the horses headset and adjust it based upon what they are doing.  The rider has the ability to give the horse more freedom or to pull it in and take the freedom away.

The effect of martingales can be achieved by rider using precise pressure and rapid release.  The martingales are simply an option to help achieve the desired results of a soft and supple horse.  A good exercise for softening a horses mouth is to apply even pressure with both reins, when the horse gives to the bit immediately release the reins.  This method offers a reward for yielding to the bit and giving when asked.

Now that we have discussed some training techniques for softening a horse and helping them start to collect lets discuss some competition aids.  Many barrel horses get high headed when entering the ring or in their turns.  Neither is a good thing and both can be helped with the use of a tie down.

  

There are many variations and they all work a little differently.  The type of tie down needed depends on the horse, some use them to balance and they need softer ones that allow them to push against them without hurting themselves.  Horses who do well at keeping their noses in and are soft in the mouth benefit from a bonnet style which only goes over the ears.  

No matter the style that you chose its important to make sure that it is properly adjusted.  I see many horses that have tie downs and need them but are not adjusted.  When the tie down is not adjusted it does not do its job.  The tie down keeps the head down and forces the horse to engage its hind quarters.

The above photo shows a horse with its head in a neutral position.  When the horse is standing in neutral position the tie down strap should come tight when pressed up against the horses throat.  A loose tie down does not help a horse, neither does one that is too tight on a horse. 

From the Author:

Everyone has an opinion on the use of tie downs and other devices that alter a horse's head carriage.  My personal opinion is that the riders hands can make any device good or bad.  An inexperienced horseman can make even the softest of bits hurt.  An experienced horseman with soft and controlled hand movements can make a harsh bit soft.  I believe it is less about the devices being used and more about the hands of the rider.

Problem Horse: Saddle Fit

It is important to not only make sure that you are using the right equipment on your horse but, that it fits the horse and you are using it properly.  I have seen many saddles that do not fit the horse that they are on.  It is important to talk to the tack dealer you are buying from to make sure your equipment is all in proper order.  I am going to cover some of the most common errors I see and how to know that you may have a problem.

It is important to understand that not every saddle fits every horse and that not every saddle fits every rider.  It is critical to get a saddle that fit both you AND your horse.

The following is a list of red flags that may indicate your saddle doesn't fit your horse right.

• Dry Patches after riding



-Notice how along the spine of this horse it is still dry.  That means that the saddle is not properly distributing the weight.  You should see an even sweat pattern when you remove your saddle.

• Scuff or rub marks
• White hairs
• Saddle touching at withers







• Cold backed

• Bucking or rearing                                
• Bolting

• Reluctance to go down or up hill        
• Training Issues

• Saddle rocking                                        
• Sore back

• Tail swishing
• Ears back when saddling
• Girthy
• Dislikes saddle being put on



• Slow to Relax
• Behavioral issues
• Sensitivity
• Head tossing
• Swelling
• Short choppy stride
• High head carriage
• Reluctance to move
• Difficult lead changes
• Unbalanced                                                        
       

                                            

• Saddle slipping

                         

                                                                          

• Rider having problems staying in position

• Saddle sitting down hill in front,  up hill in front or off to one side

How to measure a saddle.  In order to buy a proper fitting saddle it is important to know how to measure it correctly.  Narrow horses need saddles with a smaller gullet and wider horses need larger gullet sizes.

Semi-QH: Semi Quarter Horse can be referred to as Medium, Regular, or QH bars. 
This tree size has a higher pitch or angle to the bars. 
It’s for the horse with a more defined wither. (1/2 Arab, Appendix, Thoroughbred, etc). 

Full-QH: Full Quarter Horse or FQHB can be referred to as Wide (usually 7” gullet). 
The angle is flatter compared to the Semi-QH tree. 
This is for horses with a broad shoulder. 
They’re considered mutton withered or a less pronounced wither. (Quarter Horse, Paint, etc)

Notice how the horse in the second picture has a much wider withers and thicker.

The following is an informational video on saddle fit.

From the author:

Saddle fit is incredibly important.  It comes down to finding a saddle that fits your horse and then finding one that fits you.  All horses are different and you may have had a favorite saddle that you have used for years but if it doesn't fit your new horse its time to find another one.  I know personally that having a saddle that fits your horse makes a huge difference.

Problem Horse: Stomach Ulcers

                        

What are Stomach Ulcers?

Ulcers are a common medical condition in horses and foals. It is estimated that almost 50% of foals and 1/3 of adult horses confined in stalls may have mild ulcers. Up to 60% of show horses and 90% of racehorses may develop moderate to severe ulcers. Because they are so common, and can occur as a result of a number of factors, the condition is often called "equine gastric ulcer syndrome" (EGUS) or "equine gastric ulcer disease" (EGUD).

How the horse's stomach works

To understand why horses are prone to ulcers, it is helpful to know some horse anatomy. Holding only about 4 gallons, the horse's stomach is small compared to humans. It is divided into two distinct parts. The non-glandular portion (also called the esophageal region) is lined by tissue similar to the lining of the esophagus. The glandular portion is lined with glandular tissue, which produces hydrochloric acid and pepsin, an enzyme needed for the digestion of food. This part of the digestive system also produces substances to protect the stomach from the effects of the acid and enzymes. In humans, eating stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid. In the horse, however, hydrochloric acid is constantly being produced. So, if a horse does not eat, the acid accumulates in the stomach, and can start to irritate the stomach, especially the non-glandular portion.



Horses were a grazing animal that took in food 24 hours a day.  However, we as humans have taken horses off of the open ranges and locked them in stalls and small paddocks.  By doing this we have regulated their diets and altered natures way of smoothing the stomach.  Horses are typically fed twice a day and it is common for them to go without food for several hours at a time.  When the stomach is not taking in feed it has nothing to dilute the acid being produced.  This is what initially sets the horse up for gastric ulcers.

What causes gastric ulcers in horses?

There are multiple factors that can increase the risk of ulcers in horses, including:

Fasting (not eating) - Horses evolved to graze, eating many small meals frequently. This way, the stomach is rarely empty and the stomach acid has less of a damaging effect. If horses and foals do not eat frequently, the acid builds up and ulcers are more likely to develop.

Type of feed - The type and amount of roughage play a role in ulcer development. Roughage, because it requires more chewing, stimulates the production of more saliva. The swallowed saliva helps to neutralize stomach acid. There is an increase in acid production when concentrates are fed. The type of roughage is also important. Alfalfa is higher in calcium, and it is thought that this may help decrease the risk of ulcers.

Amount of exercise - As the amount of exercise increases, there is often a change in feeding (e.g., more times of fasting, less roughage), which increases the risk of ulcer development. In addition, exercise may increase the time it takes for the stomach to empty, so large amounts of acid can remain in an empty stomach for a prolonged period of time. Stress itself may decrease the amount of blood flow to the stomach, which makes the lining of the stomach more vulnerable to injury from stomach acid.

Medications - Chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as phenylbutazone (Bute) and flunixin meglumine (Banamine® Paste) blocks the production of a particular chemical called PgE2. PgE2 decreases acid production, so when PgE2 levels are low, acid levels are high, contributing to the development of ulcers.

(http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm)



What are some signs that my horse has ulcers?

• Poor appetite
• Weight loss and poor body condition
• Poor hair coat
• Mild colic
• Mental dullness or attitude changes
• Poor performance
• Lying down more than normal

Does your horse spook, bolt, rear, buck, or kick while riding?  Is your horse “girthy”?  Is your horse nervous or does it worry?  Do you ride a mare, stallion, or sensitive gelding?  Do you believe your horse is not happy? Does your horse always seem to be crooked to the right? Does it not want to pick up the right canter lead or do flying changes in that direction?  Does your horse have a hard time holding weight? Is it a picky eater? Does it have a dull coat? Has your horse just experienced a recent trauma in their life?  Have they been recently moved to a new barn, or their buddy has left? Has your horse's behavior gotten worse as your training proceeds where as it should be getting better? Does your horse colic or stress when the weather changes, either hot, cold, or both?

(http://www.lunatunesfreestyles.com/horse_ulcers.htm)

If you are reading this and saying, "yeah that sounds like my horse" you probably have an ulcer issue.  Stomach ulcers are incredibly common and many horses have them.  Some are more affect by their ulcers than others.  However, I cannot say this enough when horses have issues there is a source.  Horses want to please us and when they are refusing there is normally a reason.  The reason does not always show itself quickly or easily but with persistence the problem can be solved.

If you have never dealt with ulcers and are unsure contact your veterinarian.  Your vet can determine if your horse is a candidate for ulcers according to the symptoms you are noticing.  If they feel your horse has ulcers they can confirm it by performing a gastric scope procedure.

I really love this excerpt from Cynthia Collins:

"Sometimes people think their horse is having training difficulties, when if fact, the horse is in pain.  I have found time and time again, if your horse cannot or will not do something that you think they should be able to do, PUT DOWN THE WHIP, GET OFF, AND START LOOKING FOR A PAIN ISSUE.  It may not be easy to find and you need a good vet to help, but I assure you, once you find it, the horse will work willingly.  It could be sore hocks, stifles, hooves, backs, ovulation in mares, TMJ, or stomach or hind gut ulcers.  There are very few horses that are bad tempered.  They usually want to please.  Most of the time, the horse is as frustrated as the rider."

What can I do to help my horse?

Step 1

Ulcer healing and prevention of getting new ones is all about controlling the production of stomach acid.  This is done through the use of a H2 blocker, they block the action of histamine. Histamine stimulates the production of stomach acid.

There are only a couple medication options.

• Ranitidine which is effective for 8 hours (give 3 times per day)

• Omeprazole which is effective for 24 hours(give once a day).

These medications are expensive however, they are completely worth the money!!  

My preference when buying medication is to use horseprerace.com  they offer the medications at a greatly reduced rate to ulcer guard.  Additionally, they offer free shipping on orders over $250. 

It is important to treat the ulcers for at least a 21 day period.  Once the ulcers have been treated then you will need to transition your horse to a maintenance product to prevent the ulcers from coming back.

There are many options for maintenance products some of them are:   Tums, Maalox, Mylanta, U-Gard, Gastro-Aid, or Neigh-Lox or there are many generic equivalents.



Stomach ulcer recurrence is not an if its when if left untreated.  Horses who are prone to ulcer's need to have their diet managed.  It is important to make sure these horses have access to hay 24 hours a day.  They also need to have low impact easy to digest foods.

Here is a grain free diet plan that is meant to help heal ulcers:

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (heals everything including stomach)

1/4 cup dried cabbage (L-Glutamine heals the stomach),

1/4 cup Oat Flour/Fiber (heals hind gut; see below),

1  oz. Probiotics (aids digestion, I use Fast Track)

1/2 cup ground Flax seeds or 1 cup of Rice Bran

I mix them with:

1 cup soybean pellets (high protein, low sugar)

2  cup of Alfalfa/Bermuda hay pellets



Alfalfa is recommended for ulcers because it provides greater buffering capacity compared to grass forages for several reasons. First, alfalfa contains higher levels of protein and calcium, both of which buffer gastric acid. Also, alfalfa cell wall contains certain indigestible compounds such as lignin that gives it a greater buffering capacity than grasses.



The best results come from a combination of first treating the ulcers and then working to prevent them from reoccurring.  As with anything, you have to change something if you want to see results.  Doing the same thing and expecting change will not work.

I want to restate what I said at the beginning...

It is estimated that almost 50% of foals and 1/3 of adult horses confined in stalls may have mild ulcers. Up to 60% of show horses and 90% of racehorses may develop moderate to severe ulcers.

 At those numbers, the chances of your horse developing ulcer's is also very high.  I have seen huge changes in my horses after they are treated for ulcer's .  Better performance, attitude and improved feed utilization.

The first sign that I notice with my horses is normally attitude.  I spend a lot of time in the barn and around my horses, I pay attention to the little things.  Changes in their attitude tend to catch my attention quickly.  When a horse runs up to you in the pasture everyday to go for a ride and then slowly over time you are chasing them... You may need to ask yourself why your horse no longer wants to be caught.  There is most likely a reason that they quit wanting to be ridden often times it is some kind of pain.  Another sign I notice is how they eat.  Horses who show aggression towards their feeder or are reluctant to eat also get my attention.  The key to identifying ulcers is noticing the small changes.