MAY 2010 THE RIDER /15


Natural Horsemanship & Body Control Foundation Reining Training Are You Spurred On? Spurs in History


thought I didn’t need them. And I admit, was a little afraid to use them.


Besides, what if I accidentally hurt my horse? Or much worse - cause a problem that couldn’t be fixed. Sound familiar?


If you’re like me, rather than using the spurs effectively, I really was very ineffective. I didn’t want to hurt my horse. I probably ended up being a nag to my horse. I still see that a lot now a days – people afraid to use spurs.


I remember when I first started using spurs 18 years ago when I started in reining. Everyone was using spurs, so I did too - to fit in, of course.


It felt cool. Like one of the gang. And I loved the sound of the spurs hitting the ground. They made a nice jingle sound. (No wonder vaqueros put jingle bobs on their spurs. It was musical like wind chimes.)


I had never used them before - didn’t know how. Before then, I


Horses end up swishing their tails or ringing their tails to let us riders know that we are being a nag. And if we don’t become aware of this and change our use of spurs.... well then.... we’ve devel- oped a bad habit in our horse. And they’re just too hard to fix.


No wonder there is so much bad press about spurs. I think riders just would rather not use them than make a mess. Don’t you?


How I Improved


Through trial and error and a lot of feedback from my horse, I learned how to use spurs. In reining, and other sports, spurs are necessary.


I also read a lot too. This was also the time I


started to read everything I could from Bob Avila. I wanted to know how to use spurs properly. There is so much anti-spur fear everywhere that I also wanted to know what all the fuss was about.


I think that’s just it.... fear.... We humans are hesitant around anything that people fear. And spurs are one of them.


One thing I always say is ‘the more severe the equipment, the less you use and the more you let the


Feather out of danger but still recovering over a year later


Story and Photos by Mallory Hendry


Wendy McIntyre’s quar- ter horse might be named Feather, but she’s nowhere near as light as one. This is a fact McIntryre, her husband, firefighters and police officers discovered just over a year ago when the 1300 pound Feather fell through ice into a pond on the McIntyre’s farm, Starr Mac 5.


ferent feeling when you’re sick or stressed,” McIntyre says. “They’re very forgiving; they know something’s not right. Feather was very patient and quiet.”


It took 10 men and ropes looped over every possible area of Feather’s body to drag her from the freezing water. McIntyre found the 10- year-old mare still frantically trying to climb out of the pond, despite having been in there for close to four hours. In retrospect, veterinarians sus- pect this refusal to quit is what saved Feather’s life. By keep- ing herself moving, she stayed warm, and kept hypothermia from shutting down her organs. Even with her efforts, when Feather was finally pulled from the water her legs were frozen stiff. She looked dead, McIntyre said. The vet- erinarian who had been called to the scene couldn’t find a body temperature at all. “A lot of people were sur- prised,” McIntyre says. “No other horse would have sur- vived that.”


McIntyre should know. She breeds horses on her farm and raised Feather from a foal. The mare has always been strong, kind and percep- tive. That’s why McIntyre didn’t think twice about plung- ing into the pond as well, standing with Feather in the icy January water for an hour helping keep her head above water. She wouldn’t give up on the horse because Feather never gave up on her.


McIntyre was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago and the first thing she did was turn to Feather. She sad- dled up and went on a three hour trail ride with a mare described as caring, loving and in-tune with her human friends.


McIntyre and a few friends set up the Feather Foundation to try and offset some of the costs the horse’s recovery was mounting up. The drawing they decided on to represent the foundation was a horseshoe with a feather, coloured pink for breast can- cer, and symbolizing the conti- nuity between Feather’s strug- gle and McIntyre’s own. They raised around $2,000, but this amount only went so far.


horse know they are there’. Spurs are a good exam- ple. To me, they really are to increase the effective- ness of your communication.


I’m reminded of an article I read by Stacey Westfall where she explains matter-of-factly the pur- pose of spurs. Namely: 1) Nothing more than a moti- vator and 2) they will not fix your problems. In the next 2 articles I will give my opinion on why a rider needs to use spurs, when to use spurs and when not to use spurs so as not to cause problems in your horse.


“Putting my spin on things.”


About the Author: Susan Dahl is a certified profes- sional horse trainer, NCCP coaching theory certi- fied, writer, competitor, clinician and owner/operator of Foundation Reining Training Centre, where she specializes in natural horsemanship & body control foundation reining training for horse & rider. She has trained & won numerous ORHA, NRHA, & Rein- ing Canada Top 10 awards. For more information on her very innovative & fun approach to training, clinics, lessons, or coaching, please visit her website www.reinersuehorsemanship.com.


North River Riders Club News


Orillia, Ontario www.northriverriders.ca


After a well attended “Meet and Greet Membership Drive” and a fun day of snow sculpting at the Orillia Winter Carnival, the North River Riders are saddling up for another busy season.


Beyond the initial medical bills, there were other needs to be met as well. Near constant monitoring of her body tem- perature (which took three months to regulate and which McIntyre suspects still isn’t completely normal) and a close eye on her heart rate (which fluctuated for weeks after the incident) as well as massage therapists, coolers and creams for her badly cut


up legs left the McIntyre’s with over $6, 000 shelled out. “There were costs people wouldn’t immediately think about,” McIntyre says. “Feath- er had sweats all day, every day for a while after. We had to buy more blankets because we had to change them so often.”


Although Feather is out of the immediate danger zone, she continues to have her hooves monitored and treated preventatively since trauma in horses tends to manifest in foot problems. McIntyre kept her in the front pad- dock through the summer months because Feather refused to go near the pond. McIntyre has taken some of her horse’s caution to heart.


ponds on the proper- ty and this has never happened before,” McIntyre says. “But this year I kept all horses totally away.” Despite having spent


“I have five


so much money rehabilitating Feather, McIntyre wouldn’t have done a thing differently. “These horses are like my family,” she says, gesturing to the framed pictures and draw- ings of horses, past and pre- sent, which line the walls of her home. “You don’t make money in this business. You do it for love.”


A year later, Feather is proof at how much of a differ- ence that love can make. Other than keeping an eye on her hooves and limiting her pad- dock time through this winter, the mare is back to normal mentally as well as physically. She’s back to being ridden and is back to bossing around her herd. Perhaps most important- ly, her sweet personality remains in tact, down to giving McIntyre a kiss on command. “This is a big celebration for us,” McIntyre says. “After ten years being cancer free, I no longer have to stress over annual tests. And Feather made it through her first winter after the accident, and she’s fine. We both came through it.”


The volunteer-based, all-ages club sponsors horse shows, fundraisers, trail rides, educational clinics and social events. For something off the beaten track, they encourage you to try your hoof at “drill” or square dancing on horse back. For more informa- tion contact Evan Powell (trick- horse@hotmail.com).


The club’s horse shows are being held at ODAS Park, on Fair- grounds Road just off Highway 12, west of Orillia. Shows are on the following Sundays: May 9, June 13, July 11, Aug. 8 and Oct. 3. All disciplines start at 9 a.m. and entry booths should be open by 8 a.m. Volunteer opportunities are available. Contact the presi- dent of the North River Riders, Meghan Hudak (mahudak@dal.ca).


Team Tournament in Paris, Ontario this summer. Open to all who participate at North River Riders shows, youth advisor Sarah Lloyd (s.w.lloyd@sympatico.ca) can be contacted for more infor- mation.


The North River Riders are proud to be associated with the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA). They are co-hosting the 25th annual Ride-a-Thon for Dia- betes on Sunday June 6th. For more information contact found- ing member and NRR club exec Barb Clare-Powell (orjoann.war- ren@diabetes.ca).


The club is always looking for places to ride and people to volunteer as helpers. Overnight rides within Ontario are being planned for this year. If you have any ideas or want to get involved, contact Barb.


Brandie O’brien has put together a program for people of all ages and riding abilities in the new English ring. To find out more, contact Brandie (brandie@rockytopfarm.ca). In the Western ring, under the direction of Meghan, there are many classes for the stock seat enthusiast. An addition to this year’s lineup is a gaited horse pleasure class.


North River Riders is also looking for sponsors. Alanna Jelley, spon- sorship chair person, has a number of sponsorship packages. Contact her (alanna_jelley@hotmail.ca) or Faye Rose (faye@roselane.ca) for more information.


The club can be joined at any event, but it’s a good idea to con- tact membership secretary Deb Puddister (quarterhorsenut@yahoo.ca) for your card and membership number in advance.


The Walters family has orga- nized speed events for all levels of ability and ages. You can find out more by contacting Greg, Kelly or Taylor (waltersfamily@amtele- com.net).


A team of youth riders is being sent to the Ontario Youth


If you have any club (or rele- vant) events you’d like to see pub- lished, or if you’d like more infor- mation regarding the club, e-mail Faye Rose (faye@roselane.ca). North River Riders Horse Club believes the horse world is a small one, and once you’re in you’re a member for life.


Check out the club’s Face- book page - North River Riders or North River Riders Horse Club. Happy Trails, Ride on....


“With animals it’s a dif-


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