THE HORSE GAZETTE health


The Way of horseS strive for it.


frequently by horse owners, trainers, farriers, veterinarians, nutritionists and holistic practitioners.


definitions for “balance”: equal distribution of weight, mental/ emotional stability, the ability to maintain equilibrium (not fall over) and to equalize (as in credits and debits). A closer look shows


how important balance is to the horse.


about balance and the horse, the first thing that comes to mind is probably related to conformation. A well balanced horse should not appear heavier in the forehand than in the hindquarters (or vise versa).


When you think There are several


Balance – we all It’s a word used


It’s an equine balancing act!


He should also have a similar distance in the girth as from the underline to the ground. In the online course, “Conformation and Selection for Performance” (www.horsecoursesonline. com), instructor Don Blazer explains a balanced horse is not only pleasing to the eye, but also enables him to perform efficiently and decreases chances of injury. We’ve all heard the


old adage “No foot, no horse”. “A balanced hoof


has both the shape and strength to support the horse while providing the basis for optimum (efficiency of) movement. Faulty foot balance precludes optimum movement and directly contributes to bone- chip fractures, a navicular condition, shortened strides, bad backs and sore muscles.”


(Taken from the online course “Bits, Saddle Fitting and Hoof Balance”)


standing on balanced hooves is a beautiful picture. Now that we have our


A balanced horse


balanced horse, we’re going to put weight on his back and throw the whole thing off. I weigh 105 pounds


on a good day; my saddle weighs 35 pounds everyday. So that’s 140 pounds sitting on the back of this moving and very reactive creature.


well made (balanced) it could create a sore back. A proper fitting saddle is a must – don’t try to fix it by buying expensive pads; get a saddle that fits the horse.


If my saddle is not By Eleanor Blazer © 2013


Betty Lindquist explains the difference between static balance and dynamic balance. Static is when the horse is standing still and dynamic is when he is moving. The center of balance changes depending on the gait (movement) and collection. Collection is when the horse frames himself to balance the weight he is carrying—a race horse is collected (balanced) with the jockey forward, while a cutting horse is collected with the rider back.


“Equine Massage”, instructor In the online course


difficulty with her own balance makes it very difficult for the horse to maintain balance. Many horses are blamed for poor movement or an inability to perform correctly when it is actually the unbalanced rider sending conflicting cues through improper body position that is the problem. The horse doesn’t stand a chance. To maintain our


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balanced horse we need to have a balanced nutritional program. The equine digestive


system is very fragile. It is designed to eat forage. But the forage may not be supporting nutritional requirements. This inadequacy may be due to poor


By Anne Van Dyke © 2013 the search for softness The Brave Horse


relationship with my horse. Or so it would seem and/or so I felt. We’d spent many hours together training, trail riding, at clinics, playing and just hanging out. She will do lots of really cool things, tricks, liberty work (a lifelong dream) and is really great on obstacles. And some- times she even chooses to hang with me rather than another horse. Way cool. Yet, I felt something was missing. A feeling of restless-


ness had been coming over me for the past 4-6 months and at first I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Something was lacking. Yes, she did all these really neat things, but I felt she really wasn’t participating, but more just going through the motions. She certainly didn’t seem to be enjoying it. I wanted her to be more natural; maybe not quite so “perfect” and con- trolled.


instead, a partner. There had to be a better way to communi- cate and to have a really great relationship with my horse; not just a good one.


know exactly what I’m talking about. Many horses become so automatic that they just go through the steps with a blank look on their face. No interest. Bored, lifeless, not engaged. Sylvia Zernini refers to “pat- terning”, where they go into automatic pilot, so to speak. I’ve seen it a lot with Western Pleasure horses that are drilled


Some of you will I have a pretty good


and drilled in mindless rail work. Don’t get me wrong,


I want a respectful horse, of course. An obedient horse, of course. A safe horse, of course. A horse that “blindly” goes where pointed on auto-pilot, though, is not the safest horse. To be safe, a horse needs to be aware of its surroundings, where it puts its feet, what’s going on around.


Not a machine; but


feel like I am forcing my horse to comply. I want to have her comply willingly; as a partner. Offer willingly. Be more nat- ural. But how can I get her to willingly do something that by nature is NOT part of her being a horse? For example, horses, by nature are very lazy. I want her to look to me as a trusted lead- er; but still feel like she can be herself. I even began to wonder what leadership really is that we hear so much about. Leadership isn’t


about ruling over your horse. Even in the natural herd, a bully is not usually the leader that the herd will follow.


the manmade herds that a bully might become the “leader”. Leadership is about offering protection. It’s about trust, clear communication, respect as well as harmony and fairness. Am I fair with my horse?


hours searching the internet, reading books, website articles, watching videos on DVD and YouTube and talking with lots and lots of people. There are many out there; some known,


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I have spent countless It’s only in But I don’t want to


some not so well known, that have little pearls of wisdom that stand out for me. I found I was following these little morsels like a bread crumb trail. One led to another to another and the picture is beginning to take shape. There really is a better way; softer way. There is a way to engage them mentally without defeating the very nature of the horse that we all love so well.


oncile that with the horse that is over bearing, aggressive, even dangerous? What if your horse is pushy and disrespect- ful? What if it rears, bites, kicks or acts in any manner that might cause personal harm or is dangerous. Our safety must always come first, always. With some horses, a firm hand is necessary. But it is not always necessary to pound and jerk on our horses. Yet where do you draw that line? More next month...


But how do you rec-


At Brave Horse Center safety is one of our key focuses. We have 6-8 clinics annually on building confidence and approaching obstacles. We start horses under saddle or in harness and we will work with horses that need a tune up or have other problems. We give lessons on ground work, under saddle and driving; private or group. We have hors- es for lease and for sale. Plus we board horses; come for a day, a week, a month or forever. For more information please call Noah Tillman-Young at 830 491-8894.


A rider who has


quality or not enough being fed. The safest way


to make up for nutritional deficiencies is to feed better quality forage in the amount the horse needs. But this is not always possible. This is where


supplements and “grain” can be beneficial. A supplement should


be designed for the horse based on forage quality and quantity, age, activity level and health. You would not feed a product designed for a mature pasture pet to a high-performing young futurity contender. To provide a balanced


and healthy functioning) requirements. This is important for both the horse and you. Horses are herd


animals and like company. Achieving balance between allowing the horse to be “a horse” and still reaching your goal in the show pen, on the trail, the track or in the arena requires effort. Turn-out time and a day off can work wonders for the equine mind. You may also need to


achieve balance between horse and non-horse activities.


diet read the product labels, follow the feeding instructions, weigh the feed (don’t feed by the “scoop”) and consult a nutritional expert if there are questions.


diet should always be based on forage. Never feed more grain than forage; feed small, frequent meals, make all feed changes gradually, provide free choice white salt and always have fresh clean water available.


act is one of mental and physiological (related to normal


training The next balancing The balanced equine


down the sweeper, say “no” to the offered overtime, send the kids to grandma’s and go spend time with your horse. It ’s the best


“balancing act.”


about caring for and feeding horses take the online courses “Stable Management” and “Nutrition for Performance Horses” taught by Eleanor Blazer. Earn certification or work toward a Bachelor of


equine studies. Go to www. horsecoursesonline.com for more information. Visit Eleanor’s web site at www. thewayofhorses.com


Sci ence degre e i n * For information Put


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