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THE HORSE GAZETTE training improving the canter Training without force


By Mary Rose, FBHS © 2011 Once your horse under-


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stands that you want a “change of gear” when you ask for the canter out of the trot and is fairly reliable in striking off when asked you will want to spend some time develop- ing and improving the quality of the canter. Some horses find it quite hard to establish their bal- ance in the canter - particularly to their weaker side - so at first don’t expect him to maintain it for very long.


ercises to confirm the strike off, improve the balance, and also en- sure an understanding in the horse about striking off on a given lead, is the large figure of eight. Trot a large circle right and then as you cross the centerline of your arena, ask your horse to canter left lead on a large circle left. When you return to the starting point transition to trot and repeat the exercise, or trot the circle left and on return- ing to the center, canter right lead and continue on the right circle. This exercise lets you practice several transitions trot to canter, avoids rushing (most horses will find the circles less exciting than


treatment for a cough? ask the vet


There is a significant lapse in the time between when these questions are sent in and when the answers appear in the Gazette newspaper and online. If you feel your horse needs to be seen by a veterinarian do not wait for a response. Call a reputable equine veterinarian in your area and let him/her examine the horse! You can contact Retama Equine Hospital at 210-651-6375 for your large & small animal needs.


has developed a cough. He has no other symptoms. Is there anything I can do treat him prior to calling in a vet? My pocket book is tight as a drum right now so I need to spend every penny judiciously! Thanks for any help you can give me! – Meredith, submitted via www.horsegazette.com


mend a veterinarian examine your horse and perform appropriate di- agnostics to evaluate his condition and determine a treatment regime. Most likely there will not be a sole “home remedy” to cure your horse’s cough. A few things you can try at home before consulting a veterinarian all have to do with environmental changes. Many allergens and dust within your horse’s environment can cause difficulty breathing and a cough. First is switching from


Dear Meredith, As always, we recom-


My 11-year-old horse


more turn out time in a small paddock or pasture can decrease exposure time to the allergens that may be affecting your horse. If your horse must be stalled, changing the type of shavings in the stall may also help.


of hay throughout the day, you can try wetting the hay. This helps cut down on the amount of dust and allergens the horse inhales while eating the hay. If your horse is stalled,


eating in this manner the horse is inhaling all of the dust and allergens contained within the hay. If you are feeding flakes


knot gets bigger. One vet said it was the saddle, so I bought a new saddle and it still does it. Nobody has been on her in about 2 months and the knot is smaller. - Cynthia Smith, submitted via www.hor- segazette.com.


horse to his veterinarian for a thorough exam is the best option, but these environmental changes are simple things you can try at home before or in addition to your veterinarian’s recommendations. - Retama Equine Hospital


round bales to square bales. Some horses given round bales will eat through to the center of the bale, thus encompassing their heads entirely within the hay. While


has a knot on her back where the saddle blanket ends. I’ve had her to 3 different vets and the one I just recently went to said it was scarred tissue. Every time you ride her the


I have a horse that Again, taking your


your horse and not having a true di- agnosis of what is causing this knot to form on her back, it is difficult to come up with a plan of action for you. The knot does seem to be associated with increased activity or the fit of the saddle, or both. My best recommendation would be to have your mare evaluated by a veterinarian who specializes in sports medicine. This veterinarian will be able to examine your horse and decide what diagnostics will be appropriate to determine the cause of the knot. Diagnostics that may be chosen include radiographs, ultrasound, and/or nuclear scin- tigraphy. Once these diagnostics have been performed an appropri- ate treatment plan can be formed. - Retama Equine Hospital


happenings #3 Alejandro ACT and Deirdre R. Malburg


horse


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Dear Cynthia, Without evaluating


One of the best ex-


confident about cantering on the large circles, ask for the transition to trot about half way along the long side. Take care to maintain the impulsion especially in your downward transitions. To develop balance and ultimately some collection in the canter ask for a few steps of half pass at the beginning of the long side - not much more than to the quarter line. Half pass in canter is very easy for the horse, move both hands slightly in the direction of the half pass and keep your weight to the inside seat bone. Some horses will speed up the first time or two you try this but they will quickly settle down and will jump a little more in each canter stride. Another helpful exer-


straight lines) and helps the horse to understand more about how to balance himself. Once your horse is


cise is to spiral in on the circle. This is quite hard until the horse develops some understanding of collection so start by moving from a 20m circle into just an 18m or 15m. As you feel your horse gain confidence and balance you can try


a 10m circle. Feel when your horse is about to break and enlarge the circle quickly.


away from the track and up and down the center line in the canter just as you would in the trot. If the turn from the long side to center line is too difficult at first enlarge it and proceed up the three-quarter line instead. If at all possible take


Don’t neglect working


your horse outside on trails and if you have a track with safe footing, heading away from home, and perhaps a little uphill, canter your young horse there. It doesn’t have to be a long canter and if you are with companions do not all canter together as this may prove too ex- citing but have one horse go ahead and then stop within sight of the others, then the second horse goes, and so on. Make sure the last horse to go is a steady and experienced mount as a young horse might get nervous thinking his companions


were leaving.


at 512-589-3796 or 512-894- 4536 or visit: www.maryrose- dressage.com.


You can contact Mary


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