30/ DECEMBER 2018 THE RIDER


6 Reasons Why You Should Pull On Your Winter Woolies And RIDE


snowfall out here in our neck o’ the woods, and it got me thinking about the winter sea- son that’s looming ahead of us in the north end of the Ameri- cas.


clothes will be bulky, and the temperatures will drop, the winter can be a great time of rest, renewal and growth for you and your horse. I’m here to tell you to get your thick breeches on, put on the two extra jackets, grab your hat and head to the barn anyway! Here’s why.


While it’s true that your


1. You don’t get nearly as hot.


too, as long as it isn’t too cold (in which case, the lungs could be irritated, so better not to ride on those days). There is nothing better than a little


mers we’ve been getting, it’s such a relief to get to ride in cooler temperatures. The extra layers you put on when you first get to the barn will likely get dropped onto a jump stan- dard (hopefully not onto the sand) and you’ll end up riding in a couple of the lighter lay- ers you’ve worn underneath. Your horse will benefit


After the hot, hot sum-


By Kathy Farrokhzad Well, we just had our first


exercise to warm up the mus- cles, get the heart and lungs working, pound the feet on the ground for some circulation in the legs, and do the walk/trot/canter that they can’t do most of the time in turn-out because of poor footing.


heartfelt snorts, feel the spring in his steps, and ride along with all that positive energy!


is nothing to worry about if you have access to a comfy cozy indoor arena. It’s a spe- cial kind of contentment when you can walk into the barn and leave the snow-covered winter wonderland behind long enough to prance, dance and frolic (and ride!) on delight- fully clear sand footing on those days when there’s no chance for real movement oth-


3. Cozy indoors and good footing. Inclement winter weather


bonus of being able to stay on a fairly regular riding sched- ule despite weather changes - something that helps keep both you and your horse phys- ically and mentally fit over the long winter months.


erwise. Plus there’s the added


many layers on and head out into the bright sunshine-y winter day and revel in deep snow, and white, open fields. Watch your horse’s breath as it lingers visibly in the fresh


4.Gorgeous outdoors, clear white snow, brisk get-yer- circulation-going wintry air. Or better yet, keep those


the horses are happy to move! These are the days when you can really work on your - and your horse’s - conditioning, do longer trots and canters with- out the accompanying foam and soaking wet saddle pads of the summer. Listen to your horse’s


2. Bouncy bouncy energetic horses. What great fun it is when


air. Thrill in the crunchy snow underfoot and the eye-water- ing wind that stings your cheeks but makes you feel so alive. Make it even better and go with a friend!


tempo changes, changes in circle sizes - and you’ll find that you might end up doing more over the winter months than you did in the summer.


6. Even when it’s cold, you know you’ll warm up any- way!


of riding in the winter. The cold becomes less of an obsta- cle because you get to move - even if you do ground work with your horse, even while grooming and tacking up, and especially if you ride. It’s all


And this is the best part


work?” Not the kind that you hate to do. This kind of home- work is the stuff that great rid- ing is built on. The winter season is by far the best time to hunker down, stay at home, and work toward achieving those goals that you kind of glossed over during the sum- mer. Get nit-picky and im- prove step by step. Add some laterals, some


5. Plenty of Time for some delightful “homework” Did anyone say, “home-


times there’s nothing better than taking time away from riding, or away from the barn altogether (that is, if you aren’t the one feeding-and- cleaning-and-turning-in-and- out).


exercise and you will warm up as you go along. On the other hand, some-


cold weather, and other times it might be the holidays or special winter events that keep you away from the barn. But the winter gives you space to breathe and time to slow down and take it easy without feel- ing like you HAD to make it for that next ride. And you will be ener-


winter, full of horsin’ around, to come!


It could be the intensely


gized and enthusiastic the next time you go out. Here’s to a wonderful


Sessions. Get riding from day 1! If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at HorseListening.com for many more articles about horses, riding and life in general.


program: Fire Safety Site Visit Painless Procedure to Prevent Future Panic


Guelph, ON November 6, 2018 - No one sees the hidden haz- ards in your horse barn quite like an expert. One simple call to your local fire department for a site walk through may be the best investment you make to protect your herd. As advocates of prevention, featuring the Barn Fire Prevention Tool as Equine Guelph’s Tool of the Month for November, Equine Guelph and tool sponsor, Heartland Farm Mutual set out to discover the benefits of mak- ing that call. After picking up the phone


and speaking with Assistant Fire Chief, Jason Benn of the North Perth Fire Department in Ontario, it became crystal clear that having your local depart- ment out for a site visit is not only painless but the best way to create a solid pre-plan. Benn dispelled some of the fears callers have that a visit will re- sult in huge costs involving in- fractions and enforcement. “We are there to give friendly sug- gestions,” says Benn, who has


conducted many walk-throughs for local farms, boarding sta- bles and such. “Information collected is kept private for fire service emergencies only.” Benn goes on to explain


how useful the information in a Pre-plan is in the event of an emergency. A Pre-plan includes mapping out the location of where all animals are being housed, as well as the location of all emergency utility shut- offs, and identifying all build- ings on the property and sources of water available, should firefighters require ac- cess to it. Pre-plans should be stored in a neutral location on site, such as the side of the house or a drive shed. Some of the most common


topics discussed are to do with housekeeping and electrical. “Taking down curtains of cob- webs, properly storing piles of combustibles and putting elec- trical in conduit are all easy steps to improve fire safety,” says Benn. Having a no smok- ing policy in the barn is of


course crucial. With so many combustibles in a barn (hay, dust, bedding), taking an atti- tude that “it won’t happen to me” is like playing Russian roulette. Where the horse owner


may see a stack of neatly piled hay and a cozy tack room with a heater plugged in keeping the saddles free of mould, the fire fighter quickly spots all of your ignition sources and fuel sources and can make recom- mendations to reduce these risks. Storage implements, trac- tors and such should be stored in a separate building from hay and bedding. Fertilizer stored by hay could also cause a cata- strophic event. Separation to al- leviate fuel and ignition sources is a best practice when it comes to barn fire prevention. There are also seasonal


considerations that can increase a risk of fire. During cold months: heating/electrical sys- tems can be taxed when drink- ing water freezes then thaws. Water buckets that are allowed


to run dry can leave elements exposed causing bedding or other combustible material to ignite. Attempting to thaw pipes with a torch is a huge haz- ard. Heat trace lines provide a solution to pipes that would otherwise freeze. During harvest times im-


proper storage of crops contain- ing too much moisture can cause spontaneous combustion. Prior to storing hay a moisture check is important. Benn also has recommen-


dations for prior to building, “It is a good idea to have someone from the fire department come in during the planning stages to look at building plan. Depend- ing on the size of the facility we have requested water to be on site and helped calculate how much. We can also advise on lane widths, turn arounds, av- enues to get around buildings and so on.” Among the many interac-


tive activities on the Equine Guelph Barn Fire Prevention Tool, there is a great quick ref-


erence sheet on the seven prin- ciples of life safety and barn de- sign and a top 10 checklist for inside and outside the stable. “Equine Guelph’s Barn


Fire Prevention Tool is a prac- tical way to promote education and awareness of farm safety“, says Jim Zyta, Vice President Loss Prevention/ Risk Assess- ment Specialist at Heartland Farm Mutual. “In the farm in- surance industry, we have seen first-hand the many causes of barn fires and their devastating effects. Losses from such events are not only physical and financial, but can be very emotional for the horse owner. In many cases, the tragedy is realizing that the fire could have easily been prevented. We encourage all farm owners to use this simple checklist to identify the potential hazards in their own barn and help keep it a safe environment.“


“The big thing that was instilled in me since childhood, is to in- vest in your investment,” says


Benn. If you look after it and it will look after you.” So don’t put off making that call for tips and a site visit from your local fire department and do make use of the great resources out there on fire safety from On- tario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Equine Guelph’s interactive Barn Fire Prevention online tool.


About Equine Guelph: Equine Guelph is the horse


owners’ and care givers’ Centre at the University of Guelph in Canada. It is a unique partner- ship dedicated to the health and well-being of horses, supported and overseen by equine indus- try groups. Equine Guelph is the epicentre for academia, in- dustry and government - for the good of the equine industry as a whole. For further informa- tion,


visit


www.equineguelph.ca. Story by: Jackie Bellamy-Zions


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and author of the Horse Listening book collec- tion, and Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Work- book. Check out her new on- line


Practice


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