NOVEMBER 2023 THE RIDER /29


7 Ways To Listen To Your Horse


By Kathy Farrokhzad. Listening to your horse is such an important


part of riding and horse ownership. In fact, the rider who is ignorant of the messages her horse sends is missing out on sometimes vital informa- tion. Knowing how to understand and correctly in- terpret the signs and behaviors of your horse allows you to know when something is off. The feedback you get from your horse can inform everything from general health care to training and condition- ing programs, to your horse’s mental well-being. How can you learn to listen effectively, in a


way that positively affects your horse? Here are some ideas.


1. Body Condition When you become familiar with the way your


horse looks, you will notice very small changes in your horse’s body condition - even from one day to another. Does your horse’s body look a little lean? Maybe it’s time to increase hay or grain just a bit. Is your horse a bit roly-poly? Cut back! How about when you notice super tight muscles? Maybe you’ll be in for a bit of a wilder ride that day! Is the horse tucked in the flank area? That can be a warning for gut problems or some sort of discom- fort. Consistently evaluate your horse’s body con- dition to identify how he feels and what he needs - on a daily basis.


2. Herd Dynamics Take a few minutes when you go to catch


your horse, or alternately, when you turn him back out into the herd. How does he interact with his herd mates? Does he have any favorite pals that he spends time with regularly? How does he negotiate his way around the herd hierarchy? Once you know what “normal” is, you will be able to tell when something just doesn’t seem right. If your horse is usually a member of the crowd, find-


ing him all alone at the back of the field might in- dicate that something is just not right.


3. Weather Conditions Does your horse turn on his “inner stallion”


when the temperature drops 20 degrees overnight? When you head to the barn, do you notice those ample topline muscles dissolved overnight thanks to the chill in the air? Then today might be the day that you should


lunge him before you ride! (Trust me - I have the T-short on this one!) Or conversely, what happens to your horse with a 20-degree increase? Does he want to have nothing to do with exercise while he’s sweating just standing still? Maybe this is the day you hose him off after a shorter ride and leave him inside during the highest heat of the day.


4. Distractibility Some days, your horse might want to do


more “TV watching” than ride. Rather than re- spond to your aids, he’s looking left/right/straight - focussing attention everywhere except where you want it! In this case, you might need to change your riding plans. Do more “pop quizzes” and be more active in your own riding. Insist on more sup- pleness. Slow down his leg speed if he is running. Do something different to challenge him and get his attention.


5. Body Language Horses rely mainly on body language to com-


municate with each other. The signals are fairly consistent among all horses, so if you can learn to understand the behaviors, you will know exactly where you stand in your mini herd of two. For example, if you approach your horse and


he turns his head away, you know that he isn’t completely comfortable with your approach. When you notice him getting out of your space, step back and invite him back.


Given enough repe-


gelding was running around in the field yesterday and is muscle sore now. Or maybe your mare is in heat and not able to move as well as usual. Regard- less of the reason, there is no need to push a horse that you know would normally be forward moving and willing. Always consider unusual discomfort as a sign to investigate the horse’s physical (or mental) needs.


7. Eating Habits What are your horse’s normal eating pat-


terns? Does he wolf his feed down, or does he pick daintily at each and every oat kernel? It is impor- tant for you to know these things, because a change in eating behavior is a huge indicator of other im- pending problems. When you notice something ab- normal, be ready to analyze everything from the feed itself to the horse’s physical health and mental well-being. Narrow it down by starting with the most obvious first. These signs are only a few ways that you can


tition and time, your horse will learn first, that you have no aggressive intentions when you walk up to him, and second, that he can step into your per- sonal space. This fairly simple exchange develops your horse’s trust in you.


6. While Riding After you ride the same horse for a while, you


get to know how he feels under regular conditions. So if one day you get on, and all you get is tail swishes or reluctance to move forward, you know this is a sign that he isn’t quite right. Maybe your


learn to “listen” to your horse. The more time you can invest into getting to know your horse, and the more you can educate yourself about riding, horse health and body language, the more you will be able to almost literally understand about your horse. The concept of “horse listening” begins with the human. If we can improve our own knowledge and behavior, we will invariably be able to support our horses so they can be happy, healthy, and active well into their old age.


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is a licensed EC coach and author of the Horse Listening book collection, Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Workbook, and the creator of the Practice Sessions online program. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at HorseListening.com for many more articles about horses, riding and life in gen- eral!


November Fire Prevention Education Month at Equine Guelph New Barn Fire


Prevention Resource - Inspecting Extinguishers


Guelph, ON Nov. 1, 2023 - When is the last


time you checked your fire extinguisher? Find out important maintenance information in a new video posted on TheHorsePortal.ca/ FirePreventionTool. Learn about this and more barn fire safety practices throughout November as part of Equine Guelph’s Fire Prevention Education Month. The new feature video in the free Fire Preven-


tion tool explains how to inspect and maintain portable fire extinguishers and when to replace them. Do you know how often they should be checked? A – Annually B – Monthly C – Four times a year Find out from firefighter, Robert Nagle, in the video posted on TheHorsePortal.ca/FirePreven- tionTool Check out the top three causes of barn fire,


then download handy barn information sheets like the top 10 checklist for barn fire safety at The- HorsePortal.ca/FirePreventionTool. Ever have a fire prevention officer look at


your farm set up? They will see it differently, with their educated lens for finding combustible mate- rials and ignition sources. Sign up for Equine Guelph’s upcoming short


online course, Fire and Emergency Preparedness, running November 13 – 20, 2023 and you too can find out what to look for in order to decrease risks. Emergency preparedness will also be a focus, including identifying potential emergency threats


in your region and developing a disaster plan. For example: Who would you call if a wildfire was ap- proaching your property? Do you have an evacua- tion plan with contacts nearby and further away should the emergency dictate that need? Waiting until disaster is at your door does not bode well. For high-pressure situations, you already want a plan in place. “Forward planning for emergencies, includ-


ing site preparation and maintenance, is the best way to prevent major situations and to ensure rapid response by emergency personnel,” says Ryan Dick, Health & Safety Consultant with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services. “Plan a fire route and keep the area immediately surrounding build- ings free of obstructions like tractors, implements, wagons and equipment so emergency vehicles can position themselves in the right spot from the out- set. And make sure you communicate the fire plan and route to all workers.” “It’s important to keep the farm lane open and


in good condition, with a solid base foundation that will carry fully loaded fire equipment,” he adds. “Ensuring your civic address sign is in good con- dition and easily visible from the road can make the difference between damage and destruction.” Past students agree and attest to the impor-


tance of learning emergency preparedness. “This course was eye-opening and very in-


formative. I learned about the realities of barn fire detection and response, and the importance of doing due diligence in planning and prevention. The best way to deal with a barn fire is to prevent it from occurring in the first place, and this course provides a wealth of information that will help you


to accomplish the goal of a fire-safe facility. Every horse owner can do something to make their horse’s space safer. Every horse owner/enthusiast can benefit from the information in this course.” Cathy Vogelweid, DVM (Columbia, Missouri, USA) Student – Fire & Emergency Preparedness “Equine Guelph’s Fire & Emergency Pre-


paredness course was even more helpful and inter- esting than I thought it would be! In a week, I learned so much from experts in and out of the horse community, and would definitely recom- mend it to anybody who owns or cares for horses.” Kathryn G. – Horse Owner and Groom (Chris Delia Stables, Mohawk Racetrack) Student – Fire & Emergency Preparedness “My participation in the Fire & Emergency


Preparedness course helped me see my facility in a new light. Our assignment was to evaluate our barn. I realized that every night I closed my barn I literally was locking my horses in with only one way out. I retrofitted all doors so that latches could be released from both inside and outside of my barn. As a result of my participation, I have also opened a dialogue for the equine community with the local fire department. Game changer!” Nancy Chamberlain, Owner (Peculiar, MO, USA) Student – Fire & Emergency Preparedness Course instructor, Dr. Susan Raymond will


share practical ways horse owners can lower risks in their barns while guiding the class to develop their individual disaster plans. “We expect the dis- cussion boards to be very lively with both Rebecca Husted and Mike King joining us,” says Dr. Ray- mond.


Dr. Rebecca Gimenez-Husted will return as


co-instructor to shed light on burning questions. Husted is an international expert in the areas of Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, fire prevention and emergency preparedness. A past lo- gistics officer for the Federal Emergency Manage- ment Agency’s (agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security) Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT -2), decorated combat veteran and a major in the United States Army Reserves, she is active in various organiza- tions related to disaster preparedness. Equine industry leader, Mike King from


Acera Insurance will be a guest expert to help stu- dents talk about insurance issues for business sus- tainability. He will be fielding questions regarding insurance issues that many are currently facing and discussing potentially unforeseen challenges that may crop up in the future. Make prevention a priority and register today


for the one week online course, Fire and Emer- gency Preparedness, scheduled to begin November 13, 2023. Take the first step today by investing five


minutes to complete the FREE questionnaire at TheHorsePortal.ca/FirePreventionTool to find out if your barn passes a 10-category risk assessment. Thanks to Equine Guelph’s generous safety


education supporter, Workplace Safety & Preven- tion Services, these online resources in barn fire prevention have been made possible. Story by: Jackie Bellamy-Zions, Equine Guelph communications


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