Indholdsfortegnelse for Practical Horseman Extra Volume 7 i Practical Horseman

Trust is the basis of the most successful work trainers and riders do. When it comes to starting young horses, there are countless methods, but the best of them always gain the horse’s trust from the beginning. Then throughout his training, the horse must never be put in a position where he feels threatened or vulnerable. He should never feel that there is no way out. Because of my small size—I’m only 5 feet—I need to be able to communicate with my horses in this relaxed, trusting way. Some of the horses who came our way at Peggy and Parry Thomas’ River Grove Farm, in Sun Valley, Idaho, where I had trained horses for nearly 40 years, had already been started and may never have experienced the kind of communication…

Age is just a number and simply because your horse turns 15, 20 or even 25, doesn’t automatically mean he’s old. Instead of relying on the calendar, watch for these telltale signs that indicate it’s time to start thinking of and treating your horse as a senior citizen. Graying hair, particularly around the eyes and muzzle Deepening hollows above the eyes  Slackening or drooping of the lower lip Elongation of incisors Difficulty eating  Weight loss (or, less commonly, weight gain) Poor coat condition and/or delayed shedding Loss of muscle tone, particularly over the topline Loss of ligament and tendon strength, which could lead to lower, more sloping pasterns  General stiffness and reduced overall flexibility Reduced energy level…

Both mares and stallions can remain reproductively sound well into their senior years—with some caveats. For instance, mare fertility typically starts to decline around age 15 and decreases with every passing year. Older maiden mares, in particular, will be harder to get in foal. In general, you may need to breed your mare during more heat cycles to get a confirmed pregnancy. Pregnancy loss also increases with age.  For stallions, arthritis that prevents them from mounting a mare (or a breeding dummy) is a top factor limiting longevity in the breeding shed. However, semen production can also fall off with age. Owners of senior stallions will probably need to begin limiting their books, particularly for live covers. If you’re thinking of breeding an older horse, be sure to have your…

At Peggy and Parry Thomas’ River Grove in Sun Valley, Idaho, we had a wonderful cowboy who worked the horses in a quiet way. First, he walked the babies around on the ground in a snaffle bridle and got them used to new things. He led them without pulling on their mouths. Rather, the horses were led mostly from the pressure of the bridle while, at the same time, they were getting used to having a bit in their mouths. A good cowboy will physically hold the horse’s tail and gently turn him from his nose to teach him to follow his tail. It’s similar to carrot stretches but they walk in a circle. Then they quietly change directions. This work teaches the horse to turn in a very quiet, soft…

“I often hear horse owners say, ‘My [senior] horse doesn’t need any more vaccines. He’s had enough in his life,’” says Dr. Kivett. “This is completely wrong!” In fact, she adds, keeping up with a regular vaccination routine is even more important for older horses, who have decreased immune function and decreased immune response to vaccinations. That leaves them more susceptible than younger horses “to the diseases that we vaccinate against, like influenza, West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis,” she says. Some owners also have told her they’re less worried about vaccinating because if their horse gets one of the diseases, they’ll have the horse euthanized. “But dying of eastern equine encephalitis is a horrible way to go for a horse,” cautions Dr. Kivett. “And an emergency call and…

While cancer can strike at any age, and horses are less affected than many other species, the risk does increase with age. “Gray horses are particularly prone to developing melanoma as they age and horses with pink skin (especially of the eyelids, lips and genitals) are prone to squamous cell carcinoma,” says Dr. Kivett.  If you see any “areas of irregular skin or masses, call your veterinarian,” says Dr. Lehfeldt. “One of the benefits to having yearly health exams done by a veterinarian is to ensure these are identified early in the course so they can be treated sooner versus later.” Benign but Serious: Strangulating Lipoma While not cancerous, Drs. Kivett and Lehfeldt note that older horses can be at higher risk for another type of tumor—a condition called a…