Arena Etiquette

Whether you find yourself in a busy indoor in inclement weather or a busy schooling area at a horse show it can be daunting to try to navigate the traffic with other riders and horses. There are tactics you can use to not only survive the crowded ring, but accomplish a positive unflustered ride. 

When riding in company whether at home or at a show it is important to be aware of your surroundings. Recognize which riders might be on a young or fractious horse and know they may not be able to steer or control their horse as well as others and give them some extra space. A red ribbon in a tail means the horse kicks and also needs a wide berth. Always look where you are going and not down at your horse. If you watch where other riders are looking you can tell where they are going to go. 

Your barn may have posted arena rules and you should be aware of them and follow them. Otherwise there are guidelines that all riders should follow:

  • Always be courteous and have a sense of humor. We are all just trying to have a good time with our horse. 

  • Lessons have right of way. The rider taking a lesson is paying for that time in the arena and for the trainer’s time. 

    • Listen to the instructor or trainer for where they are telling the student to go. 

    • Try to go the same direction as the rider in the lesson. 

    • Know what jumps are called. When the trainer says yellow oxer to blue vertical or outside line to end jump; know what that means,  where those jumps are, and don’t be there.

    • Yield the rail if the lesson rider needs or is working on it, i.e. lateral work or a nervous rider trying to canter. 

  • Passing other horses

    • Slower traffic should always stay to the outside so faster traffic can pass to the inside. 

    • DO NOT walk side by side or abreast when there others in the ring. 

    • Riders on a circle or jumping should stay to the inside. 

    • Pass left shoulder to left shoulder just like we do when driving. Not everyone knows this so don’t assume another rider will do this but maybe nicely suggest it. 

    • USE YOUR WORDS - call inside or outside, say passing or circling if it seems another rider is not picking up on where you are going. 

    • Call your  jumps! 

    • Always keep at least 1 horse’s length between you and the horse in front of you. 

    • Allow space when passing side by side and head on. 

    • Don’t ride up behind another horse going fast.

  • Be mindful of more novice riders. We were all there once. 

  • It is always good to practice a downward transition. Don’t be angry if someone accidentally cuts in front of you. Use it as a great opportunity to practice a downward transition. 

  • Aim for the other horse’s hind end not front end. By the time you get there they will be gone. 

  • When in a horse show schooling area never cross the line to  the jumps. Stay near the rail. 

  • If an arena is very crowded everyone should go the same direction. 

  • Always ask others if you can lunge and wait for the ring to be mostly empty. . 

  • If you know your horse is going to be wild, wait for the ring to clear. 

If you follow these practices you should be able to be proactive in handling traffic safely! Happy riding!!

Winter Care Tips for Horses

Winter weather in the northern parts of the world necessitates extra care in horse keeping. In the northern climates you have snow, ice, and freezing or even subzero temperatures often followed by endless mud only to refreeze again. Grass is no longer a component of the horses’ diet. Even when horses get to go outside they are limited in how much energy outlet, movement, and play opportunity they have. 

The footing or ground in winter can be treacherous. If there is a lot of snow where you live you have seen horses come in with huge snowballs in their hoofs. This can put strain on their legs. Snow pads or plain pads might be a good option if your horse is shod. Snow pads are plastic pads that are rounded in the center to prevent snowballs from forming inside your horse's hoof. If you have a lot of ice or slippery conditions you can also add borium to your shoes for traction. There is also an option of going barefoot for the winter. Not all horses can do this. Talk with your farrier and vet at the beginning of winter and see what they suggest for your horse and the conditions where you live and the workload your horse will have. 

Photo Credit: The Horse

When it is super icy there is not much you can do to prevent your horse from slipping. Your best bet to prevent injury is to leave them in until it softens or melts. Speaking of melting, there is mud! During muddy times it is very easy for horses to pull shoes. They also can develop skin conditions from the moisture against their skin. It is not always best to continually wash the mud off as this adds more moisture and if the horse has a full coat and furry legs it doesn’t dry well making the problem worse. When you wash your horses legs make sure you towel dry them and allow them to dry completely. Make sure you are checking for and treating thrush regularly also. 

There is a significant amount of land management needed to handle winter weather and mud to keep turn out areas good year round. Even more so if you try to keep grass. All weather paddocks are a godsend if you have small areas to turn out or not much land. Keeping your horses off the grass in wet or muddy weather is key to maintaining the grass will be there when it is dry. Deep divots or torn up ground is not good when it refreezes. This is normal around the hay, water, or gates. If the paddocks are not large enough for there to be flat areas then those should be closed off when the ground is soft. Also over grazing of grass paddocks in the winter can damage the root system and the grass will have trouble returning well in the spring. The shorter your growing season the more impact there is. 

The most important part of winter care for horses is they need to have shelter available when outside for long periods of time. They need to be able to stay dry or get somewhere dry. They must have hay and water available at all times, especially when outside as the temperatures drop. Water is the hardest thing about winter care. Frozen buckets, troughs and hoses can be a nightmare. Trough heaters and heated buckets can help so much. Make sure you drain hoses well after each use and/or bring them in somewhere warm to prevent them from freezing. You will be carrying some buckets as well. You may need to change their calorie intake in winter. Consider adding alfalfa cubes or chaffe hay to replace the grass they aren’t getting. There are many products out there. 

No matter what climate you live in for the winter, horses grow a thicker coat as daylight hours decline. Different breeds have a tendency to thicker coats as well. Thoroughbreds and other hot blooded breeds typically have lighter coats while draft and cold blooded breeds grow a heavier coat. Then there are ponies. You can lose your hand in the depth of some of their fur!!

Horses are adapted to living outdoors. Horses that live outside and have a natural coat are able to cope with very cold temperatures. They have a unique ability to have their hair stand up to fluff up their coat to trap air and heat near the skin and can even repel wetness. If you have a horse with a full natural coat take care to not put tight or heavy blankets on them as it will push the hair flat and take away this natural insulating factor. 

Many horsemen struggle with the choice to clip or not. Clipping has its advantages. A clipped horse is easier to keep clean, it dries easily and quickly, you can easily discover any wounds or skin stuff happening but also requires more stringent blanketing and management. Natural coats require less blanketing and the coat offers much more natural protection for the horse. If your horse is in enough work in the winter months that they get sweaty you should consider clipping. Again dryness is key. If they can’t dry well before they are exposed to colder temps they should be clipped or not work as much to reduce sweat. There are also many different types of clip you can give your horse. If a full clip won’t work for your horse or stabling situation then consider a form of a trace or blanket clip.

Here is a video on my YouTube channel where I walk through the steps of clipping. Products: Clippers& Blades ( Use code AFL-CXTQ for 5% off!), Clipper Spray, Laser Sheen, Blade Care

It is important to know your horse and if they run hot or cold. One horse may be shivering in a heavy rug and the horse next to him is sweating in a light rug in the same weather. If you have a horse that runs hot you have to be careful how heavy you blanket them. You do not want your horse getting sweaty under the blankets. They will get more chilled as the temps drop and then risk getting sick. Other factors that will affect the blanketing decisions are wind chill, precipitation, sun, night turn out, day turn out, duration of turn out, heated barn, open barn, and of course, coat thickness.

When is it too cold to ride?  My rule of thumb is I don’t train under 25 degrees in the arena. Walking, groundwork and easy work is great.  If they aren’t getting outside they absolutely need to move around. I’m talking about asking the horse to do anything strenuous. In my mind their muscles and soft tissue won’t be able to get warm and loose enough to withstand stress. If under 40 degrees my clipped horses always wear a quarter sheet.

A quick video on how to put on a quarter sheet. Like this quarter sheet? Click here to buy!

A budget friendly hack! You can purchase fleece here.

The final factor that winter impacts is the horses’ energy level. With footing outside uncertain and horses on limited turn out or they go out but don’t or can’t really do much they have all that extra energy to deal with. A horse that is super quiet in warmer weather may suddenly be a dragon. You have to give them safe outlets for all that energy. Some turn out in the indoor or a safe structured lunge before you get on can help them mentally and physically. That doesn't mean to let them rip around and hurt themselves or continually make themselves more fit. It is unfair however to keep them bottled up. Beware of multiple days off and be mindful of keeping work consistent to keep their exuberance under control. When they have multiple days off for whatever reason, start them back slowly. See my blog Horses Need Vacations Too. In your training start to teach your horse how to deal with excess energy in a healthy and safe way and keep their focus on you. 

Stay safe and warm this winter and spring will come eventually! Or go south for the winter!


Caring for your Equine Athlete

Not everyone looks at riding horses as an athletic endeavor. Many horse owners feel their horse, is more of a pet. Especially if they don’t follow competition pursuits. Whether you do light, dressage, take jumping lessons over small jumps, fox hunt or go on long trail rides over terrain or any level of work above that our horses deserve to feel their best. If we are asking our horses to do anything that might break a sweat or breathe hard we are asking them to be athletes at some level. Athletic bodies need care. Think of any athletic team; football, basketball etc. These teams all have care workers on staff!

First and foremost good nutrition is a must. Good quality forage is the most important factor. Supplements also have their place. There are so many out there. I have my horses on an amazing collagen product that helps support them on a cellular level that helps with digestive support, joint, skin and hoof. Digestive support is the most important. Most horses have been found to have ulcer issues. These can cause so many behavioral and health issues.

Also properly fitting tack and good shoeing is a cornerstone of good equine care.

On a daily basis it is imperative to properly warm up your horse and yourself. A short routine of stretches before you mount and/or after you mount can make you feel so much more grounded in the tack. Also a few stretches and a little groundwork for your horse during their grooming routine and before mounting can help them be so much looser. Even 5 minutes of this can help your ride be that much more pleasant.

Walking is the most important part of your ride. You wouldn’t jump out of bed and immediately start running, would you? You can’t ask your horse to either. Doing a 10 - 15 minute walk warm up allows you and your horse to be soft and supple before your work. Walking is where so much training can be obtained. Allow your horse to stretch and get relaxed. Go through lateral work and transitions between halt and walk and even backing. Ask for bending to stretch each side of the horse. Change pace at the walk. Change the length of your frame by engaging the hind into contact and then allowing them to stretch.

Another important facet of the care of the athlete is bodywork. I like the horses to be seen by the bodyworker regularly, every 4 - 6 weeks. Their feedback is invaluable in how the horse is feeling and if there is something going on that I need to adjust my training to accommodate or if I need to have the chiropractor or vet out sooner.

The second line of defense so to speak is chiropractic care. I like the horses to be seen by the chiropractor every or every other month. Chiropractic in conjunction with bodywork can keep the horse's bodies quite healthy and help avoid compensation patterns which will in turn extend the time that vet work may be needed.

There are also many modalities available that can support this care. There is Bemer, Pemf magnawave, Centurion, red light therapy, and Equisage to name a few. If you are able to bring these therapies into your program it can also drastically help the horses stay feeling good. I find every horse responds a little differently to different modalities so it helps to experiment.

Regular vet wellness exams are the final yet most important cog in the athlete’s care wheel. DO NOT wait until your horse is sore or lame to have the vet come out. Very often something can be caught much earlier and addressed before it becomes an injury. Not to say that horses won’t injure themselves in a heartbeat but wear and tear type issues can be helped more easily much earlier. Horses develop compensation patterns. So say they are a little sore in the hocks but enough to notice much then they will dump more of their weight to the front end thus making their coffin joints sore. Or maybe the RH is tweaked then they dump to their LF. If this pattern is left unattended pretty soon they are sore everywhere. Somewhere along the line your training has become difficult and the whole downward spiral could have been avoided. For healthy horses in light work the vet should do a soundness evaluation every 6 months. For horses in medium to harder work every 4 months. For horses that are competing regularly or in hard work I have the vet come quarterly. This absolutely doesn’t mean they get injections quarterly. Sometimes its a matter of they should have a little time off, maybe some topical care or medicating is in order, maybe an adjustment to supplements, or the bodyworker or chiropractor should come out an extra time, or a shoeing change. Any number of things can be adjusted to prevent an injury or lameness from surfacing.

To recap your athletic care regime for your horse to keep them healthy is ...

  1. Nutrition

  2. Warm Up

  3. Bodywork and Therapies

  4. Chiropractic and Acupuncture

  5. Regular Wellness Exams with your Vet

It is also important for you as the rider to maintain your own health. If a rider is asymmetrical it can have a detrimental effect on the horse. I find yoga to be extremely beneficial for me as a rider for strength, suppleness and awareness in my body. Bodywork, chiropractic and cross training for the rider can go a long way in helping the horse.

Horses Need Vacations Too

An integral part of any athlete’s program is rest. Our horses are no different. They need to be able to rest and recover, mentally and physically. They need time to be a horse. I usually give my event and dressage horses a few days off after every event or show and a lighter workload the remainder of that post show week. My hunters, jumpers and equitation horses would get longer times off after several weeks of showing. The horses always have 1 or 2 days off per week depending on the fitness requirements of their level of sport. The young horses end up having time off throughout the year when they stay home while we are at shows. I also give the non show horses about 10 days off around the holidays and small breaks throughout the year.

 At the end of the show season the horses get a longer time off. I usually do 14 - 21 days totally off.  Our current show season goes from late March to mid November. When you have a show season that starts in December or January you have to manage the time a bit differently. When I’ve gone to Florida for the season my horses would get a few weeks off after Florida.

Some horses need to be kept ticking over a little bit. Especially the older ones. This can be a great time for a little ground work or light lunging. Many horses appreciate being totally left alone to be a horse. Let them be dirty and furry. It is imperative that this off time is not spent in a stall. As much turn out as possible is a must. This is a perfect time to pull shoes for the winter if that is part of your program. 

Depending on the horse and the turn out situation I’ll start messing with them after 2 to 3 weeks. I like to ease them back into work. They’ll get 2 weeks of ground work, long lining, or lunge work 3 or 4 days a week. If it is nice out and they are sane some light trail rides are good too. I do like them to have plenty of time with no rider though.

After this 4 to 5 weeks of no work and then light no under saddle work, the horses will start to flat more. I’ll still keep it to about 4 days per week. Trail rides or hacking out is great at this time. Their work consists of lighter flatwork, long lining, and work on the line. Pole work is great at this time too. Their work remains light or even some extra couple days off over the holidays. Then January begins with vet checks and winter homework sets in!



Get Ready for Show Season!

As the holidays wind down and the new year begins thoughts of the upcoming show season starts to become more real. For those that will get started showing with the spring thaw in March now is the time to chart out your year. Those of you that are lucky enough to go south for the winter have already planned out at least the winter season. 

Managing an equine competition athlete takes a lot of prep and planning. Your horse should be just getting back into steady work after his winter or post season break. It is time to sit down and plan the show schedule for the year. Take out your calendar, have your browser ready to search show dates and get ready to lay it all out. Do you have any special goals for the year? Are you trying to qualify for something? Move up a level? Maybe there is a destination show you really want to go to.  If you are an amatuer or junior, request a meeting with your trainer to discuss your goals. If you are a trainer, make sure you know what goals and plans all your clients have so you can create a cohesive schedule for your entire clientele. Know exactly what you need to have in order to qualify for what you want. No matter the discipline there are specific rules for qualifying for anything. Make sure you attend shows that meet these specs. If you want to move up then plan what a good competition would be for a move up and plan the season prior to that accordingly so you feel confident and ready. You should not move up a division at the biggest show on your calendar or after a longer break. Plan for warm up shows or smaller shows to prep you and your horse for the bigger competitions. Horses and riders need to practice at competing before they can be competitive. It is easy to be rusty. It is easy to have nerves, for the horse and the rider! For eventers it is great to plan some jumper or dressage shows. Find some mini trials or CT’s to get yourself back in the groove.

Now you roughly know your plan. The first step to being ready for this plan is to have your vet out for soundness exams. Make sure everything is good before you start much conditioning and gearing up for the upcoming season. Get a base line on how your horse is feeling after its break so you know if there are any special things that need addressing or to keep an eye on as you start with winter homework. If dentals were not done during their break they should be done now. You may have cut back on chiropractic and body work during their break. Start getting those appointments on the books again as well. 

Once you have a baseline on your horses’ health and you have your year mapped out then it’s time to get ready with winter training! It’s the best time to start over with the basics and work on the small details without a competition looming.