Flo Browne Horse Training

06/25/2024

Pink the stb went to a new home up in CT. 2 lovely little girls adopted her through MMXX Standardbreds.

06/25/2024

For some reason this page has been getting a lot of hits lately. I'm about to start a new horse related venture. Stay tuned. I was thinking of starting a different page about it.

05/08/2024

Wow

10/23/2023

Pink the stb learning to canter off the "kiss" cue.

After establishing good basic Groundwork Sending at the walk and trot, we start working on the canter. I use a verbal "canter", then kiss kiss sound. I onl...

10/23/2023

Here is Pink, the stb I've been training. All summer in the FL heat (too hot for jeans or breeches) we stuck to groundwork and driving. This is maybe the 6th or 7th ride since last spring. She sure has developed a nice frame in the trot. As with most stbs, mentally she's pretty much unflappable.

Taught to step toward me to line up at mounting block. Stands at mounting block while I twirl and wave the crop all around her. Carries herself in a really...

09/08/2023

I woke up with body aches and belly cramps this morning. Instead of taking some pills, I made myself half a gallon of tea from chopped licorice root. One of my favorite herbs to recommend for horses. Licorice root is a phytochemical that has been proven to reduce body fat, heal ulcers and fight infections.

Multiple studies have shown that licorice root prevents and treats ulcers. It does this by increasing mucus production in the stomach, soothing the stomach lining. Licorice also increases the blood supply to the stomach, which promotes healing.
It has overall an antiinflammatory effect that is equal to a low dose of steroids but without the side effects.

08/17/2023

Weather slightly cooler today so started back working the horses. Both were bouncing around, Pink was hilarious. Never would have thought even a year ago she could be so athletic. Best part was the couple times I asked her to stop and stand so I could make a little adjustment to the rigging, she stood right there. Then as soon as I repositioned myself and sent her off, up on her toes again. Aside from a few "hey hey now"s when she started getting a little too rambunctious, I just let her play around. My goal was a forward trot, which she eventually settled down and did. No punishment for misbehaving, I knew she was just feeling good and I like a good feeling horse. That's what the groundwork is for, let them get it out of their system while MY feet are safely on the ground. Too bad I didn't think to set the camera up.

08/10/2023

My horses are all ok with me touching them all over. It's important I can check out their ears, a lot of headshyness or hard to bridle issues come from a problem in the ears. Plaque, ticks, gnats chewing them up. Start slow, approach and retreat rubbing the face working your way to the ears. I have never found a horse didn't love to have their ears rubbed, it must feel really good, it's just getting them to trust you to do it. They also let me get up between their hind legs to apply fly WIPE and any medications cause if you pay attention, that's where the gnats love to chew them up.

08/04/2023

I have used calming supplements for decades. The main ingredient in all has been B1 thiamine, then usually magnesium and/or calcium, sometimes tryptophan. I have had a few horses stock up when I've used any supplement containing tryptophan so I now steer clear of those. I have also used B1 on its own. In ALL cases, you see a difference after feeding for 3 days. Nothing particularly "amazing!" about this product. B1 supplements work for hot anxious horses. I feel my horses get a correct balance of calcium and phosphorous with my feed routine of alfalfa cubes and bran soaked in a mash daily, so not looking to add more calcium unless I have a horse that has a chronic ty up tendency. I am satisfied with the results I get supplementing B1 and magnesium alone without any other unnecessary fillers.
The price on this product is compatible with most other supplements, costing about $1-$1.25 per day. I wouldn't discourage anyone from using it or most any of the other supplements. Buying B1 and magnesium separately is going to cost about the same. B1 thiamine alone costs about $15 a month, significantly cheaper so if all you are looking for his a calmer more focused temperament, I would just go with that. If your horse has muscle soreness, I have found magnesium to be truly "amazing!" I would be mindful of the tryptophan, though. Not all horses start to stock up, but if yours does I would stop feeding, as stocking up is a sign your horse's kidneys are being compromised.

The Quickest Way to a Calmer-Minded Horse Take control of your horse's behavior with our show-safe pellets. Whether you have a mare-ish mare, or a horse with too much spook, this best-selling supplement is a comprehensive way to help take that unmanageable "edge" off. Setting Your Horse Up for Succe...

07/31/2023

After my latest Mr Toad Wild Ride while hooked with the carriage harness wherein the breeching malfunctioned, I got to thinking why there couldn't be a hybrid hook using both a quickhitch and a tie down, breast collar, thimble or breeching rigging. I have also been using a few other racehorse pieces of equipment for some time now because I find them more practical to use. When out with other riders I get comments all the time about my girth set up and what kind of cavesson I have. I made some videos to better explain the how and why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtUt-bxjDUw Racehalter vs Cavesson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3eO0dq1KpQ Padding the Girth to Protect the Vagus Nerve https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NRBUgOjHW4 Quickhitch vs Carriage hook combining the two.

Professional racehorse trainer/driver licensed by the United States Trotting Association since 1976. How I use a harness pad to cushion my girths.

07/11/2023

FB ad for another "new" horse calming supplement. I already knew what the primary ingredients would be: B1 and magnesium. the rest is just random filler so as to make it different from the rest. Just stick to B1 and magnesium. Been supplementing that for decades on high strung nervous racehorses that tend to ty up. It's cheaper, why pay more for filler?

07/11/2023

Video of Pink driving from Oct 2022. We've pretty much gotten over the fussing with the head now.

04/25/2023

Very good article on tying up. I first became aware of PSSM1 when a Percheron mare we purchased as a wedding carriage horse presented with muscle spasms and acting like she was tyed up. From there I discovered there is a variant called PSSM2 prevalent in stbs. Say what now? This article explains a lot. https://thehorse.com/199885/brushing-up-on-tying-up-in-horses/?fbclid=IwAR3CJLhMle8EyzxW1HQOiqxJ4fzOG5cgfKssLg1eBuS2YGYsktlW-dr91nI

Researchers are redefining how we categorize the age-old muscular disease called tying-up.

03/19/2023

03/10/2023

Little Minion with his owner. I am so happy this pony is continuing his education and she is having so much fun with him. He is one classy pony.

02/21/2023

An example of how I use NH Groundwork to retrain ottstbs. This is my 6 yr old standardbred mare. She has had issues with weak stifles and pelvic alignment. Recently adjusted by Dr Mitchell, and teeth done by Pete Malone, so I've been putting the groundwork exercises to her on a daily basis in order to strengthen her hind end up. Using side reins to get her to drop her head and lift her back. I "Send" her (Natural Horsemanship exercise term) over poles, thru deep sand, and up/down hills. I exercise her daily. 3 days ago she went on her first official trail ride at a local park. She did great. Paid attention to where she was putting her feet (pole work), handled the up/down hills with confidence (hill work), and no back soreness detected in the following days. We have now progressed to trotting large circles and straight lines with me in the saddle. Developing rhythm and balance at the trot is next. Today she picked up a canter while doing Groundwork on the "kiss" cue, I did not have to chase her into it. I am just tickled by her progress. She is rather frail built so the main goal with her has been building strength, balance, rhythm, and stability. All these exercises with/without a saddle and with/without side reins are great for horses weak in the hind end. Important to note: I would NEVER ask for more than a walk in that deep sand. Asking for sprained ligaments if you do. A walk is sufficient to build muscle. Stbs have built only one set of muscles during their training to be racehorses PULLING a cart. Carrying a rider requires a whole different muscle structure. It takes time and consistent work.

01/31/2023

01/25/2023

Remember Minion, the pony? Just got a video of his owner driving him. Those are deer up ahead jumping around. Word is, she is having a blast now with her pony.

01/22/2023

This is really interesting. https://www.horsejournals.com/riding-training/tack-gear/english/thoracic-asymmetries-and-relationship-saddle-fit?fbclid=IwAR2NzFzLLSxRHoHmZZDQy505N4jk8jUqW6ccFUXgLTh3HF7Kwpa28jG2o4Y

The perils of putting symmetrical saddles on asymmetrical horses - “We were not surprised to learn 60 percent of the horses in our 490-horse retrospective study had larger measurements on the left side of their withers,” says Dr. Katrina Merkies, researcher and associate professor at the Univers...

12/19/2022

Scout had some issues with seedy toe this past summer. After half ass dealing with it, I decided it was time to get serious, so I mixed up my DeSpain mixture and got diligent about applying it. Also put her on Original Source, a product I have used with bad footed horses for over 40 years. Here is the before/after pics. No fancy dancy farrier to cut half her hoof wall off, no expensive patch job, and no expensive corrective shoeing. I call it the DeSpain mixture because I learned it from Jim DeSpain, a trainer I worked for in 1986. I have used this mixture many times over the years for wall separations, seedy toe, and white line. It is a smelly messy concoction that takes a bit of effort to apply but it saves me hundreds, if not a couple thousand $$$, in farrier bills.

12/05/2022

Try this---

If you can't do it, and if you find it causes discomfort to stretch this far, well, obviously you are being disobedient and need to be strapped into the human equivalent of draw reins or some other type of leverage device, so that your body can be forced into this shape.

Doesn't make any sort of logical sense, does it? Why, then, do humans do it every day to so many horses?

It goes beyond bad horsemanship to force horses by mechanical methods that they are powerless to resist. No wiggling or self justifying needed.

11/22/2022

Here's the scientific evidence. I quit using blankets 30? years ago. I don't bathe them when it's any kind of chilly. I'll wipe off sweat marks with a damp sponge and later a good curry. Are they pretty? No, but they're healthy.

11/16/2022

Minion back home in Miami being put thru his paces by his Miami trainer. I believe this is the first drive since he left me two weeks ago. Came to me Sept 1 untrained to drive.

10/26/2022

Very good info here. I might add, learn how to take vitals: bpm, temperature, respiration. Get a baseline normal when horse is healthy and unstressed so as to compare. Very helpful to the vet when you call if you have the Vitals info to give him. Also to note, horses go into shock quickly. If Vitals show distress, call vet immediately. Time is of the essense.

10 things veterinarians want horse owners to know about Banamine.
1)Banamine is a brand name. Flunixin meglumine is the drug name but many people refer to it by the popular brand name “Banamine” made by Merck. This medication is available in injectable liquid and oral paste formulations.
2)Flunixin is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which can be shortened to “NSAID.” NSAIDs reduce inflammation, pain, and fever by decreasing certain biochemical reactions in the body. Other drugs that are also classified as NSAIDs include phenylbutazone (Bute), firocoxib (Equioxx®, Previcoxx®).
3)Flunixin treats pain. By far the most common implication for the use of flunixin in horses is analgesia, or pain control. Flunixin provides good pain control for visceral (in the belly) and ocular (eye) pain. It is often used in cases of colic (abdominal pain) to make the horse more comfortable which reduces the risk of harm to the horse and handlers. It is important to note that flunixin does not cure the cause of colic; it temporarily relieves signs by providing pain relief.
4)Flunixin can reduce fever. A normal horse’s temperature is between 98.5 and 100.9°F. Like humans, horses can develop a fever secondary to an infection or illness. Many febrile horses will not eat or drink well when they have a fever but their appetite improves once the fever decreases. Flunixin can be used to reduce the horse's temperature often making them feel better. On a cautionary note, we often recommend owners take a temperature BEFORE giving flunixin as this can also a mask a fever.
5)Flunixin lasts 12 hours in the horse’s body. Some owners with a sick horse give a full dose of flunixin and then redose the horse a few hours later when he/she became uncomfortable again. This practice is not recommended for two reasons. First, overdosing can increase the risk of adverse effects including kidney damage and gastric ulcers. Second, if a horse's clinical signs do not resolve with a full dose, an examination by your veterinarian is likely warranted sooner rather than later and administering a second dose may delay treatment.
6)Flunixin can cause gastrointestinal and kidney damage. The same pathways that are down-regulated by flunixin to reduce pain and inflammation also partially protect the kidneys and stomach. At a normal dose the risk of these side effects is reduced. However, patients treated with an overdose or long term dosing are at an increased risk for renal (kidney) damage, gastric ulcers, and hind gut (colon) ulcers .
7)“Stacking” NSAIDs is not recommended. As previously stated, other drugs commonly used in horses that are also classified as NSAIDs include bute, Equioxx and Previcoxx). It is important to note that giving either of these medications together or in combination with flunixin can cause the same adverse effects as overdosing. For this reason,we do not recommend “stacking” NSAIDs or administering two of these drugs together. Many geriatric patients receive Equioxx or Previcoxx daily for pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. If this is the case, we recommend discontinuing that medication before starting another NSAID an allowing enough time for the body to clear the first drug completely.
8)Flunixin does not cause sedation or cure colic. Although we often use flunixin in colic cases, it is for the purpose of pain control. Alleviating the signs of colic by controlling pain is safer for the horse and handler when a horse is being treated and gives the horse’s body time to respond to treatment (ie oral fluids, IV fluids, motility agents). We often recommend removing hay/grain from a horse that has been administered flunixin for signs of colic until he/she can be examined by a veterinarian. In some cases, once the horse FEELS better he/she will try to continue eating and make the colic worse. If you think your horse may be colicking, we recommend calling your regular veterinarian and following her/his recommendations on medications and feeding.
9)Flunixin should NOT be given in the muscle (IM). Oddly enough, Banamine is still labeled for IM use in horses on the bottle but I strongly recommend against this practice. In rare cases, IM administration of flunixin (or phenylbutazone) has been known to cause a secondary condition called “Clostridial myositis” which can be fatal. The medication irritates the surrounding muscle tissue and bacterial spores can take advantage of the inflamed environment and cause a massive release of toxins. This disease is extremely painful and the treatment can be quite gruesome but horses that are not diagnosed and treated promptly may die from toxic overload. For this reason, we recommend only injecting flunixin in the vein (IV) or squirting the injectable fluid or paste in the mouth.
10)Flunixin injectable solution can be administered by mouth. The injectable formulation of flunixin can be administered by mouth at the same dose as IV use. Oral administration (either injectable solution or paste) takes about 20-30 min to reach full effect compared to 5-10 min with an IV injection. Oral administration does not take significantly longer than IM injection to reach peak absorption and is much safer for the horse.
Lastly always call your veterinarian if you suspect your horse appears off in any way before administering any medication.

10/22/2022

I use Groundwork for many things, one of them is for what I call "Horse Yoga". I use this a lot on the standardbreds because they are so stiff. A lot of stretching, bending, flexing. It's also good to rehab old injuries. Pink has some back issues. Doc Mitchell adjusts her when he comes to the Ranch. In between I do a lot of this. I've also used it on several horses that were racing. Works good especially on ty up horses.

This is a demonstration of using basic Groundwork on a 5 yr old OTT Standardbred mare who has some back issues. She gets seen periodically by an equine chir...

10/22/2022

A couple weekends ago I attended the driving clinic at Black Prong to lend moral support, and any assistance, to my friend whose horse I had been training to drive. (That would be the blue roan QH pictured on this Page) One of the maneurver required during the first day Safety Check was driving at a trot doing a figure eight around cones. You know as soon as I got home, I had to give it a try with Pink, my standardbred.

An Off The Track Standardbred mare, foaled 2017 so at time of this video she is 5 yrs old. Raced at 2 and 3 yrs old, not quite fast enough to merit further ...

10/21/2022

A demonstration of the basic Groundwork I do with the horses/ponies before riding or driving. This is Minion and he has had 10 days now hooked to the cart. He is very spooky and skittish so my aim with him is to get him to relax and chill out. I want him focused on me. A lazy horse I would increase the energy and make him move his feet more.

Young pony being trained to drive. He has had 10 days hooked to cart. I still do basic Groundwork before we drive. It gets his mind focused on business, a...

10/19/2022

Minion driving around the Ranch, Day 9 hooked to cart