Applied Horsemanship - CHA Instructor/Trainer, Christina Nash

09/23/2024

Yes.

"Stop whipping your barrel horses..

Barrel racers who whip your horses between the barrels or on the way out, STOP doing it. What you don't understand is that when you whip it, you are actually slowing it down - it will try to tuck its butt to keep from being whipped the same as you would do ( Yes, it's been proven ).
Furthermore, all of your whipping and moving around affects your horse's motion and momentum which slows it down even more. So, learn to ride your horse in a balanced manner and "stay out of its way" so that it can run its best. Think of racehorses: they run the entire track and may only get whipped a few strides the entire race because the jockey stays out of the way and lets the horse run.
So, as for your horse, stop whipping it to make it run faster. If he loves his job, he's probably running as fast as he can already ❤️"

09/18/2024

09/11/2024

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07/02/2024

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Lately I've had several folks reach out about hauling their horses longer distances...

Here's just kinda a reference for me. Not everyone has to agree but idk much about the subject. :)

Cameras. Get them. We install them pm me if you want one. Worth every single penny. Your entire perspective will change. Wire them into your running lights, it'll act as an on/off switch and won't run batteries down. https://a.co/d/582ihv4

Horses appreciate box stalls IMHO. If you can haul as such, do it. In the same breath, some horses cant tolerate the room and get anxious. Load accordingly.

Nervous horse?
I have a loud yet small portable speaker too. Let's listen to Mozart or Beethoven! You have no idea how much it'll drown out road/trailer noise and give them something else to focus on. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLu1tYRd/

Never ever hard tie. Ever. I have tie blockers attached with hay string at all tie points in my trailer. There has been exactly 3 times that has really saved my ass (and spared the horses injury). I really prefer not to tie at all if I can get away with it. They need to be able to get their heads down or at least lower it some to clear their lungs or you risk shipping fever.

Stop every couple hours and rest legs. They get fatigued more than other body parts. I stop every 3 hours ish for about 20/30 minutes. I also take this time to use the bathroom, grab a snack, walk my trailer and top off fuel. I absolutely do not make unnecessary stops. I have a 100 gallon drag tank too which I really appreciate.

I bed deep, 8 inches or more long distance and 6 inches or so local hauls. Helps keep them comfy but also absorbs waste more efficiently and deeper (also a insulation to keep the road heat at bay). Take note of how much they're p**ping and if they p*e. I scoop p**p when I stop if I can safely. I've had horses that absolutely will not p*e on the trailer and that needs to be kept in mind for travel time as well. Double mats are good too! I invested in the spray floor from Texas Floor Skinz and I can tell it's also made a huge difference in the cushioning. I also don't have to pull the stupid mats out anymore and it's super easy to disinfect.

I also invested in a air hitch from https://shockerhitch.com It takes so much of the jerk and rough ride out! It's like night and day on any trailer but y'all with those heavy LQ? Order ya one, you'll thank me later. They're also commonly listed on FB Marketplace as well. I average around $550 used. I swear by this and that cushioned spray floor for legs.

I never park my trailer in the direct sun either, once it starts to warm up. If you feel like it's really heating up, buy 60/80 pounds of ice and throw on the floor. Imagine the heat coming from the road, the ice melts but it does help. Ventilation is key. Keep that trailer open.
I ordered a custom screen from this place for the window above my side ramp. Its made a huge difference while still being safe!
https://www.horsetraileraccessorystore.com/Trailer-Safety-Screens-with-Straps-CUSTOM-SEWN-New-or-Replacements_p_575.html

Don't ever unload at a truck/rest stop/questionable area. Find an arena or barn or even a quiet back road if nothing else. I try hard to not have to unload at all but I have the luxury of the nicest barns to let my passengers walk it out at (thanks you guys).

How long can I travel? That's such a loaded question. How's your horse/s traveling? Again, cameras are just such an invaluable tool. If they're drinking, comfortable, p**ping and happy I'm good going 12 hours or even more if client wants straight through, keep your breaks consistent. I feel 6/8 hours or so is a good days haul. If there's any question just stop and layover somewhere. https://www.horsemotel.com/ is a great resource and many public arenas are available as well. Give your horses 8/10 good hours of rest off trailer if you're going to layover. Make sure they drink.

I keep water in front of them long distance or if it's hot. You have to. If it's a 3 hour trip and 70° they aren't thirsty and they're just going to make a mess. Make sure you hang the bucket high enough to keep feet out but low enough to be accessible. Pay attention to what direction your clips are too. You don't want a halter getting hung up on a clip holding a water bucket in a tight area. I appreciate actual bucket straps, they'll break if they needed to.
I also use these to keep splashing to a minimum. Some horses just really don't appreciate it. They learn fast how to use them.
https://teskeys.com/products/rockin-road-lid?variant=40161967865919&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw26KxBhBDEiwAu6KXt2mu3QWkzH-BVxMn_aVC2gsSY4g79uyrPBWTXWeeGh2m8xriU0D7oxoCzlAQAvD_BwE
Keeping hay bags full is important too. Smaller the hole in slow feed hay nets the better. You don't want them to just pig out bored, you want to keep tummy acid at bay and horses content while traveling. I don't like feeding horses during travel either. Grain really weighs the gut down. Soak it really good if you do. This will help reduce colic. See my ulcergard comment below.

If they're struggling to drink, keep in mind you're filling their gut with dry hay in an already stressful situation. Then add to that you're restricting the digestive process by them standing still. There's a lot of things to help with this. I like https://www.whinnywater.com/ but you can also use Gatorade, a handful of alfalfa pellets and full bucket of water or whatever your horse likes but they really need to drink, esp in the heat. If you can start ulcergard a few days prior to, during and a few days post travel that really seems to help too.

I hate shipping boots for a lot of reasons, mostly because they trap heat in the legs and thats no bueno.

Walk. Your. Rig.
Every single time you stop. Walk. Your. Rig. Things I look for.. cracked/busted welds, door/window hinges, lug nuts, secured latches, kick the tires, quick visual of my hitch, head gates/drops (those aluminum bars can break) and whatever else is in-between. Don't forget to look under it occasionally as well! There's so much under there that can break too!
Make this second nature and you can potentially save yourself a lot of headache later.
My trailer is professionally inspected every 3 months and repairs made immediately when found needed. Stuff breaks, it happens.

There are companies that are like Triple A for horse people. I really like www.trailguard.org They have a lot of features they offer and help get horses and equipment safe. Do this ahead of time, don't want until you have an issue.

Know your maintenance schedule. Can't recall the last time you had your bearings/brakes/tires inspected? Then it's time. Over a year? Then it's time. Have a blow out? Then it's time. Tires over 4 years old but still have lots of tread? It's time for new ones. This heat kills tires. I buy mine at Trout Tire and they've always done me right. Same goes for your truck.

Carry two spares, that trailer aid ramp is worth every penny and so is a good impact. I can change a tire in under 8 minutes. It's invaluable in the stupid Texas heat. I recently added a tire temperature/pressure system. I'm certain those is going to amazing. https://a.co/d/euhYmgF
I also have enough spare s**t to build a space ship in my tool box. Tools, hay string, electrical tape, extra lights, fuses, zip ties, straps, bailing wire, coolant, you get the point. I also carry wraps, vet wrap, extra halters/ropes, spray and tie blockers blah blah blah. I could be a hauler or a serial killer turns out it looks the same. I have a fridge in my center console so I can safely carry drugs as well. Bought that here! It's an amazing human comfort too. Cold drinks/snacks and I don't have to make another stop! https://www.dometic.com

FIRE EXTINGUISHER and a knife. You just never know. I put out a car fire one night, it was like 11pm. Peeps were super grateful. I replaced it the next day. Have a good sharp knife close and handy too. **tyouseeasahauler

This is just me and my observations over the last 8 years of hauling. I strive to evolve into the absolute best hauler I can be and it comes from experience for sure. I really do love the horses I haul and want nothing but safe travels every time I load a horse.

Haulers and individuals all do things different and that doesn't make (most of) it wrong.

I'll add to this as I think of more :)

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New Caney Equine Center

02/06/2024

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01/06/2024

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12/06/2023

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11/12/2023

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11/02/2023

Incorrectly taken hoof photographs can lead to terribly wrong conclusions.

It has been over a year since I've created this article, but the problem is still up to date.

I believe it's equally important to learn how to take hoof pictures in a proper, repeatable way as it is to learn how to recognize the ways in which photos may distort reality - to at least be able to know when not to believe them.

https://thehoofarchitect.blogspot.com/2022/09/why-do-photos-lie-and-how-not-to-get.html

09/15/2023

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08/19/2023

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07/21/2023

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🙏 😀

05/19/2023

02/07/2023

Love this…

07/02/2022

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Ok friends, this isnt directed at anyone specific, so dont get all ruffled up. But its extremely important and needs to be said.

First off, I, like most farriers want to do the best job possible. But that requires a few things. Ill list some of them.

*HORSES THAT STAND STILL!!!
I can do an exceptional job on a horse that will stand for the farrier. The quality of work goes down if we are just trying to survive. So either teach them, reprimand them, restrain them, or drug them. I get called to fix alot of horses but I can only do so much if they are not standing still.

FLAT DRY PLACE!!
It doesn't have to be fancy, but it has to be flat and dry. Its nearly impossible to do any quality work on wet or muddy conditions. And precision work has to be done on a flat and dry environment.

**IF YOU COMBINE A HORSE THAT DOESN'T STAND WITH MUDDY CONDITIONS, WELL, ITS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN MORE THAN ONCE.

SHADE, SHADE, SHADE!!
Its not safe or pleasant to stand in the direct sunlight doing farrier work. Its a very physically hard job. Again it doesn't have to be fancy, a carport, a shade tree, I dont care where, but it has to be accessible, clean, dry, flat and have plenty of room to safely work.

**IF YOU COMBINE A HORSE THAT DOESN'T STAND STILL WITH MUDDY CONDITIONS AND THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE SUN, IT PROBABLY ISNT GOING TO HAPPEN MORE THAN ONCE.

FLY SPRAY!!!
Provide lots and lots of fly spray! If you dont have it and your horse thinks its dying, then the farrier cant do a good job. The farrier is doing the best they can with the situation YOU are providing. Have way more fly spray than you think you need.

**A NON STANDING HORSE IN MUDDY CONDITIONS BEING DONE IN THE SUN WITH FLYS MAKING THE NORMALLY NON STANDING HORSE WORSE LEADS TO UNSAFE AND UNDESIRABLE CONDITIONS. THIS WILL PROBABLY ONLY HAPPEN ONCE.

FANS!!
If your flat, dry, shady place happens to be in a barn that has no airflow and is like an oven, then have enough fans to make it at least tolerable and safe. I have had heat stroke, and I'm not interested in having it again in!

SAFE PLACE TO TIE, OR A QUALITY HOLDER!
It's already a dangerous job. Its not safe doing horses tied to things that they could pull around if they pull back or spook. As in round pens, etc..

PUT YOUR DOGS AWAY!!
I could tell endless stories about this. Its a safety issue for the horse, the dog and the farrier.

Lastly, if you are wanting a discount, or are not wanting to be at the price it needs to be, or you don't think that the job is worth it, or you think that you can always find someone else or whatever it might be, you need to realize you are at the bottom of the priority list. That isnt a personal thing, its a business thing.

Full price horses that stand still, being done in a dry shady place with fly spray and a fan will always take priority.

Also horses that aren't on a maintenance schedule are always at the bottom of the priority list. Nothing personal but its hard to make a regular client wait for a horse that only gets done once in awhile.

This isnt about being irritated, this is just some general basic operating procedures that should be recognized.

I appreciate every horse and client I have. And thank you for your business. But please take these things into consideration.

Danny Berry
Berry farrier service
John 3:16
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06/15/2022

Not just his voice but his connection to those kids and his character will be missed the most!

The NC 4-H Horse Program is saddened to share the passing of "the voice" of the North Carolina State 4-H Horse Show, Dave Goff. Dave announced in the main arena and led the opening ceremonies from 1990-2021. He was the 4-H Agent in Cabarrus county for more than 30 years.

There will be a celebration of Dave's life on Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 70 Union Street N., Concord.

His presence at the State Show will certainly be missed!

https://memorials.wilkinsonfuneralhome.com/david-goff/4950783/?fbclid=IwAR3FzyL7ODaWE6Cjnq3BiDDLUWujKWnSVqlDa5oQPHC4_rR4eml4HAGQ3Wg

06/10/2022

Recent studies conducted by the Institute of Heart-Math provide a clue to explain the two-way ′′ healing ′′ that occurs when we're close to horses. According to researchers, the heart has an electromagnetic field larger than the brain: a magnetometer can measure the energy field of the heart that radiates from 2.4 meters to 3 meters around the human body. While this is certainly significant, perhaps more impressive than the electromagnetic field projected by the heart of a horse is five times larger than that of a human being (imagine an electromagnetic sphere around the horse) and it can influence straight into our own heart rate.

Horses are also likely to have what science has identified as a ′′ coherent ′′ heart rate (heart rate pattern) that explains why we can ′′ feel better ′′ when we're close to them. Studies have found a coherent heart pattern or HRV to be a solid measure of well-being and consistent with emotional states of calm and joy-that is, we exhibit such patterns when we feel positive emotions.

A coherent heart pattern is indicative of a system that can recover and adapt to stressful situations very efficiently. Many times, we just need to be in the presence of horses to feel a sense of well-being and peace. In fact, research shows that people experience many physiological benefits by interacting with horses, including lower blood pressure and heart rate, higher beta-endorphins (neurotransmitters acting as pain suppressors), decreased stress levels, decreased feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, better social working; and greater feelings of empowerment, confidence, patience and self-efficacy ".

Pintura author: Svatava Hueberová