Donna Bishop, Riding Instructor

26/06/2024

I gained 9 followers, created 138 posts and received 592 reactions in the past 90 days! Thank you all for your continued support. I could not have done it without you. 🥳🏇❤️

26/06/2024

25/06/2024

Never ever bother a cowgirls horse unless you want to find out if there's life after death

24/06/2024

Motivation Monday
It's important that when you know you've done a good job or you give a project your all.....reward yourself

21/11/2023

***Tip of the Day***
When you hit a roadblock in your horsemanship and don't know what to do "revisit the basics"

20/11/2023

Motivation Monday
Let go of whatever is holding you back and take hold of what will propel you forward

17/11/2023

***Tip of the Day***
The horse is very forgiving & will let go of wrong doing unlike the mule who doesn't forget & will get even

17/11/2023

Owners of wood-chewing horses generally cite boredom as the basis for the frustrating vice. Is monotony the motive behind wood-chewing? Or has blame been misplaced?

16/11/2023

***Tip of the Day***
Just because someone tells you "that's how it's always been done" doesn't necessarily mean it's correct

15/11/2023

Ill-fitting tack is often blamed for girthiness but resistant behavior was linked to that cause in only a small number of the study horses. A surprising variety of physical conditions, ranging from lameness to tumors to stomach ulcers, can cause a horse to object to having his girth or cinch tighten...

15/11/2023

***Tip of the Day***
In sitting trot let the seat bones feel as though they are being walked forwards by the horse not sideways

14/11/2023

DID YOU KNOW?

Strangles is one of the most commonly contagious diseases of the horse (worldwide) and in 2017 it became a nationally monitored disease. This condition is caused by bacterial infection with "Streptococcus equi subspecies equi" (referred to as "S. equi”), which typically infects the upper airway and lymph nodes of the head and neck, and is highly contagious in horse populations—particularly affecting young horses.

Transfer from horse to horse usually involves direct face-to-face contact, or exposure to things such as contaminated feed, water, hands, veterinary instruments or grooming tools. A stall or van recently used to house or transport a horse that is shedding the organism may also be a source of infection.

WATCH OUT FOR ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS!
It is not uncommon for strangles infections to recur on a farm with previous outbreaks of the disease, and the primary source of recurrent infections are most likely asymptomatic carrier horses—animals who display no clinical signs but may continue to shed the bacteria for months to even years, serving as a continual source of new infections.

If you suspect a strangles outbreak, be sure to involve your veterinarian right away to determine the diagnosis and the best control practices for your particular farm. Without control and biosecurity measures, a strangles outbreak will ultimately affect all susceptible horses, last longer, and have a greater chance of leading to complications.

**Please note that strangles is a reportable disease in some states.**

To learn more about strangles, visit our website at https://aaep.org/issue/understanding-equine-strangles
And as always, contact your veterinarian for more information as they remain the best source of advice!

14/11/2023

***Tip of the Day***
A horse needs to feel safe, be comfortable, have social interaction, have food to eat & water to drink

14/11/2023

The horse comes into this world much like a human baby. Innocent. Curious. Looking for protection from its Mom and other family members. It's a blank slate with no baggage. It lives what it learns as it grows. What it learns and how it learns it will determine its success as an individual.
Some horses like children get lucky and get a good foundation. Others get shuffled around and end up with holes in their education.
A horse or child that is brought using fear as a way to get the desired result will submit but, only as a way out. When fear is involved the process of learning is lost. It becomes a reaction due to the need to survive versus a response due to the comprehension of a request.
A horse or a child that has been pushed into a situation that is fearful to them won't develop the level of confidence needed if they're rushed through it. The feelings of fear will remain inside and resurface if the situation is presented to them again.
A horse or a child that has been mistreated learns they can't trust. That fear may bring out a fight or flight response in a horse when they feel pressured.
The horse that has fear issues, confidence issues and trust issues becomes labeled as a "problem" horse. Unfortunately, those horses have developed "baggage" as a result of the life they have lived. They are the result of improper training, incorrect handling practices, a stressful environment, unresolved health issues, and a multitude of other things.
It is a sad situation when some horses fall through the cracks. It's sad when people fall through the cracks. Life isn't always fair to either!!
I do believe though that both people or horses when given the opportunity can make a comeback.

13/11/2023

Motivation Monday
Only commit to what will bring "you" a sense of fulfillment ....

12/11/2023

Interesting legend....

The Legend of the Bloody Shoulder Arabian
As told to Carole Deegan by a friend, horse master and scholar of the Howettat tribe.

Once upon a time many years ago in the desert of Arabia, there was a Bedouin warrior who owned a very special Arabian mare - a mare he rode into battle and to whom he entrusted his life.

There was a very special relationship, a bond of trust, love and mutual respect. Either would have given his life for the other, In fact, their bond of trust was so strong that the mare often "read her master's thoughts," doing exactly what he needed at exactly the right time, allowing them to win many battles and to be the envy of all Bedouin tribes.

Years passed and one day in a fierce battle the master was severely wounded, falling across the neck and shoulder of his beloved war mare. Although her master was unconscious and she was many miles from home, the mare balanced him across her shoulder, carefully carrying toward home. She... for days without food or water to return her master to his family.

When the courageous mare finally arrived at the encampment, she was exhausted and weak, and her master dead. As the family carefully removed the master's body, they saw that the mare's shoulder was heavily stained with his blood, leaving a distinct red mark on her shoulder. Although they had lost their leader, the Bedouin family was eternally grateful to the mare for delivering his body from the battle. They knew that the long journey had been difficult for the mare, and they were very concerned for her because she was heavily in foal.

As the days passed, the cherished mare received only the best food and care, and she was visited and admired not only by members of the master's tribe, but all the other tribes in the area.

Finally, the time of her foaling arrived, and there was a great concern for the cherished war mare. But when the long-awaited foal was born, he was vigorous and healthy and of exceptional quality. He also bore the identical "bloody shoulder" that his mother had from her master's blood.

It was then that the Bedouin tribe realized that Allah had rewarded this mare and their tribe for their courage, loyalty and faith and that the "bloody shoulder" was a reminder of his favor.

Since that time, hundreds of years have passed, but once in a great while there is a mare of exceptional beauty, quality and courage who foals a very special foal graced by God with the "bloody shoulder." The Bedouins have continued to believe this is a sign of Allah's favor.

http://www.jocarta.com/Legend.html

10/11/2023

***Tip of the Day***
To maintain a healthy digestive system, a horse shouldn't go more than four hours without eating

10/11/2023

IS YOUR HORSE 15 OR OLDER? Read on!

With each passing year, horses are living longer lives and many survive easily to 25 years of age or older. While this is good news, it also means that horse owners need to be aware of changes occurring with age, so they can preserve the health and quality of life of their equine friends throughout middle age and the geriatric years.

For example, Equine Cushing’s disease is one of the most common diseases of horses greater than 15 years of age. This syndrome is better defined as Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) because it reflects the location within the brain that is abnormal, and the clinical signs are associated with abnormally elevated hormone concentrations in the blood.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is another endocrine disorder that can affect mature horses and shares some of the same clinical signs as PPID. Although the two disorders feature some striking clinical similarities — most notably a predisposition to development of chronic laminitis — the underlying disease biology is quite different in each case and successful management requires proper diagnosis by a competent veterinarian first.

Our understanding of both conditions, especially EMS, is incomplete and subject to continuous evolution, but sufficient information is currently available to highlight some important similarities and differences for the interested horse owner. Consult your veterinarian for more information and work with them to develop the best wellness practices to ensure a healthy life for your mature horse.

Additional information regarding the older horse’s care and nutrition is available on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/older-horse-special-care-nutrition

09/11/2023

🏇🏇🏇🏇🏇💕🏇🏇🏇🏇🏇
Horses are very adaptable to their environment. They accept new living quarters, new feed routines, new owners, and new herd mates without much trouble. Most settle into their new lifestyle within a week or two. If their basic needs of safety, social interaction, and food/water are met they are usually quite happy to blend into a new pasture/barn.
They will also accept a new owner much easier than we might like to admit especially if our heartstrings were still attached when we let them go to someone new. That doesn't mean that they will forget their previous owner though.. If they see their former owner months later there is a good chance that if the two were bonded they will recognize their voice, their smell, and their face.
To help their transition be easier the new owner should spend at least an hour or two a day with them hanging out, grooming them, or spending undemanding time with them. Getting to know them a little bit and letting them settle in for at least a week or so before deciding to saddle up and ride is a good idea. The initial time spent bonding and getting to know each other in that first week can make things easier on the horse and the new owner. Both are having to adapt.
🏇🏇🏇🏇🏇💕🏇🏇🏇🏇🏇

09/11/2023

***Tip of the Day***
Clean the sheath once or twice a year but, check for a "bean" occasionally when the horse has dropped

08/11/2023

Ever have a tack malfunction at the worst time? It's slightly annoying! My intention was to just go out for a nice ride on this beautiful November day and enjoy the 80 degree weather. I tacked up my horse and headed down the field with my dog. Everything was going good. A nice little breeze was blowing as I rode along.
I usually open gates off my horse but, as I got near one of the gates in the lower field the breeze was making it move a little and it was causing the chain on it to make a rattling noise. At the point where I got close enough to open it, my horse decided that the noise was super scary and he started hopping around. At that point, I pulled his head around to stop him and the snap at the end of my rein broke. It was an Oh no! moment but, thank goodness he paused the twisty dance for the split second it took me to dismount. I tied a knot around the bit because I didn't intend to walk back to the barn. I gave him a few minutes to collect his thoughts and reassured him that he was fine before I mounted back up. In the back of my mind I was hoping that we wouldn't have a repeat and break the other rein snap.
As they say though "All is well that ends well."
It wasn't the picture perfect ride that I had envisioned but, we both ended the ride in a calm frame of mind.
I may definitely have to rethink snap reins though.

08/11/2023

***Tip of the Day***
You need to fit two fingers under the nose band and a fist under the throatlatch for safety and comfort

08/11/2023

Got bots?

While botflies (Gastrophilius species) are considered internal parasites for horses and other equids, it is actually the larvae that reside inside the body. The adult botfly lays eggs on the horse's haircoat. Horses ingest the eggs during normal grooming behavior, where the life cycle progresses into larvae. Second and third instar larvae can attach to the non-glandular region of the stomach and may cause irritation.

Controlling botfly populations can be challenging. Use recommended manure and pasture management strategies to disrupt the life cycle. Remove eggs from the horse's haircoat as often as possible, and consider deworming your horse with an appropriate anthelmintic after the first hard frost.

For more information on how to control botflies on your farm, visit ExtensionHorses.org, or contact your veterinarian or local Extension office.