Newsletter XVI
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Edition XVI |
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Hi Welcome to this month’s HorseConscious Newsletter. Phew, what a scorcher! It’s really hot here in Germany this week but I guess it’s all relative, especially if you happen to live in Arizona or somewhere similar! I was pleased to read recently about the onoing fight against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) round-ups. The BLM and the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board held a public workshop on June 14th to review and discuss their Wild Horse and Burro Strategy Development Document. Among a host of wild horse advocates, supporters and luminaries were Madeleine Pickens and HorseConscious favourites Neda DeMayo of Return to Freedom, Ginger Kathrens of the Cloud Foundation and Equine Photographer Carol Walker. According to the report I read, there was a considerable turnout which clearly demonstrates the ongoing level of support for the wild horses and burros. It has been estimated that the round-ups scheduled by the BLM are costing US taxpayers around $40 million per year. The costs are for the holding pens and for the round-up themselves, which use helicopters and local cattle ranchers to do the dirty work. You may or may not be surprised to hear that there are now about 33,000 wild horses in holding pens. Staggering. Since the meeting, we hear that the BLM intends to partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to carry out an aerial census of the herd populations in Northern Nevada and Southern Oregon. However, they have somewhat suspiciously declined a request from the Herd Watch Project Manager for the Cloud Foundation to help. Hmm. However, the fight continues and if you wish to lend your support, then you are urged to send a letter to your congressman and government officials, which you can do easily by using the pro forma template at Madeleine Pickens website. One side note to this is that when we were over with Carolyn Resnick last year, we attended an event that was hosted by Madeleine Pickens in aid of the wild horses. Her husband was there (I think he owned the country club) along with some of their friends. Unfortunately I had to duck out of most of the evening as I had a HorseConscious call at the time, which I conducted from the pro’s golf shop! However, afterwards I did manage to chat with some of the other guests and heard the theory that after large tracts of land have been secured for the horses that the plan is to build huge wind farms there too. Whilst this is laudable, especially given what is currently going on in the Gulf of Mexico, I have to admit that it did smack somewhat to me of political and big business maneuverings. I appreciate that the project has to be funded in some way and so I just hope that it’s not the case of someone else profiting at the expense of the horses and burros. Next, some good news for those of you in Europe who want to learn more from the HorseConscious Teachers. I’m delighted to announce 3 new workshops coming to your neck of the woods! The first is The Dance of Authenticity with Kathy Pike. Horses magnify your path and ignite your heart’s energy. By learning and living the language and “way” of the horse your true self is revealed. Authenticity requires one to shift from simply functioning in the world to becoming connected to all aspects of life and self. Horses teach humans how to become more emotionally, spiritually and mentally agile and aware. Click Dance of Authenticity to learn more and reserve your spot. Then we have some great news for followers of Carolyn Resnick and her Method. There are 2 workshops coming up given by highly experienced students of Carolyn and which I therefore highly recommend to you. The first of these is on the 30th and 31st of July in Ernst, Holland, which is about 1.5 hours east of Amsterdam and 2 hours from Duesseldorf. The workshop features:
Over the course of the two days you will learn about horse behaviour and psychology, as well as understand the magic and power of the Waterhole Rituals™. What makes the workshop different to most is that you will have plenty of opportunity and time during the 2 days to put the principles you will learn into practise. A great opportunity. For more details and to reserve your spot, please go to Julia’s website ConnectThruHorses.com. The second will be of particular interest to those of you in the UK as Julia is giving a further workshop on the 14th and 15th of August near Maidenhead, Berkshire. During this two day clinic you will learn about horse psychology and understand more about a horse’s natural instincts so that you can begin communicating with him in his own language. You will use body language to communicate your intentions and explore the concept of boundaries and pecking order to understand how harmony is maintained in the herd. At the end of the two days you will have gained an understanding of the 7 Waterhole Rituals™ and how you can use these with your horse. Again, for more information and to book, go to ConnectThruHorses.com. Because of the hands-on, practical nature of the workshops, there are limited places available, so I recommend you book early to avoid disappointment. Before I close, I must just say a few words about a dear friend and ardent supporter of ours who has been hit harder than perhaps most by what is happening in the economy at the moment. It was confirmed to me this week that this friend will not only be losing their home but also their horses. Whilst I know the horses will be going to good homes, it must feel like the family is being ripped apart. Our very best wishes therefore go out to the whole ‘family’ and we hope that their pasture grows verdant and lush once more so that they may all be happily re-united. Thank you again for your time and interest and I look forward to speaking with you again next month if not before. Best wishes |
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‘There is a touch of divinity even in brutes, and a special halo about a horse, that should forever exempt him from indignities.‘ |
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HOW HORSES VIEW THE WORLD On the trail, in the dressage arena, at the racetrack, on the cross-country train–wherever horses may be, we’ve all seen it: the "Spook"–that sudden, bolting reaction of shock so particular to our equine friends. It might be because some animal runs up, or some object is blown in by the wind, taking the horse by surprise. But sometimes it’s just something you’re sure they’ve seen many times before–so why spook about it now? New research at the Aptos, California-based Equine Research Foundation (ERF) now has answers to that question. According to Evelyn B. Hanggi, MS, PhD, co-director of the ERF, one theory about spooking is that objects appear different to horses when viewed from various angles. Hence, a Hanggi believed they could. "If not, they would spend much of their time spooking and running away from everything," she said. To test her theory, she established an experiment in which horses were trained through positive reinforcement to select one of two toys: a lizard rather than a dinosaur; a mower instead of a wheelbarrow; and a tractor instead of a truck. Initially these objects were always placed in the same position. But once the horses were well-trained, Hanggi started rotating the objects to see if they could still identify the "correct" choice. Positions included backward, sideways, and upside-down. The results indicated that, overall, the horses immediately recognized the objects from many novel viewpoints, although results varied from one horse to another, and some rotations were more difficult to recognize than others, Hanggi said. Specifically, they performed best when the objects were upright instead of upside down. "This suggests that the horses were using specific, familiar features that they learned initially in the training, when making their decisions," said Hanggi. "Their ability to perform correctly appears to be crucially linked to being allowed to observe and learn about the objects first." The results suggest that horses that are allowed to look around and discover, whether under saddle or at rest, will be more apt to recognize objects from different angles later and might be less likely to react adversely to them, she said. Prior ERF research has already disproved another possible explanation for spooking: the theory that horses do not recognize objects with one eye that they had previously seen earlier with the other eye only, Hanggi said. thehorse.com, June 14 2010, Article # 16513 |
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‘The one great precept in using a horse is never deal with him when you are in a fit of passion.‘ |
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STUDIES TRACK HORSE’S MOVEMENT PATTERNS Where the wild horses roam free, daily hoof tracks can be followed for miles. Now thanks to new, lightweight GPS technology, Australian researchers are no longer following tracks but recording satellite signals from various wild horse herds as well as domestic horses. Their studies suggest that through domestication and stabling, horses have taken on movement patterns that might be negatively affecting their well-being.
Their results showed that horses are naturally good travelers, covering average distances of around 10.6 miles per day in the wild. They would even get as far as 5 miles away from a watering source–or 34 miles away for the wild desert horses. These horses would frequently go up to four days without water and walk 12 hours nonstop to their watering point. However, Hampson cautioned that desert horses have probably genetically adapted to dry conditions over the past 140 years. Even so, other wild horses in the study living in rich grazing areas would go from one to three days without water, he said. Meanwhile, domestic horses at pasture averaged only about four miles of movement every day, regardless of the size or structure of the pasture. Even in pastures as large as 39.5 acres with relatively few horses, the maximum daily average was only 4.5 miles. Movement was significantly less for stalled horses given turnout time in a yard, Hampson said. They averaged only about 0.6 miles of free daily movement. "Domestically kept horses generally move very little in comparison to the horse in nature," Hampson said. "This lack of movement can cause and contribute to poor quality foot health and serious systemic disease." And, he said: "Many ailments of the horse can be managed by allowing or causing the horse to exercise. We should be aiming for similar activity levels for the horses in our care." In keeping with this goal, Hampson and his colleagues also tested five pasture structures to see if they tended to encourage more movement in horses–a thought that has been gaining popularity among some horse owners. The "racetrack" style fencing system, which blocks off the center area of the pasture, made no major difference in movement and actually seemed to make the horses move less, Hampson said. A maze pattern also slightly reduced average movement, and a spiral fence pattern lowered the average even more. Fencing off a tree to keep horses from stagnating in the shade seemed to cause little changes in their movement habits. In fact, the pasture structure which yielded the greatest daily travel distance was the basic open pasture system of four fenced-off sides, he said. thehorse.com, Christa Lesté-Lasserre June 15 2010, Article # 16515 |
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HOW OFTEN DO YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING: Just like you, Kim McElroy had a childhood fascination with horses. She loved to take her pad and crayons and go out to draw horses and like you, she also felt the frustration of not being able to fully express her love of horses and all the beauty and grace they have. However, one day whilst out sketching, she had an epiphany. Instead of trying to freeze the movement of the horses in the same way as a photograph does, she gave into the horse’s movement and feeling and spirit. Suddenly her drawing came alive and she was hooked. Since then of course Kim has gone on to become one of the leading equine artists in the world today and appeared in ‘The Path of the Horse’ documentary as well as her artwork having been featured in a top-selling horse book. She has even presented a portrait to former US President Ronald Reagan of his horse, El Alamein. There’s something about Kim’s work which people are irresistibly drawn to. They often expressed to Kim how they feel a real connection with the horses in the paintings. So Kim got to wondering why this was and she discovered it’s because she herself always has so much emotional involvement and connection with the subject she is painting. She then figured that if that happens for her, it could happen to anyone who loves horses and wants to express that love in the form of art. For her, having a passion for her subject is what inspires her. It’s like learning a foreign language where you get immersed in the culture and the rhythm of the language as opposed to being stuck in a boring classroom reciting adjective and verb tables. Too often, you are told to learn by drawing simple blocks, circles and cylinders, which means you lose out on all the joy and inspiration that horses give you in the first place. So Kim decided to give everyone the chance to express their love of horses in art form just like she does and has put toether a wonderful DVD, which shows you exactly how she learnt to draw. Drawing by rote with geometric shapes is thrown out of the window as Kim lets you explore your feelings and emotions and then to draw from this feeling place. "I have always been critical of my art, and as you mentioned often happens to people, I had stopped drawing because felt I wasn’t good enough to bother trying to draw any longer. Interestingly, now I no longer look at the drawings I’ve done with a criticizing eye. So that alone for me is a huge breakthrough and I THANK you!" – Terrie Douglas Let Kim McElroy help you get in touch with with your feelings and inspiration for horses and to have more fun than ever before with your art. Here’s jst a sample of what you will get from this DVD:
Click The Secrets of Drawing Horses DVD to learn more and buy now |
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BLM: PLAN WOULD CREATE SANCTUARY FOR CALICO MUSTANGS Wild mustangs removed from the Calico Mountain Complex range in Nevada would avoid placement in long-range holding facilities in the Midwest if the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), wild horse advocates and a Nevada rancher can agree on an alternative plan. About 1,800 mustangs were gathered from the Calico Complex in controversial gathers in December 2009 and February 2010. The gathers were the subject of a series of lawsuits brought against the BLM by animal welfare advocates. One suit filed in December 2009 sought a federal court order to halt a scheduled Calico Complex gather. The roundup took place on schedule in February after Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., declined to stop it. In March, another court action claimed the gathers violated the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 because they endangered the lives of the animals. The act protects mustangs and burros from harassment, capture or death, and places the animals’ management under (BLM) jurisdiction. Last month, Friedman dismissed that case on grounds that plaintiffs did not have the legal standing to bring the suit. He also ruled the case moot because the Calico gather ended earlier this year. Under a plan proposed by the California-based, nonprofit Return to Freedom Horse Sanctuary and Jim Kudrna, owner of the Soldier Meadows Ranch and Resort near Gerlach, Nev., about 1,700 horses gathered from the Calico Complex would be located onto 5,200 acres of private pasture owned by Kudrna. The plan also proposes that Kudrna would receive payment of $350 per horse per year from the BLM to compensate for revenue lost by removing his cattle from the pastures. Return to Freedom would manage the mustangs, said sanctuary founder Neda DeMayo. The Wild Horse and Burro Act does not prevent the BLM from placing mustangs on private lands after the animals have been removed from public ranges, said Don Glenn, director of the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program. DeMayo and Kudrna originally proposed the plan as a possible settlement to the March 2010 federal suit, Glenn said. "But we were unable to talk about it until the suit was settled," he said. "We will meet with them sometime in June to see where we have some common ground and where we don’t." thehorse.com, Pat Raia June 08 2010, Article # 16478 |
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‘The mare lies down in grass where the next skylark is hidden. Her sleep vessels the summer.‘ |
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TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN In their natural state, horses are constantly grazing and their digestive system is continuously processing forage, breaking it down into nutrients that are then absorbed. This efficient engine fuels every action within the body, from basic functions like taking a breath, to complex actions like powering over a Grand Prix fence.
The good news is there is a lot you can do to help. You can make management changes to better mimic Mother Nature, and you can support your horse by providing targeted supplements for gastric and digestive health. Belly Aching If your horse is currently healthy, consider optimizing his dietary program to avoid future problems. Constant access to fresh pasture is best, but can be difficult to come by, so consider providing free-choice grass hay as the basis of your horse’s diet. Alfalfa hay has been shown to help in the management of gastric ulcers, but should not be fed free choice. Feed the minimum amount of grain necessary to meet your horse’s energy requirements, and always feed several small meals, rather than fewer, larger ones. Finally, consider a gastric support supplement to maintain your horse’s stomach health. Look for antacids to safeguard the stomach, amino acids to support a healthy lining, and/or herbs to provide soothing relief. No Guts, No Glory You can help ensure your horse has a healthy hindgut by providing a supplement with ingredients that support both the small and large intestine. Digestive enzymes help break down nutrients, supporting feed utilization and nutrient absorption. Probiotics, live beneficial bacteria, are a popular component of many digestive supplements, and support a thriving bacterial population in the gut. Prebiotics are sources of non- digestible fiber and serve as a food source for the beneficial bacteria, keeping them healthy. Keep in mind, even healthy horses can benefit from digestive support, especially those undergoing feed changes, horses on antibiotics, and those under stress from training or travel. blog.smartpakequine.com |
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‘The joy with horses is it brings us in contact with elements of grace,beauty,spirit,and fire.‘ |
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NEW ARTICLES ON HORSECONSCIOUS
"The all-inclusive Saturday to Saturday EARTH Retreats are being offered at huge savings to accommodate all those who have wanted to attend but have not been able to afford them. Please see the June newsletter at www.lizmittenryan.com/newsletter.html We will also be changing our programs next year to include more Guest and Equinistic Healing Certification programs and are offering ‘early bird’ booking rates on those too for HorseConscious Newsletter Subscribers. Be sure to mention HorseConscious when you book via www.equinisity.com to take advantage of these low rates! "An exquisite experience allowing one to escape their own reality yet bringing you closer to not only your true self but to the consciousness of the earth of which we are all one" – Shawn Hamilton |
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Halter Training for the Older Foal and the Adult Horse - Carolyn Resnick Several people learning my Method have horses that have not yet been trained to accept the halter, and they have asked for my guidance. Of course, there are lots of halter breaking methods. They call it halter “breaking” because you must be very careful with the horse or foal, as you can easily run into resistance you cannot handle from the sheer strength of the horse fighting to get away. You need to stay away from the resistance and train the horse to never use resistance in response to a direct request from a pull of the lead rope. I find it very interesting that we see very few DVDs on the subject of halter training a wild horse. It takes great skill, and trainers who are not at all intimidated by getting in a fight with the horse or foal, or putting a horse though a process where he learns that, if he gets into a fight with the trainer, he will lose. This is why it is called halter breaking. To read the compete article and more of Carolyn’s articles, visit Carolyn Resnick on HorseConscious |
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Appreciating Our Horses -Debra Olson Daniels Magic and I love to play together. For with clicker training the horse learns to love his work and to take ownership of the behaviors. This is how we can get horses to work at liberty in collection or any other seemingly amazing movement. They have been taught in small steps, rewarded often for the correct movement and after time they own it! With this process of clarity and appreciation the love grows deeper. To read the compete article and more of Debra’s articles, visit Debra Olson Daniels on HorseConscious |
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‘Nothing is single: All things by law divine, in one spirit meet, mingle. Why not I with thine?’ |
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HORSE THAT OVERCAME ADVERSITY ATTEMPTS GUINNESS WORLD RECORD Lukas, a 17-year-old Thoroughbred gelding who stands 16.2 hands, may well be the smartest horse in the country–maybe the world, and owner-trainer Karen Murdock is trying to get him into the Guinness World Records for "Most numbers identified by a horse in one minute." On June 16, Lukas was able to identify a correct number at least 18 times. "The counter said 20, but I think he skimmed two of them," said Murdock of Southern California. "I don’t know how stringent the Guinness World Records will be. He got between 18-20 correct, which is about average for him." Lukas’ journey from broken-down rescue to smartest horse was a long, hard road and can be an inspiration for anyone, Murdock said. "Lukas overcame adversity and that can help our character. It is never too late for any of us." He ran three races as a 2-year-old and bowed both front tendons, ending his career. He was found years later filthy and emaciated in a back yard by a woman who took pity on him. She tried to rehabilitate him for her jumping program-but he was obstinate and dangerous. She sold him to Murdock eight years ago. "He was a handful," Murdock said, "but I fell in love with him. Basically, I had to un-train him and use tricks and play to change his attitude and to build a bond with him." Lukas has been listed on Yahoo, Google and the World Records Academy as "The World’s Smartest Horse." He counts, spells, identifies shapes, discriminates colors and grasps the concepts of same/different, proportion and absentness, she said. To be considered for the Guinness record, he had to point with his nose the correct number from 1 to 5 when Murdock called it out; the call-outs were random and non-sequential. She was not allowed to praise him, pet him, encourage him or touch him. "The guidelines were specific in that there could be no pointing or touching, no extra words," she said. Murdock doesn’t know when Guinness will make its decision, but she is happy that the record-keepers are even considering Lukas. Until now, animal records have had to do with the physical attributes – tallest, shortest, longest tail, etc. Considering an animal’s cognitive abilities is new. "This is the first time that Guinness has ever allowed such an activity," she said. "I’m just glad that people are willing to look at animals in a different light." thehorse.com, Marie Rosenthal, MS June 21 2010, Article # 16545 |
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SUMMER READING
Click to buy Empowered Horses: Learning Their Way Through Independence, Self-Confidence, and Creative Play
Click to buy Horse As Teacher Book 2 |
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‘Animals do not admire each other. A horse does not admire its companion.‘ |
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ASK CONGRESS TO FORCE BLM TO ALLOW PUBLIC OBSERVATION OF WILD HORSE PROGRAM In the face of public and Congressional outrage over the roundup of nearly 2,000 wild horses from Nevada’s Calico Mountains region, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced plans to control and minimize criticism by further restricting public viewing of its operations to a small group of cherry-picked organizations and individuals for limited viewing. The agency is ramping up its capture plans, with over 5,000 more wild horses targeted for roundup and removal over the next four months. By its own admission, BLM’s crackdown on public observation of its roundup activities and wild horse holding facilities is designed to control images released on blogs, YouTube and other social media, thereby quashing escalating public opposition to the agency’s handling of America’s treasured mustangs. We can’t let the BLM get away with this. The agency ignores the wishes of the American public by clearing wild horses off the land to make room for cattle ranchers and gas and mining companies who want to exploit public lands. Most of these formerly free mustangs are stockpiled in BLM holding facilities in the Midwest, costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually. Now this public agency is attempting to prevent all but a handpicked few from observing and documenting its treatment of the wild horses who are beloved by so many Americans. Please submit the form below today. Ask your representatives in Congress to force the BLM to allow the public to see and document how the agency is spending tax dollars to roundup and hold wild horses and burros. After you submit this form, please call your senators and representatives to follow up and ask them what action they have taken on this issue. |
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| DIARY DATES: | |||
| July 3-10 | Liz Mitten Ryan, E.A.R.T.H. Retreat, level 1 & 2, www.equinisity.com | ||
| July 4-11 | Anna Twinney: Healing Horses, Bitterroot Ranch, Dubois, WY, Anna@reachouttohorses.com | ||
| July 6-10 | Sandra Wallin: Dancing with Equus, Module 2, Maple Ridge, BC, www.chironsway.com/seminars | ||
| July 10-12 | Anna Twinney: Healing Horses, Longmont, CO, Reach Out To Wisdom | ||
| July 11-12 | Debra Olson Daniels: Creating Balance in Your Horse: Lateral Flexios and The Pose, Toutle, WA, debraolsondaniels@wildblue.net | ||
| July 13-14 | Liz Mitten Ryan, Guest workshop with Margrit Coates, www.equinisity.com/workshops.html | ||
| July 16 | Anna Twinney: Animal Communication Introductory Evening, Bethany, CT, CMLmRc@aol.com | ||
| July 16-18 | Kathy Pike, Finding Your Way through Life Transitions, near Aspen, CO, http://coachingwithhorses.com/calendar | ||
| July 17-18 | Anna Twinney: 2-Day Reach Out to Horses® Natural Horsemanship (fundraising) Clinic, Naugatuck, CT – tentative, CMLmRc@aol.com | ||
| July 23 | Anna Twinney, Animal Communication (fundraising) Introductory Evening, Ray of Light Farm, East Haddam, CT, www.rayoflightfarm.org | ||
| July 23-26 | Debra Olson Daniels: Alexandra Kurland Advanced Clicker Training Seminar, Toutle, WA, debraolsondaniels@wildblue.net | ||
| July 24-25 | Anna Twinney, 2-day Reach Out to Horses Natural Horsemanship (fundraising) Clinic, Ray of Light Farm, East Haddam, CT, www.rayoflightfarm.org | ||
| July 25-27 | Kathy Pike, Horses, Humans and the Space Between Friday night lecture, two-day workshop, portion of proceeds go to the Colorado Horse Rescue. Longmont, CO, http://coachingwithhorses.com/calendar | ||
| August 6-9 | Kathy Pike, Passion, Purpose, and Horse as Partner Program. near Aspen, CO http://coachingwithhorses.com/calendar | ||
| October 2-3 | NHE International Seminar 2010, Quebec Canada, featuring Cloe Lacroix and Michael Bevilacqua, http://www.nhe2010seminar.com/ | ||
| Various dates – Please quote HorseConscious when booking | For details of all of all Anna Twinney’s events and workshops click here | ||
| Various dates – Please quote HorseConscious when booking | Kathy Pike’s calendar and clinics can be found here | ||
| Various dates – Please quote HorseConscious when booking | Details of Epona workshops by Linda Kohanov can be found by clicking here | ||
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Remember: |
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| July 30-31 | Julia Felton and Stina Herberg-Carribean, Introductory Clinic for Carolyn Renick’s Waterhole Rituals, Nijbroekerweg, Ernst, Holland ConnectThruHorses.com. | ||
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mailbox, a sign, or a pile of bars could take on new characteristics when viewed from another side. "What we wanted to know was whether the horses could understand that the parts equal the whole," she said.
GPS-equipped collars, weighing 1.5-pounds each, were fitted onto the horses and worn for study periods lasting 6.5 days, according to Brian Hampson, postgraduate PhD scholar at the School of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Queensland and primary author of two recently published studies on the research. Wild horses were immobilized for 15 minutes using humane darts to put the collars on and take them off later. The animals were tracked every five seconds, allowing the researchers to create detailed maps and calculate precise information on the horses’ movement patterns.
It’s easy to see that proper digestion is essential to your horse’s overall wellbeing. Unfortunately, modern horse-keeping often puts us at odds with Mother Nature. These days, most horses are confined to their stalls or small turnouts. Instead of constant access to fresh pasture, most diets consist of high concentrations of commercial feeds, usually fed twice a day. In addition to an unnatural feeding regimen, the stress of training, travel and competition can increase your horse’s risk for developing a wide range of digestive problems, from gastric ulcers to diarrhea and colic. 
A Message From Liz Mitten Ryan
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