Newsletter XVII
|
Edition XVII |
|||
|
Hi Welcome to this month’s HorseConscious Newsletter. Well, a bit of a storm was kicked up this month when one of the most well-known, popular and respected horseman in the world was seen to be using undue force and fairly extreme methods when attempting to bridle a horse as part of a live demonstration at a major show. The report that I read did make some excellent points, saying that such exhibitions or competitions only served to massage the ego of the human rather than bestowing any great benefit on the horse. I actually read the report a week or so after I had seen a short excerpt from the demonstration on YouTube and it really backed up some of the conclusions I had already drawn myself. The problem with these sorts of events is that there is always the pressure to get a result because of the focus in our society on the quick fix. It’s similar to when we read about the weight-loss properties of the latest special berry that has just been discovered growing at 3,500 feet up in the Andes and which has been ‘miraculously’ fertilised by the unique combination of the droppings of the greater-crested Patagonian parrot that happened to stop off on its way to Florida for its winter vacation and the long-haired, 3-horned mountain goat that is indigenous to that part of the Andes. Praise the Lord, we no longer have to drag ourselves to the gym and cook real food. It’s TV dinners and junk food all the way now. Yippee! But guess what happens, we end up spending a fortune on special berry pills, put on 20 pounds (9kg) and have to renew our gym membership, pay their joining fee again and go back to eating food that looks like it did when it came out of the field. People just want the magic pill that’s going to fix everything for them instantly. So when it comes to these sorts of demonstrations therefore, the pressure to produce a satisfyingly neat and instant solution is always there. Of course it’s showmanship and salesmanship and helps to demonstrate the magical powers of the practitioner but it is also leading us down an illusory path. To start off with, the practitioner concerned usually has very high-level skills and so it is very deceiving to show and therefore suggest how ‘easy’ it is fix a ‘problem’ horse. The people watching who go away and buy the book or the DVD or the course can in the short term never hope to match the skills of the person demonstrating. The consequence of this is that they could unwittingly and innocently put themselves and their horse in extremely dangerous situations when attempting to perform similar ‘fixes’. Secondly, what happens to respect in these situations? It seems that the horses are just commodities to be used and discarded and reminds me of the time we visited the training centre of an equally well-known and respected horseman to watch one of the clinics being run there. The clinic was being taught not by the horseman himself but by some of his top trainers and there were about 6 or 8 students attending. The teaching was being carried out in a round pen and involved horses that were not known to the students. The exercise they were asked to perform involved them getting the horses to circle the pen and then attempting to mimic the method used by the well-known horseman. Most of them did indeed succeed to get the horse to comply but one horse became quite frightened and/or confused and would not fall in with what was being asked of him. So what was the reaction of the trainers, do you think? Well, I’ll paraphrase here but it was along the lines of, "Oh well, the horse clearly has some problems so let’s get another one you can perform the move on instead." The horse wasn’t important, only the result. Very sad. All of which brings me to perhaps the most important point here and that is relationship. What happened to letting a relationship evolve naturally? And how can that possibly be expected to take place in a 3 hour demonstration, let alone with a horse that supposedly had ‘problems’? You wouldn’t expect to go to a psychiatrist and say, "Doctor, my daughter is displaying some very severe behavioural traits, can you please straighten her out. Oh by the way, I have to nip out to the dry cleaners, I’ll only be 20 minutes, can you have her fixed by the time I get back." Similarly, if you were looking to start a new long-term relationship, you wouldn’t walk up to the first person you met and ask them to marry you, would you? A relationship has to be given time to develop naturally, whether with a human or a horse. You need to spend the time together to get to know each other, to understand each other’s backgrounds and likes and dislikes. You need to time to work out your modus operandi and how you each function at your best in the relationship. Through time, understanding and appreciation comes respect and trust. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work? There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that says: "The journey is the reward." Maybe Arthur Ashe the tennis player summed it up best when he said: "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." Modern society surrounds us with so much that is 24/7, quick-fix, throwaway, just add water, and wasn’t that sort of thinking partly to blame for the economic situation the world seems to find itself it at the moment? So, isn’t it about time we stopped relying on instant solutions and started building for the long-term based on solid foundations, understanding, care, respect and yes, love. And especially where relationships are concerned, right? So go and just hang out with your horse and watch the real magic happen. Have fun! Thanks once again for your time and attention and have a great month. Best wishes |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
‘There is a touch of divinity even in brutes, and a special halo about a horse, that should forever exempt him from indignities.‘ – Herman |
|||
|
|
|||
|
WEG INSPIRES HORSE MANIA IN THE BLUEGRASS
The brightly adorned horses can be found "grazing" and taking in the scenery downtown, on the University of Kentucky’s campus, at the airport, and in several other places in Lexington. An interactive map of the horses’ locations is available on the Lexington Herald-Leader’s website, Kentucky.com. Horse Mania 2010 also includes a new companion project, Horse Play for Arts Education. Horse Play, which debuted on July 1, added seven horses and 50 foals to Horse Mania’s sizable herd. However, what makes Horse Play unique is the age of the artists; rather than having professionals design these special horses, Fayette County public and private school children completed the embellishments. Stu Silberman, Fayette County Public Schools superintendent, said he was happy to report 100% participation in the project among the county’s public schools, adding praise The Horse Play horses and foals are on display at the Lexington Public Library’s six locations until October, and they will go to auction in February 2011. Proceeds from the sales will be divided between the corresponding schools’ arts departments and local art-in-education programs such as Lexington’s Youth Arts Council. Enhancement of arts programs is a priority for schools, said Silberman, but he expects further benefits for students, such as exposure to WEG and the community’s equine industry. The introduction of an agro-science program next school year, featuring an equine component, will also facilitate students’ exposure to the horse industry. The smaller foals, decorated by elementary and middle school students, are corralled inside the libraries, while the larger horses, created by local high school students, are pastured outside. Silberman reported that students and faculty seem attached to their creations. "There’s a real ownership with the horses," he said. Location information for Horse Play horses and foals is available at www.LexPubLib.org, and visit Horsemania2010.com to find more information about both Horse Mania and Horse Play. thehorse.com, Courtney LeMay, Editorial Intern , July 16,2010, Article # 16677
If you visit the museum too, we would love you to take a photo and send it to us!! |
|||
|
|
|||
|
‘A lovely horse is always an emotional experience of the kind that is spoiled by words.’ |
|||
|
|
|||
|
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT aka HARRASSMENT TRAINING I love this article called Understanding Bird Behavior written by Steve Martin the internationally known positive reinforcement free flight bird trainer. Although the article was written about birds, simply insert the word ‘horse’ where it says bird and you’ll find some fabulous insights. Here’s my favorite excerpt:
I think the more we collectively realize that negative reinforcement has the potential to feel like harassment to any animal, the more we may begin treating our animals, hmm, and maybe each other, and fancy this, ourselves with communication that feels good. paintinghorse.com, Cheryl Ward, July 12, 2010 |
|||
|
|
|||
 |
|||
|
MISSING HORSES: WHERE LIES THE RESPONSIBILTY? A growing network of horse rescue operations, anti-slaughter policies at racetracks, and other industry equine welfare initiatives have taken root in Thoroughbred racing, but keeping track of where horses go when they’re finished racing remains a serious challenge. Volunteers do a lot of the work developing contacts at tracks and looking out for horses before they are shipped off the grounds, perhaps to local livestock auctions or kill pens. They said their efforts, however, can be stymied by weak regulation and penalty enforcement. "We’re just out there trying to help horsemen because we understand that racing is a business, and we understand that when a horse needs to leave the track, it needs to leave the track," said Ali Conrad of CANTER Mid Atlantic. "If they don’t have an avenue by which to advertise or find the horse a new home, what do they do? They really get in a jam. "What is most frustrating is that we have people that are willing to work at lots of tracks in this country, and we can’t even get management to speak to us. You have to have a license to be on the backside, and we don’t want to operate without the support of the track." CANTER visits some tracks on at least a weekly basis. There are three to five leader volunteers per track per weekend, with 10-30 people assisting them periodically. Through their network, the individuals can keep track of potential retirees. But once horses leave the stable area without proper documentation, they can be hard to find. Case of the ‘missing’ horse A case in point is the 6-year-old Distorted Humor gelding Contrary, who last raced at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in January. Neil Parker, a central Pennsylvania Thoroughbred owner whose wife, Kathleen, trained Contrary as of July 2009, said he told he the owners last summer he would take the gelding when his racing career was over. Contrary was claimed by Wells last year and subsequently trained by Stephanie Beattie. Parker said it turned out the horse wasn’t sent to a riding school or to a farm in north central Pennsylvania, as he was told. As of early July, Contrary still hadn’t been found, leading to speculation he ended up in a kill pen. Beattie, one of the leading trainers at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course and president of the Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, said she has been unable to determine where the horse was shipped. She offered a $1,000 reward for information on Contrary. Messages left for Beattie through the Pennsylvania HBPA weren’t returned. Contrary, a Kentucky-bred out of the Dixieland Band mare Randy Nance, made 38 starts with seven wins, seven seconds, and seven thirds for earnings of $126,392. He was last owned by Beattie, according to equineline.com. "Saying you don’t remember or don’t know where retired racehorses go shouldn’t be an excuse for where retired horses go," Neil Parker said. "Currently, that seems to be acceptable. How can a trainer with a lifetime record of nearly 30% winners who is impeccable at taking care of her horses not know where they are going when they are retired?" Parker, who works for a central Pennsylvania television station and has been called a rabble rouser by some because of his outspoken manner, said the practice of "don’t ask, don’t tell" must end. He claimed policies and protocol–of the track and Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission–aren’t followed, with the end result being missing horses and mounting distrust on the backstretch. How racetrack policies work Penn National and other tracks owned by PNGI have on the books an anti-slaughter policy designed to protect horses that can no longer race. Those involved in horse rescue and retirement applaud the policy and similar ones at other tracks but claim they have no teeth. The PNGI policy states: "Any horsemen stabled at a Penn National Gaming Inc.–owned or–operated horse racing facility who knowingly, or without conducting proper due diligence, sells a horse for slaughter, directly or indirectly, will have his or her stalls revoked and may, in addition, be barred from all of our racing properties." PNGI vice president of racing Chris McErlean said policy enforcement requires documentation and hard facts before any action can be taken. "The impetus (for the policy) was our trying to put horsemen on notice that we certainly aren’t advocates of that type of end demise for racehorses," McErlean said. "As far as implementation, you have to start where you have credible evidence of that occurring. I’ not sure Internet blogs are credible. You do need to have some facts to start with." Continued below… |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
‘A horse is like a best friend. They’re always there to nuzzle you and make your life a better place.’ -Unknown |
|||
|
|
|||
|
THE MYTHS OF HORSE SLAUGHTER American Horses on Foreign Dinner Plates In 2007, the last slaughter plant in the US was closed. Many Americans now believe that horse slaughter is illegal and horses are no longer being slaughtered. This is not true. Slaughter statistics for 2009 show that over 100,000 American horses were sent to slaughter for human consumption abroad. The “Unwanted Horse” Myth The “Humane Euthanasia” Myth The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act -HR503 and S727 The “Slippery Slope” Myth
|
|||
|
|
|||
 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
‘You took care of your horse, and your horse took care of you.’ - Elton Gallegly |
|||
|
|
|||
|
NEW ARTICLES ON HORSECONSCIOUS
Rules and guidelines are what makes any method functional. It is all about the dos and don’ts in how to approach a horse. Following the rules judiciously is what creates the success of any method, not just following the rules. Here are some of my suggested rules and guidelines:
Change the rules if you feel they are unfair to your horse, and work with your own belief system to empower your relationship and dance with them. This is how to be a conscientious caretaker to your horse and your own spirit, to stay within the bond and free spirit of your horse. The focus of your training is always to enhance the well-being of your horse and deepen the connection. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
What is an Equine Facilitated Learning Experience? – Kathy Pike I had the privilege of working with a wonderful Percheron by the name of Kairos during an Equine Faciliated Learning workshop in Tucson this last February. Karios is the largest horse I have ever seen. He is well over 17 and the weight of his physical body is grounding and calming. His gentle nature makes time stand still. His slow moving, solid black muscular mass calls you to him and pulls you back in time. Kairos offered the participants at this workshop an equine learning experience that was based on ‘being’ verses ‘doing.’ By simply being near Kairos several people reported a deep sense of communion and connection to something that was beyond words. Kairos complete focus and slow gentle gestures moved people to the depths of their consciousness. While facilitating one woman in a reflective round pen session, I shared the same experience. To read the compete article and more of Kathy’s articles, visit Kathy Pike on HorseConscious |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Why Horses – Linda Kohanov Why are horses such wonderful therapeutic partners and guides to human authenticity? …In order to survive, animals preyed upon in nature have to be sensitive to emotional energy and the intention behind it. Horses, zebras and deer will often graze unconcerned as a lion who has recently eaten a big meal walks right through their pasture. Yet when an agile carnivore is on the prowl, the herd will scatter long before the cat can get close. To read the compete article and more of Linda’s articles, visit Linda Kohanov on HorseConscious |
|||
|
|
|||
|
‘They drink the fountains, Fiery and sacred is their breath, and like the whirlwind they must go.’ |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
FIRST INTERNATIONAL WILD EQUID CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIA The Australian Brumby Research Unit (ABRU) has done their fair share of round-ups, but this was a muster of an entirely different sort. They came from all over. From France, Sweden and Germany, from New Zealand and the USA. From capital cities and country towns across the continent of Australia, from just down the road in Alice Springs. Some were as young as fifteen, some were closer to 70. There were students, veterinarians, farriers and trimmers. There were teachers, trainers and a jillaroo. But no matter how diverse in age, nationality or occupation, they all shared one thing in common – a passion for horses. The International Wild Equid Conference was held June 21-26, 2010, in Kings Canyon, Northern Territory. It was the first of its kind, an idea hatched by Brian Hampson to celebrate finishing four years of PhD research on the brumby foot, to share what he’s learned and to offer people the chance to experience wild horses in their natural habitat at his favourite research site. The conference took place in and around Kings Creek Station, a working cattle and camel property with accommodation facilities in the heart of outback Australia. The amenities were not what you’d expect at a typical conference. No fancy hotel rooms, lavish breakfast buffets or city lights shining through a high-rise window. Instead 44 guests slept in twin-share canvas tents on wooden platforms, had bacon and eggs from the barbeque each morning and were surrounded by red sand and desert scrub for as far as the eye could see. A Report and review story by Susan Johnston, photos by Magadalena Zabek |
|||
|
|
|||
|
PERSONAL CHALLENGE: |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
SUMMER READING
Click to buy Spirit Horses by Tony Stromberg
The stories from Connie’s first book, “Beauty From Brokenness”, are explored in more depth and revisit defining moments of the author’s life that have led her to self discovery, growth, healing and celebration. Room is left on the pages for the reader to relate to and connect with their own stories so a new conversation begins. With beautiful illustrations by Kim McElroy and Deborah Koff-Chapin and a foreword by Stormy May, this is a book to treasure for yourself and to gift to others. Click to buy Holy As Thou by Constance Funk |
|||
|
|
|||
|
‘To be loved by a horse, or by any animal, should fill us with awe -for we have not deserved It." |
|||
|
|
|||
|
MISSING HORSES: WHERE LIES THE RESPONSIBILTY? …continued The story of Contrary became antagonistic and accusatory fodder for blogs and chat rooms. On the flip side, such Internet commentary is used to seek out horses and find them homes. It’s hard, however, to separate fact from fiction. "If information is credible, and the facts support it, we will follow up," McErlean said. "It’s a difficult thing, no doubt. All tracks are struggling with enforcement (of anti-slaughter policies)." Rose Mary Williams, director of racing at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in West Virginia, said the track’s anti-slaughter policy stemmed from reports of Thoroughbreds showing up at the Sugarcreek Livestock Auction in neighboring Ohio. Mountaineer works with CANTER to disseminate information on options for retired racehorses. "There is a group of people out there actively pursuing this," Williams said. "They’ll call me every once in a while. There were reports of a lot of horsemen sending horses to Sugarcreek. There are other (auctions) out there, but we haven’t heard of horsemen here sending horses to those places." Williams said CANTER "seems to have helped in educating horsemen there are other avenues for retiring horses." As for policy enforcement, Williams said: "If made aware of (horses being sent to slaughter), I can take away stalls. But ultimately, it’s up to the horse owners." Most racetracks are private property, so they can pull stalls. But the horses aren’t their property, and that has raised questions as to how far they can legally go in enforcement. A call for enforcement Anne Russek, a Virginia horsewoman involved in Thoroughbred retirement, said enforcement shouldn’t be difficult if protocol already in place is followed. She indicated numerous horses leave barn areas unchecked by security personnel. "It all boils down to enforcement," Russek said. "I’ve been beating my head silly telling tracks they have the mechanism to enforce the policy. Ask the questions (at security gates). Who is the horse? Where is the horse going—the physical address? Where is the paperwork? "This stuff isn’t rocket science. The information all could be easily entered in a database." There are other concerns, such as unchecked horses leaving tracks and possible spreading diseases, Russek said. She has contacted the United States Department of Agriculture and asked it to get involved because some horses cross state lines without Coggins papers. "We have all this information at our fingertips and choose not to use it," Russek said. "Without fail it’s nothing but lip service from the higher-ups. A lot has been done over the years, but my take on it is the racing industry has more addressed it from a public-relations aspect rather than figuring out how to solve the problem." Russek credited Suffolk Downs and Sam Elliot, director of racing at the Massachusetts track, for taking action that led to the discovery of racehorses at a livestock auction in New Holland, Pa. In 2007, five trainers were banned from Suffolk–three were reinstated in 2009 after a review. Suffolk officials, Russek said, followed the paper trail and found the horses. Suffolk now has standardized a bill of sale used in the stable area to avoid misunderstandings involving horse transactions; the document states horses can’t be transported or caused to be transported to auctions or kill pens. The track also has a retirement program that takes horses at the end of each meet. Other options available In the Bluegrass State, the Kentucky Equine Humane Center works with tracks and training centers to place horses. Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky a few years ago created a "surrender stall" in which horses can be placed with no questions asked. Since July 2008, the KEHC has taken almost 70 horses from Turfway. Lori Neagle of the KEHC said the program is a success, in large part because it’s monitored and there’s documentation. "If (the horses) go from one hand to another, it becomes hard to enforce," she said. At the time it adopted its anti-slaughter policy, PNGI said it encourages horsemen participating at PNGI facilities and industry-wide to support rescue and adoption efforts and to seek humane means of dealing with horses unable to continue racing. There has been talk of opening a retirement program in central Pennsylvania similar to those in place in other states. Russek said racetracks need in-house programs operated by "racetrackers" as well as humane euthanasia programs for horses that can’t be transitioned to other careers. "It really does need to be a program with some oversight," she said. Said Conrad: “We walk the shedrows talking to trainers, letting them know that we’re an option to help them retire their horse, sell their horse, or retire their horse before they too damaged to find a second career. We’re just trying to educate people and let them know we’re there as a resource." The Unwanted Horse Coalition, which falls under the American Horse Council umbrella, is studying ways it can expand its reach as a clearinghouse for such information and, if its members agree to after careful review, could form a clearinghouse for equine welfare funding. thehorse.com, by: The Blood-Horse Staff July 12 2010, Article # 16645 |
|||
|
|
|||
 |
|||
|
|
|||
| DIARY DATES: | |||
| August 1-2 | Anna Twinney: Animal Communication Weekend, RMSAAM, Littleton, CO, information@rmsaam.com | ||
| August 4 | Anna Twinney: Holistic Horse (fundraising) Day, Horse Protection League, Golden, CO, info@reachouttohorses.com | ||
| August 6-9 | Kathy Pike, Horse Wisdom Workshop: Passion, Purpose and the Horse as Partner Program, near Aspen http://coachingwithhorses.com/calendar | ||
| August 10-14 | Sandra Wallin, Dancing with Equus Module 3, Maple Ridge, BC, www.chironsway.com | ||
| August 17-22 | Anna Twinney: Reach out to the Untouched Horse, Cody, WY, ONE SPOT LEFT, info@reachouttohorses.com | ||
| August 21-22 | Sandra Wallin, Psych-K, Maple Ridge, BC, www.chironsway.com | ||
| August 26-27 | Sandra Wallin, DaVinci’s Horses, Maple Ridge, BC, www.chironsway.com | ||
| August 27-29 | Anna Twinney: Reach Out to Wisdom, Ray of Light Farm, East Haddam, CT, vin@reachouttohorses.com | ||
| August 21- 28 | Liz Mitten Ryan with Brita De Vries , E.A.R.T.H program level 1 & 2 | ||
| September 11 | Kathy Pike, Experience Your Emotions through the Eye of a Horse Download Flyer (this program is facilitated by Kathy’s EFLC Apprentices), http://coachingwithhorses.com/calendar | ||
| September 11-12 | Debra Olson Daniels: Clicker Play Weekend, Toutle, WA, debraolsondaniels@wildblue.net | ||
| 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 | ||
|
Remember: |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|||
for its success by saying, "I’m also very, very proud of the work that our kids did; the horses and the foals really came out great."
How many of these examples do we have in our day-to-day relationship with our horses? Although a gentle push, push, push, on a horse’s shoulders to move over may seem benign to us, there’s a giant possibility that it feels harassed. Shoot, I’d feel harassed if someone were pushing me physically to do something when a they could have used words or pointed instead.
We Owe It To Our Horses-Ways You Can Help The Prevention of Equine Cruelty 
Rules and Guidelines Working with the Waterhole Rituals – Carolyn Resnick
Filed in