Make appointments two weeks in advanced and keep them.
Have the horse caught and held in a dry safe area.
Provide a good place to work- level and dry, plenty of light, shade if hot, safe and no “spooks”(children pets machinery etc.)or wire traps.
Be available to hold the horse. If this is not possible, provide someone who is familiar to the horse. A horse will generally stand better for someone it is familiar with.
Handle the horse’s feet regularly. Keep them free of disease. Tie the horse for long periods to teach it to stand quietly for the shoeing.
Inform the horseshoer of any behavioral or foot problems the horse may have.
Have the horses feet clean and soft before the shoer comes. Overfill the water tank, it may take several days in dry weather. Hoof dreassing is usually not nessesry. Do not apply hoof dressing 24 hours before the shoer comes. (It make for a greasy mess)
Take care of the horse. Schedule a re-shoeing before the hoofs become overgrown and the shoes lost. Realize shoeing is a regular event.
Pay the horseshoer when he does the work.
Be loyal to your horseshoer. Remember that the best horseshoer will be the cheapest in the long run.

Invitation to dance

It’s one gray morning in October, the smell of rain is still in the air,
fall is coming with its warm colors and cool temperatures.

People are trickling in, enjoying coffee and pastries, while registering for the event. Carolyn Resnick is already by the ring, getting to meet everybody and answering questions before the clinic starts. This is the second of a series of three clinics designed around one horse’s progress. The purpose of this is to give people the most complete and explanatory view on Carolyn’s method also known as Liberty Training.

Music is in the air, Fred Benedetti is playing live his classic guitar and everything seems to call for a dance.

After a brief introduction about the basics of her method to communicate with horses, Carolyn let in the ring Panadero XLVI, a talented three year old PRE stallion, accompanied by Shelley Martin, World Champion of Cutting.

Panadero is in the ring tack less, he moves in unity with Carolyn because they understand each other’s body language. There is no need for tack to keep the horse near, he wants to be close to her, there is no need to push, Panadero moves with her like he would do in united movement with another horse. Not the way horses generally move around people, but the way they move in a group of horses.

All of this is made possible because of the relationship that the Carolyn Resnick Method builds between the horse and his human partner.
Here is the dance!

From the ground Carolyn and Panadero move in complete synchrony, and shortly after, Shelley rides him without using the reins, mounted on a halter just as a precaution. She is able to stop the horse at her whim, just by using her body to tell him when.
Being ridden is the major new milestone for Panadero since the July clinic.

The uplifting feeling that I got from watching the performance was powered by the extreme trust everyone could see, being present, between Panadero, Carolyn and Shelley. They were performing, without the contact that the tack gives to the rider, yet still achieving the desired response.

When time came for me to bring in the ring Downtown Rosalie, my six years old TB off the track since February, everybody was still talking about how beautiful and easy Panadero’s performance was. It seemed magic!

Rosalie doesn’t like crowds and was particularly full of energy that morning, showing off with a big jump and buck as soon as I removed her halter and gave her a choice.
In the audience somebody was wondering if she was a bucking bronco instead of a race horse.

Like nothing happened, in a couple of minutes, Carolyn and Rosalie , were walking together like Panadero was earlier. The whole picture seemed so easy and natural that it took a moment, for the audience, to realize that the same horse, that was jumping in the air, now was dancing with Carolyn. The mare undoubtedly understood and followed her lead.
When working with a horse with the Carolyn Resnick Method there is an active and polite dialogue, the horse is always respected, given the choice to participate and never reduced into submission.

The horse chooses his leader to follow, like it happens in nature. Instead of submitted, the horse becomes the willing and enthusiastic partner of a dance that translates from the ground to the horse’s back. What makes the communication so clear is, literally, the secret language of horses. They are all familiar with it. It’s the one that the herd speaks.
Our horses are not herd animals, in most cases. We can also try to breed out or in qualities, but we cannot change the horses instincts, inborn in the species for the time they have been on earth. The foal will always shadow his mother from birth, will always learn from her when to eat and when not to eat and look up to other horses for company and counseling.
Carolyn Resnick, developed a way to communicate with horses in her youth, through rituals that she observed happening between the horses in a wild herd. She adopted those rituals, made her body act like the horses she was studying and experimented with it to see their response. Her efforts were so good that the horses accepted Carolyn as a member of the herd, including her in their pecking order.

Her language is the foundation that any and every person interested in horses should have. It enables to really touch the heart of the horse by talking its own way. It speaks of being together in friendship, sharing space and food, moving in synchrony, respecting each other and choosing a leader.

Any and every horse should approach training from this point of view, respecting, trusting and choosing their human as a friend, a partner and a leader, not viewing us as a predator that they would naturally fear.

If the horse chooses a leader to follow he will do so, from just being together in the moment to a very fine performance.

Throughout her carrier Carolyn has concentrated her efforts in coding and perfecting her communication system to give people and horses a better way to understand each other.
After the great outcome of the July and October clinics, Carolyn Resnick, leading authority in equine behavior and communication and internationally known author of Naked Liberty, will hold a winter clinic on January 12th, for more information about the event contact Carolyn’s office at: carolynresnick@cox.net.

The Carolyn Resnick’s Method can be a foundation to all equestrian pursuits and will provide you with new techniques and skills on how to bond, maintain respect and use body language to achieve unity and optimum performance, from the ground to the saddle, with your horse.

This is a rare opportunity to work directly with Carolyn Resnick and learn her technique,
a real breakthrough in equestrian training.

The time, the money, the effort it takes to ride calls for dedication. At least I call it dedication. It's a sickness I've had since I was a small girl bouncing my model horses and dreaming of the day I would ride a real horse. Most of the women I ride with understand the meaning of 'the sickness'. It's not a sport. It's not a hobby. It's what we do and, in some ways, who we are as women and human beings.

Time slows. Flying insects buzz loudly, looking like fairies. My mare flicks her ears and moves down the trail. I can smell her sweat and it is perfume to my senses. Time slows. The rhythm of the walk and the movement of the leaves become my focus. My saddle creaks and the leather rein in my hand softens with the warmth.

The beauty I've seen because I ride amazes me. I've ridden out to find lakes that remain for the most part, unseen. Caves, dark and cold beside rivers full and rolling are the scenes I see in my dreams. The Granite Stairway at Echo Summit, bald eagles on the wing and bobcats on the prowl add to the empowerment and joy in my heart.

SPECIAL FOR SOCALEQUINE.COM:
If you ride the backcountry and wilderness trails of Southern California, you’ve probably run into pack mule trains, looking like they just stepped out of a painting of the 19th century Old West. Most likely, these mule trains belonged to members of the Backcountry Horsemen of California, and they were carrying trail maintenance tools and supplies.
This statewide organization has more than 4,000 members in 27 individual units, including eight units in Southern California alone. Riders of all ages and all skill levels, with or without pack stock, are invited and welcomed to join any of the regional units.
They talk in their own language of panniers and rock bars and grip hoists and Dutch ovens as they ready their riding and pack stock to head deep into the wilderness. They repair high mountain trails, they build new ones, and often times they load up horses and mules just for the fun of it, the fun of loving the demands and intrigue of packing for a week at a time near a remote mountain meadow.
It’s a rugged side of the sport of horses that demands every bit the precision and detail and excellence of approach as one would expect in the dressage arena. Pull a strap too tight, miscalculate a distance, forget to pack a tool, midjudge a horse’s attitude, and the planned backcountry excursion turns sour and potentially life-threatening.
This is the world of packing with stock.

In 1981, the organization coalesced around the threatened closure of backcountry trails which had been open, always, to hikers and equestrians. Forming with the idea of working with public land managers to take care of trails and wilderness areas, the organization quickly morphed into a full service group with 10 main goals in three major categories:
1, Take care of the backcountry trails and open spaces; 2, Advocate maintaining access to backcountry; and 3, Educate the public about Gentle Use.
A “typical” BCHC weekend involves at least as many pack animals as riding animals. With their stock loaded with McLeods, axes, shovels, loppers, and an occasional grip hoist, and their basic supplies of food and camping equipment, BCHC members move out of camp after an early morning cup of freshly-brewed Cowboy Coffee. They are bound for somewhere along the trail where Mother Nature, whether in the form of cloud bursts or fires, has made the trail dangerous or impassable. Generally, power tools are forbidden.
“Those of us who subscribe to the wilderness philosophy believe that we should keep things as they used to be,” explained BCHC member Bill Carter, one of the coordinators for this summer’s repair and maintenance work in the Inyo Forest. “No motorized vehicles, no power equipment, only primitive tools. For most maintenance, this works well, and it allows us to maintain this important part of our heritage.”
This past summer, units around the state assisted the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, the BLM, and the Pacific Crest Trail Association with repairs in remote areas. The work they accomplish keeps trails open and usable for all backcountry users. And they do it all at no cost to the government.
Besides volunteer work, BCHC members plan and coordinate educational activities to raise awareness of the fragile environment of the wilderness. The Redshank Riders Unit in the Anza area recently held a full day of clinics and demonstrations about everything from snakes you may encounter to Dutch oven cooking to emergency vet care on the trail. The Mother Lode Unit staffed the Gentle Use Camp at the Western States Horse Expo in June with help from Sutter Buttes Unit. Several Southern California units staffed the booth at the Los Angeles County Fair throughout most of September.
Equally important to service and education, advocacy forms the third BCHC leg. The organization works with local, regional, state, and federal agencies and organizations to keep the backcountry trails and forage areas open to horsemen on all public lands. They keep current information before the membership and its local units regarding new legislation or management plans related to government regulations of the backcountry. They also review new proposals, plans, and restrictions as related to the interest of horsemen and those persons interested in recreational stock use in the backcountry.
Not every BCHC member packs, however. Many simply camp and trail ride and go to work on the trails when they can reach them in truck or on foot.
“Most of us who don’t pack still support the work the BCHC does to keep the wilderness trails open,” said member Tracey Stahler-Roche of Redlands. “We help when we can, and otherwise just have a good time with the group.”

The hoof is divided into five different sections, the wall, the sole, and the frog, the periople and the white line. The hoof grows as a result of stratum germinativum. Cell layers. The hoof wall is the primary weight bearer. The rate of foot growth is important when considering physiology. Rapidly growing hoofs usually have a higher quality and easer to keep properly shod. The hoof rate seems to be directly correlated with the heart rate. The frog is used as a pumping mechanism to bring blood into the foot. The sole is horney tissue that protects the sensitive structures inside the hoof capsule.

The periople ring is a narrow ring that is located just above the coronary band. The periople protects the sensitive coronary band at he junction of the skin and hoof next to the hairline.

The connection of terminal papilla and stratum lamellateum make up the white line (zona lamellatum). The white line is used as a guide for nailing on shoes.

Familiarize yourself with these terms.
Know what you are looking at, this diagram should help:

Gait: A is a pattern of movement or way of going. Gaits are characterized by variations in the stride. Stride is the term given to the action of the leg between successive front prints or tracks made by the same foot.

Balance: an even distrobution of weight enabling something to stand upright and steady.

Disease: a disorder of structure or function in an animal. An animal not at ease is considered to be diseased.

Imbalance: resulting from over trimming one area of the hoof.

Foot flight patterns: the path in which way the foot moves in direction of gait

The ideal foot is one that is functional and symmetrical. The outer surface of the wall is smooth and strait from the coronary band to the ground.

Winging-in: Usually associated with a toed-out conformation. The feet usually break over the inside of the toe and move in an inward arc.

Winging-out: Usually associated with a toed-in conformation. Wining-out is often called paddling.

Stumbling: Interference with the ground.

Interfering: Interference between opposite limbs.

Forging: Interference with the bottom of the front shoe hitting the toe of the hind shoe.

Overreaching: Is interference between the toe of the hind shoe and the bulb or heels, of the front shoe on the same side.

Knee hitting: Is also called knee knocking, is interference between the inside of a front foot and the knee region of the opposite leg

Elbow hitting: Interference between the shoe and the elbow of the leg it is on.

Cross fire: Interfering with the opposite (diagonal) front and hind feet

Speedy cutting: High limb interference at speed.

“I’m having a hard time putting into words what this event has done for the wild horse and burro program,” Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Chief of the Wild Horses and Burro Division, Don Glenn, who was almost speechless with the weekends success. The Will Rogers Equestrian Center in Fort Worth was filled to capacity on Saturday and Sunday September 22 & 23. “This event has brought more attention to what we are doing to preserve the American Mustang than any other program in my 30 years with the division. I have to give a tremendous amount of credit to the trainers who took these Mustangs and shaped them into marketable horses. Without them, there is no way this event would have been successful.” Mr. Glenn also complimented the Mustang Heritage Foundation for their time and effort organizing the event.

One hundred trainers were selected out of a pool of two hundred twenty applicants back in the spring. The trainers were randomly paired with one hundred wild mustangs for one hundred days of training before the two-day competition and subsequent adoption auction on Monday, September 23. Seventy-five Mustangs were adopted for a total of $233,100. The average bid per horse was $3,108. Historically, wild mustangs sold at auction bring in less than $1000 on average. The BLM receives $125 per head as the minimum adoption fee. The remainder has been allocated for programs of the BLM while this year a portion also went to the Mustang Heritage Foundation to support their programs as well. Trainers in the Extreme Mustang Makeover also received a 15 percent commission for any horse adopted for a fee higher than $250. This year, there were two extremely high bids, both made for personal and very special reasons. More on that below.

So, how did our friend Micah do? Trainer Kathe Smothers of Quiet Mind Horsemanship in Ojai experienced a bit of frustration, as did many other trainers: going off course, flashing cameras, and other challenges of such a large well attended first time competition. There were 36 teams receiving “zero score” for the In Hand portion, 29 got “zero score” for the Horse Course portion. The conditioning scores ranged from a 27.5 low to a 38 high. Kathe and Micah had a false start during the riding portion. Going back into the starting area, Micah became startled by the thousands of spectators, flashing cameras and was spooked by the timekeeper. All of that led to a less than relaxed and forward ride, but Kathe says, “I just sat down, smiled and rode him through the test.” They went off course during the In Hand, earning a zero score for that segment. Micah’s conditioning score was a 35, on the high end of scores for that segment. Even with a zero In Hand score and a difficult ride, Micah and Kathe placed in the top half with a combined final score of 126.75 .

During his short time in Ojai, Micah earned many fans. Kathe’s students raised $8,000 for her to take to Fort Worth with the goal of bidding on Micah during the adoption auction. Kathe was able to buy the horse back for one of the highest sale prices of the day, $7500. “I feel Micah is a good representation of the Nevada Range Mustang and what can be done with them with correct handling.” Micah will become an ambassador for Kathe’s Quiet Mind Horsemanship program. We will stay in touch with Micah’s career and bring you updates periodically.

A Calico Mountain Mustang named Larry, trained by Dave Schaffner from Texas sold for $10,000. Dave Schaffner tragically suffered a serious riding accident on another horse shortly before the competition and was not able to compete. As a result, Larry was shown by Shaffner’s son Tyler as a tribute to the hard work his father put into this horse. Tyler’s scores did not count toward the competition since he did not do the training. That did not matter to Larry and friends of the Schaffner family, the horse was adopted for $10,000. The funds received for Larry, after paying BLM fees, were donated to the Schaffner family to assist with Dave’s medical bills.

Dear Friends,

Norman and I have written this brief commentary in which we discussed our personal feelings regarding the tragic death of Merv Griffin; and how the Coachella Valley, specifically the City of La Quinta, might reflect its respect and acknowledgment for his personal vision of creating an equestrian lifestyle community amongst the hubbub of country club, golf courses, and mania urbanization.

Thank you for reading the above "Tribute to Merv Griffin".

If you feel our suggestions have merit and potential for creating a worthy testimonial to Merv Griffin, and/or if you have additional ideas; please be sure to make La Quinta (and Riverside County) aware of your feelings.

Written correspondence should be addressed as follows:

City of La Quinta Riverside County
Attn: Doug Evans, Assistant City Mgr. Attn: Roy Wilson, 4th District Supervisor
Attn: City Council Members 73-710 Fred Waring Drive - Suite 222
P. O. Box 1504 Palm Desert Ca 92260-2574
La Quinta Ca 92247-1504

It is our sincere hope to gather immense interest and enthusiasm for continuing Merv's vision here in perpetuity. Already we have world class polo, and the universally recognized premier performing Desert Circuit Horse Show in the Sun "HITS" nearby.

Merv had absolute love and devotion for horses. He chose to live the "equestrian" lifestyle with all the potentially wonderful amenities it has to offer in the city of La Quinta. This is the place. It's the right thing to do.

For those of you who may not live in the immediate area, or may not be personally involved with horses......It isn't nearly as important as you wanting to participate in our mutual desire to honor the legacy bestowed upon us by Merv Griffin.

So, everyone, please write a letter. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Gayle Cady
760-398-2724 (Home Phone)
82-831 Avenue 54
Vista Santa Rosa, Ca 92274-9554

By the second day, Micah was eating out of his feeder in the box stall. On that second day, Micah learned about fly spray. He had a runny eye, getting the flies off that eye was a priority. Micah understood very quickly that the scary wet stuff meant no flies. Kathe began grooming Micah in that first week, handling his feet, doing many things that felt good to him. Kathe was ready to move Micah from her friend’s house to the busy barn when the horse showed her he was ready. He responded to her daily greeting with a turn in her direction, a happy eye and relaxed body posture. Prior to that, Micah always came out of the stall when he heard Kathe’s truck approach, but his body was not relaxed and his face was alert and fearful. Learning how to read the horse and pushing them only as far as they can handle is critical to “Natural” horse training.

Micah started under saddle work at the end of July. By the second ride, they were out of the round pen and into the arena. The third ride was out of the arena and out on trail. Micah loves trail, but is also comfortable doing arena work. In a short 3 months Micah has had his feet trimmed by a farrier, had fly eggs removed from his drippy eye by a vet, taken several rides in the trailer, met an enthusiastic crowd of fans. He’s been a well behaved gentleman and very proud every time. When the Vet was finished removing the irritant from his eye, Micah reach out his nose as if to say “thank you”.

Kathe has worked with mustangs before; Micah is one of the smartest, most trusting and most appreciative horses she has ever worked with. When asked what the biggest challenge of this Extreme Mustang Makeover competition has been, Kathe said it was having to give up this wonderful horse.

Micah and his 99 friends will see each other again on September 22 in Fort Worth, Texas. That is when the 100 teams of horse and trainer will be put through their paces. The trainer deemed to have done the best job with their horse will receive a $25,000 prize. All of the horses will be up for adoption immediately after the competition. For more information on the competition and links information on the trainers involved, visit the Mustang Heritage Foundation website at www.mustangheritagefoundation.org.

For information on the Mustangs and other BLM, programs visit http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro.html

Kathe Smothers
Quiet Mind Horsemanship
www.quietmindhorsemanship.com
805-798-0234

If you’ve ridden on a cattle ranch, immersed in a life of caring for cows, horses, the land, and each other, you know the powerful draw of ranch life. Southern California’s recreational riders, craving a respite from the mundane or the frantic, are seeking the ranch experience, and they’re finding it in Central California at two massive and historic cattle ranches: the V6 Ranch and the Work Family Guest Ranch.
My Trail Trips took me there this spring and introduced me to an amazing way of life and remarkable opportunities to be connected to the land, the sky, my horse, and good friends. Both working ranches have opened their gates to ranch-deprived equestrians, and each offers its own distinctive approach.

I recently visited the Midwest. Traveling down a back road through rural farmland, I happened on a sight that one would not expect to see…. an Amish farmer plowing his fields with a team of 4 Belgium draft horses. I though I had been time warped to another century. I pulled the car over, pulled out my camera and began shooting pictures of this special sight. Not much time had passed when a farm mate came pulling up in the field with another team of draft horses pulling a flatbed wagon. I felt so fortunate to catch such a sight.

January 12, 2007 was a blustery, record cold morning in Northern California, the kind of icy chill that even the most hardy of horses would find challenging. On this cold morning, animal healer Lisa St. John and veterinarian Richard Clark had agreed to meet each other, for the first time, in the Carmel Valley home of Jack and Sylvia Schwadron, to observe the miraculous healing of Jack's horse Foxy, a 24-year old Arabian bay gelding and previous prize winning cutting horse.

In the middle of October 2006, Dr. Clark had sadly discussed with Jack and Sylvia that Foxy would have to be euthanized. His recommendation was based upon the following.

A year and a half previously, while Jack was riding, Foxy went down to his knees without warning, nearly tossing Jack. This was Jack's first serious indication of the progression of Foxy's failing joints. When it happened again, Sylvia insisted Jack stop riding him and let Foxy retire to pasture. Dr. Clark had been treating Foxy over the past several years by using nutritional support of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), glucosamine and chrondroiton sulfate. In the middle of October 2006, Dr. Clark diagnosed Foxy with laminitis and severe arthrosis. Foxy’s joint inflammation was so severe it had caused both carpusus to fuse, his left front leg to twist and bow, and both front legs to swell to twice their normal size. Foxy could not lie down and was unable to walk properly. He had to use his shoulders to lift his stiff swollen legs.

Dr. Clark said that because of the increased joint discomfort Foxy would not be able to survive the cold weather which was on its way.

There was no doubt that Foxy should be put down, relieved of his continuous pain. Sylvia and Jack decided to make one last effort to help Foxy. They contacted Lisa St. John, who they had heard was able to bring about miraculous healings of diseased animals through her hands-on healing called “Rahseaka.”

"JUST A HORSE" brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person. Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly into the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dream of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "JUST A HORSE" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman". So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse", just smile, because they "just" don't understand.

~ Jerry Vaughn