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Julie Goodnight Tip of the Month: Showing Affection to Your Horse
Before you start smooching on your horse, it may be useful to understand how horses show affection to each other. Mutual grooming (a.k.a. allo-grooming) is the primary affectionate behavior of horses that isn’t related to reproduction. Mutual grooming is a social, care-giving behavior. Young or adult horses that are buddies in the herd often show their affection by nibbling on one another’s withers and backs. Horses stand facing each other—close at the shoulder—to simultaneously groom each other in the areas hardest to reach alone: the crest of the neck, the withers, along the back, croup and dock of the tail.
When you want to show affection to your horse, stroke him with a massaging motion. Start along the crest of the neck and withers. This calms him and is proven to slow his heart rate and release soothing chemicals in his brain. It’s best to avoid kissing your horse on the lips. Being lip to lip is the same as biting for horses. It has a stimulating effect. You’ll see horses lip to lip when they’re fighting or aggressively playing.
Foals especially love to mutual groom and they love to be rubbed and have close bodily contact. Be careful you do not instill bad habits in your youngster by letting him move into your space to demand grooming; these habits won’t be so cute when he weighs 1,000 pounds. The dominant horse most likely begins any grooming session and he ends it by biting. So it’s best not to ever let a horse groom you back, since you don’t want him to become dominant. He’ll try to dominate by moving into your space, putting his mouth on you, and controlling your actions.
During the winter, or whenever you’ll have less riding time, it’s a good time to do more ground work with your horse to establish a strong bond and learn more about behavior and your leadership of the horse. Check out my Complete Groundwork Package, including my DVDs on behavior and ground training exercises plus the training equipment you’ll need, at a great discount. Available from my website at www.JulieGoodnight.com
–Julie Goodnight, juliegoodnight.com
Free Weight Tape with Purchase of Strongid® C or C 2X™ Available at Participating Stores
New York, NY (January 7, 2008) — Right now, horse owners have the opportunity to receive a free horse weight tape with the purchase of any Strongid(R) C or C 2X(TM) product at participating feed and tack stores across the country. Look for the Strongid C display and ask a store sales associate for details while supplies last.
“Daily use of Strongid C or C 2X provides continuous protection from dangerous equine parasites,” said Kristin Ruff, equine products manager at Pfizer Animal Health. “Owners can easily locate the Strongid C display in participating retail stores to purchase their Strongid C or C 2X and receive their free weight tape.”
Strongid C, combined with twice-yearly use of Equimax (ivermectin1.87%/praziquantel 14.03%) forms the cornerstone of Pfizer Animal Health’s Daily+ Deworming Program, which offers critical, nonstop equine parasite protection.
Strongid C or C 2X, administered daily, provides a continuous dose of pyrantel tartrate — effectively protecting horses against dangerous parasites such as small strongyles, large strongyles, roundworms and pinworms. Twice-yearly use of Equimax offers the additional power of ivermectin, to attack bots, and praziquantel to fight the potentially fatal danger of tapeworm infection. Using these two products not only provides protection against all major equine parasites, but also serves to simulate an all-important rotational program.
“Equine veterinarians certainly agree that rotating between chemical classes — not just brand names — is the key to an effective deworming program,” said John Donecker, VMD, MS, Senior Veterinarian at Pfizer Animal Health. “By utilizing Strongid C daily and Equimax twice yearly, horse owners are rotating between two different chemical classes and simultaneously protecting their horses from both adult parasites and immature, infective stage parasites as well.”
Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE: PFE), the world’s largest research-based biomedical and pharmaceutical company, also is a world leader in discovering and developing innovative animal vaccines and prescription medicines. Pfizer Animal Health is dedicated to improving the safety, quality and productivity of the world’s food supply by enhancing the health of livestock and poultry; and in helping horses and pets to live longer and healthier lives. For additional information on Pfizer’s portfolio of equine products, visit www.PfizerAH.com
Body Clipping Your Horse
It seems like the shorter the days get, the longer a horse’s hair gets. And as all horse owners know, this poses some unique challenges. We still want to ride and keep our horses exercised, but a thick, winter coat makes caring for them more difficult. After exercise, they need to be thoroughly cleaned, but if we bathe them, it takes an eternity for them to dry, and they run the risk of getting chilled.
One solution to this problem is to partially or fully body clip your horse. Which you choose depends on your horse’s living environment and whether or not you are willing to blanket him. If your horse lives outdoors and/or you don’t want to keep him blanketed, you can just clip the areas where he sweats the most, such as along his neck, between his front legs, under his belly, and around the girth area and flank. This is also called a trace clip. Unless you live in an area where the temperatures are extreme during the winter months, you will not need to blanket your horse if he is partially clipped.
By removing the thick hair in these areas, your horse will dry more quickly after a good sponging off. Clipping these areas also serves as a cooling mechanism because you are exposing the vascular areas. When you clip the neck, you are exposing the major arteries in the neck to cooler temperatures because they aren’t covered by a blanket of winter hair. This, in turn, cools the blood circulating through your horse, which helps to regulate his body temperature so he sweats less.
You can also clip the hair on his lower legs, which will make removing caked mud and dirt much easier. Clipping the long, thick hair under your horse’s elbows will also help reduce the chance of developing girth sores.
If you decide to give your horse a full body clip, you must be able to provide with a few things after he is clipped. The most important item is a blanket. By removing his winter coat, you have taken away his only protection from the elements. Blanketing a body-clipped horse in the winter time is a must. If you live in a region where the winter temperatures regularly dip below freezing, you should keep your horse indoors at night and on very cold days, and also consider providing a hood, as well, to keep his neck warm.
The first step in body clipping, either fully or partially, is to start with a clean horse. Thoroughly bathe your horse to remove and dirt and dander that has built up on the coat. If you clip a dirty horse, not only will your clipping job not look as good, but your clipping blades will quickly become dull. Use COWBOY MAGIC® ROSEWATER SHAMPOO to remove sweat and dirt without stripping your horse’s coat of its natural oils. Follow this with COWBOY MAGIC® DEMINERALIZER™ CONDITIONER to loosen and dissolve any mineral and chemical buildup, as well as sweat residue. Both products contain panthenol and silk conditioners that nourish and moisturize the hair and coat, which will make your job much easier. Allow your horse to dry completely, then, before you start clipping, spray your horse lightly with COWBOY MAGIC® SUPER BODYSHINE™. This will reduce static electricity while you clip and help you get a clean, even cut.
The higher the blade number, the closer the clip. Use a #10 or all-purpose blade on your horse’s body. You want to clip against the direction the hair grows in long, even strokes. Clean your blades with a brush regularly and check them frequently to make sure they the blades are not getting too hot.
When clipping around delicate skin, such as the flank, follow the path that the hair grows, and hold your horse’s skin tight as you clip. When clipping around the elbows and girth area, you can move the skin to help make clipping easier. Just be careful, as horses are sometimes sensitive in these areas.
You can blend clipped areas with unclipped areas, such as around the face and legs, by clipping the hair in the same direction that it grows to “comb” the unclipped area into the clipped area. It may take several passes to blend the hair. If you want to leave the saddle area unclipped, you can trace an outline of your saddle pad onto your horse before you clip.
If your horse will tolerate you clipping his ears, you can trim the edges to make them look neater, but don’t remove the hair on the back of the ear or inside it. You don’t want his ears to get frostbite!
When you have finished clipping, rinse or sponge off the clipped hair and then give your horse an all-over skin and hair conditioning treatment. Dilute a small amount of COWBOY MAGIC® DEMINERALIZER™ CONDITIONER in a bucket of warm water and massage it into your horse’s coat with a sponge, then give your horse a good rubdown with a clean, dry towel.
Whether your horse is fully or partially clipped, rinse him or sponge him off following exercise with as little water as possible, and use warm water if you can. Rub him dry with a towel and then cover your horse with a cooler to help wick away the remaining moisture. Keep him in the sun and/or out of drafts until he is completely dry.
For more information about the complete line of COWBOY MAGIC® products, log onto www.cowboymagic.com, or call (800) 755-6844 to find a retailer near you that carries COWBOY MAGIC® quality concentrated grooming products.
Women LUV Horses Essay Contest for California 2008 Event
Ocala, Florida (January 3, 2007) Lynn Palm, Women LUV Horses equestrienne event founder, announces a “Why I Love Horses” and “My Favorite Horse Publication” essay contest for Women Luv Horses™, a three-day celebration of horses and women to be held in City of Industry, California’s Industry Hills Expo Center, (near Los Angeles), December 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2008.
The essay is limited to 500 words or less and must include why the writer loves horses and why they love their favorite horse publication. The publication can be print or web based.
Submit essays via e-mail to generalinfo@lynnpalm.com. Include name, mailing address, contact phone number, contact e-mail, and age division. Age divisions include: 12 and under, 13 to 18, 19 to 35, 35 to 55, and over 56. One winner will be selected from each age division and each winner will receive 2 free weekend tickets to the Women Luv Horses, City of Industry, CA, 2008 event. The free weekend tickets include VIP seating at event’s Fashion Show and Cowgirl Party. Deadline for submitting essays is May 15th, 2008. Essay contest winners and their favorite horse publications will be publicized daily at the event as well as on the lynnpalm.com website.
“Inside every person with a horse passion is a special answer to ‘Why I Love Horses’. The essay contest was created to recognize horse lovers of all ages and to reward them with an incredible experience at the Women Luv Horses event,” notes Lynn Palm. “We also want to recognize and team with all horse publications to grow their reader base through the Women Luv Horses Event and Essay Contest. Horse publications are the lifeblood of the horse industry, and we appreciate their economic value in growing the marketplace.”
The Women Luv Horses California debut is prompted by the success of the inaugural Women Luv Horses event held in North Carolina in 2007. “Because of the event’s tremendous response from attendees, sponsors, and vendors on the east coast, we’re bringing Women Luv Horses to the west coast in 2008,” says Palm.
The Women LUV Horses event features a power packed educational forum of demonstrations, workshops, and seminars related to women and their horse passion. Guest speakers include women role models in the equestrian and professional world. Evening fun plans are Friday night’s Fashion for Fillies Fashion Show and Saturday night’s American Quarter Horse Association American Horses’ Care Cowgirl Party. The trade show promises a very special shopping experience with unique products from vendors from across the United States.
Palm believes women all over the country should celebrate their equestrian dreams and accomplishments. For this very reason, she created Women LUV Horses™ for women, young ladies, and little girls who love horses. Palm states, “Women represent the majority of horse owners in the United States and perhaps the World. Women are also matriarchs in the family unit. Blending family and the love of horses proves challenging at times. This retreat will help women learn the secrets of how to achieve a healthy balance within their busy lifestyles.”
Palm extends a special invitation for gentleman of all ages to attend the event. “The Women Luv Horses event promises entertainment, education, and shopping geared to men as well.”
For more than 30 years, Palm has championed the partnership of horse and rider, bringing her unique perspective to hundreds of thousands of horse enthusiasts around the world. Palm’s accomplishments include the American Quarter Horse Association’s 2006 Professional Horsewoman of the Year, over 34 AQHA World and Reserve World Championships, and a record 4 AQHA Superhorse wins. For her teaching skills she was chosen the 2003 Equine Affaire Exceptional Equestrian Educator. She is also a regular commentator for RFD-TV, Horse TV, and Nickernetwork.com, and is a member of Horse & Rider magazine’s Team Horse & Rider.
To request sponsor packages and vendor applications e-mail generalinfo@lynnpalm.com , call 352-629-3310 or 800-503-2824. Horse publication representatives are invited to request additional Women Luv Horses advertising opportunities.
PALM PARTNERSHIP TRAINING ™ is a world class international education center with Equestrian Facilities at Fox Grove Farm, Ocala, FL, and Royal Palm Ranch, Bessemer, MI. Palm Partnership Training ™ Equestrian Facilities provide training for competition and recreational horses and riders. Palm Partnership Training ™ hosts Hunt Seat, Dressage, and Western equestrian clinics throughout the year as well as offer premier horse and rider training products and equipment. Contact: PALM PARTNERSHIP TRAINING ™ 9445 NW 60th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34482 ~ Toll free: 800.503.2824, Phone: 352.629.3310, Fax: 352.629.3470, E-mail: generalinfo@lynnpalm.com .
Horse Quencher Now Available in Convenience Packs
Newtown, PA — Equatic Solutions announces the release of a new version of Horse Quencher(TM), the product designed to encourage your horse to drink water. The new package is a box of ten convenience packs, available in four flavors: peppermint, apple, butterscotch, and root beer.
Although we all joke about the old adage ‘you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink,’ dehydration is no laughing matter. With the stress of trailering and competition, quite often horses won’t drink enough, which can lead to enormous health problems such as colic and tying up, or can simply cause a competitive horse to perform less brilliantly. Thus, Horse Quencher is a must whenever you travel with your horse… for relocation, for trail rides, for shows and events. It also comes in handy to have around the barn any time you feel a horse is drinking less than he or she should.
The new box of ten Convenience Packs carries a suggested retail of $29.99, and single packs - perfect for trying several flavors - are available for $2.99. Horse Quencher is still available in a 25-serving container Value Tub, also priced at $29.99. All may be purchased at select retailers, by calling 888-783-6247, or online at www.horsequencher.com.
About Equatic Solutions
Equatic Solutions LLC was formed in 2005 to bring Horse Quencher to market. Based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, Equatic Solutions is owned, operated and managed by Anne Kusmich, Nancy Issenman and Leslie Reiss. These women (and their spouses Bob, David and Gary) bring a lot of horse experience to the development of this product. All are currently avid trail riders. Anne breeds Tennessee Walking Horses, Leslie breeds Mountain Horses, Nancy is a former show jumper turned trail rider and Bob plays polo with his Thoroughbreds. They are happy to share this discovery with other horse enthusiasts.
