Equine Chiropractor Alana Altnow will be in our area again on Thursday, July 21st. She'll be at Dennis Aslum's arena for the afternoon. If you have a horse in need, either respond to her by email or phone: 651-983-6076.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Staying Safe on the Trail
I truly have a deep desire to see people who decide to pursue the horse lifestyle stay involved in it. It is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding pursuits you can become involved in. Now the but..., in the last month and half I know of at least four separate incidences where people have been severely hurt and hospitalized due to riding accidents on the trail and unfortunately, much of this is due to a lack of knowledge, a lack of confidence or just not being prepared for the conditions encountered on the trail.
Every park has some sort of rating and you need to know the severity or the lack of severity on these trails. Especially with the rain we have had this year.
If you are going on a trail ride it is a good idea to talk to your friends or people who have been to the park you are going to and find out the steepness of the terrain, water level in any water crossings, and the severeness of the trails, from width to maintenance issues, etc.. You need to make sure that all the above are appropriate for your riding skills and your horse's skills.
Preparation - Preparing the horse and yourself for any trail ride is essential because it is not worth the possible accident and stress that you and your horse could encounter. With the amount of rain we have had this year hills are slick, creeks are high and the dangers are higher. Your horse needs to be in condition to handle these obstacles and if he is not in condition for this you increase the risk of accidents and getting you or your horse severely hurt.
Riding in Groups - Don’t be pressured by a group into something that you or your horse are not ready for. Just because the group wants you to do something does not mean you have to do it. You have a choice. Don’t put yourself or your horse in harms way. If you are riding with people that don’t have respect for you and your enjoyment you may either need to find a different group or just forgo the ride and stay at the campground.
We always need to be stretching ourselves and our horses, but you should also pay attention to what that little voice, the one that we all have, is saying. If you are truly not ready, then it is okay not to participate. But you also need to realize that you may need to seek more help from a friend or trainer if you are finding yourself in uncomfortable situations on a regular basis.
Have a plan - Make sure if you are going out on the trail you have a plan. You will want to carry a first aid kit with emergency supplies for both horse and rider and don’t ever go on a trail ride without a cell phone that is working. You will also want to check it and make sure you have signal.
Organized Trail Rides - On an organized trail ride there should be some ground rules laid down as far as trail etiquette. On most of these rides there will be every level of rider and every level of horse. I have seen riders let their horses run up behind a young horse who is on his first or second trail ride, which is not a good thing. 8 times out of 10 that young horse is going to react and it is not going to be pretty. Someone is going to get scared and everyone will be lucky if that is all that happens. A much more likely scenario is that someone is going to get seriously hurt.
Trail Etiquette - Use proper spacing between your horses. If you must pass another horse on the trail, or come up behind a horse on the trail, proper space is very important. Don’t pass at a high rate of speed. There are a good number of riders out on the trail that only do this 2 or 3 times a year. They don’t need it spoiled or need to get hurt because someone is having a yippee-yahoo time and being careless and thoughtless. Horses will also strike out and it could cause serious injury to the horse or the rider.
Helmet use - In my mind helmet use is just a good idea, especially for the more inexperienced rider, but as a matter of fact, it is a good idea for anyone. They also make padded riding vests that are a great idea for young people and novice riders. I have seen so many accidents that could have been less severe if safety equipment, such as these items, had been utilized. You can get by with no accidents for years, but it only takes one time to get severely injured.
Young people and ponies - Many horses have not been around a pony, or even seen a pony, and they can react defensively because of this. One of the things you need to be aware of, because of the size of a pony, is where your child’s body is at in relation to the full sized horse. If a full sized horse reacts to a pony coming up behind it, where is the strike zone for the rider of the pony? Your child is going to get kicked in the body or even in the head. I am not big on ponies for youngsters, but if you insist on buying your child a pony make sure they have the proper training, the proper safety equipment, the horse and rider are matched, and the rider is in control. You also need to make sure the group is aware of the pony and rider and where they are at any given time. Don’t get me wrong here. Ponies have there place, they are fun and can help children overcome the fear they may have of a full sized horse. But on the trail in a group of full sized horses is probably not the best place for a pony and rider to be.
My daughter did not start on a pony. She started on a 25 year old, dead broke, full sized horse and even that is not a 100% guarantee of safety. The key here is finding that old, safe horse and still using all the safety equipment. I will also reiterate, at this point, that the idea of a horse and child growing up together is, and always has been, a very, very bad idea. I still hear it all the time and I have to wonder why anyone still thinks that is a good idea. Guess it goes back to the statement I use on a regular basis - “ You don’t know what it is you don’t know” To many times we use that as an excuse when something goes wrong, “ I didn’t know....” , but when it comes to our kids it is our responsibility to find out.
My goal in writing this article is to try and give you some knowledge from my experience. I don’t want anyone to be paranoid about trail riding, but I do want you to have a plan and not be caught off guard.
Have a fun and safe summer!
About Dennis Auslam.
Dennis has been a trainer for over 30 years, working with many different breeds and disciplines. He grew up with horses and has worked with some of the best trainers in the industry. His passion is horses and people and he loves helping people learn how to work with their horses, progress in their riding abilities and make that connection with their horse.
You will find Dennis at various horse related events in 2011. He also does numerous clinics and demos, concentrating on Confidence Building for the horse and the rider. For information regarding his clinics please visit his web site at www.redwoodstables.com.
Interested in hosting a clinic?
Call 507-525-6691 or email us at
redwoodstables@mvtvwireless.
Every park has some sort of rating and you need to know the severity or the lack of severity on these trails. Especially with the rain we have had this year.
If you are going on a trail ride it is a good idea to talk to your friends or people who have been to the park you are going to and find out the steepness of the terrain, water level in any water crossings, and the severeness of the trails, from width to maintenance issues, etc.. You need to make sure that all the above are appropriate for your riding skills and your horse's skills.
Preparation - Preparing the horse and yourself for any trail ride is essential because it is not worth the possible accident and stress that you and your horse could encounter. With the amount of rain we have had this year hills are slick, creeks are high and the dangers are higher. Your horse needs to be in condition to handle these obstacles and if he is not in condition for this you increase the risk of accidents and getting you or your horse severely hurt.
Riding in Groups - Don’t be pressured by a group into something that you or your horse are not ready for. Just because the group wants you to do something does not mean you have to do it. You have a choice. Don’t put yourself or your horse in harms way. If you are riding with people that don’t have respect for you and your enjoyment you may either need to find a different group or just forgo the ride and stay at the campground.
We always need to be stretching ourselves and our horses, but you should also pay attention to what that little voice, the one that we all have, is saying. If you are truly not ready, then it is okay not to participate. But you also need to realize that you may need to seek more help from a friend or trainer if you are finding yourself in uncomfortable situations on a regular basis.
Have a plan - Make sure if you are going out on the trail you have a plan. You will want to carry a first aid kit with emergency supplies for both horse and rider and don’t ever go on a trail ride without a cell phone that is working. You will also want to check it and make sure you have signal.
Organized Trail Rides - On an organized trail ride there should be some ground rules laid down as far as trail etiquette. On most of these rides there will be every level of rider and every level of horse. I have seen riders let their horses run up behind a young horse who is on his first or second trail ride, which is not a good thing. 8 times out of 10 that young horse is going to react and it is not going to be pretty. Someone is going to get scared and everyone will be lucky if that is all that happens. A much more likely scenario is that someone is going to get seriously hurt.
Trail Etiquette - Use proper spacing between your horses. If you must pass another horse on the trail, or come up behind a horse on the trail, proper space is very important. Don’t pass at a high rate of speed. There are a good number of riders out on the trail that only do this 2 or 3 times a year. They don’t need it spoiled or need to get hurt because someone is having a yippee-yahoo time and being careless and thoughtless. Horses will also strike out and it could cause serious injury to the horse or the rider.
Helmet use - In my mind helmet use is just a good idea, especially for the more inexperienced rider, but as a matter of fact, it is a good idea for anyone. They also make padded riding vests that are a great idea for young people and novice riders. I have seen so many accidents that could have been less severe if safety equipment, such as these items, had been utilized. You can get by with no accidents for years, but it only takes one time to get severely injured.
Young people and ponies - Many horses have not been around a pony, or even seen a pony, and they can react defensively because of this. One of the things you need to be aware of, because of the size of a pony, is where your child’s body is at in relation to the full sized horse. If a full sized horse reacts to a pony coming up behind it, where is the strike zone for the rider of the pony? Your child is going to get kicked in the body or even in the head. I am not big on ponies for youngsters, but if you insist on buying your child a pony make sure they have the proper training, the proper safety equipment, the horse and rider are matched, and the rider is in control. You also need to make sure the group is aware of the pony and rider and where they are at any given time. Don’t get me wrong here. Ponies have there place, they are fun and can help children overcome the fear they may have of a full sized horse. But on the trail in a group of full sized horses is probably not the best place for a pony and rider to be.
My daughter did not start on a pony. She started on a 25 year old, dead broke, full sized horse and even that is not a 100% guarantee of safety. The key here is finding that old, safe horse and still using all the safety equipment. I will also reiterate, at this point, that the idea of a horse and child growing up together is, and always has been, a very, very bad idea. I still hear it all the time and I have to wonder why anyone still thinks that is a good idea. Guess it goes back to the statement I use on a regular basis - “ You don’t know what it is you don’t know” To many times we use that as an excuse when something goes wrong, “ I didn’t know....” , but when it comes to our kids it is our responsibility to find out.
My goal in writing this article is to try and give you some knowledge from my experience. I don’t want anyone to be paranoid about trail riding, but I do want you to have a plan and not be caught off guard.
Have a fun and safe summer!
About Dennis Auslam.
Dennis has been a trainer for over 30 years, working with many different breeds and disciplines. He grew up with horses and has worked with some of the best trainers in the industry. His passion is horses and people and he loves helping people learn how to work with their horses, progress in their riding abilities and make that connection with their horse.
You will find Dennis at various horse related events in 2011. He also does numerous clinics and demos, concentrating on Confidence Building for the horse and the rider. For information regarding his clinics please visit his web site at www.redwoodstables.com.
Interested in hosting a clinic?
Call 507-525-6691 or email us at
redwoodstables@mvtvwireless.
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