Bopping around to everyone's posts some things caught my eye and make me wonder.
The flooded horse market...
The crappy economy and high price of EVERYTHING is causing people to dump horses left and right. Problem is...We probably wouldn't notice this as much if the slaughter plants weren't closed in the US. Don't get me wrong, we have never raised a horse and thought "Well, if it don't work out, we can always send him to slaughter." My dad and my step-dad used to "ship" their old or crippled horses. WE DO NOT DO THAT ANYMORE. But I was raised to believe that the killer market provided the basis of value for a good saddle horse or prospect. Anything you wanted to ride or train had to be worth more than the killer buyer was paying.
But the thing that makes me go hmmmm, is the fact that the last time the slaughter plants in the US were closed was in the 80's, then the economy crashed. Wasn't that mostly due to the S&L's use of over valuing property, borrowing on it and then going bankrupt when the bubble burst? Horses weren't worth a plugged nickel then either.
And the other thing was...Why does it seem that the least educated morons out there can start breeding horses and get 100% of their mares to settle and raise crappy babies year after year, when people who spend time learning and learning and learning everything they can have about a 60% chance of getting a mare to produce a live foal?
It just makes ya think, WTF????
Edited, to add...
VaqueroGirl asked if I was old enough to remember the 80's. I started to answer her but realized my comment was longer than my post-Sheez, see what happens when the wind blows in SD? I have time to sit on the computer and contemplate things-hehe. So here is what I remember about the 80's...
I remember everyone always worrying about money, falling land prices, people couldn't get operating loans(most ranches have to have them) and poor starving horses standing in grazed to dirt pastures. My mom scrimped and saved to buy me an $800 barrel horse-he was top of the line! That was an astronomical amount at that time.
The rest I learned in college-so many classes that all preached that "it could never happen again" because they were so careful to put all of these checks and balances in-HA!! DOUBLE HA! I could see what they were doing when I worked at a bank in AZ. Make a rule, these people figure out how to get around it to make a buck. And the loans I processed? Holy Crap, a lot of these people had no business buying a house and refinancing it every time it took a jump in value? Idiots!!
It is now starting to hit home around here-cattle prices are dropping drastically. A lot of ranchers have lived pretty good for the last few years; Cattle prices were high, horse prices were high, land values were high, borrowing money was easy. A lot of them drive brand new pickups, have $100,000 tractors, bought more land, at $500-$600 an acre. I know that sounds so cheap to people who aren't from around here, but it is darn hard to get grassland to pay for itself at those prices. What farming that is done around here is dryland(no irrigation), so no corn or soybeans are grown to be sold at astronomical prices. There are very few jobs to be had. The biggest employer in our entire county is the school system. Our county is broke, due to the rising crime rate and the cost to house and prosecute the criminals, most of whom are Indians off the reservation. The tribe contributes nothing toward caring for their members, other than to scream rascism. The reservation keeps buying deeded land in the county and taking it off the tax rolls, so fewer and fewer taxes are collected. Every time the county tried to raise taxes, the people vote it down. It's a freaking mess!! Not everyone is going to survive this. I am already seeing pinched and worried faces and this area is just now starting to feel the impact of what a lot of the country has already been blasted with.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Well Adjusted Horse-The Basics
Okay, so you guys bore with me through how I got interested in equine chiropractic, so now lets get into how to recognize when a horse needs some adjusting done. Looking for the signs is really pretty easy, it just takes a little practice. Once you learn what to look for, it just becomes second nature.
There are some things that have changed in the last decade, but the basic principles are still the same and equine anatomy has not changed;
1) There is a big difference between an equine chiropractor and an equine massage therapist. Anyone can become a massage therapist. Only Veterinarians and Human Chiropractors can attend and become certified in equine chiropractic. There are some very good massage therapists out there and often they do learn how to do some adjustments. Do try to get someone that has been referred to you by someone you trust. I've had to wing it quite a few times and almost every time, I have been disappointed in the result.
2) It has been proven over the years that working on a horse's teeth can often alleviate the need for chiropractic work. Finding a good equine dentist may not be quite as hard as finding a good chiropractor these days, but not always easy, depending on your area. But honestly, if you don't already have a good equine dentist, I would start with your Veterinarian and a simple float. Personally, I still go with the chiropractor first IF I know of a specific trauma a horse has suffered that caused him to become "off". I have had to go back and get teeth worked on, but it is easier to recognize after you get things put back into place.
3) Horses are not like people. Most horses are out as a result of some sort of trauma or work related force. Once a horse that has suffered a trauma has been correctly adjusted-they almost never have to be adjusted again. Work related issues usually require a bit of maintenance-but don't get them overdone. They are starting to prove regular and repeated adjustments have a tendency to stretch out the ligaments that hold the bones in place and can create a situation where it becomes impossible for the horse to stay "in". For horses that are only showing mild symptoms of discomfort, a massage therapist is often best. They can work out the kinks and help you determine if a chiropractic adjustment is truly necessary.
4) Horses that are out do react in different ways. Most are like Scooter-completely wrecked, but still functioning as a saddle horse, albet with a few "issues". A few can be out in one place and completely unrideable. I had one of these too. One chiropractic treatment and she settled into her life as a saddle horse with ease.
I picked up a book quite a few years ago that has helped me tremendously. It is called...The Well Adjusted Horse by Dr. Daniel Kamen(click on title of book for link). I hear that he is pretty controversial, but his methods closely resemble the methods applied by the Veterinarian that I had so much success with. His descriptions of equine anatomy and musculature are really good. I pull this book out all the time and use it when I think I have issues.
The most basic place to start to understand a horse is through knowledge of the skeletal system...
It is not necessary to memorize every bone and joint in the skeletal system to understand how a horse is put together and functions.
Essentially a horse's skeletal system can be broken down into two types of bones, long bones and short bones. Correction: Actually there are 6 different types of bones. Irregular bones are what make up the spinal column.
A horse has 205 bones, give or take a few-depending on breed. Arabians have one less lumbar, 1 0r 2 fewer thoracics and few less tail bones. Donkeys, asses, mules and the Przewalski all have 5 lumbar instead of 6. And the number of fused sacral bones may also vary among breeds/species.
The majority of chiropractic work is done on or along the spinal column of an equine. The spinal column is broke down into five parts;
1) The neck...consists of 7 cervicals.
2) The mid-back bones...consists of 18 throacics/dorsals.
3) The lower back...consists of 6(or 5-depending on breed/species)lumbars.
4) The sacral...consisting of 5 fused sacral bones
5) The tail...consisting of 15-21 caudal or coccygeal bones.
(If you click on the picture, you can see the labels indicating where these regions are)
The bones themselves are actually secondary in chiropractic work. The chiropractor can do nothing with individual bones. Their focus is on the spots where bone meets bone, otherwise known as a joint. The goal is to make sure that each bone sits properly into the articulating end of the other bone. When it doesn't sit where it is supposed to, that joint is considered "out". It is the chiropractor's job to maneuver the bone that is not sitting correctly back into it's correct position. The longer a horse has been out and the severity of the displacement often determines the necessity of a chiropractor vs. a massage therapist.
The movement, direction and limitations of the joints are very, very important. Some joints are highly mobile, others have little or almost no mobility. And all joints are intended to move in specific directions. The most obviously mobile of spinal joints are the cervicals(the neck) and that is where we will start...tomorrow. I don't want anyone's eyes glazing over-LOL.
Here is a short, little article that describes the movements of the vertebral joints...Evaluation of Equine Back Pain. No really, this one is an easy read, not the heavy duty thesis like yesterday's link.
To finish off Scooter's story-I don't really remember when I found out what happened to him, but most of his damage had to have come when my brother left him with those kids to gentle. I heard their preferred method of "gentling" a horse was to rope it, choke it down, snub it up and then tie up a hind leg and let them fight and flop around while they sacked it out. That would pretty much account for every area he was hurting in.
You know, my grandfather and my father used similar methods, but they were never brutal about it. There are ways to do any one of these things without causing injury to a horse, but when you are stupid enough to combine a whole mess of rough techniques, you are going to damage horses.
There are some things that have changed in the last decade, but the basic principles are still the same and equine anatomy has not changed;
1) There is a big difference between an equine chiropractor and an equine massage therapist. Anyone can become a massage therapist. Only Veterinarians and Human Chiropractors can attend and become certified in equine chiropractic. There are some very good massage therapists out there and often they do learn how to do some adjustments. Do try to get someone that has been referred to you by someone you trust. I've had to wing it quite a few times and almost every time, I have been disappointed in the result.
2) It has been proven over the years that working on a horse's teeth can often alleviate the need for chiropractic work. Finding a good equine dentist may not be quite as hard as finding a good chiropractor these days, but not always easy, depending on your area. But honestly, if you don't already have a good equine dentist, I would start with your Veterinarian and a simple float. Personally, I still go with the chiropractor first IF I know of a specific trauma a horse has suffered that caused him to become "off". I have had to go back and get teeth worked on, but it is easier to recognize after you get things put back into place.
3) Horses are not like people. Most horses are out as a result of some sort of trauma or work related force. Once a horse that has suffered a trauma has been correctly adjusted-they almost never have to be adjusted again. Work related issues usually require a bit of maintenance-but don't get them overdone. They are starting to prove regular and repeated adjustments have a tendency to stretch out the ligaments that hold the bones in place and can create a situation where it becomes impossible for the horse to stay "in". For horses that are only showing mild symptoms of discomfort, a massage therapist is often best. They can work out the kinks and help you determine if a chiropractic adjustment is truly necessary.
4) Horses that are out do react in different ways. Most are like Scooter-completely wrecked, but still functioning as a saddle horse, albet with a few "issues". A few can be out in one place and completely unrideable. I had one of these too. One chiropractic treatment and she settled into her life as a saddle horse with ease.
I picked up a book quite a few years ago that has helped me tremendously. It is called...The Well Adjusted Horse by Dr. Daniel Kamen(click on title of book for link). I hear that he is pretty controversial, but his methods closely resemble the methods applied by the Veterinarian that I had so much success with. His descriptions of equine anatomy and musculature are really good. I pull this book out all the time and use it when I think I have issues.
The most basic place to start to understand a horse is through knowledge of the skeletal system...
It is not necessary to memorize every bone and joint in the skeletal system to understand how a horse is put together and functions.Essentially a horse's skeletal system can be broken down into two types of bones, long bones and short bones. Correction: Actually there are 6 different types of bones. Irregular bones are what make up the spinal column.
A horse has 205 bones, give or take a few-depending on breed. Arabians have one less lumbar, 1 0r 2 fewer thoracics and few less tail bones. Donkeys, asses, mules and the Przewalski all have 5 lumbar instead of 6. And the number of fused sacral bones may also vary among breeds/species.
The majority of chiropractic work is done on or along the spinal column of an equine. The spinal column is broke down into five parts;
1) The neck...consists of 7 cervicals.
2) The mid-back bones...consists of 18 throacics/dorsals.
3) The lower back...consists of 6(or 5-depending on breed/species)lumbars.
4) The sacral...consisting of 5 fused sacral bones
5) The tail...consisting of 15-21 caudal or coccygeal bones.
(If you click on the picture, you can see the labels indicating where these regions are)
The bones themselves are actually secondary in chiropractic work. The chiropractor can do nothing with individual bones. Their focus is on the spots where bone meets bone, otherwise known as a joint. The goal is to make sure that each bone sits properly into the articulating end of the other bone. When it doesn't sit where it is supposed to, that joint is considered "out". It is the chiropractor's job to maneuver the bone that is not sitting correctly back into it's correct position. The longer a horse has been out and the severity of the displacement often determines the necessity of a chiropractor vs. a massage therapist.
The movement, direction and limitations of the joints are very, very important. Some joints are highly mobile, others have little or almost no mobility. And all joints are intended to move in specific directions. The most obviously mobile of spinal joints are the cervicals(the neck) and that is where we will start...tomorrow. I don't want anyone's eyes glazing over-LOL.
Here is a short, little article that describes the movements of the vertebral joints...Evaluation of Equine Back Pain. No really, this one is an easy read, not the heavy duty thesis like yesterday's link.
To finish off Scooter's story-I don't really remember when I found out what happened to him, but most of his damage had to have come when my brother left him with those kids to gentle. I heard their preferred method of "gentling" a horse was to rope it, choke it down, snub it up and then tie up a hind leg and let them fight and flop around while they sacked it out. That would pretty much account for every area he was hurting in.
You know, my grandfather and my father used similar methods, but they were never brutal about it. There are ways to do any one of these things without causing injury to a horse, but when you are stupid enough to combine a whole mess of rough techniques, you are going to damage horses.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Well Adjusted Horse-Part 2
The vet in North Platte was awful nice to squeeze our appointment in the day after I called him. He was pretty busy, but when I explained that we actually lived in North Dakota and I had a "problem" horse, he told us to come on down, he would get us in.
Bright and early the next morning we headed out. North Platte was still about 3 hours from where my brother lived. But we made good time and actually made it to the vet's office on time...such a rarity for anyone in my family-LOL.
We unloaded horses and introduced ourselves to the vet. First he watched my brother's horse walk back in forth and then trot back and forth. After a couple of trips, he took him in his barn and adjusted him. I didn't get to watch that one, I was keeping my hands on my little freak, so he didn't pull back or spazz out. He really had gotten that bad. The vet came back out and had me do the same routine with Scooter. And then it was our turn.
We went into the barn and the vet started pressing here and there on Scooter's neck, then his back and across his hips. Scooter was fainting away from any contact. He was literally quivering in fear. Finally, the vet came back to Scooter's head, took hold of his halter on either side of his face and lifted his head as high as he could. I wasn't getting much by reading the vet's body or face language and I was too nervous to ask any questions...like I knew what sort of questions I should be asking anyway.
Finally, he began to do some adjustments to Scooter's neck. He took hold of his halter, pulled his head around and pushed here and there on his neck. The only thing that was obvious is that he was "listening" for something. When he felt what he wanted to feel, he would release the pressure. His next move was to crouch under Scooter's neck and hug him. I was not too sure about that. A few maneuvers there and he went back to feeling him all over again. I did hear a few pops in Scooter's neck. I figured that was a good sign.
Next he got behind Scooter and began to manipulate his tail. Up, down and side to side. He just kept after it until Scooter unclamped his tail and he could move it around. Then the vet literally almost sat on the ground behind Scooter and pulled on his tail. Just a nice long steady pull. I really thought he was gonna get his fool head kicked off. He released pressure, manipulated the tail again and then sat down for another good long pull. He got a nice loud pop out of the point of Scooter's croup with that one.
Once he got that, he stood up and went back to feeling him all over again. Scooter was visibly relaxing by this time. Next, he moved a hay bale over beside the little horse and began to adjust his back. Now this I could finally understand. Obviously, if a horse is out in it's back, you are going to have to press on it's spine.
After he did all that he had me walk Scooter again. He brought him back in and worked on his back and hips a little more and then asked me to take him into a stall. We backed him into a corner, the vet stood by Scooter's shoulder, took a hold of his halter, turned his head, waited a second for whatever he was feeling for and with one hand on Scooter's neck, he did a sudden pulling motion on the halter. There was a horrible pop and Scooter fell backwards and over on his side. I stood there with my mouth hanging open, thinking...this sonavabuck just killed my horse!! In a flash Scooter was back on his feet and I visibly watched his eyes sink back into his head. I kid you not. Within 30-60 seconds, my bug-eyed freak had normal eyes.
He led him out of the stall, did a few leg stretches with him and when he was done, Scooter's head sunk to the floor and he started licking his lips. I swear he literally looked like he was going to sleep. The vet stood back and watched him for a minute or so and finally he said, "Well, I thought I was going to have to tell you your horse's pelvis was fractured and he should be put to sleep. But, I think he will be alright now." I really hadn't picked my jaw up off the floor from watching my horse flop over in the stall, so I couldn't even think clear enough to ask him, why he thought Scooter's pelvis might have been fractured. I mean, wouldn't you think a fractured pelvis would be obvious? Or at least wouldn't the horse be lame?
There were a lot of things I wanted to ask the vet, but he was swamped and I really couldn't even begin to comprehend all that he had just fixed. Scooter was out in his neck, back and hips in seven places. That did not include his locked up axis joint in his poll. The vet did say that this little horse was one of the worst he had ever worked on. I'm pretty sure that wasn't a compliment! He was amazed that the horse had never bucked. He said most horses that lived with that much pain would probably been bucking fools or been prone to flipping over. I didn't know whether this was going to fix all of Scooter's problems, but I knew I was taking home a much more relaxed and a quieter horse.
So how did it work out for little Scooter? Very well! By the time I got him back to North Dakota and got to ride him, it was like handling a different horse. Every single bad habit he had disappeared. He ended up being the best little gaming horse I have ever trained or ridden. He was very difficult to beat in the barrels(it took a big pattern to beat him). He was a fantastic little pole horse, flag races, any sort of gyhmkana class they could think up-he could win or place in. His forte' was the keyhole. And cowy? OMG-He was the best little break-a-way horse ever. He could lock onto a calf and would turn himself inside out to stick with one. He never did work for Megan though. She was just too little and he was just too fast. So when I had the opportunity to buy a house, I sold him and made enough for the down payment. Not too shabby for a horse that almost went to kill and no one ever thought would be sound or sane.
I was hooked on the benefits of chiropractic work and I didn't have to look any farther than my own herd to put it's benefits to the test. I spend quite a bit of time hauling horses to North Platte, Nebraska over the next year. Every horse I hauled, I learned more and more from this vet.
**I am sorry for the lack of pictures to go with these posts-when my husband and I divorced, he ended up with the box that contained every picture I had of Scooter, other horses we had at the time and all of our rodeo pictures. I never got them back. But my little guy was the classic Skipper W breeding color...light sorrel, almost palomino with a flaxen mane and tail with a cute little blaze. He never had much of a tail or a mane, but he had the cutest little baby doll head. I had to buy a pony headstall for him.
***Here is a little "light" reading in case you are interested...Equine Chiropractic Article(It's linked, just click on title). Actually, it is a bit on the heavy side, but has some good information, even if it is 8 years old.
Bright and early the next morning we headed out. North Platte was still about 3 hours from where my brother lived. But we made good time and actually made it to the vet's office on time...such a rarity for anyone in my family-LOL.
We unloaded horses and introduced ourselves to the vet. First he watched my brother's horse walk back in forth and then trot back and forth. After a couple of trips, he took him in his barn and adjusted him. I didn't get to watch that one, I was keeping my hands on my little freak, so he didn't pull back or spazz out. He really had gotten that bad. The vet came back out and had me do the same routine with Scooter. And then it was our turn.
We went into the barn and the vet started pressing here and there on Scooter's neck, then his back and across his hips. Scooter was fainting away from any contact. He was literally quivering in fear. Finally, the vet came back to Scooter's head, took hold of his halter on either side of his face and lifted his head as high as he could. I wasn't getting much by reading the vet's body or face language and I was too nervous to ask any questions...like I knew what sort of questions I should be asking anyway.
Finally, he began to do some adjustments to Scooter's neck. He took hold of his halter, pulled his head around and pushed here and there on his neck. The only thing that was obvious is that he was "listening" for something. When he felt what he wanted to feel, he would release the pressure. His next move was to crouch under Scooter's neck and hug him. I was not too sure about that. A few maneuvers there and he went back to feeling him all over again. I did hear a few pops in Scooter's neck. I figured that was a good sign.
Next he got behind Scooter and began to manipulate his tail. Up, down and side to side. He just kept after it until Scooter unclamped his tail and he could move it around. Then the vet literally almost sat on the ground behind Scooter and pulled on his tail. Just a nice long steady pull. I really thought he was gonna get his fool head kicked off. He released pressure, manipulated the tail again and then sat down for another good long pull. He got a nice loud pop out of the point of Scooter's croup with that one.
Once he got that, he stood up and went back to feeling him all over again. Scooter was visibly relaxing by this time. Next, he moved a hay bale over beside the little horse and began to adjust his back. Now this I could finally understand. Obviously, if a horse is out in it's back, you are going to have to press on it's spine.
After he did all that he had me walk Scooter again. He brought him back in and worked on his back and hips a little more and then asked me to take him into a stall. We backed him into a corner, the vet stood by Scooter's shoulder, took a hold of his halter, turned his head, waited a second for whatever he was feeling for and with one hand on Scooter's neck, he did a sudden pulling motion on the halter. There was a horrible pop and Scooter fell backwards and over on his side. I stood there with my mouth hanging open, thinking...this sonavabuck just killed my horse!! In a flash Scooter was back on his feet and I visibly watched his eyes sink back into his head. I kid you not. Within 30-60 seconds, my bug-eyed freak had normal eyes.
He led him out of the stall, did a few leg stretches with him and when he was done, Scooter's head sunk to the floor and he started licking his lips. I swear he literally looked like he was going to sleep. The vet stood back and watched him for a minute or so and finally he said, "Well, I thought I was going to have to tell you your horse's pelvis was fractured and he should be put to sleep. But, I think he will be alright now." I really hadn't picked my jaw up off the floor from watching my horse flop over in the stall, so I couldn't even think clear enough to ask him, why he thought Scooter's pelvis might have been fractured. I mean, wouldn't you think a fractured pelvis would be obvious? Or at least wouldn't the horse be lame?
There were a lot of things I wanted to ask the vet, but he was swamped and I really couldn't even begin to comprehend all that he had just fixed. Scooter was out in his neck, back and hips in seven places. That did not include his locked up axis joint in his poll. The vet did say that this little horse was one of the worst he had ever worked on. I'm pretty sure that wasn't a compliment! He was amazed that the horse had never bucked. He said most horses that lived with that much pain would probably been bucking fools or been prone to flipping over. I didn't know whether this was going to fix all of Scooter's problems, but I knew I was taking home a much more relaxed and a quieter horse.
So how did it work out for little Scooter? Very well! By the time I got him back to North Dakota and got to ride him, it was like handling a different horse. Every single bad habit he had disappeared. He ended up being the best little gaming horse I have ever trained or ridden. He was very difficult to beat in the barrels(it took a big pattern to beat him). He was a fantastic little pole horse, flag races, any sort of gyhmkana class they could think up-he could win or place in. His forte' was the keyhole. And cowy? OMG-He was the best little break-a-way horse ever. He could lock onto a calf and would turn himself inside out to stick with one. He never did work for Megan though. She was just too little and he was just too fast. So when I had the opportunity to buy a house, I sold him and made enough for the down payment. Not too shabby for a horse that almost went to kill and no one ever thought would be sound or sane.
I was hooked on the benefits of chiropractic work and I didn't have to look any farther than my own herd to put it's benefits to the test. I spend quite a bit of time hauling horses to North Platte, Nebraska over the next year. Every horse I hauled, I learned more and more from this vet.
**I am sorry for the lack of pictures to go with these posts-when my husband and I divorced, he ended up with the box that contained every picture I had of Scooter, other horses we had at the time and all of our rodeo pictures. I never got them back. But my little guy was the classic Skipper W breeding color...light sorrel, almost palomino with a flaxen mane and tail with a cute little blaze. He never had much of a tail or a mane, but he had the cutest little baby doll head. I had to buy a pony headstall for him.
***Here is a little "light" reading in case you are interested...Equine Chiropractic Article(It's linked, just click on title). Actually, it is a bit on the heavy side, but has some good information, even if it is 8 years old.
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