Training
“My mode of training has changed over the years, after conducting many field tests and extensive study, I have realized that usually horses do not perform because something is hurting them, not because they do not want to perform.”
- Mickey Young, Silver Lining’s expert presents insight and detailed information for your review.
My mode of training has changed a lot over the years, as I learn to realize that usually my horse is not performing because it may hurt him as opposed to not performing because he is being obstinate. When a person learns to recognize the difference in these two reasons they are well on their way to becoming a complete trainer. By nature, horses are very forgiving and willing to help accomplish our tasks. Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Pat Parrelli, John Lyons, Monte Roberts, and many other horsemanship trainers tell their students to work with the horse not against the horse, and yet many times we think because a horse does not do what we ask of them when we know good and well they know how to do it, they need some strong arm tactics to force them to do it. Could it be the horse does not feel good that day, or could it be the horse does not feel good most of the time? We need to step back away from that horse and look at how he or she really feels.
An abscence of variety creates dietary neglect
Generally, people are accepting chiropractic’s and some of the other forms of alternative measures, but I have seen more neglect in diet. This does not mean the horses are not being fed, but rather they are not necessarily being fed the right feed to keep the horse healthy. Let me expound on this statement for just a moment. I see it as the equivalent of putting you in a room at the Las Vegas Hilton and every day bringing you a T-bone steak and a baked potato. You may think I am doing you a favor for the first few days and then you will start asking where the rest of the food is. Where are the green beans, carrots, corn, asparagus, etc.? If you are not allowed to get these varieties of vegetables you will start to feel the repercussions from the lack of the variety. If gone untended for a long period of time you will start to become weakened in certain body organs, in the bones, etc. and you will become susceptible to every illness that comes along. This same scenario is what is going on in our horse population. We took what they need to eat out of their diets and replaced it with alfalfa, grass, and sweet feed and wonder why we have the overwhelming veterinarian bills we have and why our horses are not working better than they are.
Why isn’t my horse stopping and turning like he used to?
The horses are better bred and trained today than at any time in the history of the world. So why are they so unsound? I propose it is because of a lack in their natural feed. I hear all the time from people who have a horse who is not turning around as well as they did a month ago, or all of a sudden has quit stopping as hard as they should, or running off when asked to turn one way or the other. These are all indications the horse may have something going on internally that is forcing him to react this way when the pressure is on. Take, for instance, a horse with a congested liver. This horse will almost certainly not want to turn tight to the right. The reason for this is the liver sets behind the ribs on the right side, toward the back of the rib cage. When asked to turn tight in that direction he applies pressure to a very tender organ and would rather take the abuse he knows is almost certainly to follow as opposed to making the turn. Could this explain why he would run off when he neglects the turn? I see this very often, and I also see the horse endure the repercussions from the trainer much too often. something going on internally that is forcing him to react this way when the pressure is on. Take, for instance, a horse with a congested liver. This horse will almost certainly not want to turn tight to the right. The reason for this is the liver sets behind the ribs on the right side, toward the back of the rib cage. When asked to turn tight in that direction he applies pressure to a very tender organ and would rather take the abuse he knows is almost certainly to follow as opposed to making the turn. Could this explain why he would run off when he neglects the turn? I see this very often, and I also see the horse endure the repercussions from the trainer much too often.
Kidney soreness and the effects it can have on your ride
The most frequent problem I encounter in my travels is kidney soreness. Horses suffering from this issue will frequently step out of their stops and will generally not want to turn hard in one direction or the other. This same horse may not want to stand still when you want it to, or it may want to jig and prance as opposed to walking. They will almost never take their attention off of you while you are sitting on them with one leg over the pommel of the saddle. You are well relaxed but they will not relax until you step off of them. This may lead us to think they are nervous or tightly strung. They may simply be asking us to take a little weight off of the kidney area, which is about where the back of the saddle fits. Stocking up in the ankles is also a sign the kidneys are toxin laden. This is a much debated question, to which many people will say there is no such problem and that all horses will stock up if they are left in a stall over night or tied to a trailer. To this I will say to look at my horses and you will see no such thing. You will also not see my horses tying up which is another indication of kidney malfunction. These issues are not generally diagnosed by a veterinarian until they become much more pronounced, at which time they are generally in trouble, i.e. renal and hepatic failure and kidney infection etc.
What is the reason for all of the Kidney problems, and how can we alleviate them?
I blame the kidney issues on the high protein feeds such as high protein alfalfa hay and cubes, corn, barley, molasses, rice bran, etc. As I have said in some of my past writings. I feel there are things we can do to alleviate these issues, and I have proven it over and over again. Synthetics are not easily assimilated and are absolutely not accepted at the cellular level, therefore they become toxins needing to be evacuated from the system which is what is causing the problems we encounter at the digestive, kidney, liver, lymphatic, feet, muscle, etc. levels. If we want to do away with these problems once and for all we must start feeding feeds which are conducive to the welfare of the horse, which are the kinds of feeds which he would be exposed to in his natural environment. Rice bran, for instance, would not be available to him, nor would molasses. Feeds which the horse would pick for himself if he were given the opportunity to do so. Feeds which are for the express purpose of keeping the individual body parts functioning to their highest potential. These feeds are not available in a synthetic form. Only in a natural form, from the natural vegetation which grows from mother earth without the use of harmful chemicals. These well balanced feeds are what Silver Lining Herbal Equine Supplements is putting back in your horses’ diet. Look for our #37 Kidney and #27 Liver specific combinations on the Equine Herbal Supplements page to help your horse through the painful times.