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TIPS
2
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last Week's Tip
 
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Tip |
Submitted
By |
Lisa says...
"If your horse/pony will not enter a horse-box or trailer, do
not hit him and loose your temper with him. This will only make things worse.
Do have a word with your local tack shop, and invest in a chiffney anti-rearing bit.
My pony would rear, leap off the ramp and do awful things, which would hurt himself and
me!! The chiffney is a much kinder way to problem loading than beating with a stick or
lunge-whip".
GeeGees
says...
Believe it or not,
horses' mouths are very sensitive parts of their anatomy.
Before trying any new sort of bit to cure a behavioural problem, alway seek expert
advice. The first thing you should do is look for any not-so-obvious reasons why
your horse is misbehaving - is he uncomfortable or in pain, does he have a bad memory of a
similar situation, or is he just a bully?
Please, at least, read the extract that follows about the Chifney (Anti-Rearing) Bit
before attempting to use one for the first time. |
Sally says...
"I noticed that a chifney bit was being
recommended for bad loaders, I would like to stress that I once saw heavy handed leaders
using this bit and they broke the poor horses jaw.
An Alternative to
using a Chiffney Bit
If your horse wont load, get a chain attach it to the highest ring on
the head collar and run it through the nose band and out the side ring, this will have the
same effect as a chiffney bit but will do no damage if the horse did pull back hard, then
take a schooling whip - do not hit the horse with it, merely keep him straight with it, he
won't be able to go backwards or to the side and his only option will be to walk up that
ramp.
The Chifney
Bit
"The Chifney bit is neither a snaffle nor a curb. In fact, it isn't used for
riding at all - it is used for leading - originally designed to give handlers of highly
strung colts and stallions more control when their charges tried to rear.
It is fitted so the the straighter
edged part acts as the mouth piece, with the rest of it encircling the horses jaw.
Potentially, it gives a lot of leverage on the bottom jaw - and therefore must be
used with care. However, horses respect it and it gives handlers control of the
animal. A lot of professional transporters will use a Chifney on a horse that is
difficult to load."
Taken from Carolyn Henderson. (1996).
'Tack, How to Choose it and Use it'. Swan Hill Press. |
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Lisa Lilley from Yorkshire |
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Lisa says...
"Use Baby milk bottles to store your used hoof oil
brush. It stops hoof oil getting over all the rest of your grooming kit"
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Lisa Bishop from the West Midlands (UK) |
Jen says...
"When your
horse is moulting isn't it really annoying the way his hair all sticks to the girth?
It's even worse when you are going to a show and don't have time to wash it.
Get a damp sponge and lay your girth
on a hard surface so it is flat.
Use the sponge to wipe off those winter woolly hairs!
You may need to redampen the sponge now and then and to take the hairs out as well."
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Jen |
Jenny's Massaging Therapy...
"Last summer I
loaned a 25 year old 15.3hh grey mare called Fliss.
After strenuous work or a long hack she would often be stiff in her front offside
shoulder.
To ease the pain I would put a dribble of massage
oil on her sholder and begin to massage it for
a couple of minutes.
I got a few strange looks a first, but as they released it worked they were amazed. I also
think she quite enjoyed it.
Now I am on the hunt for a new, younger horse,
to bring on.
I hope this tip will be useful to other people with golden oldies.
And please, if you are thinking of getting your first horse, I think a older horse is the
best choice U could make.
I know I enjoyed my time with Fliss"
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Jenny |
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Lisa's Baby-Wipe Tip
When going to a show, and travelling in a box/trailer, always make
sure you take a box of Baby Wipes (the sort from Superdrug, Sainsbury's etc.. that come in
a plastic box with a lift-up lid - not the cheap ones that come in a roll).
These are fantastic for
removing last minute 'green' stains from your pony, they will even remove the odd stain
from a tail!!!
One of my ponies is a Palomino, and
they work on him!!!
It is much quicker than having to
scrub with a damp sponge.
They are handy to wipe yourself down
with as well, before you go into your class.
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Lisa |
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SAVE TIME AND MONEY
"Buy some rubber
gloves for skipping out droppings from the stable, and simply scoop them up in your hands.
It's much quicker and economical too!"
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Joanne Martin |
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Clever Time Saving Tip
"If you can't find a knife
to cut the string on hay or straw bales...
just use another piece of
string...
place this under the string to
be cut, and saw backwards and forwards until the tip string breaks"
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Joanne Fletcher |
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Keep Your Horse Looking Clean and Shiny This Winter
In winter when you can't bath your horse because its too
cold, get the worst of the dust off his coat by wiping him over with a stable rubber or
towel that has been dampened in warm water.
This can make his coat shine.
(Don't do this too much though if he's kept out doors
without a rug - having a greasy coat will keep him warm and waterproof.) |
Kathryn Snodgrass |
Save Time on these Dark Winter Days
 In the winter, when its really cold and you want to do things as quickly as
possible, why not try these...
whilst mucking-out, check that your
pony has enough water and hay to last him through the night.
Whilst sweeping, fill the water buckets.
Whilst checking on your pony in the field, put out the hay and refill his water trough.
On weekend days, when you're not at school, fill six haynets - one for each day of the
week, so that you can just pick one up and tie it up in the weekday evenings.
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Rebecca F (aged 10 yrs) |
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