In the beginning God made man, then realized He could do better, so He then made woman. While she was close to perfection, all was not without flaw. Now it came to God if He took the spirit and courage of man and combined that with the grace and beauty of woman He would create the perfect creature. After His work was completed and He saw He had fulfilled His goal, God took a break and called His creation …… H O R S E.
David Chapter 1 Verse 2 (King R. Rogers Version)
“YEE HAW!!! Come on, Festus! Hide and heel that nag. Let’s git ‘er outta town!
Heck fire, Festus. We gotta git outta here! And let me shoot my 30 shot 6-shooter.
“Them outlaws that stole them worthless confederate dollars outta the bank are gonna git away! I’m gonna show off this here $500 fancy shirt and $10,000 saddle!!! And Festus, we gotta git all this done before noon. I gots a Kobe steak and lobster lunch a wait’n fer me in my air conditioned trailer……”
Folks, this AIN’T got nothing to do with THE COWBOY WAY… never has and hopefully never will. This here is Hollywood (also known as Hollyweird) and the only thing they know about the West is that’s where the map says they’re at. They sure as shoot’n don’t know nothing about Cowboys. Sadly, though, a lot of youngsters grew up with The Lone Ranger, or Matt Dillon (shot more times than a target at a military shoot’n range). These yesterday’s kids grew up and some began to see that ‘ole Sam Colt made a pistol that would shoot 30 times IF you reloaded it 5 times.
Some of these kids found out that “breaking a Horse” has nothing to do with a Horse. The breaking refers to what happens to the rider — or at least his bones if he’s dumb enough to get on an ill ground trained Horse. The bad thing is some of these kids from yesterday never learned what Cowboy really is. They still think what was on the silver screen or TV is what a Cowboy is.
Folks, let me introduce you a little to what being a COWBOY really is!!!
W O R K
For those of you cross-eyed green peas, that’s WORK
That’s right, folks. The Cowboy Way is about WORK… all of it hard, most of it dirty, a lot of it lonely, some of it painful. But ALL of it with pride. There is no way a Cowboy will WORK without his pride. This is not to say he is prideful, he is just proud of his BEST! He will be proud of his best and shamed of his not so best, and that not so best will be the thing that occupies his mind ’til it becomes his best.
The one thing that makes his best easier is his ability to work in tandem with his Horse, and his word. As a matter of fact, without these two things a Cowboy had might as well be a politician, or a used car salesman. When you spend 12 hours or more a day on a Horse you learn real quick, easy is better than harsh. He learns how to get his work partner to want to help him be his best, and he learns real quick asking is better than beating. You also learn your Horse is gonna be 100% honest with you and they expect the same in return. Again, easy is better than harsh.
You want to start a knock-down, drag out with a real Cowboy? (I hope not)
Say something bad about his Horse, or be harsh with his Horse. If he IS a Cowboy, God help ya; ya’ll fix’n to go a round. He has put so much of him in that Horse, he believes his Horse is the best part of him!!! (You could walk up and slap me, but slap Smokey Joe and I’m gonna pull my not Hollywood 6-shooter!) You see most Cowboys ain’t got time for a wife and youngins. He’s too busy trying to be the best at what he does. So his Horse becomes his wife, child, mom, dad, and bestest friend. (Don’t make more outta that statement than what’s there. This ain’t about Brokeback Mountain.)
This does not mean that a Cowboy is perfect. I’m just saying he seeks perfection within himself. To do this, the “day” starts at least an hour before the ‘ole sun gets up, and he ain’t no way gonna go to bed before that day’s job is done. Tell ya something else that’s as important to a Cowboy as his Horse, and that is the only thing he ever will really own: his word. You see, that is all any of us ever really own, only I can give my word and only I can break my word. See, it’s mine. Not the government’s, not yours, and heck, it ain’t even the Good Lord’s. It’s MINE! So to a Cowboy all he ever is, is his word.
My daddy taught me this, and I learned it better working cows off the back of a Horse, and it has served me well through all the walks of my life. I’ll tell ya, I have seen green-peas that came on willing to learn and willing to admit they didn’t know much, but they understood what a promise is and they’d promise the ramrod such-n-such a thing and damn near kill themselves trying to keep their word. These green peas are rare and they are the ones the Boss and Ramrod hire at full wages, to replace the draggers that got too big for their spurs. Again, does this mean Cowboys are perfect? NO, but a Cowboy seeks that perfection within.
The Cowboy Way is or should be The American Way … and it used to be…..
Somehow, though, Cowboy has become a “bad” adjective. It makes my blood curl to hear someone say, “he’s cowboyed that Horse too much” or “he’s a cowboy shoer” or he’s just an @#$%%# cowboy.
Folks, if this idiot is doing all this, the LAST thing he is is a cowboy. Sounds to me the folks calling this idiot a cowboy need to turn Hollywood off and spend some time Ranch’n. They’ll find out real quick the idiot they’re calling a cowboy ain’t no such thing. He’s just a dime store plug in Horse riding IDIOT and should be left alone. More importantly, he needs to leave HORSES alone.
People, I’ll tell ya now, and if ya don’t believe me look around, the best trainers are what????? They don’t wear foxhunting breeches. They have blue jeans on and a horn on their saddle. Chances are they understand THE COWBOY WAY. You see, to seek this within perfection ya have to learn “you” ain’t good enough. “You” need help. And to a cowboy the closest friend we have to ask for help is our Horse. A Real Cowboy will ASK his Horse, he doesn’t force or demand, he shares.
So I’ll thank ya’ll to call an idiot an idiot and call us Cowboys….Cowboys.
And with that, I’ll tip my hat, kick off the dust, and offer ya a pot of coffee……just brewed!!
Happy Trails and ya’ll remember
“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HORSE”
Have you ever seen the “10 Things to never say to a Farrier” shirts and signs? Or what about the ones for trainers and vets?
My question is why there’s not one out there for “not to say to Horses”
So here goes. Maybe THIS will make me rich and famous (those cayenne powder covered sugar cubes didn’t work out so well…)
10 Things to Never Say to A Horse
10) Your momma was a mule
9) You can’t buck me off
8) You sound like a human when you munch those carrots
7) No you can’t ever have a treat
6) I’ll feed you after I’ve eaten
5) The glue factory called today
4) The dog needs exercise. Let him chase you around for a bit, you need the exercise, too.
3) I wish you were a different color/breed
2) Do not argue with me, you’ll lose
1) Bite me!
I’m going to surprise many of you Horse Owners with this next statement: Horses have Teeth! Some of you folks probably think I’m trying to be funny. I swear, that was not my intent.
You might be surprised to learn how many people I have dealt with over the years who act as if Horses don’t have teeth. It could be they just forget about dental care, or have never been told the importance of proper dental care, or they just don’t know Horses have teeth. Having been bitten more times than I care to remember, I’ll testify in court: Horses have TEETH.
Why is dental care so important? You know the old saying “no hoof no horse”? Well, the same applies to teeth. Another factor with teeth is they can affect how a hoof grows. Let me say that again, a Horse’s teeth can affect how the hoof grows. I am not talking about the things a horse chews and eats. I’m talking about the structure of the mouth and teeth directly affect the alignment of the poles. This alignment affects the spine. The spine affects legs. The legs affect the feet. And the feet affect the hoof.
Here’s a thought: If your Horse constantly has hoof wall problems it may not be the hoof. The root of the problem may be the teeth! Think about that for a second. If a Horse cannot chew in the figure 8 pattern they are designed to because of ledges on the molars, this will adversely affect how the jaw bone interacts with the poles. Over time this misalignment will cause spine problems. Once the spine is out of whack, the feet have no choice but to grow hoof wall to compensate for unequal weight distribution.
All the special shoes or trims in the world are not going to fix this problem. This Horse needs a qualified DENTIST that understands “mouth balance” and how that mouth balance plays a role in a harmonic balance of the entire Equine System. I hope this has you thinking……
Now, are you ready for this mind twister? A Farrier can RUIN good teeth with consistent poor work on the hind feet. Nope, I swear I have not lost my mind. This information is provable.
Let me explain: Hind feet that are not balanced will cause the leg muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to become “unbalanced.” We all know the hind leg is connected to the hip bone and that’s the next victim of this imbalance. The hip bone is connected to the back bone (spine), which is the next victim of this poor hind feet hoof care.
The back bone is connected to the neck bones and guess what? The neck is the next victim. The neck bone is connected to the head bone (skull) and it is the next victim of this imbalance. The head bone is connected to the jaw bone (mandibles). And once the jaw bone is misaligned, the teeth will wear in an adverse manner.
Think of it this way: EVERYTHING on a Horse is connected to EVERYTHING and if one place gets out of whack, and is not dealt with, sooner or later EVERYTHING is going to be out of whack. Once this happens the best trainer in the world can do nothing to calm this “ill” Horse. It’s not a brain issue. It’s his body that needs attention from dentist, massage therapist, chiropractors, farriers, and anyone else that help BALANCE THE WHOLE HORSE.
Supplements are a very interesting subject and can be a very expensive cost of Equine care.
My question about supplements is very simple: Is the Horse deficient of some vitamin or mineral? Is the Horse stalled so much he cannot forage for the food stuffs he needs? Is the water supply “natural”? Or is it “city water”? Horses are not meant to drink perfectly clean water. They actually need small amounts of algae and other trace minerals in their water.
Hoof supplements are a big dollar “new” fad a lot of horseshoeing farriers promote, either because there is profit involved or they just do not understand what makes up healthy feet. Biotin is generally what hoof supplements contain. While it is very true Biotin is one of the vitamins the Horse system uses to grow hoof wall, it must be understood too much of a good thing is just as harmful as not enough.
Hoof cracks and “flakey” soles are not proof the Horse is Biotin deficient. There are hundreds of other reasons for this hoof condition, one of which could very well be poor farrier work. Thus “pouring Biotin” to this animal is not going to “fix” the problem and may, in fact, increase the amount and size of these cracks. (See Seedy Toe & Treatment)
Biotin is just one of many supplements on the market sold to “fix” one thing or another. My personal belief is unless the Horse is deficient in some mineral or vitamin, then he or she should not be given supplements. I tend to look to the cause of a particular health problem, not the treatment of a symptom.
Take humans and aspirin. When we get headaches we take an aspirin. Why? Are we aspirin deficient? Probably not. There was something else that caused our headache. Identifying what that something is is the first “true” step in treating a headache. And once that something has been identified and treated, headaches are no longer a source of pain. These are things a lot of Horse owners just do not have the time for, so they treat the symptom. The sad part of this is many Horse professionals only treat the symptoms, as well, and they should know better and be willing to invest the time to practice better investigative skills into discovering the underlying cause.
Seedy toe — If I were “just a farrier” those two little words would bring dreams of fancy Bass boats, condos in Florida, and a new truck. Seedy toe is a great money maker! All I would have to do is show some poor, unsuspecting Horse owner a small crack in the toe with some black gunk in the crack and call it “SEEDY TOE”. Then I could start scaring the heck out of this owner with words like white line disease or hoof wall separation or dropped sole or maybe even severe thrush. Then I could go into great detail about which shoes and pads, and certain medicines might clear up the problem — all the making of serious bucks!
Then, of course, we would have to discuss that “poor Ole Hell Bent For Leather’s” conformation is such that getting this Seedy Toe under control just may not be possible, without having to resort to wiring the hoof capsule (a process in which small holes are drilled and metal wire is used to “lace” up a crack).
While writing this if I wasn’t getting so mad at the waste of time, money, and health of the Horse, I would be dreaming about that Florida condo. There are HUNDREDS of things a person can buy to help their Horse suffering from Seedy Toe, and yes, I know, never say never, but…this time I’m going to! If your Horse really has Seedy Toe the only thing you need to buy your horse is this: A farrier that understands how to correctly BALANCE each individual Horse!
Try this little experiment: Lace your fingers together with as much finger “sticking through” as you can. Now, holding your elbows out like a chicken, “flap” your elbows. Feel that stress in your fingers? Okay. Now, while flapping like a chicken, slowly slide your fingers out to the point that the base of your fingernails align. See how the stress went away? Feel the friction vanish? So will your Horse when you get a farrier that understands Balance is not just a medial/lateral issue but a WHOLE HORSE issue, meaning that every Horse regardless of the breed has a front and a hind, as well as a left and a right.
Some farriers will talk to you about a particular foot and how he has “balanced” that foot. Okay, great! That’s at least a beginning. But what about the other THREE feet? They can be individually Balanced, but how do they work WITH the entire Horse? How do they interact with the ONE? If just one foot is “out” the other THREE have no choice but to adjust to the one. This HUMAN/farrier added stress is where the cracks commonly called Seedy Toe come from in the toe, period end of story.
BALANCE is the key. It’s the goal. It’s the THING that makes or breaks a Horse. And if your farrier and vet do not understand this simple FACT……you might as well pull your checkbook out and call your mortgage broker because YOU are just about ready to buy your farrier a new condo in Florida!
If you are not interested in buying a condo for your farrier and you would rather help your Horse enjoy a Balanced life, find a farrier that understands WHOLE HORSE BALANCE. We are available and we can be found. All you need to do is understand your ENTIRE Horse is affected by your farrier and if he doesn’t….. find one that does. We are “around,” and I would like to invite you to give my methods a try. As the saying goes “the proof is in the pudding,” and I will shamelessly say, “Thanks to Keith Seeley, I have a very good pudding recipe!”
Phenylbutazone (Bute)
by Katherine Burnett, DVM
From the Veterinarians Corner
Edgecliff Equine Hospital
S. 1322 Park Road, Spokane, WA 99212
Many horse owners, breeders and trainers keep prescription drugs on hand in their tack boxes. One of the most common is bute (short for phenylbutazone). As with all drugs, prescription or non-prescription, it is important to understand the potential risks and benefits of this popular medication before giving it.
Bute is a powerful nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug – that is, it is in the same family of drugs as aspirin. It is used in horses instead of aspirin because of its long duration of effect – twelve hours compared to four to six for aspirin. It is effective against fever, swelling and inflammation from injuries and infections. It is not very effective for gastrointestinal pain (colic). Contrary to popular belief, it is not a mind-altering drug. It will not sedate a horse or make it “hyper.”
Bute is usually dispensed in one gram tablets. A moderate dose for a 1000 lb horse is one of these tablets every twelve hours, but the dose for an individual horse should always be determined by a veterinarian. The vast majority of healthy 1000 lb. horses can be maintained on the above dose for a long period of time (in some cases months or even years) without harmful effects. A rare horse will suffer side effects, however. These adverse effects usually involve the gastrointestinal system. Always contact your veterinarian right away if your horse shows any signs of gastrointestinal distress while on bute – colic, diarrhea, lack of appetite, or depression. These signs could signal impending ulceration of the stomach/and/or intestine, which can be very serious. Do not give bute for colic. Young horses, especially those under the age of two, are extremely susceptible to bute toxicity. Always consult a veterinarian before giving a young horse this medication. Recent studies have suggested that the addition of linoleic acid to the diet may help combat the gastrointestinal side effects. The addition of 1/4 cup of safflower or corn oil to the diet with each dose will accomplish this.
Call your veterinarian for advice before giving bute to a sick horse, or to one that is tied up. Sick horses are often dehydrated, and giving bute to a dehydrated horse can cause permanent kidney damage. In addition, take the horse’s temperature before giving bute – bute lowers body temperature, and your veterinarian may want to know whether or not the horse has a fever before you give it.
*Before I posted this “bute” article on my site I asked a very dear friend and respected Veterinarian his opinion of this article. His response is below, as well as his contact information. He is “retired” but his love of Horses and his desire to help humans learn more about these wonderful creatures keeps him in touch with current techniques and advances.
**Dave, this article on Butazolidin is fine. I would add the caution that long term bute can precipitate or make worse stomach ulcers. It is important to NOT give more than the 1Gm Tab morning and night. AND if for some reason it is needed for several weeks…then leave it off one day each week. Give it 6 days and skip the 7th…6 more days and skip the 7th. Some university workers say that it will not precipitate side effects at that schedule. Bute causes trouble when folks decide that if one tab is good then two will be better…or three times daily, etc., etc.
Dr. Mac Barksdale
4270 Aloma Avenue, Suite 124-33A
Winter Park, Florida 32792
Cell: 407-342-0938
mac.barksdale@yahoo.com
www.antibioticfailure.com/drmac
www.tlopinternational.com
Immunomodulators effective on: fungal diseases, mycobacterial diseases, protozoal diseases, neuroviral immunological disorders, cancers, autoimmune diseases, nemathelminthes, Platyhelminthes, platyhelminthes flukes, viruses, asthma and bacterial infections.
Natural trimmer? What an oxymoron. If ever there were two words that did not belong together in the Equine World, these two should rank in the top 5.
According to www.dictionary.com #6 defines natural as : growing spontaneously, without being planted or tended by human hand. The same site defines trimming as #4 the act of a person or thing that trims.
Natural trimmers? If you have read other articles in my web site then you already know I don’t think all that highly of “put shoes on to fix everything farriers”. Yes; I do respect their skills at the forge and anvil, which is great for blacksmiths, but not always necessary for a farrier to help a Horse. For me when a person declares their desire to be a farrier they are saying they have a desire to transcend pure blacksmith skills and use their craft to help the health of Horses, whether that skill be the use of some ferrous or composite material.
Natural trimmers? What can I say? The dictionary definitions say it — a person CANNOT BE a natural anything. When it comes to Horses, if you really want a natural trimmer then this is what you need to do: Move your Horse to a range, allow the Horse to become a member of a herd, allow that herd to move unrestricted 20 to 30 miles a day, and never, ever ride that Horse again. IF you do this, then your Horse will be getting a “Natural Trim”. If this is not something you can or desire to do, then you have to find the next best thing.
What is the next best thing? Is it a trim that mirrors feral Horses’ feet? That sounds natural, that may be appealing BUT, is it what a domesticated Horse needs? Yes! It is IF you have thousands of acres, IF you have a numerous head count herd, IF you never intend to ride that Horse again. What if you don’t intend all these things? Do you need a “Mustang Trim” even if you have a Mustang? I don’t think so. My advice would be to trim the Horse to be Balanced, whatever the breed.
So called “natural trimmers” are being taught trims based on what a couple of farriers observed about wild mustangs. These farriers took a trip to America’s west and studied herds of mustangs and how these wild Horses managed to exist without “man” trimming their feet. Some of the things that were discovered were:
Most Mustangs have dished quarters
Most Mustangs have somewhat of a squared toe
None of the Mustangs have shoes
With this information these farriers started teaching students to trim domesticated Horses in the same manner and they declared EVERY Horse should be barefoot. While it’s admirable to put this much work into studying Horses and their health, I believe this question has to be asked: “What does a feral Horse have in common with a domesticated Horse?”
Once this question is asked, the answer should come forth as “Very Little”. I, too, have seen herds of wild Mustangs and yes, they are beautiful! BUT, my quarter Horse and my neighbor’s Arab live on less than 20 acres. They require Human attention (hay, water, de-worming and hoof care). Mustangs live on millions of acres. They can travel as much as 30 miles in a 24 hour period. They do better when “man” leaves them alone. A mustang may wake up in the morning in a lush, lowland field, and by dinner time be 5000 feet higher on very rocky terrain. This environmental change is one of the things that enable a wild Horse to “self trim”.
One other little thing that separates wild Horses from domesticated ones is this little fact, Wild Horses do not in the wild have to EVER worry about hauling a 300 pound burden on its back. With this last point I have to ask: “Is it really wise to trim a foot to mirror a Horse that is Never ridden?” Personally, I don’t think so. As a matter of observations I see these trims often causing severe hoof and overall Horse problems.
Remember, I said these farriers went to the American west to study wild Horses and their feet. This leads me to another question: What about the wild Horses on the East Coast of America? (Barrier Islands) They self trim but do not have dished quarters and square toes. These Horses usually have just the opposite, they tend to have very flat and round feet. So, if we are to believe “every Horse” should have natural trims based on wild Horses, which wild Horses are we talking about?
I truly believe in trying to be natural-like, and love being “in touch” with nature. But I also believe in not misleading my fellow Horse lovers with catch phrases that promote products and or ideas that can be harmful to our beautiful grass-eating friends. Going barefoot is usually more healthy for the Equine System, but going barefoot just to be natural could, in fact, be harmful, especially if the trim the Horse gets is a trim modeled after Horses that are not asked to carry us around for our pleasure/work.
At the end of the day, whether your Horse gets a natural trim, pasture trim or shod with gold egg bars, he or she is depending on you to ensure they get regular care from a professional that understands how to manipulate each foot to complete a fully Balanced Horse.
“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HORSE”
Mister Horse, hello, you are a beautiful creature
Mister Horse, you are my best feature
Horse, thank you for the invite to share your life
Blessed Spirit, you are my walk to nature
Partner, the work today will be without strife
Buddy, lead me on – I’m not the sharpest knife
Brother, the boogie bears have to eat me first
Smokey Joe, you’re so much better than a wife
Mister Horse, you fill me with happiness ’til I feel I’ll burst
Smokey Joe, You have never made me curse
Buddy Horse, Thank You from the heart
I’ve learned my best is Smokey’s worst
Mister Smoke, I love ya even when you fart
Partner, you are what gives my day a start
Son, you are without a doubt a Noble Creature
Blessed Spirit, remember me in your prayers and your enormous heart!
David Qualls – Nov 12th 2008
To Smokey Joe in remembrance of Dusty she’d a loved Smokey Joe
