Blind horses

One of the most counter-intuitive phenomena I’ve encountered thus far is the blind horse. You would think that the prey animal psyche would be magnified by blindness. However, again, the superb adaptability of the horse surprises us. My first encounter with a blind horse was Bright Zip, John Lyons’s Appaloosa stallion. Zip was so unperturbed by his blindness that he would run, at liberty, from one end of the arena to the other, jumping obstacles along the way purely from John’s vocal commands. And one of the most touching moments I can recall is John riding Zip down the hill at his wedding. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the crowd.
This week’s TV show also focuses on a blind horse named Blinks and the richness of his relationship with his trainer, Toah Hatch. Keep the tissues handy!

Rescuing more than horses

This week’s TV show focuses on two horse rescues, one in the rural Appalachian foothills of Kentucky and one in the desert outside metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona. Both are beneficiaries of the fund-raising efforts of the American Competitive Trail Horse Association, but it turns out they have more in common. At the helm of each is an exceptionally strong and visionary woman, and both organizations have expanded their good works to helping at-risk youth. Of course there’s nothing new about equine-assisted physical therapy or psychotherapy or personal development. The twist here is the reciprocal nature of the healing; the horses help the kids and the kids help the horses. Good-hearted people all over this great land donate their time, talents, and money to make programs like this work. In my book, they are modern-day saints. We offer our heartfelt thanks to each of them. Enjoy the program and have a very Merry Christmas!

Finding the Groove

Professor Sydney Galvayne, (1846 – 1913) achieved a measure of immortality with his 1885 book, Horse Dentition: Showing How to Tell Exactly the Age of a Horse up to Thirty Years. This small book linked stages in a horse’s life with changes in his teeth. One of those changes became known as Galvayne’s Groove.

In the illustration, the third tooth from the left is an upper corner incisor. The dark line starting at the gumline and extending halfway down the tooth is Galvayne’s Groove. It emerges at nine to ten years of age. As the teeth continue erupting, the groove is exposed at a measured and predictable pace, extending the full length of the tooth by age 20, and disappearing entirely at about 30. This horse would be about 13 years of age.
Although it is not infallible, Galvayne’s Groove is still useful in combination with other indications of tooth wear to estimate a horse’s age.
To learn more about Professor Galvayne and other horsemen of the past and present, see The Revolution in Horsemanship.

Feeling his oats

In this week’s radio show, equine nutritionist, Dr. Judy Reynolds, shares the problem with feeding too much cereal grain in general, and oats in particular, to horses. What’s wrong with oats? Well, nothing if consumed in the small quantities a free-ranging horse would get and balanced by a diet high in fiber. Unfortunately, that’s not how most horse owners use oats. Oats produce the equine equivalent of a sugar high and in extreme cases, the horse’s normal metabolic functioning is compromised, which can lead to founder. Listen to my radio interview with Dr. Reynolds here for more information and catch her each week with a Nutrition Nugget on my TV show.

Don’t call me Shirley

Remembering Leslie Nielsen (1926-2010)

During the 31 years I owned Lambchops Studios, I met quite a few celebrities. The most charming was Leslie Nielsen. I’ll never forget the day I introduced him to Hugh Downs in the lobby of our studio. I just stood there grinning like an idiot.

As soon as I met Leslie, I started scheming to interview him. I knew he had some experience with horses from his years playing Revolutionary War hero, Francis Marion, “The Swamp Fox.” But I had a firm rule at the studio: We treated celebrities like regular folks. In rare instances, we would take photos or get autographs, but I wanted celebrities to think of our studio as a place of refuge where they could relax and be themselves.

Finally one day, Leslie was in to record some narration for "Katie and Orbie," the wonderful animated children’s series, and I felt the time was right to ask him for an interview. He couldn't have been nicer, and in the interview he was very open and free. We talked about his career and his love of horses. I’ve rerun that radio interview I don’t know how many times. And this week, it has special meaning to me. Rest in peace, Leslie.

Listen for: Growing up in the frozen tundra of northern Canada, riding mishaps and wisecracks on Disney’s “The Swamp Fox,” his daughter’s jumping accident, and … something better than a whoopee cushion.

Full interview with Leslie Nielsen on The Horse Show on Rick Lamb

Quickies from The Horse Show Minute

Leslie's Famous Dismount
Rex, the Saddlebred
Swamp Fox Spills

Thanksgiving Thought

On this day when we traditionally take stock of our blessings, I want to share a powerful statement with you. It was uttered 150 years ago by one of our most beloved presidents, a man who was burdened with pressure, self-doubt, and personal tragedy.

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Abraham Lincoln.

The truth of this statement has been proven to me over and over. Happiness truly is a choice and when you make that choice, life often gets better. I can't explain it but I know that visualizing the person you want to be and the life you want to have makes it far more likely to become reality. Act happy and you will begin to feel happy. Be thankful for the blessings in your life and you will begin to see more of them at every turn.

Have a wonderful, happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Horse Show.

Hand-feeding Treats - Part 2

I have mentioned several times a game that we play with our horses that reinforces the right way to receive a food treat. We call the game, “Pretend you don’t want it.” I’ve been asked to explain it in print, so here goes. I’ll use my mare, Candy, in the example.

I have Candy in a rope halter with a lead rope so I have a measure of control over her. I step in front of her and ask her to stand quietly and look at me from a respectful distance. I hold the treat up, say her name and make sure she is looking straight at me. Then I say, “pretend you don’t want it.” She swings her head around to one side, almost looking at her tail. I say, “good girl!” and give her the treat. (Going away from food is not instinctive to a horse. It must be learned. We also require our horses to back up at feeding time, but that’s another story.)

Teaching this game is no different than teaching any other cue. You reward the slightest try, and each time you expect a little more. You give her time to think about it between attempts, and you find a good note to end on. Don’t expect her to learn this perfectly the first day and don’t repeat it too many times. Better to work on it a little every day. Final tip: she will start anticipating you, meaning she will start swinging her head around before you’ve asked for it. Do not reward that! We don’t want to reward a horse for anticipating our cues, even if it’s to do something good.

Oh, yes – and this goes back to the actual technique of hand-feeding the treat – Candy is not allowed to move her feet toward me to collect her treat. I reach toward her and she stretches her neck out to gently take the treat from the palm of my hand.