Soldiers Heal Through Horsepower

             As I found myself in the airport, at 4 o’clock this morning, trying to catch a flight home for Thanksgiving, I didn’t have much to do but sit and wait. So, I decided to do a little light reading in Continental’s official in-flight magazine. Amidst the interviews with CEO’s and advertisements for professional matchmaking services, I found an interesting article written by Lora O’Riordan about Donna Thibedeau and her Tranquil Valley Sanctuary.

            The Sanctuary, which is located in Idaho, became a pet project of Thibedeau’s after she studied horse therapy in college.

“I learned that horses can heal wounds,” she says. “They are a mirror into souls.”

          What first began as a rescue effort for older horses, soon turned into a horse therapy program for wounded soldiers. She says she was inspired by a television show that showed how much post- traumatic stress disorder affects the lives of wounded soldiers after they return home. As a result, she created a special program at Tranquil Valley that involves therapeutic riding for amputees.

“In one hour’s riding each day, we’ve seen improvement in as little as three weeks,” she says. “Some of the soldiers have even started walking again.”

            Along with physical rehabilitation, the horse therapy program also provides a unique outlet for the soldiers to vent their emotions to a few good listeners.

            “We tell them that they can talk to the horse and whatever they say stays with the horse,” she says.

            She says this helps soldiers to let go of combat memories they may not feel comfortable sharing with members of their family.

            An exciting new development is that Thibedeau has received permission from the Department of Veterans Affairs to bring miniature horses into the VA hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.

            If you would like more information about this solely-donation run program you can go to tranquilvalleysanctuary.org

Horse Superstitions and Wives’ Tales

            Most of us are familiar with the well-known superstitions that involve horses. For instance, an upward facing horseshoe hung above a doorway will bring good luck to the home.

However, after a little research I found a number of interesting superstitions and wives’ tales that I had never heard of before.

            Supposedly, you can predict the sex of an unborn foal by doing “the nail test.” To begin, you take a hair from the mare's tail and tie a nail to it. Then, you hold it above the mare's hips. If it swings in a circle, she's carrying a filly; if it swings in a straight line, she’s carrying a colt.

             In some instances, it is thought that horses can be used to counteract bad omens or change someone’s luck. Walking under a ladder is considered to be bad luck, but you can counteract the bad luck if you keep your fingers crossed until you have seen three horses. If a bride and groom see a grey horse on their way to the church it is considered to be good luck. On the other hand, in certain situations a horse can be a bad omen. If a horse neighs at the door of a house, someone in the house will become sick.

            There are also a few wives’ tales that are still popular among the older generation of horsemen. Supposedly, the deeper a stallion dips his nostrils into water when he drinks, the better sire he will be. Also, putting copper pennies in a mare’s water tank can help to eliminate moody behavior.

One very common belief is that the location and number of hair whorls on a horse’s head or neck is related to its temperament. Actually, Dr. Temple Grandin of Colorado State University conducted a study of hair whorl positions and concluded that there is a definite relationship. A hair whorl that is located high above the eyes indicates a flighty temperament. 



Some of the most unusual superstitions come in the form of cures for various conditions or diseases. For example, eating a hair from the forelock of a horse is supposed to cure worms. Also, it was once thought that inhaling the breath of a horse could cure whooping cough. It was also believed that warts could be cured by circling them in horsehair.

However, possibly the most well known superstition of all involves the bad luck that comes from putting a cowboy hat on a bed. Almost every cowboy believes this superstition and will go out of their way to counteract its effects. There is a widely circulated story about a cowboy who showed up at the National Finals Rodeo to compete with a smashed hat, because the night before his mother had accidentally placed it on a bed. According to the superstition, the only way to fix this is to throw the hat outside and stomp all of the bad luck out of it.

I hope you enjoyed all of these and if you come across any other interesting ones please share them with us on Facebook.

            

Sex Selection in Equines

This blog is intended to be an extension of a post we put up on Facebook recently that concerns the relatively new technology of sex selection in horse breeding. While I certainly do not claim to be any kind of expert in breeding, or in science for that matter, I thought that I could expand on a few interesting points that were brought up by some of our loyal Equine Chronicle followers. 

            With the introduction of any new scientific procedure, especially one concerning genetics, there will always be questions raised about its supposed benefits and possible detriments.

            Some experts claim that utilizing sex selection when breeding horses may help to eliminate gender specific diseases, or conditions that are more prevalent in either mares or stallions. Could this help to “breed out” conditions like endometriosis in mares or cryptorchidism in stallions? Or is this simply a justification for breeding to get the more profitable gender?

Is this the same thing as saying we should decrease the number of human females to lower the incidence of breast cancer, or decrease the number of males to lower the incidence of red-green color blindness? Or can these comparisons not be made between the human species and an animal species?

Over a long period of time, could this lead to an overpopulation of one sex? Could this reduce genetic diversity leading to a less disease-resistant generation of horses? Or will the high cost of the procedure and extensive regulation control for all of these concerns?

As far as ethical concerns go, some people have expressed that this technology circumvents natural selection and in essence “goes against” the will of God/Nature. With all religious implications set aside, should we as a community, have the power to select which gender we want when breeding animals? If this is something that is going to permitted in equine breeding, should it be allowed in human reproduction as well?

Other aspects to consider are the implications this may have on different breeds within the horse world. In the Thoroughbred racing scene, stallions are generally eligible to compete for higher purses, have more lucrative breeding opportunities and chances for syndication. On the other hand, in the cutting and pleasure horse arena, there seems to be a large number of standing studs, therefore owning a quality mare might be more advantageous. Could breeds become gender-specific, or is that something that would never actually happen?

While I may have raised more questions than I have answered, one thing remains clear. There are a lot of variables to consider before you decide for yourself whether or not sex selection will be beneficial or detrimental to the horse industry.

Scientific Study of Saddle Fit at New Mexico State University

 The Agricultural Marketing group at New Mexico State University has undertaken the first scientific saddle fit study of western performance saddles.
The group will utilize new technology in the form of a force sensor array (FSA) pressure pad to analyze how a saddle applies pressure to the back of a horse. Different levels of pressure will be shown in different colors and in three dimensions.

The focus of the study is on barrel and roping saddles, but the results are applicable to all types of western saddles.

Using this latest innovation in saddle fit diagnosis, New Mexico State University students are examining all aspects of saddle fit, including how both movement and padding affect the distribution of weight across the back of a horse.

The results from examining several hundred horse and rider participants are currently being scanned and catalogued. The group plans to release the results of the study sometime in January. The group is hoping the study will provide new insights into horse and rider comfort and health, as well as challenge some traditional ideas on ways to improve saddle fit.

For information or to access to the results, contact Bill Gorman at New Mexico State University, wigorman@nmsu.edu, or dave@specializedsaddles.com.