70 % of his day. Outside of his working and training time, Style is grazing to fuel his body and maintain body temperature. All that food creates a lot of horse piles, so our stalls and pastures are cleaned twice daily! Regular grooming promotes good blood circulation, prevents disease and discomfort and is a good time to check head to hoof for any injuries. Grooming Style also provides an opportunity for Style to bond with his care-taking team, learning trust and building a rapport. With good nutrition and regular grooming, Style’ s tail has grown about four inches in length since arriving at ROSL. The extra length helps Style keep away those pesky flies!
Throughout the year, the farrier, dentist and chiropractor also visit Style. Every six weeks Style’ s hooves are balanced and trimmed to support his conformation and prevent bruising, splitting and lameness. Twice a year, an equine dentist floats( or rasps) ill-worn teeth to help with digestion and make sure Style is comfortable. Horse’ s lower jaws are naturally more narrow than the top jaw, causing irregular or even sharp points on the teeth. Because Style often carries clients with low-tone, imbalance or asymmetry, he receives regular chiropractic adjustments throughout his pelvis, back, neck, head and legs. Mal-alignment, or subluxation, of vertebrae and joints can not only be uncomfortable but may cause further damage if not resolved.
STYLE’ S TRAINING
The physical care listed above, covers many of the basic care requirements Style receives, but he also participates in regular exercise and conditioning. The two fundamental conditioning methods Style benefits from include long lining and ridden work. Unlike lunging, long lining uses two lines attached on either side of the bit, allowing flexibility to influence both bend and inside / outside contact for a more elastic and supple connection. On long lines, Style can try new movements without the difficultly of balancing the weight of a rider. He also learns to use the correct muscles to strengthen his topline and core which makes him stronger, more flexible, balanced and limber. At first, Style was anxious learning this new way to communicate. Slowly and with a lot of positive reinforcement and peppermint treats, Style became more relaxed and began moving with good energy, relaxation and rhythm.
Style’ s work on long lines directly affects his ridden work in preparation for advancement as a therapy horse. Style is very inquisitive and sensitive to his surroundings. In his ridden work he is learning rhythm and relaxation, with light aids to compliment his sensitive nature. Rhythm refers to the regularity of his gait and Style’ s footfalls into a specific pattern: a four beat walk, two beat trot and three beat canter. Style’ s balance is illustrated through the clean, consistent footfalls that maintain a regular rhythm and tempo. Perfecting this eliminates problems such as being on the forehand, lack of self-carriage, tension or resistance and also helps Style react to carrying different types of riders and clients. Relaxation prepares Style both physically and mentally for work as a therapy horse. When Style is relaxed he is able to move naturally and unimpeded, bending better through his body both laterally and longitudinally.
STYLE GIVES
Over the last year’ s work of consistent training, ridden and on long lines two to three times each week, Style has gained the right amount of muscle, trust, rhythm and relaxation to being working with clients in a small capacity. It takes an average of three years before a horse can be fully immersed into the program: serving clients with complex needs, working increased hours, communicating with volunteer leaders and being comfortable and reliable in a variety of situations. After several months of training, Style has been able to work with three clients this year in our physical therapy and sports riding programs. You can read about the progress of Style’ s clients Mary Clare and Samantha in this issue. Our investment in Style is already at work and with his continued health and conditioning, Style will be helping Mary Clare, Samantha and many others as an excellent therapy horse for many years to come. Please Give With Style this Christmas season at rideonstl. org / givingwithstyle to make a lasting impact on health, happiness and quality of life!
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