Equileisure

Horse Care, Feeding, Stable Management

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For the Good of the Horse by Mary Wanless In October 1991 I held a one day conference at West Wilts Equestrian Centre, in the south west of England. I called it 'For the Good of the Horse', feeling that much of what we do in our rather crude attempts to keep and train horses is often not for their good, and sometimes not for ours. Whilst a proportion of riders are in blissful ignorance of this, I chose speakers whom I felt offered some new solutions  to the age old problems inherent in riding and keeping horses. I also included the supporting arts - farriery and saddlery - which have such a huge and often unseen role as they help or hinder our horse's performance. Finally, several speakers talked about some of the complementary medical aproaches which have recently come to the fore, offering solutions to some of the more subtle problems which seem to defy orthodox medicine. I had little sense of how wide an appeal it would have. I was sitting with a friend a few days afterwards, casually talking through the impressions I had been left with, when he remarked, 'I bet there's a book in that". I immediately knew he was right, and my heart sank at the enormity of the task. You are now reading this over 6 years later, during which time the world has changed: saddlery in particular has become a 'hot' issue, and farriery may be about to do the same. Complementary treatments are much more widely available, with more vets undergoing post-graduate training in homeopathy and acupuncture, and with equine physiotherapists, chiropractors and massage therapists becoming almost mainstream. Studies in sports psychology and biomechanics are affecting how we think about learning, and about choosing and riding the performance horse. Our traditional ways of handling and starting horses are under question. Over the last few years I have come to believe that al least 60 per cent of the horses I see show signs of pain or discomfort which could be alleviated through attention to their saddles, feet or teeth. Many would benefit from a thorough check from a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or massage therapist who can trace patterns of tension throughout the horse's body. Other authorities have suggested that over 85 per cent of competitive horses have their performance compromised by such physical problems. Right across the equestrian spectrum from the backyard horse owner to the ambitious, skilful rider, few people notice the restrictions in their horse's performance which are caused by pain. That horses tolerate us with so much equanimity is little short of a miracle; it convinces me that they really are God's greatest gift to mankind. HB, Illustrated, 317 pages