"Rotation in the Saddle—Belly Button Exercise"

Howdy Friends,

Peggy Cummings calls this very important exercise she teaches, “Rotation.” I often call it “Belly Button Exercise.” By any name, I recommend you master it and learn to use it often. It’s good for you, and wonderful for your horse.

The benefits of this simple, easy to master exercise are many. “Rotating” can, and will, help calm your horse, because it will soften you, and also help sit you deeper in the saddle. It will soften your spine, shoulders, neck and legs. Even your feet will become lighter!

When your body is soft and relaxed your horse can relax, soften and lengthen, and she will. You can add to “Rotation” the exercise of “Combing the reins” to greatly help soften and calm a worried, hurried horse.

Sitting soft in the saddle put one finger in your belly button, the thumb of the other hand at your spine, and rotate, just your belly button not your hips, an inch or two to the right, and hold it a second. Then rotate back to the center, hold it a second—then rotate to the left, hold it a second, and back to the center. Now keep rotating right, center, left over and over.

As you rotate remember to breath normally, sit in neutral, and allow your body to respond. 

Feel the softness radiate up and down your core from your feet to head. You will feel your seat grow deeper, your legs lengthen and body soften. You’ll also feel your horse soften.

Begin your practice sitting still, but as soon as you are able, walk your horse on and rotate while walking. As soon as you master the feel of the rotation, you can stop using your hands, simply think of your belly button and rotate.

At first it will be difficult to rotate only your belly button, your mid-section and hips will want to turn along, and that’s okay at first, but concentrate on only aiming your belly button slightly right and left. In time you’ll feel the release and will be able to rotate subtly and your hips will not follow, you’ll only rotate from your waist up.

Remember the movement is slight, only turn an inch or so, then hold and return. Stay soft, sit in neutral and breathe. Allow the rotation to soften you, and your horse. You can practice and do this any time, sitting at your desk, driving, even walking. In time, with practice, you’ll learn to feel your muscles move lightly around your spine, you’ll feel an amazing release. So will your horse.

This exercise is something I do all the time, perhaps a hundred times a day. In addition to being a great thing for your horse, it helps a lot with back and leg pain, I know.

Do the “Belly Button Rotation,” it’ll do you and your horse good!

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry 

P.S. ~ If you not yet had a look at my book, “It’s for the Horses: An advocate’s musings about their needs, gifts, spirit and care,” CLICK HERE ... and to view the trailer CLICK HERE

"Independence Day"

Howdy Friends,

As we ride toward another holiday weekend we’re all making plans for adventures, outings and get-togethers. I reckon a bunch of burgers, dogs and steaks will be consumed over lively chatter. Folks will set out to visit, play and sightsee. Beaches, parks and back yards will fill with laughter and fun. Holiday weekends are indeed something to dig into and enjoy.

I planned on counting the number of holiday weekends we have a year, but didn’t get to it, but I know it’s a fair number. Over the years they‘ve taken on a life of their own, chuck full of fun, family, travel, sales and adventures. They almost stand alone in their celebrity; they are, holiday weekends, celebration enough.

Whether it’s Easter, Christmas,Memorial Day, President’s Day (that one rubs me, it used to be Lincoln, then Washington’s birthdays), Columbus Day (reckon we’re in danger of losing this one), or Veterans’ Day they all kick off celebration. They all excite and energize.

So we gather to celebrate, visit and play. It is a good thing. This weekend we’ll have fireworks, parties and outings. As we should for on July 2, 1776, John Adams wrote his wife, “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

Be sure this weekend to remember that on July 4, 1776, “Independence Day,” fifty six courageous patriots declared their independence from Great Britain, creating the very foundation of our nation—to which they pledged their “Lives, Fortunes and Sacred Honor.”

Have a great celebration, and remember the pledge.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

"Simplicity, don’t overlook it ~ Motivational Monday"

Howdy Friends,

Simplicity, while often a great asset, is sometimes overlooked simply because it’s well, simple. Not everything requires deep thought, even though it may be sometimes be called for, but many things just require motivation and sometimes we discard simplicity for procrastination sake.

We’ve all been there. We need to create something, solve something, fix something and we begin with a great first thought, then stop to consider the effects of our actions, and dream up all manners of complicated intertwined reactions and cascades. We make the simple complicated.

Our world has become increasingly complicated. Everything seems to have layers upon layers, consider our TVs, phones and computers, all have dozens upon dozens of functions most of us will never understand, much less use. Our jobs and careers have layers of regulations, guidelines and rules, of course that may be necessary but, is it any wonder that we as individuals struggle with simplicity.

Simplicity, where have you gone?

Making the things in your life you indeed have control of simple, can be a powerful motivator. Eliminate the complexities, the layers, the stalls and self-doubt. Trust your gut, believe in yourself. Many times simple is best.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

"Let’s Talk About the Barefoot Horse and Trim a Little"

Howdy Friends,
 

A few emails and facebook questions this week suggested I revisit the barefoot trim again. We’ll cover only a few key points here, but it might help.

My mare Kessy's beautiful bare foot- Great sole, wonderful healthy frog.

Let’s remember caring for and riding a barefoot horse is more than simply removing shoes, though that is of course the first step. Barefoot horse care is a different paradigm, one that puts the horse first—perhaps that is why so many people find it difficult, in that there are a few things needed to be done differently. At first these things may seem too much bother, extra work, but in time after the initial changes it is actually less work, less money and of course more healthy. Read "Barefoot Paradigm HERE-

Housing and exercise are paramount. The horse must be able to move about, and not only in grass. There should be dirt, stones and rock. Pea gravel is excellent. I’m a huge supporter of what Jamie Jackson created, the Paddock Paradis, track system. In it horses move about at will on a track, have free choice housing, no stalls and limited grass. Hay feeding stations and water placed strategically to encourage movement. This is so much better than big grassy, weedy pastures or fields. When you think of a horse in big grassy fields, think overweight man on the couch gorging on potato chips and cookies. You can read more about PADDOCK PARADISE and horse healthy housing HERE.

Diet is important. Limited grass, no grain and no sugar. All forage diet is best. Horses are designed for forage, and yes a horse can and will gain weight on all forage diet. HERE is my mare’s diet.

The trim. Keep it simple. Don’t be intimidated by all the talk out there how difficult it is to trim a barefoot horse. It is not. And yes you can learn to do it yourself. First thought, if your trimmer also does iron shoes, I suggest you find another. If a person can see the wisdom of nailing shoes on a horse, they cannot truly grasp the biomechanics of the horse and horse’s foot. I have been saying that a long time, and I keep seeing things happen that make it even more true to me. Preparing a hoof for a flat shoe is totally different than seeing the whole horse, the sound hoof, and the two cannot be blended.

Trimming schedule should be every 3 to 4 weeks. The horse should walk on the sole, not the hoof wall. Very few horses can go 8 weeks without the hoof wall becoming too long and therefore stretching the lamina. Even a little stretch is bad stretch, much of the health of the foot lives in the lamina. If you need to use a nipper the trim has gone too long.

Filing Kessy's hoof- takes about a minute a foot ... 

Trimming is best done from the top down with a file, not a nipper. If the 3 week schedule is maintained it is very little effort. For Kessy it takes me about a minute a foot. Never pare or scrape the sole, ever. Almost never trim the frog. The frog should touch the ground. No more than one third of the foot should be in front of the apex of the frog.

No horse should ever be lame or tender footed after a trim. You should be able to trim your horse and immediately go for a ride. You can read more about a simple maintenance trim HERE

Transitioning from shod to bare does take time. Six months to a year for riding. But there are many great boots out there today, so don’t let that hold you back. You need not lose a day’s riding while transitioning.

A barefoot horse will enjoy better hoof health, of course, but will also enjoy better health overall. From legs, tendons, joints, muscles to even their organs. The free hoof is able to absorb the shock as intended, not transfer shock to parts of the body never designed to absorb shock. A bare hoof will also pump blood as it is designed to, to and out of the foot bringing nutrients and removing toxins—that’s why barefoot horses feet always look better than shod feet, and do not need hoof supplements and paint on products. Read "Why Barefoot?"HERE

Kessy loves her Paddock Paradise!

Having a barefoot horse is today not as mysterious or difficult to understand as it was 30 years ago. We know have the evidence of many thousands of barefoot horses and their caregivers in all disciplines. I find the growing acceptance of the barefoot horse wonderfully exciting, for the horses’ sakes.

Kessy's pretty and healthy feet

Gitty up, Dutch Henry