Lesson Notes: The Benefits of Head Lowering

by Mary Gallagher

When I was working for Jimmy Williams, I noticed that he was forever getting his horses to lower their heads. He would lower a horse’s head to put the bridle on, or to smooth the forelock out under the brow band. He would teach the horse to roll a barrel with its nose. With a squeeze in front of the withers, he’d get the horse to lower its head, and then he would throw a sugar cube on the ground for it. Thinking back, Jimmy spent a lot of time in this endeavor. He must have thought it was important.

Lesson Notes: An Exercise in Influence

 by Mary Gallagher

 Further thoughts on influence as leadership, which I wrote about here in March. - MG

One of the core ideas I convey to my students is that, 'I don't want you to make your horse do things, or control your horse, I want you to influence your horse.' When you influence your horse, you take control and force out of the equation, and communication is what you have left.

Remedies for Resolving Abscesses

Romeo and Summer

By Mary Gallagher

Last month, a mare belonging to one of our boarders developed an abscess. The owner, Blaire Elizabeth, and I agreed to wait patiently for it to ‘ripen’ and open on its own, which I have found to be the wisest approach. However, after two weeks, Summer (the mare) was still lame and our patience was running thin. I decided to look up a homeopathic remedy for her, and found that Silica was recommended to help resolve abscesses. So Blaire gave Summer one dose of Silica 30c, and sure enough, the next day the abscess had burst and Summer seemed greatly relieved.

The Transformation of Niko, Part 4 (Vitamin E edition…)

By Michelle Grimmer & Barbara Noble

First of all, Niko is doing GREAT! Two years after adopting him and starting down the road to

unraveling the puzzle of his various mental and
physical issues, I can finally say that he is doing well and moving soundly. Time, patience, persistence, a team of caring professionals, therapeutic exercise, hoof trimming, tack fitting, dentistry, structural integration, chiropractic adjustments, the list could go on. While we attacked things on the outside of the horse, and the inside of his brain, we have also addressed what we put into him in terms of the feed and nutrients required for healthy body building and tissue repair. A hay balancing supplement has been introduced to his feeding regimen along with magnesium, a joint supplement (makes me feel good at least, even if the jury is out on its actual benefits), and vitamin E.