Taking the long way…
Not that long ago, if a person needed to lose weight, the doctor prescribed diet and exercise. Diets were modified, calories were counted, workouts of increasing difficulties and intensities were designed, people walked. A lot. People also cooked meals from scratch from items they grew and raised on their own. “Fast food” was the beef steer trotting across the field.
Today, weight loss drugs provide a “fast” alternative to hard work that was often frustrating, difficult, and yes, easy to do halfway or not at all. But, overall, are we really better off?
With our horses, we unfortunately see the same mentality. The “faster, easier” mentality can easily apply to a horse’s fitness and training.
There are majikal cure supplements for almost ANYthing you can think of - from toplines to tails.
Some horses require work to maintain a topline. Working hills, working ground poles, proper riding from back-to-front. It all requires time and energy, and isn’t it just easier to throw some magical concoction that promises to solve the problem than to put in the work?
*We are not against “supplements” per se. But, if you find yourself feeding a supplement for muscle-building and a supplement for weight and one for growing mane and tail and one for better hooves and…You are throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Start with the basics of quality forage and plain salt. Then, add a concentrate based on your horse’s needs. Some feeds have higher fat, some have higher protein, some are ration balancers for those easy keepers who look at grass and gain weight. Talk with your veterinarian. Consider your horse’s age, workload, and address any underlying health concerns that may be present. Realize that what works in one area of the country is different than in another, for many reasons including differences in forage and differences in soil. Some minerals are higher in California than in West Virginia, and it’s important to be aware of this when you start adding supplements to other supplements to a pre-formulated feed mix -- because too much of some (like Selenium) can have significant consequences to health.
Too often we expect too much from our horses and their trainers. When we say, here Trainer, put 30 days on Horse that I can barely catch and halter, and when I pick him up he should walk, trot, canter, back, load himself on my trailer and come when I call his name --- some horses might get this far in 30 days without fighting back. Some will not. Proper preparation before sending them off helps them want to learn more. If your horse has solid groundwork, leads, loads, ties, and catches you, then sure, it’s reasonable to expect that he won’t be terrified when he’s asked to learn related skills. Otherwise, you are putting him in a box he doesn’t understand, on a timeline you’ve read is “standard” and that does a disservice to him and the trainer (and others who will be involved with your horse down the road.)
Finally, we see this mentality in lesson programs. Folks are competitive - and concerned that Little Susie is behind her peers with her skills. This leads to immense pressure on the instructor to get Susie cantering, jumping cross rails, or running around 3 barrels within a few months. Basic skills the older generation struggled to master, like riding bareback and posting without stirrups, develop balance, core strength, and independent hands and seat. This is why Susie falls off when Pony stops at the first barrel or trips before the cross rail - she missed the skills in favor of going fast - faster. Then perhaps, Susie is afraid to get back on. In the meantime, the instructors who spend the time to develop those core skills, only offer lessons selectively to smaller and smaller numbers because they simply cannot bear to cut corners (or allow their horses to be used poorly) to make an extra dollar.
