STAR - Thevalleystar.net

Page 22 the valley star March 22, 2012
HORSE SENSE
by Jim Swanner
‘Before you mount up, this Spring’
This is usually
the time of
year people
begin to get out
and move around
doing outdoorsy
Jim Swanner stuff. We begin to
have spring fever
and feel the need to get out in
the sunshine and fresh air after
being cooped up all winter. It is a
great feeling to get out, expand
our lungs with all the fresh morning
air enjoying God’s creation
and a good strong cup of coffee
to get us moving.
his is also the time of year some
eople begin doing things with
their horses after the horse
hasn’t been touched all winter. If I
may make a suggestion to you,
do your groundwork with your
horse if this is the case with you.
Make sure you set yourself to the
leadership role. And by groundwork,
I don’t mean chasing him
around in mindless circles. Do
some things that will cause him
to think a little. Create some puzles
for him to figure out. Help
im get to a confident place in his
ind.
nother thing to do before sadling
up for the trail is this; groom
your horse using a shedding
blade. Why a shedding blade?
Two reason for using a shedding
blade, 1. Your horse is shedding
his winter hair and the shedding
will help get all the dead hair off
him. 2. Observe closely as you
groom him. Does he show signs
of soreness in his back or anywhere
for that matter? Especially
in the back. If so, you need to
tend to it. You don’t want to saddle
up and cinch your horse up
when he has a sore back. That
may cause you to have a sore
back or worse.
Always pay attention to your
horse. Watch for signs from your
horse that tells you something is
wrong. It could be something
minor or something major. Either
way, it will affect your ride. Never
take a chance. Too many people
get hurt by saying ‘It’ll be all
right’.
If each time you get on your horse
he begins giving you problems,
why not take the time to fix it. It
will be better for you and better
for your horse. If you don’t fix it, it
could be the one thing, that little
thing that could affect your riding
or not riding the rest of your life.
So why take a chance.
If you’re like me, getting up there
in years, you don’t mend as fast
as you used to. And the ground
seems to be harder and farther
away than before. The older I get
the more conscious about safety I
have become. It’s hard to ride a
horse while in a brace or worse.
Take the time to fix the problem.
But first you need to know what
the problem is. Is it mental or is it
physical. Just don’t force your
horse and holler ‘Get Over It’. He
may get over it alright. And you
don’t want to be on the wrong
end of that. So, do what the
horse needs and if you don’t
know or can’t figure it out get
some help from someone who
would truly know.
There isn’t anything wrong with
not knowing, but not wanting to
learn, there is something wrong
there. And, speaking of not knowing,
I was speaking with a lady at
Athens State University awhile
back and she told me they offered
a class in photography and
only a hand full of folks signed
up. But when they offered it individually
a bunch of folks signed
up. She asked why and was told
by someone, they didn’t want
anyone to know that they didn’t
have the knowledge they needed.
I thought, this is crazy. That’s why
we have classes and schools. It’s
to learn, not to let somebody
know we don’t know the subject
we are studying. Our egos get the
best of us and hold us back from
learning what we need to learn.
This is the same in the horse
world. Let’s get over our ego and
get in school, class, get some
books and get some knowledge.
K-I-N Stables
13124 Carter Road
Athens, AL 35611
(256) 874-6781
jimswanner.com
Enjoying Horses through
Communication
Visit Athens’ newest and most unique store…
Dobbs Shoe Shop
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1945
110 W. Market St., Athens, Just Northeast of Courthouse Square
256-232-4800
Tuesday-Friday 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. - Saturday 8 A.M. - 12 P.M.
indred Spirits
Quality, unique gifts at reasonable prices.
Handcrafted items from Tennessee Valley artisans.
Everything from soaps, jewelry,
purses to barnwood furniture,
walking sticks, writing pens,
repurposed items to
local honey.
Something for everyone!
Home Furnishings, Antiques, Vintage, Shabby Chic
Come see
us today!
Located in Athens - I65 & Hwy. 72, behind Cracker Barrel in the Log Cabin
Open Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm (till 7pm on Friday)
For more info call 256-998-2486