Jumps Racing in Australia - Its a Killer

I haven't updated for months I know, but I've meant to - there is so much going on for Sante & I right now - and its all fantastic! We're having a blast. But I want to write about something else. Something I need to get off my chest.

Its the Jumps Racing Industry in Australia.

The flats / jumps season has just started and already there four deaths and countless other falls.

Jumps racing is only legal in two states - those being Victoria and South Australia. All other states have banned it- deeming it cruelty to animals.

On Saturday Java Star suffered a burst aorta, plunged through a jump and broke his neck. He died instantly

A week earlier Squire Rex fell in the hurdle trials and was "humanely euthanised. a further two horses fell in that race.

A week previous to that Hammerblow fell in a hurdles race in South Australia

And the first death of the season happened in Victoria just overa week before that.

This is hot on the tale of RVL's promise to end jumps racing at the end of the 2009 season, only to backflip due to pressure. The wrote themselves a brand new rule book including KPI's on how many deaths / injuries etc they had to stay under within a season.

Last year they failed 2 out of 3 of those KPI's.

This year isn't looking much better, and the season has only just started.

So what't the problem with jumps racing? Why all the deaths?

Most people don't know this but trainers / breeders don't "breed" jumps racers. The jumps racers are all throw aways from the flat racing industry. Horses that have either fallen in a flats race. Or shown inferior skill, stamina and speed on the flat. So the racing industry will tell you they give them a second chance by giving them a start on the jumps track. Whereas, any logical person can see its a last ditch effort to recoup lost money on the animal. I ask you - how is it logical to put an animal with prooven inferiority of stamina, speed and skill, into a race nearly TWICE the distance of flats racing, with jumps!

The Jumps enthusiast will argue that they are doing them a favour by saving these animals from the knackery, but Australia's racing industry is responsible for sending over 18,000 horses a year to the knackery. You can't tell me their doing any favours by prolonging the life of around 200 odd flats racers to risk certain death on the jumps track. what about the other 17,800 horses their still killing? They need to come up with a better plan me thinks!

The Jumps enthusiast will argue that horses LOVE to jump, its what they're DESIGNED for. Its not actually. Horses aren't designed to jump. They are the only jumping animal with eyes on the sides of their heads. They cannot see the jumps infront of them. Showjumping & Cross country is different - the speeds are slower, they have time to sight the jump - and the injury rate in these sports is comparitavely low.

Jumps Racing horses run at a jump at a flat gallop, with a rider who is whipping it. The horse is in full flight or fight mode - he's surrounded by up to 8 other horses all galloping, and any rider who has been on a group ride when one horse starts to run, knows the herd mentality is to keep up. Horses don't race because they love it. They race because all the other horses are, and their instinct tells them there is danger - don't be last!"

The jumps enthusiast will tell you the fact that horses lose a rider and continue to jump the jumps race without the rider is evidence of the fact they love to jump. This is not the case. They continue to jump in a blind effort to keep up with the herd and their perceived safety. There is a video on youtube of a horse falling, breaking both its legs and continueing to TRY to run after the other horses. This horse loves jumping? I don't think so?

People TELL themselves horses love to do this so they can sleep at night. So it makes them feel better.

While we're on it - let talk about whipping. Racing Victoria will tell you there is nothing wrong with whipping, that the horses can't feel pain from the padded whip. We are talking about animals that are so increadibly sensative, they can feel a single fly land on their back. A single fly. And RVL want to tell us that they cannot feel pain from a jockey whipping them absolutely full throttle with everything he's got? The stupidity of these people is astounding.

Moving onto the injuries. In a 15 year study FUNDED by racing victoria. It was found that jumps racing horses were 18 times more likely to suffer a catastrophic injury resulting in their death They were 120 times more likely to suffer a fatal cranial or neck injury, and they were 3.5 times more likely to die of sudden death (heart attack etc) than any flats racing horse.

Those numbers are disturbing. And yet, Jumps Racing continues.

The soothing tones of progress

So, I'm a bad person who didn't update her blog last week.

But it was all fantastically awesome. I swear!

Saturday - I was feeling all super charged about my weightloss (So I haven't mentioned that yet, but thats another post) that i decided to walk Sante at liberty down "Steve's Trail" and into the valley to play around and see the sights.

It didn't start out well... turns out the increadible liberty session we had from last weekend was purely a one time thing. He refused to come forward and kept trying to go home after we finally got started - and I got the feeling he was beginning another one of his usual avoidance strategies that he has. I ended up putting him on the 22ft line and long reigning him from z5. The second i put the line on, his attitude changed - I could see the try. He kept doing his trick of walkign about 20 metres & then stopping, I eventually got him to the point that when he stoped I gave the command "Walk on" tapped him gently, in z5 with the carrot stick, and then went straight to phase 4. After a while, he just stopped stopping. Which was what I was going for - the trail was a good 5km, and it took us well over an hour, Sante did really well - once we got into the valley, we sat in a field of long grass and Sante grazed for a good half hour.

I realized that not bringing lunch with me was a bad idea, but saddling Sante was a great idea! Being to hungry to walk, i jumped on and rode him into "mill paddock" to play around.

We played online for about 15 minutes, and after that I jumped back on to practise our patterns.

Can't tell you how awesome the change in him was. After about 20 minutes under saddle, i had perfect 30m circles in walk & trot, freestyle. Just amazing! The try from Sante was increadible. His confidence was up, and he was really "with me".

We rode from Mill paddock up to the main agistment yards, where Sante promptly fell asleep. I beleive the mental exertion for him finally took its toll, and decided against riding him back to spelling.

The next day, I put the long reigns on him in the round yard. I'm determined to keep our sessions in the round yard (with long reigns) as short & successful as possible. Collection isn't easy for him, and i don't want him feeling trapped or claustraphobic. We did about 20 minutes in the round yard - with about 15 minutes actual work time, the rest was just rest times and reward time for him.

Huge improvement in the long reigns, practically offers the correct frame in the walk, and falls into it a lot easier in the trot. As soon as i could see that he was "softening" to the idea, I quit and left it at that.

Gave him a good solid hour grazing (spent overnight in a dirt yard so was a bit hungry) and then saddled him up to do a little work in the arena.

We only did half an hour in the arena, but honestly, it was the singly most successful session we have ever done under saddle.

He offered me everything. All i had to do was suggest, and the collection would come in both walk AND trot. Sante & I have never had any success under saddle with collection at the trot, and after last weeks session with Alyce, and then the sessions on the long reigns, he finally got it. It didn't take him long to remember how much more comfortable it felt, and he started offering it - practically an entire LAP of collection at the trot. I could sense everytime he was getting to the end of his ability to hold it, and would offer the release, which then in turn caused him to offer the frame again. The session was so successful, and I really felt that we had turned a corner when it comes to our under saddle woes.

He then blew my mind on the ride home - its only a 2km ride home, but its usually a very long 2km, full of arguments and frustration.

Not today.

He walked home like a confident thoroughbred, not once did he stop. Not once did he shy. Not once did he argue. He was alert, he was confident, he was responsive - and we both enjoyed a peaceful lazy walk back to his waiting girlfriends.

I can't wait for tomorrow - I intend to follow the same "game plan" Solid ground work before the ride - build his confidence up on the ground, and then shift to saddle.

Let you know how it goes.

Progress?!

So - I haven't updated last weekend (or the weekend before that i think) because - I didn't think we'd made progress.. Ok.so thats no reason NOT to update, I'm supposed to do it regardless, but I was pretty depressed, and didn't feel like updating.

But this weekend - was magic.

Something changed. I don't know what it was, but all I know is Sante got his game on.

I've been long reigning him every weekend for the last 4 weeks, in the round yard, out of the round yard, on trails - just getting his confidence up, while staying in zone 5, and also gettign him used to contact, and the concept of "getting on the bit" or getting his hind quarters involved.

He's done OK with the long reigning - we've had a few arguments where he's been defiant, damn near flipped over & killed himself, I've beaten myself up second guessing myself and whether I'm reading him right or wrong, wondering what the hell I'm doing wrong, and why we just arent' getting along under saddle.

Tried riding him last week, for hte first time in a month - the month off didn't change anything. He was argumentative, defiant, stubborn, and generally frustrated the absolute CRAP out of me.

I tried reverse psychology - let him put me in teh bushes, and then went bush bashing, let him turn and go home, and then asked him to CANTER home - to no avail, there was no change, no common ground, no connection.. And after a 2km ride, that ended up taking 2 hours - he ended up extremely sore the next day. Got a friend to ride him - she got as far as getting on him, and he just about sat down! All of this simply from arguing with me!

So yesterday, I went back to ground work - just working on cantering online and simple transitions. He blew me away!! all the long reigning has done wonders to his topline! He was going around "in the halter" - not pulling on the line like he normally does, and his canter wasn't rushed, he gave me a nice slow canter, with the correct bend, and generally look nice & left brained about it!

So today, I thought I'd long reign him over to the main agistment facility (by ourselves) and see how he fared.

Took me 10 minutes to catch him - which was not the start i was looking for, but his girlfriend was in season and he wasn't in the mood.

Finally got him out of the paddock, and decided to take away a few of his liberties - no grazing while saddling - which he wasn't very pleased about but got over - it became his responsibility to stand still while saddled.

When i was leading him through the paddock full of horses out to the back trail, he did his usual trick of stopping for no particular reason at all, so I simply got him backing up.. .. at a trot.. only did it three times, then realized that he didn't want to trot backwards anymore, so walking forward was the key.

He got out on the trail, and i set myself a rule - DO NOT GET INFRONT OF THE SADDLE. it was my task to stay in zone 3 - and simulate the riding position. After a few hundred metres, it became clear to me that I should have brought my 22ft leadrope.. the 12 foot didn't give me enough space to get in zone 5, the trails were very wet & boggy, and if sante happened to lose his footing & slip, he would have come straight down on me in z5 (which was where i was trying to stay for as much of the trail as possible). I ended up throwing hte leadrope over his back and just walking behind him.

We did the ENTIRE TRIP from Spelling to agistment (about 2.5km) at liberty. I stayed in z5 for the majority of the trip over, and never once did infront of z3.

He didn't argue.
He didn't try to go home
He didn't trip once

He was perfect. Just perfect!

SO.
How. Interesting.

WHY??????? WHY is he so perfect when i'm on the ground, and yet - the second i get on his back we argue?!?!

Gah!!!!!!!!!!

In the afternoon we did some arena work, and I got a friend to ride him - I can't explain how awesome he was. How much he offered. And i also can't stress the importance of long reigning. It really is a fantastic tool. This last month I've been working on getting him in a "good frame" and using his hind quarters, getting him "on the bit" at the walk & the trot, and today, for the first time ever - he trotted under saddle on the bit.

At first he was greatly apposed to the idea, but my friend was passively persistant in the proper position and finally he dropped his head for a stride. The release came immediately. And he licked and chewed. A few strides later she asked again, and shortly after he offered again, and immediately the release. After a few more minutes of this "ask", "offer" "release" conversation they were both having, Sante started offering the correct frame without my friend asking.

After 20 minutes, he was trotting a quarter lap of the sand arena with a very gentle contact.

This is my high headed bracy uncoordinated, pidgeon toed knock kneed thoroughbred we're talking about here, travelling around the arena like a show pony. And all with a minimum contact, soft, relaxed, and zero force.

The entire session lasted 20 minutes, and everyone ended the day feeling like a winner.

We decided to end the day with a float ride back to spelling, something that Sante has been struggling with for the last few months. He experiences major anxiety in the float, I've had to overcome a hell of a lot of his "avoidance techniques" in order to get him thinking about the try - and all what I thought were miserable trailer loading sessions have paid off.

Today he took a few steps on, then I asked him to get off. When i asked him to get on again, he took a few steps more, then I asked him to get off again, we continued this for a few more minutes, and then suddenly he was loaded. No brace, no fear, no trembling, no stress, no calling out to imaginary friends. He was loaded & calm.

The float ride back to spelling took a grand total of 3 minutes ( a trip that has previously left him sweating, trembling uncontrollably, and higly stresse), He stood calmly and waited to be asked to back of the float, even after the tail gate was swung open and nothing stopped him from getting off. He was 100% left brained.

We had the most awesome day that we've had in a very very long time. I've really hated myself for the last month, thinking that I was being cruel, that i was reading him wrong, but I think my change in strategy is paying off, I have his respect & trust back and I can't explain how awesome that is.

A very interesting two days

Well, Sante never ceases to amaze me!

I began yesterday, walking through the paddock with the friend that was with me the day before, both going to catch our horses. We got within about 20-30 metres away from our horses, and my friend called out to her horse - who's head immediately shot up, and she wandered over. I continued walking towards Sante, and was saying to my friend "See, we just don't have that anymore - he knows I'm here, he saw me before, and he's ignoring me" I took a couple more paces forward and called his name - Sante's head immediately shot up - and he nickered at me.

Don't ya just LOVE being prooved wrong!! When its like this - I'll take it any day :D

He started wandering over, NICKERED AGAIN and walked all the way up to me with a "You took you sweet arse time!" Look on his face. He was interesed, and ready to go.

We wandered out at liberty, and so began the plan for the day.

I'd previously decided with my friend that she would ride from the spelling paddocks, over to the main agistment facility (about 2.5km) - I decided to long reign Sante - I was thrilled at having the opportunity of someone else who is into natural horsemanship, have a look at Sante, and give me a second opinion.

We got within about 50 metres of the gate way out the back of the paddock, and Sante started with the avoidance behaviour. My friend was riding ahead - and continued so as not to interfer. I did a little tit for tat - Sante tried and tried to do his own thing, but having the long reins was brilliant, i just turned his bad behaviour into a circling game and asked him to trot until he wanted a second shot at behaving. His tantrum lasted a minute or two, and then he decided to leave the paddock.

Interestingly: All the spots he usually shies at didn't give him any bother today. I know we were riding out with someone, but they were well ahead... Sante should have been anxious to catch up, but he wasnt.

After a little way - We swapped positions, so that Sante was now leading, and my friend behind.

Sante's behaviour immediately changed, his pace slowed, ears went from being half back / relaxed to forward and alert, head came up and confidence dropped. We took it nice and easy, I let him stop, asked him to back up a little, and then got him moving forward again. His unconfidence passed quickly, and the head lowered, walk became nice and relaxed, slow swish of the tail, and nice slow blink.

He stopped a little, so each time he did i decreased the amount of time i let him stand.

Generally he did really well! At one time, I got one rein stuck in a branch of a tree, I asked him to "Woah" and "Stand" he did so immediately and i was able to unhook him. - The whole trip over was pretty good.

Once over there, i took everything off him and just let him chill out for a while.

I then put him in the round yard and hooked everything back up to him, with the intention of long reining him in the yard, and trying ot work on a little contact / collection.

My plan was simple: keep a contact on the inside rein and "play" with the outside rein until his head lowers & tucks. The SECOND that he felt the pressure and lowered his head, i released. I've played around with this idea once or twice before, but today i was trying to get 4-5 strides with his head lowered, using his hind quarters.

He pretty much mastered it in the walk, and we moved onto trot, at first he was not happy, kept throwing his head up, and trying to shake out of it, I kept up the contact until his head lowered and then immediately stopped everything.

As soon as he tried what I was asking I took the contact away and stopped the game. I was thrilled when every so he would look at me, and the look on his face was "Was that good? Can i come in now" I didn't deny him - and let him come in each time he asked. As a consequence, he offered more, and within 15 - 20 minutes, we were trotting half a lap in the round yard, with a lowered head carriage and REALLY using our hind quarters.

Again, I took everythign off ,and then just to see what I had - asked him for a few laps of trot at liberty.

He was strething out, nose to the ground, shaking his head and blowing out nice & relaxed. His trot was nice & slow, and I got the feeling he was quite relaxed, and enjoying having a stretch out.

Anyway - the trip back over was pretty uneventful, I only had to correct him once, when the rein became wrapped around my leg and he wouldn't stand still - but other than that he lead the whole way home, and was completely relaxed.

Observations:
Overly Left Brained the whole time
Vey very rarely tripped or stumbled, unlike when he's ridden, he's always falling over his back feet.
Rarely argumentative.

How interesting.



So today i turned up - not quite sure how he would be - yesterday we'd done 5km - I'd long reigned him in a bit, and I wasn't sure how he would react to that - So i turned up (had the dog with me) and whistled out to him to let him know I was there - I could JUST see him on the ridge of the first hill in the paddock (bout 50m away) I tied the dog up, got her some water and wandered over to the gate - whistled out to him again, and called his name.

He nickered.

And walked over the whole distance without stopping. When he was about 15m out, another horse ran over, ears pinned to try to run him off, but Sante just weaved around him, never once taking his eyes off me and pretty much marched purposefully up to the now open gate, and went through without so much as a "Got cookies?"

WOW. WOW WOW.WOOW

We did absolutely nothing but chill out. Gave him a brush, and a bit of feed. The dog rediscovered her detestation of horses. Sante attempted to make friends on a number of occasions, but after being severly reprimanded for trying to bite Sante, she decided that if she couldn't see the horse, he didn't exist. Thus, she sat in the car with her back to him, refusing to come out unless he was no where near the car.

Well...... there's a new challenge!

Don't Assume!!!!!

So, today i arrived at GV early - it was due to hit 40 degrees (celcius) today, and i had no intention of playing in that heat.

On the way to the valley - I was contemplating whether i should cheat and ride him over to the main agistment facilities (he's in spelling paddocks at the moment - no arena, no round yard, no wash bays, nothing) and leave him there for the 4 days i have off.. I was even contemplating leading him over htere, so that i didn't break my promise, when i recalled that last week, I hade completely unpacked the car - and as such didn't have my saddle, bridle or reins in the car in order to ride. "Ha!" i thought to myself - now you CAN'T cheat!

This of course caused me to realize that "completely unpacking" the car meant - no halter, leadrope, carrot stick, string ... .. feedbucket.. *sigh*.

So I resigned myself to the knowledge that Sante was going to be completely at liberty, and totally given freedom to do whatever he wanted.

I pulled up thinking of the possible scenarios... he sees me and ignores me.. he sees me and runs off... he sees me and runs me over? .. .

Imagine my surprise!!! He saw me - NICKERED AT ME and wandered over.

Say what?

I fed him the carrots I had in my pocket, and turned to walk off.. he followed.

Woweee!!!

All i did today, was give him a choice - I didn't groom him, i gave him scratches, I rubbed his face, i let him explore my pockets, I checked his feet, - all at liberty.

I broke up a packet of carrots into little snack size bits, and surveyed what i had...

A content horse who had his head in the grass ignoring me - by doing a low energy version of the catching game, i got his attention and when he gave me his eyes, i rewarded him. It only took a few goes of this, and suddenly i was more interesting than the grass.

All i did was a few minutes of driving game at liberty, stick to me (at walk and trot) and we even managed a few bows - all at liberty.

After about an hour of chilling out (picking grass for him) a friend that was with me leant me her stock whip, and I put sante back into the paddock with his friends (more running room, and he's happy cause he's with his mates) - its amazing how his attitude changed - He doesn't hate the stock whip, but he respects it, if that makes sense - we started with stick to me, and when I gently flicked the whip way out behind me, he tucked his chin, and trotted up on my shoulder, collecting himself, and looking - lets face it - HANDSOME!!

The presence of the whip bought up his energy - not fear, not unconfidence, but his life.. He was like "oooooooh what are we doing"

We ran! Like loonies! When he got in front of me I'd throw in a change of direction and run for it - he'd spin around and run after me, snaking his neck, and bucking his ridiculously uncoordinated thoroughbred bucks.

In the past I introduced him to the idea of turning the "stick to me" game into a kind of send, and sending him out in front of me, then disengaging the hind quarters from a distance, and getting him to run back to me - We tried it today - the SECOND i lifted my leading hand - he bolted in front of me -After a few seconds, i stopped, disengaged him and ran off in the other direction - he came bolting after me - bucking and snaking his neck.

I accidently cracked the whip, and sent the whole paddock of horses bolting across the paddock - Sante saw them running and shot off the mark. - When i caught up to him he was like "hi!!!! Now what!?!?!?" and we ran ALL THE WAY BACK to the gate (with his girlfriend in tow). The entire day, from getting him out of the paddock, to running all the way back to the gate - was done without a leadrope or halter in sight.

We finished the session sitting in the grass, grazing, i picked grass for him, he nibbled on my shoes -and, well.... we made geniune progess on the "fun" mission.

All is not as bad as what it seems.

He appears to still love me *sigh*

Back on the net, new commitment to the blog

I know -- Its been way way to long :(

I haven't updated in nearly a year! Can't beleive I've let it go that long. So much has happened!!

I moved out of home, moved sante to my new house and saw him every day - had to move back home and return sante to his former home, the paradise of Glenworth Valley. We've been doing lots of riding, most of it by ourselves!!

Less than a fortnight ago, we completed second "ride out" since i've owned him - we went to the Snowy Mountains, and rode with the wild brumbies - totally awesome experience.

He can now canter on a circle outside the roundyard - I had to become assertive, and show a lot more leadership than I ever thought i would need - but in the end- his "issue" ended up being dominance, and a knowledge that he controlled the outcome of the game. Once i learnt to beat him at his own game, he found cantering on the circle a lot more fun.

We are now in teh process of changing our focus back to ground work. I've got the feeling that with all the focus I've had on riding, Sante has really lost interest. Our catching game sucks :(

So, I promised him that when we returned from the Snowy, he would get time off, and we would concentrate on nothing but groundplay, and "simulating" rides - that is - long reigning him down the trails, in order to work on his confidence issues.

He's been really argumentative under saddle. In the beginning it was fear & unconfidence, whereas now its just because he plain well doesn't want to!

When we DO start riding, the plan is to give him complete control (within reason) of where we ride - he has the wonderful habit of refusing to walk down a trail without trying to head off into the scrub. SO, I'm goign to start playing the "Sure! We can go that direction.. .. .. but at a trot" game with him - that is - every time he changes direction and goes bush bashing, I allow it, but increase gait to a trot. Hopefully, eventually he'll figure out that its if he wants to walk... stay on the trail!!

Thats still a little way off - I have to do something about our relationship first! I need to change the look on his face from "Oh no" back to "Oh boy!" - Concentrating to much on the riding has really ruined us - but we're about to change all that back!

Onto other stuff - We have learnt to bow! He can even stay down now (only for a second or two), and last weekend, he actually bowed with someone on his back!! How awesome is that!!!

So - I promise to update a lot more reguarly - twice a week!! (although I might bve able to squeeze in more updates since i'm seeing him every day for the next four days.

Level 1 Assessment

Well!

I finally did it! We recorded our Level 1 Assessment yesterday.

I think i might have to do it again, as BOTH times we did "put your nose on something" it wasn't in view of the camera -

Oh well, perfect practise makes perfect!!

Have a look at it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrP5mg7Ngdk and tell me what you think!

In other fantastic news, Sante and I had THE BEST CANTER EVER yesterday, it was long, it was on a loose rein, and it was sllloooowww.

I had ot control myself, because i wanted to go yahooing up the hill, it felt that good!!

More soon, but in a bit of a hurry.