Kids N Horses
April 2015
With the upcoming competition season almost upon us, I borrowed
from Jean Huntley’s Oct 2009 Kids N Horses newsletter article on sportmanship (Source: K-State Research and
Extension publication 4-H-650, May 1996.)
Sportsmanship for Parents & Supporters
The definition of sportsmanship is conduct becoming to an individual involving fair and honest
competition, courteous relations, and
graceful acceptance of results. The development of sportsmanship is an
important part of youth development. To become contributing, competent, caring, capable
adults, youth must develop the knowledge, skills,
attitudes, and aspirations of sportsmanship. Parents and supporters are asked to help their
children develop sportsmanship by setting a good example, and demonstrating sportsmanship
before, during, and after competitive programs. Here are some examples of ways you can
help your child learn to be a fair and generous competitor, a good loser, and a graceful winner.
1. Teach your child sportsmanship. Require him/her to demonstrate good behavior before,
during and following competitive activities. Teach and encourage your child to:
*demonstrate and maintain high standards of personal behavior and conduct which enhance
him or her as an individual and representative of your family, club, community, and the
program.
*learn and follow the rules.
*be objective.
*be honest, fair and straightforward in everything he or she says and does.
*develop a strong sense of integrity.
*accept that the nature of competition knowing the results there will be both winners and
losers.
*be well mannered and show respect.
*be pleasant and nice toward other participants, spectators, program officials, judges, media,
supporters, and others.
*give others the benefit of the doubt.
*treat people, animals, and things kindly.
*be considerate and thoughtful in all he/she says and does, regardless of whether he/she does
well or not, or whether he/she wins or loses.
*be friendly and cheerful; *refrain from ill humor and arguing.
*keep his or her emotions under control.
*accept the judges’ suggestions and the results with a positive attitude.
*congratulate winners.
*not gripe, complain, or make excuses when he or she doesn’t win or perform well.
*take the things that happen at the program, and the results, with grace and good temper.
*not complain or make accusations about others unless he or she has proof and is willing to
personally face the person(s) he/she is accusing.
*recognize, appreciate, and try to learn from the accomplishments and admirable traits of
others.
*recognize, learn from, and try to improve his or her shortcomings.
*be happy but not gloat, brag, act conceited, or downplay his or her accomplishments.
*thank leaders, program organizers, sponsors, judges, and others.
2. Applaud your children, your friends’ children, your favorite clubs or groups, and others to
express appreciation and admiration.
3. Do not boo, heckle, make disparaging remarks, or make insulting comments about or to
anyone - including competitors form rival clubs
or groups, and program officials and organizers.
4. Listen, act interested, and be quiet when participants are introduced, when program officials
are talking or making announcements, and when others comments are being addressed to the
audience.
5. Remain until the end of the event or class you are observing, or until program organizers
indicate it is appropriate for spectators to depart.
Do not get up and leave the minute your child leaves the showring or stage.
6. Encourage your child to politely ask questions if he or she has them, express concerns he or
she may have, and make helpful suggestions to program officials and organizers.
7. Congratulate the winners after the program.
8. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions; be polite in expressing them. Criticize in
private, and compliment in public. Be considerate of the time program officials have to spend
with you, and of their other responsibilities. Schedule an appointment if you need more time
than they have to spend with you at the program. Submit compliments, concerns
and suggestions in writing with your signature.
9. Show courtesy towards others. For example:
*Do not sit or stand in aisles.
*Do not jump up and block the view of those behind you in moments of high excitement.
*Do not block other people’s views when taking pictures or videos.
*Leave chairs or bleachers where you found them.
*Throw away littler. Do not leave programs, drinking cups, or other trash for someone else to
clean up.
10. Enjoy the program, and accept our appreciation for setting a good example for today’s
youth.
Source: K-State Research and Extension publication 4-H 650, May 1996.
Back in February, I saddled up ole Skipper. When I got to the back girth, I couldn’t get the ends
to even touch. It was late last fall when I last rode, so my horse had gained PLENTY of weight,
but that got me thinking that both of us need to go on a weight loss plan! Below is an article in
the April 2015 Horse Illustrated to guide me and you to get our horses fit for the upcoming
riding season.
Get Your Horse Fit
By Holly Caccamise
Although they are athletic creatures by nature, horses are not all that different from us when
it comes to getting out of shape after months of inactivity. If you aspire to a performance sport
with your horse, he needs to be reasonably fit in order to perform at his best and avoid injuries
that will halt your progress—or even his career—in its tracks.
Wellness Exam---Whether coming back from injury or winter break, it’s a good idea to have
your horse looked over by his regular vet. Normally, the spring is when he’ll be getting
vaccinated and has his yearly dental exam and float done, making this a good time for your vet
to keep an eye out for anything that might be amiss. Always discuss your plans for the horse
with your vet so you can get the all-clear to start work.
From Zero to Hero—if your horse is 100 percent recovered after an injury layup or is deemed
healthy after his winter break, you are ready to begin. If he has certain restrictions due to agerelated arthritis or a previous injury, follow your vet’s advice on adjusting his exercise program.
The length of time it takes to get a horse in shape depends on his age, previous fitness level,
and the nature of his time off. A younger horse turned out on a large pasture will be much
more fit than a senior horse that was on total stall rest.
A recent study at Virginia Intermont College (published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary
Science) found that horses kept in a 100-acre pasture without any forced exercise had a similar
level of fitness to stall-kept horses that were exercised five days a week for at least one hour at
the walk, trot, and canter. Additionally the pastured horses had higher bone density than
stalled, exercised horses.
This doesn’t mean that all is lost if your horse has been on stall rest, but you’ll have to be
particularly mindful that he needs a little extra time.
Start Off Slow---The horse’s cardiovascular system is the fastest thing to into shape, but the
tendons and ligaments are the slowest, taking months or even years to reach maximal iron-like
toughness. This means that you will need patience; the worst thing you can do is hop on an
out-of-shape horse and gallop down the trail or jump a course with no fitness base. If you are
tempted to do so, just think of how you would feel if your horse bowed a tendon and suddenly
needed six to 12 months of stall rest!
Any conditioning program requires you to ride your horse at least three days a week to see
results, but more is better, up to six days a week. (At least one day off a week is recommended
by most experts.) Workouts can be done in an arena or a field/trail with safe, level footing.
Although nobody really wants to hear it, walking is the foundation of fitness. For at least the
first two weeks of your program, focus on the walk. This is not an aimless, loose-reined crawl.
Think of the human “power walk”: you are propelling yourself forward with much more muscle
force than you would while window shopping or browsing a museum. Most horses have no
interest in this type of purposeful walk, at least at first, so you’ll need to train your horse to
march. Carry a crop and get after him if he starts poking along, and soon he’ll learn to keep it
moving. Often it helps to go with a buddy to pass the time and keep the horses interested.
Start by power-walking for 30 minutes a day, and within two weeks, gradually work up to 60
minutes. Next, you’re ready for some trotting! Like walking, you don’t want a shuffling, strungout trot on the forehand. Take up proper rein contact and use your legs to keep the horse
stepping under himself and into the bridle. This will have the added benefit of building a
beautifully muscled, round topline that will help the horse use himself correctly in his “real”
work.
Added Fitness—Two day per week (not back to back) should be concentrated fitness work
when bringing a sport horse back into competitive form. The other days can be spent schooling
simple dressage movements, ground poles/cavalletti or work for your specific discipline.
Eventers use trot sets to condition their horses for cross-country courses. Even if you aren’t
planning to jump cross-country, the gradual progression of fitness work benefits any horse by
more safely strengthening tendons, muscles, and the cardiovascular system.
Fitness trot sets should start off from three to five minutes, depending on your horse’s age,
previous fitness, and breed. A draft cross is going to be huffing and puffing a lot sooner than an
off-the-track thoroughbred would, so make sure to listen to your horse and slow down if
needed. Always incorporate at least 10 minutes of walking at the beginning and end of each
ride to give muscles time to warm up and cool down.
Fitness sets are done in threes, with two- or three-minute breaks in between (don’t forget to
wear a wristwatch!!). For example: Trot five minutes, walk two minutes, trot five minutes,
walk two minutes, trot five minutes. This would be called a “five by three,” or 5x3, because it is
repeated three times. It’s a great idea to mark a calendar with what you did each day, including
how your horse felt, so you can track his progress and know when to add a minute or two to
your trot sets.
If you’re into technology and always have your smartphone handy, there are apps you can
use to track your ride data.
Upper-level eventers might aspire to reach much longer shots, such as a 45 minutes straight,
but for most other sport horses, these shorter sets are preferable. You can work up to three
15-minute trots as an end goal for most situations. Keep in mind that a horse should recover in
approximately 10 minutes, give or take, depending on the heat and humidity. If you don’t want
to count heart rate and respirations, just take note of when he stops puffing visibly (flared
nostrils and frequent breaths).
Cantering—Cantering and galloping adds more wear and tear on horses’ legs than walking or
trotting, and for this reason, it’s not really advisable or necessary when conditioning the
average horse. If your horse has a lot of cardiovascular demand on his work (such as jumping
bigger cross-country courses), it’s best to do short, uphill canter sets to get the necessary heart
and wind exertion with less strain on the body.
Ready to Roll—After about six weeks of gradually increasing trot sets and the occasional hill
canters, your horse should be well on his way to being fir enough for a competitive dressage
test or jumping a course.
If your horse is getting up in years, it’s a better idea to keep him in light work all year than to
let him take three months off every winter. Lots of turnout with room to move around also
helps keeps joints loose and pain-free. Horses with arthritis may benefit from joint supplements
or other therapies; talk to your vet to see which type might be best for your horse.
Horse Sense……………..
Listed below are ten questions designed to test your knowledge of the horse industry.
Elite: 9-10 correct; Superior: 7-8; Excellent: 5-6; Fair: 3-4; Need to study: 1-2
1. A horse sees two different images, one from each eye, at the same time. What type of
vision is this?
2. The term “Equestrian Triathlon” consists of dressage, endurance (cross country), and
show jumping. What event is this?
3. The suggested way of movement around the horse during showmanship and halter is
called what system?
4. District and State 4-H shows have two age divisions: 9-13 yrs ols are ___________; 14
years and older are ___________.
5. This class will be judged on the performance of the horse over obstacles, with emphasis
on manners, response to the rider, and quality of movement.
6. What is the time penalty for knocking one barrel over in barrel racing?
7. In 4-H, what is the maximum overall shank length?
8. The universal birth date for horses is what date?
9. Since 1894, what is the official name of the Thoroughbred registry?
10.What is the scientific study of animal behavior in their natural habitat?
1. Monocular vision 2. Eventing 3. Quarter system 4. Intermediate, Senior
5. Trail
6. 5 seconds 7. 8 in 8. Jan 1 9. The Jockey Club 10. Ethology
******************************************************************************
Things Going On:
I would love to include YOUR story in this newsletter. Submit what you and your club have
been doing by the 15th of the Month to: kfhuser@ruraltel.net (785-735-4193)
There are lots of horse activities going on throughout the state.
--Horse judging camps
-4-H Horse Rulebook
-Judging Manual
-Horse ID form
Horse shows
-Snaffle Form
-Educational Material
-Horse ID forms are due to
your
Contests
—Levels 1, 2, 3, 4
extension office by May 1 or earlier
Remember, ¾ profile with clear
facial markings.
Check out http://www.kansas4-H.org for all the latest news and information.
Events/Clinics/Shows
I’d love to put your event on this list. Email kfhuser@ruraltel.net
April 17—Judges Certification Clinic---Colby—Shanda Mattix, 785-460-5464,
shanda.mattix@colblycc.edu
April 25—Kickoff Horse Show—Colby—Shanda Mattix, 785-460-5464,
shanda.mattix@colblycc.edu
May 24-27—Colby Comm College Horsemanship Camp—Colby-- Shanda Mattix, 785-460-5464,
shanda.mattix@colblycc.edu
May 28-31---Northfolk Beginners Camp---Oakley---Kristy, 785-672-0950
kristyk2020@yahoo.com
May 28---Colby Comm College Beginners Day Camp---Colby----- Shanda Mattix, 785-460-5464,
shanda.mattix@colblycc.edu
May 31-June 4---Northfork Rodeo Camp, Session 1-- Oakley---Kristy, 785-672-0950
kristyk2020@yahoo.com
June 2---KSU Beginner Judging Camp----Manhattan---Teresa Douthit, 785-532-1268,
douthit@ksu.edu OR Tasha Dove, tashakd@ksu.edu
June 3-4---KSU Advanced Judging Camp----Manhattan--- Teresa Douthit, 785-532-1268,
douthit@ksu.edu OR Tasha Dove, tashakd@ksu.edu
June 6—Edwards C Horse Show—Kinsley—Jean Huntley, jhuntley@ksu.edu
June 7-11---Northfork Horse Show Camp-- Oakley---Kristy, 785-672-0950
kristyk2020@yahoo.com
June 14-18--- Northfolk Rodeo Camp, Session 2---Oakley---Kristy, 785-672-0950
kristyk2020@yahoo.com
June—last week--state 4-H horse judging contest
state!
July----District Horse Shows across the