Jill Montgomery

Nina Fry

Tools and Tips to Identify Subtle Signs of Pain in Lesson Horses

By Jill Montgomery

For equine professionals monitoring horses for signs of pain is part of the job description. CHA certified professionals are evaluated on their ability to correctly identify behaviors like the stance a horse takes when experiencing hoof pain from an episode of laminitis. What if tools to identify pain were available to help identify the trouble at its very earliest stages?

Equine science has revealed a lot about horses’ natural behaviors. This work has helped the care and management of horses evolve with some impressive results. Several tools have been created to measure pain in horses. Biometric standards like elevated heart rate, respiration, and temperature remain reliable indicators a horse is having a problem, but more subtle indicators have been defined. Identifying trouble earlier may lead to better outcomes when earlier treatment is given. Familiarity with these tools may help you recognize problems in your horses sooner.

Figuring out when a horse is experiencing pain can be tricky. Several major studies have been done in the past decade investigating horses’ response to pain. Based on that work, Dutch Equine Scientists developed the Equine Pain and Welfare Assessment (EPWA)1 a smart phone app that assists the user to record validated facial expressions and body language that measure a horse’s level of pain.

Their work suggests that to identify subtle signs of pain in the horse’s face accurately takes a minimum of two minutes of observation, and to identify pain from their overall body language you need to spend 5 full minutes watching to recognize the subtle indicators. You also need to know what changes to look for in the horse’s face and body. The app provides a simple portable tool that walks the handler through the assessment process with objective and quantifiable measurements. It takes some practice to get proficient with it. The pay-off is creating a digital record on your phone and a mental record in your head, of what is normal and healthy for the individual horse you are observing, and what is not. The orbital triangle – the area around the eye- is one of the facial areas that are observed. When the seasoned Equine Professional says that horse doesn’t look himself, he or she is seeing something.

Experienced horse people may have developed an educated eye, the ability to see small differences in movement, body position, and expression. Picking up signs the horse is in pain may be something they already do. If it is not, when the details are laid out for what to look for, using the EPWA may come easily. Instructors and Barn Managers may find these tools useful for teaching their less experienced clients or staff how to develop an educated eye. Horses’ ear position, tail swishing and standing off one hoof are parts of their communication widely recognized in the horse’s vocabulary of body language. Changes in appetite and elimination are also classic indicators of potential problems. But do these signals always mean the same thing? No. The tools described here validate the meaning of specific expressions and behaviors helping to provide a way to translate their meaning from horse to human. The six assessment tools covered in this article, come with user guides that describe, or use photos and diagrams that show how to apply the scale of severity. Find links to them at end of this article.

In the busy work environment of a riding school, the focus is often on getting the job done. In this time-sensitive setting, some of the earliest warning signs of a horse with a problem could be hard to catch. Standing and watching each horse for several minutes to count movements in their face and body, may be more than the time available allows. And most horses won’t make it easy for you to know they are hurting.

Horses by their nature, hide their pain. As a matter of survival, horses mask being sick or hurt to avoid being a target for predators. While some horses are far less stoic than others, the idea that horses pretend to be in pain to get out of work, or to inconvenience their handler is inaccurate. Many horses are so good at hiding pain that their illness or injury is often advanced when first identified.

To better explain how identifying subtle signs of pain in lesson horses helps equine professionals, I turned to an expert in the field, CHA Certified Member, Nina Ekholm Fry. Nina is an equine behavior consultant and human psychologist. She is Director of Equine Programs at University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection. When we spoke, I asked her questions focusing on CHA riding instructors who own or take care of their lesson horses. She offered a wealth of information.

 

Are lesson horses more prone to having pain?

The simple answer is yes. Nina states that, in general, horses who are ridden are at higher risk of developing pain and discomfort in their bodies. Noting the tack that we use to ride in can create problems. UK author and researcher Sue Dyson identified that most horses in her study had ill-fitting tack which caused pain. Dyson developed an ethogram (RHPE) 2 to score the severity of musculoskeletal pain levels in ridden horses.

It can be challenging to keep lesson horses in properly fit tack as their bodies change with the seasonal workloads and amount of work they receive. Even when their tack is well fit, carrying multiple inexperienced riders with unsteady hands that bump their mouths, lack balance and bounce on the horse’s back as they learn, exposes the horses to brief painful experiences. Over time, some will develop behaviors like bracing and pulling the reins away, and other behaviors used to avoid pain they are anticipating. Pain is a powerful teacher. Behaviors that provide relief are likely to be repeated.

Lesson horses are selected to tolerate many riders and they are often older with years of being ridden. They may have osteoarthritic changes that can be painful. Happily, in this case, it is a condition that often benefits from regular low intensity exercise. Carrying light riders and slower work is characteristic of many beginning-rider programs.

Due to inconsistencies in position, balance and movements from the humans who ride them, horses that have multiple riders are at greater risk for developing painful areas over time.

 

The most common sources of pain in lesson horses

Gastrointestinal pain gets a lot of attention as it is so common. A frighteningly high percentage of horses are believed to have some form of ulcer in their gut. It is important to recognize the interconnectivity of all the parts of the horse – muscular and soft tissue pain can cause gut pain. It is often detected in the poll, neck, back, legs, and hooves.

Hoof and lower limb injuries are also very common. Lameness is most frequently seen while the horse is moving. The American Association of Equine Practitioners has a Lameness Grading Scale3 which veterinarians use to measure lameness through observing the horse moving. Zero is no discernable lameness under any circumstances, and five is lameness that produces minimal weight bearing in motion and/or at rest, or a complete inability to move. There are instructions that guide the user to apply the assessment with specific parameters and conditions. This is also true for other pain scales, Horse Grimace Scale (HGS)4 for assessing pain associated with laminitis, the EQUUS-FAP5 assesses pain in the horse’s head and EQUUS-COMPASS6 assesses pain in colic, and the RHPE, mentioned earlier.

 

How do horses show pain?

There is a long list of behaviors horses can use to communicate they are in pain, experiencing anxiety, or both. The horse’s face can be a reliable indicator of pain. The Horse Grimace Scale outlines the eye, ear, nostril, and mouth positions that can indicate pain. Less subtle signs of pain include pinned/flattened ears, tail swishing, grinding teeth, odd positions of the front legs, taking weight off a single hoof or hooves, threatening to kick, threatening to bite, being non-reactive (sullen) tense, rearing and bucking under saddle. It is important not to interpret these behaviors as defiance or disrespect to the handler if pain is what the horse is trying to communicate.

Knowing the difference between what your horses’ normal behavior is if any of these negative – potentially dangerous behaviors show up is critical. If your horse is typically well mannered, and the horse starts these behaviors, first consider what the cause of the change may be. This advice could be applied to horses that have these behaviors when you first encounter them as well. This is not to say that training shouldn’t be used to correct bad behavior. Rather, the first step in the investigation process is to rule out the presence of pain. Evaluate the potential that pain could be the reason the horse is acting out. Nina offers a useful truism, “You can’t train away pain.”

 

Is there an acceptable level of pain at which a horse can or should work?

Riding instructors and barn managers are relying on the horses they care for to stay healthy so they can do their jobs. Horse-people are infamous for pushing themselves. The expression Cowboy Up (aka Cowgirl Up) generally conveys the idea that whatever it takes, the job will be done. In this mindset, noticing subtle changes in their horses may be more difficult. It is important to avoid applying this standard to your horses, you have a choice about working through pain, they don’t.

Acute pain is a sudden onset indicating a change in the horse’s physical well-being, it is a situation when identification and intervention may prevent the condition from becoming more severe or even permanent. Discovering the cause and taking action to alleviate the cause can pay-off by reducing the severity of the problem, speeding the recovery, and the return to work. Chronic pain (defined as persistent over several months) is common in lesson horses, particularly as it relates to joint issues. Once identified and diagnosed, take steps to reduce the horse’s pain through appropriate medical treatment, adjustments in the workload and monitor for changes.

Improving the horse’s health and well-being, also benefits the safety and success of the people working with them and learning from them.

 

Tips for less stressed and painful horses

  • When horses are “off the job” give them as much freedom of movement as possible.
  • Offer free choice grass hay or grazing time if possible.
  • Horses are herd animals let them interact with other horses.
  • Use tack that fits well.

 Take Aways:

  • Observing what is normal for your horses is time well spent. Watch them in all the places they live; stall, paddock, with and without herd mates and while working.
  • If the horse doesn’t look or act normal, investigate.
  • An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
  • Pain management in horses and risk management with horses go hand in hand.
  • You can’t train away pain.

 

End notes and Resources can be found at the links below

  1. The Equine Pain and Welfare Assessment App from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University and Stichting De Paardenkamp

Android EPWA – EPWA – Apps on Google Play

Apple EPWA – EPWA on the App Store (apple.com)

  1. Ethogram of the Ridden Horse Part 1: Introduction – Owl Equestrian https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8235099 Jun 18, 2021 The RiddenHorse Pain Ethogram (RHPE) was developed to facilitate the differentiation between horses with and without musculoskeletal discomfort , Sue Dyson, et al
  2. https://aaep.org/horsehealth/lameness-exams-evaluating-lame-horse American Association of Equine Practitioner’s Equine Lameness Grading Scale 0-5. AAEP.org

4.      Using the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) to Assess Pain Associated with Acute Laminitis in Horses (Equus caballus) (semanticscholar.org) Using the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) to Assess Pain Associated with Acute Laminitis in Horses (Equus caballus) Emanuela Dalla Costa,1,* Diana Stucke,2 Francesca Dai,1 Michela Minero,1 Matthew C. Leach,3 and Dirk Lebelt2

  1. Monitoring equine head-related pain with the Equine Utrecht University scale for facial assessment of pain (EQUUS-FAP) – PubMed (nih.gov)February 2017, Pages 88-90 Authors Johannes P.A.M.van LoonaMachteld C.Van Dierendonckabc

6.      Monitoring acute equine visceral pain with the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP): A scale-construction study – ScienceDirect Machteld C.VanDierendonckabcdJohannes P.A.M.van Loona 2016.

Special thanks to Nina Ekholm Fry. She is the Director of Equine Programs at University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection and Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology and the Graduate School of Social Work where her work focuses on therapeutic human-horse interactions and on equine behavior and welfare. Nina is a former Equestrian Special Olympics Coach and teaches Equine Behavior at Yavapai College in Arizona. She is a CHA certified riding instructor (Level 4) and holds a certificate in Equine Management from the Vocational College of Ostrobothnia, Finland. As a practitioner member of the International Society of Equitation Science (ISES), she is dedicated to ethical equitation, correct application of learning theory, and the understanding of equine cognition, behavior, and mental states as part of equine management, assessment, handling, and training. She has a background as a mental health practitioner providing clinical services, specializing in trauma treatment, as a competitive rider and equine behavior consultant, and as an academic professional actively engaged in national and international organizations for both human and equine health.

Author, Jill Montgomery is the CEO of JRAM Enterprises, Inc. An Equine Business Consulting Firm that works to keep equine activities safe and accessible for everyone. FMI Jill@JRAMEnterprises.com

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Certified Horsemanship Association Has a New Blog Posted About When Burn Out Steals the Joy from Working with Horses

(March 2022) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) has a new blog posted – “When Burn Out Steals the Joy from Working with Horses (Don’t Lose Your Love for the Lifestyle).”  Please see all past CHA blog articles on horsemanship, training, teaching riding and much more here – https://cha.horse/cha-blog/

This blog article is written by Jill Montgomery who is a CHA English and Western Riding Instructor, and a CHA Equine Facility Manager and Certifier. She is owner and CEO of JRAM Enterprises Inc. an equine consulting business that focuses on work to keep equine activities accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Jill@JRAMEnterprises.com

One of the interviews of this blog post is Tara Gamble who is a Past President of the Certified Horsemanship Association and of the Alberta Equestrian Federation, and has served on the Canadian Quarter Horse Association Board of Directors as Secretary, the Equestrian Canada Board of Directors, and was the past AQHA Director for B.C.  She is a current CHA Instructor Certifier, an AQHA Professional Horseman, and serves on the AQHA Youth Activities Committee.  Her education includes a BS in agriculture from the University of Alberta.

Lisa Lombardi is also featured. Lisa is a CHA Master Instructor, Site Evaluator, and Certifier. She is also PATH and Ceip-Ed certified, and has a BA in English with an emphasis on education. She is a Santa Rosa Junior College equine science instructor in addition to running her own lesson program with nine horses. Lisa has a wide range of teaching, riding, and competition experience, including reining, jumping, dressage and western dressage, trail riding and camping, adaptive riding instruction, drill team and color guard, and ranch riding.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals such as riding instructors and equine facility managers, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational streaming videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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When Burn Out Steals the Joy from Working with Horses (Don’t Lose Your Love for the Lifestyle)

By Jill Montgomery

I have a friend who is a very successful horse trainer, judge, owner of a beautiful facility and many champion horses. He teaches riding lessons, volunteers for civic and youth groups and seems to be ready to help whenever a person is in need and a horse is involved. He is a great guy. He is also tired, bone tired. He says, “Jill it feels like I am putting ten days into every seven, and I am still having trouble keeping up with everything that I want to get done.” My friend is at high risk for burn out.

People who teach riding lessons, provide boarding services, or otherwise have the care and management of horses as their job are often passionate about their work. For many it isn’t just a job, it is their purpose in life.  As rewarding as it can be, finding balance can be a challenge.

Many equine professionals work in very demanding environments. Seven-days a week, wearing most of the hats, if not all, for necessary tasks and weather dependent revenue can dampen the spirits of even the most passionate. When your livelihood and lifestyle depend on sustaining this passion, the old saw, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” can get a little thin. It can become a lifestyle lacking balance and lead to burn-out.

To better understand what burn out is and how to avoid or reverse it, I reached out to Tara Gamble, Past CHA President, multi-talented horseperson from Edmonton, Alberta and Lisa Lombardi, a highly accomplished horse person from Santa Rosa, CA. Both of these women are credentialled in many Certifications CHA has to offer and Certifiers in several specialties. They also both provided talks for CHA Members on this topic. Their research and tips lay out a practical guide to recognize and fight off burn out. I put a set of questions to them. The following lists compress their answers into points you can use for a quick self-check and perhaps adopt some ideas to help fireproof yourself from burn out.

What is Burn Out?

  • Burn out is a term usually related to work, most often your regular job.
  • Burn out is emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by relentless stress.
  • When you are burned out, the job you used to love is now a chore, it is overwhelming.
  • Burn out can show up as physical pain, chronic fatigue, irritability, and inability to focus.
  • Burn out is often characterized by hopelessness, detachment, and resentment.

Are Equine Professionals More Susceptible to Burn Out than Others?

  • Few jobs demand the 24/7 responsibilities that can go along with owning and running a lesson barn or boarding stable. Horses must be cared for every day.
  • Few jobs provide an activity that carries a real risk of someone being killed or maimed for life.
  • Horse people have strong work ethics and may not recognize when they need to take a break.
  • The knowledge and skill required to do these jobs effectively may keep some from being good delegators. This may lead them to become overcommitted.
  • Many equine businesses don’t produce healthy profit margins which creates financial stress. For some, one unexpected large expense, such as a vet bill, can be catastrophic.

Are there Early Warning Signs an Equine Professional is Headed toward Burn Out?

Whether these changes have crept up on you or they have crashed in seemingly all at once, check for these kinds of behaviors and decide if they are persistent changes or represent a temporary mood, perhaps linked to a specific stressful event.

  • Tasks that may never have been your favorite, now seem impossible to do, or even start.
  • Behaviors in people or horses that were previously just unwelcome, now really irritate you.
  • You lose patience with people or horses while teaching them.
  • You feel exhausted physically, mentally, or emotionally most of the time.
  • You have physical pains like headaches, sore back, upset stomach, with no discernable cause.

Any of the points listed above may occur in a perfectly healthy person temporarily. But, when they represent distinct change in how you have traditionally approached your work or feel, you may want to consider taking steps to fight burn out. If most of the list applies to you, seeking change is important.

What Can an Equine Professional Do to Avoid or Reverse Burn Out?

CHA has educational resources on their website to assist in managing areas of your business that may help you to avoid burn out. Tara Gamble’s webinar on Managing Stress in the Horse Industry is one great example and can be found here. CHA Facebook groups offer networking and potential problem solving support from people who know the business and its unique challenges. Talking with fellow horse people can be a great outlet for the Equine Professional who is feeling burned out.

  • Re-evaluate your workload and prioritize how you are spending your time and resources.
  • Intentionally put variety in your work every day.
  • Delegate where you can. Be that feeding, cleaning, or admin, get some help.
  • Set clear expectations and boundaries for your clients and yourself.
  • Schedule downtime and take it.

This list can go on and on. Give yourself permission to take good care of yourself. You only get one body in this trip through life. Finding balance and recognizing that even if you need to push hard reaching a high value goal, there must be recuperative time, too. Don’t be the frog in the pot who fails to recognize the water is boiling because when it got in there it was cool.

I leave you with Lisa’s excellent advice.

Lisa’s Short List of Important Ways to Take Care of Yourself.

  • Have Proper Footwear. (No hoof no horse goes for people too.)
  • Eat Well.
  • Sleep Enough.
  • Ride Your Own Horse.

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Certified Horsemanship Association Has a New Blog Posted About Teaching the Older Rider

(August 2021) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) has a new blog posted – “Is an Older Client a Good Fit in Your Equine Program”. You can visit here to read it in full – https://cha.horse/is-an-older-client-a-good-fit-in-your-equine-program/  Please see all past CHA blog articles on horsemanship, training, teaching riding and much more here – https://cha.horse/cha-blog/

This blog article is written by Jill Montgomery who is a CHA English and Western Riding Instructor, and Equine Facility Manager and Certifier. She is owner and CEO of JRAM Enterprises Inc. an equine consulting business that focuses on work to keep equine activities accessible and enjoyable for everyone. FMI Jill@JRAMEnterprises.com

One of the contributors to the blog is Christy Landwehr is CHA’s CEO and holds most of the credentials available through the organization, especially relevant to this article is her CHA certification as a Master Level Riding Instructor. She has been teaching children and adults how to ride for over 30 years. Christy is an AQHA Professional Horseman, an APHA Professional Horseman and won the AYHC Distinguished Service of the Year Award. Christy sits on the Colorado State University Equine Advisory Council and teaches in the Communications Department part time at the Community College of Aurora. She is also on the Interscholastic Equestrian Association Board of Directors. Christy runs CJL Training where she teaches riding and does meditation and facilitation of meetings for the equine industry and others. FMI www.CJLTrainingInc.com

Ken Najorka is the other contributor and has been affiliated with CHA for many years, he owns Najorka Performance Horses in Fort White FL where he raises, trains, and sells reining horses. Ken was the coach for the University of Central FL equestrian team and now conducts horsemanship clinics across the southeast. He maintains a lesson program at his barn that serves to develop riders in Western Dressage, Ranch Horse, and Trail Riding disciplines. FMI contact najorkaperformancehorses@gmail.com

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals such as riding instructors and equine facility managers, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational streaming videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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Ken Najorka conducting a clinic

Is an Older Client a Good Fit in Your Equine Program?

By Jill Montgomery

What comes to mind for many people when a riding instructor says, “I give riding lessons,” is a group of little girls with pigtails popping out from under their helmets circling around a white-board fence riding arena on a mix-matched herd of ponies and horses. For those in the horse business, recognizing this as a popular myth speaks to the opportunity to have a broader segment of the horse-interested public. Educating the public about how learning to ride, and or returning to riding benefits them and you as a horse professional.

Riding lessons can be a gateway to horse ownership, they may lead to the sale of a horse, or a new boarder in your barn, or to register more horse enthusiasts in a clinic or event. This is true regardless of the age of your student. So why shift gears? The older student may not be a fit for all riding instructors, but this is a growing market. What should you consider before targeting older riders as new students for your horse program?

There are more differences between the older rider and the traditional younger riding student than stirrup length and the weight your horses will carry. The first you may notice with the older rider is that you are providing service to the person paying the bill. Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) CEO, and owner of CJL Training Inc. Christy Landwehr comments,  “Once the kids have been raised, parents may be ready to give back to themselves. They may have more discretionary income and time.” Another difference – older students have a lot more life experience than those 8- to 12-year-old kids that come for your instruction tabula rasa. “The older student may have previous training and more experience with horses, both good and bad. They may just have their own ideas about the sport and horses in general,” says CHA certified instructor Ken Najorka of Najorka Performance Horses. He goes on to say, “This group is one the coach must outthink.” He recommends using a lot of humor and emphasizes keeping it (the ride) fun. Both have found requests on the rise from over-50 riders for lessons in their programs.

Sixty is the new forty in the U.S. of A. Many adults are finding that enjoying experiences is more rewarding for them than acquisition of material things. A recent study reports a push for corporate America to adopt a 4-day work week giving employees an extra weekday to experience more of life. They seek activities that offer exercise to help them stay fit, a challenge to develop or fine tune mastery of a sport, and a sense of accomplishment from achieving goals. Horseback riding checks all these boxes for older riders. Riding is a sport that promotes health – improving key elements of fitness such as balance, coordination, core strength, and flexibility. Additional benefits include – it promotes communication skills, can be a social and family activity and takes place in the great outdoors – which is a particularly good trait given recent social conditions. Groundwork, grooming and learning about equine care and management further the opportunity to bond with a horse – which can be amazing.

There is a wide range of athleticism in people over 50 years of age, and we stereotype older riding students at our peril. Both Christy and Ken reveal a wide range of ages in the older riders they work with, from 50 to 80+ years young. They come with a multitude of reasons for being interested in riding lessons. Reasons span from satisfying the decades old desire to ride, to the horse the kids rode until they went to college needs a job, and more. Examples from their programs include-

Preparing for a horseback vacation

  • A prominent attorney in his 70’s needs to get into riding shape so 6 days in the saddle at a luxury dude ranch doesn’t become misery. He rode in his youth and understood the physicality of the sport. He signs up for 8 weekly lessons in advance of the trip to condition and feel competent / confident for the event. The gentleman reports back after that he wished he had started training earlier or had upped the frequency prior to trip, but still has a great time.

Needing help being matched with the right horse

  • An 80-year-old author wants her own horse. This student was a good rider to start with and didn’t know where to find a suitable horse. After seeing many candidates, she found a docile, experienced Gypsy Vanner to be her right match. The owner was able to give her a long-term lease on the horse which was a bonus for the partnership.

Motivated to participate by riding with family

  • A father needs to learn to ride so that he can ride with his adult daughter in a parade. He takes lessons right up to the parade and pulls it off to his daughter’s delight!
  • A 61-year-old nurse has an acquaintance abandon a Paso Fino rescue horse at her property. She was classically trained as a child to ride and decides to keep the horse. Her boyfriend wants to be able to ride with her, so they acquire another rescue. Both the riders and the horses get training to help ready them for riding on the area trails.
  • A family new to horse ownership take their tween-age daughter to a local horse show. Dad discovers there is an open class in which he could compete. He decides he too needs lessons after he is asked to ride in,” …something called a curb bit, because his horse is over 5, and the show follows the rules of AQH something.”

There is much that older riders and younger riders have in common when learning to ride horses, still their differences are worth considering. What follows are a few to think about in terms of the resources you may need to make equine activities with this type of student successful.

Adults usually weigh more than their younger counterparts

  • Are your school horses able to carry heavier riders? Many programs have older horses with some soundness issues that are tolerant of light riders only.

Does your tack fit larger and less flexible riders?

  • Good saddle fit is always important for the horse, and it may be critical for older riders with arthritis and joint issues. Do your saddles have a comfortable seat? Padded and suede for grip may be better than slick hard leather. A narrow twist may help with hip issues, stirrups should make it easy to keep legs in good alignment.

Older riders may have musculoskeletal or other health issues. They rarely bounce well.

  • Will your horses stand still at the mounting block and tolerate being bumped on the rump by a leg that can’t clear it when swinging over? Standing still and quietly for the dismount is just as important. Are your school horses patient? Older riders who are less agile or flexible may benefit from a slab-sided (narrower) horse. Clients with previous major medical issues might require a doctor’s clearance to ride. These riders really cannot afford to get hurt.

Older Riders may be less tolerant of exercise or heat while riding when it’s hot.

  • While all riders can become dehydrated in the heat and many young riders get sore from riding, older riders are at high risk for this. They may need shorter intervals of strenuous activity interspersed with recovery time. Ken suggests alternating 10 minutes of easy work and not more than 10 minutes of more challenging maneuvers. Christy likes to use warm-up on the ground prior to mounting as well as once in the saddle. Even when the mind is willing, the body may not be. Setting expectations about the need to drink water and remedies for soreness following the lesson is recommended.

Older riders may come with baggage from previous bad experiences, or they may not have been taught good safety and equitation practices.

  • Many older riders are very aware they are not bullet proof. Are you good at building confidence? Can you explain the “why” behind your methods to those who learned how to do what you are asking differently? It may be both muscle and memory that needs to be retrained. This may take longer than if it were being learned for the first time. Older riders can and will set their own limits. Are you patient?

Both Ken and Christy have seen increased interest in horseback riding from older clients in their lesson programs. The U.S. population is living longer and is looking for ways to find meaningful healthy experiences. Safe, effective, and fun experiences with horses can help fill that need. While some older riders will require more consideration to deliver those experiences, others may not. Ken describes two of his riders as 70-year-old eventers. Christy describes one of her competent walk, trot, canter students as in her 60’s with her own horse. The only accommodation she needs in Christy’s program is a mounting block and to be spotted on the dismount.

These riders come with their individual stories, skills, and goals, as do they all. Safety is typically first on their list of requirements. They may have a need that you and your program can help fill. Some barns have even developed specific programs for over-50 riders with targeted marketing and riding instructors that have therapeutic riding instruction credentials. Centurion classes requiring participants combined age of rider and horse equal or exceed 100 years have been added to some horse shows. Ken is even building a campsite complete with RV hook-ups as part of his ranch for adult riders to come with their horses and stay a while for clinics and lessons. It opens next year.

For more on this topic be sure to attend Ken Najorka’s live presentation on “Working with the Older Rider” Wednesday Nov.10th at the Cowtown Coliseum during the CHA International Conference in Fort Worth, TX. See you in Fort Worth!

 

Author and Contributors

Jill Montgomery is a CHA English and Western Riding Instructor, and Equine Facility Manager and Certifier. She is owner and CEO of JRAM Enterprises Inc. an equine consulting business that focuses on work to keep equine activities accessible and enjoyable for everyone. FMI Jill@JRAMEnterprises.com

Christy Landwehr is CHA’s CEO and holds most of the credentials available through the organization, especially relevant to this article is her CHA certification as a Master Level Riding Instructor. She has been teaching children and adults how to ride for over 30 years. Christy is an AQHA Professional Horseman, an APHA Professional Horseman and won the AYHC Distinguished Service of the Year Award. Christy sits on the Colorado State University Equine Advisory Council and teaches in the Communications Department part time at the Community College of Aurora. She is also on the Interscholastic Equestrian Association Board of Directors. Christy runs CJL Training where she teaches riding and does meditation and facilitation of meetings for the equine industry and others. FMI www.CJLTrainingInc.com

Ken Najorka has been affiliated with CHA for many years, he owns Najorka Performance Horses in Fort White FL where he raises, trains, and sells reining horses. Ken was the coach for the University of Central FL equestrian team and now conducts horsemanship clinics across the southeast. He maintains a lesson program at his barn that serves to develop riders in Western Dressage, Ranch Horse, and Trail Riding disciplines. FMI contact najorkaperformancehorses@gmail.com

 

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