From the Hoof

 Hello and welcome.  This will be a new column in this great paper The Community Press. I originate from Southern England, and have three horses. I bred two colts from my brilliant mare and couldn't part with them. I flew them over to upstate New York in 1998. I had a baby son at the time who is now seven, and he has a brother who is five! 

 I broke and trained both of the colts whilst raising my sons. I am fortunate to have my horses at home, which means I can work everything and everybody around the family schedule which is great. Since living here I have met some wonderful horsy and non-horsy people.

 Last month some wonderful friends, Arlene and Orville Cooke, gave me a book to read to my sons. The book was Black Beauty. I have been horse mad since three but the Black Beauty book I had as a youngster was in such small print and so descriptive I never read very much and sadly I never had any horse stories read to me. This edition was perfect for young children and even me! It was published in 1877 and written by Anna Sewell.

 I rarely cry over movies or books. I remember crying over the movie Old Yeller, but each night reading a few chapters of Black Beauty to my sons I would shred a few tears.  Every horse owner, rider, casual rider or horse lover should read Black Beauty because sadly what happens to Beauty and his horsy friends still happens today, and that's what kept making me cry. Why is it that people do not give horses the respect they deserve?  Some treat them worse than they would their own car . . . and their car has no feelings, heart or brain. You must have your car inspected every year so why not your horse? 

 Poor Beauty, he goes from good home to bad home back to good home then to a bad home, each time the good seller thinks he has sold the horse to someone loving . . . and this happens today. People sell horses to what they think is a good home, but then those people may have to sell the horse on and unfortunately the horse could end up in a bad home. 

 People often think they can ride just by sitting on a horse, but you really need decent lessons. If a horse misbehaves he's either confused from what you are asking, or you are riding badly and hurting him. A lot of horses put up with this tolerance of bad riding. Mine won't. If you bounce around on their back or use your hands to balance in posting (rising) trot, forget it. After a few circuits they can't wait for you to stop.

 When you decide to learn to ride or your child to ride, please find good riding stables. Your first lessons should be on the lunge so you are able to develop an independent seat. This means your hands, or legs, head or body can move without relying on another part of your body for balance. In Europe, we take pride in our horse care and riding but unfortunately I see a lot of riding faults here. The most common faults are learning forward, slouching, the hands laid to rest on the wither and turning inwards and used to support the riders body . . . does the rider realize that at the other end is a soft and gentle mouth which you are pulling against? Another fault is the stirrup not on the ball of the foot, the leg coming forward and a tense knee. If you tense your knee your whole body will be tense which means the horse will be tense, his head will be up which will constrict his back muscles and he will not work loosely and from behind and he will become stiff. In the story Black Beauty he was mostly driven and he mentions in the story about not liking the check rein and how one owner tightened it too tight making him carry his head high which hurt him. 

 I love horses with a passion, so please don't buy a horse if you haven t a clue how to keep him or ride him, find out what is involved first. Fortunately, there are some barns and owners that do care for their horses and some of the mistreatment comes from lack of knowledge. Horses are there to be enjoyed…..I know my husband will agree!!!

 Enjoy reading of Black Beauty.