TRAINING EVALUATION

RIDER UP

23- Bucks ( 5-10 )

I hate to give this vice heavy demerits, as whenever a beginner falls off a horse, he was, of course, ''bucked off." Even a well trained old plug will occasionally give a little "crow hop" when out riding, just because he feels happy. Still, it takes an experienced horseman to save bucks on a horse that bucks.

24- Runs away ( 5-10 )

When a horse grabs a bit in his teeth and stampedes, there is very little a novice rider can do except run him into the side of a barn. A very common problem, especially in older horses, it takes a lot of time to correct.

25- Rears ( 5-10 )

Test by facing into a wall or fence and shift to reverse gear while legging forward. If the horse backs with a gentle low tug on the reins — great' Raise hands and pull upwards on the bit — not too hard — and be ready to push him down by putting a hand on the back of his head.

Actually, there are some maneuvers that require the horse to lift his front feet off the ground, and a "controlled" rear is halfway there. It's going over all the way that creates hard feelings .

26- Broken wind ( 10 ) [62,96]

Although respiratory problems such as Roaring, Broken Wind, Heaves , are unsoundness, and are covered again in that examination, there are certain indicators that occur during and directly after exercise.

First, listen closely for a "roaring," or "whistling," as the horse breathes in. Please note that there is a noise called High Blowing that is quite common when a horse first starts to move, that is made by breathing out.

Secondly, a horse that gulps air in one breath, yet takes two breaths to move it out — quite noticeable in double movement of the flanks — or coughs frequently, is suspect.

Check the horse's breath by placing your hand to feel, or a pocket mirror, in front of a nostril to observe the pattern.

27- Navicular disease ( 10 ) [19,36,51,57,68]

I wish this could be checked by one simple indicator, and then forgotten. But, aside from being the single most common cause of lameness in a horse, it also is the most difficult to detect.

There are a number of entries that relate to Navicular Disease. If you have the slightest doubt of the effects, refer to the cross-indexed entry numbers.

A horse is suspect if he stumbled while trotting, especially down a hill. Any shuffle, or walking "tippy-toed,'' after a workout, deserves another look. If a single hoof is in pain, the horse will relieve the pressure by pointing it forward when standing at rest.