After your horse has been introduced to the Sierra Horse Halter, you can put them in a Cross Tie. This is the most effective way to use the halter for using both hands. Clipping Ears, giving injections, head shyness, handling feet, etc. I have a mare that will be sold with a Sierra Horse Halter. She just hates to have her ears touched! With the halter, I can get the job done. Alberto Sierra has created a wonderful product. Gail Springer PFL Inc.
Using The Sierra Horse Halter in a Cross Tie
May 26th, 2011What I learned with the Sierra Horse Halter 1
May 15th, 2011The Sierra Horse Halter enabled us to medicate this mare and trim her feet. She had learned to fight and get away. What we learned was this:
- Just because a horse seems submissive doesn’t mean that they will let you do anything you want.
- Any horse needs to find out the limits of the Sierra Horse Halter before they will be totally submissive.
- Do not stand directly in front of a horse when you are conditioning them to the Sierra Horse Halter. All horses learn to come forward with this halter.
- After your horse learns his limits, you can then tie him in a cross tie with the Sierra Horse Halter and do what you need to do.
By Gail Springer of PFL Inc.
To buy a halter go to www.PFLus.com
How to Condition Your Horse and Teach Trailer Loading with the Sierra Horse Halter
February 27th, 2011This Blog is two fold. First, it shows Alberto Sierra Conditioning a horse to the Sierra Horse Halter, then he shows how the halter helps in Trailer Loading.
This horse has decided to pull backward when the owner wants to load him. He has decided that he does not want to load any longer and it has become a painful ordeal for him and his owner. Alberto puts the halter on and ties him to the trailer. First he pulls sideways on the halter at the noseband to cause pressure on the horse as if he has pulled back himself. This is to show the horse what will happen if he pulls. The first time he does this the horse does not respond. The second time, Alberto causes the horse to pull back himself. This time the horse understands that if he pulls back, he cannot get away. He then decides to co-operate. This is a well trained horse that just decided he no longer wanted to load, he is not wild by any means. He probably represents 90% of the horses out there who need the Sierra Horse Halter.
Sierra Horse Halter – New Correctional Halter by Alberto Sierra
February 25th, 2011The Sierra Horse Halter is a new Correctional Type of halter that should be in every barn that contains a horse. Sooner or later we just need help!!
The Sierra Horse Halter is a new idea for an age old problem. How to control a horse that is frightened, or just not wanting to co-operate with the vet, farrier, owner or trainer.
Probably the best trait that the halter has is the ability to stop a horse from pulling back and throwing his weight into the rope that is tying him to a post or rack. When the horse pulls back, the nose band of the halter pulls in towards his chest. Plus the Neck pressure rope puts pressure on the crest of his neck. Thus, the weight the horse puts into pulling back, is transferred to his nose and neck and relieves the pressure on the poll. After pulling for a short time, the horse quickly decides it is not in his best interest to pull back. In essence he changes his own behavior.
The Halter comes in three sizes: Small which fits Paso Finos, Arabians and similar sized horses. Medium which fits Quarter Horses and similar sized horses, and Large for Warm Bloods and similarly sized horses. Larger and smaller halters can be ordered special. You can purchase the Sierra Horse Halter at PFL Inc. Go right to the Halter page at the following page: Sierra Horse Halter
Alberto demonstrating that this horse hates his ears clipped.
After applying the Sierra Horse Halter the horse tries to fight when Alberto begins to approach the ears.
The horse decided it is easier to be clipped than to fight. The Sierra Horse Halter give him no place to go.
Side Dominance in Horses
February 9th, 2011Side Dominance is a thing that is not even thought about by most folks, but it contributes a lot to ill fitting saddles and horses that travel crooked. This can be seen greatly by visiting the article put out by the following auther. Your horse is definitely left or right handed. Some of these tendancies can be overcome with exercises which will help to balance out and even up muscles and hooves. These will be discussed on other articles. Thank you Ute for putting out such a good article.
http://www.balancedstep.com/UteSide.pdf
BALANCED STEP
Ute Miethe – LMT/LAMT
Massage Therapist & Natural Performance Barefoot Trimmer
www.balancedstep.com
How to Install the PFL Saddle Rigging Converter
January 16th, 2011This film explains how to install your new Saddle Fitting Converter. You can change any center fire rigging to a western rigging with this product. The Saddle Fitting Converter keeps the pressure applied by the Center Fire Rigging the same from the front to the back of your saddle, but the tightening process is super easy. Anyone with arthritis will appreciate this product. Sometimes the Center Fire Rigging is not easy to get tight. One thing that will change if you convert to this rigging system is the cinch length. For instance, if you used a 34″ cinch with the Center Fire System, you would probably need a 22″ with the Converter. Also, with the Center Fire rigging, you do not use a cinch pin and with the Converter, you do use the cinch pin. One last thing, be sure to keep both sides adjusted the same.
This Rigging Converter can be purchased at PFL Inc.
2011 — Happy New Year from The Pinto Paso Finos at PFL Inc. and the Chipmunks
January 16th, 2011This video was taken during one of our late December snows. Our sure footed Pinto Paso Finos were having a grand time playing in it and showing off. Being gaited horses, they keep three feet on the ground most of the time. The Border Collie, Sadie, helped to mix things up a bit. I discovered that if I film from up in the barn window, they do not know I am around and keep up the antics. The second I appear downstairs they stop playing and come to the fence to see what I am doing. Being sneaky pays off sometimes. So Happy New Year to all my friends and customers and to anyone else who may stumble upon this blog.
Gail and Paul Springer ownes PFL Inc., an internet tack store. Come visit. www. pflus.com
The J. M. Yancey Saddle
November 1st, 2010Going from farm to farm and testing it on as many Pasos as possible, Mr. J. M. Yancey spent six months developing the tree in the Yancey Paso Fino saddle. Although he started with a standard McCellan saddletree, the bar length had to be shortened and the amount of rock in the bars had to be changed to accommodate the deep back of the typical Paso, but not be too much for those with flatter backs. The bar twist, gullet width, and bar spread were all slightly adjusted for a better overall fit so that the saddletree is a McCellan style, but considerably different from the original tree.
This tree fits Peruvian Pasos, a lot of Arabians, Rocky Mountain horses, Icelandic, and a few others. The saddle did not fit any of the Tennessee Walking Horses that it was tried on. It DOES NOT FIT ALL BREEDS OF HORSES. Note from PFL Inc.: I have sold one Yancey to a Tennessee Walker and it fit well, but this was an exception. So far we have only encountered an hand full Paso Finos that the standard tree would not fit. Most of these horses had extremely wide withers, which was the catalyst for Mr. Yancey to develop a wider version of the standard tree that works well for them. This tree is available for others if needed. One was a special case of an extremely narrow horse, which required a specially made tree. Mr. Kurthe can now make a Yancey Saddle to fit your horse by having a custom tree made just for them. This is done by using an Equimeasure and sending it to Mr Kurthe.
Paso Finos and Peruvian Pasos are still very close to their original breed and have not been cross bred with a lot of other breeds, so their backs are very typical. Tennessee Walking horses are not typical. In a barn of five Tennessee Walking horses that Mr.Yancey visited, only two could wear the same saddle.
The Yancey saddle weighs 22 lbs, complete with rigging and stirrups. The rigging is a center fire. All J. M. Yancey saddles are bench made and a typical turn around time would be 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the season unless PFL has one in stock. (we try to keep a 16″). I believe that most customers will agree that the quality and fit of the saddle is worth the wait. All saddles, tack, and saddle pads are made in Mr. Kurthe’s shop in the USA just north of Atlanta Ga. The saddletree is made out of Southern Yellow Pine and covered with linex to improve resistance to moisture and cracking. Mr. Kurthe uses the best leather from US based suppliers. The hardware used is solid brass or stainless steel.
Come visit our store. PFL Inc.
Maggie’s Horse Saddle fit Problem and How we Solved It
October 25th, 2010I sold Maggie a saddle for her wide withered Paso Fino. She chose a Kuda Leather-Flex Trail saddle. The problem was that it seemed to be too tight in the wither and he did not gait relaxed. She felt it did not work well on him. Being a treeless saddle that has bars that twist and bend and form to the horses back, this was puzzling to me. So I asked for pictures and forwarded them on to my friends at Skito Enterprises, Tom and Colleen. They assessed that the horse had a dip behind the wither that caused bridging (yes, even with a treeless saddle). The pommel of this saddle is rigid and without the help of the straight back to hold the rider up, the wither gets more pull than necessary. When the rider sits in the saddle and the middle of the saddle pulls downward into the drop of the back, the pressure is increased on the wither. The answer, of course, is to fit a shim into the dropped area on each side of the backbone just behind the wither to help even out the pressure once more. Because the shim lifts the rider up there is no longer downward pull on the saddle and thus less pressure on the wither. With the Kuda Flex Trail, the only pull on the pommel and cantle should be from the tightness of the cinch. When the rider sits in the seat there should not be more pull on them. If your horse dips or a sway, seek help with a Skito Pad and shims. If you have a saddle pad of another brand that you love, then you can usually solve the problem by using a Skito Bridge. They fit under your normal pad to fill dips and sways. The pictures help to tell the story. .
This saddle fits evenly front to back.
Gail Springer is the owner of PFL Inc. An online business selling Kuda Leather Flex Saddles and Skito Saddle Pads as well as Headgear and other riding accessories. www.pflus.com
How to Measure Your Horses Withers for Gullet Width a Kuda Leather-Flex Saddle
October 4th, 2010
This is the way to measure for the Kuda Gullet Size as of 10/1/2010
We now have new sizing rules: Please follow the directions above to find the size of Gullet you need for your new Kuda Leather Flex Saddle.
1. Measure the width of your horses withers as shown in the picture above.
2. After deciding how wide his withers are, choose Narrow, Medium, Wide, or Extra Wide, for your saddle choice.
3. When you sit your saddle on your horse, there should be two inches between the top of the gullet and your horses wither peak, as pictured below.
Two inches should show.
Come to www.pflus.com to see the complete line of Kuda Leather-Flex Saddles.
Monsters in the Bushes!
June 22nd, 2010I live in North Idaho where there are many monsters in the woods to spook my horse on a trail ride. Moose, several species of bear, elk and deer, and wolf and coyote just to name a few. Then there are the human monsters on four wheels and two and afoot with their canine friends. By far the worst spooks have feathers. Wild Turkeys are at the top of the list. But even they cannot match the fierce mother Grouse!!
Mary on her trusty steed, Brandy, a big stout Quarter Horse mare, joined up with Kathy and I on our pinto Paso Finos for a Saturday afternoon ride up on Blanchard Mountain. Kathy’s gelding, Tempest and my gelding Rico are half brothers and very well matched in gait. Brandy has to trot to keep up, but Mary doesn’t mind, She always stays behind us because it is easier to keep up rather than keep pushing Brandy to go faster than she would rather go in the lead because she feels pushed by our faster walking horses.
Blanchard mountain is covered with 4 wheeler trails and old logging roads, and these link with some well used game trails. It is also covered with lush underbrush, many different species of pines and lots of taller brush. And mixed with all these are the wild flowers and weeds.
Today was a windy day and all these colors were moving and swaying and making a bit of noise too. The further up the mountain we got the wilder it got. A few snags were screeching like Banshees. Our horses were a bit edgy but very valiant and brave.
My gelding, 5 year old Rico is wonderful at taking the lead or whatever, and we were in the lead today. Kathy kept Tempest either behind me or walking side by side. And of course Brandy was right behind us. We rode like this most of the two hour ride. We were on our way back and right on top of the ridge when a Monster appeared.
Now I must give you a little back ground on our horses so you won’t think them wild crazy broncs. When Rico spooks, he freezes and his head shoots straight in the air. He must look majestic indeed to an onlooker. Usually this is all that happens. Sometimes there will be a jerk in his flesh as if his reflexes are trying to work, but he instantly overrides them. Most of the time he will even inch forward to get a better look at whatever the monster may be. Tempest does pretty much the same thing. Brandy can jump to the side like nobodies business as if doing some major cow cutting, but she is the last to spook at anything.
So here we are plodding down the trail at a walk, Tempest and Rico side by side and Brandy right behind us. Suddenly Rico and Tempest freeze at the same time. I can’t see or hear anything unusual and the brush is up to our horses bellies on either side of the 4 wheeler trail. Rico’s ears are nearly in my face he is so “on alert”. Of course I sit there like a lump thinking we are about to see a Moose or something. Suddenly we have switched ends and are running in terror straight back down the trail. Rico means business too, because he is on a dead run with his head down. He is starting to pitch and I realize I am clamped down on him like a cat. As I put my feet down and pull on the reins he stops pitching. Then it takes some major pulling on one rein to get his attention. He finally gives his jaw and lets me stop him. Wow, this has all taken place in about 5 seconds. This was not slow motion like some people see, but to me it was super speed. I don’t remember seeing either Brandy or Tempest in this so we must have turned outward and been the first down the trail.
After we turned around we could see the monster about 50 feet back. Standing there in the middle of the trail was the biggest Wild Chicken I had ever seen. She had her hands on her hips and she was clucking mad. Her feathers were puffed out and she looked like she could be carrying bar bells. She stood there a few seconds in defiance and then disappeared into the brush. Brandy was closest, Tempest was next then Rico and I on down the trail. All three horses let out a sigh in unison and dropped their heads to relax. Of course they were at least three seconds ahead of us, and then we in turn began to relax and laugh.
As we gathered our wits and put the pieces together, Mary told us what she saw from the back. Rico and Tempest froze and their heads shot up in unison. Then that little hen jumped right up into Rico’s face. Rico and Tempest turned in beautiful unison and Rico flew past everyone. Tempest almost plowed into Brandy who was just starting her turn. Mary doesn’t think Brandy even saw what was happening until the other two had flipped ends. The hen didn’t just jump up at us, she was in hot pursuit for a few paces so all three horses were getting out of the way as fast as they could.
Needless to say, nobody wanted to go first past that spot to go home, but Rico inched his way ahead and The Killer Wild Chicken was long gone. He looked for her all the way down the hill as the bushes and trees swayed and moved and squeaked. As the wind subsided and we got off the ridge, his fears also subsided.
We walked into the yard like worn out nags. What a ride!!
I don’t know how Brandy, Rico, and Tempest look back on their experience, but Mary, Kathy, and I just shake our head and laugh out loud.
Gail Springer is owner of PFL Inc., a tack and saddle business. Come browse the shop and take a look at our Leather-Flex Saddles. The answer for those who want more security than treeless, and more comfort than a hard tree.
My Father is My Hero
June 9th, 2010
Growing up, I watched him birth and nurture the tinyest bird to the largest bovine. He never wears gloves but his hands are gentle, even though they are hard and caloused from work. He loves his animals and caring for them gives him a reason to get up and get going in the mornings. He is the keeper of his domain and a gentle soul.
My father is horseman. Grandpa made a living in the depression by trading horses and mules. He would buy the ones that were spoiled or mean and turn them around. He would then resell them or rent them out as
driving teams for land leveling and farming. My father learned from grandpa. He has a way of moving around horses that is natural. He has the touch.
My father is a cattleman. He started out with milkers and bred them to good beef bulls. His calves were fast growing and hardy. As the years went by and the milking cows did too, his beef operation was set up.
My father is a shepherd. He has always loved sheep, to my mothers dismay. He has now added goats to the herd to control weeds. Yes, he was the guy who used his teeth to pull out the testes when casterating the lambs and kids. And we seared the lambs tails off with a hot iron.
My father is a farmer. This is what he really wanted to do with his life. He quit his job as line foreman on the Union Pacific Railroad to farm his 80 acres as soon as it was paid off. Yes, you can make a living on 80 acres and raise 4 kids doing it. We were all taught to drive tractors and irrigate at a young age. He raised corn for silage that stood higher than his head when he stood on the tractor seat. My brother and I demossed the irrigation ditch by riding our horss back and forth in it to break loose the moss. Dad would catch it with a fork and pitch it out of the ditch into hugh mounds. We milked cows with a milking machine bucket and put the milk cans in a water cooler for daily pickup. We raised our own hay and picked it up by hand. We raised and butchered our own chickens. We raised a hugh garden.
My father is a provider. I didn’t know it until I started school that we were considered poor. Our cars were old and our cloths were worn, but we were healthy and wealthy in knowledge. My father made sure we knew how to survive as adults by teaching us to survive as children. We were never hungry. We were never barefoot. We were never naked. We were well cared for. And we were certainly never bored!
My father is an honest man. I remember him marching my brother on foot back to the local gas station to return a pencil he had stolen. He would never steel himself, and would not tolerate it in others. If someone wronged him, he would take it once, but not a second time. He was helpful to his neighbors and accepted help in return.
My father loves deeply. He has always shown love for his 4 children, but the one that brings love to mind is my mother. He loves her unconditionally. This year they will be married 64 years. She can cut him to the quick in a heart beat with her tongue, but he would never forsake her for a minute. She is the love of his life. The cement that holds them together is made from working together through great times and tragedy.
My father suffers silently. I have seen his heart break, yet he does not speak. I saw it when I told him I was moving away. I saw it when my brother left for Vietnam. I saw it when he told me his baby brother had died. The hurt is there strewn among the treasures in his heart.
My father is great at math. He quit school in the 8th grade to get a job so his brother could finish school. But even with only an 8th grade education he can still outdo me in math with no calculator.
My father has an artist inside. Grandma gave me some of the artwork he did when he was a boy. Because I have the bent toward art and my son is a natural, I can only assume my father has an artist living inside that never had a chance to come out. Well, in a way, that artist is coming out in us.
My father hates sour cream and milk. When he was a child, a mouse died in a pail of milk that had clabbered. He saw it when the milk was poured from the bucket. It sent him retching outside. He can’t think smell or look at sour cream to this day without feeling sick to his stomach. He said he could drink anything up until then.
My father has sacrificed much. Besides giving up school for his brother, he enlisted into the army to serve in world war II. He spent time in France and saw the horrors of war and how it affected the civilians there. He sacrificed for his country so we would not have to see war here.
My father thought white bread was cake. When he was a child in poverty during the depression, some ladies from the local church brought a box of groceries by during the Christmas season. It was the first time he had ever tasted white sliced bread. He thought it was cake. How can I wrap my mind around that!!
My father loved his father. I have never heard him say anything hateful about Grandpa. In fact he quotes him quite often. One of my favorites is: “One kid is a kid, two kids is half a kid, and three kids is no kid at all.” But I once met a woman who said my grandpa was the meanest man she had ever known. She felt sorry for my dad when he was growing up. Obviously my father had a high respect for grandpa, even though he was tough. Maybe that toughness is what shaped my fathers gentleness and character.
My father is my hero. I want to be like him, I strive to be like him. Am I simply blind when I say I can’t see anything bad in him, or is that just what we do with our hero’s? In his mid 80’s he is still irrigating, taking care of his farm and animals, raising his own garden, and loving my mother. I admire him so, how could he not be my hero!
Eventration of the Inguenal Ring
May 17th, 2010
This is a big term used to describe a condition that happens to a horse after castration when the small intestine decides to escape through the holes left in the abdominal wall that were occupied by the testicle cords before castration.
This is the story of my Stallion, Numen Estelar and his experience in 2006
It goes without saying that Numen Estelar and I were a team. My husband says we had a thing going. He was not only my riding buddy, but as a stallion, accepted me as his leader and respected me. He loved being groomed and I guess I may be dreaming, but I really think he looked forward to seeing me each day, at least his knickers made me feel that way.
Paul and I decided to stop breeding horses, so we decided to geld Numen and retire him to a life of pleasure riding. Yesterday was that day. Unfortunately, our plan to liberate him from a life of being caged alone turned into liberating him of his life. The following is an accounting of the day. My hope is that what Numen and my family & friends went through will in some way help others to not go through the same agony.
The vet arrived at 10:30. I brought Numen into the barn and we gave him routine anesthetic, laid him down, and we did a routine castration. He came through with flying colors. Being a Paso Fino with strong constitution, he got up faster than a normal horse. Everything looked good. The vet left and Numen was rummaging around for scraps of hay. Everyone went to the house for a bite to eat and a break.
About an hour later we came back to the barn. I didn’t hear anything and decided to look in on him. When I couldn’t see him standing I looked over the edge and there he was lying practically upside down with a bundle of entrails hanging out of the scrotum area. They were in a bunch about a gallon in amount. He was in obvious pain and panting. I rushed outside and called the vet on my cell.
As soon as Cindy saw what was going on she ran to get Paul. We tried to keep Numen calm until the vet again arrived. We were told to try to keep the entrails wet. Numen was in so much pain that he was hitting himself on the walls. He collapsed and knocked me down and almost rolled on me. He rolled himself up on his back against the wall. It must have been the most comfortable position he could find because he stayed that way for about 10 minutes. We just kept wet paper towels on the entrails bundle and tried to sooth him. He was groaning and sweating and panting. I can’t even imagine the pain he must have been going through. He got up again and went down again one more time. This time we sat on his shoulder and neck to keep him down. All we could do until help arrived was pet him and talk to him. It must have been a half hour until the vet got there. Numen immediately got pain relief. I thank God for pain medicine.
The vet said that his small intestine had worked out through the hole that was left after the testicle was cut off. The cords run up through into the abdominal cavity and after the testicle is cut off, they shrink up and leave a hole. Once a loop of intestine starts into an opening it is like a snake and just keeps going. Numen’s only hope of survival was surgery at Washington State University Veterinary hospital to put the intestine back in place. They had already been called and were expecting us. They were a three hour drive away.
We held Numen down and the intestine was packed into the scrotum cavity and sewn in. Numen was given lots of pain meds and he got up on his feet and walked outside to the horse trailer. He actually nickered to the other horses. It gave me strength. He was clumsy, but he loaded. We left him loose just in case he would go down but he had side panels to lean on for stability. The vet gave me more pain meds to give him on the way.
What a horrendous drive it was. I drove and Paul kept me company and answered the phone. Periodically Numen would poke his nose out the side slit in the trailer, as was his custom, and this gave me hope. I knew that as long as he did this that he was still on his feet. Two thirds of the way there I started to see that his nostrils were flaring pretty big and he seemed to be panting. We stopped at a rest stop and I gave him the pain meds. The rest of the way there he did not put his nose out, but I could see a wisp of his forelock flying out the window. So I knew he was still on his feet. What a tough little horse he was. I was praying and telling God how much this guy meant to me. My heart was literally aching in my chest. God calmed me and let me know that he too had a special place in his heart for the horse. After all he is coming back on a magnificent white one. I found comfort in this.
A team of people were waiting for us at WSU. We opened up the trailer and I led Numen out. He nearly fell as he took the step down and I really had to lift hard on his head to help him out. He walked into the place and down the hall and into a well lit stall. There were lots of questions, and forms to sign and Numen was hooked up to tubes and had his temperature taken, and was given more drugs. They shaved his belly.
The surgeon told us that there was about a 50% chance of him making it through at this point. She told us that several things could happen. The best thing would be that Numens small intestine could be cleaned up, stuffed back in, and he would recover. The next best thing would be that just a small piece of intestine would be damaged and it could be cut out and put back together. From there his chances would go down as the damage gets worse. The procedure to save a horse like this will cost from $2500 to over $10000, depending on the complications. Paul and I decided that we owed it to our friend to find out what kind of damage his intestine had before we decided what to do next.
As they readied the surgery room, they said we could be with Numen. As I walked into the stall, I said, “Hello Buddy” and he tried to walk to me. The attendant gave me the rope and said I could hold him. Paul and I just stroked him and talked to him and he relaxed his neck and lowered his head. I asked the attendant if they gave him a relaxer and he said no. Numen obviously felt more comfortable with us. His neck and head were wet with our tears. Then they came for him and led him away. He walked away looking strong. I still had some hope, but my heart told me to be realistic. I may never see my friend again.
Paul and I spent 2 long hours in the waiting room before someone came out to tell us what they found. We talked about what our decision would be if his condition were less than ideal. We decided that if he needed any resection at all, that we would have him put down. His quality of life was of the most importance, not our desire to keep him around, after all that is why we gelded him in the first place, to get him out of solitary confinement.
A Dr. came out with a report. More than half of his small intestine had herniated down through both holes where his testicle cords had been. If he were to be saved at least 10 feet of his intestine would have to be cut away (that is half). The contamination was bad and peritonitis was certain. If he lived past two weeks, he would have a bad case of laminitis because of the poison in his system. Continuous colic was also a certainty. Diarrhea would be his constant friend. For months he would have abdominal abscesses that would need drained as they occurred. Scar tissue would also be an issue and possibly more surgeries. He may not survive this surgery because his oxygen level was down more than 50%. He also needed a plasma transfusion. In short our friend was dying before we ever got to WSU. I could not believe he was in such bad condition yet was so strong. I knew this horse had heart, but this was incredible. He made it this far because we asked him to.
We asked lots of detailed questions to educate ourselves about this thing that had happened, i.e.; how it happens, how to prevent it, and how to know if it will happen before the castration, etc.
With tears we told the Dr. to put him down. He was already asleep and would simply not wake up. His terrible pain was over. She said we could come in and see him, but we didn’t want to see him on the operating table. We wanted to remember him as we last saw him, walking strongly away. I asked for some of his beautiful tail hair. She left and was gone for almost 20 minutes. I asked Paul how long it takes to cut some hair. She came back with an 8 by 8 inch bag. It was heavy and when I looked inside I cried again. They had cut washed and braided three foot of his tail hair for me. These are such incredibly thoughtful and wonderful people.
We left for the long drive home. It was good so we could talk and grieve together. We decided that God had made sure that we could not save him. Only He knows why, but of this we are certain. It was his time to go home. Our incredible friends who knew of the tragedy at hand were calling to hear news and sharing our sorrow. We were already thinking of ways to share the news of this tragedy to help others who may want to prevent this from happening to them. The following small article is to help educate others. Numen will not have died in vane if even one other horse is saved from this horrible death.
Good bye Numen Estelar, our wonderful companion and friend. Paul & Gail Springer
The condition: Eventration of intestines through the inguinal ring.
The small intestine moves around in the abdominal cavity freely sliding over the openings after the testicle cords have pulled up through. Eventration happens when a loop of intestine slides down through an inguinal ring. Once this starts it is like a snake going through a hole. The intestine is about 20 feet long.
According to a veterinarian at Washington State University, about 7% of all castrations will end in this condition. There is no warning that this may happen. Some think that abdominal pressure plays a part, but there is no way to test for this. There is no way to tell which horses will have eventration and which ones will not. There is no way to see how large the inguinal rings are. It can happen for days following surgery. This condition happens as much to babies as older horses. It is not possible to sew the inguinal rings closed in a field situation because they simply cannot be reached.
The only way to be sure that your horse will not have eventration is to have a sterile scrotal surgery done in a hospital. All the openings are then sewn closed, even the skin, preventing eventration from happening and contamination from entering. Sterile scrotal surgeries are costly, but only a fraction of the cost of saving a horse that has contaminated or damaged intestines. This could be an option if you have a priceless friend.
Story by Gail Springer, PFL Inc. 
Leather-Flex Tree Endurance Saddle
April 28th, 2010
This saddle is not a treeless, but neither does it have a tree. The pommel and gullet area is made of steel in three different widths to fit virtually all sizes of horses. The Cantle is made of rigid foam to give support to the rider. The bars of the saddle are made of leather and foam and lay on either side of the horses spine to support the rider up away from the horses back. It gives a twist to the saddle for rider comfort, and provides a nice air channel down the gullet for the horses spine relief.
This saddle is a cutback version of the Flex Trail Saddle. It can be ordered in either leather or synthetic. The leather version weighs between 16-19 pounds depending on size. The Synthetic saddle weighs between 12-15 pounds depending on size. You can order black or brown or a combination of the two. English billets or Center fire Rigging (shown). One or two inch stirrup leathers, Irons or western stirrups. You can even order it with an English flap.
The length of this saddle is determined by the seat size. A 16″ seated saddle is 23″ long. A 17″ is 24″ and so on.
For sizing:
To determine what gullet width will fit your horse, go to the Gullet Measurement Chart for directions. Then draw your horses wither on a piece of paper, write the measurements on the paper, scan it and send it to me. When you order a saddle this will be sent to the manufacturer so your saddle will for sure fit your horses withers properly. All breeds have a variation of wither widths within the breeds. Do not skip this step.
To determine seat size go to the seat size chart on the order page of our web site. The Leather-Flex Endurance saddle is sized between the English and the Western. If you ride a snug 17″ English or a snug 15″ Western, you will want a 16″ Endurance or Flex Trail saddle. The seat makes an acute rise to the pommel area (as you can see in the picture), so if you like a roomy seat, order 1/2″ larger size.
The Leather Flex Endurance saddle by Kuda will fit horse breeds from pony to Arabian to Andalusian to Quarter Horse and more.
Ride the saddle that gives the stability of a treed saddle, but gives your horse the freedom of a treeless. Try the Kuda Leather-Flex Endurance Saddle. Sold by PFL Inc. 
Carlos Tobon Clinic at Hacienda de Los Ninos Video #1
April 23rd, 2010In the fall of 2008 and the spring of 2009, Carlos Tobon, premier trainer of Paso Finos and 2007 trainer of the year, came to Hacienda de Los Ninos in Plummer Idaho for a Paso Fino Training Clinic. Being a Paso Fino Breeder in the north west and having limited access to trainers, of course I had to be there, and I took my notebook full of questions. I dare say Carlos did not dissapoint me when it came to being a great teacher. He understood my questions and made it very clear when explaining the difference in how to train the Paso Fino from other breeds. This blog will be the first of several that explain some of those differences. Those of us who come from the western riding style, or the English style, find it difficult to make the transition, but you must to get the best performance from your Paso Fino. This is not to say you can not be a cowboy and ride a Paso, or you can not practice dressage methods, but the Paso Fino does not collect the same as the trotting English horse and the headset is not the same as a Western horse. The Paso Fino is unique. Carlos Tobon finally convinced me that a Paso Fino must be trained differently. I have finally got it!! He answered many specific questions, but the following video shows far more than I can possibly tell you. Audio is not very good, but what you can hear is gold.
Blog by Gail Springer PFL Inc.
Horse Camping at Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
April 18th, 2010Silver Falls State Park is about 20 miles east of Salem Oregon. The park has 5 horse sites with water and four corrals plus a group camp that will hold about 16 horses. There are over 20 miles of trails you can ride on. You might need front boots on your horses if they don’t have shoes because some of the trails can be pretty rocky. I think they try to gravel some of them because the trails get pretty slick when it has rained-which in the PNW happens lots! This is a great place to camp. There is also a walking loop for people only that goes by a number of waterfalls.
Guest Post by Vickie Smith, Avid Trail Rider who resides in Kelso, Wa.
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_211.php
Blog by PFL Inc. for Horse and Home
Saddle Fit – Gullet Width and White Spots
April 10th, 2010White spots and swellings on your horses withers can be frustrating and irritating. And when you go looking for information it does not help when manufacturers tell you to get a gullet that is as wide as possible for your horse. It certainly has to be wide enough, but a gullet opening that is too wide is just as damaging as a gullet opening that is too narrow. The standard set forth today is driven by the average horse, and that is the wide withered quarter horse. But as we all know, there are thousands of horses out there that are far from average, and chances are that you have one of them.
The secret to finding a hard tree saddle that has a gullet opening that is correct, is to measure your horses withers. Take a measurement and be prepared when going shopping. Make a cardboard shape of your horses withers and fit it up into the opening of the saddle you are interested in. This way you can make an informed decision if that pommel on that saddle will sit comfortably on your horse. Matching the bar angle is another matter and almost impossible to figure out even with the horse present, as there is so much leather and padding on the saddle between the horse and tree bars. But if the gullet width is correct, at least the tree bars will be in the correct position in the wither pocket and you can attempt to correct any mismatch of the bar angle with a good saddle pad. Remember, just because the saddle looks good and feels good to you doesn’t mean it will be good for your horse. Please, get the best fit you can for your horse and it will benefit you both in the long run.
Author, Gail Springer, is the owner of PFL Inc. Products for Horse and Home. Please come visit her online store. PFL Inc.
A Bit of Saddle History
April 5th, 2010I find it interesting that the saddle tree was not used at all until the heavy equipment of war was thrown upon the horses back. It is easy to see why the hard tree was needed to help the horse brace against pressure when the men of old would clash in battle. The cowboys horse of today must brace against the pressure put upon it by a pulling steer in much the same way, but pleasure riding does not present the same situation. Many times the hard tree meant to protect the horses back actually creates pressure and a soft saddle would be more than enough of a barrier between horse and rider. Most riders of today do not spend the hours in the saddle on a single horse that it would take to do injury. And many riders need only to take a few riding lessons to learn to sit a horse properly to prevent any such injury. I dare say that injury caused by seat bones in riding bareback, or by riding soft saddles, treeless saddles, or leather-flex tree saddles is barely measurable compared to the injury caused by ill fitting hard treed saddles. This would be an interesting study. Gail Springer, PFL Inc. Products for Horse and Home, Blanchard, Idaho www.pflus.com info@pflus.com
Questions and Answers about Paso Finos
April 5th, 2010Maridel Merritt of Syringa Paso Finos has one of the nicest pages for explaining about the Paso Fino I have read. So instead of me trying to duplicate what she has already so eloquently said, please go to her page. The Paso Fino is so much more than “just a horse”. Gail Springer, PFL Inc.
Western States Paso Finos – A Great Information Hub
April 5th, 2010
Western States Paso Fino Logo
Western States is an exclusive site for the Paso Fino in the West. Since the majority of Paso Fino Horses live in the south east, Western States Paso Finos gives those of us who live out this way a place to brag, show off, learn, and market our wares and horses. It is a non association meeting place for the show person as well as the back yard paso lover. Come take a look. The style Maridel Merritt of Syringa Paso Finos, presents and her journalistic expertise make it a winning site all around. Stories, pictures, dreams, they are all here. Come take a look. www.westernstatespasofinos.com Gail Springer, PFL Inc. for Home and Horse, Contact Me
Mary Ben, nearly 90 years young and still riding the Trails in Ok.
March 29th, 2010
Mary Ben and Rafta
Hi Gail, I thought you would be interested in this story and enjoy these pictures. They are of Mary Ben Marshall and her bay Fox Trotter, Rafta. She will be 90 years old before long and still rides and drives her own rig. I have enjoyed trail riding with Mary Ben about 15 years. In that time she has had a double mastectomy, crippling arthritis and pins and screws are the only thing that holds one of her legs together; thus the need for the cane. The only thing she could think about through all of this was how long would it take for her to get back in the saddle. She is a real inspiration. These pictures of her are the first ride 6 weeks after fracturing her pelvic bone in several places last year. She still uses a cane but throws it down as soon as she is mounted. The pics were taken at our Prague Lake trails. We have about 35 miles of trails and a wonderful Lake Ranger that really keeps the trails up!! Had to send one of Sweet, our Fox Trotter and me crossing the water at Sportsman, another nice local trail.
Camping at Prague Lake Recreation Area, Ok
Mary Ben mounting for the first time after six weeks of recoup time.
Mary Ben, First Day Back in the Saddle.
Mary Ben and Rafta ready to ride.
Enjoying the ride at Prague Lake, Ok
Linda White and her Fox Trotter, Sweet at Seminole Trail
Praque Lake Recreation Area, Praque, Ok., Boating, fishing, RV and primitive camping, picnic areas, and more than 25 miles of equestrian and hiking trails. Shoreline length: 11 miles. Directions: 7 miles N of I-40, 3 miles W on Highway 62, 2 miles N on Lake Road, 1 mile E. Fee $2 per horse. For more information, contact Park Ranger Dale Goodnight at (405) 567-2805. Recent improvements include water, electric and tie poles for horse campers. For more riding choices in Ok. please go to Oklahoma Horse Online.
This post was submitted by Linda White. Her and husband, Dale, have a second hand store. They sell everything from the Kitchen sink to Cowboy boots. Come visit, you may find the item you have been looking for. Linda also rides a Tennessee Walking horse named Major.
224 Meadowland Dr
Blanchard, Id 83804
Step 2 in Crupper Training
March 20th, 2010
The second step in training your horse to the crupper can be quick or slow, whichever you choose. My favorite way is the quick way, but sometimes this is not appropriate if your horse is super sensitive. So I will go over both ways here.First the quick way: I like to do this with the horse tied solid to a fence or post in the round pen. Also, make sure you have time to work through this before starting. You don’t want to cut the session short. First of all, you must be able to handle the tail without your horse objecting. Remember, once you get the crupper on, you must be able to get it back off, and if you can’t get near your horses tail, you have a problem. Message the tail as in video one in Lesson One, and slip the crupper under the tail smoothly as shown in the video in this blog (below). Most of the time the horse will not realize immediately what has taken place and you have time to buckle the strap. It doesn’t matter at this point how tight it is, in fact it is better if it is loose, but get it buckled if possible. Now get out of the way and let your horse figure it out. If your horse clamps down on the crupper before you get it all the way under, you will just have to let go and hope all goes well. But get out of the way! After a while your horse should be relaxed enough to stand with his tail soft and not clamping down on the crupper. He will figure this out on his own.
Now the slow way. Play with your horses tail until he acts comfortable with it, then place a short piece of rope or leather, about 20 inches long, under the tail. The horse will clamp down on it with his tail. Get out of the way and let the horse think about what just happened. After a few minutes he should unclamp the tail and the rope or leather should fall down to the ground. At this point you play with the tail again and put the rope back under the tail again. Do this until the horse keeps his tail relaxed and the rope will not stay in place. At this point you are ready to put the crupper under the tail and buckle it loosley.
Both of these methods work to get the crupper on the horse for the first time. Now the reason you have your horse tied inside a round pen is because once he starts moving, the crupper becomes a concern all over again. Some horses scoot (Paso Finos!), some kick, some buck. I like to lunge my horses instead of letting them run free, but you can do either. The idea is to make them move. The sensation of the crupper under the tail will be a concern for several training sessions. They will clamp down on it at any time without warning until they get used to it, and even start liking it. Do not ride with the crupper until you have practiced in the round pen several times without incident.
After your horse stops reacting to the crupper on the ground. You can mount and ride in the round pen with it on. Reach back and pull on it lightly once in a while so he feels pressure while moving. This is what he will feel going down hill. If he is going to react while out on the trail it will be going downhill and having extra pressure on the crupper, so this is a good way to get him ready.
Now taking the crupper off is a backwards session of putting it on. Unbuckle the crupper, and play with the tail until you can lift it and remove the crupper tail piece. Do not just pull it out as the buckle will scratch the soft skin and this will end your session poorly. Work at it until you can do it softly and gently.
This may seem like a long lesson, but you need to get clear through all of it in one session. There is no half way in this training.
Step One – Crupper Training
March 19th, 2010
Leather Tail Piece of a Crupper
The first step to training the horse to accept the crupper has nothing to do with a crupper. It has everything to do with handling the tail. If you don’t feel comfortable brushing your horses tail, then you won’t feel comfortable lifting up on the tail, and if you cannot lift up on the tail you won’t feel comfortable putting your hand under the tail, and on it goes in succession. So step one is simply getting comfortable handling the tail and especially the tail head.
The tail head is where the spine separates from the hip area and flows on independently. The tail is part of the spine. The muscles and ligaments are very strong, but if mishandled can be injured or broken. Horses tails have been broken when used to leverage the animal out of a bog for instance. The strongest place of the tail is at the tail head. A lot of leverage can be put on the tail head and the horse can handle it. Compare it to putting leverage at your armpit area as apposed to your hand area. The horse instinctively knows that his tail is not super strong and tries to protect himself by clamping the tail downward. The area around the anus is also very sensitive and the tail protects this hairless touchy area.
This said, you must start rubbing and messaging around the tail head. Be very soft with this touchy area. Once your horse knows you are not going to scratch him or poke him or wrench his tail, he will actually start lifting it for you because it feels good. Gentleness is the key. When you get to the point that you can put your hand under the tail in the area where the crupper will lay and your horse does not clamp down on your hand, you are ready to go to the next step. Open the video to see one correct way to handle the tail prior to putting on a crupper. Step One Crupper Training Video
Pee Wee Creek Trail at Priest River, Idaho
March 13th, 2010
Rico and Gail on the John Wayne Loop at Pee Wee Creek Trail in North Idaho
Pee Wee Creek Trail, just north of Priest River, Idaho, is a great place to go for a camp-out or just a day ride. This trail head is kept up by the Back Country Horsemen of Priest River and is in great condition.
Paul and I went for a day ride since we live nearby. The ride wasn’t as long as we anticipated because it took us two hours and a chat with a local deputy sheriff to find the place. When we finally did get there we parked in a large area that appeared to be used heavily by motor cycles and to excavate gravel. We parked under some trees and saddled Rico and Cisco.
Because we had never been there before, we had no idea where the trail was so we rode toward the mountain. We quickly found out that we had not parked in the right place! The next driveway would have put us at a great camping area, with a big fire pit, high lines, bathrooms, water tank with a running spring feeding it, and trees! It was a great surprise. This place will take care of a nice sized group.
From the camping area, there are signs posted that tell about the trails; how long they are and their names. They intersect each other and give you the option of taking different routes that circle around and bring you back to the camp from a different direction. I love these kind of trails because you can keep your horse guessing about where he is.
We took the John Wayne loop, because it was the shortest and the name sounded fun. It was a beautiful ride. Part open, part forested and lots of up and down hills. This is a good place for a crupper and breast collar. It is also a good place to have shoes or boots on your horses. We had to let our horses pick their way because they were barefoot. The trails are riddled with small rocks.
It was a fantastic ride and our horses loved the cool drink from the water trough. Now we know where Pee Wee Creek Trail is, and so do you!
Paul and I are planning a camp out and fun ride June 18-19, 2010 at Pee Wee Creek. Bomb fire and evening ride on Friday, Saturday ride and evening Pot Luck on Saturday. Bring your own breakfast, lunch and drinking water (for you). I will have a big pot of Chile and biscuits for the Pot Luck on Saturday night. Bring fill ins. I hope you can all come and camp, or at least come ride for a day.
PFL Inc., 224 Meadowland Dr., Blanchard, Id. 83804, 208-437-0416 info@pflus.com www.pflus.com
Map to Pee Wee Creek Trail Head and Campsite, Priest River, Idaho