Several months ago, I signed up to receive Kam Tips of the Week (no affiliation).
I did this because I love to find out new information and also because these tips often spur ideas for blog posts… Today, they inspired me to tell youall about these Tips of the Week.
Kam Animal Services
KAM ANIMAL SERVICES TIP OF THE WEEK
What I like about these Tips is that they don’t fill up my mailbox – they don’t sell your email address – and the snippets are short and to the point. So, if I want to research more, I can go on the web or listen to their webinar about the subject. I like that. Easy.
I LEARN SOMETHING
Often, I learn something that I didn’t know – or I get a different viewpoint of what I thought I did know.
For example, This Tip came in the form of an email to me. “How to Use a Diaper to Pack a Hoof”.
Hmmmmm. OK, hit me.
Here is what it said:
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Now, I probably knew the general packing information part of that tip, but truly, I just learned about using diapers last year. And, it was around the same time that I learned about the abscess drawing agent pad “The Animalintex”. Love those! (I used those for Norma when she had her abscess last December. They were cheap, easy to apply and awesome!)
Not only that, this packing tip gives step by step on duct tape wraps as well as what to look for to make sure all is OK – both good things. I mean, how often has someone said to just ‘duct tape bootie it’. Yeah, easy for you to say. But making a duct tape bootie is another story…
The tips tell you just enough to gain some knowledge and to pursue it if you'd like.
ASSORTMENT OF TOPICS WRITTEN BY SPECIALISTS
Here are a few more recent topics from the Kam website:
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TOPICS
I have a two Kam Tips emails pulled out here on my desktop. The topics are THE KINDEST CUT OF ALL! and A JOINTED MOUTHPIECE IS NOT ALWAYS A SNAFFLE. I’ll cut and paste one here:
‘A Jointed Mouthpiece is not always a Snaffle’
The distinction between a snaffle and curb bit is really quite simple: a snaffle bit works on direct pressure while a curb bit works on indirect pressure. Unfortunately this distinction is commonly misunderstood among even some experienced horse owners and trainers. And note that a broken mouthpiece does not a snaffle make.
Snaffle: A snaffle bit applies direct pressure from the rider’s hands through the reins to the horse’s mouth, tongue, and bars. A snaffle bit consists of two rings, on either end, joined by a mouthpiece which can be either straight or jointed. The mouthpiece can be made of several materials but is most commonly available in stainless steel, copper, and rubber. Common styles of snaffle bits include mullen, jointed, rubber, and twisted. The bit rings can be round, D shaped, egg shaped, have extensions called “cheeks,” and come in a variety of styles.
Snaffle bits are usually both mild and simple to use and are often the bit of choice for green or inexperienced horses and beginning riders. Remember however, rough hands significantly increase the severity of any bit.
In general, the circumference of the mouthpiece determines the relative severity of the snaffle bit: the thicker the mouthpiece, the milder the bit. Twisted and wire snaffle bits can be severe and should only be used by experienced riders.
Curb: Curb bits have shanks attached to the mouthpiece which cause an increase in leverage, multiplying the pressure the rider applies to the reins. These bits act not only on the mouth, tongue, and bars, but also exert pressure on the horse’s poll and chin groove. In general, the longer the shank, the more severe the effect of the bit.
Curb bits can be more severe and should only be used on horses that are accustomed to them and by experience riders with sensitive hands.
Curb bits should be used with a curb strap or chain which attaches to both sides of the bit and rests in the horse’s chin groove. The curb strap squeezes the horse’s chin when the rider uses the reins.
Curb bits may have a port (or bump) in the center of the mouthpiece which can be low, medium, or high. A very high port with spoon shaped molding is called a spade and can be very severe. Spade bits should only be used by experts. Curb bits are also available with a broken or jointed mouthpiece.
English riders often use an English curb bit in combination with a snaffle bit (in a full bridle) for upper level dressage or saddle seat. The Pelham is an English style bit which combines both the curb and snaffle actions in one bit with a snaffle ring for direct pressure and a rein ring (at the bottom of the shank) for indirect pressure. The Kimberwicke also combines both actions in one English bit.
Bit Selection
Deciding which type of bit to use and purchase for your horse can be a challenging and confusing task. It is best to work with a professional to determine the best bit for both your horse’s training and performance level along with your experience, riding style, and discipline. It’s important to note, as with all other tack, some bits are considered appropriate for certain disciplines while the use of others may not be allowed in certain competitions.
When choosing a bit for your horse, take into consideration the equipment that has been used on him or her in the past and how he or she worked using that equipment. A common mistake is to try to compensate for lack of training or ability of either the rider or the horse by using a more severe bit than the horse should require.
In a joint effort to help educate the horse world, this tip is brought to you by the Kentucky Horse Council (www.kentuckyhorse.org) and KAM Animal Services, home of KAM’s “Equine Learning Circle” FREE monthly webinars and weekly tips. The Kentucky Horse Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated, through education and leadership, to the protection and development of the Kentucky equine community. Go to www.kamanimalservices.com to register for the next webinar or sign-up to be notified when a new tip comes out.
I also found a website that has some of the Kam Tips listed. The site is called Advanced Biological Concepts Holistic Nutrition.
They feature the topics: “TRAILER SMART”, “COLIC OR DIARRHEA” and “HOW TO MAKE A HORSE SWEAT” to name a few. You can go there to check them out.
IN CONCLUSION
I am not affiliated with Kam Animal Services other than I really appreciate these tips and I do subscribe to their webinars when I want to attend on a particular subject.
I just like these little weekly dittys in my mailbox. And, I thought you might as well…
A few more of the many topics...
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Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
