Meet the horses of Hawaii!

Hah! Not really. This horse isn't wearing a grass skirt. This is a patented 1896 vintage fly cover/fly sheet, which, as it happens, is made with Mexican grass and wire.


The idea of covering a horse with grass is amusing, but the author states that he "desires it to be distinctly understood" that the patent encompasses other materials such as fringe. Guess this takes us from the Edwardian era to the twenties!

I can't imagine this working on every horse. Riley would be reaching down and tearing off mouthfuls of grass.

BTB Invention central: Cross-tie Saver

Riley redefines mouthy for the equine world, and now that he is sidelined with an abscess, he's antsier than ever. He doesn't take well to 45 minutes in cross-ties while I fuss with his foot. When we're done the ties are soggy from his chewing. I try to use my voice to correct him as much as possible, but I'm so over the "never hit them in the face" adage. Thank goodness he's not head-shy, but I'm sure other boarders are tired of soggy, chewed-on cross ties. What to do? Necessity is the mother of invention, right? Well, meet the nubby no-nibble tie covers! The video says they are untested but at this point they are tested -- and they work, at least for Riley. Even if the covers don't stop the chewing, at least the ties are protected from wear and sogginess.

Note: I'm the narrator, demonstrator, and videographer of this video.
It's a bit unorganized and while I refer to step 3 I don't mention steps 1 and 2 :-)

So, my goofy invention is a plastic tube with sharp nubs on the outside. You pull the cross-ties through the tube to protect them from a chewy horse. Looking to save your cross ties? Here's what you need:

• Clear plastic carpet runners -- the kind with sharp nubs on one side (used for traction) -- in the length of your choosing.
  
• Clear plastic duct tape (Scotch makes it) or regular duct tape should work too .
• Scissors that can cut the runner plastic.
  

STEP 1: Measure the circumference of your cross ties (guesstimate is fine).
STEP 2: Lay out the plastic runner.
STEP 3: Cut the runners. Cut lengthwise, 2-3 feet long and wide enough to wrap around the cross tie. When you cut, make sure that the long sides do NOT have nubs along the edge (you need flat plastic to apply the tape).
STEP 4: Please the nubby side down on a flat surface,
STEP 5: Apply a length of tape along the long side, face down.
STEP 6: Flip the tape back (see video, the part where I really struggle!)
STEP 7: Pull the other edge up and apply it over the sticky tape, smooth side down. It will form a tube.
STEP 8: Cut a thin strip of the duct tape and apply it over the seam of the tube's exterior.

That's it!

Nanotechnology innovations for horses

Nanotechnology is having a dramatic impact on our world, and on human and equine medicine. A number of new horse and pet products use nanotechnology, and over time I've run across a few equine consumer-oriented nano innovations. Thought I'd share...

Nano fabric for horses and riders


Nano paint for horse barns
Nanovations, an Australian company, has developed a paint coating which clears up the air in stables. The paint reduces the risk for horses from cough allergies and lung diseases. The paint has been tested as emission free. Even if a horse would chew on a painted surface, there is no reason to believe that some mechanism within the horse could separate the particles from the adhering paint molecules. A high pressure cleaner can be used to maintain the surface and to make sure dirt build-ups are removed. At the moment the paint comes with a 5 year warranty against fungus and mildew. Theoretically the paint should remain this function forever.

Equiheels: I'm not impressed

At the barn where I keep Harvey, there is a delightful woman (Sara) who takes weekly lessons -- she always a big smile and great enthusiasm. Sara often borrows horses to ride in clinics, and she rode in a Lendon Gray clinic for adults last year. She told me that most participants were riders that were decidedly undiva-like on capable but modest-looking horses. There was one lady, though, on a big-moving warmblood and wearing fancy gear. She was having trouble controlling her horse. Round and round the ring she went at a huge trot that was close to a lengthening. Lendon's words to the rider were to HALF HALT, SLOW DOWN, but the lady seemed oblivious. Lendon is not one to mince words, and she boomed out "I am NOT IMPRESSED. Not impressed AT ALL!"

I second that! Equiheels product review
The Lendon story, and particularly her sentiment, is a lead in for my product review. You know, I'm kind of a sucker for new-fangled products, from the Astride^TM surcingle to the Shoulders Back^TM posture improver. If they're silly and frivolous, at least my gadgets have good intentions, -- helping me, or my horse, improve. When it comes to training "shortcuts," I draw the line. No draw reins. No crank nosebands. No flash attachment binding my horse's mouth shut.

My thoughts (Disclaimer: haven't tried it, won't try it)
When I saw the Equiheels^TM product ad appearing at the top of my Gmail mailbox, I thought it might be a new heel stretcher for riders. Gadget alert! Ever hopeful, I clicked. Nope, it's not a gadget to help you fix your riding problems. It's a heeel insert that supposedly creates the appearance that your heel is down while allowing you -- in fact encouraging you to ride en pointe like a ballerina. In other words, it's a gimmick to make you look like a better rider than you are. To quote Lendon Gray I am NOT IMPRESSED. Not impressed AT ALL!

To the maker of the product, I have these comments...

• I've worn, and seen other people wear, ill fitting boots that drop down at the heel -- the boot heel is several inches below the actual heel. It's obvious that the human heel is not at the bottom of the boot -- no one's ankle breaks at that telltale funny angle. Judges and trainers are not fooled and like me, NOT IMPRESSED.
• Did it occur to you that when the heel is down, the rest of the leg becomes more secure? The thigh drops down, the seat is closer to the saddle, and the rider finds a sweet spot of stability/balance. Your product actually prevents the rider from assuming a more correct position.
• What are we teaching kids by using this product? Isn't it a little deceptive? Kind of like cheating? I noted the ad copy on your Web site:

  Yes, EquiHeels are legal and can be used in the show ring. Because they fit perfectly inside your boot, the best part is that no one will even know you're using them!

• How goofy are these kids going to look wearing flat heeled boots but walking like they're teetering down a runway in stilletos? More ad copy on your Web site:

Although you may be surprised at how comfortable they are to walk in, we recommend that you simply insert the EquiHeels just prior to mounting your horse, and remove them soon after dismounting.

Even the gadget queen looks askance
I'm all for whatever tools help us to legitimately improve our horses or our riding. After all, I'm the queen of gadgets. But for equestrian sports (and probably any sport), products that try to circumvent the old fashioned notion of "paying your dues" are doomed to fail. If there was an easy button for being a good rider, we'd all be good riders.

Horse braiding patents: Any help I can get

Here is a closeup of Riley's braids for the last horse show we attended -- did'em myself at 3am, and he was not very cooperative to boot! Riley's usual offensive tactic against braiders is extreme mouthiness. On a whim, I pulled a brand new, never-used cribbing muzzle out of my tack box, and vecro-ed it to his halter. Once Riley realized his teeth and lips were useless, he fell into a trance, waking every five minutes or so to attempt the nip/nudge game again. I had him done in under an hour, about an hour ahead of schedule. God love the inventor of the cribbing muzzle.

God love the inventors
God love the inventors of all equine gadgets! While I was at work the other evening (evening desk shift), I helped a client search for U.S. patents. Afterward, tried a few keyword searches for horse braiding-related patents. Ruthann Smith's braiding tool is patented -- to me it hardly seems worth patenting, but hey, she can really braid, and she's making a good living.

Here are a few interesting ones...

Pre-braided horse tail (patented by Lisa Penge, Gloversville NY)
Here's an interesting one that I think has lurked in the subconscious of every hunter rider (except George Morris)...



Horse mane unbraider (patented by Karin Flint, Bloomfield Hills, MI)

And here's one that seems like it'd be pretty handy. I've never seen one for sale but it looks like the D-braider...



Now someone just needs to invent the "press-apply hunter braids"!

Would you clone your horse?

You may have already read the announcement in The Horse magazine -- the French company Cryozootech has produced a clone of Gem Twist, the famous jumper. Is this little guy (pictured left) a doll? The state of cloning has apparently advanced rapidly. Poetin has been cloned, and now Gem Twist (a gelding) may be able to be used in breeding. The cost of cloning is still rather high -- $150K, but its sure to come down. Horses are a good choice for the cloning industry, as their breeding value can go into the millions. The interest in cloning horses does beg a question, though. Will cloning someday be available to the consumer for their companion animals? Will people start to clone their horses? And more to the point, would I ever clone my horse?


O brother where art thou?
I have thought of "finding another Harvey" but not through cloning. I searched horse sale sites for Harvey's brothers/sisters. Several years ago, a horse appeared on Equine.com by Harv's sire, High Tribute. His name was Big Country (BC) and he is pictured right. BC looked amazingly similar to Harvey, and the owners kindly sent me a video. Harv and BC could be twins in terms of type and they had the same had/face. However Big Country was "hot" and his gaits were more impressive. His professional rider had trouble containing him in a first level test. His ears were pinned repeatedly and he kicked out a few times, but he definitely had a show ring presence. BC was reportedly schooling fourth level with FEI potential. Harvey, on the other hand, has a particularly kind way of going, and he's gotten 8's for obedience. His performance may not scream FEI, but when he's under saddle those ears are pricked forward!

Thinking of cloning?
If you have a few hundred thousand to spare, and have a horse or pony you're fond of, here are a few things to think about before you plunk your money down..

• Cloned horses are not copies of the original. Texas A&M produced five clones of a quarter horse stallion, and the clones look more like brothers than clones: they have different markings; they are different heights; their conformation differs. To explain the color differences, The Horse magazine article says, genetics call for white at the extremities, not necessarily specifying a location. Cells for white pigmentation can migrate differently in different individuals. So socks mix and match, and a donor might have one white hind sock while a clone gets a blaze. See the photos to the right of the barrel horse Scamper and his clone to the right.
  
  
• Although cloned horses don't experience the same level of health issues as sheep and cattle, they horses can experience problems early in life. This is because DNA pulled from cells will have some genes turned "on" while others are "off" depending on what type of cell the DNA is pulled from--skin cells will have skin-related genes turned "on". When the DNA is inserted into the oocyte, the DNA has to be reprogrammed to turn on the genes. Sometimes this process is not 100% reliable. Different animals have different kinds of health issues. Cloned baby horses are more prone to contracted tendons, oxygenation problems, low birth weight
  
  
• The uterus is a critical environmental factor that determines individual differences among horses -- even those that are genetically identical. Natural identical twin horses can vary dramatically in height--by as much as two hands. For example, differences in the availability of the placenta nutrients will alter a horse's appearance. And placenta seems to be the most affected part of cloning. The placenta of a cloned horse may not deliver nutritients as well as that of a non-cloned individual.
  

My take
I can't really stomach the notion of consumers cloning their companion animal. Imagine cloning the horse of your life to find that the clone just "isn't your baby." And how unfair to the animal! Besides, isn't it kind of creepy anyway? Like hiring a taxidermist so you can still have your horse around?

RESOURCES ON HORSE CLONING

Equine cloning: Where are we today?

Champion clones join Texas horse stables from NPR

Equine Cloning Expert Reviews Successes, Challenges

Cloning the Equine from Google books

Nuclear transfer saddles up from Nature

Champion horse cloning

Worlds first horse cloning opportunity opens to the public from Medical News Today

More strange horse patents...

The most bizarre award goes to...
The sandbox horse training apparatus (Richardson, no first name, 1976). Anyone care to guess what this is about? At first I thought it would be litterbox training, but what's with the horsey TV?

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Also ran...
US Patent 5775071 - Device and method for correcting the gait of a bad gaited horse. This one has "rope burns" written all over it.

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And then we have...
Equine training aid balancer, Patent 4004403. When you are really specific about where you want your horse to carry his head...

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