On his blog, William Miklem talks about the importance of what he calls the “fifth leg” for an event horse, who needs to be able to balance in order to stay safe. It’s important for a jockey’s hand to sometimes act as a “fifth leg” in order to support a horse who is running on empty and needs to make it across the finish line.  The same is true of a young horse learning to balance downhill across open country.

Ultimately and if possible (which excludes fatigued horses) we want the “fifth leg” to belong exclusively to the horse, although we may use our hands initially as a “fifth leg” crutch to assist the horse in finding its own balance.

All too often, unfortunately, we see the use of the hand as a permanent “fifth leg.”  The only job of that “fifth leg” is to support the rider or hold the horse in compression as a substitute for self carriage.  Just as a tight flash noseband acts as a poor stand-in for a quiet mouth, “contact” (that popular synonym for pulling on the horse’s mouth) acts as a stand-in for a true, feeling and sensitive connection between the rider’s hand and the horse’s mouth.

Riders who always provide their hands as a fifth leg for the horse end up at some point like poor Laurel and Hardy — the “third leg” — in today’s picture. Carrying all the weight of the horse, when the horse should instead be carrying them.  If only their horses were as content as the grey on the piano.

From the menu at the airport restaurant, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

What an incredible island.  And incredible mangoes.  We’ll never forget swimming with the horses, sitting on their bare backs in our bathing suits, their bodies submerged — and ours half-submerged — under the warm, clear turquoise water.  Thank you Eliza & Henry & Nikki & Blue & Dakota.

Retailers in the UK and Ireland initially recalled approximately 10 million pounds of hamburger after three beef processors were discovered distributing hamburger patties containing both pig and horse DNA.

It was DNA testing as part of a quality assurance test that originally revealed the presence of horsemeat in beef products in mid-January.  As of today, nothing definitive has been proven regarding the scandal, but all of Europe’s health ministers are gathering in Brussels to talk about what should be done. As many as 16 EU countries have revealed that beef sold in those countries contains horsemeat.

There is no government-based DNA testing of meat here in the US (although the technology is available here and in use by private companies selling Black Angus beef).  And while it’s unlikely that any of our own beef contains horse, since there are currently no slaughter plants in the US, one has to wonder about the past.

As horsemen, we’ve likely all given our horses bute, at one time or another. Many of us have administered it more times than we can count.  That’s been the big lie within the bigger lie of “100% beef,” certainly abroad and likely here in the US as well.

Phenylbutazone was originally developed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and gout in humans, but was withdrawn from human consumption decades ago, after it was found that one in 30,000 people given bute developed aplastic anemia, a fatal disease if untreated.

There are currently international checks to prevent phenylbutazone from entering the human food supply.  Nevertheless, the UK’s chief medical inspector, Dame Sally Davies, was recently quoted as saying “there is nothing to suggest a safety risk to consumers who may have eaten the products [contaminated with horse meat].”  Shades of the mad cow disease scandal and the equally botched attempts of UK officials to address the real issues as they attempt to reassure the public.  Will they ever learn?  

Interestingly, in September of 2010, bute was discovered in cattle samples from two different farms in Northern Ireland.  We eat plenty of cattle here in the US.  In fact, we kill 10 billion animals per year to consume as beef. And aside from selected Black Angus, we have no idea what we’re actually eating or how contaminated it is.

Let us not forget that in the US, deadly E. coli is not considered a contaminant — it is considered an adulterant.  But only in ground beef.  In whole cuts of beef, it’s perfectly okay.  Salmonella is also not an adulterant.  It’s okay, too. And all food recalls in the US are voluntary on the part of the manufacturer or distributer.

Lack of funding for USDA inspections, for whatever they might be worth, effectively eliminated the horse slaughter industry here in the US.  And although the spending cut for those inspections ended last September, no money has currently been allocated to facilitate them.  If and when it is, I bet it won’t include DNA testing.

The traceability of contaminants in our ground meat supply is considerably worse than it is in Europe.  It’s little comfort that the USDA’s Economic Research Service produced a document entitled Traceability in the U.S. Food Supply.  As it states in regards to the beef industry, “a system for tracking each and every input and process with a degree of precision for every objective would be virtually impossible.”  This statement of protest paves the way for a cost-benefit analysis.  No surprise there.  The words “market” and “marketing” appear three times in the “Factors Affecting Benefits.”  The word “consumer” appears nowhere.

As usual, if we want to understand how 100% beef became maybe some horse, we need to understand why.  It’s easy if you follow the money. According to Food Safety News, at current prices, 2.3 pounds of beef costs about $5.36, while 2.3 pounds of horsemeat costs just $1.21.  No wonder our horses are shipped to other countries to be killed.  Or why 10 times as many horses were slaughtered last year in Ireland as there were just five years ago. Or why almost twice as many horses were slaughtered in the UK as there were just three years ago.

Photograph by Andrew Butko

There are more reasons than ever to fill your plate with plants.  And to think twice before you give your horse away to anyone.

Photo courtesy of Mary and Angus Hogg. Thank you!

….Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg,

And win the key-stane o’ the brig;

There at them thou thy tail may toss,

A running stream they dare na cross. [witches and water don't mix]

But ere the key-stane she could make,

The feint a tail she had to shake!

For Nannie, far before the rest,

Hard upon noble Maggie prest,

And flew at Tam wi’ furious ettle;

But little wist she Maggie’s mettle -

Ae spring brought off her master hale,

But left behind her ain gray tail;

The carlin claught her by the rump,

And left poor Maggie scarce a stump…

You can read the complete poem in its original form along with an easy English translation here.  Unfortunately, I am having difficulty finding information on the sculpture or artist.  If anyone knows more about it, please share!  Thanks ~

A beautiful tail at the Lipika Stud Farm in Slovenia

Whether your horse has a woeful tail or a gorgeous tail, you can improve it.

With coconut oil.  

It’s the trendy substance right now for healthy cooking.

Some of us have discovered how great it is for skin care, as a hand cream or bath oil.

African-Americans have been it on hair for a long time.  And the rest of us are now catching up.

Whether the hair is in the boudoir or in the barn, the secret of coconut oil is out.

And what is the secret exactly?  It turns out that coconut oil has a unique ability to bind to the protein structure of hair and to seal moisture inside the hair shaft. After a coconut oil treatment, hair feels soft and silky while looking thicker.  Sounds like the recipe for a perfect tail, doesn’t it?

Long before I began cooking with it, I read about using coconut oil on horse’s tails in a thread on the ultimatedressage.com bulletin board.  I tried it.  It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my horses’ tails.  And that’s why I want to share it with you.

The whole process takes at least a week.  You won’t want to do it during the cold weather (your horse’s tail will resemble frozen Crisco and you’ll end up moisturizing your blankets).  You will want to know that you don’t need to go anywhere (no shows or clinics).  While you’re doing it, your horse’s tail will look dreadful and feel even worse (ooey gooey).  And you should be prepared to have people in the barn make fun of you.  Until they see the results, that is.  Then, be prepared to have them be envious.

Here’s the recipe:

1.  Wash and dry your horse’s tail.

2.  Apply enough coconut oil to saturate your horse’s tail and rub it in.  Don’t be stingy.  Be messy.

3.  Re-apply and re-saturate your horse’s tail each day for six more days.

4.  On the seventh day, wash your horse’s tail.

5.  Admire the results.

If I remember correctly, the original poster of The Coconut Oil Horse Tail Beautification Project suggested repeating the steps I’ve outlined for a second week.  I never felt the need to do that, since the results were outstanding after only one week.  For all I know, I was leaving upside on the table, but sometimes, enough is enough.

Like now.  I have to go take care of my Yankee-Irish horsewhispering boyfriend who had knee surgery today, which went well.  Sigh of relief.  I have help today on my farm.  Sigh of relief.  And I have to do nightcheck.

Before I go, though, I want you to know that you don’t need to buy virgin coconut oil at nearly a dollar an ounce. You can buy it for a tenth that amount, in bulk, from soap making suppliers.  Why not go in with a bunch of friends and split it, while repairing your horses’ split ends?

And if you want to keep your horse’s tail beautiful, leaving it alone is the best thing you can do.  When you feel you need to get the tangles out, handpick while your horse eats hay.  It’s not only a lost art, it’s adaptive reuse — stall as meditation room.  You’ll know you’re done when you can run your fingers through the tail without getting hung up on a knot. Then, a brush from the dock down with a soft brush will give you glory.

If you haven’t used the coconut oil in a while, a tail can get pretty tangled. That’s when I get out my Carr & Day & Martin Canter Mane & Tail Conditioner and spray before picking.  It does have silicone in it, which I know is not the healthiest thing for hair, but I use it only occasionally and the coconut oil seems like a good antidote.  I’ve tried lots of other tail conditioners and this one is still my favorite.

Do you have a favorite recipe for a beautiful tail?