Acronyms are words or partial words formed from the initial letters of compound terms such CEO for chief executive officer, DVD for digital video disc, KFC for Kentucky Fried Chicken, and even DVM for doctor of veterinary medicine.
These days acronym vocabulary is growing exponentially with e-mails and text-messaging.
The part about acronyms that fascinates me most is that some can conjure up entire concepts.
The acronyms above describe what people do: a movie and a fast-food chain. My favourite acronym is KISS, which I prefer to translate as keep it simple sweetheart, but is also interpreted as keep it simple stupid.
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This acronym conveys the power of simplicity.
We have become somewhat eccentric in the care of our horses and have created imbalances in their natural state of being. The following six points outline how the KISS concept could improve horse care.
The first point addresses the simplicity of a feeding program. Twenty pounds of quality grass hay and five pounds of oats or 12-17 hours of grazing serves the nutritional needs of most horses.
Horses have evolved over millions of years. Respecting evolutionary design regardless of our understanding of it is critical to the horse.
Processed feeds and supplements can create imbalances, upsetting critical pH balances and metabolic processes.
The second simple message is that movement is essential for a horse’s physical, mental and emotional health. Movement brings oxygen to the tissues and properly oxygenated tissues operate optimally.
Movement passively drives the horse’s lymphatic system, carrying away metabolic wastes and nourishing the body tissues. It is imperative to a functioning immune system. Horses denied appropriate movement appear to need vaccinations to maintain protection against disease when movement, sunshine and fresh air would provide equally successful disease protection.
Movement is the primary emotional release for horses. Emotions denied this release become suppressed or repressed and can surface at unexpected times, producing surprises.
Maintaining a horse barefoot is critical to a lifetime of soundness. Although many of us would like a recipe for trimming horse’s hoofs, nature sculpts form to function, which means the balance of a horse’s foot is influenced by the animal’s environment, its posture, and its movement. If any one of these variables changes, so does the balance of the hoof, because everything within the horse is connected to the hoof and the horse is also connected to its environment. Simple hoof trimming brings the hoof into appropriate balance by trimming what would naturally have been worn away through movement over a particular terrain.
As well, competent dentistry is critical to a horse’s health. Not all horses require dental work, but a thorough dental evaluation will benefit all horses. Good quality grass, hay, grazing and movement are support and will help maintain dental balance. Good horsemanship also has a positive influence on dental balance.
The fifth simple message is to simplify tack. Your bank account will be a real beneficiary here. The adage “less is more” is most applicable here.
Often, the motivation behind buying another piece of tack, especially bits, is that the tack will improve the horse’s behaviour. Rarely does another bit or tacking device appropriately resolve a confused horse. A fresh start with a different understanding about the horse’s understanding often leads to a good resolution.
The final simple message in the KISS method is to consider educating the horse instead of using traditional strict training.
Training horses has historically carried an element of coercion along with it. But horses are capable of understanding what is expected of them. Great horsemen have shown this and working with a horse that is a willing partner is a relationship that many horse owners aspire to.
Sorting out facts from opinions can be a daunting task for horse owners. Observation is the best pathway to knowing the difference.
Carol Shwetz is a veterinarian practising in Westlock, Alta.
