Archive for category: News

For a horse’s first day downtown, we pick a quiet evening when there is not much going on in town, and we go for a short drive through the James Bay residential area and/or Beacon Hill Park.  Over the next few days, we will bring the horse out for gradually longer periods of time, still sticking to the quieter parts of town, and avoiding busy intersections.  We start bringing the horse to the carriage stand on Menzies St., where he will see his buddies hanging out, and start to learn that that is “home base”.  He will start getting accustomed to seeing his buddies around town, and learn that at the end of the day, they all return home together again.

All of this work is done with two people on board the carriage – the driver, and a “footer”.  There will only be one driver of a new horse to ensure that a strong partnership develops: this ensures the driver can quickly identify changes in the horse’s behavior, and provides the horse maximum consistency in what is asked of him.  The footer’s job is to be ready to jump down and lead the horse if he gets confused or nervous, although most of the time, the footer just gets to come along for the ride!  If you happen to see us working with a new horse in town, you will likely notice the footer riding on the running board of the carriage, beside the passenger seats.  This position allows the footer to be able to step down very easily and get to the horse’s head if needed, and also allows the driver to take up the entire box seat, saving the footer from taking an accidental elbow to the ribs!

As the horse becomes comfortable with the routine in town, we will start taking guests on tours.  We still have two staff on the carriage, and now, the footer’s job is to give the guests the tour, so that the driver can focus entirely on the horse.  We continue in this way for a week or two, until the driver feels comfortable doing everything herself.  The time this takes is different for every horse, but as a driver, you know when the time is right.

At this point, the horse has passed the beginning stages of the training program and is considered a Novice carriage horse.  He remains restricted to working in select areas, and we will carefully schedule what days and times the horse works, according to what else is going on in town. The horse’s training continues both at the farm and in town, as we continue to build his confidence of new situations.

It’s all about building up confidence and setting the horse up for success.  Time and miles are the best teachers of all, and it is always a joy to watch new horses get the hang of things, and come to really enjoy their new career!

When you see our horses working downtown, you see horses that are relaxed, confident, and know their job so well they could probably complete the route in their sleep.  Have you ever wondered where they came from, or how they learned to do their job so well?

Our horses come to us from all over Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.  They come from varied backgrounds, but all of them are experienced driving horses.  Many come from a farming background, particularly from Northern BC and Alberta, where draft horses are still heavily relied on to get work done around the farm.  Some have been show horses, competing at local fairs and larger exhibitions such as the PNE and the Calgary Stampede.  Some have done some commercial work already, working in smaller towns or doing private events and parades.

When a new horse arrives on our farm, it will be at least a couple months, and in some cases up to a year before they actually come downtown.  No matter where they have come from, they enter into our industry-leading horse development program, where they must successfully pass several levels of training to ensure that they have all of the skills and knowledge necessary to work downtown with ease, confidence, and enjoyment.

Despite their previous experience, when we begin working with a new horse, we assume that they know nothing and start from the very beginning: this allows us to carefully assess what they do know, and fill in any and all gaps along the way.  It also ensures that they have a very solid foundation, and also allows us to develop a trusting relationship with them which is a key factor for success downtown.

The foundation work is all done from the ground, and includes a number of different activities, each intended to develop certain skills.  We then move into driving, and gradually introduce the horse to the different sights and sounds he will encounter downtown.  Developing the horse’s foundational skills is discussed in Part 2.

When I took over the company in September 2015, I was overwhelmed with what I didn’t know.  Although I had been part of the business for almost 25 years, horse care fell fully to my late husband.  In November of that year, I contracted the services of Glenn Stewart, an internationally recognized natural horsemanship trainer and certified farrier.  I brought him to my farm where he initially spent three days with us going through our entire operation, encompassing everything from farm to town.

One of his observations was that  some of our horses were not being balanced properly in their bodies, via their feet.  While I was open to the idea of a change in our shoeing program, I wanted to do so with careful thought and consideration.  At that time, we were using rubber shoes with a steel core.  We’d been using these shoes for years with the idea that while they could not be adjusted much to treat specific joint or hoof issues, they provided traction and cushion for the horse.

I consulted further with Glenn and other experts: my learning grew and I started to explore options.  Over the next six months Tally-Ho tried three different alternatives with no real success.  In May 2016 we met Will Clinging, a well-respected certified journeyman farrier.  Under Will’s lead, we decided to try two of our horses in steel shoes with borium for traction.  He, and his team, custom made each shoe according to the individual horse’s need, ensuring his gait and body posture was correct (much like orthotics for humans).

These horses were then closely monitored for both positive and negative changes in their biomechanics and gait.  Both horses started moving better throughout their entire body, especially in their footfall placement which is key to maintaining healthy joints and muscles.  To our surprise, they also showed improvements in their overall coordination and self-awareness.  We were thrilled with the results (as were they)!

Today, Will and his team provide regular hoof care to our entire herd, ensuring their feet are trimmed and shoes re-fit to give them support, protection and traction when working downtown.  The formalized shoeing schedule ranges between 4 to 7 weeks, depending on seasonal conditions and if the horse has any special requirements that need to be addressed on an individual and frequent basis to prevent and treat lameness and unsoundness.  In the winter months we only keep a handful of horses shod and the rest go barefoot while they are not working.

We are thrilled to have Will as a key member of the Tally-Ho team.  He has reached a level of excellence within his profession that is clearly being recognized by his peers! “I am endorsed by the American Farriers Association (AFA) as a Certified Journeyman Farrier (CJF)[1].  I am an approved and updated AFA tester.  I am also the Vice President of the Western Canadian Farriers Association.  I take my trade very seriously!”

 

“I have been 23 years in the livestock industry, as a working cowboy, a horse trainer and a farrier.  I have even shod horses for our Honorable Lt. Gov. Judith Guichon when I lived in Merritt BC.  I have met and worked on thousands of horses in those combined capacities.  I have worked on backyard horses, ranch horses and show horses in multi-million dollar barns and I have met very few horses that are as well kept and as happy as the horses that work on the streets of Victoria!  This City should be proud to have two world class companies operating as allies on the same streets bringing smiles to most people that see them and a sense of satisfaction and pride to me when I see and hear them walk.”

– Will Clinging

 

Contributor:  Donna Friedlander

 

[1] “Farriers sitting for this level of certification are expected to display in-depth knowledge and highly developed performance skills evidencing a level of professional artistry. The process requires successful completion of written and practical testing, as well as the forging of a specific bar shoe within a prescribed time limit.” (American Farriers Association)

Draft horses are the gentle giants of the horse kingdom.  Also called heavy horses and workhorses, these are horses whose primary purpose is to pull heavy loads.  There are many dozens of draft horse breeds throughout the world.  The most common in North America are the Belgian, Clydesdale, Percheron, and Shire.  The Clydesdale is likely the most well known now, thanks to Budweiser, however all draft breeds are celebrated for their calm, friendly temperaments, strength and patience.[1]  They make great work partners.

Draft horses weigh a ton – literally!  Most drafts tip the scales at close to 2,000 pounds or more, and will eat 40-50 pounds of hay a day.  Built for power and stamina, they can pull several times their own weight (our carriage horses only use about 25% of that capacity), and will happily do so all day long.

Draft horses LOVE to work!  They thrive when provided with a regular, fulfilling job to do day after day in partnership with their favourite human.  It is not uncommon for drafts to show signs of boredom, frustration, and even depression when lacking regular work.  When given a meaningful job and attentive care, most draft horses will be found waiting at their gate every morning, and would likely harness themselves if they had opposable thumbs!

The ancestors of our modern-day draft horses date back at least as far as the time of the Roman Empire, when the likes of Julius Caesar rode big black horses into battle.  Noted for their size, strength, and bravery, these ancient warhorses proved reliable in the farm fields as well, and have been carefully bred over the centuries to produce many different outstanding draft horse breeds.

Draft horses built our civilization as we know it.  From plowing fields to building roads to transporting construction materials, these horses played an invaluable role in the development of our country.  Nowadays, draft horses have many different jobs around the world.  In North America, they are most commonly seen doing farm work, logging, and giving carriage, wagon, and sleigh rides, as well as showing off in parades, fairs, and pulling contests.  Next time you hear of draft horses making an appearance in your community, be sure to take the opportunity to meet them up close.  The size, power, and grace of these gentle giants will amaze you!

 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_horse

 

Contributor: Christine Beattie

All horses that we work with at Tally-Ho have the correct disposition for what we ask of them. Not every horse has the ‘right stuff’ to be a carriage horse; but the ones that are successful and working in downtown Victoria, absolutely love it!

In 2016 we partnered with Glenn Stewart (www.thehorseranch.com), a leading expert on horse behavior who educates humans on how to develop trust-based partnerships with our horses.

In Glenn’s words “Horsemanship is what keeps you and the horse safe and gives both parties enjoyment. The more you understand the horse and work with their natural tendencies the more extraordinary the results can be. It is natural if you cause and allow learning to happen rather than make. Considering the horse’s point of view first and then the best way to present your idea can all be learnt. If you get it right, everything else will be too! If you understand what is important to them, have the ability to read each as an individual and know the why, the how and the when to responding, the possibilities for what horse and human can achieve in a partnership are limitless.”
The Tally-Ho horses are asked to manage a wide variety of situations in downtown Victoria, and is incumbent upon us to ensure that we provide them all the tools necessary for them to be safe, happy and successful in their jobs. To do this, it is essential that we build their confidence to be able to manage unforeseen situations presented to them, respect for their humans and herd-mates, and understanding of what is being asked of them in any circumstance.

We are excited to introduce our new Horse Development program, designed to increase our horses’ confidence, and enhance the human-equine partnerships that our team cherishes. Stay tuned for updates on our journey!