Malama Pono Equine Assisted Services

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"I can't"

I just need you to do 1 more good circle.
"It hurts me to do, I can't."
I just need you to try a little harder.
"I would like to, but I can't"
One more time, stop ignoring the leg.
"I'm not trying to, but I just can't bend in that direction"
Keep your head down, stop being silly!
"Lowering it hurts, I can't hold it"

How many times has our horse told us that they CAN'T do something, but it has fallen on deaf ears or been misconstrued as "I won't"? How many times do you think they've tried to tell us, as gently as possible, again and again while being constantly ignored? Imagine how often they must've tried before they felt the need to scream it as loudly as possible? That "dangerous behavior" is a desperate attempt to get you to listen because they literally CAN'T do what you're asking of them, not without pain. We as a CEE or CSE don't profess to be equine behaviorists, but we do understand pain and how it is often communicated. Oftentimes it isn't the pinning of ears or swishing of tail, but much more subtle. The tail held to one side, moving out of the elbows instead of the shoulders, dropping the back, being a bit heavy on the forehand, mouth open during riding but not pulling or chomping, uneven or increased respiratory rate and much more.

Tripping can be attributed to a saddle that pinches the thoracic trapezius.
Irregular breathing or urinating during/immediately after riding can be from a saddle pressing into the Bladder Meridian.
Refusal to bend, counter cantering, tail to one side, swapping leads or feeling like they stepped in a hole behind could be from a saddle twisting and the panel connecting with the spine.
Girthiness can be attributed to having the wrong length of girth where the buckles sit against the pectoral or latissimus edge. It could also be from uneven pressure caused by some shaped girths, or a girth that is too bulky.

There's no nice way to put this, but we as an industry need to do away with a lot of bu****it practices that only serve to feed our vain desire to have something "pretty" and completely forgoes the living, feeling, SENTIENT creature on the other end.

- Flash (tight or not, get rid of it)
- Mane pulling - We already know that they can feel the lightest touch, so why in the name of everything are we yanking out their hair! Why are equestrians causing their horse direct, willful trauma?
- Clipping whiskers - Luckily this is illegal in some places, but still heavily practiced in others despite the fact that they are CRUCIAL to spatial awareness at the very least.
- Heavy schooling & jumping before skeletal maturity. We already know parts of the body mature at different rates, with the vertebral plates fusing as late as 6 years old for some horses. So why then are we riding BABIES into the ground!

All of this, for what? A 'prettier' horse? A little ribbon? A quicker turn around for "training" which means more money for the "trainer". Everything for vanity, ego and greed.

As the pendulum swings further to the side of compassionate equestrianism and continued education in all things horse related, one cannot help but scratch their head as their fellow riders profess their love for their horse and then proceed to inflict pain and suffering without so much as batting an eye. Are they so removed from reality that they fail to see that literally ripping out chunks of mane might be pretty damn painful for the horse? Or perhaps that a gaping mouth is normal and nothing to be concerned about. Or horses who are basically completely broken by the time they're 12 because they were ridden too early, too hard and are now paying the ultimate price.

/end rant

I am sad to announce that Malama Pono is now closed at the Lahaina Stables location and will remain so indefinitely while we reassess and until a new location can be found that is in alignment with PATH International standards for safety and best practices, and if on the West or South side, requires a covered arena. The owner has decided to use the facility for other purposes. All current and former students, volunteers, and friends have been notified personally.
Big Mahalo to all who have helped us get started and supported our mission over the past 18 months!

ETA- These are prices from the York Co. Pa area. And the price per gallon of diesel listed is for bulk off road usage. It is not the price for ‘on road’ usage ( which is much higher)
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From one of my hay suppliers. I think keeping things transparent between the supplier and consumer is paramount.

Are you as a boarder at a facility prepared for possible board increases? Are you as a boarder understanding in that the barn owner/ manager cannot absorb the increases handed to them to keep your horse fed?

I feel that these are real questions that boarders and barn owner/ manager need to have.