BY THE2NDCAVALERY

    Riding aids are a way of the horse and rider communicating together on the same level. They consist of two categories; Natural and Artificial. When riding, you should always use the correct aids at the right moments to avoid misunderstandings between you and the horse. There are different types of aids for different levels of riding and riders experience, you should never use an aid that you aren't sure how to use properly, because this may be teaching the horse something other then what you have in mind.
    Natural riding aids are, well, what momma gave you. They are your hands, voice, seat and legs. Depending on the level of the horses training all aids could be done completely naturally, with or without tack on the horse. Your hands may be used with one of the artificial aids (bit and reins) to help guide and collect the horse, but it is also always important to keep “quiet” hands; never pulling on a horse’s mouth, the hands should never be over used, because this may cause irritation and annoyance to the horse, creating bad habits. Voice isn’t as commonly used, but is still a natural aid, many horses will understand the tone of voice, and simple commands such as whoa, walk, trot, and canter. The seat and legs are the most important natural aids to riding; many experienced riders can ride horses just using the seat and legs. A properly trained horse should, with pressure on the right side, move away from the pressure, turning left, and if pressured on the left side the horse should turn right.     The Artificial aids include: Bit, reins, spurs, and whip or crop. These are the aids that if used improperly can frighten, or change the natural personality of the horse, but when used properly and effectively should help expand the horses learning and potential. The bit is a piece of metal attached to the bridle and reins which goes in the horses’ mouth. This, as explained earlier is used with the natural aid of hands. Depending on the experience of the rider and the personality of the horse, bits can range from the softest like certain types of Snaffle, to the harsher Gag bits. The bit also majorly depends on the riders experience, with the right hands the Gag, could be as soft as a snaffle, and on the other hand, the Snaffle can be just as harsh as the Gag. The spur is a metal piece that is attached to the back of riders boots, and is used as an extension of the riders leg, the wrong type of spurs, or spurs worn by inexperienced riders, may draw blood and shouldn’t be worn by the rider unless they know what they're doing. The whip and crop have the same intentions but
the whip is usually twice the length of a crop. Even though the whip/crop is used in hand, it’s meant as an extension of the leg for a faster response if the horse does not respond to the leg immediately. Also, depending on if a rider shows, in lower showing levels, whips are not permitted to be used.
    The point of the artificial aids is to help the natural aids only when needed and lightly if needed. Many artificial aids help when training a young green horse but should not be over done for it may traumatize the horse making them more scared of its rider than respectful of them.

BY TONYZBELLA

He has spectacles, his hair is liberally spattered with silver, he’s well known as a friendly sort, he’s a sailor and he’s foreign! Swoon and cue the flowery speech and sappy love scenes. Sounds like a character out of a romance novel right? Maybe, but this lover boy has four legs not two. I’m not talking about a heart stopping Dutch pirate ready to sweep you off your feet; I’m talking about the Dutch Barge Dog, otherwise known as the Keeshond. PHOTO BY MARILYN JANE AT SWASHWAY KENNELS      Keeshond is often mispronounced as “keys-hound” and “keys-hounds”, however the name is properly said “kayz-hawnd” with the plural being Keeshonden said “kayz-hawden”. You’ve probably seen these dogs before, think an over-sized Pomeranian with a wolf’s coat. Keeshonden do not have hair; they have true fur, denoted by their double layered coat. Some of the visible characteristics that make a Keeshond easily recognizable are their coat color, a wolf coat, which is cream or silver based with grey and covered with black tipped guard hairs. They also have a “ruff” or heavy fur around the neck, and trousers or feathers on the legs; this is more pronounced in males. Keeshonden are also known for the dark circles around their eyes with off shoots along their head, giving them the appearance of wearing black glasses, these markings are called spectacles. Their plumed, curled tails finish off the look for a truly regal looking animal. Keeshonden are not small nor are they large; being a medium sized dog they weigh around 35 to 45 pounds when mature.      These dogs are part of the German spitz family and in fact were not a separate breed at all, neither were any of the now recognized spitz breeds, like the Pomeranian, and American Eskimo Dog. It was a matter of coat color and size. Though today you’d be hard pressed to find a Keeshond in any color other than wolf gray, they were once crossed with their spitz brethren and came in a variety of colors. All of which can be found in the spitz breeds today. Most spitz breeds now focus on specific coat colors for their breed. The Keeshond or Wolfsspitz, as they were originally called, is the only spitz breed where one coat color is focused on. Because of their previous breeding Keeshonden of colors other than wolf coat do occur. However they are not breed standard and are considered pet quality only. It is being debated now among breeders whether or not Keeshonden should be bred for other colors as they once were.      The Keeshond is very intelligent and as such excels in training. They are used primarily in obedience and agility work, but some have even been used as guide dogs. They are widely used as guard dogs in the Netherlands and middle Europe. Their loud bark and alert nature make them especially suited to the job.      Please note the Keeshond is a wonderful guard dog, they are however not useful as attack dogs. Their playful nature and welcoming, friendly, personality keeps them from being aggressive, in fact their nickname, “The Smiling Dutchman” comes from the huge grin and lolling tongue they often present to everyone they meet.      Their intelligence can also lead to problems, they are eager to please, but they learn very fast, often learning things you wish they wouldn’t! Keeshonden are not a beginner’s dog and need an experienced dog owner and proper training. Otherwise they can and will learn ways to amuse themselves, such as chewing the legs of your grandmother’s 18th century dining chairs. They bond to their owners very deeply and are often used as comfort dogs. One was at ground zero on 9-11 to comfort those in need. They bond so deeply they are often called “velcro dogs”; as a result they make the perfect family dog. Just make sure they get lots of activity, as they are also very active by nature.      Health wise the Keeshond is unfortunately prone to several problems. Among them are hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, epilepsy, Cushing’s disease, primary hyperparathyroidism and rarely Von Willebrand’s disease. This can be avoided if you research the parents and blood line of any Keeshond you intend to buy. Make sure

the parents have been tested for any hereditary diseases and that there is not a history of disease in the blood line. Most health problems are the result of irresponsible breeding.      Once a week for about an hour is usually sufficient grooming, as Keeshonden are naturally dirt and water resistant. They rarely have an odor unless not properly cared for; they have a natural oil balance in their coat and should not be washed more than absolutely necessary. Shaving or cutting a Keeshond’s coat is not recommended as the coat insulates them against weather and insects. Shaving the coat cuts the distinctive guard hairs off and will ruin the look of the Keeshond’s natural coat. Shaving can also result in a permanent loss of their natural look, because once shaved it cannot be guaranteed that the coat will regrow properly. Some dogs have to be “tarred” because living in air conditioned and heated environments dry the coat. Speak to your groomer if your Keeshond’s coat appears to be dry or brittle and if they seem to be having itching problems resulting from dry skin.      The Keeshond gained its name from Cornelius (Kees) de Gyselar, leader of the Dutch rebellion against the House of Orange. The Keeshond became their symbol and when the house was returned to power the breed almost went extinct. Keeshond is a compound word using “Kees”, a nick name for Cornelius de Gyselar, and “hond” the Dutch word for dog. They were also used as barge dogs and thus came the name Dutch Barge Dog, which was in common usage in England until 1926.      While it is commonly held that the Keeshond originated in the Netherlands it is now known that it originated in Germany along with all the other German spitzes.      On VP, the breed is not very popular and would probably be considered rare, there are only eighty six in the game, most of which are owned by “Puppy Palace” Kennel # 20570. Puppy Palace is a rescue kennel and has, based on its web page, gotten Keeshonden to 8x4, I was unable to contact the owner and do not know if they are still active in the game. Despite this some have been evented, particularly Delayed Reaction, owned by summerbreeze5 of Shady Oasis Dog Kennels (#5003), who is also purported to be the first Keeshond in the game. I was also unable to contact Delayed Reaction’s owner and do not know if they are still active in game. Keeshonden seem to do best in either Agility or fly ball with mushing as a possible third option.      The highest stats I could find at birth for a Keeshond were:      Friendly: 89.3      Aggression: 80      Adaptability: 98.4      Loyalty: 69.4      Courage 89.4      Hyper 86.3      Strength 80.4      Intelligence 92.5      Endurance 75.6      Speed 80.8      Perhaps in the future the Keeshond breed will become more popular on VP. However after five years it seems unlikely the breed will suddenly see a sudden bloom in popularity. Most are owned by kennels which seem to no longer be active, and those which are not, do not seem to be in use.