Posts Tagged ‘bad habits’

Want to know how to buy a horse? Finding the perfect horse is not an easy task. Every Equestrian have made some easy tips on how to buy a horse.

I have been there and done it. Making that first step to purchasing a horse can be a bit nail biting. I have listed a few suggestions that might help you out when getting ready to purchase a horse.

Things you should ask the owner:

- Confirm the information you see in the ad; age, height, color, breed etc
- The horse’s history and breeding
- Ask if the horse has show experience and if so how much experience (show results)?
- What is the medical history?
- How well the horse travels
- Any vices or bad habits (kicking, bucking, biting, spooking, and cribbing)
- Reason for sale
- Ask as many questions as possible to avoid wasted trips to view unsuitable horses.

Visit the horse at least twice:

On your first visit you should arrive a little earlier than scheduled to catch a glimpse of what the horse’s environment is like and what the horse’s behavior is like. You should come with your instructor or an experienced friend. Typically the owner or your instructor will test ride the horse first to see if it is safe and worth your time. After you have ridden and decided if you like the horse you should have a second visit. You should visit again and have another ride. Feel free to visit the horse as many times as you like. Remember, your the one who is buying! If all goes well and you like the horse the best advice is to “sleep on it”. Don’t just accept the horse and hand over the money. On the second visit, maybe try negotiating the price.

Final steps in purchasing:

- Tell the owner if you want to buy and negotiate on pricing. The most important first step in buying a horse is to getting a vet check. Having a vet check is a must, you never know what kind of problems you could be dealing with down the road. If the vet approves the horses overall health you can then proceed to taking your dream horse home.
- Find out what the horse has been fed. If you are going to change the horse’s diet you should change the diet slowly over a week or two.
- Insure the horse before you transport him.
- Prepare a safe area, either a stall or a paddock. Get any basic equipment for feeding, grooming, traveling and blankets for the winter.
- Find a way to transport your horse to your horse’s new home. If you don’t have a trailer you can hire someone to trailer your horse.
- Allow your horse to settle in peacefully, and be careful introducing it to new horses.

If you have any questions with the processing of buying a horse feel free to contact Every Equestrian on How To Buy A Horse.

Good luck and enjoy your new companion!
Dani Nelson

Author: Dani Nelson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Horses, like dogs, are animals that can do considerable harm when they have bad behavior problems. Unlike dogs, however, who can only inflict harm by biting, horse behavior problems which can hurt people include biting, kicking, or striking out when being handled, and rearing, bucking, or bolting when being ridden. So it is important to have a well-trained horse, especially for youngsters or even adults who are new to the sport of horseback riding.

What do you do, then, if your horse has any, or even many, of these bad habits? The first thing to do is have a thorough check-up. Start by pin-pointing when the bad behavior occurs, or what triggers it.

Bad behavior when under saddle:

Misbehavior in horses may indicate that they are in pain and want to be left alone. If your horse misbehaves mostly when under saddle, then the first thing to check is the fit of your saddle. If the saddle does not fit the horse’s back, it can cause pinching and back pain, causing the horse to act out. An expert horse trainer may be able to assist in assessing your saddle and bridle fit, or you may want to hire a professional saddle fitter, because, sad to say, some trainers may not have that expertise.

If the saddle fits good, then check the bit in the horse’s mouth. If the fit looks good, have a veterinarian check your horse’s teeth. There may be a tooth problem that is causing the discomfort.

If your tack checks out OK, then the next step is an overall veterinarian examination to rule out other issues that could be causing pain when your horse is ridden. For example, if there is arthritis in a joint, the extra weight of a saddle and rider may be enough to cause pain.

OK, your tack is not the problem and the horse has no issues that the vet can detect. Then ask a trainer to assess the way you ride. Do you pull excessively on the horse’s mouth? Do you bounce too much in the saddle? Over time, these, too, can cause a horse to say “I’ve had enough!” If the horse is new, maybe he had bad experiences with previous owners and needs to learn that you will not hurt him. All these things need to be well thought out.

But what if your horse misbehaves when not being ridden?

Misbehavior when being handled:

Horses that try to bite or kick at people when they are being groomed, led or otherwise handled may still have pain issues. Again, the first step is a thorough veterinarian examination.

Is the horse grouchy all the time, or just at certain times? If you have a mare, perhaps she bites and kicks only when in heat. Many mares have no symptoms of being in heat, while others let the world know. If your horse has severe symptoms of heat, an ultrasound might be advised to rule out ovarian cysts. If there are none, there is medication, although expensive, which prevents mares from coming into heat.

Does your horse misbehave while being groomed? Again, if the vet check does not reveal a physical problem, perhaps your horse has very sensitive skin. Just be extra gentle in currying and brushing.

Re-training:

When all physical causes of your horse’s bad behavior have been ruled out, then it is time to accept the fact that your horse has training issues. The horse may have been abused by previous owners, or he may simply be a bossy horse who does not accept you as its leader. The horse may have a fearful personality, and behaves badly out of fear. There are numerous possible causes, but to fix them only three things are required: gentleness, firmness and patience.

At this point you may want to find a professional horse trainer. Be very selective! Your horse already has issues. You don’t want a trainer whose methods will only cause more distrust. Anyone can call themselves a horse trainer, so ask around, talk to horse people you trust, and watch any potential trainer work to see how they do the job.

If you have the experience, time and patience to attempt re-training your horse on your own, then invest in some training videos or books. You can borrow ideas from various sources. It can be very rewarding to work one-on-one and develop a strong partnership with your horse.

Pamela Griffin was raised around horses and rode at such a young age that she does not remember learning, although she does have a vague memory of her first fall off a horse! She’s ridden Western, English, and shown in dressage, but currently enjoys the simplicity of riding in the Arizona desert on her Missouri foxtrotter. She writes various articles as an amateur horse owner with years of horse ownership experience.

Author: Pamela Griffin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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We all want to keep our horses as healthy as possible for as long as possible. How to do this is the tricky part.

Fortunately we have a superb source of information available. Studies of wild horses show just how well these amazing animals have adapted to suit their environment. It follows then that by recreating the horse’s natural environment as far as possible you will be promoting his health and well being. One of the most obvious differences between the environment of a wild horse and that of our domestic horse is the amount of space they have available.

Wild horses are free to roam, and typically cover great distances each day. Most domestic horses on the other hand are kept in small paddocks, barely a few strides from one side to the other. The impact of this incarceration on the horse can be significant, both in terms of mental health and physical health.

Boredom:

In a small paddock there is very little to keep the horse occupied, and extreme boredom is a real possibility. This can promote the development of bad habits such as wind sucking, crib biting and the rest. Horses are generally curious, active and intelligent creatures. Being contained in a small square however dulls the senses and it is hardly surprising that such horses invent ways to keep themselves busy.

Musculature:

Horses in the wild typically display enviable condition, being both fat and fit. People often explain this as the result of not having to carry riders. In fact, it is not being ridden that impacts the condition of our domestic horses as much as the restriction of their natural environment. Wandering across distances as great as 30km per day,

every day, builds tremendous stamina in the wild horse, as well as conditioning the musculature. Domestic horses are largely stationary, with infrequent bursts of high energy usage when ridden. This is not the best way to ensure your

remains fit and sound.

Hoof Wear:

The inability to roam means a big impact on hoof wear and the circulatory system. Wild horses wear their hooves naturally. Domestic horses are usually shod. As a result the hoof cannot wear normally, and the mechanics of the hoof action depend upon the skill of the farrier.

Circulation:

The hoof typically plays a large part in assisting the circulation of the horse. In fact it has been said that the horse has five hearts – a cardiac pump and four hooves! Unshod, a horse’s hoof flexes as he walks, with each step drawing blood into the hoof and then forcing it out again along the veins. If the horse’s movement is dramatically reduced, this pumping mechanism is drastically reduced, leading to the pooling of blood in the extremities and decreased blood flow from the hooves.

Feeding Patterns:

In a small paddock a horse typically cannot graze 20 hours a day as he would tend to in the wild. In order to make up for this horses are often fed concentrated feeds. This provides the necessary amount of calories that the horse requires, but falls short in other ways. Firstly, a horse’s digestive system is built to handle a constant flow of fibre. Without this, the horse will feel hungry, even if he is receiving sufficient nutrition in total. There is also evidence that few high-calorie feeds lead to ulcers in the horse. Not surprising, considering the stomach is empty for most of the day. Secondly, concentrated feeds can upset the bacterial balance of the horse gut, leading to complications such as laminitis and colic. There is no doubt that any good horse diet must consist primarily of fibre, and lots of it. A biscuit of hay now and again is not sufficient!

What to Do:

It’s very simple. Provide the maximum amount of space for your horses that you can. If you have large paddock try and ensure that your horse spends as much time there as possible. If you have several small paddocks, open them up and let your horses wander at will. This will provide them with another natural factor – company. Your horses will reward you by being more curious and active, happier, healthier and more fit with less effort. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful result?

Carol Botha is passionate about horses, having been involved in riding and caring for them since she was a toddler. She has participated in numerous equestrian disciplines, and has several years of experience in studying the psychology and behaviour of these wonderful creatures. Read more about horse care and training at [http://www.placeofpets.com]

Author: Carol A Botha
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you are one of those owners who owns a horse that has developed the idea that quality time spent involves the owner lovingly chasing after it whilst it playfully avoids being caught. We know your pain.

There is nothing more frustrating than having to wander after your horse in the attempt of catching it. Spending most of your time out in the paddock instead of out riding with friends.

However the correction of this is not as simple as we would like it to be. Placing a horse in a smaller paddock or leaving a halter on will not always make matters better, the same as locking a horse up in a stable could lead it to kicking.

The unwillingness to be caught is a vice the same as any other developed or acquired vices a horse may develop. It has a cause and often runs hand in hand with two other bad habits.
These being the likely hood of bolting and the unresponsive horse. It is very rarely that a well-behaved and responsive horse will run off when it is time to work.

We explored ways of correcting these problems as well as how to get your horse to be more willing to be caught.

A horse turning tail and heading for the far side of a paddock is the first warning that somewhere something in its basic training seriously went wrong. It now associates the human with bad or often painful experiences. The first step to take is to change your horses routine, no riding for a few days, place the horse on three meals a day (divide daily ration into three) and bring it in for lunch, it will soon enough realize that there is food involved. If needed take your horses’ friend or companion in as well. This way your horse will not necessarily associate mid day captures with riding. Also capturing your horse mid morning and moving it to another pasture with “better” grazing will help, as your horse will not always associate being caught with work and punishment.

Learn too approach your horse with a less demanding front. Just walk up to it and spend some time with it, approach the shoulder and not the head. By showing your horse you are not out to get it every time you see it goes a long way to developing a relaxed relationship.

Most horses that run off know only frustration and often anger when they are finally caught. Show your horse you can be a nice person by taking it a snack and walking off. It will soon start looking out for you and often may even start following you. Horses want calm and confidant owners and riders.

Once the horse is more willing to be caught a handful of food in a manger will suffice in keeping it happy. (Bribery works)

Horses prone to being irritated or bolting off whilst ridden usually require a lot more work than a simple change of routine. Please do not confuse irritation under saddle with a hot horse. A hot horse is willing to work, it responds and will listen and conserve its energy for when it is needed. An irritated horse is unlikely to stand still or respond to aids when asked, an irritated horse will also run through aids and is less likely to balance itself or its rider. These two are often confused.

A bolting or irritated horse associates pain and punishment with work and therefore has no interest in responding positively to a riders aids. These horses require patience and experience. All to often they are bitted up in an attempt to slow them down when in fact they require the opposite. Bitted down and schooled with patience without a whip. These horses are often sold as horses for competent and experienced riders and often marketed cheaper than their actual worth.

Horses who do little or are unresponsive under saddle, and are difficult to catch are often overworked. They know there is work to be done and will avoid it at all costs. And when ridden will drag their toes or shuffle about. These horses require a change of workload or alternatively a holiday turned out in a pasture for a month or so with younger horses (visit him or her everyday with a treat) He or she needs to learn how to become a horse again. Its workload needs adjusting with some variation included.

Catching an unwilling horse often means working at eliminating the cause. And horses that are unwilling to be caught, have issues that need to be resolved, before positive results will be seen.

Kate Hinton is CEO of ThatHorse.com which is a one stop shop for everything equine. She is also the author of ‘The Essential Guide to Selling Your Horse’ which is a must have if you are looking to sell a horse. Visit http://www.horse-selling-guide.com to purchase your copy today!

Author: Kate Hinton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Some horse owners dream of having a horse in their backyard. It can be a nice dream, and maybe it’s right for you, as long as you know what is ahead for you and your horse. First and foremost, you must know the answer to the question, “Is my rural setting zoned for horses?” If you live in a suburban or even rural neighborhood that forbids the keeping of livestock, you’ll have to board elsewhere; don’t try to hide your horses if it is against a local ordinance. To be a responsible boarder of horses, I will outline the housing options and the responsibilities you should adopt as a stable owner.

There are three basic types shelter for horses: pastures, paddocks, and box stalls. You can find designs in books on barn building, or buy these enclosures prefabricated. You may even have an architect or a reliable contractor design and build them for you.

Pasture: The ultimate choice of shelter is the open sky. A pasture is a substantial portion of fenced land where high-quality grass grows for horses. If you have enough land, motivation, and ability to create and manage a pasture for your horse, this is the best way to go. Horses who live on pastures are least likely to suffer from colic, leg problems, breathing disorders, stable vices (bad habits resulting from boredom), and other problems that can afflict horses confined to stalls. They also don’t need as much exercise from you because they get it on their own, horsing around the pasture. If you find you only have time to ride once a week, your horse won’t feel imprisoned.

Paddock: A paddock is usually a smaller outdoor shelter that will likely be without any grass at all. In the American East, a paddock is usually a large pen with board fencing. In more urban areas of the West, paddocks are smaller 12′ x 12′ or 12′ x 24′ enclosures made with substantial 15 gauge pipe. Wire fence is sometimes incorporated into these pipe corrals. Horses living in a paddock need daily exercise because they won’t get much of a workout in such a small space. If you can’t ride every day, you need to turn your horses loose in a nearby arena or take them for a walk to provide them with a way to stretch their legs. A paddock, then, is the next best thing to pasture. It will give the horse some room to move around. Because paddocks are outdoors, they also provide natural ventilation and more opportunities for mental diversion for your horse than that of a box stall.

Box stall: Some owners keep horses in indoor enclosures called box stalls. A box stall is just what it sounds like; it’s a stall in the shape of a box. Box stalls are compartments within a barn. Keeping a horse in a box stall offers a few advantages. Horses in a stall can stay cleaner and neater. Horses won’t get muddy when it rains or dusty when it’s dry. They also avoid bites and other injuries inflicted on them by other horses. The downside of keeping a horse in a box stall is that living there is less healthy for the horse than living outdoors. A horse who stands in nearly the same place for hours on end is more prone to colic, leg problems, and boredom, which often results in so-called stable vices. Also, because ventilation isn’t as good in a stall as it is outdoors, horses kept in a stall are more prone to respiratory problems. Like horses in paddocks, horses in box stalls require daily exercise; they haven’t much room to move around. You will need to ride your horses daily, turn them loose in an arena or, at the very least, spend a half-hour walking each one around the barn.

Keeping horses on your property requires time, money, and some hard work, however you choose to house your horses. Although having your horses in your backyard is a great experience, don’t overly romanticize the notion. You must bear some responsibilities along the way, including:

A good image: Whereas horse property was commonplace at one time, finding communities that are accepting of horses is becoming more difficult all the time. You can do your part to maintain the image of home stabling by being friendly and considerate toward neighbors.

Cleanliness: You have an obligation to your horses and to your neighbors to keep your property clean and well maintained. Part of that is daily mucking out your horse’s stall using a manure fork.

Ongoing learning: Because you and your horses are pretty much on your own, you’ll need to learn as much as you can about horses and keeping them happy and healthy. You can continue your education by subscribing to horse magazines, and reading books about horses and horse care. See about joining a local horse club. It is a wonderful ongoing source of camaraderie, learning and support.

Tanya Vorgan believes in the easiest way to learn — to teach others as she is learning. Her many interests have lead her to many exciting experiences, but sometimes nothing compares to the richness of quiet moments in which to reflect and grow. Tanya is also among those committed to the never-ending quest for the perfect cup of coffee, which for her begins with the best bar none Bunn coffee makers.

She recommends going for the richest black gold possible with a Bunn coffee grinder and your choice of coffee bean. You won’t believe the difference fresh ground coffee in your kitchen will make. And that smell!

Author: Tanya Vorgan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Practice makes perfect. That statement is very true for Dressage. Of course, if you only practice by yourself, you may not get any better, but a good coach can help you improve your riding skills. If you have ever had to re-train a horse, you know it. The same counts for re-training a student, or even yourself. Bad habits are habits too, and changing habits has never been easy. Still, it is do-able.

When I started taking dressage lessons, the first lesson was almost all talk. Not much riding. It surprised me, but later on I really appreciated it and was able to go back to what I learned during my rides without my instructor.

Today we are explaining the basis of it all: Rhythm.

Rhythm is the result of a defined beat pattern of the hoof fall. A relaxed horse can step into a natural rhythm in all four of the natural gaits:

1. Walk – this should be and clear regular 4-beat gait.

2. Trot – a clear and regular 2-beat gait.

3. Canter – a clear and regular 3-beat gait.

The walk is 4-beat gait; when either one of the horse’s front legs leaves the ground, it is followed next by an opposite hind leg that reaches forward underneath the belly, creating a diagonal balance point. So the horse doesn’t step on the heels of his own front feet with the rear hooves, he moves each foreleg forward out of the way before a hind hoof on the same side of his body hits the ground.

The trot is a 2-beat gait; in Dressage we need the legs to move in diagonal pairs and hit the ground at the exact same time. When posting we move with the inside hind leg, sitting when it is on the ground and rising when it comes off, to help the horse balance itself.

The canter is a 3-beat gait. On a circle to the right his left hind leg pushes him forward onto his left front/right hind diagonal pair of legs which he’ll use for momentary balance before rolling onto his right front, or leading, leg; thus creating a 3-beat gait. There should be a clear moment of suspension.

To teach a horse rhythm you will ride the majority of your lessons in the trot. The trot is the easiest to control since you only work with a 2-beat rhythm. You also will not have to follow his head and neck, as in the trot, it is relatively still. It is easy to feel, easy to count, and easy to feel if it gets too quick. Once you and your horse have mastered the rhythm in the trot, you will notice that the rhythm in the canter is much easier to maintain.

There is good rhythm and bad rhythm. Good rhythm is when the horse’s canter is a true 3-beat, bad or incorrect rhythm is when it becomes a lazy 4-beat. Rhythm faults in the walk are when it comes close to 2-beat (lateral gait – like gaited horses), and in the trot when it resembles a lame, hopping horse.

I the next couple of days, we will discuss the next level of the training scale: Relaxation with Elasticity & Suppleness.

And now I would like to give you our Free eBook: “What to Do In Time of Emergency – A Guide & Workbook for Families with Horses”.

All I ask is that you sign up for our weekly newsletter with lots of good information for the Dressage and Horse Enthusiast. Just go here to our blog at http://www.PerformingHorse.com.

You will get instructions of how to download your copy and will receive “Tips & TidBits from our Barn” our newsletter.

Now Go Out And Ride

From Monique Myers @ http://www.performinghorse.com/AboutMe.html

Author: Monique Myers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Ground Manners – An Overview

Horse training success is all in the work from the ground. A good, long-term relationship between you and your horse is built from the ground up, literally. Ground manners is about teaching your horse how to behave around humans and that you are his protector and friend. The two go hand in hand by building leadership respect and trust. The time dedicated to building a proper foundation by establishing control on the ground is well worth the effort involved.

Why would you want to bother with ground manners? Well, safety issues are a good start. An untrained or poorly trained horse with bad habits such as biting, kicking, rearing and charging (among others) is dangerous. A horse can kill a person with these behaviors. The horse can injure himself, for example, by rearing and banging his head on a low ceiling. Horses do knock themselves out, cut their heads on a nail or sharp corner and require stitches. Just think of the vet bills. And the panic you’d feel in this situation. Or think of the litigation if your horse kicked someone, injuring them so they were unable to work. These things do happen. Teaching a horse good ground manners is teaching a horse that these are unacceptable and unnecessary reactions.

The horse that won’t stand still is a danger. One day you’ll be caught in the wrong spot, he’ll get a fright and someone will be hurt. The horse that keeps leaning into you and treading on your (soon to be broken) foot is not fun. The horse that tries to kick when you pick out his feet is going to injure you one day. Good ground manners is about teaching a horse to respect your personal space.

The nervous or disobedient horse is also a danger. The jumpy horse that shies and knocks you over is a liability. The horse that loses his mind and tries to run every time he sees a plastic bag is more than a nuisance. Ground manners is about showing your horse that scary things aren’t so scary and to have confidence in you. To trust that you, as leader and protector, will always keep him safe.

Good manners on the ground makes the transition to riding much smoother and much much simpler. You will have learned to read your horses feelings or mood. He is not your servant. He is your partner. He will have learned unquestioned obedience. As a result, your riding sessions will be more fun.

Taking the time to lay firm foundations will also mean that you will be training a horse that is willing to please, that is EASIER TO TRAIN IN THE LONG RUN, that is a joy to work with and not an obstinate animal that is always acting out. When you choose to own a horse, you’re making a commitment for many years, so you want to be sure you’re going to have a well-behaved and easy to handle horse-friend.

The Basics Of Ground Manners For Your Horse

Teaching good ground manners right from the beginning will result in a horse that is a joy to own, while keeping yourself as safe as possible. Enforcing ground manners will teach your horse to:

* Look to you as leader for what to do whenever he is unsure of a situation (less likely to bolt, shy or be disobedient in new situations)

* Not crowd your personal space (no kicking, biting, charging, leaning, treading on your feet etc)

* Respond appropriately to whatever you are asking him to do

* Have calm confidence in the outside world because you will protect him

* Stand still patiently

* Tie calmly

* Allow you to pick up his feet for cleaning

* Allow you to groom him

* Calmly accept being bridled, haltered and led

* Accept being saddled without moving

* Refrain from nipping, kicking, charging or rearing to get his way

All this BEFORE you get on his back. It is actually a good idea to spend some time with a new horse on getting these basics right before you start riding. Despite how eager you will probably be to hop on and go, spend a few weeks or even months working on ground manners. It pays off in the end. If you’re having trouble with riding your horse, it may also be a wise investment of time to stop riding for a while and get these basics back on track.

So how do you instill those good ground manners in your horse? By understanding how a horse’s mind works. There are 6 basic principles you need to learn that apply to all horse situations.

1. Repetition

It is not widely known that a horse can take around 60 iterations of a lesson to ‘get it’. That’s right. It may take you repeating the exact same lesson 60 times before your horse understands what you are trying to teach. To put this in perspective, if you see your horse once a week and teach the same lesson once each time, then it may take over a year for your horse to learn it. Of course you may try the lesson more than once a session and you may see your horse more than once a week, but it takes TIME and PATIENCE to train a horse effectively.

The good news is that you can be successful in training your horse to have good behavior in any situation. This applies to all horses, whether they are young, old, previously poorly trained or have been in neglectful and abusive situations. You can teach your horse to lead, tone down aggressive behaviors towards people and other horses, teach a nervous horse to be calm, and get rid of bad habits horses learn such as rearing, biting, and kicking. All of this can be attained. But please remember that horse training takes as long as it takes. 60 repetitions is an average.

2. Be a leader to your horse

Horses are herd animals and are mentally wired to look up to the leader of the herd. In a herd, which is the natural situation for a horse, there is a pecking order (order of dominance). The stallion and lead mare are the leaders. Every other horse below them in the pecking order will look to these two to find out how to react in a given situation. If the leaders are calm, the others are calm, if the leaders are running for their lives, the rest of the herd is right behind them. It is also the leaders job to keep an eye out for danger. Or in other words, the leaders signal to the rest of the herd what is dangerous and what is safe. The rest of the herd has 100% faith in their leaders. They follow blindly. They do not think rationally or for themselves. This horse behavior makes a horse very easy to train.

To use this horse behavior to your advantage when youre training your horse, the leader of his herd needs to be you. You MUST show, through your tone of voice, your body language, your confidence, that you are a leader. For example, you cannot expect a horse to walk calmly past a barking dog if you are frightened yourself. If there are situations around your horse that scare you, you need to be inventive and work out how to avoid the situation where your horse can see you as weak. If your horse often charges you, avoid the trigger situation until you have established dominance in other situations. Get outside help if you need it. A horse generally weighs as much as 10 times more than a human, so you cannot expect to out muscle your horse when it behaves inappropriately. It is crucial that you become the leader to your horse so he follows you, rather than dragging you around.

3. Consistency

Being a leader also means having a zero tolerance policy towards your horse invading your personal space or disobeying your requests. In the herd, the pecking order is often challenged. Stay vigilant as the pecking order is never set in stone. If you get slack, the horse will start to dominate you. Be firm, consistent and persistent in applying your rules. You’re either training or de-training your horse every moment you’re with him. Mind the small stuff. It really does matter. Your horse will test you in small ways to see how serious you are. If you don’t hold your ground over your space or do accept a tardy response to a request, you’re effectively eroding the respect he has for you. ‘That’s ok, I don’t really mean stop when I say so’. This is then a green flag for your horse to try on bigger and bigger misbehaviors. For example, don’t let your horse kiss you. Not just for reasons of hygiene! No, letting any horse nibble or kiss you is sending him down the slippery slope of developing a biting habit. After all, a bite is just a firm nibble isn’t it? And a biting problem is not one you want to be dealing with. Painful for you, and difficult to get rid of. In this case, no kisses, no nibbles, no bites. Ever. Be firm, consistent and persistent in applying your ground rules. Absolute CONSISTENCY is the key to fast training.

4. Trust

One of the biggest reasons horses lack good ground manners is the fact they don’t trust as well as respect the people who are handling them. Trust and respect go hand in hand and once you have attained that, the rest of your training is so much easier. As leader (where you earn respect), part of your job is to keep your horse SAFE (where you earn trust). That’s safe from his perspective, not yours. You might think he’s perfectly safe in a trailer, but if he’s never been in one you’ll need to show him that you’ll go into one and that other horses agree it’s safe too. Your job is to prove to your horse that no matter what goes on around him, he will not be harmed. Angry bullying won’t work. Losing your temper won’t work. Banging his teeth with the bit, slapping him unexpectedly on the rump, making loud, sudden noises and unexpected gestures don’t help either. Let your horse know where you are and what you’re up to as much as possible. Be calm, be considerate, be affectionate, be patient. This path leads to earning your horse’s trust, an essential for a long and happy relationship.

5. Be fun

No one, even a horse, enjoys all work and no play. Remember to make your lessons enjoyable. Your aim is to encourage your horse to look forward to hanging out with you. What your horse likes will be individual, but most horses have a place on their body they like having scratched or rubbed. This can be a reward for obedience. Many horses enjoy the mental stimulation of a lesson if it’s not repeated endlessly in one go. More than half an hour on any one lesson at once is too much. 10 or 15 minutes is enough. And horses like variety in their ‘work’. So sometimes go out for a trail ride, sometimes do some jumping, sometimes work in the ring. Mix it up and keep it interesting. A bored horse is a cranky horse, and anyone in a bad mood is likely to misbehave.

6. Comfort

The horse likes a life of comfort. That means, a life free from irritants as well as pain. You can use his dislike of being irritated to your training advantage. Basically, you are looking for non-painful but annoying things you can do to encourage your horse to do as you ask. The key is to remove the irritant immediately when the horse does what you are asking. Stopping the annoying thing you were doing is his reward for doing as you asked. This is the most effective and yet gentle way to teach your horse to do what you ask

One example of irritant training is a technique called pressure and release. An example of pressure and release:

If you wanted your horse to turn its head to the left, you would put your hand in the halter strap and gently pull to the left just slightly. As soon as the horse begins to turn his head left, let go of the halter, releasing the pressure, and praise your horse quietly. If your horse were to pull to the right instead, you would continue to apply gentle pressure to the left until your horse complied, then release and praise again. Through patient, consistent repetition, your horse will learn what you are asking. This is the pressure and release training method in a nutshell, and can be applied throughout your horse’s training.

So these are the 6 basics of teaching ground manners. Repetition; Be a leader; Consistency; Trust; Be fun; and Comfort. Apply these whenever you are around your horse and you will be well on the way to many happy times.

Author: Phil Tragear
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

Proper equestrian riding techniques vary depending upon the type of riding you are doing, whether it is English, Western, jumping, dressage, or eventing. Overall, proper equestrian riding techniques are largely a matter of correct body position, clear communication, appropriate equipment and equestrian riding apparel, and being aware of your surroundings. No one is born with the knowledge or ability to ride properly. It takes years of training and dedicated practice.

As a novice rider, you have much to learn. It is far easier to learn the proper ways first, rather than having to spend years unlearning bad habits and replacing them with proper riding techniques. That’s why taking lessons for the novice rider is such a great idea.

Take Lessons from a Reputable Trainer

Regardless of the type of riding you are interested in, riding lessons are always a good idea — especially for the novice. It is too easy to learn bad habits and put yourself in danger by simply jumping on the first available horse. This is especially true when jumping horses.

Even experienced riders must regularly rely upon basic riding techniques to maintain their safety as well as the safety of their horse. Your trainer should be able to provide you with an outside perspective. It’s amazing how many times you will be absolutely positive that your heels are down when, in fact, they are not. A reputable trainer can help you to fulfill your potential as a skilled horseman or horsewoman.

Riding lessons will teach you how to tack your horse up in the proper equestrian equipment, how to tighten the girth on English saddles to prevent slipping, how to select the equestrian riding apparel that is appropriate for your style of riding, how to develop the correct body position, and the best communication methods for interacting with your horse. Riding lessons will also educate you about the common rules of riding etiquette.

Proper Body Position and Riding Etiquette

For generations, young children and adults have been admonished to keep their chin up, shoulders back, and eyes forward. All you have to do is add heels down, elbows in, and hands quiet so that you will have a superior body position for horseback riding. As a rider, your job is to maintain control over your horse without appearing to do anything. Loud cues, abrupt movements, and lost tempers are never appropriate.

In the English riding world, there are specific rules of ring etiquette in place to ensure everyone’s safety. Generally, this means that everyone should be travelling in the same direction and working basically on the same skills. Slower traffic keeps to the inside of the arena while faster moving riders stay to the outer edge of the ring. A full horse length should be maintained between riders. If passing is necessary, one is expected to inform the other rider quietly and to give a wide berth. If horses are moving in both directions, the general rule of thumb is to pass — left shoulder to left shoulder — just as though you were driving a car. These courtesies work to prevent countless accidents and emergencies and should be followed at all times.

Use Appropriate Equestrian Riding Apparel and Equipment

Appropriate equestrian riding apparel means you are wearing an approved helmet, riding boots, a well-fitting shirt that allows enough freedom of movement, and riding breeches. Jeans are not appropriate for English riding. English saddles will rub on the seams, causing chaffing, and the material will slip and risk a fall. Loose and baggy clothing is never considered appropriate equestrian riding apparel. It can snag, bunch, and interfere with your movement that may risk injury.

English saddles will help you to maintain the correct body position for flat work and jumping, just as an event a saddle will help a rider maneuver hills, waterways, and other obstacles and help a rider to maintain their seat safely. Being lightweight and relatively flat, English saddles provide you with a greater range of motion than a heavier, bulkier Western saddle. However, they also require a strong leg to help you maintain contact and communicate with your horse. There are many varieties of English saddles available. Before buying English saddles, discuss your options with your trainer.

Every step of your training will help you to develop the skills and habits necessary to ride safely and effectively. Wearing appropriate equestrian riding apparel, finding the correct style English saddles, and working regularly with a reputable trainer will all help you to develop proper riding techniques.

Author: Anne Coyle
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger