Posts Tagged ‘ears’

Here’s a simple way… to help your horse learn twice as fast.

We are all pressed for time, seems there is just not enough of it. There is the job, family duties, maybe social events, all competing for our time. Our horse is ignored and we end up with a 10 year old “greenbroke” horse, which can mean anything from they buck or, spook sometimes, to they still need to be gee-hawed to go left, or right. They may still be trying to figure out go and whoa. Well I have found some easy ways to double the results I get when training horses, you can do the same if you will try.

Tip #1 – Rub you horse all over

You must be able to rub your horse from one end to the other, neither end is more important than the other. You should, be able to handle the mouth and ears as well a rubbing under the tail, start stroking with the hair on each side of the tail. When the horse unclamps the tail and raises it, you can then rub under the tail.

You must be able to do this or you may have to go back and redo the training later, like I did. I had a paint stallion in for training and he already had four months put on him by an other trainer, but he still was spooky and not a nice ride at all. I noticed that he did not like his ears touched but I was trying to hurry and moved on. Three weeks later he threw himself over backwards while being bridled. You better believe I spent about three days on ears 101, then bang he got it and changed, was one laid-back easygoing pussycat from then on.

Be smart and learn to rub your horse, rub don’t pat or slap them, that is not soothing to them. What would you like a back rub or a back slapping?

Tip #2 – Stop punishment when wanted behavior occurs.

Whoa! you say, what’s this punishment talk? Well I would like you to realize there are a multitude of things we do to a horse that are “punishment” in the horses mind, maybe not your mind, but definitely in the horses mind.

Here is a little list of punishments according to the horse:

1. pulling on a rein
2. using a spur
3. using a quirt or whip
4. using a stud chain

Do I want you to quit using the above? No, just stop using them when the horse does anything close to what you want. Let me give you some examples;

You pull the left rein to turn your horse left, the second he starts left quit pulling, if you want to turn left more ask again, as many times as you need to but reward the horse for the try.

You put your spur against your horse to move over, when he moves the slightest amount take that spur out of there, do it again if you have to, but reward that try and soon you won’t even need to wear those spurs as the horse will move off your leg, because you reward that try.

Tip #3 – Reward your horse for the right behavior.

Now you can consider the end of punishment as a reward, and that is true, but the term reward will be used to mean giving something extra to the horse for trying to do the “right” thing. If you can find a way to reward the try in the horse, you will have your dream horse, that partner you wanted or some of you maybe had as a kid. Kids can be givers easier than adults, my grandson gave me a kiss today, my brother never did, because he was almost an adult when I was born. Learn to be a kid again, reward your horse with:

some grain

a soothing voice

a rub on the neck

a drink of clean cool water

a handful of grass

a modern horse treat

a chunk of carrot

a slice of apple

getting off his back

The list is almost endless, the trick is to give the reward at the right time for the right behavior. quit training at the good spots

If you will take the time to follow these tips, you can double the size of your horse training toolbox. You probably already know the punishment side of training use it right and add the reward side to double your training results.

Put your ego aside, be a giver to your horse and they will give back to you in ways you can only imagine.

For great horse training tips, pictures and videos signup for my Free Newsletter to receive free reports on horse training and horse care.

Dale Anderson

The Horse Barn

http://thehorsebarn.com

360-398-1505

Author: Dale Anderson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Programmable Multi-cooker

OK, you think you may have found the right horse. You went through all the check points in part one, you have made arrangements at the nearest horse stables that meet the requirements that were discussed in part two, or you have made arrangements for a facility at home providing either a stall or a lean-to (a two or three sided building with a high roof and preferably built in hay racks). Remember, all horses need to have shelter from the elements. Hopefully whichever place you will be keeping your horse, there will be a considerable amount of room not only for your horse to graze, but where he or she can run and play and have some fun; preferably with other horses. But, before you pass over your hard earned dollars, I want to give you just a few more things to consider, hence – Part Three.

What kind of mannerisms did the horse display when having the saddle and bridle put on them? Were they putting there ears back, or acting like they wanted to step on the person trying to tack them up? Were they moving back and forth, acting nervous or even starting to break out in a sweat? Were they difficult when the bridle was being put on them, or were they interacting, being friendly, wanting attention and not seeming to care that they were about to be ridden? When you started to mount the horse, did they stand there quietly and wait for their first command, or did they want to walk off quickly?

Did they do what you asked or was it a struggle to get them to go forward or turn around? Is the horse trying to take control and go wherever they want to go, or are you on an animal that really wants to please you? If you are saying yes to these negative inquiries, then this may not be a horse for a beginner. The quieter and more agreeable a horse behaves, the better a prospect that animal will be for a first time horse owner. He or she will enrich your life, and warm your heart with pleasant experiences that come with owning a horse. As your experiences grow, you then can step up to meet the challenges of other horses. Horse behavior can sometimes be compared to that of a child. So, if you have children you will understand how to deal with them.

Before making that final commitment, it is to your advantage to ride the horse for more than just a minute or two. Make sure that you walk, trot and canter preferably more than once. Some horses seem to be fine at first but as time passes with you on their backs, they sometimes can change into a “horse of a different color”. It is not unusual, and actually recommended, that you come back a second time to ride the horse again. That way you have something to compare their behavior to. Meaning if the horses’ behavior was very much the same the second time you rode him or her without much variance, then he or she probably is the real thing. Remember that this animal may possibly be with you for the rest of their life. You want a horse that you will really enjoy and who really enjoys you. As I said before horses are social animals, but it is important to understand that they are emotional ones too.

Unfortunately, there will always be horses that exhibit bad behavior, and some, very bad behavior. My experience tells me that a lot of bad behavior is usually the result of human error. That is why I am here trying to talk to you, and hopefully in the future, you will be talking to me. It is so easy to buy a horse, bring that animal home and find that you have an animal that is out of control, and you don’t know what to do about it. Horses have a tendency to try to take advantage of beginners. Trust me, they know! All they have to do is take one look at you, the way you approach them and ride them. Your best defense is knowledge. I am not trying to scare you, I am trying to educate and help you to understand that the more knowledge you have about horses, the more success you will have with them. Please don’t be afraid to enter into the wonderful world of horses. It is a fun place to be and learning about horses is the best part as it is never ending. Most of the riding horses out there are sound, quiet animals. They have a lot to offer an owner who wants to know, love, and care for them, as they will gladly return the favor.

Beverly Jansen
http://bevshorseadvice.com
I’m a licensed Thoroughbred Horse Trainer and a licensed Equine Message Therapist. I have devoted my entire life to horses and have over 40 years experience to share. My blog site was created to share my knowledge and will soon offer exceptional, all natural horse products that are above and beyond any other products in comparison,that will guarantee fantastic results. I will also be posting “How To” videos on my YouTube channel soon.

Author: Beverly Jansen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Prototype PCB Assembly

Your horse comes to the gate happy to see you, then he spots the wormer tube and he prepares for battle. When you finally catch him and get the halter on you begin the event of deworming. If you are lucky, most of the wormer will not only end up in his mouth instead of your shirt, but it will also stay there and not end up on the ground. On bad days, you have to nurse your bruised feet and take a shower to get the wormer out of your hair. If this sounds remotely familiar then I have some lessons that can help you both in this simple process.

Over the years there have been many products developed to help with this procedure. There dewormers that are fed to the horse with his grain on a daily basis, different flavors of pastes and gels to make wormers more appealing to the horse and even ‘worming halters’ that help insure all the paste gets in the horses mouth and in the right place so it stays there. Now you will be able to teach your horse to accept paste.

We do not start with the goal, as that is the fastest way to get into a wreck, as your toes will attest to. We will start with a basic lesson that teaches your horse to put his head in the correct position to accept the wormer and leave it there until we ask him to move it. You can use a halter or bridle for this lesson and can do this in about any enclosed area. It is a good exercise to work on in the stall when you cannot go outside as well.

Start by standing on the left side of your horse and place your right hand on his poll with your fingers between his ears and your left hand about where the noseband of the halter lies. You will first teach your horse to lower his head to the pressure on his poll by placing light pressure with your right hand. Leave the pressure there until you see his head drop even a quarter inch. Do not add pressure if he raises his head. If he raises it too high for you to reach with your hand, then use the lead rope or rein and exert the same downward pressure. Remember to release the pressure as soon as his head goes in the downward direction, no matter how high it went and how little it goes down. We have to keep in mind we are teaching the horse to lower his head, not to put it where we started. Be sure to praise your horse for each correct guess with either a rub or encouraging voice.

Once the horse will lower his head each time you apply pressure and leave it lowered, you are ready to teach the horse to bring his head around to the side. First, bring the horses’ head down to a comfortable height with your right hand. Now, with your left hand apply pressure to the side of his nose at the point where the halter nose band would lay as if you were going to pull his head in front of you, but don’t pull. Just apply pressure and wait for him to move away from the pressure bringing his head to the side toward you. Leave your right hand at his poll and apply pressure if the horse raises his head during this part of the lesson. Always get the head at the correct elevation then ask to bring it to the side. When the horse raises his head, he is telling you he is uncertain and is tensing up. A good rule to follow is to go back in the lesson until you get the proper response then build on the correct answer. Again, release the pressure as soon as the horse moves away from it and praise the horse. When the horse understands to both lower his head and bring it in front of you, we will begin teaching the horse to leave his head where we place it.

Bring the horses head to the correct position using pressure and release. Release his head as soon as it is in the correct position. He will want to put it back straight so, when he does just bring it back. Count how long he leaves it to the side and try to build that time in small increments. When your horse will leave his head to the side for one minute, start messing with his face a little at a time. Allow the horse to put his head back forward when he does well. It can make the horses’ neck sore to keep it to the side too long so give him breaks, switch sides, and practice the same lessons on the other side. Rub his cheeks, nose, mouth, etc. and when he is comfortable with that start rubbing the sides of his lips where the wormer will be going.

Use extreme caution when working around the horses’ mouth that you do not place your fingers where they could be easily bitten. There is a gap between the incisors and molars that has no teeth. It is also where the bit rests. This is the only place you should put your fingers actually into their horses’ mouth. If you choose to do so, the horse will try to spit your finger/hand out with his tongue. Use extreme caution that you do not allow him to draw your finger/hand into his teeth where he could mistakenly bite them.

Place your right arm under the horses’ head and bring your right hand to the spot your left hand had been on the bridge of the horses’ nose. Now with your left hand carefully rub the insides of the lips and while lifting the lip out of the way with your right had, rub the outsides of his bars and gums until he is comfortable. Take small steps and if you meet a lot of resistance go back to a point the horse is comfortable and start back at that point and move forward slower.

When the horse is comfortable with one finger, move to two, then three, and so on until the horse will allow you to place your entire hand in his mouth at his bars, staying relaxed and calm. Your horse should also allow you to hold his tongue to the side of his mouth as well. When you place your hand, at the bars, into his mouth, he will try to spit it out, gently take his tongue and pull it out to the side.

We have now taught the horse to accept us working around and in his mouth and we are ready to introduce the worming tools. We will start with an empty wormer syringe. Bring the horses head into position in front of you and take the empty syringe and begin by rubbing it all over the horses’ face, mouth and lips. When he is quiet for that, rub the syringe along the inside of the lips where it will be used later. When the horse is calm with that, insert the syringe into the horse’s mouth as if you were going to administer the wormer and push the plunger. Continue with this until the horse accepts the empty wormer.

Now find a paste substitute that your horse likes such as syrup, applesauce, baby food, etc. Place a small amount into the wormer syringe and administer it to the horse. Do this daily until the horse looks forward to the wormer. Now we are ready to pull a fast one on them. Take your wormer and without hesitation, administer it to the horse. Later that day dose him again with the substitute that he likes. If he is hesitant back up until he is calm and administer the substitute until he looks forward to it again. The next time you are ready to worm him, go in with the wormer and administer with out hesitation.

Jodi Wilson is a recognized authority on the subject of horse training and has spent almost 30 years developing training techniques and solutions for horse owners no matter the discipline or breed.

Jodi is an Accredited Josh Lyons trainer, and is Certified in John Lyons training techniques. Her website, http://Jodi-Wilson.com, provides a wealth of information to improve the relationship between horse and rider. Jodi is also available for clinics and demonstrations as well as lessons, apprenticeships, and horse training.

Jodi has trained and competed in Reining, Sorting, Jumping, Dressage, English and Western Pleasure, Trail and Problem Solving.

Author: Jodi M Wilson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: How Electric Pressure Cookers Work

Horses don’t lie. A horse is not going to put his ears forward and pretend he is happy if he is not. If those ears are plastered flat back, and his tail is wringing a vicious circle, you can be certain he is not happy. What you see is what you get.

Training and attitude are two different things. Training teaches the horse to react to cues; attitude is how the horse responds. A negative horse resents and resists. He may go through all the motions, but his performance will be tense and sullen.

The apathetic horse drags himself around dull and oblivious, saying, “I’m bored; I’m brain dead; I don’t care.” But a horse with a positive attitude shows powerful, focused action.

The Beginning

Let’s look at where attitude starts. First of all, if we were to place the horse on a Freudian couch, we would find that he likes to be comfortable. A comfortable horse is content. He is confident in his rider and in his role in the partnership. At the core of this relationship is trust.

Trust is an expectation. When the horse trusts you, he has learned from consistency what will happen if. In other words, if he refuses to stop, he will feel the pressure until he does. If he refuses to turn, he will feel the pressure until he does. If he responds correctly, he will be rewarded.

When the horse knows where he stands, his actions develop power because his confidence increases. If you can plug into the horse’s confidence, you can channel that energy into a powerful performance. He becomes a horse who knows his business.

Trust is understood through communication. Communication is a system that sends and receives messages. In order for this system to work, it must be a language that can be exchanged between the two communicating. It means we must do more than tell the horse what to do; we must also listen. Refinement in horsemanship is in direct proportion to the ability to read and react appropriately to what the horse is saying.

Lack of communication is a frustrating thing. If the horse cannot make sense of what you are saying he will be confused, and in reaction to this confusion, he will either tune you out or get hostile. This attitude will manifest itself in apathetic or negative action.

Through communication and attention to his reactions, we teach the horse to accept his role in the partnership, even when he’d rather be out under a shade tree with the breeze blowing his mane.

The Key Element

In order to work, all language must adhere to consistency. Imagine what would happen if you said “Pass the salt,” when you really meant, “Where is the milk?” Salt is salt; milk is milk; and whoa is whoa.

Based on your consistency the horse learns the language. He learns to trust his actions. This gives him the courage to be bold and to show his athletic power. To clarify, trust is an expectation, and consistency is how those expectations are established.

Horsemanship’s language is called the aids. It is a body language that uses a consistent pressure and release from pressure to express what is being said. If you do not understand the aids, the horse will not be capable of trusting you.

The horse may not want to do what you ask, but his attitude will improve as he learns to expect follow-through from you. Follow-through is a pattern of cue and enforcement that teaches the horse to expect your pressure and release from pressure when he responds to your cues.

The cue always remains the same. The enforcement gets increasingly stronger until the demanded response is given. It looks like this:

cue > enforcement > wrong action

cue > ENforcement > wrong action

cue > ENFORCEMENT > correct action > reward (release from pressure)

The cue doesn’t change. It remains consistent and present with every escalation of enforcement. Eventually the horse will respond to the first cue because he seeks the release from pressure. In other words, his obedience and confidence will increase as his expectations are reinforced.

His nature can make him happy in a world of obedience as long as you are fair and he knows what the rules are.

Inconsistencies are mental surprises that make the horse uncomfortable and destroys his ability to trust you. He does not want to be shocked, nor is he delighted by surprises. Shocks and surprises will damage his attitude, especially in the area of communication.

Another element of trust is respect. A respectful horse will pay attention. I’m not talking about a horse walking on eggshells, afraid of every move you make, but the respectful horse who is just aware of you and what you are doing. This a a calm and comfortable kind of respect based on the equine custom of pecking order.

The Natural Order

The horse is a herd animal and pecking order is a natural part of his life. He knows it. He understands it. He is comfortable with it. The horse may occasionally challenge his position, and some horses are spoiled and rebellious because they have been allowed to maintain a superior attitude. But if it is made clear, through consistent use of the aids, that you are his leader, he will accept it as normal and be happy about it.

Respect has a natural awareness for space. Both animals and humans have what is called “their space,” and as the dominant steps into the space of the submissive, the submissive moves out of the way.

If the horse moves into your space he is challenging you. When I’m talking about space, I’m talking about that area where we protect ourselves, that place when we feel pressured to move. The horse’s attitude toward you will improve when he is not allowed to enter your space and push you around.

This respect for space will carry over from the ground into the saddle as the horse learns to stop challenging your authority. He can enjoy your affection or you may push him around; if the pecking order is intact, it will be comfortable for both of you.

Healthy respect also tunes up the horse’s level of responsiveness because the horse’s natural desire is to keep track of what is happening up the pecking order. He will be paying attention to you.

Attitude is absolute. It is there in one form or another, and as we teach the horse to trust us we encourage his positive side.

It is your responsibility to establish communication on the horse’s level and to understand his needs. You must be fair in your expectations and encourage him toward his potential at a reasonable pace and also take into account that his personality, level of training, and physical condition should match the work he asked to do.

With trust, his performance will gain power from the confidence he has. Good attitude shows. It gives the horse that sparkle that takes him over the line from average to exceptional.

Sign up for Herd Talk eNewsletter, free, at http://www.phelpsllc.com/herdTalk.html.

Herd Talk eNewsletter is dedicated to enhancing the horse – human relationship. Many horse related accidents and frustrations are avoidable when you understand how the horse thinks and how to communicate with him in a way that he understands.

Herd Talk subscribers receive their free eNewsletter monthly in their inbox. Topics focus on communication, training techniques, and occasional profiles of horse industry professionals. Also included are free horse image clip art for personal use and for use on club show bills.

Editable preferences and unsubscribe buttons are also included at the bottom of each newsletter.

Author: Kathy Bennett
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: How Electric Pressure Cookers Work

So many riders are confused by how a dressage horse should look and feel when he’s honestly on the bit. So what follows are specific ways for you to tell if he’s on the bit by what you see and what you feel.

When a dressage horse is on the bit, this is what he’ll look like:

His entire outline from back to front looks round.
His hind legs step actively underneath his body, his back is up and swinging, his neck is long and low enough to be in line with the “power train” of his hindquarters, his poll is the highest point, and his nose is about 5 degrees in front of the vertical
From the saddle his neck is widest at the base (just in front of the withers) and becomes progressively narrower as you get closer to his ears.
From the side, his neck looks longish and relatively low rather than up in the air and short.

When your dressage horse is on the bit, here’s what he’ll feel like:

He’s one unit rather than a jumble of “disconnected parts”.
He’s more comfortable to sit on because his back is relaxed.
In trot and canter, he feels like a beach ball bouncing along.
His back (behind the saddle) is up and swinging rather than dropped and tense.
The energy is self-perpetuating. The power comes from behind, over the back and gets recycled back to the hind legs. If the horse is truly connected and isn’t crooked with the shoulder falling out and the haunches falling in, the energy is self-perpetuating. If the horse, let’s say, is popping out one shoulder and the energy is going diagonally across his body, then you have to come with your driving aids and recreate the energy because it’s not self-perpetuating.
Anything is possible within the next step. For example, he can immediately go from trot to canter. Or he can immediately go from working canter into a canter lengthening. Or he can do a canter depart in the next step.

If you’re not sure if your dressage horse is truly on the bit, ask for a transition. If it’s easy to do within the next step, then you know that your horse is on the bit.

Author: Jane Savoie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Duty tariff