Posts Tagged ‘equestrian’

This is basic ground manners explained. These manners require that your horse does as you ask. Even the simplest of tasks or movements needs to be performed safely by the horse. He should not push, step on, crowd, or in any way endanger you either intentionally or unintentionally. While these may only appear to be slightly annoying habits at times, it is important to break them before somebody gets hurt. Since horses outweigh you by a ton, literally, a misplaced hoof can break your foot. You could be covered for this type of injury under the terms of your equine insurance – but it’s far less painful to avoid the necessity of that in the first place! Your very own personal space bubble can be established and then maintained to best avoid this problem.

Allowing your horse to nuzzle into your pockets in the search for crunchy treats could land you with a nibble in a rather inconvenient place. A horse’s love nibbles are painful when applied to mere human skin. Horses in a herd treat each other differently than they must treat us. They crowd, nip, and bite each other, but they are far more durable than we humans, of course.

Unfortunately, the space bubble lesson has been learned by many the hard way. My first, and subsequently the last, experience with the concept of crowding occurred when I bought my first horse years ago. My wonderful new four-legged friend liked to “help” me with the paddock cleaning. As I shovelled and filled the manure cart, he would come and put his nose into it. Then one day he actually lifted his front hoof and put it into the cart when I put a rake full of manure in. He knocked the cart over, which spooked him, which in turn spooked the other three horses in the paddock. Suddenly I found myself within the midst of hooves and tails every which way. Thankfully I was not hurt, but this could have been a mild or even a serious disaster – and may have even necessitated a claim on my horse insurance.

This happened when our training relationship was in its learning curve phase. I was so amused at his trying to help me with my chores that I didn’t think about the potential consequences. On that day I learned the importance of manners. from that day on I began to teach him the importance of respecting my space if I happened to be in the paddock doing jobs or attending to the other horses. If he wanted to play cute he could still do this during the time we spent together learning cues and training.

You can use the three Ps of horse training to instil basic safety manners into your horse. The relationship which you have with any horse – be it your own or one you are training for someone else – is largely dependant on the use of patience, persistence and positive reinforcement.

Patience. Remember that your horse doesn’t yet know what is expected of him. You will go a long way in building trust by showing patience with your horse when showing him what to do, and letting him try and try again until he gets it. Enter the training session with a clear and stress free mind. Take a deep breath and relax. It is part of the natural learning process for your horse to test the waters. He needs to check and see if what he thinks you want is correct. This can occur several times before the horse has confirmed his correct assessment of the task.

Persistence. Don’t give up after just a few tries. It is difficult to communicate at first. After all, you don’t speak the same language yet! Stay with it and be consistent in your cues. Horses are very perceptive to even the slightest cue. It will not usually take long for a horse to learn what a cue means – then you will have cooperation.

Positive reinforcement. Give your horse the signal when he’s done something correctly. The best rewards don’t always come in the form of a tasty treat. They love to be released when they’ve done their job. Imagine the “whoa!” or “stop” cue. It’s a pull on the bit within the horse’s mouth. When the horse exhibits the signs that he understands that you want him to stop, release the bit immediately. This lets him know that he is doing the right thing.

Horses need to know their limits. How close can he stand to you before you feel crowded? Can he pull on the lead rope if he doesn’t want to go the way you are leading him? Is he allowed to get away with things that he may not wish to do on a whim? For a horse this is not natural, even though to us it may seem like common sense. A correctly and carefully trained horse will forever be both a most pleasing companion and could also represent a lower liability when it comes to renewing your horse insurance policy.

This is basic ground manners explained. These manners require that your horse does as you ask. Even the simplest of tasks or movements needs to be performed safely by the horse. He should not push, step on, crowd, or in any way endanger you either intentionally or unintentionally. What may only seem like a slight annoyance often has the potential for somebody to get hurt. Since horses outweigh you by a ton, literally, a misplaced hoof can break your foot. You could be covered for this type of injury under the terms of your equine insurance – but it’s far less painful to avoid the necessity of that in the first place! The best way to avoid this is to establish, and then maintain, a personal space bubble.

If you allow your horse such liberties as nuzzling his nose into your pockets to look for treats, then don’t be surprised to get a nibble if he finds something. A horse’s love nibbles are painful when applied to mere human skin. Horses in a herd treat each other differently than they must treat us. Horses are somewhat more robust and durable than humans and it’s OK to them if they sometimes nip, bite or crowd each other.

Many have learned this lesson in spatial awareness the hard way. My first, and subsequently the last, experience with the concept of crowding occurred when I bought my first horse years ago. My wonderful new four-legged friend liked to “help” me with the paddock cleaning. He liked to place his nose into the manure cart as I was filling it. Then one day he actually lifted his front hoof and put it into the cart when I put a rake full of manure in. He knocked the cart over, which spooked him, which in turn spooked the other three horses in the paddock. Suddenly I found myself within the midst of hooves and tails every which way. Thankfully I was not hurt, but this could have been a mild or even a serious disaster – and may have even necessitated a claim on my horse insurance.

This was in the basic learning curve time period for both of us. I was so amused at his trying to help me with my chores that I didn’t think about the potential consequences. On that day I learned the importance of manners. From that point forward he was taught to respect my space when I was in and around the paddock and the other horses taking care of business. There was still plenty of time to be cute during our training time.

The three Ps of horse training success can be utilized to teach basic safety manners to your horse. Whether training or riding your own horse or someone else’s it is crucial to the future relationship between you and the horse that you remember the rules of patience, persistence and positive reinforcement.

Patience. Remember, your horse does not know what you want. Patience in showing your horse a task and patience in letting him try until he gets it right, is so important in building a trusting relationship between you and your equine. Enter the training session with a clear and stress free mind. Take a deep breath and relax. It is part of the natural learning process for your horse to test the waters. He needs to check and see if what he thinks you want is correct. This can occur several times before the horse has confirmed his correct assessment of the task.

Persistence. You musn’t be tempted to give up after a few goes. You will find it hard in the beginning to communicate. Over time you will learn to speak the same language! Stay with it and be consistent in your cues. Horses are very perceptive to even the slightest cue. It will not usually take long for a horse to learn what a cue means – then you will have cooperation.

Positive reinforcement. Show your horse a signal to let him know he’s done something right. The best rewards don’t always come in the form of a tasty treat. Horse love to be released when they have done a job correctly. Imagine the “whoa!” or “stop” cue. This is a pull on the bit within his mouth. When the horse exhibits the signs that he understands that you want him to stop, release the bit immediately. That will let him know that he’s doing things correctly.

Horses need to know their limits. How close can he stand to you before you feel crowded? Can he pull on the lead rope if he doesn’t want to go the way you are leading him? If he doesn’t feel inclined to pick up his foot, will you allow him to get away with this? What may to us seem like common sense are not necessarily things which come naturally to a horse. A correctly and carefully trained horse will forever be both a most pleasing companion and could also represent a lower liability when it comes to renewing your horse insurance policy.

Spending quality time with your horse is important in allowing a natural bond to develop, as well as allowing you to learn your horses responses and reactions to different situations. In time you will learn your horse’s body language. A horse that is calm and responsive is generally happy. They will keep their head lowered, and have soft eyes and a relaxed jaw. By not invading your personal space your horse is showing affection by seeking your love and respect; this is a sign of a happy horse. A horse is not showing he is bored by yawning – rather this is a sign of relaxation and calm. You can tell by the way a horse holds himself if there is something wrong; a troubled horse will be reluctant to stand still and will hold his head high with a tense jaw and darting eyes. Allow the horse time to settle himself slowly in order to avoid the onset of “flight” mode and further stress.

Grooming your horse gives you the opportunity to check him over regularly. Pay close attention to your horse’s eyes, teeth, shoes and hooves and inspect his droppings regularly. Any change in the normal should be reported to your vet at the earliest opportunity – any delay could cause you extra worry, expense and a potential claim on your horse insurance. Ensure you have made appointments with your equine vet for the administration of vaccinations and worming treatments. There are many different types of worms and parasites and you should rotate medications to get the best benefits and to stop them building up immunity. Colic, heart and immunity problems can all be caused by lack of suitable medication. Vaccinations for encephalitis, rhinoneumonitis and influenza are essential for a healthy horse. Tetanus and rabies are also advisable, but not essential. A negative Coggins test for equine infectious anaemia (EIA) may need to be shown if you regularly use hired trailers for horse events – this is a serious incurable equine virus.

Having regular farrier visits is also essential for a happy and comfortable horse. When your horse’s feet are allowed to get long and unbalanced, it is inevitably uncomfortable and will in time affect the horse’s mood and performance. Your farrier will need to trim your horse’s hooves every six weeks or so.

During wet and cold weather you should provide a blanket or coat for your horse, and in the summer he will need a fly-protective sheet. You may wish to use a horse cooler rug after exercise to help your horse calm and cool down. Drinking water directly after exercise could put a horse’s body into shock. Normal body temperature needs to be regained after exercise and before feeding your horse. Leave it for an hour after meals before exercising your horse.

Horses need to have a purpose, whether it is riding, showing, therapy, carriages or dray. They love to feel useful. It is important for a horse’s sense of purpose and focus that he receives regular praise – especially when young – for performing simple tasks such as simply standing still or in the right place. Introducing new experiences to your horse will help his confidence and satisfy his inherent curiosity.

A horse will be at its happiest when given the very best in love and care that it is possible to give. Before even purchasing a horse you need to be aware of the responsibility you have as a horse owner to provide the best in health care and welfare. Keeping a horse can be a very expensive business, and without good horse insurance provided by a specialist equine insurer, it is possible to quickly run into financial problems if your horse should become sick or sustain an injury. The rewards to you for providing the very best for your horse are priceless, as they will give love back to you a thousand times over.

Spending quality time with your horse is important in allowing a natural bond to develop, as well as allowing you to learn your horses responses and reactions to different situations. In time you will learn your horse’s body language. A happy horse will generally appear calm and be responsive to you. He will keep a low head, relaxed jaw and have soft eyes. Your horse will both show and seek affection and will not invade your personal space – these are signs of a happy horse. Surprisingly, yawning is a sign not of boredom but of relaxation and calm. You can tell by the way a horse holds himself if there is something wrong; a troubled horse will be reluctant to stand still and will hold his head high with a tense jaw and darting eyes. Allow the horse time to settle himself slowly in order to avoid the onset of “flight” mode and further stress.

Grooming your horse gives you the opportunity to check him over regularly. It is advisable to check your horse’s teeth, eyes, hooves, shoes and droppings frequently. Any change in the normal should be reported to your vet at the earliest opportunity – any delay could cause you extra worry, expense and a potential claim on your horse insurance. It is also important that your vet has regular worming and vaccination appointments set with you. There are many different types of worms and parasites and you should rotate medications to get the best benefits and to stop them building up immunity. Colic, heart and immunity problems can all be caused by lack of suitable medication. Horses should always be vaccinated for encephalitis, influenza and rhinoneumonitis. Also advisable while not necessarily essential would be vaccinations against tetanus and rabies. Regular users of trailers at show and equestrian events may need to show a negative Coggins test for presence of the incurable virus EIA or equine infectious anaemia.

Having regular farrier visits is also essential for a happy and comfortable horse. A horse’s mood and performance will be adversely affected if his hooves are allowed to get too long as this will cause discomfort and imbalance. The farrier should trim hooves every six to eight weeks or more often if needed.

During wet and cold weather you should provide a blanket or coat for your horse, and in the summer he will need a fly-protective sheet. You may wish to use a horse cooler rug after exercise to help your horse calm and cool down. While it may seem logical to give your horse a drink after exercise, this could in fact put his body into shock. Normal body temperature needs to be regained after exercise and before feeding your horse. Do not exercise your horse for at least an hour after he has finished eating.

Horses are happiest when they know that they have a purpose – this could be showing, jumping or therapy, for example. Horses glory in feeling worthwhile. It is important that your horse has a focus, especially when young and not broken in; a simple praise when they stand still or in the correct place makes them feel that everything is ok. Introducing new experiences to your horse will help his confidence and satisfy his inherent curiosity.

Horses are wonderful creatures that deserve all the love and care you can give. You have a responsibility as a horse owner to provide the very best in care and welfare. Keeping a horse can be a very expensive business, and without good horse insurance provided by a specialist equine insurer, it is possible to quickly run into financial problems if your horse should become sick or sustain an injury. A horse will show you vast amounts of love in return for the simple effort of attention and care for his well-being.