Posts Tagged ‘horse boots’

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about horses that have been left neglected and starving due to gas prices, costs backyard breeding and other factors. As I thought of this, I realized that many people do not really sit and think about all that is involved in owning a horse. First of all, a horse is not a dog or a cat. You can not keep a horse in your house. A horse is generally kept in some sort of barn.

Second, there are completely different expenses with a horse. When your dog, cat, gerbil, hamster, or what have you gets sick, you put it in a carrying cage and take it to the vet. This is not the case with horses. Either the vet has to come to you and charges for a vet call or you have to load the horse into a trailer and truck the horse to the equine hospital. In order to do this, you must make sure you have certain supplies to be able to safely trailer the horse. You will need a lead rope, halter and probably a blanket to truck the horse. If you do not own your own trailer, you will have to pay someone to ship the horse to the veterinary clinic.

Third, There is certain protective equipment a horse needs which other animals don’t. Things such as leg wraps, fly masks, and protective boots just to name a few. Also, a horse needs to have his horses professionally done by a farrier. Many horses also need some sort of shoes whether they are weighed shoes or protective plates. Some horses need corrective shoeing. You can not clip a horse’s nails like you do a dog or cat. Now, you have a shoeing bill.

Further, when you walk your dog, you can wear whatever you want, however, this is not the case with riding or working a horse. You will have to have certain types of riding apparel to ride your horse. This includes boots, jods, gloves and protective helmets. All of these items are strictly for the protection of you and your horse. Again, there are other types of equipment that are necessary such as lunge lines, bitting rigs, bridles, carts etc. All of these things can get very costly.

These ideas are just food for thought when considering buying a horse. We did not cover the cost of feed, bedding and monthly board. I also did not cover costs incurred in breeding horses. Those will be covered at a later date. Before, you consider buying a horse, research very carefully all that is involved in the cost and care of owning a horse. Research at your local library, talk to people, and go to some local barns to get some general ideas.

Horse ownership is a very serious commitment as you can not take the horse to the local humane society if you decide it isn’t going to work out. Maybe if more people would take the time to really consider the true costs of owning a horse, there wouldn’t be so many horses starving and the need for so many rescue horse associations. We all love these animals, but owning a horse is a very serious decision and much thought should go into it.

Nina Kraus

Author: Nina Kraus
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The Dressage Arena

Inside the arena is one of the most difficult moments at a competition for both the rider and the horse. The time immediately before entering the arena is the most crucial. You hope that the horse has worked is ready to do its best. But it is very easy for the horse to switch off between the warming-up area and the competition arena. You have to be alert with particularly young or inexperienced horses and ponies. They will be wary of any new arena, and may well lose their confidence and concentration when entering this new place.

In training, frequently give your horse an opportunity to switch off, then find ways of bringing it back to attention. This is beneficial at competitions, when you will need to bring the horse back again to do its best following a break. When you are about to enter the arena, try, as quickly as possible, to bring the horse correctly on the aids again. This is another situation where as the rider and trainer, you need to really know your horse.

With young horses or a pony it is vital that the rider treat the competition arena as a training ground. If the horse does something unacceptable, it has to be corrected (as he would be at home). If the horse get the idea that you, as the rider will allow him to misbehave in the arena, the horse’s behaviour or the pony’s behaviour, will gradually get worse. Some novice riders think that they must do nothing in the arena. The equestrian dressage, however, will realize that if something is going wrong it needs to be corrected immediately.

Now that both rider and horse have entered the arena, they should make sure that the horse’s boots or bandages are removed and your rider’s jacket is buttoned up. Have a few calming thoughts, then you are off!

And Finally

Wherever you are placed at the end of the event, remember dressage competitions are a test of the horse’s training and provide an opportunity to receive expert observations of an independent judge.

Frequently a rider will be thrilled with a fairly low placing in a test in which the horse did its best and showed improvements. On the other hand, another rider may be unhappy with a winning test that he did not consider to be that good. Winning may be the well-deserved regard for all the time and patience put into systematically training a horse, but it should not in itself be the primary aim. If the performance of the horse or pony was disappointing, do not automatically blame the horse or pony. Instead, try to view the test dispassionately; try to see the good points as well as the bad. Think about what you could have done better, and how you will improve next time.

It is very important that the principles of sound training (dressage) are clearly understood by riders, teachers and judges.

Training should be kept as simple and clear as possible, with no secret about the correct thing to do – just dedication on your part. I hope that this article will help make the life of your horse or your horses more comfortable. As I wish you good riding and happy horses.

Sonia is a book reviewer, coach and author. Equestrian dressage is about techniques, competing, tack, horse riding, caring for your horse and more.

Refer to:

http://dressage.ebooksgain.com

in support of more exciting and appealing information on your passion!

Author: Sonia Dixon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Beading Necklace

Taking proper care of a horse takes a lot of patience and understanding. In fact, most people don’t know how to care for horses. Not only do they need the basic, like food and shelter, they also need the proper horse tack supplies. Saddles, saddle blankets, horse blankets, horse boots/shoes, and other horse supply products are just some of the essential things that equines need.

Also known as horse shoes, they are generally designed to protect the feet of horses. This is a very simple notion but requires quite a serious approach. Generally, aluminum and steel are used in making these types of shoes. Most of them have an underneath grooves that also provide a better grip. The grooves also make the horse shoes lighter. But did you know that the front part of these shoes is circular in shape and the backs are diamond shaped?

Aside from being sturdy, another factor includes the trimming of the hooves for proper fitting of the shoes. As well, there are four important aspects in shoeing a horse. These are the balance, the support, the shape and the expansion. Such evaluations should be done at least a week or two after a shoeing job. Although it might sound difficult, you only have to have a pencil and a level ground where your horse can stand so that you can evaluate the said factors.

Understand that horse boots/shoes should not be worn all the time. In fact, during very cold winter seasons, it is ideal to remove those shoes from the horses. After all, you won’t be riding horses in the middle of a snow anyway. However, winters vary from one place to another, so if your local climate is not that cold, even if its winter, then try adding pads under the boots. This can help with proper blood circulation of the horse, while improving his expansions and movements.

Horse boots are indeed very important for horses. That is why you should seek the services of a farrier, who is a professional that creates boots/shoes for horses. This means that he is highly-knowledgeable, as far as finding the most ideal shoes for your horse is concerned. Take time to discuss with him the basic things you need to know. Taking care of a horse indeed takes a lot of effort, but as long as you know the necessary things, horsemanship can also be very rewarding.