Posts Tagged ‘horse ownership’

If this is going to be the first horse you own, make sure you know how much money you have to spend on the horse. A horse is an expensive animal to purchase, say nothing of the whole hobby of horse ownership. Read through the segments below to help you calculate the costs you can expect to incur. Research, then type up the costs of these products and services in your area. Make sure the total amount fits into your budget. Also, bear in mind the results you compile are likely to vary between states, regions and counties. In general, boarding, hay, and vet care are more expensive in bigger cities than in the country.

Initial Costs
The amount of money you spend on a horse depends on several factors, including the horse’s age and training. If you only want a pet for the pleasure of riding, expect to pay $1,600 to $1,800 almost anywhere you live. If you intend to show the horse, you will pay much more. The show horse is what makes the difference in cost depending on your locality. Equipment and supplies are another immediate expense. The short list includes a saddle, saddle pad, bridle, halter, and grooming equipment. Riding clothes are needed, too, if this is not just a pet horse. If you are going to board the horse on your property, and you don’t already have horse facilities, you need to build them beforehand. If this is all new to you, the cost of all this can really open your eyes.

Ongoing Expenses
Most people think the initial outlay for a horse and equipment is the largest expense they’ll have after becoming horse owners. The reality is that maintenance will cost much more over the life span of the animal. Expect to encounter regular expenses when owning a horse. The cost of each item and service in the list below will vary depending on where you live, so do your research. Call local veterinarians, farriers (the people who trim and put shoes on hooves), and tack and feed stores to determine how much each item will cost. Estimate high so you won’t be disappointed.

Boarding: If you don’t have your own horse property, you’ll need to keep your horse some place else. The most likely option is a commercial boarding farm. The stable where you take lessons might offer this service. When boarding, you have to pay a monthly fee for a stall, pasture, or a fenced enclosure. This fee usually includes food and stall maintenance, but may not include bedding.

Bedding: If your horse is boarded where bedding isn’t part of the plan, or you wish to keep him at home, you’ll have to provide shavings or another type of bedding, which you will need to clean and freshen every day.

Feed: If your horse lives with you, you need to provide feed, which includes hay and/or maintenance of your pasture. Don’t forget feed extras, such as pellets or food for special dietary needs

Dietary supplements: Feed supplements, which you can add to help your horse’s joints, attitude, or other issues, are popular and plentiful at tack and feed stores. If you plan to give one or more of these supplements to your horse, add this cost to your monthly estimate.

Veterinary treatment: Horses can get sick, too. When it happens to your household, you have to call out the vet. The problem might be minor or require minimal treatment. I might be major and require surgery. Vet bills can be very high, and they can rise quickly if a horse has a serious or a chronic problem.

Preventive veterinary care: All adult horses need regular preventive care. Vaccinations and de-worming usually necessary several times each year. Overgrown teeth are a common problem requiring filing at least once each year.

Shoes and hoof trimming: Horses that wear shoes require new ones every six to eight weeks. A farrier will still need to trim the hooves of the horse if you choose to have him remain shoeless.

Insurance: Many horse owners insure their animals for major medical, mortality, loss of use, and/or liability. It’s usually a good idea. Add the cost of premiums to your list.

Training and lessons: If you are a beginning rider, you will want basic lessons in these skills. Your horse needs to train right along with you. Training is especially necessary if you intend to show your horse. Lessons are usually weekly expenses.

Show expenses: If you plan to show your horse, you have to spend money on show clothes, tack (equipment for your horse), entry fees, and transportation.

Now comes the scary part. Add the total costs. You’ll quickly discover the shape and color of your horse future. The number may not look very cheerful, but too many that have preceded you have gotten their feet wet, not expecting to take a bath.

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.

If you already own a Bunn, always use Bunn coffee filters to prevent overflow and to remove all chances of a bitter or papery taste in your coffee.

Author: Tanya Vorgan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Programmable Multi-cooker

I’ve been wanting to buy a horse for ages now. I am going to spend a bout a year and try to get my money situated and stuff, but in the mean time I am looking at the options and what to expect with horse ownership. I’d like to know about the vaccines and stuff like that. There are allot of draft horses I want. What beautiful animals! I know I will need to have a vet check the horse out.

A lot of people get into the horse business or horse ownership as a "family" thing. The generations before them had horses, and now they too own horses. I’m sure most of their knowledge comes from learning by hand.

But some other people (like myself) do not get this opportunity. My grandparents owned horses, but my parents did not. So that "hands-on" learning that goes on for generations stopped.
Right now I’m still in High School but plan on owning a horse or more in the future. I’ve taken equine science/management classes, and work with large animals like cattle (not that their care is alike!).
And as weird as it sounds- I think I am going too far with learning and reasearch.

So have you horse owners learned what you know from childhood, learned about the subject then got into horses, or just got horses and learned as you go?

Owning a horse takes on a whole new set of responsibilities that leasing and lessons did not have.

I find that this is the most overlooked part of horse ownership, and I see it daily in the horse world. Horses can be expensive, even when they live with you as opposed to being boarded out.

They are living, breathing creatures whose very lives are completely dependent upon YOU for survival. I cannot state this enough, especially having gone through years of watching people get them and dispose of them when no longer needed or wanted.

If you have any indications that you may not be able to keep up the commitments, I ask that you keep your lease horse and read no further. I’m not trying to be harsh, but this next step requires you to do some soul searching. It’s not really about the money.

Since you are still reading, let’s take a good hard look at the real cost of horse ownership.

There are many articles on this subject, but three factors to keeping costs down are:

Buy a sound, healthy, happy, trained, quiet horse that has passed a battery of veterinarian testing and professional trainer/coach approval.

Keep the horse in a place that is safe and free from hazards.

Research and read everything you can about horses: skeleton and structure, feed and nutrition, care and grooming, feet and maintenance. The riding is up to you and your coach.

Costs for owning a horse go through the roof when these above principles are neglected or passed by. If I wrote down all the people I know right now, whose horses are out of commission, the reasons would be because of at least one of the above principles.

The Cost of a Good Horse

Horse prices vary around the world, so we will use North American averages. Let’s look at a few of the necessities of a first horse and the price for it.

Sound, healthy, vetted clean, not too young or old (7-13)
Well mannered, trailers nicely, can be clipped and bathed
Has basic training levels down well: stop, go, turns, cues lightly, trained mouth
Has registration papers
May have competed at entry level

Price for this horse: $5,000. Price for this pony: $3500 – 5000.

Now let’s add some frills:

Horse has been in many shows and pinned in ‘A’ circuits – Add $2000 and up

Horse is discipline specific; jumping, hunter, reining, breed classes – Add $2,000 (smaller levels) to $15,000 (medium levels) to anything over $50,000 (higher levels)

Breeding: purebred or reasonable bloodlines – Add $2,000 and up. For the top bloodlines – Add $5,000 and up. Poor bloodlines can drop the price of a horse.

Horse has level 3 and 4 dressage – Add $25,000 and up

Horse is a proven broodmare – Add $2000 and up

Horse comes from a notable trainer – Add $3000 and up.

Costs vary with every horse, but these are generalities. When it comes to the price of a horse, it’s not always the quality or training. Market value is what someone will pay, and if no one will pay $50,000 for a well-bred hunter, you won’t sell it. It’s very simple.

Good ponies are worth their weight in gold, so you may have to spend more for a winning pony, but if the pony is young enough, you will recoup every dollar and sometimes more.

The price of horses also is dictated by the economic climate. As of the writing of this article, July 2008, you don’t even have to pay for a horse these days. Auctions have been selling them from $20 to $200; half of the value of meat. Check out this site for the truth on auction horses and the current auction prices: fuglyhorseoftheday.com

Speaking of Auctions

Can you get a good horse at an auction? Absolutely, but it relies on 50% – skill and 50% – luck. There are more bad reasons for horses being at an auction than good reasons.

Should you try an auction? As a first time buyer, absolutely not, unless you bring someone skilled, and even then it’s still 50% luck. If it’s your first horse, it would be heartbreaking to bring the horse home and a week later have a vet tell you the horse is unserviceable for life. We will have more on auctions in a future article.

Cost of Ownership

Boarding

Keeping your horse at a stable varies immensely. Let’s look at the monthly variants:

Backyard, no barn, reasonable feeding, full care, shelter, no arenas – $150 – $350
Private small facility, good care/feed, stalls, turnout, arenas (outdoor) – $300 – $550
Self board, you do everything, pay for all feed, clean stalls – $150 – $350
Quality barn, come competitors, excellent care, instructors, indoor arena – $550 – $700
Competition barn, discipline specific, best of everything, trainers, coaches $700 – $1,500 (plus frills)

Keeping your horse in your back yard depends on the amenities and outbuildings you have. Lets start with the buildings you may have to build (based on averages only):

Outside shelter/run-in, 14′x14′, open 2 sides: $350 – $600 (untreated or treated lumber), if someone else build it: $1,000 +
Small barn, 2 stalls, hay storage, concrete floor, one storey, ‘traditional’ building style, around 36×40: You build-$35,00. They build: $45,000
Hay storage shed: $400-600.
Shavings and bedding shed: $400-600.
Fencing, corral 40′ x 100′: Wood 3 rail painted – $16,000. Bayco high-tensile horse wire at 5 strands: $17,000. Metal: $65,000.
Fencing, pasture: wood, untreated unpainted – $60 per every 10 feet.
*Please note the absence of barbwire pricing. Barbwire has no business around horses. I have a saying: “That horse never died before.”

Building anything on a property only increases the property value, if done well. Anything less becomes a safety issue, which we talk about later.

Training and Lessons
Lesson, one hour, qualified instructor: $30 – 50/hour
Training, one month, qualified trainer: $1,000/month

Feeding

Grain for one 1100 pound horse: $35 – 50/month
Hay for same horse: Grass/orchard hay: $110-150/month. Timothy: $120-170/month. Alfalfa mix: $120-170/month. (pure alfalfa is for cattle. More on that in future articles, or see Kathryn Watts, Marijke van de Water).

Average 50 lb. bale cost: orchard $5-12. Timothy: $12-18. Alfalfa mix: $16-24.

Hay will rise substantially in the next 2 years from the cost of fuel and the depletion of farmland for corn crops. Drought and economy also play a role in the variable feed pricing.

Worming
Every 2-3 months: $20 each time

Vet Care
Call out (before they do anything) $65-85
Average one hour visit with no return or emergency: $250-350
Vaccinations: $120/year

Feet
Trim, all 4: $30-45
Shoes, general all-purpose set of 4: $220-280
Shoes, 2 fronts: $90-140
Specialty shoes, all 4: $280-450

Trims average every 4-6 weeks for optimum health. Shoes the same.

Bedding
Per month: Shavings: $40-65. Pellets: $50-85. Straw: $25-50.

Equipment
Saddles
English, medium quality. Dressage: $1,700 – 3000. Hunt seat/all purpose: $1500 – 3000.
English, used, good quality: Dressage: $700-2500. Hunt seat/all purpose: $400-1600
Western, medium quality, all purpose trail: $1800-2400.
Western, good quality used: $800-2200

Bridles
English with bit: $85-125
Western with bit: $70-110

Halters
Web traditional: $25-55
Rope: $14-29
Leather: $50-120
Lead ropes: $12-30

Grooming Equipment
Brushes, combs, picks, misc: $30-100

Misc: saddle blankets, horse blankets, boots, wraps, first aid, tack cleaning supplies, sprays, bandages: $200-600/year.

Hauling
Average 100 mile trip: $1 to $2.50/mile

Insurance
This cost varies too greatly to make sense or put it on the site.

Total Equine Costs/Averages for One Year
Recreational horse at home (after building): $1800
Boarded recreational horse $7000
Boarded competition horse $15,000

It costs the same to board and feed a bad horse as it does a good horse. The initial price of the horse is the easy part.

Author: April Reeves
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Latest trends in mobile phone

Your first horse should give you positive experiences that will carry over into the rest of your life. Your first horse should be safe, have the ability to bond with you (not always possible as we’ll learn later) and be able to do many of the things you want to do with him/her.

Before you venture out to look, think this over well:

“What do I expect to get out of horse ownership?”

In my many years of retraining horses, I have seen too many people buy the wrong horse. These are not animals you should buy because you fall in love with them immediately. Very few people can feel a bond that quickly, and even they make mistakes in their choices. Bonding right away is not the reason one should override other problems the horse may have.

I have only had 2 long-term horses in my life: a big black jumper in my teens and an Arabian stallion. The stallion, Spike, was the greatest horse I have owned to date, but I also know that great horses are made first, and ‘gifted’ to you second. I have trained countless horses with talent and bonding ability, but the previous owners were not able to see this (often through lack of experience, time, training, general ‘horse sense’ ).

Finding the right horse means that you have to answer the above question with honesty and integrity. Another life depends on it.

What Can You Expect From Owning a Horse?

I would not be where I am today without having had them in my life, and I don’t mean the website and the riding experience. Horses supply valuable worldly skills at any age; it’s just gets a little more interesting when you’re older. My patience came from the horse: my gratitude came from the horse: and my compassion came from the horse.

Horses ask us to change the way we think. They need us to speak their language first. The road to learning this new language opens up the creative thinking side of a human, and challenges us to explore deeper within.

Adiva Murphy says it well: “Horses are intensely emotional, intuitive, intelligent beings. They are a true reflection of our deepest soul. Over time I have discovered their extraordinary ability to awaken intuition in humans, and their ability to mirror the authentic feelings people try to hide. This makes horses powerful therapeutic teachers.”

All Parents Should Read This

When I was young, I was trouble looking for a place to happen. I did not fit in at school, as I was too tall, too skinny and too geeky. I would never have made it through school without my horse.

For young people, growing up means learning to find your place in the world, or society. When parents tell me that horses are too expensive, and you see the look on the child’s face, I always ask them “How much does it cost to rehabilitate a kid on drugs, or raise a teen’s baby?” I’m not saying that kids without horses will go that path, but there are more than the obvious things that make horse ownership for youngsters a valuable tool for life.

By the end of grade 10, I was pinning in almost everything I went in, and jumping heights that scared me silly in grade 1. My courage to go places and advance was unstoppable, and I absorbed every detail I could about the horse.

In elementary school, I use to run home as fast as I could, to avoid the rocks the kids threw at me every day after school. I was never invited to play sports, even though I could have whipped just about everyone there. I always sat at the front of the class, as close to the teacher as possible. When I hear of bullying now, the things I endured as a little kid would have locked up many guilty youth today.

But as my horse knowledge grew, and I became stronger from having this highly positive experience in my life, I began to fight back. In grade 10, I found myself surrounded by ‘unpleasant’ girls in the bathroom. I was able to negotiate my way out of it (learning other language skills – the horse) and after taking off my jacket to reveal some rather strong arms, they left me alone, revering me the rest of the school year. It was better than the abuse.

Being a bit of an outcast at school also didn’t matter much as I went through Jr. and Sr. High. My attitude was “Go ahead, bug me all you want, but you can’t ride a horse as well as me.”

At the barn, I was surrounded with kids my age and all sorts of interesting horsey people. I fit in there, and was well respected. I met lots of new friends at the shows, and my memories of youth now are filled with happy tales of great adventure: sleeping in our horse’s stalls overnight at the shows; riding bareback through miles of endless trails; riding my first Rothman’s Grand Prix at the Northwest International and not having any recollection of the entire thing at the end from being so scared (but brave enough to do it).

How Horses Teach Us

Not all kids are like I was. But the point is, the horse taught me that I could excel in something (I was good in school, but back then that was ‘geeky’, so I never tried), gave me hope, showed me another way to communicate, and challenged the anger that could have grown out of proportion inside. My confidence soared, I took on any challenge and learned to nurture and respect all life. The things horses teach us.

Horses often take the place of a best friend, and that was my experience growing up. I cried with my horse, I laughed with my horse, and not once did he ever call me stupid (perhaps in a subtle way, when you ask them to do something and they tell you to ask another way).

Horses are incapable of learning our language. They are herd animals, and ‘precocial’, meaning they are born with the immediate response of being mobile and bonding to the mare. Precocial exists in prey animals, where as predators are born ‘altricial’, where the young are born helpless and bond with the parent(s) later. Horses have very limited verbal dialogue and use body language as their main way of communicating.

This forces humans to change their thinking patterns and physical behaviors around horses (if the human wants to get anywhere with the horse). As humans, we now are asked to bring down our walls and ego, and speak a dialogue that’s transparent and honest.

Find that course in grade school?

What Parents Should Look For

The trick for parents is to be able to judge whether or not horses are a passing fad for the year, or a way of life that the youngster will take with them. Not all young people stick with horses their whole life. In my world about 1 in 10 did. As parents, what you need to feel out is whether you are going to get into this, and have the child find interest in something else ten months down the road, after you have purchased the horse, equipment, lessons, trailer, truck (you get the message). But the child needs to ride in lessons first, for you to be able to judge this.

The best way to proceed is to get lessons at a reputable barn. How do you know a barn is reputable? Find two or three top trainers in the area and ask them. Top trainers and coaches know what and who to avoid. Spend time around a place and get a feel for the instructors. Are they in it for the kids or the paycheck, and with horse people this will stand out plain as day. Teaching youth is a gift and you either want to do it or you have to. The difference between the two is easy to distinguish. Also, do the horses look well fed and happy? Are they turned out daily? Is the facility managed by responsible people who show up? What are the qualifications of the instructors (they should at least have insurance)?

What if you don’t have any lesson barns close by? Many kids get their start by cleaning stalls and working in facilities. These kids are lucky, for they earn the right to be with horses, and usually stick with it long after all the ‘stuff’ is bought. The drawback is that many of them learn by trial and error, and that means broken bones and the odd concussion, and the price the horse will pay in the process. Just go into a horse forum and start reading. You have to feel for some of those horses.

There is nothing that takes the place of lessons and good training from the start. It’s not a sport like hockey where you learn to skate and balance. This sport has a partner: a living, breathing entity whose survival depends solely on the owner/rider. I cannot stress this enough: there are far too many unwanted and abused horses. If you don’t have the ability to keep an animal, do not get into this in the first place. If you have no intention of learning from the start, take up something else. Horses have no place in the ego of mankind, and do not exist solely for our pleasure.

I suggest that your child take lessons on at least 3 horses before you even think of buying one. This allows the child to get a feel of what different horses are like, so that they are better able to judge the right horse for their own when they finally buy one. They should have had enough lessons to become comfortable with each horse, and enough time in to gain confidence.

Your child’s age is another factor. I rode my own pony Dusty at the age of 4, but looking back on it one could have called it child abuse. I was bitten and bucked off daily. I either landed too many times on my head, or this way of life was for me and nothing was getting in the way. I believe a child will know when they want to learn. Size and age does not matter (no younger than 4 please) but it’s even more important that you find the right horse or pony for a younger enthusiast. Dusty may not have been the best example, but was small enough to not scare me during the rough moments (about every two minutes).

Long Term Considerations

Another thing a parent has to consider are restrictions: does the child or YOU have the time to put into this: are you as a parent able to help out: can you afford it: can you go the distance when the child wants to progress with this animal in the future (shows, clinics, lessons)? Horses are time consuming and not for those who like to get out on Sunday. They can really eat up time when they are sick or injured. Your weekends are given over to the horse. Life can change also, leaving Fluffys life with you in the balance.

The commitment to horses is enormous, and buying the animal is often the easy part. Most kids grow out of Fluffy in a few years, and you either end up owning 2 horses or Fluffy gets sold. It’s not always easy to sell horses, taking weeks or months to find the right home. But it’s all part of the experience, and as a child, I learned to absorb the pain of my favorite horses passing on, and being sold.

This is yet another way that horses teach us. Being sheltered from the natural movement of life just means you will have to go through the lesson later. What you resist, persists. I am so grateful I had the chance to understand these things early. I had more time to move through the process.

If all that information helps you, and you’ve now gone through this ‘discovery’ period, it’s time to find the right horse.

The Mature Rider’s Guide to Horse Ownership

Most mature riders have ridden in the past at some point. I commend anyone who takes on this challenge without prior experience. You have my full respect.

As I said above, horses come with a level of responsibility you won’t find in any other sport or pet ownership, so if you glanced through the youth/parent section, go back and read it thoroughly. As adults, we need to evaluate the same things that parents are asked to: time, ability, finances, available stables and long term ownership.

As adults, we have different reasons to own horses than children do. Perhaps it was a dream from youth, or the desire to return to a more natural way of living (farms/land ownership). Horses can add to our years with an enjoyment you won’t understand until you live the experience. There is no money in the world that can buy the enjoyment a good horse can give.

We don’t often buy show horses as adults. We often spend our lives in business, competing for jobs and salaries, fighting our way up the ladder, and the last thing we want from our experience with horses is more of the same. The pleasure horse is more the choice of later years. Unlike children, we usually don’t have to work at a barn or take lessons before we know we want to do this. Adults have pondered the idea for years. Many of us have the income and means to pursue the dream. From here on it’s full steam ahead to find one.

Looking for a horse now requires a bit more time. Quality horses with the level of training to be safe can also cost a bit more, but here’s where the show horse comes in. Older show horses often have good training on them, and have been exposed to many distractions and spooky threats. Often, people move on to newer younger animals, and the old show horse gets the back pasture, or worse, left in isolation. While they may cost a bit more they can become loyal companions and reliable trail buddies.

Always try out a horse you’re interested in at least three or more times. Show up at the horse’s barn unexpectedly and see how the animal lives when you’re not there. Ride the horse in an enclosed area (arena, ring) and out on a trail or roadway. If the owner balks at this, it’s likely the horse is incapable of being safe in these places. Watch others ride the horse. We will cover more of this in future articles in this series.

What’s Next in Horse Purchasing?

As a parent, by now you will have come to a decision about how your child is going to learn. Maybe you have gone through the lesson circuits and the child is ready for ownership.

As an adult, you are hot on the trail of horse hunting, and have found a potential horse or so. Next comes the decision: which horse is going to be an enjoyable experience and lifelong partner?

In the next chapter, we will look at the difference between ponies and horses: pros and cons. Which is right for your child.

Author: April Reeves
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Latest trends in mobile phone

This is Article 2/2.

Horse Dreams – Broken Dreams

The real cost of owning your own horse is not just time and money – you must plan ahead before you buy or you could be without an equine friend. I had my own horses when I was young but due to family issues, my horse had to be sold when I was about 15. For many, many years I yearned to have another equine friend. After sharing a few horses, the craving for my own became too much to bear. Basically, I was going to have my own, no matter what. Five years ago, after looking in the UK, I finally went to Holland with a respected trainer and found a beautiful horse. The only problem was that I didn’t do my List and I was not strictly objective (oh, and I had a 4 month old little girl!) Now, my beautiful 17.3 KWPN Dressage horse is on loan with a view to sale, because I really didn’t have the time or the lifestyle to meet his needs and to fulfil my dream. I spent most of my time moving from one livery yard to the next and mucking out in pitch black darkness. I couldn’t afford my training due to no job and being Mum to little baby girl. My bank balance is still reeling after forking out a small fortune for my horsy habit! So, I am now horseless again and very sad about it too. Writing this has been a little bit cathartic maybe, although, I just want to grab a horsebox and go and pick him up. Just devising my plan for buying the next one, one day. This time, I will do The List before I go horse hunting! Please read on and if you know of anyone about to buy their own, please ask them to read it too!

Look around – Ring around

There is no harm contacting trainers and breeders in the UK who you may not know and asking if they ever go abroad and if they can recommend any yards abroad. But also be careful. It is always better to see any horse with a trusted, able individual who can objectively look at the horse, and you when you try it out. Search the web as there are many horses on line here – even if its simply for research purposes. Best to take a trainer, I think, rather than a vet. A vet will be able to check that the horse is fit but not necessarily whether it is the right horse for the job you want it to do. Do be aware however, that some of the prices you pay abroad will be higher simply because you are from the UK – hence, going with a trusted, well known individual who really knows the true value of horses in today’s market really makes sense. They will charge – but it is better to pay them what they are worth and what the horse is worth, rather than paying over-odds for your equine friend.

Horse dealers?

I have mixed opinions about these. Sometimes, the horses they bring over are the ones that cannot be sold abroad and they are not necessarily quality ones as a result. However, you should visit a few and try out some horses. It is a good experience, will test your nerve a bit and help you establish what you really want and don’t want. If you do go to a dealers yard (and when visiting any prospective sale) ensure it is ridden by someone else first before you go anywhere near it. Watch it in the stable, the yard – how does it react to other people and horses. If it comes out rearing, unless you are particularly daring, I suggest leaving that one alone and perhaps, if you liked it, let it settle in its surroundings for a week before coming back and seeing if it has settled. I think dealer yards are quite unfair places to see horses really, as they are very unsettled by the process so it is difficult to see them at their best. If you do see one and your instinct is good, even if the horse wasn’t, then try it again (and again!). You may be able to loan it for a brief period, or if the yard is within sensible travel distance, perhaps try it out for a week (every day) to see if your instinct is right. Let the dealer know you are interested and they may stave off other prospective purchasers for a week or so. Don’t mess the yards around.

Buying abroad

Many good horses come from abroad so if you are up for the challenge, find a good trainer with contacts abroad and spend a few days looking at horses. Don’t go on your own to any yard – you should always have at least one more opinion. If you can, try and see any horses you like again before you return home and make a decision. Take videos to review when you return home. Well organised yards/studs will have a selection of suitable horses to view. Some yards may charge over odds for their horses, so ensure you have a knowledgeable person with you. I would suggest a 5 stage vetting with blood checks just to be on the safe side. All paperwork will be carried out before the horse is exported and these will be handed to you when he arrives! At the end of the day, any horse is worth what you are willing to pay for it in the end – but don’t pay more than you should, regardless of how lovely he/she is and remember The List!

Sharing or loaning a horse?

Another option is to find a quality horse to loan. I would highly recommend this option if you find the right horse and the right owner. You must have a loan agreement and be honest about what it is you want to do and how long you would expect to keep the horse on loan. Don’t mess the owner around by changing your plans unless you simply had no choice. It is a great way to own a quality horse for a while without having to pay the money up front to purchase, and you could spend a few years getting some excellent experience and training before you do later decide to buy your own. I would recommend it if you can find the right horse and owner.

Sharing

You could also find someone with a good quality horse who needs help. There are very often many owners struggling and needing help. Provided you are realistic and honest about your abilities, look for a good quality horse whose owner needs help (for free!) You can gain invaluable experience and also, it’s a good way to test out your skills and see if you are really ready for ownership. You must be committed – horses need regular attention, even if you are sick, tired and have other commitments. So, I really suggest sharing – particularly if you have been away from horses for a while and are getting back into it, or haven’t owned for a while.

Some sharers are looking for money. Personally, I try to avoid paying and opt for ensuring you are helping with all the horse duties including early morning muck outs, turn outs etc,. If the owner is looking for money instead of help with mucking out etc,. ensure that you are happy with the owner and horse before you hand over any money. Perhaps opt for a 2 week trial before you get involved with handing over any finances. Also, if you are sharing (and loaning) you must respect and pay attention to what the owner asks regarding their horses care, any particular pointers regarding the type of work the horse can/cannot do, etc,. You will quickly be horseless again, possibly out of pocket too, if you blatantly ignore the owners instructions. (I had a sharer who did this and my horse was off for about 4 weeks with blown up tendons because he had been pushed too quickly following time out when I removed his shoes). You will have to learn a large amount of tact and patience when dealing with horse owners (and visa versa) but it is an excellent way to get ‘back in the saddle’ (excuse the pun!)

Trust your instincts

If you are honest with yourself, when you look at a horse, you will have an instinct about it. You may not like the instinctive decision that comes to you, but I urge you to listen to your senses truly on this occasion! If your mind says ‘No’, but your heart says ‘yes please’, listen to your mind, because at the end of the day, owning a horse is not about your heart. It is about your time, your money, your relationships. Heart has to play second fiddle to basic common sense. Particularly, if you don’t want your heart broken later when you realise your equine purchase was really the wrong one! Riding down the centre isle on a beautiful 17hh dark bay Dutch Warmblood is romantic, but he may not be the right one, on this occasion! (Trust me, I know about it – I’ve been there already!) Now, you need to deck you and your horse out with kit and decide where you are going to keep him!

Kitting you and your horse out for the occasion

You must also factor in how much your horse will cost once you get him home. The main cost of a horse is not his purchase, it’s keeping him. Firstly, if you buy a horse locally, chances are he will come with some kit. But, it may not be right for you and it may need replacing soon anyway. If you buy a horse abroad, he is most likely to turn up with a rug and an old lead rope and head collar. That’s it. Kitting out from scratch is expensive: you will need feed buckets; hay nets; grooming kit; bandages; stable rugs; various turnout rugs (goods ones are about 200+ I think); another rug just in case he damages the others; bridles & saddles (can range from 50 – 3000); numnahs, special training aids and equipment; Insurance (normally about 10% of the value of the horse insured, depending on cover required) and of course, livery and shoeing (or foot care if you opt for removing their shoes). If you are bringing a horse from abroad you will need to pay his travel costs (from about 300+ depending) and he should be insured before he leaves on the lorry (although often, the policy has an initial 2 week settling period during which cover is limited).

Make sure you sit down and write a list of what you will need to buy, how much it costs and make sure you have the money in the bank. Particularly, if you need a new saddle, because there are so many saddles and saddle fitters it can be quite mind boggling and a cheap one will not necessarily be a good answer. You sit on the saddle, and the saddle sits on your horses back – so spend a lot of time trying out saddles and find the right one! There are many options including treeless. Worth looking into all options – you should be able to ask a fitter / reseller to bring a selection for you to try out.

Where will you keep your horse – Livery is expensive and not always reliable
One of the biggest issues I have had has been livery. Again, what you require will vary depending on the type of horse you purchase. Make sure that the people who run the yard understand the type of horse you are buying, what you will be doing with him and your needs regarding help and if you are doing DIY, ensure that they won’t mind you being there when you need to access the yard. Some yards can have strict cut off times and if these are too early then getting to your horse could be difficult.

Will stable help, be helpful?

Ensure that any yard helpers will be able to manage your horse effectively. Not everyone is really comfortable with a 17.3hh KWPN warm blood. So, know your horse and ensure that yards are aware of particular habits and methods of behaviour management. If you horse eats rugs make sure that put, in writing, this point (and any others) so that you cannot be held liable for any rugs he eats left by stable help and owners. I was bullied into paying a hefty 100 for a rug even though I had told them to keep rugs away from my horse (he had ripped it to shreds in his stable). Put everything in writing to the yard manager/owner and keep copies.

Managing your horses nutritional needs

It is surprising how many ‘knowledgeable’ yards are oblivious to the amount of food a big horse needs. Regardless of whether a horse is ridden every day or 4 times a week, horses need to munch hay and lots of it (to my mind, ad hoc) – of course, the bigger the horse, the more he is going to eat, especially if grazing is poor. This is particularly relevant for horses boxed for long periods of time. It is better for their gut and it is much better for their mind to keep them occupied and prevent boredom and frustration. There is nothing worse than seeing your prize purchase thoroughly fed up, miserable and frustrated, and be unable to do anything about it (except move him). It is not as easy to find good, safe and happy accommodation for your horse as you might think. An unhappy horse can result in him, through no fault of his own, being given a bad name when all is required is simple respect for his basic equine needs.

Grass Livery

Personally, I would try my utmost to keep a horse at grass, in a safe, well-fenced, appropriately sized field with some equine friends. Even expensive competition horses! This is the ticket to a happy horse – it is natural and enables them to follow their equine instincts and needs. However, some horses from abroad may freak at the concept of a lengthy turnout in a field at the beginning! In these instances, seek professional advice, as I have not had to manage this myself, although I have seen horses ill at ease in a field. The field was small, and whilst other horses were in other paddocks, none were in its own field – perhaps this was part of the issue? My horse was certainly happiest in his field with friends – he was a terrible pacer if he was on his own – it’s not natural for your equine to be void of other equine company and contact. A sniff over a stable wall does not do it for most horses and the constant lack of other equine contact can cause stress. If they are stabled, try to find well thought out stabling which enables horses to see each other with ease. This will fulfill their herding instinct and help to avoid nervous stable pacing and other habits than can develop in a stressed, bored horse.

Found the horse – now what?

Once you have found the right horse, ensure he is thoroughly vetted before buying. Also, when possible visit them a few times for a few extra rides and watch him with his current owners.

Vetting your horse

There are a number of different options ranging from basic check to a 5 Stage Vetting which includes X-rays to check their bone structure and hence, ability to perform. You can also have a blood check to ensure that no illegal substances are being used to hide any sore limbs or injuries. Whichever vetting you choose, ensure it’s carried out by a qualified vet; never use the same one as the owner of your prospective purchase. All horses, by law, have to have a Passport and be vaccinated against Tetanus and Equine Flu (in the UK) so ensure these are up to date (the vet will check this). Horses from abroad will be checked by a vet abroad before being allowed to travel and will arrive with Export papers which you must keep, along with their Passport. These you will be handed by whomever you choose to bring your horse over the channel.

Bringing your horse home

Watching your horse come down the ramps of a horse box (or trailer) is one of the most exciting and exhilarating sights, EVER! After all the waiting, planning and disappointments of horses that weren’t right or didn’t pass the vetting – finally, your equine friend is all yours. Home safely. I am sure you will have quite a lot of apprehension too! Well, now your horse is home, the work really starts!

If you need to bring your horse from abroad, there are a number of quality, professional horse transport companies who regularly bring horses to UK from abroad. They know what they are doing, so use one of these.

Settling In

It will take time for your horse to settle in to his new home. Horses can seem quite different when they arrive at a new yard. Don’t panic! Everything is new and they are sensitive animals so they will pick up on any nerves you have as well! The best approach is patience. Do not think that by next week you will be winning first prize, jumping 4″fences or doing the best piaffe of your life.

Start with what you know – build trust first at ground level

You may need to start at a basic point – do work that you know well, that he knows well and which you will both find easy – build trust. It is worth starting with plenty of ground level, in hand or loose schooling work to build trust and respect for each other. Watch your horse on a lunge (with no gadgets) or even better, provided he is calm and it’s safe, loose school and jump him. Watch how your horse moves and see what he reacts to.

Help him to respect your voice and associate its sound with good, positive reinforcement. Learn to understand and respect his equine voice and needs. Try join-up if you feel it is safe to do so (search the internet and you will find plenty of good advice for this.) Remember, this does involve your being on the ground with a loose horse (or one on a long line) so you must be careful – if you are not sure about this, I would strongly suggest finding a good natural horsemanship trainer who can give you a few lessons and get you on the right tracks. There is something very magical that happens when your horse accepts you and wanders around after you quite happily without being forced or pushed to do so.

Start riding – do what you both find easy at first

Once you have established respect and understanding on ground level, it’s time to get on and start your ridden training. Again, don’t start with the hardest moves and biggest jumps. Spend the first few ridden weeks doing what you know is easy for you both. Build trust now and you will reap the rewards later on. If your horse has travelled he may well be stiff from boxing and if he has come from abroad he will have had quite a long journey. Travelling on the boat is bumpy, so it does no harm to have them checked over by an equine physio on arrival. Don’t feel pressured to ‘show off’ your new horse with impressive new moves and high jumps – ignore the ‘know-it-all’ crowd that will develop each time you are on your new steed.

I really recommend that you have lessons & training as much as possible, particularly when you start riding your new friend. You will save so much time in the long run by getting on the right tracks from the very beginning.

Regular training / lessons

If you only want to plod about then that’s fine – but I would still recommend a few lessons for the first few months to keep you on the right tracks, and then at intervals to keep you in the right direction. If you have bought yourself a quality horse with a view to competing and taking it all quite seriously, and you cannot afford a quality trainer at least every 2-3 weeks – forget it! It’s harsh, but from my experience, without a good trainer every 1-3 weeks you are really wasting your time. Don’t kid yourself about this. Mum teaching you (unless she is a well established, experienced rider in the discipline you are interested in), won’t be enough. This will also help stave of the ‘I know more about it than you’ know-it-alls that a new horse seems to attract!

Everyone ‘knows’ more about your horse than you!

The riding fraternity can be quite cruel – through either envy or sheer ignorance, you will no doubt come across a vast amount of people who will see you with your new steed and be convinced that they know more about it than you. At the beginning, it may well be the case, whilst you build confidence in your new friend and visa versa. But don’t let it undermine you. If you follow basic common sense, build respect for your horse and get a good trainer – you will be the best person to understand your horse/pony (within reason). So don’t let other people grind you down and spoil your time and fun with your horse. This is why finding the right yard, with people who understand and respect you and your horse, is so important. Of course, don’t take this advice as meaning that you ignore all professional help and close the book to advice – but don’t be ground down by others ignorance and envy. It takes time to build a relationship with a new horse and we buy a new horse because we know it will be a challenge – we want the challenge and learning experience it will provide. Assuming you have purchased the right horse for your experience, ability, way of life, and which you can afford to maintain, then it is only a matter of time and patience before all the buttons work (well, most of them – we are speaking about a living, thinking animal at the end of the day!)

Stay open minded to other opinions

At the end of the day, the odd person will say something that is worth noting and learning more about. But don’t be put off by a wealth of ‘I know more about it’ advice. Watch those people with their horses – I am sure you could find plenty to comment about their methods and way of riding. Often, the ones who give the most unconstructive advice are the worst horse-persons, because they think they know it all already.

The wisest person is the one wise enough to know that they don’t know it all!
Watch other’s ride – if you like the way they ride, ask them for advice. If you like the training methods, ask for advice. If you don’t – then, don’t listen to them – just smile and say thank you and walk on by! The essence of any advice should be to the benefit of the horse and your relationship with him.

Routine

Ensure your horse has a good routine for turn out, feed times, bring in etc,. It is a good idea, if you can, to find out exactly what his routine had been before he came to you – try to replicate this as much as you can for the first month and slowly change it to suit your needs once he is settled in. There’s nothing worse than expecting your breakfast & turnout at 7am when it doesn’t come until 9am – especially, if you are in a new home, with new sounds and smells. So, respect his old routine and slowly amend it to suit your needs, if you need to.

What to feed/When to feed

Find out what feed he was on and try to provide the same for the first 6 weeks to ensure he doesn’t get an upset stomach – ensure they have plenty of good quality hay to munch. Introduce new feed and supplements (if any) gradually. You should consider the grazing he was on previously. If he was on limited turnout on poor grass, turning him out all day on rich grass is not a good idea – the sugar can go to their head and you could give them tummy troubles! Build things up slowly. If he is going to be turned out 24/7 then manage it appropriately, including the introduction to new friends to avoid any accidents and injuries. (Remember, the first 2 weeks of your insurance policy are often restricted so you may want to play it very safe for the first few weeks!) A healthy horse does not have to be stuffed full with loads of hard feed – quality hay & grass should be the bulk of their diet, with additional hard feed given in moderation and relevant to their age, work levels, breed and build.

DIY Livery vs Part vs Full Livery

The more time you spend with your horse, the better – and for this reason, DIY is excellent. However, unless you have considerable amount of free time and a stash of money somewhere, then the time you spend looking after him will eat in to the time you have to ride him. Full livery is probably my least favourite option – you virtually hand over the responsibility of your horse to a group of ‘knowledgeable’ staff, pay a small fortune for the honour and then will perhaps, spend a lot of time disagreeing with them about how your horse is looked after.

For me the best option is DIY with help, or Part Livery. Spend as much time doing horsy chores as you can, ensuring that you still have plenty of time and energy to enjoy your horse. I spent more time in the end mucking out, heaving 20 bails of hay every 2 weeks, dragging poo filled wheelbarrows up cracked wooden runners to the muck heap, than I did actually riding my beautiful horse (hence the very important Checklist!)

The only time Full Livery may be a good option is for the first few months while you adjust to your horse – spend all your time grooming, working in hand and then riding, before all the mucking out commences! However, don’t underestimate how fit you can get mucking out – and the fitter you are, the better you will be able to ride! I think Full Livery, all the time, is a bit of a cop-out! Real horse people should have a good hands on approach and the time spent around your horse whilst you poo-pick his stable, walk him to and from his field and give him his feed and hay are not to be underestimated. You want the bond with your horse to be between you and him, not him and all the stable help!

How fit are you?

This probably isn’t something you have thought about. If you have been riding a lot already and mucking out then it really isn’t an issue. But if you have not ridden much and have not been mucking out then the arrival of your horse will be that bit more of a shock! Suggest getting fit as much as possible. Also, consider the work your horse will be requiring and whether you will be able to offer it – perhaps you will need help keeping him exercised a few days a week whilst your aches and pains have time to settle in and disappear!

Explaining Horsey-Love to non- Horsey person – Good Luck!

Given up on this one! I don’t think that any amount of explaining can help a non-horsey person understand why you want to go down to a horse (a smelly animal!) at 6am every morning (and evening) and clean up its poo and pee, and spend all your money on it. They just don’t get it. Even more amusing, try explaining lunging. ” Well, the horse is on a long line and it goes round you in a circle?… UH? What’s the point in that then? Even much more amusing than that is – try explaining Dressage to them! What do you do – go around in circles. Anyone can do that! Don’t horses jump.. why don’t you jump – That’s fun – I’ve seen it on the TV.

For goodness sake, such ignorance! It is unlikely that you will be able to convert most non-horsey people it to the beautiful life of the Horse Lover. We seem to be a distinct type of person!

Further updates to these articles and further articles will be available. Best of luck with your new Horse and I hope you have found these articles interesting and helpful. Let me know… leave a comment!

Author: Vanessa Moctezuma
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Duty tariff

I had my own horses when I was young but due to family issues, my horse had to be sold when I was about 15. For many, many years I yearned to have another equine friend. After sharing a few horses, the craving for my own became too much to bear. Basically, I was going to have my own, no matter what. Five years ago, after looking in the UK, I finally went to Holland with a respected trainer and found a beautiful horse. The only problem was that I didn’t do my List and I was not strictly objective (oh, and I had a 4 month old little girl!) Now, my beautiful 17.3 KWPN Dressage horse is on loan with a view to sale, because I really didn’t have the time or the lifestyle to meet his needs and to fulfill my dream. I spent most of my time moving from one livery yard to the next and mucking out in pitch black darkness. I couldn’t afford my training due to no job and being Mum to little baby girl. My bank balance is still reeling after forking out a small fortune for my horsy habit! So, I am now horseless again and very sad about it too. Writing this has been a little bit cathartic maybe, although, I just want to grab a horsebox and go and pick him up. Just devising my plan for buying the next one, one day. This time, I will do The List before I go horse hunting! Please read on and if you know of anyone about to buy their own, please ask them to read it too!

Horse Dreams – Broken Dreams
The real cost of owning your own horse is not just time and money – you must plan ahead before you buy or you could be without an equine friend.

Do you dream of owning your own horse?
Have you really, I mean really, thought about it – objectively? Forget romantic notions of rosettes, winning dressage competitions, learning new ways to communicate and just spending time with your equine friend. Stand back and look at the 2 key realities of owning your own horse – because once you have him/her in your life, letting go again can be very hard and expensive! Are you truly ready for the commitment, both financial and time, which owning your own horse involves?

Owning a horse will change your life immeasurably
It will offer you an amazing opportunity to bond and enjoy a relationship with a sensitive, affectionate and intelligent animal who, provided you respect the fact that he is a horse and not an equine machine, will become one of the best friends you have every had. But, besides the enjoyment you should have from your new friend, you must be prepared for the commitment that owning your own horse involves. They will become a way of life – a focal point for both your time and finances and not everyone in your life may appreciate this!

Which horse to buy?
Starting from the top then. What sort of horse/pony do you want and what can you afford? What do you want to do? Are you a happy hacker sort, who just wants a quiet friend to hack out, groom and do the odd fun ride and competition? Do you want to take part in Pony Club activities, or are you even ready for the big move to a serious competition horse with show jumping or dressage in mind? This is a very, very important point. Again, ignore romantic notions of what you want to do, and consider very harshly, what you can afford to buy, to keep, to maintain and really, what are you actually honestly capable of dealing with, and (an easy one to overlook) what are you going to actually have the time for. Don’t pretend to yourself – you will do yourself and any horse you buy an injustice. A happy hacker will be fine with the odd ride and you will benefit from the occasional lesson. However, a competition horse, like a KWPN DW, will be wasted if you planned to compete but spend all your time mucking out (because you cannot afford help) and juggling your family commitments at the same time (speaking from experience on this point!) Think about it a lot (and then think about it again, and again).

Which breed of horse/pony?
Different breeds of horse have varying personalities and needs which will all add varying requirements on your finances and time. What is your true level of knowledge with regard to stable management, horse management and welfare, horsy first aid, feed & nutrition and your riding skills – are they really up to the job? It is very easy to be seduced by thoughts of high-grade competition wins on your beautiful steed. But, be realistic. There’s no point buying something that you cannot cope with – you will spoil the horse and just spoil your dreams! So think very hard. Forget what you want – look hard at yourself and without emotion, write a list of what you really know are your abilities (get some friends to do a list too), what are your goals and realistic timeframes for achieving certain milestones. Then think hard about what horse/pony to buy. What is your lifestyle – what sort of horse/pony will be happy with the life, attention and training you will be able to afford him? Ask a friend to video your riding and look at it objectively.

Age of the horse matters, think long term
The main point about age of your purchase, training needs & your abilities aside, is resale. If you only want to keep a horse for a few years, then you need to ensure you buy an appropriately aged horse for your abilities, so that you have a sellable horse in a few years time. Horses can live a long time. Well past the point when they are able to compete, jump big jumps and perform technically correct dressage moves. You must have a plan for an older horse once his needs are different to yours.

The age of the horse you buy is pertinent when purchasing
Consider how long you will want/be able to keep this horse/pony? What are your abilities? What training can you afford? How much time do you have, realistically, taking into consideration all your other commitments. How often will you be able to exercise him? Trainers? Do you have a box (for competing)? All of these questions should be considered and answered objectively before you go looking and ensure you have budgeted, realistically, for all the training, livery and help that you will need. W ho will help you if you are away / on holiday (consider the extra cost implications). There’s no point wanting to compete, if you cannot afford the transport to get there.

Once you have your horse, selling may take time. The market may be reduced; he may be too old; not experienced enough; not fit enough; not competed enough; not advanced enough for his age. For these reasons buying the right horse, for you at this moment in time, not just your abilities but what you are really going to have the time to keep, manage and maintain. Because, like me, you may simply not be able to bear the thought of selling him and not having him in your life, even when you know deep, deep down that you cannot fit him into your life at the moment.

An older vs younger equine friend
An older horse/pony could be harder to sell on if kept for a long time, whilst a younger horse if you were to keep for about 4 years and provided it’s been well trained and looked after, would perhaps be a quicker horse to sell on. Really, the point being to just consider the longer term effects of your horse purchase, as like a dog, they are ‘not just for Xmas’. They are a long term commitment for your time, finances and once committed, to your heart strings!

A younger horse requires a considerable amount of training expertise and time, whereas an older horse will be easier in some areas because of their experiences and training (provided, of course, they are good ones). A younger horse, if you have the experience, time and a number of good trainers, will be very rewarding if you do it properly. You will not have to spend time undoing others poor and possibly detrimental training methods. However, you don’t want to be the one that applies them either. A well schooled, competed (if that’s what your looking for) / more mature horse, could enable you to progress slightly quicker than if you had a young horse needing to be trained. But it all depends on so many factors. An older horse may be slightly easier simply because he is more mature and confident. But of course, it all depends on the past experiences and training which will not always be evident initially.

The age of the horse vs your experience & expectations
At the end of the day, the age of the horse you purchase should fall in line with what you are capable of now, what you will be capable of in the near future and allow sufficient time for you to achieve enough so if necessary, you can sell him on, well trained and happy, in a few years time. Or, ensure you have long term arrangements in mind to keep him in a field with a few pals, happy for the rest of his years (there are some special equestrian centres that offer a retirement liveries).

What you expect vs what will happen
Owning a horse will be full of surprises. You cannot plan what will really happen. The experiences that you will have will far outstrip anything you imagined. What do I mean. Well, when I bought my horse I wanted to take dressage very seriously. Firstly, this was totally impractical given that I had just had a baby girl and we run our own companies so time limited and funds need to be invested in other things that hay and horse feed!).

What I actually learnt was a) how to muck out a lot and split myself into eight b) horsey feed/nutrition c) managing a big 17.3 KPWN e) natural horsemanship works f) how quickly you can move a horse to a new yard when you have to g) how not to be bullied by mean livery owners h) the tact of dealing with yard mangers/owners.i) I will never have a horse again until I can keep it at home j) I can move 20 hay bails really quickly now k) everything I have written in this and the other articles to follow.. plus… it’s endless. Dressage – no, didn’t really have the time to take my dressage any further but I have nevertheless, learnt a lot of very useful information that will be used in a good and positive way when the time is right for me to get another horse! There are a lot harder lessons I could have had to learn, so I thank God really that all the lessons I did learn are positive ones which will make the next experience easier (and yours too, if you take heed of what I am writing here)!

Just because he does it with current owner, doesn’t mean he will do it with you
Don’t think that by buying a horse that has already competed a lot and jumps or ‘does dressage’ very well with its current owner, means that the story will be the same for you (or not at the beginning anyway). It takes time to learn to respect each other and you will have to start at the basics and build up your knowledge and trust in each other before you embark on the big steps forward that you are looking for. You may never get there – sometimes it doesn’t work out! I can almost guarantee that whatever you are expecting from your new equine purchase, the journey and adventure you will have will be completely different. However, you will learn so much (just look as this article I am writing!) Maybe because you didn’t really write your list objectively, or simply because life changes; also, horses have accidents and can be ill – things do go wrong, or not as expected – so, expect the unexpected!

With horses, you really never know what’s going to happen!
The main thing when you buy your horse, however much he cost you, is that you buy him/her because you simply Love Horses. If you are not really besotted with horses, simply for Horses Sake, then you are not in the right game! (However, don’t let this adoration cloud your purchasing judgement, please!) At the end of the day, to take part in horse ownership and anything horse oriented you must truly love them from the bottom of your heart. Anything else that happens is just a bonus! The true horseperson knows that the real point of horses is their beauty and their company; learning how they speak and speaking back to them in the same way. It’s not about control, showing off, having the latest designer gear, the best looking horse (although it’s does feel good!), the most success. It’s really just about understanding each other and enjoying each other’s company.

For the Real Horse Person: Love is..
You must love mucking out; love early mornings; love late nights in the freezing cold; love wet winter feet; love mucking out to the lights of your cars ‘cos you don’t want to put money in the meter; love schooling in the dark (ditto); love jumping down with frozen feet that tingle with pain when they hit the tarmac; love coming back from a hack with your hair stuck to your face from the pouring rain; love being stuck in a foot of mud when you take them to the field in the morning; love falling in mud as they decide to move, anyway; love the hypnotic munch of hay; love ripped new rugs; love mud all over; love freezing-freezing mornings; love frozen hands and fingers; love Summer showers that tingle on your nose; love the way they chuck all their carefully measured out feed on the floor; love it when you just manage to hang on; love it when you don’t; love it when you win, love it when you lose; love it when it all works (finally!); love it when your horse says ‘thank you’; love it when he understands; love hot breath from warm muzzle; love that special Horsy cuddle! (The list here is endless by the way).

It’s funny, whilst I love the riding aspect of equine engagement, the really great memories are the little ones like icicle noses on a winter morning; frosted winter muzzles that gently poke you for a polo; the happy sound of your equine friend as he whinnies when your car pulls up – we like to think he is happy to see us, but really he just wants his breakfast!

Have excellent, regular training
A good trainer is vital. Just having someone who tells you how to grab the rains, hang on and get the horse over the jump; or someone who forces the horse in an outline until his muscles are so pronounced he appears to be holding himself when actually, there’s no power going through his top-line and he is almost deformed by all the gadgets – No, this is not the answer. The key to success on your horse/pony is your ability to ride them in an effective, efficient and considerate manner, being part of their movement.

The key to a good trainer – Train the rider, not the horse
The horse has not chosen to do jumps or dressage. He would quite happily eat grass all day with his pals. He only knows how to be a Horse. You, on the other hand, have chosen to invite this horse into your life and you, being superior in intelligence (presumably!), have the ability to learn his way of doing things. You need to meet him at his level. The term, as you may well be aware, of natural horsemanship, applies here. If you don’t get to know your horse on his level, at ground level – inviting him to understand and respect you, because you have made the effort to understand and respect him as a horse and not a machine, will pave the way to a much easier ridden relationship. Horses, by their very nature, want to please, provided you give them the mechanism to trust you because you now, understand them. There are many good, well known methods and trainers and you should go out of your way to find a trainer who does not put the blame on the horse when it all goes wrong – and absolutely, won’t let you! It is almost never the fault of the horse.

Give a child a piggy-back
This is one of those ‘light bulb’ moments! Sounds funny, but this is very important for the future development of both you and your horses relationship together. If you have a little cousin, sister, brother, niece, you may well have given them a piggy back (either whilst you stand, or if they are very convincing, been on all fours racing around the living room).

Next time you see them, offer to do this once again (watch the big smile on their face). If you don’t have one to hand, try this with something quite heavy (like a loose back pack filled with some apples/potatoes… basically, things that will move around). Try the following list of exercises whilst standing up and on all fours (with your chosen rider)!

1. Walk in a straight line, turn around, and walk back again – without dotting all over the place;
2. Move around in a circle in a balanced, consistent movement;
3. Try a little jog whilst keeping your balance;
4. Try jumping over a small obstacle, keeping your balance and without knocking anything down;
5. Try to lift your back upwards, tucking tummy in
6. Try again… and again… and again!

Do you see my point! What we expect and ask from our equine friends whilst we wobble and bump around on their backs!

Learning balance and centered riding
Whether you want to jump, ‘do dressage’, or just ride out on long hacks and have fun – the true art to good ridden horsemanship and mastery is balanced, centered riding. That means – YOUR balance and YOUR centered riding – not the horses! He is most likely to already be well balanced until you sit on his back! Good centered and balanced riding is not gained by your forcing your horse into an outline with gadgets and tight reins. He must have good top line to hold you comfortably but without good riding he will not be able to do develop his top line correctly.

Finding your balance and developing centered riding
Don’t be afraid – your balance is not something mysteriously hiding inside of you! It is there – you just need to establish it. There is, however, one point I need to stress here and that is body shape! This is a harsh point that you may not appreciate but it is very relevant and true. I have had to face this exact point head on. If you are over weight, unfit and not particularly well proportioned, being a really good rider will be hard. (Look at the good riders – they do tend to be well proportioned and fit). If bits of your body are waving around in ways you cannot control or you cannot sit straight and long because other parts of your body are rebelling against the saddle and sides of the horse, you really will find it hard to find your balance and develop centered riding! But do not fear – there is any easy solution. Mucking Out – yep, I got so fit doing this so off you go and get rid of some puppy fat and develop your stamina! I don’t mean you need to be a waiflike, streamlined athlete. But muscle tone and strength is important for riding. Riding is an energetic sport – although most non-horsey types think you just sit there like a sack of spuds and won’t understand why you are so tired after your 3 hours down the yard of ‘having cups of coffee’ and ‘chatting to all your mates’!

How do you find your balance and develop centered riding?
Patience, time, lots & lots of riding, steer with gentle shifting of your weight and arm movements and take off the stirrups (make sure you are in a safe place for this). Some of you will find it quite easy (the more natural horse people); others will slowly develop it; many of you may give up finding it. But, if you can persevere it is really worth it. A good trainer will help you to establish and develop this. I won’t go into how I found mine at this moment. It will be what distinguishes you as a good rider amongst the many poor ones.

Suffice to say, whether you are just hacking out, show jumping or eventing, establishing good balance and centred riding is vital – I cannot emphasise it enough. It is not just for those patient and elegant horse people that ‘do dressage’!

Why is it so important? Well, if you are hacking down the road and your horse spooks, the well balanced, centered rider is most likely to still be on afterwards. The unbalanced rider will be on the floor – maybe with the reins in their hands, but most likely their steed will be legging it down the road in a panic. See my point? If you are jumping 4″ fences, the well balanced, centered rider (watch Mark Todd riding) will excel against other clumsy riders. Yes, horses can jump, but it is not enough just to get them over the jump – it’s the strides and the turns in between and how horse & rider cope with these movements together that will pick out the poorer riders from those that have mastered the true essence of horsemanship. Needless to say, if you want to ‘do dressage’ you won’t get anywhere without a good balanced seat and confident, centered riding! I am surprised to see some dressage riders, after a ridiculous amount of lessons, still bouncing around on the back of their horse in sitting trot, whilst their trainer tells them to reel the horses head down in an attempt to create some kind of control! The right trainer is paramount – you will be restricted to low grade dressage if you don’t crack your balance from the onset. Make it your main priority and other movements and riding will be so much easier for you, because you are making it so much easier for your horse.

Other people do it differently
The few, true horse people out there realise that your horse is an animal. Not a machine. Not an equine-XBox. He is a living creature. So, sticking living creature in loads of gadgets, slamming your legs round him, gagging him in hard bits, tightening fixed hands on tight reins. It Won’t Work no matter how much you paid for the lessons!

He’s not an Equine-Xbox
Your horse will try his hardest for you… but if you don’t push the right buttons for both his mind and his body, it won’t work in the end for either of you – he is not an Equine-Xbox. If you should be lucky enough to realise this, you will be in the minority. Finding and crafting the art of true horsemanship, both ridden and on the ground – requires time, effort, considerable patience and understanding at the beginning. You will reap the rewards further down the line when everyone else’s horses have said “Forget it, no more”.

In the meantime, whilst you are being more patient and taking the time to establish ground work and master basic riding technique, you may meet with criticism and cynicism from other less patient and educated horse people. Many will see your ‘Equine-Xbox’ as an object to be dominated and forced into doing it now. You will just have to ignore them, somehow. Don’t be pushed to push yourself and your horse into cracking on with harder moves when all you really need to do is establish the basics. Without good basics (balanced; centred riding; a supple horse and rider; in hand respect & good groundwork), the rest will be hard to attain.

Gizmos and gadgets
I don’t propose to know much about all the gadgets out there. Many are well thought of when used in an appropriate manner by a trained and knowledgeable person. The problem is that many are abused, as are the horses being forced to wear them. Get good, sensible advice. Imagine you have to wear it and do whatever it is you are expecting your horse to do in it, first. The tricky bit is really knowing who knows what. This is why a natural, less-is-more mind set can be the best approach. Speak/read/watch training methods in use before you use them. I had a ‘knowledgeable’ person look after my horse for 5 weeks whilst I was on holiday. I had asked them to lunge him and develop his muscle and top line whilst I was away. It turned out she had been putting a pesoa on him almost every day- quite tight. He was not happy – when I got back and attempted to lunge him with his saddle on, he went ballistic. So, care needs to be taken when using training methods and when asking for help – people don’t often know as much as they think they know! And be clear about what is and is not acceptable to you, the owner. Remember, it is your horse, your money – and if you listen to your horses voice, you should be making the best decisions for your horse.

Buying your horse – where should you look?
A big and extremely important decision. Be very careful. There are a lot of time wasters advertising horses which do not fit the true reality of the horse. Depending on what you are looking for, there are a number of different options and avenues. If you are just looking for a happy hacker, speak to local riding establishments, friends, trainers, go to tack shops and get the word around. Word of mouth is good -you could find a lovely friend who you could even try out first, either by helping the owner out for a few weeks or perhaps having the horse on loan for a few weeks or months with a view to purchase.

If you are keen to compete and take it all quite seriously, I suggest a couple of lessons with a high quality trainer and their horses. Explain your intentions and aspirations and ask them to give you a very honest opinion of your ability now and what they believe your future abilities could be. You may need to travel to someone new for this and it will cost a bit, but it will be worth it. Listen to what they say, even if you don’t really like the reality of it. Try out some friends’ horses, if you can. Before venturing out in to the big wide world of ‘horses for sale’, ensure you have your list: What I can do; What I want to do; What I can afford to buy; What I can afford to keep & maintain; How long I will have the horse; What style of Livery will I be offering. Then start. It may take a very long time to find the right horse. Options are local papers, again word of mouth, ring up trainers and training yards (ie dressage / show jumping yards); contact equestrian centres and studs locally and further a-field. Also, you can look abroad – but ask around.

Look around – Ring around
There is no harm contacting trainers and breeders in the UK who you may not know and asking if they ever go abroad and if they can recommend any yards abroad. But also be careful. It is always better to see any horse with a trusted, able individual who can objectively look at the horse, and you when you try it out. Search the web as there are many horses on line here – even if its simply for research purposes. Best to take a trainer, I think, rather than a vet. A vet will be able to check that the horse is fit but not necessarily whether it is the right horse for the job you want it to do. Do be aware however, that some of the prices you pay abroad will be higher simply because you are from the UK – hence, going with a trusted, well known individual who really knows the true value of horses in today’s market really makes sense. They will charge – but it is better to pay them what they are worth and what the horse is worth, rather than paying over-odds for your equine friend.

More to come in next article:
Horse dealers; buying a horse abroad; Share vs Loan; Managing your horse once he is home and lots more…

Author: Vanessa Moctezuma
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty rate

Respect. These seven letters are absolutely essential to a happy, healthy and enjoyable relationship with your horse. Whether your vision with your horse is of precise dressage circles, long ambling trail rides or eventing, if you don’t have respect on the ground you won’t have it in the saddle. Gaining your horse’s respect is a simple and essential part of horse ownership that helps you build a strong relationship with him, and it starts with understanding why your horse is the way he is.

Understanding Your Horse’s Needs

Horses belong in a herd; evolutionarily speaking, horses are prey animals that benefit from numbers. In a running herd, predators have trouble focusing on and bringing down a single animal in a group of 20. An essential part of this herd is its hierarchy. If you spend a day watching your horse in the pasture with other horses you will see constant movement; at first this movement may seem random and aimless, but if you look closely you will see that all movement begins with one horse that sets off a chain reaction among the others. Horses will move and shift constantly, from patch of grass to piles of hay to watering trough, moved around by the boss of the pasture; while your horse may favor one section of grass or area of the pasture, the boss can move him off at will, pinning her ears and lowering her head, perhaps with a snaky, swaying movement or teeth bared, moving towards what she wants with very pointed energy. If your horse does not move when presented with these obvious physical signs, the boss will proceed with more physical interventions, biting or kicking to get the reaction she is looking for. If there are horses lower in the hierarchy than the horse that was moved off, that horse will proceed to move another horse, and then another, and so on until they have all moved to a different patch of grass or pile of hay.

The hierarchy of the dominant horse is fairly stable but can change; even something as simple as putting on a fly mask or a turnout blanket can shake up the herd and result in squeals, kicks and challenges until things settle down again with a (sometimes) new boss. As uncomfortable as it may look from the outside, horses feel safer when they understand who is in charge and where they fall in the ranks of the herd. A lead horse not only says who eats what, when and where but also keeps an eye out for predators and keeps track of new foals; this horse also controls the speed and direction of movement in the event that the herd needs to run from a predator.

A Herd of Two

A horse’s need to feel safe as part of a herd’s hierarchy does not diminish when it is just you and your horse, and there is only one safe way for you two to form your own herd: you must be the boss. If you do not assert yourself, gaining (and keeping) your horse’s respect, you will become the owner of a horse who is (or becomes over time) pushy during feeding time, pushy when being led, pushy under saddle and pushy in general. Eventually you will have a dangerous horse that cannot be trusted on the ground and certainly should not be trusted under saddle. Your horse needs direction and guidance, and if he does not get it from you he will assume he is the one in charge and act accordingly.
Where to Start

When we think of getting our first horse, most of us have images of saddling up and riding, galloping across an open field on a sunny day, or completing a lightening-fast barrel run or dressage pattern or meandering along sun-dappled trails through the woods. Reality is something quite different. If your goal is to build a relationship with your horse that will last their lifetime, the first step is building respect, and respect begins on the ground. For the purposes of this article, we will assume that your horse’s most basic needs are being met so that he is receptive to this type of basic training. Your horse should be on a sound and regular feeding schedule designed to keep him at optimum health, and even if you have adopted or purchased a horse that is weak from hunger or illness, you can still address some basic respect issues without harming your horse. If you are unsure, check first with your vet to get the go-ahead, and then proceed slowly, being mindful of your horse’s comfort and building from there.

For all exercises that follow, remember to repeat them from both sides of your horse’s head, and make sure to practice them regularly and consistently; stay calm and firm when you ask you horse to do something, and reward even his smallest try. A horse that lowers his head and begins to lick his mouth or make chewing motions is a horse who is thinking about what you are asking him to do, and this is what you want: a thoughtful horse. If this is your first time doing groundwork, remember that you are training yourself, too; as you work with your horse, your body language and cues will become clearer and easier to understand, and your horse will relax and follow your lead.

Basic Exercises

The purpose of these first exercises is to show the horse that you control their feet (direction). Going back to the example of the boss horse moving the herd away from their food, remember that the boss was able to get the other horses moving with eye contact and body language. So that’s where we’ll start. You are looking to get maximum response from minimum pressure, so start small and increase your motions until you get a result, then back off instantly.

Many professional trainers recommend using a rope halter with two knots over the nose, and a ten-foot lead rope. The reason for the rope halters as opposed to a basic web halter is that a stubborn horse can lean against a web halter, effectively resisting your cues and making it nearly impossible for you to feel their slightest try. In a shoving match, your horse will win, and that is not the goal in the first place. You are looking to get maximum response from minimum pressure (a “light” horse), and a rope halter helps you to give smaller cues first and feel the response more quickly than a nylon halter. Do not wait to start until you have a rope halter; groundwork for respect should begin the second the first hoof hits the property! You can always get a different halter later.

There are four basic exercises for respect: backing, releasing the hindquarters, releasing the forequarters and leading.

Backing

Backing is simply getting your horse to move backwards out of your space on command. Not only does backing reinforce the very basic requirements of respect (for the horse to move away when you ask him), but it also makes him safer to approach in the pasture and during feeding time when you ask him to move away from gates or his feeder. There are two basic ways to back your horse: standing at his side beside his ears, or cuing him from in front of his head, facing him.

For the first method, start on either side of your horse, holding a couple inches below the clip on the halter in one hand, and the rest of the lead rope in your other hand (remember not to hold the rope in loops, with your hand in the middle). Putting slight pressure on the halter, step toward the horse’s shoulder. You are looking for one step backwards from any foot. If you need to, jiggle the halter slightly with the hand holding the clip and/or add additional pressure back towards the shoulder. Do not hesitate; be firm and sure. Do not release the pressure until your horse steps backwards, then release it instantly. The release of pressure is their reward for doing the right thing. As you progress, your horse should be taking more steps backwards, with more energy and less pressure. This requires patience and persistence. Eventually you want to be able to step towards their shoulder and have them back until you stop. Whichever side you start on, remember to move to the other side of your horse’s head and repeat.

The second method is adapted from several different natural horsemanship trainers; each trainer puts their own particular spin on this method. A rope halter does work best with this method, but again it is not required.

Stand in front of your horse’s head, just slightly off to one side (you do not want to be in their blind spot directly in front of them, but you also don’t want them to move to one side), about four feet away. The first step to this may leave you feeling a little silly; make eye contact with your horse, and think to yourself as hard as you can “Back up.” Try to convey just through eye contact the same thing the herd boss would, to get out of your way or else. If your horse does not respond to this (and many will not the first time out), start to gently wiggle the lead rope with one hand while making “sh-sh-sh” noises. Your horse’s head may come up slightly, and his ears may prick forward; his listening. Again, here you are looking for one step backwards. Gradually increase the motion of your wrist and the lead rope so that the halter may end up rubbing all over his nose. This is very unpleasant for your horse, and he will want to move away (back!) from it. Do not move towards him; wait for him to move away from you. The second he steps back, stop all wiggling and noise and praise him. You may have to wiggle the rope with pretty big movements at first, but he will figure it out quickly to escape the rubbing halter. As you progress through this exercise, his head should come down when you ask him to back, with very little pressure required. With this method you may be able to get your horse so light and responsive that he backs when he hears the noise!

Work on backing (either method, or both to mix it up) as long as it takes him to take as many energetic steps backwards as you need; go as slow as your horse needs (be patient) but remember that you are establishing your role as the dominant “horse” in your herd of two. If your horse knows what you are asking but lazily moves back on his own time, or only gives one or two steps, increase the pressure until he does what you are telling him to do. The idea is to first ask, then show, then tell him what to do.

Troubleshooting

If you start with a horse that really has no respect for you or your space you will need to march him out of your way at first. With the lead rope in one hand and a dressage crop (or similar crop or training stick without a whip attached) begin marching in place, swinging the crop out in front of your knees and really exaggerating a high-stepping march in place, with hands pumping up and down as well; establish a rhythm in place (while your horse looks at you like you are crazy), then begin marching toward him. Continue your rhythm. If your horse does move, he will get the dressage crop on his chest and a hand on his chin. Your goal is not to hurt your horse, but he needs to know you are serious, so if he is not moving by the time the crop reaches him, make sure he feels it. This is the same as the herd boss baring his teeth and biting out. You are not being mean or beating your horse; if you cannot get him to move out of your way he poses a real threat to your safety. He must understand that you are not to be run over or stepped on, and this teaches him that lesson.

Next Steps

After your horse takes multiple, energetic steps backwards with minimal pressure from you, try backing over trot poles, or try varying the direction by moving your focus further back on his body to his hip (so he’ll swing to one side or the other). Once he has learned to back and respect your space, keep his refresher training sessions short and effective so that he stays engaged and willing. It is best to apply these skills to real situations, so after you catch him in the pasture back him for a few steps when you open the gate, or back him into his stall at night.

Releasing (Disengaging) the Hindquarters

The second stage of gaining respect by controlling your horse’s direction is getting him to release his hindquarters on command. A horse that is soft and supple in the hindquarters is a horse with beautiful lead flying lead changes, instantaneous sidepass, seamless direction changes and a spook that happens in place, instead of down the road. Some trainers will have you work on lateral flexion (bending their heads softly to one side or the other) prior to moving the hindquarters, but this method can get you moving their feet before they are completely flexed in the neck. As you work on perfecting this you can add lateral flexion, but as our goal is respect and establishing you as the dominant horse, we’ll start with movement of the feet and add flexion in next steps.

Start on the near (left) side of the horse, facing his head and standing behind where the girth would be; hold the lead rope in your left hand and place your right arm on your horse’s back, without crossing over to the other side. Apply pressure to the lead rope by pulling back slightly, just until your horse turns his head; once the horse turns slightly, release the pressure and let him straighten up. Repeat at least three times on each side. The goal in this case is to get your horse flexing to the side, not to touch their side completely; you just want to see their eye facing you. After the third time, hold the horse’s head slightly flexed, drop your right hand down to the side where a rider’s heel might ask for movement, and bump his side slightly with the heel of your hand, keeping gentle pressure on the lead rope. Here you are looking for your horse to release his hindquarters, crossing his left hind leg in front of his right hind leg. At the beginning, look for just one step across, and not a shuffle; you need to see one leg cross in front of the other one, not just shuffle around. When you get it, instantly stop bumping and release all pressure, praising verbally and rubbing the spot you were bumping with your hand. Repeat this exercise as many times as necessary to get that one step with light pressure. Eventually you will have a horse who releases quickly, pivoting on the front legs. Remember to practice this on both sides of the horse, and alternate releasing the hindquarters with backing.

Troubleshooting

If your horse moves forward as he releases, he is really just walking a circle around you, and you are looking for a swinging hind end. Release some of the pressure on the halter, as he may think you are trying to walk him, and raise your hand in front of his eye to stop him from walking toward you. Make sure he can feel you bumping his side; you’re not playing patty cake. You should definitely reward the try, but make sure your horse understands you mean it when you tell him to do something. You can also step towards his hindquarters with a big movement, and he should move out of your way.

Next Steps

When your horse releases his hindquarters with minimum pressure, pivoting or moving very little with his front legs, add a backing exercise to the end. Give him a little more lead rope, and when he swings to face you, begin to back him up using whichever method works best for you.

Additionally, for a good stretch, you can begin to ask your horse to flex his neck in either direction to touch his side. Stand beside your horse either facing his body or his head, close to the point of his hip, drape the end of your lead rope over your horse’s back. If you start on the near side, slide your left hand down the lead rope towards the clip, and when you get about a foot and a half away, pull back and slightly up towards the withers (this is where you would pull towards in the saddle). When the horse stretches back towards his side by any amount, release instantly and let him relax for five to ten seconds before flexing again. Sometimes you can tickle their whiskers if (they have any), and they will reach further; other trainers suggest you take their head in one hand and their tail in the other and get them to stretch to touch their tail. For any of the flexing exercises, a rope halter is almost imperative; a stubborn horse will lie back on the webbing and wait patiently for you to stop asking. If that happens, bump the lead rope slightly and get ready to release if they try even a little. You always want to end on a positive note, right as the horse is working with you and attentive.

Releasing (Disengaging) the Forequarters

Now that you have your horse backing smoothly and releasing the hindquarters lightly, it’s time to work on the front end. If the hind is the engine, the front is the steering wheel. Gaining control over your horse’s forequarters will give you more confidence when you mount up; he will know you mean business when you are directing him because you laid the foundation of control on the ground.

Stand on either side, approximately parallel to your horse’s ear, maybe a little back. You do not want to be too far back, as your horse will feel like you are driving him forward, and you don’t want to be too far in front of him, as he will think you are asking him to back up. With the lead rope in one hand, making sure he has enough room so you aren’t pulling on his face, but not so much room that he can just move away and avoid the action, raise your hands to eye level, and begin to rhythmically wave both hands toward him. His head will probably come up to avoid your hands; try to keep them at his eye level. If you horse is especially tall, you may want to add a crop or other training stick to lengthen your arm. Again, you are looking for one step, this time one front leg crossing over the other. Increase the pressure every five or so waves by making them move bigger, or thumping on his neck. Your goal here is not to hurt your horse but to imitate the boss in the pasture; when you say move, he needs to MOVE and NOW. For some horses, this may mean a thump or two on the neck, but do check yourself and make sure you are increasing the pressure because it is time, not because you are frustrated.

Troubleshooting

If your horse backs up when you are asking for the release, that is okay; he is trying to figure out what you are asking him to do. Do not increase the level of pressure; stay with him, and keep asking. When he stops backing but still does not respond then you can increase your pressure.

If your horse moves forward to run away from pressure, immediately back him 10-20 steps and start over again. Make sure you are not standing too far back (so your body language is moving him forward), but do not otherwise let him move forward. He is entering your space unbidden, and that is not safe.

Next Steps

Once your horse smoothly releases from both the front and the back, alternate between them; release the hind, then release the front. See if you can get him to release by just looking at the point of his hip or his shoulder. Back in between releases, and make sure to praise and give time to rest.
Leading

The final exercise for gaining your horse’s respect on the ground is teaching him how to lead safely. The reasons for the exercise need little explanation; you cannot have a horse that runs up over you, cuts you off, or steps on your feet when you cross in front of him. In the wild, the dominant horse is truly the one in the lead, and all others follow.

If you watch ten different people with their horses, you will see ten different styles of leading. Some people lead with their horse’s head in front of them; some lead walking next to their horse’s poll; some lead with the rope looped around their horse’s neck; some lead with the horse far behind them. For the purpose of gaining respect, you will learn to lead with your horse behind your right shoulder; if your horse is behind you you will be able to cross in front of him without pushing him out of the way, and he will have space to come to a stop without running over you.

To start, back your horse out of your space and make sure his attention is on you. Hold the lead rope loosely across your right palm with about three feet of lead between you and your horse (hold the remainder in your left hand, loosely coiled). The reason you keep your palm open and some rope between you and your horse is to show him that you trust his ability to follow you, and to not keep him so tightly trussed to you that he cannot move. Remember that as a flight animal, a horse’s instinct will make him pull away if he feels trapped, and holding him right under his chin or too close to his halter could produce that feeling. Turn your back to your horse, with your shoulders squared. Look in the direction you are going, and in one smooth movement, step forward with the right foot, click with your tongue, and move your right hand forward slightly. To stop, plant both feet and either say, “woah” or blow out through your mouth, hard. You can add a slight squat to this if you like (similar to the motion of trying to stop your horse in the saddle by sitting lower). Walk in circles, making sure to keep your head up and eyes facing where you want to go (your horse is reading your body language from behind), with your horse behind your right shoulder.

Troubleshooting

If your horse is not used to following, or is high strung, or does not quite get the idea of staying out of your space, he will run up on your shoulder or try to surge ahead of you. Do not let him do this; be consistent. Stop and back him up, then start again, or lead him in a circle, either in front of him or just to the left away from him. Do not let him lead you, and do not let him place you beside his shoulder. When he does this, he has told you that you are his inferior, and he’ll do the leading around here, thank you very much. Back him off and keep him out of your space. Travel short distances at first, and always reward the try.

Next Steps

Long, rambling walks, respectful bonding time: these are your next steps. Practice leading your horse safely wherever you go, and be consistent with his position.

A Respectful Horse, A Happy Horse, A Beautiful Relationship

These are the most basic exercises you can start working on immediately to build a strong relationship with your horse that is based on respect and trust. You will always come back to the basic principles behind them, just as the boss in the pasture reasserts her status from time to time. Combined with bonding over grooming (find his itchy spots!), observing your horse in the pasture and relaxing hand grazing, these simple exercises will strengthen your relationship on the ground, laying the foundation for a long and lasting bond with your horse.

Author: Suzannah Kolbeck
Article Source: EzineArticles.com