Posts Tagged ‘Horses Head’

When you are riding, one vitally important component is your seat. In this article, I would like to look at the seat and how important it is to make sure you are relaxed and confident, to assist in your perfect seat.

Just close your eyes for a moment and I want you to imagine your perfect seat. What does it look like to you? I want you to picture yourself as if you are looking at yourself. So how do you look? Are you still, poised and elegant? What are you ankles doing? Your thighs? Your stomach? Then I want you to step into your body and feel how it feels to have a perfect seat. How it feels to move with your horse in motion and go with the movement. What do you hear, what do you see and what do you feel?

Ok so “how????” I can hear you screaming at me!

Well, good question, but let’s first look at why?

To me seat is the single most important tool when riding a horse. When I am working with a client seat is at the fore front of my mind all the time. Lets say I have a client coming to me saying “my horse doesn’t keep his head still or stay to the contact,” I could talk about driving to the bit and engaging behind and riding the hind leg and I do… but I am also thinking are the hands still enough for the horse to comfortably and easily go into the bridle and stay steady on the contact. Still hands are vital for a horses head to be still. The hands can only be still if the seat is sufficiently developed to keep the balance, and not rely on the hands for balance.

The seat is also the core to effective dressage riding. You know when you watch the top riders and you are staring really hard… and you still can’t see them doing anything!!! And the horse is dancing underneath them. Well that’s riding with seat. Where you can go with the horse and influence the horse with your body. It’s almost like your thoughts become his and your back becomes his back.

So there are three keys to a perfect seat:

1. Balance – you must have balance first. You must be able to sit in the center of the saddle and not have to rely on anything to grip or get tight to stay in the centre of the movement.
2. Relaxation - to have a supple back that can swing with the horse you must be relaxed and not tight. The biggest mistakes trainers make is when they say shoulders back, or heels down, the rider if they are very eager will force their heels down or shoulders back using all the muscles they have to achieve this. This results in tight tired muscles and is not the point of a supple seat – the rider will never have the ability to go with the horse. Muscles must always be supple. Now that doesn’t mean soft and not engaged as the muscles do need to work. But with relaxation! I know it’s a paradox! Aren’t most things in riding?!?!?! When I am assisting clients with this I ask them to think of holding a glass of water, now hold it too tight with all the muscle strength you have in your hand and the glass will break, completely relax your hand and the glass will drop and break. There is a muscle tension in the middle ground that is enough to hold the glass. It’s the same for riding. Enough tension to keep you in the movement but not too much that you will become tight, rigid and blocked.
3. Going with the horse’s movement – you must be able to go with the horse and not be left behind. It’s about being the leader, always knowing what will happen next and being ready for it. This means you must have a braced back and an engaged core.

Once you have developed your perfect seat you can then use your seat to influence the horse, slow and quicken it only with seat and turn and perform lateral movements with your seat in conjunction with your legs and reins.

So remember relaxation is so important. It’s a must. If you are worried about falling, you will be gripping and be tight and your seat can’t go with the horse. If you are not balanced you will grip to stay on and your seat can’t go with the horse.

So work on your balance in the saddle, make sure you stay relaxed and supple with positive muscle tension and then allow your body to go with the horse. This is where riding in your mind can help. You can only do so many hours in the saddle practicing but you can do many more hours in your head. The best thing is in your head you never make a mistake and your unconscious mind can’t tell the difference between real and imagined, so all those neural connections are strengthened even if your not on the horse!

To your success,

Natasha

Natasha Althoff-Kelley
http://yourridingsuccess.com
Visit my website for your free 7 Keys to Your Riding Success – providing you with more advice and videos to assist you in your riding journey

Author: Natasha Althoff-Kelley
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The impression most people have is that you need to control a horses’ head in order to control them properly. This is why many trainers show a horse how to stop and start through the use of a lead rope or bridle. But what can you do if you don’t have these supplies? What method can you use to control the horse? If you have spent time chasing a horse around a pasture then you have likely asked yourself these questions.

People can learn to control the horse’s mind through the process of natural horse training. If you control a horses mind you won’t lose control, no matter what situation you are faced with. Natural horse training is a unique method that needs to be done properly in order to ensure success.

The process of training doesn’t use any form of punishment or obedience, but uses calm compliance. As a trainer, you need self-control and discipline to get your horse to willing follow your lead all the time. To achieve this, natural horse training focuses on developing a pattern and establishing a feeling of safety and comfort for the horse. By this description, natural horse training seems easy when in reality it is a very difficult program to learn.

Before you can start this training method, you need to get your horse to pay attention to you. To do this you also need to provide your horse with your full attention. Focus on what your horse is doing and don’t allow distractions during the training session.

Both you and the horse need to be in a position to concentrate and focus. If this is impossible to do for long periods of time, then you should start training in small increments and work up to longer periods. Ideally, you should start with at least ten minutes of training time.

In addition to paying attention to your horse, you also want to consider the feedback they are providing. Are the eyes and ears signaling anything? What is the horse’s breathing pattern? Are their reactions similar to the last time you worked with them? By paying attention to these things you will be able to help the horse pay attention to you. Find a trigger that gets your horse to do what you want them to do willingly and then use this continually.

Rhythm and relaxation are key when it comes to natural horse training. Your movements as you approach the horse should be rhythmic. Be relaxed when approaching the horse or stall. Your breathing plays a vital role and should be carefully monitored. Horses are keen to your actions and they will sense if you are tense. If something unusual or unplanned happens this relaxation and rhythm is very important.

After mastering these two simple key features then you can advance in natural horse training. Although don’t be disappointed if things are perfect in the first day or week. Often times it can take several months before horses learn a non-predatory system through natural horse training. While it is known as natural horse training this doesn’t mean that it will come naturally for all people.

In order to naturally control your horse you will need to have the appropriate mental self-control. This is where you will need a lot of hard work. Many successful natural horse trainers have years of experience. So if your first try doesn’t result in success then don’t get discouraged. Simply remember to take your time and be patient, this way your horse will be patient with you. When you do this, you can soon see the benefits that natural horse training has to offer.

Sheryll Walker is a horse enthusiast, helping numbers of people to learn secrets of Natural Horse Training.

To discover more helpful tips on Young Horse Training and learn more about Natural Horse Training, visit http://www.HorseTrainingHelp.com.

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Author: Sheryll Walker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Welcome to the delightful world of horses!! It is a wonderful thing to own a horse, to know the joy and unconditional love.

When first becoming involved within the horse world, it is good if you can equip yourself with some basic horse terms to help smooth the way.

No matter your horsey interest, these terms are regularly tossed about the barn; learn them and you will be well on your way to interpreting the horse world language.

Stallion – Entire male horse that has been used to father (breed) younger animals.

Colt – Young entire male animal, usually under 3 years old

Gelding – Castrated male animal of any age, no longer able to be bred from.

Mare – Female horse, usually over 3 years old.

Filly – Young female animal, usually under 3 years old, which hasn’t yet been bred from.

Yearling – A young horse that is at least 12 months old but not over 24 months

Weanling – A young horse that has been weaned from its mother but hasn’t reached 12 months of age.

Foal – A baby animal, either female or male that is still nursing from its mother.

Hands High (HH) – Measurement used in telling how high a horse stands. Measured from the ground to the highest point of the wither. There is 4 inches to 1 hand.

Tack – Word used to describe all the equipment used for riding or handling a horse

Saddle – Large piece of tack (usually leather), which helps a rider sit in the correct position when sitting on a horses back. There are many different types including:- western, stock, dressage, jumping and all purpose.

Saddle Blanket – Piece of cloth, which can be padded, placed under the saddle on the horses back to help protect against pressure sores and absorb sweat.

Bridle – A piece of leather (or can be synthetic) which is fitted to a horses head and helps in control when the horse is being ridden.

Bit – A piece of metal which is placed inside a horses mouth and connected to the bridle.

Reins – Long piece attached to the horses bit, which allows the rider some control.

Girth – Is used to tighten around the horse’s middle to secure the saddle.

Stirrup – Normally metal (Stainless Steel), attached to the saddle, where a rider places their foot when riding.

Halter / Head Stall – Placed on a horses head for easy of handling and leading. Can be made out of rope, nylon or leather.

Farrier – Person employed to trim a horse’s hoof or to put shoes on. Similar to a human podiatrist.

Hoof Pick – Instrument used to clean out the bottom of a horses hoof.

Gait – The way in which the horse moves – walk, trot, canter, gallop

Lunging – An exercise where a horse is worked in a circle at any given gait and direction.

Colic – This is a condition which describes any discomfort a horse may have within there stomach.

Lame – Describes a horse that is unable to move correctly due to pain in one or more feet.

Float / Trailer – A specially designed trailer which helps in the transport of horses.

Now that you have learnt some basic horse terms, try working them into a conversation around the barn. You will no longer be an outsider but welcomed into the exciting horse world.

Happy Horsing

Tina Williamson BAppSci (Equine)

Gifts for the Horse Lover.

Tina is a professional horse trainer and horse lover. She has a degree in Equine Science and is absolutely passionate about everything Horse.

We are happy to welcome Tina to Gifts-for-the-Horse-Lover, where you can find a great range of Horse Lover Gifts.

*Web Master: Please feel free to use this article (unmodified) on your website or in your ezine. Just ensure that my details and the live static link to http://www.gifts-for-the-horse-lover.com are maintained. Regards Tina

Author: Tina Williamson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Blankets are designed to cover majority of the horses body to protect the horse from the winter elements; winter weight blankets are generally used. A winter weight turnout horse blanket is also used when trailering a horse to prevent the fluctuating temperature from giving the horse a chill.

Blankets are design to fit around a horses body from chest to rump, attaching with straps under the horse in order to prevent shifting of the horse blanket. This allows the horse to still move about freely. Horse blankets normally have buckles at the front as well to prevent movement. Some blankets require you to slip them over the horses head which can be challenging with a winter turnout blanket due to the overall weight. Horse blankets can also come with removable straps that are designed to loop lightly around the horse’s hind legs in order to prevent the blanket from shifting sideways while the horse is in the stall.

Turnout blankets are commonly used when a horse is on pasture, in a stall or being trailered. Turnout blankets are manufactured for all weather conditions. Heavy weight turnout blankets are normally made with a thick canvas type material and lined with a flannel material, normally they will be water resistant but not necessarily water proof. Light weight winter turnout horse blankets are made with a rayon canvas material with no liner and are also water resistant but not necessarily water proof. Spring or fall turnout horse blankets are normally water proof made with a water proof type material.

Turnout horse blankets are also used to keep a horse from growing a winter coat, by blanketing in the autumn, while the seasonal change occurs a light turnout horse blanket is required. Turnout horse blankets will need to be applied at all times if the horse has been blanketed in the autumn.

For the summer months a flysheet turnout horse blanket can be applied to ward off mosquitoes, horse, deer, bot and house flies. This type of turnout horse blanket is commonly referred to as a flysheet. This turnout horse blanket is normally made of a nylon based material, it is very light weight and breathable. Fly sheets are becoming more popular due to the high number of insects.

Blankets can also come with neck covers or a full hood. Neck covers are normally attached directly to the turnout horse blanket, hoods are a separate piece all together and can be purchased individually. A full horse blanket is used before a show to keep the horse clean and or to protect the horse from insects.

A well know brand to look for when purchasing a turnout blanket is Rambo blankets. They also carry a wide range of saddle blankets for individuals looking to keep the horse dry or warm while under extreme exercising conditions.

In colder parts of the country winter turnout blankets can come in handy; especially the winter fleece horse blanket. This all purpose blanket can be used for ponies, companion horses and show horses.

Various types of horse blankets available for different temperature zones are Rug turnout sheets, fly sheets, light weight waterproof, fleece blanket, light weight winter and heavy weight winter.

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Author: Christina Jefferson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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