Posts Tagged ‘long periods’

Often people are under the misinterpretation that you simply need to control the head in order to control the horse. This is why you need to use a lead rope or bridle in order to teach a horse how to stop and start. However, do you know how you can control a horse if you don’t have a lead rope or bridle? If you have ever spent time chasing a horse around a pasture you have likely wondered this.

You can learn to control you horses mind through a process known as natural horse training. If you control a horses mind there will be no worry about losing control no matter what situation you are in with the horse. Natural training is a specific discipline that has to be done properly in order to achieve success.

When you use the term discipline for natural horse training it is important to realize this doesn’t mean obedience or punishment, but rather means you are focusing on calm compliance from the horse. In order to have a horse that is a good follower you need a trainer that has good discipline and self-control. This way the horse will be able to willingly follow you lead.

To have this done successfully natural horse training requires trainers to focus on developing a pattern and providing the horse with a safe and comfortable environment. This description makes natural training seem easy, but it is actually difficult to become successful with this horse training method.

The first step in this horse training method is to get your horse to pay attention to you. To do this you also need to pay complete attention to your horse and what they do without allowing distractions to get in the way.

Make sure you place yourself in a place where you are able to focus and concentrate. If it isn’t possible to do this for long periods then you should start in small durations of at least ten minutes and then increase the length of time.

It is important to focus on your horse and the feedback they provide. What signals are the ears and eyes sending you? What does their breathing tell you? How is the horse reacting and how does this compare to other times? This will help you to determine what triggers your horse to pay attention to you so you can get them to focus on you and do what you want willingly.

Relaxation and rhythm are the two keys to natural horse training. The moment you go near the horse you need to make sure, you are making rhythmic movements. Even as you approach the stall, you should have relaxed movements. You should also pay careful attention to your breathing. Your horse is going to be carefully watching your actions and if you are tense, they can sense it. This is why relaxation and rhythm are vital should something unusual or unplanned happen later.

When you use these two simple steps, you can start having success with natural horse training. Although you shouldn’t become discouraged if things don’t go well on the first day or week of training. It can sometimes take several months before horses can learn to use a non-predatory system of learning. While the name is natural horse training this doesn’t mean it happens naturally for all trainers and horses.

Sheryll Walker is a horse training enthusiast, helping numbers of people to learn Secrets of Training Horses.

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To discover more on Training Horse to do what You want, and learn about natural horse training, visit HorseTrainingHelp.com.

Author: Sheryll Walker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Not everyone needs to clip their horse, and if you don’t enter a show ring very often clipping and trimming may not seem very important. But most horses look better – and even feel better – with a little tidying up around the edges, especially in the winter months. Trimming around your horse’s face and legs will not only make him look good, it can make keeping him healthy and comfortable a lot easier. A good set of trimmers in your horse grooming supplies makes this job easy to do.

Why trim the face?

We’re not talking about a show ring presentation here, where you trim around the eyes and ears. What we’re looking at is trimming around your horse’s jaw and muzzle for comfort as well as looks. The long hairs under your horse’s chin can easily get caught in halter and bridle straps, and most riders can recall catching the muzzle hairs more than once when fitting a bit or a curb chain.

These hairs do serve a purpose. The muzzle hairs help your horse find small bits of food, and the long jaw hairs draw water away from the face in rain and snow. Even so, if you horse has work to do, you can trim these back for comfort and appearance, without losing the natural benefits. Most horses today won’t need the hairs under their jaw, because they aren’t exposed to long periods in wet weather. And for those that are, you can be sure that no horse appreciates the muddy icicles that can form under their chin if those hairs are left untrimmed. You can safely trim back the jaw hairs underneath the jaw, making it easier to fit your bridle, and your horse more comfortable without any pinched hairs. Leaving the hairs longer at the side of the face will carry water away, but if it’s dry, you are showing, or your horse is stabled, you can shorten these up too.

The hairs on the muzzle are a little more important, but again, most horses don’t use them as much as their wild counterparts. You horse most likely is well fed, on good pasture, and doesn’t have to forage for feed. That said, unless your show ring requires you to, don’t clip these hairs completely away. Trimming them back to about half an inch gives your horse the information he needs to sift for tiny grains or the best grass, but keeps these sensitive hairs out of the way of the bit and bridle.

Why trim the feet?

There’s two parts to trimming the feet and legs – around the coronary band at the top of the hoof, and clipping the long hairs at the back of the leg. Trimming around the coronary band isn’t just for appearance, although it will make the hoof look rounder and neater. If you use any hoof preparations, keeping these hairs trimmed will keep them from getting dirty with hoof oils and creams, and also help you make sure you get these treatments right up to the top of the hoof where it grows and where it is needed most.

Clipping the back of the leg is more sensitive. Again, if your horse lives out, or spends a lot of time in wet muddy conditions, these hairs can help carry the water away from the heels, where it can lead to sores and infections. But these hairs can actually cause problems. If your horse has a lot of hair, or ‘feathers’, these can get matted with ice and mud, and if they never get to dry out water can still get trapped around the sensitive areas of the heel.

If you are showing, or your horse is stabled, you can clip these hairs off. This is one of the most effective techniques to make any horse look neater! But if you do, you need to be sure to clean and dry your horse’s heels regularly. If you want to tidy up your horse, but leave some protection, you can take away the long hairs at the back of the cannon, and just leave a small tuft at the fetlock. This leaves a small channel to carry the water away from the heel, but allows you to easily wash and dry the area, and prevents mud and ice from becoming packed into the hairs.

Choosing an everyday trimmer

Every owner of a working horse should consider having a good set of horse trimmers in their horse grooming supplies for trimming the face and legs. For all horse owners, a good set of trimmers is useful – they are invaluable in the first aid kit for cleaning up wounds or tidying up areas under bandages. So even if you aren’t showing, an investment in a good quality set of trimmers is a wise one. Here’s some good choices:

• Wahl horse clippers. The Wahl Pro Rechargeable is an economical and versatile cordless trimmer. Fully charged, it will last for 40 minutes, enough to get around the face and legs. The blades are an easy pop-off design, making replacement simple. Best of all, the low price means you can keep a kit in several sets of horse grooming supplies, or a spare in your first aid kit.
• Oster horse clippers. The Oster Whisper Quiet Trimmer is ideal for nervous horses. It gives a neat finish, there’s a good choice of blades available, and if your horse is likely to fidget when you are trimming around its face or legs, then this is a great choice. However, if you need to get through thick leg feathers or matted hair, you’ll need something more robust.
• Andis horse clippers. The Andis Ruby clippers give you the option of corded or cordless operation. Use the cord for quiet horses, or if you have a lot of horses to do and don’t want to wait for recharging. But if your horse is nervous, you don’t have easy access to an electrical socket, or want to take it with you to shows, then go cordless. It’s light, and comes with several comb attachments so it’s ideal if you are moving form precise trims to more general areas.

Choosing clippers from Wahl, Oster, or Andis is wise. These major supplies or horse clippers will provide you with a good warranty, a safe product, and replacement blades will be easy to get. Most of these suppliers offer a choice of attachments and blades so you can make sure you have the right tools for each job in your horse grooming supplies.

This is the last in a series of five articles on horse grooming. This article has some excellent tips for your horse’s face and feet whether it is on the winter show circuit or not. It provide some great tips, that first and foremost make your horse happy and healthy, but also makes recommendations on the right horse grooming supplies for a great looking coat anytime. Stay tuned for our next series of articles, coming very soon, on keeping your horse proud and standing tall!

Author: Marcus Koll
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Electric Pressure Cooker

Before buying or choosing a new horse, it is important to check its health. Although it is impossible to be 100% certain that a horse is completely healthy, there are a number of tests which can identify most potential health risks. Following is a checklist.

The first indication is the general appearance. It should have a shinny, even and flat coat. The body should be well muscled, neither fat nor skinny. When standing, it should spread its weight evenly on all four legs, with each hoof pointing straight ahead. While normal to rest a leg from time to time, it should not be for long periods or always the same leg, as this would indicate an injury or weakness.

Slowly run your hands down the legs, from top to bottom, with careful attention to joints and the lower leg. There should be no bumps, swellings or hot spots. The hoof walls should be even, free of cracks and completely smooth.

Lift a hoof and examine the sole to ensure that there are no marks or indications of previous injury and that it is correctly shaped. Repeat with the other hooves. The angle and tilt of all four hooves should be correct and identical. If the horse is reluctant to lift one of its feet, this may be because it does not want to lift a good leg and put more weight on a bad one. The hooves are perhaps the most important area to examine in terms of horse health, as so many otherwise good horses have problems here.

The gums should be shinny, moist and pink. If one presses on the gums with a finger, they will turn white, but should return to pink within two seconds of removing your finger.

Check the teeth (you may want to use the services of a horse dentist) for spurs, unevenness or excessive wear. Try feeding the horse hay and watch how it eats. It should use both sides of its jaw equally and eat steadily. Dropping hay or leaving hay partly chewed indicates a problem either with the teeth or the jaw joints.

Examine the horse’s droppings. They should consist of firm balls, with a mild and inoffensive odor.

The horse should look happy, alert and interested in what is happening. Its ears should stand up and should move alertly in response to sounds. It should be interested in what is happening around it, but not nervous.

Have someone work the horse in an exercise ring while you watch. They should gradually go through all the gaits (walk, trot and gallop), in both directions. The horse should show easy, smooth strides, with the weight distributed evenly on all four legs.

It should not sweat (except during hot weather) until it has been worked for some time at speed. Its respiration should gradually increase as the gait picks up but it should not breathe hard except at a fast gait. As the gait is reduced, its respiration should quickly reduce. Once the horse stops, its breathing and pulse should quickly return to resting normal. Neither during nor after exercise should the horse shown any sign of discomfort, pain or limping.

One should also ask the current owner about the medical history and ask permission to discuss the horse with its regular vet. Ask to see the inoculation and medical records for the horse. Ask if it has every had any illness, in particular colic or laminitis. Be concerned about any incomplete or evasive answers.