Posts Tagged ‘Lot’

I am in 4-H and in a lot of patterns it asks for you to back up one horse length somewhere in it, and I always get confused with how many horse steps that actually means. Does anyone know? Thanks!
I am in 4-H and in a lot of patterns it asks for you to back up one horse length somewhere in it, and I always get confused with how many horse steps that actually means. I have heard some people do 4 steps and some 6. Does anyone know the answer? Thanks!

Did you ever see a horse that was tied to something set back and fight against the rope? It’s not a pretty sight and can be very dangerous. I knew a gal who tied her horse to the stair rail while she ran inside for something. When she came back, there was no stair rail any more. It was attached to the end of the lead line and “chasing” her horse around the yard, banging his legs at every stride. It was an expensive vet bill, and expensive repair bill, and a lesson learned the hard way. Not only did she learn not to tie a horse solidly to an object that might give way, but she learned that her horse didn’t really tie well.

What’s the best way to teach a horse to tie? I’ve heard and even tried lots of ways. The way that we’ve learned doing natural horsemanship seems to be the easiest on the horse and it solves a lot of other problems at the same time. It involves teaching the horse to give to even the slightest pressure on the lead line.

Begin by having the horse wear a good rope halter, not the flat web or leather kind. The rope halters offer a better feel to the horse and are not as easy to lean against and ignore pressure. Then, stand by the horse’s shoulder and gently and steadily use the rope to ask the horse to bend its head towards you. At the slightest movement of the horse’s head, release all the pressure and rub the horse. Do it again and again and again from that side and then also from the other side of the horse until the horse becomes very tuned in to bending its head on the slightest of cues and until it can bend farther and farther around. The release of pressure when the horse gives even a little is very important.

Stand out in front of the horse and put some pressure on the rope asking the horse to come forward towards you. If there is resistance, just hold steady, not pulling, just steady, until the horse gives to the pressure. At that point, be sure to release the pressure quickly.

Once your horse really understands how to give to pressure, you will find that if it steps on the lead line while grazing, there is no jerking upward when it feels its head held down. Instead, the horse will drop its head back down and step off the rope. In fact, this is a good test to see if your horse really gives to pressure and is ready to tie.

What does this have to do with tying a horse? Well, the horse has to know how to give to pressure to be able to stand tied, and once you have a horse that will respond instead of pulling against the pressure, you have a horse that will tie and not pull back. The process of really getting it to give to pressure may take a few sessions, longer perhaps if the horse has already learned to set back, but it will make for a much safer and responsive animal and is well worth the time it takes to teach. Additional benefits include a horse that leads without having to be tugged along, and a horse that already knows about giving to pressure when it comes time to begin asking for collection under saddle.

Bonnie and her husband own Gemara Farm Fox Trotters in Barnesville, GA. They use natural horsemanship methods gleaned from many sources to train their horses. Bonnie coaches others in what she has learned and there are usually fox trotters available for sale with a natural horsemanship background. For other tips and pictures about natural horsemanship, visit http://www.gemara.homestead.com

Author: Bonnie Martin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Hey, I’m 5’9 and weigh about 135-140 pounds (It fluctuates often). What would be the best size horse for me to ride? Most of the answers I’ve seen addressing this topic are about people that are a lot shorter then me. All of the answers pretty much say the same thing, that no horse is too tall. But what I worry about is the horse being to short!

My family owned horses when I was younger so I grew up around them and I ride very well. When I am older, more financially able and have the time I would LOVE to own an Arabian. I dream about it a lot.
I just need to be realistic in my planning, so I need to know about how much it will cost each year to properly take care of my horse.

Thanks!

A lot of dressage riders aren’t clear on the difference between flexion at the jaw and flexion at the poll, and how to ask their horses for each of these positions.

Keep in mind that a dressage horse can flex three ways-to the left, to the right, and “in”.

When a horse flexes to the left or right, he’s flexing at the poll. When he does this, you’ll just see his inside or outside eye or nostril. I call this position +1 or -1 because you’re bringing his head 1 inch to the inside or the outside of where his head would be positioned if his chin was directly in front of the crease in the middle of his chest.

You’ll ask for flexion at the poll to the left or right with an indirect rein aid. To give an indirect rein aid, give a quick turn of the wrist so your thumb points to the center of the circle, your fingernails point up toward your face, and your baby finger points up toward your opposite shoulder. As you turn your wrist this way, bring your hand very close to the withers, but don’t cross over them. As soon as you’ve turned your wrist, return to the “starting position”where your thumb is the highest point of the hand. Be sure you support with your outside rein as you do this so you “catch” his poll rather than bend his entire neck.

When a horse flexes “in”, he flexes at the jaw, and he closes the angle at his throatlatch. You’ll use a completely different rein action to ask your horse to flex “in” than the action you used to ask for flexion to the left or right.

Ask your horse to flex “in” by moving the bit in his mouth. Be sure you only use ONE rein to move the bit. If you alternately saw on his mouth with your left and right hands, he’ll just bring his face closer to his chest.

We often flex the horse’s jaw. In fact, his jaw must be flexed for him to be completely on the bit. BUT, the danger lies in flexing the jaw BEFORE you connect him over his back. If you flex his jaw first, he’s not really connected. His face is just “in”. The danger here is that you can fake yourself out.

You might think he’s correctly on the bit because he feels soft in your hand when his jaw is flexed. But if you go to do something like a transition, you’ll find out that he’s really not connected at all.

During the transition, your dressage horse will raise his head and neck and look hollow because all you have control over is a flexed jaw. He wasn’t honestly on the bit to begin with! You need to ride your horse from back to front. Close your legs and send your horse forward through your outside hand to get his back round. And ONLY after you’ve sent him forward through your outside hand should you flex his jaw as the final ingredient of putting him on the bit.

Are you sick and tired of complicated and confusing training techniques? Are you frustrated by negative emotions like fear and lack of confidence? Would you like to be trained by a Three Time Olympic Coach?

Learn how by going to: http://www.janesavoie.com or http://www.dressagementor.com

Author: Jane Savoie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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I am looking for a horse that will not be too hard to take care of. I have done a lot of reaserch, so I know generally what to do. If you could give me an approximate price, that would be great too.

Training horses is one exciting and enjoyable way to teach your ponies and make them good buddies in your horse riding spree. Of course, you would not want an untamed horse jumping on you during one of your rides.

If you are a horse lover or a horse riding enthusiast and you want to do the horse training yourself, here is a simple guide to training horses and ponies. Of course, a well-trained horse is a great companion and they can become your best buddies at play or at work.

In training your horse, it helps a lot to understand their body language or the sounds they make. Of course, they can only produce these sounds whenever they are happy or in pain or they feel uncomfortable, so you have to familiarize yourself and listen to them. Horses neigh if they feel confident but it can also mean anxiety. By reading his body language, you can however distinguish what your horse is feeling. Horses may sigh as a sign of being deeply relaxed and they may usually begin to snort if he is afraid of something. Indeed, learning their language can facilitate your horse training and will help you understand your horse’s feeling as well.

In any guide to training horses, it is important to gain the trust and respect of your horse. If you remain a stranger to him, he will never be confident around you. Do not create an atmosphere that will make your horse fear you, instead make him feel happy when he sees you.

In training your horse, it is wise to start with light touching of the horse to make him comfortable and at ease with you. You can then start training him by leading him to walk when you try to hold the rope and adding some commands that you will use to talk to him and convey what you want him to do. Horses can easily follow when they have a leader that can show them what to do as they usually follow a leader in a herd, and in horse training, you will act as your horse’s leader to make him do things. If he does it right, then you have to remember to reward him.

One basic thing that your horse should learn is how to walk beside you. This is usually attained by means of lead training, where you can also teach your horse to stop or turn at your command. As he will eventually learn these simple commands, you can then move on to training him so that he can accept being ridden and that he can follow the commands of the rider. Training him to listen to your signals and commands is a favorable means to train your horse but avoid whipping him just to make him follow you.

It is important too that when your horse has learned one skill, repeat it to him and make sure he gets it before moving to another command or skill. It is also important to let your horse be accustomed to the bit, the saddle and other accessories, as he would be wearing them when someone eventually rides him.

These are just a few of the tips and things that you have to keep in mind in training horses. To be able to get full details of horse training, find a good guide to training horses and make sure also that you have a professional trainer with you if it is your first time doing it.

Carolyn Anderson loves outdoor adventures. If you want to learn how to train horses, check out Natural Horsemanship Software Pack. Also check out Horse Training Secrets, to find out the secrets and techniques in horse training.

Author: Carolyn Anderson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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I have a nice pair of navy blue, full seat riding breeches. Could I wear them to a horse show? My horse has a matching navy blue saddle pad. I would also be wearing black boots (with black half chaps), a black velvet helmet, and a polo shirt of some kind. This is a big local show and I am riding a green horse so we will only be competing in a W/T/C class. I have light and dark tan breeches but I lost a lot of weight and they’re too big! The horse is a flea-bitten gray. Thanks.