Posts Tagged ‘older horses’

He’s been your equine partner for years now. You’ve perhaps ridden in
shows, through trails or even relocated across the country with your
horse. You’ve been friends a long time, and it may be hard to admit, but
you’ve noticed your horse is slowing down.

Don’t lose heart. Just like with people, advances in health care and
nutrition are helping horses live longer, more productive lives, well into
their senior years. But older horses do take a little extra care. Here’s a
few ways to keep your aging buddy doing his best.

1. Give him light, consistent work. Your horse may not be able to keep
up a workout routine for competitions, but he’s probably not ready to
retire either. Keep him at a reasonable fitness level and he’ll feel and
perform like a younger horse. The worst thing to do is let him get out of
shape and then ride him hard some weekend when he hasn’t been
ridden for months. That’s not fair to him and may spell trouble for you
later.

2. Make sure your horse has regular vet check-ups. Don’t neglect the vet
check-up even if your horse isn’t around many other horses anymore.
Keep him up-to-date on vaccinations, like any horse, and make sure
your vet begins looking for signs of arthritis or soundness issues.
Sometimes cortisone shots given early can not only provide relief for
aching joints, but can prevent further inflammation and stiffness later on.

Continued deworming is also important for the older horse. Horses more
than 20 years old may have intestinal scarring from worm damage that
occurred before modern larvicidal dewormers were available.

Have your veterinarian check your horse’s teeth at least once a year.
The older a horse gets, the more likely his teeth will be worn into sharp
points. They may even be wearing out completely.

3. Consider a senior feed. Older horses do not absorb as many
nutrients from their food as younger horses. Couple that with worn-out,
missing or damaged teeth, and many older horses have difficulty
keeping weight on, especially through the winter months. Several senior
feeds on the market today offer alfalfa-based pellets that are easy for
older horses to chew, swallow and digest.

Many times older horses choose to eat very little hay. The senior feed is
designed to cover all roughage requirements for the horse as well as
provide the ideal vitamin and mineral balance for the older horse. Also,
don’t feed your senior buddy with a younger, more aggressive horse.
You want to make sure he doesn’t have to fight for his fair share.

4. Consider feed supplements. If you’ve never used a feed supplement,
now may be the time. Talk to your veterinarian about what kind of
supplement might be best for your horse. Biotin is great for hooves and
coat. Other supplements can help with energy. Of course, glucosiamine
is the standard supplement to keep joints healthy and lubricated.

5. Give him attention. It’s easy to forget about a horse you can’t use as
much anymore, but if you can’t use him, maybe you should loan his
services to someone who can. Many older, experienced show horses
are great lesson horses. He could give a neighbor’s child a few lessons
a week or stand still while you teach children how to properly groom a
horse. He might be a great mount for a beginner rider, or an adult who
doesn’t want any surprises. You could still take him on the occasional
leisurely ride. Just don’t leave him untouched in a stall for days. At the
very least, give him a buddy and plenty of turnout time.

It may take a little extra time and money to care for your older horse, but
when you think back to all the years he’s given, you’ll probably agree
he’s worth it. With the proper care, many horses are living sound,
productive lives well into their 20s.

Diane Samson is a writer with The Lieurance Group, a freelance writers cooperative in Kansas City, Missouri. Samson can provide writing, reporting and editing services for magazines, newspapers, corporate communications and especially animal publications. Find out more about her writing services at http://www.lieurancegroup.blogspot.com. or email her at: dianesamson@birch.net

Author: Diane Samson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Duty tariff

After years of practicing both conventional and holistic medicine for horses, I decided to compare the cost, effectiveness, and net results of managing and treating horses holistically versus conventionally.

In this article I compare results for the average trail horse that is ridden about 2-3 times a week. I have used average feed and veterinary costs for my area (Austin, Texas), and drug and supplement costs from a major horse supply catalog.

I then discuss the issues related to each area of care, including feed, supplements, vaccines, dewormers, and first aid. Stay tuned for different profiles in coming months, when I will compare horses in different disciplines, young horses, older horses, and broodmares.

>>> Holistic Horse >> Conventional Horse Feed Costs

Grain is slightly cheaper to feed and easier to store than hay, which makes the conventional horse slightly cheaper to feed on the one hand. On the other hand, the holistic horse, which has access to more hay, stays happy and entertained and is less likely to develop expensive habits and vices such as chewing on wood, cribbing, or weaving.

Supplements

In the past, hay and oats provided all the nutrition a horse needed, but these days common farming practices do not produce feeds that are high in vitamins and minerals. Hoof quality is the first area to be affected by such poor nutrition, and few horses can maintain healthy feet on a diet of hay and oats alone. If you doubt this, just check any horse supply catalog. The one I checked offered 22 topical hoof conditioners and 28 separate supplements. Cell Tech’s Super Blue Green Algae offers a wide range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants in a whole food form. It is inexpensive to feed, promotes healthy feet, and supports the horse in all aspects of health.

Vaccines

Some people will choose not to vaccinate at all while others will choose to use more vaccines than the ones I’ve listed in the trail horse comparison. I believe that over-vaccination is one of the most common triggers for chronic diseases such as laminitis and uveitis, and contributes to allergic conditions. Stressing the horse’s system with over-vaccination can also affect the digestive system, leading to mineral deficiencies. Stress also decreases the amount of healthy bacterial flora in the gut, increasing the likelihood of colic.

Dewormers

We are fortunate to have some fairly safe chemical dewormers such as Pyrantel and Fenbendazole, yet some people still prefer using natural products to support the horse’s digestive and immune systems rather than using chemical dewormers. Regardless of which method you use, it is wise to double check your program with fecal exams at least twice a year.

First Aid

When I practiced strictly conventional medicine I found that most horses suffered from minor injuries or infections at least several times a year. These minor emergencies kept me busy, and because they were so common most of my clients started keeping drugs on hand and learned to treat these conditions themselves.

When I began to treat my patients more holistically, with fewer vaccines and better nutrition (including the use of probiotics such as Acidophilus), I noticed that the horses had less and less need for drugs. My patients no longer needed bute or antibiotics for minor cuts and punctures. These wounds healed quickly and easily with no loss of riding time. Gone also was the aggravating chronic nasal discharge that often kept horses out of work for weeks at a time.

A holistically managed horse with a healthy immune system will often run a fever for a short period of time when exposed to a virus or bacteria. This response slows the pathogen’s growth and deprives it of nutrients. A short course of probiotics will help support the horse during this time. Once the fever breaks, the horse bounces back quickly with little nasal discharge or cough. These horses then go right back to work without concern about relapse. Conventionally managed horses taking anti-inflammatories and antibiotics will often get better in the short term, but then relapse or develop a chronic nasal discharge.

The Results Are In!

The trail horse example I have used above precisely demonstrates what I have experienced in my practice. While it costs about the same to manage a horse either conventionally or holistically, I’ve found that holistically managed horses are much healthier overall, which means fewer chronic problems and more days of riding time. In fact, conventionally managed horses have about 7 times the number of sick days as holistically managed horses.

Madalyn Ward, DVM, co-author of Holistic Treatment of Chronic Lamintis, is certified in Veterinary Homeopathy, Chiropractic and Acupuncture. Through her website, Holistic Horsekeeping, (http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com), she publishes a free monthly newsletter, offers the Healthy, Happy Horse resource group, e-books, holistic horsecare products and information for horse and mule owners.

Author: Dr. Madalyn Ward, DVM
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cellphone news

A geriatric or senior horse is typically one that is twenty years old or older. They often begin needing specialized care around this part of their life, because things simply begin to wear out. Just like humans, things start to not work as well as they once did. Their eyes, teeth, joints, liver, gut and kidneys all begin to lose their functionality. These are the areas of the older horse that you must begin to pay more attention to.

Older horses may have a hard time breathing; they may also have a hard time walking if they are becoming arthritic. Not being able to walk as well means that it is harder to walk to the pasture and back to the barn to get a drink and then back out to the pasture. If your gut is wearing out, it becomes harder to absorb all of the nutrients that your body requires. This is where owners need to step in and make life a little easier.

You will first want to have your vet check your horses liver and kidney function. They will do some blood work on your horse and check to see if there are any diseases or if they are malfunctioning. If there are any problems, your veterinarian will set you up with medication and a new diet for your horse. Your vet will then check your horses teeth. They will file down any sharp edges and look to see if they are missing any. You should have their teeth checked at least once a year.

From there you will want to move on to your horses digestive tract. As your horse gets older, he will have less efficiency in his digestive system and may require supplements to make up for any nutrients that he is not able to absorb properly. Generally, switching your horse to a senior diet will help him immensely as the nutrients are easier for the horse to digest. Senior feeds also have higher amounts of nutrients as well so that your horse has ample time to digest them. The key is finding one that your horse likes and then sticking with it. You will also want to evaluate the hay that your horse is eating. The best forage for your horse is grass as it is seventy percent water and hay is ninety percent dry matter. Most horse owners rely on hay for their horses forage, but you may need to get better and higher-quality hay for your senior horse. Hay cubes and beet pulp are excellent sources of fiber and may be soaked in water for senior horses with teeth problems.

The horse should be on a regular deworming schedule for his whole life. This will prevent any parasite problems in the long run. You will want to be sure that your program that you used while the horse was a youngster is still efficient for him as a senior.

Most senior horses will begin losing weight, as they are unable to chew as well. By adjusting their diet, you should be able to help them begin gaining weight. Senior horses are, however, prone to choke. Choke is an esophagus impaction due to not chewing their feed and hay all of the way. For these horses, you will want to find ways to make them eat slower. Placing rocks in their feed trough will help to slow them down. You also never want to feed pellets to a horse that has a history of choke without adding water to them. So, some horses may require senior horse soup. You dont want your horse to gain too much weight, as their bones are becoming more brittle and they cannot withstand the extra weight.

Colic is another common problem in senior horses. Many horses will colic due to being unable to chew their food all of the way or if they dont drink enough water. Some senior horses will not make the necessary trips to the water trough if they have to walk all the way across a large pasture. You may consider placing other sources of water in the pasture to aid your senior horse and insure that he doesnt colic due to dehydration.

Proper trimming is also an absolute must for the senior horse. Their bodies are getting old and you dont want them tripping over their long feet. You will also want to ensure that the younger horses in the pasture are allowing the senior horses to eat and drink. Many young horses will push them to the side at the feed trough or not allow them to stand under the shade tree. Vaccinations must also be followed on a regular basis to keep them from developing any other unnecessary stresses on their old bodies.

By following these simple guidelines, you will be able to have a happy senior horse that is still a little spry and ready for his occasional carrot.

Author: Ron Petracek
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Pressure cooker

Some general pointers on choosing your first horse

Geldings generally have the most consistent behavior. They are generally the most even tempered and pleasant natured. Not every gelding will be like this, it’s that the odds are greatest that a gelding will be consistently good natured.
Mares, go in and out of “heat”. They have hormone cycles. This may or may not affect a mare’s behavior and temperament. Some mares are even tempered. Some can be Jekyll and Hyde. Be aware of this and ask the owner.
Stallions are not suitable for anyone other than experienced horse people. A beginner should not even consider one. End of story.

On the age of your horse, young horses or inexperienced older horses are not suitable for a beginner. Your ideal steed will be at least 5 and have been well handled and trained. You are after a horse who has maturity, who is familiar with the world of humans. A horse in his late teens or early twenties has plenty of maturity and would be a great first horse.

Of course, you are after a sound, healthy and pleasant natured animal. If the horse has a health issue, consider how this will affect the riding you want to do before deciding yay or nay. If the horse has a cranky temperament, it is not suitable for a beginner. Living in fear of being nipped or kicked by your first horse will destroy your confidence and your horsey dream, as well as being a physically dangerous situation.

Cover the basics

First of all, let’s go through some questions to find out what you’re after and what’s most suitable.

At what level are your horse and riding skills? It is a huge mistake, as a beginner, to purchase a horse that is beyond your current ability. It is far safer and easier to grow out of a horse than into one. You want a horse that you can ride now, based on your current level of skill.

Untrained, lightly trained, lightly handled or ‘green broke’ horses are often cheaper. There’s a reason for that. It’s because they need work, an experienced hand and time. They aren’t as predictable or reliable. The training required can take months or even a few years (think $$) and can lead to a dangerous horse if not done right (by a beginner).

What you pay for with an experienced horse is the training that has gone into the animal and the world experience and familiarity the horse has with human ways. It IS worth it for a first horse.
And please remember that if a horse is to be ridden by more than one person, look for a horse that will be suitable for the lowest skilled person.

Next question, is this a child’s horse or an adult’s? The answer will determine a suitable size for you to be comfortable on and build to carry your weight. A horse for both children and adults will need to be small enough for the kids to be comfortable, while tall and strong enough to carry an adult easily.

Now what sort of riding do you want to do? Is this a work horse? A show horse? A serious or fun competition horse? A jumper, barrel racer or endurance ride? Or a trail & leisure horse? Do you want to do dressage? The reason for answering this question is that it will help you focus the temperament, skills and confirmation you require from your horse. And perhaps a suitable breed.

There is no right or wrong breed of horse for a particular genre of horse sports in terms of suitability. It is dependent on the individual animal. Some types of competition are restricted to a particular breed. ie horse racing is restricted to thoroughbreds. There aren’t many of these, but find out beforehand.

Having said that, some breeds TEND to be particularly suitable for particular sports as they have been bred to excel in these. For instance, warmbloods and dressage, quarter horse and barrel racing, arabian and endurance riding. This does not exclude other breeds from excelling. Confirmation (the shape and way a horse is put together) will determine what horse will be good at what activity. A good endurance horse is built differently to a good dressage horse, for instance. There is no need to purchase a purebred or discount one breed over another. Find out what is important in a horse for your chosen discipline and look for a horse with those qualities. This is where your expert friend will help sort a suitable horse from one that just won’t do. If you don’t have a specialised sport in mind, any sound, healthy, quiet, gentle natured, well trained horse will do.

As far as a ‘good’ breed for a beginner goes, there is no right or wrong. The individual temperament of the horse and the training it has received are more important factors than it’s pedigree or papers.

Author: Phil Tragear
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: US Dollar credit card

As a horse trainer, one of the most frequent questions I get asked is about bits and bitting. It seems there is a lot of confusion about when to use a certain type of bit and when not to.

People also want to know what type of bit they should use during a horse’s particular stage of training.

In this report, I want to clarify some of the misconceptions about bits and how to use them.

Let’s start with snaffle bits.

Most colts should be started in a snaffle bit. And, many older horses that need fixing should also be schooled in a snaffle bit.

To my way of thinking, a horse should be ridden in the mildest bit that he will respond to for the job that he is intended to do.

Here is the reason why:

Most horses will lose some of their sensitivity as they get older. A two year old colt will have a much more sensitive mouth than a ten year old horse. The more pressure or abrasiveness the horse’s mouth is subjected to, the quicker it will toughen and lose its sensitivity.

That is why I want to use as mild a bit on the horse as I can get away with. I want to preserve the sensitivity of the horse’s mouth as much as I can.

Now, don’t confuse a mouth that is merely “sensitive” with a mouth that is “educated”.

A horse’s mouth can be sensitive but if its not also educated on how to respond to pressure, the sensitivity really doesn’t help much.

Ideally, you want both… an educated mouth that responds and is sensitive to light pressure.

With that idea in mind, a green colt will usually be ridden with an o-ring snaffle that has a smooth 7/16″ mouthpiece. And you stay with that mild bit until the colt doesn’t respond to it well enough anymore.

Here is where a lot of folks get confused. They don’t know what bit to go to next. Should they go to a snaffle bit with more “bite” to it or should they go to a curb bit?

Generally, the horse should stay in some form of o-ring snaffle bit until he is well along in his training. Ideally, the horse should be taught to do everything that you want him to while being ridden in the snaffle bit.

So, if you want your horse to be a reining horse, you should teach him to stop, spin, change leads etc. in the snaffle bit. Once he knows how to work, then you can step him up to a curb bit. Curb bits are for “refining” the training that you have accomplished with the snaffle.

Same goes for a cutting horse. He should be in a snaffle bit while he learns to stop, turn and rate the cow. I believe the snaffle bit is the best tool for teaching a horse how to position himself and use his body correctly.

Any performance horse needs to learn to give his head to the direct rein, move his shoulders off the indirect rein and position his ribcage and hindquarters from leg pressure.

Here is the sequence of the various types of snaffle bits that I use:

I try to do most of the foundation training with an o-ring snaffle with a 7/16″ diameter mouthpiece. I stay with this until the horse is too heavy in it and I can’t get him to respond as lightly as he should.

To get the horse to lighten up and respond, I’ll try schooling him with a snaffle that has a mouthpiece that is smaller in diameter… usually a 3/8″ mouthpiece.

With some really sensitive horses this is all the snaffle I’ll need. But for the majority of horses it won’t be quite enough.

Most horses are going to need a snaffle with a thinner mouthpiece so I’ll go to my absolute favorite snaffle…

My favorite training snaffle has a thin mouthpiece that is 3/16″ in diameter. I call it a “thin, smooth-wire snaffle”.

I love this bit because it gets the desired results but isn’t harsh or abrasive to the horse’s mouth.

I’ll use this bit to lighten a colt up for a few days and then I’ll switch back to the regular snaffle. After a while though, this is the bit I’ll be using to do MOST of the training.

I’ll stay with the smooth-wire snaffle just as long as I can. The horse will be taught the majority of what he needs to know wearing this bit.

However, sometime during the training process, a horse will need to be lightened up even more. Especially the older horses that are being tuned up or re-trained.

So to get the job done, I’ll go to a twisted-wire snaffle. Either the regular or the thin twisted-wire.

These twisted-wire bits have some “bite” to them and will convince even an older, hard mouthed horse to respond and lighten up.

Even though it works well, be aware that a “twisted” mouthpiece is abrasive and can sore a horse’s mouth if it’s used too many days in a row or too harshly.

I recommend riding the horse with it for one or two days to lighten him up and then switch back to the smooth-wire snaffle.

Side note:One of the questions I constantly get asked is why I don’t use a “running martingale” with a snaffle bit to help position the horse’s head.

The answer is simple: The running martingale DOES NOT work well.

If you adjust it short enough to encourage the horse to flex his poll for vertical flexion, it is too short and interferes with lateral flexion. If you adjust it long enough not to inhibit lateral flexion, it is too long to help with vertical flexion.

For 10 years, I trained with a running martingale simply out of habit. I finally asked myself why am I wasting time and money on a piece of equipment that doesn’t work. That was 15 years ago and I haven’t ridden with one since.

If you want to try a piece of equipment that DOES HELP a horse learn to give to your hands, supple-up and flex at the poll… use a German martingale.

It’s the best training aid there is.

Okay, now let’s get back to the bitting process.

Another bit that I sometimes use to lighten a horse up is a “draw” or “gag” bit. On some horses this bit works great. The reason is because it works on different pressure points than a regular snaffle bit.

A regular snaffle bit works by placing pressure on a combination of points. Mainly the horse’s tongue, lips and bars of the mouth.

The gag bit works by placing pressure mainly in the “corners” of the mouth and the horse’s poll. Many horses work well with this bit and it gives you a lot of control without putting a lot of pressure on the horse’s bars.

Again, as soon as the horse lightens up and is responding well, I’ll switch back to a milder bit.

The practice of using a stronger bit to lighten a horse up and then switching back to a milder bit, works really well to preserve the horse’s mouth while keeping him working right.

Read the above sentence again, its key.

Be aware, there are always exceptions to the rule.

Some horses just won’t lighten up the way they should in a snaffle bit. For those horses, you are going to have to go to the “next stage” of the bitting process sooner than you would the average horse.

After the horse has a good idea of what is expected of him and is pretty far along, I’ll start riding the horse in a “transition bit”.

Transition bits are middle-of-the-road bits used to transition the horse from the snaffle to a regular curb bit. Transition bits are the stepping stones between the green horse and the finished horse.

When I feel the horse is ready to leave the o-ring snaffle, the first transition bit I try will usually be a short-shanked curb bit with a snaffle mouthpiece. This is basically a snaffle bit with 5″ to 8″ shanks (cheeks).

The horse is already familiar with the snaffle mouthpiece so the only thing he needs to adjust to is the curb action of the shanks. For most horses this is a very easy transition. Others are really bothered by it.

I’ll ride the horse in this bit until he is totally adapted and working well in it. Then, I’ll move on to the next bit in the transition process.

The next bit in the sequence is my favorite transition bit.

It’s a loose shank bit with what is called a “Billy Allen” mouthpiece. (Billy Allen was a top trainer who invented this mouthpiece many years ago. The design has stood the test of time as one of the best bits ever invented).

What I like about this bit is that it gives the horse the “feel” of being ridden with a curb without scaring the horse.

The reason why is because the Billy Allen mouthpiece moves and is flexible similar to a snaffle.

However, the Billy Allen mouthpiece has a “roller” that is molded over the middle joint. This roller “limits” the movement of the mouthpiece.

The horse gets the feel of a mouthpiece that is almost “solid” like a regular curb bit yet still has some “flex” to it.

This semi-solid mouthpiece gives you a lot of control without scaring or worrying the horse. Most horses love this bit and you can usually leave a horse in it for most of his training.

The extra sensitive horses, I’ll ride with the 7″ shanks but most horses I’ll ride with the 8″ shanks.

This is also the primary bit I use to teach a horse to neck rein.

The loose shanks and flexibility of the mouthpiece allows me to use a direct rein to position the horse’s head before I apply the neck rein. It’s very easy and very effective. (You can see how I do this in my “Teach Your Horse to Neck Rein” video).

You can teach a horse a lot in the Billy Allen. And some horses work so well in it that you can keep them in it for years. However, most horses will eventually need to be moved up into a regular, solid-mouthpiece, curb bit.

For those horses, the next bit I’ll use will be a low-port mouthpiece with 8″ loose shanks (cheeks).

I like using the low port as the horse’s first solid mouthpiece because is relatively mild. The bit pressure is more evenly distributed over the tongue and bars of the horse’s mouth.

Important note: Even though I’m advancing the horse in the bitting process, I still want the curb bit to have “loose” shanks. The loose shanks make it much easier to take a horse’s head to the side and get lateral flexion. After the horse gets farther along in his training, then “solid” shanks can be used with good results.

I’ll ride a horse for a while with this low-port curb bit and see how he responds with it.

From this point on, it’s just a matter of experimenting with different bits to see what the horse responds to best.

Some horse’s can stay in the low port for years and years. Others will need to be moved up to a medium or high port bit. With the higher port, there is less tongue pressure and more bar pressure. The majority of horses will respond well to this.

Keep in mind, all through the training and bitting process, if I run into a problem, I’ll sometimes go back to an o-ring snaffle to iron out the trouble and regain the horse’s confidence. Usually, a few rides in the snaffle fixes the horse up and I can go back to the curb bit.

Also, be aware that some horses just can’t stand prosperity. Ride these horses with a mild bit and they just take advantage of you.

I have a horse like this in training right now. Every time I go back to a milder bit to reward the horse for good performance, he cheats me and won’t work right. So I’m forced to ride him in a stronger bit most of the time.

Now, this particular horse behaving this way disappoints me but I don’t hold it against the horse. I don’t get angry with him for it. It’s just part of horse nature to take the easy way out and slack off.

In reality, most horses will slack off from time to time and not work up to their potential. They will test you by being heavy. Either they refuse to lighten up at all or they will get light for a while and then revert back to being heavy.

And you sure as heck don’t want them to slack off just when you are about to take them to a show.

A day BEFORE the show or maybe even DURING the show, you want to ride the horse with your TUNING bit.

A tuning bit is a bit the horse will REALLY listen to. It’s usually a stronger bit than the horse really needs on a day to day basis. But not so strong that it scares the horse. Yes, I want the horse to have a lot of respect for that tuning bit but I don’t want him so afraid of it that it worries him.

Remember, a horse that is scared or worried won’t work to his full potential. He’ll be tentative and prone to make mistakes due to his nervousness.

You want him attentive and responding well but not afraid.

There are two primary “tuning bits” that I use.

One is for horses that are still in the o-ring snaffle. The other, I use on horses that are in a transition bit or a regular curb bit.

For the horses that are normally being ridden in an o-ring snaffle, I’ll use a curb bit that has a “correction” mouthpiece and very short, curved-back, “Argentine” shanks (loose shanks).

The correction mouthpiece will really get the horse responding well… especially for the stop.

This type of curb bit can easily be used on a snaffle bit horse because the shanks are so short and curved back that there is almost no curb action. The lack of leverage allows you to take the horse’s head laterally without scaring him.

On my horse’s that are normally ridden in a transition bit or curb bit, I’ll use a tuning bit that has a “correction” mouthpiece and 7-inch loose shanks.

This bit has some leverage to it but it’s easy to get lateral flexion because the shanks are loose.

I should also mention, on some of the heavier horses, I’ll use a curb chain with this bit that has more bite to it than the usual one that I use. Usually, a dog-chain curb works well.

I’ll normally ride the horse with a tuning bit for a ride or two (or show him in it) and then go back to whatever bit I normally ride him in.

Well, I hope this information helps you with your horse training. If you would like to see what the different types of bits look like, go to my website or simply click on the links below.

Take care,

Larry Trocha

Larry Trocha Training Stable

Author: Larry Trocha
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Pressure cooker

When looking for a horse, the desired horse age is an important consideration. Horses which are too young lack maturity and training while horses which are too old cannot provide many future years of riding. Following is a review the typical advantages and disadvantages of the various ages.

Horse of 4 years. Horses typically start training at 3 years, with basic training complete by age 4. Such a horse is old enough for riding immediately but still young enough for advanced training if you wish. Although it may be a bit more expensive than a younger horse, the difference is partly offset by saving the fees on basic training.

Age 5 to 7 years. In this category one can get a horse which is fully trained rather than just basic training. In addition, partly due to its age and partly due to the additional training, it will be a calmer and more reliable horse, less likely to spook. As such, it is more suitable for inexperienced riders and children.

Over 7 Years. Older horses are increasingly calm and dependable. Consequently, the older horse is great for children and new riders. They are also less expensive to buy as they are less popular. If the horse is not too old and has been well treated, it should still have many years of riding left. However, one would not want to purchase a horse which is too old for the number of years you intend to ride it.

Three year old. This is the age when riding training normally starts (depending on the breed, individual horse and owner). As such, one can have the pleasure of seeing the horse trained yourself. However, if you are buying a horse primarily to ride or have limited time, an already trained horse may be more suitable.

Under 3 years. The main benefit of horses under 3 years of age is that you can have the pleasure of watching them grow up. Although such young horses are cheaper to buy, in the end it is usually less expensive to buy a trained horse than it is to buy a foal and pay for the years of stabling and then training required before it is ready to ride. Furthermore, with an older trained horse one can be more certain of the horse’s physical and mental characteristics than with a foal.

The above is a general guide only. Various breeds mature at different rates, as do individual horses. Owners also vary in terms of the timetable and extent of training they provide to their horses. If you intend to compete with the horse, you need to take into account various applicable age restrictions as well as the competitive requirements in terms of timing and intensity of training.

horses

How long have you been dreaming of horseback riding?

Have you been considering taking horseback riding lessons?

There’s an old saying:

Is Now the Time?

If a horse is in a lot of pain and distress, due to an incurable injury or disease, the only correct action is to put it down as quickly and as humanely as possible. However, in some cases the decision is not as clear.

For example, a horse may be in permanent pain but quite capable of happily living with it. This was the case of a draft horse pensioned with us, who had a chronic case of laminitis which made walking painful (especially over hard surfaces). As an elderly horse, he also had dental issues which made chewing uncomfortable. However, by supplementing his diet with soft food and giving him maximum time on soft pasture, his discomfort was minimised. He was a stoic horse, who seemed little bothered by pain, and obviously enjoyed life. He would trot around the pasture with his head held high and come to us for cuddles. Although retired, he was active in the pasture and obviously enjoyed life despite the constant pain in his feet and when he ate.

For me, the question is not how much pain the horse is in, but rather is he still happy and enjoying life. One can tell this not only by how the horse behaves at the moment, but also how his behavior has changed in response to injury or illness. When life changes from a pleasure to a burden, that is the time for the horse to be put down.

Economic Constraints

Aside from illness and disease, many horses are put down for financial reasons, such as:

• Competitive Horses. Many horses are bred and raised for competitions (e.g. racing), with the vast majority of these not making the grade. The ones which are not fast enough are often either put down, or sold for slaughter, or sold into questionable circumstances.
• Elderly Horses. Older horses, having reached the end of their productive life (e.g. riding), leave the owner with a decision between puting the horse down or paying for an expensive (and potentially lengthy) retirement.
• Medical Costs. Injuries and illnesses can be very expensive. For example, a severe case of colic which requires surgery can cost 000, with no guarantee that the treatment will be successful. With the average horse costing 00 or less (in many cases, much less), horse owners of limited financial resources face a difficult decision.

Although the economic pressures are real, there are alternatives:

• Rescue Organisations. There are numerous horse rescue organisations, which will find new homes for horses young and old. Some of them will even take on medical costs. Your local veterinarian is a good source to ask, not only for the large organisations but also for the smaller ones and the local private activities.
• New Owners. Although a horse may have no apparent economic value,  there may still be many potential alternative owners that would be happy to provide it a new home. For example, people which have purchased a horse for their private use recognise that they need a second horse as a companion to the first. For this purpose, even an old or unusable horse may be perfectly suitable. There are a number of websites where one can advertise horses for this and similar purposes, often free of charge.

One may not always be able to find a solution for every horse. However, before putting down a horse which is still enjoying its life, remember that there are alternatives.

How

When your horse has reached the point where it needs to be put down, the question is no longer ‘when’ but rather ‘how’.

The normal methods are by injection (sedative overdose) or by a slaughter gun which fires a bolt directly into the brain. In both cases, this should be done by a professional. In particular, the use of a slaughter gun should be done by an experienced person, as inexperienced people have been known to shoot the horse without killing it on first attempt, resulting in terrible pain until the mistake can be corrected. Whatever one might see in western movies, the use of a hunting gun is highly questionable, due to the risk that the bullet may not penetrate the thick skill and immediately end the horse’s life.

If the horse is at home when the decision is make, it is kindest to the horse to put it down there (e.g. have a veterinarian come out and give a lethal injection). If the horse is severely injured or ill, transport to another location adds to its suffering. Furthermore, unfamiliar surroundings may cause it distress (particularly if taken to a slaughterhouse, where the horse may panic in response to the smell of blood). The main obstacle to this approach is the difficulty of transporting the body afterwards, so prior to putting a horse down one needs to consider whether it is necessary to first move it to a more practical location.

For personal safety, if the horse is standing up, one needs to either lie it down prior to euthanasia or be careful that nobody becomes trapped under the horse if it falls while being euthanized. Professionals (e.g. a veterinarian) should have the experience and sufficient detachment to consider such practicalities.

Unless one personally knows and trusts the person performing the euthanasia, one should remain with the horse until the end, to ensure that your wishes in this regard are properly carried out. For example, it has been known for professional slaughter staff to transport horses to the location which is most convenient for them, even though it meant additional suffering for the animal. Staying with your horse allows you to ensure that your horse ends its life with minimum distress

Resource Author Francisco R. Higueras
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