Posts Tagged ‘People’

I am 17 years old, I am still in high school, and I just fell in love with horse jumping competitions.
I really want to learn how to ride a horse, and maybe one day try to compete.
But I don’t want it to be a waste of time, especially in my senior year of high school.
I know people usually start to train when they are kids, is it kind of too late for me to start?
Thank you very much.

LOL.

I’ve only ever ridden two part Quarter horses. Never a full Quarter horse as they are very rare in New Zealand! I’ve always wanted to! And I swear we don’t even HAVE Tennesse Walking horses here!!!
Thoroughbreds are most common for people who compete. A lot of people who pleasure ride/trek own Standardbreds. We do have most other breeds. Cross breeds are what most people look for here.

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!

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!

I am thinking about training a horse but I won’t for a few years to get more experience. Anyways I have heard of many ways/ ages people start their horses, some people put a saddle on at 2 and some people put them on at 3. What do you prefer? When do you like getting on for the first time? Please tell me everything you know about starting horses!
Thank you!

Have you ever gone to get your horse and realized that it was less than enthusiastic about seeing you? Do you wish your horse would be more interested in what is coming? Assuming that there are no physical problems such as poorly fitting tack, sore muscles or joints, teeth problems or anything else that might make the horse uncomfortable, the lack of enthusiasm for what is coming might just be boredom with the routine. Doing something different might be all it takes to respark your horse’s interest in being with you.

Just like with people, horses get tired of doing the same old thing over and over. Some get to anticipating cues if they get drilled too much in the same pattern. I’ve seen horses in the show ring that learned the pattern of gaits announced and would execute them without the rider’s help. That might seem like a good thing to some, but what if the judge mixes things up and the horse keeps doing its normal routine?

Lots of riders have one major interest of what they want to do with their horse and they stick with doing that almost exclusively instead of developing a well rounded animal by offering it a variety of experiences.

Horses that never get out of the arena, whether they be dressage, barrel, show, or lesson horses, can get too used being in just those surroundings and then become upset when not in their comfort zone. Or they may become bored to tears there and not work nearly as well.

Horses only ridden going forward on the trails may not be as responsive to cues as the rider would like and they might be uncomfortable and unconfident in an arena or show situation. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a horse that could go from one situation to another and handle it well?

To counteract the problem of your horse becoming bored or not at ease in different environments, provide your horse with a variety of experiences. Barrel horses don’t always have to be hyped. Some of the best ones I know do other things than racing most of the time. A leisurely trail ride, dressage basics, or some other type of work can make them much more responsive and enjoyable as well as versatile.

Dressage and show horses can benefit from trail rides as well as other activities such as moving cows. In fact, slow, precise cow work can give any horse a purpose for some of the moves they need to be able to do fluidly in competition.

A trail ride is a great way to keep your horse’s interest due to the changing scenery. But a trail horse can get too dependent on following the horse in front of it or insisting on taking the lead itself. A good trail horse responds to a rider’s body, leg, focus, and rein cues, and there is no reason a trail ride shouldn’t be a chance to work on moving your horse laterally, disengaging, serpentines, backing, and doing transitions. Obstacles on the ride provide a perfect opportunity to practice these moves and provide your horse with a feeling that there is a reason for the moves. One doesn’t have to just go down the trail. Spend time trading positions within the group too so that your horse does not get in the rut of leading, following, or being with a certain buddy.

Sometimes when you go to get your horse, just go and hang out with it. Or, instead of riding, go on a trail walk together with you directing the horse from the ground. You can practice a lot of moves from the ground and get your horse more responsive without being on his back.

Keeping things interesting for your horse will pay off by giving you a happier, more versatile horse and also expand your horizons to new, enjoyable activities that you can do together. Variety is the spice of life for both horse and human. Happy riding!

Bonnie lives at Gemara Farm Foxtrotters located in Barnesville, Georgia. She and her husband currently have several fox trotters of their own and practice natural horsemanship with them, as well as Bonnie coaching others. There are usually some fox trotters available for sale. http://www.gemara.homestead.com

Author: Bonnie Martin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Creditcard Currency Conversion Fee

How do you know if your horse has a hole in his training? Does he give you any resistance when you ask him for something? That something could be moving sideways from your leg or softening his jaw to your hands or giving you nice up and down transitions. These are just several examples of basic training holes that many horses have.

It is important to know how to fix the problem, or in this case to plug the training hole. In order to correct the holes in your horse’s training, he needs to have a good foundation. That is where ground work comes in. Ground work is the foundation upon which all riding is built upon. Every discipline uses ground work to some extent. It is part of the basics your horse needs to understand to be ridden well. It is similar to school, where you can’t move on to the next grade UNTIL you pass the previous grade. In this article we will talk why it is bad to have holes in your horses training and then in later articles will go over several holes and how to fix them.

Having a horse with holes in his training is dangerous for these reasons: safety, horses monetary value deteriorates, your relationship suffers and you can’t progress in training. These are just several of the reasons why good training is important. But knowing how to fix the holes and improve your horse’s behavior is especially important to your long term relationship with your horse.

Safety is the number one most important reason why you should be able to have your horse’s attention on you at all times. Your horse needs to be able to respect you and look to you for guidance. Especially in a situation where you are around other people and horses. Horses can be very dangerous without intending to be dangerous. They weight roughly 1000 pounds, and we as people weigh a fraction of that. Horses consider us part of their “herds” and don’t realize that we are not the same size. So for the safety of us, and everyone around us it is your number one priority to always be in “control” of your horse. Otherwise someone else can be injured or worse.

Another reason to fix your horse’s training is because monetary value declines. A trained horse has a higher value than an untrained horse. And a horse that has training issues is worth even less. Invest your time and effort in the best training you can do for your horse. Not only will it improve his monetary value, but you will also improve your relationship with him. This will in turn increase your level of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Another aspect of your horse having holes in his training is your relationship with him will deteriorate. If your horse has poor training that includes large holes, you will be less inclined to spend time with him. Which will in turn decrease your level of satisfaction. This can also cause you to be afraid of your horse, as well as teach him many bad habits. Reinforcing the bad habit also erodes the relationship you have with your horse, as well as deteriorates any respect he may have for you. As the respect declines so will his behavior. And this goes back to the safety paragraph. Anytime we handle a horse we are training it; you are either reinforcing good habits or bad habits. When you reinforce all of the good habits, everyone will be happier.

The last reason that I will discuss here is moving forward with his training. When you have holes in the training you can’t move beyond the hole. For example, if your horse does not perform trot transitions well, then how can you move on to the canter or any more difficult training? The trot transitions need to be fixed before you move on to higher levels of training. Otherwise, at some point your foundation will crumble and the horse will start having issues because he doesn’t understand what you are asking for. You don’t want your horse to start having issues, as this is dangerous. This is when your horse can inadvertently injure someone or himself.

All in all, you need to have a solid base of groundwork in order to move up in training. This is what allows you to teach your horse more difficult training. By having solid ground work training you can always go back to it if your horse has a hard time understanding more difficult work. It will benefit you and your horse for many years to come, and should not be skimped on.

Editor’s Note: Based in Sugar Grove, Sara McKiness is a Certified Horse Trainer who helps riders improve their communication with horses without punishment. She graduated valedictorian from Meredith Manor International Equestrian Center (MMIEC) where she majored in teaching and training, and minored in Farrier Science.

Questions or comments can be sent to sara @ horselogic.net

Horse Logic 2010

Classical Dressage, Western, and Hunt Seat Lessons. Come ride exceptional & experienced lesson horses. Based in Sugar Grove IL with travel to your facility available. Learn better communication with your horse and build your relationship. Fully insured with over 18 years riding experience. Contact Sara for more information 630-631-2746

Sara McKiness
Horse Logic
St. Charles, IL
630-631-2746
sara@horselogic.net
http://www.horselogic.net

Author: Sara McKiness
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

What causes horses rearing? Like everything else involving horses and their interactions with people, the answer usually boils down to one of two causes. Horses of course will engage in a threatening display like rearing if they are feeling well, threatened. So the first cause to look for is fear. A second cause of horses rearing is defiance. A horse may rear to intimidate you, or while balking about accomplishing some task you want him to do. In this case, the root cause of horses rearing is disrespect.

It turns out that fear and disrespect are two sides of the same coin when it comes to the horse-human relationship. The reason is simple. A horse isn’t going to have fear about a situation or task provided that he’s got a strong leader he can look to. Are you that strong leader, inspiring unwavering confidence in your horse? Or do you lack confidence, as exhibited in your actions or body language?

At the same time, a horse isn’t going to respect a handler that hasn’t shown leadership. Once again it boils down to confidence. Are you confident handling horses? Can the defiant horse sense weakness or wavering in your body language?

So we see that when it comes right down to it, the fearful horse or the disrespectful horse that rears is really doing so for the same fundamental reason: they don’t really have an alpha member of the herd. As the handler of the horse, it’s up to you to become the alpha and demonstrate calm and confident leadership at all times. Once it’s established, leadership will cause a horse to respect and trust you. So all at the same time, by being a leader for your horse, you can win over horses with all kinds of different dispositions. There is no need to study whether a horse is “left brained” or “right brained”, “introverted” or “extroverted”, “fearful” or “dominant”. Horses are naturally wired to follow a leader plain and simple, and by giving the right cues you can easily establish leadership and inspire confidence and get any horse to follow you. Horses that see you as their leader are going to be less fearful, so less likely to turn to rearing when something startling happens. A horse that respects you isn’t going to use rearing, or anything else, in an effort to intimidate you.

That sounds simple enough, but how do you establish leadership?

The first step in a leadership program is a good round pen training program. This means taking your horse in the round pen at liberty (no lead rope) and going through the exercise to have him hook on to you. This exercise really taps into the mind and emotions of the horse and like nothing else, helps a horse see you as the herd leader. You should always go back to round pen training first when encountering some major behavior problem.

The second task at hand is to simply get your horse listening and paying attention to you. This can be done on several levels-basic groundwork for example. Spend more time simply moving your horse around-moving the hindquarter, the forehand, backing up. Do some leading exercises.

One of the most important exercises for a horse with behavior problems in my view is lunging. Done correctly, which means continually asking the horse to pay attention by randomly asking for walk, trot, canter, slow down, speed up, stop, turn-is a great exercise for getting your horse listening for your commands. That helps cement the position of leadership you lay down as a foundation with round pen training.

When faced with horses rearing, like anything else, all it takes to solve the problem is getting back to basics. Punishment in the moment might give a short term fix, but it’s not a long term solution. Go back to a solid training program of round pen training, leading, groundwork yields, and lunging to fix that attitude.

David McMahon is a freelance author and horse owner. He invites you to visit http://horse-training-tips.com where you can learn more about horses rearing.

Author: David McMahon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: WordPress plugin Guest Blogger