Posts Tagged ‘Reason’

If you watch a herd of horses turned out you will notice that there are pretty set behavioral patterns. Everyone knows his or her place in the pecking order. There are usually no big surprises for anybody involved. This is how horses live.

Now we enter the picture – and that is where things can get complicated. The horse pretty much expects that our behavior is as consistent as the behavior of the herd members. And this is not always the case – and can potentially confuse the horse.

They say, if you have a dog long enough, you look like your dog and your dog looks like you. I hope this is true – my dogs are pretty good looking.

The morale behind that applies to horses, too. I have seen many times that the behavior of the horse and the owner are very similar. The easy going relaxed guy has a easy going relaxed horse. And the hyped up flaky guy has a hyped up flaky horse.

There is a very important point to this. If our behavior is not consistent we can have a very negative impact on the behavior of our horse.

You go out there one nice day pretty relaxed, call your horse and halter it, walk to the hitch rail and saddle the horse. If your horse does something not quite right, you quietly but firmly correct it – and things are just fine. You will have a nice ride.

Another day you are stressed out – but the horse has not been ridden for a while, so you got to do it. It will not work! Your horse will feel your tension – but does not know the reason. This will now make your horse nervous – and it usually ends up in some kind of a mess.

This is many times more important when you are training a horse. If you are very patient on time and very pushy the next time, your training will not progress very well. Actually it would probably work better, if you are pushy all the time – the horse will adjust to that.

I have found that people that are very balanced in their own behavior very often have the best results in training horses. There are no surprises for the horse and the horse will concentrate on the training itself. Wild swings in our behavior will confuse the horse. The horse will pay more attention to our behavior than the actual training.

There is no easy solution to this problem. As far as training goes – if you cannot be consistent in your behavior you will have problems.

My advice for trained horses always is: If you are stressed out for some reason, and think you “have to ride” the horse – don’t do it. Just spend some time with the horse, give it some brushing or scratching – and that is it. You will not confuse your horse with inconsistent behavior – and it might just get you settled down. Horses are pretty good at that!

After about 30 years as a professional trainer and consultant I have decided to make this know how available for horse training. I am committed to the fine art of riding. For more thoughts about horse training please go to my website http://realhorsetraining.wordpress.com/ Thank you for your time.

Author: Wolfgang Maass
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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How to insure your horse is safe and comfortable when at the show

If you think the show ring is stressful then you haven’t had the opportunity to settle your horse into a strange stall at a strange showgrounds. Many veteran exhibitors can attest to the fact that how well your horse settles into his weekend abode can make or break your chance at a ribbon at best but at worst can be the reason for a full blown catastrophe.

Listed below is a step by step accounting of some procedures that need to be adhered to if you’re to give to your horse a safe and enjoyable experience at his next show.
Let’s start at the beginning assuming you’re organized and your departure wasn’t too stressful.

Step 1. The Stall Before you put your horse into it you must scrutinize every inch of it checking for nails, loose boards, splinters, any thing that may pose a threat. Check the ground. Are there rocks, nails, glass, and any thing that can pose a hazard? Remember if there’s even the slightest thing that a horse can get hurt on believe me he will find it. If there’s something that isn’t appropriate, a tough door to open or close an electrical wire close by or anything dangerous within your horse’s reach don’t hesitate to consult with whoever’s in charge and ask for a new stall. You have every right to and they want you to feel secure so often they’ll work hard to get you what you need.

Next, check to see what angle the sun moves at. Will it cause your stall to overheat? During summer months it is typical for owners to place fans and even misting systems above their horse’s stall to keep them cool. Just as mentioned earlier though be careful to not have any electric cord or nail or string where your horse can get to.

Be sure to secure your horse’s water bucket so he cannot turn it over or spill it out and be careful it’s hung at just the right height. For an average horse you should have two buckets, one always with fresh water and one with electrolytes. The water should always be kept full because dehydration is one of the most typical ailments at shows. Besides dehydration if a horse doesn’t drink enough water to process his food he could end up colicking which will bring a quick end to your weekend and perhaps even to your horse.

Always properly bed your stall. This is not the time to skimp on bedding. Use enough to keep your horse from meeting the ground under his body when lying down and be sure to bank the shavings up alone the walls. Most show stalls are a bit cramped and you want to bank your bedding far up the sides to prevent your horse from getting cast.

Step 2. The Feed Be sure to feed your horse at the show the same kind of hay he would eat at home. If you can you should even bring the feed from your home to keep your horse from eating hay from a different region which can cause him to colic or have allergic reactions.

It’s good to have something in front of him at all times. Horses relax when they chew so consider some kind of “grazing” feed to keep him busy and help him to unwind. Something really tasty like a nice Timothy or Orchard Grass will tempt him to focus more on what’s in front of him then the Stallion across the barn aisle.

Be careful not to feed too many treats. It’s great to reward your horse especially when he’s being really good but be careful not to overdo anything in the way of nutrition at the show. A too rich diet can wreck havoc on a horse’s system when they’re under the stress of new surroundings.

Step 3. The Horse As mentioned before the horse stalls at shows are usually quite small so be sure to get your horse out as often as possible for a walk especially if he’s been in a lot of classes that day. After working so hard he will likely get stiff and sore if he’s not allowed to keep moving besides it gives you a chance to check in with all your friends down the barn aisle to see how they faired in their classes.

Keep your horse well groomed to keep him from getting itchy and prevent rolling. Granted at some point your horse will want to lay down and perhaps even roll but the risk of getting cast is ever present so the more you can reduce his chances of him rolling the more you can reduce the chance of him getting cast.

You may want to consider keeping your horse’s legs bandaged if they stock up from being in a small stall but do not, I repeat, do not bandage your horse’s legs unless you are an expert or have access to one that will do it for you because you can do more damage than good putting a bandage on your horse the wrong way. Putting a bandage properly on a horse is almost an art form and takes a lot of experience to master.

So there you have a basic list of things that are mostly necessary. Properly settling your horse is lot of work and a lot of things to be aware of but it’s something that must be done right to avert disaster and enable your horse to compete at his best. If your horse isn’t comfortable I can assure you your show will be an unsuccessful endeavor in one form or another.

If you’re going to all the expense of showing, the time put into your training and all the sweat equity in general then you want to be sure you will have your best chance of winning and it starts with the comfort and safety of your horse, your partner and your friend.

Millie Chalk (White Star Woman)
Professional horse trainer for 25yrs. and author of historical fiction. Part Cherokee Indian I’m passionate regarding the current struggle of all the first nations feeling most akin for several reasons to the Lakota.
For more information on all aspects of horsemanship check out my website at http://backyardhorseman.com/

Author: Millie Chalk
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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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

One of the best ways to get started training a young horse or any horse for that matter is at liberty in the round pen. First-what do we mean by “at liberty”? All that means is that we remove all control and training aids from the horse-so that there’s no halter, bridle, or lead/lunge line. Aside from being inside the round pen, the horse is basically free. A bridle or halter, of course, doesn’t really matter, what’s important here is severing direct control between the handler (you) and the horse.

Why is it that round pen training is so effective when training a young horse?

If done correctly, round pen training allows you to build leadership and trust with your horse in a fundamental way that he naturally understands. And this can be done in an essentially safe environment-something that’s really important to keep in mind. Safety should always be your priority with equines. The less training a horse has, the more control we need to maintain safety. And when training a young horse it turns out a round pen is just what the doctor ordered. When done at liberty, the horse is free to move and work through his fears without feeling panicked or confined-even though in reality the horse is confined, by the virtue of being in a round pen he can move off from a scary stimulus if he chooses to do so. Now nothing is perfect-and there will be occasions when a horse feels panicked in a round pen or even escapes-I’ve seen that happen. But in the vast majority of cases, a round pen will safely confine a horse-while giving him the ability to freely move.

Earlier we mentioned that round pen training is really effective when training a young horse. And in fact its a great tool to use when starting any horse. Let’s see why in more detail.

The first reason is that a round pen produces a setting within which it is pretty easy to establish leadership-a vital step in training a young horse. This is due to the way that horses naturally establish their heirarchy in a herd (wild or otherwise). Every group of horses that lives together has a hierarchical structure and every horse knows his rank. One thing you will see dominant horses doing is making the other horses move around. I once herd a phrase that sums this up: control the feet, control the horse. In the round pen, you mimic this behavior by controlling the movement of your equine in four basic ways:

• You tell him when to move
• You tell him what direction to move
• You tell him how fast to move
• You decide when he can come to a stop

Even better-by working at liberty you’re going to be controlling the movement of your horse using energy and body language. So its all going to seem quite natural to the horse-and he will instinctively see you as his trusted leader. Another aspect of working at liberty is that you are also building communications-another vital step in training a young horse successfully. Your communication skills which you start off in the round pen will carry over to riding-by applying pressure to the appropriate spots on the horse. In the round pen, when working at liberty, you learn to apply pressure with energy and body language. This makes the round pen not just valuable to your animal-it makes it a great training school for you too! If you are able to master communication with your horse using only energy and body language-think about how effective you’ll be when riding and using your reins and legs. You will be able to talk to your horse from the saddle light as can be.

As one specific example, if you want your horse to move out while in the round pen focus your energy and body language on his hip area. At first, you will need a tool to help out-but you should have good success without actually touching the horse as time goes on. Suppose you keep a lead rope with you. You can swing the lead rope in the direction of the hip, without actually striking the horse to ask him to move out. But what you should really be thinking about is focusing your gaze on the top of his hip-and directing energy there. Focus your gaze on the spot where you would actually tap the horse with your crop if you were using that method.

If the horse doesn’t respond, and he may not the first few times, then up the volume. Swing the rope more vigorously, and then let it strike the ground. If the horse still doesn’t move, then at this point direct contact may be necessary. But you will find with practice that less direct contact is required.

Don’t be discouraged if you don;t have complete success at first-nobody becomes a horse whisperer in a day. Keep practicing! With time you will find you need less actual contact with your horses to get them to do what you ask. Round pen training is a great place to start training a young horse or a horse you don’t know, to brush up with an old horse or to just work on your own equine communication skills.

David McMahon is a freelance author who is owned by 3 horses. For more information, please visit Gentle natural horsemanship.

Author: David McMahon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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