Posts Tagged ‘Scary’

If you have ever enjoyed a day of horseback riding or even just spent time with horses then you know how much fun you can have. If you are lucky enough to own your own horses then you not only know the work involved in caring for them but you also know the joy of having them. Horses just like anyone else have personalities of their own, which sometimes can make them a little harder to ride. They come in different sizes and colors.

For some of us horseback riding for the first time can be a scary ride. Once you get the hang on it, you will not be able to get enough of it. There are different styles of riding and riding gear. English style saddles and Western style saddles are two different types of saddles used and the most common for most riders. In most cases if you spend a day horseback riding then you will most likely use the western style saddles. There are other types of saddles and riding equipment, that jockey’s use for racing but for general horseback riding you would most likely use western style.

When horseback riding you may be quickly trained on how to handle your horse with the handling of the reins and basic commands. If you are at a riding stable or ranch then these horses already know what they are to do and therefore, they will pretty much follow each other for a slow comfortable ride.

For the most experienced riders horseback riding is an adventure. If your horse is well trained and you are well seasoned as a rider, you can have all kinds of fun. If you have ever watched jumpers or barrel racing those horses and their trainers have gone through hours and hours of training and working together to become a perfect fit and they build a bond of trust that can be Horseback riding is much the same way. Those horses have been worked by different handlers and trained to handle and work with different people so that when people go to horseback riding ranches or stables they are already accustomed to being handled by different people. Most of these horses are very docile and may move somewhat slow. Some will still have some spirit to them and just want to go.

There are trail rides, mountain rides, pony rides and free style rides that you can go on. If you own your own horses, you probably have a favorite area you like to ride in or a favorite trail you like to ride on. You may not know that horses have to be trained to cross bridges, walk over puddles or through water. They are fitted for their saddles and riding equipment to get the right fit. The shoes are fitted to protect their hoofs.

After a hard day of horseback riding, horses receive proper grooming after a hard day, which consist of bathing and brushing before turning in for the night. Some horses have a winter coat for colder weather and some will have blankets to help keep them warm. There are many different breeds of horses and many different sizes. Horseback riding is a lot of fun and an experience that will last you a lifetime. You may enjoy doing a bit of research on equestrian riding and training. You may find it interesting to read about.

Learn Horseback Riding from the comfort of your own home BEFORE you ever sit on a horse. Why not feel comfortable and at ease before you go riding?

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Author: Fraser Wheaton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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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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