Posts Tagged ‘Stomach’

Few things are as exciting as the morning of a competition; the air is crisp as you prepare your horse early in the morning. This day marks the culmination of years of training and hard work. You can feel the butterflies fluttering in your stomach as the anticipation and excitement builds up.

Equestrian events have become increasingly popular in recent times. Show jumping and dressage used to be reserved for the very rich as they were highly expensive and exclusive sports, but equestrian events have become more accessible to the general public and an ever increasing number of fans avidly follow their human and equine champions.

The grounds of the facility should be large enough to cater to the many elements involved in an equestrian competition. Trailers, horses and spectators must be catered for. The competition grounds must conform to strict specifications and safety standards. Arena grounds must adhere to international standards concerning dimensions and the materials used on the grounds.

There has to be an area for the spectators to be comfortably seated during the event and a refreshment area which offers light snacks and drinks. As many equestrian events are held over the the period of a few days, participants and spectators should be able to find suitable lodging close to the facility.

The centre has to be accessible so competitors and spectators can find it easily. A central location is ideal as it can become a permanent base for your horse if you compete on a regular basis.

Properly run grounds are essential if outbreaks of equine diseases and viruses are to be avoided. If you’re thinking of competing but visit the centre only to find it is disorganized and unhygienic you should consider withdrawing your entry, imagine how it will be like on competition day? The last thing you want to do is to take your horse into an unhealthy environment.

Management should be experienced and knowledgeable in all aspects of event organisation for the event to go as smoothly as possible. Competitions should be enjoyable for competitors and spectators alike.

Very few equestrian centres are capable of hosting international events efficiently so always try to find out about a facility before entering a competition. This can be done by phoning ahead and asking questions or by taking the time to visit the facility if possible. Most equestrian centres have websites with information about their facility which makes your research easier.

Stal Amani is a top equestrian centre based in Belgium within 2 hours drive of most of the top jumping and dressage competitions in Europe. At Stal Amani we specialise in training riders and horses to compete in top level competition. Find out more about training and stabling your horse at Stal Amani by going to http://www.stalamani.com

Author: Josie Amani
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Many of our horses live a much different life than they used to. Horses once lived on the plains traveling in herds and grazing all day. This was what they were intended to do by nature. Today, however, we like to show our horses and we like to keep them in the barn for easy access. Our horses have begun to live in stalls or small pens most of their lives and because of this they have had to adjust. Many horses have adapted to this type of lifestyle, but it has not been without any healthy effects. Colic is one of the most common health issues that horse owners have to worry about today.

Colic is a fairly broad term, but essentially it is a stomachache. The horse’s digestive system is very unique and they’re stomachs are incredibly small of their size. They are designed to eat multiple small meals per day, but we have adjusted that to fit our daily schedules and many horses get two rather large meals per day. The horse also does not have the constant flow of fiber that he once had when he was able to roam the range. Instead, they also receive two rather large flakes of hay per day. There are some horses that are lucky enough to have constant access to hay via round bales, but many horses receive their forage with their meal. This means that a horse may be shocking his system because he is receiving so much food at one time. Horses are unable to tell when they are “full” and this means that they will continue to eat whether they need to or not.

A horse is unable to digest a large amount of feed in such a small amount of time. As the horse eats too much he is overloading his stomach and killing off the helpful bacteria that live in the hindgut of the horse. Because there are no bacteria to help ferment and digest the feed, the feed sits there in the hindgut and causes a toxic problem that produces founder to occur. The toxins begin to build up in the horse’s blood stream and eventually the horse begins to not only show signs of colic but founder as well.

The horse may begin to roll continuously. The horse will get up and lie down and roll over and over. The horse may also develop a fever and begin to sweat. Some horses will act as though they can barely stand up. In severe cases of colic a horse will sit back on his hind feet to avoid putting pressure on his front feet. These are the signs of founder beginning to set into the horse’s feet. When a horse is found colicking, a veterinarian should be alerted as soon as possible and the horse should be walked until the veterinarian arrives. Horses who are allowed to roll may twist a gut and cause more severe internal problems.

Jo loves horses and everything related to horses including merry go rounds

Author: Jo Thompson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A horse is another one of those plant eating animals with his stomach able to hold up to eighteen quarts of food. The unusually long intestines of a horse enables’ him to store much food in its body. The horse chews its food very slowly and very thoroughly. Unlike the cow, it does not chew a cud.

The eyes of the horse are located on the sides of his head. This permit’s the horse to see forward, sideways and even a little bit backward. The pupil of the horse’s eye is not round but oval shaped. The longest part runs crosswise or horizontally.

The shape of the pupil cuts down the amount a horse can see when it’s looking straight ahead…The horse cannot see above the level of its eyes. The pupil of the eye can be opened up very wide and therefore the horse can see better at night…and in a dim light. Far better than us human beings can see!

The horse’s ears are very flexible and can be wiggled about in order to caught sounds. The horse has a keen sense of sound and a keen sense of smell. It can hear sounds or detect strange objects by its sense of smell before it can see them. A horse may often be frightened by the appearance of a strange object if he doesn’t know what it is. If the horse is allowed to sniff at the object and examine it, then its fear may quickly disappear.

A wild horse is naturally very timid and afraid of man. If it’s grazing or resting and hears an unusual sound, it immediately throws its head up in alarm. It looks in the direction from which the sound came and may quickly turn and run. The urge to run may come from something the horse sees, hears or smells.

A horse has long legs which makes it a swift runner and the horses feet are called hoofs which are hard and don’t wear down too easily. The hoofs also lesson some of the shock when the horse moves around. The hoofs allow the horse better footing.

The legs of a newborn horse are very long in proportion to its height. They grow little as the horse develops, but not nearly as fast as the rest of his body. Though a young horse has long legs it can still run very fast if need be. He may need this speed if he’s one that’s allowed to run in the wild! Much like the…wild mustang horses and burros, that’s left to run free in the Western States of The United States.

Though horses are used less in the United States as far as work horses, if you research into third world countries you’ll see many horses are still being used as work horses. There’s another entire breed of horses on the racing seen while others are more for riding and many are simply pets! As a result many horses are thought of as just another family member. When that happens, it makes me feel the life of a horse is not much different than you or me!

Gary was raised in a family that loved and worked horses. He was a race horse jockey and his father was a horse shoer and a horse trader. The whole family each had their own horse and at times more than one. Nowadays’ there are issues with the mustangs and burrows in our Western States. They’re part of our American Heritage just as well as the bald eagle, buffalo, black bear and grizzly bear, just to name a few. Let your voice be heard since the mustangs can’t speak for themselves! See for yourself here: http://madeleinepickens.com
http://savingamericasmustangs.org/

Author: G Wayne Cooper
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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My horse who was a "saved" horse is having problems filling out in her hip bones. She looks great in the stomach, legs, etc. but her hip bones/butt area just stick out. How do you get this area to fill out?

Our vet thinks that my horse is part walking horse, but I have seen racking horses that look like mine. I love gaited horses and wondered if it was possible to teach her how to gait. Her coat looks chocolate colored and she has white on her stomach and legs. She also has a very smooth trot.

When you are riding, one vitally important component is your seat. In this article, I would like to look at the seat and how important it is to make sure you are relaxed and confident, to assist in your perfect seat.

Just close your eyes for a moment and I want you to imagine your perfect seat. What does it look like to you? I want you to picture yourself as if you are looking at yourself. So how do you look? Are you still, poised and elegant? What are you ankles doing? Your thighs? Your stomach? Then I want you to step into your body and feel how it feels to have a perfect seat. How it feels to move with your horse in motion and go with the movement. What do you hear, what do you see and what do you feel?

Ok so “how????” I can hear you screaming at me!

Well, good question, but let’s first look at why?

To me seat is the single most important tool when riding a horse. When I am working with a client seat is at the fore front of my mind all the time. Lets say I have a client coming to me saying “my horse doesn’t keep his head still or stay to the contact,” I could talk about driving to the bit and engaging behind and riding the hind leg and I do… but I am also thinking are the hands still enough for the horse to comfortably and easily go into the bridle and stay steady on the contact. Still hands are vital for a horses head to be still. The hands can only be still if the seat is sufficiently developed to keep the balance, and not rely on the hands for balance.

The seat is also the core to effective dressage riding. You know when you watch the top riders and you are staring really hard… and you still can’t see them doing anything!!! And the horse is dancing underneath them. Well that’s riding with seat. Where you can go with the horse and influence the horse with your body. It’s almost like your thoughts become his and your back becomes his back.

So there are three keys to a perfect seat:

1. Balance – you must have balance first. You must be able to sit in the center of the saddle and not have to rely on anything to grip or get tight to stay in the centre of the movement.
2. Relaxation - to have a supple back that can swing with the horse you must be relaxed and not tight. The biggest mistakes trainers make is when they say shoulders back, or heels down, the rider if they are very eager will force their heels down or shoulders back using all the muscles they have to achieve this. This results in tight tired muscles and is not the point of a supple seat – the rider will never have the ability to go with the horse. Muscles must always be supple. Now that doesn’t mean soft and not engaged as the muscles do need to work. But with relaxation! I know it’s a paradox! Aren’t most things in riding?!?!?! When I am assisting clients with this I ask them to think of holding a glass of water, now hold it too tight with all the muscle strength you have in your hand and the glass will break, completely relax your hand and the glass will drop and break. There is a muscle tension in the middle ground that is enough to hold the glass. It’s the same for riding. Enough tension to keep you in the movement but not too much that you will become tight, rigid and blocked.
3. Going with the horse’s movement – you must be able to go with the horse and not be left behind. It’s about being the leader, always knowing what will happen next and being ready for it. This means you must have a braced back and an engaged core.

Once you have developed your perfect seat you can then use your seat to influence the horse, slow and quicken it only with seat and turn and perform lateral movements with your seat in conjunction with your legs and reins.

So remember relaxation is so important. It’s a must. If you are worried about falling, you will be gripping and be tight and your seat can’t go with the horse. If you are not balanced you will grip to stay on and your seat can’t go with the horse.

So work on your balance in the saddle, make sure you stay relaxed and supple with positive muscle tension and then allow your body to go with the horse. This is where riding in your mind can help. You can only do so many hours in the saddle practicing but you can do many more hours in your head. The best thing is in your head you never make a mistake and your unconscious mind can’t tell the difference between real and imagined, so all those neural connections are strengthened even if your not on the horse!

To your success,

Natasha

Natasha Althoff-Kelley
http://yourridingsuccess.com
Visit my website for your free 7 Keys to Your Riding Success – providing you with more advice and videos to assist you in your riding journey

Author: Natasha Althoff-Kelley
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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You may know what is best to feed your horse but that does not mean you are feeding your horse right. Sometimes we become very busy with our daily schedule and let that influence the diet we choose for our horses. The consequences of less than perfect feeding regimens are rather minor at first, maybe costing extra money but not really harming our horses. Sometimes bad choices when making feeding decisions can have serious consequences. Sometimes excesses or insufficiencies can cause health threats to our beloved animals. Some less than optimal feeding decisions may cost the horse his energy. This can result in sluggish performance when you are counting on an excellent performance from your horse.

This article will include some mistakes to avoid when feeding your horse. These are mistakes most often noted by equine nutritionists so that we can avoid them. 

Too much grain can be harmful to your horses’ health. This mistake can lead to obesity and contribute to colic and laminitis. When feeding your horse right, less grain is usually better unless your horse is working extremely hard such as a competing hunter/jumper or race horse.

If your horse does need concentrated feeds it is best if the portions are broke up into small meals. Four or more small meals per day will be better than feeding the ration once or twice per day. If you want to feed your horse right, avoid feeding a meal of more than 0.5 percent of your horse’s weight per meal. Horses’ have a very small stomach in comparison to their size. Frequent small meals are much better for them.

Feeding a horse by volume rather than weight is a common mistake. If you are feeding your horse right you must feed by weight not volume. It is easier to just scoop out the usual feed ration and feed it to the horse. When it comes to nutrition weight is what matters not volume. If you happen to change feeds the same volume in one brand may not be the same amount of nutrition in another brand. Be sure to read the feed label to understand the nutritional content per pound of ration. A kitchen scale is convenient tool for measuring the ration.

Another common mistake that is made when we feed our horses is giving the wrong feed to the wrong horse.  There are a wide variety of feeds available for many specific equine needs. There are feeds specially designed for broodmares, foals, adults, seniors and the list goes on. All are formulated for very specific nutritional needs. Giving the wrong feed to the wrong horse can cause harmful imbalances in horses. So does feeding a horse a formulated feed when none is needed. The nutritional needs of a yearling still developing are very different from the needs of an adult horse. Improper feeding in a yearling can cause abnormal growth. You must make sure you feed your horse the ration designed for his specific time in life if you are going to feed him correctly. 

Sometimes we kill our horses with kindness. We must find the balance between the horse’s natural eating needs and the demands domesticated life places on them. Feeding your horse right will help him stay healthy for many years to come.

For additional information about practical horse management please go to http://wcf-ltd.com/horse/ to learn more about how to care for your horse.

Author: Fran Mullens
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When riding your dressage horse, it’s important to keep your hands in what I call the “work area”.

The “work area” is just in front of the saddle above the horse’s withers. Put your hands in that position and draw an imaginary box around them. That box is your work area.

No matter what rein aids you’re giving, keep your hands in the work area. If you bring your hands closer to your body, you steal power from the hind legs. If you put your outside hand forward, for example, you lose control of the outside shoulder.

If you raise or lower your hands, you break the straight line from the bit through your hand to your elbow. When you break that straight line, and there’s an angle where the rein meets your hand, the action of the rein stops there. That is, the action of the rein can’t travel through your arm and down your back so it can affect your horse’s back. It also can’t travel through the horse’s body and affect the hind leg on the same side.

Generally, many dressage riders tend to pull back by drawing their hands toward their bodies and behind their horse’s withers. If you tend to do that, here’s a simple tip to remind you to keep your hands FORWARD in the work area. Imagine there’s a basketball in front of your stomach. Keep your hands in front of the basketball. No matter how hard you try, you can’t draw your hands closer to your body because the basketball is in the way!

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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