Posts Tagged ‘Trot Or Canter’

Finally, the last recommendation before making your decision to buy your first horse, is making sure the horse is sound. This means that the horse does not have any lameness. Unsoundness can come in many forms, not just the obvious; from respiratory problems, to muscular or skeletal problems, to feet problems. You also want a horse that is mentally sound in his or her way of thinking and dealing with life’s everyday issues. Lets’ assume you have found a horse of interest and you are going back for a second look. Now you are familiar with the horses’ ways and mannerisms. This will give you an advantage as it will make it a little easier to detect some of these things I am about to discuss.

It is important that you look for evenness in their gaits, (walk, trot and canter); no head bobbing as they go through their motions and when you are on their backs, and that every time they put each foot down while at a walk, trot or canter, that each step feels the same. When you are riding a horse, they should feel smooth and even. You are looking for a comfortable ride, the smoother the better. Of course, if a horse has not been ridden in several months or years, their gait will not be quite as smooth perhaps as it should be, as their fitness level will determine this to a degree. When you are on a horse’s back and they are jolting you in the saddle and the horse seems to be pounding the ground, (instead of moving easily across the ground), this should be a red flag for you. Sound and good moving horses just seem to float across the surface. Each horse is an individual, and each one will feel different and you have to take that into consideration. The way in which we ride a horse will also change the outcome of his or her ability to please us.

Let’s move on to muscular, joint and feet problems. If a horse has been ridden too hard on a particular day, they may be moving a little off, (meaning that they are not moving evenly and smoothly), and they may experience some stiffness and soreness due to the build up of lactic acid in the muscles. But as the lactic acid is absorbed by the body, the soreness should subside and the horse’s gaits should go back to normal. If there are chronic muscle issues, then it will take much longer for the horse to re-cooperate and this is another red flag. If, when you go to mount the horse, and they go down in the back, this of course means that their back is sore, but why? This behavior may not just be the back, but may also involve the stifle muscles or other muscles adjoining these areas. Usually, if a horse is unsound because of joint issues, there will be some heat or swelling involved which may or may not be easily detected by a beginner horse person.

If you are suspicious of joint problems, it may be in your best interest to have a veterinarian perform a physical check on the horse and maybe take x-rays just to be sure; depending on the amount of money you are willing to spend. Also, feet problems are a very big issue and can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. If you put your hands around the coronet band, (the very top of the front and side of the foot), where the leg meets the foot, you want to feel if there is any heat in that area and you need to do this on each foot. Also by picking up the feet and looking at the bottom, you will notice a v-shape what is known as a frog. The frog should be a little spongy, yield slightly to a pressured touch, should not have any odor and should look full and not partially eaten away by fungus. Also the walls of the foot, similar to our fingernail, should be extending further down from the frog meaning if you look at the foot from the side, the walls of the foot, (darker outer fingernail), should be a little longer than the frog, but not too long. A good blacksmith is invaluable in today’s horse world as some sound horses need a little more care in this area in order to keep them sound, especially if they are being ridden or campaigned a lot.

The next issue of soundness is respiratory. These problems can be physical malfunctions which will not allow the proper flow of air called a palate. The palate is a mechanism located in the throat area which separates the flow of air and food. That means that if the palate is not working properly it can cause some distress for your horse when breathing. Horses can also suffer from allergies and a problem called heaves. I will be going in depth about these problems at a later date, but for now, you should pay attention to how the horse you are considering is breathing when at a stand still, and how quickly their nostrils start getting wider and wider at what stage of riding. Of course, horses who are not being ridden often and/or are overweight, their nostrils will start to flare very easily. If you just started riding, and the horse is breathing heavy, and you can hear them breathing or they are making a loud noise, this is not a good sign. Horses with the heaves will show signs first, (with little or no exercise), of coughing, sometimes severely, and their stomach’s will tighten up and then drop suddenly, tighten up and drop suddenly. Horses with heaves are usually not very usable and need special care as far as their feed and hay regiment.

So in conclusion of this series Buying a New Horse, I wish you the best of luck. May it be the beginning of a very long, happy and healthy time for you with the possibility of many more horses in your life to come. They will be as much a part of your family as any other member and will give you endless hours of happiness, fun and love.

Beverly Jansen
http://bevshorseadvice.com
I’m a licensed Thoroughbred Horse Trainer and a licensed Equine Message Therapist. I have devoted my entire life to horses and have over 40 years experience to share. My blog site was created to share my knowledge and will soon offer exceptional, all natural horse products that are above and beyond any other products in comparison and will guarantee fantastic results. I will also be posting “How To” videos on my YouTube channel soon.

Author: Beverly Jansen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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First, let me define rhythm and tempo. I want to do this because lots of dressage riders use those terms interchangeably and they don’t mean the same thing.

Rhythm – Regularity of the rhythm refers to the even spacing between each step in a stride of walk, trot or canter. Regular rhythm is a priority for all work–whether or not you’re riding a pure dressage horse. Movements and exercises should never be done at the expense of rhythm. Rhythm should always stay the same. Tempo or speed, however, is a different matter.

Tempo — which is the rate of repetition of the rhythm — can be adjusted, depending on what your horse needs. Think of rhythm and tempo this way: A waltz is always done in 3/4 time. That is the rhythm of a waltz. But a waltz can be played faster or slower. In other words, the tempo can vary.

When should you ride at a tempo that’s different from the one your horse chooses? Let’s take an overly fresh horse as an example. You start your warm-up, and this horse is so excited that he picks up a trot that is much too quick. The longer you let him go at this clip, the more his tension builds. Left alone, he probably isn’t going to slow down. He’s like an overtired child who is so wound up that he can’t quiet his mind or his body. He needs you to help him calm down by asking him to trot at a much slower tempo than that of his normal working trot.

Slow the tempo by asking for a transition to the walk (or even the halt!), Then, just as he’s about to step into the walk, don’t finish the transition. Instead, allow him to jog forward very slowly. Think about riding “halfway to walk”, and then jog forward slowly. If he accelerates after a few strides, repeat the incomplete downward transition until he understands and is willing to stay in the slower trot.

Ride him in this lazy tempo — the opposite of what he wants to do — until he relaxes. Once you feel him relax, gradually allow the tempo to become more normal.

On the other hand, let’s say you have a horse that tends to get too slow and labored in his tempo. For example, his canter becomes 4-beat because the tempo is too slow. Quicken his tempo by doing a few strides of a lengthening. Feel how your seat moves faster during the lengthening. Then when you shorten the strides, keep the same quick tempo by moving your seat “as if” you’re still lengthening.

So whether or not you’re riding a dressage horse, always work in a regular rhythm and a tempo that allows your horse to be in good balance.

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/

Author: Jane Savoie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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RHYTHM AND TEMPO

Before you can pick the perfect freestyle music for your horse, you need to understand the difference between rhythm and tempo.

Many people use the words rhythm and tempo interchangeably, but they don’t mean the same thing. This month, I’ll go over the meaning of each–both in musical terminology and in riding terminology. It doesn’t matter if you ride DRESSAGE, HUNTERS, or you are an EVENT RIDER. Every equestrian needs RHYTHM!!!

Rhythm – When riding, regularity of the rhythm refers to the even spacing between each step in a stride of walk, trot, or canter. In music, rhythm is made up of sounds and silences. These sounds and silences are put together to form patterns of sound which are repeated to create rhythm.

Look at the two descriptions of rhythm and put them together. Think of the sounds and silences of the musical terminology and the even spacing between each step of your horse’s gaits as the same thing. When the horse’s foot is down it is a sound. When your horse’s foot is up, it is silent. This is how we can relate the rhythm of music to the rhythm of your horse’s gaits.

Tempo -Tempo is the speed of the music or the speed of your horse. Depending on how fast you want to go, you can adjust the rate of repetition of the rhythm.

Tempo in music can be fast, slow, or in-between. Music sounds and feels different depending on how fast it’s played. The same piece of music will have a different effect or mood depending on whether it’s played fast or slow.

Hopefully, this description clarifies the difference between rhythm and tempo as it applies to music and to your horse.

Next month, we’ll talk about choosing the particular kind of music that will accentuate your horse’s strengths. Stay tuned for a whole lot of fun!

Ruth Hogan Poulsen

http://www.Ruthhoganpoulsen.com

Ruth@Ruthhoganpoulsen.com

Author: Ruth Hogan Poulsen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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