Posts Tagged ‘withers’

Paint horses did not get their name because their riders and owners tend to be creative types who stabled them in their private studio. Paints did not get their name because they possess some unique creative gift of their own.

Instead, paint horses got their name for a far more obvious reason: in every case, whether their pattern falls into the Overo, Tobiano or Tovero category, the horse is marked by some percentage of white hair over un-pigmented skin in addition to another color: brown, tan, black or gray. The Paints’ markings don’t have any set location or size, they can appear anywhere on the horse’s body.

So, if you have been looking at horses for sale and see Paint horses along with terms like Overo, Tobiano and Tovero, chances are good that you’re going to have some curiosity about what they describe.

The Overo pattern describes Paint horses on which the white markings do not happen between the horse’s withers and tail. Another characteristic of this pattern is that at least one, if not all, of the horse’s legs will be brown, tan, black or gray in color. While the markings on the horse’s face occur in standard patterns, the majority of its markings are irregular with the white often scattered.

On a Paint horse with a Tobiano pattern, on the other hand, the white spots are regular. The “painted spots” are often oval or round and found on the neck and chest. All four of the horse’s legs are white – at least from the hocks and knees down – and at least one of the horse’s flanks is dark. The tail will also be two colors – both dark and white.

Unlike the Overo and Tobiano patterns, Paint horses with the Tovero pattern have one or both blue eyes. Tovero Paint horses tend to be defined more by the location of their dark marking than where they have splashes of white. These Paints have dark pigmentation around their ears and around the mouth, on their flanks. Chest spots may also show on the horse’s neck, and there may be dark spots at the base of the horse’s tail as well.

When you’re looking at horses for sale and see Paints, in addition to the terms that describe their marking pattern, you’re also likely to see many of the following adjectives: hard working, dependable, athletic, intelligent, and friendly.

Paints earned their reputation as a hard working breed in the American West, ridden by Native Americans, cowboys, and the ordinary folks who needed transportation from the farm. For those who were looking for a horse that responded quickly, could maneuver easily, could run with great speeds to keep order on a ranch, Paint horses were a great solution. They kept a distinct, interesting look that made them stand out, and, like a Quarter Horse, they tend to have strong and muscular back legs, a low center of gravity and a good weight distribution, but not tall.

These same characteristics make Paint horses great for those who are looking for a horse that will get them around the ranch and from one area to another, for those who enjoy riding on a trail, as well as those who just like going out and taking a leisurely ride and enjoy a great afternoon on horseback. Similarly, those who are looking for a friendly, intelligent horse that can be well loved by the entire family – kids included – will find these attractive characteristics in a Paint.

As popular as Paint horses are with those who have owned and ridden them, there was not a registry for the breed until the 1960s. Previously, Paint horses – regardless of the pattern that they displayed – were widely unregistered as the American Quarter Horse Association, which included horses with the same body structure did not accept horses with the Paint markings.

Now, however, there are a number of requirements that are used to register and track the lineage of Paint horses. Either the sire or the dam must be registered with the American Paint Horse Association, and, if the other is not registered with the American Paint Horse Association, he or she must be registered with either the American Quarter Horse Association or the Jockey Club. Despite those standards, new registrations each year show that Paint horses are among the fastest growing and most popular horse breeds in the United States.

Philipe Wiskell is a writer for HorseClicks.com, popular classifieds of paint horses for sale, used trailers, land for sale.

Author: Philip Wiskell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Lots of riders are confused about how to smoothly switch their long dressage whip from one hand to the other. Many of you tell me you feel awkward while doing this, and you’re concerned about making your horse uncomfortable and disturbing the contact because you’re twisting the bit in your his mouth.

Here’s a step-by-step method to switch your dressage whip without disturbing the contact with your horse’s mouth. I recommend practicing this technique at first with your bridle on a hook or by looping a piece of rope around a fence and pretending the rope is the two reins.

That way you can practice the method enough so that it becomes automatic rather than mechanical. You’ll need to do quite a few repetitions in a left-brained, mechanical way before this skill gets turned over to the right side of the brain where you don’t even have to think about it. So that’s why it’s a good idea to practice when you’re not on your horse.

1. Put both reins and the whip in the same hand.For example, put both reins and the whip in your right hand.

2. Turn your right hand so your thumb is facing down and your baby finger is pointed up. With your hand in this position, the butt end of the whip points toward the withers and the lash of the whip points straight toward the sky.

3. Now, turn your left hand upside down so your left thumb is on top of your right baby finger.

4. With your left hand in that “upside down” position, curl your fingers around the whip.

5. Use your left hand to pull the whip straight up toward the sky. (Your whip is now in your left hand and the two reins are in your right hand.)

6. Separate your reins so you have one in each hand.

You’ve now switched your dressage whip without twisting the bit in your horse’s mouth or scaring him by pulling it up across his withers.

Author: Jane Savoie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news

So many riders are confused by how a dressage horse should look and feel when he’s honestly on the bit. So what follows are specific ways for you to tell if he’s on the bit by what you see and what you feel.

When a dressage horse is on the bit, this is what he’ll look like:

His entire outline from back to front looks round.
His hind legs step actively underneath his body, his back is up and swinging, his neck is long and low enough to be in line with the “power train” of his hindquarters, his poll is the highest point, and his nose is about 5 degrees in front of the vertical
From the saddle his neck is widest at the base (just in front of the withers) and becomes progressively narrower as you get closer to his ears.
From the side, his neck looks longish and relatively low rather than up in the air and short.

When your dressage horse is on the bit, here’s what he’ll feel like:

He’s one unit rather than a jumble of “disconnected parts”.
He’s more comfortable to sit on because his back is relaxed.
In trot and canter, he feels like a beach ball bouncing along.
His back (behind the saddle) is up and swinging rather than dropped and tense.
The energy is self-perpetuating. The power comes from behind, over the back and gets recycled back to the hind legs. If the horse is truly connected and isn’t crooked with the shoulder falling out and the haunches falling in, the energy is self-perpetuating. If the horse, let’s say, is popping out one shoulder and the energy is going diagonally across his body, then you have to come with your driving aids and recreate the energy because it’s not self-perpetuating.
Anything is possible within the next step. For example, he can immediately go from trot to canter. Or he can immediately go from working canter into a canter lengthening. Or he can do a canter depart in the next step.

If you’re not sure if your dressage horse is truly on the bit, ask for a transition. If it’s easy to do within the next step, then you know that your horse is on the bit.

Author: Jane Savoie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Duty tariff