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Posts Tagged ‘equine’

The association relating man and horse is an enduring one. But dealing with animals is normally easier and more enjoyable when you both have empathy and appreciation. In order to interact with horses, you need to comprehend their mindset, in order to anticipate horses’ decisions you have to understand how their mind works and why they perform in certain manners. A clear knowledge also develops confidence on each side-human and equine.

When they are placed in a a threatening position, a horse’s reaction is one of flight, and consequently its perspective on the world is one of defenselessness rather than attack. As people, how we react and handle in different situations depends on our previous upbringing and knowledge. It is the same with your horse, so meticulous early handling and schooling are vitally important.

We shouldn’t ever count on a horse to go against its natural instincts, that is, never to be cautious or wary – but with decent enough training we can contain these natural instincts and present to the horse, in a more productive manner, that a particular set of circumstances or thing needn’t be feared.

Horses by nature are sociable herd animals, who are welcoming to the inclusion of other horses, and also differing companions even including human beings. You will even find broken stable horses establish their own ‘pecking order’.

It might be that the older stallion down the bottom of the stable row calls more loudly at the time of feed or, as many different riders report, the retired horse kicks the stable door trying to get attention first when someone walks into the stables in the morning.

It is a well known fact that horses will react better to positive encouragement from you or your trainer when trying to overcome their natural flight intincts. ‘Breaking-in’, the phrase formerly associated with a younger horses initial conditioning to take a rider, is now swapped with terms such as ‘starting’, which infer far less the idea of dominance.

From therapeutic sessions with horses and children to the most famous of event riders, a common bond – that of trustfulness and compassion between horse and rider – is blossoming.

The horse looks at its human contacts as another of its ‘herd’ in the herd order of command, It is both the rider and trainer’s joint intellectual capacities which give him or her the advantage. Because of this the the man/horse connection has worked incredibly well for several thousand years, and is the reason why human beings can control an animal that are much more powerful than themselves.

All horse riders when starting will usually be told ‘Don’t be nervous’. However at the beginning the beginner rider should be learning from a more experienced horse and should therefore be able to relax more easily, the fact that horses need comfort and protection is something to bear in mind and cultivate from the start of a riding career.

If you are presently looking for horses for sale or ponies for sale please visit www.horseandponydirectory.com.

In this article I describe some basic groundwork exercises which you can perform during horse training. Such exercises are the foundation of familiarity and trust between you and your horse. Future training success is dependant on good groundwork. The importance of safety and maintaining your personal space bubble should not be taken lightly.

Patience, persistence and positive reinforcement will be necessary if you hope to be successful in training your horse. These are the 3 P’s of basic horse training that will serve you well no matter what level you are training or what you might be training for in the future.

1. Groom your horse. Grooming represents more than just a perfect first exercise for you and your horse. You’ll get to know each other. Brush his neck and back as you stand beside him. A horse will often turn to give you a little love bit at this time. He must not be allowed to do this to humans, even though horses do it to each other. Discourage this by simply waving a hand, or by pushing his head back straight. It must be made clear from the beginning that this is not acceptable – particularly as a horse’s teeth are so big. It’s important to stay calm and be patient. He’ll get the idea and will cooperate. Nothing will be gained from smacking, shouting or getting angry with your horse. This will only set you back with your trust levels.

2. Lead your horse. Walk on the left side of your horse, holding the lead rope just below his chin in your right hand. Walk forward with a slow step. The horse should stay at your right and not try to step ahead. If he does, walk around to your left in a circle. You may need to do this a few times to get the point across. Demonstrate persistence. Use the circular movement to stay just ahead of him, where you should be. If, on the other hand, your horse doesn’t want to walk with you, stand slightly behind at his shoulder facing the same direction. Push forward while holding the rope close to his chin. When he takes a little step, praise and positive reinforcement is in order. When he starts to walk willingly, take your place slightly ahead of him and walk on. Never wrap the lead rope around any part of yourself – this is for your own safety. If the horse should suddenly bolt he will drag you along too and you will almost certainly be injured.

3. Lunge your horse.This exercise is fantastic and is used by every trainer and most horse owners I’ve ever known no matter what the horse’s function is. Many of the skills, commands and cues that your horse will require for saddle work can be taught by performing lunging exercises.

In a large open area (an arena works, too, if you don’t have a round enclosure) clip your horse to a lunge lead specifically for lunging. This rope will be a lot longer than the one you use for leading – about ten metres is normal. Clip the lead to the horse’s left halter side and hold the lead in your left hand. Face your horse’s left side to begin, whilst holding the lunge rope. Hold a lunge whip in your right hand which you’ll use to guide him along. Now step to your right sideways toward the rear of the horse while holding the whip out behind him. The horse’s natural reaction will be to step forward. Now let out the rope as you follow behind the horse to the left side, making a kissing sound as you do so. He’ll begin to associate that sound with “move forward”. As you’re turning and the horse moves in a circle around you, hold the whip slightly behind his hindquarters. The whip is not for hitting. You will use it to get the horse’s attention by waving it about a little.

Now, as he moves forward, you should move yourself slowly backwards, so that you come to the centre of your training circle. With the lunge lead fully extended, stand in the middle and turn as the horse walks around you in a circle. Watch your horse’s hip area as he’s going round.

Here you can teach him the “whoa” command. Say the word “whoooaaa” in a low and calm voice. At the same time, step toward your horse’s head and repeat the word. When he stops, give him lots of praise and a little neck rub. Your horse needs this positive reinforcement if he is to remember what he needs to do.

Change your position now so that you are lunging in an anti-clockwise direction. It’s done in the same way, but with the lead clipped to the right side of the halter and the lunge whip in the left hand.

These few exercises are just the very basics to help you get started with training your horse. Consider the sheer size and strength of this beautiful creature at all times. This alone should be enough to remind you to have adequate horse insurance in place should either you or your equine be injured. Your success with training and all future activities depends both on safety and trust. As well as a loyal friend, your horse is also an investment, so remember to protect that investment against theft, accident or misadventure by making sure you compare horse insurance policies to ensure you are getting the best level of cover for both of your needs.

Confirmation of colic is a situation that concerns any horse lover. So what exactly is equine colic? What symptoms should you be aware of?

Equine colic refers to pain originating in the abdomen. Generally horses do not tolerate pain of the abdomen well. So in the event of any disturbance of gut function they will usually display signs of discomfort.

Signs of mild discomfort could be stretching, standing as if to urinate, and hoofing the ground. If in more pain the horse will stand up and lie down, and roll to try to become more settled.

It will start sweating. More serious cases it will stand up and lie down and roll constantly.

What Should You Do?
If you think your horse is suffering from colic, it’s best to call an experienced equine vet immediately. They will be able to supply emergency pain relief and make a decision whether additional action is appropriate.

Is there anything you can do while waiting for the vet? Taking your horse for a walk sometimes helps. It may encourage his guts to start working normally and help soothe the discomfort. It may also stop him lying down to roll. If however he is currently lying down quietly then let him stay lying down.

It was previously thought that horses could cause a twisted gut by rolling around. That is probably incorrect. However it is best to stop him rolling around if possible. That way you will stop him injuring himself by banging himself on any walls. But take care that you don’t cause injury to yourself. Horses often forget all their manners when they are in pain.

There are several differing reasons as to why horses get colic. But often the signs look similar regardless of what caused it.

How does the vet look into the issue? They will listen to the abdomen with a stethoscope to tell if there is any more activity in the gut than normal.

Listening to the heart rate gives a good idea of the seriousness of the pain and the severity of the problem. Normally a horse with a regular heart beat doen’t have a serious case. However higher heart rates are not such a promising sign.

A very helpful area of the examination is the examination of the rectum. By physically feeling the intestines, vets could be able to find the root of the problem. Of course this is a highly skilled examination, that is potentially hazardous for both the vet and the horse. However for an experienced vet the information it gives is incredibly useful in concluding the cause of the issue. It may reveal an obstruction, or a swollen area of gut as a result of a twist or another intestinal issue.

In all but the most straightforward cases the vet may inset a tube through the horses’ nose into the stomach. This may sound uncomfortable but helps make your horse more comfortable by releasing the built up pressure in the stomach. This process can also give the vet detailed feedback as to whether the stomach is emptying properly.

Sometimes a horse might be so much distress that it isn’t possible for the vet to diagnose fully without first giving a quantity of pain killer.

Only by considering all of the signs revealed by a detailed examination is the vet able to make an initial diagnosis. Though it might not be possible to tell exactly what the problem is.

It might be the case that, after the first examination, the horse needs surgery. But more usually your vet will choose to treat the horse with a fast-acting painkiller and monitor his condition after a few hours. The majority of examples show a rapid improvement. Although others will show no response to the treatment, or they might respond initially, only to start displaying signs of discomfort again later on.

In preference to having to bring the vet to your horse several times, it is normally better to move these cases to a specialist practice so they can be closely monitored and surgery can be performed if necessary.

Conclusion
Fortunately the majority of examples respond quickly to medical treatment. However if surgery is necessary – it is vital to operate early. The chance of a successful outcome is much better if the operation is carried out before too much damage has taken place.

For more information, horses for sale and more, please visit the Horse and Pony Directory.

Learning to ride a horse isn’t easy. There are so many things that you need to remember and they aren’t always related to the horse. Always ensure that you have the correct clothing and a helmet that fits properly before you start. Not performing simple checks from the beginning could not only put you in danger, but also potentially invalidate any claim you may have to make on your equestrian insurance policy. Now you are ready to continue with the rest.

How to correctly mount a horse

When the bridle and saddle have been correctly fitted and double-checked, stand to the left of the horse. Place your left foot in the stirrup, and grasp the withers (mane), not the saddle as this will cause it to slide. Then keeping both of your hands on the front of the horse or on the cantle (back) of the saddle, push up and swing your right leg over the back of the horse, being careful not to kick the horse, so that you seat yourself comfortably in the saddle. When comfortable, reassess your grip on the reigns and hang both your legs down near the stirrups. Make sure they are at the correct length by having the stirrup reach your ankle. Then you should be able to just slide your feet into the stirrup whilst your foot is raised a few inches. Remember that it important that you are balanced to the horse, not them to you.

Now you are sitting comfortably…

Keep your upper back straight and lower back relaxed. Sit tall in the saddle. Keep looking ahead for things which may spook your horse. Take one rein in each hand; left rein in the left hand, right rein in the right hand. Tuck the reins under all four fingers, with the reins going in under the little fingers. Always hold the reins in place with your thumbs against your forefingers with your thumbs up, palms down and each hand as wide apart as the neck of the horse with them just in front of the saddle and above of the horse. To let more rein in, slide it through by lifting your thumbs. Shorten by taking up excess using opposite hand.

Starting to ride your horse

To start the horse off with a slow walk – the first gait – squeeze your lower legs. After a few minutes stop and check the girth. If you can feel more than one hand under and between the girth and the horse, then you must tighten it. Carry on walking, keeping your heels down, back straight and chin up. You should be able to draw a straight line from the heel to the shoulders. Pull slightly on the reigns so as to turn the horses head enabling you to turn. When you need to stop, simply pull back on the reins and sit deep into the saddle; sometimes you may need to lean back, then relax the reigns and praise your horse. Always release the reins when you stop as this will praise and reward your horse; also they might pull if you don’t. Horses can jerk short reins out of your hands, so try to make them long. Practice these basic moves until you and the horse are comfortable with it all.

When you are both ready, try trotting – the second gait. Again, squeeze the horse with your legs and the horse will start to move faster. With a trot, you need to learn how to rise and sit with the trot of the horse. You will need to rise and sit with the movement of the horse without bumping. This takes a bit of getting used to, and you will be using muscles which you may not be used to using! Thinking “lift, sit, lift, sit” in time to the rhythm will help you with this. Try not to sit too heavily as you may unsteady the horse. When you wish to slow down, sit deep in the saddle and pull back slightly on the reins. Again practice this until you are comfortable with the movements. When you are happy, trying turning and stopping from a trot.

Cantering is the next step – the third gait. This is often only managed after weeks of trotting. To ask for canter, squeeze your outside leg while having it back a bit and then squeeze with your inside leg. It’s sometimes best to sit trot and then ask, so you are sitting ready for the canter. This means that you should sitting back slightly; when you feel you’re sitting back, you’re about right. When in the canter gait you should find yourself rocking forward to backward with your bottom just slightly off saddle. Again, keep on practicing this as this will take longer to grasp. Ensure you are wary of your posture and heels as you practice; back on your heels and rocked forward but straight with your body.

After mastering the canter, you can move on to a gallop – this is the fastest gait. Again squeeze your calves as you have before, but you must be in a canter. As with the canter you should be sitting slightly forward in the saddle, with bottom off the saddle. It is always advisable to ensure that you are fully confident and well-practiced with each gait before you move on to the faster gait.

When dismounting your horse, swing your right leg over to the back of the horse. Stay balanced with a good grip on the saddle so you don’t slip. Then lower yourself down from the left side, you should try to put both your legs down at the same time, keeping your knees slightly bent to absorb the weight.

Other helpful horse hints

Get to know your horse. Always ensure that you approach him carefully from the front or side; touching him and talking to him, thus avoiding spooking him and being hurt by a kick. Then move towards his shoulder, so he knows you’re coming closer.

If you are new to a horse, or riding, always make sure that you have had proper rider training before you attempt anything on your own. Try to avoid riding alone; never ride alone if you are a beginner.

Even though it will be a shock and could very possibly hurt when you fall off, try to get straight back on.

Never kneel or sit by a horse; if you are tending to them, always make sure that you are positioned so that you can jump aside quickly if need be.

Make sure that you are comfortable on the horse that you are riding; they will be nervous too if they sense that you are uneasy.

Never yank the bit, as this will hurt the horse and distress him. If you handle it carefully, he will be more relaxed and easier to ride.

For more tips and advice on caring for horses, horse riding and a brand new equine blog, visit the AFI Horse Community website just launched by AFI Horse Insurance- the UK’s only not-for-profit pet and equine insurance provider.