Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Horsetraining- Taking Care of Your Horse
Horsetraining is not just about training your horse, it is also about taking care of your horse. In this blog you are going to learn how to properly feed your horse as well as some maintenance things for your horse. In order to insure that your horse is getting everything out of its training, it needs to have a good diet. Alfalfa or hay is a must have. Make sure your hay is not musty or moldy. Before you purchase any hay, smell it. If it smells musty or moldy do not buy it for your horse.
You want your horse to be at a good weight. You do not want to over feed or under feed your horse. If you over feed your horse you may get a very excited horse, this is what I call "full of their oats". They will have a lot of extra energy which you do not want. If you underfeed your horse, he/she may become crabbier than usual. But if I am underfed, I get crabby too. You have to start off with about a couple flakes a day. Depending on the quality of your hay you may need to add or take away its portions.
If you have an older horse like I do, you have to make sure they get all of the nutrition they need to stay healthy. I recommend a senior feed. It is based on older horses and gives them what they are missing in their diet. If they loose weight, they will loose it fast and it will be harder to get that weight put back on. For your younger horses you can give them oats, or something similar to that. But do not give them too much, they only need about half a coffee can once to twice a day, depending on their weight at the time.
With all the feed they eat, they will need to have their hooves trimmed. It is important to do this about every 6-8 weeks. If you do not do this, they can founder and you will not be able to ride or do anything with them. This goes hand in hand with your feed. Do not overfeed your horse, it can cause founder to happen to your horse. It is very painful to horse and is inhumane. Farriers are not that expensive and will keep your horse happy and healthy for many years to come.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Horsetraining- Correct Clothing
Friday, December 11, 2009
Horsetraining- Equipment
Horsetraining equipment is very basic. To start off with, you always need brushes. Usually three different brushes are used. The first brush is the round rubber brush. It will work deep into your horses hair. It loosens up all dirt and extra hair on the horse. The second brush is the stiff brush. It will remove all of that unwanted hair and dirt and make sure there is nothing stuck on your horse that may hurt you horse when putting the saddle on. The last brush used for horsetraining equipment is the soft brush. It puts a shine back in your horses coat and they love it when you brush their face with it!
Out of all the horsetraining equipment, the saddle can be the most complex. When picking out a saddle, you don't just want to pick out the prettiest or flashiest one. You need to pick a saddle that will fit your horse. If it is not comfortable for your horse, it will show when you ride. The second thing to consider is finding one that also fits you. There are different size seats for all sizes of people.
For the last horsetraining equipment you will need a bridle and a blanket for your saddle. The blanket should be consistent with the weather you are riding in. If you are riding in the summer time, you want a very light blanket that also has support for your horse. For winter riding, you will want something thicker for the cooler weather. Bridles are pretty basic. There are different layouts for a bridle. You can get a bridle with one ear, or two, or a whole brow band. They come in many different colors and they are all adjustable in length. When getting a bit with your bridle, all you need is a snaffle. It is kind to your horses mouth.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Horsetraining- Techniques to Cure Bad Habits
Friday, November 20, 2009
Horsetraining- Curing Bad Habits
The first thing you want to remember in horsetraining your horse out of those bad habits is to not be brutal or inhumane. Beating or hurting them is not the way to resolve anything with any animal. There are many methods out there to cure bad habits in horses. The best horsetraining methods are the ones that don't hurt or ruin your horse.
Before trying out a new horsetraining techinique, research it. Take the time to find the right one for you and your horse. You want to take the fear out of your horse not put fear in the horse. At the end of the right horsetraining method, you and your horse should form a more trusting bond. You never want to break that trust by hurting your horse. It will be much harder to get it back.