Horse Training DVDs

Horses make wonderful pets that are intelligent and loving; however they are also a great responsibility. Horses need care and maintenance everyday; from food and health to training, daily exercises and creating a stable for it to rest in.

It is not always that horse owners bring their horses to horse boarding due to an emergency, if they only have one horse they also like boarding facitities especially in order for the horse to mingle with other horses.  Horse boarding offers many facilities such as breeding your mare, riding with other horses and for the owners meeting and chatting with other horse owners where you can exchange notes on your horse activities, health, training or other issues of interest.Some horse owners however, only appeal to the services of a horse boarding facility in case of an emergency such as when the whole family has to travel together or in the unfortunate case of a hospitalization. Whatever your case, it is important to locate a horse boarding near you as sooner or later you will need one especially if you have only one horse.

Look online where you will find the most horse boarding facilities listed. However, if you live in a smaller town where folks may have not listed their facility on the web yet, you can ask local horse enthusiasts or check the papers for the same. It is essential you find a horse boarding facility near you so you can have access to your horse as often as you would like to as well as be able to leave your horse in case of an emergency.Helpful TipYour horse will need to mingle with other horses sooner or later for breeding as well as for his or her own good health rather than be secluded so, locating a horse boarding and taking your horse there regularly would be good for your horse and you as well.

Tags: Donkey, Horse Boarding, Horses, Pet, Pets, Pleasure Horse, Ponies, Pony
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When you say the word horses a few places come to mind, Montana, Wyoming, but none as much as Texas. Texas and its horses have quite a history. In this article we will introduce you to a little Texas history and the horses that are involved.
First, we have to go into a little Mexican and Spanish History. Texas was, for a long time, under Spanish rule. Spain ruled Mexico and Mexico ruled Texas you might say.
Spain’s introduction of warfare on horseback is very well known. The horse helped the Conquistadors conquer more and more territory throughout South America. Their territory once extended from Peru and Argentina all the way up into Texas and Louisiana.
Most of the groups the warriors from Spain encountered had no horses and were at a huge disadvantage in battle. The image we always see of the Spanish Soldier is one of him in armor and on horseback.
Another image that is conjured up when mentioning horses and Texas is Indians on horseback. What many do not know is that the Indians in Texas had no horses until they were brought in during Spanish rule of the area. Most hoses the Indians rode were ones stolen from settlers and soldiers after seeing the advantage the soldiers had over them.
When Mexicans first began to settle in Texas around where the Friars built their missions to bring religion to the Indians, most of them didn’t bring horses either. People walked hundreds of miles to get to where they would eventually settle and build their homes. Many had mules or donkeys, but few had horses.
It was the same for those who came from various places within the new United States. They came by boat to New Orleans many times, but then had a long walk to get to their new Texas home where the Mexican government was giving land away for free.
The settlers soon discovered there were wild horses in Texas. What we now call Mustangs were abundant and were free if you could catch them and train them. These horses were not as big as other horses, but they were very sturdy and strong animals that became a huge part of Texas history.
You have to see it how it was then. There was not that much actual cash money to be had anywhere in Texas. There was free land if you were willing to go there and claim it. There were free horses if you were willing to catch and train them. There were even free cattle if you were willing to round them up, the Texas Longhorn.
So many settlers made the long trek to Texas, converted to Catholicism, which was required by the Mexican government if you wanted free land, then captured and trained free Mustangs, which they then used to round up the free cattle.
It sounds great, huh? Just go grab some free land, free horses, and free cattle and you were on your way! Not exactly. It was a very rough life. One that not many people today could even fathom. There was not many people in Texas, some Indian tribes did not want settlers there and showed it through violent attacks, and the work was hard.
To make money from the cattle or horses that were collected they had to be driven all the way to New Orleans for sale. This drive took months to accomplish. The travel we do today spoils our ability to understand the way it was for these settlers.
Some of them spent more than a year traveling to find where they and their families would settle. They then spent at least another year building their house and gathering the horses and cattle that might make up their rancho. Then figure at least a 6 month round trip to sell cattle or horses just to make enough money to buy supplies that were not available free on the Texas range.
The Mustang Horse proved to be one of the best horses for soldiers. It was sturdy enough to handle the rough terrain that larger horses could not handle. They could go without water longer than other horses. They were not skittish when it came to gunfire and battle.
The Texas Rangers rode Mustangs while roaming Texas in search of Banditos and Outlaws. Many men riding Mustangs fought the Battle of San Jacinto. The Apache Indians used them somewhat, but the fierce Comanche Indians had many Mustangs and were some of the greatest horsemen to ever live anywhere. But that is another story.
I hope this short article gave you at least a glimpse into where horses in Texas came from and how they were used. Look in your favorite search engine for more about the Mustangs that still run free today and for more about Texas history and horses. You’ll find the topic interesting and entertaining.

Tags: Buying, equine, For Sale, History, Horse Classifieds, Horse Training, Horseback, Horses, Pony, Selling, Train
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Horses make wonderful pets that are intelligent and loving; however they are also a great responsibility. Horses need care and maintenance everyday; from food and health to training, daily exercises and creating a stable for it to rest in.

It is not always that horse owners bring their horses to horse boarding due to an emergency, if they only have one horse they also like boarding facitities especially in order for the horse to mingle with other horses.  Horse boarding offers many facilities such as breeding your mare, riding with other horses and for the owners meeting and chatting with other horse owners where you can exchange notes on your horse activities, health, training or other issues of interest.Some horse owners however, only appeal to the services of a horse boarding facility in case of an emergency such as when the whole family has to travel together or in the unfortunate case of a hospitalization. Whatever your case, it is important to locate a horse boarding near you as sooner or later you will need one especially if you have only one horse.

Look online where you will find the most horse boarding facilities listed. However, if you live in a smaller town where folks may have not listed their facility on the web yet, you can ask local horse enthusiasts or check the papers for the same. It is essential you find a horse boarding facility near you so you can have access to your horse as often as you would like to as well as be able to leave your horse in case of an emergency.Helpful TipYour horse will need to mingle with other horses sooner or later for breeding as well as for his or her own good health rather than be secluded so, locating a horse boarding and taking your horse there regularly would be good for your horse and you as well.

Tags: Donkey, Horse Boarding, Horses, Pet, Pets, Pleasure Horse, Ponies, Pony
Posted in Articles | 3 Comments »

Horses make wonderful pets that are intelligent and loving; however they are also a great responsibility. Horses need care and maintenance everyday; from food and health to training, daily exercises and creating a stable for it to rest in.

It is not always that horse owners bring their horses to horse boarding due to an emergency, if they only have one horse they also like boarding facitities especially in order for the horse to mingle with other horses.  Horse boarding offers many facilities such as breeding your mare, riding with other horses and for the owners meeting and chatting with other horse owners where you can exchange notes on your horse activities, health, training or other issues of interest.Some horse owners however, only appeal to the services of a horse boarding facility in case of an emergency such as when the whole family has to travel together or in the unfortunate case of a hospitalization. Whatever your case, it is important to locate a horse boarding near you as sooner or later you will need one especially if you have only one horse.

Look online where you will find the most horse boarding facilities listed. However, if you live in a smaller town where folks may have not listed their facility on the web yet, you can ask local horse enthusiasts or check the papers for the same. It is essential you find a horse boarding facility near you so you can have access to your horse as often as you would like to as well as be able to leave your horse in case of an emergency.Helpful TipYour horse will need to mingle with other horses sooner or later for breeding as well as for his or her own good health rather than be secluded so, locating a horse boarding and taking your horse there regularly would be good for your horse and you as well.

Tags: Donkey, Horse Boarding, Horses, Pet, Pets, Pleasure Horse, Ponies, Pony
Posted in Articles | 1 Comment »

Buying your first or new horse can be a very exciting but nervous time. Will I find what I’m after? Will it be the right horse for me? What is the real reason it’s for sale? Does it have any health problems? HELP…… I don’t want to be ripped off!
RELAX………..here are a few handy hints that can reduce the stress in choosing your new equine partner.
Whether you are looking at buying your first horse or your 3rdor 4th there are a few safe guards you can take to help ensure it is an exciting time in both your lives.
So you have decided to buy a horse, congratulations! Now that you have taken this first step there are a few things you need to decide.
What are your plans with your new horse? Do you just want to go trail riding? Do you want to compete? If so, in what equestrian sport? Western, Dressage, Jumping, Polo, Pony Club, Eventing, Rodeo, Show riding, breed classes???
Do you have a breed preference? What height horse is best suited to you? What sex animal do you prefer? Will it be run with other horses? Are you experienced enough for a young horse? How much are you willing to spend?
Sometimes it can be difficult to pin point exactly what type of horse is best suited to you and your equestrian pursuits. It is advisable to seek out the opinion of a more experienced horse person, someone you trust and has lots of horse knowledge.
Unless you are buying for a particular breed or show ring activity, the coat color is of no importance! I have seen lots of people make mistakes having brought a horse because of their coat color.
I personally have never been a big fan of grays (sorry to all the gray lovers out there), but I will tell you that some of my best horses have infact been gray!
There are quite a few different horse buying guides and sources around. Check out the internet, local paper and local saddlery shop. Don’t forget to ask your friends and horse acquaintances. These people will normally know who is for sale, why they are for sale and what the horse is like.
So you have found a horse that sounds great on paper and have contacted the owner to organize a viewing time. See if you can have a knowledgeable horse person go with you.
Try to arrive a little earlier than the agreed time. This way you will see if the horse has been worked before you get there and hopefully allows you to see the horse being caught and tacked up.
Get the owner to show you the horse being ridden first, and then get your friend to have a try and see what they think. If the horse doesn’t seem to be suitable at this point or it scares you half to death, then don’t get on!!! If you don’t feel comfortable now then you won’t when you get it home.
Ask lots of questions. Even if you think they are silly. You won’t know unless you ask. View any registration papers and competition results.
Have a good look at the horse, pick up all four feet, look in their mouth, under their tail, in their eyes and note anything that looks abnormal. If you don’t know what you are looking at get your friend to look.
If after you have put it through its paces and you think it maybe the right horse for you then I suggest two things, it maybe an idea to put a deposit down (if the owner agrees) and get a vet check done.
A vet will view the horse and conduct a few tests to see if it is healthy and sound. Remember to get an independent vet, one that hasn’t seen the horse before.
It may also be wise to have another viewing of the horse on a different day. Even if you arrived unannounced, at least this gives you an idea of what the horse is like naturally.
Talk to people who may have seen the horse before, they should be able to tell you anything that they have noticed.
See the horse loaded on to a trailer, lead the horse around yourself, try putting the bridle on, any think else you may have to do on a regular bases.
Once you have done all this and you still think the horse is suitable then it maybe necessary to negotiate the price. This is entirely up to you.
But remember that a lot of owners won’t budge on the price, especially if they know it’s a good horse (Although I have picked up a couple of great horses for half price their value, having been in the right place at the right time).
Remember to have all the registration forms transferred over to your name (or at least signed over) before you take the horse home. Also get a receipt saying you have paid for the horse in full before you leave the property.
Congratulations!!! You are now the proud owner of your new horse. May it be a long and satisfying journey together.
Happy Horsing
Tina Williamson B App Sci (Equine)

Tags: Buying Horse, Horse, Pony
Posted in Articles | 12 Comments »

Horses are amazingly beautiful and sensitive creatures. Horses require not only understanding and patience to have a horse as a pet, it also requires a whole lot of care.

Herd Mentality:
Observe horses in the herd system, each horse’s welfare in the wild depends upon an instinctive submission to the discipline of the herd. The instinct is for immediate action. To the horse, action is survival. When horses live in an herd environment, they often take turns sleeping and standing guard for any predators. When the leader of the herd signals danger they take flight.

Learning respect and ascending to authority starts on the first day of life for the foals, there is a distinct pecking order in herds of horses.

It is important to keep a quiet profile around horses. Horses naturally do not like unnecessary noise because in the wild their survival depends on detection of predators with their hearing. Extraneous noise interferes with this predator detection. This predator detection is tightly coupled with a horse’s flight reflex. Due to these survival genetics, horses have a physiological wiring in their brains that predisposes them to prefer quietness and to become bothered by unnecessary noise. Many horses can get startled easily from abrupt noises and this could result in injury to the horse, the rider, or people around the horse. Talk to your horse in a quiet, reassuring voice.

Relationship With Horses:
A horse will love you if, first and foremost, you treat it fairly, and secondly, if you allow yourself to develop a relationship with it in the same way you would a human partner. There are too many who will look after the horse’s material needs but put nothing back into the partnership itself. The horse born in captivity will identify with an alternative provider and companion, resulting in a healthy relationship from the beginning. A healthy relationship with your horse requires: trust, coupled with respect, fondness with compliance, and a desire to please.

Check Your Horse:
Examine your horse every day and especially prior to riding the horse. Carefully examine the horse’s legs and back for any unusual heat or lumps. Make sure that the horse’s eyes are alert and not glazy. Listen for any excessive noise or gurgling sounds coming from your horse’s stomach. Catching problems before they become serious is critical to keeping a show horse sound and alive.

Exercise caution and discretion when around stallions and mares when they are in heat. They are dealing with hormones on an order of magnitude that you probably can not comprehend. Stallions typically bite and some may be easily triggered into violent behavior.

Grooming Horses:
Keep your horse clean. Keep your horse’s entire coat free from dirt, mud, sand, and sweat. Brush your horse every day. Pick out your horse’s feet every day. Wash out any sweat residue from the saddle pad or girth every day. Wash out any dirt or sand residue, as from the riding arena, on your horses legs every day. A number of different problems can result if a horse’s coat is not kept clean.

Barn Care:
Keep your horse’s stall clean. Make sure that your horse’s stall is cleaned every day. Be sure that any wetness is removed with the manure. Replace the removed bedding with fresh, clean, dry bedding. Water should be dumped from buckets every day without exception. Unhealthy dirt and bacteria can build up in a bucket if it is not cleaned on a daily basis. Clean water is essential to maintaining a healthy horse. Make sure your horse always has clean, fresh water available.

Training A Horse:
The intelligence of the horse increases rapidly with education. An intelligent trainer can make an intelligent horse. A kind but firm trainer will result in a disciplined but pleasing horse.

Horse Feed:
Feed your horse(s) at the same times every day. A horse may get upset and colic or injure themselves by kicking the stall or pawing, if not fed when feeding is expected. You should not make radical changes in a horse’s feed program. If you must make a change in the feed program, make the change gradually. Drastic changes in a horse’s feed program can cause the horse to colic and in some cases, may die. Your horse’s stomach is a highly sensitive bio-reactor that maintains a delicate balance of the organisms that digest food in your horse’s digestive track.

Visitors should not feed a horse that you do not own without the owner’s permission; no carrots, no apples, no treats, nothing. The horse could potentially, get sick if they have an allergy or sickness.

Pay attention to everything that goes into your horse; that means all feed, all hay, all water, all treats, all supplements, all pills, and all shots. This knowledge could save your horse’s life in an emergency situation. Post this information on your horse’s stall door so that it is available to a vet if you are not around in an emergency. Make sure that your horse gets high-quality feed and hay. Your horse’s health and soundness depends on the nutrition that you provide for them. Take good care of your horse. A rider without a horse is no rider at all.

Vet Care:
Make sure that you have a good equine veterinarian. A good vet will save you money in the long run and may save your horse’s life some day. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Make sure your horse has all the vaccinations that are normal for your geographical location. All horses should be on a good worming program to control intestinal parasites. A horse should be wormed by a vet at least twice a year.

Horse Flies:
In the summer spray your horse trailer down with fly spray about 10 minutes before you load the horses. The flies should leave, and your horses will be without those pesky flies!

Cooling Horses:
Never spray a hot, sweaty horse with cold water immediately after working the horse. This can cause muscle spasms and binding, or shock that can lead to death. Wait until the horse is breathing regularly, and use warm water if it is available. If a horse has heat shock, consult your vet and the vet may instruct you to cold hose the horse, even if still hot and sweaty. Never put a horse in a stall or confined area while sweaty or while they are still breathing heavily. This can result in shock and/or colic that can lead to death. Walk the horse until the horse is cooled out and the breathing is normal.

Shoeing:
Horses’ hooves generally grow approximately 1 cm in a month, and take nearly a year to grow from the coronet band to the ground. Horse’s hooves need to be trimmed regularly (about every 6-8 weeks). Shoeing a horse does not hurt them. If you were to grow out your finger nail, you could put an earring/pin through it without causing discomfort; however, if you pushed the pin through the part of your nail that is attached to the soft tissue of your finger, it would hurt. When horse shoes are nailed in, they are nailed at an angle so which the horse doesn’t feel it.

Make sure that you have a good farrier, especially if you show your horse over jumps. The concussion from landing from jumps amplifies any problems in a horse’s shoeing. If a horse gets sore feet or legs from bad angles or bad shoeing, the horse can not just take his shoes off, sit back on a couch, and rub their feet, or find another pair of shoes like you can. Bad shoeing can result in your horse becoming lame due to a number of problems including: bowed tendons, popped splints, or shoulder/back soreness or spasms. Bad shoeing can ruin a good horse, so don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish where shoeing is concerned. A laid-up horse is far more expensive to maintain than a good farrier. And remember not all horses need to have shoes, only if they are competing, walking on hard/rocky surfaces, or have hoof problems.

Sleeping:
Horses do lay down to sleep, but only if they feel completely comfortable in their environment. It is not enough to provide a dry stable, food and water. Horses will often sleep standing up by locking their knees. Horses are one of the few animals that can put one half of their body asleep while the other half is wide awake. Emotionally and mentally, all horses need to feel they have and be comfortable in their own space!

To fully enjoy a horse’s finer qualities you must treat them with both kindness and quality care. In the end, a happy horse will mean a nicer ride and a happier rider.

Tags: Animal Care, equestrian, equine, Horse, Horse Care, Horseback, Horses, Pony, Rider, Riding
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