bunch of blogs: Pets and Animals

How many times has your horse been scared of something which caused it to run wildly? How many times did you lose your temper because your horse hesitated to get into the trailer? How many occasions did you come close to falling from your horse’s back because it was stiff and unbalanced?
A number of common and famous people have had their lives cut short because of horses that ran amok. While horseback riding accidents don’t happen to riders everyday and are in fact, a rarity in the field of horse riding, horses can pose grave danger to people. Therefore, there is a need for effective horse training methods that can discipline horses without necessarily hurting them.
Horses are tough animals to crack. Aside from being among the proudest and most stubborn animals to roam the planet, horses need special tools for them to understand what you want them to learn. That is why a horse training tack is an important tool for making your horse a fine mount.
A horse training tack is your tool for making your horse your partner. The correct training tack can make the difference in the performance of your horse. Training tacks are effective for teaching horses how to stop on cue, how to spin correctly, and how to position its head befittingly. As horses don’t speak the way people do, a training tack is the only means of communicating to the horses what the trainer intends to teach.
The right training tack will speed up a horse’s progress in its training and conditioning without wearing it down too much. Here are few samples of horse training tacks that can effectively turn your horse from zero to pro.
Transition Curb Bits
This type of bits is designed as a transition tack for your horses from snaffles to bits. This type of bit is effective when starting neck-reining for your horse. The mouthpiece of this bit has a sweet iron taste that gives off a taste that horses love.
Martingales
The martingale was created to teach horses to keep an acceptable head position laterally and vertically. Martingales are also the harness that makes the bits uncomfortable for horses; bits are used to teach horses that avoiding the discomfort should be the right position and behavior that the trainer wants them to take.
Stopper
The stopper is part of a horse training tack which teaches the horse to stop without getting it into the horse’s mouth.
Snaffle Bits
The purpose of snaffles is to train the horse for responsiveness at the mere touch of the reins.

You see it on equestrian shows. In fact, you even saw an accident happen. A horse jumped and he accidentally knocked over the stick and threw off the rider. The rider was only inches away from having his face stepped on.
Training a horse how to jump is very tricky. Farriers, horse trainers and equestrians all pitch in to train the horse how to do this. If the pace is too fast, the horse is presented with more than he can simultaneously handle. Sometimes he gets too scared to jump.
The horse must approach the poles in a calm manner. He must not be too anxious. This is only the first step.
The horse must be relaxed when he plunges toward the lunge. The rider does this by walking near the ground poles without getting the horse all excited. The circles on the track are stressful for the horse, so don’t spend too much time there.
The smaller the circle, the more difficult it is for the horse. It is advisable that the trainer or the rider train the horse with a large circle, approximately 20 meters. Don’t direct a foal to jump or lunge when he is still very young. Horses must be mature enough before they are trained to jump.
This is a very long method and it requires a lot of patient from the trainer and the rider. The horse should be relaxed on the track, specifically on the lunges, before he attempts to leap on the poles.
If you rush your horse then you won’t be able to achieve your goal. Once the horse gets nervous or hesitant, he will be stubborn. With a couple of exercises and dry runs, ease him up. You can also lead him around the track so he can relax.
From the walk, make him trot. Don’t overwhelm your horse by asking him to jump the poles immediately. You can start it up with having the horse lunge on smaller obstacles such as chunks of woods or cinder blocks.
Once he’s got the hang of it, you can start training him with the ground poles. Ask him to do a little jump by letting him trot and walk alternately on each end of the poll. Try to capture his pacing. Don’t push him to go forward when he is already tired. You, as the trainer or as the rider, must know when the sessions end.
Just keep on doing this everyday. Soon enough, your horse will be jumping in no time.

Horse tack means any of the different equipment and garnishes worn by horses whenever they are used by people for riding and shows. Horse tack is composed of the saddle, stirrups, bridles, halters, bits, harness, and martingales. The horse uses a horse blanket.
The saddle is the seat for riders placed at the back of the horse. The saddle is fastened to the back of the animal with the use of a girth or cinch which is a wide strap. Saddles can be classified into two major categories such as the English saddle and the Western saddle.
The English saddle is used in every Olympic equestrian discipline. This has no horn and its panels are pairs of pads which are attached to the side. These pads can be filled with foam, air or even wool. The Western saddle is designed for Western riding. This is also known as the “cowboy saddle”. Unlike other saddles, this doesn’t have pads of its own so this is used with a saddle blanket or a separate pad to provide a more convenient and comfortable fit for riders.
The saddle’s parts are: the tree- base where everything is attached; the seat where riders sit; the pommel or swell- part in the front that is slightly raised; the cantle or the back of the saddle; the stirrup- where the feet of the rider rests and provides leverage and support; the leather or fender-the straps made of leather which connect the stirrups to the tree, and the D-ring- the ‘D’ shaped ring at the front of the saddle where other pieces of the horse tack are attached.
The breastplates and the breastcollars are additional things used to keep saddles from sliding back. These are used for fast-paced sports.
The bridle is an arrangement of straps or ropes around the head of the horse. This is mainly used for communication with the animal. The bridle holds the horse bit that is attached to the reins. The bridle is used for riding, driving and controlling the horse.
The bridle is also called the headstall and is consisted by the following parts: crownpiece, cheekpiece, throatlatch, browband, noseband, cavesson and reins.
The halter is also an arrangement of straps or ropes used as a headgear or a headcollar to guide the horse. This is fitted over the back of the horse’s neck and around the mouth. When the rider pulls the end of the halter, the head of the horse turns towards the rider.
Unlike the bridle, the halter doesn’t have a bit that is placed on the mouth of the horse.
The bit and the hackamore are parts of the horse tack placed at the head of the horse. Like the bridle, these are used for control and communication. The bit is placed particularly at the mouth of the horse while the hackamore goes around the nose of the horse.
The basic types of the bit are the curb bit, snaffle bit and the Pelham bit. Different bits offer different levels of control and pressure to the horse by the rider. The bit is designed to fit the needs and condition of the horse to serve its purpose properly.
The hackamore is made of rope, leather, cable or plastic. The hackamore is used whenever the horse has dental problems or tongue injuries and also during winters to avoid hurting or freezing the mouth of the horse.
The harness is a complicated arrangement of straps that attaches the horse to the cart or sleigh. Depending on the type of vehicle or load the horse is attached to, there are different kinds of harnesses.
The martingale is also a strap that keeps the horse from putting its head above the point of control. This also keeps the horse from tossing its head that would be risky to the rider’s safety. The martingale has various types such as the running martingale, standing martingale and the Irish martingale.
The horse blanket gives the horse warmth and comfort. This is intended also to protect the horse from other elements. This is made especially to fit the body of the horse. It has straps crossing the underneath of the horse so that it won’t fall when the horse moves freely. This also has a hole at the back for the horse’s tail to pass through.
Naturally, the long hair of the horse makes it warm especially during winter. But horses are preferred with short hairs. It is believed that the horse blanket keeps the hair of the horse short. Short hair for horses is important for shows.

Every horse has its share of the catastrophic experience of having wounds. Whether your horse has a big or a small wound, effective wound care practices must be observed to prevent further infection and complications. Most wound care procedures must be done as soon as you have observed the existence of wounds on your horse’s body, legs, and even hooves.
Effective wound care procedures can repair wounded tissues in a few weeks or months. While some wounds leave no marks when fully healed, other wounds can leave nasty scars and remain visible for the entire life of the horse. The full effects of a wound whether it will permanently damage the horse’s performance and overall physical functionalities are dependent on the type of wound, scratched or pierced; subject to the area of the horse’s body that is afflicted; and largely controlled by the individual horse’s healing capabilities.
Always bear in mind that wounded tissues that are subsequently repaired will never be as good as the original tissues. Wounds will affect the horse’s physique. Nonetheless, even if it is impossible to bring back the fineness of the tissues before the injury, good wound care can at least decrease the ill-effects of wounds in horses. Here are the basic but effective methods of nursing horse wounds.
1. Keeping the horse wounds clean is the golden rule for a timely recovery of wounded horses. Horse wounds must be properly wrapped to prevent aggravating agents, like bad bacteria, from invading the wounds and complicating them further.
2. Daily cleansing of the affected area using betadine and other anti-bacterial solution can effectively shield the wounds from further infection. Pain relief medication can also help the horse cope with pain caused by the wounds. Antibiotics may also decrease the effects of infection.
3. Wounded horses must be put to rest. Better yet, an induced immobilization of the wounded area must be done to prevent the horse from moving around which can cause the wound to reopen. Other options include placing braces that will stabilize and prevent the horse from moving its wounded parts.
4. Water can speed up the whole healing process, so don’t forget to let the horse take in lots of water. Lots of water can also prevent dehydration that can be caused by the injury.
5. Finally, make sure that you consult a veterinarian to ascertain proper ways of caring for a wounded horse. This is important especially for wounds that are deemed to be alarmingly deep and unbearable for horses.

Horse training has never been a walk in the park. In fact becoming a seasoned horse trainer requires attending various courses at horse training schools. However, not everyone who has a strong interest in training horses has the time and money to enroll at horse training schools for weeks or even months of learning.
Fortunately, there is an easier and cheaper way of learning how to train horses without leaving for school. Horse training videos are the way to go if you want to acquire the knowledge and experience of famous and skillful horse trainers, particularly if you simply can’t enroll in formal horse training institutes. Horse training videos will enable you to understand and master the inner workings of becoming a horse trainer. Here are the reasons why horse training videos are a valuable alternative to horse training schools.
Compressed Knowledge
Horse training videos provide a compressed source of knowledge that concerns horses. There is no need to attend expensive courses that can go on for hours or even weeks. As the techniques being taught by horse training videos are all proven to be effective, you don’t need to resort to trial and error in learning horse training. And all the learning can be done in the comfort of your own home.
Own Pace And Time
Using horse training videos enable you to learn effective methods for training and caring for your horse at your own pace. You don’t need to adapt to a rigid schedule that horse training schools enforce. You learn new skills as you go on with your life, your job, or other priorities. Horse training videos are great for people who want to learn about training horses but who have only a few minutes each day in which to squeeze learning in their daily schedules.
Convenience Of Repetition
As you own the horse training videos that you buy, you have the luxury of playing the videos over and over again until you have fully grasped the topics covered. Like any other learning tools, the more you watch horse training videos, the more techniques and tips you will acquire.
Anytime, Anywhere Is Crunch Time
With the arrival of portable video players that can even be used in your car, you can play horse training videos anywhere you desire at any time of the day. There is no more excuses for you not to allocate time each day on learning how to train horses.
Truly, horse training videos give you more leverage to learn methods and essential techniques about horse training without taking so much of your time and space.

The Parelli program considered to be the first “Do it yourself” horse training by human in the world. The program is named from the founder named Pat Parelli. He developed the program while training horses for twenty five years. The reason why he developed this is because through giving deeper information with regards to training horses, people can release their potential when it comes to training horses.
The Parelli program is all about the development of the self. The first 3 phases are made specifically to teach the human. After that, the next level is all about the horse. This is the part wherein hands on is needed because it is more detailed. There are ten levels all in all in before you achieve the mastery of a human to horse relationship.
Level one is where trust and respect is built. It is made to help the owners or riders to create a positive impact to the horses. The first level will also teach you on how you can communicate with the horses and teach some things that the horse needs to understand while you are riding on his back.
In the second level, you will start to develop your independence and confidence with the horses, learning on how to read your horse’s behavior in advanced and utilizing psychology make horses do things that you want him to do.
Level three is about polishing the things you have taught your horses during the first two levels. This time, your communication with the horses is more subtle with accurate and more précised reactions from the horses. This level is about finesse and grace. You will also need to teach your horse the vertical flexion and know its benefits.
Level four is for those who want to attain higher level of performance, horsemanship, difficult horses, young horses and different horses. The levels five to ten is about unity. The fifth level is the start of having a background on how to attain unity.
The next four levels are made for achieving true unity. The true unity is what drives most of the dedicated horsemen. Having a physical, emotional and as well as mental unity with the horse is something rare and very special.
The last level is the mastery of true unity. This is a lifetime work because it can’t be achieved in just a few years of training. This is a continuous process that takes a lot of time before the horse masters the unity with nature and as well as the rider.

The Arabian horse is one of the oldest breeds in the world. It is popular for its intelligence, stamina, and high spirit. It is easily recognizable because of the distinct shape of its head and the way it carries its high tail.
More than 4,500 years ago, Arabian horses originating from the Middle East have been distributed worldwide because of trade and war. They were bred to produce off springs that have better endurance, structure, and speed. Today, with it incredible characteristics, Arabian horses are found in every part of the world and are being trained for a variety of purposes.
One of the great traits of Arabian horses is its versatility. Up to date, the use of these fine bred horses has evolved from just a means of transportation and cargo bearing and loading to the field of horse racing and the disciplines of Dressage, Saddle Seat, Endurance riding, Reining, Show jumping and others. These horses are being trained to for these prestigious competitions and the lofty prizes involved but most of them are being trained for racing where the stakes are higher.
Arabian horses aren’t difficult to train. They are also considered as one of the most beautiful species to grace on land. But, to hone them to be in their best form isn’t an easy task and requires a series of trainings.
For the inexperienced horse owner, you should know some timely facts before beginning your horse’s training. Before engaging your horse in training, be sure that you have reflected and learned these facts.
• Your horse is your friend and not your slave. Be kind and gentle to your horse. Attend to their needs and know when your horse should take a break or rest.
• Don’t Pressure your horse. Your horse is different from other horses abut the same with its ability to learn. When training your horse, be patient. Any harsh word will only make your horse more nervous.
• Show terror and a child will learn how to terrorize. Same is true about horses. Cruelty will only yield equal hostility. So if you don’t want your horse to kick you or bite you, don’t abuse your horse. There is no sense in whipping your horse like there’s no sense in punishing a baby.
• Aggression only begets stubbornness, but gentleness commands
obedience. Instead of punishment, use positive reinforcement. Reward your horse for its rights actions. Giving your horse a reward each time it does the right thing you want it to will help it become eager to learn.
• Calm your horse with kind words. Appease your horse’s nervousness or excitability with kind words. Caress your horse. Whipping will only cause your horse to be cruel and dangerous. .

If you’ve decided to specially train your horse for a show, then you must train him right the first time. Everyone in the saddle is considered a trainer. So if you don’t think youll be able to properly train your horse, don’t bother practicing. Get a professional trainer instead.
If you try to train the horse and he gets everything wrong, it might be impossible for you to make him forget what he’s learned. Besides, the saying that goes: Retraining is difficult, is true. So if you can’t ensure success, hand the reins of your horse to a professional show horse trainer.
You can observe how a professional handles training with a show horse. Working with a professional is the best method in learning the secrets in becoming a good show horse trainer. You’ll be able to get good tips by observing his techniques, and in time, you can develop training techniques of your own.
In training, much like with other animals, horses learn using the reward and punishment system. If your horse refused to make a jump or failed in doing a simple trick, a little harder tap is more appropriate than a gentle pat.
Horses may think that you are pleased or you don’t care enough with his lousy performances. You don’t want to send a wrong signal. However, it should be remembered that a couple of taps should be enough. Losing your temper while training a horse won’t do any good.
If it seems that your horse refuses to do a trick because he is scared, then you might want to re-assess your horse’s capability first. In conducting a good training, you must never force a horse beyond his limits. Never let a horse do something that he isn’t ready for.
You will also need to decide on what bit to use in riding your show horse. Even if you’re the best horse rider, you’ll suffer needlessly if you’re not using a bit that suits the horse. In selecting which bit to use, try to observe the horse’s mannerisms. You’ll surely be able to get a hint.
Training a show horse requires a lot of patience. Oftentimes, you need to take your horse for short walks around to increase his confidence and trust in you as a trainer. Your horse must learn to understand that you won’t cause him any harm. Training is a slow process. It’s one of the things that shouldn’t be rushed, or else, you won’t achieve your desired results.

The term “dressage” is a French word that means dressing or training the horse. Originally used by the Greeks to train their horses for battle, this training is vital to horse riding to ensure one’s safety and develop self-discipline. Although, it may take some time to develop both mental and physical discipline in controlling your reactions toward the horse, it is necessary to obtain that aptitude to achieve oneness with your horse which generally leads to safety.
This equestrian French training aims to develop the horse’s flexibility, alertness to the rider’s commands and to some aids, and balance. The horse must develop sensitivity to subtle communications between the horse and rider like gentle pressure on the reins or with the knees. Eventually, the horse becomes stronger and more enjoyable to ride.
There are no short cuts in learning what is also referred to as ‘horse ballet.’ It takes hours and years of practice to be a top dressage and for the horse to compliment its rider. Learning dressage is a step-by-step progress which requires a lot of patience and hard work for both the rider and the horse.
If you are aiming to join tournaments for dressage, you need to prepare and know what to expect. Here are some tips that will help you before joining an equestrian event such as dressage.
•Prepare for the Event
There are usually three judges that will look at your horse’s obedience and accuracy to perform commands and on your attitude and the way you ride. Before engaging in a competition, know what to do inside the ring.
Staying at the perimeter, you will usually hear a bell or a whistle before entering the ring. Upon entering, you need to salute the judge. Using the letters as your guide, you will then ride your horse according to what is described in your test.
You will be tested to ride in varied gaits. Once you have completed the test, you will stop to salute the judges before leaving the ring. Your score card with your final score will be posted at the end of the competition.
• Prepare your horse.
Proper training must be done to ensure that your horse learns their lessons completely. Never rush on to the next lesson unless you are satisfied with your horse’s performance. Continue to practice and devote enough to hone the skills required to be competitive. Allow your horse adequate rest. Groom your horse for the event.
• Prepare yourself.
Prepare to extend your patience and to work really hard before the competition. Dress in comfortable clothing depending on the weather. It is better if you will find some time to memorize the placement of the letters. Refine your movements and aim for precision. Concentrate and practice more.
At the end of the day, your greatest enemy is yourself. Focus on what you need to improve and not mainly on bringing home the bacon. With each score you receive, pay special attention to what you need to work on.

Taking care of your horse’s hooves won’t take a lot of your time. In fact, it is the basic horse care that you can easily squeeze in your daily activities.
1. Pick your horse’s feet. This is the most necessary thing you can do for your horse’s hooves. Picking their hooves isn’t just the task of a farrier. As long as the owner does it, then the horse gets an early start on having a set of healthy hooves.
2. Adapt with the temperature. Try to determine what temperature your horse is most comfortable at. Notice that there will be variations in the surroundings and you have to be in tune whether they are slightly warm or a bit cold. You can do this by locating their pulse with two of your fingers pressed behind their pastern.
3. Look for signs of bacterial conditions. You can do this while you are picking on their hooves. The symptom is dark ooze or a foul smell from the cleft. When not remedied early on, this can result in further hoof damage. You can find the cure from over-the-counter medicine as recommended by your veterinarian or farrier.
4. Schedule appointments with your veterinarian or farrier. Just like a human being, your horse has needs. Aside from shoeing and trimming, you must also have your farrier check whether your horse has under-run heels, flare in the hoof walls or a club foot.
5. Check your horse’s hooves each time you pick his feet. Have the end of your horse’s nails trimmed then clinched. This is to prevent the shoe from sticking out beyond the hood.
6. Remove the shoe yourself. Just like how you have to learn how to change your car’s wheels, you must also know how to remove your horse’s shoes. Most of the farriers are more than willing to teach their customers the procedure. This makes it easier for your horse if you know how to remove a shifted or a sprung shoe.
7. Assist your horse in growing the best hooves. It must be the genes but some horses have better hooves than other horses. But you can do something about it by fine-tuning his diet. Inquire from your veterinarian the suitable feeding program for your horse. Soon enough, your horse’s hooves will benefit from this diet and show some changes.
Whenever you get the chance, always check your horse’s hooves especially when hauling. If your horse isn’t covering his heels, the edge of his shoe can be partially pulled loose. Just prevent this from happening so he won’t suffer any injuries.