What? Bolting at the standstill? Impossible you say, but if you have a horse that won't stop at the other gaits, I can assure you he is bolting with you at the standstill as well.
Read More... [Source: Pets:Horses Articles from EzineArticles.com
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Ten Tips For Your Horse Riding Holiday
So you have decided to make that holiday something to remember. Horse Riding Holidays are getting popular by the minute and what better way to start your riding holiday than be prepared. Good thing we have this nifty tips and tricks for that traveler in you.
Read More... [Source: Pets:Horses Articles from EzineArticles.com
Read More... [Source: Pets:Horses Articles from EzineArticles.com
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Dieting Tips For an Overweight Horse
Just as with humans, horses should strive to maintain an ideal weight. As is also the case with humans, it is often necessary to put your horse on a diet to drop a few unwanted pounds. The principles behind equine weight loss are the same as with human weight loss: do so healthily, slowly, steadily, and without starving.
Horses face many of the same issues we face when we are overweight. Carrying even a few extra pounds can put the horse's total health in danger, and he or she can easily become more susceptible to breathing problems, hormone imbalances, injuries, and laminitis.
Starting The Diet
The first step to starting your horse on a diet is to determine the ideal weight for your animal. This number not only gives you a goal to strive for, it will also help you to figure how much food the horse should be fed on a daily basis.
Some simple guidelines for slow and steady weight loss are as follows: If the horse is still active and getting daily exercise, you should be feeding a minimum of one and a half percent of his or her current body weight, and as much as two percent of his or her ideal body weight in hay. If the horse is not getting regular exercise, or if he or she is confined to a stall or paddock area, you should feed anywhere from one to one and a half percent of his or her ideal body weight in hay.
Make sure you do not send your horse on a crash diet. If your horse is already on a reduced hay diet and not getting any grain, yet he or she is not losing any weight it can be tempting to reduce the food even further. You need to keep from doing this, as you could be affecting the animal's metabolic rate, thus causing the horse to become resistant to the effects of insulin and become dependent upon fat stores in their bodies to feed their cells. When this happens (referred to as fat mobilization) the results can be so severe that organ damage can occur and the blood can become milky.
When you find yourself in the situation of a reduced calorie diet with little weight loss, it is important to check for underlying problems. We have all been around overweight people who claim they cannot lose weight due to a "glandular problem". While most of us think "yeah right" when we hear this statement, the truth is it really could be the reason and the same could be true for your horse!
To determine if this is the case, take a bit of time and assess your horse for the following symptoms:
• Weight gain that began right after the horse reached maturity;
• Weight gain even on a diet that would not be sufficient to hold weight on a horse of a similar size;
• A fatty or hard crest on the neck that is present even if weight is lost elsewhere on the body;
• Other abnormal patches of fat in random patterns, sometimes appearing dimpled or resembling cellulite.
Other conditions such as insulin resistance and leptin resistance can be underlying causes of weight gain as well. If you suspect your horse may have any of these problems you should seek the advice of a veterinarian before starting any type of restricted diet.
What To Feed A Fat Horse
Hay should be your number feed for a horse that is overweight. That being said, it is extremely important that you choose the proper type of hay. Hay can vary a great deal in calories and sugar content. Bright green, tender cuts of hay, such as early alfalfa can really pack on the pounds. Coarser, or "stemmier", cuts generally contain fewer calories and lower amounts of sugar. The best types of hay for weight loss include: meadow hays, prairie hays, timothy, orchard grass, and mature or late cuttings of Bermuda grass.
When trying to accomplish weight loss, grain should be omitted from your horse's diet all together. You may be thinking that all of your horse's nutrition comes from grain; however, this is simply not true. Grain can contain high amounts of fat and calories and really serves no purpose in an overweight horse's daily diet. If you find your animal is in fact suffering from a metabolic problem, it is even more critical that you avoid feeding grain.
If you simply cannot stand the thought of only feeding your horse hay, or if he or she becomes unruly because others are getting grain, try feeding a healthier alternative. Beet pulp is low in calories, about the same amount as oats per pound; however since it needs to be soaked prior to feeding it can soak up about four times its dry measure. This means you can feed a good sized portion, while only providing a small amount of calories.
A great daily diet for a full sized horse is as follows: one pound (dry weight) of beet pulp divided into two feedings, mixed with two ounces of ground stabilized flax, and two ounces of rice bran. This makes for a diet that is well balanced, provides all the necessary nutrients, and provides enough fat (in the form of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) to keep your horse happy. Adding the hay with a suitable mineral supplement is all you need to maintain optimal health.
Benefits of Following Professional Horse Trainers' Programs
Professional Horse Trainers who have arranged a program for you to purchase and follow, are a currently displaying a very useful tool to consider in your horse career or hobby. Some of the ideas are original, but most horse training methods that we see today have been slightly altered from knowledge that has been passed on by generations of previous horse trainers and various types of horse care givers. The more recent wave of gentle handling and training actually derives from understanding the horse language itself. The study of the magnificent horse within the herd, on a very technical level, will reveal the origination of our understanding of the most useful training and handling skills that are sold to consumers by the popular program professionals. Our popular trainers of today are making these previously hidden secrets of horse language readily available and easy to understand in step by step programs that you can purchase.
Their professionalism is then individualized by their unique signature moves, or a few choice techniques that they build a training foundation from. Each professional trainer will choose a few easy to follow progressions that they believe is the foundation of horse training, or that are easy enough to follow and provide results. Now, with all of this information at our fingertips and with a reasonable amount of our own time dedicated to practicing with our horse, we have the chance to be excellent horse handlers. Due to the fact that professional handling and training programs are selling compiled information from generations of tried and tested techniques, it is a great opportunity to become familiar with the horse training programs available today.
Just like most of the other costs of owning or providing care for horses, training programs are an important investment.. The most important investment is your time with your horse, so make sure that the results of training your horse, also includes you. Many professional trainers will present us with a miracle result in their presentation, in order to Wow you into buying their program. In order to actually get amazing results that you can use, it is important to stay involved and be the handler so that you and the horse can practice the skills safely. Above all, do not send your horse away to the trainer, and expect everything to be done without your involvement. Some professional horse training packages will offer particular horse tack that is recommended with their program, a monthly subscription to their magazine or newsletter, and an incentive to buy the next skill level or progression, or even feed supplements. Before getting too far into debt with all the 'stuff' you will be offered, most professional trainers will now have something available online to show their style of training and what you and your horses might get out of the program. A little homework before you buy, will give you the chance to make a choice according to what is offered for the money. Eventually, you may settle on a favorite trainer, techniques or program that you would like to use. This opportunity can be a great experience and offer a group setting or network of students, so that you are not alone in the training adventure with your horse.
Hauling Your Horse - Safety and Caution Must Come First
Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of your first horse. It's time to either move your new responsibility to a boarding stable or to your own farm. There are many horsemen who will haul your horse for a reasonable price. However, although they may be slightly higher in price, there are also many hauling companies nationwide that usually have very large horse vans that may be better equipped to move your new family member. Either way, the best advice would be to spend a little more money for a reputable hauler as they usually provide very experienced drivers.
If you are looking to purchase your own trailer for hauling, you have many companies to choose from as well as many different types. There are two, three, four and six horse trailers and so on. You can get the standard trailer with horses walking straight into the trailer, or slant trailers where the horses are loaded on a slant, or vans that the horses can walk up into and are backed into the stall, and basically they are facing each other as they travel. Keep in mind that hauling this animal is probably the most unnatural thing you will do with your horse. If you find that your horse is not good with hauling, then you must approach this problem carefully. Having a trailer with a ramp instead of a step up trailer is to your advantage in this situation. Some horses love to go for a ride, and of course, some don't. Some horses will, with patience and a small amount of encouragement, enter a trailer fairly quickly. Some horses will be reluctant to leave their environment and their friends and will be much more difficult and sometimes become quite angry. In these cases, make sure you have an experienced horse person to help you. Sometimes it may be necessary to load another horse, who does not mind getting onto a trailer, temporarily, in order to convince the stubborn horse that it is alright to go on. As soon as the reluctant horse goes onto the trailer, you will have to unload the decoy horse quickly, lock and secure the ramps and doors immediately, and start on your way. Leaving a horse or horses standing in a trailer for more than a minute or two can be asking for trouble, especially with a horse who did not want to leave in the first place. This time frame goes both ways for getting them into the trailer, and getting them off as quickly as possible.
Some horses are claustrophobic and will be much more willing to load on a larger van. If you cannot get your horse loaded on a smaller type trailer, you may have to postpone your move to another day and consider a larger van as an option. Keeping in mind that a horse's body temperature is higher than ours, normally between 101 degrees to 102 degrees, as horses will start to sweat quickly once placed in the trailer. As you move off, the air passing through the open windows in the trailer will help to keep them cool. It is a good practice to put shipping bandages on your horse, but by an experienced horse person, as bandages too tight or too loose are dangerous. Learning to bandage the legs of a horse is fairly simple and with practice, under experienced instruction, can become an easy task.
Driving a trailer or van is a very big responsibility, not just because of the equipment being used, but also for the precious cargo that is depending on you to get them to their destination safely. TAKE YOUR TIME. Going too fast and having to stop suddenly could be a disaster. Going too fast around the turns can cause the horse to be thrown around in the trailer and step on themselves causing injury to their legs or coronet bands, especially if they have shoes on or if their legs are not protected by shipping bandages. You always want each and every hauling experience to be a pleasant one. Also, make sure you have quality hay for them to munch on during their journey, either in a hanging hay rack or the hay sacks provided in the trailer. If you and your horse are about to head out on a long journey, make sure you have a water bucket and a large amount of water in a container so you can offer your horse water at stops every few hours. Remember, dehydration can be deadly.
In the future, I will be coming back to articulate on different aspects of hauling vehicles and problem horses that refuse to load. Patience and understanding is priority when transporting horses.
Buying a Horse - Making the Dream Come True
Purchasing a horse can truly be "a dream come true."
Many folks love the idea of owning their own horse. Often, that is as far as it goes. Life's situations, finances, conflicts and limitations, can mean that the dream of owning your own horse stays just that, a dream. If that is what will best fit into your life, I suggest that you be satisfied with that reality, at least for the time being. Trying to make this dream a reality, in a life where it does not fit, will often cause real problems. Perhaps down the line, life's situations for you will change.
Some people are fortunate and life presents a situation where, fulfilling the dream of owning your own horse is feasible and you decide to take action. The purpose of this article is, to help those of you who decide to move forward with the purchase of your own horse and make the dream come true a happy event and not a nightmare.
On our web site we help folks develop strategies to save money on horse care and how to generate an additional income stream to help people afford their horses, without putting their regular finances at risk. We hope this information will prove helpful to you. Before you go out and start looking at prospective horses to buy, there are several items you need to consider.
Define what you want to do with your horse.
I recommend that you decide what activities or disciplines, would you like to pursue? Do you just want an equine friend that you can look at or visit in the pasture? Do you want to trail ride? Would you enjoy participating in local competitions or do you have the goal of competing at a higher level?
What discipline do you want to participate in?
Does competing in Pleasure Classes meet your goals? Do you thrive on the excitement and speed of Barrel Racing? Do you dream of clearing an Oxer in a Jumping Course? Is Reining, Dressage or Endurance Riding what you really enjoy?
I recommend you spend some time taking some lessons and trying different disciplines, if you are unsure as to the direction your horse journey will take. Although some horses are multi talented and can perform in a variety of disciplines, others horses are more suited to specific activities and although they could be used in another discipline, they are not suited to excel at it. Therefore it is to your advantage to have a pretty good idea as to what you want to do with your horse before you go out and buy one.
Where are you going to keep your horse?
You have two initial options. Do you want to, and do you have the land to keep your horse on your property or will you keep him somewhere else?
If you have the land to keep your horse on your own property, you have a number of decisions to make. What kind of fencing currently exists and is it safe? If you do not have current safe fencing, what kind will you use and who will install it? What will the cost of that be? Do you have a barn/stable? If not, will you build one? Will a run in shed meet your needs and those of your horses? Where will you store feed, hay, tack and other horse related supplies? Do you have an adequate water supply? What will you do with manure and soiled bedding? What will the cost be to prepare your place for your horse? Where will you purchase, hay, feed, bedding and at what cost?
If you will board your horse you have a lot to consider:
How far away is a reasonable distance to keep your horse from your home? At first consideration a certain commute might seam reasonable, until you have done it for a while and then, going to see or ride your horse can become a chore.
Do you have a horse friend who has property and room for your horse? If so will their facility meet your needs? If you chose this option, make sure you have a clear understanding with the property owner as to financial and other responsibilities. Always better, as the boarder, to try to do a little extra and make sure the property owner knows you appreciate the opportunity given you. Do not make them wish they did not let you bring your horse on their property. You also do not want to lose a friendship over horse issues.
If you board at a stable
What characters are important to you at a boarding facility? Certainly you want to look for safe stalls and fencing. Are basic accommodations satisfactory to you, or do you want something nicer? Do you look for an enclosed arena to ride in. What about an indoor riding arena or access to trails? What is their feeding policy? How often are stalls cleaned? What are the pastures like and when are the horses turned out? Is pasture board available? What kind of folks board at the facility? What kind of riding activities do they participate in? Are there a lot of kids there? What are the owners, managers and employees like? Is a Trainer or Instructor available on site? What is the cost of the board? Is the facility run safely? Is this a place you will feel comfortable? There are many wonderful facilities out there and many others that you will not be comfortable at. Take your time to decide and visit each option a few times.
Once you have decided where you will keep your horse, line up an Equine Vet and a Ferrier. You may want to consider using ones that other boarders recommend or that a neighbor has had good experiences with.
What can you afford?
The cost of purchasing a horse can range from free to many thousands of dollars. You should do your homework and see what the price range and value in your area is. You will normally pay more for a better trained horse, one that is registered, one from successful breading lines, one that has been campaigned successfully or one that is an appealing color. Decide what attributes are important to you. Take your time.
The purchase of your horse is only the beginning of the financial challenges of owning a horse. Beyond that there is, the ongoing costs of hay, feed, bedding, barn maintenance or board at a stable. Then add to that tack, Vet bills, Ferrier bills, supplements you chose to use, trailer and truck if you chose to purchase them. Training for your horse or lessons for you might be needed. Cost of going to competitions and other equine events if you chose to participate in them. Make sure you have the funds available to meet these needs. We have compiled an extensive list of cost saving tips through our web site. These may help you keep your horse expenses at a reasonable level.
Define what your horse skill and knowledge levels are.
We all start the development of our horsemanship skills and knowledge where we are today. We have all had different backgrounds and experiences. You are encouraged to take an honest evaluation of your horsemanship skills and abilities. Where you are in your horsemanship journey should influence what horse you purchase. You should match your horse to your abilities. If you are new to horses and do not have advanced skills, you would be well served to select a horse with significant experience. One that is well trained and can help you learn and develop your horsemanship skills.
Have a Vet perform a pre-purchase exam and ask for a week trial period.
It is a very good investment to have an Equine Vet examine the horse you are looking to purchase. You can do this before you bring the horse home or you can ask for a week trial period and have your Vet perform the exam at your place during that week. This is a real good idea and will work well if you live near the seller. You do not want to purchase the horse and get him home only to then discover a problem that you did not know existed.
Where do you look to find your horse?
There are a lot of places where you can look to find the horse you are going to purchase. Equine Vets, Ferriers, Trainers, Instructors and other knowledgeable horse people are good to touch base with. There is an informal network of horse people in most areas the can really help you find the right horse if you take your time. Feed Stores and Tack Shops normally allow flyers noting horses for sale. Check their postings frequently. There are many sites on the internet that allow folks to advertise horses for sale.
Buyer Beware!
There are many very honest folks out there and I have had the fortune to have met many of them. On the other hand, there are others who are not so honest. I have met my share of those as well. Hopefully the seller you are dealing with honestly portrays the horse you are interested in. To help safeguard your purchase, I advise making multiple visits to see and evaluate the horse. See him at different times of the day. If you are able to show up without advanced notice, that would be helpful. As noted above, having an Equine Vet evaluate the horse and a week trial would be a real good safeguard
If the horse is portrayed as being well trained, ask for the owner or someone else to show you how the horse performs and then ask to ride the horse yourself if you feel comfortable with this. It is not recommended that folks new to horses purchase a horse at an auction. It can be very hard, even for experienced horse people to be sure of what they are buying at auction. New horse owners should also avoid purchasing a stallion. These animals require experienced handling and specific living accommodations.
By all means, take your time in the buying process. Educate yourself, evaluate the criteria noted above. Make sure you are comfortable with your purchase. Make sure you have the financial resources to not put the rest of your financial life in jeopardy. It is a really good idea to seek the help and guidance of an experience horse person. They can make a big difference as you try to sort this all out.
Visit our website for cost saving tips and a proven system to generate additional income that can fund your horse journey.
I truly wish your dream of owning your own horse comes true in a very satisfying way.
Many folks love the idea of owning their own horse. Often, that is as far as it goes. Life's situations, finances, conflicts and limitations, can mean that the dream of owning your own horse stays just that, a dream. If that is what will best fit into your life, I suggest that you be satisfied with that reality, at least for the time being. Trying to make this dream a reality, in a life where it does not fit, will often cause real problems. Perhaps down the line, life's situations for you will change.
Some people are fortunate and life presents a situation where, fulfilling the dream of owning your own horse is feasible and you decide to take action. The purpose of this article is, to help those of you who decide to move forward with the purchase of your own horse and make the dream come true a happy event and not a nightmare.
On our web site we help folks develop strategies to save money on horse care and how to generate an additional income stream to help people afford their horses, without putting their regular finances at risk. We hope this information will prove helpful to you. Before you go out and start looking at prospective horses to buy, there are several items you need to consider.
Define what you want to do with your horse.
I recommend that you decide what activities or disciplines, would you like to pursue? Do you just want an equine friend that you can look at or visit in the pasture? Do you want to trail ride? Would you enjoy participating in local competitions or do you have the goal of competing at a higher level?
What discipline do you want to participate in?
Does competing in Pleasure Classes meet your goals? Do you thrive on the excitement and speed of Barrel Racing? Do you dream of clearing an Oxer in a Jumping Course? Is Reining, Dressage or Endurance Riding what you really enjoy?
I recommend you spend some time taking some lessons and trying different disciplines, if you are unsure as to the direction your horse journey will take. Although some horses are multi talented and can perform in a variety of disciplines, others horses are more suited to specific activities and although they could be used in another discipline, they are not suited to excel at it. Therefore it is to your advantage to have a pretty good idea as to what you want to do with your horse before you go out and buy one.
Where are you going to keep your horse?
You have two initial options. Do you want to, and do you have the land to keep your horse on your property or will you keep him somewhere else?
If you have the land to keep your horse on your own property, you have a number of decisions to make. What kind of fencing currently exists and is it safe? If you do not have current safe fencing, what kind will you use and who will install it? What will the cost of that be? Do you have a barn/stable? If not, will you build one? Will a run in shed meet your needs and those of your horses? Where will you store feed, hay, tack and other horse related supplies? Do you have an adequate water supply? What will you do with manure and soiled bedding? What will the cost be to prepare your place for your horse? Where will you purchase, hay, feed, bedding and at what cost?
If you will board your horse you have a lot to consider:
How far away is a reasonable distance to keep your horse from your home? At first consideration a certain commute might seam reasonable, until you have done it for a while and then, going to see or ride your horse can become a chore.
Do you have a horse friend who has property and room for your horse? If so will their facility meet your needs? If you chose this option, make sure you have a clear understanding with the property owner as to financial and other responsibilities. Always better, as the boarder, to try to do a little extra and make sure the property owner knows you appreciate the opportunity given you. Do not make them wish they did not let you bring your horse on their property. You also do not want to lose a friendship over horse issues.
If you board at a stable
What characters are important to you at a boarding facility? Certainly you want to look for safe stalls and fencing. Are basic accommodations satisfactory to you, or do you want something nicer? Do you look for an enclosed arena to ride in. What about an indoor riding arena or access to trails? What is their feeding policy? How often are stalls cleaned? What are the pastures like and when are the horses turned out? Is pasture board available? What kind of folks board at the facility? What kind of riding activities do they participate in? Are there a lot of kids there? What are the owners, managers and employees like? Is a Trainer or Instructor available on site? What is the cost of the board? Is the facility run safely? Is this a place you will feel comfortable? There are many wonderful facilities out there and many others that you will not be comfortable at. Take your time to decide and visit each option a few times.
Once you have decided where you will keep your horse, line up an Equine Vet and a Ferrier. You may want to consider using ones that other boarders recommend or that a neighbor has had good experiences with.
What can you afford?
The cost of purchasing a horse can range from free to many thousands of dollars. You should do your homework and see what the price range and value in your area is. You will normally pay more for a better trained horse, one that is registered, one from successful breading lines, one that has been campaigned successfully or one that is an appealing color. Decide what attributes are important to you. Take your time.
The purchase of your horse is only the beginning of the financial challenges of owning a horse. Beyond that there is, the ongoing costs of hay, feed, bedding, barn maintenance or board at a stable. Then add to that tack, Vet bills, Ferrier bills, supplements you chose to use, trailer and truck if you chose to purchase them. Training for your horse or lessons for you might be needed. Cost of going to competitions and other equine events if you chose to participate in them. Make sure you have the funds available to meet these needs. We have compiled an extensive list of cost saving tips through our web site. These may help you keep your horse expenses at a reasonable level.
Define what your horse skill and knowledge levels are.
We all start the development of our horsemanship skills and knowledge where we are today. We have all had different backgrounds and experiences. You are encouraged to take an honest evaluation of your horsemanship skills and abilities. Where you are in your horsemanship journey should influence what horse you purchase. You should match your horse to your abilities. If you are new to horses and do not have advanced skills, you would be well served to select a horse with significant experience. One that is well trained and can help you learn and develop your horsemanship skills.
Have a Vet perform a pre-purchase exam and ask for a week trial period.
It is a very good investment to have an Equine Vet examine the horse you are looking to purchase. You can do this before you bring the horse home or you can ask for a week trial period and have your Vet perform the exam at your place during that week. This is a real good idea and will work well if you live near the seller. You do not want to purchase the horse and get him home only to then discover a problem that you did not know existed.
Where do you look to find your horse?
There are a lot of places where you can look to find the horse you are going to purchase. Equine Vets, Ferriers, Trainers, Instructors and other knowledgeable horse people are good to touch base with. There is an informal network of horse people in most areas the can really help you find the right horse if you take your time. Feed Stores and Tack Shops normally allow flyers noting horses for sale. Check their postings frequently. There are many sites on the internet that allow folks to advertise horses for sale.
Buyer Beware!
There are many very honest folks out there and I have had the fortune to have met many of them. On the other hand, there are others who are not so honest. I have met my share of those as well. Hopefully the seller you are dealing with honestly portrays the horse you are interested in. To help safeguard your purchase, I advise making multiple visits to see and evaluate the horse. See him at different times of the day. If you are able to show up without advanced notice, that would be helpful. As noted above, having an Equine Vet evaluate the horse and a week trial would be a real good safeguard
If the horse is portrayed as being well trained, ask for the owner or someone else to show you how the horse performs and then ask to ride the horse yourself if you feel comfortable with this. It is not recommended that folks new to horses purchase a horse at an auction. It can be very hard, even for experienced horse people to be sure of what they are buying at auction. New horse owners should also avoid purchasing a stallion. These animals require experienced handling and specific living accommodations.
By all means, take your time in the buying process. Educate yourself, evaluate the criteria noted above. Make sure you are comfortable with your purchase. Make sure you have the financial resources to not put the rest of your financial life in jeopardy. It is a really good idea to seek the help and guidance of an experience horse person. They can make a big difference as you try to sort this all out.
Visit our website for cost saving tips and a proven system to generate additional income that can fund your horse journey.
I truly wish your dream of owning your own horse comes true in a very satisfying way.
Achalteku zirgas is zirgyno salia Ashabado
Achaltekai -- jojamųjų arklių veislė. Viena seniausių pasaulyje.
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