Tips and Advice For A Happy Horse

Bonding with your horse will allow you to learn and respond to his feelings and reactions in different situations. Over time you will be able to read their body language. A calm and responsive horse is generally a happy one. They will keep their head lowered, and have soft eyes and a relaxed jaw. A horse when happy will not invade your personal space – this is a sign of respect in seeking affection from you. A horse is not showing he is bored by yawning – rather this is a sign of relaxation and calm. If your horse is holding its head high with a tense jaw and has darting eyes and a reluctance to stand still, then there is something wrong – he is not comfortable. When a horse is anxious, you must let him settle in his own time without trying to force the issue – otherwise he could end up feeling trapped and even more stressed.

When grooming your horse you also get the opportunity to check him over for minor ailments or other problems. You should perform regular inspections of your horse’s teeth, eyes, hooves and shoes as well as keeping an eye on his droppings. Any change in the normal should be reported to your vet at the earliest opportunity – any delay could cause you extra worry, expense and a potential claim on your horse insurance. Your vet will be able to advance book the appropriate appointments for regular worming and vaccinations. Worms and parasites can build up immunity to medication so to minimise this you should rotate the medications. Your horse could develop immune system, heart or colic problems as a result of unsuitable medication. Make sure you have asked your vet to administer influenza, encephalitis and rhinoneumonitis vaccinations. Tetanus and rabies are also advisable, but not essential. If you are a regular with the horse trailers at horse shows etc, your horse may need to show a negative Coggins test, which is for a serious equine virus called equine infectious anaemia (EIA) for which there is no cure or treatment.

An important part of keeping a horse happy and comfortable is making sure you have a good farrier who visits regularly. Long and imbalanced feet will soon cause discomfort to a horse and both mood and performance will be affected. Remember that if your horse’s feet are not taken care of properly that this could lead to bigger problems requiring veterinary treatment – if you are negligent whether interntionally or otherwise you will probably find that your horse insurance will not cover the cost of treatment.Your farrier will need to trim your horse’s hooves every six weeks or so.

During wet and cold weather you should provide a blanket or coat for your horse, and in the summer he will need a fly-protective sheet. If your horse lathers up during or after exercising, it’s best to use a horse cooler until they have calmed and cooled down. While it may seem logical to give your horse a drink after exercise, this could in fact put his body into shock. It is also important to let your horse cool down properly after exercise and before feeding. Leave it for an hour after meals before exercising your horse.

Horses are happiest when they know that they have a purpose – this could be showing, jumping or therapy, for example. Horses love to be needed. A horse needs to feel a purpose and that everything is ok – a young horse in particular should be praised often even for simply standing still. Horses are also inquisitive, so by introducing new experiences to them, the more positive, confident and brave they will become.

Horses are wonderful creatures that deserve all the love and care you can give. As a horse owner you have a responsibility to provide the best healthcare possible for your equine companion. Keeping a horse can be a very expensive business, and without good horse insurance provided by a specialist equine insurer, it is possible to quickly run into financial problems if your horse should become sick or sustain an injury. Providing the very best for your horse will reap you the rewards of love, loyalty and devotion from your equine companion.

English or Western: Which Riding Style is Right For You?

Learning how to ride is a very rewarding experience, but it can often be a bit confusing as to which type of riding is most suited to your goals with regards to what you want to do with your horse. A good place to start is by talking to experienced riders. Find out what they like about each style and see which fits you the best. Becoming competent will take lots of hours in the saddle for either style, and becoming competitive will require even more practice.

If you are going to compete, knowing what you want to do in the competition is essential before choosing a riding style. If you like the more formal style of dressage, hunt seat and saddle seat, than your choice will be the English riding style. On the other hand if you want to compete in less formal events where jeans and western style shirts are the trend then rodeos or trail riding, endurance events, cross country rides, gymkhana, western pleasure riding or any type of working cow horse event then your only option is to learn to ride western style. You can ride for pleasure on the trails with either style of riding.

Besides just what events you can compete in there are also differences to the actual riding styles. Riding the western style is a more casual style designed to allow the rider to ride for hours and hours over varied terrain. The stirrups are longer and the rider sits deep in the seat. Western riding also has the reins held in one hand, leaving the other hand free for using a rope. With English riding the rider has shorter stirrups that keep the rider erect and forward in the saddle with reins in both hands. Some English riding will require double reins, one set to direct the motion of the horse and one set to control the head position. English riding also has several different styles including hunt seat, dressage, saddleseat, and endurance. Each of these disciplines has their own style of tack – a dressage saddle, jumping saddle, all purpose saddle, and so on.

Once you make a decision on which style you prefer, make sure you are wearing proper safety equipment, including a riding helmet. Proper safety equipment is a must for all junior and novice riders. When you select a style you can always decide to learn the other style at a later date, after all your horse can certainly learn another style, but learning both at the same time is overwhelming and can lead to confusion.