Horse Care For Beginners

For years now animal trainers have used clicker training as a more humane and behavior modification training program for all types of animals but only recently has it begun to gain acceptance by horse trainers. Clicker training relies on positively reinforcing positive or correct behaviors from your animal and then building on these successes.

Over the years that I’ve been associated with young horses and horse training, I’ve seen two approaches used when it comes to training young horses. The first is to work with your horse every day to build a bond and teach them in a very specific and controlled manner.

Whenever I scan the “Horses for Sale” ads the most often used word tends to be the word gentle because more new horse owners have ended their dreams of riding because of a bucking horse. Often this occurs not because the horse is wild but can be a result of a number of actions and reactions on the part of both rider and horse.

Is catching your horse a problem?       As catching a difficult or problem horse can be difficult,  I figured it might be worth talking about the issue. Keep in mind that a newly acquired horse or a horse that may be herd bound needs a little assurance & patience from us. They want [...]

Witnessing a pregnant mare bear a newborn foal is a wonderful experience. However, no matter how watchful your eye is or how many nights you may spend sleeplessly, you just can’t seem to catch her when she slips out the foal

I was recently chatting to a group of Instructors at my local Saddle Club and was interested to hear that they all agreed that they had more requests for assistance from members who couldn’t catch their horses than for any other reason. And the general feeling was that if a horse was difficult to catch, either the owner was being unsympathetic to the horses needs and feelings, or the horse hadn’t learned to trust and work with the owner.

Based on talking to the Instructors at my local Saddle Club, here are some of the more common mistakes that are frequently made by riders who take on the responsibility of becoming a new horse owner. See if any of them apply to you!

I have trained and bred Arabian horses for over twenty years and have developed my skills through the guidance and philosophies of some of the greatest ‘natural horseman’ of their day. I have been influenced by such greats as Monty Roberts, Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt. I only endorse techniques in horse training that comply with the philosophy that ‘violence is never the answer’.

What are the benefits of horse lunging?
Lunging your horse is one method of teaching him that you’re the pack leader and to understand and respect your instructions to him through your body language, with the assistance of a lunge whip, and well as your verbal commands.
Even in the later stages of your horse training and riding, lunging is a very affective method of using up excess energy prior to your mounted ride should you horse be ‘full of spirit’! But be sure you don’t overdo it prior to your ride. Ten minutes covering a short ‘walk’, a short ‘trot’, and possibly a short ‘canter’. Possibly five minutes in both directions.
When you are just too busy to get the ride you want, a period horse lunging is a great way to to provide exercise for your horse, which ideally he should be getting every day.

“If you can’t BREATHE … nothing else matters!” That’s a very true saying from The Australian Lung Foundation. A rather similar well-known saying in the horse fraternity is “no foot … no horse”. It’s a fact that most of the horse lameness problems have the origin in their feet. So it’s important for you to regularly check your horse’s feet, if not daily, then very frequently. This brings us to a problem that many people who are new to owning a horse have, and that’s lifting a horse’s foot.