Everything You Need To Know About Horses

Rope Halters

Rope halters are fantastic for all weather use. They’re very strong, durable and can’t rust. !

Rope halters are very easy to use, and fasten simply when you tie them up. They’re very light weight, and very effective. Although they’re barely there, they’re effective even when handling headstrong horses. They don’t require too much care, look neat, and are available in sizes miniature to full size. They come in a range of great colours, and are easy to use.

They’re more adjustable than buckle halters and are very comfortable for the horse. They make a great gift, or a fantastic prize !

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Gymkhana Games

Musical Mats

It’s just like musical chairs !. Use a circle of mats as chairs, make sure there’s one less than the number of riders playing. Either play music, or use a sound as the dismounted signal (like a whistle). Riders must keep control of their horses at all times, and lead them to the mats.

The rider who doesn’t get a mat is out. Another mat is removed and the game goes on !. To make it harder or more interesting, why not have riders ride bareback ? Or try trotting or cantering around the mats to make dismounting a little bit more difficult.

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Hoof Problems ?

It’s so important to make sure horse’s hooves are trimmed regularly, even if the horse is never ridden.

Trimming helps keep hooves in good order, and allows your farrier to check for problems that might develop. If you horse suddenly goes lame, there’s a 99% chance that the problem is in the hoof, stones can easily be lodged in the sole, or under a horse shoe. It’s important to pick out your horse’s hooves every time you’re going to ride, and after every ride.

If your horse has serious hoof problems, or a mystery lameness, it’s possible that your farrier may be able to offer you a solution through corrective shoeing, depending on the problem. One of the hardest problems to pinpoint is hoof abscesses and they’re fairly common.

An abscess is an infection under the skin, and in the hoof they’re hard to find. A vet or farrier can help you locate the abscess with hoof testers. The horse will be clearly in pain when the spot is pressed firmly. After the abscess is drained, the hoof must be wrapped to ensure no infection can enter the area.

Abscesses can take weeks to heal, and remember that prevention is better than cure, you may not always be able to prevent a problem, but the more you take care, the less problems you’ll have.

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Tips When Riding Your Horse Bareback

Tips When Riding Bareback

• Never clench your calves to keep balance on your horse, you may only tense up and encourage your horse to go faster.
• If you need to, hold the mane, but don’t lean on your hands. The point of bareback riding is to improve your balance. If you’re leaning you’ll never learn.
• Make sure you’re looking ahead, and try to adapt as close to a normal seat as possible, heels down still applies !

• Trotting and cantering will be the true test of balance, make sure you relax into each gait gently, give yourself time to adjust.
• Take time to feel the horse move underneath you. Practise your aids and see just how long it takes your horse to respond.

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Drinking Buckets For Horses

A study was carried out to test whether horses preferred drinking from buckets, a pressure valve bowl (where the horses have to push a plate to get water) or a float valve bowl (where the water automatically refills when it dips below a certain level).

The findings were that horses universally prefer to drink from a bucket, probably as it is easier to get to, had a greater diameter and was the closest to resemble their drinking habits in the wild. Not only that, but when restricted to the two automatic watering systems, it was found the horses spent more time using them to drink, yet got less water, causing an overall loss of body fluids.

So if your horse has an automatic watering system, it might pay to supplement this with a plain old bucket of water, especially during a hot spell or after exercise.

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Artificial Aids

Artificial Aids

Artificial aids should be used sparingly. They are generally harsher than natural aids, and have a stronger, less friendly effect.

Encouraging your horse with natural aids will get you alot further than forcing or frightening your horse into doing something for you. It is understandable that some horses require their riders to carry crops, or use them, but careful consideration should be made before striking a horse. A small tap with a crop can often reinforce the aid, and is usually enough to encourage the stubborn horse to work. A rider who can communicate with their horse properly shouldn’t need a whip. Using whips on young horses, or flightly horses is likely to make them resentful, and break down trust between horse and rider.

It’s best to think of a crop as an extension of the arm, nothing more.

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Mr Ed (Straight From The Horse’s Mouth)

There’s been a lot of discussion over the years about just how they got Mr Ed to talk.

Many believed he was fed peanut butter but that would have been a tad messy, plus given Mr Ed an almighty belly-ache. His trainer, Les Hilton, used nylon fishing line. The fishing line was attached to the headstall (which is why you never see Ed speaking without his headstall on) and runs through his mouth.

When Mr Ed is required to speak, Hilton gently pulls the line and Ed responds by moving his lips. It’s not a specially trained action but a natural response to something moving in his mouth.

And for another piece of trivia…. Ed had his “Off” days too, something the cast and crew on the show were well aware of. Occasionally Ed would stand dead still, wheeze and refuse to work, meaning it was time to call it quits for the day.

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