Sacking out your Horse

Sacking out is a very general term for getting your horse used to objects. Desensitizing. Not Frightening the Begebees out of them. Desensitizing.
We start out with a very small item, say a white towel, something that you can handle easily, fold it up, let them smell it, show them, take it away, show it again.Rub it on their face, take it away, start over from the head to the tail, gently show them it is not going to hurt them. Do the same with your stick, or whip. Do the same with a plastic or paper feed bag. something that makes some noise, crackeling and such.
Be patient and kind, especially at first. Use your coat, a slicker, a Horse sheet, a clipper, a Ball,a Rope, ect.
Eventually you can get bigger and more animated, but give the horse time to think about it and show some respect for his Natural responses. Show him what you have let him smell it, use his natural inquisitiveness to your advantage.

Purchasing a Horse

I have had a lot of people ask what I look for in a horse, and what I want to see if I am purchasing a horse.
1. Look at attitude.
a. walk up to you in the pasture
b. Stand to put the Halter on
c. Wait for me to walk.

2. Quiet
a. Stand by me and pay attention to me.
b. stand quietly when tied
c. Stand quietly when saddle

3. Walk, Trot Lope and STOP.
a. quietly move at the gate I am asking for.
b. give their head to both sides.
c. Move away from pressure, on the ground and in the saddle.

4.Always go back to try the horse at least 3 times before purchasing.

Please do not fall for the "let your children and young horse grow up together", this is a good way to get your child hurt and they will lose interest in horses if the horse scares them.
Beginners and Young children should always look for older horses, 5 and up
Novice and Teens with experience can look for something younger but Well Started.

This is my Thought, You are going to pay for it one way or the other. Pay for a well broke experienced horse or send the younger inexperenced one to a traineer. The latter will take more time.

Have fun and Have a safe Ride

EquiSearch's Ask the Vet: Horses in Cold Weather

EquiSearch's Ask the Vet: Horses in Cold Weather

Join Up Game

For a little fun and something different play the Join up game.
Get your horse out and lead it to the round pen.
Cue your horse to walk around the pen twice each way.
Now trot him twice each way, turn away from you.
Walk again, twice each way.
Now Trot him 4 or 5 times around, turn away from you.
Trot 4 or 5 times the other way.
Things to watch for, licking lips, chewing, sighing.Head down, watching you.
Stop.
Walk up and pet him, turn and walk away.
If he follows work on forward, back, turning to left and right. do this on both sides, with no lead.
If he looses his focus, send him around again a couple of times, each way.
This is great for every horse, helps him to trust and pay attention to you.
Especially good for showmanship horses. Gets them to want to be with you.
Always end on a good note, and have a Safe and fun time.

Starting your two year old

My Training Technique is to do a lot of different things and not drill on any one too long or to much. I think this helps to keep a horse fresh, and liking to learn. I reward them, by releasing pressure and taking breaks often.
I will probable work with them 5 to 6 times a week, but not do the same thing every day.

Day 1 and 3: leading and grooming.
Leading: 1.lead from both sides.
2.around scary things and over obstacles.
3.Teach them to walk when you do and stop when you do.
Grooming:1.Teach them to pick up their feet.
2.Use Brushes, combs and sprays
3.Get them used to Clippers.

Day 2 and 4: lounging
I would not lounge for more than 20 min. changing direction often.Spend some time getting him used to blankets, pads and the Sirsingle.
More Walking than Trotting, more trotting than loping.

Day 5:Grooming and Trailer loading.
Day 6:Pony him for a little bit say 1/2 hr, in an arena at first, then work up to going out on the trail some.

Selenium Deficiency

One of my friends who lives in the Northwest recently had her horses checked for Selenium Deficiency, they were Dangerously low in Selenium. This is a serious condition. If you are feeding a supplement that has selenium in it you or are providing a mineral block you are probable ok, but If you are not You might get a Vet to check the selenium level in a blood test.
Selenium Deficient Horses are prone to Tying up, Unlike Colic, which is in the Gut, Tying up is in the muscle.
Some of the signs are: Profuse sweating from a short workout, Stretching as if to Urinate often: but just relieving back pain, Muscles that get ridged or tighten.
Too Much Selenium is toxic to horses they need .001mg to .004, so Please consult with your vet before adding Selenium to his diet.

Getting Ready to Ride

Now that you have been handling your horse for a few days, Softening his face and moving his shoulder and hip from the ground you are ready to do a little lounging. I always saddle up and do some of the walk, stop, turn exercises before I turn them loose to free lounge. I think this helps to get them loosened up and thinking, I DO Not want him to just take off Bucking and Running, I want him to think what I am thinking, so I ask him to walk,first always and work up slowly to the lope, still stopping and relaxing alot. I trot him more than Lope.
When I know he is thinking and doing just what I ask, I get on and cool him off at the Walk, stopping and turning, backing and moving hips and shoulders. I try to just use my legs and body to ask for these transitions only using my hands to put him in the correct position. Very Soft hands, very light leg cues.
The next day I will trot more when I ride, still asking him to soften his face,move hips and shoulders and backing.You can never do too much of it. I do like to push them to trot out freeley and then slow down a little.
Then I might take him to the Trail course to cool out. I do a lot of cooling out on the Trail course.

Trail Riding Etiquette:

1. Wait until everyone is ready before you take off.

Novice riders and horses can get nervous when people are riding off before they are mounted.

2. Walk. don't Trot or lope, especially if there are riders and horses at different levels.

3. Switch leaders every once in a while, so everyone gets to have their horses in different positions.

4. Have an advanced rider bring up the end to help keep every one moving and together.

5. If you are leading it is your job to set the pace but don't set a pace so fast that slower riders get too far back. This can cause horses and riders to panic.

6. It is your Job to listen to the person riding Drag, and pass forward any messages so everyone can stay together.

7. Have Fun But always stay aware of your surroundings. Wild animals, hikers, bikers and motorcycles are out there too and they can startle horses when they jump or appear out of nowhere.

8. Make sure someone has a first aid kit

9. Do bring Water and Snacks.

10. Please Pack out your Garbage.

First I will answer a couple of questions about my training methods.

1. Q. Why don't you just get your horse out and lounge it.

A. I like my horses to be Willing and Happy to do the job at hand. I think it is very inconsiderate on my part to catch him one day out of the blue and say OK run for 20 min, Have I taught him anything...no...except that I might come out sometime and make him run for 20 min. I have seen lots of people do this and truly I think it is cruel and inhumane.

2. Q. Do you ever just lounge your horse.

A. Yes I do lounge him, First I warm up with a Lot of Transitions: Walk, Stop, Turn, Walk Trot, Stop, Turn. When I feel that his Muscles and ligaments are warm I then ask him to lope some, then Trot and walk again. Then after all that I will free lounge at the Trot for about 5 or 10 min, and lope about the same. Letting him relax at the trot and lope and get into a rhythm.Then I will do More Transitions, work on Backing and just walking to cool off.

I love Beginner and Novice Riders. They work so hard with the love of their life (horse). They put in long hrs. grooming, picking feet, Reading and Taking Lessons from Trainers, and More Hrs Grooming and Practicing everything they have learned about horsemanship.

The only bad thing about them is that when they get bad advice they don't have the confidence to say No I don't want to do that to my horse. Don't let "friends" or " other Trainers" talk you into doing something that you are not comfortable with. Make it a habit that when someone gives you advice that you take at least 24 hrs. to think it over, do some research and decide if you are willing to give their Idea a try.

When you take a horse to a trainer Please call and see when they will be working your horse and stop by to watch, you can learn a lot from watching and save yourself some heart ache if it doesn't seem to be working out between the trainer, your horse, and your Idea of what you want your horse to do.

Spring has Sprung

As Spring and Green Grass Roll into our lives, we get the urge to ride the horses we have been feeding all winter. Please take the time to do a little ground work and get your horse in Riding frame of mind.

1. Bring him out of the pasture

2. Do a leading excercise on the way to your Hitching Post. Example: take two steps, stop, take 4 steps stop, take 3 steps forward, then turnaround and back him 4 steps. stop.

3. tie him up in a safe place

4. groom and pick feet

5. while grooming check for cuts or abrasions

6. have him stand tied at least an hr.

7. Do a leading excercise on the way back to the pasture. Example: take three steps, stop, turn to right. Take 4 steps stop and back. take 5 steps stop and turn to right.

Do this for three days