Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Fixing the Horse that walks off

Do you own a horse or have you ever owned a horse that walks off during mounting? If so, I can understand the frustration that comes to mounting one. Not only is it disrespectful but also dangerous. Many trainers prefer to fix this behavior from up in the saddle. I prefer to fix this behavior from the ground. Here is how I do it!

  1. Bring your mount into the center of the arena. Most riders know to never mount or dismount near gates or the fence line. Ask your horse to halt and stand while you adjust the saddle, tighten the girth and check your stirrups. Use this as time to collect and calm yourself. If you anticipate him walking off, chances are he's going to read your body language as it's okay for him to walk off. By the time you are done checking your tack your horse should be relaxed and calm, waiting for the next task.
  2. Come to the side of your horse and prepare for a mount. Most horses that are bad at walking off will begin to do so even before your foot hits the stirrup. Read your horse's body and before he even goes to walking off take hold of the rein and gently pull your horses head to the inside and ask him to disengage his hindquarters. Once he steps off and does as he's asked, ask for him to halt back in the middle of the arena.
  3. Prepare to mount again. Repeat step 2 should your horse move off again. This time increase what you are asking by putting more pressure to get your horse to move faster and cleaner. Return to the middle of the arena and ask for halt. Keep repeating this step until your horse stands still while mounting. Most horses get the point after 2-3 times of doing this, understanding that walking off means work.
  4. Once you have mounted allow your horse to stand for 3-4 minutes before asking for work. Teach him to enjoy standing and resting. Try to keep yourself from asking your horse to work the minute you are mounted.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Conformation Critique

Another conformation candidate sent in. This is a 6 year old Thoroughbred mare.

First I have to comment on what a cute head this little mare has on her. She has the ideal feminine mare head that I would like on a TB. A very kind eye and shallow mouth which hints to me that this mare is probably very responsive on the bit. She has the average TB neck that ties in nicely with her shoulder that also has a great angle and is not to steep. She is a bit weak in her top line and loin, but with collection exercises I'm sure both her top line and neck will become more refined and muscular. Her pasterns are a bit longer than I would like, but not long enough that I would think she would have soundness issues because of. She has a nice wither and heart girth. With a little more conditioning and collection exercises I think this mare could shape up to be a nice beginner or intermediate jumper or hunter/jumper prospect.

Conformation Critique

Todays conformation critique candidate is a 8 year old Perlino APHA Gelding. While it's not the ideal photo as he is facing slightly away from the camera, it does give a good enough profile.

He is a very nicely put together horse and from the looks of it has nice sturdy legs. He looks a little long through his back but has a wonderful hip on him. From the photo he looks like he might be built slightly down hill, but because of the angle I will not comment on this for sure. His neck ties in nicely with his shoulder but I would have liked him to have a slightly longer neck with a cleaner throat latch. He has a very nice head that isn't to long or to feminine. I like his shoulder angle and the length and angle of his pasterns. He has a very nice wither on him that is neither to prominent nor is it flat or mutton like. I would like to see a deeper heart girth area but overall he looks like he will hold up and excel in ranch work.

Monday, February 16, 2009

When it's time to say good-bye

Many horsemen wonder what to do when it's time to say good-bye to their four hoofed friends. Whether it be euthanasia or having to find a good home, saying good-bye can tear anyone apart. As my first post I will share a website that may ease the confusion and help in finding a good home for your hoofed friends.

The Unwanted Horse Coalition is dedicated to helping misplaced, abused, and neglected horses. The UHC has an online list of state by state facilities that will help rehome your horse should you not be able to find an appropriate home. They have teamed with the American Horse Council to aid unwanted horses or families that have come across tough times and are no longer able to care for their horses but wish to prevent the trip to slaughter.

For anyone needing aid in finding a responsible home contact the link below and spread amongst the horse community to those who may be looking into other options.