Love Your Horse

The most sport and working horses, and those that owners hold only for
enjoyment, live in barns, which means that they are forced to practically constant
stay in the same, limited space. The owners often forget the fact that such
way of life is not natural, because the horses have always been free, roving animals
in herds, running through the wide open spaces. They are not accustomed to be closed.
The system of holding horses in the boxes

Horses spend most of their time in the boxes, so it is understandable that
it is given special attention to accommodation. And little mistakes can leave
unforeseeable effects on mood and behavior, which will certainly affect on their sport results. Horses closed in their boxes have a lot of free time and energy. They are boring the same as men, especially if they are alone, without possibility of any contact with individuals of the same species. Boredom often leads to developing of some bad habits, such as “weaving”, digging the front foot, spinning around, biting the wooden parts of boxes and taking air, which can be
very dangerous to health. As is known, the natural reaction of horses is escape. Horses in a closed box, unfortunately, can not escape in case of any vulnerability when they are forced to defend themselves. If this situation persists become suspicious, frightened, and tense, especially in cases when the owner additional provokes fear, insecurity or anger. Barn is not a place for anxiety, noise, and spanking.
Horses that are under constant stress can be very dangerous, which is not the result of
aggress, but fear. It is difficult to provide barn accommodation that can compensate all needs and urges that the horse can express in free nature. Ideally, horses should be provided with a comfortable space with a good shelter and free access to sufficient amounts of fresh water and food. The space need to provide performing of all physiological positions, movements, communication with animals of the same species, behave normally in accordance with their needs. They should not have the opportunity to be injured. Also, it is important your identification of abnormal behavior or symptoms of illness. It is not easy to satisfy all these needs, which is why generally insisted on the fulfillment of minimum requirements of the space, light and fresh air.
Barns for the horses were once upon a time built from the same material as the owner’s house, with floors made of brick and gentle slope to the sewer, fitted crib
ceramic tiles. There were also thick solid door which had two parts. The bottom was made of wood, and above most of the iron, the lattice through which the horse could see everything that is happening around him. At one end of stale was the saddle, the other rooms for grain foods, and under the roof attic they stood hay and straw. Such stale had excellent thermal insulation, the constant circulation of fresh air and natural light. All of that help animals to feel better. Today’s stale look different and are often made from lighter materials and elements. However, their functionality is not good enough.

When we have our own horse, we think what diet will help our horse to remain fit and healthy. You can not feed all the horses in the same way. We are not talking only about quantity but also about quality, variety, and type of food for each horse, according to their form, character, amount of exercise they do, and so on.

One of the first things to do when we want to calculate a diet is measuring the horse’s weight. The professional way of doing this is through a scale, but not all have a special scale for the horses. You can use a special measuring tape that is often shopped in good equine feed companies. Another thing that you can do is call the vet, and therefore all your doubts are resolved.

Depending on the work you do with the horse, the food will be different. A horse needs about 2 or 2.5% of their body weight of food (grain + fodder) daily, depending on your job it will be given more forage and less grain, or vice versa.

If the horse performs a smooth work (walks, little work) 70% should be forage, and the other 30%. When the horse is doing work in environment (when the horse comes outside every day), 60% should be fodder and other cereals and if the work is very hard (horse racing is being prepared, raid, international competition…) you should put 50% of each.

It is always advisable to weigh the feed. With the hay, a “book”, weighs about 2 kg, you may find “books” bigger than others. As for compound feed, your recipients are usually of different sizes and shapes, so you better check what weight pellets and mixtures have.

To see if the horse is fat or thin, there are several things that you can set:

* It should be noted the ribs when he runs his hand.
* The hips and back should be gently covered.
* There should be no accumulation of fat around the muscles or along the neck.

If you notice that your horse is fat, reduce the feed that is not fodder, and if one continues to gain weight, change the feed to a less energy.

However, if the horse is losing weight, increase the ration of forage. If he keep losing weight or does not regain the lost change the feed. What not to do is to increase the feed so that this is more than the values previously mentioned.
Some points to consider when we talk about feeding a horse:

* It is advisable to use quality products. These need not to be the most expensive, although it usually happens. What must be avoided are those products that have not been well harvested or dried, such as hay.
* The food should be administered in small quantities and served throughout the day. This is not just for nutritional reasons but also because in this way you will keep your horse entertained with hay.
* You must know the exact volume of container you use to measure the feed.
* Store feed and fodder in a cool, dry place. Ensure that products are not in contact with dust, not wet and not in a place where you go to molding. Another thing to beware is mice and rats, as much to feed attracts rodents. It is therefore advisable to keep the feed in sealed buckets (such as black bins) rather than in the sack.
* When you set your mind to make a change in the diet of your horse, try to do it in a gradual manner to avoid the risks of colic.

This book is for those who want to train their horses for their pleasure or if the horse will be ultimately ridden by a jockey and entered in a competition. This is a basic knowledge book that encompasses all there is that you need to know about training your horses. It gives you insights on why the horses react as they do – why the bite, kick and become aggressive. After that insight it tells you how to act, how to tame or ‘gentle’ the horse enough that it will be responsive to your commands. It gives you pointers on how to create a bond with your horse, methods used by the renowned horse whisperer himself – JS Rarey. It tells you how to train the horse, what commands to give in certain situations. It tells you how to train the horse to allow riders to mount him. It tells you how to train the horse not to bolt in the presence of seemingly sinister (to him) objects like a cow, or a car. If you have dogs, you know that horses and dogs are like oils and water – they don’t mix. However, this book will tell you how to train the horse so the horse and the dog will be able to deal well together. It gives various other instructions as well from completing a jump to behaving around children – giving emphasis to safety at all times. It gradually gives you instructions on how to train the horse to stop biting, then to stand still, and then training the horse if he exhibits behavioral problems. A stubborn horse or a lazy horse is no problem – the book also has instructions on how to deal with them. The horse is unruly during feeding time? Never fear, the book touches on this subject as well. Aside from the basic information it also gives instructions on jogging, bareback riding and jumping.

If you are looking at entering your horse in a competition, this book provides valuable pointers for you as well from class choices to schooling and grooming for the big day, and a big checklist of what to take with you.

If you are in possession of a horse that was previously a racehorse and you want to train him for a new career, you’ll find instructions in this book as well. On the other hand if you coma upon a horse that was badly mistreated by its previous owner, all hope is not lost. This book offers insights and instructions on this particular situation as well. This book covers all the basic questions that you have on training a horse and more.

Want to read or buy the ebook? Click Here!

Holsteiner is one of the most ancient German races of horse. Rudiment of race dates from the thirteenth century the north German province of Schleswig-Holstein.

In the beginning, the original goal was bringing up high horse with good movements. These horses were developed by crossing the old German mare with the Spanish and Neapolitan stallion. It was the race very respected by German farmers for his perseverance, calm and resistance.The first recorded race data from this period were found during the reign of Duke of Holstein and Gerhard I. Having realized the great benefit of the horse as good workers in agriculture and useful partner in the war, the reputation of the horse in Europe is increasingly growing.The biggest influence on the development of the former had imported stallion and English – and the three Half-Blood stallion breed Yorkshire Coach Horse (Burlington Turk, Owstwick and Brillant). This race attaches a very dynamic movement, coordinated movements and good temper. After World War, Holsteiner is more often used by horse riders in English for improving the breed. Modern Holsteiner is characterized by very fair, correct and rhythmic movement and therefore is represented in the ride where he is able to achieve outstanding results.

Holsteiner has a very, very massive, but elegant body, sure step and excellent jumping ability which puts it in one of the best race for competing with hurdles. He is also used for performances and for every type of presentations.
Eyes of Holsteinera are big, expressive and he has a lively view. Sometimes he used to flare by moving his nostrils and ears.
Limbs of these horses are ideal – broad knees, short tibia (size 20-24cm) and centaury with broad position of the front legs and deep chest.
The influence of English sanguine horse was improved and the quality of hooves that were in the ancient Holsteinera was poor. These horses are very strong and have well formed neck, rump and back.

Walking or smooth riding is very useful and usually comes to the fore in dressage. It is equally good for driving and riding.

His height is about 170cm and he occurs in all primary colors-black, brown, grey…Quality of these horses are evaluated every year in so-called “keurings”, where horses are classified according to their potential in the group and receive scores for both exterior and movements, and the genetic potential and who have transferred to the offspring. This strict selection is contributing to the preservation and further development of the breed in a positive direction.

Holsteiner horse is a good character, very intelligent, sensitive and well-meaning, which are on the highest podium in the disciplines “Equestrian”, even in prestigious competitions such as Olympics and World Championships.

One of the most famous and influential Holstein breed is Landgraf, which is the best of all according to many opinions.

His genes are reliably transmitted to offspring, which achieved outstanding results. Descendants of Landgraf earned approximately $ 7 million mainly in the inguinal competition, and this amount from is increasing day by day.

The Arabian horse, Never mistaken for another breed, yet is the root from which all light breeds sprang. It captures the soul as no other can, and is favored by artist, photographers, historians and poets over all others. What is the magnetism this breed holds?   An early student of the Arabian will find a maze of puzzling terms and subtle type differences.  What do they all mean?  Constant reference to the Egyptian Arabian horse may make one wonder if it is a separate breed. What is a Straight Egyptian Arabian horse? What does the term Egyptian Related mean? Is there more than one kind of Arabian? The oldest documentation of the Arabian horse was a fine carving uncovered in a cave in Turkey.  It depicts a leaping, fine-headed horse of pure Arabian type, its mane flowing and tail carried high.  Scientific data places this at 8000 BC.

The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated in the Middle East. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is one of the oldest horse breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses that resemble modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years. Throughout history, Arabian horses from the Middle East spread around the world by both war and trade, used to improve other breeds by adding speed, refinement, endurance, and strong bone. Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every modern breed of riding horse.

The Arabian is a versatile breed. Arabians dominate the discipline of endurance riding, and compete today in many other fields of equestrian activity. They are one of the top ten most popular horse breeds in the world. Arabian horses are now found worldwide, including the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, continental Europe, South America (especially Brazil), and its land of origin, the Middle East.

A study of the pharaonic horses of the tombs and temples of Egypt places the horse in use in Egypt as early as 1580 BC and show these strain characteristics. These relief paintings appear to be actual portraits of horses that must have existed.   Today’s Arabian is a product of constant crossing of these strains, as no individual carries the blood of a single, undiluted strain.  This is not to say that an Arabian of pure, undiluted, Desert blood does not exist.  Therein lies one of the major differences in the Straight Egyptian Arabian and those of other bloodlines.

Horse training methods are as varied as the horses and handlers that train them. They range from strong arm – even brutal tactics – to the opposite end of the scale, gentle, humane and respectful. Clearly, the differences in horse training methods are vast and notable. Ideally, a young horse will have no fear of humans and view being ridden as simply one more new lesson. A properly handled young horse that had adequate ground work will seldom buck, rear, or run away when it is ridden, even for the very first time.

Tradition is the enemy of progressive horse training methods. “Grandpa treated his horses this way and we do it the same,” is the lame excuse that pervades the old school of rough horse treatment. Pain and intimidation have been the backbone of horse training methods for centuries, especially in the American west where horses are highly effective on the vast ranches of the west. Techniques such as snubbing a horse to a post and “sacking them out,” to running horses in mindless circles until exhausted are sadly still alive and well in parts of the US.

Historically, horses were trained for warfare, farm work, sport and transport. Today, most horse training is geared toward making horses useful for a variety of recreational and sporting equestrian pursuits. Horses are also trained for specialized jobs from movie stunt work to police and crowd control activities, circus entertainment, and equine-assisted psychotherapy.

There are many horse training philosophies and techniques and details are far too extensive to describe in a single article. Also, horses have different conformation, athletic potential, temperaments and personalities, all of which may influence what techniques are used. For further information on horse training and specific disciplines, see the Bibliography and the articles below, which cover many of the concepts and different schools of thought on training and handling horses. Some of the horse training methods includes, but not limited to, John Lyons, Pat Parrelli, Tom Dorrance, Buck Brannamen, Sally Swift and Tom Bell.

Whatever level you’re at, learning what horse training method works best for you is an ongoing education. Never stop learning about your passion and strive to achieve a better relationship with your horse.

Horse tack is all the equipment that comes with owning a horse, riding a horse and properly caring for a equine. For every piece of horse tack you will need to buy you will have to evaluate your horse’s needs and activities compared to the type of equipment you are purchasing. Tack like bridles, saddles, bits, cinches, saddle pads, lead ropes, halters, whips, stirrup leathers, horse boots, are just a few of the bare minimum supplies.

Your first trip to the horse tack store will probably be quite expensive, but will become less so over time. Get product recommendations from other horse owners before visit a tack store in your area. They will have invaluable knowledge about their likes and dislikes of certain products, tack types, and price ranges for their particular horses. We have written several articles below about various horse tacks for owners, riders and horses to expose you to basic knowledge about what you need and how the tack functions.

Lungeing (longeing) is horse training equipment used for exercising or horse training and teaching a horse on a long line and aiding in good horse behavior. Usually it is used for training foals or it is used on horses that you want to warm up before riding or cool down after riding. There are those that say not to use it for correction of bad habits such as bucking, but it is good for making corrections/improvement in gaits and in tossing the horses head. Because you aren’t on the horse, using a lunge line allows you to see what is going on with the horse. There is more horse training supply used in lungeing such as the Chambon, a lunging roller, a Cavesson or halter, a lunging whip, a bridle, and side reins, . Sometimes a bit is used so that the horse gets used to bits, but it should be a light one that is appropriate for a young horse. Horse training may include horse halter training. There are nylon rope nosebands and leather training forks. Good training, especially starting when the horse is a foal is a must.

The hackamore is the oldest form of horse control,” notes Pony Club instructor Susan Harris. “It works on pressure points on the horse’s nose, chin and face.” Possibly the truest form of hackamore is the bosal, simply a braided rawhide device that goes around the nose, ending in a heel knot under the chin. When choosing a new saddle, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the choices available. Few saddles are designed to both ride well and be suitable for training a performance horse. While there are specifically designed “reining” and “cutting” saddles, remember that each design has its own pros and cons. Also, just because the word “cutting” is on the tag, does not necessarily mean it was designed well for cutting.

The purebred Arabian horses are admired for its beauty and respected for his versatility.

The origin of this ancient race is located in the desert area in Saudi Arabia, thousands years ago. He was kept as purebred by nomadic peoples who inhabited the Arabian Peninsula. They were the first to apply a concept of breeding and selection. Arabian horses are, for sure, the most known worldwide.

All highly transmissible genetic qualities have had significant influence on all other races so far known. They have been the basis of thoroughbred horses, Percherons, Anglo Norman, Quarter Horse, Morgan, among others, and even Lipizzaner horse Creole. So Arabic is called the father of all races, as it is the only truly pure race without crossing. They are unique and present the standard for modern races in many elements that proof the quality of one’s race.

What are their characteristics?

His head is short with a broad forehead and a concave profile, large eyes, dark and expressive. He has fine and short ears. His neck is long, flexible and elastic. Loin broad and wide, the tail is held high, and his demeanor is important, like how to hold his head high, and these are undeniable features of the Arab race. The body has 17 pairs of ribs as opposed to other races. Hard hats, their skin is extremely thin. It is now farmed worldwide and this has led to differences in climate, food and breeding parameters, the origin of phenotypic different lines: the original Egyptian, English, Polish, Russian, Spanish and others.

Exhibition / Competition / Shows

In the conformation and phenotype testing these specimens are selected based on the highest standards of quality. In them we see reflected the plans of rearing stallion that was carefully selected to cover their mares to achieve an excellent product.

Babolna, a state stud owned by Imperial and Royal Hungary, founded in 1789 by Major Joseph Csekonics, and located near the border between Austria and Slovakia, is the origin of this breed of Arab horses from Thoroughbred.

A Bedouin stallion called “Shagya” appellate 1.60 meters, which had been imported from Syria in 1836, emerged as the most suitable for breeding. The crossing took a very positive and promising result that the new race was named in honor Shagya Arab horses to his father.

Arab heritage

The stud is formed by 280 horses in total, which are threescore broodmares, stallions and nine are the remaining foals. About half are purebred and the other Arab Thoroughbred. Nowadays, the Shagya Arab horses are also raised with much success in Radautz. However, the greatest number of Shagya is in Germany and his upbringing has already spread to fifteen countries in Europe, North and South.

Despite having a relatively high percentage of Thoroughbred Arabian, Shagya horse should be clearly differentiated as it not only species but also by its greater appeal, size and diameter of cane. Therefore, in accordance with the regulations, only 9 of every 16 parents can be of pure Arab blood in the fourth generation.