Horse Accomodations

Horses are large, needy animals that require food, shelter, veterinary care, training and exercise. Obviously, you can't buy a horse and then keep it in the back yard to eat grass. Unless you own an acreage or farm, you'll have to decide where you will keep your horse and the costs involved. Most large cities and towns have a selection of horse boarding facilities within a short drive , so there are plenty of options when it comes to where to keep your horse . Some boarding facilities are "no-frills", where your horse is kept in a pasture with other horses, and provided food and shelter in the way of a communal lean-to or other building where your horse can find shelter in a storm. This type of boarding is usually less expensive, and can be quite acceptible.

Otherstable facilities offer your horse a taste of the "good life" with a private box stall, paddock,grooming, regular farrier visits and more. Many horse accomodations also have an indoor arena where you can take riding lessons. While very nice, indeed, this type of boarding facility can hit the pocketbook - hard!. Usually upwards of $1000 per month, depending on where you live.

So, as you can see, much thought needs to be put into whether or not you can actually afford to keep a horse . If the answer is yes, then it's time to consider the breed and type of horse that is best for you. Beginning riders may want a horse that is less exciting and more dependable and predictable. There's nothing that turns new riders off more than being thrown 20 feet into the air and landing on their head! (I'm speaking from experience, here!)

Deciding on a Horse

Some breeds of horse are less "spirited" than others, but the most important factor in selectinga horse is it's history. Just like people , horses can pick up bad habits, and can be affected by badexperiences in their past. It's important to choose a horsethat has undergone solid training, and has not been spoiled by inexperienced riders. There are plenty of bad habits horses can acquire over time. These include, but are not limited to:

• Running away when you want to ride. You can spend literally hours trying to catch a horse. Horses can be real stinkers when it comes to being caught. Don't let the cute long face and big brown eyes fool you. Be sure to get a horse that either likes to be caught, likes food more than freedom, or hasn't figured out that it's a matter of choice for it.
• Biting your bum when you try to get on . Many a large butt bruise has resulted from this devious horse trick.
• Stepping 3 feet to the side when you try to mount it. Some horses love to see you fall on your butt, repeatedly, and it can be difficult to stop this behavior.
• Suddenly halting to graze as you ride. This makes for a very inconsistent riding experience, and can actually send you flying over the horses head if you don't see it coming.
• Walking as slowly as possible as you ride away from the stable or pasture (think of trying to pull teeth), then suddenly turning into a race horse on the way back, despite your attempts to slow down.
• Kicking the horse behind it while riding amongst others.

As you can imagine, these little quirks can turn riding from an enjoyable leisure activity to a living, breathing hell on hooves. It's best to avoid horses that exhibit this alarming behavior and choose a horse with better manners.

Choosing How To Ride

If you're a new horse owner and haven't done a lot of horse riding, it's a great idea and great fun to take some lessons - either privately or with a group . There are various options for lessons, ranging - you guessed it - from reasonably to very expensive. Many boarding facilities offer group lessons, where you and your horse join others for lessons. More intensive, one-on-one lessons are also usually available, and you can generally find riding instructors that will come to you - for an extra fee, of course.

Did you know there are different styles of riding? If you are John Wayne or Clint Eastwood fan (think of the old Western movies), then "Western Pleasure" riding is probably what you would enjoy. Western riding is pleasurable and laid back, but still requires good horsemanship and a good seat on your horse. Sports involving Western style riding include barrel racing, trail riding, roping and much more.

On the opposite side of the fence is what is known as English riding. English riding is a very controlled, exacting style of riding - almost an art. Mastering English riding, dressage, and jumping can be a life-long pursuit - as enjoyable as it is addictive. You'll see English style riders at horse jumping events.

It's a good idea to give both styles a whirl to see which you prefer, but once you decide, it's best to stick to your choice, since the different riding styles develop an entirely different set of skills, balance and "seat" on your horse. There are plenty of good books and online resources dedicated to both styles of riding. I recommend reading up, visiting some local riding stables and talking to riders before you make a decision.

Horse Accessories

Did you know that horses need plenty of equipment? At the very least, your horse will need a halter and lead, hoof pick and set of grooming brushes - and that doesn't include the horse tack. For riding your horse, you will need a bridle and bit, saddle blanket and saddle. If you want to get fancy, you may want to pick up a horse blanket (like a house coat for your horse), tack box, saddle care kit and more. (Remember, I told you it was going to be expensive!) Nowadays, the internet offers free horse classified ads where you can often find good quality used horse tack for reasonable prices.

And that's just for the horse! If you want to ride your horse, you are going to need a good, comfortable pair of riding boots, a riding helmet and riding gloves. Dressage or English riders usually wear "breeches", special pants designed to help you move with your horse and to prevent chapping of your legs and thighs as you ride.

So, as I mentioned above, there is plenty to consider beforegalloping off into the sunset on your new horse. One of the best suggestions I can offer is to "try before you buy". Find a local riding stable that offers horses for you to ride, along with lessons, and make sure that you really are ready to accept the responsibilities that go along with being a horse owner. If the answer is yes, the experience can't be beat .

Debbie Dallison Moore is the webmaster for "Horse and Pony Central", a web site dedicated to everything horsey.
She is an avid animal lover, and has owned a horse since a very young age.

Horse rugs are normally intended for use when the animal is at rest. There are different types of equestrian rugs - the turnout and the stable. The stable rug is used to keep the horse in comfortable conditions and when indoors and you can buy a variety of different versions according to your preference in thickness or weight. Choose your options wisely. For example, you might want to get one stable rug in an appropriate configuration, or if you happen to reside in a variable climate, you could get a variety of equestrian rugs chosen according to their various thicknesses, to be used in wintry conditions.

When you are fitting your rugs, make sure that they cover the animal substantially and can be secured using surcingles and fillet strings. Comfort is everything and please don't encroach on any of the animal’s most sensitive parts when you are setting it up.'s

When the horse is resting in the field, you should choose turnout rugs. Now you need to pay even more attention to the conditions, to ensure that the animal is protected and warm, with the right product. Turnout rugs are also designed to keep the beast dry and clean. The modern-day rug is composed of materials that are not only lightweight, but waterproof and good at maintaining internal temperature. Pay particular attention to fitment with good crossover underbelly connections and straps to the chest or rear legs.

If you live in an area prone to particularly inclement weather, you should consider a heavier duty equestrian rug, such as the New Zealand rug, which has been designed to guard against wintry conditions. Remember that you can also layer lighter weight rugs beneath to reach the desired level of comfort.

Try and avoid leaving any particularly wet rugs on a horse where at all possible and make sure that you groom the horse to get rid of any lasting dampness, especially in cooler weather conditions. It's difficult for the horse to maintain its internal body temperature if its coat is damp and matted and it will need a lot more energy just to be comfortable.

When a horse rug is not being used, it should be placed over a rug holder to dry out. These holders can be elevated or moved into an "open" position to allow for quick drying, before being folded back out of the way, storing your bulky rugs until you need them next.

Probably the three most popular or well known horse activities are horse racing, equestrian events such as show jumping, and sports such as polo and driving.  The different horsemanship requirements in these very different areas require different horse bits to maximise the chance of success. 

In horse racing the Dee-ring snaffle bit, also known as the racing snaffle is one of the most widely used designs.  The Dee-ring snaffle has two rings either side of the mouthpiece with the distinctive D shape. The straight bars of the Dee-ring is pulled against the side of the mouth opposite to the rein pulled, pushing the sides of the Dee against the horse's mouth provide the ability to guide the horse and turn as required in a race.

Eventing requires a variety of different riding skills in dressage, cross-country and show jumping which tests the ability and adaptability of the horse and the rider to the limit. It is this wide variety of needs that looks like defying choosing perfect multipurpose horse bits.  One needs fine control during dressage, somewhat more free rein allowing the horse freedom to be rapid between fences and finally in the case of cross country allowing the horse to efficiently apply power, and not be fighting unnecessary control by the rider.

In show jumping in general a bit that gives good control is popular especially with a heavier horse that might lean on the bit or take hold.  Gag bits are fairly common and when rein pressure is applied the bit slides upward rotating slightly in the mouth so giving a firm signal to the horse. Show jumpers find the Cheltenham a popular type of gag bit. The Cheltenham gag is a specific gag bit often used by show jumpers.  It has "eggbutt" rings, which remedies the problem of pinching found with the common loose ring snaffl.

Curb style bits are used where leverage is required which the snaffle cannot achieve.  In show jumping the swales 3 in 1 which is a modified old fashioned swales bit has become popular with show jumpers who like it because it works well on strong horses.  Also as the Swales doesn't generate any poll pressure it works nicely with horses who tend to go overbent. 

A commonly reported problem in show jumping is the horse tending to rush after clearing a fence and can therefore make control and judgement of next obstacle more difficult. It might be tempting to go for a curb style bit that will pull up the horse but as is often the case fix the issue by training the horse correctly rather than "fixing" the problem when it happens. Be aware that a horse that rushes his fences may be reacting to a bit they are finding uncomfortable .

When we look at the dressage part of the eventing sequence horses are constrained to only go in snaffles. And only certain type of snaffles as well. For cross country the rules on horse tack are significantly more flexible and allows the use of gag bits, hackamores and a simple noseband.

The types of issues that the every day horse rider has to address in their choice of horse bit are not far removed from the issues of the experienced professional riders in horse racing, show jumping and the like.  However what you often find is that the success of the rider and horse is typically achieved through the intelligent hands of the rider and not using a specific bit to fix a particular problem

The W 2000 shares its history with some of the most popular synthetic all purpose saddles on the market. Boasting a number of attributes to make sure your saddle is perfect for you, the range includes:

• Easy Change Gullet - This system allows you to alter the form of your saddle as your horse matures
• Equisuade Saddle - Providing grip in any weather, this innovative hard wearing fabric will last.
• CAIR System - An modern system to remove substantial friction points from the saddle. 

These advancements in design have helped Bates, Wintecs parent company, to win a number of technological and design awards.

Real Riders

Listening to real riders talk about the Wintec 2000 for any time and you'll hear the words value for money and comfort. The saddles advanced material is much more reactive than a leather saddle. The hold of the Equisuade fabric and design of the seat combine to allow the rider to relax in the saddle improving their position.

Likes

• Grip in wet or humid conditions means you don't need to be concerned about slipping in the saddle.
• efficient to live with and excellent value means this saddle is a wonderful investment particularly with the gullet system meaning you don't need to exchange your complete saddle as your horse grows. Effortless to maintain meaning you can save time and money.
• washing with warm water is all this saddle needs to preserve its fantastic looks.

Dislikes

• The Equisuade can feel unfamiliar until you're used to the grip it provides. Some riders feel the Equisuade holds some moisture.
• Some people will think leather is better, but then some people are always behind the times.

Both experienced and beginner riders will value the benefits of the Wintec 2000 saddle recommended here. You'll also want to make sure you get your saddle from a reputable retailer. Click on the links above to check out a business of riders who have great customer service and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

For one of the most popular horses and ponies for sale websites in the UK and USA that list thousands of Horses for Sale as well as Horse and Ponies for Loan check out Horse Sales.

If you're going to find the perfect place for your horse you're going to have to get the most out of your horse sales advertisements.

In order to create a horse sales advertisement that actually sells your horse, it's first necessary to attract the buyer's interest. Be sure to include a basic description of your horse, including their age, height, location, breed and chronic health problems that might influence their performance. When selling a thoroughbred, be sure to include their parentage and pedigree as well. Horses are often judged by the performance of their sire or dam, particularly by breeders and serious competitors.

If you are looking for one of the most popular top equestrian websites for the Sale and Loan of Horses and Ponies then check out Horses for Sale.

Potential buyers also want to envision how your horse performs under tack. Is your horse a professional, or are you looking to sell a comfortable hack that would make a great riding horse for a beginning rider? Experience and training are going to be vital in convincing your rider that your horse will be able to meet their needs.

What kind of personality does your horse possess? If you know your horse you know that every horse has its own personality. Some horses demand an experienced rider, while others are perfect for beginners. The type of rider your horse works best with, how well they travel and how skilled they are at getting along with other horses is going to heavily influence your ability to place them in a new environment.

The key to successful horse sales is to condense their disposition, history and talent, price and location into a small, single advert. When you've done that you can rest assured that you're in the perfect position to attract the kind of buyer your horse deserves.

The question comes with some regularity, I'm bringing home my horse or I'm buying a horse and I need a list of basic items to have. And though this is by far not everything you may need, if you have these items you'll be able to care for your horse in a reasonable fashion. There may be other things needed, please feel free to comment and add to the list.

There may be some things on this list you may feel you don't need, but this will give you an idea of what you should have.

There's also a great book available called "Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage: Designing and Managing Your Equine Facilities" that will help you determine the items you need and even design your stable area. Cherry Hill is the author and she has also included a section on horse behavior. Lots of information. ]]> http://www.equestrian-accessories.com/basic-items-to-care-for-your-horse/feed/ 0 http://www.equestrian-accessories.com/horse-first-aid-kit/ http://www.equestrian-accessories.com/horse-first-aid-kit/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:43:23 +0000 Horse Talk http://www.equestrian-accessories.com/?p=696

Sooner or later you'll need a horse first aid kit. Here are some basic kits with supplies to get you started. There may be things you wish to add to your kit, but you'll find all the basics here.

Horse First Aid Equine Medical Kit EquiKit™ DELUXE Equine Vet Designed    US $98.99

Horse Aid™ First Aid Kit for Horses NEW    US $45.95

New Equine Horse Aid First Aid Kit for Ponies Tack    US $49.15

Horse First Aid Kit TRAIL RIDING EquiTrailKit™ EquiKits    US $49.95

First Aid Kit For Horses Pets    US $20.00

EquiKit™ BASIC Horse First Aid Equine Medical Kit    US $64.95

Natural Vet Horse First Aid Hard Shell Emergency Kit    US $44.99

vintage flying red horse mobil gas oil first aid kit tin    US $25.00

View Page:   1

It can be easy to lose control of all the 'stuff' you need to take care of your horse. Blanket Racks will definitely help in that area. Keep your blankets clean and dry with blanket racks. Here are the ones we have available today:

NEW HORSE FLOAT TACK BOX SADDLE BRIDLE BLANKET RACK KIT    US $32.27

Horse Blanket Rack for Air Drying Your Blankets    US $13.50

Horse Stall Blanket Towel Rack made from recycled Shoes    US $29.99

We have a large selection of horse halters available to fit the taste of any horse owner. If for some reason you are not able to find the specific horse halter you are looking for, do a search.

Hot Pink Black Horse Rope O ring Riding Halter w Cobra Nose 10 Lead Reins    US $60.00

New Horse Light Blue Nylon Halter Bridle Combo w Conchos    US $69.99

Tough 1 Heavy Navy Nylon Draft Horse Halter Horse Tack    US $14.50

Horse Show Halter    US $125.00

Horse Halter New Used Twice Pink Plaid on Heavy Duty Black Nylon ADORABLE    US $65.00

FITTING AND SHOWING THE HALTER HORSE LYNDA BLOOM    US $7.96

Arab Horse Show Halter Black with Silver and Crystal Beads    US $19.99

Large Victorian Horse Brass On A Hide Part Halter Harlech Castle    US $26.84

Antique WW I US mititary horse shipping halter for Railroad    US $9.99

new Blue Rope Horse Halter    US $4.99

View Page:   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9