The WildHorse Blogsite

Some Observations on the Colour and Mark of Horses - Info from 1751

Tip! Learn Trust - Horses must be able to trust their handlers. One of the first things that your child will learn about handling and riding horses is to be trustworthy and dependable, because if the horse doesn’t trust its handler it will not obey him/her.

Having recently been lent an original copy of the ‘Treatise on the Diseases of Horses’ written by William Gibson, Surgeon, in 1751, it has been interesting to compare horse lore then to now. This article looks at one of the early chapters on the colour and marks of horses. Beautifully written in expressive old English this book is a real pleasure to read.

We would still agree with Gibson today that ‘so much of the beauty of a horse depends upon his being well marked and of a good colour’ and also that ‘we often meet with good horses that are very ill marked and of bad colours and sometimes very bad horses, that have almost all the beauty that colour and marks can give them’. Reading this chapter from three centuries ago it becomes obvious that then marks and colour were taken to determine the character of the horse, and that much store was put on good looks. It is obvious, for example, that a gentleman in 18th century England would never be seen on the type of coloured horse which is becoming popular today! Some pictures from the book are reproduced at http://www.limebrook.com/1751horselore.html

Bays, Gibson suggests, are ‘perhaps so called from their resembling the colour of dried bay leaves’. In his opinion the bay is ‘one of the best colours, and horses of all the different kinds of bays are commonly good, unless when accidents happen to spoil them while they are colts’.

Although Chestnut mares have a poor reputation in the 21st century, it is interesting that this treatise does not mention this, although he does say that ‘when a chestnut horse happens to be bald or party or to have white legs…such horses are not very agreeable. Chestnuts, however, were preferred by most people to the sorrel, both ‘in point of beauty and goodness’.

The brown horse is described as a colour not so beautiful as the bay or chestnut, and ‘plain brown [horses] are esteemed more ordinary. Many of them are coarse, but strong and serviceable, fit for draught, for burden or for the wars’.

Tip! Learn Respect - Children will learn to respect their horses and themselves. Horses are large, dangerous creatures and they demand respect, yet in order to be handled safely they must also respect their handlers.

Gibson is impressed by black horses, finding them ‘very beautiful, especially when they are of a jet shining black and well marked, and have not too much white’. Too much white, apparently, adds ‘nothing to their goodness’. A little white, however, is good. A star or blaze, ‘sometimes a white muzzle and one or more of the feet tipped with white always looks beautiful and lively, and is no diminution to the goodness of a horse, but most think an addition’ although some ‘form an opinion that horses with mark are generally stubborn and ill-conditioned’. He has however ‘found many of the English black horses, especially of the largest breeds, not so hardy as the bays and the chestnuts etc. However, if they are black brown they are ‘generally the strongest in constitution’.

Of greys he states; ‘The greys are so diversified in colour, and so common and well known that it would be a needless curiosity to describe them particularly’. The dappled greys are ‘reckoned the best and are founding most parts of the world.’ Silver Grey is ‘extremely beautiful’, Iron grey has a ‘gay appearance but are not accounted the most hardy’, the light plain grey and pidgeon coloured grey soon change and turn white.

Of the roans Gibson notes that ‘many of them turn out much better than they appear to be’. Many roans make ‘good road horses’.

There are so many colours of horses that Gibson states would be ‘no great use to describe’, But ‘sometimes horses turn out very finely spotted, some like leopards or tigers, some like deer, with black, red, yellow or other gay colours, and when these happen also to be comply in shape and appearance they are generally reserved as present for Princes or other great men’ but ‘others again as so disagreeably diversified in their colours, and in such a remarkable manner, that no Gentleman would care to be seen upon their backs, or even suffer his servants to make use of them wherefore such are usually condemned to the meanest drudgery, and no properties they can have, will be sufficient to recommend them to any other use.

Tip! If you choose to work with green horses (youngsters) you have to recognize that you are taking on the role of teacher/parent/
disciplinarian and in that role, anytime you lose your temper you cause more work for yourself down the road and you confuse the horse. It is specifically for this reason that I don’t recommend HOT clubbers purchase green stock.

As Gibson fails to describe coloured horses (piebald or skewbalds) one can assume these are those which no Gentleman would ever ride!

As to the markings on horses Gibson says that some have reckoned horses to be lucky or unlucky by the way in which they are marked, but in his modern times of 1751 ‘believe few persons in our times are so superstitious as to regard such things’ He does follow this up by saying though that some people ‘denote all the good or ill qualities or a horse form his marks’. He himself though thinks that a ‘horse always looks the more beautiful for being well marked’.

The most common mark is a star, and an artificial star is often used when it doesn’t occur naturally. Gibson describes marks: ‘When the white descends pretty broad towards the nose it is called a blaze; when it descends into a smaller line it is called a snip; and when most of the horse’s face is white he is then said to be bald. All these marks are beautiful when they are not to extreme, for a very large star is not reckoned so beautiful as one that is of moderate size, neither is that baldness that spreads over a horse’s whole face and cheeks any ways becoming. As it gives him the looks of an ox, and such horses are often plain headed.’

Tip! Learn Patience - Horses are like children themselves, and training a horse is much like teaching a child. When your child has become a confident and skilled rider, letting them help train a horse will be an excellent experience for them.

Unfortunately Gibson has strong views about some horses: ‘where a horse’s pasterns, hoofs and all his four legs are white, especially when the white rises about the knees or hocks, it looks ugly, and a horse thus marked has too much of the pye-bald, which are seldom fit for gentlemen’s use.

Of feathers he is more a fan, saying, ‘wherever they happen to be, they are almost always signs of goodness, and some of them are exceeding beautiful’.

Reading this treatise from 1751 it is obvious that much store was put on what colour the horse was - certain horses would be condemned as war horses, or committed to a life of drudgery simply by their colour. Others, more happily marked (sorry, the 18th century language is addictive) end up living with Prince’s. Although today we still value the look of a horse, we do not tend to group them so much by colour, and a good show jumper or dressage horse can be any colour. It is hard to imagine that a horse would fail to make the Olympics just because he was of a colour that no gentleman would want to be seen on!

Working With Horses

Tip! Teaches Sensitivity - Horses can be very sensitive creatures. They have keen senses, and can sense if someone is afraid, angry, happy, etc.

Where there are horses there is always work to be found. The job description for a groom will vary from yard to yard, however there are several duties that always go with the job. These duties include feeding, grooming and mucking-out (cleaning the stables). Initially as you begin to fill the shoes of a groom you may realize that it can be hard physical work, especially cleaning the stables.

Your mind and body both need time to adjust to the rhythm and work load. A task that may take you 30 minutes to complete should eventually take you at least half the time to complete as you become competent and efficient.

All horse care facilities, yards and stables have a set routine that is carried out from morning to night. As a groom you would perform the routine for more than one horse. A groom can be in charge of three to seven horses. If you manage to take care of a single horse, consider yourself lucky and if you care for more than seven. I hope you do not end up with an extensive list of duties for each horse!

Here is a basic breakdown of possible daily routine when working with horses:

1. Feeding of the horses (breakfast)
  2. Turning out of some horses
  3. Grooms breakfast
  4. Rotating horses to be turned out
  5. Mucking out
  6. Exercising the horses
  7. Feeding lunch to horses
  8. Grooms lunch
  9. Bringing all horses in from the field for the night
  10. Grooming of the horses
  11. Tack Cleaning
  12. Skipping out of stables (taking out of droppings)
  13. Feeding of the horses (supper)
  14. Sweeping the yard
  15. Preparing the feed for the following morning
  16. Yard check of horses and lock up of yard
  17. Grooms supper
  18. Late night check of the yard and horses.

Horses 101: The Complete Guide to Buying & Caring for Your Horse This ebook is full of vital information that every horseowner should have. It covers everything from buying a horse to feeding and more.

Every day the above duties will be carried out and there are usually interruptions and additions as the day goes on, such as a scheduled visit from the farrier or an unscheduled visit of a veterinarian for a sick horse. Take each day as it comes.

Make Easy Money From Losing Horses! How To Make Consistent Profits From Laying Horses.

Your horse guide. Get information on buying, owning and caring for your horse, learn about Natural horsemanship.

Paul Hegarty is the owner of learningfromdvds.com. Price compare Educational DVDs, read reviews, download free E-books. Read this month’s e-book on “How To Spot A fraudulent Email”. Grab your free copy today.

Solving the Biting Problems with Green Broke Horses

Make Easy Money From Losing Horses! How To Make Consistent Profits From Laying Horses.

I received a letter from a reader who is back into horses after many years away and has purchased a young, green broke horse. Her question was about biting. She mentioned in her note that the horse is grabby with its mouth and has started to nip her. Her choice of discipline included slapping him in the face, and she mentioned that afterwards she always felt guilty so she would go over to make nice/nice with the horse because she didn’t want him to be mad at her. I want to address this letter in the column for a couple of reasons that have nothing to do with biting:

1. There are a lot of similarities between training young horses and young children; the fundamental difference is about 1200 pounds. As anyone who has raised young children can attest, a 30 pound child can drive an adult out of their minds on a bad day and factor in the additional size of a young horse and you will have a sense of the challenges that can arise when working young, green-broke stock.

2. As with raising your children, it is critical to love them enough to be consistent, set boundaries and stick to your guns. Otherwise, you are doing them a disservice in the long haul. I want horsemen to get a sense of the amount of mental and physical work that is involved in training young horses so that you can make an intelligent decision when looking for your next horse. If you are coming back to ride and have fun, buy a well trained, finished horse and have the time of your life. There are plenty of fad trainers on the market today claiming that they can train a horse in 30 minutes. If you have raised children, you know how impossible that statement is and while you can get a horse to do certain things in a short amount of time, it will always take hundreds of hours to season a young horse properly so they end up as a reliable, trustworthy, steady mount and that is a lot of work. My rule of thumb is this; the real difference between green broke and seasoned is 400 hours of your time!

Tip! How to Learn From Our Mistakes - When your child first starts learning to ride and handle horses they will make a lot of mistakes and will learn quickly not to make the same mistake twice. That is what horsemanship is all about.

There was one point about biting that I did want to address here. I don’t want people slapping their horse in the face when it is the face that caused the problem. There is a school of thought that suggests that you should hit whatever part of the body committed the transgression. While I understand the logic, I don’t agree with it. I live by the same logic that engineers live by (do it once, do it well and don’t make more work for yourself along the way). My version of that rule is this, “never fix one problem by causing three new problems.” Slapping a horse in the face for biting may or may not stop the biting problem, but I guarantee it will create all kinds of head shy problems. If you teach your horse that your hand is a potential weapon, each time your hand approaches his face, don’t be surprised when your horse jerks his head away. This boo boo is sure to bite you when you try to bridle, groom the face, clip the face, put on halters, float teeth, treat medical issues or pet your horse. Teaching your horse to be head shy is counter productive and makes more work in the long haul.

Tip! Learn Patience - Horses are like children themselves, and training a horse is much like teaching a child. When your child has become a confident and skilled rider, letting them help train a horse will be an excellent experience for them.

By the way, I sent our reader a long, detailed blue print for fixing the biting problem without causing more problems in the process. However, in this column, I really want to focus on the underlying issues in her letter and those have little to do with biting.

California Horses 2 Win Best Horse Handicapping Info on the Net.

1. One of those issues is that training horses require a thinker, and neither requires you to necessarily be a rocket scientist but, you are required to be smarter and be able to out think the horse in your charge and as any non-pro who has worked with green stock can attest, there are days when it is hard to tell who is smarter and who is out thinking whom!

2. If you choose to work with green horses (youngsters) you have to recognize that you are taking on the role of teacher/parent/disciplinarian and in that role, anytime you lose your temper you cause more work for yourself down the road and you confuse the horse. It is specifically for this reason that I don’t recommend HOT clubbers purchase green stock. If you are coming back to horses looking for some fun and a relaxing outlet that you can enjoy when you can find free time in your schedule, buy a finished, older horse.

3. The other issue that I thought was important about the letter was the idea that the horse owner didn’t want to hurt the horse’s feelings so after disciplining the animal, she would go over and make a fuss over him. Trust me, in the wild, if the alpha horse reprimands an animal lower on the pecking order for getting cheeky, he/she won’t be going over to make nice/nice afterwards. Horses understand that there are boundaries and that is part of normal herd behavior. There are plenty of fad trainers on the market today talking about bonding with your horse, making friends, and becoming part of the herd, but at the end of the day, it is your job to teach and educate and that is best accomplished when you operate from the position of head of the herd, not just one of the boys. In the case of the reader with the biting horse, it is equally counter productive and confusing to sock a horse in the mouth for biting and then, for no apparent reason, fawn all over him two minutes later. When working with green stock, it is all about consistency.

Tip! Self Discipline - Horses take a lot of time and work, so your child will have to be dedicated to learning how to ride and handle horses effectively. I have found that dedication is rarely something that children lacks when it comes to horses.

A parent who says they never discipline their child and only wants to be their friend is a parent who is headed for disaster because a child who operates in a world without any boundaries is a child who will drive you, the neighbors, all the school teachers and the rest of the civilized world- nutty!

If your kids are raised and you loved the process, buy a green broke horse because it will be very similar to your experience rearing kids. However, if you have raised your children and while you don’t regret doing it, you wouldn’t want to go there again, bear that in mind when you are out shopping for your next horse. If you are a HOT clubber, you have earned the right to have fun. Buying a seasoned, well trained, finished horse is like spending time with your adult kids. Buying a green broke horse is like spending time with a toddler! In the case of my reader, the biting issue is the first of dozens of other challenges she is going to be facing in the months and years to come while working with a green broke animal. The value of her letter is that it brings up the ultimate question: Do you want to spend hundreds of hours teaching and training a horse to ride - or hundreds of hours riding a horse that is already trained? Food for thought when you get ready to shop for your next horse!

Tip! Learn Respect - Children will learn to respect their horses and themselves. Horses are large, dangerous creatures and they demand respect, yet in order to be handled safely they must also respect their handlers.

The Power of Horses - Guiding Us to Greater Growth

Tip! Self Discipline - Horses take a lot of time and work, so your child will have to be dedicated to learning how to ride and handle horses effectively. I have found that dedication is rarely something that children lacks when it comes to horses.

There are few natural leaders in our world, and even fewer role models who can teach us how to unlock our potential, show us how to live with intention, and help us embrace life’s fullness. Horses do this every day. They are natural leaders living fully among their herd with a clear intention of survival, safety, and order.

In their natural environment, horses’ survival depends on their ability to sense pending danger before it presents itself. Their heightened awareness tunes them into the positive and negative energy in their environment…and in humans. Their behaviors can help us uncover the actions needed to realign us with our surroundings and ourselves.

EquiCoaching involves working with horses and a coach who is experienced in human dynamics and horse behavior. Working with horses in this method creates significant growth experiences and provides insights often hidden from our awareness. This new knowledge opens the door to conscious choice, confidence and change. It does not involve riding. Instead, it requires quiet interaction with horses - observing them, asking and answering questions, and learning from them in a gentle way.

Horses impact humans in profound ways. During an EquiCoaching session, one participant talked with a gentle herd about the clients who pick at her and eat up her time, leaving little for family or herself. As she spoke of this, two horses nibbled at her pants and sleeves and crowded her. She giggled with excitement at the two and considered them loving and attentive. Another horse stood back, quietly observing. When asked about this horse, the woman walked over to him, gently stroked him, and talked of feeling bad because he was left out of the fun. She spent little time with him and quickly moved back to the two who had been “eating” at her.
 She realized that she enjoyed the clients who took all of her time; she liked feeling needed by them. Meanwhile, her family was patiently waiting for her when she had time for them. She experimented with moving away from the nibbling horses and spending time with the patient one, and recognized that it felt good to be with him. Yet she could easily step back to the other two, if she chose to do so.

Her revelation led her to allocate less time for her demanding clients, while still maintaining the relationships, and focus more time on her family and herself, creating a better balance and greater peace in her life.

One entrepreneur spent time approaching horses in their environment. He quickly noticed the fear rising inside him as he walked toward the horses. When he acknowledged this fear to the horses, he was able to walk up, touch them, and be with them. He pondered his approach to potential clients and recognized the same fear when he entered into those situations. With this new awareness, he began identifying his fear, breathing through it, and calming himself before meeting with a potential client. This shift resulted in more new clients and a 53% increase in business.

Another woman lovingly brushed a horse during a session. The handsome gelding turned and put his head against her. She thought it was sweet and that he liked her. As she continued brushing the horse and responding to questions, the horse nudged her. When asked if the behavior bothered her, she said no. The nudging intensified with each question and response, but she continued as if nothing strange were happening and assured the facilitators that she was fine. Finally, the nudges turned into a push that moved her about a foot. She was asked if this behavior bothered her. Again, she said no. With continued probing, she realized that the inappropriate behavior should have bothered her; it never occurred to her that she didn’t have to put up with it.

Tip! If you choose to work with green horses (youngsters) you have to recognize that you are taking on the role of teacher/parent/
disciplinarian and in that role, anytime you lose your temper you cause more work for yourself down the road and you confuse the horse. It is specifically for this reason that I don’t recommend HOT clubbers purchase green stock.

The woman recognized similar patterns in her personal and professional life and decided to make some changes. This awareness felt like a “new found freedom” to her, one that remains strong and allows her to set boundaries with others.

History shows that horses have changed our lives. They gave us the ability to work the land and move from one place to another. They carried us, lightened our loads, and taught our ancestors how to survive. Horses have given to humans freely for thousands of years, and continue to guide us in living with intention…. we just need to be quiet and listen.

Stress in Horses

Tip! Self Discipline - Horses take a lot of time and work, so your child will have to be dedicated to learning how to ride and handle horses effectively. I have found that dedication is rarely something that children lacks when it comes to horses.

Just like us, our horses get stressed. Stress seems to be an inevitable part of modern life and we can even pass on such feelings and problems to our pets and animal companions. In the same way when our animals become stressed we know it and it affects our riding and enjoyment.

But how damaging really is tension and anxiety. How can we avoid it and why is it important for animals as well as people?

Stress is a natural response of the body to something that threatens it whether that threat is mental or a physical accident or a disease. When the body senses that something bad may happen to it, cells release chemicals that start to protect the body from what ‘might happen’. This threat to the body might be a sudden change in the weather, a new horse in the field that might cause a fight, some change to management regime or maybe the loss of a companion in the same field. Some of the chemicals that the body releases in such situations are natural steroids which calm damage in the body down whether that damage occurs in the mind or the muscles. Other chemicals start to prepare the body for taking evasive action i.e. running away quickly.

California Horses 2 Win Best Horse Handicapping Info on the Net.

So we can see that stress is actually a natural state of the body. If we or our horses did not get worried or stressed about things to some degree we would be much more likely to get into trouble in difficult or dangerous situations. The trouble comes however when stress continues for long periods of time without us being able to get away from what is causing it. Then the natural chemicals in the body that are supposed to protect the body actually start having negative effects. The body steroid hormones start weakening the immune system, body chemicals make us ‘revved up’ in order to escape the stress and cannot do so and by products of all this chemical activity called ‘free radicals’ start damaging the cells and make us grow older more quickly. It is a bit like ‘revving up’ an engine for a long period without going anywhere. Of course it is not good for the engine after a while. Recent studies show that short periods of stress are actually good for the body because the healing process of the body afterwards gives it a lift. If a person has no occasional challenge to make them think more acutely the brain degenerates and becomes less able to function well.

Tip! Learn Respect - Children will learn to respect their horses and themselves. Horses are large, dangerous creatures and they demand respect, yet in order to be handled safely they must also respect their handlers.

So what does all this mean for horses? It means that if your horse is locked up in a stable for prolonged periods and does not like this it can get stressed and this damages its health. It means that horses that loose their companions and are then left by themselves get ill eventually. It means that if a horse is constantly worried about a heavy competition schedule and non-stop traveling it is likely to get ill relatively easily.

How do we prevent the longer type of stress causing damage to our horses? The key is of course good management and an understanding of how a horses mind works. For many people this is not natural and it is worth reading up on how horses behave in the wild and in domestication and trying to fit in more with what a horse is happy with. For example most people are well aware that horses like to be fed at regular times during the day and get stressed out if regimes are upset. If a horse never knows when its feed is coming it is a constant state of anxiety.

Horses 101: The Complete Guide to Buying & Caring for Your Horse This ebook is full of vital information that every horseowner should have. It covers everything from buying a horse to feeding and more.

When a horse has been stressed for prolonged periods of time sometimes extra help is needed. Bad experiences can affect a horse strongly for the rest of his or her life - just like a person. In the same way a period of one month’s stress because of an inability to get on with another horse in the same field may take several weeks to get over after normality has returned and this is where herbs can fit in nicely.

Many herbs are great at tackling stress and help animals adapt to stressful situations. The most important of these are called ‘Adaptogens’ (help bodies adapt). Examples of such plants are Indian and chinese ginsengs, Astragalus and even tumeric. Other plants have strong antioxidant properties which help get rid of toxic free radicals which are releases at times of stress. Most people think of different types of food, vitamins and minerals as being the only sources of antioxidants but many herbs are specifically more powerful than anything else at providing this form of protection.

Tip! Learn Patience - Horses are like children themselves, and training a horse is much like teaching a child. When your child has become a confident and skilled rider, letting them help train a horse will be an excellent experience for them.

So when horses and people are stressed the strategic use of herbal mixes to reduce stress can make an enormous difference. Rather than reaching for the diazepam a quick drink of a suitable herbal drink can get you back on the right track in an hour or two when otherwise you might be uptight for days. In the same way for horses the careful use of a good herb blend can help your horse recover quickly from a difficult situation or cope with stress more easily until you are able to remove the underlying cause.

Stephen Ashdown MA, Msc BvetMed MRCVS, a veterinary herbalist and managing director of Global Herbs has conducted research these past 10 years into the use of herbs for horses.

What is It About Horses and Young Girls?

Tip! Learn Trust - Horses must be able to trust their handlers. One of the first things that your child will learn about handling and riding horses is to be trustworthy and dependable, because if the horse doesn’t trust its handler it will not obey him/her.

In a world of computer games, the Internet and shopping malls, what is it about this four-legged farm animal that seems to capture the heart of most of them?

According to a recent study by the American Horse Council, 1.9 million Americans own horses — just over 4 million people are recreational riders and 3.6 million show horses. The horse industry has a $112.1 billion impact on the US gross domestic product: greater than the movie industry and the tobacco manufacturing industry.

Even with people mainly in cities, horses have really disappeared from daily life for most North Americans. And yet their appeal hasn’t faded.

I wonder why.

As a youngster, I was enthralled with horses. I read books about horses, took riding lessons and all of my drawings were of horses. It’s a girl thing mostly. I didn’t come from an equestrian background.

It does have benefits. You learn to control a large muscle-y animal which may prepare you for being married to another version of one. A horse weighs about half a ton. You can’t be shy around a horse. You learn to be confident and firm.

The general care of a horse which includes brushing, mucking out stalls and feeding gives you a feeling of responsibility. It’s a healthier environment - a riding stable can delay the problems of dating and drugs. It
 ’s a great physical activity.

In an age where teenagers find that television’s problems are dealt with in 30 minutes, riding takes a longer, more dedicated approach. I think girls who ride make better drivers because you’re trained to look forward and plan what’s ahead. No one wants to get hit by an overhead branch on a trail. It’ is a monetary investment but I think it’s on par with boys playing hockey and the equipment that entails. Overall, I would say it is money well spent.

About the Author: Gwen Jones
 http://www.equestrianboutique.com
 Gwen Jones is an adult living in Toronto, Canada and rides when she can.
 Equestrian Boutique

Trailering Your Horses Safely!

Tip! Learn Respect - Children will learn to respect their horses and themselves. Horses are large, dangerous creatures and they demand respect, yet in order to be handled safely they must also respect their handlers.

There’s a horse show across the state in a few weeks, and you’re planning on being there with your horses. However, it’s been awhile since you last pulled a horse trailer, and you’re a little concerned about your trailering skills. After all, you want to arrive at your destination safely, with the horses as calm and relaxed as possible.

Guiding a loaded horse trailer down a country road or highway requires practical experience and know-how. There’s very little room for error. What do you do to ensure a safe, uneventful journey?

How to Ensure Safe Trailering

If you’re out of practice, or if you’ve never towed a trailer before, obtaining adequate personal experience prior to the actual event is of the utmost importance. Just as if you were learning to drive for the first time, you should begin by practicing basic driving skills before getting out in traffic with the trailer.

The more experienced you become, the more prepared you will be for anything that may potentially happen. With more confidence and a higher level of awareness and preparedness, you should be better able to handle any unexpected situation that comes along.

Horses 101: The Complete Guide to Buying & Caring for Your Horse This ebook is full of vital information that every horseowner should have. It covers everything from buying a horse to feeding and more.

Find a level field or a parking lot in which to practice. Mark your course with several highway cones, then, set out to work on the following driving skills:

Ready for the Highway

After you’ve practiced all the basic driving skills while pulling your horse trailer and you feel confident in your ability to handle the rig safely, you’re ready to test your skills out on the road.

Try towing your trailer for short distances, at first. Make sure that you feel comfortable with turning corners in traffic, with backing your trailer, with parking on a grade, and with being able to stop your trailer quickly (should the need arise). Once you are confident in your towing abilities, you’re ready to travel any distance with your horses.

Just remember to always be alert when out on the roads. Drive defensively and be prepared for any possible situation.

If Wishes Were Horses Then Beggars Would Ride!

Horses 101: The Complete Guide to Buying & Caring for Your Horse This ebook is full of vital information that every horseowner should have. It covers everything from buying a horse to feeding and more.

And if Bull frogs had wings they wouldn’t bump their little rear-end when they landed. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that rushing all over the place you are being your most productive self. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that when you take time out for thought you are wasting your time. All play and no work makes Jack a poor boy, but, quality time in thought can turn your wishes into diamonds.

Tip! There are a lot of similarities between training young horses and young children; the fundamental difference is about 1200 pounds. As anyone who has raised young children can attest, a 30 pound child can drive an adult out of their minds on a bad day and factor in the additional size of a young horse and you will have a sense of the challenges that can arise when working young, green-broke stock.

As Plain As Black And White!

It has been said; if you invest one percent of your time in study, thinking and planning, you will make an amazing difference in the speed with which you reach your goals.

Everyday has 1440 minutes in it. Invest one percent of that time everyday in study, thinking and planning and you will be amazed at what those fourteen minutes can do for you.

Developing this daily habit will bring you ideas and solutions not just when you are in your study time, but, almost anywhere. You could be walking down the street, or giving a speech. You could be singing in the shower or cleaning a dirty diaper. Yuk.

Now, pay attention: “Goals”, are not wishes. Wings don’t belong on Bull frogs and beggars can’t be choosers. And, you are not going to achieve your goals by wishes, or begging, or, lying around and licking your wounds. Goals are accomplished by taking the bull by the horn and wrestling that rascal to the ground.

Easy As ABC!

How do you do that? There are three things you need to do. (1), you need to write the goal down. (2), Aim your sights high. And, (3), Create a deadline.

Writing the goal down gives it purpose and clarity. You got to know what you’re going after or else how will you know if you ever get it? Writing the goal down also will make an impression on your memory. As an idea comes to our minds, that we have an interest in, we tend to analyze the thought with our “thinker cap”, and determine if we can achieve it.

Tip! Learn to be Open Minded - Every horse is different and will have to be handled differently. A good horseman never stops learning, even experts and trainers will admit that they learn something new everyday from their horses.

If the idea has merit, we continue to analyze till we either find ourselves blowing and going like a locomotive, or fizzling out like a wet fuse. You will always find yourself pursuing energetically, something that has made an indelible impression on your mind.

Just Between You And Me And The Fence Post!

If it hasn’t made that kind of impression, then you will not find the kind of fire in your desire that you need to go for broke. Your goals will still be like that stupid bull frog that wishes he had wings. Now, obviously, going broke is not what you want to happen. But, the attitude is what is important.

Aim your sights high. It takes no more effort to aim high and accept prosperity, abundance, peace, health, life; than it does to settle for misery and poverty and small potatoes. Now, no one has ever achieved one hundred percent of all their goals. But, why settle for a pig in a poke.

Tip! If you choose to work with green horses (youngsters) you have to recognize that you are taking on the role of teacher/parent/disciplinarian and in that role, anytime you lose your temper you cause more work for yourself down the road and you confuse the horse. It is specifically for this reason that I don’t recommend HOT clubbers purchase green stock.

The problem comes where we aim so low that we accomplish that goal with relative ease, and then, when the goal is accomplished, we realize all we got was this great looking slick bull frog, but the sucker’s got no wings.

Now, at that moment, we’re not thinking, now wait a minute! This sucker doesn’t fly because I set my sights so low, that I became over confident, and reeled that bad boy in like a pro. Our great accomplishment just doesn’t seem to satisfy and something seems lacking.

You’re Not Just Whistling Dixie!

It is a lot better to shoot for the stars and miss them half way, than to shoot for the ceiling and miss it half way. There seems to be a direct relationship between how easy we can accomplish our goals, and the mental power propelling the motivation.

If you’re not expending considerable energy to reach the stars, then it ain’t the stars you’re reaching for. You might as well be reaching for a clouded crystal ball, and reciting, twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.

The stars don’t give themselves easy to anyone. When you set your sights for the stars, you will subconsciously increase the amount of effort that you apply. You have too. The higher the goal, the more your reason will tell you to be objective and honest with yourself. It will become mandatory that you expend enough effort to move your mountain.

California Horses 2 Win Best Horse Handicapping Info on the Net.

So, you will set a series of steps that have to be reached in order to go to the next level or higher position. Goals are never reached, no matter how high or low, in one step. And, each level that we find ourselves having reached, we gain a little more confidence and head for the next level.

Get A Move On!

Ask yourself this question. Where will you be and what will you be doing ten years from now if you keep doing what you are doing right now? This is the importance of setting a deadline for the goal. When you write your goal, you will specify the time limit for achieving it. This gives finality to it.

Keep this in mind. Always be aggressive in asking life for more than what you really want. Ask for more than what you think you’re worth. Why should I do that? Because, people have a tendency to meet the demands and expectations that are placed upon them within their time constraints.

Waiting With Baited Breath!

After you rise to the occasion and present the prize to yourself, then the next time you set out to accomplish a goal, you will be mentally prepared to grab the whole enchilada, take a licking and keep on ticking.

It will be very beneficial if you outline the goal from beginning to end. Just don’t try to answer every question at the very beginning. This is sometimes not possible. We don’t always know all the answers when first starting out. This is why fear sometimes will hold us back. But, fear is never a friend to your goals. And, besides, the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.

Herein Lays Your Door Of Opportunity!

This is so important for you to take action on the goal and start moving towards it one step at a time. And, keep moving and keep moving. It won’t move closer to you unless you’re moving closer to it. And, if you let the pony die, the ride is over.

Richard Vegas ©

About The Author

Richard Vegas is a popular recording artist and internet marketing professional. He invites you to subscribe to his FREE weekly ezine “Wing-Tips” Teaching The Success System That Never Fails, at: http://www.1-work-at-home-based-business-opportunities.com. You may also hear some of Richard’s free music at: http://www.richardvegas.com.

webmaster@1-work-at-home-based-business-opportunities.com

10 Ways Horses Build Character in Children

California Horses 2 Win Best Horse Handicapping Info on the Net.

1. Learn Responsibility - Horses will teach your child responsibility very quickly. Make sure that your child does all the work involved in caring for the horse. Everything from feeding, cleaning stalls, grooming, saddling and riding. Children will want to ride but they may not always be eager to do the work. However children almost always fall in love with the horses that they handle and they will want to take as good care of them.

Tip! If you choose to work with green horses (youngsters) you have to recognize that you are taking on the role of teacher/parent/ disciplinarian and in that role, anytime you lose your temper you cause more work for yourself down the road and you confuse the

Once they know that the horse depends on themand that in order to ride they have to take good care of the horses, they will learn to be more responsible in other aspects of there life.

2. Learn Trust - Horses must be able to trust their handlers. One of the first things that your child will learn about handling and riding horses is to be trustworthy and dependable, because if the horse doesn’t trust its handler it will not obey him/her. This can be a very valuable life long lesson for your child.

3. Learn to be Open Minded - Every horse is different and will have to be handled differently. A good horseman never stops learning, even experts and trainers will admit that they learn something new everyday from their horses. Horses will make your child realize that learning is an on going process that never ends. This can transcend into other aspects, such as school and relationships.

4. Build Confidence - Horses are large and intimidating, so naturally it takes a lot

Tip! Learn Trust - Horses must be able to trust their handlers. One of the first things that your child will learn about handling and riding horses is to be trustworthy and dependable, because if the horse doesn’t trust its handler it will not obey him/her.

 of confidence to be able to control one. Letting a your child handle a gentle horse will do wonders for their confidence. Most people are naturally a little bit timid, especialy a child of horses because they are so big. By handling a gentle horse children will overcome their fear and learn that they can safely handle and control the same animal that they were once had great fear of. The better your child learns how to handle the horse, the more confident he/she will become. When children do well with the horses that they handle, their confidence goes up and their self esteem improves. They now realize that this huge creature they were once afraid of is a beautiful and loving animal.

5. Learn Patience - Horses are like children themselves, and training a horse is much like teaching a child. When your child has become a confident and skilled rider, letting them help train a horse will be an excellent experience for them. Horses require a lot of patience because training a young horse involves a lot of repetition and time. This is a lesson that will follow them in all aspects of life.

6. Self Discipline - Horses take a lot of time and work, so your child will have to be dedicated to learning how to ride and handle horses effectively. I have found that dedication is rarely something that children lacks when it comes to horses. People, especially young people, have a natural attraction to horses and enjoy spending time with them. However, because horses are a lot of work your child will soon learn self discipline. For example, instead of sleeping in in the morning, they will be up and out feeding and cleaning. Horses must be fed twice daily and have access to fresh water at all times. Their stalls must be cleaned regularly and they must receive regular exercise. This will take a lot of time, but most people find that it is worth it for the time they get to spend riding, or just being with horses.

7. Teaches Sensitivity - Horses can be very sensitive creatures. They have keen senses, and can sense if someone is afraid, angry, happy, etc. They communicate with body language and are very sensitive to their handler’s body position. Because horses are so sensitive, the handler must be also. The handler must be able to tell how the horse is feeling and why it is behaving the way it is. The handler must learn to interpret the horses body language and to communicate effectively with the horse using its own language. When a horse misbehaves, the handler must decide whether or not the horse is doing so out of fear, stubbornness, anger, pain etc. and must respond appropriately.

Make Easy Money From Losing Horses! How To Make Consistent Profits From Laying Horses.

8. How to Learn From Our Mistakes - When your child first starts learning to ride and handle horses they will make a lot of mistakes and will learn quickly not to make the same mistake twice. That is what horsemanship is all about. When a rider makes a mistake he/she cannot deny it. They must acknowledge the mistake and correct it. The rider must move on after correcting the mistake and not dwell on it. Handling and riding horses will teach your child to use their past mistakes to improve their future horsemanship skills and this will tanscend into other aspects of your childs life.

9. Learn Respect - Children will learn to respect their horses and themselves. Horses are large, dangerous creatures and they demand respect, yet in order to be handled safely they must also respect their handlers. By learning how to handle a horse, children will become more respectful of there horse and its nature. By being trustworthy, confident and responsible your child will earn the respect of there horse.

10. To Have Fun - Last but certainly no least, your child should have fun and enjoy being apart of the horse life style. You don’t want to put too much demand on your child, you need to let them have fun with there horse as well as know when its time to be serious.

I hope the information provided here will help you realize how important it is for you to find a creative yet fulfilling way for you to teach your child all aspects of owning and caring for a horse.