Archive for October, 2007

Walking Horse SaddleThe Tennessee Walker is the horse ideally suited for the walking horse saddle which is certainly an exceptional saddle that is made from fiberglass covered wood tree having a cantle of four inches and broad seat with brass hardware and saddle strings trim that is quite a pleasure to own. This is important because such a saddle is ideally suited for the American and also for Canadian horsemen and women and especially for anyone interested in staying in the saddle for long hours and not wanting to have the horse do anything like jumping or running.

Shows The exaggerated Walk Of The Horse To Best Advantage

The walking horse saddle is mainly supposed to show to best advantage the exaggerated walk of the horse and it is not meant for jumping the horse; rather, it is used in flat riding. The horse most suited for the walking horse saddle is of course the Tennessee Walker also referred to as the Tennessee Walking Horse which is a gentle animal originally bred in the South of the United States and was meant to carry plantation owners to different parts of the land that they owned. Another horse quite suitable for using the walking horse saddle is the Garrett Walking Horse and when such horses move in a four-beat manner that can be thought of as a running walk, the rider is very comfortable in the saddle and this type of horse then becomes a very suitable companion even for trail rides.

When you are astride the Tennessee Walker and comfortable in your walking horse saddle, you will find your horse moving at about four miles per hour which is the speed of the four-beat gait though the Tennessee Walking Horse has what is known as the running walk which is more akin to an amble. Thus, you can expect to go faster than mere walking though it is not as fast as a canter which means that your walking horse saddle will provide you with a smooth ride that is much more comfortable than if you were to trot your horse or go any faster.

This means that you can sit in the walking horse saddle for longer periods without becoming uncomfortable or having a sore seat, and are thus such a saddle is ideally suited for trail riding and also for doing tasks in which the rider has long hours to spend in the saddle. Since not every horse can perform the ambling gait, you would be well advised to use your walking horse saddle on a breed such as the Tennessee Walker or on any other horses that have inherited this particular trait through birth or via minimal training.

Therapeutic Horse RidingTherapeutic horse riding can bring healing powers to people afflicted with different ailments. Therapeutic horse riding is not new for many people have recognized the healing powers of riding a horse for many years. People with severe disabilities have found great comfort in therapeutic horse riding for some time. Therapeutic horse riding has been recommended by medical professionals for different patients, and there are now centers that specialize in working with people in search of a therapy. Therapeutic horse riding allows some disabled people the use of the legs of magnificent creatures.

People who have lost some of their abilities can regain a feeling of power by using the power of a beautiful horse. Many disabled people gain the power to move around more easily on the back of a horse. There are psychological as well as physical benefits to riding a horse. Therapeutic horse riding requires balance, and the work on a horse often helps people regain some balance by riding on the back of a horse. Horse riding can help people with problems regain some of their physical strength. Exercises on horseback can also help people improve their muscle control and range of motion.

Experts Help Those In Need Through Therapeutic Horse Riding

Therapeutic horse riding is not an imaginary exercise. There are many centers where experts know the value of Horseback riding for those with afflictions. Some of the centers are non-profit for maximum benefit to those in need. Many people who suffer from a debilitating condition lose their sense of hopefulness and worthiness. A difficult condition can make people feel that they are useless. Therapeutic horse riding can restore their self-confidence. The skills necessary for riding a horse take practice and patience. Many people feel a great sense of satisfaction from acquiring the necessary skills to control and care for beautiful horses.

Therapeutic horse riding can be especially helpful to children. Some centers that specialize in therapeutic horse riding welcome children to their services. These centers are in rural settings, and there have been children who have benefited greatly from time away from urban centers where their lives are troubled. These children get a chance to escape from some of their troubles for a time. These centers often provide an opportunity where people can work together as a team to care for horses and their stables. Most of the people who enroll in a center work with the team and ride with the team.

One of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors is through trail riding which provides you with ample opportunity to view the excellent scenic wonders and also allows you to spend quality time outside the confines of city life, and best of all, it provides the horse with some good exercise and different paced walks. Because, if one were to leave a horse on its own, most probably it would take to doing something like a trail ride, which is sure to give it a good deal of pleasure as well. So, besides the rider, even the horse will prefer going on a trail ride though there are certain necessities that must be taken care of so that the neither the rider gets saddle sore on horse nor the horse feels too sore after a day on the trail.

Sitting On The Saddle For Several Hours Is Sure To Cause Much Soreness

Also, for those who are relatively new to horse riding, going out on the trail all alone is not recommended as you will also be more prone to getting saddle sore on horse because of not having the proper feel of riding and also because of less amount of experience to ride comfortably on the horse. Trail riding involves sitting on the saddle for several hours which will definitely cause saddle sore on horse and so you need to understand what your limitations are and not exert either yourself or the horse more than is absolutely necessary. The idea is to enjoy your trail riding rather than causing your own and the horse’s life to become miserable because of too much wear since getting sore or hurt will certainly not be any fun.

Just like competitive riding, trail riding too makes a lot of demands of both horse and rider and there is need to spend many hours in the saddle while riding for miles on end, or while preparing for a competition. Thus, to prevent saddle sore on horse you need to know the correct posture for riding and also know which saddle will make you feel sore, and which are more comfortable, and to minimize saddle sore on horse, you will certainly need to be very careful in selecting only the proper saddle while learning to keep the correct posture as well.

Though you can pick a saddle that fits in with your technique of riding, there are still so many different riding postures to choose from that no one single posture would suit every rider, and a basic thing to look for in a saddle is that it is wide enough for you to sit comfortably upon and which will also support your body weight well at the same time.

Next, you should be adept at riding otherwise the chances of your getting saddle sore on horse will greatly increase and you should know how to move on as well as off the saddle well so that there is not constant pressure or discomfort felt when riding. And, of course you should be able to handle your horse well if you don’t want even more saddle sore on horse.

In a match between a horse and a car, the horse will always loose. Cars, trucks, drivers and roads suck, but they are an inescapable part of modern living if you want to ride horses. You AND your horse needs to know the rules for riding a horse on the road. If you or your horse cannot handle roads and traffic, you cannot risk riding on a road.

Rules You Need To Follow

Always keep in mind that drivers are the enemy. It doesn’t matter that it’s illegal to hit a horse with a car intentionally. They will still do it, because there are drivers out there who think it’s funny to kill animals with cars. This might sound paranoid, but this kind of paranoia will save your horse’s life. This is THE most important of the rules for riding a horse on the road.

Always dress in bright reflective colors. This is one of the most important rules for riding a horse on the road. There are many cheap and cheerful fluorescent colored vests you can buy. If you have to, stick an orange “slow traffic” triangle on your back. Consider that most horses are a shade of brown. This color blends in with the surroundings. Drowsy drivers will not see a brown horse, but will see the bright vest.

Reflective stickers and additions are also available for your horse. You can put them on the saddle blanket, the brow band, or as wraps around the legs. If you have to do any riding at dawn, dusk or evening, these are a good investment.

Always ride your horse facing traffic, if you can help it. This is another of the most important rules for riding a horse on the road. The horse will be less likely to panic if they can see what’s coming.

Rules Your Horse Needs To Follow

Your horse must be road wise. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. It’s hard enough to sit a bucking horse without having to weave around traffic as well. For the first time you ride your horse anywhere near a road, dismount and LEAD the horse until you are assured that he or she is road wise.

The other rules for riding a horse on the road are to keep alert. Also, keep as calm as you can. Horses can pick up your nerves. Don’t ride alone on a road if you can help it, in case of emergency, you have help. Ride with a cell phone for emergencies. And praise your horse when he or she is behaving well.

There’s always something you need to buy for your horse. At least you are easy to shop for at Christmas or Hanukah. No matter how many horses you have or how often you travel with them, you should consider investing one of the many kinds of portable horse riding arenas available. Even if you don’t have horses but have a substantial amount of property in horse country, you might consider getting portable horse riding arenas.

Events

Portable horse riding arenas don’t necessarily have to be for horses, but for all kinds of animals. If you hold events on your property, these are necessary for mini dog-parks, for a petting zoo, pony rides or any other charity event you can think of. They can come in many sizes and materials. They are absolutely necessary in big events like conventions, horse shows or camping festivals where your customers might arrive on horseback or in buggies.

Emergencies

If you run any kind of animal rescue or disaster preparation for your community, portable horse riding arenas are a must. When there is chaos from natural or unnatural disasters, it’s good to know that there is a safe and sturdy place to put animals or lost children in that can get sorted out later. No matter what size of stable or animal rescue unit you have, you may never know when you need a portable horse riding arena. There may be a fire in your main building or a sudden influx of abandoned animals in your territory.

Before You Buy

If you don’t already have horses, check your zoning laws to see if you can temporarily set up portable horse riding arenas where you are holding your event or next to your animal shelter. Usually, since they are only temporary, you will usually be okay, but you still need to be aware of the laws. If your community doesn’t have a disaster plan and a lot of animal lovers, you might consider proposing to get a portable horse riding arena for public emergency use.

Portable horse riding arenas are usually electrified. You will need to be able to get a hold of a place to charge your batteries. Also, for any public events, you need a lot of warning signs up. If the animals are extremely docile and the weather is mild, you may be able to get away without turning the juice on. Odds are, you won’t.

I rode in my first horse show with borrowed riding boots. I wanted to look spiffy enough for the judge and only had grungy Ducks for riding at the time. By the end of that horse show, even though I was in the ribbons, my feet wished that I had stuck with the ducks. Riding with ill fitting, shoddy boots is no bargain. And painful feet detract from your riding abilities. Your horse will pick up on your discomfort and wonder if there’s anything for him or her to worry about. Looking back, I wished I had invested in a new pair of new boots, such as the kinds offered by Mountain Horse riding boots.

Ready For Trails In The Real World

Riding is not all about galloping off into the sunset. There are a lot of mud, muck, puddles and ice to deal with, too. If the weather is too bad for you to ride, your horse still needs to be cleaned, exercised (even if just walked on a lead) and the stalls cleaned. Mountain Horse riding boots offer a variety of good looking and sturdy boots to deal with all of these real world situations.

Mountain Horse riding boots come in full length and paddock boots (which only come up to the ankles). You can choose from tie on or slip on with the paddock boots. All of the boots come with a prominent heel so you can work and ride. Most are in black, but some are also in a rich chestnut brown. All are designed to keep your feet safe in the stirrups, but also comfortable. Some have a special layer for warmth for really bad weather.

They Ride, Too

Unfortunately, Mountain Horse riding boots were not available at the time of my first horse show. Mountain Horse riding boots only came on the market in 1988 in Sweden. The new company knew of the complaints and problems of riders in the real world and set about to fill a needed gap in the riding boot catalogues. At the time of my first horse show, boots were expected to hurt. You worse two pairs of socks and pantyhose to keep from chafing.

Riding boots were also hard to get. Now, through online and mail order catalogues, you can get Mountain Horse riding boots easily. And the paddock boots come in at under $100 a pair. Considering how much work they have to put up with, that’s a steal. Mountain Horse riding boots are distributed by various companies and stores all over the world. They are a brand that gets thumb up in customer opinion websites.

Before taking your horse out for a ride you should have learnt how to saddle your horse and ensured that it is properly saddled if you want to enjoy your ride as well as ensure that neither you nor your horse comes to any harm. Before you do anything else, make sure that the horse has been groomed and that there is no dirt and no sore spots. There are certain steps that you will need to follow each time you place a saddle on your horse which includes even having a blanket on which to put the saddle, and this is most important when using a Western saddle.

The blanket should be folded in to two equal halves and the fold must be placed facing the front, and a saddle pad may also be used in place of the blanket though whichever option is used, it should be placed towards the front of the withers and then slid into its proper place.

Raise The Saddle

Next, you will learn in how to saddle your horse that you have to raise the saddle high enough and tuck in the stirrups properly before placing the saddle on the back of the horse making sure that there is enough elevation so as not to disturb the pad or blanket and that the saddle does not hit your horse. Before you place the saddle in its place make sure that you are gentle in doing so and placing it a bit forward will help and it will also not spook the horse.

Once you have placed the saddle on the horse’s back you should position yourself to its offside in order to take down the stirrup, especially when using Western saddles and also ensure that the pad or blanket are free of any wrinkles on either side, and ensure that the girth or the cinch is attached on that side (offside). Follow this by moving to the other side (near side) and get hold of the girth or the cinch and bring it from beneath the horse and then buckle up the girth, or have the cinch tied and tighten either one just enough that it is neither too tight nor too loose and leave just enough space to pass a finger between it and the horse’s body for best tightening.

Finally, you will learn that how to saddle your horse requires ensuring that the skin beneath the girth has no wrinkles in it, and another helpful tip on how to saddle your horse is to check that the girth is properly fastened before you mount the horse and then again after having ridden the horse for a couple of minutes.

These simple steps should help you learn how to saddle your horse and ensure that you have safe riding.

Notes on How To Saddle A Horse

Learning how to saddle a horse is one of the most important aspects of horse riding. Granted, saddling a horse is not as fun as riding one, but if the horse is not properly saddled a great deal of the fun in riding the horse will be eliminated. Additionally, an improperly saddled horse is dangerous to ride.

Many, many years ago, it was not uncommon that the riders of the great, wild horses rode bareback. When looking at the texts of the Roman Empire, one can clearly see detailed explanation on the soldier’s saddling their horses. This means that somewhere in between the days of the cavemen and the Roman Empire, someone figured out that horses needed to be saddled. The reason for this is obvious: people who rode bareback fell off their horses and fell off often! While this may seem humorous on the surface, the reality of the matter is that if one falls off a horse when riding there is great potential for serious injury. As such, proper instruction on how to saddle a horse is mandatory.

Generalizing on How To Saddle A Horse

When it comes to saddling a horse, there are a number of general steps to follow that include properly cleaning the horse before saddling, properly approaching the horse, placing the saddle within the proper position on the horse, affixing the saddle in place, making sure the saddle does not slide, etc. Of course, these are all general points and there are numerous details to follow, but they can not be learned out of a book nor can learning how to saddle a horse be taught in pictures. Again, improper saddling of a horse can be a dangerous proposition.

Learning How To Saddle A Horse

The best way to learn how to saddle a horse involves first watching an individual who understands the proper way to saddle a horse. Paying close attention to the proper means of going about saddling the horse is the first step in breeding a sense of familiarity with the subject. The next step is to attempt to saddle the horse yourself while under the watchful eye of a person who knows the proper way to saddle. This will reduce your chances of making a mistake or learning improperly. If you learn properly then you will maintain the level of safety that was previously mentioned and this will make the sport of Horseback riding a fun activity as opposed to a hazardous one.