Beginners Guide To Horses

Riding horses can be a relaxing and fun activity for children as well as adults.  But horses are also very large, very powerful animals who startle quite easily.  Before going riding, you should know how to behave around horses and ponies.  First of all, horses can’t see very well.  They do not have very good peripheral vision and can be surprised if someone approaches them from behind.  Because of this, it is important to always approach horses with caution.  Start by approaching from the front where they can easily see you and then move along to their side.

One good reason for not approaching a horse from behind is because the horse might kick you.  A kick from a horse is very powerful and could break bones or even kill you.  Kicking at something from behind that a horse cannot see is a protective reflex.  They kick first and ask questions later.

You should also remember to use slow calm movements around horses.  Startling a horse could cause them to break free from where they are tied destroying riding equipment and anything else in their path.

When you are working around  a horse, keep an eye on his hooves at all times and make sure you are always wearing boots.  Tennis shoes or open toed shoes will not protect you from a thousand pound animal stepping on your foot!

You should always face the horse rather than standing with your back to him.  Some horses do bite, which can be very painful and can even break the skin.   Take extra care when bending over to pick up a horse’s feet to clean them.  Be on guard at all times.  You never know when something might happen.   A horse could easily kick you while you are bent over with your head close to his hooves.  It couldn’t hurt to wear a helmet while you are cleaning a horses feet.

If you decide that you want to feed a horse by hand, you need to be very careful.  Watch where the horses teeth are.  A very experienced horse friend of mine was hand feeding her horse hay once and her horses accidentally bit her fingers.  The bite went clear down to the bone and left the flesh hanging from the bone.  The horse certainly didn’t mean to bite her fingers, but she was talking and not watching and he just chomped down on what he thought was food.  This is why some people choose not to hand feed horses and will put treats in their feed bucket instead.  If you do decide to hand feed, don’t cup your hand.  Hold it flat with your fingers together and your thumb flat against your hand.  Then you can place the treat on your hand and feed it to the horse.

Lastly, whips are not meant to strike a horse or for punishment purposes.  They are meant to tap or signal that to your horse that is time do something, like transition from a trot to canter.

Starter Saddle Package Set

When you are first learning to ride, you probably don’t want to spend a lot of money on saddles and other tack.  The good news is that you can purchase cheap saddles that are sold in packages or sets.  For English riding disciplines, you can typically find four different kinds.  All purpose, close contact, saddleseat and dressage.

The all purpose saddle was designed to allow riders to use one saddle over fences (jumping) and on the flat (walk, trot and canter or equitation) as is the case with riders who do eventing. This kind of saddle has a deep seat with a long, but slightly forward knee flap. The knee flaps usually have some padding under the leg, to provide support over fences. This type of saddle is meant to be a compromise between a dressage saddle and a close contact saddle.

The jumping saddle, typically known as a close contact saddle, is used for hunt seat, jumping,  equitation and foxhunting.  He has a forward-cut knee flap that allows the rider to use a shorter length stirrup.  The knee flap typically has padded knee rolls to provide support while jumping.

Dressage saddles have a very straight knee flap that accommodates the longer leg position of a dressage rider who does not jump. The seat is deeper than that of a jumping saddle, which allows the rider to relax to best influence the horse.  There usually isn’t much stuffing in the panels, so the rider can maintain a closer feel with her horses.

The Saddle seat saddle is typically used on the gaited and high-action breeds of horses including  the Tennessee Walking Horse Missouri Foxtrotter and Saddlebred,.

The seat of this saddle is long and places the balance of the rider farther back. Riders use very long stirrups like the dressage rider, but the seat places the rider’s center of gravity further back than in other types of disciplines, but still  balanced under the horse.

English starter saddle packages can include a saddle, saddle pad, girth, stirrup leathers, stirrup irons, bridle, reins and a bit, but this can vary.  A saddle set may only include a saddle and girth.  So, be sure and read the fine print to see what is included in the set.  If all of the pieces are not there, you will have to purchase some pieces separately.

I have seen complete sets for around $200 – $350, but they can be higher depending on the quality of the leather.  Wintec also makes nice synthetic saddles, but they are not sold in sets and they can be a bit pricier.  One thing that is nice about the Wintec saddles, is that they offer an easy change gullet system, so the saddle adjusts to fit different sized horses.  Colligiate also makes saddles with this design.  This is nice if you have a horse that is still growing or one that is gaining weight, or if you need to use a saddle on different horses.  Keep in mind that the adjustment isn’t really meant to be changed frequently, so if you are going to be adjusting it several times a week, then this system isn’t practical.

If you are going to buy inexpensive starter saddle sets, check to make sure the construction is sound.  You don’t want compromise safety for a low price.

Equine Vaccines

Many new horse owners are completely unaware that horses need to be vaccinated regularly.  Typically vaccinations take place once in the Spring and again in the Fall.

However, since a horse is so large, providing these animals with preventative health care can be even more important than it is for household pets.
If a dog or cat is sick, you can easily keep an eye on them from the comfort of your own home.  When a horse gets sick, you may end up sleeping in a pile of hay.

Fortunately, there are plenty of preventive measures that can help you keep your horse in good health.  Regular health exams and blood work by an equine veterinarian can help you identify changes in your horse’s physical appearance and blood work during future examinations that may be due to illness or disease.

Immunizations are important as well.  Your horse should receive a flu vaccine.  Usually this is done twice a year.  If your horse competes and is exposed to many other horses, your veterinarian may recommend four times a year.

Encephalomyelitis is a deadly virus that can be avoided through annual vaccinations.  This particular virus is spread through mosquitoes, so even horses who don’t compete should receive this vaccination.

West Nile virus is another virus spread by mosquitoes.  Since West Nile Virus can be deadly, vaccination is very important.

Another essential vaccination for horses is a tetanus vaccine.  Although people only receive this vaccination once every ten years, horses usually are vaccinated once per year.
Although some infected horses recover from a case of tetanus with medical care, the majority of these animals die a painful death. Fortunately, the vaccine can help you prevent this deadly disease from ever occurring.

Deworming is another important part of normal health care.  If you think about it, horses graze on land where other animals have been susceptible to worms.  While you may think that worms are not that big a deal, they can actually be deadly if left untreated.  Your veterinarian can suggest appropriate wormers and a schedule.  Typically this is something you administer yourself every few months.  There are different types of worms, so you need a regimen that protects against the various types.  Be sure to follow your veterinarians directions carefully, otherwise your horse might build up an immunity if the products aren’t administered or rotated properly.

Colic is the number one killer of domesticated horses, so you should understand the symptoms and know what to do if you horse has it.  There are a number of different causes of colic, some of which require surgery. Colic surgery is usually an expensive procedure as it is a major surgery.  Since Colic can occur so frequently with horse, you may want to get insurance to cover major medical expenses.  A few hundreds dollars a year can save you thousands of dollars in surgery costs.  Colic is usually caused by a build up of gas in the horse’s digestive system.  Sometimes blockages or severe cases of worms can also cause colic.  Typical symptoms include biting or kicking at stomach, pawing, pacing, lying down and sweating.  If your horse is experiencing some or all of these symptoms, consult your veterinarian as soon as possible and take away all food.  You should walk the horse until your veterinarian arrives.

Keep in mind that the vaccinations and dewormers needed for your horse will depend on a number of factors including where you live, whether the horse is competed, the age and health of the horse etc.  Your veterinarian is the best source for determining what your horse needs.