Archive for Horses

How To Get A High Price For Your Pony

Monday, October 29th, 2012

It is a fast world, made faster lately by the Net. People purchase and sell things sight unseen, and this includes horses. I have personally done both and with invariable success.

Are you baffled that you haven’t been able to sell your horse even though you have gone to great lengths? You are well aware that he’s just about a horse without blemish, physical, mental or any other. He handles great, rides like a dream and if there had been ever an equivalent to a sea horse posture, it is him. The way that he gleams with health in the sunshine, you virtually need eye shades to look at him.

And with all those assets, you have priced him very moderately.

So why aren’t the buyers swarming you? You can be assured it is no fault of the pony. Now scan the photos and videos of your pony you have published in your mind’s eyes. They’re very candid pictures and videos of your horse doing just about everything he normally does. They show him at his best, his worst and at every stage between.

It shows you haven’t understood buyer psychology. People desire pictures and videos that show only the very best sides of whatever they can buy. They don’t want to know about the way your pony sweats after a tough ride, about the way you clean out his stall each day, about the way his mane twists into tangled knots every time it blows. They want the pony they are going to buy to be sparkling clean and glittering every minute of the day, and that is the way they want your pictures to portray him.

So redo your pictures and videos. Ideally, shoot them when it is fall or late in the spring. These are times of the year when pony coats are their silkiest. Be careful about taking pictures and videos of young horses which are in the woolly stages. It is alright to show tons of hair as long as it is neat and well tended. Give your pony a refined look by clipping the feathers on his fetlocks. Trim the hair under his chin, because that stresses his jowl and improves his look. Clip bridlepath cuts so they do project upwards like a punk mohawk.

Take good care to shoot your photos and video utilising the perfect backgrounds. Obviously, you are endeavoring to sell your horse, not your range or some land nearby, but you must frame your horse against the right setting to get maximum visual impact. The 1st need is a clutter-free and distraction-free place. That suggests a natural, not man-made background without machinery and haystacks and barns.

Try to get a background that contrasts with your horse: if he is dark, choose a light colored background and vice versa. Take tons of photos. Only 1 in 100 may be a true masterpiece or something close. The rest may not be anything to get excited about. Snap your horse from both sides, standing really alert and glorious on all 4 feet.

This is sure to take time, but the final result will be truly worth the effort. When you. Show your pony in the clearest light possible you are making it easy for prospective buyers to decide whether he is just what they are trying to find.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers go here

The Absolute Thrill Of A Horseback Vacation

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

You may have taken vacations on tropical islands, in skiing resorts, on cruise ships and to exotic eastern lands. Have you ever taken a pony trekking holiday?

If you have not, you have actually missed out on something great. You want a vacation in a tranquil setting some distance from the madding crowd, a holiday that’s entirely different from what you’re familiar with, and a vacation that your children are going to go crazy on, you need a pony riding holiday.

How do find out where to go? A question with a straightforward answer. You search online for leads, you speak with travel advisors and you speak with people who are pony nuts. There is no end to sources of info.

There are super vacation packages focused around horse riding in lots of locations around the planet. Think of the buzz of taking your family or going on your honeymoon to some exhilarating location. It is of no importance that you don’t have any pony riding experience. The entire point is to go and learn by picking a package that caters to beginners. If you do have such experience, then you can go and better your skills. There are vacation spots that offer horse trekking packages adapted to particular requirements. Custom packages are available for honeymoon couples, families, school groups, business groups, you name it.

You can select tailor made packages at Dude Ranches, camps high up in mountain areas or exotic beach sites. These camps teach you to ride, to dress the right way and to control your gear; they also teach you various strategies to handle your horse and yourself. At some spots, more experienced riders are even taught trick riding skills. Some schedules include outdoor vacationing, guest ranches and riding tours. Others offer locations at a few striking locations around the globe. Other camps are sited in National Parks with gorgeous views that never appears to end.

And some packages take you to genuine Wild West sites, complete with cowboys, wrangling and cattle handling. You can even be permitted to throw a rope on a cow or 2, and brand them, as well , for good effect.

A horseback riding outing is something your family will be talking about for a long time. It’s the sort of thing your children will be gloating about to their grandchildren someday. It is just the sort of thing that will have your family clamouring for more. If you mix your honeymoon with a horse riding vacation, you are going to be sighing over it endlessly long after it is over and done with.

Whether or not it is the flowering meadows you prefer, or the crash of surf on the beach, if it is snow clad peaks you love to see near to hand or an old cowboy town, you can have your desire satisfied. I don’t see what you are waiting for.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers read more

What Is The Natural Horsemanship Phenomenon

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

Don’t presume natural horsemanship to be a training method. It’s really a philosophy that enables the trainer to reach out to horses in language that horses can understand. To explain, the emphasis is less on getting the horse to comprehend you than on understanding the horse. Since horses communicate with one another using body language, natural horsemanship emphasises effective coaching through use of body language.

Let’s take a brief glance at the history of natural horsemanship.

A lot of folks are of the opinion that the origination of natural horsemanship can pretty much be tracked back to the origin of the relationship between man and horses. In fact there’s no clear, undebatable confirmation one way or the other. Historically, training for dressage has been based significantly on natural horsemanship principles. As with most such movements, natural horsemanship also has several ‘gurus’, each with his or her own techniques. Recent emphasis on natural horsemanship in America came from the Northwest coastlands and the Rocky Mountains. Some noted trainers who use natural horsemanship extensively include Buck Brannamen and Tom and Bill Dorrance. Pat Parelli, who has established coaching clinics and schools based mostly on his methods the world over, is another respected specialist.

Here’s how it is possible to get started.

All the main trainers, including the ones mentioned above, have perfected distinctly separate strategies. Obviously, there is a lot of overlap between these separate strategies. You must first establish a community of horse owners of like mind horse owners, trainers and riders before it is possible to launch natural horsemanship based training programs. While there isn’t any end of natural horsemanship methods that date back centuries, it is rather surprising that this entire idea is still new to plenty of individuals. The Net has contributed to increased awareness recently, and you should also use this medium to stay in touch with others who have the same interests but are not situated in the neighborhood. Another excellent way to connect to fellow horse folk is through the North American Association of Natural Horsemen.

Identify what suits your pony and you best.

All strategies based mostly on natural horsemanship are aimed at bringing about ideal communication and relationships between horses and humans. You can experiment around a bit with various techniques to see what works best for you personally. Peruse books and watch DVDs released by expert trainers. Be a regular at web-based forums, you get plenty of tips and direction. Learn from the experts, and don’t be shy about raising questions. You can’t learn unless you get answers to your questions. Learning isn’t the end, but the beginning of the process. You achieve nothing unless you practice what you learn. When things don’t work for you, see if you can identify what failed and rectify it; if this is not possible , get advice from fellow horsemen and experts.

Work with a mentor.

Only one single day’s natural training session can be a bizarre, heady mix of frustration and exhilaration, problems and rewards. Attempt to maintain smooth progress by availing of the help of a teacher who has made his bones. You don’t need your mentor’s physical presence. He or she can quite as well be on the other side of the Earth; what is significant is that you can get answers as quickly as you ask question of your mentor. There is no lack of real time communication means nowadays. You can use forums and other online communicates to initiate and develop relationships with folks of similar interests across the entire world. A very good mentor won’t mind any amount of questions you ask, and always will have an answer for every one.

Be consistent in what you practice.

Natural horsemanship is not a set and forget phenomenon. It’s an continuing process that will last your lifetime and that of your pony. Also for a lifetime is the journey you set off on along with your horse. There isn’t any end to learning opportunities, and only a real fool will waste them.

Information is the key to power.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers click here

Summer Horse – Children Camps

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012

If your kid is typical of today’s urban youngsters, the chances are high that he or she may never have physically touched a pony. Seeing horses on TV or in movies, or reading about them in books is no substitute for the real deal. Your child might be obsessed with horses, but has had no opportunity of doing something about it. Truthfully, it is not just children, but adults also who are thrilled by horses. There is no special qualification to be a ‘horse person’, you could be a Harvard star or a high school dropout, an outdoor type or an indoor one.

When your kid starts demanding some horse riding as the summer draws near, let your thoughts go to the likelihood of sending him to a summer horse riding camp. You could be positively disposed to the prospect, not just because it’ll give you and your partner some respite from a child who can otherwise raise cain during vacation days. You are now pondering how to select the right camp for your child; you are aware that there are many options, but you know zip about any of them. You are naturally nervous about the diverse facets of sending your child away to a camp: the safety factors, the price factors and your child’s adaption capabilities. What type of facilities do the camps offer? Are the horses they have safe for novice children? Have they provision for instant medical help if anything goes belly-up?

I’ve got some answers for you to munch on. It’s very clear that summer horse riding camps are concentrated on horses and pony riding. Camps last for durations starting from a single day to eight weeks. Some camps run for even longer. Plenty of them are coeducational. Horse riding camps offer your child an excellent opportunity to be taught how to look after other living anamils. Plenty of camps include horse care and feeding (under correct supervision) as an element of the curriculum. These camps have classroom sessions where youngsters learn elementary lessons concerning riding, feeding, handling and taking care of horses. These camps give part of each day to lessons on riding skill development, while numerous other activities comprise the remainder of the day.

A lot of camps concentrate on teaching the English riding style, meaning the primary focus is on rider safety. It is mandatory for riders to don helmets and riding boots when they are on or round the horses. Though these camps feature very well trained horses that don’t pose any hazard to the youngsters, inadvertent accidents do happen; you are exposing children of one or two score pounds to beasts of about a hundred pounds. Kids are thoroughly instructed on all of the cues necessary for communication with the horses. Horses of diverse breeds, like Arabians, Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses can be found in these camps. Many of these camps are found on actual horse farms, with authentic pastures, stables and arenas. A lot of these farms are sited in gorgeous natural settings, with board fences of white and all of the other amenities that can be found in pastoral farms. Youngsters are generally given accommodation in cabins.

These camps employ very experienced trainers, who are there full time. They make sure that youngsters are able to benefit from quality learning. All other camp staff are well qualified at their specific roles. College students are commonly used as advisors, and these advisors take time out to prepare kids interested in careers in the world of horses.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers read more

Over Coming Your Ponies Herd Instinct On Trail

Saturday, October 20th, 2012

Horses have been herd animals since ancient times and their herd instincts have a tendency to shape the behaviour of even domesticated horses when they’re in an arena or on the trail. These are times when you really need your horse to fully subjugate his instincts to yours. When his instincts clash with yours, they lead directly to battles for supremacy whether on the trail or the rail. You can stop this type of situation by going out of your way somewhat and having a look at things from your horse’s perspective.

Horses don’t do things on an impulse, wrong or right, good or bad; they have a reason for everything they do. As a rider, it’s your responsibility to keep track of what motivates your horse at any given time. If something has frightened your horse, you have to calm him down as soon as your are able to. If he appears to be inclined to wander off the track you need to emphasize very gently that what matters is where you would like to go. He might be especially stubborn, and even if you have to get into a mild clash of ego, you must ensure your domination isn’t compromised. Your reactions should be dictated by circumstances. If your pony is really frightened, you need to bring him out of it with kid gloves.

If you experience a consistent problem then ride your horse with a friend on another horse. You should try and make sure your mate hasn’t got an issue with his horse how you do with yours. Gradually begin nudging your pony to veer off course just a tad. You’re being gentle in your cue, maybe just a little rein or leg pressure. Your horse may not react straight away, but as you persist he is going to start considering moving the way that you need him to. Let go the pressure immediately when he responds. His wish will be to stay with the other horse, so you will have to keep on egging him. You have to make him understand that the pressure shows itself only when he is near the other pony. After he grasps the undeniable fact that there’ll be no more pressure when he moves your way, he’s going to do so.

The key part of this coaching is the sort of connection you have with your horse. I know a lot of people who are not able to establish the right accord and so are unable to time their cues right. When you nudge your pony, he will respond with signs he is considering moving the way that you want him to. He may move his ears in the new direction or actually take a tiny step that way. By way of an illustration: say you are riding on the left of your pal and you choose to head your pony off to your left. You apply pressure with the reins and your pony responds by turning his head in the direction you wish to go. As quickly as you see this, let go the pressure. The quicker you release pressure, the more apt your horse will be to move the way that you need him to.

You may find some horses tougher to convince than others. You have to keep absolutely alert and not let your pony get away with failure to respond.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers click here

Horse Training For The Beginner

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

Should beginners try out equestrian training techniques? While this is an issue that seems to fascinate a large amount of brand spanking new or wannabe pony owners, it’s an issue that’s hotly discussed, between veteran horse folk some being completely against the idea of letting beginners dabble in pony coaching. They have their reasons, naturally, and a lot of their reasons are very sound. Nonetheless I opted to learn the tough way when I was a beginner, and that benefited me a lot. Which has made me absolutely in favour of encouraging beginners to train horses. There is a proviso, though: I had an excellent tutor, who put me thru the grind without mercy. I am hoping some of the wisdom I’m making an attempt to convey thru this article will be of serious help for you, if you should also be a newcomer who is eager on horsemanship as well as pony coaching.

I was made by my tutor to take great pains. One of the first things he made me do was to go to visit a book store and buy a few books on riders, horses, horsemanship, rider coaching and pony rearing and training. I was also ordered to rent a few videos. The books and videos covered the whole gamut: routine horse care, horse health, cleaning of stalls, barns and environment, bareback and saddled riding, you name it. I read each book I bought numerous times, and saw each video a number of times. When I finished with a book or a video, I had to give a synopsis to my mentor. He would grill me on and on, trying to discover how much I had learned. He would make me do things and show him that I had really caught a few techniques.

I seriously recommend you get yourself some videos on natural horsemanship. They’re very easy to find online. After a year or thereabouts, my tutor sent me to a professional horse trainer. I was thrilled and hankering to put into practice some of the stuff I had read about and seen on video.

I worked out a deal with the horse coach where I would help him out with the physical aspects at his yard in return for being permitted to train horses under his supervision. I was given living quarters close to the stable. I had to get up early in the morning and set about cleaning the stalls and other menial work. I learned that cleaning stalls is not an unpleasant chore if you look at the positives: it gives you great opportunities to observe horses at close quarters. There is nothing like cleaning out a stall while staying wary in case the pony kicks, while the horse eyes you. A few of them look at you with the demon in their eyes, like there is very little better they would like than to plant their hooves in the square of your pants if you give them the opportunity. A number of them look at you sympathetically, while others actually avoid having a look at you. For me, learning the finer subtleties of horse riding was just an extra bonus. I think I learned plenty more about horses from working with them and around them. Riding high is awfully thrilling, but you need to come down to earth now and then also. After a few months of training horses under the hawk eyes of the pro coach, I made up my mind to try out my recently acquired talents on a pony of my own. I had clear ideas on exactly what type or horse I wanted.

No matter how raw you are I have this to point out to you: if you don’t dare and go out of your way, you are not going to progress. The two components of achievement are very clear: learning and doing. Take the time out to learn, and then make some effort of doing. You can’t go wrong if you agree one home truth: you’ll barely get everything right the 1st time.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers http://horsehorses.net/

Weaning A Foal

Sunday, October 7th, 2012

Some time ago, my veterinarian described a visit to another client, where she saw a mare nursing what seemed like an absolutely grown pony. When my vet asked that customer about it, the customer confirmed that the mare and the other pony were mum and child. The mother of 20 years old and the son of 16! These 2 horses were never separated and due to this, the son wasn’t weaned. This made the gelding completely useless for any purpose at all. If he was taken away from his mum for even a short spell, he disintegrated into an absolute mindless panic. He never moved from his position at the bottom of the herd’s pecking order over the years, and this made him an object to be bullied by even the weakest and newest of newcomers. The mare had got bored with defending her child; he was pocked all over his body with old and fresh teeth marks and scars in the unmistaken shape of hooves.

While this situation is relatively rare, thank the Lord, it does teach you that it’s vital that a baby horse be weaned in the right manner at the right time. This is a critical contribution to the growth and development of the baby both as a riding partner and as a unit of his herd.

While there’s no fixed guidelines about the right age to wean away baby horses, it’s a matter that is decided on a very individual basis. The right age to wean differs from case to case.

If you talk with 12 experts, you’ll get thirteen ideas involving the ‘best’ methodology of weaning away a young horse. There are nevertheless , some facets of weaning you want to pay attention to.

1. Ensure that the baby is eating solid food like hay or grass without difficulty before initiating weaning.

2. When you are sure the time is right, physically separate the mare from the her foal, but let them stay within vision of each other.

3. Continuously move the foal farther away from its mother, so they are no longer within visual range or reach of each other. Make sure you don’t wrestle them apart by force.

4. Give the baby as much attention as your are able to by socializing and bonding with it, you are easing the discomfort of its separation from its mummy. Further, you are also helping the baby adjust to humans and paving the way for some solid bonding with humans later in its life.

Once you are done with these primary weaning steps, what follows also has to be done with care. It is an inbuilt instinct for a baby to want to remain in proximity to its mother, and it’s clear that you have got to be awfully sensitive about weaning a baby if you don’t want it to be scared badly. You have to get the process just right and what it boils down to is this: you’re the most knowledgeable and the best judge of your horses. At the first sign of trouble, ask your vet or rope in some neighbours who are veteran horse folk. Certainly some of them will have been through your kind of experience before, and will have some answers for you.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers visit HorseHorses

Novice Pony Riding Tales

Friday, October 5th, 2012

Over a lifetime of association with horses, I have had my fill of horror stories, sob stories and shock stories concerning horses. A lot of them begin with words on the theme “I once rode a horse, a while ago, but” I am sure you’ve heard your share of such stories, too. Maybe you actually had a role in one of these stories. The tale sometimes begins with how a neighbour or some relative or a girlfriend or boyfriend offered his or her horse to the storyteller. Or maybe the lead figure wanted to take a ride and visited a nearby horse rental. After forking over a bit of cash, the storyteller was loaded onto a pony and told to come back before a set period of time lapsed. The ride started smoothly, and everything was hoity-toity well into the ride suddenly the pony makes a unilateral decision that he or she wants to get back to the barn, and starts returning to home base, even though the rider tried very hard to stop him. The pony prevails, and starts the journey back to the base. Typically in these stories, the rider gets thrown off by a low hanging branch or as the pony shied or bucked. When the rider stumbles back to the barn, he or she is accosted by a baffled owner who keeps repeating something to the effect that “that the horse has never behaved this way before”.

In the meantime, the rider, who hopefully has received more of a battering of spirit than of body, decides that horses are deadly weapons, and swears off them forever.

A very common and highly unfortunate aspect of this kind of story is that whatever went wrong, neither the rider nor the horse are actually to blame. The culprits are the owners and managers of rentals. I have two horses of my own, and look after about 20 other horses. I wouldn’t dream of sending a beginner out on any horse of mine without my supervision. I wouldn’t want the kind of results that are rather typically linked with giving your rather aggressive teenager kid the keys to your Porsche. Even apart from the legality angle, no 15 years old is going to be ready to resist the temptations of a Porsche. Irrespective of how much driving they have done before, they’re going to try to put that Porsche through its paces with their foot flat on the gas.

Actually , it is perhaps much more dumb and risky to let a novice rider get into the saddle with no supervision. If the pony decides it has had enough of its eccentric rider and starts heading back home, and if the rider finds that objectionable and expresses his disagreement strongly, something is got to give. The owner/lessor of the horse can count herself fortunate if the horse and its rider come back in 2 separate, entire and completely healthy pieces.

Horses mostly are gentle animals that do what is expected of them and usually enjoy doing it, as well. It is only when you reciprocate their positive spirit that you can make your ride a totally enjoyable experience. Don’t be afraid to don your riding clothes and get astride a horse, but careful about where that pony comes from.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers read more

A Horse Owners Personality Is Told By His Bit Collection

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

You’ll find plenty of unused, inapplicable and partly used stuff collecting cobwebs in the tack room of any horse owner who has been at it for a long period of time. I know of a lot of individuals who’ve got a lot more bits than horses.

Take a quick look at the catalog of any tack dealer, and you will see whole section on bits: English bits, Western bits and bits of types you simply will not recognize. Some of the bits on sale are advised by well-known characters in the world of horses who possibly developed those bits, use them or are paid to make you believe so. A lot of ardent horse folks rush to buy bits endorsed by their favourite idol.

There are any number of reasons for the huge collections of bits stores carry, some of them attributable to horses and some to riders. Even if you’re keen on a single type of bit, you will find a huge range of derivative bits. Bits are made of various material and come in plenty of styles and sizes. They also come with plenty of mouthpiece options. I had an instructor a couple of years back who once remarked to me that she wasn’t extraordinarily keen on aluminium bits, but still kept a few of them handy because once in a while she would run into a horse who appeared to prefer only aluminium bits. She was bright enough to know when to let these horses have their own way on small problems; on serious problems she made the decisions. The arrangement typically worked fine for her and her horses.

Individuals that are into showing keep a wide selection of bits. For each discipline they participate in, they use the right bit. Within each discipline, as well as , they use different bits for different horses, English pleasure riding bits are much different from bits in classes to do with the hunt seat, while bits for western pleasure riding involve a completely different type of bit. Eventually, within each type and sub-type of bit, there are bits of numerous sizes and material and mouthpiece types.

I find that people who’ve problems with horses have a tendency to keep on accumulating bits because they’re busy getting a newer one every day or two for the horse. They believe the answer to a recalcitrant pony is a harsher bit. You’ll find bits of whatever size and types (mild to very grim) in the barns of people like this. You may find some rather questionable bits like those with twisted wire, those with chain mouthpieces, or those with longer mouthpieces. Such a collection wouldn’t talk well for the pony owners concerned , who clearly believe in cruel bits being the answer to their recalcitrant horses. These people have neither the patience nor the wish to get pro help with their horses.

A pony person’s bit collection can tell a lot of stories about that person. In specific , the collection tells stories about the person’s horsemanship. You’ll find horse owners whose collections consist of simple shanked bits with mouthpieces as light as feathers, and you will find horse owners who appear to believe pain brings out the finest in horses.

If I were in the market for a horse, I have completely no question about which pony owner I’d give my custom to.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers click here

Keeping Your Pony Injury Free

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Ideally, your horse’s footing should be well adapted to its physical and geological environment and the locations where it is put to work, trained and exercised. If the pony is utilized for events, the kind of event will also make a difference. Almost invariably, it is easier to settle down to one footing style, rather than try to accommodate various requirements, especially in open air arenas. Your horse’s style of movement is a vital consideration in going for the right footing.

Researchers in biomechanics would be able to give you precise details of just which parts of a horse’s limbs face stress at any point in a stride and what level of stress each part is subject to. These researchers have managed to apply a large amount of their discoveries about humans to horses, where these observations are relevant to both species. Human beings develop various bone related defects like joint problems and osteoarthritis as a result of repeated jars stemming from hard impact on the ground; horses are susceptible in a similar manner. Any activity that puts the limbs through airborne and ground based cycles in hard repeated motions is more liable to cause these conditions.

Correct footing muffles the shock of impact to a discernible extent. When choosing the right footing for your horse, you must take account the surface of operation and its impact resistance, which appertains to its capacity to take in the hard jars. This is a critical part of the hoof’s motion. Concrete has low absorb resistance, which is why doctors advise you not to run on concrete surfaces. The same logic also applies to horses. Soft surfaces like those comprising wood chips absorb impact energy miles better, which means the limb is jarred far less on contact. Not surprisingly, sand has an exceedingly low impact resistance, nevertheless it creates other problems because of its tendency to shift. While labouring on sand, heart beat rates can go up by as much as 50%; this is the reason horses, and all of the other animals, tire so fast when operating on sand.

One of the very finest surfaces is turf, which has high proportions of moisture. Turf that is well maintained can be heaven for a horse’s limbs, nonetheless it should be just right. If it is too damp, it may lead to slipping, and if it is too dry, it hardens and may lose rather a lot of resistance to impact.

A mixture of soil and sand would make for superb footing in arenas. Good arena upkeep involves groundhog work and watering; this leads to a soft, moist footing. Such surfaces permit high degrees of absorption of impact energy, meaning horses are safe from injuries and the incidence of conditions like osteoarthritis.

There are 1 or 2 steps you can take to reduce risk to your pony on any type of footing.

Try as far as feasible to train your horse on the very same footing that he’s going to be competing on. Often , injuries arise as the results of changes in footing. Stay clear of footings with alternative soft/hard and deep/shallow spots. Slick spots can be especially perilous. Keep your horse properly trained and in peak physical condition. If you over apply him, he is going to land up with injuries stemming from fatigue. Ensure you reduce his risks with the right training and conditioning. Give him appropriate shoes. Keep close watch on his confirmation. Make sure any injuries are well healed before allowing participation in any event.

You can avail of the help of any number of footing companies to develop a footing eminently acceptable for the intended event. Aside from this, do your own homework to make extremely sure that your pony is able to function free of injuries.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers go here