Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI, the governing body of international horse sport) research shows that the risk of a fall resulting in an injury ranges from 1 in every 250 starts for low-impact falls to 1 in every 520 starts for serious injuries. How many times do you fall off a Read more…
What does it mean when a horse rubs his head on you? He/she has an itch and humans make great scratching posts! It can also indicate the horse is trying to dominate you. What does head pressing mean in horses? Head pressing is usually a sign of a neurological disorder, Read more…
Horses can develop stereotypies because of fear, frustration1, genetics, or due to a disorder of the nervous system2. Behaviours that are reinforced and goal-directed are not stereotypies. What is a stereotype in horses? Stereotypies are repetitive behaviors with no apparent goal or function. Common stereotypies include crib-biting, weaving, and stall-walking. Read more…
Horses are not maliciously aggressive, although some medical problems can result in severe aggressive behaviour. It is important to differentiate aggression from potentially similar looking behaviours which can cause injury such as play fighting, nipping and overzealous grooming behaviour. Are horses naturally aggressive? Horses aren’t naturally aggressive toward humans; this Read more…
Illness, Discomfort, or Infection Sometimes horses bite because they’re ill or uncomfortable. Before administering punishment for biting, make sure your horse is healthy, especially if this behavior has come on suddenly and is out of character for your horse. Why has my horse suddenly started biting? Horse Biting Out of Read more…
The varieties of aggression toward people include fear, pain induced, sexual (hormonal), learned, and dominance related. Some horses, especially young ones, play with each other while showing signs of aggression such as kicking and biting. Although benign to other horses, this can be dangerous to people. How do horses show Read more…
Sight. Sight is probably the most important of the equine senses. With eyes on the side of its head, the horse can see almost all around, although a blind zone exists behind it and a little in front of its head. What sense do horses have? These are touch (tactile), Read more…
A. Soring is the unethical and illegal1 practice of deliberately inflicting pain to exaggerate the leg motion of horses to gain an unfair advantage in the show ring. How do you sore a horse? Soring involves the intentional infliction of pain to a horse’s legs or hooves in order to Read more…
How To Be A Better Rider Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses. I mean give yourself a very honest evaluation. Video Your Ride. Thinking how you ride and seeing how you really look when you ride are two totally different things. Find Your Balance. Take A Professional Lesson. Perfect Practice Makes Read more…
Horseback riding is a sport; it requires physical strength, skill, balance, and endurance. However, there are times when horseback riding is leisure, relaxing, and enjoying nature, and of course, this isn’t a sporting event. Does it take skill to ride a horse? Riding a horse need muscle control and coordination. Read more…