A basic warm-up should begin with 10 minutes of active walk on a long rein. Encourage your horse to stretch their topline ‘long and low’, which helps them relax, engages their core and warms up their back muscles. How do Read more…
Massaging pre-exercise stimulates circulation to prepare the horse for athletic activity. It doesn’t replace a correctly timed warm-up and stretch protocol, but assists in delivering more blood, oxygen and nutrients to muscle fibers and is valuable prior to saddling up. Read more…
Experts say that horses produce three different non-vocal sounds, all by passing air through their large nostrils. Who knew? Snores are very short raspy sounds produced when a horse is examining something new. Blows are described as short and very Read more…
Tail Swishing Another sign your horse is planning on kicking is if he has lifted or cocked one hind leg. Your horse will not be bearing any weight on the leg is preparing to kick you with. All his weight Read more…
Squeeze Gently squeeze the middle of the horse’s ribcage with the calves of your legs to cue him to move forward. Squeezing is politely asking the horse to go forward. What do you say to get a horse to go? Read more…
Definition of dismount to get off or alight from a horse, bicycle, etc. to bring or throw down, as from a horse; unhorse; throw: The horse twisted and bucked and finally dismounted its rider. What do you call getting off Read more…
Horses will develop trust through contact, riding, and grooming. As a result, they’ll show signs of gratitude when you approach them. That affection will look different than that of a dog or cat. Are horses affectionate to their owners? Horses Read more…
The secret to teaching your horse to back up is to look for only one step at first. When he takes one step backwards, immediately reward him by releasing the reins and letting him stand still and relax. Once he Read more…
On both male and female horses, their belly button is three to four inches in front of their genitalia. Valentine has an “outy/outie”, making it much easier to see, while Moonshine has an “inny/innie”. Do horses have a navel? Though Read more…
Instead, feed treats on the ground or in a bucket. You can even do a scavenger hunt with your horse: Place treats around the field or paddock and then take your horse searching for the treats. This will stop the Read more…