Horse Care, Training and Treatment

How to Show a Horse to Jump

2014-06-05T18:41:00.002-07:00

Not all horses are destined to be show jumpers, you can test your horse's ability by starding over poles and small jumps. Unless it has a physical impairment, any horse can jump; you have probably seen them do it running and playing in a pasture. Just like human athletes, however, other factors come into play, such as conformation suited for jumping, natural talent, mental toughness and a desire to jump. If your horse likes jumping but will never be a high-level jumping athlete, you can still have fun recreationally or even at local hunter and jumper shows.

Teach your horse to free jump. Create a chute in your arena by using the rail, and then use jump standards and poles or a portable fence to create a rail on the other side. Start with at least two or three poles or cavalettis, and trot your horse in-hand through the chute so it gets the idea. Raise a cavaletti and when your horse is comfortable, raise the last two or three jumps so the final jump is the highest. You can do this periodically through its training with a bigger and wider fence set as the last jump.

Ride your horse over ground poles. If it is not yet started under saddle, then lunge it over the ground poles. Start at the walk and then progress to the trot and canter until your horse is confident going over them. You can then set ground poles around the arena and ask it to trot and then canter over them. This also encourages your horse to pick up its feet, helps its balance and builds up its hindquarters -- all important for jumping

Set up three to five ground poles on the long side of the arena about 5 feet apart so your horse can trot comfortably through them. Use a loose, relaxed rein. Then put up one side of the last pole on a block or jump standard. Ask your horse to trot or jump over this, and then halt immediately after. When your horse starts trotting over this relaxed and straight, you can ask it to canter out, and then halt.

Set up a jumping grid. This is like your free-jumping chute except now your horse has a rider to balance. Young horses in particular do not have the balance necessary to canter through long jumping lines, so gridwork is beneficial for their strength and balance. Set a trot pole 9 feet before a 2-foot crossrail, and a slightly higher fence about 30 feet after that. When you and your horse comfortably ride this, make the last jump wider.

Set up a course around the arena of ground poles, small crossrails and small fences. You can have lines plus one or two along the diagonal. Let your horse trot these jumps on a relaxed or loose rein. Post over the poles and stay in your two point over the jumps. You can halt over each jump and then trot on to the next one. If you canter out, bring your horse back to the trot and proceed to the next jump. Do this until your horse is comfortable. Then you can begin cantering a small course.

Understanding Your Horse

2013-10-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

Understanding the reasons why a horse behaves as it does goes a long way to becoming a better horseman and to improving your horse’s ability to perform the actions you ask of him. Behavior patterns convey messages to other horses and to the handlers.

BEHAVIOR PATTERNS

Protective Behavior--This includes all the ways horses react to predators and the environment. Horses naturally respond in flight or running away when threatened. To the horse something on its back is a predator trying to kill him. So he reacts by bucking. The horse also responds to the weather by seeking shelter, turning his tail toward the wind, standing in the sun to warm up, or seeking a breezy hilltop.

Ingestive Behavior

This is how a horse responds to food and water. Because of the horse’s digestive system, he must take in small amounts of food at a time and eat frequently. The horse is naturally a grazing animal, preferring open areas and young tender grasses.

Eliminative Behavior

The horse tends to deposit its urine and feces in certain areas and graze in other areas. He also prefers not to urinate or defecate while walking. Almost all horses will defecate when approaching a trailer or immediately on entering it.

Sexual Behavior

This involves courtship and mating and affects stallions, mares and geldings. The mare’s behavior and personality change during estrus (heat). Geldings may still be possessive of mares as a stallion would. Keep the sexes separate if possible.

Care-Giving/Seeking Behavior

This is usually the behavior between the mare and foal. An example is imprinting, where the foal at birth identifies with its mother. The mother wants to stay close to the foal and whinnies when separated. Another type of Care Behavior occurs among other horses, such as standing head to tail to fight off flies or scratch each other on neck or back.

Combat Behavior (Agonistic)

Associated with fighting, aggression, submission, and attempts to escape. This is also related to the “pecking order” in a group of horses, where one is dominant over others in the group. Some examples are kicking, biting, and striking.

Gregarious Behavior (Mimicry)

Tendency to copy or mimic another member of the herd. Examples are following the herd in the pasture, being hard to catch, learning cribbing or wood chewing from the horse in the next stall.

Investigative Behavior

This involves the way horses inspect their environment, especially new surroundings or objects. They look at, smell, touch, listen, and sometimes run away. These reactions must be considered when training or when riding in new areas.

MAJOR SENSES

Hearing. The eyes and ears almost always work together and therefore provide an excellent indicator of where a horse is looking. If the ears point straight ahead, the horse is looking straight ahead. A wildly active ear can indicate blindness.

Touch

The areas in which the horse is most sensitive are the nose, eyes, ears, legs, flank, withers, and the frog. Touch is the most important sense in riding and training. The rider touches through the horse’s mouth, neck, and ribs as they cue the horse. He can communicate his directions or cues as well as his emotions-- tension or calmness, excitement, and doubt or loss of confidence.

Sight

Be aware of where and how a horse sees. Many horses with shying, head tossing, and general confidence problems can be cured by education through vision. Try to see yourself as the horse sees you. This will help you avoid any training inconsistencies.

The amount of forward vision is related to the degree of trainability. A horse with “pig eyes” (small eyes set too far to side of horse) or a Roman-nosed horse (face is convex, rather than straight or dished) cannot see in front of him as well.

The horse has monocular vision, which means that he can see separate objects with each eye at the same time. This increases his side vision, but makes it harder for him to judge depth.

When the horse looks at one object, farther than four feet away, with both eyes he is using binocular vision.

The headset of the horse also determines what he is able to see in front of him. His conformation influences this headset.

How to Train a Horse to Lie Down to For Mounting

2013-08-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

If you have a good relationship with your horse, you can put your horsemanship skills to the ultimate test by teaching your horse to lay down. Prey animals will not lay down alongside another animal they do not trust, so laying your horse down is a great way to prove the trust and respect your horse has for you. It is also a handy trick for mounting a tall horse when you do not have a stool or fence to climb unto.

Attach the bridle and have the reins over the horse's neck. Stand near the horse's left shoulder and make sure you can back him up and bend his head around to the right by pulling on both reins or just the right rein, respectively.

Tie the rope to the horse's left front leg, around the pastern. Take the tail of the rope under the horse's belly and up over his back so that the tail comes over the back and to you as you stand at his right shoulder.

Lift the horse's left front foot and pull the rope tight so it brings the horse's leg to his belly. Release. Repeat a few times until your horse seems OK with the process.

Pull on the reins--with the leg up--and invite the horse to rock backwards. It is helpful to bend the horse's neck slightly to the right. At first the horse might find this very threatening. Only ask him to rock back a little, release the reins first, then release the foot. Eventually, rock the horse back a few times without releasing the foot in between. Take your time and keep your horse confident. It may take a few days or weeks to rock the horse back far enough that his knee touches the ground. Congratulations. You just taught your horse to bow! That definitely deserves a treat. If you can, try giving the horse a treat while he is bowing to keep him in the bow for longer periods of time. Many riders can lean across the horse from this position to mount, so if you get stuck after this step, you may still be able to mount your tall horse.

Put your left stirrup over the saddle horn so your horse is not uncomfortable when he does lay down. Get your horse into the bow position and use the rein to pull his nose around to the right. (Pull the rein towards his hips, not towards his withers.) This may be enough to get your horse to fall onto his left side. If not, you can also pull on the saddle horn to encourage the horse to fall gently sideways. Don't be surprised if your horse resists and ends up falling to his right side instead. Either way, give him a treat and do not let him up until he is calm. It is sometimes helpful to repeat the lay-down a few times in a row so the horse learns it is nothing to be afraid of--you can put him down, but you will give him a treat and let him back up. Only when your lay-down is very controlled should you mount and ride the horse up.

Thing you might need

1. Bridle

2. Long soft rope

3. Western Saddle

How to Teach Your Horse or Horses to Count

2013-07-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

As amazing as it is to observe, counting horses are, in reality, performing a clever #trick. A horse who can count has been taught to respond to the head bobbing of the audience. People automatically bob their head while the horse is counting. When the horse has reached the correct number, they stop nodding. Consequently, the horse stops 'counting'.

Tricks are a great way to introduce horses to clicker training to reinforce good behaviour and proper manners. Once a horse has mastered the trick, he will be very eager to perform, particularly if he thinks it will bring a tasty treat his way. With patience, time, effort and a lot of positive reinforcement you can teach your horse to count

Familiarize your horse with clicker training and be sure you understand how the process works before you start. Begin by simply clicking and offering a treat until your horse learns to associate the click sound with a reward

Select cues you wish to use to let the horse know the trick is about to begin. For example you might want to say, "What is...." and then make a show of scratching your #head. The head scratching serves as a visual cue.

Give the cue, press the clicker and wait. By now the horse is used to being given a treat any time the click sounds. When the treat is not offered, the horse will start to wonder why and if you're lucky, he will stamp his foot. If not, reward any sort of response to the cue, including head bobbing or snorting---at least initially. Then, reduce the reward and offer treats only in response to foot stamping. Eventually, the horse will stamp his foot in response to the cue.

Add a large head nod to the cue. Now that the horse is stamping her foot when you pretend to think, you must shift the visual cue to nodding. The goal here is to encourage the horse to stomp her foot every time you nod your head. Every time the horse stomps her foot in response to the head nod, hit the clicker and offer a treat. Remember to reward good intentions and to be patient. It will take a while for the horse to understand what you want her to do.

Shift the focus to someone else's head. Recruit a partner in crime and have him stand off to the side and nod his head. Sound the click and give the treat as soon as the horse responds to the other person nodding. Repeat this as many times as necessary, slowly diminishing the visibility of the signal, until the nodding is subtle as the #horse is likely to see with an actual audience. Be sure to offer a reward after each counting session.

How to Train Your Horse to Sit

2013-06-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

Teaching your horse to sit requires patience and practice. Sitting on command is not a natural instinct for horses; therefore, it will take some effort to teach the horse to do so. In order to teach your horse this trick, it will likely need to trust and feel comfortable with you. Once you have a trusting relationship with your horse, you can implement the techniques required to teach it to sit.

Command your horse to lie on its side. Once it has, stand next to its back. Using your rope or voice, command the horse to lie on its stomach. If it tries to stand up during this process, push its nose to the side, which will likely prevent it from doing so. Let its nose go when you feel the horse relax.

Coax the horse to get up from its stomach into a sitting position with your voice or the use of the ropes. Command your horse to "sit" during this part of the training so it associates that word with what it is doing. Your horse may put its leg out in an effort to stand up. If this occurs, stop it by pushing its nose to the side. The horse's legs should always remain under its chest.

Practice this technique repeatedly until the horse can go from a lying to a sitting position without trying to stand up. Once the horse has mastered this, try commanding it to sit when it is standing up. Eventually, your horse will likely be able to perform the trick when it hears you give the command.

How to Teach a Horse Shake Your Hand

2013-04-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

Impress your friends with your friendly, hand shaking horse. Teaching this trick is easy and rewarding. Training goes quickly once the horse understands his reward. You can teach horses other behaviors like nodding, shaking their heads, bowing and rearing using this method. Use the following steps to teach a horse how to shake hands.
Purchase a bag of hard, disc-shaped peppermint candy.
Cut or break the candy discs into quarter.
Place the candy pieces into a re-sealable sandwich bag.
Put the sealed bag into your pocket when you go to train the horse.

Place the halter and lead rope on the horse and lead him to a place where there are few distractions.
Stop the horse and stand in front of and slightly to one side of him.
Choose a key phrase, such as, "Let's be friends," and emphasize the word "friends." The phrase, "Shake, Pardner" is another alternative.
Say the phrase.
Reach down and grasp the foreleg on the side you are standing on and pull it forward and up. If the horse resists, keep pulling until she lifts her hoof.
Set the hoof down and praise the horse by petting or scratching him.
Continue this process until the horse does not resist when you pick up the hoof.

Give the horse a piece of the peppermint candy when the horse gives you the hoof willingly. Rewards the horse with candy the first 10 times he gives you the hoof willingly. After that, give the candy randomly but only after she performs correctly.
Watch for him to raise the hoof without you grasping it. When he does, he gets a candy.
Feed her a candy the first 15 times he picks up her hoof for you.
Randomize the rewards after the fifteenth successful behavior.
Continue training him daily but for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. Soon you will have a horse that shakes hands.

Select the Best Horse Supplement

2013-03-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Keeping Horse can be a real challenge. Depending on what type of performance you demand for your horse, its age, breed and health and its personal needs, finding a balance in its feed to meet its overall health requirements can be trick at best. Education is the best answer for horse owners, and the more you know about feeds, supplements and their specific benefits, the better choice you can make when it comes to adding nutrition to your horse's diet.

Have your horse examined by a professional veterinarian, who can determine the overall health of the animal and recommend what key areas to address.

Communicate with your veterinarian about your plans for your horse, including any breeding plans, racing or other performance plans, and any show plans. Ask for his recommendations on what supplements are available for your specific needs.

Share this information with your local feed store and review available supplements with the feed store manager or sales person. Determine which supplement best suits your needs and budget.

Introduce your supplement to the horse's feed gradually over a period of a week to 10 days. Measure the amount carefully with your measuring cups, and do not feed more than recommended on the label.

Monitor the success of your supplement. In the case of coat enhancers, a relatively quick reaction can be seen. In as little as 10 days, you should be able to see a glossier coat coming in at the skin. In the case of hoof improvement, it may take several months before you can measure any real results.

Identify Horse Abuse

2013-03-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

If you believe that a Horse a your Stable or in your community its being abused, it is importance that you contact the appropriate authorities to report the situation. Horse abuse occurs in every corner of the world, and can present itself in many different forms. The faster you are able to identify horse abuse, the more lives you will save.

Know that horse abuse is a serious allegation. What one person considers abusive behavior may only be punishment to someone else, and the law is only capable of handling instances of severe abuse. According to the Humane Society (see Resources below), abuse is defined as "knowingly depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization, or veterinary care or maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating, or killing an animal." The occasional swat for bad behavior might be unethical, but not illegal.

Look for physical signs of horse abuse. These may include open sores, lacerations, swelling, welts, burns or broken bones. Animal abuse is usually considered a pattern of abusive behavior, and a horse that never seems to heal may be a victim.

Watch how the horse owner handles his animals. Does he use whips, chains or other instruments to hit the horse? Does he intentionally deprive the animal of food and water? These are all signs of horse abuse, and can prove deadly if allowed to continue.

Spend time with the horse. An abused animal will be distrustful of humans, quick to shy away from a gentle hand. Alternatively, the horse might be "mean" when approached by a human, kicking or biting to fend off the attack before it can start. This doesn't mean that the horse is "bad", but that he has learned from experience to expect violence.

Know that causing intentional injury to a horse is considered abuse. For example, an owner who kicks her horse in the stomach or whips the horse repeatedly is probably committing abuse. This is especially true if it happens frequently.

Ask if the horse has been seen by a veterinarian. Even if an injury is not caused intentionally, the failure to treat the injury is considered abuse.

Watch for signs of aggression when the owner rides the horse. Horse abuse is often inflicted when an owner is frustrated during a ride, and takes out his frustration physically. Dismounting to beat a horse, for example, would be considered abuse.

How to Keeping Stalls Dry

2013-03-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

Owning a Horse can be a wonderful and very rewarding experience, but it is important to provide proper care for your four-legged friend. Horse require very specialized care-care that is much different than what dogs, cats and other common household pets require. One of the essential elements of successful horse-keeping is providing a clean and dry stall, and it is important for all new horse owners to know how to provide that clean environment.

Not too long ago the only choices horse owners had for their stalls were sawdust and straw, but these days there is a third alternative that can save both time and money. Many different companies now sell pelleted wood shavings designed for use in horse stalls, and these shavings can be a great alternative to traditional sawdust and wood shavings.
It is important to use only pelleted shavings that are specifically sold for use in horse stalls--the pelleted wood products sold for use in wood stoves and home heaters may contain woods that are toxic to horses.

While putting down pelleted wood shavings can give you a head start toward a clean stall, they will not do all the work by themselves. In order to keep your horse's stall clean and dry you will need to pick the stall out on a daily basis. As wood pellets get wet they puff up into regular sawdust, and this makes it easy to find and remove those wet spots.
By doing this daily maintenance you can keep your horse's stall clean and dry in even the wettest conditions. When the weather has been extremely wet or snowy you may also have to add a few bags of pelleted shavings to keep ahead of those challenging conditions.

Proper stall maintenance means that stripping the stall should not be required on a regular basis, but there are times that it will be necessary to strip the stall down to the bare dirt and put new shavings down. If the stall has become extremely wet it is a good idea to strip it down and put down a fresh new layer of savings. Stripping the stall will take some time and require some work, but failing to provide a clean stall for your horse can leave your equine companion with some serious health problems--and you with some big vet bills.

How to Teach Your Horse Tricks with Clicker

2013-02-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

Clicker training is a way of modifying behavior of a horse using an audible click to reinforce a specific action. When a horse performs the desired action in response to a command, trainers give a click the moment the action is performed and immediately offer a treat. Verbal reinforcement can take too long to register with a horse, since it often varies in the tone and phrasing. A simple clicking noise, however is consistent and easily recognizable. A common misconception is that a clicker is used to command the horse to perform a trick, rather than act as a marker for desired behavior.

1. Choose a treat for which the horse will want to work. Keep an abundance on hand and within easy reach. Remember that the methodology behind clicker training is to reward the horse as quickly as possible for the desired behavior. Ensure you're offering treats to the horse correctly, using a flat open hand. Many people do not obtain the desired results because treats aren't offered to the horse in the correct fashion.

2. Cue the horse using a command with which it is already familiar. Reward the horse immediately after the actions is performed by using the clicking mechanism and offering a treat. Continue practicing this exercise for a few days.

3. Using the same command as the previous step, begin to reward the horse using only the click and do not offer a treat. Keep repeating this until the horse no longer looks for an edible treat once the desired action is performed.

4. Begin using a new command with the horse. Reward successful results only with the audible click.

How to teach your Horse New Tricks

2013-02-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

Horses are creatures of habit and therefore willing partners when asked repetitive commands. A horse of any age can learn simple tricks with the right motivation. When it responds quickly to the cues, it can master more complicated ones. Problem horses can bond with a trainer by learning tricks, paving the way for learning more traditional riding skills. Trick training is also useful for days when the weather prevents riding or the horse is becoming ring sour.

You'll Need

Halter
Lead Rope
Horse treats

Select one trick that takes a simple cue to perform. Teaching a horse to nod "yes" or shake its head "no" are good requests to teach first.
Offer palm-size horse treats to entice a response. Commercial equine cookies, apple slices or carrots pieces will keep the horse's attention.
Request the action verbally while giving the cue. Softly touch the whip in the area you want the horse to move, such as behind the poll for a head shake. This will associate the word and touch with the command so that future requests will not always need a treat.
Praise the horse with tone of voice, a pat on the neck as well as the treat. Positive reinforcement is important even if the response is only slight.
Repeat the request and respond with praise a couple more times to reinforce the cue.

Tips

Spend only 10 minutes for teaching a new trick. If the horse does not respond to the cue, try later in the day or the next day. Once the horse understands the cue, practice several times a day for a few minutes every day for several days to reinforce the command. Do not give the treat if no response, but do not punish the horse physically or verbally either. Make this a fun training session, with the reward when it reacts correctly. Avoid biting and other bad horse behavior by not always giving treats after the horse has learned the cue. If the horse becomes demanding, stop treats completely. Avoid biting and other bad horse behavior by not always giving treats after the horse has learned the cue. If the horse becomes demanding, stop treats completely. Children can teach a horse tricks but the sessions should always be supervised by an adult.

How to Gallop in a Horse

2013-02-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

The gallop on horseback is a more advanced gait that you can practice after mastering the walk, trot and slow canter. Despite its speed, the gallop is a rocking gait and is not generally too rough. The following steps explain how to gallop on horseback and maintain control.

- 1
  Slacken the reins and gather yourself in preparation. When ready, give the horse a signal to gallop. Use pressure with your foot, a vocal command or click of the tongue, or a squeeze of the thighs combined with a shift forward in your weight and seat.
- 2
  Push through the trot. Many horses will trot first, like a runner jogging before going to a full out run. Continue your signal to push your horse into the gallop.
- 3
  Keep your seat. The secret to the gallop is to go with rocking motion of the gait. Place your weight in your seat (your rear end). Keep your seat in motion with the gallop by maintaining contact with the saddle.
- 4
  Watch your form. Keep your elbows and legs in, and manage the movements of your body. This may be difficult for beginners, but the key is keeping your seat in rhythm with the gait and in contact with the saddle.

How to Care for Horse After Riding

2013-02-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

After a ride or a training session, it is important for your horse's safety and health to go through a series of tasks. These tasks also signal to the horse that the work is done for the day.

1. Cool the horse down. As with any exerciser, the horse needs to let his muscles cool down. Dismount and walk the horse around for a bit. The horse should be breathing regularly and starting to feel cooler to the touch before returning to the pen or stable.

2. Let the air in. Loosen the horse's saddle by loosening the cinch, which works similar to a belt buckle. Once back at the stable, you can take off the cinch, saddle and bridle.

3. Provide water. Give your horse access to fresh, cool water after a workout.

4. Consider grooming. Although not universally done, it's a good idea to brush your horse out after a training session. The area covered by the saddle may be sweaty, and if you allow the sweat to dry on the coat it may leave residue behind and attract dirt.

5. Never put your Horse Hot in the stall.

How to Tack Up Western Horse

2013-02-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

Riding Western-style is like stepping back in time to the Old West. Western saddles have not changed substantially in the way they look or go on the horse, so when you tack up your Western mount, you are doing what the cowboys used to do way back when. However, we're a little more careful of our horses these days, so we've added a few steps the old rough-and-ready cowpokes probably didn't bother with.

Tie your horse securely while you are working with him, preferably in a place where he cannot dodge away from you while you're trying to saddle him.
Brush the dirt and loose hair from your horse, taking special care over his back, as buildup of dirt under the pad can lead to painful saddle sores and galls.
Consider clipping a "bridle path" to make the bridle fit better, if your horse is extremely shaggy. Use scissors or electric clippers to shave a 2-inch spot in the mane just behind the horse's ears.
The Breast Collar

- Decide whether you will need a breast collar for your horse. Some Western riding activities, such as roping or mountain trail riding, require a breast collar to keep the saddle from slipping back. Because many breast collars use a loop the cinch goes through, we will put it on first.
- Know which way is up and which is down on your breast collar. This cavalry-style breast collar has a solid loop that goes over the horse's neck. A Y-shaped roping-style breast collar goes on with the arms of the Y to the top; the tail runs through the horse's front legs to the cinch.
- Unsnap the lead rope and pass the breast collar over the horse's head as shown, keeping hold of the horse's halter with one hand. Re-snap the lead rope to the halter.
- Slide the breast collar to a position just forward of the horse's withers. Leave the bottom end dangling for the moment; just make sure your horse cannot step on it.
The Saddle Pad
- Check your saddle pad and the fleece on your saddle to make sure there are no stickers, twigs or burrs caught in it that will jab or rub the horse.
- Set your saddle pad in place, with the forward edge covering the horse's withers.
  
  Ensure that any reinforcing leather or suede is properly aligned. There may be three: one under each stirrup fender, and one on the front that goes between the pommel and the withers. The soft or hairy side is always down; the finished side is always up.
- Set the pad a bit farther forward than needed, if you are unsure just where it goes. You will slide the whole thing back to the proper place as you proceed.
The Saddle
- Saddle your horse from the near (left) side. Western saddles can be heavy, so unless you are very tall and strong, the easiest way to put the saddle cleanly on the horse is to fold all the off-side (right side) rigging up over the seat. That is the forward cinch, the right stirrup fender, and the back cinch.
- Lift the saddle into place; don't throw it. Set it on the pad over the horse's wither bones and slide saddle and pad back until it settles naturally into the hollow behind the withers. If your horse is very round-backed or has high withers, make sure the gullet of the saddle is not pinching the withers, and that the saddle is not set too far back. Slide your hand under the gullet to see if the saddle is sitting directly on the withers or is tipped too far back.
- Let the folded-up stirrup and rigging down gently on the off side to hang naturally. Unless you know the horse well, don't just shove it all over from the near side and let it bang against his side. You could end up with a rodeo.
- Fold the left stirrup up over the saddle out of the way, standing on the near side.
- Make sure the latigo is pulled out from under the saddle and ready for use.
- Reach under the horse and grab the dangling forward cinch. It should pass under the horse forward of the swell of his ribs and just behind his front legs. If it rubs the horse behind the elbows, the saddle is too far forward; if it is trying to span the swell of the belly, it's too far back.
- Attach the breast collar now if it uses a loop to hook it to the cinch. Pass the cinch through the loop in the dangling "tail." If the breast collar uses a snap instead of a loop, ignore this step.
- Pass the end of the near-side latigo through the cinch ring on the saddle.
- Bring the latigo end around and thread it up through the back of the saddle ring.
- Tuck the latigo end down through the loop just created.
- Pull up on the latigo to tighten the cinch.
- Use the loop to take up the slack and feed the long end of the latigo back down through the loop, leaving the free end dangling until the cinch is snug. Don't over-tighten--you should still be able to slide your fingers between the cinch and the horse.
- Check to see if your cinch is centered. Many rope cinches have a colored diamond and a pair of small snap rings marking the center of the cinch, which should rest squarely between and behind the horse's front legs. If the snap rings or the diamond are too far to the off side, let out the off-side latigo. If it is too far to the near side, take up the off-side latigo.
- Finish tightening the cinch by pulling the long end down to take the slack out of the loop.
  
  Tuck the end back up through the loop so it does not dangle, or else thread it through the slot in the keeper just forward of the cinch, if your saddle has one.
- Reach under and bring the cinch to the near side, if your saddle uses a back cinch.
- Do not over-tighten the back cinch, as it can serve as a splendid bucking strap on nervous horses. It should just touch the horse's belly. There should be a keeper connecting the two cinches as well, which is located dead center between them.
- Bring the tail of the breast collar between the horse's front legs and fasten the snap to the small ring located on the forward end of the cinch.
- Thread the top pieces of the breast collar through the saddle rings on either side and buckle in place. Some saddles will have special rings under the pommel for a breast collar. (See photo in Breast Collar section)
- Adjust the breast collar so that it rests lightly against your horse's chest. If it is too tight, it will cut off his wind when riding uphill. Make sure it is properly centered on his chest and not pressing on his windpipe.
- Check the cinch again before mounting, and tighten until snug if necessary. Some horses "blow up" when being saddled (hold their breath while you tighten the cinch), then let it out when you step away, leaving the cinch loose and the saddle in danger of turning when you step in the stirrup.
Bridling Your Horse
- Complete tacking up by putting the bridle or hackamore on. Loop the reins around the horse's neck to hold him while you take the halter off and re-fasten it loosely around his neck. This keeps him tied to the fence while you are working with him.
- Gather your reins up out of the way: over your arm or shoulder, so you don't get tangled in them while bridling your horse.
- Take the bit in your left hand, standing on the near side. Balance the bit on your fingers, leaving the thumb free.
- Pass your right arm over the horse's neck. Reach down between his ears and grasp the headstall to keep it clear of the bit. This keeps the horse's head down. Alternately, reach under his head and bring your hand up just under his right eye, grasp the headstall, and keep it sorted out with your right hand over his nose while the left inserts the bit.
- Guide the bit up against the horse's lips, moving the curb strap, if used, out of the way with your thumb.
- Slide your thumb gently into the horse's mouth at the natural gap between the forward set of teeth and the rearmost teeth running up its jaw. This is where the bit rests and is safe. Usually, very slight pressure on the bars will encourage the horse to open his mouth.
- Slide the bit in when the horse opens his mouth, keeping tension on the headstall with your right hand to keep him from spitting it back out.
- Slide the crown piece over the horse's ears to rest just behind them.
- Bring the throat latch under the horse's neck and buckle it below the left ear. Do not fasten it tightly. The horse needs room to flex his neck.
- Check where the bit rests in the horse's mouth. If there is a gap between the bar of the bit (the part that runs through his mouth) and the join of the lips, shorten the cheek pieces of the bridle until the bar just rests at the join.
- Check that the curb strap, if used, is not already tight against the horse's lower jaw. It should be loose when the reins are loose and the bit is lying naturally in the horse's mouth.
- Pull your horse's forelock over the browband crossing above his eyes. Pull any loose mane out from under the leather anywhere. You're done and ready to ride!

How to Disinfect a Horse Stall

2013-02-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

Horses have bad immune systems. If one horse catches a cold it isn't very long before the rest of the stable is coughing and congested. One of the best ways to reduce the chances of more horses getting ill is to completely disinfect your stall before you put another horse in it.

1. Remove all of the buckets and feed tubs from the stall. When horses eat and drink they slobber all over their buckets, leaving their germs behind for the next horse that uses the bucket. Remove the buckets and either wash them with bleach water before using them again. If you have automatic waters in your stall you will have to shut off the water and drain the waters. After draining the water, you will have to use a scrub brush to clean the waterer.

2. Strip the stall. Simply mucking out the soiled bits of betting isn't good enough. When you are disinfecting a stall you are going to have to remove all of the bedding. After stripping the stall don't let the contaminated bedding sit in the manure spreader. Piles of bedding and manure is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Spread the manure somewhere far away from your horses.

3. Use a broom or a duster on a long handle to remove all of the cobwebs and dust from the stall's ceiling and floor. Make sure you wear a dusk mask while you are cob webbing.

4. Mix your Lysol Disinfectant Concentrate with water, use the solution to completely scrub the stall walls. If you use stall mats or have a concrete floor you can use a garden sprayer to clean the walls. If your stall floor is made out of dirt you will have to use a scrub brush and clean the walls by hand.

5. Give the stall plenty of time to dry.

6. Cover the stall floor with fresh bedding (either straw or shavings).

7. Replace all of your buckets and feed tubs.

How to Make Homemade Horse treat

2013-01-30T21:49:00.003-08:00

Crunchy and sweet, homemade horse treats are a surefire hit in any barn. Horse treats are easy and fun to make, but the best part of creating your own horse treats is watching your horse enjoy them later. Homemade horse treats also make great birthday and Christmas gifts for barn buddies.

1 Cup of Dry Oatmeal
1 Cup of Flour
1 Cup of shredded carrot an apples

1 Mix all dry ingredients (oatmeal, flour, salt and sugar) into a large bowl and blend thoroughly.

2 Add your wet ingredients to your dry mix one at a time. Start with the vegetable oil and then add your shredded carrots or apples. The molasses will be the most difficult to blend in, but its thick, sticky texture will hold your horse treats together.

3 Place the entire mix in the refrigerator and allow it to chill. This will make the mix easier to work with when you're trying to roll it into balls or flatten it to cut out shapes.

4 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

5 Roll the chilled mixture or dough into 1 inch balls using your fingers or two spoons. Place them 1 ½ inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. You can also try rolling the dough out flat and cutting out different shapes with cookie cutters. This recipe should make approximately 30 horse treats depending on the size of your cookies.

6 Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

7 Let the cookies cool completely.

8 Feed them to your favorite pony or place the horse treats in festive bags and tie them with bows as presents for your barn pals and their equine buddies. Store any extra treats in an airtight container.

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How to Teach English Horseback Riding

2013-01-27T13:41:00.000-08:00

One of the most important aspects of horseback riding is gaining confidence in oneself and in the horse. Respect for the animal is paramount. Without it, the partnership necessary for English horseback riding cannot be achieved.

1 Allow the student to prepare the animal for riding. The student can help groom the horse while learning the purpose of the different brushes and which spots the horse wants him to brush. This allows the student to acquire familiarity with the horse.

2 Have the student help put on the horse's tack, saddle and bridle. You stand at the horse's head to keep the animal still.

3 Teach the student the proper way to lead a horse. Start by having the student lead the horse to the ring where the lesson is to take place. Once inside the enclosed arena or ring, teach your student to mount on the left side of the horse. Have a mounting block on hand in case the student needs assistance in reaching the stirrup.

4 Spend the first portion of the lesson teaching proper position, which is a large part of English horseback riding. Have the student visualize a long string attached to her head, pulling her upright and aligning the head, back, hips and heels in one continuous line. Teach your student to hold the reins so that they pass through the bottom of her hands and up through the top, with her thumb pointing toward the horse's mouth. The hands should remain perpendicular to the ground, never horizontal. The student's heels should always be pointing down, allowing her to maintain her seat low in the saddle.

5 Practice the walk, and encourage the student to look up. Have him learn to look in the direction the horse is heading. Remind your student to allow his hands to move forward and back with the movement of the horse's head while keeping the reins slack-free.

6 Draw the student's attention to the letters in the ring. Ask her to use the letters as markers. Instruct her to do certain commands, such as turning right at A, making a large circle at C or reversing direction at D.

7 Attach the horse to a lunge line and work on the trot. Ask your student to notice the feel of the gait. Tell him to post (rise up and down in the stirrups) in time with the outside front shoulder. Encourage him to learn to post without looking down, and to learn the correct timing by feel. Reverse directions and repeat.

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8 Introduce your student to the canter while on the lunge line. Teach her the importance of relaxing and keeping the body straight while keeping the heels down. Teach her to allow her body to follow the movement of the horse's gait while still maintaining position.

9 Work on each of the gaits off the lunge line, until the student can control the horse while in the proper position. Have him make turns, circles, lines across the diagonal, and serpentines. Introduce the sitting trot (trotting without posting) and the jump position.

10 Introduce jumping by lying posts on the ground and have the student trot over them in the jump position. Over time add cavalettis (a pole attached to two x's that can be turned for jumps at varying heights) and small jumps.

11 Gradually create more complicated courses for students to complete so they can learn the importance of turning their horses at the proper time. This will help animal have a good, square approach to each fence.

12 Have the students memorize simple dressage tests that require the them to perform certain commands at specific points. Gradually increase the difficulty of these tests as each student's ability increases.

13 Have fun going on trail rides, where you and the student can ride in the country in a less formal fashion.

14 Continue teaching the importance of caring for the horse and the tack (saddle and bridle) when you teach English horseback riding. Such lessons will stand students in good stead if they decide to buy horses of their own.

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How to rescue an Abused Horse

2013-01-25T16:48:00.000-08:00

Because horses are animals that are seen as having a use value, they're often abused or neglected when they're no longer useful or when they start to falter in their duties. If you intervene whenever you see an abused or neglected horse, you can help save many lives.

1 Observe horses and their environments carefully. Look for signs of malnourishment like a dull coat and prominent ribs; signs of neglect like too-long hooves, no shelter, no food and water or a very dirty enclosure; and signs of overt abuse like welts and open wounds.

2 Talk to the person housing the horse if the horse is on private property and if you feel comfortable doing so. Express your concern about the horse and find out if she has a medical issue. If appropriate, ask the owner if he needs help caring for his horse, or if he'd like help placing his horse in another home. Sometimes, an apparently abused or neglected horse is a sign that her owner needs help.

3 Report the horse to your local Animal Control if talking to the person doesn't resolve the issue. Provide a full report of what you observed. Be sure to have the exact address of the horse and to give evidence to support your interpretation of abuse.

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4 Contact a local horse rescue association and tell its staff about the horse you've found. If Animal Control has custody of the horse, let them know. If you have property on which you can house the horse, offer to be the abused horse's foster person. Horse rescues often rely on fosters to provide housing for their horses because there are simply too many abused and neglected horses to house.

5 Volunteer to pick the horse up from the shelter and deliver him to a foster home or to your own home if you have a horse trailer. If you don't have a trailer, ask the horse rescue association what you can do. The donation of your time may mean the difference between rescuing or turning away a horse, and the horse rescue association will appreciate your efforts.

6 Realize that abused horses may not be especially friendly towards humans. If severely abused, horses generally see humans as their enemies and may either try to flee or attack. A general knowledge of horse behavior can help you as you work with an abused horse.

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How to Play Parelli Games With a Horse

2013-01-21T16:03:00.001-08:00

Playing the Seven Parelli Games with your horse is a great way to earn the horse's respect. Horses are natural followers, and these seven games help you become your horse's leader. The seven games consist of the Friendly Game, the Porcupine Game, the Driving Game, the Yo-Yo Game, the Circling Game, the Sideways Game and the Squeeze Game. Here's how to play Parelli Games with a horse.

1 Gain trust from a horse by playing the Friendly Game. Allow the horse to stand freely without being tied. Rub hands all over him until he accepts them everywhere. Then use a lead rope, bags, blankets or anything else to rub on him to "desensitize" him. The lets him know he is not going to be hurt.

2 Remind a horse to move away from pressure rather than push against it with the Porcupine Game. Use fingers to press against the horse, not releasing pressure until he responds by moving away. Start with soft pressure, only advancing to harder pressure if there is no response.

3 Teach a horse to respond to applied pressure by playing the Driving Game. This game gets the horse to move without having to touch him. Start out close to the horse and get him to move away and around by tapping the air with a lead rope or hands. Move further away once the horse responds to the implied pressure.

4 Send a horse forward or backward without touching him by playing the Yo-Yo Game. Stand facing him and wiggle your finger, then arm and then the lead rope if you get no response. Once he moves backward, stop all movement so he knows that is what you want him to do. Practice until he moves backward at the wiggle of your finger.

5 Motivate a horse to move freely while keeping him easily controlled with the Circling Game. Send him in a circle by leading his nose in the desired direction. Allow him to circle you by passing the lead rope behind your back when he goes in a circle. Let him make two passes and then gently pull on the lead rope, which signals him to return to you.

6 Instruct a horse to move sideways with the Sideways Game. Let the horse stand loose with a halter and lead rope. Face his nose to a fence or wall so he doesn't move forward. Using fingers to "push" his body in the desired direction. Use the steps in the Porcupine Game for this procedure.

7 Begin the Squeeze Game with a large open space between you and a wall or fence. Send your horse between you and the object by leading his nose in the desired direction. Slowly close the gap each time he passes through. This game can help when bringing a horse through a gate or into a horse Trailer.

How to Test the HAY for you Horse

2013-01-13T08:17:00.001-08:00

Good HAY provide necessary fiber and protein for your Horse . Testing for quality hay requires several procedures that take little time and effort. These on the spot tests help in determining what's good or bad hay before it's fed to your horse.

1 Look for hay containing a green to light gold coloring. Yellow or brown hay mixed in might not have all of the nutrients, but it still safe.

2 Check for more leaf matter than stalks and mature seed heads. Protein comes from leafs while fiber is in the stalks.

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3 Pick up a bale higher than your waist then drop it. Good hay bounces when it hits the ground. There should not be more than a little bit of dust when it hits the ground.

4 Test the hay's odor by smelling it up close. Obtain best results by digging into the hay, toward the middle of the bale. Sniff out a sweet odor for good hay while passing up any that smells moldy or musty.

5 Watch and smell for dust or mold when moving it around. Dust looks like little particles that float through the air while mold looks more like smoke wafting through the air.

6 Rub and squeeze the hay for sturdiness. Bad hay crumbles easily. Good hay remains flexible.

7 Get an analysis of the hay by taking samples to a certified lab. Contact your local farming authority or association for procedures.

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Make your Horse run Fast

2012-10-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Making a horse run faster is part of the training process where you teach the animal to be responsive to your touch. Horses learn by repetition. Your training methods will always include pressure and release. In order to teach your horse to go faster, you must apply contact in a consistent and reasonable way. This would be true whether you are working with your horse in the round pen, on a lunge line or while mounted. For your own safety, be sure that your horse knows how to stop. You do not want to be riding a horse that does not know how to apply his brakes.

1 Get your horse tacked up. Once he is fully tacked, take him to the arena and mount.

2 Warm up your horse. Going from a walk to a hand gallop is the equivalent of getting out of bed in the morning and breaking into a run down the driveway. Your horse needs an appropriate warm up for his muscles. Start off with your regular routine of bending, flexing and stretching him while transitioning up and down within the gaits. This means working in circles, serpentines, and cutting across the diagonal at a walk, trot and canter.

3 Transition the gaits. While you are warming up, use your aids to cue her to slow down. If your horse is going at the working trot, ask for a bit more collection by half halting. Your horse should respond instantly to this cue and collect her body by shortening her stride. This collection and shortening tell you that she is listening. Now ask her for a working canter. Halfway around the arena, give her a half halt to see if she responds by shortening her canter stride. Now ask her to come down from the canter to a full halt. Squeeze your hands around the reins, sit up straight and put all your weight deeply into the saddle while closing your legs around the horse's barrel. She should respond by giving you a nice halt. If she is listening to you, ask for more.

4 Speed him up. Ask for a working canter. On the long side of the arena, give your horse the cue to lengthen his stride by applying pressure, squeezing with your calves and heels. He should immediately respond by increasing his speed and lengthening. Make sure that your hands are soft on the reins and allow your horse to move forward. If you hold him back, he will have nowhere to go. If your horse does not increase his speed, apply your spurs by gently pricking upwards into his sides or giving his hindquarters a quick tap with the crop.

5 Ask for a greater increase. Your horse should now be in a hand gallop, which means that she is galloping but is well within your control. To ask for a full run, apply more leg pressure until your horse is galloping full speed. Be careful that you ask for speed increases only on the long sides of the arena and that as you come into corners and sides, you collect your horse by shortening his stride. When you come to the long side, ask for another increase. Use your spurs and riding crop if your horse does not listen to your request. Expect an immediate response from leg pressure. If she does not listen, apply the spurs or crop.

Training a show Horse to Park Out

2012-10-08T06:58:00.005-07:00

A show horse is usually required to park out during competition. "Park out" is a stance that shows off the conformation of the animal and shows that he has good manners. Your horse will be standing with its neck and head held high and front and back legs extended, like in the picture.

Train your horse to do this at a young age, after it is halter-trained as a yearling. You can still train an older horse, however. Make it something you do every day as part of your training routine. Here are a few basic steps to teach your horse has to park out with or without a rider.

1 Start with the ground training technique, meaning you are controlling the horse from the ground, either with a halter and lead shank or a bridle, without a rider.

2 Stand on the left side of your horse toward the front of its shoulder, and use the halter or bridle to raise its nose up, gently pulling its head forward at the same time. The idea is to get your horse to raise up and "stretch out," so it will have to move its front feet forward into the parked-out position.

3 While you are using your left hand to raise its head and stretch it out, put your right hand on its shoulder and put some pressure on the pasterns of its front feet with your own foot. The pastern is the spot just above the hoof and just below the fetlock. Use your foot either by tapping on the pastern or gently pushing it forward. You can use a training command here if you like such as "out." Do this with both its front feet, until the horse is in position.

4 Pet and coax your horse through this, to make it a pleasant experience. As soon as your horse gets into position, pet and soothe it with a calming voice. Gently coax its nose back down once it is stretched out, to put it in proper position.

5 Feed your horse treats while it in this position, to encourage it to stay there. Baby carrots or peppermints work well. Keep the pieces small, especially if your horse has a bit in its mouth. Your horse will have to park out and learn to stay in that position in the show ring.

6 Teach your horse to do this with a rider on its back, once the ground training technique is learned. You will be in the same position doing the same things in the steps listed above. Instruct your rider to tap her toes gently on your horse's shoulders as you ease your horse into the position. Use the same command: "out." At this point, your horse will have to get used to you walking away from it and staying in position for the rider. The goal, with a lot of repetition, is to have the horse park out simply by the rider tapping her toes on its shoulders.

How to Geld a Horse

2012-09-30T14:06:00.001-07:00

There are far more reasons to geld a horse than to keep him a stallion. The horse market is saturated with stallions used for breeding. If you have a male horse, he should most likely be gelded. Gelding is a simple procedure that is quick and easy to heal if directions are followed. Follow these steps to learn how to geld a horse.

1 Decide at what age you want to geld your horse. Horses are gelded as young as 2 weeks old and any time after this. Stallions tend to have more aggressive behavior than geldings and most lose the aggressiveness when they are gelded.

2 Have your horse prepared for surgery. Have him de-wormed and updated on all of his shots. A healthy horse recovers much faster and more efficiently than a horse that is sick. Also, make sure the horse is used to being handled so no one is injured at the time of the gelding procedure.

3 Bring your horse to the veterinarian's office or prepare an area at your barn for the procedure. A flat, open area out of direct sunlight is best. The horse is lying down during surgery, so cement is not recommended. After the surgery, have an enclosed area, such as a large stall or round pen, for the horse to recover from the anesthesia.

4 Know the weight of your horse so the proper amount of tranquilizer and anesthetic is given. The tranquilizer is given first to calm the horse. The anesthetic is given right before the surgery is performed. If a general anesthetic is used, the horse will lay down. Use a blanket to protect his head and eyes when he lies down.

5 Wash the scrotal area thoroughly before making two incisions. Pull the testicles out of the scrotum with about 3 to 4 inches of the spermatic cord showing. Use an emasculator to crush the cords for about 60 seconds in order for them to be severed. Enlarge the scrotal incisions and trim away excess scrotal tissue.

6 Hose excess drainage from the area with water daily. Gently dry the area with a towel and apply petroleum jelly between the hind legs to prevent chafing. Hosing directly into the incision area is not needed and may cause irritation.

7 Exercise the horse daily by walking him for 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day for 3 to 4 weeks. After this time, a normal exercise routine can be performed.

How to Fit Your Horse's Bit

2012-09-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

Fitting your horse's bit is more than the size and tightness of the bit. It might not be what you want to use, but each horse is different. Bit features to consider include mouthpiece type, shank length, size, curb chain position, noseband and mouthpiece material. Each of these features vary by bit. For example, mouthpiece options include a port, snaffle and twisted metal, and each of these come with different options, such as the height of the port.

1 Put the bridle on the horse. Adjust the bit.

2 Count the number of wrinkles. You should have two to three wrinkles at the corner of each side of the horse's mouth. Adjust the bridle a notch, if less than two, or loosen the bridle, if more than two.

3 Check position of the bit. It should lie in the toothless area on both sides of the mouth.

4 Look at the width of the bit. It should not pitch the corner of the horse's mouth, and the entire sides should be alongside the horse's mouth. Standard width is 5 inches, but bits come considerably smaller. The average horse take a 4½ to 5-inch bit.

5 Ride the horse, and look for signs the horse dislikes the bit. Signs include head tossing, bit chomping, resistance and sensitivity.

6 Inspect the sides of the mouth immediately after riding. After a long session, you should not see any marks on the mouth. Watch for an angry red tongue. Use a wider bit if any marks appear on the side of the horse's month. Consider bit guards to protect the horse's cheek.

How to Drive a Horse Carriage

2012-09-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

The first experience you have driving a horse-drawn carriage will all depend on the personality of the horse pulling the carriage. The ideal carriage horse is a bomb-proof, steady, gentle older horse who won't give you any surprises. The easier the horse is, the more quickly you will get adjusted to steering the horse from so far behind his mouth, while also paying attention to traffic and manuevering the size of the carriage you're driving. If you come to carriage driving with plenty of horse experience, you'll be more comfortable driving, although it is a big adjustment. Having a great teacher or a driver with lots of experience to help you get started is the best way to learn to drive. Here's what you can expect those first times out.

1 Once the horse is harnessed up and hitched to the cart, you want to check all your straps before getting into the carriage. Make sure every buckle is buckled, that your traces are flat and not twisted, and that your reins make a straight trip from the bit, over the back and to your seat on the carriage.

2 Pick up your reins and climb in from the left-hand side and sit in the center of the seat. If you are sharing the seat with someone and have to sit on one side, the brake is usually on the right side, so sit to the right. Once you are in the carriage, never let go of your reins. If you have to get out of the carriage, keep your reins in your hands at all times for your own safety.

3 Once seated comfortably, your horse's ears will be flicking back to listen for what you want him to do. Hold your whip in your right hand. Draw your reins up so that you have gentle contact with his mouth. The whip should hover over the rear end of your horse, tilted slightly to the left. You will have loops of extra rein. Gather the extra rein and place on the seat next to you. Some drivers even partially sit on some of the loose rein to keep it from tangling in their feet or dangling off the carriage and getting stuck in the wheels.

4 Sit up straight, feet braced gently on the low front board of the carriage. Hold the reins between your index and third fingers. You may not have to use your whip, but if you do, just tap gently on his rear to reinforce verbal commands, if he's especially slow.Ask your horse to "Step Up," or "Walk" when you're ready to go. Your horse should move forward happily. As you drive, get used to the feeling of the horse's mouth down the long length of rein. It will feel awkward at first if you're used to riding, and having the horse's face much closer to you. You'll feel more of your back muscles working as you try to keep your hands light on the rein, while gently guiding your horse where you want him to go. When you ask your horse to stop, try using the least amount of pressure on the reins as possible. This teaches your horse to obey to a soft touch and helps you in the long run, keeping your horse light in the bridle instead of wrestling with you.

5 Make sure you leave a wide space when going around corners or passing cars or other vehicles. The carriage is wider than you think, and you don't want to damage the wooden wheels on the curb. Your horse attached to the carriage is also a fairly long vessel, so keep in mind that you are sitting in the center and you have at least a horse length in front of you as well as behind you that you are responsible for. It helps to picture yourself in the center, as if the seat you are on is the horse's back, and you have a very long front and rear section to be aware of. Practice Stopping, Walking, and Trotting, and Turning. Always be watching the road or path in front of the horse to make sure you have ample room to turn around if you need to, so you don't get trapped in any narrow area.

6 If you have passengers in the carriage, their safety depends on you! Never leave the driver's seat when your carriage has passengers in it. Once you feel comfortable driving, feel free to turn and talk to your passengers as safety permits.