Grooming Your Horse

Grooming your horse is one of the best ways to get to know him. How he is built and the different characteristics of his build, his marking, his personality, etc. Regular grooming will enhance the horses coat shine and bring out the natural oils in the skin. It will also create more circulation. Horses that live outside are actually better off only groomed when they are being ridden or worked, because they need the natural oils in the skin to protect them from the weather.Though they still need their hooves picked out daily. However stabled horses should be groomed everyday to help with blood  circulation. Correct grooming tools will keep your horses coat shiny and healthy. Here is an effective way to groom your horse.
1. Use the "Rubber Curry Comb" in circular motions from neck to tail, staying away from tender and fragile head, legs and flank areas. This will loosen the dirt from under the coat.
2. Next is the "Dandy Brush". This is a stiff brush and is used in fast, short flicking motions from neck to tail, staying away from tender and fragile head, legs and flank areas. This brush will rid of what we just curried up.
3. Next we will use the"Body Brush". This is a soft brush. Now we can brush the face, then working your way down the neck, legs, flank and body in long slow flicking motions. This will get rid of little surface hairs or missed dirt and will bring out the oils in the skin.
4. Now that we have brought the oils up to the surface, we will use a "Towel or Polishing Cloth". This will spread the oils and shine the coat, creating a nice finishing touch to the coat.
5. Use the "Hoof Pick" and pick out the hooves, picking out any rocks or debris. Then with the brush end of the hoof pick, brush out the excess debris.
6. And last but not least, separate the tail and mane hairs with your fingers to get out the tangles. Then use the "Dandy Brush" to get out tangles and then the "Body Brush" to shine and soften the tail.
                                              Now your horse is clean a happy;)

                               Keeping the Barn Clean 

It is very important to keep the stable/barn area clean and stalls mucked out. Why? You may ask. Well when stalls don't get cleaned on a regular basis horses may get thrush and parasites from eating hay off the ground. There will also be more flies. While stalls should be cleaned on a regular basis, sometimes it is hard to get the time to do all the barn chores. We have made a "Barn Cleaning Schedual" to follow. So when your feeling crunched, you can break it down into these easy steps;)

Mon. - Sun. A.M.

1. Feed horses 

2. Clean stalls

3. Sweep floors

4. School horses

5. Clean tack

Mon. - Sun. P.M.

1. Feed horses

I have my Schedual set up this way because if I feed horses, clean stalls, and sweep floors first the horses have about 1:30 min. To digest their food before they are worked. I also like to clean my tack after each ride. For one thing it keeps the tack in better shape, but also it is one less thing that I don't have to do when getting ready for a show;)

                         What Kind of Leg Protection Do I Use?

What kind of leg protection do you need for your dressage horse? There are many different kinds of leg protection products out there. You just have to find the one that suits your individual needs. I think the most popular in dressage would be "Polo Wraps with Bell Boots." Here are some different choices.

*Polo Wraps give support against concussion and give protection against bruising if your horse was to overreach. The way they are wrapped and come down around the fetlock they support the sesamoid bones. They are very popular in Dressage. Though if not applied properly they can do more harm then good. See our "To Wrap or Not To Wrap" post to learn how to properly wrap or consult a experienced horseman or vet.

*Dressage Boots are a great alternative if you don't know how to wrap or if you are crunched for time. These are stiffer that Polo Wraps and will prevent against bruising if the horse overreaches. They also give support and are easy to apply.

*Dressage Wraps are also a good alternative to Polo Wraps and allow air flow. While also giving support and protection the are quick and easy to put on.

*Bell Boots are used in dressage because they protect the back of the heel and pastern, incase a horse were to overreach. They are quick to apply and can be used on a daily basis.

Riding Bareback once a week will improve your balance and better your seat and leg aids. To start off with you may be more comfortable just taking your stirrups away. You should feel at all times (If the horse was to walk out from underneath you, would you be standing on the ground?) It may be hard at first, but the more you do it the easier it will become;)

Does your horse stand quietly while being saddled, or move around while trying to lift that heavy saddle up onto your horses back?

I have saddled a lot of horses through the years and while some were good, others moved around and were fidgety. You CAN train a horse to stand still, however wouldn't it be neat if your horse wanted to stand for his saddle to be put on and willingly did it on his own. Have you ever thought that your horse may feel like he is caught in the middle of a "Canyon and a Cougar?" Horses are pray animals and while you may think "It's just a saddle" the horse may think it is going to eat him and if he is tied up he can't get away from his predator. I like to saddle all my horses "The Friendly Way." This way your horse is not "Caught between a Canyon and a Cougar." It becomes his idea and he is willing and happy to be saddled. Watch this video, it will change the way we think about "Taking Up."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PHvZbHqwhs&feature=player_detailpage

                     

                           To Wrap or Not To Wrap

There is some controversy about wrapping a horses legs. Should you wrap their legs or leave them alone. Well this is how I look at it: a horse in the wild does not wear leg wraps, so should you not wrap your horses legs because wild horses don't need them? Well not necessarily. When I am trail riding or doing something my horse has done for a while, I refrain from putting wraps on my horse to let her legs get stronger and to let the muscle develop, however if I am doing something new, I think wraps are important because new things can be strenuous to the fragile tendons, ligament and sesamoid bones. Horses might be big and powerful but sesamoid bones, ligament and tenons can easily be damaged. 

Though if not properly applied wraps can do more bad than good. It is a good idea to have your instructor or a well rounded horseman teach you how to properly apply Polo Wraps.

Here is a good video talking about how to properly apply wraps. Practice makes Perfect!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbR6fiC7YXg&feature=player_detailpage

Mixing Classical with Natural to create a Happy and Healthy Partnership Between Horse and Rider! 

No Matter what discipline you do wether Western Pleasure, Trail, Jumping or a mixture of everything, Dressage will improve your horses training and will better your riding abilities. We use both Classical and Natural Methods. Natural Horsemanship will better your horses all around manners and will help him understand what is being asked of him. Natural Horsemanship will also better you as a trainer and horse handler.

Our Tip For February!

Riding your horse outside of the arena at least once a week is good for him. It lets him relax and have a break from arena work, while also helping him come a custom to new things. And it is a lot of fun to;)