Western ridding or equestrian ridding?

If you’re looking to get in shape and work hard. Then equestrian ridding is for you! As far as I'm concerned equestrian ridding is allot better then western ridding and I’ll tell you why:
Equestrian riding is more exercise compared to western. Show jumping is more exercise compared to barrel racing. Jumping requires a great amount of balance and coordination. When jumping you have to carry your horse over the fences using your muscles to get him to jump up and over the fences. A show jumping course takes about 2 minutes to complete, which requires a lot of leg and stomach muscles since they have to remain tight. You and your horse have to equally work hard in order to jump well. Barrel racing is simply steering your horse around two barrels, the horse does the majority of the work; you don’t have to be balanced because western saddles have a horn to hold on to. Barrel racing only takes about 20 seconds so you aren’t on your horse as long. Second of all, in equestrian riding you have to keep heels down at all times while riding where as in western you don’t have to do that. Keeping your heels down for a long period of time is hard on your calf muscles. So therefore it will make them stronger. Finally, Equestrian riding requires more muscle strength. Equestrian riding requires the rider to post in the trot and steer the horse with both legs and hands. Posture is very important in shows, where as western riding is done entirely in sitting trot (no rising) and the horse is steered by the reins which are held in only one hand.

Equestrian riding requires more strategy and intelligence as opposed to western riding. First of all, Equestrian riding requires a lot of memorization of courses for shows compared to western which is simply doing different gates. For show jumping you have to memorize up to 18 jumps and calculate the distance between each jump to get the right strides going into the fence. Also you have to make sure you make your turns correctly so you have enough time to get correct footing to the following jump. Also in dressage you have to memorize your test. If you go in the wrong direction or don’t do the proper transitions you will be disqualified, so memorization is very important. For western shows, reining and roping you simply have to be able to walk trot and canter you horse. There is no memorization involved. Second of all, Equestrian riding requires hand eye and leg coordination, where western riding is simply sitting and using your legs. When your riding equestrian you have to look where you going to let the horse know where to go while using your right rein to steer (right hand) your left rein to control the pass/energy (left hand), your right leg to create energy and your left leg to keep him bending in the correct position and to prevent his butt from turning out. All of these things must be used at the same time to work effectively. Western riders simply have to use both their legs to create the horses’ energy and use both reins to stop the horse (by pulling back on the reins).
If your want to start ridding but not sure what types is best for you, you should definitely try equestrian ridding, it's fun, allot of exercise and will help you develop good hard working habits.

Why I love horse back ridding!

I love horseback riding for many reasons. First of all, horseback riding is a great form of fitness. For you to perform well in competition, both you and your horse need to be in the best physical condition. Since you are sitting on your horses back for a long period of time you have to be well fit and thin to make his job as easy for him as possible. Knowing this will encourage you to stay fit and exercise frequently. Also Studies have shown (www.wikihow.com) “Novice riders who ride once a week will begin to develop the correct muscles and suppleness”. Riders will maintain fitness by riding frequently. Riding may appear to be easy but it actually requires a lot of work. It will improve leg and arm strength as those are the parts of the body used the most while riding. These muscles are what controls the horse. Horseback riding will also improve stomach muscles since it requires a great amount of balance, which requires your stomach muscles to remain tight. Second of all, horseback riding is a good bonding experience. Bonding with your horse is very important. Without a good bond between you and your horse, you will find that you’re limited as to what you can do together. You must communicate with your horse in a way he/she will understand, giving him/her treats when he/she’s good, giving him/her praise and patting his/her neck after a good jump, brushing him/her etc...These things will show your horse you respect him/her and he/she will respect you in return. When you have developed a good bond with your horse he/she will depend on you, allow you to ride him/her and he will be your best friend. With a good bond you will develop trust. You have to trust your horse and he/she will trust you in return. Horseback riding is a dangerous sport whether you’re jumping 6 ft fences, racing or simply barrel racing, you’re putting you and your horse at high risk of possibly getting injured if something were to go wrong. This is why it’s very important to have trust and confidence in one another. Finally horseback riding is a fun activity. Horseback riding lessons are often done in groups, therefore you will get the chance to meet new people and make new friends. You will be able to do your everyday barn chores with friends such as trail riding, grooming, mucking etc… Doing these things in groups will make them more interesting and fun, since you will be able to socialize while doing them. There are many games played on horseback, such as polo. Polo is a team sport played on horseback, the objective of the game is to score goals against an opposing team. Polo requires two teams of four. The game is played with a small ball made of leather, the ball looks similar to a small football. The players hit the ball using a stick with a long thick handle and a head like a hammer. The game requires a fast flexible horse to allow you to get the ball and get points as quickly as possible. Your horse is constantly running up and down the field following the ball, to allow you to hit it and get it into the net.

What to do if your horse becomes lame

There are many things that can make a horse lame. If your horse gets a severe or even minor injury he/she could go lame. If for instance your horse breaks his/her leg, injures their hoof, gets sick or breaks/hurts another bone on their body, they could also become lame. When a horse goes lame it means that the horse isn’t able to do what they were used to do. You're horse's injury could get better and he/she could go back to being normal or he/she could stay lame forever. It all depends on the horse's injury; some injuries can be healed while others will never get better no matter what you do to help them. If you think your horse is lame, you want to make sure you still go out and visit him as often as you usually would. You probably shouldn’t ride him or make him work too hard, because that could make the injury worse. You should walk you horse around a lot with a lead rope to so that he still gets some exercise, and gradually makes his leg (or whatever is injured) stronger and maybe healed. Also you should gradually make your horse do different gates. This will help work the problem area and make it less severe. If your horse is lame, you should apply ointment to his injury often: this will help with the pain and will also help the healing process.

Horse markings

There are a few different types of horse markings. Horses of the same breed generally look identical. But there are a few ways you may be able to distinguish them. Some horses have markings such as stars, stripes, white face, blaze, and snip. These markings are usually white no matter what the colour of the horse may be.

Stars are always found somewhere on the horses forehead. They can be big or small. The reason there called stars is because they're a patch of white hair in the shape of a star.

Stars look like this:

Stripes are found on the horses face. They are a single line that goes from just below the horses forehead to his/her nose, a stripe is always thin.

This is what a strip looks like:

A blaze is also a strip that goes down the horses face starting from the horse's forehead. The blaze is similar to the strip but is a bit thicker and longer, unlike the strip, the blaze covers the horse's nose as well.

The blaze looks like this:

A snip is similar to a star but is found on the horse's nose. It's a little patch of hair in the shape of a circle, diamond or star on the horses nose.

This is what a snip looks like:

Socks are found on the horses legs and are either long or short. They look similar to socks (that’s how they got their name). Socks can go from the horse’s ankle to their hoof. Socks can be on either one, two, three or all of the horses legs.

This is what a sock looks like:

Different types of bits

They are a lot of different types of bits. The most commonly used bits are egg bit snaffles, D ring snaffles, egg bit snaffles with copper rollers, egg bit snaffles with a French link and egg bit snaffles with cheek pieces.

Each of these bits are used for different disciplines and different horses.

Egg bit snaffles and D ring snaffles are mainly used for the same disciplines. They look something

like this:

Both of these bits are usually used for trained school horses. These bits are too hard on the horse’s mouth but they allow you to have just enough control. The Egg bit snaffle is a little less powerful then the D ring, that would be used on older calm horses that can have too much pressure on their mouths. The D ring snaffle allows you to have a bit more control therefore you would put this on a school horse that may get a bit excited or spooky at times. These bits could be used on any type of school horse whether it's a Welch pony, a therobread or a quarter horse.

Egg bit snaffles with copper rollers, egg bit snaffles with a French link, and egg bit snaffles with cheek pieces are each different types of bits that are mainly used for the same things. These three bits look something like this :

Each of these bits are used on training horses, therefore giving you more control. Being able to control your horse when you’re training him/her is very important. It will allow them to learn that you are in charge and they have to listen to you. The egg bit snaffle with copper rollers is the ideal bit for horses that get bored easily or like to play with their bit while it’s in their mouth. The egg bit snaffle with copper rollers has four copper rollers along the middle that spin around. The rollers allow your horse to play with them with his tongue. This will keep him occupied and happy. The egg bit snaffle with a French link gives you a lot more control since it has a link in the middle that will push down on your horses tongue and allow you to control him easier. The egg bit snaffle with cheek peaces has long metal pieces that are placed along the sides of your horse’s mouth. These metal pieces will put pressure on his mouth when you ask him/her to turn or stop. This bit is mainly used on horses with trouble turning or stopping.

Different types of raps and boots

There are many types of wraps and boots. The most commonly used boots/wraps are: regular boots, bells boots, ankle boots, polo raps, trailer raps.

Regular boots:

Regular boots look something like this:

These boots are usually used during jumping. They are mainly used on horses that have shoes. These boots have a hard inside piece that is small at the top and big at the bottom to protect your horses ankles from getting injured by your horse’s shoe hitting the inside of his leg either going over a jump, landing incorrectly, or simply making sharp turns. These boots are often seen on school horses.

Bell boots :

Bell boots look something like this:

Bell boots are used to protect your horses hooves and lower leg. Bell boots are used for jumping and cross country. If your horse usually knocks down jumping poles or hits them while jumping, you should put bell boots on him/her in order to protect their legs from getting injured or being sore.

Ankle boots:

Ankle boots look something like this:

Ankle boots are used on the horse's back legs. They are usually used during dressage or hunter. These boots will protect your horses hind legs if they rub together while doing canter or leg yields.

Polo wraps:

Polo wraps look something like this:

Polo wraps are used mostly during lessons therefore on school horses (horses that are helping children or adults learn how to ride). Polo wraps are used to protect your horse's legs from getting sores, cuts or any other injuries from rubbing them against each other or other objects. They're also used on horses with sensitive legs, sore legs or simply because the horse is getting old. Polo wraps sometimes have rubber bits on the inside that are used to keep the horses legs secure and tight, if they have any type of bone or joint problems.

Trailer wraps:

Trailer wraps look something like this:

Trailer wraps are used to protect your horses legs while being in a trailer for a long period of time. Some horses don't like to be in trailers therefore they hit themselves against the walls and kick the walls/door trying to escape. Putting trailer wraps on your horses legs will prevent any serious injuries to the legs.

Ferrier

The Ferrier is the one who takes care of horses hooves. Therefore they're very important to horse owners. Horse’s hooves and feet are the most important bodypart since they have to depend on them throughout the entire day. If your horse has poorly maintained feet they'll be very difficult to ride since their feet will be bothering them. Therefore it's very important to make regular appointment with your Ferrier to be sure you horses feet and hooves stay as healthy as possible. The ferrier trims and maintains horses’ hooves. If your horses hooves gets too long it could cause problems with their feet which could lead to leg injuries. Ferries will also put shoes on your horses’ feet. Not all horses need shoes, depending on what you’re doing with your horse and where you're working him. Shoes will protect your horse form injuring his feet on hard or bumpy ground. Shoes are usually ideal for jumping since your horse could land hard on his feet. Ferries are one of the most important people in your horse’s life! Therefore it’s very important that you find a good well known Ferrier that will take good care of your horse’s hooves, and will be able to come out to help you whenever you need him/her. Also keep in mind that a ferriers job is in fact very dangerous. They have to stand directly behind your horse and in front of him, which puts him at high risk of being kicked. If he/she were to get kicked hard in the head they could be instantly killed.

Training your horse

What to do:
When you're training your horse to either race, jump or barrel race you have to start with the basics. Before you teach him anything you should get him used to wearing a saddle and bridle. You can get him used to it by putting them on him for a few minutes then taking them off, in his\her stall. Slowly leave them on for a little longer. Once he\she seems to be okay wearing them take him\her out and walk him\her around the arena a few times, eventually you can start lunging them with their bridle and saddle on to get them comfortable with wearing them while being worked. Eventually once you think your horse is ready you can ride him.
When you’re training your horse you always want to start off by just walking around, so your horse can get the feel of having someone on his back. Eventually you will be able to train your horse to trot and canter. You need to first teach your horse that when you squeeze his stomach that means go and when you pull back on the reins that means stop or slow down.
Always remember to take things slow don’t ever rush your horse into doing something he's not yet able to do, it will come eventually. It's very important to be patient, redo things numerous times to get your horse used to them before moving on to the next thing. Finally remember to always give your horse praise by giving him treats of patting his neck to let him now he's done a good job, this will encourage your horse to work hard knowing he's going to be rewarded.


What not to do:
When you’re training your horse you should never wear spurs or use a crop. Your horse is just getting used to having someone ride him, poking him in the belly with spurs or hitting him on the bum with a crop will scare him and he'll become harder to ride and lose confidence in you.
Never rush him\her into doing something he's not yet ready to do.
Never get cross with him\her and hit him\her this will only make him\her not want to listen to you and refuse to do what you tell him, it could also make him scared and not like people, these types of habits could stick with him forever.

Nutritian and feeding your horse

Feeding your horse:
A horse’s diet can include water, a variety of items such as hay, feed, grain and supplementary items such as apple, carrots, sugar cubes and other treats.
It's very important that you don’t overfeed your horse. This could make him very sick and unable to ride. It is also important that you don’t underfeed your horse, this will cause him to have lack of energy and they'll lose muscle mass which would make it hard for you to work him\her and ride him\her.
You should feed your horse minimum three times a day. The amount of food you give your horse depends on his\her size and also his\her bread. Different types of horses are used for different types of riding. You have to feed your horse according to the amount of work he\she will be doing. The more active your horse needs to be the more you'll have to feed him.

When to feed your horse:
It is ideal to feed your horse when you eat, in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening.

You should never feed your horse right after he's been worked. Doing this could give your horse colic or make him very sick. Wait until he's properly cooled down before giving him water or food.

If you feed your horse oats or grain you need to be sure not to feed him too much. Oats and grain to horses is like sugar to us, it will give them an energy boost and make them more hyper and excited than normal. You shouldn’t do this to your horse before a horse show, since there is already allot of excitement there, this will make your ride dangerous, because your horse will have too much energy built up and that will make him very hard to control.

Finally, feeding your horse should be fairly easy. You should always ask your vet exactly how much food your horse needs to be fed every day in order to keep him healthy.

How to choose the right barn.

When you want to begin riding the first thing you have to do is find a barn that offers the type of riding you’re interested in. Choosing the right barn is very important. There are a few things you should keep in mind while looking for a barn. You want to make sure that the barn you choose will be doing the same kind of riding you’ll be doing. That way you'll be able to take lessons and improve on the type of riding that you do. Also you would be riding with others. You want to make sure that the owners and the other people who ride there are welcoming and friendly. This is important because you’re going to want to get along with them since you'll probably be spending allot of time there. It's important that the barn is a safe environment for your horse. There shouldn’t be anything sticking out of the walls, the stalls should be the proper size etc... It's important that you’re able to ride your horse as often as possible and that the barn has flexible hours and time for you to have the arena to yourself without lessons. It's important that you pick a barn with an indoor and outdoor arena; therefore you'll be able to ride during the winter as well as during the summer. You should choose a barn with friendly horses, so that your horse could be turned out often, and you wouldn’t have to worry about the other horses fighting or hurting your horse. Finally you want to be sure that that the barn you choose is the right choice for you and your horse. You should both be happy there.

Riding attire

Wearing the proper riding clothes is very important. You should always wear long pants, this will prevent saddle soars caused by the saddle rubbing against the inside of your legs. You can wear jeans, but it’s preferred to wear breaches. You should always wear boots with a heel; this will help you to keep your foot properly placed in the stirrup. For equestrian ridding you can either wear short boots with half chaps, or tall boots. Depending on the behaviour of your horse spurs may or may not be needed. Spurs are used to help motivate your horse. If your horse is acting up or is excited it would not be a good idea to wear spurs since it would build up more energy and your ride could become dangerous. You should always wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible, if you fall off this will prevent scrapes or cuts. Wearing a riding vest is very important. This will help to protect your ribs and chest from getting injured if you fall off. If your horse went to step on you, the vest would prevent your ribs from getting broken. Finally you should ALWAYS wear a helmet. Wearing a helmet is extremely important because it will protect your head if you fall. When falling off a horse you have a high chance of hitting your head. Wearing a helmet will help prevent brain damage, concusions or other head injuries that could be very severe.

Buying a horse

When you're horse shopping you want to be sure that you buy a horse that is right for you. You have to decide what types of work you will be using this horse for, and be sure he's capable of doing it. You need to decide whether you want a young horse or an older horse. Do you want to train the horse yourself or do you want him to already know the basics. Since you will probably be owning this horse for a few years you want to be sure he's able to do the types of work you'll be wanting him to do. If you’re interested in dressage, you don't want to buy an eventer. You should always ask allot of questions to the seller. Why they want to sell the horse, what he/she's used for, what his/her history is, his/her age and anything else you can think of that might interest you. Also you want to be sure to check the horse for yourself. Run your hands down his legs to check for injuries, or anything that could be wrong. Check his teeth to determine how old he/she is. You should ride the horse a few times before you decide whether or not he’s right for you. Finally you should bring along someone that is very knowledgeable of horses to help decide whether or not you’re making a good decision.

What to do if your horse gets injured

If your horse gets injured by for instance, jumping over a jump incorrectly and fracturing or breaking his/her leg it is very important that you tend to his/her injury. Horses’ legs are the most fragile part of their body, since the bones in their legs are very small and have to support all their weight. If your horse were to hurt his leg you should call your vet to see how bad the injury is. Your vet will tell you what to do to help heal his leg.

You should rap the injured leg every day; this will help to keep his muscles tight and will prevent the injury from getting worse. It is very important to NOT ride your horse while he's injured. You would be applying more weight to the leg and the injury would get worse. But it is very important that you exercise your horse frequently, by lunging him at least once a day. This will help him to build back muscles and strength in his leg.

When your horse gets injured it could be a long time before he/she gets better. There’s even a possibility that the leg may never get better. Depending on how your horse hurt his leg it may not be able to heal. Although there is that chance, you have to do everything you can to help him get better. Rubbing ointments (analgesic and anti-inflammatory ) on his/her leg often helps to relieve the pain and helps the bone and muscles repair themselves.

Taking care of a sick horse

If you think your horse might be sick there are a few things you should do before you call your vet. This well help you determine whether or not your horse really needs to see the vet or if he's just not feeling like himself.

-You can check the colour of his gums by gently lifting up his upper lip. The colour of your horses gums may be able to tell you allot when it comes to him/her being sick. If your horse is sick with colic for example, his gums will become a grayish beige colour, when they normally look pink.

-You should keep an eye on your horse throughout the day to see if he/she's gone to the bathroom at all during the day. A horse will normally poop from 5-6 times a day, so if he/she hasn't gone to the bathroom at all there's most likely something going on in their stomach.

-You can check their pulse, a horses pulse is similar to humans. Their heart beat shouldn't be too fast or to slow.

-If your horse is sick he'll most likely seem slower and weaker. It is very important to keep a close eye on your horse and notice these things, so you can call you vet as soon as possible.

-Finally you can check their temperature. If you hadn't ridden your horse at all that day and his temperature is very high, he could be very sick. You also want to check if he's sweating for no reason at all.

What to do if your horse is sick:

The first thing you should do if your horse is sick is call the vet. Your vet might be busy and might not be able to get there as soon as you call him that's why it`s important to do it right away.

You should put a blanket over your horse to keep him warm, this will prevent him from possibly going into shock. You should find a a chair and put it in your horses stall and stay with him until the vet gets there. This will help him to stay relaxed. Finally you should continuously check your horses vital signs to be sure his sickness isn't getting worse. Do this 3 times every hour until the vet arrives.

Once the vet had took a look at your horse, he will tell you exactly want is wrong with your horse and what you can do to help him feel better again. One of the most important things you should do is continuously keep an eye on your horse and make him feel as comfortable as possible.