Training a horse is rarely an easy or quick task. You must earn a horse’s respect and trust, and then slowly guide it into the tasks you wish it to perform. With a difficult horse this can easily take months in the hands of an experienced trainer. Your easiest horse will be young and accustomed to people, especially people riding and interacting with other horses.
When it is time to train your horse with a saddle, you should have made a considerable amount of progress already. Saddle training is by no means the first step in training a horse. Your horse should already be able to work with a lead well. She should now what your cues are for walk, trot, etc. and should generally respond well to your directions. Attempting to saddle train a horse who has not gotten this far will likely lead to injury on your part and emotional damage for the horse which will be confused and terrified.
A saddle can easily frighten a horse.
Saddle training a horse is not at all easy and if you have never done this before, you might consider hiring a professional trainer. This is not the easy way out; the trainer is not there to train the horse while you stand by, but rather to guide you and help you train the horse. Even if you choose this option, it is a good idea to find several good books on saddle training. Talk to several trainers or horsemanship instructors near you to see what they recommend.
Enlist the help of a friend and lunge the horse for a little while. Your next step is the saddle pad and this can easily scare your horse. While the friend holds the line, calmly and gently approach the horse with the saddle pad until you can very gently lay it on her back. Rub it around her back a bit and then hold it in place. It is quite possible that she will be scared and try to throw it, but try to make sure you don’t let the pad fly, as this can be even scarier.
This will not be accomplished in one session. Remove the pad and do it again the next day until she is comfortable with it. Then keep it around while you do other things around her and just get her used to having it put on, waved around, moved, etc.
The saddle should be approached in much the same fashion, keeping in mind that it is heavier. Slowly get her used to it over several days and eventually lead her around with the saddle on.
Domestic cats are well known for their habit of leading long lives. With cats living well into their teens and beyond, it can cause some cat owners to consider their cat’s health less than they might. But this is never a wise decision. Though cats like to take care of themselves, without good knowledge of cat care and a little bit of prevention your cat may end up with a debilitating disease or condition.
There are a number of diseases that are specific to cats that a new pet owner or one who has not had a cat before may not be familiar. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, certain skin conditions, and others are all forces conspiring against a healthy cat.
Vaccinations are any pet owner’s first defense against disease and illness. When you have brought your kitten home for the first time you should schedule a visit to the veterinarian for a kitten check up. Though your cat might be in perfect health, this is an excellent opportunity to discuss with your vet all of the aspects of cat care which you might be uncertain of. Your veterinarian will also tell you when it is wise to bring the cat back for vaccinations and to be spayed. While spaying may not cut down on disease, a spayed cat is much less likely to get into trouble with other cats.
Kittens should be taken to the vet early in their life for preventative care.
Regular check ups and care are the best defense a pet owner can mount for their pet. As your cat grows, you will get an idea of how your cat should look and act. If anything changes, noticing this change, even subconsciously could save your cat’s life. Keep an eye on your cat’s teeth. Dental care is an oft overlooked aspect of maintaining a pet’s health and a dental problem can quickly develop into an oral infection which can kill quite easily as the heart and mouth are linked very closely.
Grooming should also be thought of as good preventative care. While cats like to groom themselves, grooming your cat regularly will help keep her coat and skin healthy and will keep her free from developing matted fur. Regular grooming can also help to identify and prevent skin conditions and will reveal sores, and other problems.
A flea collar or other treatment will also help your cat avoid having to deal with the problem of fleas and even ticks which can cause a great deal of discomfort and are also known to carry a variety of diseases.
It is a choice all new horseman must make early on: Western riding or English riding? The difference is less in how one rides so much as what kind of riding one wants to do.
While Western style riding was developed primarily for cowboys and the work they needed to do, English style riding has developed as a progression of a style originating primarily for hunting. The hunting of different animals, particularly the fox, required slight modifications in saddle construction and it is this saddle that forms the basis of all English style saddles today.
The riding style itself is a fairly simple one that encourages simple control of the reins for optimal direction of the horse. At this point in time, English style riding has grown and and many different styles within the general title of English riding exist. Many different competition events require slightly different technique and often a slightly different saddle that has been designed with a specific event in mind.
Dressage is quite possibly the most common or popular discipline within the heading of English riding. This type of event is geared towards developing a horse’s natural athletic ability and showcasing that ability alongside the skill of the rider and the rider’s ability to accurately direct the horse.
Horse racing also falls within the boundaries of English riding. The saddle used for this style of English riding is typically much smaller, lighter and secured very simply under the horse so that the horse is hindered the least amount possible by the weight or size of the saddle.
Beyond these two very common styles a rider can also participate in show jumping events in which a horse and rider are judged on their ability to navigate a number of obstacles without knocking them over, eventing, which combines several different events, polo, which is more a sport than an event, and endurance riding in which a horse and rider must ride over a long distance.
English riding differs most substantially from Western riding in that the English style is more focused on form and developing a horse’s athleticism than its Western counterpart which focuses more on a horse’s ability to perform work.
When making the decision of which style of riding to pursue, a new rider must examine his or her interests in horsemanship. A rider interested in the work aspect of horsemanship might consider Western riding, but one interested in dressage type competition, or competition that does not involve more ranch oriented events might consider English riding.
When horse owners speak of riding, they are often speaking of either Western style riding or English style riding. For those new to horses and horsemanship, it may be difficult to pick out a difference between the two styles to begin with but it is not hard to understand how they differ once some time is spent looking at what the two styles are used for.
For those new to riding who are interested in picking a riding school, the choice comes down to why you are riding and what type of riding you plan to do. If you are interested in dressage or other such equestrian events, the Western style may not be what you are looking for.
Western style riding developed with the advent of horses in North America. Starting with the Spanish conquistadors, this style of riding favors a deeper saddle with a higher cantle and a pommel and knob forward on the saddle which was used for roping. Over time, especially in the United States, Western riding was further developed by cowboys who need a saddle that would absorb some of the force of roping and would also help keep a cowboy seated.
Western style saddles featured a large pommel in the front
Cowboys worked hard and their jobs took them across inhospitable terrain far from home, often while tending herds of cattle that were not likely to be relied on. The possibility of being flung from a horse was very real and the design of the saddle was slowly adapted to these needs.
Because of the work done by cowboys and their horses, Western riding emphasized a horsemanship that involved very little or subtle instruction from the rider. These horses were trained to have something of a “cow sense” where the horse itself understood the job of tending herds just as well as the cowboy did. Because of the need to have both hands free at times, horses were trained to respond to only small movements of the reins, often simply the slight pressure of the reins on the neck was enough to get the horse to move in the right direction.
While English style riding is most often connected with competition, there are a number of Western style competitions that often look for those traits and skills on both the horse’s and the rider’s part needed for a working horse. Competitions such as reining, cutting, trail class, and team penning are all events in which a horse and rider can compete.
Stress is something most humans have to deal with, and often it comes up more than we would like. Be it a job interview, an exam, an argument with a loved one, or a health problem, stress makes life unpleasant and difficult. Because of this, most of us try very hard to limit the things that stress us out. We try to avoid sticky situations or people who will make us nervous, and we do our best to find enough time to relax and be around people we enjoy.
Just like humans, horses can experience stress as well, and for anyone who has struggled with stress in their life, we all know how difficult this can be. It is the same for a horse. A horse who is experiencing a lot of stress will not perform well and may be susceptible to health problems that would otherwise not be a problem.
Pasture time can help alleviate stress
Learning to identify stress in a horse is the first step to fighting stress in a horse. It is important to identify what is causing the stress and to remove that stress inducing thing but this cannot be done if you have not first realized that your horse is stressed.
The physical symptoms of stress, especially in more extreme cases, can include raised heart rate, fast and shallow breathing, raised blood pressure, and eventually even a rise in core body temperature. These are all responses to something that is making the horse nervous. It could be that a new horse has moved in, or even something as simple as a change in activity or routine in the barn. The horse’s body begins to release chemicals that would prepare the horse for having to run or fight.
While stress in the very short term is not terribly harmful, long term stress can considerably weaken an animal and threaten its well being. Needless to say, it is far more preferable to attempt to avoid stress in the first place.
You may notice your horse acting strange and agitated. The horse may begin chewing on things or stamping or even acting nervous or aggressive towards other animals or humans. When you recognize these signs, take a look around to see what might be making your horse upset. It could be that the horse will overcome its stress on its own but it is always good to try to limit the stress if you can find out where it is coming from. Even small changes in a horse’s routine can cause undue stress to such an animal.
Horses are naturally very strong and powerful animals. Used for load bearing and riding for thousands of years, horses have been bred to handle a variety of tasks. If given enough space to move around in and fed well and correctly, a horse should not end up out of shape; these animals are very good at keeping themselves fit. At the same time however, there is almost always room for improvement and understanding your horse’s fitness level is the first step.
If you are planning on competing with your horse in any sort of event, good overall fitness is of the utmost importance and it is never to early to begin working on your horse’s fitness level. Horses respond better to consistent training and workouts, so make a schedule and stick to it. Nothing hurts training so much as inconsistency. If you only train when you have time or when you remember, you will have a much harder time reaching the fitness level that you want for your horse.
Before you begin training, it is a good idea to consider what kind of shape your horse is likely to be in.
How old is your horse? An older horse will take more work and much gentler work to bring up to a good level whereas a younger horse in its prime will be far more readily trained.
When was your last workout with the horse? If you have kept the horse inside lately or have not been training during the winter, it will take longer to reach a good state of fitness. If possible, continue working with the horse, even if it is only small amount each day, through the entire winter so that she will be prepared for more vigorous workouts in the spring.
Has your horse sustained any injuries? A horse recovering from an injury will require a lot of time and patience to bring back to shape. The important thing is that you avoid stressing or pressuring the injury too much while it is still healing to some extent. Talk to your veterinarian about the best exercises you can do with your horse to keep her in shape while helping her heal.
As you begin working with the horse, pay attention to things like warming up and cooling down. Giving the horse some time before and after the workout will help her stay injury free. Also keep an eye on her breathing and heart rate. If you keep a log of these things, over time you will perceive of a change in fitness.
Speak to a number of horse owners and you are bound to get a number of different views on whether or not a horse should be shod. Horseshoes have been in use for centuries, but is it really the best thing for your horse? These days you will find a great deal of experienced professionals willing to give your horse a “natural” hoof trim, that is, one similar to the hoof that a wild horse will have.
One of the reasons that horse owners and farriers argue for leaving a horse barefoot is for the uneven wear that riding shod can effect on a horse’s hooves. Barefoot horses who have been trimmed by a skilled farrier will likely suffer less overgrowth and cracking not to mention other hoof maladies.
Horseshoes have been around a long time, but are they necessary?
The goal of a farrier giving a barefoot trim, especially to a horse that has been shod most of its life, is to trim the hoof such that it mimics the hoof one might see on a wild horse. As wild horses have succeeded in maintaining hoof health on their own throughout history, it is argued that a domestic horse should be able to maintain this same level of health. Clearly the wild horse has an ability to maintain its hooves and the wear pattern one might see on a wild horse must therefore be a beneficial and sustainable one.
Some dissenters who argue that a horse should be shod argue that the terrain on which wild horses roam is of a much different composition than that of many domestic horses. Some horse owners have noticed that their barefoot horses suffer when walking on gravel or other rough surfaces. This may simply be due to poor trimming or it could genuinely be a circumstance in which a horse should be shod.
Even on surfaces that are difficult for a horse, a horse owner can purchase horse boots. These boots fit over the hooves of a horse and will protect the horse as a horseshoe might on terrain a horse finds difficult, all without having to have the horse shod.
In the end it is up to each individual horse owner to examine the terrain a horse will be travelling and their own desires for the horse. If in doubt, discussing the issue with an experienced farrier or equine veterinarian may help you make a decision that is best for you and your horse.
As much as cat owners love their pets and try to do the very best for them, very few have a good understanding of feline nutrition. Too many pet owners buy a bag of kibble at the pet supply store without looking at the ingredients or quality and occasionally their pets suffer. If you look at the ingredients in most commercial cat foods, the first ingredient you will find listed will be some sort of corn product or other grain.
Before we take a good look at nutrition and protein in particular, we need to understand the background of feline nutrition. The cat’s ancestors were hunters and their primary form of nourishment came from animals they killed. These carnivores would eat the meat of wild animals and their bodies adapted to accommodate this diet.
Really in the past fifty years or so, the pet industry has transformed pet nutrition from a primarily meat based diet to a diet that incorporates primarily grains with little real meat. A pet owner must understand that grains did not ever constitute a part of the cat’s wild ancestor’s diet.
Once kittens move from milk to solid food a pet owner must take care that they are receiving the right nutrients.
Meat contains a great deal of protein. This essential building block for the body is composed of amino acid chains which the body breaks down and the reincorporates into its own muscles and cells. Commercial kibble often contains only a small amount of meat and this meat is usually made of of low quality protein. Often, pet food companies will take the scraps and spoiled meat from butcher shops and convert this into pet food.
The body itself makes amino acids but cannot make all of them. A cat is incapable of making a number of different amino acids and therefore these amino acids must be acquired through diet. If a cat does not receive these amino acids or does not consume enough of them, then his health will suffer.
The signs of deteriorating nutrition can be difficult to recognize for a pet owner and taking your pet to the veterinarian will not necessarily yield a proper result. Lack of proper nutrients could end up causing a number of unfortunate health conditions and nutrition may not be seen as a cause by a veterinarian who is looking elsewhere.
The best weapon a pet owner can use to protect their pet’s health is knowledge. Make it your business to read as much as possible concerning pet nutrition and talk to your veterinarian about the best way to keep your pet healthy and fit.
Bareback riding seems so appealing to many who own horses or who have longed to ride horses. What style of riding keeps a rider as in tune and united with a horse? But at the same time, many horsemen have been nervous about this style of riding either for safety reasons or because they believe it could be harmful to the horse.
Let’s first take a quick look at why bareback riding might be a poor idea. Afterwards we’ll discuss the benefits of this particular riding style and leave it up to the reader to decide whether or not to give it a shot.
Before you ever consider bareback riding, it is very important to understand the temperament of your horse. A calm horse is certainly your best bet for a safe ride. At the same time, a horse who is often nervous or who has known fears or simply one that spooks easily is going to be a real risk. The same can be said of a horse who does not respect its rider much. The key safety issue here is that, without a saddle, a rider has very little recourse if the horse becomes dangerous to ride. There is little to hold on to and a rider’s feet are not secured. In short it is much easier for a rider to be thrown when riding in this manner.
Those who argue the benefits of bareback riding cite its great ability to teach a rider balance. You are also going to be much more conscious of how your horse moves when cantering, trotting, and even galloping. This in turn will help you become a better rider as you begin to understand how to communicate more effectively with your horse.
Some find it very uncomfortable to ride a horse bareback. For these people, the horse supply industry has created bareback riding pads. These pads are similar to a saddle blanket and some even come with insubstantial stirrups to help you.
As with any riding style, bareback can be difficult to master at first. It is important that you start out slowly. Find an enclosed and flat space to ride in and do so for the first few times with either an instructor or another person nearby to give tips or to keep you safe. Make a point to remain calm. When bareback it may be a first response for a rider to grip with the knees or feet when feeling off balance but this will tell your horse to speed up. Only by keeping your head will you be able to learn safely.
Whether you live in the country, in the suburbs, or even in a large city, pets are always at some risk for injury. These can be from vehicles, the terrain, and from other people, but no matter where you are, pets are nearly always at some risk from wild animals.
Most wild animals that one would think of as being a threat have learned that straying too near people is not a good idea. Large predators are often the victims of hunters and others but this does not mean that your pet is safe from all danger. Mountain lions are well known for occasionally choosing a pet as their next victim.
Mountain lions have been known to prey on family pets.
But is not only the large predators that you and your dog need to be worried about. Even those creatures that you are used to seeing around your yard or neighborhood – squirrels, birds, chipmunks, etc. – can still be dangerous for your pet.
The very first; and possibly the most important, step to keeping your pet safe is to vaccinate. Your veterinarian will have a number of vaccinations available that are recommended for all pets. Many of the diseases that these vaccinations provide protection against are transmitted by other pets, but some, such as rabies, can be spread by wild animals that your pet may come in contact with. If your pet is not vaccinated, contact your veterinarian to find out at what age your pet should be vaccinated.
With major diseases taken care of, there are still a number of precautions you can take as a pet owner. When walking a dog, it is very important that you keep your pet on a leash. Even pets who can be trusted off leash can unexpectedly get in a tussle with a wild animal that may be near by. Even wild animals like squirrels or skunks can do a measure of damage to a pet using both teeth and claws as weapons.
Back at home it is advisable that you keep your dog on a leash even when going outside and cats are much safer outdoors. Most veterinarians will recommend that you keep your cat indoors but if you must let your cat outside it is very important that that animal not be declawed. Claws are a cat’s first defense and if declawed your cat has a much slimmer chance of being able to escape an attack by a wild animal.
ContributorNetwork - Gray wolves in Michigan have taken off the federal endangered species list and may now be shot if they pose a threat to local wildlife. Last December, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) placed management of wolves into the hands of local DNR officials in Michigan. The Wolf Management Plan went into effect Friday, says Click on Detro […]
License your pet?Edmonton JournalSome questions and answers about pet licensing in Edmonton: Why get a pet licence? A licence ensures the city can contact you if someone finds your pet. Do I need a licence for my gerbil? No. Only cats and dogs over the age of six months require a ...and more » […]
Press-EnterpriseYUCAIPA: Pet adoption group plans expansionPress-EnterpriseBY DARRELL R. SANTSCHI The Yucaipa Animal Placement Society, one of the area's oldest no-kill pet adoption organizations, is planning a major expansion over the next year. Nicole Laffey, YAPS' executive director, outlined plans this past week for the ... […]
