Owning a horse can be the ultimate pet dream for most people. There was a time when owing and knowing how to ride a horse was no big deal but that age is long gone now. Horseback riding is now largely confined to small groups of select people. It is quite understandable why you would want to join those who know how to handle horses. Owning a horse after all is so different from owing a dog or any other kind of pet.
Owning a Horse- You can learn how to ride a horse from a local stable in your area. You can become an expert horse rider that way. In fact a lot of people prefer to do it that way since they can just go to the stable when they feel like having a ride. So you really have to think about it carefully if owing a horse is something that you want to do.
You have to realize that owning and keeping a horse can be very expensive. There is simply no way that you can get around that. They need a lot more when it comes to their food, shelter and medicines than cats or dogs. If you have adequate facilities where you can keep them in your place then you can save a lot of money. If you are to be forced however to keep it on a private stable then you need to be ready for the additional costs. That is called boarding and it can cost you a small fortune.
Grooming- You have to learn how to groom your horse properly especially if you are planning on keeping it at you own property or if that is not included in the deal with the stable that you got for them. You have to get the necessary equipment for it. That includes the equipment box, several types of brushes, several types of combs, a pick for cleaning the hooves, ointments and sprays. Aside from grooming you also need to bathe your horse regularly.
Riding- If you want to ride your horse and I am assuming that you do then you must have the proper equipment for it as well. The saddle is just the start. You also need to have a halter or at least two of those and a bridle.
Horse Health Care- Horses need far more medical attention than other animals. You also have to make sure that they have the right shoes. You need a blacksmith for that.
As you can see owning a horse can mean a great deal of trouble not to mention the great cost that it entails. If you still want to go ahead an own one despite all of what you have read. Then you really might be determined to have your own horse. You can go on then towards the next step which is identifying the right horse for you.
Picking the Right Horse- This is probably the most difficult decision that you have to make. If you have no experience with raising horses there is simply no way that you can tell about the traits and characteristic of a particular horse. The first that you have to think about is your budget. How much can you spend on a horse? Then you should also consider the kinds of activities that you have in mind for your horse. Do you want to do some hard riding all day long? Not all horse types can handle that. If you are buying the horse for your children then the best option are horses that were owned by other children as well. This is to ensure that they are used to the idea of being near kids. There are just so many things that you have to think about when purchasing a horse.
Handling the Horse- Aside from the cost one of the biggest task that you have to face when you own a horse is how you can handle and train it. You need the help of a professional for this if you are not an expert yourself.
The Rein Connection- When you are riding a horse you connect with them through the rein. That is the means by which you communicate with them. That is why you need to learn how to properly transmit to them the commands that you want them to perform. It is very important for you therefore to learn more about proper rein handling.
One of the most common mistakes that riders can commit when it comes handling the rein is when we do not give the horse enough time in order to respond to our commands. We expect them to react right away to a command that we gave. So the best thing to keep in mind if you want your horse to become more responsive to all of your commands is to slow down your hand movements when you are handling the rein.
We often see riders pulling harshly at the rein and jerking at it with quick movements. That is definitely not the way to do it. The way to handle the reign is to have a consistent pressure on it that never eases and will only require a slight tug to it.
Matching the Horse’s Pressure- There are moments though when you have to exert pressure on a horse. For example if he veers away to the right the way to handle him is to match the pressure that he is exerting on the reins. Be careful about this and just try to match them equally when it comes to the pressure. Remember that the hard pressure should not come from you. In this case I only recommend it if the horse was the one that initiated it.
Riding a Horse is Not Like Driving a Car- This is one of the more common mistakes that people make when riding a horse. I have to admit that I made this same mistake too when I was learning because I was not born in a farm or a ranch. A horse is a living thing that can respond to your commands. You can tell it where you want to go, but it is still up to the horse whether it is going to follow your command or not. That means that you need to give it the right conditioning so it can understand what you want from it.
Types of Reins- There are two main types of reins for horses. These are the closed and the split type of reins. Closed reins are made up of single piece of leather or some other material. This is the preferred type of rein by English riders because it makes it easy for the rider to grasp it and control the horse. The split design on the other hand is used so that there is no chance for the legs of the horse to become entangled on the rein which can happen with the closed design.
There are other types of reins for horses but they are mostly just variations of these two. While the type of rein that you use is also important, what is more vital is that you know how to properly handle it.