Engaging The Hind Legs Of Your Pony

I have seen the term ‘engage the horse’s hind legs’ confuse many riders. They don’t seem to be sure about what engagement pertains to and how to set about it.

Here is the ‘really simple’ definition. Engagement refers to the folding or bending of the horse’s hind leg joints. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less.

I give below details on the aids that ask for various levels of engagement.

1. You can begin with ‘baby engaging’ the rear legs with a 3-second aid mix I call ‘the connecting half halt’ or ‘the connecting aids’. When you connect your horse, you are engaging the hind legs to a point, as you are getting him to bring the rear legs underneath his body and then come on the bit.

Remember, though: these aids should not be vicious. If the horse is responsive usually to you, your aids should be simply a wee bit firmer than the normal pressure you apply with the legs and reins when you are simply riding your pony around.

2. We now come to ‘collecting half halts’ (in comparison to the half halt version described in 1 above), which are momentary closures of the seat, the leg and the hand. Collecting half halts lead straight to a far greater extent of engagement.

This half halt gets executed just when the horse’s inside rear leg is taking off from the ground. It’s not usable, though, unless the horse is already connected with a ‘connecting half halt’.

3. You utilize your inner leg as an aid to request increased ‘activity’ when on a particular gait. You use the inside calf to turn on the horse’s inner hind leg impulsion. This is vital for corners, circles and curves too if you are of the opinion that a walk, a trot, or a canter feels too lazy.

Squeeze with your interior calf to activate the horse’s inner rear leg to achieve greater engagement. You must time this so that it is done just as the horse’s inner hind leg is getting ready to take off. If you’re alert, you will be able to feel the precise moment, your inner seat bone either feels higher or feels like it is getting pushed forward.

4. All lateral exercises with a bend (haunches-in, shoulder-in, pirouettes and half-passes) engage the horse’s hind legs. When you bend the pony and give inner calf aid, he must increase the scale of bending of all the joints in his hind leg.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers http://horsehorses.net/

The Wonderful Warmbloods History: Equestrian Sensation

Over the last few years, the popularity of Warmbloods has mushroomed. These horses are being seen more frequently, especially in Grand Prix and Olympic quality events. Though the term warmblood is used in a very generic sense, there are actually several breeds of these horses, and each single breed has its own particular competitive edge.

Among riding horses around the world, the Hanoverian occupies a top position on the list of the most preferred breeds. This breed was essentially inspired by England’s King George II, who also ruled Hanover. He ordered Lower Saxony’s Celle Stud in 1735 to begin breeding a coach horse that will be appropriate for farming, too. The Hanoverian was born due to this order. The breed got absorbed into the military sometime in the later 1/2 the 19th century. This horse was generally utilized in the 1st World War. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the Hanoverian was crossed with Thoroughbreds to hone up its competitive instincts. This cross-breeding ended in horses that were powerful and extraordinarily springy and light of movement. These days the Hanoverian is most often seen at dressage events, cross-country events, show jumping and eventing.

The Selle Francais breed boasts of a few trotting bloodlines, and yet frequently outperforms the larger part of the competition at Grand Prix events and show jumping of Olympic class. The Selle Francais was the result of post-World War II cross breeding involving Trotter-Thoroughbred crosses and some lighter breeds from France. This breed received official recognition in 1958. In looks, it looks like big-boned Thoroughbreds. It has achieved gigantic success at competitions at the international level. It has become a super star at several disciplines, too. I have heard this breed spoken of as the very apex of everything a sport horse must be. The Selle Francois is a bold, powerful horse. Even though it excels at most equestrian disciplines, it is outstanding at show jumping.

The history of the Trakehner has 2 forks. This breed traces its origin to 1732 when Prussia’s Frederich Wilhelm I’s best studs were brought together for the express reason of producing a new super sort of cavalry horse. The mix included Thoroughbreds, Arabians and Prussians. By 1940, Trakehners had grown to a population of approximately 80,000. The history of this breed is decorated with an entire collection of gold medals from world-wide Olympic events. This breed is thought of as a premium one for dressage and three-day eventing.

The other branch of the Trakehner tree had to do with the Red Army of 1945, when East Prussia had been attached. Plenty of the army’s horses perished. At the conclusion of hostilities, just about 800 horses from the breed’s foundation stock were left. They were led across the frozen Baltic Sea to Western Germany. Only a 100 of them made it. More of this breed was distributed all over Europe, and more efforts were made to bring them all together. These efforts led to the saving of about another 1000 of them. The breed was rehabilated slowly over the 10 years that followed. The Trakehner is today considered one of the best of Warmbloods. Stallions are put through comprehensive tests and evaluation sessions to gain entry into stud books. This breed is among the world’s toughest. It is exceptional at show jumping and dressage.

If you go out hunting for an eventing horse, confine your search to Warmbloods. You can’t do better.

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Over Comming Horse Riding Fear

It is normal to feel some fear now and then when riding horses. You are astride an animal that outweighs you by a ratio of anything between 1:12 and 1:30, and that animal happens to be extraordinarily muscular, fast and sensitive.

Do you realise that some gratitude will go a long way in destroying those fears?

To start, bear in mind that more than 99 % of your fears are never realized. Given this scenario it is rather pointless to worry and fret and lose sleep over issues that will always stay restricted to your imagination. I think it was Mark Twain who said “I have been thru some appalling things in my life, some of which actually occurred.” He said it rather well.

Ditch the worrying habit. Instead , focus on the tons of things you’ve got to be grateful for… You can be grateful to oneself for everything positive in your life. Instead of worrying about getting bucked off, be thankful you are doing something millions of human beings aren’t: spending quality time with some of the most wonderful animals God ever made. Rather than worrying over whether you are making an ass of yourself at some competitive event, be thankful that you have got the physical and psychological faculties to actually participate in the event. Are you afraid of breaking a leg or an arm? Be grateful you have all 4 limbs intact and in working condition. Don’t like your job? Be grateful you aren’t out on the streets with a begging bowl in your hands.

Accept it or not, positive feelings like gratitude attract more things into your life that you’re going to have reason for feeling appreciation for. Try it out: get going with a gratitude journal. Each day, note down everything you should feel grateful for. See for yourself if this list grows larger as time goes by.

On particular devastating days, you would probably snarl “Nothing” for an answer if you’re asked to name some things you are thankful for. You would come up with more conclusive answers if you were asked what you could be thankful for.

Let’s see now, what are we able to come up with off the bat?

– Acts of kindness from strangers

– Your family

– Your wellbeing

– Your favourite horse

– Having the ability to afford to eat out tonight

– Dreams and daydreams

– Toilets that really flush

– A cleansing, calming rain

– Getting some appreciation after doing a good job

– Air conditioning

– Music

– The scent of gardenia

– A snooze

– Your pet dog

– Rainbows

– Popcorn while watching flicks

– Sunshine

– Electricity

– The lack of agony

– Old friendships

– Chocolate

– Home gadgets

– Good books

– Hot showers

– The scents of life (flowers, your child’s shampooed hair, the earth after rain)

– Eyesight

– Days off and vacations

– Laughter and giggling with others

– Rocking chairs

– A safe flight

– Breathing!

Eliminate fear with thanks. After you learn how to feel genuine gratitude, you will find that your horse’s behavior is abruptly not so frightening. His jumps won’t be too high or rather too long, the obstructions on the course won’t be so impossible and the judges won’t look quite so much like dragons in disguise.

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Stabling Options For Your Pony

Unless you live out in the agricultural areas or own your very own ranch you’re going to need to put your horse up at an appropriate establishment not on your home premises. Since there are many horse lovers and pony owners living in most cities and towns, you may be able to find a horse boarding stable not far away from you. How much you pay for having your horse housed will depend upon the site of the stable and the amenities it offers.

The more economical stables would house your pony in a box or standard stall, with adjoining pasture for the horses to be turned out on. Usually, the pasture will be used by several horses, but it is possible you can pay for getting your pony a personal pasture. As the horse’s owner, its feed, water and exercise would be your responsibility, as would getting a groom to attend to it. You would also be answerable for all hospital treatment, including vaccinations. At establishments where you’ve got to prepare your own feed, you would possibly also have to pay extra for feed storage.

The more costly stables would probably have heated stalls and personal paddocks or maybe little pastures. They would take up the responsibilities of feeding and watering your pony, as well as exercising it. They might have the necessary staff including grooms, and have vets and farriers on retainer. A few of these deluxe enterprises can be phenomenally expensive, but do provide superior pony care for those owners who are not able to continually attend to their horses.

You might need to consider joint ownership of your horse if you’re on the road consistently, or if you’re only able to ride your horse infrequently for whatever reason. You can share the costs of stabling, feeding and caring for your horse with your joint owners. Such an arrangement will also work out to the advantage of your horse, since he would be getting more regular exercise and attention. In a similar fashion, if you’re able to ride only seasonally due to work or academic commitments, you can lease the horse to others in the periods you cannot get to him. This will enable you to keep him well exercised. The lease money you earn will also help with your stable expenses. Obviously, leasing does not necessarily imply transfer of ownership; it simply confers right to use until the lease runs out or is revoked.

If you are sufficiently fortunate to own at least an acre of land in a location suitable for housing your pony, you will be in a position to erect a barn or maybe a lean-to to shelter your pony. The structure should ideally provide safety from all elements, with box stalls, straight stalls and secured tack and feed rooms. It is essential that feed stock be kept out of the reach of horses, because overeating can bring about colic and colic can cause death.

The paddock or pasture should be fenced in securely, with fencing of posts and board or custom pony fencing. Do not use barbed wire, as it can cause cuts and wounds, which can on occasion be serious especially if the horse’s feet get snagged or trapped. All parts of the fence should be of strong material. Maintenance should be regular, and breaks especially in the fence should be attended to without any loss of time.

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Teach Your Horses To Canter On The Correct Lead

It is usual for riders to experience difficulties with horses over canter leads. I give some exercises below that ought to help you get your horse to pick up on the lead correctly every time!

You ought to be on the walk for the first exercise. Every couple of steps, you must switch between leads on either side, right and left, to practice with your horse’s position.

Start with the left lead.

Get all your weight onto the left seat. Turn your left wrist like you would when you open a round door handle to flex the pony leftward. When you begin, your thumb should be the top part of the hand. Twist the thumb to your left, and take your small finger close to the withers, without crossing them. Right now, your nails or your knuckles should be pointing at your face. Move your hand back to its starting position with your thumb still at the top.

Gradually compensate with the right rein to make certain your horse does not twist his neck too far leftward. Your horse’s face must be about an inch away from neutral (neutral pertains to a horse’s posture when its neck and head are aligned straight in front, so that his chin is directly out from the middle of his chest).

Your left side leg should be on the horse’s girth as a strategy of saying, “Move to a canter”, while your right side leg should be sited about 2 inches behind the horse’s girth, so that he gets the cue to move into the canter with a left lead (he should set off with his outside rear leg so that he will be able to get on the correct lead).

For some strides, stick to this ‘left lead’ position for the canter before switching aids like you are asking for a canter on the right lead (if you remember, you ought to be on the walk thru all this), which means:

– Your weight rests on your right butt bone;

– The right side rein is flexing your horse’s head an inch to his right;.

– The left rein functions to like it was a side rein: it inhibits excessive bend in your horse’s neck.

– Right side leg on the horse’s girth.

– Left leg to the back of the girth.

Act as follows when it’s time to ask the horse to depart.

– As you did earlier, keep your pony on the inside;

– When asking for a canter depart, move the inner seat bone out toward the horse’s interior shoulder.

– Squeeze the girth gently with the inside leg to ask the horse to canter.

– Move the outer leg like a windscreen wiper to tell the pony to get its outside hind into the canter.

Verify that the lead is correct by:

– Peeking down at your horse’s front legs without moving your head. If the lead is correct, the front leg on the inside should be reaching more ahead than the front leg on the outside.

– Making a circle. If the lead is correct, you will have a well balanced canter.

If the lead turns out to be wrong, it is in all probability because you didn’t keep the horse bending through the body and flexing inwards during transition. The pony will naturally pick up whatever lead the bending and flexing causes him towards.

These 2 things should assist you with the horse’s bend:

1. Walking in a smaller circle will force the horse to bend more. A touch before you finish a circle, apply aids for the canter without letting go the bend. When the horse starts cantering, arc him out into a bigger circle.

2. Trot or walk in small circles. Leg yield (meaning push) the horse to the circle that is larger. With the inside leg on the horse’s girth, yield with your leg to help. When circling rightwards, try to imagine pushing the horse’s rib cage leftward while leaving his neck and hindquarters at the right.

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Teach Your Horses To Canter On The Correct Lead

It is usual for riders to experience difficulties with horses over canter leads. I give some exercises below that ought to help you get your horse to pick up on the lead correctly every time!

You ought to be on the walk for the first exercise. Every couple of steps, you must switch between leads on either side, right and left, to practice with your horse’s position.

Start with the left lead.

Get all your weight onto the left seat. Turn your left wrist like you would when you open a round door handle to flex the pony leftward. When you begin, your thumb should be the top part of the hand. Twist the thumb to your left, and take your small finger close to the withers, without crossing them. Right now, your nails or your knuckles should be pointing at your face. Move your hand back to its starting position with your thumb still at the top.

Gradually compensate with the right rein to make certain your horse does not twist his neck too far leftward. Your horse’s face must be about an inch away from neutral (neutral pertains to a horse’s posture when its neck and head are aligned straight in front, so that his chin is directly out from the middle of his chest).

Your left side leg should be on the horse’s girth as a strategy of saying, “Move to a canter”, while your right side leg should be sited about 2 inches behind the horse’s girth, so that he gets the cue to move into the canter with a left lead (he should set off with his outside rear leg so that he will be able to get on the correct lead).

For some strides, stick to this ‘left lead’ position for the canter before switching aids like you are asking for a canter on the right lead (if you remember, you ought to be on the walk thru all this), which means:

– Your weight rests on your right butt bone;

– The right side rein is flexing your horse’s head an inch to his right;.

– The left rein functions to like it was a side rein: it inhibits excessive bend in your horse’s neck.

– Right side leg on the horse’s girth.

– Left leg to the back of the girth.

Act as follows when it’s time to ask the horse to depart.

– As you did earlier, keep your pony on the inside;

– When asking for a canter depart, move the inner seat bone out toward the horse’s interior ear.

– Squeeze the girth gently with the inside leg to ask the horse to canter.

– Move the outer leg like a windscreen wiper to tell the pony to get its outside hind into the canter.

Verify that the lead is correct by:

– Peeking down at your horse’s front legs without moving your head. If the lead is correct, the front leg on the inside should be reaching more ahead than the front leg on the outside.

– Making a circle. If the lead is correct, you will have a well balanced canter.

If the lead turns out to be wrong, it is in all probability because you didn’t keep the horse bending through the body and flexing inwards during transition. The pony will naturally pick up whatever lead the bending and flexing causes him towards.

These 2 things should assist you with the horse’s bend:

1. Walking in a smaller circle will force the horse to bend more. A touch before you finish a circle, apply aids for the canter without letting go the bend. When the horse starts cantering, arc him out into a bigger circle.

2. Trot or walk in small circles. Leg yield (meaning push) the horse to the circle that is larger. With the inside leg on the horse’s girth, yield with your leg to help. When circling rightwards, try to imagine pushing the horse’s rib cage leftward while leaving his neck and hindquarters at the right.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers read more

You Create The Right Attitude In Your Horse

If you’re into pony shows, take careful note of the way that the riders coordinate with their horses the next time you go to one. If you are into motorcycle races, watch the way that the riders ease their bikes through tight turns. If you see a professional in action, consider his economy of action. The true professional almost seems to think his way thru. When he believes his bike is going round that U-turn, it does. If he believes his horse is going to take that obstacle, it will. There is no exaggerated motion, there isn’t any loud remonstration. Forget exaggerated motion, there does not even appear to be the minimum normal motion required. The rider chooses and the horse or bike responds.

I’ve seen croupiers at casinos deal cards with such skill their hands appear to be stationary and the cards appear to fly out of their own free will. They travel precisely the same path to exactly the same spot in front of each player at the table at precisely the same speed.

So what is all this leading up to?

What do all of these specialists and professionals share in common? They have the soft touch. They appear to exercise their will more and their physical faculties less when they are getting their horses and motorbikes and playing cards to do what they desire. The reality is, naturally, that they are physically doing these things, but with such beautiful understanding and coordination with their horses, bikes or cards that you simply can’t quite see what exactly the physical action was.

Top class horsemen appear to ride and guide their horses with invisible and inaudible cues and commands. The pony appears but a physical extension of the rider, or most likely it is the other way around. Aesthetically talking, this class of horseman makes an image of perfect joy with his horse.

When you are ‘breaking in’ your horse, you need to do it with the firmest of resolve, but the softest of touch. You want your pony to be absolutely clear on who is the leader, but you also desire your horse to respond to your cues virtually before they transform from thought to physical action.

You cannot achieve perfect coordination with him with the whip. You will achieve unwilling, grudging obedience, and you’ll never make a pretty sight with your horse. To achieve perfect coordination with your horse of the ‘two bodies and one mind’ class, you need to earn his trust. And a corporal approach will never earn that trust.

It may be hard work, but it is far away from impossible. Your horse is bright enough to respond well if you are clever enough to teach well, and all it desires is total patience and persistence from you.

I have heard folk say that you can train the perfect horse only when you get the right pony. Unless you’re talking about horses with incurable physical inabilities, I personally believe every pony can be trained right. You cause the right attitude when you show the right approach.

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How Knowing Temperaments Helps You Understand Your Horses

“What a fool of a pony I have got!”

I’ve heard this statement so frequently it is engraved on my heart. Although not because it’s correct. The majority of the instances when I heard such a comment and went to take a look at the pony referred to, I found that he was fine as far as horses go. He was fully alert and responsive. On seeing their horses behave completely normally with me, the owners would say something like “He must truly like you!”. In my heart the slinking doubt always arose: did they actually mean it?

Actually , I am not one of those folks born with some type of paranormal capability to gel with horses. What I know about the equine kingdom is founded upon long experience, continuous observation and the lessons learned from mistakes made. I also took lots of trouble trying to master horse personality typing. I have learned to get along with and value all horses. I alter my approach to each horse to adapt to his temperament type.

Because I’m conscious of pony temperament types, I approach no pony with impossible expectations. Just by way of illustration, I am conscious of the fact that the strongly competitive Wood horse isn’t going to be a push over, nor do I expect the sensitive Fire type to be in a position to put up with high stress levels. Unfortunately, I see too many horse owners and trainers approach horses with totally unrealizable expectations and cause heart break both to the horses and to themselves.

The advantages of knowing pony temperament types

If you’re ignorant of a horse’s Five-Element type, you’ll be inhibited in your plans to get the best out of him. But when you do know his type, you can design your approach to bring about the maximum possible positive response. Trust me, it makes a significant difference!

I quote below some examples of pony descriptions in pairs. One of the pair describes the pony as seen by a person without any awareness of personality types, and the other describes the same pony as seen by an authority on character types.

1. “What a lazy horse!” and “That pony is excellent for newbs he is a typically mild Earth type”.

2. “I swear that pony is mad!” and “We have a very lively Water type pony here, a pony that’s brilliant and animated”.

3. “If this horse were human, it’d be burned for being a witch!” and “The horse I just inspected is a great sample of a Fire horse. They’re delicate animals who love performing but are not able to endure pain”.

4. “What a foolish horse!” and “Lovely example of the Metal horse temperament type. These horses are perfect when they learn”.

5. “I am disappointed by this horse’s attitude!” and “We have here a Wood pony who gets quickly bored, but is continually looking out to learn new things and meet challenges”.

Everything is a matter of perspective. And your perspective is coloured by what you know and what you don’t. You’ve got to have heard the story of the blind men of Hindustan and the, elephant, not pony.

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Equine Studies At Saint Mary Of The Woods College: Woman Only

A non-profit institution for girls only Saint-Mary-of-The-Woods-College offers associate, plus bachelor and master degrees. The university has a menu of exciting degree courses in subjects related to the arena of horses, including:

General Equine Studies: This major program endows students with amazing flexibility which will enable them to go into the majority of the fields linked with the equine industry. Once students have made up their minds on their majors, they get help from their counsellors in selecting electives that will be most suitable given the student’s future plans. Students who haven’t yet determined further education and professional paths are given masses of scope to explore possibilities while they go through classes in equine science, riding instruction, coaching, stable management and business. Students can opt for an Equine Studies Bachelor Degree or an Equine Studies Associate Degree. They can also decide to Minor in Equine Studies.

Equine Coaching & Instruction: This degree course is designed for those scholars who nurse ambitions about teaching equitation or about developing personal training philosophies that they can apply to business and enterprises they set up after finishing graduation. This course’s subjects include equitation theory, equestrian school design and selection of school horses and their maintenance. Scholars who complete this course graduate as Bachelors, with an Equine Coaching & Instruction Degree.

Equine Business Management: This programme is open to all, but specific to scholars nursing ambitions about creating their own business in the equine world. This course lays a wonderful academic foundation for students and combines it with in depth practical experience. This program enables scholars to work on robust plans for business, on market strategies and on managerial skills. Students are also taught legal and financial issues that have relevancy to the pony industry.

Therapeutic Riding? The College set up a programme for therapeutic riding called ‘Mounted Miracles’ in 2000. This programme provides high quality horseback therapeutic sessions to people suffering from a selection of ailments. Scholars are taught to treat such individuals by helping them develop keen independence, while subjecting them at the same time to physical rehabilitation measures like improving muscle tone through a regime of vigorous coordination and motion.

Students are also inspired to attempt to get into the College’s Equestrian Team. This team is an affiliate of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and takes part in both Eastern and Western style riding competitions all thru the year. The team participates in about 20 events every year. Students who freak out on joy and thrill of competition at shows should join the team, regardless of whether they don’t have their own horses. In these events, riders and horses are paired through a draw. This usually helps create level playing arenas that can be extremely challenging, because no student is given a horse she has ridden before.

The Varsity owns a phenomenal equestrian facility boasting of features like:

– 55 stalls

– 2 barns

– 2 bathrooms

– 3 tack rooms

– 3 offices

– 4 stalls for grooming

– 2 stalls for washing

– A lab building

– An inside arena of 90 x 150 feet with bleacher seating

– An area for therapeutic riding

– An outside arena of 150 x 250 feet

– Two buildings for story announcement

– Space for beachers

– 6 general-use pastures

– 40 acres of prime land.

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers click here

Aquiring A Solid Horse Riding Foundation

You want a competent pony handler, irrespective of whether you are a real beginner or a veteran rider. Naturally, you may be a hotshot horse handler yourself, but if you’re not, you do need a competent person irrespective of how experienced a rider you are. You require the services of someone that is an expert with horses and the science of handling them. Horses weigh in the area of a 1,000 pounds, and they’re really robust and powerful. Just like humans, they all come with their own unique character, and they are all emotionally sensitive.

You are not going to learn even the fundamentals of pony handling with a snap of your fingers. You may not take particularly long to become a moderately competent rider, but pony handling is another completely new issue. Experience in pony handling comes with a lot of blood, sweat and tears accompanying tons of hands on, practical training and experience. It really involves one heck of a lot more than hopping on to a pony and screaming ‘giddy up’ at him.

Beginners should be taught to ride only on horses that are absolutely broken in and trained. Even before starting off riding horses, you ought to be well acquainted with horse gear: you should be able to identify the right gear for each pony you ride, you should know the best way to fit on the gear and you should know your cues and your commands. You ought to have a good idea of caring for horses: feeding them, grooming them and letting them drink water after a tough ride. Weighted bags are used to train horses to get used to weight on their backs. After they are used to the weights, they’re fitted out with shoes, halters and other gear without being ridden.

The idea again is to get them used to gear. You ought to be conscious of where a pony can feel discomfort or even hurt because of poorly fitted saddles or gear, and you should be able to detect symptoms of such discomfort or agony, identify the causes and eliminate them. Correct horse riding teaching ought to give you a precise idea of every aspect of preparing and riding a horse with comfort and security and looking after the horse post ride.

The most typical 2 riding styles are the Western and the English styles. Each style includes its own unique design of saddle. Further, even within a given riding styles, saddles, straps and cinches differ for different horses and different riders. The same need to cater to individual fit requirements applies for other gear like bits, halters, reins and such like. Riding gear also comes in varying styles. You need to have a good idea of all of these matters; you also have to be acquainted with the right way to dress when you are riding, from your head wear down to your foot wear.

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