Arthritis in Horses

Like human beings horses are affected by arthritis too. Pain, stiffness and swelling around the joints are some of the symptoms that are to be found in horses suffering from the same. Symptoms of horse arthritis should never be ignored and the horse should never be burdened with physical activity in such cases. It is sad to see many a promising racing and equestrian careers being affected by stress in the weight bearing joints, or dysfunctional abilities in the regular movements of the animal.

It is usually horses above the age of 15 which are especially prone to arthritis since the cartilage begins to wear out very quickly after that age. Some older horses are also affected by loosened tendons and ligaments resulting in inflammation, joint instability tremendous pain.

One should never ignore the seriousness of the disease in horses lest it may cripple the animal from regular physical activity which is vital to horses. Horse arthritis is treatable and manageable once it is detected early enough. Some common symptoms may be stiffness seen after sleep or standing for a long time, swellings on certain joints, an obvious tendency to limp after exercises or prolonged walking. At times one might notice changes in the horse's performance or general differences in the animal's behavior.

Even while administering medicines to the horses, many owners have tried to experiment with alternative processes like magnotherapy, where products related to this method of treatment are worn by the horse to help in relieving pain.

Magnotherapy products have been developed specifically for animals help in healing process apart from increasing energy levels and help reduce intense pain. By using a unique pattern of magnetic fields, these specifically designed products help the animals retain their normal activity in their daily lives. Owners should realize that while buying these products one must check on the CPR (Central Reverse Polarity) technology which simulates the pulsed field and alternating poles of an electromagnet and gives an advantage over the magnets which do not follow this kind of technology, rendering them practically useless.

Magnotherapy has the advantage of being totally non-invasive. It is quick and easy to use these products and they have no known harmful side effects have been seen. The metabolism in the animal body responds well to magnotherapy. There are many happy families who have tried an intelligent blend of regular medicines aligned with magnotherapy products to cure their animals. Products related to this therapy are available in the form of boots, tendon wraps, horse rugs, etc which are effectively used to curb the pain resulting from arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, joint and muscle stiffness, lameness, hip dysplacia, ringbone and many associated problems.

By Maitreyee Chowdhury

http://www.researchbody.org

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How to Train a Horse - Learn How

If you have recently bought a horse, you have an important decision to make. Will you hire a professional horse trainer, or will you do it yourself? Many people will hire a professional trainer, because learning how to train a horse can seem intimidating at first. Learning how to train a horse is not as hard as it seems however, and there are many benefits to training the horse yourself, rather than hiring someone to do it. With guides like Horse Training Secrets Revealed, you can learn all of the steps and secrets that you will need in order to train your horse.

One of the most important benefits of training your own horse is that you have full control over the training process. You won't have to worry about a trainer using methods that you do not agree with. You and your horse can progress at your own pace, which will make it easier for both of you.

Training helps you form a deep bond with your horse. If you let a professional train your horse, they will develop the bond. Training your horse gives you a closer relationship with them. You can discover your horses strengths and weaknesses through training, so you will be able to provide them with better care, and will also help you better understand your horse.

You can also save a significant amount of money by doing it yourself. Hiring a professional can cost quite a bit, especially if you have a problem horse. By learning to train your horse yourself, you just need to pay for the information on how to do it. Training any animal is a very rewarding experience for you and the animal. It helps build a better bond between you, and it can be a very fun process.

By Vanessa Peters

Vanessa Peters knows horses like she knows her face. A farm girl by birth and at heart, Vanessa writes for popular blog Horse-Health-Care.Com. She provides honest information and advice on matters like tips horse owners can benefit from and more. Check out the site now!

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Horse Training Using the Alpha Mindset

Recently I took my three year old filly to a local show to hang out. While watching a class, a woman approached me to ask the question, What should I do about ...? In this case, her horse would fly backward every time she approached to put on the bridle. And so, the questions, What should I do? Why is he doing this? As always, difficult questions to answer. First, the horse tells me when to do, how to do, what to do in any given situation. There is no formula for "If he does this, then I do this." Next, what the horse is actually physically doing may not be the problem, it could be the by-product of the problem. What you do know is that what he is doing is not acceptable behavior. The real issue leads back to mindset: the horse's mindset and even more so, the person's mindset. In other words, it isn't necessarily what you're actually doing that the horse has a problem with, it is the pressure created by what you're doing, which in turn triggers a response; in this case, raising his head and flying backward. The horse is using something that Nature's View calls the tyrant mindset: in other words, freeze flee or fight is his natural instinct. When he is in this mode, the horse is actually saying "I want to do what I want to do." Sound familiar? There is nothing wrong with this mindset; in fact, in the wild, in Nature's World, the horse would depend on it for his own survival. The problem is that in our world, that mindset isn't beneficial to him and if he continues down that road, someone is likely to get hurt.

So, back to the first question, What should I do? The first thing to do is to introduce the horse to a new mindset: one called the alpha mindset. This isn't necessarily the same alpha that you may have heard of in other horsemanship methods. With Nature's View, the alpha is simply using the mindset of "How can I help you?" With the tyrant mindset that we mentioned before of "I want to do what I want to do." the horse decides what to do or the person decides how much pressure to apply (usually evoked from past situations, so you may over or under react). The alpha mindset, the other side of the pendulum, is defined as whatever the resistance from the horse is in any given situation determines the amount of pressure that is applied, plus a little bit more. This mindset calls for dealing with the moment, riding the horse beneath you, not the one four strides ahead or behind. Remember, we teach and learn by example, so which mindset would you rather your horse use: alpha or tyrant?

In any case, there are four basic things that we use to accomplish a task or goal: movement, direction, rhythm and track. These are actually the things that you can see: in Nature's View we use these things to work on the underlying things (things like problem-solving, timing, listening, etc.). This is actually true for us as well. Think about it: to get ready for work in the morning, first you have to move; then you need to move in the direction of the kitchen for breakfast; but back to the situation with the horse. As an example, within a segment of work, if we're asking a horse to go in a particular direction and the horse decides on his own to change direction, the amount of pressure that you apply is equal to his resistance, plus a little bit more. If you pay attention to the horse and let him tell you what to do in applying that pressure, more than likely, the horse will change back to the original direction. Each time you apply pressure you are raising what we call his negative pole. The poles within (both negative and positive) are those feelings that let you know when a situation is beneficial or not to your well-being. If the resistance continues and you keep increasing pressure (remember, using the alpha mindset), finally, what they are feeling from you will be greater than what they are imagining (the pressure to change direction). As soon as you feel that they have switched to the new mindset, you should release the pressure. Don't get caught up in watching for an action. Remember, as soon as you feel the horse switch to the new mindset, that is when you release the pressure.

So back to the questions; we use the bridle (the goal) as the reason for the journey (creating a relationship with your horse) to practice the unseen (timing, feel, anger management, listening skills) which allows you to develop a whole new alpha mindset, or way of thinking; lot to think about, isn't it?! Just like jumping the jump, crossing the creek or loading into the trailer, putting the bridle on or taking it off is one of the many seen things that we do with our horses; but the icing on the cake is having a willing partner in any task that we attempt. It's not about accomplishing the goal, not even about the journey; it's about the mindset needed for both. The goal is simply the reason for the journey. Within the journey, we are allowed to practice the mindset, and the more proficient we are at the mindset we will be able to follow our passion, whatever that may be (dressage, hunter/jumper, trail riders, western pleasure). So instead of putting the cart before the horse and focusing on the goal or even the journey, we first need the alpha mindset.

Copyright Nature's View, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

By Bruce J A Anderson

Bruce Anderson is a full time equine consultant, trainer and clinician located in Camden, South Carolina. Originally from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, he has worked throughout the US, Canada and Great Britain. He conducts clinics and training opportunities with partner and co-author, Julianne Neal, using the Nature's View system. To learn more about their work, please visit http://www.naturesview1.org or http://www.equusencounter

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Belgians - The Gentle Giant

The Belgian Breed is one of the gentlest, most eager to work and easiest to handle and train breeds. The Belgians in America today, descendants of Belgium's Brabant, are not as massive as the Brabant but retain proportionate muscular and bone structure and the gentle, hard working disposition of their ancestors. The Belgians were bred mainly for farm work in Belgium and imported to the United States in the 1800's for the same purpose. Although farming was the main purpose of the breed their gentle disposition, strength, and versatility has made them ideal for all other types of Draft work. The purity of the breed has been carefully guarded over the years. Careful breeding, choosing only purebreds with the most desirable traits, breeders have maintained a very desirable, versatile animal. These traits make them number one with most Draft Horse enthusiasts today. The breeding alone is not fully responsible for the Belgians gentleness and eagerness to work. The training and handling of the animal has a lot to do with what type of temperament it will end up possessing. A gentle, calm, but firm hand and kindness will reap all the benefits the Belgian breed has to offer.

I was raised around the breed most my life. My grandfather, his father and grandfather before him all used Belgians to farm in Northeast Missouri. Grandpa also raised, trained, and sold Belgians for many years. He was the one to go to if you needed a great, not just good, team of Draft horses. Before his death in 2000, he had raised and trained an untold number of horses. Belgians, although they were his favorites and most used, were not the only breed of horse he raised. The other breeds included Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and several pony breeds including Shetlands and Welsh. Grandpa's second favorite breed was the Mule, which is a cross between male Donkey (a jack) and female horse. Grandpa bred the donkey not only with his lighter weight mares but also with his Belgian mares resulting in the "Mammoth Jack." The Mules he bred inherited the gentle, hard working traits of the Belgian and the surefootedness and strength of the donkey. They were the gentlest Mules I have ever known.

In 40 years of my life, my grandfather only had two teams that he kept as his own. The very first team that I remember him having were named Queen and Barney. They were a pair of dark brown Belgians, if I remember correctly; they were half brother and sister. The two were raised and trained together from day one by my grandfather. These horses were so well trained they would have harnessed themselves if possible. They did everything else on voice command and some things just because they knew it was what they were supposed to do. Grandpa owned a 300-acre farm on which he usually kept no less than 12 to 15 head of horses but the Belgian teams were always the lead of the herd. Grandpa could step out into the yard and start calling for Queen and Barney who would appear right on cue every time with the rest of the horses following close behind. When he opened the gate, they knew exactly which stall was theirs and never failed to get it right. They would wait patiently for the feed boxes to be filled and to get on with the days work without missing a beat.

They did not need to be tied, they would stay until harnessed and told to "hitch up." They would then calmly leave the barn in order of closest to the barn door and go to the wagon that was outside; no matter which wagon was waiting they knew to go and back themselves into the tree and wait to be hitched up to the wagon. If it was the trailer or truck they were to be loaded into Grandpa would just have to say "load up" and they would know to go to the truck or trailer and they'd walk in every time. I remember grooming, leading, driving and riding them thinking I was so big and in control of such an enormous animal but it was truly my grandfather who had control of them through his training and voice commands. I say that the training has a lot to do with the type of animal that results because the second team he raised and trained for himself were just as gentle, even-tempered, and easy to control as Queen and Barney. In fact, all the horses and teams he broke, whether for himself or someone else were considered by many in the area to be some of the best. I was taught to have respect and use caution around all animals at all times but of them all, I believe the Belgians were the most trusted.

Do not be totally fooled by the amiable behavior that the Belgian displays the majority of the time. They are also very sensitive animals and can tell if the person handling them is stressed, agitated, or insecure. Those emotions can affect their behavior. Their massive size and strength can make them just as dangerous as they are gentle. They do not realize the brute strength that they possess and when frightened, startled or provoked they still posses the flight or fight instinct of any prey animal and can be just as unpredictable as any other breed in the same instance. As gentle and well trained as they were I can remember times that one or both of the team would startle, begin to bolt, rare or react in an unpredictable manner for whatever reason. A quick firm hand on the reins and a few calming words from Grandpa the situation could usually brought quickly under control.

Even though things went smoothly, most of the time there would be the occasional colt or filly that needed a bit more persuasion than the human hand alone could dole out. When these foals came along Grandpa could rely on the solid temperament and training of his older horses to put the young ones in their place. He would hitch the young one up with one of the older horses and between the two of them and many hours in the harness, the younger one soon learned his purpose and developed the desired disposition of the Belgian. If Grandpa had a real difficult foal, he would do a three hitch, with the foal between the two older horses. Considering guidance from both sides, there was not much the young horse could do but be compliant.

Grandpa and his team are greatly missed. I hope still to some day have a team of Belgians of my own. If any one were considering a team of Draft horses for work or pleasure, I would highly recommend considering the Belgians.

By Sue Miner

Find more FREE information on a variety of subjects you may or may not need to know about. Check out http://www.needtoknowornot.com You can sign up for free information updates on subjects of interest to you. You can suggest ideas for information or links to be included on our site

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Horse Training Tips, Correcting the Spooky Horse

I have been a horse nut for as long as I can remember. I had owned a number of horses which I had some training to do on each horse after my purchase. But it wasn't until I purchased a totally untouched horse, raised in the wild that I had the challenge to correct a horse that was prone to flight. It took me a while to correct and thankfully my horse, myself and others around him never got hurt in the process. I hope this article will help you correct this problem in your horse, quickly and without injuries.

I was tired of retraining horses and tired of trying to fix a problem that someone else had created in a horse that I purchased for my own. So in order to fix this problem I found a yearling that had been field bred and spent the first year of his life in the Cascade mountains. He was untouched and totally wild. I negotiated his price, and an agreement to get him to the sellers home with the understanding that I have the use of her round pen for 2 weeks.

The first four to five days it seemed as though there was little to no progress made, but on day 6 I started to see improvement and by day 14 I had him in a straight load trailer without a fight. I was truly amazed that an animal so wild just 2 weeks before could be transformed in 14 days with just 2 to 3 hours a day of slow gentle work on my part.

This was just the beginning of many years of training. He is now 12 years old and is a wonderful trail horse and a true companion of mine. He is not fully trained as I don't think any horse, at least any of my horses ever are. I believe in the saying, "always be training", and I always will be. He is smart and gentle now but he was a problem to get the flight instinct out of him and make him use his brain. I would work with him and think I had him fixed until a turkey would fly up on the trail and suddenly I was without a horse under me!

A flighty horse has to be fixed and until he is, the horse will be dangerous to handler, rider and the people that are around him as well as dangerous to himself. The final straw was when I was camping, I got two horses saddled and ready to go for a ride, I tried them to a hitching post and went to the outhouse. When I came out I noticed that something was bothering my horse, I don't know what, could have been a horsefly or something. I started over to him at a quick walk so I could untie him and find out what was going on. As I got to him, and before I could get the quick release knot untied he exploded. Now this is a big horse, about 1400 pounds, at a standing position he sprung off the ground like he sprouted wings. He came down on the hitching post which broke off at each end and was now a log tied to him which scared him even more and he took off. Now my other horse is still tied to the log and as he takes off she has no choice but to follow. There I was watching my two horses running off in the camp with a log between them. What a wreck!

From this story you can see that something very slight can create a terrible situation and a flighty horse needs to be corrected before these things happen. This was the hardest thing to correct in this horse and I attribute it to the first year of his life when he had real predators like bears and mountain lions. It took a lot to get him to think before flight but I did get that result and so can you.

Here is the horse training lesson in my online library that will fix this problem and a few others in the process. As with most things in horses, fix one thing and it will have an effect on other problems and other benefits to your horse training.

By Jackie Heinen

Horse Tack and Supplies - Customizable, Made to order saddles, tack, harnesses and carts for horses of all sizes, Llamas and donkeys. All made in the USA. All shipping is free, the price you see is the price you pay

Find lots of great information and articles on horse training, camping, nutrition, care and more to help you with all aspects of horse ownership. http://www.horsetack-supplies.com

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Horse Riding Saddles - The 4 Saddles You Must Know

There are many different styles of horse riding saddles out there. And, within each type, there are variations. What you will find is that there is a REASON saddles differ from each other in the way they are structured. It is not simply a matter of style or fashion. It is a matter of utility. What are the horse and rider trying to accomplish? Are they trying to jump a fence or rope a calf? Saddles have evolved over time to reflect the various things we do with horses.

There are four BASIC kinds of horse riding saddles that you will most likely see in a riding stable. Be familiar with their differences and the reason they are different. Lets start with a Dressage saddle: These saddles have a very straight cut, long flap in front which is designed to accommodate the longer leg position that a dressage rider utilizes in their discipline. The pommel and the cantle are a bit higher than in some other saddles which leaves a deep seat for the rider to sit and communicate with their horse using their natural aids. Some dressage saddles have more or less padding in this front flap depending on the riders preference in maintaining proper leg position.

By contrast consider the Hunt Seat saddle. This saddle is designed for jumping. Riders use a shorter stirrup length when they are jumping and for this reason, these saddles have a forward-cut flap that has padded knee rolls. The rider, therefore, sits slightly further back than in a Dressage saddle. These things help position the rider in an advantageous way to jump a fence. The pommel and cantle are lower than a Dressage saddle which serves to reduce any interference as the rider takes a two-point position, or half-seat.

The Cutback saddle is another English type saddle, like the other two. And, just so you know, you may hear this saddle referred to as a Lane Fox or a Park Saddle or a Flat Saddle. But they all refer to the same saddle. The Cutback saddle is known for and actually named for the cut back area in the pommel located at the withers. Horses with higher leg action, such as the Saddlebreds, the Tennessee Walkers, the National Show Horse, Morgans and Arabians, will utilize this saddle to accommodate the greater motion of the front legs and shoulders as well as to provide for the often higher withers associated with these breeds. The seat is longer and flatter than either the Dressage or Hunt Seat saddle. Because saddle seat riders also ride with a longer stirrup than hunters, the flap on the cutback is also straight and long.

Finally, we come to the Western saddle. This is a different animal from the three previously discussed horse riding saddles. The evolution of Western saddles has an interesting history that goes back to the Moors and Spaniards. But, without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that it was a war saddle, designed to accommodate a warrior on horseback and his various needs. The saddle was brought to this country and transitioned from a military saddle into one used to accommodate the needs of a working cowboy. Thus, the most distinctive difference is the presence of a horn which was used by cowboys to tie or dally a cow as they are maintaining the herd. And, because these saddles had to be strong enough to handle another animal being tied to the horn, western saddles are bigger, stronger and more substantial than English saddles. Also, unlike the English saddles the stirrups are not detachable, so the stirrups, where you put your feet, are bulkier making it is unlikely that your foot would get hung or stuck.

Although I will not go into it in this article, Western saddles differ among themselves based on what they are used for. For example, Roping saddles have thicker horns for securing a rope. Cutting saddles have a deeper seat and wider swells allowing the rider to endure sharp stops and turns. Barrel racing saddles are more lightweight, with wide swells letting the horse perform fast sprints easier. And there are many more!

This article is simply an overview of the 4 basic kinds of horse riding saddles that you will see in most riding stables. There are plenty more, based on other specialties, like Side Saddle. This should, however, give you enough information to get started learning the 4 basic saddles. If you have the opportunity, try out the various types and you will start getting a feel for what you may prefer.

By Lisa Blackstone

For more information, go to http://www.SaddleEquestrianGuide.com or http://www.EquestrianTackGuide.com

Lisa B. Blackstone has been involved in the Arabian horse business all of her life. She operated a family owned Arabian horse breeding and training stable called Onyx Arabians for many years. She went back to law school in the early-90s and is now a practicing attorney in the Atlanta, Georgia area. She is an original founder of the Equine Section of the Georgia Bar. Recently, Lisa launched two websites designed to teach the novice rider about horses and horsemanship. You can visit them at http://www.HorseAndRiderClub.com and http://www.AmericanHorseAssociation.com She continues to ride and to judge Arabian horse shows in the United States and abroad

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Best Horse Buying Tips Available

Before you run out and buy a horse there are some things that are important for you to know. When you go to look at a horse make sure that the seller does not try to tell you that you better buy now because if you wait you are going to lose out. This is a way for him to try to make a quick sale and you may not get the best deal or the best horse so make sure you are cautious when making a purchase. You also do not want to tell the seller what you are willing to spend because this is only help him to over charge you.

It is also important when you are negotiating with a seller to buy a horse that you have a poker face and do not show him that you are interested in the horse too much. This can give him a red flag that he can charge you what ever he wants because you are going to buy this horse no matter what the price is. If you are purchasing the horse for your child it is important to let them know that there instructor need to approve the horse before you make a purchase like this.

Remember that buying a horse is not a hard thing to do but make sure that you know the facts before you make the purchase. It is always important that you do not let the seller strong arm you into thinking that you have to buy the first horse you see or you will miss out.

By Bryan Burbank

How to: Ride a Horse

Advice for: Horse Riding Tips

Bryan Burbank is an expert in the field of Horse Riding and Training

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