Basic Horsemanship

A down to earth discussion of the realities of owning, riding, and caring

for horses—–—

GaladrielBillington

http://lorienstable.comCopyright 2005

all rights reserved

Why do we own, ride, work with horses? Because we enjoy it.

Both keeping horses and working with horses can be complicated.

We have removed them from their natural environment. They are adapted for one

lifestyle; we give them a different one. As a result, they can be surprisingly fragile.

Horsemanship – Understanding the horse in order to best work with him

It is our responsibility to understand what makes the horse tick, and how to make him just as

happy as we are. We also must have an understanding of his nature in order to maintain our own safety

around horses.

Safety Precautions

In working with horses, there is sometimes an urge to ignore safety precautions. After all, we're doing this for fun. “He won't hurt me,”

“I'm skilled enough to avoid problems,” or just “it's inconvenient”

are all common excuses.

Safety Precautions

However, when working with a large animal with the capacity to be unpredictable, there is no sense in taking needless chances.

Safety precautions are not an admission of lack of skill, and avoiding safety precautions is not macho. Taking appropriate safety precautions is the responsible thing to do—not for yourself, but for your loved ones.

Safety Precautions

However, when working with a large animal with the capacity to be unpredictable, there is no sense in taking needless chances.

Safety precautions are not an admission of lack of skill, and avoiding safety precautions is not macho. Taking appropriate safety precautions is the responsible thing to do—not for yourself, but for your loved ones.

HelmetThe helmet reduces the risk of head injury in a

fall. Any fall from several feet up is more dangerous; it doesn't matter whether you're

riding a miniature donkey, a horse, or a tricycle. A helmet is designed to crush, so that your

head does not.

It only takes a moment to put on your helmet. There are now helmets which are light and ventilated; there are a number of models

so you can find one which fits the shape of your head well. Helmets are inexpensive and easy

to use; there's no reason to take a silly risk when it's so easy to be safer.

Footwear

●Reinforced Toe●Heel

●Appropriate Width●Smooth Sole or Minimal Tread

Lead Lines, Lunge Lines

Never wrap the line around your hand.Fold it instead.

Horse Instincts

The horse is a herd animal, and a prey animal. His instincts tell him that anything that startles him is

frightening, and he should run away.

Horses do not see well up close. Therefore you should always be aware of potential hazards, like nails

sticking out, because the horse typically won't even know they're there. Again, we have restricted horses to

an unnatural environment; we must be the ones to make sure that it is safe for them.

More Safety Precautions

Body Protector●Stabilizes the spine

●Cushions torso

Gloves●Protect the hands

from rope burn

Herd Animals

Safety and security in numbers

Herd Animals

Constant companionship--

People can't provide; we have to leave some of the time

Buddy Sour

Some horses may panic if separated from a special “buddy” or if left entirely alone.

Herd Leaders

There is a structure in each group of horses. Most of them are followers; there is usually one strong leader or

two leaders who share duties.

The other horses rely on these leaders to tell them when it is safe, when they should move on, when they can relax or when they should be alert. Leadership is

not an issue of strong dominance, but simply being the one who the others trust.

Herd Leader

Horses obey the lead horse, because it is in their nature to do so. They trust the lead horse to know what is best for them. They respect the lead horse and his

judgment.

Leadership is not the same as Severity

A horse who is punished too often begins to fear. He does not trust; he is tense and afraid. Fear is not the

same as trust or respect.

Leadership—Communicating Correction and Reward

Since we are humans, we also need a way to show horses that we approve of what they are doing. We can't use all the body language that horses do; for

example, we can't move our ears.

We know how to tell them that they are doing wrong; we also must establish a method of telling them that

they are doing right. “Good boy” or “good girl” is easily learned, and should be used often. Let the horse know

what you want, and whether or not he's doing it correctly.

Humans

We need to be safe in handling horses; we need the horses to do what we tell them.

If humans plan to tell a horse what to do, we must act as a lead horse; we must be confident, decisive, and

take no backtalk. If we are overly lenient, or we try to be “equal” with the horse, then—in his eyes—we are being weak! Horses do not trust a weak horse to lead

them properly.

Fear and Tranquility

Horses are prey, not predators. As a result, horses are primarily flight animals; they are not well suited to fighting or resisting danger, but are well suited to

running away from danger.

A horse in tune with his rider/handler may completely ignore potentially scary issues, if the handler ignores

them first. Showing calm assurance in every situation will help you keep you horse calm.

Ground Manners

Horses are, of course, large and strong. A horse interacting with another horse may be careless with

that bulk or strength. Since we humans are a bit more fragile, we need the horses to behave differently for us.

Ground Manners--Constant

It's unwise to let individual actions slip. There may be a temptation to sometimes say, “Well, this time is

important; that lapse doesn't really count.”

Horses don't know when or why “it doesn't count.” For horses, it always counts.

Courtesy

Ground manners are important for several more reasons.

It's courteous to those who will work on your horse; a horse without manners can be dangerous,

accidentally or deliberately. Veterinarians, farriers, and others need to stay uninjured in order to work.

Courtesy

The horse should be able to:●stand still for examination,

●stand calmly when being handled,●easily lift each leg and hold it, when asked,

●he should allow people to touch him all over his body,●accept handling even if it may be uncomfortable,

●comply with requests to move around and shift his weight.

Courtesy

If you have a horse who does not yet have reasonable manners, it is a very good idea to warn the professional

when making the appointment.

They may have extra preparations they would like to make, or they might request that a vet be on hand to

administer a mild sedation.

This is quite reasonable! Their income depends on their safety. When working on a horse known to be unpredictable, it is only wise to take precautions.

Courtesy

For visits from equine professionals, the horse should also be

caught in advance, and clean and dry.

Courtesy—Working Environment

An equine professional can do the most effective work in an appropriate working environment:

●a clean, flat surface,●a safe tie or crosstie,

●good lighting,●roof or protection from the elements,

●no stumbling hazards (no junk all over the floor),●an electrical outlet available.

Professional Relationship

Your equine professionals should be effective for you. Sometimes an individual may not work out for

you, through incompatibility or ineffectiveness.

Your horse needs effective care; it's up to you to provide the horse with someone who can care for

him properly.

Recognizing Good Professionals

●Word of mouth●Horse Handling Skills

●Knowledge●Discussion with Owners/Riders

Some Basic Training Concepts

The great majority of horses are very willing; if you show them what you

want, they will do it.

One of the first elements of training must be teaching the horse how to

recognize reward and recognize corrections.

Quiet Aids

Most horses are quite happy to be “followers,” and to go along with suggestions from riders or handlers.

This is fortunate for us, because a horse is much larger and stronger than we are. If a horse should decide not

to cooperate, there is no way for a human to “force” him.

The ultimate goal of training should be mild signals. Once we realize that we can not force the horse, we can begin to focus our training on ways to indicate

quietly what we want

Three Second Rule

When correcting a horse, the handler must act within three seconds of the horse's misbehavior. After that, the

horse will not associate the correction with the misbehavior.

A horse who does not understand why he is being corrected becomes confused and

sour.

Sour HorsesIn 99.9% of the cases, a horse who was sour learned to

be sour; he didn't start out that way. Some of the reasons for a horse becoming sour are:

●confusion followed by punishment; if the horse doesn't understand, punishing him will only make him upset

and sour;●being asked to do too much too quickly, rushed

training, burnout;●being asked to do more than he physically could, being

made sore, being overworked;●boredom with repetition;

●poor handling, such as by children who don't know better (yet);

●pain from poorly fitting or harsh tack.

Resistance

Sometimes a horse seems sour when he is not. Many times, problems are labeled “behavioral”

when the horse is simply trying to avoid discomfort or even pain. Almost any action

which can be viewed as a resistance can be, in fact, an expression of discomfort.

Resistance

Pain in a horse can make him buck, rear, avoid the saddle, refuse to be caught, bite (and many,

many more). For a horse who is “acting up,” before attempting to “make him work through it,” it is worth having him evaluated for body issues.

Professionals who can help are:

●Veterinarian●Sports Massage Therapist (looks for muscle issues)

●Chiropractor (looks for skeletal issues)●Acupunturist

●Saddle Fitter (checks to see if saddle is causing discomfort)

Yield to Pressure

All other training is based on yield to pressure.

Yield to Pressure

This is counter to the horse's instincts. Without other training, the horse will lean into pressure.

This is quite a strong instinct in the horse, but everything we do with horses depends on the

horse yielding to pressure.

Even something so simple as leading relies on yielding to pressure.

Force: Gadgets

There are many gadgets out there designed to force a horse into a position, to make him hold himself,

respond in a certain way, and so on.

When a horse is forced, instead of taught, then he does not learn; he simply becomes confused. Often he fights the force (leans into the pressure) instead of giving to

it, which teaches him just the opposite of what you want him to learn.

Ground Training

A horse is not born with a handling skill set; we must teach him how to respond before we can expect him to respond properly. Some of the first training,

that will be useful throughout his life, is:

●leading (respectful of handler's space, responding to pressure by moving with the handler, staying calm

while someone is working with him)●voice commands (whoa, walk, trot, etc)

●tying (standing calmly)●lunging (responding to voice when the handler is a

little further away, exercise)

In addition to giving the horse a basis for later riding training, ground handling accustoms a horse to

listening to people; it also helps a handler develop a relationship with a horse.

It can be a good idea to do a lot of ground work with a new horse, or a horse who is nervous, to help him learn

to trust. Ground handling isn't just for green horses.

Saddles and Fitting

A saddle has several purposes:

●Allows for clearance across the horse's spine.●Distributes the rider's weight evenly along the length

of the saddle.●Provides stability and security for the rider.

●Contributes to the comfort of both horse and rider.

Saddles and Fitting

The saddle should evenly distribute the pressure on the horse's back.

When the saddle does not fit, the pressure is focused in one or several “pressure points.”

Too much pressure cuts off circulation to the muscle underneath. Too much pressure can

cause bruises, swelling, or muscle wastage on the back.

Saddles and Fitting

Many “behavior problems” can be traced to saddle fitting problems.

A saddle which fits poorly has much the same effect as a rock in your shoe.

It's very annoying; some people will not tolerate it for even a moment.

If your grit your teeth and ignore it, the rock begins to dig into your foot and will cause bruising; eventually

your foot becomes so sore that you can barely stand it.

If you're very stoic, you may be able to continue on still; eventually the foot will be damaged so badly that

you cannot walk, no matter how hard you try.

Saddles and Fitting

Horses can respond in many ways to uncomfortable tack.

They may object immediately.

They may grit their teeth and tolerate the discomfort for a while, but gradually begin to show some

objections.

They may tolerate the discomfort for a very long time, then have a sudden explosion and become completely

unrideable.

Saddles and Fitting

Saddle fit is much more complicated than most people realize. Many resources (particularly online) list

simplistic advice, which gives the illusion that saddle fitting itself is simple. Unfortunately, there are many saddles which may outwardly appear to fit, but have

hidden fit problems.

Riders should be aware that saddle fit is not a simple process, and many people who claim knowledge of saddle fit do not have extensive enough experience.

Saddle fitting advice should be sought from a professional in the saddle industry: a saddler or saddle

fitter.

Saddle Fit Problems

Some problems are immediate indicators of poor fit. These may not be present in every saddle that fits poorly; a saddle may have none of these and still be a

poor fit. However, a these symptoms are sure indicators that there is a fit problem:

●Saddle slips, or girth must be extremely tight to “hold” saddle in place.

●Dry spots under the saddle pad after riding.●White marks under the saddle.

●Rubbed or hairless areas under the saddle.

“Fixing” Fit Problems

People often try many “specialty” saddle pads to try to fix a fit problem. Much of the time, the pad makes the problem worse; many “specialty” saddle pads are best

suited as cat beds or dog toys. And why, why will people spend so much money—sometimes hundreds of

dollars—on a pad which may or may not work?

It is much less expensive to simply have a saddle fitter evaluate the horse and saddle, and work from

there. With a saddle fitter's evaluation, the owner/rider can work with assurance and save much money trying

pad after pad or saddle after saddle.

Treeless Saddles

Treeless saddles have some applications.

They are not ideal for all horses nor for all riding types.

Saddle and Girth Placement

The front of the saddle should sit two fingers behind the shoulderblade. The lowest part of the seat should be

halfway between pommel and cantle; the lowest part of the seat should be centered between the shoulderblade

and the last rib on the ribcage. The saddle should never extend past the horse's hip.

The girth should go straight down around the horse's barrel, not slant forward toward the elbow. A girth

which slants forward puts pressure on the front of the saddle, and may even drag it forwards.

Saddle and Girth Placement

The saddle should be stable without an excessively tight girth. The girth goes around the horse's ribcage;

if there is no slack at all in the girth, then the horse can not expand his ribcage to breathe in!

When the girth is tightened, you should be able to slide the flat of your hand under the girth easily, but you

should not be able to turn it all the way.

Bits: Fitting, Mouthpieces, Cheekpieces, and Materials

When we use a bit, we are sticking something into a very sensitive area. Depending on the bit, it may put pressure on the bars of the horse's mouth (his gums),

his lips, the roof of his mouth, his nose, his chin, and his poll. A horse can feel a fly landing on his skin; a horse

can certainly feel heavy or biting pressure.

A bit must be suitable for the horse. If it is the wrong size, it will pinch. If the shape doesn't match his mouth

well, then it may pinch or may dig in. If it is more severe than the horse needs, then it may hurt him

every time the reins are used.

Bits

There are quite a few options for bits: mouthpieces, materials, and cheekpieces. With experimentation a bit

can be found to suit almost any horse.

In general, a thicker mouthpiece is more mild. Compare carrying a bale of hay by the twine, and

carrying a heavy piece of luggage by the strap. The wider the surface, the less the pressure “bites.”

Some horses have thick tongues or small mouths. To these horses, a thicker bit is unpleasant; they just don't have room for it. These horses should be ridden in thinner bits, but the rider should also be aware that

the bit has the capacity for more severity.

Harsh Bits

Some bit mouthpieces have sharp edges or unpleasant textures. These bits have no business in a horse's

mouth at all.

The twisted wire, corkscrew, triangular mouthpieces, bike chain, and even the slow twist have sharp edges.

Mouthpieces

●Mullen●Snaffle

●French Link●“Bean”

●Dr. Bristol●Others

Mouthpiece Variations

●Ported bits●“JP” bits

●Multiple Materials

Materials

●Stainless Steel (common)●Rubber (often used for horse with soft mouth;

sometimes, though, rubber may cause drier mouth)●Copper (thought to make the horse salivate and keep

the mouth soft)●Sweet Iron (thought to make the horse salivate and

keep the mouth soft)●German Silver

●Aurigaen (brass colored, nickel free)●Plastics/”Scented” Plastics (some horses accept these

more willingly than metal or rubber)

Cheeks

●Loose Ring●Eggbutt

●Half Cheek●Full Cheek

●D-ring●Hanging Cheek

●Kimberwicke●Pelham

●Shanks (curb)●Elevator

●Gag

Bitless

●Halter and Lead Rope●Bosal

●Sidepull●Jumping Hackamore

●Crossunder●Mechanical Hackamore

“Cheap” Tack

Tack which is selling, new,for unrealistically low prices is CHEAP, not inexpensive.

Cheap tack will hurt your horse.

“Cheap” Tack

Tack is expensive for a reason. The cost of tack is determined by the quality of the materials, the quality of the craftsmanship in assembling the materials, and

the quality of the original design.

When tack is cheap, quality has suffered somewhere along the way. It may be the materials, the

craftsmanship, the design, or a combination of the three.

“Cheap” Tack

Materials, craftsmanship, and design are all integral to the usability of tack. None of these are cheap.

People with knowledge to design workable tack properly don't sell their work for peanuts.

People with skills to assemble tack properly don't work for minimum wage.

And the materials, of course, are not inexpensive if they're of good quality.

“Cheap” Tack

If your budget is limited, consider used tack.

High quality used tack may cost the same as “cheap” tack, will last much longer, and will be much better for

your horse.

Basic Riding Concepts

Confidenceand

Goals

Basic Riding Concepts

EverybodyFalls

Sooner or Later

●Protective Gear●Emergency Dismount

●Relax while Falling

Riding “Properly”

Riding properly isn't just something to worry about for show.

Good riding developed for keeping the rider secure and the horse comfortable; if you're not riding “properly,” you're less secure and more likely to make the horse

uncomfortable, tense, or even sore.

Everyone can Benefit from Coaching

●Regular Lessons●Clinicians

●Videotape: self-analysis or distance analysis

“Aids”

When we work with horses, we are teaching them a “language” of aids. It doesn't come naturally to them,

any more than French comes naturally to a native Italian speaker.

First horses have to learn what the aids mean, then they can be expected to respond to them. If a horse has never been taught an aid, or has been taught to respond to different aids than his rider knows, then

there will be a communication gap.

Riding Properly

●Relax●Head-Hip-Heel●Follow the Motion

● Secure seat● Relax

●Look where you're Going

●Help the Horse to Stay Balanced●Half Halts●Shoulders Back

● Don't “hunch”● Elbows hang down from

shoulder, against side of body

● Relax

Riding Properly

●Calves On● Secure seat● Legs still● Squeeze, don't kick

●Don't Grip with the Knees●Steady Hands

● Straight Line: elbow to bit● Thumbs to the sky● Secure seat

●Rein Use● Direct rein with constant

light contact● Neck rein with slack

reins and no contact● Bitless varies

Driving

There are a number of reasons that people may prefer to drive, or drive as well as ride.

When driving, you can safely carry a passenger, or several.

A person with physical limitations, such as back or balance problems, may find more security or comfort in

driving.

One handler can hitch up and drive several horses at a time, as compared to riding one horse.

Driving

Driving is commonly viewed as safer than riding. This is not entirely accurate.

A “wipeout” while driving can be much more severe; the horse can get tangled in harness or shafts. The driver can be thrown from the cart by bumps or jolts

that wouldn't cause him to lose his seat in the saddle. If the cart tips and the rider isn't thrown clear, the cart

may cause the driver injury.

Driving Safety

Some of the safety precautions for driving are very similar to those for riding. Helmets, gloves, and body

protectors all have their place; a helmet should be used by any driver—or passenger—in a cart or wagon, just as

much as by any rider.

In addition, a driver should carry a sharp knife in case of tangled harness, and have instruction on how to recover from a driving crash. A driver may bring a “groom,” someone who is able to step out of the

vehicle and hold the horse or direct traffic.

Next Week

Day to Day ConcernsRegular Maintenance

EmergenciesUnsoundness

Concerns Common in Florida