A Good Life for a Horse's Golden Years. The aging of horses in your care is inevitable and, in fact, you may prefer to work with older horses to take advantage of their experience and patience in teaching young riders. But what can your expect of an older horse? Does he have special needs? Is he capable of carrying a workload, or should he be allowed to retire? How do you keep him healthy and happy? Jessica Jahiel answers these questions and more, covering such vital topics as proper feeding, general care, and the importance of regular exercise and companionship, all of which result in an excellent quality-of-life for your older horse. With her practical, expert advise, your aging horse will remain your trusty, trusting steed for years to come.
Jessica Jahiel explains everything you need to know about the different types of bits and how they work so that you can decide which one is best for your horse, your goals, and your budget. She also shows you how to position and adjust bits correctly and goes over the options for riders who prefer not to use a bit at all.
How do you train a horse to get in and out of a trailer safely and calmly? With the renowned trailer-training method taught by the late Dr. Edwin Goodwin, long-time equine professor at the University of Maryland, it's simple. In Trailer Training Your Horse, journalist and equine enthusiast Laura Harrison McBride brings to publication for the first time the lessons and advice of Dr. Goodwin. The step-by-step training technique works quickly on green horses, it works fairly quickly on older horses that have already been led; and it works a bit more slowly on horse that have have negative trailering experiences. Most important, it works, almost without fail, and it can help your horse overcome fear, stubbornness, bad training, and bad handling. To accompany the training, you'll learn how to choose the right trailer, as well as how to prepare your horse for the trip and what supplies you need to make the trip as comfortable and stress-free as possible.
"De-Spook" Your Horse An umbrella opening, a tree branch creaking, a tarp flapping in the wind, a dusty shadow in the back of the barn -- what seems benign to the human eye often terrifies a horse. His immediate response? Screech to a halt, buck, twirl, and run like the dickens! What can a rider do but hang on? In fact, there is plenty a rider can do to "de-spook" a horse, and Teaching Your Horse to Overcome Fears tells you how. Following the advice of renowned trainers such as John Lotito, Pat Parelli, and Mark Rashid, you'll learn how to reprogram your horse's fear response so that, when startled, he may unnerve you, but he won't unseat you. These trainers offer proven tips on training your horse in a manner that is gentle, effective, and long-lasting. And you'll delve into the most exciting "alternative" therapies for high-strung horses, including herbal remedies, aromatherapy, shamaniac healing, and body work.
Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.
A practical guide to using reward-based training techniques to create a true partnership with your horse. This leads to lifelong connection, effective problem-solving and joyful performance.
Barefoot Horse Keeping provides a practical, accessible and objective guide to barefoot horse care and management. The book draws on empirical research and the authors' twenty-five years' experience delivering barefoot hoof care, saddle fitting, behavioural training and rider coaching. Topics covered include: the Barefoot philosphy; the herd and the environment; hoof trimming; diet and nutrition and equine anatomy and biomechanics. Of great interest to all horse owners and veterinary students, and fully illustrated with 230 colour photographs.
Discusses the nature and mechanics of horses and theories, philosophies, and foundations of horsemanship, covering handling, round-pen exercises, riding techniques, trailer loading, hobble-breaking, and more, with anecdotes relating to each chapter's topics as well as tips and troubleshooting exercises.
Get your horse in shape and maintain his overall fitness, regardless of his age or abilities. Equine Fitness will have your horse looking and feeling his best with a series of fun exercise routines specifically designed to enhance his strength, stamina, and agility. Clear step-by-step instructions and detailed illustrations make the exercises easy to follow, and the book includes a handy set of pocket-sized cards that you can use in the ring. Jec Ballou’s simple conditioning program promises lasting results for healthy horses and satisfied riders.
The first complete reference to help equestrians make the changes needed to ensure social license and the ability to ride and compete horses for years to come. Renowned wild horse ecologist and equine behaviorist Mary Ann Simonds provides a practical soup-to-nuts manual for understanding how horses think, feel, learn, communicate, and interact with each other and with humans. Integrating over 30 years of field research, identifying functional social behaviors in wild horses with her lifelong professional practice working with equestrians solving equine behavioral issues, Simonds helps readers gain a strong foundation into the emotional and cognitive lives of horses and explore various horse-human relationships. She provides numerous tools for assessing personalities, communicating with horses, and understanding how horses learn, with an emphasis on improving care and reducing stress in competitions and sports. In three parts, each introduced by top researchers and scientists in the equestrian field, readers will: LEARN the natural history and social ecology of free-roaming wild horses. UNDERSTAND the instincts, learned behaviors, gender differences, social roles, and social bonds that are the driving factors in horse culture. DISCOVER how adaptable horses really are, and how that makes them an ideal species to share their social lives with humans. FOCUS on horse-human relationships applying the knowledge from Part One to reduce equine stress and improve communication in the management and training of all horses. EXPLORE how to better assess the horse’s personality and emotions, understand his learning style, and use various communication channels to establish trust, improve friendship, and enhance performance. ADDRESS the ethics of horse sports and ask the questions needed to ensure horse welfare in all the disciplines. CONSIDER dozens of changes related to horse management and competition recommended by respected industry professionals. BE EMPOWERED to be an influencer to improve the lives of horses, whatever the profession, breed, or sport. Filled with hundreds of color-coded tips and beautiful photos, and backed by science, personal stories, and unique insights, readers have multiple ways to quickly find useful information and apply it to their own horse-human situations. Whether preparing for a horse show, working with young stock, riding on the trails, adopting a wild horse, running a rescue, or just hoping to improve your communication and relationships with all horses, this book is a catalyst for much-needed change in the equine industry.
