Horse riding- who how what when where why?

So now you know more about horses, you probably want to start riding, right? If you do, you might be wondering how to start. That's what this post is all about- helping you start horse riding!
So first things first: Who's going?
Obviously you are, but if you want you can bring a family member or friend along too! The first time I went horse riding, I went with a friend from school. However if you don't want to do this, it's completely fine! You'll develop heaps of friends when you horse ride- I know I have! 

How?
This might not seem important, but it really is. If you have a driving license, you'll be able to drive yourself there and back. But if you don't, it's probably going to be your parents who end up taking you. You have to remember that while your having fun, it's THEIR time you're taking up. Also, who's paying for it?  Horse riding is a very expensive activity so make sure you don't take it for granted that someone's paying for you to go!

What?
I suggest starting with a few private lessons to learn all the basics. Then after you can confidently walk, trot and maybe canter I suggest you start some group lessons. These are what I do and I think they're much more fun cause you get to ride with your friends. In your group lessons you can work on things like jumping, dressage and maybe cross country or bareback!

When?
I suggest going once a week, but to start off you may want to just go a few times in the holidays to make sure you like it. Horse riding isn't for everyone! But if you do enjoy horse riding, you should start going regularly so you don't forget what you've learned over time. 

Where?
Check on the internet - it isn't very hard! All you have it do is type in "Horse riding in (your city/town/suburb here)". You can ask your friends for recommendations if they horse ride too. If you live in Sydney Australia, I can give you some recommendations:
Kurnell Boarding Stables and Riding School: Where I am currently riding- they have great instructors and horses.
Darkes Forest- For less serious riders, Saddle Club at Darkes Forest is great, they meet up once a month and work on different things like jumping, dressage, etc.
Otford Farm- They hold awesome camps here, where you stay and sleepover for 5 days and 4 nights. You have the same horse for the whole 5 days and you are grouped according to your ability. 
Eastside Riding Academy- I have never rode here myself but I have some friends who do and they love it here. The JRC (Junior Riding Club) is great to learn theory and improve your riding.

Why?
Horse riding is enjoyable, fun and a great way to spend your time. I find it better than other sports as it's not just your ability that affects your riding, but how you understand and bond with your horse. 

That's all, I guess :) I hope this helped and that you start riding soon, if you haven't already! 

Rachel.

Horse Anatomy

It'll be a quick post today but I'll post another one VERY soon, either later today or tomorrow :) Today I'm going to talk about horse anatomy.
Why do you need to know about horse anatomy? Well if you look at some things online you may see some references you may not understand. What is a hock? The withers? The barrel? You'll find out now.

Credit to http://spiritto.blogspot.com.au

It would be hard to make a lengthy discussion on horse anatomy, so if you follow the link below, there's an accurate picture with labels. The picture is NOT MINE, it belongs to Everything Dream Horse, so I'd like to give credit to them. Everyone should go check out their website for horse Halloween ideas, information on horse markings and more!
Follow the link to find out about horse anatomy:
http://www.everything-dream-horse.com/support-files/anatomy-horse-k.pdf

Rachel

Grooming a horse

You should groom a horse before and after you ride it, so it's important to know how to do it properly. To groom a horse you'll need:

• a Rubber curry comb (DO NOT get this mixed up with a metal curry comb. Metal curry combs are used for cleaning out the body brush, not for using on the horse)
• A Dandy Brush
• A Body Brush
• A hoof pick
• A metal Mane comb

First thing to use is your curry comb. The curry comb stage is like a massage for your horse and it warms up all its muscles. You brush your horse in circular motions on its belly. DO NOT use it on any bony areas on your horse, including its legs, withers, and face.

Next up is your dandy brush. A dandy brush has hard bristles and is used to get all the dirt, mud and dust off your horse. You use this on your horse in flicking motions to make sure you get all the dust off. Dandy brushes can also be used to brush out a horse's tail. You can use this anywhere on your horse except the face.

The body brush is used to make your horse shine! Use it in soft strokes to make your horses hair gleam. You can use it anywhere, even on the face because it has soft bristles.

A hoof pick is used to clean out a horse's hoof and make sure there are no sticks or rocks in it. It is hard to explain it well in writing, so I attached a video that will give you a much better explanation. Everyone should subscribe to aokamins11 if you have youtube- she makes very good videos!

Lastly use your metal mane comb to get the knots out of your horse's mane and if necessary pull or plait it.

And that is how you groom a horse! But if you are inexperienced, please check with your instructor before grooming your horse to make sure you're doing it right. Next time it'll be horse anatomy :)

Rachel.

Horse Movies

In the last holidays, I went on a marathon. I went to Video Ezy and rented all the horse movies I could find. And I watched all of them. And all of them were awesome. So now I tell you about the horse movies I watched and rate them :)

Secretariat:
I LOVED this movie. The last race was so suspenseful but I won't say anything so I won't spoil it for you. I think this one is my favourite horse movie out of them all. I rate this movie ♥♥♥♥♥ Five hearts :)

Secretariat, pic from http://thecia.com.au/

Spirit: Stallion of  the Cimarron
When I got this movie, I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a cartoon, after all, and was in the "Young Children" section. But still, even though I was ten years too old for the movie, I still loved it. It was told from the horses point of view, and even when there wasn't narration you could still tell exactly what he was feeling. I rate this movie Five Hearts ♥♥♥♥♥

Spirit, pic from http://www.freecartoons.us

Dreamer:
This movie was really great and inspirational, about a family with not a lot of money healing a mare with a broken leg so she could race again. I rate this movie Five Hearts ♥♥♥♥♥

Dreamer, pic from http://en.wikipedia.org/

The Horse Whisperer:
A great horse movie for older people (it's rated M). It had a bit of drama and romance too, which I liked, and it's about a young girl who loses her leg, her best friend, and almost loses her horse in a car accident. I rate this movie Four Hearts ♥♥♥♥

the horse whisperer, pic from http://www.makefive.com/

Moondance Alexander:
One of the few horse movies where the main character is a teenager and a good rider. I rate this movie Four Hearts ♥♥♥♥

moondance alexander, pic from http://www.milodecruz.com/

Seabiscuit:
I love the story of Seabiscuit, a young horse who nobody wanted who ended up being a star in the right hands. It's about two broken beings healing eachother. I rate this movie Four Hearts ♥♥♥♥

Seabiscuit, pic from http://www.impawards.com/

Flicka 1:
Flicka is a great movie, and to make it better it's based on a book I love "My Friend Flicka" by Mary O'hara. It was a tad bit unrealistic but I still liked it so I rate it Four Hearts ♥♥♥♥

flicka, picture from http://img.neoseeker.com/

Flicka 2:
This movie has almost no connection to the first one, meaning all the characters are different. It was even more unrealistic then the first movie. For example, people say that the horse (Flicka) is loco, but when Carrie, the main character who has never been on a horse before, rides her, she doesn't act up at all. Also, after riding horses for about a week, Carrie can canter and back a horse up, which should take most people about a year of riding to learn to do. Still, it was an alright movie so I rate it Three Hearts ♥♥♥

http://horsezone.com.au/

These were all good movies so I recommend you renting them all, especially the ♥♥♥♥♥ ones. Next time I'll do a post about grooming horses, so make sure you don't miss it!

Rachel.

Basic Horse Equipment

A few weeks ago I did a post about riding equipment. But this time, we're going to talk about the horse's equipment. This will be pretty basic stuff, I might do a more detailed post about things later, but now its just to give you a basic idea if you don't know these things already. I tried to make it as simple as possible but sorry if you don't understand.

Rugs:
Rugs keep the horse warm and dry in cold weather. There are different types of rugs designed for different weather- while winter rugs are waterproof and thicker to help keep your horse warm in cold weather, summer rugs are lighter and are made of a breathable material that mostly ensure that a horse can stay dry if there is a light shower or that a horse's coat doesn't get bleached by the sun.

A winter rug, picture from http://www.replayclassifieds.com.au/

 
Bridle:
A bridle is the headpiece put on a horse when someone is riding it. It is connected to reins and a bit which helps you control the horse and tell the horse what to do and where to go. Some people also use hackamores, or bitless bridles. For more detailed information on bridles, go to http://www.goodrider.net/popup/lessons/ready/bridles.html

A standard bridle, picture from http://www.goodrider.net/

Saddle: A saddle goes on a horse's back and is what you sit on when you horse ride. It is attached to a girth (which goes around the horse's belly and stops the saddle from falling off) and stirrups (which your feet go in when you horse ride) and sometimes some other things such as breastplates or martingales. For more information on saddles go to http://www.goodrider.net/popup/lessons/ready/saddles.html

A basic English saddle, picture from http://tbnranch.com/

Saddle Blanket/pad: A saddle blanket is a rug that is put underneath the saddle and cushions the horse's back so the saddle doesn't rub against it. They are usually rectangular in shape but there is also a type of saddle blanket called a numnah which is in the shape of a saddle.

A standard saddle pad, picture from http://www.perrisleather.com/

Numnahs, picture from http://www.kileysequestrian.co.uk/

Halter/Headcollar: This is another headpiece but it is not usually used while riding, it is just used when you are leading a horse. It is attached to a lead rope that you use to lead the horse. 

Headcollar and lead rope, picture from http://www.yourhorse.co.uk//

Boots: These protect a horse's legs when are exercising or jumping. There are many different kinds such us splint boots, fetlock boots and bell boots.

Bell boots, picture from https://www.mikeswesternsuppliers.com/

Fetlock boots, picture from http://patchesequestrian.co.uk/

Splint boots, picture from http://www.tack24.de/

That's all for now :)

Rachel.

How much do you love horses?

Hey guys, its been a while! And I apologize for not posting anything sooner. You see, I was at horse riding camp and they give you no free time around that place. Even if I did have free time, there wasn't any internet connection.
Anyway, I was in the mood for something fun, so I created a horse quiz! Here it is:

How much do you love horses?

1) You are driving in the car with your family when you see some grazing horses. You
a) Shout "LOOK! A PONY!!" and eagerly watch the horse until it is out of sight.
b) Look at the horse for a few moments and admire it. If you do anything more your brother will tease you about it and you don't like to be embarrassed.
c) Glance at the horse before turning back to your video game. You're so close to a high score and nothing can distract you.

2) You break a minor bone in your leg and cannot horse ride until it has healed. You
a) Force your dad to drive you to your equestrian center every week to see what people in your lesson are learning. You shout out a few tips to your friends and when the lesson's over you pat the horses until your dad threatens to drag you home.
b) Read some horse books and count down the days until you can ride again
c) Text your friends about the unfairness of it all and wonder how much better everyone will be than you when you start riding again.

3) You've been riding for about 5 years now and are an experienced rider, but your parents still wont let you get a horse. You
a) Still dream about it! Flip through magazines and point out the horses you would buy before surfing the internet and picking equipment for your imaginary horse.
b) Argue with your parents about it for a while before dropping the subject and accepting that a horse is something you cannot have at the moment. That doesn't mean you can't get one when you're older, though!
c) Understand your parent's situation and be grateful that you are able to have lessons.

4) Pillow pets are 50% off! You buy
a) The horse, obviously!
b) The unicorn! You've always loved this mythical creature and this one's pink, your favourite colour!
c) Think about it for a while before choosing the dog. It looks exactly like your real dog!

5) What would you rather do?
a) Muck out a stall. At least you'd be near horses!
b) Clean out the tack room.
c) Clean your room. It's getting messy and you keep losing things.

6) You fall off a horse but your not hurt- just a bit breathless from your fall. You
a) Get straight back on! 
b) Sit down for a moment before getting back on in the last ten minutes of the lesson
c) Go straight home. It was humiliating to fall and you don't want to be further embarrassed if you do something else wrong.

7) Your friends are watching a dressage competition on TV and tell you that its boring and all the horse does is trot around in circles. You
a) Tell your friends they're wrong- the horse does much more than just trot in circles. You enthusiastically point out all the different movements the horse is doing- half-passes, piaffes, flying changes, etc.
b) Are insulted, but you don't tell your friends. Dressage is what you specialize in and it hurts when someone calls it boring, but your friends are important to you see you keep your mouth shut.
c) Tell your friends that they're right- dressage is boring, which is why you do showjumping instead.
8) If you could do whatever you wanted for a day you would
a) Go horse riding!
b) Go to see a horse show with your friends
c) Read a book
9)  Party time! It's your birthday party and you can watch any movie you want! You choose
a) Dreamer- best horse movie ever!
b) The horse whisperer- horses, drama and romance all in one movie!
c) St Trinians- My friends don't like horses, so we all agreed on this hilarious film!
10) If you could get any horse in the world, what breed would you get?
a) I don't care about breeds- its the personality that counts! And besides, I'm happy with any horse as long as I have one!
b) A brumby or mustang, or some type of wild horse. Even when they're tamed, their spirit can never be broken!
c) Something flashy, like an Arabian, so I can show them off to my friends and win competitions!

Mostly As: You are a true horse lover, and nothing can change that! You'd do anything just to be around horses, even if it means doing the dirty jobs like mucking out! To you, nothing is more important than horse riding and spending time with horses. They are your passion, your inspiration and your dream.
Mostly Bs: You love horses and love being around them, reading about them, and would probably love to own one, but your friends are considerably more important to you and you don't want horses to be part of your career. They will always be your hobby, just not your job.  
Mostly Cs: You like horses and enjoy riding them, but again, you wouldn't want to turn it into a career. To you, horse riding is fun, but something you'll probably drop later on in your life.  


So that's my quiz! I hope you like it guys :) But please take note that the results are ASSUMPTIONS. For example, if you got mostly b's, it does not necessarily mean that the results apply to you. Same with the other results. The quiz was purely for fun.
Anyway, my next post will be about horse equipment, but until then!

Rachel.