Storytime Saturday #2

Well, since my blog suffered severe abandonment, I've only done one Storytime Saturday, when I originally planned to do them almost every week.
But I'm finally back and posting, so I'm doing my second one today, and my story is on horse leasing.
You see, when I was younger and not nearly as experienced, I was offered a horse lease by a person that was going away to queensland for 6 months. At the time, it was very exciting. Like SUPER DUPER exciting, since I was still really upset about not owning a horse, and I thought that leasing was the next best thing. 
So, I went and tried out the horse. I really loved her, because I loved to go fast, and this pony was about as fast and sensitive as they got. The deal almost worked out. I was so excited. I thought about all the fun I was going to have, about all the things I was going to learn, blablabla.
But what I didn't realize at the time was that that deal really wasn't good for me... at all. I could list the endless reasons why the deal wasn't good for me. The venue had very limited facilities, there wasn't going to be anyone supervising me, but mostly because I wasn't experienced enough, and I thought I could control the horse when really, I couldn't. 
When the deal didn't work out (and thank god it didn't otherwise I would probably have a million injuries and made half the progress I have now), I was devastated. I kept thinking about what a great deal it was (which it wasn't) and how much I loved the horse. I think it took me a while to realize how bad the deal had been for me, because I was so focused on the fact that I was FINALLY going to be leasing a horse and less focused on how I was actually going to make progress. Actually, no, that's a bit of a lie. I was thinking about how I was going to make progress, except at that point in my life, I thought the only way to make progress was to lease. I thought that I knew so much about horse riding, that leasing/buying a horse was the only thing that could benefit me.

I have this theory that the more you know, the more you realize you don't know. And it's true, for me at least. After the lease didn't work out, I moved to a different barn and started learning things I had never even thought about before. I started realizing how much I didn't know, and how I really wasn't very experienced at all.
Looking back now, I'm not upset that the deal didn't work for me, not one bit. Because I know that if the deal had worked out, I wouldn't have realized my flaws, and I wouldn't have realized how I could improve. Really, I wouldn't be half the rider I am now. Thinking small and taking good lessons has taken me so much further than thinking big would have.
So anyway, the moral of this story is to not jump ahead into things when you're not ready- Having/leasing a horse is not the only way to move forward. Start small, take lessons, and realize how much you DON'T know before making any big decisions. 

Rachel.

Book Recommendation - Storey's Horse-Lover's Encyclopedia

Storey's Horse-Lover's Encyclopedia is a really great horse book that I highly recommend. It contains information about every possible word related to horses (well that might be a slight exaggeration). It is illustrated and everything is explained very clearly.
It's a really fantastic book because if you're unsure on a word, you can simply just look it up in this book. It has really helped increase my horse vocabulary and knowledge over the years, so if you are new to horses, this is the book for you!

Rachel

Riding Bareback

Riding bareback is when a horse is ridden without a saddle. But it's not as simple as just getting on a horses back and riding them into the sunset without tack. Riding bareback can be difficult, mainly because it is so much easier to fall off. A horse's back is very slippery and if you're not careful you could slide right off!

Picture credit to http://www.freeonlineblogspot.com

Choose your horse carefully:
Some horses aren't really suitable for bareback, especially when you're just beginning. It is preferable for your horse to fit the following requirements:

• A reliable horse: When you ride bareback, you should start off riding horses you know you can trust. Also try using a horse you know has been ridden bareback before, as some horses don't like being ridden bareback and may act up, which is the last thing you want!
• A horse that isn't overly sensitive: It is best to start with a horse that isn't overly sensitive as you are much closer to the horse while riding bareback without the saddle to separate you. This way, even the slightest squeeze may be enough to get a sensitive horse going, even if you didn't mean to do it, and being caught offguard when a horse suddenly speeds up is a good way to fall off.
• Preferably a horse that isn't too bony: While this isn't a necessity, bony horses are very uncomfortable to ride bareback on. Most people prefer riding horses that are a bit chubby. It also helps if the horse doesn't have a bouncy trot, as when you ride bareback you have to sit trot.

Your Position:
Your position when riding bareback is really important, as it could be the difference between staying on and falling off! 
When you ride without a saddle, it is very easy to be left behind by the horse's movements. For this reason, it's important that you sit more forward than you normally would, right behind the horse's withers.
Starting off, it also helps to grab a bit of mane to keep you forward and balanced, and to make sure you don't pull on your horse's mouth. Getting lunged your first time is also a good idea, so you can focus less on steering your horse and more on your seat.

picture credit to http://www.ponytalesblog.com

 Some things to be careful of:
Even though some of you might want to start riding bareback right away, there are a few things you need to be aware of:

•  Like I said at the beginning, riding bareback is more dangerous than riding with tack because it is so much easier to fall off.
• You are not going to be able to start cantering right away. First you need to make sure you are comfortable and balanced riding at both the walk and trot, and this takes longer than you'd think.
• While riding bareback is a great way to develop your seat, it is also essential that you have a good seat to begin with. You need to be able to sit the walk, trot, and canter with confidence without balancing on your horse's mouth. Otherwise, when you ride bareback you'll just bounce around and pull on your horse.
• Because you are so close to your horse when riding bareback, it is also easier for your horse to get sore and uncomfortable. This is another reason you should have a decent seat before you start riding bareback.

Why should you ride bareback?
While what I just said was a bit grim, there are plenty of reasons why you should ride bareback when you're ready.

• Improve and develop your seat: Riding bareback helps you grow independent from the saddle, meaning that you stop relying so much on the saddle to stay on. You also develop a deeper seat, and you'll find yourself bouncing less and sitting more, if that makes sense.
• It's quick: If you're lacking time, not putting on the saddle can save you some time and help you squeeze in some extra minutes of riding.
• It builds trust: Riding bareback is a great way to build trust between you and your horse, and make you feel closer than ever. A big reason people love riding bareback is because it makes them feel one with their horse, without anything between them.
• It's fun!: Riding bareback is an extra challenge, and, when you get used to it, is a really fun way to ride!

Picture credit to http://traceyspicsandpastels.com

Ride safe, and have fun!

Rachel.

PS: So sorry for not posting in ages! I'll try to make it up to you guys, but in the meantime, happy late new years and merry even later Christmas! I hope you all had a fantastic time.

PPS: I just realized how many dot points this post has. Oops

The basics on leading horses

Hey guys! I'm posting twice today so if you haven't already make sure you look below for my first Storytime Saturday post!
Today will be a relatively short post on how to lead horses. This is pretty easy stuff so some of you will probably already know the information here. But if you don't know how, this post will explain everything you need to know!
When around horses, you aren't going to ride them everywhere. You're going to have to lead them from the ground a lot as well. So I put together a list of things you should do when leading a horse.

This picture shows a horse being led correctly with a lead rope. Pic from http://www.carolynresnickblog.com

• Stand on the left side of the horse (as shown above in the picture). Originally this was so your right hand was closer to the horse to give you more control, but now everyone leads from this side, even left handed people.
• Don't look at your horse when you lead them. Instead, look where you are going. If you look at your horse it makes them nervous and reluctant to move.
• Lead the horse with your right hand close to the horse's chin, but not too close. Make sure you give your horse some slack in the rope so they are comfortable. Hold further down the lead rope with your left hand to make sure it doesn't drag on the ground.
• Now walk! Your horse should follow you without too much trouble but if they are being stubborn give a small tug with the lead rope to get them to move. Make sure you stay beside the horse and don't walk too much in front of them otherwise they might step on your heels.

A horse being led correctly with reins. Pic from http://ajilbab.com

•  When leading a horse with a bridle and reins, you lead the same way as you do with a lead rope, except you hold the two reins together in one hand (as shown in the picture above).

I hope you learned something from this post. See you next time! 

Rachel.

Storytime Saturday #1

So incase you missed it I am starting something new called Storytime Saturday. Technically it's monday today where I am, but whatever I have a story so I'm sharing it anyway :)
Today I was horse riding and after my ride Minty (the horse I was riding) was really sweaty and dirty. He's a grey, so dirt shows really easily, and it was too cold to give him a bath.
So I groomed him for a long time using my new brushes that I got last month. I got most of the dirt out, and  I spent a while getting rid of a lot of the sweat and making his hair all smooth. I stood there for at least half an hour, trying to get him relatively clean. And then when I was finally satisfied, I gave him some carrots and released him into his paddock.
And do you know what he did? As soon as I walked out of the paddock and shut the gate he started rolling.
I know that horses roll for a bunch of different reasons, but when minty rolled, it looked like he was doing it not because he was in pain, not to scratch his back, but for fun.
I groomed him for over half an hour and then he just had to roll and cover himself in dirt again, making all my hard work go down the drain. Thanks Minty.

Anyway its holidays now so I should be posting more often so watch out for more soon :D

Rachel.

How horses are measured.

If you read one of my first posts, I mentioned that horses are measured not in cm, not in inches, but in hands. But how big is a hand? A hand is not the length of your own hand- a hand is 4 inches, or approx. ten centimetres. 
A horse is measured from the ground up to its withers, which is the tallest point of a horse's back. They are not measured to their head, like humans, because their head is constantly moving up and down, so if they were measured from their head their height would always be changing.

The circled area is the horse's withers

So if you look at this picture:

Then the green line is the length that is measured to see how tall the horse is.
So let's say that you have a horse that is measured to be 15hh (hands high). That means that the space from the ground to the horse's withers is 60inches long, or 150cm.
If the horse is 16.2hh, then it means that it is 16hands and 2 inches tall, or 66inches tall. This means that if a horse is 65 inches tall, they would be 16.1hh, or if they were 66 inches tall, they would be 16.3hh. When horses are 68 inches tall (or any other number divisible by four), then they go on to a new hand, so they would be 17hh. That's why there is no such thing as a 16.5hh horse. They would be called a 17.1hh horse instead.
A horse that is less than 14.2hh is classified as a pony. If they are taller than 14.2hh then they are classified as a horse.

To find out the exact height of your horse, you can use a tape measure, or if you are experienced you can usually make rough estimations on the horse's height by looking at them.

How horses are measured can be a bit confusing at first, so hopefully this post made sense! 

Rachel.

Hotblooded, Coldblooded, and Warmblooded horses.

Hi everyone! If you've looked up horse breeds before, you've probably seen the words hotblooded, coldblooded and warmblooded horses. These are basically three categories that all horses fit into.

Hotbloods

Hotblooded horses are very lively, bold and are bred for speed and agility. Hotblooded horses are slim with long legs, the most well known being the thoroughbred and arabian horse.

A warmblooded horse, picture from http://reinsofthenight.com

Coldbloods

Coldblooded horses are draft horses that are bulkier and calmer than hotbloods. They are usually tall and strong and were bred to carry big loads. Coldbloods include Percherons and Clydesdales.

A coldblooded horse, picture from http://horsebreedslist.com

Warmbloods

Warmblooded horses are a cross between hotbloods and coldbloods. They are taller than hotbloods with a milder nature. The term is also used to describe sport horses that excel in things like jumping and dressage. Warmbloods include Hanoverians and Dutch Warmbloods.

A warmblooded horse, pic from http://www.wimborneparkstud.com.au

Rachel.