Horseback Riding is a Sport

Horseback riding looks easy from the spectators point of view. The rider is just sitting on the horse right? This is a common misconception partly due to it being the goal of every rider to look like you are doing nothing when you are truly controlling every move the horse makes. The connection between horse and rider is something that cannot be explained it can only be experienced. Enjoy this video :)

Wild Horses - and a Government Program that Works

A roundup of wild horses took place about a week ago near Durango, Colo. These roundups, which occur annually all across the western United States, are part of the Bureau of Land Management's strategy as part of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The act charged the BLM with managing the West's wild horses to maintain herd and resource health.

Recently, many people have charged that the BLM is not doing its job, and actually harming the horses by removing them from the wild. Protests and lawsuits are common at wild-horse roundups. These people believe that wild horses are endangered, and that removing and stressing them could cause them to stop breeding, leading to the disappearance of wild herds.

That impression is false.

Horses compete with all other range animals -- deer, elk and domestic grazing stock such as cows and sheep -- for resource use. Any area can support only a limited number of animals, depending on the quality and amount of forage that grows there. In the arid western United States, rangeland forage can be very sparse, meaning that sustainable herd size is fairly small.

The estimated carrying capacity of the western range for wild horses is about 26,000 - but almost 40,000 horses and burros roam the West's public land today. Thus, wild horse populations are too large to be sustainable. Because horse herds can double in size every four years, a significant number of horses must be removed every year.

Wild horses have no natural predators and are not native to North America. The only ways to control herd size are to remove horses from the range and control reproduction. The roundups give the BLM the opportunity to do both.

Federal land managers are starting a program to give mares hormone shots to prevent pregnancy, which eventually will reduce the need for roundups and keep herd levels more sustainable. The horses the BLM removes from the range are either adopted or sent to pastures in the Midwest where they live out their lives. About 41,000 wild horses are kept in these pastures today.

The American mustang is not endangered in any way. The Wild Horse and Burro Act was a directive to preserve the mustang in a sustainable way on public lands.

While I fully support monitoring government agencies and holding them accountable, protests without full information are pointless and degrade the cause.

For more information on the Wild Horse and Burro Program, check out the BLM’s website: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/history_and_facts/quick_facts.html

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/history_and_facts/myths_and_facts.html

10 Ways to Get in Shape to Own a Horse

This is stolen, but the original source is unknown, but its good for a laugh. 

1. Drop a heavy steel object on your foot. Don't pick it up right away. Shout "Get off, stupid! Get off!"

2. Leap out of a moving vehicle and practice "Relaxing into the fall". Roll into a ball, and spring to your feet!

3. Learn to grab your checkbook out of your purse/pocket and write out a $200 check without even looking down.

4. Jog long distances carrying a halter and holding out a carrot. Go ahead and tell the neighbors what you're doing.They might as well know now.

5. Affix a pair of reins to a moving freight train and practice pulling it to a halt. And smile as if you are really having fun.

6. Hone your fibbing skills. "See hon, moving hay bales is fun!" and " I'm glad your lucky performance and multi-million dollar horse won you first place - I'm just thankful that my hard work and actual ability won me second place".

7. Practice dialing your physical therapist's number with both arms paralyzed to the shoulder, and one foot anchoring the lead rope of a frisky horse.

8. Borrow the US Army slogan; "Be all that you can be'...( but add) bitten, thrown, kicked, slimed, trampled."

9. Lie face down in the mud in your most expensive riding clothes and repeat to yourself: "This is a learning experience, this is a learning experience ..."

10. Marry Money!

The True Costs of Horse Ownership

The True Costs of Horse Ownership

When I tell people I have a horse, I get a variety of reactions. One of the most perplexing is when people tell me about how they hope to buy a place with some acreage and put a horse or two on it. From my perspective, they are volunteering themselves for a lot of time, money and effort for something they aren’t truly passionate about.

Horses are expensive. Horse ownership is really only for those who truly love horses and will make them part of their everyday life.

Any prospective buyer has to take in all the expenses -- including time and effort. Besides the outright monetary costs of hay, grain, water and health care, there's the investment of feeding, cleaning and other labor -- as well as the realization that there's no more sleeping in.

Choosing instead to board a horse means a smaller time and labor commitment, but the monetary costs will be similar. Even if you board your horse, you should still go do minimal care for it -- such as grooming -- every day. Board doesn’t always cover all your expenses; you may have to purchase extra hay, grain or other treats for you horse. Board rarely covers veterinarian's expenses or farrier work.

Here is a sample yearly budget:

Boarding

Boarding a horse can cost from $100 to $1,000 per month depending on the barn you choose and your location. This covers hay, grain, and stall cleaning.

Hay: 7 tons per horse per year, if pasture is provided during spring and summer. Hay costs $80 to $250 per ton, for a minimum cost per year of  $560

• Grain: 50 pounds per month minimum. Grain costs $15 to $25 per 50-pound sack, for a minimum cost per year of $180.
• Stall cleaning requires a minimum of 30 minutes per day. If you pay the $7.25-per-hour minimum wage, the minimum cost per year would be $1,325.

Board may not include enough hay or grain for your horse if he is a hard-keeper or if pasture is slim. Board sometimes does not include stall cleaning, which you may be expected to do. The more you pay for board, the more services will be covered.

Health care and maintenance

• Farrier $60 to $200 per visit. A farrier typically visits every 6 to 8 weeks for a minimum cost of $360 per year -- only if your horse can go barefoot, which is almost impossible for horses which live on rocky ground or which get ridden extensively.
• Veterinarian
• Vaccines: $60 per year minimum.
• Teeth floating: $100 per time, 1 to 3 times per year.
• Sheath cleaning: $20 to $50.
• Lameness exams: $100 minimum.
• Health certificates: $30 minimum.
• Coggins test: $30 minimum.
• Farm call $30 minimum.

Veterinary costs can be significantly higher if your horse has health or lameness issues,  which all horses will have during their lifetime.

Total minimum annual costs for veterinary care would be $2,705 -- and that's if you are keeping your horse at your own place, which means you have added labor and time costs.

Remember, this cost is for just one horse. Horses are herd animals and need to have at least one other horse with which to live.

Remember also that these are merely basic costs of care. To really enjoy having a horse around, many other costs should be considered:

• Tack
• Halter and lead rope
• Saddle
• Bridle
• Riding clothes
• Protective gear for both horse and rider
• Treats
• Horse cookies
• Carrots
• Apples
• Toys for the stall or pasture
• Transportation
• At minimum, the costs of gasoline or other hauling fees
• You may have to purchase a truck and trailer if you want to be able to:
• Go trail riding
• Compete at costly horse shows
• Class fees
• Stall fees
• Vet costs
• Show clothes
• Move your horse to a new barn

Horse ownership is a huge step that should not be taken lightly. These are live animals with many needs. Horses should be under the care of someone experienced and knowledgeable who has the time to really care for the animal.

Enjoy the idyllic scenery of a group of horses grazing in other pastures. Leave the care to professionals.

Eventers do it 3 ways in 3 days :)

I volunteered this past weekend at the Windy Wyoming Horse Trials in Laramie, Wyo. -- an amazing annual event which is fun for both competitors and spectators.

Horse trials are known by many names: 3-day eventing, Combined Training, Horse Trials or just Eventing. The sport is not well known, not even in the horse community, but I believe it's the ultimate test of horse and rider.

The format varies depending on the level of competition, but there are 3 basic tests of horse and rider in eventing: Communication, endurance and precision.

Communication

The communication between rider and horse is evaluated during the Dressage test, which always comes first. This test proves that the rider has sufficient control over the horse to attempt the next two phases.

Dressage is the French word for training and emphasizes the relationship between the rider and horse. A well-done dressage test should look like a dance between horse and rider. The cues a rider gives a horse should be imperceptible, and the horse’s response should be willing and fluid.

Great dressage takes years to master for both the rider and horse -- but there are many levels of tests to master before reaching the top level.

Endurance

In the next phase, cross country, the horse and rider are asked to gallop across fields and through trees and water, while jumping over solid obstacles.

Considered the most exciting part of eventing, this phase tests endurance. The courses are up to 4 miles long with up to 40 obstacles for horse and rider to navigate. The list of obstacles is long, but usually includes logs, water, banks and a wide variety of shapes of jumps.

The endurance phase is sometimes supplemented with the “Roads and Tracks” and steeplechase phases. In these timed events, riders are expected to keep to a set pace and are penalized if they go too fast or too slowly. 

Precision

The final phase, show jumping, tests the precision of the horse and rider. The jumps in this phase will fall if the horse hits the fence, and the pair will be penalized for every jump that falls and for extra time around the course. This phase’s difficulty is increased by having completed the cross-country phase and therefore being tired and used to a longer stride at a faster pace.

 

The winner

At the end of the event, the total penalties from all 3 phases are tallied and the rider with the lowest penalty score wins.

This sport is great for competitors and spectators alike. The dressage phase shows the grace of the horse and the expertise of the ride. The cross-country phase is full of excitement and potentially danger to both horse and rider. The show-jumping phase is a fast-paced and exciting end to the event.

If you get a chance, go see a local event. The United States Eventing Association tracks all registered events and can help you find your local eventing association, which can lead you to schooling shows and other related competitions. In the Rocky Mountains, the Mountain State Eventing Association tracks all the local shows in its region and hosts the regional championships.

Trail Riding Etiquette

When going on a ride with a group, follow these basic rules of etiquette for the safety and enjoyment of the other riders.

• Do not leave the group.
• Horses are herd animals and get upset if one horse wanders off .
• Stay on the trail.
• Walking off the trail causes serious damage to the environment.
• Dangers such as snakes can be hiding in grass or rocks.
• If a horse steps in a hole, it can seriously injure itself.
• Leave gates as you found them.
• If a gate was closed when you reached it, close it behind you after the group goes through -- even if you plan to come back through later. The gate may be keeping livestock in or out of an area.
• Do not leave a horse alone at a gate.
• One rider will dismount to open the gate. The lead rider should take the group all the way through the gate, but then stop so that the rider at the gate is not alone. Do not let the group start walking again until the rider has remounted and given permission for the group to proceed.
• Check with all riders before trotting or cantering.
• Horses can have issues with running in a group, and an unsafe situation may result.
• Get to know the horses on your ride.
• Each horse has its own personality. Some will kick or bite if other horses get too close.
• Some horses buck or get upset if they are not in the "right" spot in line.
• Water crossings can be tricky.
• Let horses that are good with water help the others across.
• If a horse is nervous, go slowly and be patient. Let it follow a horse it knows.
• Use common sense.
• Choose trails that are appropriate for all the riders and horses.  
• If you encounter problems on the trail, stay calm and think through your options.
• On some trails, it's better to dismount and lead your horse.
• Respect the land.
• Get permission to ride on private property.
• “Leave only hoof-prints, take only pictures.”
• Follow all posted signage and park rules.
• For more information on trail riding in your area, check for local groups.
• Try Meetup.com
• There may be a local chapter of Backcountry Horsemen.
• Check other social networking sites.
• Talk to other people you see out riding.
• Check out the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) and its new show,  "America's Favorite Trail Horse."

Trail Riding Tips

Trail Riding Tips

Trail riding is a great way to see the countryside, spend time with your horse and get some exercise. Proper preparation -- for yourself and your horse -- can make the day even more enjoyable.

Set your expectation according to the level of experience and ability of both yourself and your horse. Start slowly and close to home for your first few rides. Then, as you gain more experience, you can go for longer rides and find new places to ride.

Before beginning the ride, make sure your horse is accustomed to all the equipment you will be using, such as saddlebags or anything else hanging off your saddle. If you are going to wear a hat or big jacket, make sure you have introduced your horse to that apparel as well. Horses can freak out and take off bucking for all sorts of reasons.

Things to always have with you:

• Water
• Rain jacket
• Knife
• Cell phone
• First-aid kit
• Emergency contact information
• Hoof pick

Season Specific things

• Hunters vest during hunting season

Optional items:

• Extra food
• Hat
• Rubber "Easy Boots" which slip over a horse's hoof to protect it from rocks and wear.
• Rattlesnake kit
• Compass or GPS
• Gun or rifle, in case an injured horse must be dispatched on the trail.

Other good ideas:

• Let someone who is not accompanying you know where you are going.
• Give that person an expected time of return.
• Provide your contact information.
• Make sure he or she knows who to contact in case you do not return.
• Do not ride by yourself.
• Have fun!

These tips apply to day rides. Overnight rides have different packing requirements and are for advanced riders only.

For more tips, check out the free handbook from the American Quarter Horse Association.