In the world, there are approximately 75,000,000 horses and 350 breeds of horses that can be found around the world (circlerranch.com). Horses are amazing and beautiful creatures that may be used as show horses or a family pet. Show horses require many hours of daily preparation in order to be competitive in the show ring. I have grown up with horses my whole life. I watched my mother show horses and followed in her footsteps.
The most important aspects of show day are the appearance and the way the horse presents itself to the horse judge. The judge will look at the structure, muscle, and balance of the horse. To be competitive on show day, the horse must be healthy and have a good attitude. A horse requires a balanced diet. The horse should have no need for additional supplements unless the owner knows that he or she is suffering from a deficiency. The show horse should be well conditioned but not carry too much extra fat (Boyes). The amount of grain given to the horse depends on its weight. Proper nutrition gives the horse a shiny coat. Clean water should be available at all times. A mature horse may drink twelve gallons of water a day (North Dakota State University). The horse requires grooming and training, in order to be prepared for show day.
Horse owners may forget about the importance of the horse’s dental health. Yearly, the horse should have its teeth “floated”. Floating is the removal of the sharp or jagged edges. Sedating the horse is recommended for safety issues during the equine dental floating process. If a horse has poor dental health, it could have trouble eating and may lose weight. Horse’s teeth grow constantly until they get into their mid twenties. There teeth last up to twenty or ...
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Works Cited
Baker, Jackie. “Top 5 tips for Shortening Your Horse’s Mane”. Regarding Horses. 6 July 2009. Jackie Baker, Web. 9 Feb 2010.
Boyes, Jennifer. “How to get your horse or pony ready to show”. Preparing for the show ring. 8 March 2008. Web.22 Feb 2010
Colvin, Connie. “Groom to perfection!” The winner’s fit. 1-26-2010. Web 23 Feb 2010.
Grupta, Rachna. “Horse facts- interesting Facts about Horses”. Buzzle.com. 9-18-2007. Web. 1 Mar 2010.
Harrison, Alana. “Health”. Horse Grooming
Tips for Show Day. May 2005. Web 22 Feb 2010.
King, Marica. “How to show your Halter Horse.” 4-H Youth Development. Web 25 Feb 2010.
“Shampoo and Condition”. Mane Care and Show Preparation. Web. 12 Feb 2010.
Once you get them to settle down and get there mind focused on just walking and the rider then you know the bond with the rider and horse are strong. When it is time for the second run of the night you want to warm them up again but not as hard this time because he or she has already been warmed up once before this, so just a little warming up won’t hurt. When it is that time for the second run the rider will bring the horse him a set him or her up for their first barrel and make the most of the race. If you see the rider smiling then everyone knows she has done her job with this horse. The rider can make an automatic barrel horse where that horse know his job and she barely has to ask the horse for a turn or touch his face to go around that barrel. When the rider gets a horse to be like that everyone can tell they spent hours and days together. The rider worked with that horse but never made him sour or hate coming into the arena. They spent time working on flexing the horse and making sure he knew when to tuck his nose and leave it for an extra second. They will all see when they are running home how much they spend time they spend together if they are fast and smooth through the pattern and don’t have any blow ups before or after coming in and out of the arena. After the race is over and the announcer say who
fun with and enjoy your horse. To start you should have your horse groomed and in the cross ties.
"Breaking a Horse to Ride: A Guide to Teaching a Horse to Accept a Rider -." Associated Content - associatedcontent.com. Web. 15 Oct. 2009.
Rogan, Pamela. "Equine Assisted Therapy And Activities." Welcome to Harmony Farms -- Horses for the Handicapped. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. .
An assessment of adequate energy intake can be established by evaluating body condition. Deficient diets result in weight loss in the horse. Alternate causes of weight loss are internal parasites and disease. Excess energy intake wall cause obisity which stresses joints and reduces athletic ability. (arg.gov.sk.ca) A horse in moderate physical condition is described as “Back level. Ribs cannot be visually distinguished but can be easily felt. Fat around tailhead beginning to feel spongy. Withers appear rounded over spinous processes. Shoulders and neck blend smoothly into body.” (Henneke et al., 1981)
When riding a horse you don’t just sit there and do nothing, You work hard to control a 800-1000 pound animal. You have to push your horse and yourself to the greatest you can be. It is a lot of work, it is just like any other sport. You have to go ride your horse at least 4 times a week, you practice in the wind, rain, snow, when it’s hot out, and event when it is freezing cold.
Riding encourages a child to work with their hands, exercise, and connect with horses and people of all ages, gain confidence, and learn new skills. Courtnee Niggel, an instructor summarizes how “A six year old child was told she will never walk again but after years of equine therapy she is now able to walk with a walker or by holding on to the sides of walls” (Niggel 1). Equine Therapy leaves a child with amazing results and changes their life drastically all the way from growing social skills to helping with motor skills, even to
Rodeo is a sport with long American traditions and loved by many spectators and participants. Past history has shown that rodeo needed to make way for a new era of riders and trainers with a larger emphasis on the welfare of the animals and not be discontinued or banned entirely. Today’s rodeos do not present a danger to the animals because the animals are well-cared for and protected, rodeos have strict rules and the stock are treated as prized animals.
The horse is a highly respected animal in United States culture. It has been worshipped and paid tribute to through art, books (Misty of Chincoteague, Black Stallion), movies (Black Beauty, Spirit), and television shows (Mr. Ed). The horse industry is huge in the United States, encompassing everything from rodeos and racing to horses owned for purely pleasure. There have been statues erected of famous racehorses, as well as museums devoted entirely to equines.
One way I do this is due to the fact that horses aren’t cheap. Not only is there an expensive upfront cost, but there’s also the all year round expenses like feed bills, expensive hay prices, vet bills, the farrier bill, and the pricy tack (which is all the equipment needed to ride and own horses). Owning and showing horses is one of the most costly activities a person can get into. The majority of my paycheck goes to my horse and into my gas tank to take him places. Kron states that “besides control we use things to compete,”(130). Another way that Boomer’s a sign of my status is through competing with him. To compete, I take him to barrel races and game shows to see who can do the patterns the fastest. At barrel races and game shows we try to get the fastest time to win money and or ribbons. We don’t usually come in first, but all I care about is doing our best and improving our times. This establish a sign of my status because it not only helps me raise it in the horse world, but I also gain more respect because I’m more worried about doing my best and keeping my horse healthy versus just caring about the the money and buying the horses that’ll get me that even if I had to discard horses to get there. Meaning if a horse isn’t good enough or fast enough I wouldn’t sell them unlike some people do. This is a common practice in the horse racing
Times have changed though people no longer have to have their horses trained in such a hurry. Very few horses are used very hard today. Not all horses were started in such a rough manner then either. The Spanish vaqueros of the 1800's used the bosal to start their horses, and they took their time in doing so.
Depending on mitigating factors such as environment and breed, the domestic horse has a life span of 25-30 years. Horses undergo various stages of development, and a horse may be defined further (Ensminger Horses and Horsemanship pp. 46–50).
Completion of at least 100 hours of continuing educations in the horse profession and equine science. To
Some people think of them as animals. Some people think of them as objects. Some people think of them as friends. Then there are the few who think of them as family. Horses have always been like family to humans, except sometimes closer. There are many benefits to owning or being around horses. They come in many different colors. There is a multitude of breeds, also. Additionally, they have a long history with humans. Horses have unique behaviors. Showing horses has been the past-time or even career of many people. Furthermore, caring for horses can be a handful, but is definitely rewarding. Finally, riding horses is not just a hobby or a sport, but an action of your heart. Horses are wondrous creatures that have lived with man or thousands of years.
Snodgrass, W. D. "A Rocking-Horse: The Symbol, the Pattern, the Way to Live." The Hudson Review 11.2 (1958): 191-200. JSTOR. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.