UNDERSTANDING THE WAY A HORSE THINKS

To me one of the surest signs of a lack of understanding of equine psychology, or the way a horse thinks, is “He will do as I tell him“, a sure sign of arrogance, but not of horsemanship, unless it is said by a true professional, who knows why he says it, and what to do. It is amazing that this attitude will mostly be found among amateurs with little or no experience, and who normally ruin most of the horses they get involved with.

It is just logical that a young horse which comes in for the first time, will be suspicious of EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING is new and strange to him. Even being stabled is a foreign experience.

So what does the inexperienced horseman do?

Instead of realizing the fear and uncertainty of this young horse, they try to overpower him, thereby causing more doubt and uncertainty. They (stupidly) expect him to accept and to familiarize himself with anything new within seconds. ANYTHING is a threat to this young horse. EVERYTHING is unfamiliar. He doesn’t know WHATEVER to expect from even the most common things. It is almost unthinkable that so many people will try to overcome this problem by trying to dominate the horse, instead of giving it time to investigate the object unfamiliar to him. Does he know what a harness, a saddle, a curry comb, a towel, a bridle, is, or, more importantly, what (harm) it can do to him? Can we expect him to know that we intend no harm? What goes on in his mind? In his natural state he has to either flee or defend himself against danger. To him these things are as scary as a ghost to us at midnight. Common sense - but is sense always so common?

So what does the ignorant, inexperienced (sometimes after involvement with horses for most of their lives, still “ignorant“), arrogant horseman do when the horse shies or gets uncomfortable? Shouting, even as bad as beating, even kicking. Such people are too stupid to realize that the horse is trying to defend himself against a danger which, in HIS mind, might injure or even kill him. So they prove his fears well grounded!!! And cause PERMANENT doubt and mistrust. It is about as sensible as, when a small boy has difficulty carrying a packet of flour, to add a packet of sugar to his load, instead of making the load lighter. Just as stupid!!!!

Someone once said: “All horses are horses; all men are not horsemen“. How true!!!!

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EQUINE PSYCHOLOGY - BASIC COMMON SENSE

SOME POINTS ON EQUINE PSYCHOLOGY

The first and most important point to bear in mind in horse training, is TO TEACH THE HORSE THAT HE CAN TRUST YOU AT ALL TIMES. IF HE LEARNS THAT THE FIRST DAY , YOU’VE LAID A FOUNDATION WHICH WILL BE PRICELESS FOR THE REST OF THAT HORSE’S LIFE. THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY IS THE FIRST. THEN HE EITHER LEARNS TO:

A. TRUST , or

B. DISTRUST, or

C. HATE YOU.

I therefore want to EMPHASIZE that it is mostly not something I have figured out because of my savvy or horse sense, but which I have had the privilege to learn from smart horsemen whom God brought over my path over a period of more than forty years, and mostly, because of what He has revealed to me by grace.

I’ve read quite a few books on Natural Horsemanship, and watched quite a few DVD’s, but the problem with many of these is that they show you the end product and result, but NOT the step-by-step way of getting there from Day 1. In this book I endeavour to guide you step-by-step, from the day the foal / young horse is brought in from the veld, the individual which has never been handled before, till completion of the process of bonding. For the purpose of this course explained in the training manual, EASY HORSE, we also assume that the horse is of the spirited type. Many horses will allow you to proceed much faster, BUT I WANT TO HELP YOU, THE NOVICE, THE AMATEUR, TO BE ABLE TO BOND WITH ANY TYPE OF HORSE. It normally took Bulletjie (my beloved son and one of the most gifted horsemen I’ve known) twenty to thirty minute to sit in the saddle of horses which have never been handled before. However, don’t expect to do this from the start. Bulletjie has a lot of experience at this type of bonding. Won’t you feel good if you can do that?

To me one of the surest signs of a lack of understanding of equine psychology, or the way a horse thinks, is “He will do as I tell him“, a sure sign of arrogance, but not of horsemanship, unless it is said by a true professional, who knows why he says it, and what to do. It is amazing that this attitude will mostly be found among amateurs with little or no experience, and who normally ruin most of the horses they get involved with.

It is just logical that a young horse which comes in for the first time, will be suspicious of EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING is new and strange to him. Even being stabled is a foreign experience.

So what does the inexperienced horseman do?

Watch this blog for the continuation of this discussion, or if you would like to learn much more immediately, visit http://www.greenhorsetrainingbook.org/ to order a complete course on horsemanship which will enable you to do with horses what you never dreamed you were capable of.

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LEXINGTON JUNIOR LEAGUE HORSE SHOW 11 TO 16 JULY 2011 VIDEO

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PART 1 OF ACUPUNCTURE IN HORSES

ACUPUNCTURE IN AMERICAN SADDLEBRED HORSES
by
Dr Jan Still

Acupuncture is a therapeutic method originating in Eastern-Asian countries. It has been practiced both in China and, increasingly so, also in many European countries and Northern and South America. Acupuncture is highly effective in alleviating pain and certain other medical conditions in man and animals.

According to traditional theories, acupuncture alleviates pain and cures disease by harmonising the flow energy Qi in the body. Modern scientific research has confirmed that acupuncture operates via selective stimulation of the nervous system. A variety of chemicals such as neurotransmitters and neuromodulators are released in various parts of the nervous system in response to acupuncture stimulation. These and other physiological changes induced by acupuncture then assist in pain-relief and other forms of healing.

INDICATIONS FOR THE USE OF ACUPUNCTURE IN HORSES
So-called soft tissue injuries characterised by pain, stiffness, muscle spasm or wastage, altered movement or lameness are the main indication for the use of acupuncture in horses. Acupuncture has been used successfully in managing various riding problems, in which horses resist (and often just cannot) carry out certain tasks because of the underlying pain and discomfort. The major indications for acupuncture in sport horses, including American Saddlebreds, are:

SORE NECK
Manifested by loss of flexibility and resistance to bend sideways; high or low carriage of the neck; tripping of front limbs etc. In American Saddlebreds in particular, neck muscles are often tender and in spasm, causing numerous performance-related problems.

SORE BACK
This is a very common yet not always timely recognised condition. Sore back can be a major cause of discomfort to the horse and a reason for numerous riding problems. General loss of mobility; change of temperament; tail swishing; uncontrollable running away; bucking; or rearing and many other signs can indicate pain in the back region. Low back area in particular is under stress in American Saddlebred horses. This condition can be associated in particular with reduced propulsion from behind, as well as with generalised lack of suppleness.

INCORRECT LIMB MOVEMENT AND LAMENESS

Acupuncture treatment is efficacious in managing soft tissue injuries located in the shoulder, elbow, hip and stifle areas. These injuries can be a cause of uni- or bi-lateral limb stiffness, shortened stride, “choppy” or uneven gait, or lameness.

Because of the breed-related nature of the movement and methods of training, muscle strain and other types of injuries in the low neck and shoulder are common in American Saddlebreds. Other frequently encountered problems are stiffness in the upper neck and hamstring muscles on the back of the hind limbs. Strained muscles or ligaments, or irritated (‘pinched”) nerves are diagnosed and treated effectively with acupuncture in these situations.

GENERALIZED BODY PAIN AND STIFFNESS
Some horses showing poor performance or difficult behaviour are subsequently diagnosed with generalized muscle pain and spasm. This distressing condition can develop as a result of excessive body strain associated with training, competitions, or as a consequence of accidents. There seems to be a constitutional predisposition for the condition in particular horses.

SOFT OR HARD MOUTH
Some horses develop extreme sensitivity in particular nerves of the head. The sharp pain can cause a range of riding problems such as excessive sensitivity on the bit, bridle lameness, head throwing or shaking, as well as resistance when turning the horse to a particular side.

SENSITIVE CHEST
The condition is manifested by excessive sensitivity of the horse when the girth is tightened. Often, the affected horses tend to run uncontrollably away or refuse to go forwards.

As a rule, whenever a horse starts to refuse to carry out his usual tasks in training or in competition, or when he behaves in an unusual/distressed way, an underlying pain within the musculoskeletal apparatus should be suspected. It is crucial for the horse’s well-being, as well as for the rider’s safety to properly manage the underlying causes of pain. Successful pain management, whether using acupuncture or other veterinary methods, can be highly rewarding in terms of the horse’s improved performance. More details about these and other issues can be found on my website www.animal-acupuncture.co.za

Visit our site for information on easy, practical, gentle and effective training methods which even beginners and novices can apply with ease. http://www.greenhorsetrainingbook.org/home/

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WHAT THE GREENHORSETRAININGBOOK IS ALL ABOUT

EASY HORSE

THE GREENHORSE TRAINING BOOK

PERHAPS THE MOST PRACTICAL, EASIEST , FASTEST , MOST GENTLE HORSE TRAINING BOOK EVER WRITTEN, AND ARGUABLY THE MOST GENTLE, BUT EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE, BOOK ON HORSEMANSHIP LESSONS  AVAILABLE.

THIS E-BOOK IS NOT ABOUT "HORSE BREAKING", BUT ABOUT "HORSEMANSHIP LESSONS" OR "HORSE SCHOOLS", ADDING VERY VALUABLE RIDING LESSONS.

Unlike most books on horse training, this e-book explains in step by baby step detail, yet in the most simplistic way, every step from the first moment the green, wild young horse, which has never seen a human, is approached, right up to where you ride and drive a well mannered, confident, reliable horse, which you and your family can really enjoy.

These horse training methods require almost no skill, gift or exceptional talent. You don’t need years of experience training horses. No need to be an experienced horse trainer. Beginners and novices can apply these easy, but extremely effective, practical natural horsemanship lessons and riding lessons.

This is one of very few horse training books which describes natural horsemanship methods so easy and simple that novices and beginners (this is truly a book on horse riding for beginners) can successfully apply them. Within an hour YOU, the novice, will know how to let a young, green horse follow you calmly and confidently after twenty to forty minutes.

It is especially ideal for “groom trainers” – perhaps the only way most of them will not ruin a promising young horse.

Perhaps the greatest value of this course is as a manual for riding schools. Courses offered on the internet are extremely expensive, and additional CD’s and DVD’s need to be acquired to make it complete. This course is complete: no additional CD’s, DVD’s or equipment are required. In addition it covers many other aspects of horsemanship, such as equine dentistry, acupuncture and other subjects which are in the process of being worked on and which will be added continuously. This makes this very cheap course the easiest, fastest and most complete way novices and beginners will get background knowledge on horsemanship anywhere. It is designed around simplicity, efficiency and completeness, at a price any horseriding child can afford.

These techniques are equally practical for farmers who use ranch horses on cattle and sheep ranches. The simplicity of this course makes it practical for any purpose.

The advantages of EASY HORSE are numerous:

1.      It works equally well on any type and breed.

2.      Probably the fastest way of training a horse.

3.      Probably the easiest way of training horses ever described. Horsemanship lessons you can understand

4.      Probably the most gentle of all horse training methods - horse schools. not horse breaking.

5.      It gives you insight on the way a horse thinks – a course in equine psychology.

6.      The end result is a well mannered, reliable horse which the whole family can enjoy.

7.     A discussion forum where you can discuss the horsemanship lessons and horse problems you experience.

8.    24 / 7 consultation on horse lessons.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND INSIDE:

1. How to bond with a wild horse within twenty to forty minutes.

2. How to mount a horse for the first time without any bucking - and enjoy the ride !!

3. How to prepare a horse for hitching so it will walk off like an old harness horse.

4. How to treat a horse which shies.

5. How to  get a  responsive mouth and a horse which is light in the bridle.

6. How to take the fight out of a horse, and how to calm a nervous horse down.

7. How to develop balance in the saddle within a week with a few easy exercises.

8. How to treat a head shy horse.

9. Riding lessons which will help you develop balance in the saddle within a week.

DO IT YOURSELF THE EASY, FAST, GENTLE AND MOST PRACTICAL WAY.

SOLVE YOUR HORSE TRAINING PROBLEMS FOR EVER.

SADDLEBRED VIDEOS

See exciting Saddlebred videos by Richfield Videos. Tons to select, as far back as Louisville 1984. Get link herehttp://www.thehorsecity.com/ws/videos/