Training a horse to fetch a ball, a hat, or any object on command is possible- it just takes practice and patience! In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps I use to trick train horses to retrieve objects on command. Teaching a horse to pick up an object and bring it to you …
A pony is a type of horse that has been bred to mature at a smaller size. Ponies, with few exceptions, are horses that measure less than 58 inches (147 cm) when measured from the ground to the bump at the top of their shoulder where their neck meets their body. New horse riders and …
A four-strand braid is easy to learn! If you can braid with three strands of hair- you can braid with four- I promise! This easy 4 strand braiding method works on human hair, horse manes, and even the occasional friendship bracelet! Although braiding 4 strands adds a challenge – It pays off in “wow factor …
Teaching a horse to pull a cart can be tricky. Many trainers argue that breaking a horse to safely drive and pull a cart is more challenging than simple saddle training- and for good reason: many horses initially have a strong reaction to the sensation of the long shafts on the side of their body …
With a few exceptions, it’s ok to use human shampoo for horses. For the decade that I owned a tack store in Missouri, I received countless odd questions on a regular basis. One of the most common, that my interest in selling horse products meant couldn’t answer with complete honesty while I was a seller …
The diagram below provides an important tip for equitation classes that many beginners learn the hard way – by performing the pattern incorrectly in the show ring. As this diagram shows, to correctly execute a figure 8 in an equitation class at a horse show, it is important to not ride the pattern in …
There are many ways to cue your horse when riding. One of the most popular ways, unique to the Western style of riding developed in the United States, is called neck reining. Neck reining is in some ways the “opposite” of what is called direct rein riding. What is Neck Reining? In direct-rein riding, the …
A double mane refers to a style of horse mane. Typically, horse’s manes – the hair growing from the crest of the neck – sweep to one side or the other of the horse’s neck. The mane may naturally go to the right or to the left, but mane hair nearly always falls on only one …
One frequent question horse owners are asked by non-riders is “What is a gelding?” Definition of Gelding: A gelding is a horse that has “been gelded” – the equine equivalent of the “neutering” procedure performed routinely on dogs and cats. A gelding horse is much calmer and easier to train than an ungelded stallion- who’s …
There are many crafts that can be made with horse hair! You’ve probably heard of braided bracelets made with long hair from a horse’s tail. You might not know that the fur horses shed in spring can be cleaned, carded, and used for any fiber products! All horse fur can be used in fiber, but …