Horse project

Almost every little kid goes through that horse phase but for some of them it never ends

and it might become a reality. Being around horses is a full time commitment with weird hours,

large costs and even larger rewards. Some people are afraid of horses because they are large, fast

or they are allergic to them. But in reality they are like oversized puppies, most of them don't

want to hurt or step on you.

The equine community is a great one to get into, you learn so much and meet so many

amazing people. Across the world horses are used for many different things like work,

recreation, therapy and shows. Working horses are used for ranch work and pulling farm

equipment. Recreational use can be riding for pleasure or being around them for therapy. Horses

are a great therapy animal because they are large and mainly docile. They can be used for

veterans, down syndrome and even cerebral palsy. Show horses are used to show off ability,

agility and training of horse and rider. There can be large prizes like money and ribbons or

trophies.

Unfortunately the horse community is slowly dying out, each year over 100,000 horses

are sent to slaughter each year, some because they are labeled aggressive, difficult or the owner

can't take care of them. Some unwanted animals are sent to auction or rescues but so many

rescues are overflowing now because the horse industry is getting forgotten. 100 years ago many

families had horses and now few do, all the knowledge and experience is getting lost unless kids

and parents get more interested in it and more information gets out.
 Like most animals horses come in all shape, size and color all based on their breed.

Larger horses were bred for war, smaller horses built for mine shafts and medium horses for

recreation and showing. Large horses are called draft horses and are identified by their large,

heavily muscled bodies and long hairs called feathers around their hooves. Miniature horses are

identified by their extremely small bodies usually shorter than 38 inches.

The ten most popular horse breeds right now in the US are arabians, quarter horses,

thoroughbreds, tennessee walkers, morgans, paints, appaloosas, minis, warmbloods and the

andalusians. Arabian horses are known for speed and endurance and originated in the arabian

peninsula. Morgan horses (a personal favorite of mine) are best known for their versatility and

are one of the oldest breeds that originated in the US. Minis or miniature horses were originally

bred to work in coal and mine shafts in mid 1600 Europe and now are can be considered a

service animal with the right training.

Over the past 45-50 million years horses have evolved to be their modern day selves from

a small multi toed creature the size of a beagle. The first documented horse domestication was

done by the Botai people of the Eurasian steppes in 4000 B.C. The first horses originated in

North America but became extinct after some were brought overseas to Asia/Europe. Horseback

riding became more popular around 900 BC when they were used in war and battles, before that

they were used to pull chariots and wagons. Up until the late 1940s horses were used in modern

warfare, millions died in combat (10 million in ww2 alone).

Horses eat 20 pounds of grass, hay, grain, carrots and apples and can also drink up to 10

gallons of water a day. Horses sleep about 3 hours a day, and can sleep standing up or laying

down depending on their preference. Mares carry the babies for for about a year and give birth to
a baby that is 10% of their body weight (no matter the breed). So if the mom was 2000 pounds

the baby would then be 200 pounds which is a rather large baby. Domesticated horses can live

anywhere from 28-34 years, the oldest one on record being 62.

Along with there being many different breeds there are also many different horse

behaviors ranging from body signals to communication. The six major types are contractual,

epimeletic, herd mentality, investigative, agonistic and dom/sub. Contractual behaviors include

affection seeking, protection derived from contact and herd bonding. Epimeletic behaviour are

grooming and standing in small areas together like stalls. Herd mentality behaviors like mimicry,

contagious behaviors like stampeding. Investigation is curiosity and the exploration of

surroundings like playing with toys or lipping at barrels. Agonistic behaviors are conflictual and

fighting based they include aggression, fearfulness and flight. The last major type is the dom/sub

dynamic, this means pecking order which is generally established through agonistic or

threatening behaviour from a dominant sometimes older animal to a younger one.

Body signals between animals can use tail, legs, face and ears. Starting off with tail

signals there are four types: high tail, low tail, over back and swishing. High tail signals alertness

and excitement. Low signals exhaustion, fear and submission. Tail held over back means

playfulness or alarm and swishing tail means irritation. Leg signals include pawing, leg lifting

and stomping. Pawing signals boredom or frustration, leg lifting signals a threat (usually a kick

warning) and stomping signals protest or a mild threat. There are three facial signals: snapping,

jaws open and flared nostrils. Snapping is usually seen in foals

showing submission to older horses and is also called lipping,

jaws open with teeth showing signals aggression and a possible

attack. Lips curled back is called the flehmen response and is caused by a unusual or intense

smell and flared nostril signals excitement and alertness. For ears there are only five positions:

backwards, neutral, forwards, one forward and one backwards and floppy. Ears pointed forwards

are called pricked and show the horses alertness, neutral ears are held at a comfortable position

and show contentedness and relaxation. Backwards facing ears have two meanings if they are

held loosey back it means they are listening to the ride but if they are pinned that means they are

angry and might attack. Floppy ears signal the horse is tired, hurt or depressed. When the horse

has one ear forward and one backwards they are confused, concerned or afraid.

Along with strictly body signals there are also vocal ones, like a squeal which can mean

playfulness or a threat. There are softer, calmer noises like a nicker which is usually from foal to

mom and snorting which is passive nose blowing to show relaxation. And there are more

aggressive noises like a scream (which signals a threat) or blowing (which can show alarm or a

warning of danger). The most common noise is a neigh which depending on the animal can be

low or high pitched and is used to locate other animals in the herd or group.

Of course each animal has their own noises and behavior like some may playfully kick

(and intentionally miss) while other may kick out with nasty intentions. It is always important to

know the animal you're working with and if you don't know them to be careful, just because it

seems nice doesn't mean that they won't accidentally step on you or hurt you.

Vices are negative behaviors that occur from prolonged boredom, fear, stress and

inactivity, once started these habits are very hard to break. Cribbing is one of the most common

vices and is identified by a horse biting onto a surface like a fence and sucking air in, this

releases endorphins and is highly addictive, cribbing can lead to weight loss and colic which is
has high potential fatality. Another common vice is weaving where a horse that is constantly

standing in the same spot will start to rhythmically shift weight back and forth on front and back

legs, it leads to weight loss and tendon damage. Weaving is incredible common in horses that

don't get out of the stall or get worked often. Stall kicking, pacing and pawing is caused by

intense and repetitive boredom in a stall and is probably the easiest of these habits to break, just

add a toy or allow turn out. Another vice is wood chewing and dirt eating which is where a horse

or animal will eat, lick and continuously consume dirt, bedding and wood. This usually indicates

a mineral or nutrients deficiency and can be fixed by adding a salt likc or change in diet. The

hardest vice to break is self mutilation, which is caused by excessive boredom and lack of

exercise. It occurs when the animal is left alone for a long time or has a nutritional deficiency,

and is easily recognized by bite marks, deep scratches and other self induced injuries.

Along with vices horses an pick up bad habits, some are an easy fix like jigging which is

short stepped walking with hollow back and high head (bouncy and ugly looking), while some

like bolting or striking (intentionally kicking out at someone with front legs) might be a tougher

and more dangerous fix. Easier habits to break are barn sour, head shy, shying and stumbling.

Barn sour is also known as herd bound or separation anxiety, and can be fixed by repetitive and

positively reinforced training that bases around the fact that being away from the herd is okay.

Head shy is when an animals moves their head away from the person handling them while

brushing, clipping, doing vet work etc. These movements can sometimes be violent, jerky and

faster than expected, and trust me getting hit by a large animals head going very fast hurts. It can

be caused by rough handling in the past or painful areas like tongue or ears, and can be fixed by

repetitive, soft handling and treats. Shying is somewhat dangerous and is something I've dealt
with personally. Shying is ​spooking at real or imagined sights, sounds, smells, or occurrences

like a shadow, plastic bag or snow falling off the roof of an indoor arena. The way I handle

spooking is simple and not dangerous if you know the animal you're working with. I introduce

the object, for example a pool noodle, at first you wave it around (a good distance away, 20 feet)

and gauge the reaction. If the reaction is little or nothing you continue to come closer until you're

touching the animal and they are comfortable with the object, if the first reaction is to bolt or

spook you continue from a distance and eventually leave it on the ground so that when the

animals curiosity kicks in they will wander up and begin to lip and learn that its isn't as scary as

they first thought. Some of the more dangerous bad habits are bucking, striking and bolting when

turned loose. Bucking is when an horse arches their back and kicks the back legs out with the

intention to get rid of the rider or thing on their back. It can be caused by excessive energy, ill

fitting tack, sore back or reaction to rider (spurs or harsh leg). It can be fixed by caution to tack

and sensitivity of the animals sides, along with lunging before riding to get rid of energy.

Striking is swiping or kicking out at a person or object in front of an animal, and is caused by

restraint of head during dental and vet work, clipping and first use of chain or twitch. It can be

curbed by making sure the horse is used to twitch (lip holder/pincher), chain, clipping and being

touched around the face and ears. Bolting when turned loose can turn any regular situation into a

potentially life threatening one very fast, if the animal wheels away to fast before the halther is

fully released the person and halter could be dragged, the horse could also turn fast and kick out

unintentionally hitting a person. Bolting away from release is something I'm also familiar with, a

horse I recently worked with bolted in and out of his stall and we fixed this by repeating the

action and everytime he did it correctly we gave him a treat. Getting rid of these bad habits and
vices can take time and patience but in most cases is necessary and worth it. More information

on habits and vices can be found online in an article by Cherry hill.

To keep your horses from picking up vices and bad habits they need proper care and

exercise. Horses need at least 2 acres of pasture per horse, if outside. While they can be stalled it

isn't recommended for long times because horses can pick up vices and bad habits quickly. In the

wild horses can move up to 30 miles a day, keeping a horse active is very important. If they don't

get enough or the wrong type of exercise they will begin to lose muscle or pick up up bad habits

or vices.

The cost depends on the animals size, health care needs, breed and how easily they get

along with others. The larger the animal is the more space and food they will needs, especially if

they're still growing. The worse the health of the horse, the higher the vet bills and/or medicine

bills will be. When you first purchase a horse if could be anywhere from $0-50,000 depending on

breed, pedigree and training. If you have an ‘easy keeper’ or a horse that needs little care, maybe

just blanketing when its cold or they just live on a pasture your board (money to keep the horse

somewhere) might be much less opposed to a hard keeper. Hard keeping horses are usually sick,

picky or old. These animals might not keep weight or need constant care and that will raise the

board rate.

The average vet bill for a horse is around $100-300 per visit, not including any meds,

extra things like castration or the transportation costs. Extra treatments for horses might include

water therapy, massages, acupuncture or chiropractic. Along with medical bills if you choose to

shoe your animals it costs about $120 for a set of four, and to replace them if they get kicked off

is another $113. Some of the most expensive ‘special’ treatments would be something like a stud
or invetro fee. Stud and invetro are ways to get your mare (female) pregnant, and depending on

the stud (male) if could be cheap or very expensive. The most expensive stud fee this year was

$300,000 (per mare) by a retired thoroughbred stallion named Tapit.

Horses are large animals that need lots of room to roam, grow and live. Horse facilities

can be anything as large as your backyard to a facility stretching over many miles. The average

dressage arena is 20 meters by 40 meters, your average show ring is 100 by 200 feet and the

average round pen has a 20 foot diameter. Along with at least one arena some farms or facilities

have large barns filled with stalls, miles of trails or fields.

You don't need a large or expensive facility to have a good horse, it all depends on how

they are started. What age you start a horse depends on what the animal will be used for along

with personal preference. For a race horse the starting age is usually around 1 ½ to 2 years and

for most other horses it's around the 2 ½ to 3 year mark. People from each discipline and training

facilities all have different ages or milestones they like to start training at, it all depends on the

animal and trainer. In my opinion and experience starting a horse around 2 ½ year (not weight

bearing) and 3 years for weight bearing works the best. Sometimes a horse won't be started until

later in their life or has little training or long time (months) between rides. These horses are

called green, novice and rookies.

Winter of 2018 I started working with a 7 year old thoroughbred/quarter horse mix, he

was green and hadn't been ridden frequently. When I started working with him he had little

muscle, no manners and bad habits, no gaits (due to muscle atrophy) and an attitude that he

wasn't going to do anything. One of his most dangerous habits was stall charging, which is when

an animal charges (runs fast) in or out of a space, in thing case is was his stall. This is a highly
dangerous thing for the animal charging and the people or animals around it. And it was the very

first thing I had to fix/correct, it might not sound that bad but imagine a animal that's head is 6’3,

1200/1300 pounds running at or past you. Being caught between him and a wall, the floor or

another animal could lead to a large possibilities of injuries.

I am not a trainer, but I’ve worked with and around one for eight years and have picked

up a few things on the way so I decided to take this into my own hands. Every time we took him

in or out of the stall I would hold his leadrope with one hand in the correct spot (an arm length

down) and the other hand held the metal clip which attaches to his halter. I held the metal clip

directly under his jaw and every time he tried to charge forward I'd bump him under the chin, to

correct him. It didn't hurt him at all, it just jolted him and surprised him. It took a few weeks full

of repetition, correction and treats for him to finally understand that charging into a stall wasn't

acceptable. If he made the mistake of trying to charge in, I would bring him out of the stall and

have him repeat the walking in until he did it right.

Another problem he had was a large amount of muscle loss. Muscle is very important to

how a horse moves, carries itself and its ability to do things. He wasn't underweight in anyway,

he had the right diet but had no muscle. Where a normal horse has

a rounded butt his jutted out at the hips (see right). Along with his

lack of exercise being the cause of his muscle atrophy there was

also a good chance he had EPM. EPM is a neurological disease that

attacks the central nervous system and effects muscle, strength,

stiffness, coordination and balance. Vets suspected he had is

because of his muscle loss and frequent tripping. Having a horse

trip from under you can be dangerous depending on the speed you're going and your balance as a

rider. To build muscle and combat the tripping we did a lot of trotting around the ring, over polls,

up hills and many, many circles. Muscle building takes time, patience and time and I spent the

good part of the six months we had until fair (schaghticoke) doing just that.

Amount of time and type of training depend on what the horse will be used for used for.

Some western horses will be repurposed and retrained after a certain amount of showing to be a

ranch horse. Some off the track thoroughbreds (OTTB) will be sent to trainers to be trained as a

regular ride instead of a racehorse. Horses just like people need time, patience and repetition to

learn something and if they don't do it for awhile they will lose the muscle memory to do it.

Natural horsemanship is horse training that is based on watching the natural behavior of

free roaming horses, a philosophy of working with horses based on their natural instincts and

methods of communication that animals don't learn through fear and pain but with pressure,

release and reward. So instead of using whips directly on them for pain, natural horsemanship

trainers use the whips in a non-painful but corrective way called tagging. Natural horsemanship

or NH is based on body language of the horse and the herd dynamics to assert a respectful

relationship or bond between them and the animal they are working with.

When training a horse with NH there are five basic concepts: approach and retreat,

pressure and release, reward and consequences, desensitization and lastly foundation training.

The first one approach and retreat is based on training the animal to have confidence, bring in a

scary object and gauge reaction, repeat until calm. This combats shying and bolting. The second

one pressure and release is giving pressure until the animal gives in to the trainers request. Like

teaching a dog to sit, apply pressure to butt and release it once they do and repeat. The third,
reward and consequences, when the animal does what you ask you reward them by giving them a

treat and when they do the opposite you correct that and don't treat them until they do it correctly

and on time. The fourth, desentization, training an animal not to react in negative ways to

challenging and new stimuli. Desensitization can be used for trail rides or in show rings (where

new things come up out of nowhere), and can be implicated by adding random and new objects

and experiences to training sessions it will widen the things the horse will see and lower their

spookiness and unfamiliar things. The last concept is foundation training which is the real riding

part of NH training, it teaches respect and a solid bond between horse and rider, to a point where

they trust each other.

Natural horsemanship training styles are also closely related to trick riding where trainers

teach their horses to rear, spin, jump, ride without a bridle, ride bareback, playing with toys like

the giant ball or standing on pedestals. Natural horsemanship helps develop a deeper connection,

new skills and problem solving when they hit a plateau with their training.

There are three divisions of riding known as seats; western, english and event. Western is

what you see cowboys using or what you see in movies. English saddles are the ones you see

used in jumping and fox hunting. Eventing to me is anything that doesn't involve a saddle, like

bareback, trick riding, vaulting and driving.

Western riding evolved from ranching and warfare traditions brought from Spain to the

americas by the conquistadors and eventually evolved to be the style equipment that matched the

needs of the modern cowboy and rancher. In the category of western riding there are a many

ways to ride but two common ones are: barrel racing and ranch work,

both are seen at shows, rodeos and gymkhanas (small, local rodeos for
kids). Barrel racing is a rodeo event where riders and their horse compete at top speed in a

cloverleaf pattern around barrels (see right). Roping or calf roping is another rodeo event that is

also common to see on a ranch, its when a horse and rider catch, and tie down a calf in a quick,

efficient way. Ranch work is when horses are used on large scale livestock producing farms, they

can be used to travel long distances or move livestock in anyway the rider wants.

English riding originated in Europe and was used to travel light and quickly. There are

four subcategories of english riding; saddle seat, jumping, hunt seat and side saddle. Hunt seat is

used in fox hunting and jumping, and at shows the rider is judged on equitation (look),

presentation, manners and conformation (horses look/build). Jumping is where horses are judged

over jumps, based on sustainability for hunts and consistency. Saddle seat is a more proper and

showy riding style, where the saddles are flat on the side, horses are trained and ridden in a way

that shows off high action and high headsets. Side saddle is a less common way to ride because

instead of riding with one leg on each side of the animal side saddle riders have both legs down

one side. This was common in the 1300s when ladies wore large dresses.

Eventing is what I call everything that doesn't include a saddle because it's nicer than

saying ‘other’. Eventing includes driving, bare back and vaulting. Driving is hitching horses to

buggies and cart with a harness. You might see anywhere from one to fifty (world record) horses

hitched at once. Vaulting or trick riding is gymnastics incorporated into horse back, it's basically

what you might see at a circus. Bareback riding is my favorite way to ride by far, its where no

saddle is used, some people use a bareback pad to protect their clothes or horses coat. Bareback

riding demands trust between rider and horse, along with basic skills and balance from the rider.
 Saddles are made out of various materials like leather and nylon, leather is way more

common and much better. Saddles are a supportive structure for riders, they are placed on an

animal's back. There are a wide range of styles, brands, prices and colors. Proper care can leave a

saddle lasting for years. There are many parts of a saddle varying from each different seat but

here are the most basic ones that almost every saddle has.

Tree: ​Base on which the saddle is built on, protects horse from riders weight

Seat: ​Where rider sits

Stirrup: ​Where riders foot goes

Leathers/Flaps/Fenders: ​leather straps connecting stirrups to saddle, protects riders leg

from horses sweat

Lining/padding: ​cushioning on underside of saddle

Knee rolls: ​extra padding on hunt saddles, located on the front of the flaps.

The earliest recorder saddle was made around 4,000 B.C. amd they were originally used

in cavalries and to show wealth. Taking care of your saddle and tack is one of the most important

things to making them last. They need to be kept dry, clean and out of direct sunlight because the

leather might bleach. Sweat and dirt left on a saddle will be uncomfortable for both horse and

rider and will lead to the leather cracking. Leather saddles can be cleaned and conditioned

quickly and it really helps the last long.

After training is complete your horse can have a multitude of usages, recreation, work or

show. Horse showing is a very intense, competitive and exhausting thing to do. Going to a show

or a fair your animal must have basic training, must be okay with being trailered and around

unknown animals, loud speakers, being stalled constantly and being in unfamiliar places.
Showing takes patience, money and a real love for the competition and sport. Yes I said sport,

being an equestrian is just as much a sport as anything else, we travel, get hurt and compete to

win. Choosing classes is probably one of the more easier things to do, you choose your discipline

(western, english, driving, in hand etc.) next you choose which

level you are novice, junior, senior (walk/trot or walk/trot/canter).

Along with basic classes pleasure and equitation, there are lots of

smaller and more fun things like trail, dressage and costume (fair).

Trail classes incorporate things like a pattern and obstacles into it.

Dressage is a pattern class, where you are judged on how you

complete the pattern and how good it looks. Costume class is fun,

you are incharge of making your own costume (for you and horse),

choosing a song and then making a routine to show with. During a show if you win your class

you go to championships where other class winners compete for a big ribbon, plaque or trophy.

During a championship you are given a pattern that you must complete just like in dressage (see

right).

When going to a show you must bring everything you think you might need, especially if

you are going to a far away or long show. Before you pack you should make a list of things for

you and your horse. Things that should be on this list range from meds to basic supplies. Here's a

part of my list from last year:

Horse Me

*bath supplies *shower things

*towels *clothes
*hoof paint or oil *show clothes

*hair bands/spray *boots (show/barn)

*food *helmet

*buckets *water bottle

*brushed *charger

*emergency box (includes epipen) *food

*papers (rabies, cogins, birth) *emergency box (meds/first aid)

Showing can be very exciting, you meet new people who share some common interests,

you show other people how you and your animal work together and it's an amazing learning

experience. You get introduced to new tactics and techniques to working with your horse and

you get unbiased judgement and advice. It's an amazing experience and I am so lucky to have

participated in regional and state shows along with the local 4-H shows. I can't think of a better

way to spend my summers than doing something I love around people I enjoy being around. Yes,

they take a lot of work and prep but it's worth it, 100% of the time. At 4H shows it isn't all about

winning, which is crazy to say, but it’s really about the journey and what you get to learn. If you

know there is a local 4H show going on stop by, see how hard the kids have been working to put

it together and be able to compete at that level, it's amazing.

Rodeos are a branch of ranch work mixed with a bit of showing. Rodeos show off basic skills

necessary on a ranch like agility and ability to follow the riders commands. At a rodeo you might

see some things you'd also see on a ranch like calf roping, reining and cutting. Cutting is wen the

horse and rider split a herd of animals, reining is doing very precise turns and patterns at high
speed. Some well known rodeo events you probably won't see on a ranch include barrel racing,

bull riding and pole bending. Ranch horses need to be quick, spookless and tough.

\ On a ranch horses can be used for many different things depending on what kind of ranch

they're on. For example a larger scale cattle ranch in the mountains would use the horses to get

cows to and from places that atvs or trucks couldn't get. But on an amish farm/ranch they would

be used in place of heavy machinery. Instead of having a certain specialty like jumping or racing,

a ranch horse must be highly versatile around a ranch. They need to be able to get down and dirty

and do tough jobs, depending on the locations they could be in almost any weather that the rider

is willing to be out in.

One of the most popular rodeo sports is bronco riding, it involves a horse with a bucking

strap, tied around a spot that makes them uncomfortable but not hurt them. The broncos used at

rodeos these days are bred for the rodeos instead of being wild horses like in older times. Rodeos

play a larger role in teaching young people the intricate skills surrounding horses and ranch

work, like making tight turns, splitting a herd and roping off an animal. It gives them a fun way

to learn these skills instead of just working on the ranch. Along with skills there is also a lot of

prize money associated with rodeos, barrel racers can make anywhere from $1000-4000 for

getting first place. Barrel racing horses can be extremely expensive due to lineage, wins and

training (just like race horses). Sometime on ranches you will find that the horses are also used as

packers, horses that carry supplies, hunters kills and other thing from place to place. My

grandmother uses her horses during winter on the ranch, to bring hunters kills down from the

steeper and more narrow trails. She also uses her horses to work the cattle, separating them by

age and what needs to be sold.

Horses are incredible animals and getting into the industry is worthwhile because of all the

experiences and people you meet. All over the world horses are used in different and equally

amazing ways like showing, fox hunts and ranch work. Everything in the horse world is seen as a

learning experience much like in the real world, just like regular sports, you won't always win

but you can always learn from your mistakes.

Training, showing and care takes time, patients and a real love for doing it. But the pros

outway the cons; forging a lasting and strong bond with an animal much larger than you is

incredible. Putting so much trust into something much larger than you with a mind of its own is

just indescribable. Its something many people from different places, backgrounds and ages can

enjoy.

There are so many diverse ways for people to experience horses, they can really make it

their own. Some choose to do natural horsemanship, jump or do strictly ground work. Working

with horses is truly something you can make fit you, your needs and wants. Some people lease

horses because they can't pay for them all the time and some people take lessons because they

just like riding.

Unfortunately riding is becoming less popular because kids really aren't getting out as

much anymore, I don't want to be that person but it's true. Video games are becoming more

popular than sports, that doesn't mean that some don't enjoy both equally. Not all people want to

be down at a barn to work with an animal where things might not go as planned when they can

just play a video game and control every outcome without it affecting them personally.
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