That can hurt!

Did you know human skin and tissue can tolerate only 1.23 to 1.5 lbs of pressure per square inch before being damaged? Studies show horses can tolerate about the same pressure. Note how a horse's skin will flick when even a fly lands on it. An average general-purpose saddle has a contact surface of about 96 square inches. A 150 lb. rider has a concussion factor of double that or 300 lbs. 300/96 produces a pressure factor of just over 3 lbs/sq. inch - well over that which is recommended.

I want to tell you a story about a Paso Fino, whose owner called me one day. She told me that her horse was a wonderful loveable even-tempered horse that she had sent away to be trained.

The horse came back very ill tempered. So, ill tempered that the people who owned the ...

For centuries, horses have been one of the most popular domesticated animals. While today, people enjoy riding and racing them, in the past they were domesticated because they were the primary mode of transportation for many.

People from almost every corner of the globe have owned horses for one reason or another, and it is for this reason that there are now so many different breeds. However, all horses fall into one of three main categories: pony, light, and heavy classifications. If you are unfamiliar with horse breeds, this is a good starting place.

From this point, some people like to further classify horses into the subcategories such as draft horses, gaited horses, and warmbloods. So these are terms that you might hear when people talk of horse breeds. But for all intents and purposes, we will stick with the three main categories for this article.

Knowing about these different ...

It would be safe to say that as long as there have been gaited horses there has been confusion as to what the 4-beat lateral gait is. What does the term "gaited horse," mean? All actions of the horse are called gaits. The walk, trot, lope, canter and gallop are all gaits. The gaited horse has an additional gait. This gait is a smooth, non-jarring action of the hors's leg. The "lateral gait refers to the legs on one side (lateral) moving together, as opposed to the "diagonal gait" where opposite legs work together. The trot is an example of a diagonal gait. However, in some gaits, such as the fox trot, the action is diagonal but it is still a 4-beat gait, making this gait smoother than the 2-beat gait. A 4-beat gait is when each foot hits the ground independently

Much of this confusion occurs in trying ...

Equine friend breeds with additional gaits that often occur natuarally include the Tennessee Walking Equine which naturally performs a running walk, the American Saddlebred which can easily be coached to exhibit a slow gait and the rack, the Paso Fino equine friend with the paso corto and paso largo, and Icelandic horses which are known for the tölt. Horses are adapted to grazing, so their teeth continue to grow throughout life. It should also have some form of regular exercise whether it is being ridden, lunged or turned out in a spacious field. Horses or ponies should be shod (hoof maintenance) every 4-6 weeks, depending on the equine and the weather. Horses are mammals and as such are all warm-blooded creatures, as opposed to reptiles, which are cold-blooded.

Horse wispering is similar to the different styles that are used to sharpen the wits Equines to accomplish some directions. There are ...