How to Become a Horse Trainer

1 Get as much experience as you can in the different areas of working with horses - starting (teaching a horse the basics), breaking (or gentling), breaking bad habits, and finishing.

2 Learn as much as you can about horses. You'll need to have in-depth knowledge of equine health, psychology and personality.

3 Ride, ride, ride. Ride as many different horses as you can: all types, all ages, all levels and all events.

4 Prepare to be hurt. It's hard to find a trainer who hasn't been kicked, stepped on, thrown or bitten. Working with horses is dangerous, even as a hobby.

5 Spend as much time as you can with horses. The more experience you have, the better you'll be.

6 Decide what type of horse training you want to specialize in: starting, rehabilitation (getting rid of bad habits), general all-purpose training, or specializing in one or several events.

7 Try to develop a strong show record in the area that you want to specialize in; this will help attract potential clients.

8 Be passionate about your career. If your heart isn't in it, the horses and the owners will sense it.

Warnings

Horses are wild by nature, and as much as people have tried to domesticate them, they still have the inborn reaction of fight or flight. Be careful.

Learning is a lifelong endeavor. You'll never know everything there is to know about horses - just when you think you know everything, the horse will teach you otherwise.

People who whip and beat horses into submission aren't trainers; they're abusers. If you see this type of activity going on, report it to your local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Be aware that it's easy to damage a horse, and if you do, the owners may sue.

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How to talk to a Horse or Horses

Is there really such a thing as Horse Whispering? Yes and No. This article tell you why and how can anyone able to do this.

1 Learning to talk to a horse in its own language is not magic. Anyone can learn to talk to a horse. Truly, the only thing required is patience, and the ability to adapt to a language that uses the body far more than it uses sound. The first, and most important step in learning a horse's language, is to spend time watching horses interact with one another. Watch them especially when horses are eating, fighting or when they are with their foals and/or friends. Pay attention when they groom one another, and any and all social interaction that takes place between different members of the herd.

2 Plan on making observations over a long period of time. In fact, lifelong horsepeople will spend as much time as they can each day just observing the horses. People who watch more than speak are true experts. By watching, observe how the horses talk to one another. Very rarely does actually vocalizing take place. The equine, body language and "energy" is horse communication. When a horse chews and licks its lips, it is relaxed, and its ears will rotate out and relax. Anger is displayed through tensed lips, pinned ears, narrowed eyes and flattened nostrils. If this is not enough to get the message across, a snort or a warning kick will be added. Still not enough? Be prepared for a savage bite and a whirl and kick out with both hind feet. Contentment is a heavy sigh and a cocked hind leg. There are as many ways for a horse to display feelings through its body as there are ways for people to talk with language.

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3 Watch and learn from books, tapes, and whatever other media are available, then put it into practice. Go out into the horse's world and say hello. How does one say hello to a horse? NOT by patting its nose. Horses, when they meet in the wild and wish to be friendly, will sniff one another lightly in greeting, then will rub each other on the neck, down by the shoulder. This will quickly progress to mutual grooming behind the withers and along the backbone. Make a proper happy greeting to the horse by approaching him with a hand out to the horse's neck. Touch the horse there. If a nose is offered, gently blow into the horse's nostrils. Pat the horse on the neck and scratch him. He will quickly communicate where to scratch, so continue to do so.

4 Do not allow a horse to crowd or push to earn respect. Horses are very physical creatures, and demand respect from one another. If a horse pushes, stab at his flank with stiff fingers to get the horse off. Squared shoulders and a firm voice make the horse know what is happening. As soon as the horse has listened, immediately back off. Press and release.

5 Use these steps and begin a wonderful lifelong conversation with horses. Horses are incredibly subtle creatures. For example, to calm a fractious horse, speak softly and soothingly, caress his neck and shoulder, and concentrate on thinking calming thoughts. Natural energy will communicate itself to the equine, and the horse will respond. If the trainer is upset the horse knows it. The energy of angry feelings is sensed and acted on by the horse. Never underestimate the sensitivity of these creatures.

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How to Dress for English Riding

Like other sports, riding horses is easier and safer when the rider wears apparel and gear designed to protect him from injuries. A fall from a horse can occur at a speed of 20 to 30 miles per hour so not only should horse riding apparel be functional, it should protect the rider.

1 Choose your headgear by riding discipline or strictly for safety's sake. Beginning riders should wear a trail helmet at all times. English show riders wear helmets disguised under cloth caps. Western rodeo participants usually forego the helmet and wear a cowboy hat, despite the fact that it will not protect them from a head impact.

2 Select a tight-fitting shirt and tuck it into your pants. Long shirttails can catch on portions of the saddle, become entangled in the reins or snag on stable latches. Cotton fabric is cool and comfortable. In addition, long sleeved shirts with fitted cuffs protect your arms from sunburn and insect bites.

3 Pull on those long pants before mounting your horse. Even in swelteringly hot weather, shorts are inappropriate riding apparel. Your legs can easily chaff from the coarse sweaty hair on the horse's side. Boot-cut jeans fit into the top of riding boots and English riding apparel includes breeches that fit snugly around your calves. Baggy pants, like shirts, are not advisable.

4 Try on as many riding boots as needed until you find a pair that fits like a glove. Whether you choose a Western or English style boot, you will be safer. The heel of a riding boot is designed to prevent your foot from slipping too far into the stirrup and it will allow your foot to slip out should you fall. Avoid wearing tennis shoes when riding.

5  Remove any dangling jewelry or large rings when riding. Small stud earrings are permissible but loose jewelry can become entangled in the reins or on stable apparatus. In addition, large rings may catch on portions of the saddle, the reins or stable latches and, once caught, the momentum of a moving horse may unseat you or severe a finger.

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How to Tack Up any Horse

Tie up your horse in cross-ties, a single tie or tie the lead rope to a railing to keep your horse from wandering away.

2 Groom your horse in preparation for a ride.

3 Place protective boots or wraps on horse's legs.

4 Saddle up the horse.

5 Put on schooling aids such as a running martingale or drop noseband.

6 Untie the horse's halter and remove from horse's face.

7 Replace halter around horse's neck to keep him from wandering off.

8 Stand on near (left) side of horse and place right hand over horse's head and gently press downward to get horse to drop his head.

9 Hold bit in left hand while separating the bit from the reins with your fingers.

10 Hold the bit to the horse's mouth. A well trained horse should open his mouth. Give the "Open" command. If your horse won't open his mouth, slip your right thumb in between the lips and gums at the back of the mouth. There are no teeth there. If you wiggle your thumb, your horse should open his mouth.

11 Gently slip the bit into the horse's mouth. Don't force the bit.

12 Gently slip the headstall over the horses ears and buckle latch of throat strap.

13 Thread reins through running martingale loops if you are using one.

14 Check to make sure everything is attached and properly fitted.

15 Ride and have fun!

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How to ride English style

Riding a horse is fun and great exercise. There are many ways to ride, and this article will give you some tips on how to explore the Art of English riding

1 Riding a horse English style is challenging, fun, and fantastic exercise that will tone your muscles and increase your ability to balance. Unlike the Western or Australian saddle, the English saddle has very little to "keep you in the seat", and you will rely on your own sense of balance and your own leg muscles to keep you seated. The English saddle does not have a horn, and consists of a form fitting saddle that hugs your rear end and thighs, while allowing you the additional security of stirrups. Besides this, you are on your own!

2 To ride English, you must sit erect and maintain excellent posture. Direct your weight into your seat and channel the energy of your movement down your thighs and into the balls of your feet, which will be resting in your stirrups. The shoulder, hip, and heel should form a perfectly straight line. Knees are slightly bent, and toes are directed inward while the heel is pressed down. Expect to be quite sore the first few times you ride in an English saddle, as it makes you bend your leg in the opposite fashion you think it should go.



3 Using your reins while riding English is also very different from Western style riding. You do not "neck" rein, but use both hands on the reins independently - sometimes this is called "plow reining". But the art of proper English reining is not coarse in the least. The reins are delicately handled to communicate fine instructions to the horse through an English bit - such as the Pelham or the Snaffle. All of the Dressage schools in the world ride English style.

4 When trotting in an English saddle, one is taught to "post" at the trot. This is another major difference from other forms of riding, and means that the thighs are used to "lift" the seat out of the saddle as the outside shoulder rises up in the horses gait. This uses the natural motion of the horse to help raise you up, and also allows you to ride this gait in a smoother fashion than trying to "sit" the trot.

5 Having a professional instructor through all this makes learning infinitely easier, and your learning curve much shorter. Take the time to explore some local farms and ask for referrals to riding instructors who teach English. Whether you travel to their farm, or they come to yours, it is well worth the time and the money to have the assistance of a highly qualified trainer.

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How to Bridle a Horse

Put your horse in a halter while you prepare to bridle her.

Use cross-ties, a single tie down, or tie the lead line to a post to keep your horse in place. Attach cross-ties to the side rings of the halter.

Attach a single tie down to the ring at the throat of the halter.

Stand on the near (left) side of the horse when putting on the bridle.

Put on a running martingale (helps to keep horse from throwing its head up), drop noseband (helps keep horse's mouth closed) or any other schooling aids.

Check to make sure all other tack is adjusted properly. The cinch should be snug and the back cinch (if you're using one) should be attached.

Remove halter from face and replace around neck to prevent horse from wandering off. 

Place your right hand on top of the horse's head. (Use a mounting block if you can't reach.) With your wrist between the horse's ears and your fingers facing the nose, press gently downward to get the horse to drop its head.    

Grab the top of the headstall (the piece that fits over the horse's head) with your right hand. Separate the mouthpiece (the piece that actually goes in the horse's mouth) from the reins and hold it to the horse's lips. A trained horse should automatically open its mouth. Ask the horse to "Open."

Slip the bit gently into the horse's mouth. Don't force. Once the bit is in place, slip the top part of the headstall over the horse's ears.

Adjust the length of the face strap so there are one or two wrinkles in the skin at the corner of the horse's mouth.

Adjust the chin strap (if your headstall has one). You should be able to fit two fingers between the horse's throat and the strap when the horse's head is facing forward.

Hold both reins in your left hand while undoing the halter with your right hand. When walking with the horse, keep the horse on your right side and hold the reins in your right hand.

Warning and Tips

If you can't reach the top of your horse's head, either stand on a mounting block or slip the mouthpiece inside the horse's mouth and then gently lower your horse's head to fit the headstall.

If your horse fights having the bit put in its mouth, have your horse's teeth checked. Horses' teeth continually grow; the mouthpiece may be rubbing against a tooth.

If your horse refuses to open its mouth, hold the mouthpiece in your left hand and slip the thumb of your right hand into the left side of your horse's mouth, where the lips meet. There are no teeth back there. Wiggle your thumb in the horse's mouth; this may coax the animal to open wide.

Headstalls come with or without chin straps. The headstall either will have one or two ear loops, or will have a brow band that fits across the forehead and a strap that goes over the head behind the ears.

Be careful with a horse's ears when you are putting on the headstall. Horses' ears are sensitive and many do not like their ears touched.

Make sure the mouthpiece you use does not pinch the side of the horse's mouth.

Never force a mouthpiece into a horse's mouth. Allow the horse a few seconds to position the mouthpiece in its mouth.

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