Bloodlines

As I talked about in one of my blogs before, there are many different breeds of horses used to do different things, however within breeds are the bloodlines that those horses come from. Such as Frenchmans guy; a quarter horse, but is bred for barrel racing, now many people use frenchmans guy to breed with there horse to get a barrel horse, confusing stuff but not all breeds of horses are going to be built for all the qaulities in a quarter horse, they cant all be barrel horses or roping horses they are usually tailored to a specific event or specific events. I have mainly a bloodline of Hancock horses, mainly quarter horses and are known for there calmness but ability to have speed when needed and are used alot for ranching and roping. However this bloodline can have a stubborn side to them they last for hours when riding, have a great conformation and will do most anything you ask them to do. I love this bloodline and will probably continue purchasing them since the two horses i ride are both hancock and I really enjoy them.
Enjoy your Horses=)

English side of riding

Every story has two side, and this is the side of English riding. English is a whole different world. Your saddle is fit to the shape of a person, no saddle horns and only a front cinch to keep it in place, ment for shows, not long distance pleasure riding, but for jumping, hunting and horse racing, way lighter than a western saddle and requring more balance to hold your self in. Horses that are often used for english riding are thoroughbreds, and sometimes arabians; often having a smaller frame and shorter. Gaits of an english horse are walk, trot. extended trot and canter; similar to western but a few extra places of speed and often a more controlled lope. The attire is very different also; wearing a helmet usually, fitted jacket shirt, jodhpurs which are very tight usually tan or black riding pants, tall english boots over the pants to keep from rubbing sores in your legs. Bewteen the two styles there are alot of differences with equally great outcomes, if your on one side or the other I suggest trying the other one out and you might just end up liking it!
Enjoy your horses=)

Western side of riding

Although there are many different disciplines, the main arguement is between western and english riding. Two very diffrent riding styles but both great in there own way; although I prefer western over english I enjoy both.
Western Riding; Many things make the two styles different, first is the saddle a western saddle is fit for the "cowboy" way a saddle horn for roping and a bigger easier seat to hold your self in when your working with cattle or holding on in a barrel race. Saddles have a front and back cinch and a breast collar. Another difference in western is often the type of horse that is used; western horses are often more cowy, ment to travel long distances in a steady pace with small bursts of energy to chase down cows that are straying away from the herd, usually these horses are more stocky. Another differents is gaits of the horse, walk trot lope is all needed for western style riding. Attire is also different, western you are required to wear a long sleeve collared cowboy shirt, riding jeans, boots with jeans over them, a black cowboy hat or white, and sometimes a belt buckle. When your in the show ring the way you have to ride is different, western is more relaxed not straightened out, loose reins with ends on one side held by the opposite hand and more motion to your riding and will ride at a neck rein.
Western is just as hard as english and requires alot of work to learn

Team Roping

Another sport that is even harder in my opinion is Team roping. Not only are you now worried about your self and your horse along with your rope, your worried about your partners to. Even if your the greatest roper ever your partner can not be so good, its a game of hardwork and chance put together. You have one shot to catch the steer with your rope and your partner, a roping you could have been working so hard to get to and you throw once and your out because it didn't go right. Roping works your muscles,your swinging a rope, standing in your stirups with your core and legs holding you up when you put them together its the hardest combination ever! Its a thrill when you and your partner do a good job and catch a steer together and win a roping but it takes alot more work than those 5 seconds of a catch

Barrel Racing

The sport of Barrel racing is sometimes a foreign term to many people around the world, when people ask me what it is I find my self saying its where you run your horse as fast as you can around three barrels. That does not justify the truth of how hard barrel racing is. Barrel racing is a hugely competitive sport, there is a set pattern and a time to beat along with trying not to knock over a barrel which gets you disqualified or messing up the pattern which is also a D/Q or a no time. You spend money to make money, it can sometimes add up to about $400 a weekend. My horse and I have worked extremely hard to become barrel racers; long hours of walking the pattern, getting into the right position every little detail counts, from how far you lean out or how hard you kick to when you signal your horse to turn, its a lot of work for a 16 second run. People should try and put themselves in a Barrel racers shoes and see that it is hardwork and takes a lot more than just running around a barrel

Fun facts

There are so many different breeds of horses with differences in size, shape, and even habits. Some facts are very fun and interesting so I thought I would share a few.

• Falabella the Smallest minature horse there is, the tallest they can get is about 32 inches tall!
• Arabian horses are thought to be the oldest horses around, often used for endurance racing these small structured horses have been around for about 5,000 years!!
• Quarter horses got there name becuase they are extremely fast at a quarter of a mile, very versatile breed they do anything from jumping to team penning
• Standardbreds are a breed between morgans and thoroughbreds; often used for racing this breed is a very loyal fast one.
• Paints, a term we know and use in North America, however in any other place a paint horse is not known as a bred but only a color.

Enjoy your Horses=)

Finding a Perfect horse

There are so many different types of horses out there; from the breeds to the speciality events even colors. When trying to pick  out a new horse it can be pretty stressful and knowing where to start is key!
First make sure that you really want a horse and have the ability to take care of it financial and physical work. Second Decide on how much your willing to spend on a horse, maybe a speciality you want the horse to have. Try not to think to much of color and height, but more on conformation. Third decide your ability to ride, are you advanced or beginner find a horse to fit that and your style. Even ask a trainer to give you lessons and suggest what you should look for in a horse. Also make sure where your looking for horses, or people you are with looking at horses are truthful and tell you of any health problems, current shots and any bad habits the horse may have. Lastly make sure its exactly what you want, you can care for it and will  have fun riding it!
enjoy your horses=)

Knowing your horse

Unlike people, animals can't tell you with words what wrong with them, but they can tell you with the actions they take. A few months ago I was at a barrel race with my horse Jamaica; she was the only horse I brought and she wasn't very happy about that and she was acting really weird. Usually if food is put in front of her she won't hesitate to take it but this weekend she turned her head at most of her food, and on top of that she wouldn't drink any water at all. A few weeks later we took her to get her teeth floated and found out she broke a tooth around the same time as the barrel race and that would explain why she wouldnt touch anything we gave her. We are glad we found out when we did or she could have gotten an infection. Knowing your horse is so important; daily activites they take part in such as eating or even when your riding and they aren't acting like normal its important to know that so you know when they are hurting and if you need to take them to the vet. Something my family goes off of is if your horse is starting to have a bad habit they have never had before chances are something is wrong.Enjoy your horses=)

Competition day!

This is a continue to the horse competition post I made previous. The day before the competition is over with and now you are arriving to the actual day which is just as much work maybe even more than the day before; here are some steps to keep in mind when you are at your competition.
Step 1: When you arrive to your competition keep calm and don't get nervous, your horse can sense that and will be the same way as you are
Step 2: tie your horse up and enter up in all the events you are doing, asking questions if you dont know what a pattern is saying or what times they are or any other questions you need to ask before its to late, and make sure they are the events you are comfortable with.
Step 3:Clean your horse again, brush them off, comb mane and tail and any other items you need to clean before you go into competition
Step 4: Practice! Practice! Practice! know your patterns you are given, if your in an obstacle/trail course go check it out and see what you have to be doing and if they give you time go into the arenas they have and work on everything and memorize what you need.
Step 5: When it comes to competition and when they call your name take a deep breathe, walk in calm and relaxed; do your best and keep going even if your horse wont; and have fun!
Enjoy your horses=)!

Day before competition

Last summer I competed in my first Western Pleasure horse competition, it was a really fun competition and I learned alot from it. Although it was really fun it took me along time to prepare for it, so here are some of the steps I took before and during competition that could be helpful.
Step 1- Make sure that your horse is ready for a competition you are entering; that they can walk trot and lope in a calm manner( no bucking)
Step 2- Make sure that your horse is well groomed the day before competition; bathe your horse with shampoo and conditioner, comb out mane and tail, trim bridle pathe and any other places needed.
Step 3- Make sure your tack is clean and proper, cinches washed out, all leather cleaned and you have all the needed tack for the competition organized and clean.
Step 4- Make sure that you have all what you need for your attire; clean, ironed long sleeve western shirt, ironed western jeans, belt and clean black boots with a black cowboy hat.
All these steps should be taken the day before competition, having all the things you need together can make the competition day less stressful and easier to get through
(to be continued in the next blog)

Horses are very interesting creatures, many times I find myself thinking I know exactly how my horse will react in a good relaxed manner in a situatiion, when really he/she freaks out and tries to run off. When this happens, knowing what to do to fix what they are afraid of is key to be safe with your horse. One day I was riding my 16 year old very well trained and calm horse in a parade, over the years she has been to more parades and at the front of them than I can count; she was standing as she always does and out of the corner of her vision she say a banner and jumped a few feet to the side. Everyone who knows my trusty old horse was so suprised at her doing this. For the next few days I worked with all my horses with a white banner. After a few times with my horse that spooked she was fine with it again. My other horse Zoey on the other hand not so much. I started out by standing a few feet away and holding it up, when she finally relaxed a little, I brought it up to her face and she jumped back, I just kept it close to her untill she calmed again, horses will realize at some point it isnt going to eat them you just have to be patient and not overdo the situation. When she smelled it i walked around her holding it over her and petting her with the banner and then she was totally fine with it. Patience is a vertue with horses, Don't push them when they don't like something, gradually introduce it to them, put it up somewhere they are comfortable being, or give them a treat when they fully relax! Enjoy your horses (=