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=)