Could you tell me a little about horse body language and different types of riding?

Question

My mom said I could get started in horseback riding which has been something I've wanted to do for ages. This will be my first time working with horses (I was SUPPOSED to go to camp, but my mom never signed me up...)

Since horses are new animals to me, could you please describe or give me sites where they show what the different positions of the ears mean, some basic behaviors, etc. Also, what kind of riding and competitions are there? I'd appreciate simple descriptions as well.

I'll be riding at an equestrian center so I'm sure they'll explain a lot, but I'd like to be a little prepared and more confident before I hop on the animal. Thank you!

Answer 1

Like I am sure you know by what you said in your question the ears are what you really need to watch a lot. You need to keep an eye on the whole horse but the ears tell a lot. For example if the horse pins his ears straight back, something is irritating him, some horses will do this if they don't know you well enough also. When a horse does this you need to be careful but talk to the horse softly and if you continue what you are doing watch her.

When you are riding the horses ears will sometimes turn toward you. This means that the horse is listening to you and is a good thing.

There are many other things but it would take a long time to type it all

Have fun and enjoy :)

Answer 2

This is a big topic and there are lots of things to learn.

Horse body language is important. The best book I've found on that is

"The Body Language of Horses" by Tim Ainsle and Bonnie Ledbetter

On-line, this is a good site

http://www.angelfire.com/tx2/kidshorses/...

In terms of types of riding, there are basically three major styles

- Basic

- English

- Western

Basic riding is the foundation and some people never really need to go beyond it it. If you are just interested in safe riding at the three gaits of walk, trot and canter, this may be all you need. You need to master this first anyway, even if you want to later ride English or Western.

The other two styles bring along with them a set of different competitions at different levels of difficulty. They also have their own unique styles of saddle, reins, and clothing.

English has light small saddles, focuses on tight contact between the reins and the horse, typically requires formal dress, and often requires special postures or variations in gait from the horse. Disciplines like dressage (precision riding), hunter / jumper (riding a course with jumps), and eventing (riding a long outdoor course with obstacles, water, jumps and turns) are among the types of competition. English riding is based on the idea of the hunt from horseback or a very formal "dancing" style".

Western riders use heavier saddles, focus on light contact, loose one-handed reining. steering with legs and may require Western attire such as cowboy hats, chaps, western shirts, cowboy boots and spurs. Western is based on the riding style of US ranch hands, but has many disciplines. Disciplines like reining (precision riding at lope and gallop), Western Pleasure (gentle riding with smooth control of gaits), working cow horse and cutting (riding in simulated ranch work to control cows and calves in a herd) are among the types of competition.

Some people consider trail riding to be Western, but it is also an advanced form of basic riding that both English and Western riders can enjoy. It takes a well-trained horse and a confident rider to do well in varying terrain, crossing water and to deal with the potential for the horse to be frightened by something we might consider quite normal.

You Tube is a great place to seem some excellent riding in these disciplines - here are some samples...

Reining: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Cp-UvxO...

Dressage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhP...

Trail Riding (Outdoors): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOpEMbhDD...

Working Cow Horse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT-tPneaP...

Eventing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=463PhvZuz...

Horses, to be well-suited for any discipline, need specialized training. Reining horses, cow horse, dressage horses and good trail horses are typically not interchangeable. You also need an instructor who knows the discipline, once you decide to specialize.

There are many things to learn about horses beyond riding, especially if you will eventually own a horse. Among them horse health, how to select and keep a farrier and veterinarian, nutrition, conditioning, and much more.

Here are some sites I really find useful:

http://horse911.com/kb/?CategoryID=4

http://www.horse-sense.org/index/

http://www.juliegoodnight.com/q&a.php

http://www.thehorse.com/

Congratulations and enjoy.  

Answer 3

Welll....

As for info about ears and behaviors and stuff, there are plenty of books about it. Otherwise, forward=interested, back=angry, not really doing anything=relaxed.

And riding. Well, first you have to choose if you want to do English or Western. Don't just choose based on what the barn closest to you does. Do some research and really take the desicion seriously. You don't want to get stuck doing something you don't like. I made the wrong desicion, and now I am really regretting it. If you do English, you will probably have to choose if you want to do Jumping or Dressage. But you won't make that desicion until you have learned the basics. For Western, there are a large variety of Western competitions, like Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Reining, Calf Roping, Team Penning, ect. If you are looking for a Pleasure sport or hobby, then I would suggest Western. If you want to compete, then English is great, although you can do a lot of competing in Western too.

Good Luck

Answer 4

http://esc.rutgers.edu/publications/imag...  -- angry horse

http://www.bitlessbridle.com/060829Happy... - alert and happy

http://www.horses.net.nz/images/Katie%20...  ---western riding

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...  - english riding

competitions! They range from novice to advanced so you will soon be competing in them

show jumping - horse and rider tackle a course and try to get the quickest time and the least faults.

http://www.solarnavigator.net/sport/spor...

Dressage - its all about elegance and movement of the horse. http://www.hunterjumpernews.com/wp-conte...

Eventing - a course of solid jumps into water/over steep banks/over ditches http://www.exmooreventing.com/assets/jum...

showing - there are many many shows for all different types of horse, small, heavy and are marked on conformation and looks - a bit like a beauty pageant.  http://www.equestrianwales.org.uk/images...

I suggest you look at this to give you more information.  http://www.wikihow.com/Begin-Horseback-R...

http://www.wikihow.com/Mount-a-Horse

enjoy yourself

Answer 5

There are a lot of good book and references out there. I would strongly suggest that you read The Man Who Listens to Horses by Monte Roberts and any thing put out by Pat Parelli. Both of these guys are experts in horse behavior and language. If you understand how horses think and why they do what they do, you will have a much better time with them. Its a realationship that you will never forget when horse and rider "get" each other. Good luck and welcome to the horse world.  

Answer 6

You wouldn't be going faster than a walk on your first lesson. I don't now about comps as your probably in America, you shouldn't be worried about them yet anyway as you'll need to be able to do all different kinds of things and (normally) own your own horse/pony. There's English and Western which I no of. Body language:

Ears pinned backwards and flat down-->angry, annoyed.

Ears forwards--> ready to go and alert.

Ear forward ear back(maybe twitching)--> listening to you.

Those are the main ones. One pony at my riding stables is ticklish so you can't pat her or touch her mane at all, the way you no if you tickled her is by watching her head swing and her tail will swish.

All horses are different, instructor will put you on a novice pony/horse so theres nothing really to worry about.

Good Luck!

Charlotte x

Answer 7

Fantastic,your going to have great fun.

Have you got horses/ponies near you?

If you have a great idea would to go watch them for half an hour or so & watch how they interact with each other & watch there body language,

Find all the books you can,use your local library save all those pennies becuase you will need them now that you have entered the horse world:)

Answer 8

well, *cracks knuckles*....give me a sec!

you need to stretch before, and, after, you ride ALL THE TIME, you *will* be sore

~Watch both ends of the horse...Horses "talk" with the head, eyes, and ears ....Watch both when you are on the ground working around your horse or when you are riding in a group of other horses

Now you don't have to keep looking back, Im sure the horse you will be riding will be dead broke and bomb proof!!

When a horse licks its lips, its relaxed, and thinking (or playing with the bit)

Head-shaking can be a funny thing...flies, playing, or after a long stretch

NOW, the rear end of the horse...

DANGER, for some horses, but again, the barn wont do that to you

If you are to walk around the bum, place yor hand on teh stomache and walk along them as you were wiping something off them...when you get to the rump just let go...walk by, dont freak out and walk faster...keep your pace and talk to her all the way to the other side...Please don't ever walk under a horses neck, it might paw at you, shake its head and knock you out ( and we dont want that)

* I have to go back to work now, Ill come back with more soon *