Taking care of a horse.... sunday? HELP!?

Question

Please help tomarrow I am going horse back riding and I part of it is taking care of the horse! What should I do!?!? Tell me if I should relax and give me tips like:

DON'T stand behind a horse!

I just havn't been on a horse senece I was three!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

OK. My family has owned horses my whole life, 13 years, so I know a lot.

Never walk behind a horse, they might kick

Horses can sense if you are nervous, so don't be

Don't flail your arms around when you are close to a horse

Don't scream or yell

Never ride by yourself if nobody knows where you are going

Don't run by horses

If you want to pet their face, don't do it fast

Always lead a horse with a lead-rope on

Don't let horses get too close together, they could kick each other and bite

If two horses have to be close to each other, put them head to head

When riding, if the horse spooks, don't scream, just keep your heels down and sit up

So just have fun, and ask before doing anything you aren't sure of. Oh yeah, wear a helmet!

Answer 2

when going behind the horse put your hand on it's butt and walk by so it knows your there.

when giving a horse a treat hold your hand FLAT.

You want to brush it with a hard brush first (feel the little prickles they should feel hard not soft if it's soft it's a soft brush for the head.The hard brush is for the body and legs)

Just relax the instructor should help you they wouldn't just leave you there to care for their horses the first day!If they do find a new place to ride.

Tell them this is your first time with horses.

Just relax everything will be FINE!I promiss!

Let the horse smell your hand dont pet it's face just nose neck and body when the horse knows you more you can pet it's face

If the horse tries to bight you slap it on it's neck (dont slap softly either) the horse might jerk away but after you slap rub it

If you are riding english---

http://www.e-equestrian.com/classifieds/...

Keep your heels down and sit straight.You will feel sore for a few days but you wheel get use to it

If you are riding western-

http://www.michigan-horse.com/images/sad...

Same thing as english

Just relax it's nothing big!The people at the stable will help you!If your nervous tell them!

The closer your are to a horse the safer when going behind it remember what I told you HAND ON ITS BUTT till you get to the other side.dont walk far behind it cause that gives the horse a huge advantage if your next to a horse it cant kick you because your to close to it if your a few feet away it can.

The horse they will give you will probably be a very good horse well trained and probably near 20 years old.

Answer 3

dont freak would be good.  Wen leading dont go right in front of the horse stay to the left side. u can saddle right.  some horses puff out so walk the horse around before tightening the girth.  Cool the horse down at a walk after riding and use a sweat scraper to get away sweat if its cold.  Make sure to talk to the horse and if you go behind em dont take your hands off him.  a horse CAN sense your fear miles away.  try to stay away from other horses for a while untill you like tottaly grasp the ear-kick thing.

heres a kinda do over

Forward: Alert, attentive, curious (this could also mean a potential fight or flight)

Slightly Back : Listening

Flat back: This horse is agitated, stop what you're doing and analyze what may have triggered the horses behavior. When their ears are back and they are agitated their tail has a tendency of swishing in an mad way.

if i were you id get a pack of treats and reward the horse wen it does some thing good.  The horse gets used to you giving them a treat on the groung and saying good something and then when you are ridinging say like good horse and theyll know they did something good.

And think if your hungry afer riding or when ever or your thirsty your horse it probably 10 times as much.  Make sure to talk loudly when in the saddle if a person 10 feet away cant hear you nether can your horse.  use your legs alot and it the horse asks for the bit give em the reins as longs as they keep that speed.

Make sure there is always someone there to help you.

Answer 4

Well, most important is to RELAX!!! :):) If you are nervous and scared, your horse WILL sense this and it will become the same way, becasue it doesn't know WHY you are, and so it will think their is a cause for being afraid.  So relax. It is absolutely vital to being safe around a horse.

Also, A horse cannot see for a couple feet directly in front of himself nor for a couple feet directly behind himself. So if you need to stand in front of him, unless you are touching or talking to him, stand a few feet away. They can see you then.

If you are near his rear, talk and or touch so that he knows you are their. Look at his ears. If one is pointed towards you, you know he is looking at you. If both are, you know he is looking and listening.

If his ears are pinned to his head he is angry or annoyed at something and I would back out of range immediately (More than just a couple feet.)

One mistake many novices make is they think that standing a couple feet away from their rear is "safe". This is not so. Either stand close or far. The closer you are, the less resistance the horse has if he's going to kick, and the less pain it's going to cause. A horse can reach out a couple feet with no problem and by then, his leg(s) going so fast you can break something.

But I would hope that wherever you are going, they will take in to consideration your lack of experience and will pair you with a sweet, wonderful, well adjusted "bomb" proof horse who you will no doubt absolutely adore and want to take home with you after the ride. :):)

So, my best advice would be to relax and have fun! Oh, and keep talking to your horse. No one who knows horses will ever find it crazy. :) I sig to mine while I'm working with them and they LOVE it. (Which is kind of cool becasue my voice is far from professional...) :):):)

Best of luck!!!!

Answer 5

Okay well done for coming back to riding! It's understandable that you'd be nervous but here are my tips

x When going behind the horse, always pat it on the bum.

x If it's in the way. Place a hand on it's bum and say 'Move'.

x Use the curry comb in a circular motion on the horse's body.

x Use the body brush on the face, mane and tail.

x Act confident around the horse, even if you're not feeling happy at all! Confident rider=confident horse.

x To praise the horse, either pat him on the neck or if he's like my horse, scratch his withers! (The bit in front of the saddle).

x Never underestimate the powers of the horse! if he's got his ears pinned back, step away!

Hope you have a good day! x

Answer 6

You didn't say if this was a lesson or just minding the horse for a friend.  IF you are just minding the horse, then get someone at the barn to help you groom.  If this horse is at your friend's residence, then I would suggest that you don't ride without someone there that knows what they are doing.  If you haven't ridden since you were three though, I'd just take the horse for a walk around the property.  DO NOT take it upon yourself to tack up and ride this horse, you don't know what you are doing and something dire could happen.  Vet bills ARE expensive and are you prepared to pay a vet bill if something happens to the horse while it's in your care?

IF you enjoy spending time with the horse you might consider taking lessons from a trainer close to you.

Answer 7

- Talk to the horse in a calm, gentle voice when handling them and riding them. Praise them when they do what you want them to.

- Use a firm voice if you want them to slow down/speed up/move over in the stable/ etc. Use clear commands.

- Strong legs, gentle hands & a strong mind are essential.

- Never make any sudden movements.

- Don't do anything you feel uncomfortable with; ie. cantering, picking out back feet, etc. Horses are extremely intelligent and will pick up on it if you are feeling afraid, and will either try to run away from whatever they think the danger is or take advantage of the situation.

- When grooming the horse, use very soft strokes. Treat the horse like you would want to be treated.

I hope you have great fun!

Answer 8

Relax, relax, relax. A horse can sense your tension from a mile away. This in turn is a bad result for the horse, you can make him nervous by you being nervous. Or the horse could take advantage of it. So just relax, it'll come natural if it's something you do.

Yes, stay away from behind the horse. If you must walk behind, keep your hand on the horses rump AT ALL Times until you get to the other side. Talk to the horse, converse. It sounds silly, but it works wonders.

Just watch out for your fellow rider when riding too. Be attentive to your horses ears, you can gauge their current emotion by their ears.

Forward: Alert, attentive, curious (this could also mean a potential fight or flight)

Slightly Back (not flat back): Listening

Flat back: This horse is agitated, stop what you're doing and analyze what may have triggered the horses behavior. When their ears are back and they are agitated their tail has a tendency of swishing in an agitated manner.

Take things calm and as they go. Have fun :)

Answer 9

Well you should never stand behind a horse unless you want to get kicked.

place your hand on the rump of the horse,let the horse know you are there,talk to the horse calmly,don't be afraid,the horse can sense your fear,and you don't want that.

take the curry comb,and brush the horse before you put the blanket and the saddle on the horse.you can take along a carrot or two for the horse to eat while you saddle or brush him or her.

then put the bridle on,gently,but not rough for the horse.keep an eye out for the ears twitching,but have fun,and relax.

Answer 10

Just BREATHE first. When you walk around the back of the horse, keep your hand on it's butt and stay close to it. Brush the horse off and brush out it's maine. Pick out the horse's feet with a hoof pick and be sure to give it water. NEVER lead the horse by the reins, lead it by the cavasin (the part over it's nose). When you are done riding, make sure it has water. Spray off the horse if you have been riding in the heat. Be sure to spray between it's back legs and front legs. WHATEVER you do or WHOEVER you talk to, DO NOT let anyone put you on a stallion. Geldings and mares are perfectly fine.