Lone Oak Farm Tips

Picking up a horses feet

2007-09-10T05:56:00.000-05:00

Have a problem with your horse not picking up its feet when asked? It is better to start with one that is just learning to pick up their feet than one that has learned not to pick up their feet. To get one started get a lead rope or lunge line, hold the line on one hand, rub your hand down the horse's leg, when it is comfortable with this and not moving around, grasp the pastern squeeze until they pick up their foot to get away from the pressure, release immediately. If you hold at this point, you have just made a big deal out of picking up the foot. Let it go and repeat and hold longer each time the horse picks up its foot, until it is comfortable with this exercise. Remember the horse values freedom and if it knows it can move around while doing this exercise, it will allow you more access to its body. If you tie it up, bind it in any way and ask it to do something new, they will get scared, and thrash around and may learn not to pick up its feet. If they have had a bad experience, get a long whip or stick that will be a good extension of your arm. Rub their leg with this until they are quiet and will let you rub their leg without moving around. Then try with your hand, if all is well, apply pressure as above and release if they respond. If they don't respond, tap lightly with the whip or stick until they pick up their foot and pet them. Be patient, if they have been frightened by someone over picking up their feet, it can be fixed by alot of patience and consistent work.

Frustrated with a nervous rider?

2007-09-10T05:46:00.000-05:00

It is hard to be a rider and help someone that is nervous about horses. You don't understand their fear, because you have none. They do not understand anything to do with horses except the horse is bigger than they are and this frightens them. Be patient and take the time they need to adjust to the horse. Make sure the horse is BEGINNER SAFE. Don't just put them on some horse you deem suitable because you can ride it. The horse should just stand there forever until asked to move, it should not care about what is going on around it, it should have enough experience to keep your loved one safe. You will lead this person on this horse and explain any movement the horse makes. For example, if the horse shakes its head, tell your rider it is just getting a fly off, if the horse sneezes, explain it is just a sneeze. Any movement will frighten your beginner rider and with no explanation of what is going on they will assume the horse is trying to get them off or is angry because they are riding it and they will beg to get off. If they beg to get off, you have not done your job or they are extremely nervous from a previous bad experience. Let them get off, don't push them, you will scare them forever, but shortly ask them to get on again. Let them spend time petting and brushing and try to let them get familiar with the things a horse does all the time. Try not to leave them on the horse so long that they find something to be afraid of. You are better off to let them ride a little bit and ask if they are ready to get off or if they want to ride some more. If this is 5 min, it is 5 min more than you have had. IF it is their decision to get off at a comfortable time and not a scared time they will get back on sometime. BE PATIENT

Horse Won't Go

2007-09-10T05:37:00.000-05:00

Do you have a young horse that you are starting that just won't go? This is a common problem with breaking or training a young horse that you really don't have the experience to break or train. The horse, of course, does not want to do anything but what it wants to. You must convince him it is in his best interest to do as he is being asking, but on the other hand you must have enough knowledge to know how to ask him. If he won't go on a lunge line, he definitely won't go when you are on him. Start with your ground work and make sure your horse will lunge at the walk, trot and canter before attempting to do this on his back. IF he knows the cues to do each gait on the ground he will be more likely to try to remember them when you ride him. IF he is frightened or just does not understand, go back to the ground work and make it better until he is push button on the ground. Make sure he understands the cues. Sometimes they will need a person on the lunge line for a little while encouraging him to go when he has a problem or gets confused. Don't rush this, don't be lazy, take the time to make sure the horse knows what you want.

Summer riding

2007-09-10T05:27:00.000-05:00

This has been a hard summer for riding due to the heat. Make sure your horse is fit enough to do the exercise you are asking of him. Pay attention to your horse and know what he can handle and be able to read the signs of over heating. If you suspect your horse of over heating, get off, untack and try to walk him quietly until he cools. Don't use cold water if possible, luke warm or body temperature water and douse their legs and dab some behind their ears, if water is available. SLOWLY, as your horse begins to cool you can put the water higher on his legs until you can EVENTUALLY hose your horse off. If water is not available DO NOT RIDE SO HARD YOU OVERHEAT THE HORSE. You can cause more severe consequences such as tying up. Be careful and have fun, but take it easy in the heat.

Weaning Foals

2007-09-10T05:15:00.000-05:00

Weaning foals can be tramatic and frustrating. The best way for the mare and foal is in the first 12 to 48 hours they should be beside each other in separate, safe stalls. This helps the foal cope with loosing the sucking a little better. It is frightening to loose you mother, let alone your food and comfort source also. Weaning when the sign is right and at the full moon is said to help also. I have found this to be true most of the time. Supposedly the full moon makes the babies tummies feel fuller. No matter your belief or when you decide, please try to understand the horrible loss the mare and foal both feel and make it as safe as possible for you and your horse.

STopping

2007-04-08T21:11:00.000-05:00

A stop on a horse is the most important thing to have. Always tell your horse to stop before pulling on the reins. If you just pull first and don't say whoa first you are hurting your horse and they may or may not stop, or if it is a young horse or a spoiled horse, it may rear, run off, start bucking or just ignore you in a worse case scenerio. Be sure to say whoa, at the same time release leg pressure and sit down in a relaxing manner in your saddle. Remember if you still grip with your legs, this means go. Quit hanging on when you want to stop. Without leg pressure your seat will go deeper into the saddle, which also encourages your horse to stop. Your cues to stop are as follows: Say whoa, relax leg pressure and sink deeper into your seat, then pull on the reins.
If you are pulling the reins to keep your horse slow, before saying whoa release the reins slightly, say whoa, relax leg pressure and sink deeper into your seat, then pull on the reins.
Good luck. Questions? Email us. Terri

2007-03-11T21:30:00.000-05:00

A good exercise to practice to get a better seat, is to lean back a bit in your saddle, relax your body, lift your legs until no part of your legs touch the saddle, do not hang onto the horn, and ask your horse to walk off. If you are relaxed you will feel your horse move your seat, stay relaxed and let the horse do his job, which is to listen to you and carry you around. It is hard for the horse to do his job if you are flopping on his back like a fish, it hurts him terribly. Be kind to your horse and learn to have a better seat. At first this will be very uncomfortable, but the more you learn to balance with out gripping with your legs and hands, the better you will feel riding your horse. RELAX and enjoy. Do not do this on a spooky horse. Lift one leg at a time to be sure your horse will not run or jump out from under you. If your horse is not broke enough to do this exercise on him, please do not do so and get hurt.

Hand Controls

2007-03-06T18:11:00.000-05:00

Controlling your horse with your hands is easy if you are not hanging onto the horse's face with them in order to balance. Make sure you can ride by the seat of your pants and not by hanging onto the reins, squeezing your legs to hang on or standing on your toes and hanging onto the reins to balance. Please learn to balance on your horse. To control your horse the reins must be loose or just a light contact is all you should need. If you are pulling on the reins and telling the horse to get up and go, this is giving the horse conflicting signals. You are telling the animal to go by kicking and pulling on the reins to stop. This confuses the horse and will eventually make an angry animal, a scared animal or just a plain mean one. Make sure the horse understands what you want. If you want to go, leave the reins a bit looser, completely loose or with just a light steady pressure if you think it may buck or run off, then either kiss, kick or both. Some horses prefer a kiss or smooch, some prefer a kick and hate the kiss or smooch noise. Determine which your horse likes and use that cue for going. To stop, relax your legs and relax deep into your seat, make sure your legs are not squeezing and say whoa. To turn, expecially on a young horse, open the rein in the direction you want to go, press your seat bone down in the direction you want to go and use the opposite leg to encourage your horse to that way. On an older trained horse, figure out what works best on that horse and the way it was trained.

Warm weather riding

2007-03-06T16:41:00.000-05:00

Understand that at this time of year your horse is still wearing its winter coat and the weather is going to get nice and we want to ride. We can strip down to where we are comfortable, your horse cannot. Riding too long on a warm day on a horse that has stood most of the winter with little or no riding and still is wearing a winter coat, can cause severe colic, heat stroke and death. Be considerate of your animal. Don’t be selfish. If you feel warm enough to take off your coat, your horse will be too warm with his on. Go slower, ride less or ride on a cooler day when it may not be as comfortable for you. If you want to ride on the warm days and he is still wearing his winter coat, rest often, cool him down completely before putting him away and do not water him immediately you get off. I hear of so many people losing their horses this time of year. Please don’t let it be yours.

Horse Tip

2007-03-06T15:54:00.000-05:00

Start now to get ready to show in the spring.

1. Start brushing your horse at least twice a day to get the winter dirt off. This also gets you in shape to brush heavily when the horse starts to shed.

2. Start riding your horse at least twice a week, more if time permits. Your horse needs to be fit in order to be ready to show. People have a tendency to wait until warm weather to start riding and ride their horses too hard because they are short on time to be ready to show. This is unfair to the horse and has and can cause colic and illness in your horse.
START NOW.

3. Be sure to start your exercise program also so you can keep up with your horse. Walk to the barn, instead of riding the 4-wheeler. Carry the water instead of using the water hose. Do a few streches in the morning. If you are already doing exercises good for you.

4.Make your decision now on what classes you are going to show in. Don't wait until show day to decide to put your horse in dressage when you have been practicing Western Pleasure. No Fair. Your horse will not understand his job.

5. Start now and take your time. Get prepared