Supremely self-confident equestrians know how to optimise their unique talents and skills by harnessing the collective powers of their minds, their bodies, and their individual resources. The ability to build (or even re-build) one’s self-confidence, is essential for any rider. Absorbing and making use of high-quality information works from the inside out, resulting is a set of concrete strategies that are powerful, easy to apply, and quick to show results.

Where can one get inspiration and high-quality information? The following ten options are very practical and useful.

1.Watch instructional video’s and DVD’s

2.Join associations and clubs - often free on the internet

3.Subscribe to reputable newsletters via e-mail or RSS

4.Attend master classes/ lectures - check the BHS website for dates and locations

5.Attend residential workshops - these can be especially enjoyable if combined with an equestrian holiday

6.Get personal equestrian life coaching. Coaching helps you figure out who you are, where you are now and where you want to go from here. It helps you turn your riding dreams into goals. After all, a goal is only a dream with a deadline. An equestrian life coach offers you support and commitment, and use specialised professional skills to provide inspiration, motivation and encouragement.

Common benefits people experience from coaching include:

- Improved sense of direction/focus- a clear sense of direction is always useful to horse riders
- Increase self-knowledge/ awareness - you will master new riding skills faster if you are fully aware of your weaknesses…and strengths
- Improved ability to relate to others, especially to horses
- Increased motivation - essential on a freezing cold winter morning with several stables waiting to be mucked out
- Increased ability to handle change - since, as a horse riders, you never know exactly what is going to happen next, adapting to change is an essential ability
- Increased resourcefulness/resilience

7. Read books about riding technique written by excepted equestrian authorities.

8. Avoid overconfidence like the plague. Arrogance can be very dangerous. Pride comes before a fall - don’t risk a riding injury.

9. Attend horse shows, competitions, performances and open days. Fuel your motivation with inspiring quotes, books and films ( like Citizen Mane , Withering Heights ,The Bridle of Frankenstein, Gentlemen Prefer Palominos, Rein Man, Lawrence the Arabian and Stall Wars)

10. Inspirational and motivational quotes can change your life! Quotations can motivate and inspire you and increase your self esteem. Quotations can change your attitude and your mood. Reading famous quotations and reflecting on them will help you refocus on what is really important to you. And for that reason I am ending with a quotation from one of the greatest movie makers of all times:

Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C’s. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable. Walt Disney

Dr Margarethe de Clermont’s Ride with Supreme Self-Confidence and Tame Your Fear are powerful e-books full of practical equestrian information and written exclusively for horseback riders. Did you find these horse riding tips useful? Find out more about the e-books, free e-courses and e-zine available at http://www.equestrian-life-coaching.com/equestrian-information.html

When first learning to saddle a horse, you should know that there is no difference between using a western saddle or an English saddle. They require the same knowledge and steps.

Before Saddling Your Horse

Before you place a saddle on your horse, you should always groom the horse. Take the time to check and make sure there are no sores in the area the saddle will be placed. Then brush your horse to make sure that anything like grit or dirt is removed so you can prevent irritation or chaffing. When you are finished brushing, the hair on the horse’s back or girth should lie flat.

Saddling Your Horse

When you begin to saddle a horse, it is traditionally done from the left side. Although, if it is necessary, you can also do it from the right side of the horse. Now you are ready to place the blanket on the horse. If you are using a western saddle, first fold the blanket in half. Then place the blanket over the horse with the fold towards the horse’s head. Some blankets may have rings on them so you can attach it to the saddle and help keep it from moving around. If that is the case, make sure they are up and not against the horse.

Now check to make sure that the blanket is folded evenly. A tip to help make sure that the hair on the horse’s back stays flat is when you are placing the blanket over the horse start at the withers and slide it down the back into place.

Now you are ready to put the actual saddle on the horse. Before you place it on the horse, make sure you have properly hooked the stirrups so they will not smack the horse as you set the saddle down. Then lift the saddle high enough that you can set it down with out moving the blanket. Set it down easy; if you just drop it on the horse you may spook it. When you place it, try to place it a little higher up the back and let it “settle” in where it belongs.

Walk around to the other side and unattached the stirrup. Check to make sure that the blanket stayed in place, smooth out any wrinkles and make sure the hair remained flat. Double-checking is very important when you saddle a horse.

Now reach under the horse and get the girth or cinch. Bring it up and either tie the cinch or buckle the girth. When you do this, do it in increments. Start loosely and then slowly tighten. This gives the horse a chance to relax. Tighter is not always better. When you have the correct tightness, you should be able to place your fingers in between the girth and the horse. If you had rings on your blanket now is the time to hook them to the saddle.

Final Tip

Hopefully, these tips on how to saddle a horse have been helpful. Just remember to always check the girth and make sure it is tight every time you mount the horse.

Looking For Horse Care Tips? Get Your Free Horse Care eBook at http://www.borrowingfreedom.com. For More Horse Training Tips, Visit http://www.borrowingfreedom.com/horsecare.html

The brush is usually circular or oval, with little rubber teeth laying in circles or spirals around the outside and center. A curry-comb is a rubber brush used for removing the worst of dirt from a horse’s coat. It can also be used (very gently) to remove excess hair during shedding season. The curry comb is used in circles on a equine friend’s body, brushing dirt and dust to the surface.

It also releases natural oils on the horse’s body, giving it a sheen. A metal curry-comb is a brush used for cleaning the body brush and the dandy brush. A metal curry-comb is a brush used for cleaning the body brush and the dandy brush. A metal curry-comb is a brush used for cleaning the body brush and the dandy brush.

The equine as it is known today adapted by evolution to survive in areas of wide-open terrain with sparse vegetation, surviving in an ecosystem where other large grazing animals, especially ruminants, could not. All horses and ponies have a worm burden, and therefore treatment should be ongoing throughout the equine friend or pony’s life. Horses or ponies should be shod (hoof maintenance) every 4-6 weeks, depending on the equine friend and the weather.

The hoof continually grows, just like a large fingernail, and needs to be trimmed (and horseshoes reset, if used) every six to eight weeks. Horses that are fed improperly may develop colic or laminitis or “founder,” particularly if fed spoiled feed or subjected to excessive feed or a too-abrupt change of feed.

Andy McMellan writes for the bi-monthy newsletter American Horse Care. It contains usefull information on horses and horseback riding.

If horses are kept inside in a barn, they require regular daily exercise for their physical health and mental well-being. Some scholars believe the Spanish Conquistadors brought some vividly-marked horses with them when they first arrived in the early 1500s, others believe that the Russian fur-traders brought them at a later date. The Nez Perce obtained their original horses from the Shoshone people, and from there took advantage of the fact that they lived in notable horse-breeding country, relatively safe from the raids of other tribes, and developed strict breeding selection practices for their horses. The earliest evidence horses with a spotted coat pattern is from the cave paintings dating from the Upper Paleolithic era, circa 18,000 BC found at Lascaux and Peche-Merle in France. The Nez Perce tribe of the American Pacific Northwest developed the breed. The Nez Perce people were a relatively peaceful nation, a high amount of of whom engaged in agriculture as well as horse breeding.

In any case, the Nez Perce had a high amount of spotted horses by the late 1800s when they once again came to the attention of the rest of the world. The encroachment of gold miners in the 1860s and settlers in the 1870s put pressure on the tribe to give up much of their land, and various treaties between 1855 and 1863 reduced their original treaty lands of seven million acres by 90%.

A similarly spotted breed in Europe, with a sport equine build, is the Knabstrup. All ApHC-registered Appaloosas must be the offspring of two registered Appaloosa parents or a registered Appaloosa and a equine friend from an approved breed registry. The middle of the road “stock equine friend” build is well suited to western horsemanship disciplines such as cutting, reining, rodeo and O-Mok-See sports such as barrel racing (Camas Prairie Stump Race) and pole bending (Nez Perce Stake Race) as well as short-length equine friend racing, generally at the quarter-mile distance. The breeding program was financed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Nez Perce tribe, and the First Nations Development Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes tribal business development. The Appaloosa Museum foundation was formed in 1975 to preserve the history of the Appaloosa equine. The physical conformation of the original Appaloosa was typical of the range horses found in the western United States.

Appaloosa markings overlay the base coat color, and have several pattern variations.

The preface of the ApHC rule book states that the Appaloosa is “a breed defined by ApHC bloodline requirements and preferred characteristics, including coat pattern. The Nez Perce tribe once again began a breeding program in 1995 to develop a distinct breed, the Nez Perce Equine friend. The registry was originally housed in Moro, Oregon, then in 1947 moved to Moscow, Idaho. Today, the Appaloosa breed is one of America’s most in favor breeds and there are over 670,000 Appaloosas registered by the ApHC.

Andy McMellan writes for the bi-monthy newsletter American Horse Care. It contains useful information on horses and horseback riding.

Equine evolution was characterized by a reduction in the number of toes, from five per foot, to three per foot, to only one toe per foot . Austria is known worldwide for its Lipizzaner horses, used for dressage and high school work in the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Horses are oriented to be ridden or driven in a mass of different sporting events and competitions.

A number of equine breeds are used as draft horses with the variation being largely geographic. Draft horses are recognizable by their tall stature and extremely muscular build. Additionally, they are general for crossing to lighter breeds, especially the Thoroughbred, to create a good-minded sport equine for amateurs. Draught horses are versatile breeds used today for a multitude of purposes, including draft equine showing, farming, and for pleasure, but all share the traits of strength, stamina, health, longevity, patience and a docile temperament which made them indispensable to generations of pre-industrial farmers.

They tend to have short backs with very powerful hindquarters, again best suited for the purpose of pulling. They are also by and large used for cross-breeding, especially to breeds such as the Thoroughbred. These Shire horses are used to pull a Wadworth Brewery dray delivering beer to pubs in the Devizes area of Wiltshire, England. Today, draft horses are again valued as riding horses thanks to their temperament and stamina. The draught equine declined in economic importance following the end of the Second World War, and in the latter half of the twentieth century even the most well-known of the heavy breeds were on the verge of disappearing.

The vast majority of horses used in harness racing are of yet another breed, the Standardbred. They are used in carriage driving activities, pulling coaches, traditional and modern carriages, marathon vehicles, carts and gigs etc.

Andy McMellan writes for the bi-monthy newsletter American Horse Care. It contains useful information on horses and horseback riding.

Equine friend breeds with additional gaits that often occur natuarally include the Tennessee Walking Equine which naturally performs a running walk, the American Saddlebred which can easily be coached to exhibit a slow gait and the rack, the Paso Fino equine friend with the paso corto and paso largo, and Icelandic horses which are known for the tölt. Horses are adapted to grazing, so their teeth continue to grow throughout life. It should also have some form of regular exercise whether it is being ridden, lunged or turned out in a spacious field. Horses or ponies should be shod (hoof maintenance) every 4-6 weeks, depending on the equine and the weather. Horses are mammals and as such are all warm-blooded creatures, as opposed to reptiles, which are cold-blooded.

Horse wispering is similar to the different styles that are used to sharpen the wits Equines to accomplish some directions. There are various types of Instruction techniques that can be used to train Horses and some specific types of Horse teaching patterns to make a Equine sharp in different areas, like transport, sporting racing or other therapeutic works, for example, carrying physically disabled people.

Presently most Horses are adapted in entertainment and sporting activity. Besides, there are some Equine Breaking-in modules in the fields like crowd control, film work etc. But, the basic goal of Horse Preparing is to make a Horse aficionado enough to perform some essential works as required.

Various Breaking-in tricks are practiced by a young Horse at a young stage of 1-2 years of age. Liberty work, Desensitization, longeing, driving in ground, biting are in demand amongst them. All of these tips are aimed at all round development of a Equine. All these Exercise maneuvers should be introduced even Ahead of time a Equine friend is ready to be ridden.

After conclusion of above Training phases, horse riding maneuvers comes in to picture. The horseback riding professional tips are repeatedly termed as backing, mounting etc. A young Equine is not at all afraid of human and riding session is not a problematic matter. So at that junction of Basic training period a Horse is taught to respond to some essential commands to go ahead, stop, turn back etc. A Horse is also taught to sprout up or constrict speed responding to a particular command. Once a Equine is well aware of all necessary preliminary professional tips, advance Practice can be scheduled for specialization in a specific field.

Andy McMellan writes for the bi-monthly newsletter American Horse Care. It contains usefull information on horses and horseback riding.

Horses have long been among the most economically important domesticated animals; although their importance has declined with mechanization, they are still found worldwide, fitting into human lives in various ways. As prey animals, they have very large eyes (only the whale has a larger eye), with excellent day and night vision, though they may have a limited range of color vision. Horses also are used for historical reenactment of specific periods of history, to preserve cultural resources, or for ceremonial purposes. Around the world, horses play a role within human economies, for leisure, sport and working purposes. But today the term “warmblood” usually refers to a group of sport horse breeds that have dominated the Olympic Games and World Equestrian Games in Dressage and Show Jumping since the 1950s. Horses require annual vaccinations to protect against various diseases, need routine hoof care by a farrier, and regular dental examinations from a veterinarian or a specialized equine dentist.

Horses or ponies should be shod (hoof maintenance) every 4-6 weeks, depending on the horse and the weather. A horse that is not ridden daily or subjected to other stressors can maintain adequate nutrition on pasture or hay alone, with adequate water (10-12 gallons per day minimum) and free access to a salt block or loose salt. It should also have some form of regular exercise whether it is being ridden, lunged or turned out in a spacious field. Horses that are fed improperly may develop colic or laminitis or “founder,” particularly if fed spoiled feed or subjected to excessive feed or a too-abrupt change of feed. Bran should be fed with care as it is high in Phytates that bind dietry Calcium, Iron and Zinc preventing their absorption into the blood stream

A hackamore is a type of bitless bridle usually used to train young horses, or to go easy on an older horse’s mouth. German martingale: This design consists of a split fork that comes up from the chest, runs through the rings of the bit and attaches to the reins of the bridle between the bit and the rider’s hand. Some western saddles will also have a second strap known as a flank or back cinch that fastens at the rear of the saddle and goes around the widest part of the horse’s belly. Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms of horse tack.

Andy McMellan writes for the bi-monthly newsletter American Horse Care. It contains useful information on horses and horseback riding.

If you’re like a lot of horse owners perhaps you’ve tried several horseshoers or perhaps there was only one choice in your area and you only use the local farrier. In either case the chances are pretty high the quality of work your farrier is delivering is inferior. The risk to your horse is high. The cost of lameness is also high. Nevertheless you somehow made your choice of Farrier. Hopefully you were lucky - or are you? Sometimes lameness as a result of inferior shoeing takes it’s time before striking.

Just the other day I received a call from a new client that came through a recommendation. This new client emailed me telling me how she was at the end of her rope due to all the controversy surrounding shoeing horses and amongst Farriers. Her horse is lame and has been for quite some time. The Farriers would come straight out and tell her they’re “afraid” to address the issues the horse has with conformation of the feet. This woman had searched for Farriers that could answer definitively certain questions she was proposing and yet she was not getting answers.

In her case the result was a lame horse, that was staying lame and if she continued to ride could quite possibly remain permanently lame. The interesting part of this is the Farriers not being able to provide solutions were not discouraging continued riding of the horse. So without the correct answers the horse is sent out to be ridden into further risk of lameness.

Are you asking yourself yet - what is missing here? Why so much mystery and confusion and unanswered questions around horses being shod and the care for their feet? And not just by “You” the horse owners’ part but also on the Farriers side as well. Since when is it ok for Farriers to “Not have answers” and solutions to problems when it comes to shoeing? Since when is it ok for horses to be sent off to continued use and riding when foot issues are not taken care of by Farriers? Well to be quite frank - it’s NOT ok!!

The truth is there “Are” answers to the questions and there “Are” solutions to the problems. In the case of the woman above when I drove for an hour and a half to her stable to consult with her she asked me the same questions - but this time she got answers where before she got none (Silence). This time a “System” of shoeing was explained to her - a “Complete” system. And for the first time for this woman she heard things explained about shoeing that she’d never heard before. She got the “Truth”.

In her own words after hearing the truth she said “She now Holds the Key”. And it’s true. The Truth will set you free. The more you understand about horses (inside your brain) the more gets translated to the horse and translated into your horsemanship. The more is reflected between horse and rider. The truth sets you free to ride with new passion and new insight and inspiration. When a horse is shod correctly - you know it and your horse knows and better yet “Feels” it. The combination is enlightening.

This system of shoeing used on the womans horse mentioned above has a 16 year 100% track record - “Not One Single Lame Horse”. You can have the method and find the truth for yourself by clicking the website link below in the Author Bio.

Thank you, happy riding and remember to Care4Horses.

Reprint rights allowed providing nothing is changed.

Author Bio: John Silveira, Farrier, Aikido practitioner, spiritualist, born and raised in San Mateo California the bay area. For information on his shoeing method and the 100% track record just go to http://Care4Horses.com and leave contact information.
thank you and remember to Care4Horses

As a Farrier working in the San Francisco Bay area I graduated from what is considered by many the worlds’ best horseshoeing school in 1991. Even though I graduated at the top of the class I still felt like something was missing from the education the school was giving- I could just tell there was more to shoeing than what was being taught. The class I took was the mastery program (the most comprehensive) at a cost of 5 thousand dollars to me for three full months of the live in curriculum.

Fortunately for me and my business very soon after I came out of the school I got onto what I was looking for in regard to the truth about shoeing and I discovered for myself what the schools didn’t teach. In hind sight what a relief. You see since I put this method into practice I have had a 100% 16 year track record of “Not One Single Lame Horse”. Personally if I had graduated and horses became lame due to my shoeing practices I’m pretty sure I would have quit my profession. I just can’t tolerate lameness least of all if it’s due to my methods of shoeing.

The long story short is over the years - 16 I have experienced and witnessed many things in the field or horseshoeing. My curiosity led me to study many of (if not all) of the other shoeing methods. Returning to barns just to go check out how a horse was looking and doing from being shod by other Farriers can be very enlightening. There have been cases where my clients have lost my phone number and used other Farriers only to then find my phone number out of necessity because the Farrier they had changed to is ruining their horses and causing lameness.

Others have come back to me as clients after realizing their horse is not moving and performing as well as when I was shoeing the horse. So after witnessing all the problems and lameness happening around me by other Farriers due to lack of correct information about shoeing the whole lameness issue started to weigh in on me. As I realized how far reaching lameness is - basically its world wide I started to become saddened for the horses mostly at first but then sad for the horse owners - the people who have to live through lameness to their horses and too many times have to put their horses down.

This widespread problem of lameness and improper shoeing practices continues to date. The need to stand up and do something about this problem became more and more uppermost in my mind. After all the cross examination and researching and realization of the truth of what’s happening to horses I just couldn’t quietly keep shoeing horses minding my own business and not stand up to do something and work towards making a difference in the world of shoeing. Just having my horses and the horses I shoe keep sound was not enough, I have the knowledge I know the truth and I had to let it out.

Now that leads us to these articles. It’s a movement - it’s my movement - it’s the direction I have taken, and now it’s a movement you can take - for yourself - and for others. You can also take part in helping save the horses by getting this information for yourself and spreading it to every other person involved with horses. To save your own horses and prevent lameness and liberate yourself from blind faith in your Farrier just click the web address below in the Author Bio. “The Truth Will Set You Free”.

Thank you, happy riding and remember to Care4Horses.

Reprint rights allowed providing nothing is changed.

Author Bio: John Silveira, Farrier, Aikido practitioner, spiritualist, born and raised in San Mateo California the bay area. For information on his shoeing method and the 100% track record just go to http://Care4Horses.com and leave contact information.
thank you and remember to Care4Horses

What impression do you want to make? Choosing the right barrel racing horse saddle can sometimes be difficult, but only if you make it that way. You already know your favorite color, what tooling you would like and you should know, or approximately know what size of seat you need. The barrel racing horse saddle should be appealing to your eye since you are the one riding, and most every rider wants there horse to look great and catch everyone else’s eye. Just knowing that when everyone turns, stops, and looks at you and your horse because of the picture you make and the impression you are making to others who are also looking at you, makes you know that you have done a great job outfitting your horse and yourself, You get that wonderful surge of adrenaline from looking great and what it has accomplished, that the feeling will just plain make you feel good and will take you through the rest of day, whether it is racing, riding, or just working your horse in the round pen .

Remember that you don’t have to have a new saddle or all new tack, sometimes if you add just one piece and do some work on your old saddle, shine it up, add a few touches yourself, you will achieve the impressive look just like anyone with a new complete outfit.

Barrel racing is just racing the clock, and hopefully beating everyone else’s time. But, many have said that when you feel great and look wonderful, the clock just kind of stands still and you finish with a great time. Naturally, we know that the saddle, tack and beautiful clothes do not matter when you are going top speed around the barrels. But, you already have the initial adrenaline from before the race, then when you receive that extra adrenaline while sitting on your horse waiting your turn, your mind and nerves are stretched to the limit for those few seconds. You will still have that gorgeous outfit until you decide to change to your look again.

The barrel racing saddles in several new colors, such as pink, purple, turquoise, lime green seems like what the younger rider wants. Of course, most of the saddles with color also have beautiful tooling that has matching tack which makes the combination look stunning. There is also, the all leather handcrafted saddles which are so beautiful by themselves they don’t need to have any bright colors. I guess these saddles are for the little older rider but I feel they are for everyone that just likes a beautiful saddle combination of matching horse tack and saddle. After all, age has nothing to do with it, because my feelings are that we are only as old as we make ourselves, and that being said pick the saddle that best suits you and will do the work you want it to, then you have the right horse saddle for you.

Please note that the barrel racing saddle can be used for any other activities besides barrel racing. Just use your imagination and apply the greatest desires you have in any of the horse activities you want to enter, and then just go for it. Although, the barrel racing saddles need to be crisp, clean, and have closely cropped skirts for less weight that makes the distinctive tooling and the bright colors a plus. Just set your heart on the impression you want to make and you can not go wrong. After all, it is all about what you can afford and want in quality, comfort, color, and the size that fits you, and then know that you have it made the right choice.

Nancy L Gloss is giving her ideas on barrel racing saddles from researching about all horse saddles for my website http://supremehorsesaddles.com