First off is the horse betting bet of the “Exacta” also known as the “Perfecta”.

This is simply picking the first two horses to finish 1st and 2nd in the exact order of finish. If, for example, you liked the #4 and the #3 in a race, you can bet an exacta, yet you would need to figure out which horse you wanted on top to finish first. If you liked the #3 a little more than the #4, then it would be a 3 – 4 exacta.

For the “exacta box” bet. An exacta box simply means that you are betting in a way that either the #3 or the #4 horse can finish in any order, first or second. But, an exacta box will cost $4.00 (using $2. minimum bets). It is just like betting 4-3 for $2, and another bet for 3-4 for $2., but it appears on one mutual ticket if your at the race track betting.

A Quinella is the same as the Exacta Box but it costs $2 instead of $4.

Of course it pays much less than the Exacta. Not every track offers Quinella betting and is geared more towards dog racing, yet you will find it at some horse tracks.

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to betting on the horses. Some people believe that it’s impossible to profit in horse racing. Some believe that all you need to do is bet the favorites. Still, others believe that the only way to make money is to bet the huge long shots and pray for a miracle. All of these thoughts are false. You can make money betting on horses, and you don’t need to pick favorites all the time or bet on miracle finishes often.

Here is a juicy piece of information for you. The favorite wins the race (thoroughbred racing) about 33% of the time. Therefore, if you simply bet the favorite, you will be losing 67% of the time. Since favorites don’t always pay too well, you would end up losing over the long run. Still, money can be made betting on favorites. Each race is different. In some races, the favorite might be an even money favorite. In others, the favorite might be a 3-1 favorite.

How you bet is just as important as how much you bet. A common bet is called across the board. When you make this wager, you are betting on the horse to win, place and show. If the horse comes in first, you win all three bets. The show bet is the most conservative wager in horse racing, and it pays like it. It’s common to be paid only 20 cents on the dollar for a show bet. Many inexperience bettors place a show bet “to be safe,” but it’s a money sink.

Unless the horse is going off at a good price (odds), making a show bet is a losing proposition. The best way to wager on a good horse is win and possibly place�never show. Think about it this way, if I told you I had a proposition that you might win 33% of the time, and it will pay 1-5, which means you bet $5 and win $1, would you jump on it? Of course you wouldn’t. This is kind of what it’s like to make a show bet on a good horse.

At the end of the day, how you wager can up accounting for half or more of your success potential. Bettors that don’t figure this out wonder why their bankroll is not larger after their “winning” day. Place your bets properly and you will be halfway home to being a successful horse racing bettor. Money can be and is, made in horse racing every single day. On busy days, there are more than one hundred betting opportunities to take advantage of. One last piece of advice. If a race is not favorable to you�odds wise�move along. There will be plenty more races to bet on.

Balking is one of the most aggravating habits that a horse can have. You’re ready to go but the horse is not and probably will not be for a while. This is a challenging part of horse training.

A balky horse usually stands and looks back, as if it expected something to happen from the rear, and he is seldom disappointed, for the driver usually makes the air hot with a volley of words and the hissing of the whip. His words have absolutely no meaning to the horse and naturally he becomes more and more confused and his senses more and more blunted. It would be better instead of yelling and slashing with a whip to sing a song and step to one side and slash the fence. The horse’s confusion would change to astonishment and he would probably move off.

No horse balks simply because it wants to stand. There is no reason for a horse balking the first time; several repetitions of the cause, followed by a succeeding act, becomes a habit, and the habit remains when the cause has long since ceased to exist.

Balking is a confused, inactive and almost insensible condition of the mind that happens when the horse is faced with two conflicting problems. For example, if a strong willed horse wants to go to the stable and you jerk back to pull him on another direction these conflicts can confuse him. Since he can think of just one thing at a time, he becomes confused and sullen and stops. If the first stroke or two of the whip does not attract his attention to something else others will only lock his mind and make him all the more insensible to his surroundings.

In another example a young ambitious horse is hitched by the side of a slow, sluggish horse. The command “Get up” is given and the ambitious colt leaps forward, promptly, only to jerk on his tender shoulders, and mouth, because the old horse did not obey at once. When this is repeated a few times, he becomes confused, because he was jerked for going forward and whipped for going backward, and, in his confusion, he could only stand and prance.

This is same as when a man of keen intellect, who is an entertaining talker in ordinary conversation, freezes when asked to give a speech. He becomes unable to say a word, and so confused he could hardly tell his own name and not know enough to sit down. It is something of the same condition of mind the balking horse gets into. It would be brutal to abuse the man because his mind became inactive in the new surroundings, and it is still more brutal to abuse the balking horse with his lesser mental powers. But that’s exactly what many do.

The solution may surprise you, as may much of the advice given by Professor Beery in his series of books on horsemanship. Some is common sense but some expert advice makes you wonder how it would ever work, but it does.

The way to stop a horse from stopping or balking is just as he is telling you by his eyes and ears and motion of the head that he is about to stop, say “Whoa” firmly, and give a powerful wrench on the lines. By stopping him before he stops of his own accord, you have disconcerted him and thrown him into a thoughtful mood. When you feel that you have his attention drawn from balking, give a confident “Get Up” and at the same time a side pull on the line.

Naturally, there’s more to it than that, especially if you’re dealing with a horse confirmed in the habit so you should visit www.HorseTrainingResources.com for help with this and other horse habits.

Running away, like all other habits, is caused by improper and careless handling. It only takes three or four experiences of this kind to make a horse unsafe to drive, ride or work. The driver is never sure whether he will get back with the whole rig or not. This is not the only bad feature of having a runaway horse, for the driver never knows when he will be thrown out, in making a quick turn, or running over some sort of an obstruction and either badly shaken up, or, possibly crippled for life. I would rather risk my life behind a kicker or shyer any day, than behind a runaway before he has been properly subdued and with no means of control except the lines.

A great many runaway horses have had the most severe jaw-breaking bits used on them. Most drivers imagine that if they put a severe jaw-breaking bit on the runaway horse that they have a means of control. They continue in this belief until the horse becomes frightened or sees an opportunity to run off, and then, in spite of the action of the jaw-breaking bit, the horse runs away and smashes things to pieces. I have seen horses’ tongues almost torn from the mouth, sometimes hanging by a very small piece of flesh or muscle, caused by the use of harsh bits, in the drivers’ effort to restrain them.

There is only one way to overcome this habit and that is by a complete subjective treatment. You must overpower his strength and convince him that you have control of him even under excitement of any kind. However, you should never start to train a runaway horse without having one or two helpers on hand, as you will need them at practically every stage of the game.

According to Professor Beery “the treatment for a runaway is similar to that used in subduing a shyer. He should have racket made all over and around him, and anything he is liable to frighten at should be used about him and he should be drilled thoroughly on the commands “Whoa,” “Steady,” and “Get Up.” Be sure he is aware of the fact that struggle as he will, you have complete control over him, under any circumstances, and at any time.”

Special bridles can also be used to help train and dissuade a potential runaway, especially one that is not confirmed in the habit and has shown an inclination to run only once or twice. In a great number of cases all that is necessary is to compel him to stop at your will, and he will become so discouraged that he will give up the contest. The use of the Second Form War Bridle is usually sufficient to overcome the habit, if it is not fully developed. When a horse shows a desire to run, the driver, by a few quick jerks on the cord, gives the horse severe punishment across some of the nerves leading to the brain, and has him under control within a few feet from where he first started.

To find out how to train a runaway and how to make the special bridles visit www.HorseTrainingResources.com.

Anyone who regularly rides trail on horseback will tell you that a good trail horse is worth his weight in gold. A common misconception is that if the horse isn’t good enough for any other sport, he will still be fine for the trail. This is not necessarily the case. A good trail horse is born and trained as much as any other performance horse.

Traits of a Good Trail Horse

While most of the qualities that make a good trail horse are trained, there are a few conformational and personality traits that I feel are essential. I ride in the Rocky Mountains and, more often than not, I am leading a pack string. So I look for:

• A calm disposition
• Ability to get along with other horses
• Good feet - healthy and in proportion to his body
• Pronounced set of withers
• Good traveler - will walk about 4 mph alone, but can slow down to 3 mph if we are leading a pack string
• Stands tied patiently without pulling back
• A good dose of “horse sense”

Additional Training

Once I have a horse with these traits, I begin to work on other training that will make him an excellent trail horse. Without question, I require that my trail horses are able to:

• Load and unload without fuss
• Stand tied patiently without pawing
• Cross water, mud and bridges
• Walk down the trail without falling off
• Ride away alone from other horses without argument
• Turn around on a narrow trail
• Stand quietly on the highline
• Wear hobbles

People who ride in different terrains may have different sets of criteria. Consequently, I think it is very important to identify your particular needs before you go looking for a trail horse.

Age vs. Experience

When looking for a trail horse, age is always a factor and younger is not necessarily better. I personally prefer to buy a horse that I can get on and ride from day one. But other people like to train their mounts rather than correct someone else’s training. If I find the right young horse (one with the qualities I first mentioned), I am willing to put in a little time on him. I don’t fancy myself a trainer, but in these situations, I think there is nothing better for young horses than to be out on the trail behind a steady, experienced horse. I have a favorite trail for training young horses that is fourteen miles round trip and offers a variety of experiences including creek crossings, a short bridge and mud.

But as I said, my personal preference is to buy a trail horse that I can get on from day one. So I certainly never hesitate to buy one with a little age on it. A healthy 10- or 12-year old horse still has many good years left in him and the fun can start right away. I might have to work out some kinks, but a couple of good long rides and we are usually on the same page. Remember, though, age doesn’t necessarily equal experience. Real trail experience can be worth the extra money on the purchase price, especially if you are just starting out or if you are like me and want a better than average chance that you won’t have problems on the trail. I am just no longer interested in having a rodeo 15 miles from the trailer.

Breed

I am not partial to any one breed, including a grade horse, if he has the traits I need. In our area of the Rocky Mountains, we see a lot of Quarter Horses, Paints, Morgans, Arabians and all manner of crosses. We also see a lot of gaited breeds like Tennessee Walkers and Missouri Fox Trotters. Additionally saddle mules are becoming quite popular. All of these will make fine trail horses/mules if, once again, they have the right traits.

One note, if you like to ride with groups or you will always have the same partner, it would be wise to ensure the horse you are looking at doesn’t travel too much slower or faster than the group. One of our customers with a Tennessee Walker tried riding with her friends who ride Quarter Horses. By the end of the ride, both horse and rider were miserable from having to adjust his natural gait to stay with the group.

Gender

I don’t like to get hung up on which are better, mares or geldings, because I think it comes down to personal preference and the individual animal. My first choice is a gelding, but I would never turn down a mare if she had the right qualities. I would, however, avoid a stallion for the trail. He could be the best horse on the ranch, really well behaved and always good with you. But you never know who you might meet on the trail or how well they can control their horse.

Try Him Out!

Ideally when you find a horse that has the qualities that you desire and you think would make a great trail horse, you will be allowed to try him out for a week or see how he is in at least a couple of different situations. Hopefully, this will tell just what level of experience he truly has and whether all those traits you saw at the barn are still there on the trail where you really need them. And if the owners won’t let you try the horse out, it might be a bad sign.

My Favorites

After many years and many mounts, there are two that really stick out in my mind as having been some of the best. Elmo was most likely a registered Quarter Horse, but I never knew for sure. He was steady, willing and loved people. We had four great years together before he retired with a little girl nearby. Moose, however, was NOT a people horse. But he was a terrific trail horse once you caught him. He was a good looking Paint who knew he was the leader, and so did the rest of the string. He was agile, strong and he always paid attention to where he was going and where he put his feet. I miss them both.

Horse walkers are a vital piece of equipment for anyone who is serious about horses and stabling. A Horse Walker is a useful time saving way of exercising your horses, and also of cooling them down after a ride. Other uses include halter breaking and nursing an ill animal back to health. Renewed daily use of a horse walker should result in a stronger, fitter horse. Using a horsewalker before a ride means the horse will be able to concentrate more on the job in hand when he is taken out and tacked up.

There are several different types of horsewalkers but they all have common features. Most horse walkers cater for four or six horses at a time although there are horse walkers on the market to suit almost any number of animals. Basic models are flat packed and assembled on site, but at the other end of the spectrum, stables can buy horse walkers with roofs on, with fencing and with a huge range of speeds and controls. Most walkers, as well as having variable speeds, also have a forward and a reverse motion.

Higher end models allow you to take pressure off parts of the horse which may be injured, to stop it bucking, as it may do in an open field, and preventing its wound from fully healing.

Safety is always the priority, and those looking to purchase an equine exerciser should make sure it suits both them and their horse, and has basic safety features such as an emergency cut off switch, should the horse become distressed for any reason. There should also be enough space within the horse walker for the animal to be able to relax.

Ground Manners - An Overview

Horse training success is all in the work from the ground. A good, long-term relationship between you and your horse is built from the ground up, literally. Ground manners is about teaching your horse how to behave around humans and that you are his protector and friend. The two go hand in hand by building leadership respect and trust. The time dedicated to building a proper foundation by establishing control on the ground is well worth the effort involved.

Why would you want to bother with ground manners? Well, safety issues are a good start. An untrained or poorly trained horse with bad habits such as biting, kicking, rearing and charging (among others) is dangerous. A horse can kill a person with these behaviors. The horse can injure himself, for example, by rearing and banging his head on a low ceiling. Horses do knock themselves out, cut their heads on a nail or sharp corner and require stitches. Just think of the vet bills. And the panic you’d feel in this situation. Or think of the litigation if your horse kicked someone, injuring them so they were unable to work. These things do happen. Teaching a horse good ground manners is teaching a horse that these are unacceptable and unnecessary reactions.

The horse that won’t stand still is a danger. One day you’ll be caught in the wrong spot, he’ll get a fright and someone will be hurt. The horse that keeps leaning into you and treading on your (soon to be broken) foot is not fun. The horse that tries to kick when you pick out his feet is going to injure you one day. Good ground manners is about teaching a horse to respect your personal space.

The nervous or disobedient horse is also a danger. The jumpy horse that shies and knocks you over is a liability. The horse that loses his mind and tries to run every time he sees a plastic bag is more than a nuisance. Ground manners is about showing your horse that scary things aren’t so scary and to have confidence in you. To trust that you, as leader and protector, will always keep him safe.

Good manners on the ground makes the transition to riding much smoother and much much simpler. You will have learned to read your horse’s feelings or mood. He is not your servant. He is your partner. He will have learned unquestioned obedience. As a result, your riding sessions will be more fun.

Taking the time to lay firm foundations will also mean that you will be training a horse that is willing to please, that is EASIER TO TRAIN IN THE LONG RUN, that is a joy to work with and not an obstinate animal that is always acting out. When you choose to own a horse, you’re making a commitment for many years, so you want to be sure you’re going to have a well-behaved and easy to handle horse-friend.

The Basics Of Ground Manners For Your Horse

Teaching good ground manners right from the beginning will result in a horse that is a joy to own, while keeping yourself as safe as possible. Enforcing ground manners will teach your horse to:

* Look to you as leader for what to do whenever he is unsure of a situation (less likely to bolt, shy or be disobedient in new situations)
* Not crowd your personal space (no kicking, biting, charging, leaning, treading on your feet etc)
* Respond appropriately to whatever you are asking him to do
* Have calm confidence in the outside world because you will protect him
* Stand still patiently
* Tie calmly
* Allow you to pick up his feet for cleaning
* Allow you to groom him
* Calmly accept being bridled, haltered and led
* Accept being saddled without moving
* Refrain from nipping, kicking, charging or rearing to get his way

All this BEFORE you get on his back. It is actually a good idea to spend some time with a new horse on getting these basics right before you start riding. Despite how eager you will probably be to hop on and go, spend a few weeks or even months working on ground manners. It pays off in the end. If you’re having trouble with riding your horse, it may also be a wise investment of time to stop riding for a while and get these basics back on track.

So how do you instill those good ground manners in your horse? By understanding how a horse’s mind works. There are 6 basic principles you need to learn that apply to all horse situations.

1. Repetition
It is not widely known that a horse can take around 60 iterations of a lesson to ‘get it’. That’s right. It may take you repeating the exact same lesson 60 times before your horse understands what you are trying to teach. To put this in perspective, if you see your horse once a week and teach the same lesson once each time, then it may take over a year for your horse to learn it. Of course you may try the lesson more than once a session and you may see your horse more than once a week, but it takes TIME and PATIENCE to train a horse effectively.

The good news is that you can be successful in training your horse to have good behavior in any situation. This applies to all horses, whether they are young, old, previously poorly trained or have been in neglectful and abusive situations. You can teach your horse to lead, tone down aggressive behaviors towards people and other horses, teach a nervous horse to be calm, and get rid of bad habits horses learn such as rearing, biting, and kicking. All of this can be attained. But please remember that horse training takes as long as it takes. 60 repetitions is an average.

2. Be a leader to your horse
Horses are herd animals and are mentally wired to look up to the leader of the herd. In a herd, which is the natural situation for a horse, there is a pecking order (order of dominance). The stallion and lead mare are the leaders. Every other horse below them in the pecking order will look to these two to find out how to react in a given situation. If the leaders are calm, the others are calm, if the leaders are running for their lives, the rest of the herd is right behind them. It is also the leaders job to keep an eye out for danger. Or in other words, the leaders signal to the rest of the herd what is dangerous and what is safe. The rest of the herd has 100% faith in their leaders. They follow blindly. They do not think rationally or for themselves. This horse behavior makes a horse very easy to train.

To use this horse behavior to your advantage when you’re training your horse, the leader of his herd needs to be you. You MUST show, through your tone of voice, your body language, your confidence, that you are a leader. For example, you cannot expect a horse to walk calmly past a barking dog if you are frightened yourself. If there are situations around your horse that scare you, you need to be inventive and work out how to avoid the situation where your horse can see you as weak. If your horse often charges you, avoid the trigger situation until you have established dominance in other situations. Get outside help if you need it. A horse generally weighs as much as 10 times more than a human, so you cannot expect to out muscle your horse when it behaves inappropriately. It is crucial that you become the leader to your horse so he follows you, rather than dragging you around.

3. Consistency
Being a leader also means having a zero tolerance policy towards your horse invading your personal space or disobeying your requests. In the herd, the pecking order is often challenged. Stay vigilant as the pecking order is never set in stone. If you get slack, the horse will start to dominate you. Be firm, consistent and persistent in applying your rules. You’re either training or de-training your horse every moment you’re with him. Mind the small stuff. It really does matter. Your horse will test you in small ways to see how serious you are. If you don’t hold your ground over your space or do accept a tardy response to a request, you’re effectively eroding the respect he has for you. ‘That’s ok, I don’t really mean stop when I say so’. This is then a green flag for your horse to try on bigger and bigger misbehaviors. For example, don’t let your horse kiss you. Not just for reasons of hygiene! No, letting any horse nibble or kiss you is sending him down the slippery slope of developing a biting habit. After all, a bite is just a firm nibble isn’t it? And a biting problem is not one you want to be dealing with. Painful for you, and difficult to get rid of. In this case, no kisses, no nibbles, no bites. Ever. Be firm, consistent and persistent in applying your ground rules. Absolute CONSISTENCY is the key to fast training.

4. Trust
One of the biggest reasons horses lack good ground manners is the fact they don’t trust as well as respect the people who are handling them. Trust and respect go hand in hand and once you have attained that, the rest of your training is so much easier. As leader (where you earn respect), part of your job is to keep your horse SAFE (where you earn trust). That’s safe from his perspective, not yours. You might think he’s perfectly safe in a trailer, but if he’s never been in one you’ll need to show him that you’ll go into one and that other horses agree it’s safe too. Your job is to prove to your horse that no matter what goes on around him, he will not be harmed. Angry bullying won’t work. Losing your temper won’t work. Banging his teeth with the bit, slapping him unexpectedly on the rump, making loud, sudden noises and unexpected gestures don’t help either. Let your horse know where you are and what you’re up to as much as possible. Be calm, be considerate, be affectionate, be patient. This path leads to earning your horse’s trust, an essential for a long and happy relationship.

5. Be fun
No one, even a horse, enjoys all work and no play. Remember to make your lessons enjoyable. Your aim is to encourage your horse to look forward to hanging out with you. What your horse likes will be individual, but most horses have a place on their body they like having scratched or rubbed. This can be a reward for obedience. Many horses enjoy the mental stimulation of a lesson if it’s not repeated endlessly in one go. More than half an hour on any one lesson at once is too much. 10 or 15 minutes is enough. And horses like variety in their ‘work’. So sometimes go out for a trail ride, sometimes do some jumping, sometimes work in the ring. Mix it up and keep it interesting. A bored horse is a cranky horse, and anyone in a bad mood is likely to misbehave.

6. Comfort
The horse likes a life of comfort. That means, a life free from irritants as well as pain. You can use his dislike of being irritated to your training advantage. Basically, you are looking for non-painful but annoying things you can do to encourage your horse to do as you ask. The key is to remove the irritant immediately when the horse does what you are asking. Stopping the annoying thing you were doing is his reward for doing as you asked. This is the most effective and yet gentle way to teach your horse to do what you ask

One example of irritant training is a technique called pressure and release. An example of pressure and release:
If you wanted your horse to turn its head to the left, you would put your hand in the halter strap and gently pull to the left just slightly. As soon as the horse begins to turn his head left, let go of the halter, releasing the pressure, and praise your horse quietly. If your horse were to pull to the right instead, you would continue to apply gentle pressure to the left until your horse complied, then release and praise again. Through patient, consistent repetition, your horse will learn what you are asking. This is the pressure and release training method in a nutshell, and can be applied throughout your horse’s training.

So these are the 6 basics of teaching ground manners. Repetition; Be a leader; Consistency; Trust; Be fun; and Comfort. Apply these whenever you are around your horse and you will be well on the way to many happy times.

Having recently been lent an original copy of the �Treatise on the Diseases of Horses’ written by William Gibson, Surgeon, in 1751, it has been interesting to compare horse lore then to now. This article looks at one of the early chapters.

Written in the old English manner with �f’s instead of �s’, it does not make easy reading, but it is fascinating, not least in the fact that little seems to have changed in the last 300 years of our relationship with horses. The chapter on �Such Faults and Defect as ought chiefly to be avoided in buying of Horses’ does not read very differently to the advice to be found in any horse magazine or book today! Some pictures from the book are reproduced at www.limebrook.com/1751horselore.html

The author opens with the statement �I believe most of those who have had any great dealing in horses will readily agree to this, that few things in common life are more difficult than the buying of a horse well, and I have know many who have boasted of their skill and dexterity that way, and made greater pretence than others in the knowledge of horses, very much deceived’. Ah, well, yes - still very true today, though more poetically put perhaps.

Gibson says that long experience and good taste regulated with some judgement is necessary when buying a horse, �otherwise a man is like to make but an indifferent choice’.

Of course, 300 years ago buying a horse must have been more like buying a second hand car today. A horse was a necessity if you wanted to get around, plough your farm or carry your goods. It was not the luxury it is nowadays, and a hobby, but the only mode of transport and a way of life. Today many mistakes are made when purchasing horses, but imagine how much worse it would have been when your livelihood depended on it!

Gibson says that there is so much advice that could be given that it would fill up a whole volume, and indeed points his readers to other books that were available at the time - that of the Duke of Newcastle for example! To show nothing much changes, today, this type of advice is found in nearly every edition of every horse magazine sold.

Nowadays we advise new owners to try and take a horse for a trial period - Gibson also recommends this, noting that �several defects in a horse are of such a nature, that they cannot be easily discovered till a person has had him a short time in his own keeping’. Visible defects, which should automatically be avoided, include specks on his eyes, �if he startles or flies off at the sight of common objects, if his feet are so plainly bad as to make him go crippling along, if he heaves at his flanks and coughs: these and many more of suchlike are defects that cannot be hid even from those who perhaps know but little of the horse’.

Unfortunately, this is the one chapter in the book where some pages are missing; however it is interesting to see the order in which Gibson refers to the main points which should be inspected. The first few pages are devoted to examining the eyes, which we don’t talk much about today. This is followed by a discussion about the foot, before he moves onto look more at the form, starting with the shoulder. Unfortunately it is at this point the pages are missing, and from this particular volume we can gain no more advice from 1751.

Much weight is given to the eyes, which can apparently fool even experienced people. Horses apparently should have �transparency’ of the eyes, but because of the way they are growing, up until the age of six their eyes can appear better than they really are. It is important therefore to look at the �form and manner of the eye, which includes not only the body of the eye, but the eyelids’ and eyebrows. Apparently �many good ey’d horses have a heaviness in their countenance with a lowering brow, yet great numbers of this aspect go blind with cataracts when they are about seven years old’.

A tip for examining horses eyes is given �Most people in examining a horse’s eyes lead him under a gateway or some shade that they may see perfectly the colour and transparency of the eyes, but the best way is to observe his countenance when he comes first out of a dark stable into a strong light; for if he has any weakness in his eyes he will wrinkle his brow, and look upwards to receive more light’. �If the pupil lessons upon his coming out into a strong light it is almost an infallible sign that the eye is good’. Gibson also mentions the link between poor eyes and spooking, or �startling’ as it was put 300 years ago, although he dismisses what �some suspect that all horses that startle to have bad eyes� for many horses startle merely out of fear’. Although he does �imagine not a few [startle] from some defect in vision’. All horses may at some time see something �indistinctly’ which causes them to spook, but a horse which spooks frequently when nothing is in front of him might be doing so because of something wrong with his eyes!

Judging a horse from his feet is apparently easier than judging the state of his eyes, but is considered of great importance, as �bad feet in a horse is like a horse that has a weak foundation’. He describes the problems which make them more prone than others to lameness or �at least makes them unfit for the most common uses, as hunting and travelling’.

It is not enough, according to Gibson, simply to judge the condition of the horse’s feet just by seeing them walking as �there are other things to be considered, without which a good horseman may be deceived’.

A �thin foot’, where the �crust or horn is thin’ can be easily seen when the shoe is removed, but Gibson recognises �this trial will seldom be allowed in buying of a horse’, but can be seen by examining where the shoe nails are clenched and riveted. Even strong feet can cause problems if they have been neglected on a long journey, by too much hard riding, �especially on dry stony grounds, or when they stand long in a hot dry stable’ as they can go lame and tender, although will have no visible defect. A very hard strong foot is the �greatest inconveniency’ as is subject to rifts and fissures.

Narrow heels are another defect described, although �some horse’s feet are tolerably good even where the heels are narrow’. Both forefeet too, should be looked at to ensure that they are of equal size, although he says that this can occur from the horse �using one leg more than the other as it happens to working men who use the right hand and arm more than the left’. A �very high heel is another extreme which greatly lessons the value of a horse’ and is a �cause of unsteadiness in a horse’s going’ and �exposes him often to trip and stumble’. A large foot which is disproportioned to �his other parts’ is also to be avoided, and may have damage �which not only denotes weakness, but heaviness and inaptitude to any brisk and vigorous action, and therefore unfit for the coach or saddle’.

Gibson does not agree that white feet are generally worse that any other colour, stating �I have seen white footed horses have their feet such as the ablest judges could not find fault with’. He continues; when a foot is smooth and tough, of a middle size without wrinkles, neither too hard and brittle nor too soft, and when the heel is firm, open and no ways spongy or rotten, and the frog horny and dry, and the sole somewhat hollow like the inside of a dish or bowl, whatever be the colour, such a foot will for the most part turn out good’. Though he does note that a �dark or black hoof where it resembles that of a deer is generally the best’, and that this is the reason people will avoid buying a horse with too many white feet!

Moving to the shoulders, both too heavy or narrow shouldered horses should be avoided. Heavy (by which he means flabby as opposed to muscular), as they cannot move well, and narrow as �such horses are generally weak’. Heavy shouldered horses can sever for a wagon or team, but are not fit for saddle or coach.

Although the next few pages of the chapter are missing, it was interesting to have been able to gain an insight into what buying a horse was like 300 years ago, and to see the similarities with today. An important purchase in those days, yet equally as difficult to judge a good horse then as now.

There are many tricks used today, as there probably were 300 years ago, to get the unsuspecting owner to part with their money. Horses can be drugged to appear more docile than they really are, might have been lunged to get rid of their excess energy before you ride, and of course, the seller will probably talk up their good points and avoid making mention of the bad!

Nowadays it is recommended that horses are always subject to a vet’s inspection prior to purchase. The vet will ask what you intend to do with the horse (use for pleasure, jumping, driving etc.), and will judge the horse’s fitness for that purpose, and provide you with a report on his health. The pitfalls that Gibson describes emphasises to the modern novice horse owner just how important the eye of an experienced person in animal husbandry really is!

Many of us are happy to allow our horses to ‘go barefoot’. We see the benefits of a more natural program. We don’t like pounding nails into the hoof every 6 weeks. We understand that metal may not be the best composite to secure live tissue. Shoeing is expensive and good farriers require excessive love and adoration, but what choice do we have? If we consider pulling the shoes, our horses may well be lame. Then when we put the shoes back on, he trots off happily. What is the difference? How can some horses go successfully barefoot and others have no end of trouble?

There are many factors that contribute to the long-term success of a barefoot program. When a farrier comes to shoe your horse, he trims him flat and level, even and balanced. He removes the sloughing off dead tissue and makes the hoof look neat and tidy. He is aware of the shape of the frog, bars and sole but needs only to clean this up and get a clear picture. His job is to make sure the shoe goes on securely and will shape it to the trim he’s done. The nails should not go through sensitive tissue and it all needs to look good, consistent and uniform. The only thing making contact with the ground is the metal shoe.

Let’s talk about what happens when we don’t put the shoes on. What happens when the trio of significant structures, namely the frog, bars and are not lifted by the metal shoe? What happens when the bars end up level with the wall? What happens when the frog makes contact before the walls? How does it feel when the sole makes contact with the ground at the same time as the outer walls? The sole’s function should be secondary, not primary; passive, not active. So let’s answer this simple question - it hurts!

A miraculous structure, the hoof supports the weight of 1000 pounds in motion. The walls expand and widen apart to draw the sole flat. With the sole’s leveling downward towards the ground, the bone column is invited to descend. Now there is no bruising of the solar corium. Now shock and concussion are absorbed the way they were intended.

If the bars make contact at the same time as the wall, the expansion function is immobilized. The bar contact, does not allow the sole to draw out. Its position just keeps the hoof static, and the pressure of making this primary contact actually exerts upward on the internal structures. Our goal is to allow the hoof to do its job. That means it must function with mobility, elasticity and as a unit. One function cannot suppress another. Simply remind your farrier to pair out the bars so that they can function together with the sole. Ask for attention so that the sole does not make contact at the same time as the walls. Simple? Yes. Understood? Probably. Practiced? Rarely, because there is no need with a traditional metal shoe job.

The third party in our trio of significant structures is the frog. Although it can be quite malleable, often compared to the consistency of an overaged dairy product, it is tough and conducts a systemic symphony with the horse’s most important organ: the heart! It’s all about blood, nutrients and circulation. That’s the key. We really don’t want to compromise this gelatinous big cheese. The frog should at least not make contact with the ground before the walls do, and at best, be recessed to make secondary contact as the sole draws flat.

The most important factors in a successful barefoot program are proper hoof function and hoof mechanism; movement and exercise; hydration; hard ground; frequent trims tailored to the barefoot horse; and, last but not least, friends and socialization. Addressing all of these factors will help ensure that your horse is as close to its natural state as a domesticated friend can be.

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Every horse riding exercise is based on the circle exercise. Circles help the horse to be able to bend equally in each direction, and this also helps the horse maintain straightness.

Circles are a very important part of any dressage test - a dressage test at all levels will include combinations of circles of varying sizes, at different paces and in different parts of the arena.

When a horse walks a circle he bends his body to match the curvature of the circle - this is called the correct degree of bend. It is important when asking for a circle that the rider imagines a circle drawn on the ground, and tries to follow it. The horse must not lean to the outside and make the circle too wide, or drift in, and make the circle smaller. By practicing these bends the horse becomes more supple.

Most horses find one direction of bend easier than the other. These horse riding exercises are a great way to even up the horses muscles.

The first circle exercise you will be asked to do is a 20m circle. This basically splits the 40m arena into 2, with the start of the circle at letter A or C, as below, and the mid point of the circle crossing through the imaginary letter X in the centre.

A 15m circle should take you five metres inside of X. It is a tighter circle, and will ask for more bend from your horse.

The smaller circle is the 10m, which will use up one quarter of the arena.

The circle exercises can be performed anywhere in the school - you may be asked for a 20m from A, C, E or B. 20m circles from B or E will take you from one side of the school to the other.

In beginner lessons riders will usually ride a circle as a group, or the instructor will tell you which letter to start from. In more advanced lessons riders may be working in open file, and the instructor will ask all riders to work a circle wherever they choose. In these lessons it is important to remember your school etiquette, and if you are going large (riding round the outside of the arena) you should ‘give way’ to the horse and rider completing a circle, and let them back onto the track in front of you.

In your first lessons you will walk or trot circle horse riding exercises. Later on you will perform canter circles. This is an excellent way of improving your balance.

Circles in the Dressage Test

At the Preliminary level of dressage (level 1) you will need to show 20m circles in trot and canter, and half 10m circles in walk. At the advanced level you will need to show an 8m circle in collected canter. For more information on the movements at each level visit the Dressage page at http://www.limebrook.com/dressage.html