Horseback Riding Vacation
Though I was never terribly interested in riding a horse when I was younger, I gave it a go it a go a few times. I had a very good friend who loves horses, and she was involved with many clubs and charities that involved horses. Since then, she has grown up to be a mother, but she still makes time for her horses. At her last place of residence she had two horses outside, and told me that they were horses that she saved from being put down. She also told me, that they were too old to be ridden, so she was thinking of taking a horseback riding vacation with her family.
I had never heard about a horseback riding vacation until then. She spent a lot of time explaining to me what was involved. She said that there are many different places you can go for a horseback riding vacation, but in many cases, it didn’t matter where she went as long as there were horses. She said that even though her children were young, there were still many ways that they could be involved and have a great horseback riding vacation as well. I believe the place where she was going offered babysitting services so that she and her husband can spend time alone.
She told me the best thing about a horse riding vacation is that it was rather inexpensive. There were the normal costs of a vacation involved of course, other than that, it was rather affordable. She did say that she chose a place closer to home just to save money on her horseback riding vacation. Luckily for her, we live in a great area where there are a lot of horses. People come from all over the country to visit the particular place where she went.
If you would like to find a horseback riding vacation, there are many places from which you can choose. A simple search online should bring up many great places for you can visit. What you want to pay for your horseback riding vacation will be up to you. You can choose to go close to home, or you can make it a bigger adventure by going across the country to include some other activities as well. In some cases, horseback riding is just one of the many activities some vacation packages will offer you. What you want to do will be up to you and how much you want to spend of course.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Horse boxes
There are many horse lovers in the world. Those who eventually own a horse will want to transport the animal for a variety of reasons. They may take the horse to a trail to ride as a sort of vacation or to a horseshow. Horse boxes are commonly used for this kind of transport or if they decide to move their horse to a new stable.
Whatever the reason for transporting the horse, a well built horse box or horse trailer is essential to the safety of the horse, the horse owner and the general public. The owner must get the required licensing in order to operate horse boxes.
Horse boxes are an item used to transporting large animals. They differ from a trailer in that they do require a tow vehicle. Horse boxes are trailers with a front cab attached as a vehicle. They resemble the typical motor home, but are smaller in size. They have a side door and several windows.
The units seem to be geared more for the horseback riding camping trip than anything else. Horse boxes are usually equipped with a loading and standing area for the horse. There is also set aside for both hay and water for the horse and riding equipment.
One benefit for purchasing a horsebox instead of a horse trailer would be the insurance is often less with a horse box. Insurance is usually less because the trailer and the car are attached. This eliminates the possibility of the trailer unhinging in traffic and causing an accident. Another benefit is that the horse owner is better able to hear that the horse is doing well or if there are any problems with the horse during transportation.
Another benefit is that the horse boxes are just more attractive. They look exactly like a motor home. No one would suspect there was a horse in there. A horse box can come with several options, such as a DVD and T.V, a shower, a toilet and a washbasin, an external tap for a hose, four ring hob, grill oven and fridge.
The options for the horse area include padded partitions, roof and side windows, a window for the driver and horse to see each other, heater and a ventilation system. A horse box differs from a trailer in several ways. They are expensive to purchase.
Many people opt to rent horseboxes for any given trip. This can be cost effective as renting does not require you to have insurance on the unit and often includes roadside assistance in with the rental price. Renting horse boxes makes sense for horse owners who do not travel often.
Whatever the reason for transporting the horse, a well built horse box or horse trailer is essential to the safety of the horse, the horse owner and the general public. The owner must get the required licensing in order to operate horse boxes.
Horse boxes are an item used to transporting large animals. They differ from a trailer in that they do require a tow vehicle. Horse boxes are trailers with a front cab attached as a vehicle. They resemble the typical motor home, but are smaller in size. They have a side door and several windows.
The units seem to be geared more for the horseback riding camping trip than anything else. Horse boxes are usually equipped with a loading and standing area for the horse. There is also set aside for both hay and water for the horse and riding equipment.
One benefit for purchasing a horsebox instead of a horse trailer would be the insurance is often less with a horse box. Insurance is usually less because the trailer and the car are attached. This eliminates the possibility of the trailer unhinging in traffic and causing an accident. Another benefit is that the horse owner is better able to hear that the horse is doing well or if there are any problems with the horse during transportation.
Another benefit is that the horse boxes are just more attractive. They look exactly like a motor home. No one would suspect there was a horse in there. A horse box can come with several options, such as a DVD and T.V, a shower, a toilet and a washbasin, an external tap for a hose, four ring hob, grill oven and fridge.
The options for the horse area include padded partitions, roof and side windows, a window for the driver and horse to see each other, heater and a ventilation system. A horse box differs from a trailer in several ways. They are expensive to purchase.
Many people opt to rent horseboxes for any given trip. This can be cost effective as renting does not require you to have insurance on the unit and often includes roadside assistance in with the rental price. Renting horse boxes makes sense for horse owners who do not travel often.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Learning And Experience Of Horse Riding
There are some things that just come natural to some. Some people are almost born knowing how to stay on a skateboard. Me personally, I fall flat just about every time that the board moves. That's something that just wasn't born in there. One thing that was born into my system was how to ride a horse. It seemed I knew how to ride a horse from birth but didn't start riding alone till I was three. That was mainly in part to my beloved quarter horse Harlan who knew that I was a beginner. So, would you like for me to give you some tips on how to ride a horse?
When learning how to ride a horse one of the best things I can tell you is to always keep your cool. If you lose control of yourself, I have no doubt that you will lose control of the horse. You know how people say that a dog can sense if you're scared? Well so can a horse. Some will bank on that fear as an easy way out of work. Even if you think that the horse is some big animal and you have no idea how you'll ever stay on you can not think that around the horse. You need to stay calm and relaxed. If you get a little scared take a few deep breaths so that you can slow your heartbeat and relax yourself. Odds are, if you think you're in control, so will the horse.
Now that you have calmed your nerves and told yourself that you are boss, let's talk about how to ride a horse. There are two styles of riding you can think about when you learn how to ride a horse, English and western. If you haven't ridden much I suggest a western saddle mainly because of the fact that is holds you in place better and has a horn for you to hang onto if you feel the need. An English saddle is lighter in weight, has thinner stirrups and no horn to hang onto. Some people swear by them for a beginner to build up balance and all but I just feel safer in a western saddle. I figure that if a cowboy thinks that they're the best to hold you in I'll have to agree with them. You can work on balance once you learn how to ride a horse a little better.
With the saddle in place, you can hop on and go for a ride. When you first learn how to ride a horse you can't just hop on, dig in your heels and think that the horse will just mosey off. To make a horse go forward you generally will just have to squeeze a bit with your thighs. Might need to move your butt forward towards the horn a little to let them know you're serious but being a beginner you should already be on a well broke horse. A green horse and a green rider are never a good combination when you first learn how to ride a horse. Green by the way means that you're just learning. Don't go out looking for a horse that will blend in with the grass. But once you're up in the saddle and walking, you can guide your horse in one of two ways. If you know that your horse neck reins, you simply lay the reins across the left side of the neck to go to the right and across the right side of the neck to go left. If you were told that the horse plow reins, take one rein in each hand and pull on the side that you want to go. If you want to go right, gently tug on the right rein and vise versa with the left.
These are a few simple things for those who are just learning how to ride a horse. For those with experience in horseback riding you might have your own ideas but these are the basics that I teach my kids. And so far I feel that they know how to ride a horse quite well for their ages and practice safety procedures without risk or injury.
When learning how to ride a horse one of the best things I can tell you is to always keep your cool. If you lose control of yourself, I have no doubt that you will lose control of the horse. You know how people say that a dog can sense if you're scared? Well so can a horse. Some will bank on that fear as an easy way out of work. Even if you think that the horse is some big animal and you have no idea how you'll ever stay on you can not think that around the horse. You need to stay calm and relaxed. If you get a little scared take a few deep breaths so that you can slow your heartbeat and relax yourself. Odds are, if you think you're in control, so will the horse.
Now that you have calmed your nerves and told yourself that you are boss, let's talk about how to ride a horse. There are two styles of riding you can think about when you learn how to ride a horse, English and western. If you haven't ridden much I suggest a western saddle mainly because of the fact that is holds you in place better and has a horn for you to hang onto if you feel the need. An English saddle is lighter in weight, has thinner stirrups and no horn to hang onto. Some people swear by them for a beginner to build up balance and all but I just feel safer in a western saddle. I figure that if a cowboy thinks that they're the best to hold you in I'll have to agree with them. You can work on balance once you learn how to ride a horse a little better.
With the saddle in place, you can hop on and go for a ride. When you first learn how to ride a horse you can't just hop on, dig in your heels and think that the horse will just mosey off. To make a horse go forward you generally will just have to squeeze a bit with your thighs. Might need to move your butt forward towards the horn a little to let them know you're serious but being a beginner you should already be on a well broke horse. A green horse and a green rider are never a good combination when you first learn how to ride a horse. Green by the way means that you're just learning. Don't go out looking for a horse that will blend in with the grass. But once you're up in the saddle and walking, you can guide your horse in one of two ways. If you know that your horse neck reins, you simply lay the reins across the left side of the neck to go to the right and across the right side of the neck to go left. If you were told that the horse plow reins, take one rein in each hand and pull on the side that you want to go. If you want to go right, gently tug on the right rein and vise versa with the left.
These are a few simple things for those who are just learning how to ride a horse. For those with experience in horseback riding you might have your own ideas but these are the basics that I teach my kids. And so far I feel that they know how to ride a horse quite well for their ages and practice safety procedures without risk or injury.
Easy Benefits By Horseback Riding
There are always some kind of hints or tricks that can make something that might seem so difficult end up seeming so easy. There are gardening tips for those with a black thumb, there are cooking tips for those who aspire to have their family not run when you say that dinner is ready and then there are those who just want to be able to stay on a horse. Those are the ones that could easily benefit from some of these horseback riding tips:
Tip1 - Don't go about riding like you're stomping snakes. You want to approach your horse with a gentle tone and manner so that they feel comfortable around you. I don't like people yelling at me for no reason and neither does a horse.
Tip 2 - If you are a new to horseback riding, remember that no matter how much money you spend on those fancy clothes or boots, they're going to get dirty. And the good news is that getting them dirty can be really fun. Also, money doesn't make a good rider. I've seen some of the best riders in the world wear pants and boots with holes in them and a shirt thin enough it's only there to keep the flies at bay and I'd give my eye tooth to ride half as good as they do.
Tip 3 - When you get on a horse you should always use the left side of the horse. Many horses are only trained to have a rider get on from the left side and might freak out if you get on the right side (I've actually seen that happen to people). This is just one of those things that is the way it is because it has always been that way in all horseback riding ranches.
Tip 4 - If you don't want to get out of the saddle with a sore back remember your horseback riding posture. It's never been good to sit all slouched over at any other time in your life and sitting on a horse is another time when it's just not appropriate. You're back will end up sore and it can mess up the rest of your body posture such as the way your hips are in the seat and the way that your feet are in the stirrups.
Tip 5 - Never, ever put your foot too far into the stirrup. I put some emphasis on this horseback riding tip because if you fall off of your horse with your foot shoved all the way in the stirrup nice and tight, odds are if you fall off you will be dragged behind the horse. I'm sure that you all remember the old westerns with the man being dragged by the running horse. When you put your foot in the stirrup, my rule of thumb is that you want the ball of your foot just about centered on the bottom of the stirrup. That way your toes (of course inside your boot) should just barely be out of the stirrup and the majority of your foot is out and should be pointing down. You don't want your heel set above your toes as that might lead to the foot slipping into the stirrup further. But if your heel is slightly lower than your stirrup your foot should stay right in place where it belongs.
I hope that you were able to benefit from these horseback riding tips. They are ones that were always pointed out to me by my trainer when I was young and I have found them to still hold true today.
Tip1 - Don't go about riding like you're stomping snakes. You want to approach your horse with a gentle tone and manner so that they feel comfortable around you. I don't like people yelling at me for no reason and neither does a horse.
Tip 2 - If you are a new to horseback riding, remember that no matter how much money you spend on those fancy clothes or boots, they're going to get dirty. And the good news is that getting them dirty can be really fun. Also, money doesn't make a good rider. I've seen some of the best riders in the world wear pants and boots with holes in them and a shirt thin enough it's only there to keep the flies at bay and I'd give my eye tooth to ride half as good as they do.
Tip 3 - When you get on a horse you should always use the left side of the horse. Many horses are only trained to have a rider get on from the left side and might freak out if you get on the right side (I've actually seen that happen to people). This is just one of those things that is the way it is because it has always been that way in all horseback riding ranches.
Tip 4 - If you don't want to get out of the saddle with a sore back remember your horseback riding posture. It's never been good to sit all slouched over at any other time in your life and sitting on a horse is another time when it's just not appropriate. You're back will end up sore and it can mess up the rest of your body posture such as the way your hips are in the seat and the way that your feet are in the stirrups.
Tip 5 - Never, ever put your foot too far into the stirrup. I put some emphasis on this horseback riding tip because if you fall off of your horse with your foot shoved all the way in the stirrup nice and tight, odds are if you fall off you will be dragged behind the horse. I'm sure that you all remember the old westerns with the man being dragged by the running horse. When you put your foot in the stirrup, my rule of thumb is that you want the ball of your foot just about centered on the bottom of the stirrup. That way your toes (of course inside your boot) should just barely be out of the stirrup and the majority of your foot is out and should be pointing down. You don't want your heel set above your toes as that might lead to the foot slipping into the stirrup further. But if your heel is slightly lower than your stirrup your foot should stay right in place where it belongs.
I hope that you were able to benefit from these horseback riding tips. They are ones that were always pointed out to me by my trainer when I was young and I have found them to still hold true today.
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