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"How To Make Horse Training Affordable," from my FREE monthly newsletter

From the Basic Horse Training Series:

"What you should do: Diagnose the problem and form a plan. Is your horse simply being a pest as you feed him? Or is he literally trying to kill you when you enter the pen? Do you know the difference? Are you looking to improve his transition into the proper lead – or does he have a bucking fit every time you mount up? To put it succinctly, if the horse is annoying, you've got time to figure things out. If the horse is dangerous, you don't. If the horse is dangerous, you don't get on him, you don't get near him. What about the gray area in between? To decide which end of the spectrum your horse falls into ("dangerous, not dangerous") I would advise listening to that little voice in your head and you may need to do so daily. If you're about to get on your horse and that little voice says something's amiss, get back off. I realize that's no "fix," but that's not what this article's about. This is about diagnosing situations, creating plans to remedy the situations, and moving forward.

So, let's break this down. Let's say that there are five different levels you can find yourself facing: 1) My horse is going to kill me today. 2) I believe my horse is going to hurt me the next time I ask for (a lope, a halt, fill in the blank). 3) My horse makes me nervous (when I'm on the trail and he sees something spooky, for instance). 4) When I try to (bathe the horse, bridle the horse, etc.) he gets really cranky. 5) I would like to improve my horse's (lead departure, spin, etc.)."

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From John Lyons Trainer Keith Hosman

Trailer Training Horses
A Downloadable Book

A sample from Day 5:

"Do Do the Following:
- Put padded helmet (available at most feed stores) and boots on your horse if you feel that trailering might be anything other than sedate. Horses quite often slip off the lip of the trailer and bruise their legs when first learning to load (during that point where they're loading just the front one or two feet or stepping off with their back legs) so boots/wraps are a good idea
- Pause a moment before unloading when first pulling into your destination so the horse doesn't start associating stopping with getting right out – a sure invitation to bad habits such as pawing and trumpeting
- Practice loading from both sides of the horse
- FYI, when you travel with one horse, the common procedure is to put the horse in on the left side, the driver's side, so that you carry his weight on the "inside" of your turns
- Make sure you get your lights, hitch and brakes checked out a full week before needing your trailer. The rule of thumb is that "If it can break, it will be broken that morning." (And what mechanic will you find at 5am on a Sunday?) Make sure that you have the necessary adaptors to make electrical connections between truck and trailer. It's also a good idea to carry extra fuses and learn where they go. (They're hidden in several locations on some trucks.)
- Go online, call local authorities or ask a knowledgeable vet to find out what health papers you'll need to travel through specific states. Also, keep in mind that Coggins tests are valid for a certain period of time in one state, but a different period of time in another. Finally, a handful of states are pretty strict about brand certificates – be sure to find out which ones. Failing to carry any of the necessary paperwork could spell disaster on the road when you find yourself stuck (or even ticketed) at a state border crossing.
- Call the facility you're headed towards and ask about their requirements regarding health papers and shots. Most facilities won't even let your horse off the trailer without a current Coggins, for instance."

- Print out from home
- 5 Days, 5 chapters
- Learn at your own pace

Just $4.99

For more info:
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Available Downloads:
"Stop Bucking"
"Rein/Speed" (for Nervous Horse Owners)
"Round Pen First Steps"
"Trailer Training"

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"A Missouri Fox WHAT?"
By Bonnie Martin

I got my first Missouri Fox Trotter in 1994 when they were not very common in the South. When he was ready for training, I knew I needed some help because I had never worked with a gaited horse before. At the time, I was taking lessons with a trainer/instructor who uses a lot of dressage basics. I asked Sandi Forester if she would help me with my gelding. “A Missouri Fox WHAT?” was her response. Therein began her education about fox trotters and we worked through the training together. The dressage basics were wonderful in creating a soft, supple, yet easy-riding horse. As we progressed with our skills, we began doing breed demonstrations to get the well-kept secret of this breed out to the public.

Missouri Fox Trotters are a gaited breed that is known for the gait from which its name comes, the fox trot. The breed developed in the Ozark regions of Missouri and Arkansas as settlers migrating to the area brought in their best saddle stock. The horses were used for many purposes, often times going from pulling a plow during the day to carrying a young gent calling in the evening. They are surefooted and comfortable to ride and can keep up a good speed for long periods of time without getting tired. Cowboys moving herds from TX north were often found on horses doing this easy gait because they were a comfortable ride as well as athletic enough to work with the cattle.

The Missouri Fox Trotter Horse Breed Association began in 1948 and was open to register any horse who could demonstrate the fox trot gait. In 1983, the registry closed, and all horses accepted into the registry from that point on had to have both parents permanently registered in the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association.

A fox trot is the only smooth gait that has a footfall pattern that involves diagonal pairs. All other smooth gaits that horses do, such as flatfoot walk, running walk, stepping pace, and so on, are lateral gaits with the legs on the same side of the body working pretty much in unison. The fox trot is basically a diagonal gait, but it differs from a regular trot because the diagonal pairs of legs do not hit at exactly the same time. The front foot hits slightly before the diagonal rear hoof. The split second difference makes the gait have four beats with a slight pause 1,2—3,4 instead of two beats like a regular trot has. The fox trot provides a smoother ride than a regular trot which has a time with all four feet off the ground. The fox trot keeps two and then three feet on the ground throughout which makes it a good gait for rough terrain.

The appearance of the fox trot is that the horse is walking with its front legs and trotting in the rear. The sound of the hoofbeats is often described with the chant: “Chunka meat and two potatoes, Chunka meat and two potatoes”. The gait is not a high stepping one, but it is extremely surefooted. The head and tail of the horse are slightly elevated, giving the animal a graceful carriage, and the rhythmic beat of the hooves along with the nodding action of the head and tail, give the horse an appearance of relaxation and poise. Some horses naturally get so caught up in the rhythm of the gait that their ears move in time with it and some even let their lips or teeth pop with the beat.

In addition to the fox trot, fox trotters do a smooth ground-covering flat foot walk and a nice canter. Some have a multitude of other gaits built in that they might also offer, such as running walk, rack, or stepping pace—all comfortable gaits.

Approximately 90% of the registered fox trotters are owned by people who use them for pleasure trail riding, competitive or endurance riding, or as working horses on ranches, packing hunters, or in the forestry service. The fox trotter also has a place in the show ring where it is recognized for its beauty and style. It is not unusual to see the horses doing double duty and being enjoyed in more than one discipline.

These horses used to be a well kept secret outside of the Ozark Mountains, but have really become well known across the US in the last 10-15 years. There are even quite a few Missouri Fox Trotters in Germany these days. With the average age of the general population getting older, it’s not surprising that this comfortable riding, good-natured breed has really caught on.

Bonnie and Gregg Martin own Gemara Farm Foxtrotters located in Barnesville, Georgia. They currently have nine fox trotters of their own and a few more boarded ones. http://www.gemara.homestead.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bonnie_Martin
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