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"Keys To Improvement," from my FREE monthly newsletter
From the How to Train a Horse Series:
"How many times do you think you've ridden your horse? A thousand? Five hundred? Just guess. What if every time you got on, you improved something, no matter how small? If you could just see some little improvement for each of those thousand times you've been on that horse, that's a thousand percent improvement. After all, you can't get the horse trained all at once; the key is to make some small improvement every time you get in that saddle. Your mindset, when you get in that saddle, is that something is going to get better. Now, it might not be what you'd planned on working on because it's not a matter of what you want to work on that day – your horse decides for you. You may want to work on your right lead, but the horse says "No, I'm just going to run away." So you may not work on leads at all; you may just work on..."
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From John Lyons Trainer Keith Hosman |
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Rein In Your Horse's Speed Online Course
A Downloadable Book
A sample from Day 4:
"THREE WAYS TO SCREW THIS UP:
If you allow the horse to stop moving. Don't. The whole point is to get the horse to give while he's moving. Do whatever it takes to get the horse to give while he's moving; keep reading for sugeestions.
Make sure that you relax the reins in between repeats. Otherwise the horse thinks it's a twenty minute exercise. More importantly, he won't be getting a break from your pressure so he won't calm down.
If you get bored and start meandering around and don't do this for at least 20 minutes, you can kiss your results good-bye. Stay on your circle. Make it a bigger or smaller circle, but stay on it and keep moving." - Print out from home
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"Stop Bucking"
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GUEST AUTHOR ARTICLES
Pasture Management for Horses
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"10 Tips For Better Horse Pastures"
By Ron Petracek
Hay prices have been up in many areas, and hay difficult to find in others. Making maximum use of your pastures makes sense now more than ever.
1. Get a soil test. These can be done inexpensively, sometimes free, at agriculture extension services. If you have an agricultural college nearby, see if students are interested in doing the soil test for the experience as a lab.
2. Research what grasses to plant to make maximum nutrition, not just grass. Do you want to seed in a percentage of clover or alfalfa? Are you even sure what is out there now? Not all grass - or pasture - is created equal. A *good* pasture can provide nutrition, just grass provides mostly bulk. Keep in mind if you put in legumes it can also boost soil.
3. Depending on the results of the soil test, fertilize! Keep the horses off of it, according to directions on the fertilizer. But use a good fertilizer, lime or whatever else the test shows your soil needs to grow the best pasture possible.
4. If there's noxious weeds eliminate them! Go through your pastures and really look. If you need to use an herbacide to get rid of weeds, block off the field according to directions.
5. Mow regularly your pastures. If they're grown up consider mowing and baling it. If you watch horses they'll make some inroads to the tall stuff, nibbling here and there, but most of what they eat is knee to ankle high. If they're overgrazing in spots look closely what's there that they're liking. Regularly mowing the pastures - even two or three times over the growing season - keeps the pasture coming on fresh and more palatible.
6. Drag pastures regularly. Consider using a drag once a month on the pastures to break up piles of manure. Breaking these up can help eliminate 'contaminated' areas where horses are less likely to eat, and allows the manure to break down as fertilizer easier.
7. Rotate pastures. Don't let them get overgrazed. Watch for areas that create ditches or other possible hazards - install drainage and level it out. This isn't cheap, but preserves your pasture and helps prevent injuries while the horse is turned out.
8. Don't turn horses on pasture in bad weather. If it's frozen or raining consider having paddocks available instead of using the pasture. Shoes and even barefoot hooves can tear up the root systems of grasses, leave damaged spots and worn areas of mud in horses favorite spots. Horses with caulks on the shoes can also do damage to the ground.
9. Have a quality mineral available for horses on pasture - a good quality mineral can help the horse make use of the pasture they're eating more efficiently.
10. Maintain fences to keep horses in. While this might not seem direct to pastures, deer and wildlife can jump a fence, or try to, and create damage. Walking your fences on a regular basis can catch problems before a horse gets loose or hurt.
If you're fortunate enough to have a space to have a pasture, even if just an acre or two, *use* it! The horses can use the nutrition, it's less that you have to mow and maintain and it gives horses valued outdoor time in good weather. Keep a water tub in the corner of the field, near the gate, and clean it at least weekly to maintain drinkable water. If you don't want to get a metal one get a couple larger inexpensive "muck buckets", secure to the fence and fill with water. The important thing is to have clean water available.
Good quality pasture is an asset. For a couple hours a day it lets a horse be just a horse, something that makes a mental difference whether he's a three day event horse, a reining competitor or just a pleasure horse. Since youre turning him out anyway, use the time for an added benefit of nutrition. It keeps the horse happy, eliminates they hay you have to buy, makes better use of your facility and leaves a viable forage you have more control over than that which comes in bales or bags.
During winter weather keep a 'dry' paddock for turnout of horses. Protect pastures by keeping horses off of them during freezing or muddy conditions. Photo courtesy Grey Horse Farm, IL
About the Author: Ron Petracek was raised in southern Idaho with horses and the great outdoors. With this continued passion He now shares through a a vast equine network. Learn more by clicking the links below. Amazing Equine Network System - Buy Sell or trade anything equine related. Get More Horse Classified coverage and distribution with less cost and work. Award Winning Horse Forum
Source: www.isnare.com
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http://www.isnare.com/?aid=240548&ca=Pets
***
Disclaimer: Equine training can be a hazardous activity which may subject the participants to possible serious injury. Keith Hosman, Josh Lyons, Patrick Benson, their associates and other trainers listed on this site will not assume any liability for your activities. Our newsletter, books and videos provide general information, instruction and techniques that may not be suitable for everyone. No warranty is given regarding the suitability of this information, the instructions, and techniques to you or other individuals acting under your instructions.
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Horse Owning: Pasture Management for Horses, advice for the horse owner provided by John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman
Bookmark horsemanship101.com for Horse-Keeping Tips
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