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Priority Posts

• Links to CTS Modules
• Links to schools that provide Equine credit.
• Links to riding instructors who will check off CTS module requirements. 

Equine Diologe

This post is currently under development. If you have any suggestions please make a comment to this post.

Links to CTS Module

• Link to CTS module AGR 2070 (Links to labels Equine 1 )
• Link to CTS Module AGR 3070 (Links to labels Equine 2 )

How to prevent bitting problems in horses

Though horses don't have sharp teeth, if they bite you it can be very dangerous. Some people have been badly hurt after being bitten by horses. If you are the owner of a horse, or are considering buying one, it is important to understand how to prevent them from biting you or someone else. This is something you want to avoid at all costs.

Biting is a natural behavior for many horses. When horses play together, they often bite, and horses are known for grooming each other with their teeth. When horses are aggressive they will bite and kick in order to demonstrate their dominion over other horses, and this often leads to severe wounds. The owner of a horse needs to make sure the horse understands that they are the person who makes the rules. They should not be biting or nipping any person at all.

Biting and teething are different, and this is important for owners to understand. If you have a horse that likes to bite, their are different things you can do to stop this bad behavior. If it is a foal, firmly rub or massage their nose or lips for about 5 minutes. You want to make sure you don't squeeze. The foal will get tired of the attention, and this is when you will want to stop. The horse will begin holding his nose forward, and will look away from you. This is a good sign. If the horse again approaches with his nose, repeat the same process until they stop.

While many horse owners may find nuzzling to be cute, it can eventually need to nipping and then biting. If you allow your horse to nuzzle it is important to be aware of this. Feeding the horse from your hands often leads to them biting, and if you are currently feeding the horse by hand, you will want to stop this immediately. You should place the treat on the ground instead.

Some horses will make a sharp move towards you when you turn away from them, and this is a bad sign. Any horse that moves toward you quickly with his teeth can bite you. With a horse like this you will want to strike him. You don't want to strike him in the eyes or ears. You don't have to hit them very hard. But you want to make sure that they understand that diving towards you with their teeth is not acceptable.

You don't want to hit them with your hand, as it is too weak to get any point across, and you may hurt your hand as well. A rope is a good tool to use. You want to strike him on the body with enough force that they understand you are disciplining them and not playing with them. While this may sound abusive, there have been cases where people have been badly injured by biting horses, and this is an issue you want to take seriously.

Selecting Bits

Why to start with a snabel bit before progressing to other bits

the first thing you want to teach to a young colt is whoa! the rest will come later with a progression of bits.some to teach turning some to teach neck reining but always in a progression,so in other words you start with a soft bit to keep the mouth soft then progress in severity of bits so when you end up with the finnishing bit you are using the least pressure on the bit with kitten hands.

Types of mouth reins

Draw rein - used to control the horses head and prevent them from tossing there head




















German Martingale

The German martingale is designed to teach your horse to give to the bit, flex at the poll and maintain good vertical and lateral head position. This equipment is ideal for helping a horse to learn proper head position for stops, spins and collection




























Running Martingale

The running martingale (sometimes known as rings) consists of a strap which is attached to the girth and passes between the horse's front legs before dividing into two pieces. At the end of each of these straps is a small metal ring through which the reins pass. It is held in the correct position by a neck strap or breastplate.

A running martingale is adjusted so that each of the "forks" has about an inch of slack when the horse holds its head in the normal position The reins make a straight line from the rider's hand to the bit rings when the horse's head in at the correct height and the running martingale is not in effect.

When the horse raises its head above the desired point, the running martingale adds leverage through the reins to the bit on the bars of the horse's mouth. The leverage created by this pressure strongly encourages the horse to lower its head. A running martingale provides more freedom for the horse than a standing martingale. If a horse happens to trip on landing after a fence, the rider can slide the reins and the horse will have full use of its head and neck.

Because of this safety factor, the running martingale is the only style of martingale permitted for use in eventing competitions and horse racing. Show Jumpers also prefer the running martingale due to the extra freedom it provides. Running martingales are also used outside of the competition arena on young horses being trained in the Saddle seat, western riding, and many other disciplines.

A running martingale should be used with rein stops, which are rubber or leather stops slipped onto the rein between the bit and the ring of the martingale. They stop the martingale from sliding too far forward and getting caught on the bit or on the buckles or studs that attach the reins to the bit. Sanctioning organizations require a running martingale to be used in conjunction with rein stops if the reins are buckled to the bit.

Standing martingale

The standing martingale (also known as a head check)has a single strap which is attached to the girth, passes between the horse's front legs and is fixed to the back of the noseband. To prevent it from catching on other objects, it also has a neck strap. A variation is attached to a breastplate in lieu of a neck strap. When correctly fitted it should be possible to push the martingale strap up to touch the horse's throatlatch.

A variation of the standing martingale, called a tiedown, is seen almost exclusively in the western riding disciplines. A tiedown is adjusted much shorter than a standing martingale and is intended primarily to prevent the horse from flipping its head up when asked to abruptly stop or turn in speed events. It consists of an adjustable strap, one end which attaches to the horse's breastplate and the other which attaches to a noseband on the bridle. The noseband can be of leather, but may also be of lariat rope, or even plastic-covered cable, which can make the western tiedown considerably harsher than the English-style standing martingale.

With both pieces of equipment, the slack is taken up out of the strap when the horse raises its head above the desired point, and pressure is placed on the horse's nose.

The standing martingale is competition legal for show hunter and hunt seat riders equestrian over fences, and is popular in fox hunting, and in polo. It is also seen on some military and police horses, partly for style and tradition, but also in the event of an emergency situation that may require the rider to handle the horse in an abrupt manner. It is not legal for flat classes.

Cavesson

Horse trailers

Function- to transport horses from one place to the next



Maintenance

• THE TRAILER When purchasing a horse trailer consider the needs of your horse. The trailer should posses: Ample height (7-8 feet) and width (6-8 feet) for the horse(s) being hauled. Rubber mats on the floor and tailgate to provide traction and cushion during loading, unloading and travel Tie ropes or chains of adequate length with quick release safety snaps Adequate padding on chest bar and stall sides Interior lights for night time hauling Air vents on the roof and along side panels Regular maintenance checks should be performed on a horse trailer every time it is used. Routine items include: Tires need a minimum amount of 1/4" of tread (check with your state Division of Motor Vehicles for the measurement); be adequately inflated and have no signs of dry rot cracks. Spare tires also should be checked. Jacks and safety triangles or reflectors should be in good working order in case of breakdown. (Ignitable flares should not be stored in the horse trailer because of fire potential) Floorboards should not be rotted or in weak condition. Replace any boards that are questionable. To help lengthen the life of a trailer floor, mats should be lifted after use and the floor swept or hosed out. If the floor is hosed be sure it is dry before the mats are replaced. Yearly applications of a weather sealer on the floor boards will also extend their life. Any screws, bolts or nails that may have worked loose and are protruding from the inside of the trailer should be removed. All lights (marker, tail, brake, directional and interior) should be working and bright. Hitch welds, safety chain welds and snaps should be in good repair. Grease hitch ball as necessary. Wheel chocks should be in good condition and used anytime the trailer is unhitched from the towing vehicle. Yearly maintenance checks include: Inspection of frame for cracks and wires for loose connections and frayed covering Repair or replacement of rotted or rusted metal Greasing of all hinges, springs, etc. Inspection of ramp hinges and springs for weakness and cracks Wheels should be pulled and bearings checked and repacked Inspection of spring shackles for wear Inspection of brakes and emergency break-away cable, pin and control box

Safety

HORSE TRAILERING SAFETY

Preparing the Horse for Travel

• Practice loading and unloading the horse in the trailer well in advance of any scheduled events; especially if the horse is unfamiliar with trailering. A battle getting into the trailer is an unpleasant way to start a journey or end what had been an enjoyable day.
• Horses should be trailered in a leather rather than a nylon halter. In an emergency situation (such as the halter becoming snagged) a leather halter will break more easily and is less likely to injure or burn the horses head.
• Wrapping a horses legs for travel not only protects the legs from injury but adds support. It is important to ensure that the wraps extend below the coronet band to protect this area. (See Rutgers Cooperative Extension Leaflet #609 Horse Bandaging: A Practical Art - for the proper way to wrap a horses legs.)
• Always remove all tack (saddle, bridle, harness) from the horse when trailering.

Loading the Horse

• Whenever loading or unloading horses, it is best if two people are available to do the job.
• Use a cotton lead rope or leather lead when loading or unloading horses. This is advisable in the event that the horse rushes backwards pulling the lead through your hands. Nylon leads will blister, burn and cut hands when pulled quickly.
• Before walking a horse into the trailer, make sure that chest bars and escape doors are open for the handler to exit safely. Never climb under or over dividers, chest bars or the horse to exit the trailer. Never leave yourself in the position of being trapped in the trailer with the horse between you and the exit.
• Make sure that the trailer is securely and properly hitched to the towing vehicle before loading a horse. Never load a horse or leave a horse in an unhitched trailer. Do not unhitch a trailer with a horse still inside. Trailers are very unstable and can easily tip on end.
• When loading a single horse, place the horse on the left side of the trailer. When trailering two horses, place the heavier horse on the left side. This will make towing the trailer smoother and the ride easier for the horse because of the crown contour of the road surface.
• When approaching the ramp make sure the horse is in the center of the ramp so that the horse does not step off the sides.
• Always secure the butt bar/chain before tying the horses head. If the horse pulls back before the butt bar is in place it wont break the tie, the halter or fall down. Do not stand directly behind the horse when hooking the butt bar in case the horse flies backwards.
• When tying the horses head use a safety-quick-release knot or a tie with a panic/safety snap (See Figure 1). Make sure the horse has enough rope length to permit head movement for balance, but not to get its head down or over to the horse traveling alongside.

Traveling Safety

• Most horses take to trailering naturally, while for others it is often a traumatic experience. It is important that a horse be happy and secure when being trailered. One bad experience in trailering is all it takes to make a horse a bad hauler. A bad hauler is hard to cure.
• Before starting to travel check to see that the horse is comfortable, that ventilation is adequate, and that the hay bag or manger is securely fastened so that the horse cannot become tangled in it.
• Test all doors to make sure they are secure and that the hitch is tight. Safety chains should be in place and all lights and brakes functioning in accordance with your states Division of Motor Vehicle codes.
• Turns, starts and stops should be very slow and steady.
• Do not exceed the speed limit. Remember to allow extra stopping distance when towing a trailer. Moving horses and the weight of the trailer will push against the towing vehicle.
• Do not allow anyone to throw lit cigarettes or matches from the window of the towing vehicle. Wind currents often suck the cigarettes or matches into the trailer, causing a fire.
• Check on the horse(s) at every stop or every 100 miles. At this time also check the hitch, safety chains, lights and hay bags. Keep hay bags full and offer the horse(s) a drink of water.
• Avoid backing up with the trailer if at all possible. If backing is necessary it is advisable to have a person outside the vehicle to watch and guide you.

Unloading the Horse

• When lowering he ramp keep feet and hands out of the way.
• Untie the horse before lowering the butt bar.
• Do not stand on the ramp or directly behind the trailer when a horse is exiting in case it leaves the trailer quickly. It is not advisable to allow a horse to fly back quickly as this soon becomes a bad and dangerous habit.
• Try to keep the horse straight as it backs down the ramp so that it does not step off the side. Walk the horse around after trailering for an extended distance to restore circulation and ease stiff muscles.

Other Safety Precautions

• When tying a horse to the outside of a trailer, use a safety- quick-release knot or panic snap. Make sure the rope is short enough that the horse cannot get a leg over it, but long enough to allow free motion of the head. Never tie a horse to a trailer with a rope length long enough to permit grazing. This is where the most serious trailer accidents occur.
• The ramp to the trailer should be in an up position when tying a horse to the outside of the trailer, especially when the tie rings are located towards the rear. A ramp in the down position leaves space between the back of the trailer and the springs where a horse can easily get a foot or leg stuck. The ramp is also the right height for the horse to injure its lower legs on.
• Never leave a horse tied to the outside of a trailer unattended. When leaving a horse inside a trailer, make sure the chest bar and butt bar are secure, especially if an escape door is left open.
• Do not tie a horse to the outside of a trailer when it is unhitched from the towing vehicle. Horses are stronger than we think and a panicked horse can and will drag an unhitched trailer behind it.
• Trailering your horse is a fun and rewarding experience. As long as common sense is used and the safety guidelines above are followed trailering accidents are less likely to occur.

Efficiency

• make the material light weight
  
• make it fuel efficient
  

Legal

• after purchasing you need a bill of sale

Cost

• Price very 's based on size of horse trailer and feature of the horse trailer
  

Indoor Arenas

Operation and maintenance

• Keep dust down if a sand or dirt area
• make sure area is clean of horse feces
  
• harrow arena to make ground even and soft
• make sure arena is up to building code standard
• regular building maintenance
  

Efficiency

• use good insulation so it is warm in the winter
• use energy efficient lights to cut on energy costs

Cost

• prices vary based on size and materials used

Safety

• Exit doors in case of emergency or fire