Different Horse Categories:Warmbloods

Today I will tell you about the warmblood category of horses. Warmblood horses aren't actually warmblooded it is just a way people use to classify these horses with similar characteristics. Warmblood horses are a cross between the feisty athletic hot blooded horses and gentle heavier agricultural type horses used on farms. Warmbloods are descended from heavier draft (coldblood) type horses, but not directly. These horses are generally bred for sport. Some of the heavier types are used for driving which is when horses draw a carriage through a course competively. Many horses classified as warmbloods are excellent riding horses. They are midweight and not hot tempered like the hotblood horses. These horses are not as swift as hotbloods, but many make excellent sport horses. Breeds like the Hanovarian, Dutch Warmblood, and Swedish Warmblood can be seen competing in top events. These breeds are bred for competition with people working to constantly improve its performance. In conclusion these horse make great riding horses some even great sport horses.

Different Horse Categories: Coldbloods

There are three main groups of horses warmbloods,coldbloods,and hotbloods. Today I'll be telling you about coldbloods. Coldbloods are big tall horses with a gentle temperament.Draft horses that used to be carriage horses in the old days are among the type of horses classified as "coldbloods". These horses are not actually coldblooded it's just a way for people to classify the different breeds of horses with similar characteristics. Generally speaking coldblooded horses are big and tall. They usually weigh more than the warmbloods and hotbloods. Also they are very strong with very calm and willing temperament. Many of these horses used to pull carriages or plows on farms. They are generally not used for sport as they are much heavier than other horses and slower, but nowadays they are still bred by enthusiasts. These horses are very gentle and it takes a lot to spook them which is why they're great with children. Common coldblood breeds are the Shire, Friesan,Percheron, and Haflinger. Those are what coldblooded horses are.

Different Horse Categories: Intro

 Horses are scientifically known as "equus ferus caballus". There are many breeds of horses. Also though ponies and horses belong to the same species to be a pony a horse must be less than 14.2 hands high at the shoulder. A hand is used to measure a horse and each hand is 4 inches. Horses are also more lanky and swift than ponies who are much sturdily built and compact. Some horses such as Arabians are always considered horses regardless their size. Horses come in an array of different colors. The most common colors are gray (white or gray),chestnut(reddish brown all over including mane and tail),black(all black), bay(reddish brown with black mane and tail),palomino(golden with white mane and tail),buckskin(golden/beige with black mane and tail)strawberry roan( mix of reddish and white hair),darky bay(dark brown with black mane and tail), roan(mix of black and white hair), and of course the horses with white patches( tobiano and overo). Horses also having markings on their face and legs. The ones on the face , basics include the snip( white mark on nose), blaze(broad white mark from forehead to nose),star(small white mark on nose),and stripe(thin stripe from the forehead to an inch or to above muzzle). The ones on the legs are sock(small white patch up to forlock and stockings( white mark halfway up to the knee). Horse usually live about 25-30 years. The generally weigh around a thousand pounds and on average gallop 25 miles a hour at to speed. That is your general information on horses.

Riding Part:5

The gallop is the gait after the canter. It is a four beat gait and has the longest moment of suspension where all four hooves are off the ground. Galloping should only be done by advanced riders as it is the fastest of all gaits and horses tend to get overexcited when asked to do this. Galloping should only be done in a place where there is lots of room such as an open field. It is a very exhilarating gait for both you and your horse when controlled properly. To ask for the gallop you need to go into two point position. Two point position is when you lean slightly forward and lift your weight out of the saddle. To que for the gallop get your horse into an extended canter. Then rise into your two point position. Next squeeze with your calves or give a tap with your whip to get the horse to gallop. Galloping is very fast and horses tend to get overexcited in this pace so before you attempt it make sure you have a good control of your horse in all the other gaits and a strong seat because falling off on this one is going to hurt. There are different paces in even a gallop but there is no collected or extended gallop since it is not a gait used in dressage ;and is mainly just used to get better time and momentum on jump courses or for fun. That is how to gallop a horse.

Riding Part:4

This week I will tell you how to canter a horse. The canter is a three beat gait. It is between the trot and the gallop. In the canter a horse leads with his right hind and there is a moment of suspension when all four legs are off the ground. On average a canter is faster than most horses' trot and slower than the gallop. It ranges between 10-17 miles an hour but in western riding where it is called a lope it's usually no faster than 8-12 miles an hour. To ask for a canter you put your outside  leg behind the horse's girth and one at the girth. There are four variations of the canter. One is the collected canter which is often slower and has shorter strides. The other is the most common type of canter the working, in which the horse uses an average pace and average stride. Next is the extended canter which has a longer stride and is often faster than the other canters. Lastly there is the counter canter in which the horse leads with the wrong lead. The counter canter is harder to maintain because both horse and rider have to be very balanced. Now that you know the different types of canters there are two ways to ride it. One is sitting back and scooping your hips back and forth with the horse's movement. The other way is just rising slightly out of the saddle and leaning forward. That is all you need to know about the canter.

What To Do With Your Horse When It's Raining

Today I will tell you somethings you can do with your horse when it's raining. When it's raining its best not to ride for your health and your horse's as you can get a fever and the horse can slip and fall injuring you both. Even though you can't ride there are other things you can do. One thing you can do when it's raining is groom you horse. This is relaxing for your horse and is good for bonding as in the wild horses groom each other as a form of affection. Aside from grooming you can lunge your horse. Lungeing your horse will get him some exercise which is good since he won't be high energy when you ride him or kick around in his stall and get injured. To lunge your horse you put him on a lunge line. Then you let him move around you in a circle. Also you can turn the lunging into join up which creates a good bond with your horse and he learns to respect you and listen to your commands.Lastly you can just walk around with your horse on the lead line. This is a fun activity that can get both you and your horse some exercise. Those are somethings you can do with your horse when it's raining.

Riding Part:3

  As you know last week we talked about riding at a walk. This week I will tell you about riding at a trot. The trot is a two beat gait. In it the the horse moves his legs diagonally. The trot is the most bouncy out of the four gaits. You can either sit the trot or post. In western riding it is called the jog and you usually sit. In English riding it's called a trot and you can either sit or post. Posting is when you rise up and down in the saddle with the horses movement. This is the most comfortable way to ride the trot but if you plan to do dressage you need to learn to sit the the trot as well. There are three main trots. One is the basic working trot which is an average medium pace with a medium stride. Then there is a collected trot which is slower and has shorter strides. Lastly there is the extended trot which is the fastest out of the three and has the longest stride. To ask for a trot you should get your horse into a walk and gently squeeze his sides with your calves again to send him into a trot. In the trot you might want slightly shorter reins so you have more contact with the horse since it is a slightly faster pace. Well this is all you need to know about the trot next week we will talk about the canter.