Posts Tagged ‘Horse Halters’
Pet Friends
Do you have that someone special that you need to buy a present for this Christmas? I know I do. As time goes buy I never fail to remember the precious friends of mine. You know the ones. They love you unconditionally, they forgive you when you get mad, or get them a different kind of food, forget to bring their snack. In the past my horse family members have received new halters, leads and blankets. My dog family members have received new coats, collars, and toys.
No matter what color I give them they don’t seem to mind. There is no such thing as re-gifting. They are appreciative of all that is done for them. Can you believe that they even liked the polka dot horse halter and matching lead as well as the purple heart covered dog collar and leash? Well, I have to admit that the color choice was more for my pleasure. 
Nylon Horse Halter versus Leather Horse Halter
What do you look for when in search of a halter for your horse? It can be a complicated process for someone
that is new to purchasing horse halters or any other kind of tack. I have listed below some pros and cons that I have found to be helpful when I was initially in search of the same.
Nylon horse halter
- Cheaper
- Easier to clean
- They are durable
- Many colors available
- Can be unsafe if caught in a branch, fencing or something else as it does not break easily or at all.
- Can be uncomfortable as they may rub raw in places.
Leather halter
- Can break if a horse gets in trouble,
- Full leather halters are safer than the nylon break away halters.
- Leather has the ability to snap anywhere it needs to,
- Looks appealing
- Comfortable
- Limited in color variation
- More time-consuming cleaning
- More costly
Saddles-Old versus New
I don’t know about you but when I grew up the saddles were completely leather the saddle pads were very simple and not decorative. Plain Jane type tack and saddle, snaffle versus straight bit. Of course you had to take care of what you had but everything seemed so much simpler when it came to choices.
Now you have still have the leather saddles but also saddles that are made of synthetic materials or a combination of the two.
A lot of what you purchase will also depend on how you ride.
Obviously good materials and good quality are essential in all gear. But has anyone tried both? There are pros and cons to all types and it can get confusing and costly for a beginner to figure it out.
In conducting minor research on the different models I found that
Synthetic is:
Lightweight
Easy to keep clean
Sometimes less expensive
Durable
Leather
Deeper seat
Heavier
Care needed
Durable if cared for
Your thoughts?
Penelope the Therapy Pet
This is a video that has been created to show the great work our therapy pet, Penelope has done! We are hoping with grant money to buy a wheelchair accessible cart. Please watch this as I know everyone can appreciate the special fun that Penelope has with all of her new friends.
Animal Massage
What activities do you do with your horse?
The deep bonds acquired with your horse can allow each of you to find fun in all that you do. A horse can be a part of your life for many reasons. But no matter what the reason, you have to care for it to maintain that trust and bonding relationship that you have developed.
Since their bodies are made up of huge muscles to the maximize power when exercising they need to be addressed. The muscles can be addressed in a technique called equine massage, regardless of the activity.
As with people massage, equine massage addresses
• Increased circulation
• Eliminate toxins from the body
• Increased flexibility
• Increase Muscle tone
• Increase Range of motion
• Relief of pain due to over use of muscles or trigger points (knots) in the muscles
• Stress relief
The activities of the horse, massage therapy greatly increases the muscle tone for greater strength ability. Massage may also lessen the injury potential in your horse. If your horse is injured, providing massage will assist in the healing process by providing fresh oxygenated blood to the injury area, deeply assisting the healing process.
Look for the next article on Reiki for animals.
The Glam Pet For 2010
Give them a gift of a New Look!
In 2010, give your pet the gift of glam! A regular grooming regimen will make your pet feel proud, pampered and healthy. After all the pampering of their bath and brushing and teeth cleaning, why not dress them up in a new dog collar and outfit. Or purhaps you will need a new halter for your horse or a lead rope.
What will you do for you pet today?
Talking Pets??
If your pets could talk to you, what do you think they would say? I think mine would tell me to sit down and be quiet. I talk too much, I move too much, I think too much.
They would also tell me to get them a new bed since the one they have is getting too lumpy. Oh and I am sure they would like to have more food, treats and for the dogs…warmer dog apparel. The horses would tell me to get the blankets out and get rid of the tired looking halters.
Hmmm….Your thoughts? Or should I say, your pet thoughts…
Gift of Adoption
If you read the newspapers or watch the news you have a slight idea of the animal abuse that occurs day in and day out. It is a never ending battle of what the American Humane Society fights daily.
I am taking a hint from the American Humane Society and asking that if you are thinking of adopting a pet for a family member or friend, please remember that it is a huge decision to take on your own. You may have the best of intentions to rescue an animal in need but if the receiver of that gift that does not appreciate the gesture than it is more heartbreaking and confusing for the animal to have to return the adoption center.
The best way to give the gift of adoption is to wrap a dog collar, dog toys or a horse halter in a box and present that as a gift with a card. In the card let them know that you are giving the gift of adoption to them at a time when they can visit a shelter and choose the best pet for them.
Providing a gift in this way is providing happiness for both the animal and the person receiving your gift.
Check out www.americanhumane.org for more information on adoption.
Horse Halter Training
I am not going to tell you that my way is the right way or the only way to train your horse on halter use. I will tell you that it is best to start them as young as possible. Although a horse of any age can be halter broken; but the older they are, the more time and effort it may take.
As with any training it helps if you have spent some time with the horse to get to know his temperament. If they are not use to people and touch, it is best to start off very slowly. Let them get use to your presence and touch before introducing the halter.
Let the horse become accustomed to the look, feel and smell of the halter and it will make it easier for you to introduce it over the head. Let him smell the halter and get used to it being around. Horses like to have time to become familiar with new things, just like humans or any other animal. Once the horse seems satisfied that the halter is not going to hurt him, slip it on him.
Once you get the halter on, attach the lead rope and lead the horse around. Be patient. You may have to pull and tug a little to get the horse use to following you. After a while, when you feel your horse is comfortable with the halter and lead, take the halter off and put it back on. The more your horse sees that it is not going to injure them and that they can trust you the easier it will be to put it on in the future. It may only take a few times to succeed.
Energy Work for Animals
I was wondering if anyone else has ever performed Reiki or any other kind of energy work on their pets.
Since I began providing massage many years ago, I found that energy work was just another stepping stone to provide a noninvasive treatment to my pets. It seemed to lessen their arthritis symptoms and actually helped to enhance their recovery after surgery. It was also just another way to provide that special bond. It was also an amazing thrill to be able to provide a noninvasive treatment to those horses that are not use to the touch that massage entails.
The best thing about the energy work is that they don’t have to be tied up with leads or leashes, they don’t even need a dog collar on or a halter!