Posts Tagged ‘leather horse leads’
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.
Clean and Picture Perfect Horse!
Please take my Picture
It is vital to keep your horses coat clean not only for the look of the shiny coat, but also for health reasons. Keeping your horse clean can help prevent dangerous diseases from wrecking havoc on your horses coat and skin. There are a few different pieces of grooming equipment that are needed for the proper grooming of your horse. Below is a quick overview of how I always have done.
First I make sure to secure my horse with a halter and lead rope. This is to make sure that it is safe for me and my horse. I also am sure to use a quick release clip in case I need to release the animal quickly.
1. Use a coarse curry comb to begin the process. Brush from front to back, beginning by the horse’s neck and continuing over and down towards the hind. Do this on both sides using circular motions to remove loose hair and bring dirt to remove dirt and debris. Use a fine curry comb to clean and massage sensitive areas.
2. Use a stiff brush to remove all the dirt and debris that were brought to the surface by the curry comb. You don’t have to press hard when using the stiff brush. But do use short quick strokes. Do not use the stiff brush on the face, the inside of the hind legs, and other sensitive body parts of the horse.
3. Use a soft brush for the parts of the body that you did not use the stiff brush on.
4. A sponge or a wet rag can be used to clean the horse’s eyes, ears, and nose.
5. You can use fingers to separate and smooth the hairs in the horse’s mane and tail but the easiest and most efficient way is to use a mane comb. Please take your time when working on the mane and tail as you don’t want to pull or break the hairs.
6. Don’t forget the hooves. Keeping the hooves clean will allow your horse to walk comfortably and will clean out any pebbles, dirt or foreign objects.
Once you are finished your horse should have a clean shiny coat, mane and tail. Beautiful!
There are also a variety of shampoos to use should you want to give your horse a bath. But either way you choose, keeping your horse clean is to help to make sure that no illness can infest your horses’ skin. It also is a way to create a special bond and to be able to recognize any changes to your horses’ body.