Finding a horse to buy is the most important part of owning a horse because you make a commitment to the horse financially and emotionally. With a sometimes overwhelming amount of online horse sale sites, here are several ways (including websites) to find horses for sale.
Leasing a horse is an alternative to owning a horse that is cheaper and still gives you some of the benefits of having your own horse. I'll go over the pros and cons, different types of leases, and how to find a horse.
This article contains tips for selecting the safest horseback riding hat for American and British equestrians and serious riders from around the world. If you love riding, keep with it for a lifetime by taking the necessary precautions to protect your head from injury.
After training and showing dressage for most of my horse life in high school with an occasional trail ride maybe once or twice a year, I accepted a position as a trail ride guide at a national park for a summer seasonal job. It was the best move I could have made for my horsemanship!
Suggestions to keep you and your horse happy and healthy for summer riding!
Make learning fun in your lessons by spicing them up with mounted games! They are fun and good practice for steering and control as well. Everyone benefits from a fun lesson every once in a while!
I recently was in search of the perfect horse to join our education program. I decided to detail my experience in order to help others with what to look for and which questions to ask when shopping for a horse.
Lots of kids are horse crazy. Some stick with it and others don't. If you are seeing any of the following signs and behaviors in your child, chances are their love of horses is here to stay!
Warm spring days make it tempting to bathe our horses. We need to make sure it is warm enough for them before we go ahead and do it, though! Here's some advice to help you decide whether to bathe or just groom our horses.
This article gives advice on lunging your horse before riding. When should you do it? When not to? (Another alternative!)
When people think of horseback riding lessons, they typically think of a bunch of children in a group riding lesson. Hopefully, this article is all the encouragement you need to start riding as an adult!
This is the story of how I saved a starving yearling Peruvian Paso who has now become my best friend for life.
Are you looking for a name for your beloved horse? Perhaps you have a Thoroughbred, an Arabian, an American Paint, or a beautiful grade horse—here are 350+ perfect names for your beautiful companion.
For some horses, February is an awful month—cold, dark, and wet. It makes riders really wish for spring! If you are one of those horse owners who is fed up with winter, here are some ideas to get you through the month!
As a person running a riding program, this is the time that we begin to plan for the summer camp season. The dates are being set and we are advertising for new and returning campers to sign up. Here are 20 questions to help you find the perfect program for your child!
Carrying a riding crop seems pretty straight forward right? You hold it in your hand and use it when your horse isn't doing what it is supposed to do. Well, not exactly. Carrying one should be a right of passage. You need to understand how to properly use it first!
The snowman in the yard is frozen hard! Well, maybe it's not that cold . . . but it's winter, and the weather isn't ideal for horseback riding in some areas. Here are 26 reasons not to quit riding for the winter!
Being realistic about your confidence as a horseback rider is important. Why? Having a firm understanding of your confidence level and skillset allows you to know what to work on and helps you to stay safe when interacting with horses.
Are you and your horse stuck in a rut? Are you looking for something new to do together? Check out this list for some creative ideas.
If you purchase a horse, the next step will be the process of finding a place to keep him or her. Some of us are lucky enough to have our own places. If you aren't one of those people, you will need to research and find out what is available in your area.
Mane pulling can be a tedious and frustrating job if you are the unlucky owner of a horse that doesn't like it. If you have ever seen a mane that has been cut with scissors, you understand why we go to the trouble of pulling instead of cutting.
If you have ever read horse advertisements online or been to a horse auction, you may have heard the term "grade" horse used. What does it mean? Are grade horses better or worse than purebred horses?
Helmets can be a topic of controversy in the horse world. To wear them or not to wear them? Being a TBI patient recovering from a horse related incident, I'm not even going to discuss the option of not wearing one. In my humble, brain-bruised opinion, wearing a helmet should be non-negotiable.
Some horses are born with white markings on their faces and legs. Do you know the difference between snips, coronets and stockings? Correctly identifying them can be very satisfying for anyone who loves horses.
In my opinion, these are the main differences between a good rider and a great rider. Trust me, these small things make a big difference.
This came to me yesterday while I was teaching. I ended up doing it with all three of my students that night. All of my students are at different levels, and it was a great help to all three of them.
It may have taken a while, but you finally found the perfect horse for you. Your trainer approves, you feel comfortable with it, and it has a face you can look forward to seeing looking out of the stall every day.
Like English versus Western riding, one of the most debated topics among horse owners is if they prefer mares or geldings.
It is the season to begin to think about Christmas cards. If you are a horse owner, I'm sure you would love to include your horse or horses on your holiday cards. But sometimes, that's easier said than done! Here are some tips.
To blanket or not to blanket your horse is always a question that is asked a lot this time of year. The weather is getting chillier, and we start to think about if our horses are going to be warm enough.
Horses enjoy being ridden when riding is fun. Here are my ideas for making riding fun for horse and rider.
We are winding down the season at our farm and preparing for our last farm show of the year this coming weekend. Our shows are a little different than a typical show since all the students share the lesson horses, but it is still a great learning experience. Here is some first-time showing advice.
Being in the business of teaching riding lessons and giving pony rides, I need the safest horses I can find—horses that have seen the world and experienced a lot, and horses that are calm and kind. Usually, these are older horses who may need special care.
With the beautiful fall weather setting in around the country, I bet a lot of riders are thinking about getting out of the ring and onto the trail. There is no better place to view fall foliage than from the back of a horse. If you are a new rider and considering trail riding, here is some advice!
I have mentioned before that part of learning to ride is progressing to riding more difficult horses (or climbing the lesson-horse ladder, as I have been known to call it). It is hard to explain to students who love the old faithfuls that they have been riding that it is time to move on.
What is the best way to clean, disinfect, and treat your wounded horse? Learn basic first aid and correct treatment methods so that you can help in the event that a veterinarian cannot be reached.
Genetics determine a horse's coat color. There are many different coat colors that are possible, but all colors are produced by the action of only a few genes. This article will review the basics of equine genetics, and the genes that create the beautiful coats of the horses we enjoy today.
These great names for your horse, foal, or pony were inspired by astronomical, celestial, star, and space terminology. Give your horse a stellar name so that you will soar together as a team.
This is kind of a trick question. There is not a black and white answer to this question. There are a lot of generalizations people make about different breeds, but shopping by breed for a new rider is not the best way to do it. For a new rider, you should look for a horse based on its behavior.
Whether you've got a mare, a foal, a gelding, or a stallion, your horse is going to need a memorable name with meaning. The name ideas in this article all come from Greek mythology and are rich with history and legend. Explore these 20 ideas and find the perfect moniker for your equine companion.
The following names from mythology and literature all feature strong, powerful horses for you to name your foal, mare, stallion, or gelding. Some names are great for a chestnut, black, bay, or grey horse, while others work for any large horse.
A common question I get asked a lot by my clients is what does it mean to lease a horse? Also, why would you want to lease a horse rather than buy one? Hopefully, I can help you understand what it means and if it might be a good option for you.
Here's some advice on how to be a good "barn parent" or "lesson parent"—whatever you prefer to be called.
What makes a great student? How can you be one yourself? Having taught for almost 20 years now, I think I can give you some advice on how to be a superstar riding student.
Many riders deal with the frustration of their horse dropping its inside shoulder around turns and cutting in. Here are some exercises I use with my horses and students to correct this common problem.
We should all ditch the discipline snobbery! To each their own. And besides, before you can teach the skill set your horse needs for a certain discipline, we all need them to have certain basics. These basics don't change depending on the saddle.
Look here to find great fire-related names for chestnut horses, mares, geldings, stallions, foals, and colts. These fiery-red names, which come from different languages and mythologies, will give you some great ideas for your new horse.
There is a lot out there about finding the right horse, but not so much about what to do if you buy the wrong one! Hopefully, this article helps!