A short question; a long answer.
Another short, simple question with a long, complex answer.
The basic problem is that I am too damned old to put up with being thrown very often. A gentleman, of course, is always thrown and never falls off.
The Perch-TB is a replacement for a tall quarter horse gelding (really a tall paint gelding with insufficient color) that developed navicular - sort of an equine carpel tunnel syndrome. The failed Paint was a superb horse, maybe because his front feet were sore. Both my daughters rode it in 4-H shows. When we finally realized what was the matter and what we were putting the poor beast through it nearly broke my heart.
Another matter to consider before becoming a horse owner. Do you have any idea how big a hole you need to burry one?
The 4-H rules now require a helmet for all sanctioned events for mounted events.
Good thread! My question is about how bright horses are. Does it vary from breed to breed? Can they understand their names? About how many commands aside from “gee, haw, whoa” can a horse understand? And why do they whinny sometimes when nothing seems to be happening? Finally, how do they make that noise anyway? It really carries but I don’t even know if they have real vocal cords.
They make salami out of horses ,it is very tasty.
I’m glad to know that. (Not that I have the means to buy him or train him, I was just curious). He seems like a very sweet horse.
And on another note - who do you think it going to take the equestrian medals in the Olympics?
Ava
Whoa, there! Don’t rush your fences, my fine filly!
Anyway, starting with vocalizations: Horses make a number of sounds, and they each have meanings that are clear and distinct to other horses. Yes, they do have vocal cords, and they know how to use them. But a great deal of horse language is nonvocal. They use body language for most of their communication with each other. One of the neat things in being around horses is learning their languge and watching them use it in the herd.
Learning the body languge of horses is also vital in training and using them effectively. Humans communicate with their mounts when riding through what are called the aids – a set of cues using hands (on the reins), legs (against the horse’s side) and seat (on the horse’s back) that communicate through pressure and its release what the rider is asking the horse to do. Depending on the skill of the rider and the degree of the horse’s training, the aids can range from painfully obvious to damn near invisible.
Get yourself prepared for a bunch of really stupid questions.
I hate horses. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I afraid of them, because one almost killed me when I was about three years old. I’d kind of like to change my attitude. I don’t think it’s an impossible dream, because I’m perfectly comfortable with cows and I know how to handle them, so other large herbivores shouldn’t be much of a problem.
How hard is it to learn how to ride? What’s the best way to go about it?
How expensive are they? I mean purchase price, boarding, feed and vet care. Are they susceptable to a lot of health problems?
How long do they live? How much of that span is “rideable.”
How do you convince a confirmed coward to get near one?
Anyone who doubts that horses are intelligent has never had the opportunity to work with them.
Not saying a horse= a rocket scientist but they’re not stupid animals either.
My guys all know their names and will come when called.
They’ve learned the basic gaits (walk,trot, and canter) as voice commands.
A strong ‘NO’ will usually stop them dead in their tracks.
Mark Rashid has written a number of wonderful books that I highly recommend to anyone interested in learning more about how the horse ‘thinks’.
I watched him in action at a clinic and it was pure poetry.
As humans, we tend to dismiss horses as stupid when, in actually, we are the ones who’ve failed to make our purpose clear or are issuing confusing signals.
Think of police horses, who have been trained to ignore cars and crowds and numerous other distractions.
And having three, I know that they have very distinct personalities.
Cowgirl Jules- Although I live in the heart of cow country, surrounded by quarter horses, I feely admit to being a complete idiot about all things western.
I couldn’t even cinch a western saddle properly.
That said, I would dearly love to ride a well trained cutting horse-those guys just blow me away.
So, what else did you ask, Mehitabel? Ah, yes.
Horses generally aren’t considered among the brightest bulbs in the animal world. Partly that’s because they’re not much interested in maze-running and other human tests of intelligence. Partly that’s because they’re not as bright as your average predator species. As prey animals, they have powerful flight or fight instincts, and terrified flight is their number one choice – something one needs to keep in mind at all times around even the quietest horse. But, as one old horseman I know pointed out: “Horses know what they know.” Once they learn something, they retain it tenaciously. Even if it’s something their humans would rather they forget, like having been spooked once at a particular gate, say. Nope, says the horse, there was danger here once, and there might be again, so I’d better worry. Folks argue about whether one breed tends to be smarter than others. Personally, I’d say it varies more from horse to horse than between breeds.
Horses in fact understand a lot more that whoa and go. They can be taught to respond to verbal commands for any number of actions. More importantly, they read our body language, and generally do it a whole lot better than we do theirs. More than one trainer has observed that every interaction we have with a horse is training them. As herd animals, they need to know where they are in the hierarchy of any group, and what the nonverbal cues of the other herd members are saying. Humans are assessed as herd members.
Do they know their names? I’d say they associate that particular sound with good stuff like being stroked and scritched, getting fed, being with a “herd member” they like.
Why whinny at apparently nothing? They hear better than we do; can smell stuff we can’t; will react to things we’re not aware of.
Quite right. I see my own answer to this question looks like I’m sayng they’re stupid. They’re definitely not. I do think that predator species are smarter, but horses aren’t dumb. They’re certainly for more attuned to subtleties of body language, for example, than the average human.
I love Mark Rashid’s books.
Every horse I’ve ever known has had a distinct personality. My own two are both easygoing, friendly critters, and yet they’re clearly different “persons”. My old QH is like the gruff old husband who wants everything just so, but is a softy at heart; my younger TB is like an endearing little boy.
I watched Mark work with a very green horse on long lines.
The owner was quite inexperienced and the horse had her number big time.
Would not go anywhere the owner wanted to go.
Mark took over and allowed the horse to entangle himself in the lines.
It’s important to add that the horse was in no danger-he’d just gotten himself all balled up in the corner and couldn’t get out.
Mark let him think about it for a few minutes then very quietly untangled him.
They started off again, the horse insisted on pulling into the corner again, and Mark allowed the same situation to occurr.
After Mark freed him this time, you could see the light bulb go off.
The horse realized that it was easier to go where asked rather than ended up all scrunched up with nowhere to go.
It became his choice but he also made a huge leap of understanding.
It was really lovely to watch because there was no coercion involved-just a matter of letting the horse figure it out on his own.
I’ve seen humans take a lot longer to discover that their behavior was leading to undesirable results. 
Not stupid at all. Very commonly asked, in fact, and any horseperson who’s not a snob regards them as quite sensible.
Well, of course you’re afraid of them, with something like that having happened to you! As much as I love horses, I spent over a decade afraid to ride, after a pair of riding accidents left me mildly injured in body, but fear-frozen. To this day, I retain a kernel of fear whenever I get on a horse I don’t know. You’ve got an edge, knowing how to handle cows and not being intimidated by the sheer size of a horse.
I got back into riding on a vacation to a dude ranch. The ranch’s horses were calm, quiet, safe, and ridden with wranglers always in attendance. I was delighted to discover how much of my old skills were still there, however rusty, and by the end of the two weeks, I was much more confident. It’s been an upward climb of skill improvement and confidence growth ever since.
Woo-hoooooo! This one ain’t a 25-words-or-less topic. How hard? Depends on your overall physical fitness, inborn athleticism, natural sense of balance and sensitivity to how the horse feels under you; how good a teacher you have; how good the horses you’re learning on are (a good schoolie is a treasure beyond gold); how much time you have to put into it; how motivated you are; probably other stuff I’m forgetting. How to do it? See my first answer to avabeth. If you want to ride Western, look for an instructor in that discipline. I think for an English rider, starting with beginner’s dressage even if you want to move on to, say, jumping or polo eventually is the best way to go.
“If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” Not exactly, but they’re not cheap, especially to keep. Here’s a site with horse for sale ads, that should give you an idea of asking prices all over the country. The region has a lot to do with the price. Keep costs vary so much, based on so many factors, that there’s no easy answer.
Again with the complex questions! The oldest reliably recorded horse was named Old Billie, who lived to be 62 years old. That’s extraordinary! Old age for horses is generally considered to be in their 20s. My Nicky is 22 and he’s getting gray hairs on his face and body, and in the last year or two has started to “look old”, though he doesn’t have the swayback often associated with aged horses. Here he is at age 20. Since then, he’s lost some of the muscling in his topline and hindquarters. He’s still rideable, but he needs ten to fifteen miniutes of easy warmup before he’s moving freely – unless he’s having another arthritis flare-up, and stays stiff and unrideable. Some horses continue perfectly sound and usable well into their twenties; a few can still be used (with due regard for their limits) into their thirties – which is a great age for any horse.
Drugs? No, seriously, start by visiting someone with quiet, gentle horses, and just spend time around them, at a distance you feel comfortable with. Push yourself to come closer and interact with them – say, brushing them. Take it from there, at a pace you feel comfortable with. If anyone pooh-poohs your fears, or tries to rush you, ignore them, or find someone else to work with.
Wow, what a great thread!
I know next to nothing about horses. I used to ride friends’ ponies when I was young, then I moved to the city where the only horses around were the ones pulling carriages in the park.
Recently I took part in a medieval equestrian day and got to do fun things like quintain, spear throwing, tilting at rings etc. I really enjoyed it even though my rental horse was old, bitter and not interested. This event really inflamed my horse interest and now that I’m living in a rural area, I’m hoping to get a horse in the future.
I know they’re expensive etc, and that’s not what I’m worried about at this time. Right now I’m worried about how to find a person to teach me the basics.
So my questions are:
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How can you tell a good teacher? Are there things I should keep my eyes and ears open for? I don’t just want to learn how to make the horse “go” but also health, tack, proper feeding, housing…will your basic riding instructor teach those things?
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I love the draft horses. I’m already on a Fjord mailing list to learn more about them but I’m also interested in Clydes, Belgians, Percherons, etc. Are these good horses to start out with? Or should I just stick with a bombproof horse for the first few years?
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While at the medieval thingy, one of the helpers went up to my husband and told him that I had a very good “seat”. (I think that’s what she said.) What does that mean? [sub]No, I don’t think she was commenting on my butt![/sub]
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A curiosity question now. Is there anything wrong with keeping a horse in a field with other livestock? The locals here usually have a steer or some goats but they’re usually separated from their horses. Is this due to health reasons or the personal safety of the horse or the other animals?
Thanks!
My daughter rides (I pay 
) and there seems to be very little dressage taught at the barns she’s been at - or dressage classes in the shows she’s been to. Most of the people started with flat classes, with the equitation work doing the stuff you say dressage does, then go up to hunters and perhaps jumpers. I can understand the theoretical benefits of dressage, but to me it’s as boring as watching paint dry. No clamor for it from the riders either. I’ll never tire of seeing a ton of horseflesh airborn, though.
As for the male/female issue - when we went to regional shows with Western and English classes, there were a few men riding, but we were just at a big show in Pebble Beach, and I didn’t see a single man on a horse in any of the rings. There are none at our barn. We’re in Northern California, so YMMV.
Besides what I’ve said earlier in the thread, keep alert for safety. The students you see taking lessons when you’re instructor-shopping should be wearing helmets. Well, a lot of Western people refuse to wear them, but ANY kids taking lessons ought to be lidded, IMHO. It’s a plus if the teacher insists on proper footwear, with heels that help prevent a foot from sliding too far into the stirrup and getting caught. People do ride in sneakers and other shoes with little to no heel, but it’s a bad idea.
You’ll want an instructor who teaches other beginners, so you won’t feel out of place, and your instructor will understand the issues any rider at your level faces. If you start working with a teacher and s/he asks you regularly to do things you’re not comfortable with, or you end a lot of lessons feeling stupid or in tears, find another teacher.
Riding instructors differ in how much horse care and handling they teach. Make that one of the things you discuss with any prospective instructor before signing up for lessons. Ask if you can volunteer labor at the barn in order to learn horse care hands-on, which is the only way to really get a grasp of it.
Bombproof veteran for sure! Never mind the breed, the looks; it’s the horse’s mind that’s most important for a first-time owner. Don’t even think of buying a young, greenbroke horse and expecting to “learn together.” :eek: Old saying: “Green plus green equals black and blue.”
Draft horses are generally gentle giants, but they’re still horses, only with a hell of a lot more weight and power to throw around when things get ugly. A draft cross, say with a Quarter Horse, might make an excellent first horse, as long as it’s well trained and of a calm disposition. The kind of horse you should start with is likely to be older, into its teens – old enough to have developed good sense, but not decrepit. You may have some soundness issues in a horse in its mid to late teens, but a prepurchase veterinary exam will tell you whether it’s something you can manage with appropriate care and feeding.
A good seat is a wonderful thing for a horseperson to have. The helper meant you displayed good balance, with a seat that didn’t bounce and shift but stayed centered and followed the horse’s movements. That’s great! A well-trained, receptive horse can be caused to speed up or slow down, turn, and stop, just by shifts of the rider’s weight as applied through the seatbones. My old horse, Nick, can tell the difference between my turning my head to look at something, and turning my head because I’m planning to turn him, just by the minute difference in how my seatbones move, and he’ll begin the turn before I even consciously adjust my leg aids, while continuing straight ahead if I’m just rubbernecking.
There are pros and cons. One thing to consider would be the different grazing habits and needs of horses and cows. I don’t know much about goats, other than if they have horns they could gore the horse’s belly. Donkeys are prone to carrying a parasite that doesn’t sicken them, but causes airways disease in horses, so parasite control is vital if you keep the two species together. Also keep in mind, the different species will need different types of fencing to retain them. Still, if you do get a horse, it will be a lot happier if it has company – preferably another horse, but a goat, cow, or donkey will do.