information on the Miniature horse

The picture above is a miniature horse. Miniature horses are not ponies. They look like them.....but actually, no. They are small horses. The picture above is a small pinto miniature horse. Miniature horses are great with children. They have sweet calm and playful little horseys. They are easy to take care of and don't cost as much as a full sized horse. They have short little legs for running, their neck is raised high. Their eyes are gentle and soft. Their coat is very soft. They come in all colors. They can live toughly. That means that they can survive without much food and they can survive without little shelter.

information on the Trekhenr horse

The picture above is a Trekhenr horse. These horses have gentle and kind personalities. They are great at jumping, dressage, and many more things. They are usually brown, bay, and black. They have beautiful long legs for running. They have elegant and graceful bodies. Their eyes are gentle and their head is shaped sort of like an oval. In the picture above, the horse is bay, with white socks and a strip. This horse is very healthy and well taken care of.

information on the Standardbred horse

The picture above is a Standard bred horse. These horses are famous for how fast they can run! They are also known for being the best harness racing horses in the world. . They can even beat a thoroughbred to it! They are kind and gentle with a great personality.They can be any color, but bay, brown and black are usually seen. In the picture above this Standard bred is racing in a harness race.

information on the fresian horse

The picture above is a fresian horse. Fresian horses are always black. No other colors are allowed. They are big, but also very kind and gentle animals. They are good at dressage, and many other events. The fresian horse has a beautiful long neck and their body is powerful. At the bottom of their feet their is long fetlock hair. The picture above shows a fresian doing what we call the "show trot". This is a trot that the horse raises its legs up very high and trots. It's often seen in shows and events, which is why it's called a show trot.

information on the Appaloosa horse

The picture above is an Appaloosa horse. Appaloosa horses are beautiful and very gentle. Back a long time ago, the Appaloosa horse was the Indians favorite horse. Indians tamed these horses and rode them. Today, Appaloosa horses are famous for being great cow horses. They are smart and tough and great for cowboys and farmers. They are usually bay, brown, chestnut, and white.

Information on the Andalusian horse

The picture above is an Andalusian horse. Andalusian horses are beautiful, elegant and smart horses. Their forelock (which is the little bit of hair between their ears) is often covering up their eyes. Andalusian horses are great at Dressage and and other events. They can be any color, but black, brown, and bay are usually seen. They are calm and very gentle horses.

information on the Thoroughbred horse

The picture below shows a thoroughbred horse. Thoroughbred horses are famous for racing! They are often seen in races, powering themselves forward. After a while they will retire (not race anymore.) Thoroughbreds can be any color, but chestnut and bay and brown are average. Thoroughbred horses have beautiful faces and elegant bodies. They are one of the fastest horses in the world.

information on the American Paint horse

This is a picture of an American Paint horse. (Above.) American paint horses are beautiful intelligent and graceful animals. They can be roan, black, or any brown color with large patches of white. They stand from fourteen hands to sixteen hands. They are great riding horses, they are good for beginner riders, and they also make great friends. They are also well suited for Western riding, and are famous cow horses. They are also used in the show ring, and can jump well and are good at halter. They are usually calm and easy to handle and make a good first horse for children.

information on the Arabian horse

This is an Arabian horse. Arabian horses come in all colors but chestnut, brown, bay, and black are the colors that people see the most. The Arabian horse above is chestnut. Arabian horses carry their tails very high and are elegant and graceful animals. They are one of the oldest breeds of horses in the world. They have slightly dished faces and a "tea cup" shaped muzzle. They are known for their graceful gaits and beauty. The history of the Arabian horse. Many people found these horses in the desert and captured them. The horses were soon one of the favorites of many kinds of people. People wanted fast, strong, and smart horses to be able to ride during battle and to travel with. Arabians were just the horses! Soon people were riding their Arabian horses everywhere. People were choosing the best horses to have babies. Arabian horses are tough, they are one of the few kinds who were found wandering in the desert. They can survive hot weather or cold weather. Even as a foal or a baby horse, Arabians are pretty. They start out usually brown, or a grayish white color with tiny spots. If they're are gray, they'll turn white as they get older. If they're brown, they'll get lighter as they grow up. Arabians are great with children and love to see people.

Jumping

Jumping is fun once you get used to it. At first it's probably scary.......(I can't say so myself because I've never done it before). There is jumping for fun, (most people do that) but there is also show jumping, which you'll often see in shows and events.

This is a Lady named Linda Undernehr. She painted this fabulous picture. It's of a girl jumping. She is my Aunt Julie's friend, (and now she's mine too.) She's an artist with two horses, two kids (I think) that she adopted. Her horse's names are Mindy and Page. I like those names for horses. Nice.

where to get a horse

Okay. Where to get a horse. I suggest looking in magazines and books to get ideas, also look on the internet. But one of the best ideas for where to get a horse is your friends. Ask anyone you know if they know of stores or any other people they know that sell horses. Call any animal places such as, markets selling animals, the animal shelter. Also try and email people if they know any places.

the western saddle

The horn is the thing that is here (below) The seat is the thing you sit on. The girth is at the bottom.


The picture above is a western saddle. It's a smaller one than most. you can see the horn, (the thing that is on the top of the saddle).

getting your first horse

It takes a lot of money to buy a horse, so if you're going to buy one yourself, it'll take a while. When you have enough money and you already know where to buy the horse, you can start. Before buying a horse, you'll need to see the height and age of the horse you're buying. You must see if it's a boy or a girl. It's always important to see the behavior and the kind of horse. You need to make sure that the horse is 100 percent healthy and that it won't have problems carrying you for a long time.

Rugging up, use of a blanket when a horse is suffering from a cold or cough.

Horses are commonly covered with a blanket after they have been clipped for the winter and are not working, or when they are suffering from a cold. Although colds are a common illness among horses, they can develop into pneumonia or a more serious illness,so a veterinarian should be consulted as soon as possible. If a horse is fed regularly and has had enough water and vitamins, it's less likely to get sick.

the western bridle

this bridle is not a western. It's a regular bridle that doesn't have reins attached to it. This bridle is usually on young horses, because it doesn't have a bit and it's comfortable to the horse. I drew this picture.

Western bridles are unusual. Instead of the bit in the horse's mouth, the bit is attached to a different kind of thing that is placed in the horse's mouth. They can be used on any horse, but many people who ride western style put them on. This is a western bridle. (Below). I drew this picture so you could see what it looks like.

saddling up and mounting

Make sure the saddle is the right size and won't cause your horse to get rub marks. Gently swing the saddle onto the horse's back. Then strap it in and tighten the girth. Make sure that your horse is calm and okay with the saddle. Be careful, because some horses take a deep breath when your saddling them and they make the saddle loose, so tighten it again if necessary.

Mounting. Before you mount the horse make sure that the girth is tighten enough. Always get on from the left side of the horse (because it's easier). Put your left leg in the sturup, then shift your weight and swing your right leg onto the horse's other side. To get used to being in the saddle, shift back 'in forth to learn what it's like to be on the horse when it's moving.

stabled horses

Make sure that you choose the best well built stable for the horse. Some are close to barns (which can start a fire in the stables). The horses need to have enough room to move around (to be able to turn around) if they want to. They are most likely to stand up sleeping but sometimes if they feel completely safe they'll lye down. they'll need food and water placed either on the ground or on a shelf where the horse can reach it. The food and water will need to be changed at least 3 times a day. Groom the horse regularly and in the winter put a blanket on them. Some horses get winter coats that are warmer and heavier, so they stay warm. Turn the heater on in the barn so the water doesn't freeze. Also have the farrier come by and put the horse's winter shoes on. Feed the horses more food so they keep up their energy. Sometimes you can put things that are like socks on the horse's feet so they don't get cold.

field horses

Keeping horses in a field isn't the best place. If the horse over eats it could die. But usually a field is good. You just have to make sure that they don't eat too much. They will eat grass and twigs and usually if they come across them. You'll need to make sure that there are no poisonous plants in the field, such as acorns, and different kinds of flowers. You can put hay by the fence or in the middle of the field where the horses are likely to see it. The best place to keep a horse is in a fence with dirt.

braiding the mane and tail

Usually you'll only braid the mane and tail if it's for an event or show, since it takes a few minutes.
Do it as if you were braiding your own hair. When doing the tail it can be more hard because you'll have to get directly behind the horse. You'll need to have someone holding the horses reins in front and someone on the side to calm the horse. Don't be afraid to pull the mane a bit if you need to, because it won't hurt the horse.

the importance of grooming

Grooming requires a comb and a brush. Use the comb for the mane and tail, and the brush for the coat. Gently pat the horse before started to groom him, to calm him down. Start with the croup, (or the back part of the horse). Rub it gently with the brush and move on to the back, when the horse seems to be calm with it, you can start moving it up to the neck. Do the neck for a second and go back to the croup to make sure that your horse is okay with it. Gently work your way down to the legs and then go back up to the neck. You need to wait a minute before doing the face and head, so just keep on doing the neck, croup, and back. After a few minutes, you can start gently grooming the head and face.

hoof care

Hoof care, cleaning out the hoof. The feet of the horse need to be inspected and cleaned daily;without such care, he might become lame, (can't walk or stand). When picking up the front and back feet, rear of the horse. Lean against the horse's shoulder to shift his weight to the opposite side and run your hand down the tendon to the fetlock and pull up the hair. Cup the hoof in one hand while you use the hoof-pick to clean the sole and frog carefully.Although you should the feet at night to remove any stones or pebbles the might have picked up during the day, clean out the hooves in the morning; the earth picked up when the horse is out helps keep the frog and sole moist. Applying hoof oil daily (inset) helps to prevent cracks and keeps the hooves healthy.

Shoeing a horse. The farrier is the person who shoes a horse and get's the old shoes off. Call the farrier every few weeks to shoe your horse. If the farrier is good, it will cost 75 dollars for the horse to get shoes. In winter, also call the farrier and have him put the winter shoes on the horse. While the farrier does his work, hold onto the horse or its halter.

training a young horse

A foal's training begins almost from the moment of its birth with special handling- petting him, talking to him, leading him with the halter. Concentrated training, however does not begin until the horse is two or three years old. By this time the horse should be familiar with its trainer and used to obeying simple commands from the halter. Concentrated training begins with the lung reins and cavesson (a special head piece with rings for the lung rein).

information on food and feeding

Because a horse's stomach is small in proportion to its body, it should be fed relatively small amounts often rather then large amounts only once or twice a day. The amount and type of food a horse needs depends on its size and the kind of work it does. Horse food falls into two categories: bulk food (grass or hay) and concentrates (grain such as oats, corn, barley and bran). Concentrated foods supplement the horse's diet of bulk food, providing additional protein and vitamins as necessary. Once you've determined the combination of bulk and concentrated food that is correct for your horse, it is also important to establish and maintain a feeding schedule. Remember that most horses feed better at night, and so should receive the greatest portion of food at last feed of the day.
I researched this information from a horse lap book that I made. (So its all true).

how to ride

Riding is fun. I'll tell you how to do it. Getting the horse to go is easy, you gently press your leg against the horses side. Warning: don't kick a horse's side or it will take off running. To get a horse to stop pull back on the reins. If you keep pulling back they'll back up. To go right pull right. To go left pull left on reins. Don't be sitting sloppy like you're tired. Sit straight up in the saddle and get a good grip on the reins. Don't put your leg against the horse's neck because it feels uncomfortable to them. Now let's talk about speed. If you slightly squeeze on the horse's side it will walk. If you squeeze more, it will do a trot (a faster gait that is bumpy.) If you squeeze more the horse will do a canter (a relaxing gait that is faster.) If you squeeze really hard the horse will gallop (a gallop is a horse's fastest gait.) When a horse gallops all four feet come off the ground together. Lean forward to encourage your horse to keep its pace at the gallop.

get that bridle on!

How to bridle a horse: First, make sure the bridle is the right size, then hold the bit next to the horse's mouth. Put one of your hands on his muzzle, so he doesn't get nervous, then carefully slip the bit into his mouth. Put the head piece on him and strap it in. Now you've got the bridle on!
This horse's bridle has been put on. The bit is in his mouth and the head piece is strapped in well.