New To Horses

04/08/2024

26/06/2024

As summer finally seems to have arrived, we ask the experts how best to help horses, and riders, cope in hot temperatures, and for advice on riding in the heat

Read more via link below

01/05/2024

Awwww!

God Says You are Cowgirl Bible Verse Inspirational Vintage Tin Sign for Horse Lovers Cowgirl Christian Art Vintage Wall Decor 5.5x8 Inch

30/04/2024

Grab this cute Life Is Better With Horses T-Shirt for your equestrian mom, dad, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, son or daughter! It's the perfect gift idea & present for Horseback Riding women & girls, Horse Racing, Birthday or Christmas

29/04/2024

Love these halters for the horse's comfort!! It's even a breakaway halter.

A halter with the soft feel of genuine sheep skin but durable, easy care synthetic fibers. It lines the cheeks, nose and crowns on this versatile halter. It has leather fuse breakaway at cheek and trigger snap closure at throat. This halter has adjustable chin and crown which have rivets to help ...

11/04/2024

Two horses in Wisconsin, located in Columbia and Clark counties, were confirmed positive for EHV and euthanized.

05/04/2024

Equine strangles cases have been confirmed in Ingham, Eaton, and Ottawa counties, Michigan.

18/03/2024

Who are you and why do you follow this page?

15/03/2024

We’re Reinventing Our Space! 🐎✨

Hello, equestrians and horse enthusiasts! As we enter into a new phase for our page, we’re eager to hear your thoughts.

How did you discover us? Was it a click, a friend’s recommendation, or the trail of a shared post that led you here? Did my blog bring you here?

What kind of content would you like to see on this page?

Educational Content: Would you like more insights into horse care, training, or riding tips?

Would you like information to help you understand more about horses for yourself, or do you have a child interested? Are you new to horses and need help navigating the horse world?

Your journey with us matters, and your needs are our guideposts. Share your story of how you found us, and let us know your ideas for this page in the comments below.

Help me make this page helpful for you!

02/03/2024

So true!!!!

14/02/2024

23/01/2024

Rhinestone Cross Brooch/Pendant Kenneth Jay Lane originally signed the KJL tag.

08/01/2024

Yes

29/12/2023

- When my instructor repeats to me: ′′Straighten your shoulders and open your chest!” He’s not just teaching me how to stand up. He's teaching me that in life we should always walk straight and face problems head on.

- When my instructor asks me to lower my legs and keep them close to the horse, he teaches me that in life we do not allow distractions and that little is enough to deviate from his path.

- When my instructor tells me "Too much hand, don't hang on to the reins! "He teaches me to give and not to take, with the greatest respect of others.

- When he yells and repeats endlessly: "Look forward in the direction you want to go!” He teaches me the importance of setting goals and never losing sight of them to achieve them.

- When I ask to move up or do more and my instructor says I'm not ready, he teaches me that in life you must always respect your rhythm and never skip the steps.

- When I fall and get back up, I learn that there are always setbacks, times when we back up, but the important thing is to get up more determined than before.

- If I hold my breath during a ride and he jokingly tells me "breathe! You are purple!” I understand that you have to let your emotions flow in order to get rid of them.

- When at the end of the course I am happy with the work done and my instructor says to me′ ′Well done, thank your teacher′′ I know he is not referring to himself but to my horse.

- Now you, you who are watching a rider pass in the saddle, keep saying that riding is not a sport because it is the horse that does everything. I agree. Horse riding is not a sport. It is a life lesson.

12/12/2023

Hello, all my new and long-term followers.

I have not been as active as I want with this group or my blog. My life has circled around grandchildren these past few years, which made it hard to be consistent in my posting.

Since I retired from teaching, I have missed having horses and students. A blog was as close as I could get to the horsey world. Life took me through many seasons and back again.

I also found it discouraging to teach through the written word without having a barn and horses to help me convey my message. I need videos and pictures illustrating what I was teaching through my writing.

Therefore, I am starting a search for a beginner who needs help in exchange for letting me video them and use those videos to help illustrate what I am discussing in the posts. This person or persons must come from the Indianapolis, IN, area, as I currently live in the city.

When I started this page and my blog, I intended to help introduce horses and the horse world to parents of children who were entering the wide world of horses. I wanted to help them understand what they were watching as their children participated in their riding lessons. The plain and simple interpretation of what, why, and how the skills they learn would lead to their successful, safe riding experience, season, or career. No matter what path the child takes with a horse. I wanted to help them understand what their child might experience as they develop a deep passion for horses.

I will continue with the intended pathway. However, I want to attract beginners from all ages and lifestyles. I want to help as many people as possible. I want to help them navigate the ups and downs of a horse rider's journey from start to forever. My spell check keeps trying to change"forever" to "finish." but I say "forever" on purpose because the passion never really leaves. And if they are fortunate enough to live their life forever with horses. I am truly happy for them.

Please feel free to comment below where you are in your journey with horses, no matter how short or long. Even if it is just a dream right now.

Read my about me page at https://newtohorses.com/
Thanks for your participation and support.
Wilene

New to horses? We provide basic, easy-to-understand information about horses. For beginner riders, those with a passion for horses, and parents of new riders.

11/12/2023

This topic is difficult. Even the words used can be taken as mean or insulting. Weight shaming or weight-based discrimination in the horse world is common. We need to discuss how riders can be too much for a horse. I have had students come to my barn with the goal of using riding as a way to lose weight. Young instructors might gain from my experience. I recommend having a small draft cross in your lesson string not over 15.2 H, a large saddle and a sturdy mounting block. Draft crosses typically have movement in their gaits that can be like "slow motion". A small drafty horse is useful for large students and for teaching students who struggle to feel a horse's motion.

A student's first mounting is an important moment. Many new students, large and small, are unable to mount at first due to their lack of strength, coordination, fear or other reasons. Failure to mount a horse can end in a very challenging emotional moment. Be ready. Strength is the key focus in training many riders today. As you explain your lesson program to new students, it is useful to add that not everyone is able to mount a horse in their first try. Providing facts like this can alleviate embarrassment and pain for you and your student.

With a new student who has a weight loss goal, it is important to explain that weight is not the issue. Strength is the issue. I tell students who wish to use riding as exercise to lose weight that the weight loss goal is unimportant to me. What is important to me, as a riding instructor, is that the student increases their strength in order to apply the aids correctly. I explain that building muscle, if they stick with riding, is likely to increase their weight because muscle weighs more than fat on a per cubic inch basis. I further explain that over time the use of increased muscle in active riding, will result in weight loss, but not in the short term.

I have found that teaching larger riders requires more expectation management with the student. Learning to ride and losing weight while riding requires a very long term commitment. Getting a student to commit to at least six lessons improves their probability of success. As a teacher, it is not often that we can play a part in someone's life changing experience. Teaching students who want to overcome a substantial challenge can be very rewarding.

Private lessons are essential for riders with weight loss and fitness goals. This is because fear of failure, and failure itself, is best experienced alone with the instructor. Peer group pressure in a group is not useful and it can cloud the process.

It is very important to keep lessons simple. Pushing a student to fill the whole lesson time with active riding can be unproductive. Dismounted lesson time is very useful. Be sure to assess the daily level physical activity of every new rider, especially those with a fitness goal. You need to understand their potential strength and stamina in order to provide effective lessons. Keeping your lessons within the strength and stamina range that new students bring to lessons leads to higher success levels for both of you. Remember that you are not a therapist or best friend. You have one purpose, teaching riding. What students do with your instruction is up to them.

While this post focuses on weight loss and fitness students, it applies to every student with a challenging personal goal. Riding horses is challenging enough today with elitism rampant in so many disciplines. We need to be more inclusive.

08/12/2023

Baby it’s cold outside! ❄️⛄️

Many people think of donkeys as hardy, low-maintenance “small horses.” However, while they have similarities, donkeys are a completely different species and as such have a different physical, mental, and emotional make-up.

As the weather gets colder, it’s important to remember that donkeys are more sensitive to changes in temperature than their equine friends. They don’t grow a winter coat like horses and their hair is less waterproof, so they require shelter from the elements (like a run-in shed or a waterproof blanket). Being stoic animals, they also won’t show signs of discomfort and hypothermia until they are very sick.

Remember that every animal is different depending on age, breed, and other health conditions, so be sure with your primary veterinarian to address any concerns or questions!
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Brough to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.