As tough and strong as horses are, they are very gentle in many areas and care needs to be taken when dealing with horses. An horses asset are its feet, Horses were born to run, and run fast too. Many times horses may encounter problems with their hoofs, this can be a split in the horses hoof or any other minor damages. When this happens, a horse farrier is called in to take care of the horses hoof.

One could say that a horse farrier is a cross between a blacksmith and a vet. Some thing like a "vetsmith"  But the main difference is that the horse farrier specializes in equine hoof care. Caring for a horses hoof does not only mean preparing horse shoes and nailing them to the horses hoof. The farrier needs to have some basic knowledge on  lower horse foot anatomy, He uses this knowledge to trim and balance of the horses hoof. .

A farrier not only works with his hands, he/she needs to work with their eyes as they monitor the horses hoof for any signs of diseases and lameness. They monitoring the equine can prevent irreparable damage to the animals hoof.

A good farrier is important to any horse owner, whether the owner has a horse as a pet or in the horse racing business. For any horse to run at its optimal level, it needs to maintain a trimmed, healthy and balanced hoof. A horse farrier uses specialized tools to cut, trim and balances the hoof of the animal.

Cleaning“Hygiene is extremely important, especially when animals are somewhat confined and continually walking over the same ground where they urinate and defecate,” says Walter Fuermann, a Certified Farrier with the American Farrier’s Association. Another important job for the farrier, therefore, is to clean the feet and cut out excess hoof walls, dead sole and dead frog.
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Horseshoeing Domesticated horses need horseshoes for a variety of reasons: their hooves harden less than in the wild, they’re not walking on hard surfaces as often and their hooves don’t naturally wear themselves down as much.

Farriers apply horseshoes to horses for some of the above reasons, but they also apply hooves as a corrective measure to improve a horse’s gait and to help an animal gain traction when walking in slippery conditions such as ice. Horseshoes are also used for race horses and performance horses.

The farrier, acting as blacksmith, removes old shoes, trims the hooves, measures shoes to the feet, bends the shoes to the proper shape and applies them. They typically use either the cold shoe (bent when cold) or hot shoe (heated in a forge) methods.

For anyone who has been horse back riding knows how fun it can be especially if you are a seasoned rider. Many westerners still go horseback riding. Jogging by a beautiful country side on your favorite filly can really be pleasureous and breath taking. Riding a horse is also a  nice adrenaline rush, but one has to also take serious precautions to not hurt themselves and hurt the animal when riding. It is imperative that one should put safety first when going horse back riding.

Preparing For Horseback Ride
Check Your Horse: One should remember to always check your horse for ant injuries, cuts or bruises before mounting. Ensure the Horse is in good heath,

Saddle Properly
Always check your saddle to ensure that it is firmly secured and will not lad up to any accidental falls during riding.

Always know your track
If you are venturing into a new turf, do not go blazing your horse through, take your time to know the track first. You do not want to risk injuring the horse or yourself.


Prepare Your Horse Halter
Horse halter is more than just tying a rope to a horse but this will enable you to communicate better to the horse you are riding. Thus it is beneficial for both the horse and the rider.

Horse halters are made commonly out of leather, nylon and some are made with metal attached in it in order for sturdy attachment and a much more comfortable fit for the horse.

Some horse halters are made in different color in order to fit the needs and the style of the one riding the horse. Whatever your preference is, many of the sizes are made available in the market to meet your horseback riding needs. Whether you are a beginner, a junior or an enthusiast of this sport.

you can surely be safe with halter tied carefully and knotted perfectly in your horse. Horse halters is lightweight and pliable that it surely fit the area where the halter is attached and this will make he animal more comfortable and remained undisturbed.

This product is available not only in animal shops but now can be found in various online shops that offer quality products that you surely need. They are made durable by various companies in order to safe keep for  the sake of the customers and the animal too.

One thing i will also mention is that before you take it upon yourself to go play Wild Bill Hickok, you should indulge yourself in some good horse riding lesson. So you will be able to be comfortable with the animal, and know what you should and should not do. The lessons will make you less coward when you choose to go riding by yourself.

Riding Clothes and Boots
I believe that whatever the occasion is, you should dress according. When going horse back riding the best dressed outfits are high boots and stretch pants. One thing you must remember is that you need to feel comfortable riding and you should be able to mount and dismount yourself with little interference from clothing.

Horses are cool animals. They have been apart of the common domesticated group for a very long time. They have served many purposes in the past and continue to do so up until now. Many people who acquire an horse either do so for fun or profit. But one thing that all horse owners must do is to provide proper care for the animal. Lets talk a bit about horse care and grooming.

Many horses has thick beautiful hair. Hair will need to be washed comb and brushed.  What horse breeders and owners will use to cleanse their horses hair is horse hair shampoo.  Ensure that when you do decide to wash your horse down with this shampoo, it is an aloe based one. So here are some basic steps in washing down your horse.

Items Needed

1. Horse Brush
2. Comb
3. Horse Shampoo
4. Large Bucket
5. Hose

Steps

• Ensure that you wet your horse thoroughly so that shampoo can be applied easily and evenly on your horse.
• Catch a little water in a bucket and pour out your aloe based shampoo in that bucket to apply the wash a bit thinner
• Use a nice cloth to dip in the horse shampoo mix and ensure that you apply the shampoo thoroughly
• Comb out any intertwined hair so that when the horse is dried, combing and brushing will be easier.
• Ensure to not leave out the horses genital areas
• Rinse horse off with clean water and Use a nice lint free towel to dry the horse.
• Get out your horse comb and brush and begin to brush from top down.

Bathing your horse is essential as it lets your horse feel clean and more comfortable.

Provide a Decent Horse Sanctuary
So now you have bathed and groomed the animal, where does it go? Don't leave the horse in the garage! Ensure that you have a nice comfortable and clean stable for your horse. Your stable must have adequate space to allow your horse free movement without it kicking on every bar or board. The stable must have hood ventilation ha horses need to keep cool. Also, it wouldn't be too bad to throw in a few portraits of your horse in the barn so it won't feel alone.  One other way to let your horse feel comfortable is to provide it with a once warm blanket. Your horse will need it if exposed to extreme temperatures.

Taking care of your horse is a big responsibility and should be done out of love for the animal. Horses are smart animals and do understand their environment. It is also a good idea to engage in conversations with your horse, let him feel like apart of the family. In his mind, he just may be talking back. So use all the essential tips i have provided to you and simply drop me a mail to let me know how it works out.

As much as how we would love to see theses beautiful animals set free to roam in their natural habitat, we still cannot turn a blind eye on the ones that are owned by humans and what they are used for.

Back in the 19th century before the mechanical revolution, when farms were to be plowed you would certainly find a horse or two in front of a pulley which was used to plow the land to plant seeds.  Horses are strong and are capable of making some domestic task easier. So not only were horses and mules used to plow farms, they were generally used as a means of transportation. People rode horses or rode in wagons pulled by horses to travel great distances back in those days. The horse as really been domesticated for a very long time. Now since this new ere where everything is technology driven, you find that the use for horses has really dwindled. Tractors, and automobile have taken up where the hoses have left off. But don't think the horses have been left out the gate just yet. There are still hundreds of horse farms or stables as they call them throughout America, Europe and Asia today. These horses are bred for racing for sports, entertainment and making money.

So now that machines have taken over much of the work that horse used to do, horses are now bred for other purposes and one of such purpose is sports.
Polo

• This is one of the more common sport which requires the player to be mounted on top of a horse and try to wack a ball in his/her opponents goal.

Jousting

• Well, this sport was played in medieval times when knights used to entertain the king, queen, princes and especially the princesses with their showmanship. Jousting required that the knight be fully armored from head to toe, be placed on a horse and given a lancer. Then both jousters ride from the opposite side and try to wack each other off their horses.

Showboating

• Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving.
• Well, this sport involves how the horse looks and feels and the type of tricks your horse is able to accomplish. This sport test the rider and horses skill as it relates to maneuvering when ridden.

Horse Racing

• One of the most popular sport which includes horses. Horses are lined up in starting gates   with jockeys on top and race to a finish line . People bet on the winning horses, (first, second, and third) to make money.

Horses has been in the lives of men as far back as BC ages. Horses have been loyal companions to us through out time. They have served us quite well. They have been with us in war, shoot outs, gathering herds, pets, farming and sports. One of the main sport which men have used hoses for is Horse racing and betting. Animal rights activist do not support this type of use of the horse as it encourages animal cruelty. How so? Well, during a horse race, jockies are equipped with head gear, eye gear, gloves, riding suites and boots and of course the sturdy whip. When a race is about to start, horses are placed in starting gates and the jockies are mounted on them, then the gate flies open and the race begins. It is a time of excitement as everyone cheers for their winning horse, if the horse seems to be lingering or not putting out enough to win the race, the jockey may apply some good hits to the horses ass to encourage the animal to move faster. In other words, the horse is beaten to go!

So betters will bet on their favorite horses and if that horse wins the race, they will be happy going to the collection boot to claim their winnings. But what do you believe happens to these beautiful horses once they have outlived the track, the lucky ones are sent to pastures where they roam free and feed off the land and the many others are simply slaughtered. Hundreds and thousands of horses are sent to Canada and other forign countries to be slaughtered yearly.