http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles The Belize Jungle Dome a new Resort in Belize Central America is pleased to announce its full Schedule of Adventure Vacation Day Trips for 2005 Inlcuding Mayan Temples Caving Adventures Jungle Horseback Riding River Trips Abseiling and Kayaking Jungle Horseback Riding Adventure Miles of jungle and riverside trails await you The largest herd of horses in Belize 130 horses and counting and 20 years plus experience in running Equestrian Vacations make us the ideal horseback ri http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse1.html Here are 5 things to do to put the odds of getting a good horse in your favor Let me share a short story with you about public horse auctions and my friend Jack Ill show you how to buy a horse at auction so you wont get burned Jack an old time horse trader and I use to travel to horse auction all over the state Id just watch Jack and maybe later ask my questions Jack was usually pretty closed mouthed but he let me in on his secrets to buying good horses at auctions http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse2.html Could a horse trainer born about 154 years ago teach us anything new today Would the methods be old hat or would they be useful The answer is a resounding Yes they are enormously useful The horse training expert referred to is named Jesse Beery Beery was a world famous horse trainer from the late 1800s who possessed amazing ability with horses Fortunately Beerys secrets remain after all these years His information can be found in his book he wrote in the late 18 http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse3.html In horse training or natural horsemanship Approach is nothing more than a technique or method used in helping your horse to understand what it is you want him to do I feel its important to point out at this time that one of the major reasons people fail to achieve excellence with their horse is that they are not mentally emotionally and physically fit The way to achieve this is by being persistent and consistent in learning and practicing your horse training natural horsemanship http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse4.html Horse owners who are history buffs may recognize the name Jesse Beery Beery was an enormously famous horse trainer from the 1800s and early 1900s He learned to train horses at a very young age It was clear he had a gift for horse training and made it his lifes work Among the almost countless things Beery could do with a horse he taught them tricks One of the most amazing tricks he taught was teaching a horse to drive without lines In laymans terms you have no long rei http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse5.html BARREL RACING FOR THE FUN OF IT BILL DUNIGAN Here is a sport for everyone This activity offers to its enthusiasts the relaxation of the outdoors coupled with the excitement of speed and the unparallel connection with an animal many times larger stronger and faster than the individual mounted on top The only judge involved is the clock You wont find any style preferences attitude or subjective opinions here Either you have the fastest time or you dont Barrel rac http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse6.html After years of practicing both conventional and holistic medicine for horses I decided to compare the cost effectiveness and net results of managing and treating horses holistically versus conventionally In this article I compare results for the average trail horse that is ridden about 23 times a week I have used average feed and veterinary costs for my area Austin Texas and drug and supplement costs from a major horse supply catalog I then discuss the issues related to http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse7.html Mistake 1 Here Kitty Kitty Unless they have been educated new horse owners often think a horse is like a cat or dog They figure if they tap their thighs and say CmonCmonCmon the horsell will simply jump right in the trailer like a happy dog or cat Mistake 2 Using Food As Bait Putting hay grain apples or whatever at the front of the trailer to tempt a horse to step in and eat almost never works If it did it would be a fluke I http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse8.html So what does it mean to float a horses teeth Im sure youve heard this a time or two if you havent sooner or later you will from another horse owner or from your vet and if youre like me you imagined for the longest time what this could possibly mean and wondered what it involved To float a horses teeth certainly sounds funny too Floating means to smooth or contour your horses teeth with a file called a float Unlike your own teeth your hors http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse10.html Horses In My Back Yard by Jody Hudson with Extensive Collaboration From Chris Hudson HORSE LOVERS During my thirty years of selling rural land I have frequently found that folks want some acreage so that they can own and ride horses They LOVE horses in their own mind but have little if any of the real knowledge or experience necessary to raise one or more horses Far too often they have knowledge based on little more than an idyllic dream and that dream based for the most pa http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse11.html Horse N Rider Match recently released its brand new website designed to find every rider the perfect horse The website features horse classifieds options for selling your horse and lots of information about owning buying and selling a horse With http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse12.html Upcoming Events Le http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse13.html The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With Your Horse Today I am going to ask you to think about being creative when playing with your horse I would like you to remember that when I use terms such as horse training and natural horsemanship I am actually referring to playing with your horse Of the 6 keys the two most difficult to grasp are mindset attitude and creativeness imagination Of these two creativeness is the most difficult This is where you need t http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse14.html The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With Your Horse Today I would like to talk with you about the equipment you will need and a little about these tools Have you ever found your self in a situation where your not able to get your horse to do what it is youre asking of him or able to correct a problem your having with your horse If you have then you may have found your self in the unfortunate situation of having to use severe aids torture devices Maybe a bigger mor http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse15.html To the uninitiated horse owner there are timely facts about horses they should know In fact when someone first gets a horse these timely facts should be studied and learned These timely facts come from the Jesse Beery horse training manual Jesse Beery was a famous horse trainer from the 1800s Interestingly Beerys training methods are as powerful today as they were when Beery was alive Timely Fact 1 Make your horse your friend not your slave Timely Fact 2 http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse16.html If you have a passion to learn all you can about horse training then you will want to know about a 108 year old horse training manual recently revived from a dusty old book shelf of a used book store This horse training manual was written in the late 1800s by a then world famous horse trainer named Jesse Beery In Beerys manual he explains the different steps it takes to train a horse to be gentle safe reliable and valuable Although this is a very basic example Beer http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse17.html Picture this Youre late for work one day You look at your watch and notice you have about three minutes to feed your horse before you have to leave Plus it seems to worsen every day You notice your life getting busier and you have little time if any to spend with your horse Should you sell him Should you keep him What do you do It depends If you only want a pet that eats a lot of hay then you can keep him if it is affordable If you want to ride him but you know you http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse18.html Was he the worlds greatest horse trainer of all time Would his picture be in the horse trainers Hall Of Fame Perhaps His name was Jesse Beery Before he was twenty he became a world class horse trainer He was so well known there were more people who heard of him than didnt Jesse Beery learned how to train horses almost entirely on his own because there were few people who knew how to train a horse Beerys parents discouraged horse training as a career but later oka http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse19.html Yeah right I thought to myself as I started to turn off the TV after hearing that the show was about a dancing horse I couldnt imagine watching a documentary about a dancing horse and its rocky road to success I was very skeptical but curious enough to see if this horse could actually dance After all the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and a real life dancing horse beats a fictional talking horse I was amazed to see the elaborate venue set up for this horse T http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse20.html Heres a simple way to help your horse learn twice as fast We are all pressed for time seems there is just not enough of it There is the job family duties maybe social events all competing for our time Our horse is ignored and we end up with a 10 year old greenbroke horse which can mean anything from they buck or spook sometimes to they still need to be geehawed to go left or right They may still be trying to figure out go and whoa Well I have found some easy ways to http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse21.html Some people have horses they dont dare tie Why Because they break their halters andor crossties So what is a person to do in their horse training practices My first suggestion is to get a rope halter But not just any ol rope halter Get one of those rope halters that are thin because they cut into the horses poll more if they pull back It sends a message to the horse thats its not desirable to pull back When you get the rope halter on tie the lead rope to the halter http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse22.html In the animal kingdom there is a pecking order Richard Shrake points out that its a lot like the military He ranks in the pecking order go from General down to Private The General will get first pick of the food decide where to go and when and so on The second in command will act just like the General but he wont pick on the General because the General dominates him This string of command continues all the way down to the bottom of the pecking order Any time a new animal com http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse23.html Imagine being on a horse and he bolts You pull those reins to slow him down but its no use He resists and the fence posts go whizzing by you as you panic and pray he doesnt shift his bodyweight and you fly off his back into a post Its scary to be on a horse that runs on his own volition and cant be slowed down Many people will sell their horse because theyre so scared of that happening again How do you keep a horse from bolting like that There is a way to temper your ho http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse24.html If there is an art to getting horses to load in a trailer then this it The first thing that must happen is communication between the horse and his handler The horse must understand what is required of him and the handler must make it easy to understand Thus you must start by getting the horse to move forward in either direction After a direction is established then get him moving in the opposite direction A round pen is excellent for this purpose When the horse gets http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse25.html There are lots of ways a horse can go lame Perhaps the most common cause of lameness is a result of Navicular Syndrome The fortunate thing is that it can be treated where the horse gets complete successful recovery if diagnosed and treated in its early stages Heres what you need to know about Navicular Syndrome First there is a small bone between the coffin bone and the short pastern bone called the navicular bone This bone is important in that it distributes the horses weight http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse26.html There is a dangerous problem that horse owners should be very aware of Its when a horse stands up on his back legs Its called rearing This problem can be quite dangerous and cause severe injuries to the rider andor horse Rearing is perhaps a horses most effective defense against the rider It is dangerous in that the horse can fall over backward onto its rider Because of a horses enormous weight this can cripple and even kill the rider Thus it is good to know why if possi http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse27.html Horse training can be a relatively mysterious subject to people who have not studied it Even more mysterious is a behavioral problem a horse has that causes his owner stress and frustration What many horse owners dont understand is often the handler not the horse is causing the problem That being said that is the first consideration in unscrambling the horses ill behavior For instance a common problem riders have is a horse being spooky In laymans terms that mea http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse28.html Ive been around many people who try to lead a horse by controlling their head with a lead rope They end up pulling or jerking the lead rope and the horse will typically pull back or push around the person with the lead rope Ultimately you want slack in the lead rope while leading your horse because you dont want to pull or jerk him If your horse moves incorrectly while leading him then you can stop and correct him by making him move his body To really be successful in havin http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse29.html Shopping for horse gifts or other gift items on the internet is quick convenient and is probably safer than you think However you still need to be aware that it is essential to vigorously protect your privacy and financial information when making purchases online If you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself when shopping for those special gifts for horse lovers it should be no riskier than buying by mail order or over the phone To make your shopping experience a http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse30.html Your mindset approach and way of thinking beliefs are critical to building trust and a lasting relationship with your horse Your mindset is the first thing you must scrutinize and work to understand in developing skills in horsemanship People generally have one of two mindsets when it comes to getting a horse to do something They either have the mindset that they are going to use force or intimidate the horse to get him to do it or they use the buddy up method of trying to swe http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse31.html The 4th Of 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With Your Horse In Natural Horsemanship being patienttolerant means taking the time do it right so you wont have to go back and do it again and again Why do I call the fourth key patients when we are really talking about time because if we loose patients we will not spend the time it takes to get our horse through the stages necessary for building a life long partnership Being patient is very important because its goin http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse32.html Selling a Horse The best new tool for people selling horses is the Internet You can describe your horse in detail and publish pictures list a pedigree show record and accomplishments all for a very reasonable price Your ad is posted immediately and your exposure to potential buyers is much greate http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse33.html The idea of picking up a horses hooves can intimidate some owners since a wellplaced horse kick would really hurt Such caution is good but in reality if you pick up a horses hoof properly you provide him with no leverage or ability to kick you This is a situation where a persons worst fears can cause him to imagine an incident that is highly unlikely to occur with careful handling Heres how to safely pick up a horses hoof Starting with the front hoof approach your ho http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse34.html Retirement and Leisurely Living Historic New Kent County Virginia Imagine New Kent County Virginia a quiet rural area located between Richmond and Williamsburg Virginia as a place for retirement New Kent Countys rural scenery and serenity coupled with its proximity to Richmond and another historic town Williamsburg make it perfectly situated for retirement New Kent County is also the home of Martha Washington wife of George Washington and one of our founding mothers The http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse35.html Rider Burnout Bill Dunigan Over the years I have noticed a situation that develops much to often That is the problem of burn out on the part of the rider How often have we known someone who started riding and at some point decided to pursue a particular discipline to the exclusion of any other activity involving horses I am sure you have encountered this just as I have The sad part is that it doesnt need to happen Think back to when you first began to ride You j http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse36.html What you can do to become a better and more efficient rider Part 1 Cardiovascular Fitness There are many things each of us can do on a regular basis to improve our riding and better our horses You do not need a lot of equipment or expensive gym memberships you simply need a few minutes every other day Before beginning any exercise program it is a good idea to consult your physician and it is imperative that you do so if you have any existing health problems We all kno http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse37.html Riding and Rafting The Rockies with Rawah Ranch Read Jetsetters Magazine at wwwjetsettersmagazinecom Read this entire feature FREE with photos at httpwwwjetsettersmagazinecomarchivejetezinecabinwebranchescoloradorawahrawahhtml What happens at a dude ranch he asked the clerk who was helping Bob buy new cowboy boots She said that her husband had been a wrangler a horse handler at a dude ranch for years We were at Big R in my hometown of Greeley Colorado http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse38.html Riding For The Brand in Yellowstone Country Montana Bunkhouses Dude Ranches Dude Read Jetsetters Magazine at wwwjetsettersmagazinecom To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link httpjetsettersmagazinecomarchivejetezinecabinwebyellowstoneyellowstonehtml The sky is enormous Everyone you meet is your host All around are the fresh smells of alfalfa evergreen trees and a bit of horse manure Well thats how I picture Paradise anyw http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse39.html What are you waiting for said Nelson looking at me impatiently Well Go on Get saddled up I was eighteen years old and had just entered my first rodeo However the horse I expected to ride in a roping competition had taken ill The one I was about to ride instead had an attitude He was known to become testy when his riders least expected it The seconds crawled as I stared at this beautiful and very spirited animal New horse No time to make friends with him It wa http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse40.html I get a lot of horse training questions about stopping a horse from kicking The kicking habits of these horses range from the horse kicking at virtually anyone to kicking at only the husbands Its a daunting problem that lots of people have no idea how to cure That being so I want to share some insight to horses kicking First I want to relate some causes of horses starting in the habit of kicking Because a horse kicks is no reason to think he is naturally bad or unmanageable http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse41.html If your life is so busy you literally only have a minute or two a day to spend with your horse then here are 5 smart training tips you can use to keep your horse tuned up when you have just minutes a day Smart Tip 1 Practice Backing Up Suppose you just fed your horse some hay and hes eating Assuming you have enough room to get beside him put your finger into his chest and get him to back up Getting a horse to back up is a basic and essential lesson horses should know Pl http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse42.html THE RIDE OF HIS LIFE It was a chilly crisp morning at the racetrack The sun was just beginning to come up over the mountains in the distance as Dad and I led one of our thoroughbreds out of the stables and out towards the training track We were waiting to start track work with one our best gallopers Paragon Prince but unfortunately once again the jockey had forgotten to show up The particular jockey had tendency to spend many a night out with the boys getting on the booze and the h http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse43.html As you likely know already horses have at least 10 times our strength If they also had our intelligence they would probably be riding us humans Fortunately horses cannot reason like human beings and therefore will never have superior intelligence Since they dont have reasoning abilities horse training becomes a challenge because you now have to understand how their intelligence works You have to know what works and why to really be effective The biggest secret that makes http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse44.html The Smokies Only Dude Ranch Read Jetsetters Magazine at wwwjetsettersmagazinecom To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link httpwwwjetsettersmagazinecomarchivejetezinecabinwebfrenchfrenchhtml Maybe it was the small closelyknit communities we passed through on our way to French Broad Outpost Ranch that told us we had ventured back in timethe ones that sold handmade Indian blankets and produce from small wooden buildings that clearly n http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse45.html Its been weeks since you went riding Now you have time to ride this afternoon and there aint no one gonna stop you Excited you saddle up your horse and get on him You get about 50 feet from the barn and your horse turns around and goes back and you cant stop him Why You have a barn spoiled horse This is a common scenario for novice horse owners Here are the top three tricks to solve the barn sour problem Teach your horse that you have control over him Once your hors http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse46.html Mistake 7 Assuming You Can Get On Any Horse And Simply Ride Not all horses are the same Some you can get on and easily ride Some are so green that you could be easily injured if you have little or no riding experience The ones easy to ride are typically older horses They have been ridden the most and will be the most forgiving of a beginning riders mistakes The younger horses will be the hardest to ride unless they have been thoroughly broke Mistake 6 Assuming A Horse http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse47.html Boarding Breeding Training Showing Stables 1 You need to fill stalls 2 You want to generate some public awareness about your operation 3 You want to create new potential clients 4 You want to separate your operation from your competitors 5 You want to establish yourself as an authority to local equestrians 6 You want to make some cash on the side 7 You want to sell a few horses either for yourself or for clients 8 You want http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse48.html Yesterday we talked a little about the 6 Keys for a Life Long Partnership with your horse today I would like to visit with you about the first key Understanding Have you ever wondered why your horse acts like he does how he thinks and moves If so then you need to understand the preypredator relationship but before we start its important that you understand if your going to effectively communicate with horses you need to think like horses You need to look at and approach ev http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse49.html Salt Lake City Utah Get ready to make tracks to the Laurel Brown Equestrian Park in South Jordan to witness the fastest sport on earth The Utah Quarter Horse Association UQHA prepares to kick off its 2005 racing season with five race days in Utah running April 30th June 18th The UQHA is introducing a number of new familyfocused activities to entertain and educate attendees on Quarter Horse racing Features include kids stick horse races kids foot races and free race track ori http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse50.html Salt Lake City Utah The Utah Quarter Horse Association is running horses where they have never been before on the World Wide Web Starting on April 30th and continuing throughout the race meet in Utah the UQHA will be broadcasting all races through their httpwwwuqhracom web site Races will be streamed live over the Internet and will also be recorded and made available for viewing after the races have concluded UQHAs streaming media broadcast will allow Internet users anywhere in http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse51.html Most people who have horses would like to develop a quality relationship with their horse but only achieve mediocrity often accepting this as a good result Why because they put there efforts into becoming experts at riding or showmanship when they really need to be focusing on becoming horseman First you need to develop a base a starting point you can build on a base involving both the horse and you developing a life long partnership If youre someone who is serious about develo http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse52.html In a world of computer games the Internet and shopping malls what is it about this fourlegged farm animal that seems to capture the heart of most of them According to a recent study by the American Horse Council 19 million Americans own horses just over 4 million people are recreational riders and 36 million show horses The horse industry has a 1121 billion impact on the US gross domestic product greater than the movie industry and the tobacco manufacturing industry P http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse53.html The other day I was invited to see my friends new horse He had her for about a month before I got to see her When I arrived at his house he met me outside and said Cmonlets go see her We stood at the fence and marveled at how beautiful she was Excited he asked You wanna pet her Sure I said So my friend grabbed the halter and went after her As I watched him chase her I was reminded of those silent movies where everyone is moving comically fast with the music in the http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse54.html They say the eyes are are the gateway to the soul When it was said they were referring to us humans But the truth is it also refers to horses Many horse owners dont understand the importance and usefulness of the horses eyes while training That being so let me share with you some things you may find useful some you may knowsome you may not First theres the eye which reveals a little about the character of the horse youre working with It may have a kind eye A ki http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse55.html Rodeo Ben started the trend for Wrangler jeans when he designed and tailored the 13MWZ This durable and quality jean was tested by rodeo stars Jim Shoulders Bill Linderman and Freckles Brown while they starred in rodeo shows around the country In 1949 the Wrangler jean became very popular after the Rodeo Championship and grew into the number 1 jean for western wear As a matter of fact even later in 1974 Wrangler Jeans became Official Jeans of the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse56.html A saddle is a static object but your horse is a living dynamic creature Even slight changes throughout the year in your horses weight have a significant impact on the fit of the saddle And naturally the saddle fit in turn significantly impacts your horses experience Thats just common sense of course But many riders forget the fact that a horse normally undergoes even slight alterations in weight and posture throught the seasons and throughout his or her life And yet we cont http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse57.html By Jeffrey Rolo copyright 2004 AlphaHorse In the dating world many men and women put their potential partners to a dog test whereby they introduce their date to their dog and see how the dog reacts to the stranger If the dog reacts badly towards their date then a red flag is waved whereas if the dog accepts the stranger instantly the opposite holds true While many people look upon this test in a tongueincheek manner many dog owners actually do take it seriously As they pro http://www.totalhorseconnection.com/horsearticles/horse58.html