Minature Horse Training for the Beginner!

Author: Max Haywood

Being a frontrunner in minature horse training means having a nil toleration policy towards your horse invading your personal space or disobeying your requests regardless of what his size.

In the herd, the pecking order is often challenged. Stay vigilant as the pecking order is never set in stone. If you get slack, the horse will start to dominate you. Be firm, consistent and determined in applying your rules. It actually does matter.

Find Minature Horse Training Here! Your horse will test you in tiny paths to see how serious you are. If you do not hold your ground over your space or do accept a delayed reply to a request, you’re effectively eroding the respect he has for you. ‘That’s ok, I do not actually mean stop when I say so’. This is then a green flag for your horse to try on bigger and bigger misbehaviors. For example, don’t let your horse kiss you. In fact, a bite is just a firm nibble isn’t it? And a biting problem is not one you wish to be dealing with. Distressing for you, and difficult to get rid of. In this case, no kisses, no nibbles, no bites.

Absolute CONSISTENCY is the key to fast minature horse training. There needs to be Trust when working with minature horse training techniques. One of the biggest reasons horses lack good ground manners is the fact they do not trust as well as respect the people who are handling them.

Trust and respect go together and when you have attained that, the rest of your minature horse training is way easier. That’s safe from his perspective, not yours. You might think he’s perfectly safe in a trailer, but if he’s never been in one you will need to show him that you’ll go into one and that other horses agree it’s safe too.

Your job is to prove to your horse that regardless of what goes on around him, he will not be harmed. Angry bullying won’t work. Losing your temper won’t work. Let your horse know where you are and what you’re up to as much as is possible. Be calm, be considerate, be affectionate, have patience.

This trail leads to earning your horse’s trust, an essential for a long and happy relationship. No one, even a pony, enjoys all work and no play. Your aim is to persuade your horse to predict relaxing with you.

What your horse likes will be individual, but most horses have a place on their body they like having scratched or rubbed. This can be a reward for obedience.

Many minature horses enjoy the mental stimulation of the minature horse training if it’s not repeated continually at one go. Ten or fifteen mins is sufficient.

And horses like variety in their ‘work’. So infrequently go out for a trail ride, infrequently do some jumping, sometimes do some jumping, occasionally in the ring. Mix it up and keep it fascinating. A bored horse is a cranky pony, and anyone in a bad mood is likely to misbehave.

Find Minature Horse Training Here! The horse likes a life of comfort. That implies, a life free from irritants as well as discomfort. You may use his hate of being irritated to your minature horse training advantage. Stopping the provoking thing you were doing is his reward for doing as you asked.

So go on and enjoy your small pony, and with the miniature horse training you may both be content for a very long time!!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/video-articles/minature-horse-training-for-the-beginner-971864.html

About the Author: Warren is a qualified horse trainer who has been working with horses for over 35 years and knows horses and their habits very well. His training techniques are second to none. Most people who use his program and methods are extremely pleased!

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Owning Miniature Horses – The Smallest Of The Small

Author: Riley Hendersen

When it comes to pet ownership, we all have our preferences; the debate of dog versus cat can go on indefinitely.

But for those who prefer horses, the care and feeding of their animal suddenly becomes a far greater undertaking then simply housing a smaller, more domesticated animal. Horses are large animals that come with an even larger responsibility for their owners.

But for some people, ownership of miniature horses allows them to enjoy all that attracts them to horses, but on a much smaller scale. Miniature horses are simply the result of hundreds of years of careful and purposeful breeding that has taken place all over the world.

Today, The American Miniature Horse Association, established in 1978, continues to set the guidelines for these horses. To date, they are the only organization working to standardize the specifications. In order to be defined as miniature horses, they must not reach higher than 34 inches in height.

However, the differentiation between standard sized horses and these horses stops here; the physical features actually mirror that of their full-sized counterparts; but are simply in proportion to their size. If you were to look at one with no basis for size comparison, it would look like a typical, average sized horse. Miniature horses are shown in competition just as their full-sized cousins.

But their manageable size makes them especially instrumental in working with special needs individuals who wish to ride, but must avoid the larger animals for safety reasons. Because of their size, they are also child-friendly; children often learn to ride on these smaller, more controllable breeds.

Those who own miniature horses will also tell you of the unique opportunity they have to enjoy all that is special about a horse while still enjoying all that comes with having the ability to hold an animal in your lap!

The care is just as important as that for larger horses. Much of the standard care remains the same – including grooming, veterinary care, exercise and nutrition, and shelter – with special attention paid to eating. The smaller digestive track puts them at risk for intestinal problems; owners must be alert to the special feeding requirements of the breed.

Owners will be happy to note, however, that the care for the horses costs significantly less than the care for full-sized horses.

For those interested in owning one, it is important to do a fair amount of research. Just as with any breed of horse, temperaments vary from horse to horse. Seek out and get to know a reputable breeder who can assist you in finding the horse that’s right for you and your family.

Owning a horse of any size must be taken on only after careful consideration. But if you find that you enjoy all the characteristics of a horse, but are put off by its normally grand size, you may want to investigate miniature horses; all the beauty of a horse in one tiny package.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/owning-miniature-horses-the-smallest-of-the-small-122532.html

About the Author: For more information on horses, try visiting http://www.interestinghorses.com – a website that specializes in providing horse related tips, advice and resources including information on the miniature horse.

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