Article Sphere Logo
Horses Article

Have You Outgrown Your Horse

By Expert Author: Ron Petracek
Word Count: 498 words | Views: 450 view(s)
How do you know when your horse is too small for you? Quite simply, when your horse can't carry you comfortably, you've outgrown him. Of course, there are ways to outgrow a horse well before he feels physical discomfort. So how do you know when it's time to upgrade to something a bit larger?

There are instances where your horse can handle your weight just fine, but you are simply too tall for your horse. How to tell? Well, if you are jumping over obstacles and your feet are banging on the rails, you are most likely too tall for your horse! But what about that same rider and horse who don't jump? If the horse can still handle the weight of the rider, whether or not the rider is too tall for the horse is a matter or aesthetics. If you are showing your horse and feel that your size is going to affect the outcome of the competition, that's a good reason to get a larger horse. Ask your instructor, a judge, or someone who is well-acquainted with your discipline to give you an honest assessment of how you fit your horse and whether or not that will have any bearing when you show your horse.

Which brings us to the fact that whether or not a horse fits a rider often has more to do with certain trends than it does with whether the horse can actually carry the rider. Today's fashion, for example, dictates that humongous horses carry tiny riders. Some people feel that a horse is too small if the rider's legs go more than halfway down its sides. On the other hand, disciplines like Western riding, endurance riding, and competitive trail riding focus more on the horse's ability to carry the rider, and not how the rider looks on the horse.

When deciding whether you've outgrown your horse, ask yourself a few questions. First, ask yourself whether your horse is comfortable carrying you.

If you are showing your horse, ask your self if the size of your horse, compared to the size of you, might negatively impact competition results. If there is a size-related reason that you feel is going to hold you back, it may be time to get a larger horse.

Finally, ask yourself whether you want to compete and ride with your horse, or whether you want another horse. Sometimes, it may be all about competing with a particular horse, and the outcome may not be all that important. In other cases, the outcome is most important and the horse is just the means to the end. There is no right or wrong answer, and the answer will vary from rider to rider.

In some cases, outgrowing a horse has nothing to do with size, but has to do with how far a particular horse can take you. If you are a rider who is improving and is ready to move on to the next level, you may need another horse to get you there.
Ron Petracek

About the Author:

Ron Petracek - Idaho Raise Horseman, Article Director
Need More Information on Horses - Buy, Sell or Trade Click Here=> www.HorseChitChat.com/network.php

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Have-You-Outgrown-Your-Horse/81590

 This Article has been viewed 450 times.
  

Related Videos



 

Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Horses" article category.

People interested in the above article "Have You Outgrown Your Horse" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 
Virginia is a 'horse friendly' Commonwealth, where the horse owner can find ample land and facilities to stable horses throughout the state. This article will focus on the Richmond, VA area and detail county laws for the number of horses allowed on properties and on acreage in various counties in Virginia. The counties selected stretch from the Northern Neck in Chesapeake Bay Country to James City County, where Williamsburg is located.
Like many Southern states, Virginia is horse friendly, with ample pastureland and stables to win over any horse owner's heart. For centuries, Virginians have relied upon horses for transportation, war, agricultural labor, breeding, hunting, shows, competitions and even companionship. Virginia is an excellent place to stable horses. With a relatively mild winter and a moderate climate throughout the year, Southeastern Virginia, near Chesapeake Bay country and the coastal region, is especially attractive to many who love horses.
Different signals are used in training session. Bridge signal is one such signal which is used to communicate with horse. A good communication system is always necessary for any sort of training program. If you have a good communication system that will definitely accelerate the training process. Bridge signal is considered to be the important part of the horse training program. It is used to transmit clear and reliable message to the horse.
Horses are tamed and taught different things since ages. Often you have seen in some documentaries or shows where different animals perform amazing things. Sea World is a place where animals are taught to do remarkable things. Along with different training sessions, animals are taught husbandry behavior, volunteering urine or milk samples or traveling in transport vehicles. Additional input is always required once the animals know their behavior. Stable environment reduces the chances of variables, so keep adding new input to keep things going.
Transporting your horse from one place to another can be a very troublesome affair. As like human beings even horses suffer from stress after travelling for long distances in a horsebox transport. Alteration in their preferred state of living outdoors and eating copious amounts of grass can cause stress for your horse. They also suffer stress whilst travelling due to improper handling and poor driving techniques.
I am sure that there are a lot of horse lovers around the world, and that all of them would like to spend more time with these gorgeous creatures. There are a lot of horse stables where you can practice and learn how to behave around horses, and if you can afford one, you can keep one in your home. All horses are extremely sensitive, so you need to be extra careful while training them.
With new and improved technology, comes greater responsibility and such is the case with almost anything named under the sun. Horses and horse riding have been a part of man ever since the olden times. As time passed by a number of things have changed but man still enjoys the company of horses. Be it a race horse that you require for the Derby or a horse you officially own, you always want to ensure that your horse are in safe hands and at a safe place. In most cases horses aren't allowed to move freely on the road.
Article Directory Home All Categories Pets And Animals Horses Have You Outgrown Your Horse
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.