"Ask Midnight"

Q: This year, my mom told me I could finally get my first horse. I am not really sure what the best choice of breed is. Any suggestions?

(From: HorseStumpted)

A: Well, it all depends on what type of riding you do and what level you are at. If you do anything Western related, I think a Quarter Horse would be a great choice. They are good for beginner and advanced riders. If you are an english rider and you aren't too advanced, Paso Finos are a great choice. Paso Finos are very gentle and attachable. They make great pleasure horses. If you are further along the equestrian road, maybe you should just try experimenting with different breeds. I know you will find the perfect horse!

Q: I love to ride english. I ride english every day at my family’s stable. But ever since this Kentucky Derby, I have shown interest in racing. I'd like to try racing. Are racing saddles similar to English saddles? Would I be able to adjust?

(From: WannaBeARacer)

A: Racing saddles are different from English saddles. For example, they are smaller and have shorter stirrup leathers that go with them. I have never tried racing, but I have heard that if you jump right to racing, it can be uncomfortable and your body aches for a while when first using the saddle. I think that you should practice Jockey-Position with short stirrups on your english saddle. Do it at a halt, walk, trot, canter, and gallop. Get comfortable. Then, when you feel ready, why not try racing?

Q: I am going to my first horse show in two months. I have been working hard. It is going to be a Walk-Trot-Canter-Jump class. Whenever I think about it, I seem to get nervous. I don’t want to be too nervous the day of the show because I know my horse will sense it. What should I expect from this show?

(From: NervousWreck)

A: I remember my first horse show. I was nervous. You are right about the horse sensing your nervousness. My first horse show was a Walk-Trot-Jump show. I was extremely nervous, but I relaxed and I didn’t let nerves take over me. In the ring, trust your horse. You have to be the SAME rider you are at the home stables when you are in the show ring. If you are the same rider, the horse will be the same horse for you. If you know you can ride, then trust your horse. He will trust you. Don't let nerves take over you.

Q: I volunteer at a rescue stable. The stables recently got a new rescue. It is a bay mustang stallion and he is a bit high-strung. I have been in charge of working with him. He is barn-trained and saddle-trained, and I ride him, but I don’t seem to feel a bond. How can I bond with this beautiful and needy animal?

(From: HorseLover)

A: Next time you go to handle this horse, talk calmly to him. Act like every moment is special and gain trust in this horse. Then, the horse will eventually trust you.

But remember, every horse bond takes time. Just like friendships do. You have to be willing and patient, and good things will come. Keep doing everything you usually do but take your time and do everything carefully. Give the horse praise and affection, and even some treats every now and then if he is being good to you.

Q: The horse I ride for lessons is a Quarter horse with a touch of Thoroughbred. She is young. All horses have their 'things'. And this horse's 'thing' is to drift to the outside whenever we approach a jump. How can I prevent her from doing this?

(From: RidingTroubles)

A: Well, you can’t really prevent a horse from doing that, but you can prevent it from really happening. While approaching the jump, use outside rein and outside leg. Open up your inside rein a little bit to get the horse straight. This should work.

Q: I have a miniature stallion. My older sister is training him. He has a bit of attitude. Yesterday, it was thundering and raining. The stallion was in his paddock because he can’t be out with my miniature mare, Jasmine. We were trying to get his blanket on him, but he was bucking and biting. Then finally we ran out of the paddock. He knows I am scared of him. We ran into the house and got my mom and dad. My stallion was rearing and trying to bite us! Do you have any idea on how we could calm him down?

(From: TroubledHorseOwner)

A: Well, if he doesn’t know you very well, he might be very afraid of you. If he is still in training, he might still feel uncomfortable around any other humans besides he’s owner. Well that is if the owner is good to him, which I am sure your sister is. Maybe he was just afraid of the storm. Lots of horses get afraid. Plus, he isn’t trained, so he might still be stubborn. But something you have to do is be stern. He knows you are afraid of him. He senses that. And being an untrained stallion, this miniature horse will probably take advantage of you. When I say stern, I don’t mean be hard or cruel, or even refusing to get out of his way so that you get hurt. I mean stern, in a gentle way. Meaning don’t threaten him or speak rudely. Be kind and sweet to him. He is still gaining human trust so remember that. But when kindness fails, you must use the sternness. Once again: NOT MEAN, but just enough to let him know you are boss.

Q: My pony doesn't like to be groomed. Whenever I begin to groom him, he shifts his feet, tries to back up, and tries to bite me. He never actually bit me before but I don’t know if he just does it because he doesn’t like it, or if he actually wants to bite me. My pony also swishes his tail to try to get me away. He lifts up his back legs sometimes. What should I do? I don’t want to get hurt when I groom my pony!

(From: TryingToGroom)

A: You cannot stop your pony from doing this, but you can stop him from no letting you do your job. That job is grooming. Try using cross ties. This keeps the horse in place, even if he backs up. When he backs up, don’t try to fight him. Let the pony back up. Then, when he stops and calms down, urge him forwards again. Ignore the swishing of the tail. Every time your pony tries to bite you, give him a light tap on the neck and scold him but keep on grooming, don’t stop. If you stop every time your horse does something, your pony will get the impression that doing these things is good for getting away with not getting groomed. Be carefully about the back legs. Be sure to peak at them every few minutes. If you see a back leg rising, either stop grooming for one short second, tap your horse on the neck and scold him, or move to an area away from his back legs. You don't want to get kicked!

Q: I am looking to buy a horse. How can I tell if the horse is lame, and if he is healthy?

(From: HowCanITell)

A: Well, you can find out if a horse is lame by seeing how it walks, and how it looks underneath its feet. When you go to pick a horses feet, not only do you pick it, but you look for any loose nails on the shoes, or anything that is out of place. Before your purchase a horse, you should look at its vet records. You can get those by asking the owner, or you can ask the vet the horse normally uses.

Q: When I canter my horse, Destiny (Dessie) in the ring she always cuts in to the middle of the ring. What do I do?

(From: WannaStayOutOfTheMiddle!)

A: If you know that Dessie is going to cut in the middle, take action! Use inside leg and be aggressive, not mean, but aggressive. Let Destiny know what you want to do and what she has to do. The reason that she is drifting is probably because of lack of leg, or even because Dessie is simply waiting for commands. Destiny wants to know what to do next!

*If you have any questions you would like to 'Ask Midnight', then please send Midnight_Riders TTBT or reply to the 'Ask Midnight' post in the Off Topics board. All questions will be answered and considered to be printed in the AVH Newspaper.*

*Please note that Midnight's answers are not professional. Please do not treat them as they are. Though it is usable advice, it is more of a guild-line or suggestion. They are not 100% guaranteed*