PATH
International Newsletter Articles
These articles were written
for the newsletter of the Professional
Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship
International (PATH) formerly
known as NAHRA, the North American
Handicapped Riders Association.
Heidi is a member of PATH's
Equine Welfare Committee
Approaching
with Mindfulness
You are heading out to
catch your horse. Your thoughts
are most likely filled with
what awaits you once you get
in the saddle ... rest assured
that your equine friend probably
won’t be thinking the
same thing. This article discusses
how to create a better connection
with your horse in these first
moments.
Have you ever led a horse
through a gate and just as you
turn to close the gate with
your right hand your left arm
is pulled out of its socket
while the horse on the other
end dives for grass? This behavior
is not only disrespectful, it
is dangerous. Chances are that
starvation is not the issue
here. Your horse has just not
been trained to stay focused
and listening to you while on
the leadline. Luckily, this
is an easy fix. Here are the
steps ...
Safe
Tying Practices
Things happen……
Unexpected stimilus, bee stings
or other unforeseen incidents
can happen while your horse
is hitched up. Horses, being
prey animals, are naturally
claustrophobic. If they feel
trapped while being threatened
or scared, to the point of flight,
they can seriously injure themselves
or anyone nearby. Here is a
few thoughts on how to help
prevent this from happening
at your facility
Horse
Handling Mindfully
Grooming is an important
part of caring for horses and
building our relationship with
them. Along with enjoying each
other’s company, grooming
serves as a great opportunity
to check out the overall health
and condition of your horse.
Here are some tips to help ensure
that the grooming process is
enjoyable and productive. More>
Come
on Down
Wouldn’t it be nice
if every time you went to halter
or bridle a horse it tipped
its nose in and down so you
could easily reach it? Teaching
your therapy or lesson horse
to do this is not difficult.
More>
The
Right Horse for the Job
It can be difficult to
determine how much weight a
horse can comfortably carry.
A big consideration is the rider’s
physical ability. The feel of
the weight the horse receives
can differ greatly when you
compare a rider with good balance
and correct posture, who supports
herself, with a rider who does
not. A large, well balanced
rider can be easier to carry
than a smaller, ill-balanced
rider. More>
The problem: My therapy
pony pins her ears, turns her
backside to us and threatens
to kick upon entering the stall.
How can we solve this unsafe
behavior ...?"
More>
We know that horses always
need unlimited access to clean,
fresh water. On average, a horse
will consume 12-20 gallons per
day, depending on weather and
workload. However, are we aware
of their drinking habits?
More>
Research has shown that
the stress level of a therapy
horse can exceed that of a performance
horse or a race horse. One way
to help a therapy horse deal
with the stress of his occupation
is to offer him a variety of
interactions with people and
riders.
More>
As we all know, horses
are incredibly sensitive creatures.
Here a few ways to help keep
them happy while being groomed,
tacked up and ridden.
More>
You can retrain your horse
to associate the grooming/tacking
up process with something positive.
There has to be something good
in it for the horse in order
for him to change his behavior.
More>
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