Clubs

There are different clubs that young horsemen can be a part of.  4-H and Pony Club are two of the most popular clubs.

Pony Club's mission is "The United States Pony Clubs, Inc., develops character, leadership, confidence and a sense of community in youth through a program that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding and mounted sports." Their core values are:

• Horsemanship
• Organized Teamwork
• Respect
• Service
• Education

4-H is another exceptional club for a person interested in horses to be a part of.  In fact, one does not even need a horse to take a horse in 4-H.  They have a project known as a horseless-horse.  A young person can learn all about animals by taking 4-H.  Their motto is " To make the best, better."

I personally was in 4-H for 14 years.  It was an awesome opportunity for me.  I met many great people and learned much more about horses.  I would recommend anyone to be part of 4-H, whether it be with horses or not.

Care

Horses require many hours worth of care.  One of the main ways is grooming.  A horse needs to be groomed regularly.  Grooming is an activity that is enjoyable for both you and your horse. It is also a good opportunity to check for injuries and irritations on the skin.  You must groom your horse before you ride him because grit beneath the saddle will be uncomfortable for your horse and could cause sores.

The following are tools that are useful in grooming:

• A curry comb
• A body brush with fairly stiff bristles
• A mane and tail comb
• A fine soft bristled finishing brush
• A hoof pick
• A clean sponge or soft cloth
• Grooming spray
• Scissors
• Clippers

Make sure you horse is tied securely before you begin.  Start at the top of list and basically work your way down. The curry comb will loosen the dirt and grime and the body brush will help remove the dirt.  The comb is useful for removing the tangles from the main and tail.  A hoof pick is necessary to clean the hooves  so rocks do not get lodged in the frog.  Scissors and clippers help trim the hair and make your horse look more presentable.

Training

Horses need to be trained in order to ride or pull a cart or even to behave properly. Natural equine behavior has very little to do with the things people ask of them, and it falls on the rider to learn enough horsemanship to ride safely and intelligently. Horses cannot understand the reasons for bits, reins and stirrups. The horse and rider need to work together to achieve their goals and have an enjoyable time. 

Many horse owners cannot train their own animals.  Time constraints or not having the ability to train them are common reasons why horse owners employ a horse trainer.  Horse trainers are similar to personal trainers in the fact that they give the horse personalized training in order for the equine to perform the desired activity.

There are numerous aspects to train a horse in.  The most basic are how to walk, trot, and canter under saddle. Also, a horse needs to be trained to do the different moves required for halter such as pivoting and setting-up.  Also, jumping is a rigorous activity that requires long hours of training.  Training a horse is a long and difficult process, but it is also rewarding when done correctly.

Therapy

Horses are widely used for therapy.  People of all ages and disabilities ride horses.  People just love to hug a fuzzy creature and therapeutic horses are very docile which makes them perfect.  Therapeutic riding is used to build muscles, create confidence, and increase coordination.  Equestrian events have even been added to the Paralympic Games.

Hippotherapy is also used with horseback riding. In hippotherapy, a therapist uses the horse's movement to improve their patient's cognitive, coordination, balance, and fine motor skills, whereas therapeutic horseback riding uses specific riding skills.

Horses are also being used in psychotherapy.  They are companion animals, and a patient does not even have to ride. It is beneficial to those who have anxiety disorders, major changes of life, mood disorders, or behavioral issues.  Horses can help people of all ages and difficulties.

Speeds

There are different terms to describe the speeds (or gaits) that horses run. For western, the speeds are called walk, jog, lope, and gallop. The walk is the slowest and the gallop is a full-out run. A jog is just as it sounds- a really slow run.

For English style,  the gaits are walk, trot, canter, and gallop. The speeds are basically the same as western. However, English is normally faster-paced than western.

One area of showing is driving the cart.  Driving also has a different set of terms for the gaits. The terms are walk, park gait, and road gait.  A horse is never to canter (or lope) while pulling a cart. The park gait is a slower trot, perhaps the speed one would go while taking a stroll in the park. The road gate is a fast trot because a horse would need to go faster on the road.

Basically, there are numerous terms for the same gaits that a horse has.  It just depends on what field you are in to what terms you will use.

Age

Horses and ponies normally do not have very long lifespans.  Twenty-five years is the average for equines.  However, many horses pass away well before that age.  The oldest horse on record was 62, and the oldest pony on record was 56.  It is extremely rare for an equine to live into his 40s, but it does happen.

Different terms are used to describe horses of different ages. The following is a list of them:

• Foal: a horse of either sex less than one year old. 
• Yearling: a horse of either sex that is between one and two years old.
• Colt: a male horse under the age of four. Many people mistakenly call every young horse a "colt", when the term actually only refers to young male horses.
• Filly: a female horse under the age of four.
• Mare: a female horse four years old and older.
• Stallion: a non-castrated male horse four years old and older.
• Gelding: a castrated male horse of any age.

A Thoroughbred (a certain breed) is another year older on January 1st.  It does not matter if they were born in November; they are considered one year old on January 1st.  This simplifies the ages for horse racing.

Colors

There are many different colors of horses. There are even colors specific to equines alone.  Many equines also have different markings on their coats.  One unique thing about equines is that there are no true "white" horses. A horse may look white, but really he has black skin and is referred to as being gray.  If a horse has white skin AND white hair, it is considered truly "white." However, having a white horse is deadly.  Horseman often refer to it as a "lethal white" since truly white horses die very quickly after birth.

Chestnut, black, and  bay are the most common colors. Chestnut is a brownish or caramel color. Bay is a brown coat with a black mane and tail. A big-spotted horse is known as a pinto or paint.  Palimino is also a color popular among equines.  There are many other color combinations of horses.

As mentioned above, horses have different markings. On the face a horse can have a blaze, snip, star, or bald. A blaze is a band of white going down the middle of the face. A snip is a white patch at the muzzle. A star is a white patch only in the middle of the forehead, and a bald face is when almost the whole face is white.  On the legs a horse can have a sock, stocking, pastern, or cornet. All of those markings refer to how tall the white is on the leg.