The Novice Horseman

I just received my Horse & Rider magazine.  This is just one of my magazines that I read front to back.  There is an article in this issue that you, as a novice looking to buy a horse, MUST read!!  The article is “7 SIGNS YOU SHOULD WALK AWAY FROM A HORSE FOR SALE (OR SELLER)” by Bob Avila.

This article tells you what bad habits to look for.  The article goes into bad attitude, this would be cranky, rude or impatient.  It tells you about being barn sour and also about not respecting your space.  There is a small section of information about lameness.  There are also signs to look for in the seller.  This article is only 4 pages long, but it does give you information that you will need when you go to look for that dream horse.  READ IT!! & READ IT again!! 

And when you are done with this article, read the one from Clinton Anderson on getting your foot shy horse  to let you handle those ticklish feet.  Oh and don’t miss YOUR HORSE YOUR LIFE for a few pointers.  There are some really good common sense things a novice horse owner may not know.  There are also on going articles on conformation, riding & horsemanship.  AND THIS IS JUST 1 ISSUE!!!

If you don’t have this magazine . . .  go out now & get it at your local bookstore, drug store or grocery store.  It is well worth your time and effort for this one.  This is just one MUST HAVE magazine for any novice.  It is just full of information.  There is also EQUUS.  I highly recommend this magazine for the latest in  horse health.  Practical Horseman & Dressage Today are outstanding magazines for the owner who leans more towards English riding.

These are the magazines that I subscribe to for the latest information in health, riding and horse related products.  Over the years, I have gotten an enormous amount of information from these magazines.  There have been articles on legislations that effect the horse world.  There have been articles on which hay may be better for your horse, oats vs sweet feed and which plants in your pasture are deadly to your horse.

 If you don’t have a subscription for any of these, check out the MUST HAVE MAGAZINES in the right column of my blog.  Just click on the magazine that you would like to subscribe to. 

Subscribe today, don’t miss another issue!
 

Let’s talk horse breeds.  There are soooo many breeds and color breeds to choose from it’s mind boggling to a novice.  Take your time, figure out what discipline you want to pursue (riding, jumping, halter, trail, etc).  While any breed of horse can do just about anything, I would suggest that you read up on the different breeds.  There are lots of books and magazines at the book store and on the web.  I could go on for a long time about the breeds but you should consider this more homework.  Choose a breed that will be best for your desired discipline.  An example would be if you wanted a miniature horse, your desired discipline shouldn’t be dressage or trail riding.  If you want to show in the quarter horse shows, you shouldn’t get a loud spotted paint.  Talk with your riding instructor or horse friends.  Talk with the people at the shows.  Unless you are smitten with a certain breed, picking a breed will probably be a tough task.   

Don’t just consider a pure bred.  There are lots of show circuits and fun shows that you don’t have to have a pure bred horse to show.  You don’t have to have a pure bred to ride the trails.  If showing in the breed show is not your cup of tea, you might even consider a grade horse.   What is a grade horse?  This is a horse that can’t be regisitered in a recongnized breed registery.  This could be a solid colored paint that the owner just didn’t want to register.  This can be a cross between 2 different breeds that don’t recognize the other in their registries.  This could be a pony breed that the pony just grew too tall.  There are a lot grade horses and all of them have the same potential as any pure bred horse. 

I will say right up front, I’m partial to the quarter horse.  This would include the Quarter horse & any breed that recognizes it for acceptable breeding.  Why you ask?  The only reason I can give you is this is what I grew up on.  I personally own a Quarter mare, a Paint mare and a Palomino gelding.  They are all mostly quarter horse in their breeding.  They are not a small horse nor are they too big.  I like their temperment and they are versatile.  With that said,  these qualities can be found in any breed.

You can have just as much enjoyment from your equine friend no matter what his breeding.  The key is picking the right horse for you.  Have you read my slogan? 

Success is not what horse you have . . .  but what you do with that horse.

I met Huddy Hudspeth when I volunteered to work the Palomino World Hose Show about 18 years ago.  He was the tack judge and I was recruited to check the horses markings.  We had to check every horse every time they came through the gate to the holding pen.  At that time, the show was 3 very long days.  We spent a lot time at the back gate.  When there was time between classes, I asked a lot of questions and he told a lot of stories.  We worked together until about 5 years ago.  He was one of the most amazing people I know.

He had a gentle way about him, but he commanded respect.  Whether it was a horse he was training or a cowboy who was trying to understand why his horse had become flighty.  He had trained more horses than I can ever imagine and probably just as many people.  My young paint mare & I became one of his many students when he was about 80.  He was still training 5 horses.  I spent just three months with him.  It was absolutely unbelievable what he could do in that short time.  Huddy was a trainer that believed in the natural way a horse should move.  My mare was sidepassing, doing flying lead changes, rollbacks, halfpass, had correct cadence for each gait and more.  He also made all his horses learn to stand hobbled.  Huddy made me a rope hobble out of an old cotton lead rope.  I use this tool today on all of my other horse. I  can’t tell you what an invaluable tool this is.

Huddy had been having trouble with his hip.  He kept putting off the surgery he knew he needed.  He just didn’t want to be off a horse very long.  He finally had to give in to pain.  After the recuperation, I saw him again at another horse show. I asked how he was doing.  He replied that if had just know how well the surgery had gone and how much better his hip was, he would have done it a long time ago.  I’m not real sure just how long Huddy was actually off a horse, but I’ll bet he was riding just as soon as the doctor said it was ok if not before.

Huddy touched a lot of people.  He helped a lot horses overcome problems and started many young horses out on the correct 4 feet.  He trained many riders.  He passed his knowledge to anyone who would listen.  How much better a horseman would I have been if I had known him earlier in my life.

Huddy passed away July 29, 2006.  The horse industry lost a treasure that can never be replaced.  They just don’t make them like Huddy anymore.  I hope there are horses in Heaven because I can’t think of him wanting anything esle. 

Huddy . . . . you will be missed terribly.  You were greatly loved by all.