Wear a helmet.

Before mounting – do a safety check on your gear and horse – make sure your saddle is in place walk to the off side and check to make sure nothing is turned under the saddle.

When mounting – take your time, don’t rush, give your horse time to adjust to your weight by shifting the saddle on his back, before placing your weight on him.

You can mount your horse from both sides –training him to get used to seeing you out of the eye. Take the time and be patient, in the long run it’s easier for the rider out on the trail to be able to mount from both sides.

When riding /training, a horse that produces foam from the mouth is enjoying the bit.

Find a good bit that works for your horse. If he enjoys it - don’t change it.

Own a horse that is suitable to your level of experience. For example, if you are a novice rider, purchase an experienced horse. Do NOT buy a green or “spirited” horse! This is not the time to experiment with training an unbroken horse. Particularly for children, spend the extra money on a well seasoned horse for safety. While the thought of a child and foal growing and learning together is nice, it is not often the case, more then not it ends in disaster.

Take lessons – there is a lot to learn about horses. Riding is such a small part of ownership (even though we all wish it was not), it’s everything else that comes with owning a horse that is the difficult part to learn.

Take the time to get to know your horse. You will be more successful if you take the time to understand your horse’s behaviors and reactions. Try to understand how your horse views you. Are you a leader or a follower in your horse’s eyes? Sergeant or private?

It is safer to be the Sergeant, make sure everyone in your family is considered a sergeant to your horse.

Horses take the time to watch you and understand your level of knowledge. They learn what you know and what you don’t know, by how you move. Remember - horse talk in body language – this can be very tricky for people new to the horse world. Your horse will know you before you understand what they have been telling you.

Always evaluate your riding before you blame the horse. 99% of the time, it is rider error in communicating with the horse.

Horses learn from the release of pressure, not from more pressure.

All breeds of horses continue to grow until the age of 6. Strenuous work at a young age can do irreparable harm. Light work can begin between the ages of 2 and 3 (preferably after 3).

Go SLOWLY! A horse’s confidence is gained by repetition, not by pushing. They will naturally gain confidence and progress to higher speeds as they are ready.

Train your horse – there are a lot of untrained horses in Manitoba. Take the time to train your horse, or send them off to a professional trainer. Training will increase the value and usability for you. If you don’t ride, you can still train your horse for ground work i.e. lunging and games.

Feeding time can be very dangerous for horse owners. Make sure your horses do not eat the hay/feed before you put it down and walk away. Make sure your horse respects your space and keeps their distance. A horse that tries to steal food in your hand is indicating that he is more dominant than you. This can lead to some serious and often dangerous behaviors – such as pushing, kicking, and biting. Horses think of you as one of the herd, make sure that you are the leader.

Never hand feed!!!. Your horse will start thinking of you as a chew toy. Place treats in a bucket and place on the floor.

Use a catheter syringe to practice deworming on your horse. Put apple sauce in a large syringe and place in the horse’s mouth – this way not every time you stick something in their mouth will it be horrible. Deworming should be done at a minimum twice a year if the horses never leave the property. Four times a year if they are exposed to other horses i.e. trail ride

If your horse does something that you did not ask for, correct him immediately. Do not let the horse make the decisions – you are the leader.

Be proactive with your commands - think ahead of your horse! They are very predicable in their actions. For example, if you are working on getting your horse to stand quietly and you know that he will move in 30 seconds, ask him to move before he thinks about it (try for 20 seconds).

You are responsible for all actions of your horses – as a rider and as an owner. I.e. If your horse hurts another animal or person, or damages property – you are liable for all damages incurred.

During any handling of your horse, they should never be hurt or scared, if this becomes that case your horse will start to protect himself by kicking, biting, and/or running away.

Before it gets to this level, stop and think of your horse as a 3year old child. Would you be doing what you are doing to your horse if it was that 3yr old child?