Sunday, February 28, 2010

fears many people have of horses

Many people often get scared of horses because horses are big, and sometimes mean or stubborn. Many people don't usually want to ride because they are afraid that if the horse gets spooked or frightened, it may rear or take off running and the person can't stop it, but that isn't always true. If you're riding a younger horse, such as a 3 year old, the younger horse might get scared easily, but it won't always take off running or rear. Sometimes it will jump a little bit when it gets scared of a sudden movement. It may also back up or prick its ears and try to investigate the thing that is frightening to it. All you have to do when a horse gets scared or upset is just to pat its neck and speak kindly to it and then just walk it around a little to get it calm and in control. Many people are often afraid to touch horses or to feed them. When going up to touch them, approach them from a place where they can see you. They have two blind spots, one is directly in front of their nose, and one is directly behind their tail. Don't pet the horse when coming there. Instead approach it from the side where it can clearly see you. Touch it softly without spooking it or frightening it. When people get to be afraid to feed their horse, it's because they're afraid that the horse may bite them or nip at them. You don't need to be afraid of this, because all you have to do to be safe is just to put her hand out flat and let the horse eat the carrot or oats out of your hand. If you fold your fingers down, looking like carrots, the horse may try to nip at them or bite them. Just remember, the horse doesn't pick up the carrots with its teeth, it picks them up with its lips and chews it.

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