Basic Training of the Young Horse E-Book

Ingrid Klimke

• Herausgeber: J A Allen
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 283

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Over thirty years after the first publication of Reiner Klimke's classic work comes this new fourth edition, with completely new photos and updated by his daughter, Ingrid. Based on sound practical and theoretical advice, this instructional handbook gives advice on establishing a specific training plan for recreational riders as well as competition riders to enable them to train their young horses successfully. Every aspect of the education of a young horse is covered, including: basic education and handling from foalhood; lungeing and free-schooling; backing and training under saddle; developing impulsion from suppleness; assessing and improving basic gaits; cavalletti work; jumping training; cross-country training and, finally, preparing for the first competition.

Leseprobe

Basic Training

OF THE

Young Horse

Dressage • Jumping • Cross-country

Fourth Edition

Ingrid and Reiner Klimke

Contents

Remembering Dr Reiner Klimke

BASIC EDUCATION — OF THE YOUNG HORSE

The aim of basic training

The handling and education of young horses

Education begins as a foal

How old should a horse be to start ridden work?

The transition from field to stable

Observing the horse

Getting the horse used to saddle and bridle

Leading in hand

LUNGEING – AND FREE SCHOOLING

Groundwork

The first stage of lungeing

Lunge equipment

Using the aids

Lungeing before the initial mounting and riding

We make progress

Free-schooling in the indoor arena

TRAINING — UNDER SADDLE

First and second year

Riding for the first time

The development of basic training

Planning a ridden session

Suppling exercises in the first year

Collecting exercises in the second year

Practical experience

Controlling the working environment

DEVELOPING IMPULSION — FROM SUPPLENESS

Learning the aids

How the aids work

Obedience to the forward-driving aids

Establishing a contact (use of the poll)

Obedience to the aids for lateral movement

Riding on curved lines

Riding on curved lines

Full and half-halts

Rein-back

THE BASIC GAITS — ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT

The basics

Riding straight – the natural crookedness of the horse

Improving the basic gaits

Trot

Canter

Walk

The effect of conformation on basic training

The effect of temperament on basic training

CAVALLETTI WORK — WITH AND WITHOUT THE RIDER

Cavalletti work with the young horse

How it began

Theory

Practical equipment

On the lunge

Cavalletti work under the rider on straight lines

Different cavalletti layouts

Cavalletti work under the rider on curved lines

JUMPING TRAINING

Jumping without a rider

Free-jumping in the first year of training

The goals

Methods

Tips for the best way of developing training

Jumping with a rider

Requirements

The first jump on the long side

Gymnastic jumping with cavalletti – gridwork

Example 3

Jumping single obstacles

Jumping grids and combinations

Jumping a simple course

Problems and tips for solving them

CROSS-COUNTRY TRAINING

Getting used to the great outdoors

Rules

Equipment

The first hack

Suppling exercises when you hack

Riding up and down hills

The first natural obstacle

Jumping with a lead horse

Getting used to water

Jumping steps

Jumping down two steps

Jumping on and off banks

Jumping in and out of water

Stairs and drop jumps

Jumping in and out of water

Ditches

Other obstacles

Hedges

Narrow fences

Corners

Combinations

Narrow brush fences

PREPARING — FOR THE FIRST COMPETITION

Tips for the first competition

Preparing for all eventualities

Keeping calm before the start

Coping with competition atmosphere

Training plan from basic training to the first competition

First month (September)

Second month (October)

Third month (November)

Fourth month (December)

Fifth month (January)

Sixth month (February)

Seventh month (March)

Eighth month (April)

Ninth month (May)

Tenth month (June) to end of competition season

Good luck!

APPENDIX — SAVING THE BEST TILL LAST

The horses

Index

FOREWORD

REMEMBERING DR REINER KLIMKE

As one of the world’s most successful riders, Dr Reiner Klimke combined rare theoretical wisdom with his practical knowledge. For many years, in addition to pursuing his professional career, he trained a number of young horses single-handed.

No other rider has self-trained so many successful horses, who went on to become champions of Germany, Europe and the World and also achieved Olympic success in the two disciplines of dressage and eventing. The idea for this book and the advice given in it was based upon this experience. With such clear proof of success and expert opinion there was no one better qualified to write about the training of young horses.

It is significant that a great authority such as Dr Klimke did not view the training of young horses only through the eyes of a dressage rider. He felt strongly that the correct understanding of basic training means the development of the horse’s natural ability in all respects, whether the horse was destined for hacking, jumping or dressage. Having begun this book himself, Dr Klimke was joined in the task by his daughter, Ingrid, herself a very successful competitor in both dressage and eventing, and they worked together on the chapters on jumping and cross-country training as the book evolved. After Dr Klimke’s unexpected early death, Ingrid took over the task alone, following precisely in her father’s footsteps. Thus the finished book not only follows the long-established teachings of classical equitation but also contains the combined theoretical knowledge and practical experience of both Klimkes, father and daughter, thereby offering an outstanding level of guidance to the training of young horses.

Basic Training of the Young Horse should undoubtedly be recognized as a standard training book. It is easy to understand and as equally helpful and valuable for the young rider training their own horse as it is for experienced trainers and breeders. Following all the advice given from a basic level of work upwards over an appropriate timescale ensures correct and sustainable progress.

It is important to point out that Dr Reiner Klimke’s method of training young horses is not purely for dressage riders. He highlights that fully understanding basic training is necessary for the horse’s progress, developing their natural ability, regardless of whether the horse’s talent lies with eventing, show jumping or dressage.

The first edition of this book was in 1980. After many more editions, Dr Klimke, in collaboration with his daughter, Ingrid – who herself is very successful in dressage, show jumping and eventing – planned to re-write the chapters on Jumping and Cross Country training. After her father’s early death, Ingrid undertook this task alone, keen to follow in her father's footsteps. This whole book follows the principles of Classical Riding. It comprises of experience and wisdom, not only from father, but also daughter, so much that has not, till now, been written about - a very special text book, combining theoretical knowledge with practical experience, teaching the reader how to successfully master the basic training of young horses.

Paul Stecken, Münster, October 2011

PAUL STECKEN

Major a.D. Paul Stechen, born in Münster on 29th June 1916, received thorough and precise training as a rider in the Cavalry Regiment. In his many years as a trainer, he upheld these values, training both horse and rider according to the cavalry instruction manual H.Dv.12. In 1950 he took over as manager of the Westfalian Riding and Driving School from his father, Heinrich Stecken. Paul Stecken remained in this role until 1985, continuing to train riders in Germany to the same principles as he had always done. He was a great support to Reiner Klimke in training his dressage horses and encouraged and taught Ingrid Klimke after her father's death in 1999. Paul Stecken passed away on 15th September 2016 at the age of 100 years.

Ingrid and Dr Reiner Klimke.

THE AIM OF BASIC TRAINING

We live in a time of change. Modern technology has made everything easier and quicker; it has changed people’s lives. What often took a year, now takes a fraction of the time. Speed plays a definite role in our lives but can have some unfortunate consequences where horses are concerned.

At horse auctions, 3-year-old animals have been shamefully offered for sale as top dressage horses or eventers. Horses who were only just broken to saddle were already believed to have the attributes to go far in a specific discipline. An experienced horse-handler, who knows the long, patient process needed to educate a young horse from basic training to specializing in the various disciplines, cannot countenance this. But how many horse-lovers nowadays have sufficient expertise to put this process into practice? In recent years, much of the riding fraternity has relocated from the countryside to the town. A new generation of riding enthusiasts is growing up, but they have not grown up with horses. They either view their free time with the horse as simply having contact with nature, or as a form of sport. Nowadays, too many riders are more interested in boasting about their recent purchase than in learning about stable management and the details of training the horse.

The outcome of this approach is obvious in riding competitions – how many dressage and jumping horses do you see with their necks held in tightly – horses who have not learned to find their balance in the three basic gaits and are already competing in Elementary and Medium level dressage? How many horses have never seen cavalletti or ground-poles, or do not have the opportunity to relax out hacking? Another point is that, in many cases, degenerative bone conditions are caused by physical wear and tear and are the result of specializing in a certain discipline far too early. Over the last few years horses have been bred with better necks (with regard to conformation and how the neck is set on the body), and this desirable feature should be allowed to remain so, but the young horses are ridden too quickly in the gaits too soon, and with a short rein contact. Inevitably, the looseness of the back is overlooked. A longer and deeper positioning of the neck (a lowered neck but with the forehead vertical to the ground) is essential for the development of the back as the centre of movement. This incorrect riding explains why so many horses have tight backs and restricted movement, with the possibility of sustaining back injuries which frequently require treatment by the vet. Riders also tend to sit on horses rather than riding them forwards sufficiently to be in front of the leg, resulting in tense, restricted gaits.

GOALS OF BASIC TRAINING

—After about one year of training the horse should be comfortable with new surroundings and used to external influences, accustomed to the stable yard, the indoor school and the dressage arena, hacking out quietly, and jumping basic courses including a variety of cross-country obstacles.

—He should have learned to understand and respond to the seat, rein and leg aids, the voice, whip and spurs.

—By this time he should have developed sufficient trust, rideability, strength and stamina to compete at Novice level dressage without any great problems, and possibly to cope with basic level showjumping and cross-country courses safely and with a good technique.

A four-year-old horse working with a long neck position.

The aim of basic training for the young horse is to use a systematic method to create a solid foundation for future specialization in a given discipline. This development is not possible with a tight rein contact. We want the young horse, with the weight of the rider on his back, to stay in balance and outline while retaining his natural movement. This is the starting point for developing his potential for the future; in this way, basic training will be established which will enable the desired goals to be achieved with further progress. Even so, just as is the case with people, not every horse will reach top level in the chosen discipline. Many riders are happy to achieve Novice level, and are fully aware that this level of training is as far as they will get with their horses. On the other hand, there are riders who aim at a higher level than they or their horses are capable of achieving. They do not blame themselves, but blame their horses as they strive for more, destroying the horse’s trust in the process. A correctly trained horse should have few problems at Novice level but a horse who is forced to compete before he is ready will become tense and may develop further problems in the future.

Experience acquired during the basic training of a young horse can provide valuable insight into his future training and which area to specialize in. However, experience also teaches that we should not be too dogmatic in our approach. While it is true that we give all our horses a thorough grounding in dressage, we have had many horses with a considerable talent for this discipline who have later developed as jumpers, because they were responsive to the aids, physically strong and simply enjoyed jumping. Conversely, we have had others who were very clean and careful jumpers of small fences, but fell by the wayside when the jumps got bigger, and were thus redirected in other directions.

A moment’s reflection will confirm that these examples reinforce the fact that thorough basic training is important for all riding horses, whether they are destined for recreational riding or for the competitive disciplines. Careful gymnastic work aimed at muscle building and achieving suppleness of the back, and developing responsiveness to the aids, are essential in order that the horse remains healthy and is able to cope with more specialized training in the future.

PATRIOT

The best example of developing training is the ‘pensioner’ Patriot, who came to the yard as a 3-year-old. Certainly, no one saw him having a career as a dressage horse. Together, we trained him to Grand Prix and under the instruction of Fritz Ligges trained him to showjump at grade A level.

Patriot, by Palast. Trained to the top level….

… in more than one discipline.

THE HANDLING AND EDUCATION OF YOUNG HORSES

In times past, it was very common for a trainer to take on the education of a horse from a foal. During the foal’s development basic rules were learned easily, making it far easier to introduce ridden work later on. Normally, nowadays, riders buy horses who are 3 or 4 years of age and already ridden. They have little knowledge about the horse’s previous ownership or how a young horse should be handled in the early stages before he is ridden for the first time. By caring for a young horse one learns not only how to feed and look after him but how to develop his training in the future.

Learning about the real world.

A 3-year-old horse who has been brought up as one of the family trusts people and his surroundings, so he is naturally easier to train as he becomes older, being more accustomed to civilization than he would be if he had grown up in the field. However, despite this initial advantage, we have found horses who have spent longer ‘in the wild’ just as good to train in the long term as those brought up as ‘one of the family’. While the former are often more afraid and need more care at first, once they have learned to trust people they become very dependable.

It is extremely difficult to win the trust of young horses who have been badly started by the wrong people. They are certainly difficult during their basic training but one has to find out slowly and gently what the previous problems were in order to overcome them. However, despite the important need to win their trust, problems can be caused when training young horses by being too gentle with them and as a consequence they make poor progress – but generally this can be put right. It is very much a personal matter for the rider, but one should not try to ‘humanize’ a horse.

EDUCATION BEGINS AS A FOAL

A good breeder establishes the basis of trust by rearing and handling young horses correctly, which prepares them for subsequent work with a rider. Education begins as a foal. The first days and weeks set the foundations for later development of a trustful working partnership between man and horse, not by hours of aimless playing around with foals, but by winning their trust. This begins with them becoming accustomed to the stable. Foals are naturally inquisitive and after a while will investigate contact with people, but they are braver more quickly if one crouches down to their level and waits until they come to you. This acceptance of human contact is developed by keeping low and stroking the foal at first, progressing to holding him with the left arm under the neck and lightly passing the right arm around the hindquarters. Through this he learns that existence in the world is not entirely a matter of being free. His inborn urge for freedom must be slowly but surely brought under control.

Once the foal lets you hold him for a short time a headcollar can be introduced (it must not be too big), which can be fastened around the foal’s neck. The advantage of this is that you do not have to interfere with the sensitive ear area. Once it is in place, the foal must be praised. This is enough for the first lesson. When the foal accepts the headcollar confidently, then you can begin leading him.

What Hans has not learnt, young Hans will never know.

RESPECT AND TRUST

Respect and trust go hand in hand and are essential elements to successful training.

To start with when leading, one must go along with the free movement of the foal. This can be done first of all in the stable provided it is a minimum of 15–16 square metres, such as a foaling box. The next step is to lead the mare from the stable to a nearby field with the foal following, wearing a headcollar. You need two people for this as a young mare can become unsettled by this first outing. This short walk should just be fun for the foal and a way of quickly building his self-confidence, so discretion is important in these first days of holding and leading the foal. Pulling at the rope can be detrimental and should be avoided. If the foal stops, the person leading the mare should walk ahead undeterred. The further the mare walks away from the foal the more inclined he will be to follow. From experience, the person leading the foal should have learned not to turn to look at him but to stand their ground and expect him to follow.

Once the foal’s trust has been won and he has been led successfully he must be praised immediately. A short word of praise is enough. Excessive patting and caressing at this age are dangerous as this arouses the foal’s urge to play and may encourage him to nip, which is not desirable.

Foals are inquisitive. They want to smell and nibble everything such as halters, ropes, and sometimes their mother’s mane and tail. Even the handler’s arm will do. If you allow the foal to play around with you, you will not surprisingly be covered in bruises. Vicious biting from the foal, which is distinct from inquisitive nipping, should be recognized and punished. Maliciousness is frequently made worse by anxiety on the part of the handler. Experienced breeders do not allow close-contact playing with foals. They would rather keep the youngsters at a safe distance and occupied with educational exercises for a few minutes at a time.

When the foal totally accepts being led behind his mother you can begin the next stage, which is to tie him up. In times past, this was done outside using a strong rope or chain which would not break if the foal pulled at it. Later, research by vets found that the inability to co-ordinate muscular movement could be caused by strong pressure on the upper vertebrae of the neck, so this method has been superseded. Tying up must first be done in the stable. The leadrope is passed through a ring on the wall and the end of the rope is held loosely in the hand, which enables you to give and take as necessary. Tying the foal to the mother’s girth and going for a short walk is another way of introducing the idea fairly easily. The foal must learn to stand still beside his handler when the handler is still.

Grooming and picking up the feet come next. Foals love their coats being brushed gently with either a rubber curry comb or a brush. They often begin to nibble the person brushing them in return as a sign of grateful thanks. Should they bite, however, it is best to push them away or reprimand them with the voice in a sharp manner such as ‘leave it!’ This behaviour with people is not desirable and must be corrected before the foal grows up. Foals learn easily to pick up their feet. One begins with the leg that has the least weight on it and lifts it, not too high, so that the foal does not lose his balance. It does not matter if a front or hind foot is picked up first, but saying ‘foot’ as the leg is raised teaches the foal the relevant voice command so that he understands readily what is required.

Building trust through touch.

Experienced breeders are satisfied when a young foal will pick his feet up, accept being groomed and can be led around on the halter. More than this is not required at this stage; training a horse is a long and difficult enough process without extending it any further. In the first and second year the young horse should be given the chance to grow up naturally and he should spend plenty of time out in the field.

Foals are curious by nature.

HOW OLD SHOULD A HORSE BE TO START RIDDEN WORK?

There are trainers who occasionally jump yearlings and 2-year-old horses over small fences or cavalletti. There are also trainers who lunge horses of this age. It is a mistake to do either of these too soon, knowing the problems that can arise with young horses. Warmbloods in particular can suffer from health and physical problems if they are trained too intensively in the first two years. An additional factor is that, at this age, horses grow at different rates in the front and hind parts of their bodies. Thus they are sometimes higher at the croup than at the withers, which causes difficulties with balance.

As mentioned earlier, however, it is known that, in some breeding circles, horses are produced early and ridden as 3-year-olds to be sold as ‘fully trained’ at the auctions. In flat racing, many horses run their first races as 2-year-olds and the season for the Derby and other Classic races is the following year. Successful racehorses are returned to stud for breeding after a very few years at the end of their racing careers.

TRAINING SUCCESSFUL HORSES

Winzerin, Dr Klimke’s Olympic eventer in Rome 1960, was bought in 1956 as a 4-year-old. He was ridden straight away. Arcadius also came to the yard as a 4-year-old. He began regular training at the end of his fourth year and in 1962 won the dressage championship for 7-year-olds in Rotterdam. Fabiola was bought as a 2½-year-old and ridden a year later and in 1964 won the German Dressage Derby in Hamburg. Ahlerich, one of the most successful dressage horses of all time, came from the Westphalian auction in Munster. He was bought as a 4-year-old who had hardly been ridden and had competed in just one competition. At 6 he won ten competitions at Medium and Advanced levels, and at 7 won nine Grand Prix competitions. Ahlerich did not have ideal conformation but was very attentive and performed well; with the right assistance from the saddle such exceptional achievements from a young horse are possible.

Despite such examples of enforced precocity, the experienced, responsible trainer starts training the horse only when his joints, bones and tendons are mature enough to withstand the work. Our philosophy is that no Warmblood should be ridden before he is 3 or 3½ years old. We start by introducing young horses to their new surroundings, including the school and the outdoor arena, and familiarize them with lungeing, the bridle and the saddle from about March/April for five or six weeks. Sometimes we ride them briefly. Then, after spending the summer in the field, regular training begins under saddle in the autumn.

We reiterate our view that one must wait until the horse is sufficiently mature, confident and balanced before commencing training. We have learned through experience that this is the right line to take in order for training to progress quickly and without problems. Our young horses compete for the first time as 4-year-olds.

Ahlerich – Olympic champion in Los Angeles 1984.

AN IDEAL TRAINING PROGRAMME

The best possible conditions to work in, basically follow this pattern:

—4 years old – Novice level

—5 years old – Elementary level

—6 years old – Medium/ Advanced Medium level

—7 years old – Advanced level.

THE TRANSITION FROM FIELD TO STABLE

When a young horse comes to our yard for ridden training we need to know at least what education he has received so far. We must be familiar with where the horse grew up, what care he has had and what progress he has made. We seldom know every single detail, but can get a good idea of his character by handling him daily. Care is essential in this respect: even with the best information about a new horse he should always be handled with care. This starts from the moment of arrival: unloading from the lorry must be closely supervised and the horse must have the opportunity to be led in hand in walk and trot before being put in his stable. Since the surroundings are new for the horse, it is important that he is handled quietly and confidently in case he becomes worried.

The first impression the horse has of his new surroundings sets a firm precedent for his behaviour in the future. We make sure that he has a deep straw bed, and plenty of hay and fresh water. The next five days is too soon to take on the role of trainer; this is the time to get to know the horse as a groom/rider. In the first week or so it is best if the horse is handled by just one groom, as a variety of handlers can upset a young horse and he can learn to mistrust people.

Two-and-a-half-year-old horses enjoying time in the field.

Horses often come directly from the field to the training yard to be ridden, so a lot of attention must be paid to their diet. Horses coming directly from the field need about 2–2.25 kg of oats (or a suitable feed mix). They need plenty of hay or haylage (about 5.5–7 kg) and plenty of good, clean straw. Carrots (0.5 kg) are a welcome change. We keep an open mind concerning feeding horses – a subject much written about in magazines and books. Nowadays, there is a wide selection of hard feeds on the market and we take the advice of our vet regarding modern improvements in nutrition with regard to vitamins, minerals, feed licks, etc.

For the horse, the change from living in the field to being stabled is very significant. We should not forget that the horse is built for movement. His natural attributes are speed, stamina and agility, which is why sufficient time turned out in the field is very important for the stabled horse. In his book, The Psychology and Behaviour of the Horse, Dr Wilhelm Blendiger says that ‘ …these days, horses experience problems from having too little exercise rather than too much.’

Young horses who come into the training yard from the field do not have the same amount of room to move around in as they do when spending day and night at grass. Daily turnout in the field or time spent in the paddock is essential. It is important to make sure that the young horse is educated for an hour and has sufficient exercise. This is best divided into two half-hour sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This routine can begin in the first week after the horse’s arrival, once he has settled in and is under control. In this way the horse’s trust and self-confidence develop very quickly. In addition to time spent training in the morning the young horse should have a quarter of an hour free in the school, without being chased around, so he can move freely, and in the afternoon the groom should, if possible, lead him in hand from a bridle and take him for a short walk around the stable yard to familiarize him with his surroundings.

In nature, the young horse spends all day movng around. He can do this by spending time out in the field.

A lively canter out in the fresh air.

At the same time (if the young horse has not been taught these things as a foal), he should learn to be groomed, have his feet picked out and to have his feet and legs washed. The groom should speak quietly to the horse and teach him to react to short words and phrases such as ‘come’, ‘stand’, ‘foot’, ‘good boy’, etc.

OBSERVING THE HORSE

Generally, we humanize horses too much when dealing with them. Giving bread and sugar at the wrong moment is not to be recommended. By careful observation of the horse as we handle him we learn about his mental state and when to praise him. We must observe his eyes, ears, general expression, tail movements, sweating, neighing, snorting and the way he moves. But what do these mean individually?

EYES

The horse’s temperament and character can be determined from his eyes. A quiet, clear and kind eye indicates a friendly character. Horses with small eyes and a mistrustful look often have difficult temperaments. It is said that a horse with a lot of white in the eye has a lot of energy and can sometimes be difficult.

When the horse’s eyes appear uneasy this could indicate that he is nervous, which is understandable when he has been moved to a new yard and has not yet found a person he can trust in this new situation. If the horse has an uneasy look and is agitated even when handled well, this could be an indication of pain, in which case the vet should be called.

Fascinated by what’s going on.

Regal and relaxed.

Paying attention to every movement.

Awareness in all directions.

EARS

The mood of the horse is shown by his ears. If both ears point forward he is in an attentive mood. If the ears are turned to the rear and are apart then he is listening to sounds behind him. If the ears are both laid back slightly then he is worried. Care must be taken if he reacts like this. If the ears are really pressed flat back then he is being defensive and could suddenly bite or kick. He must be spoken to and reprimanded with a short, sharp smack.

EXPRESSION

The horse’s expression cannot be understood fully just by glancing at him. You need to take time to observe the individual facial features; the movements of the nostrils, lips and ears and the look in his eyes to fully comprehend it, and this one learns from experience. When you have known a horse for a long time and see him every day, you get to know the individual characteristics of his face.

TAIL

Looseness in the way of going, contentment and a quiet rhythm are all indicated by a gently swinging tail. If it is held up stiffly or clamped down it can be a sign of tension in the back, which often happens if the horse becomes excited when leaving his stable. By allowing the horse to run free in the school for a short while he can get this out of his system and may well enjoy leaping around. When he settles down again his tail will be held normally. Horses who swish their tails excessively when ridden are often tense. It is important not to ride at too early a stage in spurs, to ride sensitively and also to make sure that the horse works through the back from the beginning.

EYES, EARS AND TAIL

All indicate the horse’s frame of mind.

Alert stance with pricked ears.

VOICE

Horses use their voices very differently. There are horses one hardly ever hears and those who greet every other horse they see with a loud neigh. The Olympic horse, Dux, used to bring attention to himself all the time by neighing in a loud but friendly manner in unfamiliar situations. This behaviour is most typical of stallions in new surroundings. Young horses frequently neigh at the others back in the stable yard. It is not difficult to teach a horse to greet his rider with a short whinny by bringing a small titbit each time and our food trolley is always greeted by loud neighing.

If a horse groans it is certainly a sign of severe pain, and one should immediately call for assistance.

Squealing is typical of a horse feeling either irritated or playful. This is often heard when two horses are sniffing each other, and it is usually followed by a playful bite or kick. Loud squealing is common from mares in season.

SNORTING

Snorting is a sign of contentment and shows that the horse is relaxed. There is a difference between quick snorting on inhalation when the horse is tense or excited and a longer, relaxed snorting when exhaling. A different form of snorting is small grunts in a different tone in the throat, caused by the vocal cords.

SWEATING

Sweat appears naturally when the horse is worked. It is generally an indication of how hard the horse has been working and can thus help in planning the horse’s training schedule. However, the time of year and the temperature play a part in the amount a horse sweats. Certain anomalies may also be noted: occasionally, a crooked horse will sweat only on one side, while the other side remains dry, or a horse may sweat only on certain parts of the body, such as the neck. As with people, some horses naturally sweat more than others.

Severe pain such as is indicative of colic will cause sudden and profuse sweating. Young horses can sweat through sheer nervousness; sometimes one can also feel them shaking and the heartbeat is evident just in front of the saddle flaps.

GAITS

The gaits of the horse are a distinguishing feature of his frame of mind and ability. When a young horse first comes out of the stable to run free in the school, for example, it is totally normal for his gaits to be tense. He has to let off steam after being confined to his stable before one can study the quality of his movement.