Colleges For Equestrian : The Place to Start a Career

The horse industry has grown very big and it continuously provides rewarding equestrian careers to those who seek to become a useful member of it. It is for this reason that several equestrian colleges have opened up in the effort of molding and equipping the horse lover individuals and in guiding them in their chosen career path. Many people have been so expressive in thanking the equestrian colleges that have given them the proper training and support. They are aware that these colleges have become the avenues of making their dream come into a realization.

Horse training actually begins as soon as you get your horse. Now with all of the excitement that you feel for the new adventure that awaits you, you would surely want to learn everything about horse rearing and training. There's no need for you to worry about how to get the information that you need. There are a lot of equestrian colleges that have their very own portals in the internet. You can always surf the net and log on to the websites that can provide you with the details on horse training and rearing.

What can the online portals of these equestrian colleges do for you? Of course it is time saving. If you are pretty busy with your day to day activities, then taking the online classes would be a good idea. You would just have to spare a few minutes of the time that you have in a day and be able to learn the aspects that come along with horsemanship. Plus, you could avail of free tips which are relatively valuable for the career path that you are taking.

Here are among the aspects that you would be able to learn from the equestrian colleges.

It is important to provide an atmosphere wherein the horse would be able to discover things on its own besides the formal training that you are giving to it. Other fundamentals of training include training the animal to do some tricks and movements which can please you. With this, the horse would behave accordingly when it is taken out into the track.

Right from the very start, it is important that the horse is trained to behave properly. You must understand that the animal should know how to keep you safe during a ride. It must likewise realize that its task is to go on rides. Do some horse grounding so that it would know how to ride fast when needed and how to slow down too.

Be in command. Initially, the horse will feel afraid. When it undergoes trauma, it would be hard for you to train it to execute the necessary actions that you require. Once your horse has been trained to follow your command and other instructions, training it would be far easy.

Train the horse to be calm at all times. Do not hurt the horse or else it would have the feeling that it would die whenever you ride on it.

Do some training exercises. You can use tack, horse walker, and other equestrian equipment for this.

These are just some of the things that the equestrian colleges would emphasize in the training. It is always your call to let the animal respect and obey you as its master. Enrolling in equestrian colleges would make you more capable of handling these animals.

Body Or Back Protectors: Equestrian Clothing

The most important role of equestrian clothing is for protection. Although horses can be trained they can be unpredictable when provoked. Riders are vulnerable while riding and handling horses, especially for beginners. They may seem to be friendly but they can easily gallop or kick someone when not handled correctly. Apart from riding hats, a body protector is also important equestrian clothing.

Apart from protecting your head any rider should also protect their body. Against a powerful kick of horse, any human can get thrown away like a dummy. Falls can not just injure your head but also break your spine. Riders can also suffer from other internal injuries during a bad fall.

Equestrian protection

Horses are prized in equestrianism but riders are important too. The rider's ability to handle the horse also has a big impact on their performance.  Fortunately there is clothing that can protect them from injury.

Body or back protectors are garments that protect the rider's chest and back. We all know that your spine is also as important as our skull. Our spine contains the spinal vertebrae which are composed of our body's nerves from head to foot. Any injury to the spine can paralyze the rider. Our chest on the other hand contains vital organs.

It's a vest type of clothing that is filled with foam. They are worn over the top of the rider's clothes. They can also be worn under the jacket. Its good protection for the rider in case they fall during a ride or get kicked by the horse while handling them.

Injuries from a fall cannot be completely avoided but their impact can be reduced. Wearing body or back protectors will provide preventive measure against possible injuries while the rider is with the horse.

The protector is divided into two: the front and the back. They are held together by Velcro fittings on each side and over the shoulder. The protector should be fastened securely and should not move while riding. At first they may seem uncomfortable but the foam moulds to adapt to the rider's body shape and contour.

All protectors should abide by safety standards. Riders should buy new and original ones for guaranteed protection.

There are three different types of protectors:

Level 1: The black label. It's only appropriate for licensed jockeys. It has the lowest level of protection.

Level 2: The brown label. It provides medium protection. It's appropriate for general riding with low risks. This does not include riding on hard surfaces such as roads. Jumping over obstacles and riding young excitable horses are excluded.

Level 3: The purple label. It offers the highest level of protection when riding horses. This includes normal and competitive horse riding. It's also used when handling horses.

Like riding hats body protectors should be replaced after three to four years. Second hand body protectors are not advisable since their foam padding have already been used. Other body protectors have additional attachments such as shoulder pads.

Although body protectors come in different sizes many manufacturers offer custom fitted ones. This provides ample adjustment for maximum comfort for the rider. Some may like it snuggly fit while others prefer it loose.

No matter what your preferences are prevention is still better than cure. Coupled with riding hat body protectors are also important pieces of an equestrian's clothing.

How to Find the Right Path for You

There are just people who have fallen in love with horses. They may be both young and old, man or woman. It is not a new scenario to see a kid who asks for a pony as a birthday gift. For them, it feels like heaven just to spend some time with their beloved animals. There are even instances when they can't spend a day without having to visit their pet's stable. No wonder, many individuals have turned out to be equestrians.

If you live your day breathing horses, sleeping with them, eating with them, going for adventures with them, then perhaps you happen to realize that you can start off a career with it. Equestrian careers are common not only in the United States but in many other countries as well. You can always land yourself in a useful career in the horse industry and get on with a better way of spending your daily routines.

In the past years, surveys have showed that there are nearly seven million horses in the United States alone and the more it gives rewarding opportunities for the horse lovers. The American Horse Council further points out that it supports an estimated 1.4 million full time jobs for the equestrians. The horse industry features a wide spectrum of equestrian careers ranging from the hands-on tasks of large animal veterinarian up to those that include becoming a supplement and feeds distributor. Other equestrian careers are research, breeding, showing, education, health, recreation, product manufacturing, and a lot other service industries. Sure enough, you would find something that would be perfectly appropriate for you.

So, how can you possibly gauge the rightful opportunity that is most apt for you as an equestrian? Before you practically send out your resumes to the horse industry related offices, you first need to seek out the opportunity or career that would suit you best. You need time to attend to this. As much as you want to be employed as a veterinarian or technician, no one in his right state of mind would surely hire you if you can't show the documents that would serve as your credentials. Hence, take time to research on the various equestrian careers, then find out the requirements for those and then work on how you would be able to earn the credentials. Trainings and certificates are most likely needed.

Here are some of the questions that you would have to ask yourself.

What do you really want for a career involving horses? What are you most fond of doing? Are you much in contact with these animals? Or would you rather go for a job that includes working in some supporting field? Here are the pros and cons for them.

The supporting field role can make you earn more because the job is more stable, requires you to report in the regular hours, and of course, you have the benefits to be enjoyed. Meanwhile, a hands-on equestrian career can provide you with more flexible and greater chances of getting in full contact with your favored animals.

What degree of education can you boast of? You would need trainings and the right education in order to get admitted into the horse industry careers. If you prefer to be a barn manager, a horse trainer, a riding instructor, or perhaps a public relations expert, a vet, or a writer, then seek out the required trainings or degrees for them.

It is important that you know your goals especially when you are eyeing for an equestrian career. If you keep in focus, then you'll be successful in the end.

How To Get Great Equestrian Books?

Today, there are a lot of different books floating around. How exactly do you choose which book to buy?

1) Look for expertise – a great equestrian book should be written by a great equestrian. It is said that you cannot judge a book by its cover. However, you might want to check the back cover of a book for the name of the author before you buy it. If you want knowledge on how to become a great equestrian, you might want to check out if the source of that knowledge is reliable.

Expertise is pretty hard to judge. There are certain "greats" in the world of horse riding but who would not be able to pass the knowledge on to other people. Because of this, you should still be the one to tell whether or not the author has the ability to show you how to become a great equestrian.

2) Judge your own knowledge – looking for the "best" equestrian book requires that you first examine yourself. How much do you actually know? What do you think you still need to know? It is impossible for a book to cover everything about a subject in full detail. You need to examine yourself and find out what you truly need.

The main purpose of buying a book is to gain knowledge. What knowledge would you gain from a book if it contains nothing that you do not know already?

3) Check your budget – of course, books can be quite pricey. Because of this, you might want to check your budget before buying a book. The Internet today provides a lot of information regarding every subject and you can use this as an alternative. However, if you truly want to make sure of the knowledge you gain, a book is your best chance. You might want to start saving up your money, then.

4) Research – before buying a book, you might want to make sure that it actually contains something you can use. You could try borrowing a copy. This will allow you to skim through the book and get the information you need. If this is not possible, you might just want to research on the Internet regarding what the book is all about. You can read reviews, check out ratings and recommendations in order to see if the book is really worth the investment.

Research plays a key role in making great buys. Just make sure that you have an idea of what a book is all about before buying it. George Orwell's "Animal Farm", for example will not be able to help you in raising horses.

5) Read – a book is useless if you do not read it. Just buying an equestrian book does not make you more knowledgeable in matters pertaining to horses. You need to actually utilize the resource. A lot of people make the assumption that if they have the book, they will be able to consult it any time they need a bit of knowledge. This is wrong. You need to learn as much as you can from the book.

Combining Equestrian Apparel – Function and Style

In choosing what clothing to use, the criteria are functionality and style. The rider must feel both elegant and comfortable at the same time. It is also important that the fabrics used are both light and hard-wearing at the same time.

To start of, choose a cool fabric that allows ease of movement. The more common kinds of fabric used for equestrian clothing is cotton and Lycra.

Choose also a fabric that acts as a moisture wick. This type of fabric works well in both hot and cold temperatures. During hot months, the fabric keeps you cool by allowing you to sweat. In cold months the fabric keeps you warm by moving sweat away from your body, keeping your skin dry. Since moisture does not penetrate the fabric weave, it evaporates quickly, causing the fabric to dry quickly as well.

As an added bonus, you can choose fabrics and fabric weaves that reduce moisture absorption, repel UV rays and insects.

What are the pieces of clothing that make up equestrian apparel? The basic piece is a shirt, usually made of cotton or wool crepe, and is usually white. Then you can add a waistcoat or vest to match.

For the lower body, breeches and jodhpurs are the more popular pieces. While others prefer full-seat riding breeches, there are still others who like jeans and jodhpurs. Make sure that the piece fits well. Also, choose one that can protect you from heavy rains and winds.

While tall riding boots look perfect for shows and competitions, short boots with trouser socks are a wise alternative during training or ordinary days.

To complete the look is a riding jacket. Choose one made of luxurious fabrics like tweed. Take note of details like silk lining or double satin piping, buttons and trims.

Do not forget your riding gloves.

As for the head gear, choose one that fits perfectly. The usual piece is a helmet, although there are others who like to wear black top hats. Helmets have now incorporated easy-fit systems, so it is safe to use. Some riders like to customize their helmets by putting decals or crystals.

What are the trends and forecasts in equestrian apparel? As for the colors, the trend is softer, more subtle pastel tones of blue, green, pink and purple. The same goes for show breeches. Light tans are also in for breeches, although white continues to be popular. Show coats and dressage coats can be in any color, although the trend is towards darker navys and black instead of the more common light shades of brown and khaki. You can also see stripes and patterns in the coats instead of the plain, solid-colored ones.

As for accessories, you will see glittery accessories like stock pins and jewelry. Swarovski crystals in belt buckles, spurs, helmets and everything else are also becoming popular.

Tall leather boots with zippers are the more popular footwear for shows. Back zippers make the boots easy to take off. For those who are into serious training, half chaps and paddock boots are still in because of their durability.

Equestrian apparel is all about fashion and ease. With the many styles and designs available, finding one that suits you perfectly should be no problem at all.

It's More than Just Horse Riders : Equestrian

Equestrians in this day and age are more known for equestrianism. It refers to the ability to ride and drive horses. This definition does not just include the use of horses for recreational activities and sports but also for working and practical uses. Contrary what most people would think the term refers to other skills not just riding them for equestrian sports. 

Horses have played a vital role in the history of mankind. They have served several purposes from transportation to heavy cavalry. Nowadays due to the development of technology horses are no longer used anymore. They can be mostly found working for humans in ranches, farms, circuses and driving carriages for amusement rides. Although horses are not as vital as they were back in the days the tradition of riding them did not falter. Equestrians were regarded as nobles in Rome who are members of the cavalry. Nowadays they are riders who participate in a number of equestrian sports.

Equestrians before

Horses were used in variety of purposes. They were both used in war and peaceful pursuits. They were used from transportation, agriculture and warfare. In Rome Equestrians were regarded as elite. Horses were expensive at that time so owning one meant that you were rich and does not need to do manual labor. They were members of a social upper class in Rome. This class was most often referred to as knights. They were both a military and a political group because horsemen received financial compensation from the government.

As Rome expanded it relied on its allies for cavalry. There were no use from equestrians and they lost their military functions. They did not engage in war anymore but their titles still remain and indicate nobility. The equestrians were rich and governed the provinces. At that time senators were equal to equestrians.

The senators dominated the magistrate offices but were forbidden to operate business and gain commercial income. The equestrians on the other hand continued to invest in marketing and tax farming companies. Conflicts arose between the two of them. Equestrians made as much money as they can while senators notice rebellions due to overtaxing. During civil wars the two elite collaborated and their orders were defined as reforms were done.

Equestrians today

There are popularly known for participating in equestrian sports during Olympics. Like before horse back riding is reserved for the rich. Even today horses are still expensive and prized.

Equestrian events include dressage, show jumping and eventing. Equestrians should be able to make the horse carry out natural movements on request while running loose during competitive dressage. It is also referred to as "Horse Ballet". Its goal is to develop a horses' athletic ability and its initiative to perform to maximize its potential.
Show jumping is a timed even where equestrians are required to jump over a series of obstacles with the fewest mistakes. Riders and their horses should be able to go through the obstacle with the least knocked over portions of obstacles.

Eventing is the combination of dressage and show jumping. The horse and the rider have to go through a series of fixed obstacles such as stone walls, water, logs banks, ditches with the fastest time possible.

Although the role of equestrians has changed through the centuries it still holds that aura of nobility that it once enjoyed in medieval times.