Training
    The training or breaking of a young horse to saddle or harness consists in gradually accustoming the animal to wearing various pieces of tack and then to carrying or pulling a weight. The forcible breaking of older horses, in which a horse that has had no previous training is bridled, saddled, and ridden, is regarded as primitive and unsatisfactory training. Advanced training, as with advanced equitation, takes many forms. The training of racehorses and cow ponies is a highly specialized art, best accomplished by professional trainers. The horseman or horsewoman who rides for pleasure, however, should have the knowledge necessary to exercise a choice in training a horse to jump, hunt, behave in a show-ring, or learn the basic dressage maneuvers. Because these accomplishments are based on the natural movements of the horse, patience, skill, and repetition are the prime teaching factors. For Training Articles visit our Training Department.

Driving
    In recent years interest in pleasure driving has undergone a revival. Horses or ponies are driven singly or in pairs to carts, buggies, or one of many varieties of carriages. Teams of four are put to large road coaches. Most horses adapt well to driving.

Training
    Horses are introduced to the harness, which comprises the bridle, long reins, saddle or back pad, and, around the horse's neck or chest, a neck or breast collar to which are attached long straps, called traces, that draw the vehicle. The breeching, which fits around the horse's rump, is an aid in training the horse in stopping and backing. The next step involves putting the horse between the shafts of a training cart. The trainer then walks behind the vehicle, controlling the horse by means of ropes (called long lines). When the horse becomes accustomed to pulling the weight of the vehicle, the trainer gets into the cart and drives the horse from the seat. Proper gaits include the walk, collected trot, and a faster, or park, trot. Horses that are to be driven with others are judged to see whether they work better on the left or right side or, in the case of four-in-hand teams, as the "leader" or the "wheel" horses.

Driver
    The driver, colloquially called the "whip," sits erect, traditionally wearing an apron, as protection against road dust, and some form of headgear. The driver mounts the vehicle from the right side. The reins are held in the left hand, the right hand being kept free to carry the whip and to help manipulate the reins during turns. The horse is urged forward with voice commands and signals with the reins or a touch of the whip. 

Care and Grooming
One of the most important adjuncts of horsemanship is the proper care of the mount, which includes its grooming, feeding, medical care, and shoeing. Grooming is a process designed to clean the horse and stimulate its skin. The first step in grooming is to rub, or curry, the horse's body with a rubber comb called a currycomb; the currycomb should be moved in small circles with emphasis on the direction of growth of the hair. The currying process loosens the hair and stimulates the flow of blood through the horse's skin. The horse's body, including its mane and tail, is then curried with a stiff brush, called a dandy brush, which removes loose hair and mud and smooths the horse's coat. Finally, the body and face of the horse are stroked with a soft brush that polishes the coat. Grooming also includes the cleaning of the mount's feet before and after each ride and the periodic removal of excess hair from its tail and mane.

After being ridden, the horse should be rubbed down with a handful of hay or sponged with cool water; it should then be curried, covered with a blanket, and walked until it is dry. If the mount is excessively hot and wet after being ridden, however, the rider should remove its saddle and bridle, cover it with a blanket, allow it to drink a small amount of water, and walk it until it dries off.

The proper feeding of a horse depends on its breed and on the type of work it performs. In general, a saddle horse that weighs about 1200 lbs and that gets six hours of rigorous exercise daily should be fed three times a day; its meals should consist of 2 or 3 dry quart of grain or sweet feed mixed with small amounts of corn.

Any medical care given to a horse by its owner should be limited to treatment for minor ailments; more serious illnesses should be treated by a veterinarian. A horse should be treated for intestinal worms several times a year.

Proper shoeing is a really important, although often neglected, aspect of horse care. The horse owner should choose a farrier with great care. The type of shoe used depends on such factors as the breed of horse, the type of work it does, and the way it habitually handles its feet.

General Horsemanship 3 - 1, 2