Archive for Horse Riding Helmets

Horse Riding As A Hobby Has Many Advantages

Posted in Horse with tags , , , , , , , , on July 21, 2008 by martahann

Horse riding as a hobby can bring many benefits.  Horse riding as a hobby is a great way to go out and see the surrounding area.  Many people end up seeing their surroundings on the freeways and other streets.  Many people never get off the beaten track unless they take up horse riding as a hobby.  Horse riding as a hobby will take you to the trails that surround the city.  People buy all terrain vehicles so they can get off the commonly traveled roads, but they can do the same thing when they have horse riding as a hobby.

Horse riding as a hobby has an added advantages for seeing the surrounding areas in a four wheel drive vehicle.  Horse riding as a hobby brings the rider closer to nature.  A person riding through the countryside can see the local terrain from a special vantage point.  The riders have the wide open spaces all around them.  A beautiful blue sky through a sun roof is just not the same as a completely open view from the back of a horse.  The cool fresh air away from the city is usually clear and clean.  Horse riding as a hobby is often very relaxing for the rider.  The pressures of every day life seem to disappear on the back of a horse.

Horse Riding As A Hobby Teaches Responsibility

Horse riding as hobby can be enjoyable for adults, but it is also a very wonderful hobby for children.  Children can learn many things about life through horseback riding.  First of all, children will learn the responsibility of caring for an animal and the equipment that is needed for their hobby.  They will usually have to care for the stables where their horse is kept.  They will have to make sure that the area is completely clean on a regular basis.  The horse should be groomed, washed and fed regularly.  These duties should be the responsibility of the child with the hobby.

Horse riding as a hobby is great for children because they should constantly learn to control a huge animal.  They will have to practice and learn techniques in order to make sure that this animal responds to their commands.  The child will learn from their mistakes and they should learn to have a great deal of confidence in their abilities as they increase their skills through their hobby.  Children can compete in different activities with their horses and this should help them determine their progress compared to others in the same age group.

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Horse Riding and Racing: Not The Same Animal

Posted in Horse with tags , , , , , , , , on March 11, 2008 by martahann

Nowadays, the only time a modern American sees a horse is on TV or the movies.  Usually, the horse shown is a Thoroughbred racehorse.  Recent movies that have done extremely well include Seabiscuit, The Black Stallion, Phar Lap and Dreamer.  All of these films feature modern Thoroughbred racing.  This can lead to the conclusion that all horse riding and racing are one and the same.  This has also lead to many animal rights groups protesting all forms of horse riding, racing especially.

Horses for Courses

Animal rights groups are right to call Thoroughbred racing cruel.  The horses are incredibly inbred (90% can trace their ancestry back to one stallion, The Darley Arabian, born in 1700). An estimated 60% of all Thoroughbreds alive trace back to Northern Dancer, who was born in 1961.  The horses in racing cannot support their own weight, let alone that of a rider.  They are forced to race before their bones have hardened.  After their racing careers are over, they are usually slaughtered.  The Blood Horse reported that 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand was slaughtered for meat in Japan.

Horse riding and racing should not be tarred with the same brush.  Many riders actually love horses and do not see them as money machines.  Real horse riding, (racing professionals take note) waits until the horse is physically mature enough to carry a rider before a rider gets on.  In many breeds, this means the horse or pony is not ridden until they are at least four years old.

Horse riding and racing in these circumstances is quite different.  The horse is healthier and safer to ride.  Without the entanglements of million dollar purses and syndication deals, horse riding and racing is only done when the horse is ready, willing and able.  These “races” are usually informal bursts across a field, done just for the sheer joy of it.  Pleasure horses are often crossbred or half-breeds, with hybrid vigor and sense.  There is also more gelding going on.  Horses are only kept as stallions when they can prove their worth AND have a good temperament AND be healthy.

In Conclusion

There are many different schools and uses to which people ride horses.  Racing is just one of them.  Horses cannot speak, but they communicate clearly through their body language.  Horses that have happy experiences when ridden will enjoy horse riding.  Racing is not normal horse riding.  It’s just not normal, PERIOD.

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Horse Riding Helmets Are A Must Wear Item To Ensure The Safety Of The Rider

Posted in Horse with tags , , , , , , on December 15, 2007 by martahann

Given that horse riding is a sport with a fair share of attendant risks, you need to ensure your safety at all times and besides the usual risks of falling off from the horse, there is always a pressing need to handle your horse with care. One of the most important items of horse riding gear that a rider should never omit having is the horse riding helmet that should always be worn whenever you are riding a horse, and also when handling a horse otherwise.

Different Designs

Horse riding helmets are available in many different designs because different designs suit different types of heads and also because they can suit particular riding disciplines better. Whatever kind of horse riding helmets you are going to choose to wear, the primary concern for you when choosing them is that they will fit your head well and they should conform to standards PAS 015 and even EN 1384.

Even though your horse riding helmets may not be able to prevent some very serious injuries from befalling you under all conditions, they can still prove their worth most of the time, and because your skull is a very delicate part of your body, you need to ensure that you do not put it under any risk. Also, once you hurt your skull, the chances of recovery are far lesser than say, when you break a bone in your arm or leg.

Horse riding helmets will help break your fall and are especially useful if your head were to strike a hard surface such as a rock or boulder and it could very well save your life for you. In addition, once a helmet has become damaged due to a fall, you must immediately get it replaced and with most horse riding helmets costing between sixty and two hundred dollars, this should not pose much of problem as far as paying for new horse riding helmets is concerned.

In addition, your horse riding helmets are things that are going to last only a few years because their padding could wear off and even the helmet may become loose on your head which means that you should replace them as soon as it becomes necessary.

The laws related to horse riding also require that children below the age of fourteen must need to wear horse riding helmets that are of proper standards every time they are out riding on a horse on the road. So, it is easy to see that horse riding helmets are your protection that will ensure you’re riding safety and must be worn at all times.

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