User talk:Polly411

Hey! I'd like to teach you about horses. My name is Natalie and have two horses, well one pony, Special, and one horse, Polly. They live at Sycamore Farms in Malibu and are two very happy horsies! The first thing you should know about horses is that they have their own personalities and can at times be moody. Take my horse, Polly. Because she is a mare, female, she goes through heat which for horses, is the same thing as a woman getting her period. When Polly goes into heat, she can be crabby and try to bite the other horses for a few minutes and then be loving towards all for the next few minutes. But, usually Polly is very nosey, calm, and loving. Now, when I say nosey, I don't mean a horse that knows every body else's buisness. No, I mean a horse that sticks her nose in EVERYTHING. If she wants to know what something is, she sticks her nose in it. Anyway, all horses have their own little habbits and spooky spots. For example, my mom's horse Wazuri. He is a big chicken. He once spooked at a butterfly that flew by his head. Wazuri is very sweet, wouldn't hurt anything but a fly, and loves attention but, he spooks at all sorts of things. Another thing you should know about horses is that the only real way to tell if they're mad is to watch their ears. If their ears are forward that means they are concentrating on something in front of them. If their ears ever go flat against their neck, it means stay back, I'm mad. When this happens, stay far away from their mouths because horses can bite and hard. In summary, horses are beautiful creatures that need to be handled with care and thoughtfulness. When they are handled well from colthood (a baby) they will grow to become wonderful and loving animals that will be with you forever. I have been touched by horses. Thanx for reading. I hope you enjoyed!

horsey 411
Hey everyone! Here's another issue of horsy 411! You all remember my horse. Polly? Right? Well, I rode her today and she gave me a great topic to talk about today. "When horses shy, What you can, should, and shouldn't do." Now it is scary when a horse shies. In case you don't know what a shy is, it is when a horse spooks at something they find scary. When this happens, the best thing for you, as the rider, to do would be to sit as still as you can (this can be very hard sometimes), sit back, and say "easy horsey" or "whoa". The worst thing you as the rider can do is freak out and start screaming and looking down. Just remember, where you look is where you'll go. That's all for today! bye!

Horsey 411
hey everyone! Here's another issue of horsey 411! Today's topic is horse care and keeping. If you're buying a horse, there are a few things to remember. Whenever you're trying a horse, be sure to have someone from the barn ride the horse before you get on. Also, before you ride, watch the horse get tacked up. If it looks friendly, ask if you can untack and groom it. When someone else is riding the horse you're trying, watch very closely to see if you can tell how the horse reacts to leg cues, hand cues, etc. Once you're on the horse, start by seeing how much it takes to get it to walk, then stop, then walk again, then trot to stop, and so on and so forth. There's not too much more to say. All I can tell you though, is that be careful when trying a horse and be prepared to have some good and maybe some bad experiences because remember, horses are animals and if not delt with properly, they can get mean. See you next time! Horsey 411.

diet and exersice
The diet of a horse is fairly simple. Once a horse is on a specific diet, it's very important that if it needs to change it should change very slowly. A horse has a very sensitive stomach and digestive system, therefore, when changing food drastically, the horse can collic. (Collic is when a ball of calcium gets stuck in the stomach or intestines and causes the horse's digestive system to shut down. In time, it can lead to the horse's death or serious illness) As you may know, a horse is an athlete and should be taken care of like one. A horse needs to be worked or turned out everyday and given one day off a week. A day off allows the horse to rest and relax and refuel for the upcoming week. The days that the horse is working should go as follows: 1-a nice grooming. we don't want a dirty horse under the saddle or they can be rubbed sore 2-a gentle warm-up to prepare them for work 3-your usual workout. Try not to change their workout too much at a time. If you add something in, give it time to be worked on before you overdo your horse 4-after the workout, you should cool them off for about 15 minutes. Often, it is fun to go for a trail ride or a walk with friends. (remember that if you go on a trail ride, go with others so if something happens, someone can get help, or take a cell phone to call for help) 5-give the horse a good grooming to get the dirt and dust off before the horse goes back to the stall or paddock. 6-make sure the stall or paddock is clean so the horse can relax without lying in their own manure. 7-make sure all your stuff is put away! you'll want to be able to find everything the next time you ride. All this and more goes into the care and keeping of a horse! Remember that it's a lot of responsibility keeping a horse.

Shoes and shows
Hey every one! Once again, here's another issue of Horsey 411! This one's on shoes and shows. When you are going to get your horse