Sunday, December 7, 2008

Draft Horse Is A Great Friend


They tend to have short backs with very powerful hindquarters, again best suited for the purpose of pulling. They are also by and large used for cross-breeding, especially to breeds such as the Thoroughbred. These Shire horses are used to pull a Wadworth Brewery dray delivering beer to pubs in the Devizes area of Wiltshire, England. Today, draft horses are again valued as riding horses thanks to their temperament and stamina. The draught equine declined in economic importance following the end of the Second World War, and in the latter half of the twentieth century even the most well-known of the heavy breeds were on the verge of disappearing.

The vast majority of horses used in harness racing are of yet another breed, the Standardbred. They are used in carriage driving activities, pulling coaches, traditional and modern carriages, marathon vehicles, carts and gigs etc.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Horse Training Methods

Natural Horsemanship as a horse training method is not just for trainers, it's for anyone who has a love for horses and wants to improve their understanding and connection with these beautiful animals. The benefits you gain from learning how to read horses will stay with you forever. If you are just starting your journey or have been working with horses for many years, you can learn how to have a more rewarding and fulfilling relationship with your horse. My journey started twenty-two years ago and I never stop learning. When you have a passion like this it is easy to absorb all you can in order to satisfy that urge to connect with the horse.

If we are to communicate effectively with horses we must learn as much as possible about the way horses "talk" to each other. One way they communicate is through their highly developed senses. Their hearing sense is extremely sensitive. Their smell is far greater than ours as a stallion can smell the scent of a mare in season up to 5 miles away. Their eyesight is poor compared to humans, but the placement of the eyes on the head allows them to see far more than we can. This is due to their eyesight being monocular which means they can focus on two different scenes at one time. Their skin is so sensitive that they can feel a fly on their shoulder which can cause the whole body to shake it off. All of these senses work together to form a unique communication system.

Horses For Beginners

Horses require a lot of maintenance. If you think you can just turn your horse out to grass in a field and not worry about it, you are wrong. Horses need to have their feet trimmed and may need shoeing depending on the amount of work they do. Like people, they need to have exercise, or they can get out of shape and fat. Some horses can eat so much that that they founder, which means their fee hurt so much they can't walk. Horses that have a tendency to gain weight should wear a grazing muzzle when turned out to grass, to prevent overeating. Ponies are especially prone to founder. Horses need to be checked every day to make sure they are not sick or injured. If you board your horse at a boarding facility, your horse is usually checked every day, which helps if you can't check on him every day.
The horse's amount of training and your ability are a big consideration when looking for a horse for beginners. If you have no riding experience, it is best to get a well trained quiet horse. These horses are sometimes called schoolmasters. It means they know their job. They are good horses for beginners to learn on, especially if you find one that is very forgiving. This means they don't get upset when beginners do things wrong.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Understanding Your Pets Emotions Your Dog Can Cry Too

There are many things that we still don't understand about our pets, but we are beginning to understand just how many emotions our pets actually show. Although they don't show many emotions like we do, pets can be emotionally complex if you are aware of what everything means. Pets have many different ways of showing their feelings about certain events. One of the ways that pets can show a happy emotion would be if the dog's ears were perked up. You could also see that a dog was happy if its tail was wagging.

When a dog is angry, there will be a lot of different signs that will show you how the dog is feeling. One of the most important factors that you will be able to see if a dog is mad will be that it will show its teeth to you. This is a defensive pose that it will give if it is either fearful or angry. The dog will usually stiffen all of its muscles, and it will also lower its tail. When the dog lowers its tail, this is technically considered a submissive pose, but it will use it to help its defensive pose look more aggressive. This is just one way that the dog will show that it is both scared and angry with the current situation.

Judges Score Dressage Horses in Competition

Judges in these events also look at the contact that the riders have with their horses; dressage horses should not pull the hands of the rider and the reins should be held evenly - in other words, the horse should be able to come up into the bridle and should be carried forward in a natural motion.

Just as the pull of the dressage horse is measured, so is its push - the thrusting power that propels a horse forward with correct muscle and joint use. Part of the horse's push is measured in the straightness of the dressage horses gait, the horse's ability to move forward with its hind legs following the same path as its front legs.

If you are looking to acquire a dressage horse for future competition, you will want to consider the abilities and traits of the person for whom the horse is intended. While the judges critique dressage horses in competition more than the rider, it is equally important for the rider to be able to guide the horse and to lead it through the judged events. If you are naturally uneasy atop a horse, then you will want to find a horse that is very intuitive and calm. If you were really tall and lanky, you would not want to get a shorter horse, no matter how successful the horse has been in previous competitions.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Point Guards in NBA History

Steve Nash - May not be the greatest defensive player in NBA History, but he epitomizes the quintessential "get everybody involved" type of point guard. A perfect mixture of street ball and a controlled NBA game. He could always penetrate inside the paint and kick it out for a 3 pointer. I also love that he's not afraid to turn the ball over.

Oscar Robertson - One of the most complete players to ever lace them up. It's hard to think of any weaknesses when you talk about the Big O. The fact that he averaged a triple-double in an entire has to be one of the most amazing stats in not just basketball, but all of sports.

John Stockton - This was a tough call choosing Stockton over Johnson. But in the end, how can you go against the guy who is the all time leader in NBA assists and steals. A floor leader in every sense of the word.

Small Forwards in NBA History

Larry Bird - To say he was a great shooter is kind of like saying the ocean is vast. He had an eagle eye that made him from deadly from any part of the court. He was also the most crafty player out on the court. If there was a way to get a basket, Bird would find a way.
Dominique Wilkins - The human highlight reel was a one of a kind offensive player. He literally played ABOVE the rim. One of the greatest high flyers to ever play the games. He didn't just take it to the hole. He ran through who ever got in his way.
Scottie Pippen - Yeah I know that he played with Michael Jordan, so it's not like everybody was worried about him. But Jordan never won a championship until Pippen joined the Bulls. I think that pretty much says it all. He was also a dynamite one on one defender.

NBA Centers of All Time

Hakeem Olajuwon - The foot work was phenomenal. His touch was pristine. He was agile as a gazelle. He brought a new dimension to the position that has never been seen before. He showed that the point guards weren't the only one who could bring some artistry to the game of basketball.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar - There hase never been an offensive weapon like the sky hook. It's impossible to defend. If you go for the block while it's up in the air, you'll be called for goaltending. If you try to block it from his right hand, you'd be called for a foul. Your only hope was that he had an off game, which didn't happen too often.
Bill Russell - What can you say about somebody who has 11 championship rings. You can say that no other player will ever come close to achieving something like that. He's the only person that ever got the best of Wilt Chamberlain. That's saying a lot.

Dennis Rodman History

Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American professional basketball player. He is one of the controversial NBA basketball players in America. Born on May 13, 1961 in Trenton, New Jersey, he played for San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Detroit prisons. The Dennis Rodman Biography/History is popular to many Americans because he is one of the best NBA players. Dennis made a name for himself through his astonishing talent, tattoos, body piercing and dye colors on his hair.

In 1991, the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals swept the Pistons. The Pistons rebound Dennis Rodman and got on the lead. However, Rodman raised his level of playing and in 1992; he was extraordinary, with an average of over 18 rebounds, as he became a winner of the first of seven direct rebounding titles. In 1993, Rodman had a second rebound, which was also the last with the Pistons. He joined the San Antonio Spurs during the off-season. In San Antonio, Rodman continued with his expertise and made many more great scores. The following season, he spearheaded 62 wins for San Antonio making it to the western conference finals. However, his publicized relationship with Madonna was too much for the Spurs to bear. In the offseason, he joined the Bulls. With Rodman aboard, the Bulls improved on 25 games. The team also had Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan and the three formed an all-defensive first team.

After the season with the Bulls, he left Chicago and started rebuilding himself. Being the best NBA rebounder, without doubt he made a name for himself. According to Dennis Rodman Biography/History, he could not have lasted as long just because of a criminal record and tattoos. Although he does not view himself as a basketball icon or a role model, he gains from the benefits of the basketball experience.

Teenagers Wanting to Play in the NBA

n the NBA Draft last week for the first in history the first three players drafted were freshman and a record 10 freshman were taken in the first round. The one and done rule is now in full force. As of last year, the NBA prohibits players from playing in the NBA until they have spent one year out of high school and are 19 years-old. This was implemented by NBA Commissioner David Stern in response to the numerous high school seniors that made themselves eligible for the NBA draft in recent years (as many as six one year) - many of whom were not ready to make the jump from high school to the NBA.

Now, was this rule put in place to save the youngsters from their own delusions, or to save the NBA from the embarrassment of having to to draft unproven high school seniors in the first round as one sports commentator on ESPN's SportsReporters suggested yesterday (the embarrassment, I'm assuming he meant, would actually come later when the player did not make it in the NBA - which several did not in recent years)? Or, for both of these reasons?

Excellent Exercises For Jumping High

The first exercise I want to share with you is one for strengthening those legs. Most people would tell you to do calf raises, but I disagree with that. They focus primarily on the calf and there is a little more to jumping than that. You should be doing squats. They will work the entire leg and focus on every single muscle, big and small, when it comes to jump. Just look at a squat; it is a jump in slow motion. This is will make your legs powerful.

Exercises for jumping higher shouldn't be all about power though. You also need to have that springiness in the legs that help you spring right off the floor. The best thing for that is to walk around on the balls of your feet for around 30 minutes every few days. This will train the muscles to stay springy.

Training Your Pet Parrot

Uncover the cage and watch your bird's behavior. Approach your bird slowly while looking straight at the bird's eyes. Slowly slip your hand into the cage and leave it there and watch the bird's reaction. If your parrot attacks you, keep doing this for the next few days. Before long, your parrot will calm down and start to accept you again. You may use a perch or stick, or even a toy, if you do not want to get yourself injured. As you approach the bird with your hand, caress its belly with gentle strokes. Once the bird has gained your trust, it will hop onto your fingers. Use words like 'up' to get your bird perched on your hands.

Once your bird has gained your trust, you are in a great position to start training your bird to talk. Start with simple words like 'hello' or the bird's own name like 'polly'. Slowly use easy to pronounce words and repeat frequently. You can also use training tapes to teach your bird to talk. Cover the cage and play the tape on your recorder or CD player. You can even teach the bird to sing if you repeatedly play a music tape or CD. The best time to do this is early in the morning.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Horse Back Riding


While choosing a horseback riding camp, you should first make a decision on which style of riding your children wants to learn. Western riding is usually associated with ranches, cowboys and rodeos. These camps could be found all through the United States, and are also commonly known as Dude Ranches or Guest Ranches in western portions of the country. Most of the western riding activities comprises of trail riding and barrel racing. Western saddles are designed keeping comfort and security of the riders in mind, so it will have a higher seat back and front so riders feel the safety while on the horse.