5 Reasons to Commission a Horse Portrait From an Equine Artist

1. As a coming of age gift for a horse lover.

For a committed horse lover nothing is more important than their horse, so it can be hard to find a meaningful gift for that really special birthday. Once the horse has all the tack and equipment it needs, what more is there? A painting of that adored horse could be one thing that your coming of age child would really appreciate and value for the rest of her (or his) life. You can keep the commission secret as a huge surprise, or involve her in the process of choosing the equine artist and selecting the pose, perhaps the best approach for those with strong opinions on the subject!

2. As a wedding gift for horse lovers.

If both halves of an engaged couple love horses, a horse portrait could really wow them, as they start their lives together. Do they both own horses? Have the two horses painted together as a symbol of their owners' union. If you want to keep this gift as a surprise you will have to do some careful groundwork. Gather as many photos as you can of the horses in a variety of poses. Many equine artists prefer to see their subjects face to face, so you may need to arrange a secret rendez-vous.

3. To honour a great show or race horse once it retires.

It is a time-honoured tradition to have a portrait painted of a champion race-horse or show-jumper when it retires, sometimes even before it retires to celebrate a big win. Make sure you have a sheaf of reference photos of the horse in action, so that your equine artist can really get a good sense of the horse it its prime.

4. To commemorate a wonderful horse after it has passed on.

Losing a beloved horse is very painful. Having a portrait painted of him or her will keep memories alive and can help with the grieving process. A good equine artist can really capture the horses character as well as looks, so make sure you describe him fully as well as supplying as many photos as possible for the artist to work from.

5. Because your partner/parents won't allow your horse in the house.

And finally a less serious but equally important reason: what young horse lover can bear to be separated from their beloved pony for a moment. When your parents (or partner for older horse-lovers!) won't let your horse inside the house, make sure they commission you a gorgeous painting of him or her, so that at least you can have that to gaze at when you can't be out in the paddock all day and night!

Kit Heathcock, freelance writer, is writing for Rachel Dubber, a well-known equine artist and photographer, with a lifelong passion for horses. She creates a wide range of stunning horse art, photography and sculpture. Currently based in Cape Town, South Africa she portrays the individuality of each equestrian subject, both for portrait commissions and for her own art.

View the original article here

Read More

Horse Racing Handicapping Jockeys and Horses

If you're looking for a good horse racing angle one thing you may want to add to your handicapping bag of tricks is how well some jockeys do with certain horses. It isn't available on every program, but some past performances do include a jockey's record with the horse. They indicate the total number of times that rider has been on that horse and how many times he or she won, placed, and showed.

Almost everyone has had the experience of meeting someone they just didn't like or meeting someone they were instantly drawn to. It's the same with horses and people. Though a professional rider can usually get on any horse and do a good job of guiding it through a race, there sometimes is a problem, whether it's a war of wills or just bad chemistry.

It may be that the rider took an instant disliking to the horse or the other way around. How does this happen? As we all know, animals sense a human's mood and tune into people. If a rider happened to be in a foul mood, perhaps he or she had just had an angry exchange with another jockey or trainer before getting on the horse, then the animal will sense that and may decide that the rider is dangerous.

If a rider gets on a horse that is in a nervous condition or acting up, he or she may also decide that the horse is more trouble than it should be. Whatever the case may be, if the rider and horse are out of sync, as they say, then they just may never get their best effort together.

That will show up in the past performances where it shows how many times the jockey has been on that horse. Look at the jockey's overall win average and then check to see how the rider has done with that horse. Let's say he or she usually wins 15% of the time but has three wins out of ten starts with that mount. That means he or she is twice as likely to win with that horse.

We know that certain riders and trainers do well and people often bet horses just because the connections (jockey-trainer) are known for winning a lot of races together. The same may often be true of the horse and rider, though fewer people pay attention to that stat.

A few wise handicappers keep an actual list of horses and jockeys who have done well together and they follow those rider and mount teams and bet them whenever they look as though they have any chance at all to win. It's one more way to get an advantage in the horse racing handicapping game.

If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://williewins.homestead.com/true.html and get the truth about betting on horses and winning. Bill Peterson is a former race horse owner and professional handicapper. To see all Bill's horse racing material go to Horse Racing Handicapping, Bill's handicapping store.

View the original article here

Read More

Braiding Horse Hair: The Benefits for Your Horse

Braiding horse hair can really improve the appearance of your horse. If you are going to show your horse it is pretty much a requirement, the judges expect to see it. While most people braid horse hair because they like the way that it looks there are in fact benefits to your horse as well.

The most obvious benefit that you will get is that it makes your horse look better. This is not really a benefit for your horse of course; it is more of a benefit to you. Nevertheless it is the reason that most people will do it. Horse hair does have a tendency to be all over the place so putting it in braids can really help its appearance.

The biggest benefit of braiding horse hair, at least from his perspective, is that it helps to prevent his skin from becoming irritated. Parasites love tangled hair and a lot of them will make their homes in the tangles of a horse mane. These parasites can really irritate the skin so it is important that you take steps to keep them away. You can do this by keeping the mane well brushed but this can be a real hassle. Keeping it in braids will make it far easier to keep the parasites out.

Braiding horse hair will also help to keep the hair healthy. The hair on the mane has a tendency to break when it is allowed to grow freely. Once the hair starts to break it does not grow particularly well. This is another case where brushing the hair regularly can help but it is much easier if you put it into braids. Most people simply don't have the time to brush their horse's hair everyday so they prefer to braid it.

Braiding horse hair will also help to train it so that it all grows in the same direction. This is more for appearance than it is for any other reason but it is still useful. Once you have the hair trained it will all fall on the same side. This will help to reduce the number of tangles that develop in the hair. You will find that after you have got the hair trained so that it all falls on the same side you will not need to brush the hair as often. That being said most people will do it because they like the way that it looks on the horse rather than for the benefits that it offers.

Braiding horse hair is skill that anybody who owns a horse should know how to do. There are a lot of benefits not only will your horse look better but he will also be healthier. There are lots of resources that you can use to learn about braiding horse manes so there is no reason not to take the time to learn how to do it.

View the original article here

Read More

Bonding With Your Horse

I must admit to feeling a certain degree of bewilderment when I hear from equestrians, including some of the supposed more experienced out there, complaining they don't have a special connection with their horse. What these people don't seem to understand is that, much like human relationships, building a relationship with a horse is hard work, and is not obtained by simple feeding and grooming. It is of course a deep and meaningful, dare I say it a humanistic connection that is built on trust and confidence. This is no mean feat, and cannot be achieved over night. On a side note, I believe it's important to state that the love of a horse, much like that of humans should be an unconditional emotion, and similarly, it shouldn't be dependent on reciprocation.
Of course, in order to build a meaningful relationship with your horse, one must fully understand its behaviour. One behavioural aspect that is commonly misunderstood with the horse is licking. Please remember that a horse is not a dog. This sounds simple enough, however people often mistake licking as a sign of affection from a horse, which it is not. There are various explanations offered for why horses do this, some believe it simply trying to appease you, however it is most likely trying to obtain salt. Sometimes this can be followed by a little bite or nip, and it is this action which is actually closer to a show of affection. You need to exercise caution when your horse's mouth enters your personal space, despite possible friendly intentions, nips and bites can extremely painful. In this situation I would advise waving the horses mouth away, and giving a sharp "No." It is important to teach the horse personal space boundaries. If you do this, your horse will respect you for it and be much more compliant and affectionate towards you. Just remember that horse's actions reflect their emotions, be it fear or defensiveness for example. You wouldn't punish a child for being scared, and neither should you a horse. If it does bite you, there will be a reason for it. And if you hit them, how could they ever form trust or a subsequent bond with you?
It's important to really do your homework before you can expect a close relationship. Learning to understand a horse's body language, and knowing how to subsequently shape your own body language, will allow you to interact with your horse on a much deeper level. Look at its eyes, ears, tail and movements to gauge how it's feeling, and react accordingly.
There are of course the basics to consider when trying to bond with a horse. Small and simple yet effective methods to build respect between you are often great starting points for new horses, feeding for example. In a horse heard, much like in the majority of the animal kingdom, it is the dominant horse which gets to eat first. Teach your horse that you are the dominant one by preventing it from reaching its food until you have moved away. If it is tries to barge you out of the way, then take control and show it you are the boss.
Similarly, it is important that the horse feels safe, and ideally will be you that will provide this feeling of safety. Again, this will help form respect for you on their part. This is a basic instinct for a horse, relating the fact they can be preyed on in the wild, and are protected by the leader of the herd.
In the constructs of our modern day busy lives it's easy to spend your spare time relaxing and socialising. As a result of this it is easy for to simply turn up to the stables when it's time to ride. However if you are able to get to the stables more frequently it will help your horse view you in another light. Take her hand grazing to some lush grass, find her itching points and give her a massage. All of these things are non-labor intensive ways to improve the bond.
Don't get me wrong, it can be a long road with many bumps along the way. However there is little on this earth that can compare the love of a horse. I sincerely hope this provides a decent starting point for those of you aiming to build up relationships with a new horse, or indeed those who are currently unable to connect with horses you have been riding for a while.
One last point of note worth mentioning is that, no matter close a bond you have with a horse, accidents happen regardless. Therefore always wear sufficient protective gear.
About the author: Arren Wilkinson helps promote Horses For Sale in conjunction with Horseclicks.

View the original article here

Read More