Dogs, cats, and other small animals are protected by the FDA. Horses are not. There are standards set by the NRC (National Research Council) but these standards are not enforced. Therefore our horses are at the mercy  of the growers and producers  of feed.  These companies are the ones who educate the feed store employees, which to me means that the feed store can only give you the information that They have gotten, and that is usually when and why to feed a certain product and not the nutritional value or balance. The general consensus of hay is that a 50/50 mix of good grass and good alfalfa is best for the domesticated equine. The grass is not always grown as a crop so it should be okay as far as minerals go, but is also hard to find. Alfalfa is grown as a crop. And like all the crops grown in America they are not rotated as all the good farmers have been taught to do. This can leave a crop deficient in some vitamins and minerals. But alfalfa is still the best available hay for the horse.  This  and other factors such as age of a horse can lead us to supplement our feed program. This is where it gets scarry!
(When you buy  a bag of great smelling cubes, pellets or meal, keep this in mind.)
When have you ever gone to the dumps and seen truck loads of "bad" hay? Probably never.  Well, where do you think that stuff goes?  Meat growers won't buy it, it impedes growth. Chicken/egg producers don't use it, it weakens production, these animals don't thrive on rotten hay either. Dairy farmers sell milk, the more the better, rotten hay reduces milk production.  So who is using this hay? Where does it go? Cubes, Pellets and Meals. If the cubes aren't pretty the mills will add some extra good hay to make them look better. If the pellets don't look good they add dye to make them greener. And worst of all, if they don't smell good they add molasses. The sad thing is, is that a horse won't eat poision hay, if he can tell it is poison, are you with me so far? The concentrates we buy, the pelleted grain products, are also a gamble, your label may tell you what is in the bag, but will never commit to how much of each ingredient is in there. This is often due to the commodities exchange.  If corn is cheap, then it's corn you'll be getting. In a bag of C.O.B. you will often see that each bag you buy will differ in mixture, depending on which grain is the cheapest this month. This may not concern you, but it really does effect the energy/nutritional balance in your horses diet. And that can effect alot of horses. Some horses just don't need a high energy ratio. But they will get it. And you will be the one dealing with the anxious horse or the foundered horse or the colic horse, the list goes on.
So how do we protect our much loved investments?  Read the label. Check to see that it says "MEETS OR EXCEEDS THE NRC STANDARD". If it does, you can bet the manufacturer cares about the product. If it does not, you can call the company and ask if they will gaurantee that it meets NRC standards. If they say it does, ask for a letter confirming this, if they say no to the letter, don't buy the feed.
 

All in all, it is just like anything else. You are the captain of your crew, it is up to you and me to keep these people honest.  In our constant battle to make this nation a more horse friendly place to be, in our fight to keep a local arena open or a good trail to ride, all the slaughter and abuse. Let us also fight to keep our horses healthy! The only way I know to do that is to feed the actual balance that they require.

Every thing of beauty and wonder is made up of details. Details that in themselves, alone and separate
can seem unimportant. unfortunately we tend to overlook tiny details, perhaps feeling that if it were
important it would be much larger and much more impressive!  The Sistine Chapel was not painted
with a roller, It was done with millions of tiny, well positioned brush strokes, made with patience and
forethought.  So it is with training a horse.  Horses have an incredible eye for detail. It is an important
part of their survival.  They begin to read us and size us up from the second they smell us coming.
Therefore it is important for you as a trainer to pay attention to detail.

There are a lot of different thoughts on training, here are two. One uses details one does not.
Hopefully you will see how details can make training easier for your horse to understand.

Thought A:  (problem : my horse bucks) . Answer: Teach him to not buck, get on and give him what
for. You know the old wet saddle blanket theory. Big moves, lots of action.
 

Thought B: (same problem). Answer: Don't teach him to buck. Use details to help him understand
what you want. Get quiet obedience and trust  before he learns the effectiveness of bucking, the fight
part of flight or fight. On the ground I teach him to yield his shoulders and haunches. Make it a habit
to him like saying "hello" when you pick up the phone. Move his space and get into his head. All the
while keeping an eye on the details. Is he relaxed, or on the muscle? Is his head up and his eyes wild?
His head and eyes are telling you that he is worried and that he can't understand what you want.  You
ask him to move his hip away from you, he does, but also drops his shoulder into your direction. He
may have complied by moving the hip, but made a big wrong move by dropping the shoulder. You
must show him to keep the shoulder up and stay balanced or that detail of the dropped shoulder will
be well on it's way into your horses memory  as a correct response.  This can ultimately lead  to  a
horse moving through the shoulder to avoid direction from his rider,  it can cause the horse to not
track upright and balanced and can impede lead departures just to name a few things.

This is just a sample of details. There are many things to look for. Education is your best tool.
For help with a specific problem you may be having, e-mail me or check out my guest book.

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There is no need to teach a horse to read body movement. The horse naturally sees the intent of its heard mates. Our responsibility then is to teach our horse what our intent is when we move a certain way. To do this we must be aware of how we are moving while in the presence of our horse.

 Quiet consistent movement in your body while directing your horse will teach them your intent easily.

Begin your lesson by leading your horse with his throat latch area at your shoulder.  Use your peripheral vision to watch your horse, try not to look back at him as this will tell him that you don’t trust him or have confidence enough to actually be his leader. You must be believable to him for him to follow  you. 
If you don’t believe the horse will follow, your body and eyes will tell him that, and guess what, he won’t follow. The horse has no reason what- so- ever to follow anyone who does not have confidence. That goes against his survival instinct.

With square shoulders, back and down, eyes looking where you want to go. Tilt your head forward, indicating to your horse as a preparatory command, that you intend to move forward. Lean your upper body forward slightly. Walk off quietly. If your horse does not walk off with you, do not look at him. Do not stop walking. Pull him up to your shoulder and release him.  Continue to bring him up to you util he gets the idea.  There are some cases where the horse will resist, if so, quickly step around toward the hip and move the horse quickly away from you. Stop just as quickly, reposition yourself and continue on. You may have to repeat this several times.
To walk faster or trot, lean more forward, allow the horse to acknowledge your move and trot off in time with him.

To slow or stop, tilt your upper body back to indicate your intent to slow or stop. Do not slow or stop your feet until you see/feel the horse acknowledge your move. Slow or stop in time with your horse.

This is one very effective way to teach your horse how to read your intent. It will teach you to be aware of what you are doing and how it influences your horse.

Please, work on yourself, be the responsible leader your horse needs in order to feel safe and gain confidence in you. Once you gain his confidence he will be willing to try most anything you ask. 

To know and understand where and how a horse will place his feet can benefit a rider in many ways.
For example, picking up a correct lead is easy for the rider who knows how to get the first beat of that lead. 
( Go to “Hips and Shoulders” to review related training. )

It is important to first know each gait. Once you see and feel each gait they will become easier to control. 
(See an attached example of gaits.)

A horse is forever aware of where his feet are, the same as you and me. The horse uses his feet for survival. To be able to effectively control the horse, you will learn to effectively control his feet. Effective control is, as the horse lifts a foot, you are able to take a rein or leg aid and assist the horse through the move. Assisting the move makes the move easier for the horse.  All horses will take the path of least resistance, given that they are being trained in a nonthreatening way, and therefore kept in a trainable, nonresistant, frame of mind.
Effective control of the feet will allow suppling, or circling a horse to be more effective, in that you are able to increase the scope of movement in the hip and shoulder.
 

Practice these exercises until they become a habit:

On the ground: Lead the horse in a small circle, to the left with the lead in the left hand. With the right hand at his side where your leg would hang, press and release in time with the inside hind. Watch the leg, press just as the inside hind leg is extended back and ready to come forward. You will find that you can really get a deep cross over in the hind by pressing at this opportune time.
Repeat going to the right.
This exercise will not only help the horse to move with more scope, it will supple as well as develop timing in your hands, seat and leg, together with the rhythm of the horse will help you ride with greater finesse.

While mounted: Circle the horse to the left with the inside (left) rein, feel for your hip to drop to the inside, get a good feel of this first. After you are able to feel your hip drop, begin to add your left leg aid in time with the drop. Press and release. As your leg aid gets in time with the inside hind you will begin to feel an even greater drop in your inside hip, this is the deeper cross over you are looking for.  This deep cross over is what will stretch the hips increasing the scope of movement in the horse and allowing for a more efficient circling maneuver.
Repeat to the right.

In the saddle: At a stand still, pick up one rein, pull steadily without allowing the horse to pull from your hands or get slack without giving to the pressure. The exact moment the horse comes off the pressure to your hands you will release. One fraction of a second late will not allow for an immediate reward. Do this on both sides, and often to keep the HABIT of timing in you and give in the horse.

In the saddle: At a stand still, with stirrups properly adjusted, stand in the stirrups, relax ankles to a good heels down position, if needed move leg back under you so that you can stand balanced with little or no support from your hands on the horn or mane. Then, bend at the KNEE and lower straight down on to the saddle. This should get you into a good seat/leg position. Once you are able to do this at the stand do it at the walk, then trot.

Now you have the basics tools to improving your riding skills through good seat and hands, it is up to you to take it and use it PRACTICE IT UNTIL IT BECOMES A HABIT THAT YOU CAN’T RIDE WITHOUT!

Snaffle: Any bit that has a direct rein. Direct rein is where the rein is attached to the bit rings to place the rein, while in use, at the same level as the corners of the mouth. It gives a signal to the corner of the mouth on the same side as the rein that is in use and, when pulled, to the area of the face on the opposite side making contact with the whole ring.
 

Curb or Leverage Bit: Any bit that has any type of shank to create leverage, no matter how small.  Most all curb bits require a curb (chin) strap to facilitate the curb action, putting pressure in the chin (curb) groove and the poll groove.
 

Mouthpieces: Any type of bit can come with any type of mouthpiece, whether solid with a port or roller or broken in one or two places, the list is long. It does not matter what the mouthpiece is made of, or shaped like. It will only be a snaffle if it has direct rein and will only be a curb if it has any form of leverage.

Choosing the right bit: Personal preference should only apply to the horse and the skill of the rider. 
1. Have the mouth examined by a knowable person to determine the condition and structure of your horses’ mouth. This will help with width and diameter.
2. Know your skill level, and be honest. Poor riding skill can create more problems than any bit could ever help. There are a lot of things you can do to improve your hands and seat without even mounting a horse.
3. Study. Knowledge is power. Don’t let just anyone tell you what is right for you and your horse. You are the captain of your destiny, and it is your responsibility to your horse to do right by him.
4. Training. There is no bit in the world that can take the place of proper training. Training comes along with good riding/ handling skill.
5. Don’t let cost scare you off. The bit you buy is an investment in your horses’ future and a well made bit should last you a lifetime.

Headstalls: What you put your bit on has as much to do with a bits action as any other consideration. A snaffle will not hang evenly without the help of a well made, well fitted browband type headstall, not to mention that it may well fall right off the horse without the throatlatch to hold it on! A split ear is fine for most curb bits, with a properly adjusted chinstrap.
I personally feel a noseband is to confining and can scare some horses. So I don’t care to use one, I will allow the young horse to play, and as a rule once at work they forget about goofing off.

Reins: Reins are also designed with a purpose. A snaffle will be used in a English bridle with a lighter weight, more narrow rein that buckles in the middle, they will usually have some form of grip for the fingers. This type of rein is designed for direct contact. A snaffle used on a western bridle will often use a heavier thicker split rein. The weight helps to keep the signal with less direct contact for riding on a drape rein. 
Ideally a good leather rein that is thicker and heavier (weighted) at the bit and lightens up toward the open ends helps with a good signal through very little movement, creating finess and invisible cues on a drape rein in the western horse.
How the rein attatches to the bit plays a roll as well. Using metal snaps may be handy, but in the long run gives the horse false signals and further complicates a training program. A good waterston loop not only is easy to use, it has break away qualities to protect the horse and the rein investment.
 

This has been a very brief introduction to bits. There are acres of information out there on the subject and it is well worth the time to get as much information as you can to keep your training and riding program a sound and pleasurable experience.