Tag: Horse Riding

Written by chrisdey20Mar, 2018

Kimberly Dey on Horseback Riding: Before and After Care

The Importance of Grooming and Caring for Your Horse After Riding by Kimberly Dey

For Kimberly Dey, one of the biggest and most common mistakes that riders make when taking their horse out for a ride is skipping grooming. Skipping this step before riding is dangerous for both rider and horse. Here she talks about the importance of grooming and shares a few care tips before and after a ride.

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Before taking your horse out for a ride, make sure to groom your horse, paying close attention to the girth area and back. This step removes debris from the horse’s coat, which helps ensure that your horse stays comfortable during your ride. Any discomfort that your horse may feel from the debris, like chaffing, could cause irritability, which in turn could lead the horse into misbehaving. This is a risk you can avoid with proper grooming, says Kimberly Dey. Make sure too, to check his hooves. Remove any dirt or debris and make sure that the horseshoes are firmly secured. For your safety, groom before you ride.

When you’re about to end your ride, gradually decrease your pace to allow the horse to cool down. You can get down from your horse and walk him the rest of the way. When you’ve come to a full stop, do not immediately take your back to the stable. Give some time to allow him to calm down after a vigorous ride.

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After the ride, your horse will feel hot and thirsty so be sure to give him a bucket of water, says Kimberly Dey. Your horse may have worked up an appetite as well so give him his feed after he has quenched his thirst.

Lastly, groom your horse after your ride. This will not only remove any grit or debris from his coat but also it can help soothe and relax him. It’s also a great way to show your appreciation to your beloved equine after a good ride, Kimberly Dey shares.

 

Written by chrisdey12Mar, 2018

Kimberly Dey on Show Jumping: Top 3 Tips for Beginners

Show Jumping for Beginners: Top 3 Tips from Kimberly Dey

Horseback riding is challenging enough as it is when you’re only starting to learn the basics, but show jumping is a lot more challenging and harder to learn. Kimberly Dey shares that show jumping isn’t for everyone. You must have the determination and stamina for it, and you must really want it. If you feel that show jumping is the discipline that you’d want to master among all other disciplines in English horse training, here are few tips that Kimberly Dey would like to share:

Perfect your balance

Perfecting your balance helps keep the seat on your horse’s back in place whether he’s walking, trotting, galloping or jumping. With that said, take your time learning how to develop your secure-seat. This will also allow your horse to get used to having you on his back as he moves through different gaits.

Never rush your horse

You may be ready for the big jumps but that doesn’t mean your horse is too. Start with small, low jumps and slowly work your way up. Initially, the jumps must be small enough for your horse to be able to jump over them either from a walk or standstill. This may seem contrary to the advice of never rushing your horse, but when he refuses a jump and appears to want to walk away, gently stand your ground. Do not push him to jump at your bidding but don’t let him walk away, too. Stay and stand your ground no matter how long it takes until he feels comfortable and confident enough to jump.

Train with a professional and experienced instructor

When you and your horse are only beginning to learn how to jump, it’s best to train with a professional. Never learn the basics on your own as this could be dangerous for you and your horse—you both could end up hurt or badly injured.

Finally, Kimberly Dey advises training progressively. For each day that you train, start with the basics first and then move on to the more challenging jumps as your training day progresses.