Techniques for Safely Handling Horses

Where along the horse's body is vision restricted?

in front of their head, under their head, and directly behind them

Why is ear placement important for handlers to observe?

the horse directs the ears towards what it is directing its attention to

What does "flight" or "fight" mean?

when there's something that an animal sees as a threat to itself, it chooses to stay and "fight" the threat or run/flee the area the threat is in.

When handling a stationary horse, where are the safest and most dangerous places to stand?

it is safest to stand on the side of the horse, in line with he upper neck, head and throatlatch. The most dangerous places to stand is behind the horse, and directly in front of the horse.

When possible, where should a handler stand in relation to another person that is close by a stationary horse?

Immediately next to the horses body on the same side of the other person

What distance is safest when someone moves closely behind a horse's body?

1.5x the hip height of the horse

Describe the handler's position when safely moving a horse backwards.

to the side of the horse, facing the back the horse

Describe the handler's position when turning a horse to the right

face the horse and stay to its left

In relation to the horse's body, where should a handler approach the horse when haltering?

the horse's left shoulder

Describe the ideal handler position as a horse is led through a small opening

When through a large enough opening being on the left side is ideal. But through a small opening, position the horse so youre on its left and then go through the opening before the horse, then move back to the left side of the horse when leading the horse through the opening second.

What are some steps that can be taken to decrease the horse's desire to bolt when releasing him in a large area?

close gates and move the horse away from the gate; point the horse to the fence or stall wall to reinforce, do not release the horse until control is gained and be sure to reinforce control.

What are four requirements to consider when assessing how safely a horse has been tied?

1. make sure the place is non-slip, firm, and free of debris

2. he height of the structure should be above the horse's withers

3. horses should be tied so knot is at least wither height with enough slack to stand with head at or above wither height

4. knot should be tied in a quick release knot

When picking up a horse's foot, which hand should be used to move down the horse's leg? How to pick up?

the outside hand, facing toward rear inside hand on shoulder, use outside hand to run down the horses leg til reaching ankle, use inside hand to push on horse to allow foot to lift. Raise foot til cannon bone parallel with ground and the leg raised under the belly, then, switch hands with your inside hand and push it toward the front and step in, then with other hand grab foot between legs and pull back forward to position the foot between your legs. Then push leg back between legs, grab with inside hand and step out, then switch hands again still facing the rear of the horse. then with the inside hand once again positioned on the shoulder apply weight to the horse and lower the leg. Run hand back up leg.

Describe the procedure to place a hind foot onthe ground.

place your inside hand on the hip and apply pressure to shift the weight, return the leg under the horse, set the foot on the ground, then run outside hand up the leg to the hip

How wide should a stantion be constructed?

5'3"-6" in length and 26"-32" wide; sizes can vary