What's the best way to learn how to care for a horse?

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henmuffin

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Aug 22, 2008
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South Oxfordshire.
I have been learning to ride from scratch since May this year. I have not had much experience with horses before so to be honest, don't have much of a clue about horse care! I would like to learn a bit about tack, stable management etc but don't really know how to. I go to a RS once a week for a lesson and that's my only contact with horses.
I don't have any friends with horses and feel a bit old to volunteer at the RS. Also I feel I would be more of a hindrance than a help due to my lack of knowledge and exprience. I would be interested to know how any other 'mature newbies' learn their stuff.
 
Any good riding school should be only to happy to give you a few lessons in horse management if they don't run special courses. And you get all sorts and ages helping out at a stable yard, so don't be put off by thinking only teenagers do it.

I'm no teenager, and I regularly hang out at my local yard!
 
definatly check out the rs, if not that one then another one they will be more than happy to let you help out and you might just get a few extra lessons out of it for free, or some one on one training, best thing i ever did
 
Read as much as you possibly can - internet, books, magazines, and keep an open mind! Also, as mentioned hanging about or helping out as much as poss at your local riding school. As an adult returning to horses - I had two lessons a week and hung about looking hopeful and the nice people on the yard let me do things like muck out and rug up etc.
 
I have been helping out at my RS since July as like you I've never had the opportunity to learn anything about horses apart from how to ride them. Its the absolute best step I've ever taken. They've given me invaluable advice & knowledge in return for an extra pair of working hands. I couldn't have gained any of this without their agreement to take me on bearing in mind that I hinder them every time I come across something new. Not to mention the zillions of questions I'm always asking!
I really couldn't recommend it enough to you. I know how you feel about it "being a teenage thing" but my RS were just gobsmacked when I got stuck in & finished the job without spend the majority of my time swanning about doing everything but what I'd gone there for. (no offence to any hard working young people intended)
As someone else has mentioned I have had free rides and exercised horses when asked, which I feel very guilty about. The RS say that exercising a horse for them is one less for them to do and hacks out are just for the fun:eek::cool:
I initially went up this road thinking that if ever I do want to have my own horse better to gain experience before hand. But since helping out it seems to have filled the gap for me, if I can continue to go a couple of times a week and ride twice a week (as a paying client!) as well I feel like I've got the best of both worlds.
Phew, what a ramble. Feel free to PM me if you want to, if not good luck:)
 
I know what you mean about feeling too old to volunteer! I was riding at a really small RS who had all the help they needed so this was not an option for me, but I really wanted to learn so placed a couple of ads on national horsey websites in case anyone wanted help in my area. I made it clear that I was prepared to do get stuck in and didn't expect rides in return, just wanted to learn but needed to be shown first. Maybe you could also try putting an ad on your local papershop boards or such like? I think there is a thread somewhere on NR about mentoring too which might be worth a look:D
I have since found a share with a really lovely lady who is prepared to show me what I need to know, and I know there are plenty of other people out there like her so maybe keep a look out for something like that, be honest about your knowledge and people are usually happy to help.
Good luck hun! PM me if you want x
 
when I first learned to ride, I spent all weekend at the stables, we would bring the school horses in from the fields, groom them, saddle up, and the same when they were finnished for the day..I actually thought it was better than the actual riding...My friends werent as potty as me, when it was lunch time, I would take mine up the field and lie with the horses while they mucked about with other kids at the stables!
Now Im back to riding once a week, the most Ive done is take a saddle and bridle off and return horse to field or stable
You cant beat hands on experience!!
If you do have time, you could always volunteer to help out with kids beginners rides, or disabled, like leading the ponies:)-you have to start somewhere
shaz xx
Have sent you a PM also:)
 
even though you have no reason to, if you should feel out of place at the rs, why not ask around local diy stables? you might find someone with more horses / less time on their hands more than happy to show you the ropes, you never know you might end up finding a share :)
especially as winter is approaching, people may well much appreciate it!!
 
Join your local riding club. Get to know people locally and there is bound to be someone who needs help and would enjoy your company. There are also lots of social events, talks, demos etc which you can learn from with friendly fellow horse enthusiasts.
 
i didn't want to help out at my RS bacuse its over-run with kids and i must admit i'm not exactly "mature" but i felt like a bit of a dafty when all these kids were running about knowing exactly what they were doing and me being clueless :eek:

I've just started helping out at the local riding for the disabled and although some teenagers help out there are also quite a lot of adults. You get taught how to groom the horses and tack up/untack etc and obviously get all the hands on experience of helping out at the yard- you also get to help out in the lessons either leading the horse or supporting the rider. Everyone is really friendly and happy to answer question about the horses and their care etc. Also my local one offers own a pony/horse days and stable management lessons during the summer for the helpers. Just thought i'd suggest that (if there is one near you) as i had my induction on wed and really enjoyed it!
 
henmuffin said:
I have been learning to ride from scratch since May this year. I have not had much experience with horses before so to be honest, don't have much of a clue about horse care! I would like to learn a bit about tack, stable management etc but don't really know how to. I go to a RS once a week for a lesson and that's my only contact with horses.
I don't have any friends with horses and feel a bit old to volunteer at the RS. Also I feel I would be more of a hindrance than a help due to my lack of knowledge and exprience. I would be interested to know how any other 'mature newbies' learn their stuff.
Click to expand...

Basically the best way to learn is to roll up your sleeves and do it. Volunteer at your RS. They don't care about age in the main. Most yards would bite an adult volunteer's hand off as you don't come with all the teenage baggage. (Sorry, kids!) Start off by asking if you can be shown how to prepare your horse for your lesson and then ask if you can do it yourself - this will involve turning up early for the lesson.

Is there a yard near you which does a part time stable management course? Can you persuade your current yard to put one on? Years ago I did a course put on by the yard I rode at which was one night a week consisting of 2 hours - one hour stable management lectures and practical and one hour riding tuition. We were given the option of preparing for Stage One or doing it just for fun (although we were expected to take it seriously)
 
Find your nearest place that do the BHS Owners Course. It is all theory based (though some places will be happy to do some practice work with horses), but it provides a huge amount of knowledge from nutrition, to first aid, paddock management to equipment, and fitness.

You will also meet similar like minded horse people, and may be able to make contact with someone with a horse you can then help out.

Even though I have kept horses since I child, I did a BHS Owners Course about 5 years ago, having moved to a new area and also felt I needed to scratch up on my BHS way of doing things (rather than stuck in the past!!). There were a good mix of people, from experienced horse owners like myself who had joined to meet people, to mothers who didn't ride but wante knowledge because thier son/ daughter had taken up the sport, to people who had ridden for a few weeks, and people who had just bought thier first horse.
 
You could always try a home study course on horse care. There are several places which do them.

Equistudy is one and is probably the one that has been established the longest and part of Warwickshire college. There is also the Open College of equine Studies who also run professional courses for the professional exams.

Then there is Lingfield Correspondence which runs horse-care courses. They have horse-care courses specifically aimed at the mature rider or prospective owner. You can sit the BHS Horse Owner's Certificates with these too. As well as that they do some short courses such as Equine Psychology & Behaviour and Feeding and Nutrition Explained and one on Running your own livery yard.
 
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susannah_x said:
even though you have no reason to, if you should feel out of place at the rs, why not ask around local diy stables? you might find someone with more horses / less time on their hands more than happy to show you the ropes, you never know you might end up finding a share :)
especially as winter is approaching, people may well much appreciate it!!
Click to expand...

I think this is a great idea and wish I'd thought of it when I was horseless. Now, I know everything ;)
 
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