Equestrian Colleges - A Place to Start Your Career.

The horse industry has grown very big and it continuously provides rewarding equestrian careers to those who seek to become a useful member of it. It is for this reason that several equestrian colleges have opened up in the effort of molding and equipping the horse lover individuals and in guiding them in their chosen career path. Many people have been so expressive in thanking the equestrian colleges that have given them the proper training and support. They are aware that these colleges have become the avenues of making their dream come into a realization.

Horse training actually begins as soon as you get your horse. Now with all of the excitement that you feel for the new adventure that awaits you, you would surely want to learn everything about horse rearing and training. There's no need for you to worry about how to get the information that you need. There are a lot of equestrian colleges that have their very own portals in the internet. You can always surf the net and log on to the websites that can provide you with the details on horse training and rearing.

What can the online portals of these equestrian colleges do for you? Of course it is time saving. If you are pretty busy with your day to day activities, then taking the online classes would be a good idea. You would just have to spare a few minutes of the time that you have in a day and be able to learn the aspects that come along with horsemanship. Plus, you could avail of free tips which are relatively valuable for the career path that you are taking.

Here are among the aspects that you would be able to learn from the equestrian colleges:

It is important to provide an atmosphere wherein the horse would be able to discover things on its own besides the formal training that you are giving to it. Other fundamentals of training include training the animal to do some tricks and movements which can please you. With this, the horse would behave accordingly when it is taken out into the track.

Right from the very start, it is important that the horse is trained to behave properly. You must understand that the animal should know how to keep you safe during a ride. It must likewise realize that its task is to go on rides. Do some horse grounding so that it would know how to ride fast when needed and how to slow down too.

Be in command. Initially, the horse will feel afraid. When it undergoes trauma, it would be hard for you to train it to execute the necessary actions that you require. Once your horse has been trained to follow your command and other instructions, training it would be far easy.

Train the horse to be calm at all times. Do not hurt the horse or else it would have the feeling that it would die whenever you ride on it.

Do some training exercises. You can use tack, horse walker, and other equestrian equipment for this.

These are just some of the things that the equestrian colleges would emphasize in the training. It is always your call to let the animal respect and obey you as its master. Enrolling in equestrian colleges would make you more capable of handling these animals.

Equestrian Christmas Cards - How to do them Quickly?

Every year comes the holiday season. It is deemed to be the perfect time of giving and sharing. Gifts are not measured by the sizes of their boxes or by the lavishness of their wrappers. The thought that comes with the giving is what matters the most. Christmas cards bear the thoughts that you want to share to your loved ones. Of course, you want something unique this time, right? These Christmas cards are better appreciated if it comes as a fruit of your labor. Why should you purchase the traditional Christmas cards from the department stores and be like the rest of the individuals who seem not to pay attention to the authenticity of the message therein? With this, a homemade Christmas card would be far better off.

If you are an equestrian by heart, then perhaps you can make use of this concept to create a valuable Christmas card for the holiday season. As you are very much aware of, the Christmas cards have been a part of the human tradition. Every single folklore adopts the Christmas card giving up to this date. Put yourself into the shoes of the recipient of a homemade Christmas card. Isn't it very pleasing to receive one unique card and yet a product of one's hard labor? Now that you are not an alien to the feeling, you can be more inspired to come up with a magnificent creation with an equestrian theme for a Christmas card.

No matter how busy you may be, you can still produce a masterpiece out of your passion as an equestrian. It doesn't matter whether being an equestrian is merely your fancy or your career path itself. What is necessary is that you have a profound idea on how to conceptualize and start off with your holiday freebie.

Follow the mentioned steps below and you are on your way to giving out the best equestrian Christmas cards ever:

Step One – Print

The personal touch to the Christmas card plays a major role. You have to write your personal message and greetings. To add more personalized adornments, include your equestrian photo or any graphics which are equestrian-related. You can just simply print out these photos and use them to produce as many cards as you wish to. You don't have to book an appointment with a professional photographer for this. Any candid shot of yours would do.

Step Two – Do the collage.

Instead of the traditional positioning of the photos and other related stuffs, you can opt for a collage. It is a more artistic way of organizing the designs and materials that you are going to employ for your Christmas cards. You may likewise add some equestrian stuff such as boot leather material, horse hair, and the likes.

If you have plenty of time for your masterpiece creation, you can start with an organized draft of your materials, cut them out into several pieces, and then reassemble them in an artistic manner. You may add ribbons, sequins, glitters, and colored glues for the background or for insets. Just let go of your creative juices and have your imagination go really wild.

Step Three – Come up with Delicious Fillings

Of course, not only should the outside look enticing but the inside as well. Come up with a personal Christmas greeting. You may include humorous quotes and other attractive characters to make the inside page very interesting.

Now it's time to send them out. The pleasure is all yours as you receive commendations for a job well done. Enjoy your equestrian Christmas card venture!

Getting Great Equestrian Books.

Becoming an equestrian takes more hands-on learning than book reading. However, getting great equestrian books would definitely help you on your way. Books, after all, are time-tested ways to pass on knowledge from those who have it to those who need it. Today, there are a lot of different books floating around. How exactly do you choose which book to buy?

1) Look for expertise – a great equestrian book should be written by a great equestrian. It is said that you cannot judge a book by its cover. However, you might want to check the back cover of a book for the name of the author before you buy it. If you want knowledge on how to become a great equestrian, you might want to check out if the source of that knowledge is reliable.

Expertise is pretty hard to judge. There are certain "greats" in the world of horse riding but who would not be able to pass the knowledge on to other people. Because of this, you should still be the one to tell whether or not the author has the ability to show you how to become a great equestrian.

2) Judge your own knowledge – looking for the "best" equestrian book requires that you first examine yourself. How much do you actually know? What do you think you still need to know? It is impossible for a book to cover everything about a subject in full detail. You need to examine yourself and find out what you truly need.

The main purpose of buying a book is to gain knowledge. What knowledge would you gain from a book if it contains nothing that you do not know already?

3) Check your budget – of course, books can be quite pricey. Because of this, you might want to check your budget before buying a book. The Internet today provides a lot of information regarding every subject and you can use this as an alternative. However, if you truly want to make sure of the knowledge you gain, a book is your best chance. You might want to start saving up your money, then.

4) Research – before buying a book, you might want to make sure that it actually contains something you can use. You could try borrowing a copy. This will allow you to skim through the book and get the information you need. If this is not possible, you might just want to research on the Internet regarding what the book is all about. You can read reviews, check out ratings and recommendations in order to see if the book is really worth the investment.

Research plays a key role in making great buys. Just make sure that you have an idea of what a book is all about before buying it. George Orwell's "Animal Farm", for example will not be able to help you in raising horses.

5) Read – a book is useless if you do not read it. Just buying an equestrian book does not make you more knowledgeable in matters pertaining to horses. You need to actually utilize the resource. A lot of people make the assumption that if they have the book, they will be able to consult it any time they need a bit of knowledge. This is wrong. You need to learn as much as you can from the book.

Brighten Up Any Room with Equestrian Home Décor

If you're thinking of giving your home or room a lift, then equestrian home décor is the solution. Horse décor is one of the most popular animal décor to grace our homes. Its versatility and beauty, not to mention its availability, makes you like to have the horse form in your room. Here are some ideas on how to decorate your home with horse décor.

If you feel that bigger pieces are overbearing, you can start with small accent pieces. It can be a small horse statuette on your study table, a Texas star wall clock, bookends with horse figures, or wall art with horse design. Smaller pieces are great for small spaces. You can also put up a large welcome sign or doormat with horse and cowboy design to set the tone or mood of the home.

Other types of horse décor are furniture accents like a country-themed drawer chest or armoire in deep color with horse design. This piece can serve as centerpiece of the room, or it can be placed in a corner for accent. A base horse figure can also serve as coffee table or side table.

This horse figure as base can also be used for lamps. Or you can have a beautiful horse scene in the shade. When lit, the shade gives really beautiful western colors. If you love to decorate your room with tea light candles and oils, you can find a horse oil lamp made of ceramic where oil can be burned to provide the scent that you want, or candle holders which are of horse design made from wrought iron.

You can also hang some horse art in the wall. Big or small, the size would depend on your preference and on the size of the room. If you want bigger horse designs, you can paint a mural on one wall or use wallpaper with horse designs.

Other accent pieces are horse-designed throws, rugs or throw pillows. These pieces can make any cabin-styled home interesting. For the room, you can also have a comforter, beddings and pillow cases with horse design. This is perfect for a horse-loving kid's room. Add a rocking horse, and your child may never want to go out of his room anymore.

Horse design pieces also blend well in country-style bathrooms. You can add a horse towel bar, tissue holder, shower curtain or rug with horse design to your bathroom. You can also place a few decorative tiles with horse design in your sink.

The kitchen can also be filled with horse décor. Horse figures in wrought iron may be used as plant or magazine holders. You can also have horse figures as cabinet door knobs or pulls.

One's fascination with horse décor can be because of different reasons. Surprisingly, some who incorporate horse décor are not even horse riders nor are they of western or country origin. They simply love the horse form.

There are many sources of equestrian home décor. Visit a home furnishings store in your locality. Or you can surf the web for pieces that you can purchase. With the many designs available, there is one to accentuate your home. Let the beauty and grace of our equine friends shine on. Find a piece to suit your home.

Buying Equestrian Decors and Clocks.

If you are a big fan of horses and the people who ride them, you might want to express it by buying different equestrian decors and clocks for your home. If you know of someone who is a big fan of the sport, you might also want to give such items to him or her. However, purchasing an item needs a lot of careful thought. How exactly does one choose a décor or clock?

1) Consider the recipient – If you plan to give the decors to a friend or even if you are just buying something for your own use, you might want to consider whoever is using it. Try to match it with his or her personality. This doesn't mean the usual clichéd "yellow if she's happy and red if he's mad" type of personality matching.

You need to go deeper than the obvious. With a gift, you have an opportunity to capture a person's essence.

2) Location, location, location – A décor or clock should always blend with the surroundings. If you are giving one as a gift, you might want to check out the recipient's place first. If you are buying it for your house, you need a clear idea regarding where you will place the clock.

Sometimes, a small item like a clock or décor is able to bring about an organic unity. Of course, there are also times when a clock or décor ruins the entire look of a place. That statement was not meant to pressure you into picking the "perfect" décor. However, you should take it as an encouragement to at least try and make the décor work with other decorations. Try not to see it just as a separate piece but as part of the whole.

3) Budget – Money will always be a cause for concern among people. You do not have unlimited resources. You need to make use of those resources wisely. Before buying anything, you need to at least have an idea regarding just how much money you can spend on the item. However, you must also be very discerning regarding the true value of something.

You need to be a bit flexible regarding your budget. If something's worth just a few more dollars, why shouldn't you get it? You have to trust your instinct. However, you still have to remain in control. Make sure that your flexibility is within reason.


4) Functionality – If you are buying an equestrian clock, you might want to make sure of its functionality. Although such a clock is made to look good, the fact that it is a clock establishes certain expectations.

If its décor we are talking about, surely you might see some purpose behind the aesthetic value of a decoration. Some people may argue that the whole point of decoration is to look good. However, you should realize that life today calls for practicality. Function is sought after, even in décor.

5) Consider the materials – In decoration, the materials used determine a lot of factors. By checking out the materials of an equestrian décor or clock, you will be able to determine its overall aesthetics. You will also have an idea regarding just how strong the item can be. It is very important to consider the durability of an item, as you will be investing your cash in it.

Finding the Best Equestrian Gifts.

What's the perfect gift for a horse lover? That would have to be a horse. But if you do not have the finances, or if they already has one, then you buy the next best thing. With the many options available, there is one gift that would best suit any horse lover. Here are some equestrian gifts that you can find for your loved one.

For a young horse lover, you can get him a toy pony. You can also find a bag, tote or purse with horse design, a boot box where pens, markers or brushes can be placed, a shirt or heart-shaped jewelry box, also with horse design. There are also other toys like cards and puzzles. If they like to watch movies, give him a DVD of a nice horse movie.

Another gift idea is equestrian jewelry. You can find horseshoe rings, horse pendants or bracelets with horse trinkets in gold, silver or platinum. Or you can give some horse art, like paintings and posters. If you can paint, you can make a mural on a wall of their home.

For someone who likes to read, you can give subscriptions to equine magazines. There are also horse lover notebooks, journals and address books, office stationery, paper weight and book ends that you can find. If your loved one is seriously considering a career in horse riding, you can give DVDs and books on horsemanship. Tickets to a horse show or rodeo would also make great gifts.

There are also house items that you can get for the adult horse lover. You can find many blankets and throws with horse prints, pillowcases and pillows with horse designs, equestrian trellis designs in placemats, tablecloths and napkins, floor mats and rugs, horse racing table tops, home accents and décor, clocks, etched glassware, horse loving mugs, statues. Other house décor like nightlights, lamps and candle holders would also look beautiful in a horse lover's home.

For someone special, you can give a horse mailbox. Some manufacturers have different breeds, colors and poses available. So you can find a black palomino in a running pose, or a chestnut thoroughbred standing. These products even have some natural-looking mane and tail hair.

Another practical gift is a basket containing stuff for the horse like horse treats or toys that the horse can play with. Or you can give a bucket full of products for horse grooming like shampoo, hoof pick, body brush, shedder, saddle soap and others. This is ideal for a horse trainer or riding instructor. Ask help from a riding professional to know the best products to buy.

Of course, you can buy horse apparel and riding accessories like jackets, boots, hats and saddles.

If, despite all these gift ideas, you still can't decide on what to give, why not give gift cards or certificates to a specialty store. That way, they are sure to get something they really want.

There are many sources of equestrian gifts. You can find them in stores, museum gift shops and the internet. Also, if you really know the person, then you will know what gift they will love. So, the next time you would want to give a horse lover friend or family member a gift, you know what to buy and where to find it.

All About Equestrian Jewelry.

Horse lovers and riding enthusiasts show their love for horses in many ways. Some like to wear equestrian outfits. Others use equestrian home décor in their houses. Still others like to use equestrian jewelry.

The beauty of a horse's form and elegance of its stand and gait make it the perfect addition to any jewelry. That is why more and more jewelry makers have horse design collections. From trinkets to large diamond-stud pendants, these pieces of jewelry can match any wardrobe and can be worn in any occasion.

This type of bling may be made of gold, white gold, sterling silver or platinum. While some are purely metallic pieces, others add some stones or gems like diamonds, pearls, turquoises, sapphires, rubies, and crystals. Of less costly materials include beads and semi-precious stones.

As for the jewelry types, the most common is the necklace. Horse designs are usually in the pendant. While you may see a horse in extended trot, there are more pendants that have a horse head or Equus design. The head is sometimes framed with a round or square frame, and may be plain or studded. Other pendant designs are horse shoe, bit, stirrup, hunting horn, crop and boot, dressage horse, saddle, hoof pick, golden boot, blue ribbon, and many others. Some charms can also be used as pendants, such as bell boot, breed and bucket charms. Heart-shaped diamond lockets with horse designs are also used as pendants sometimes. Chain can be cable or plain.

Another jewelry type is the bracelet. Charms are used to embellish the chain. With slide or clip-on charms, you are able to mix and match the charms and bracelets that you have. Some common charm designs include heart horse, horse shoe, boot jack, paddock boot, blue ribbon and dressage hat. For the chain, it can be plain, or with designs such as stirrup, toggle, bit or cable.

Earrings are also among the favorite jewelry for women. Designs are similar as the pendants, as necklace and earring sets are commonly sold. Some like smaller stud earrings, while others prefer longer, dangling ones. Common designs are horse shoe and stirrups.

There are also horse rings available. Some designs include double horse head and nail. The good thing about rings is that it can be worn by both men and women. His and hers horse rings would make a nice engagement or wedding present.

There are also watches with horse designs available.

Horse designs are also available for brooches, barrettes, pins and cufflinks. While they are generally not considered jewelry, they also fall in this category because of the material used and its cost. Examples are square horse cufflinks and gold equestrian brooches. For pins, you may find saddle, hunting whip, hunting horn or heart-shaped horse designs. You can also find diamond-studded silver barrettes for the hair.

You don't need to love horses in order to wear equestrian jewelry. You may not even like to wear jewelry at all. But with the many designs available, there is one that you'll surely grow to appreciate and love. So if you're thinking of spicing up your wardrobe or if you're running out of gift ideas for a friend or family member who loves horses, why not try horse jewelry. They're elegant, classy and never go out of style.

Equestrian Products: Horse Blankets.

Equestrians engage into highly competitive sports. Although horse back riding is mostly reserved for the rich, people of all ages can try it. It takes a lot of work and discipline to be able to train a horse. It also takes a lot of patience to ride them. Equestrian sports have been included in the Olympics. Although the rider is as equally important as its horse, the chances of winning in the competition do not lie on them. Like racing cars it's important that horses are in their maximum health.

There are many products out there that could help the horse. They are available online. One of the most important products is the horse blanket. They can also be called rugs or sheets.

Does my horse need a blanket?

Horse blankets are important to protect horses from nature's elements. Like us they also need to be protected from the rain, cold, wind and heat from the sun. Horses that are left without blankets during the season have more chances of getting ill.

There are different types of horse blankets, rugs or sheets. Their use will depend on what your horse needs.

Coolers and anti-sweat rugs: As the name suggests they prevent the horse from getting chills when they cool down after exercise. These rugs are breathable with mesh. The size of the mesh can very depending on the horse. Fine mesh helps to keep off flies.

Fly sheet or rug: This protects the horse from insects and flies during summer when they are grazing. The sheet is also available with additional attachments such as neck covers, bonnets and fly masks. These additional products provide complete protection from the horse.

Summer sheet: It's a variation of the horse which is much lighter. They are used to protect horses from dusts and flies during summer. They can also be used as travel rugs.

Under blankets or liners: They are placed on the horse as a protection from friction from stable rugs. They are placed underneath stable rugs. They come in different materials. The traditional under blanket is made of wool. Modern under blankets are made of lightweight materials and are considered as under rugs.

Stable rugs: They are used to protect the horse from the cold during winter while being stabled. They come in varying, colors, thickness and weights. Different thickness and weights offer varying degrees of warmth. They are also breathable which enables the horse's sweat to evaporate. Under blanket can also be placed underneath the stable rug to add warmth. This is usually needed when the horse is stabled day and night.

Turnout rug: They are used to keep the horses clean when they are out in the field. They ca also provide warmth during the winter. Turnout rugs should be long enough to cover the horse's belly. The front should also have a good overlap. These rugs usually have pleats on the shoulders to enable movement. These rugs also come in different thickness and weights. Turnout rugs vary from light weight with no filling for the summer, and heavy weight with filling for the winter.

No matter which rug you use it's important to keep your horse well protected. Like a well oiled machine they perform best when taken cared off. Horses are not like cars that can be repaired again and again. A horse's health is as vital as the rider's.