Sioux Dallas - First Experience: A Beginners Guide to Owning and Caring for Horses

Table of Contents

First

Experience

A Beginners Guide to

Owning and Caring for Horses

by

Sioux Dallas

CCB Publishing

British Columbia, Canada

First Experience:

A Beginners Guide to Owning and Caring for Horses

Copyright 2012 by Sioux Dallas

ISBN-13 978-1-927360-99-6

First Edition

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Dallas, Sioux, 1930-

First experience [electronic resource] : a beginners guide to owning and caring for horses / written by Sioux Dallas ; Foreword by William S. Biddle 1st ed.

Electronic monograph issued in PDF format.

ISBN 978-1-927360-99-6

Also available in print format.

Additional cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada

Extreme care has been taken to ensure that all information presented in this book is accurate and up to date at the time of publishing. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Additionally, neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express written permission of the publisher.

Publisher:

CCB Publishing

British Columbia, Canada

www.ccbpublishing.com

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND

FRANCIS GROVE MICHAEL DALLAS

Who encouraged me and helped me with all phases of

my work so that I would be free to write.

Books Written by Sioux Dallas

First Experience

Sharon

Desperate Wish

L i i s a

Death in Three Quarter Time

The Perfect Spouse

Montana Madness

Dangerous Hilarity

Amish Dilemma

And coming soon:

A Detectives Heart

Amish Promise: A Sequel to Amish Dilemma

The Snowman Murder

I am mounted on a three-year-old Shire stallion which I helped to train. His name was Ladbrook Jock and he was nineteen point two hands tall. He leveled off at twenty-one point two hands when fully grown.

He was bred to a beautiful big Thoroughbred mare. The result was a wonderful colt that reached seventeen point two hands; looked like his sire and had a sweet temperament. Hes being ridden as a heavy hunter.

Jock was brought from England at ten months of age. When the plane door was opened and he was led to the opening, he looked out over our country and neighed loudly as if to say, All right you lucky people, Im here. He was a sweetheart with which to work. He had lovely, smooth gaits and a willing disposition. I fell in love.

Foreword

by

Major General William S. Biddle

Several years ago, the pleasure of owning a riding horse belonged mainly to the comparatively rich. In the past few years, however, the possibility of horse ownership has become a hobby for any person who wished to be part of the horse crowd.

With good pasture and fresh water, there were relatively few problems in caring for an equine. Today, due to dense population and congested traffic, a horse owner, or handler, has many responsibilities to the animal. The horse will be only as healthy and manageable as the person who cares for him will make it possible.

Sioux Dallas has high praise for several outstanding authors. She and I agree, however, that the majority of the better books are written so that one must have some previous knowledge on the subject before the material can be useful to the reader.

Sioux has written a delightfully refreshing book that will be useful especially to persons who have never owned a horse. She deals with easily understood basic fundamentals that will be helpful to the novice and the amateur.

Sioux has instructed people of all ages and on all levels of ability. Some of her students have progressed to successful showing in major rated shows. Some were blind and mentally challenged. She gave sensitive care and consideration to each person equally because of her sincere regard for people and for animals. All, to whom I have spoken, regard her highly for her integrity and her compassion.

I like Siouxs philosophy that anyone can be successful if he or she cares to exert the necessary effort and the time required to do well. She feels success is what each individual wants for himself or herself and each must face his or her own conscience in striving to reach standards and goals.

This book is written so that a prospective owner can know the full responsibilities, the financial obligations, the assets and liabilities BEFORE purchasing a horse. With this knowledge a person can select a mount and a stable more wisely.

To be forearmed will help the person in an understanding relationship with the animal so that each can enjoy working to the fullest with the other.

Each reader will find something useful and something enjoyable in this book. The illustrations add a great deal, but Siouxs personal experiences, some humorous and some serious, add more than pictures or pages of facts. This material is entirely from her own experiences and knowledge which she has gained through the years.

Maj. Gen. William S. Biddle

Picture of Maj. Gen. Biddle

Preface

This book has been written with a great deal of love and agony. The information in it is of my own experience and is not intended to be the answer to all problems. To cover each subject in detail would require a book too heavy and expensive. I only hope that millions of people can love and enjoy their horses as I have, and will be encouraged by my experiences.

This is not a book that will teach a person how to ride or all the steps to train a horse. It is to prepare a person to assume the responsibility of caring for an animal so that person and animal are happy, healthy, and safe.

My primary purpose is to make prospective horse and pony owners aware of common problems so that they will be safe and do well. Hopefully they will also be to be more psychologically ready to own an equine and know the financial responsibilities involved. It is simple to buy an animal, but the daily maintenance is sometimes more than some can accept. Also, if more people were aware of the physical and emotional involvement, there would be fewer neglected animals and fewer injured, disillusioned humans. Animals have feeling, also.

Nothing replaces ones own experiences which takes years and more hard work than many realize. However, all of us can learn from others through observation and reading. We never stop learning. One persons workable solution may not suit the exact need of anothers, but it can serve as a guide. Personalities of all humans differ, and animals are the same. Therefore, one type of training will not be successful on all equines. Be patient, but firm, kind and consistent. Youll need to experiment to find the best approach for you in dealing with that individual animal.