King's Farrier Service - PBM II Proper Balance Movement

King A Lamadora,

Professional Farrier & Blacksmith

King passed away due to lung cancer 

April 3, 2010

King Lamadora was drawn to horses at the age 5. Born in San Francisco and raised on Maui, Mr. Lamadora was a paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) on the Kualoa Ranch on Oahu.

King has been specializing in skeletal and muscular alignment in horses with limb disparities for 25 years. He has personally mentored with the late Tony Gonzales, creator of Proper Balance Movement (PBM). King has devoted his entire career to teaching people how to look at the whole horse when assessing lameness issues and he offers practical solutions. King now carries the Proper Balance Movement into the next generation. His PBM II methods will provide a “total equine balance for the 21st Century”.

A master farrier with more than 25 years of experience, Mr. Lamadora traveled throughout the United States to assist other farriers and professionals in the horse industry with lameness problems and proper balance.

King is also my good friend & personal farrier. He has taught me (PBM) to further improve my quest for complete horsemanship. In order to be a great horseman, it is imperative that you learn about the horse hoof anatomy.

For consultation in lameness King can be reached at:King's Farrier Service, Daly City CA or by email at king@kinglamadora.com.

For more information visit King Lamadora's Website @ www.kinglamadora.com



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Horse moods emotions and behavior - Understand horse herd behavior

Like us humans, horses have their moods. They sometimes wake up on the wrong side of the stall. Sometimes they are excited. At times they are a lil tired or gloomy looking. Some days they are just down right lazy and don’t want to do anything. Other days they will in an irritated mood or in a very relaxing playful mood.

Once you have developed the ability to recognize your horses signals, the position of the ears, they way he holds his neck, eyes and nostrils, the way he swishes his tail. You’ll be able to tell what mood your horse is in. The way your horse act around other horses or when you pet him or when he is being groomed will also tell you a lot about your horses mood. For me personally I like to check my horse out in the stall and observe him a lil bit. I can usually tell what mood he’s in instantly. A lot of times his mood determines whether I’m going to ride him or not, or if I’m going work him hard or go easy on him, if we’re going riding on the trail or not, or whether or not I’m going to let my kids ride him.When you let your horse out of the stall and turn him out in the pasture, if he’s bucking kicking snorting, and farting, then you know he’s feeling great. If your horse moseys along when you turn him out and stands in a corner, then he could be not feeling very well or just tired.

Horses also have many different emotions they are fearful. They can be affectionate with other horses or humans, loving of their owners etc… They develop strong affections for one another and for people. You may have two horses that are inseparable, scratching each others back with their teeth, or penning their ears, neighing loudly across the barn or kicking when separated. When a horse’s owner is present he may rub his head on you, follow you out in the pasture, showing that he wants to be with you. He may also run and kick in the pasture or arena then run up to you and stop, showing he’s happy to see you. Horses are also sensitive to touch. We use this characteristic a lot when imprinting a foal or training.

There is so much to learn about a horse’s moods emotions and behaviors. I don’t think we will ever stop learning. Their moods change from day to day. I will say this again as I have in other articles, observe your horse as much as possible and you’ll be amazed at the bond you’ll create with your horse.



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Basic Ground Work for Horses - Made simple for wild horses & gentle horses

If you wanna be a good horse trainer & rider you’re gonna wanna start with basic ground work for your horses. My theory is whatever you do on the ground is what your gonna do in the saddle. Whatever you allow or teach your horse to do on the ground is what he’s gonna do when you’re in that saddle.

Start your basic ground work by desensitizing & sensitizing your horse.
Desensitizing your horse is basically taking the fear out of your horse. I like to think of it as finding the holes in my horse and filling them in so I wont have any issues. Kinda like checking your car tires to see if there are any leaks in them and filling them with air before you go on a long trip. Remember a horse isn’t broke unless you can control his mind and handle every part of his body. Some horses will be more sensitive than others in different parts of their bodies. Its a matter of being patient taking your time to cater to each horses needs differently to get the results you want. What you are looking for with basic ground work is for relaxation in your horse. Getting him to relax and build a trust with you. Getting your horse to allow you to touch him, follow your body language and yield to pressure so that you become one with your horse.

You’re gonna definitely need the right tools to start with. A rope halter with a 12foot lead line not a nylon halter because it allows your horse to lean on your hand and pull away from you easier and your horse can also break out of it. Next you need a handy stick long crop or whip & make your self a flag buy putting a plastic bag on the end of it. Introduce your horse to your equipment slowly but not too slow as if you are a predator, but be gentle. I like to let my horses smell my equipment then I gently rub them with it and take it away I call this approach and retreat. I do this on every part of their body. Face, legs, under the belly in between the legs etc…until they are so comfortable with it that the get bored. Anytime your horse gets a lil to frightened don’t be afraid to stop for a brief moment then start again. Keep doing this until he understands what you’re asking you’ll know when he understands, when he stands still instead of trying to run from your equipment. Lastly your safety comes first and foremost, but I strongly encourage you to stick with your horse! Don’t give up on him to soon. I see many people do this time and time again when there horse is having a problem and they never achieve anything. Remember you can always stop take a deep breath and then start again until you get what you want out of your horse. One last thing to remember is to know when to stop and call it a day. There is always tomorrow.

Do you really want a horse? - Pleasures of Owning a Horse

People across America have many reasons for wanting to own a horse, due to the many pleasures of horse ownership. Whether young or old, horses provide us with joyous, exciting, recreation. They can be the key that opens doors to lasting relationships, and helps to build long lasting friendships.

For the youth the horse has great educational value. Caring for a horse develops a sense of responsibility and satisfaction to their achievements. You will find great inner satisfaction in the developing relationship between you and your horse. As your horse stands by the fence or stall when you get home, waiting for you to stroke its mane, Or when you’re out on the trail riding after a long day at work or a nice Saturday morning becoming one with your horse.

It will not take long for you to figure out that your horse has a mind of its own and lots of personality. You’ll have to learn to use correction, rewards, praise, and rebuke to make your relationship with your horse more satisfying. After a while of much time spent you’ll discover the mind of the horse & the mind of humans are some what similar. You’ll also find as I have found, that theses lessons can be used in your relationships with people.
The pleasures of owning a horse is great therapy for the human soul and good exercise for the human body. You’ll also find the pleasures of horse ownership provide the opportunity to meet and make new horse loving friends

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When Buying a Horse for the First Time - Tips for Buying a Horse for Sale

If you are new to buying horse & considering purchasing a horse here are a few things to consider. The first thing you should do is Homework…Homework…Homework!
Find some books on horses and read…read…read. Then consult someone like a horse trainer or find a local boarding stable. Get as much info as you can. Do a lil riding & you can even lease a horse for a while to see if owning a horse is what you really want.

Rule number one for me when looking to purchase a horse is don’t buy solely for color!
As the ole saying goes “pretty is as pretty does”. Buying for color should be the last thing on your list. Second thing is to determine what will your use be for the horse? What kind of riding are you interested in? Trail riding, reining, barrel racing, western pleasure, showing, dressage etc.

Once you have determined what type of horse you want you then need to look for & consider the horse pedigree/bloodlines. Buying a horse can be a major investment. So I suggest getting a horse with some registration papers & good pedigree. I highly recommend this. In the event you decide to sell your horse you have better chance of selling it for a good re-sale value. With an unregistered horse odds are you won’t profit much. As the other ole saying goes “you get what you pay for”. It’s kind of like buying a Chevy versus a Ferrari. It is also best to consult with someone that knows horse pedigrees

Looking around on the internet is probably the best way now days to do horse searching.
When you do find a horse you are interested in go check it out and be sure to take a knowledgeable person with you if at all possible. Some basic things to look for in a horse are confirmation… does the horse look healthy, are the legs straight have the hooves been trimmed etc. Ask if the horse has had any health issues and is current on all its vaccinations. Request to see some paperwork from the vet. One thing that is very important to me when looking at a horse is the horse’s hooves & legs I like to see a nice big hoof and straight legs with no previous problems after all I’m going to be riding this thing last thing I need is a horse with bad hooves and leg problems. You’d be surprised how many people never consider this. The last tip I’ll give in this segment is top of the list of importance… Before you purchase any horse GET A VET CHECK! A preliminary exam before you purchase any horse & use your own vet.