Many equestrian disciplines require the horse to work in a certain position or outline such as dressage, western etc. When teaching your horse to work correctly or when learning yourself, it is hard when you are unable to see how it looks and compare this to what it should look like. Many people will video their lessons or schooling sessions then play this back to make alterations for the next session. This is restrictive as it does not allow you...more
With many horses in the UK going out for their summer grazing over the recent and coming weeks, it is important to be aware of the dangers of laminitis. Spring grass contains high levels of carbohydrates and in early spring in particular, the potential for frosts affecting the sugars in the grass can be more dangerous. Each year, around 8000 horses and ponies in the UK suffer with laminitis for the first time, many of which will be prone to...more
"How on earth do you get Lukas to wear all those costumes, Karen?" Up until now, only Lukas" closest friends know how this is done. Foot-long reindeer antlers, bobbing clovers that read "Kiss me, I'm Irish," a full-size sombrero with a matching chili necklace, a hot water bottle (a big favorite the day after New Year's Eve), floppy Easter ears with a matching flower boa, a wide-brimmed straw hat and hula skirt, a cowboy hat and bandana tied loosely around his nose with the caption "Hand over the carrots and nobody gets hurt," and many more. Even more remarkable because I was told by the lady I bought him from that I'd never be able to get close to his ears. An odd objection, you might think - why would he care about his ears? Unfortunately, a common cruel practice by racehorse handlers and incompetent trainers is twisting a horse's ears to obtain compliance - a very short-term and ineffective measure, to say the least. A horse's ears are incredibly sensitive and delicate. Soft and fuzzy to keep out bugs and debris, they're independently mobile to focus on a sound and screen out background noise to detect danger. From the first day, I talked to Lukas in a conversational manner - low...more
When you think about it, the front door of your home is all that passers-by can see to distinguish it from the other houses around it. Otherwise it is just a long row of bricks, and terraced houses in particular can look like one long wall full of windows. For this reason it is always nice to have something to distinguish your home.Perhaps the most...more
There are countless riding disciplines in the world of horses. Different breeds may have their own standards, thus requiring specific types of equipment. As history would have it, there are two basic forms of riding: Western and English. Not only is there a difference in riding technique, the equipment or tack is very different.Western Horse...more
Horse clippers are a staple in just about every horse owners barn. It is often hard to determine which clipper will best suit each persons individual need.First, you must determine how you will use the clipper. Do you body clip? Do you show? Just for home? Clipper or trimmer? Corded or cordless? Where can you get blades and parts? How quiet are they?Body clippers tend to want a good corded clipper. The Groomers Edge clippers or the Oster Variable Speed Clipmaster have withstood the test of time as to their reputation of great quality body clippers. Body clipping is generally done in the late fall or early spring in preparation for show season. Horses that have Cushings disease also require body clipping as they dont lose winter coats readily. Generally the heavy duty horse clippers are priced a little higher but are worth it for being a real work horse. In the show ring, appearance is everything. Horses will have a nice clean look with a clipped bridle path, facial hair and whiskers trimmed, ears and eyes should be nicely cleaned up as well as the fetlock and pastern areas. Often times a nice cordless clipper is perfect for the job. This makes it easy to clip your horse anywhere...more
The art of riding is something that can take years of hard work, practice, training and dedication to achieve. This article is aimed toward any level of rider in order to explain and give better details and information about each gait of the horse....more
I love a good baked potato (and by baked I mean one that is baked in an oven, not nuked in a microwave) - a potato that has a crispy, well-seasoned skin worthy of eating and is light and fluffy on the inside.Since it takes time to cook the perfect...more
Colic is the general term used to pertain to belly pain. Nevertheless, you need to know that in horses, colic issues could be deadly. Horse colic can be a result of bad feed, not enough cool down time prior to feeding or excessive eating. Due to...more
No foot, No horse! A very old saying but no truer words have been said, when we consider our four legged friends.The domesticated horse lives a very different life from that of the wild animal with freedom to roam. Hoofcare for the wild horse was...more
The meanings of calling a stag a horseIn the reign of Emperor the Second of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), the prime minister Zhao Gao, obsessed with ambitions, was planning to usurp the throne day and night. But he did not know how many of the...more
I was walking in the beautiful countryside around Middleham in North Yorkshire recently and was quite surprised at the number of race horses that were trotting through the town centre. I later found out that because of the wide open spaces around...more