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Mindful Grooming

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 01:19:48 GMT

Now that we’re deep into spring, it’s time to “zhuzh” up your horse. Why not make it an enriching mindfulness experience for you both? Enter mindful grooming.

It’s not uncommon for horse owners to become complacent about grooming amidst the many other tasks involved with having horses, especially when combined with finding the time to ride. But a dedicated, mindful equine grooming session can be quite relaxing and yet another way to share space.I’m an advocate of letting horses be horses, but to be honest, sometimes mine look downright feral as I slack on their grooming. I often find myself doing a quick “cowboy groom,” focusing on just the areas that need direct attention, paying little attention to anything else. The reality as horse owners is sometimes that’s all we have time for.

Often, equestrians can become task-oriented or fixated on the ride, skimming over the true joy of simply being around horses. Mindful grooming is a nice way to connect beyond riding. Your horse will thank you, because after all, who doesn’t love a good spa day and quality time with a friend?

As part of my Body, Mind, Equine retreats , I include a mindful equine grooming segment. This session often includes some of the sweetest and most memorable aspects of the program. When I take the time to do this with my horses, I’m reminded of how rich the experience is.

What are the Benefits of Mindful Grooming for You and Your Horse?

◆ Slowing down and an opportunity to practice present-moment awareness.
◆ Spending quality, quiet time with your horse.
◆ Relaxing and soothing both horse and human, lowering stress levels.
◆ Getting hands on your horse to inspect anything that might be missed at a glance, such as tenderness, weight loss/gain, and hoof issues .
◆ An opportunity to observe energy and to be aware of what energy we are bringing to our horsemanship, such as calm, rushed, scattered or centered.
◆ An occasion to bond, build trust and connect.

Benefits for Senior Horses and Non-Riders

Since my horses are now seniors , I find we spend more time doing tranquil, simple activities, such as unhurried grooming sessions, compared to how we spent time during our many years of long, challenging trail rides. As we move through the various seasons of our lives, we find new pathways to partnership.

Maybe you no longer have interest in riding, or you or your horse has an injury, preventing saddle time. Or perhaps your friends are going riding, but you’re having an off day and you’re just not feeling it. In either case, there’s nothing wrong with staying behind and spending time with your horse in another way.

Sometimes, it’s nice to just be with your horse.

How to Practice Mindful Grooming

Mindful grooming can be approached in several ways, depending on personal preference and your setup.

◆ Make the session feel special, much like you would when setting up for any special occasion. Your horse will sense the difference. Maybe it’s playing relaxing music in your barn, or thoughtfully setting out your grooming tools. I like to start and end my session by giving my horse a peppermint.

◆ Sessions can be done in complete silence, which can be a nice break and a counterbalance from all the noise in our lives. Horses live in a nonverbal world; sometimes it’s nice to join them there!

◆ Soft music can also be pleasant. Choose something soothing. I like to play Native American flute music; I find the sounds peaceful and ethereal.

◆ Before greeting your horse, take a few moments to become centered: be still, close your eyes, and breathe deeply, collecting and gathering yourself. Your horse will detect the difference when your energy is centered versus fragmented.

◆ Before grooming, take a moment to breathe with your horse. Stand next to him with grounded feet and place a hand on his chest, side, or near the nostrils, and breathe deeply—see if you can sync up your breathing. Not only does this calm and connect horse and human, but helps us become keenly aware that the same life-force energy flowing through us also flows through our horse (and all living things), interconnecting us on a deeper level.

◆ Begin your grooming regimen in whatever way you like, while staying attentive to what you’re doing. When your mind wanders from your task, notice that you’ve come out of the moment and bring your attention back. Use two tools to stay harnessed in the present: breath and bodily sensations. When you catch yourself mentally drifting, come back to those two things—they’re always there.

Often, we operate on auto pilot, but learning to stay in the present moment is a gift—that’s why it’s called the present.

◆ Pay attention to your horse’s response/body language . Is he showing signs of relaxing and enjoying the experience? Detect if there are specific areas where your horse likes or dislikes grooming, and adjust accordingly.

◆ See how much you can notice. When grooming, pay attention to the subtleties, smells, sounds, sensations and breath. Use this time as a meditative experience—a waking meditation.

◆ If you groom with others in a shared barn or with a riding group, perhaps suggest this as a group activity. Group energy can sometimes enhance the experience for all.

◆ The session can be as long or short as you’d like. It’s not about the quantity of time, but rather the quality of presence.

◆ In closing, thank and appreciate your horse for being part of your life and for being a “creature teacher.” We can learn so much from them by simply being in their company.

I hope you’ll give mindful grooming a try and continue to seek new ways to connect with your horse and the world around you in a deeper way.

Happy grooming! Your horse thanks you.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/mindful-grooming

What is the Cost of Horse Ownership?

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 01:05:47 GMT

How much does horse ownership cost? That depends on several factors, from where you live to how you plan to keep your horse. Calculating costs can be complicated. Here’s how to budget and learn about the cost of owning a horse. Horse board or housing costs are typically the biggest expense associated with horse ownership. Hay and feed bills are also among the highest costs and can fluctuate based on weather and other factors.

Shortly after bringing her horse home to her Florida farm from a nearby boarding barn, Helen Yakin-Palmer looked up from her desk to find her mare, Cera, peering at her through the office window.“It was a wonderful surprise,” Yakin-Palmer recalls. “It’s the upside of keeping a horse at home.”

In fact, it’s what some horse owners—especially prospective ones—dream about. But keeping a horse at home is not as simple as it seems. And keeping one anywhere—whether a farm or a boarding barn—is not an inexpensive proposition. Either way, providing for its needs makes all the difference between a horse that is thriving and one in danger of becoming a welfare statistic, whether he is a performance horse , a trail horse or a companion equine.

Your Costs May Vary

Annual horsekeeping expenses vary widely. Here’s a rough look at the major expenses and what they’ll cost per year on the low end and high end for the cost of owning a horse. (Please see the attached link.)

Overall Horse Ownership Cost

“The No. 1 reason why horses go into rescue or are sold is because people realize that they can’t afford them,” says Nicole Maubert-Walukewicz, founder of the Palmetto Equine Awareness and Rescue League (PEARL) in Anderson, S.C.

As most horse owners know, the cost of keeping the horse is usually greater than the cost of purchasing it.

“The cost of the horse is going to be the least expenditure an owner is going to make,” says Amy McLean, Ph.D., equine lecturer (PSOE) in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of California. “You are going to spend more taking care of it.”

So how much can owners expect to spend on horsekeeping? Calculating costs can be complicated. While some expenses, such as basic veterinary and farrier fees, are relatively consistent over time, others vary from state to state, region to region and year to year, such as feed and hay.

Horse Ownership Cost: Horse Feed

According to the Unwanted Horse Coalition, (UHC) a horse’s dietary requirements depend on its breed, activity level and age. For example, horses with extensive training and show schedules generally require more feed and forage than horses that are only occasionally under saddle or are not ridden at all. Likewise, older horses may need to eat more just to maintain good body condition.

Generally, a healthy horse should consume at least 1.5 percent of his body weight in forage daily. For some owners, that means making sure the horse has lots of grazing time on pasture, supplemented by high-quality hay . But hay costs vary depending on your location, the volume of the local hay crop, and how far the hay must be transported. As a result, the cost of hay is higher in California than it is in the Midwest, for example.

“Hay is a large and regionally-produced crop that is shipped long distances, so problems in some areas won’t necessarily impact price,” says Daniel H. Putnam, Ph.D., extension agronomist and forage specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis.

In Florida, Yakin-Palmer pays $13.50 to $15.50 per bale for hay. Meanwhile, trainer Clarissa Cupolo recalls buying hay annually by the ton.

“In New Jersey, we had to buy hay by the ton,” says Cupolo. “We would pay $2,000 for hay to feed six horses for a whole year.”

Horses’ diets can also include feed, either commercially manufactured or locally milled. Those costs can vary too, depending on where the feed is milled and where ingredients are grown.

A 50-pound bag of commercially formulated equine feed runs anywhere from $15 to $35; the average stabled horse eats 5 to 15 pounds per day. Don’t forget to add onto this the cost of any supplements you feed, which can vary widely.

Horse Ownership Cost: Hoof Care and Veterinary Expenses

Aside from meeting their horses’ dietary needs, owners must also provide routine veterinary and other professional care to keep their animals healthy. In general, those costs do not fluctuate much from month to month or year to year. Nevertheless, having a plan to finance these costs is critical.

For example, veterinarians generally charge $25 to $75 for a basic farm call, which covers the cost of the veterinarian traveling to the horse’s location. Frequently the owners of horses kept at boarding barns split farm call costs when all the horses residing at the barn receive vaccinations at the same time.

Once the veterinarian has arrived, routine vaccinations , including rabies, tetanus, West Nile, EEE and WEE, range from $75 to $150, according to Jennifer Williams, Ph.D., executive director and founder of the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society and author of How To Start and Run A Rescue. While some vaccinations are administered annually, booster inoculations represent an additional cost, and an additional farm visit.

General health care costs should also include $50 to $150 for annual teeth floating . Additional dental work generally adds a cost of $100 or more depending upon what the horse needs.

But veterinarians are not the only professionals that help keep a horse healthy. All horses require routine farrier care every four to eight weeks, whether they are shod or not. Cost for trimming a barefoot horse may range between $25 and $40 ($150 to $240 annually), Williams says. Routine farrier care for shod horses ranges between $50 and $150 per visit, or $300 to $1,200 annually, she says.

“If your horse is lame or develops problems with his feet, he may need more frequent farrier work or the assistance of a specialist, which will cost much more,” she points out.

Horse Ownership Cost: Unexpected Vet Emergencies

But even if owners budget for the best routine care, all horses are at risk for injury or illness. When that happens, an emergency farm visit can cost as much as $100 before the veterinarian even begins to treat the animal’s condition. More serious treatment can require transporting the horse to an equine clinic, or even surgery.

That’s something Yakin-Palmer learned when Cera required surgery after a severe colic episode.

“The bill was $15,000 in veterinary, hospital and aftercare costs,” she says. “That’s why people should have an emergency fund for their horses if they can.”

Insurance policies are also available. One type is directly through veterinary equine practices, where owners pay an annual fee that covers routine services, such as vaccinations and farm calls, as well as for reduced “deductibles” for surgeries and other major services.

Other policies are available through equine health and liability insurance . Some supplement companies, such as SmartPak and Platinum Performance, offer a program to cover the costs of colic surgery with a qualifying order and routine wellness care from your vet.

Costs of Boarding vs. Home Horsekeeping

Some novice owners believe that horsekeeping costs will be lower if the animal is kept at home as opposed to being boarded at a local barn. But that’s not always the case, says McLean. Owners who intend to keep their horses at home must factor real estate costs into the horsekeeping equation and balance it against that of boarding.

“For example, real estate costs can be $700,000 to $1 million for 2 acres if you want your own horse facility,” California-based McLean points out. “But boarding costs can run between $400 to $700 for full board, depending on the facility. Barns where Olympic-level horses are boarded can run between $1,200 and $1,500 a month.”

The cost of basic services, such as stall cleaning, turnout, hay and feeding are typically included with full-care board.

At some facilities, blanketing and holding a horse for a farrier or veterinarian is also included, says Clarissa Cupolo, owner of Gemini Performance Horses in Florida. Owners must still pay their own bills for these services, however. Elsewhere, horse handling is passed on to owners at an hourly or per-service rate.

Still, boarding a horse may be most cost-effective for some owners.

“For example, if you have to travel for work, you may want to board your horses,” says McLean. “Also, you have to factor in the cost of your hours feeding your horses, cleaning their stalls, turning them out, et cetera.”

These facts are not lost on Yakin- Palmer, who boarded both her horses before she brought them home.

“Keeping your horses at home is certainly limiting,” she says. “You have to have a flexible schedule, and you have to be there. I work at home so my schedule is flexible, but I can’t just take a vacation; my vacation is being with my horses.”

Ultimately, each owner must decide how to calculate—and afford—the cost of horse ownership. To do that, Maubert-Walukewicz advises prospective owners to gather opinions from local horse owners before they purchase a horse.

“Find out what the costs are [in your area], what kind of work is involved, and what they think of keeping a horse at home versus boarding it,” she says.

For her, the choice was simple.

“I spend about $4,800 a year on keeping my horses at home,” she says. “I’m the one feeding them, taking care of them, and interacting with them every day, so I know them much better than I would if they were boarded. But even if the cost is equal, that choice is not for everybody. Whatever you choose, you have to do what’s best for the horse.”

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/cost-of-horse-ownership

Preventing Grass Founder

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 23:33:24 GMT

Picture this: a lush, green field with a horse peacefully grazing. This image is almost every horse owner’s ideal vision of their horse at his happiest. But danger can lurk for some horses if you look a little deeper.

Certain horses and ponies are prone to grass founder ( laminitis ), particularly in the spring when grasses are high in sugar . Most horse owners would rather prevent laminitis than deal with it after it happens, so the best course of action is to recognize the red flags—times to be more vigilant—and know what to do next.

High-Risk Horses

Horses most at risk for laminitis are those with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and Cushing’s disease (also called pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, or PPID).

Horses and ponies with EMS often have telltale symptoms, including a tendency toward obesity, insulin resistance and recurrent laminitis. Abnormal fat deposits along the crest of the neck, tailhead and above the eyes are typical, even when the horse is at a normal weight. The condition most often occurs in ponies and other breeds that evolved under harsh conditions and tend to be easy keepers.

Horses with PPID may have symptoms similar to EMS, such as patchy fat deposits and insulin resistance , but PPID usually begins to appear in older horses (over age 15). They may also start to lose topline muscling and develop a thick haircoat that sheds out later than normal, or eventually not at all.

If you suspect your horse has either of these conditions, schedule a vet visit for blood tests that will help confirm a diagnosis. If your horse has a metabolic disease, consider it a huge warning flag that he is at high risk for pasture-associated laminitis.

The Carbohydrate Connection to Founder in Horses

Laminitis can be caused by grazing on pasture that is too high in non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) . These include fructan, sugar and starch. Structural carbohydrates are the fibrous parts of the cell wall that give the plant rigidity; these are digested differently from NSCs.

You may have heard that fructan is the singular evil element in grass that causes horses to founder. However, more recent research has shown that pasture-induced laminitis cannot be attributed solely to fructan. There is no fructan in warm-season grasses, yet horses can still founder on them. Since the same environmental conditions that create high fructan concentrations also increase sugar and starch levels, it’s best to just limit all NSCs.

Conditions that Spell Trouble

In order to prevent laminitis in high-risk horses, you’ll need to start thinking about weather and grass-growing conditions. When the sun is shining brightly but other conditions limit the growth of the plant, NSC concentration in pasture plants will increase.

Here is a list of the danger signs to look for:

Temperature

“If it’s below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the enzymes that help the plant grow don’t function anymore,” says Kathryn Watts, an internationally respected consultant and researcher specializing in pasture grass and horses and ponies prone to laminitis. She is based in Colorado and maintains a website at safergrass.org. “However, photosynthesis [which creates sugar] happens as long as the sun is shining, provided that the plant is not frozen solid.”

Concentrations of NSCs can double or even triple if these conditions (sunny and below 40 degrees) continue for several weeks. Since this commonly happens during spring and fall in many parts of the country, these seasons are often associated with grass founder in horses.

TIP: A useful tool that you can find at any hardware store is a min-max thermometer. Put it on the back porch and check it every morning. If it’s been below 40 degrees that night, start paying careful attention to any high-risk horses. After a few nights below 40, any horse that’s had laminitis in the past or has the body type that says “founder waiting to happen” should probably be removed from pasture entirely and fed hay that’s tested for low sugar content (see “Testing Sugar Content,” below).

Lack of Fertilizer

“Another thing that can limit plant growth is lack of fertilizer—usually nitrogen,” says Watts. “The plant might have enough sugar, but if it doesn’t have enough nitrogen to put that sugar to work and grow, the sugar starts piling up. I use the analogy of an assembly line: If the plant does not have all of the elements it needs to grow, the line shuts down and the other raw materials pile up.”

Since a lack of nitrogen can limit grass growth, it’s important to have the right fertilization schedule for your region. “Approach your extension agent or fertilizer dealer and tell them you’re looking for a moderate fertility level, not maximum production,” Watts advises.

Drought

Drought is another form of stress that will result in sugars piling up within the plant. “For example, in Texas, founder season happens when it’s very sunny and very hot,” says Watts. Drought may also cause fructan in cool-season grasses to turn to sugar, increasing chances of metabolically driven laminitis.

Mature Grass

When managing pastures , it’s important to mow or top the grass before seed heads appear. “Sugars and starch are very concentrated in the developing seed heads,” says Watts. “Many horses selectively graze them off; it’s like horse candy.”

Weeds

Most pastures are filled with weeds that horses are more than happy to consume.

“Some of the weeds in your pasture have the potential to contain more sugar than the grass,” says Watts. “The ones that I have tested personally that are really high in NSCs include dandelion, plantain and thistle.”

You can treat pastures with an herbicide to kill broadleaf weeds such as dandelions, which are particularly palatable to horses. Often this is enough to decrease the incidence of founder.

A thick, healthy stand of grass is the best defense against invasion of weeds and clover. While proper fertilization can decrease sugar concentration per mouthful of grass, there may now be more sugar per acre. When grass is more plentiful in previously overgrazed pastures , you may need to start limiting intake with a muzzle or decreased time at pasture.

It’s important to note that weeds may grow around dry lots where horses and ponies are housed to keep them off pasture. If those weeds are within reach of desperate flapping lips of horses, the risk of founder is still there. You may very well save your horse from foundering just by running a weed-whacker around the dry lot.

“Safe” Grazing

Regardless of what season the calendar says it is, keep an eye out for dangerous grazing conditions all year long.

“The worst places for laminitis are those where the grass stays green all winter long, like in Great Britain and the Pacific Northwest,” says Watts. “Their grass doesn’t ever really die. When the temperature is below 40 degrees, any green grass creates a problem for high-risk horses, regardless of what month it is.

“Here in Colorado, by December the grass is completely brown,” she continues. “If the weather has been dry, the grass can still be high in sugars.” Sugars may be leached out eventually by rain and melting snow, except in the case of grasses with a waxy coating, such as fescue . Fescue is commonly found in Kentucky and the Southern states, so keep in mind that it may be holding on to sugar longer if you are planning to put your horse on it in the winter or during a summer drought.

“People assume that dead grass has no nutritional value if it’s brown,” adds Watts. “But sugar is not green. The chlorophyll and protein may be gone, but the sugar isn’t necessarily gone. Don’t assume that brown grass is safe.”

Testing Sugar Content

If you’re unsure about your grass or hay’s sugar content, the best thing to do is get it tested. “Grab a few handfuls of brown grass and send it to Equi-Analytical Laboratories [the equine division of Dairy One Cooperative Inc. ] and have it analyzed,” says Watts. This is only accurate if the grass is completely dead. (If the grass is green, you would have to flash freeze it and send it overnight on dry ice, which is very expensive.) If it’s dead, you can treat it like hay.

Average grass hay is around 12 percent non-structural carbohydrates on a dry matter basis but can range up to 30 percent. For high-risk horses, grass or hay should be less than 11 percent. This varies by individual horse and how much exercise he’s getting. As you test more hay and compare how your horse does on each batch, you will learn what he can handle without gaining weight or getting sore feet. There is no “one size fits all” recipe.

If your high-risk horse has been pulled off pasture, it’s important to test your hay for sugar content. “Any kind of hay can be high or low in sugar,” says Watts. “It’s not about species; it’s about growing conditions.”

Managing the High-Risk Horse

If you have a high-risk horse with a cresty neck, one of the best things to keep an eye on is his neck. “When the sugars get high in the grass, you can palpate his neck and feel a difference,” says Watts. “I call it ‘the Neckometer.’ When you put him in the dry lot, within a couple of days you should feel his neck getting softer. If you do something wrong, his neck will get hard very quickly.”

If the weather is conducive to making high-sugar grass, horses with more mild risk factors may still be able to stay on pasture with a grazing muzzle on. “But if you put the grazing muzzle on and his neck is still getting bigger, then it’s time to put him in the dry lot and leave him there,” advises Watts. However, she emphasizes that the only way you can really assess your horse’s risk level is to get his insulin levels tested.

Early Signs of Laminitis

Another tool Watts recommends to carefully monitor high-risk horses is a daily brisk trot on firm footing. Since the metabolic form of laminitis comes on very slowly, it’s possible to look for these subtle signs and get ahead of the problem.

“If you have a horse that normally has a nice, big trot and suddenly he just shuffles along stiff-legged or refuses to trot at all, that’s the horse that you bring back to your dry lot,” says Watts. “Feel his feet to see if there’s excess heat or an obvious pulse. These horses will often respond to being withdrawn from pasture very quickly.”

Keep the horse off of pasture until weather conditions have changed completely in a way that will lower the concentration of sugar in the grass. For any case of acute laminitis, contact your vet immediately.

Since metabolic laminitis is a relatively new area of research, make sure your vet is up to date on the condition and knows how to treat it.

“Endocrinology is a veterinary specialty,” says Watts. “The same goes for farriers . The farrier you loved when your horse was healthy may not have the skills to help him once he’s foundered.”

Exercise is Key

Many of the horses that struggle with grass founder are not exercised at all, or only very lightly.

“Except for a few rare cases of very hard-to-control insulin resistance, if you exercise the horse hard enough (to a sweat) three times a week, you can fudge a lot more on the diet,” says Watts. “It’s about balancing the amount of exercise with the amount of NSCs in the diet.”

Horses that are prone to insulin resistance should not carry excess weight . Watts recommends horses be kept fit, even with a slight hint of ribs showing. But the horse should also carry good overall muscle tone from an active fitness program—whether it’s riding, driving or longeing.

If you have a high-risk metabolic horse and you want to maximize his grazing time, you’ll need to be prepared to carefully evaluate him and the weather conditions every day. At the first sign of foot soreness or the crest thickening/hardening, move him to a dry lot and feed him low-sugar hay, or soak his hay for a couple of hours in plenty of fresh water to remove excess sugars. When your horse and the grass conditions improve, he can go back out again. However, it may not be until the season is over. Be prepared for a time-consuming challenge.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/horse-health-preventing-grass-founder

10 Horse Grooming Hacks

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 02:28:29 GMT

Keep your horse’s coat healthy and happy year-round with these 10 horse grooming tips and hacks from two professional grooms.

When you list what’s in your grooming box, have you ever mentioned a hair dryer, laundry detergent, or dryer sheets alongside your favorite brushes?Drawing on our personal experiences as grooms for show jumping Olympic medalists Anne Kursinski and Kent Farrington , Lindsey Trockenbrot and I compiled this list of grooming hacks. While they may seem obscure, they will help you promote your horse’s coat health.

1. Hot Toweling

Hot toweling is a great way to clean your horse without the wash rack—especially in winter when the dust goes deep and the weather is too cold for a bath . All you need is a bucket of hot water, two towels, and a bottle of your favorite coat conditioner or coconut oil.

Soak the first towel completely and wring it out well. Rub the rag over the horse’s body like you would with a curry comb , going gently against their coat to get beneath the hair.

Once you’ve gone over your horse once, soak and wring out your second towel. This time, spray your coat conditioner of choice directly on the towel. Now go over the horse again, spraying additional conditioner on the towel as needed. Be mindful that you are not applying coat conditioner to the saddle and girth areas if you’re planning to ride that day.

To bring out that extra shine after hot toweling, go over your horse with a hard brush, followed by a soft brush.

2. Hair Dryer

When the weather is too cool for a bath , taking a hair dryer to your horse’s woolly winter coat (desensitizing him first, of course) will dry out his sweat marks in no time. Any household hair dryer will do the trick for this hack.

Once the hair is dry, just curry and brush it out. There’s no need to wait hours for your horse to dry when you can hair dry him!

3. Waterproof Ointment

If your horse has soft hooves, you live in an area where the humidity is high, or your horse gets frequent baths and/or his legs washed, this hack is for you.

To help prevent your horse’s hooves from absorbing water while being rinsed or bathed, apply Corona ointment or Vaseline to the walls of his hooves before you bathe him. This seals the hooves so the water will bead right off of them.

4. Dryer Sheets

When the air is particularly dry, does your horse’s staticky hair—and tail in particular—drive you crazy? Try taking a dryer sheet and rubbing it all over his mane, tail, and body. This will help lessen the static in no time—and it also helps keep bugs away!

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

When the sun and bugs are out in the heat of the summer, rinsing your horse in apple cider vinegar will become one of your favorite tricks in the barn. Apple cider vinegar is one of the most beneficial ways to help cool a horse down and keep the bugs away .

Add enough ACV to cover the bottom of a bucket, then fill the bucket with water. Use a sponge or rag to generously douse your horse in the mixture. Don’t worry about rinsing him off—just sweat scrape and you’re done.

While your horse may smell a bit like a salad, he will thank you for helping them keep the bugs away and helping him cool off!

6. Laundry Detergent

If you’ve tried every product under the sun to rid your horse’s white tail of stains or are trying to brighten white legs, try using detergent. Yes, as in the one you use to wash your laundry!

Dilute the laundry detergent just as you would with regular shampoo (just a glug in a full bucket of water), scrub, rinse, and voila, your horse will be blindingly white.

7. Mouthwash

Have you seen your horse rubbing his rear on his stall, feeder, or water buckets? Mouthwash might be the solution you are looking for.

Dilute Listerine mouthwash 1 part mouthwash to 4 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray liberally and work into the roots of your horse’s mane or tail.

You can spray this solution daily or as needed. This hack should not replace washing your horse’s tail, but is a helpful addition to your grooming routine .

8. Socks

Putting socks on your horse while riding him in sand arenas, alongside currying and keeping his legs clipped below the fetlock, may help minimize fungus on the back of his pasterns.

There are socks specifically made for horses, but a pair of human crew socks will also do the trick. Simply cut the foot of the sock off, leaving the tall part intact, and pull the sock over your horse’s hoof so that it covers their pastern and fetlock.

Tip: Try putting a gallon-sized Ziploc bag over your horse’s hoof to make putting the sock on easier.

To help keep the sock in place while riding, use a pair of hind boots. Socks are also a great way to keep your horse’s white legs clean overnight at a horse show.

9. Vacuuming

Not to be mistaken for a household vacuum, this vacuum is designed for horses . While these units will cost you a pretty penny, you’ll find them to be worth every cent.

Vacuums allow you to get your horse looking his best without the hassle of a bath. From cleaning sand, dust, and even feathers, vacuums have a tremendous impact on your horse’s coat health. They are particularly useful for removing sand and dust, which will help keep fungus from developing on your horse in humid climates.

For optimal results, curry your horse thoroughly beforehand to loosen the dirt on their coat. Be sure to desensitize your horse before vacuuming.

10. Olive, Coconut, and Baby Oil

While nearly everyone has a bottle of olive oil in their pantry, not many equestrians have olive oil stashed in their tack box. One of the biggest benefits of olive oil is that it can help keep your horse’s hooves conditioned. Simply applying it to your horse’s hooves with a brush or rag will help condition the hoof wall and procure a polish-like shine.

Next time you’re looking to add shine to your horse’s coat at a show or at home, try combining coconut oil with water in a small bucket or a spray bottle. While being mindful of areas where your tack will sit, spray or use a damp towel to apply the coconut oil to the horse’s coat. After applying the oil, use a soft brush to go over your horse’s coat and enhance the shine.

Additionally, baby oil or witch hazel can be used to soothe recently clipped areas on horses, especially around more sensitive areas, such as the muzzle, face and legs. Wipe your horse down with a damp rag and oil, focusing on these sensitive areas.

While these hacks will never replace the benefits of traditional grooming, they are excellent additions to your horse’s grooming routine that will help promote a happy and healthy coat.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/10-horse-grooming-hacks

What’s the Difference Between a Paint Horse and a Pinto?

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 23:53:56 GMT

What is the Difference Between a Paint Horse vs. a Pinto?

The short answer between the differences of a Paint Horse vs. a pinto is that Paint is a breed based on bloodlines, and pinto is a coat color pattern that can be found in horses of many different breeds. The longer answer is a bit more complicated.

Paints and pintos typically have one thing in common: a flashy coat featuring patches of white and a solid color, such as bay, black or chestnut. Beyond that, there are many differences.For one, a Paint Horse is a breed that, according to the American Paint Horse Association (APHA), “has strict bloodline requirements and a distinctive stock-horse body type.” Paint Horses can only have the bloodlines of Quarter Horses , Paint Horses or Thoroughbreds in their pedigrees. In order to qualify for registration with the APHA, their sire and dam must be registered with the APHA, the American Quarter Horse Association or the Jockey Club (the breed registry for Thoroughbreds).

What Kind of Horse is a Pinto?

On the other hand, “pinto” is a term that refers to the colorful coat pattern and is not the name of a particular breed of horse. Any horse that displays one of several coat patterns is considered a pinto. Breeds that commonly produce pinto horses include the American Saddlebred , Gypsy Horse and Miniature Horse . Breeds such as the Spotted Saddle Horse and Spotted Draft Horse are exclusively pintos.

Paint Horses traditionally have pinto coat patterns. However, horses from APHA-registered stock that do not have pinto coloring can still be registered with the APHA as “Solid Paint-Bred” horses, formerly known as “Breeding Stock” Paints.

There are two main registries for pinto horses—The Pinto Horse Association of America and the National Pinto Horse Registry—and each separates pintos into categories depending on their breeding and conformation. The Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association and the International Pattern Sporthorse Registry also accept pinto horses. The Pintabian Horse Registry specifically registers pinto horses with primarily Arabian horse breeding.

What is a Tobiano and an Overo?

Pintos and Paints are described by their coat pattern. The two most common patterns are the tobiano and overo. Horses that display characteristics of both patterns are considered toveros. There are also several other pattern types, but that’s another whole article in itself!

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/horse-exclusives-paint-vs-pinto

Teach Your Horse to Self-Load in the Trailer

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 02:00:14 GMT

If you’ve owned or been around horses long enough, you’ll no doubt have witnessed the gamut of trailer-loading abilities . From the highly desired self-loader to the horse who simply refuses to get on to everything in between, loading onto a trailer is an essential skill that, when missing, can lead to serious frustration on the part of both horse and human.

“Some horses lock up their feet and refuse to go forward, while others will step on and fly backward off of the trailer,” says trainer Brittany Malinoski, whose focus is the working cow and ranch divisions . She blends natural and traditional methods in her training program and has a strong passion for colt starting. She operates her Brittany Lee Performance Horses out of Creeks Edge Farm in Lebanon, Tenn.

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of trying to load a difficult horse, you may have wondered just how or why he arrived there. According to Malinoski, horses can find loading onto a trailer challenging for a variety of reasons, including inexperience, an accident involving trailering, poor experiences while hauling as a result of driver error, and even uncomfortable trailering experiences derived from slippery flooring.

Regardless of the reason, Malinoski shares some of her tried and true methods for teaching your horse to overcome his aversion and load like a pro.

Preparing Your Trailer for Self-Loading

Before you begin working through your horse’s trailer loading woes with self-loading as the end goal, make sure that your trailer is safe, comfortable, and inviting by bedding the floor with shavings and placing hay in a bag or net. For the trailer floor, Malinoski prefers trailer mats with shavings and, because it is highly palatable, chooses to offer alfalfa hay.

Trailer preparations aside, Malinoski explains that your horse should have good manners and be solid in his ground handling skills so he can go off the feel of what you’re asking before you attempt to tackle the trailer itself.

Finally, if possible, you may wish to provide your horse with a mentor or buddy skilled at trailer loading. While Malinoski advises that horses should eventually become adept at loading alone in any situation, having an experienced horse to model his loading skills and then waiting patiently in the trailer may make your horse comfortable enough to be drawn inside to join him while he is still solidifying the skill.

Squeeze Game

To help horses become comfortable in narrow spaces such as trailers, Malinoski makes use of an activity called the squeeze game. Using an arena fence or wall, set up two cones or barrels slightly larger than one horse width to create a narrow passage, similar to a trailer stall.

Before beginning, your horse should be outfitted in a rope halter with a lead rope attached. You’ll also need a whip or stick with a flag or string at one end.

Comparable to a longeing exercise, work your horse at the walk on a circle, sending him through the passage on one side of your circle. Be sure to work in both directions.

Malinoski says that while this exercise teaches young horses to be more accepting of tight spaces and lays the groundwork for future trailer loading success, it can also work well for older horses that have developed trailer loading problems.

Getting Your Horse to Successfully Self-Load

Once your horse is doing well with the squeeze game, it’s time to get back to loading. To prepare, you should outfit yourself and your horse just as you did for the squeeze game.

Malinoski begins by working the horse behind the trailer with the doors closed. You can do this by spending a few minutes reinforcing your send-off command at the walk on a small circle in both directions.

Next, open the trailer doors. Using the same commands, send your horse onto the trailer. Have patience and be prepared to drop back and reinforce his skills before trying again.

If the behavior isn’t too deeply confirmed, the session may advance quickly, but in more deeply ingrained instances, it may take a few sessions before your horse is well on his way to being the self-loader you’ve always dreamed of.

Getting Professional Help

Sometimes even the best-laid plans can go awry, and your trailer re-training may not go the way you expected.

While Malinoski says that most amateurs who are solid in their ground handling skills should be able to tackle this issue, she recommends seeking professional help if your horse isn’t making progress, or if he’s regressing from his previous level of expertise.

“In these cases, you should focus on your groundwork away from the trailer and find a professional to help you in the trailering situation,” she advises.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/teach-your-horse-to-self-load-in-the-trailer

10 Rules of Feeding

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 01:38:25 GMT

When it comes to feeding horses, there are a lot of things to consider besides the ingredients. There are 10 golden rules to feeding, and in today’s blog post we will tell you what they are and why they are important!

Rule 1. Always have fresh, clean water available

If a horse has not drunk, it will not eat. This is always one of the first checkpoints if your horse has gone off its food. Having fresh, clean, and openly accessed water is an absolute necessity. Water troughs should be checked daily for contaminations, obstructions, or leakages. It is also a handy hint to bring water from home when traveling. This can help encourage horses to drink and therefore eat, when out in new settings.

Rule 2. Feed Little and Feed Often

For their size, horses have a rather small stomach, which was designed for grazing in a “trickle” matter. In domestic settings, where feed may be provided in one large sum for sake of convenience, the 7-15L capacity of the stomach is filled very quickly. As the digestive system is designed to process smaller more frequent feeds, this type of bulk feeding has two negative effects.

1; The digestive system is ‘overwhelmed’, which can cause difficulties in processing larger quantities of bulk feed.

2; eating all at once, may mean, especially for stabled horses, that the stomach goes for hours without this “trickle” feed. This causes the natural stomach acids, which would otherwise be balanced by the presence of saliva, to reach the stomach lining and potentially induce gastric ulceration.

Therefore, the best way to promote a healthy digestive system is to emulate the “trickle” feeding style by providing the daily ration over smaller, more frequent feeds.

Rule 3. Feed According to workload

Weight and workload are the largest determinants of a horses recommended daily nutritional needs. As workload increases or decreases a horses energy needs, first and foremost, change to reflect their activity. Not feeding to this change in energy, especially in performance or racehorses, can hamper their stamina and action in training and competition, which can be detrimental to their success. Feeding to workload also requires meeting other key nutritional areas, including Crude Protein, Salts, Vitamins and Minerals. A diet evaluation is the best way to check if these needs are being met.

Rule 4. Make changes gradually over several weeks

Horses have sensitive stomachs and rapid changes in diet ingredients, can cause digestive upsets. Introducing a new feed or pasture gradually, will allow not only promote a smooth transition for the stomach, but will allow you to monitor if any negative changes occur.

Rule 5. Feed by weight not volume

We often describe our feeds in number of dippers, but we all know that a dipper of chaff is not the same as a dipper of oats! Therefore, weighing out your ingredients when formulating your ration is an absolute necessity. Weight of feed allows for more accurate assessment of nutritional values, something that could not be achieved to the same level of precision, if based on volume.

Rule 6. Feed good quality feed stuffs

Just like checking the use by date on your own food, your horse’s food should also be examined for quality.

This assessment can include

Checking for mould
Checking for dampness
Checking for excessive dust
Checking for contaminants

If an ingredient isn’t up to standard, don’t feed it. Check that your feed storage has not been compromised and contact your feed supplier if concerned.

Rule 7. Feed at the same time each day

Horses are a creature of habit that love routine and have a fantastic internal clock to keep track. Feeding to a routine can also be a good way to check on paddocked horses as they will come up to seek a feed they are expecting.

Rule 8. Never put a fed on top of an unfinished feed

Leaving feed throughout the day or overnight can be common for horses who are picky eaters, or when they may be unsettled. In some cases however, the feed may be left because of a contaminant. All food should be removed before providing the new feed. It is also important to consider feeds such as Speedi-Beet, that have been soaked. In warm weather, these soaked feeds can turn rancid and should be cleaned out after some hours.

Rule 9. Feeding before exercise

There are lots of different opinions when it comes to feeding and exercise. Due to the horse’s digestive system, we want to avoid it being completely empty, even before exercise, as stomach acid can interact with the stomach lining. Avoid feeding a dense, hard feed, especially grains, before exercise. Studies have shown that it can induce negative implications with heart rate, glycemic and blood lactate levels during and post exercise. Providing some roughage is a great alternative and the added production of saliva for breakdown of this fiber, will help buffer stomach acids throughout exercise.

Rule 10. In the paddock, feed horses well apart

In group settings, such as paddocks, horses have a natural order of dominance. They know who they could, and who they shouldn’t, challenge when it comes to getting some extra food. Feeding well apart can assist in reducing the tendency to assert dominance. It is also a matter of safety for the feeder, as horses, in asserting their dominance and willingness for food, can increase the risk of unintentional accidents. Feeding in clear open spaces will allow you, the feeder, the best ability to stay clear of these expressions.

Written by Sharne H.

Source: https://www.ranvet.com.au/10-rules-of-feeding/

Retired Racehorse Welfare Programs

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 01:30:42 GMT

Over recent years the Thoroughbred Racing industry has put in a mammoth effort to ensure the ongoing care and rehoming of its equine athletes post racing. For people in the industry the love, care, and devotion of those looking after these beautiful animals doesn’t end when they stop racing. These magnificent creatures give us so much enjoyment and tireless effort that all anyone wants to see at the end of their career is that they go on to be loved and cared for in their new endeavours.

So, what has the racing industry done to ensure the future of there horses and how can you be involved or offer one of them a new home. Each state has its own welfare program but at the end of the day its all about the transition of these racehorses to new lives that is the corner stone of all the programs

Racing Victoria –

Equine Welfare Department designated to ensuring the future of retired racehorses
Equine Welfare Strategic Plan. Its aims are to be recognised as setting the standard in equine welfare. To promote safety and welfare of racehorses at all stages of life.
Dedicated Retrainers to help support horses transition to a new life. Show case the versatility of the thoroughbred in many disciplines post racing and help with their care and retraining.
Sponsored events and classes specifically for Off The Track Thoroughbreds
Provide resources and support for owners of OTT horses
Options to purchase a retired racehorse or become a retrainer

Racing NSW –

Welfare and rehoming division aiming to provide a safety net for thoroughbreds, so they have a quality home when retired and provide support and ongoing services post racing
Team Thoroughbreds NSW is a not-for-profit entity set up by Racing NSW to ensure the welfare of the retired racehorse. Eligible horses can be given to Team Thoroughbred NSW to be cared for, retrained and a new home found. It aims to show case the suitability of these horses for many pursuits away from the track.
Provide ongoing support, resources, and services for these horses in their new homes.
Four dedicated farms for retraining
“Bandanora” in Capetree Valley
“Barts Farm” (formerly Princes Farm) also used for Retired Champions and the public will be able to visit
“The Craig” on the Mid North Coast
“Glenferrie Farm” in the Southern Tablelands
Sponsored events and classes specifically for Off The Track Thoroughbreds
OTT NSW Inc
OTT NSW/ATC

Racing Qld –

Queensland Racing Off The Track Program
Provide quality transition for Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds to new careers and homes.
Provide Retirement pathways and awareness of adaptability of retired racehorses
Acknowledged retrainer program
Event and class sponsorship for OTT’s
Provide on going support, education and resources

Racing SA –

Program specifically for the thoroughbred called Thorough Care SA.
Aim to support welfare and promotion of thoroughbred horses before, during and after their racing careers
Offer assistance packages for rehomed horses
Designated Retrainers and homers
Event sponsorship specifically for the OTT

Other States and Territories have similar programs and information on any of those can be found on their respective websites.

Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds can be seen out competing at events all over the country every weekend in all manner of disciplines, these programs help to showcase the versatility, athleticism, and beauty of these particular breeds. From eventing and dressage to polo and therapy horses, their ability to adapt to a new career is well documented. If you are looking for a new horse and the idea of adoption appeals to you, contact your states welfare program (contact details can be found on their websites) and they will help you decide if one of these retired horses is for you and assist in finding you the right partner going forward. Just keep in mind owning an ex-racehorse is not for everyone and the responsibility to care for these horses is huge but the rewards you will get are endless.

Written by Selena. P

Source: https://www.ranvet.com.au/retired-racehorse-welfare-programs/

Floating your mare and foal

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 01:23:16 GMT

It’s not something we really like to do but there are times when it is necessary to float your mare and her young foal. Whether it’s for breeding, moving farms or heading to the vet, with careful planning the trip can be a safe, successful and enjoyable experience.

Regardless of whether you are floating your mare and foal yourself or having a professional do it for you there are some things to make sure of before heading off.

It is recommended to not float a foal under 3 weeks of age if it can be helped, unless obviously if it is for medical reasons that cannot be avoided. This helps make sure they are strong enough to handle the journey.

Make sure both mare and foal are healthy, check temperatures and vital signs, ensure the mare is well hydrated prior to travel.

Choose an appropriate time to travel, if it is in the summer mouths and it’s going to be a hot and humid day it might be best to travel at night when its cooler or early in the morning, so you reach your destination before it’s too hot. If you are floating your mare for breeding (walk-on service) and the cover time for your mare is at lunch or later in the afternoon and it’s going to be a hot day, maybe try and make arrangements to get there early and see if they have an available yard for your mare, it is a lot safer to have to wait a bit longer than float your foal in the hottest part of the day.

Set your float up to accommodate your precious cargo well in advance. Open the vents and windows to allow good ventilation. If you have a two horse float remove the partition to allow plenty of room, place a board or something similar securely under the chest bar so the foal can’t gain access to the front of the float (I know it sounds terrible but there are stories of foals unfortunately falling out of the PA door on straight load floats). Angle floats are little easier to set up and again removing a divider to allow room is a great idea. As with the chest bar, if your float doesn’t have barn doors or something similar making sure the rear of the float is secured, is also a priority.

Once you are organized about when you are heading off or when your mare and foal is being picked up, there are a few other pointers that will help.

It is ok to place float boots on your mare if you really need to but is not advisable to place boots or bandages on your foal. They can come undone and get tangled becoming an unnecessary hazard during travel, plus your foal not being used to them may find them agitating and he/she already has enough new experiences to worry about.

Try not to be concerned about the thought of your mare standing or injuring your foal, mum’s have a very good awareness of where their baby is and place themselves as to not injure their foal.

The mare can be tied up, long enough that she has room to balance herself and eat her hay if you have placed a net in with her, but short enough that the rope wont’ become entangled around your foal.

Leave your foal loose so they can move around a little, this way they can continue their normal behaviour of nursing during the trip and allows them room to rest.

If your mare and foal is travelling in a truck where the room can be a little smaller, when loading, place your foal so they are facing backwards to the mare, this way they can still nurse easily whilst travelling.

Take regular breaks, try not to travel for longer than approximately 4 hours without stopping to rest your mare and foal.

On arrival or when returning home, monitor both the mare and foal closely for any signs of distress or sickness for several days. Check vital signs regularly and if there are any changes call a vet immediately, this can be a stressful experience for your young foal whilst they are still developing their own immune system. Foals have been known to develop cases of travel sickness and need to be treated immediately to ensure a safe and speedy recovery. Foals can deteriorate quickly once becoming sick, so picking up any problems early and speedy treatment is very important.

Transporting your mare and foal doesn’t have to be a stressful experience, with proper planning and safety checks it can be very simple and easy. If you are nervous about doing it yourself there are many professional transport companies that would be more than happy to help you on your journey.

Source: https://www.ranvet.com.au/floating-your-mare-and-foal/

Post-Workout Leg Care for Your Horse

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 07:11:23 GMT

Post-workout leg care can be as hot-button a topic as blanketing among horse owners. Some riders cold hose, wrap, and/or poultice their horse’s legs, while others simply leave their horses alone. But is there a “right” way to care for equine limbs after athletic exertion?

No matter if you piaffe, jump, trail ride, work cows or anything in between, we all want to ensure we’re doing the best by our four-legged partners. Read on to discover how two vets—both competitors themselves—care for their own horses, and how they recommend their clients do, as well.

Ins and Outs of Post-Workout Leg Care for the Horse

Lori Bidwell, DVM, Dipl. ACVA, is the co-owner and founder of East-West Equine Sports Medicine , which has locations in Kentucky and California. Bidwell is a certified veterinary acupuncturist, massage therapist and anesthesiologist. She travels from coast to coast with the hunter/jumper circuit and actively competes in the amateur jumpers.

Bidwell is a Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Official Veterinarian, so she is well-versed in caring for elite athletes. She encourages her clients to begin thinking of their horse’s post-workout leg care as soon as their round ends.

“A cool-down until the horse’s respiratory and breathing [rates return to resting levels] are sufficient, but a nice, relaxing walk after strenuous work is best to keep the muscles loose,” she says.

Put it on Ice: Bidwell also recommends icing a competition horse’s legs for 20 minutes.

“If you’re using ice boots, wet the boot and the leg first,” she says. “You can cause freezer burn or have poor contact if you don’t [wet the leg before icing].”

Bidwell notes that the exact method of icing doesn’t matter. Having the horse stand in a bucket with ice works just as well as ice boots (assuming the horse will stand still). Twenty minutes is the standard time to ice if using boots; after that, the ice melts and the boots become too warm to offer the horse any benefit.

That’s a Wrap: Though it’s customary to see show horses standing in bandages in deeply bedded stalls when they’re not being ridden, Bidwell cautions that wrapping is not necessarily a good thing, even if the person applying the wraps does everything correctly.

“High temperatures in wraps—especially in warmer climates or during the summer show season—can actually overheat tendons, specifically the deep digital flexor tendon, because it has limited blood flow,” she says.

If you have a senior equine that may need the support or one that stocks up easily, wrapping may still not be the answer you’re looking for. Bidwell prefers time outside of a stall over wrapping, particularly when temperatures climb.

“Getting a horse out for work and frequent walks is ideal,” she says. Still a diehard fan of wrapping? Bidwell offers two additional pieces of advice: Never wrap over liniment, and don’t keep a horse’s legs wrapped for more than eight hours at a stretch.

The jury’s still out on poultice efficacy, but it doesn’t hurt, so if you want to feel like you’re doing something “more” for your steed, slathering his limbs in poultice—but not wrapping over it—could be an option.

Bedding: An easier way to keep competition horses comfortable is to bed them sufficiently. Deep bedding will help ease potential aches in a horse’s joints, according to Bidwell.

Determining what is adequate takes into account multiple variables, including what material the floor of the stall is made of. Concrete- or asphalt-based stalls will need more bedding to make them comfortable to the horse than dirt floors or matted stalls.

Packing Hooves: For those of you who like to pack your horse’s feet, Bidwell says to skip this potentially messy step.

“Packing feet can actually put more pressure on the soles, depending on what product is used and how it’s applied,” she cautions.

Walking & Stretching: Bidwell encourages her clients to use a simple, common-sense approach to competition leg care, with turnout (when possible) and exercise as the cornerstones for healthy legs following athletic exertion.

“Getting the horse out of his stall a few times a day [is ideal to keep muscles limber],” she says. If time and money permit, massage can also help loosen stiff muscles.

Owners and riders should also get into a routine of doing tail stretches or carrot stretches every time a horse exits the stall, whether that’s to hand-walk or compete.

“Think of horses like you think of yourself,” says Bidwell. “I’m very stiff when I get up in the morning. I need time to move and stretch, and I get very stiff if I am not active.” Horses are the same.

Keep It Simple

Ben Mitchell, DVM, of Southern Equine in Aiken, S.C., grew up riding and competing in western events. He currently owns four Quarter Horses that he trail rides and competes in speed events. Having grown up in the western performance horse industry, Mitchell is well versed in its athletic requirements.

Mitchell, too, is a proponent of the “less is more” mentality when it comes to caring for equine limbs. He recommends riders tack-walk or hand-walk their horses for 15 to 20 minutes after an event to cool them, followed by cold hosing or icing the lower legs and joints for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you can afford the price point, he recommends ice boots.

“Ice boots are helpful in decreasing inflammation to the distal limbs; they’re worth the investment,” says Mitchell.

After all the sweat and dirt have been washed from the horse, he recommends applying liniment to the horse’s legs once they begin to dry.

“Liniment is a good [method] for cooling a horses’ distal limbs, but I don’t recommend wrapping over liniment,” he says. Mitchell is also not a fan of wrapping legs except when necessary.

Instead, if you’re showing at a location where the horse is stabled, he recommends bringing (or renting) portable stall mats.

“Portable stall mats are great for supporting distal limbs,” says Mitchell. “I don’t wrap legs unless a horse is prone to swelling.” Even then, this should be done with care. “I prefer horses be taken out of the stall for short walks multiple times a day [over wrapping them],” he emphasizes.

“I typically only recommend wrapping when there’s a history of swelling when the horse is stalled or traveling, or when there is noticeable swelling of a limb,” says Mitchell. He prefers bandages be reset every 10 to 12 hours if the horse must wear them.

Like Bidwell, Mitchell advocates cushioning for equine joints .

“Deeply bedded stalls and portable stall mats are great tools for keeping the horses comfortable,” he says. “Keeping your horse’s stall clean and deeply bedded makes him feel more comfortable to lie down and rest, which makes for a stronger horse the next day.”

If a horse will be spending time in a stall or tied for multiple hours with no shavings or mats, Mitchell recommends owners use Soft Ride boots to support the horse’s feet. Additionally, the use of rubbing alcohol can cool down lower legs and keep them clean when the horse is working on muddy ground.

Though our horsekeeping traditions often encourage us to wrap our horses for hours on end and to apply all sorts of products to their legs, it’s clear that simple is better when it comes to equine leg care. Using ice, providing lots of walks, and a deeply bedded stall without unnecessary leg wraps can all assist in keeping your horse healthy and primed for competition.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/post-workout-leg-care-for-your-horse

10 Ways to Banish Flies from the Barn

Fri, 31 May 2024 00:58:31 GMT

It’s almost summertime—there’s more time to ride and more time to spend outside with your horse. Unfortunately, the warm weather also means more time for flies to start reproducing. Flies will soon be tormenting your horse, if they aren’t already. But all is not lost; you can fight back. The following 10 methods of fly control go a long way toward keeping fly populations under control at the barn, for the sake of you and your horse.

1. Manure Management

Probably the single most important way of fly control is proper disposal of horse manure . Stable flies, the most annoying of all the biting flies that bother horses, breed in manure. Houseflies also prefer manure for reproduction.The best way to keep these fly numbers down is to frequently remove manure from your horse’s stall or paddock. Barn aisles, turnout areas and riding arenas should also be cleaned. Clean at least once a day; more often if you can.

Once manure is scooped up, it should be taken to a manure pile far away from the barn or stored in a covered dumpster until you can remove it from your property.

Soiled bedding is another favorite spot for flies to lay their eggs. Remove wet shavings or straw from your horse’s stall every day to keep the fly population down.

2. Moisture Control

Flies love moisture and seek out wet areas to breed. Search your property for leaks from faucets, sprinklers and pipes. Look for areas where rain water gathers, too.

If your horse has a favorite spot in his stall or paddock to urinate, you can bet that flies are laying their eggs there. Put down moisture-absorbing materials to help soak up the urine. In box stalls, keep urine to a minimum with frequent cleanings and by using highly absorbent bedding.

3. Biological Controls

An eco-friendly way to combat flies is to use biological methods. Tiny parasitic wasps are widely available, and work by destroying the fly larvae before it can hatch. Signing up for a monthly delivery of these predatory insects during fly season can help keep the fly population down at your barn.

Harmless to humans and so small you can barely see them, the wasps are shipped still in the egg stage. Once a few of the wasps hatch in the plastic bag after delivery, you sprinkle the contents in and around your horse’s living area.

4. Traps

Available in a variety of different types, fly traps work by attracting flies, either through color or scent. Once the fly lands on or enters the trap, it can’t escape and eventually dies.

The simplest type of fly trap uses a sticky surface to capture flies. The flies are drawn to the color—usually orange or yellow—and land on it. The glue-covered surface sticks to their feet, keeping them from flying away. Other traps use bait to lure the fly inside. Some traps have water inside, and the flies drown because they can’t escape. Others simply trap them inside the container, where they die due to lack of food and water.

Sticky fly traps can be hung anywhere flies congregate, but should be safely out of reach of curious horses. Baited traps should be placed far from stalls since they will initially attract more flies to the area before the insects become trapped.

5. Barn Fans

Flies tend to be less active when there’s a strong breeze, as wind affects their ability to fly. So create your own wind! Barn fans hung from the ceiling over each stall and in the barn aisles can do wonders for keeping flies out of the area. Freestanding fans can also be used in barn aisles.

6. Stable Management

The environment surrounding your horses can have a big effect on the number of flies at your facility. Practicing good barn keeping will keep flies to a minimum.

Start by making sure all garbage cans are securely covered. An open trash can will draw flies from near and far. Keep feed storage containers covered as well since some grains and sweet feeds can attract flies. Clean up spilled feed right away, especially if it’s wet.

Be sure to dispose of any rotting hay on the property since this is the perfect breeding environment for flies. The combination of moisture and organic material is a haven for these pests. Also, avoid using straw as bedding since wet straw is a magnet for flies.

7. Fly Sprays

Both insecticidal sprays and repellents discourage flies from landing on your horse.

Oil-based sprays have more staying power on horses than water-based products, and both are best used in conjunction with other types of fly control. They should not be used in the vicinity of parasitoid wasps, however, since the beneficial insects are also susceptible to insecticides.

When applying fly sprays , be sure to use an adequate amount as directed on the label. If you don’t coat the horse’s hair with the spray, flies can still land and bite. For applying around the eyes, ears and muzzle, spray the product onto a washcloth and wipe it onto the horse’s face. You can also use a roll-on insecticide for these delicate areas.

8. Cover-Ups

No matter how good your fly control methods, it’s impossible to get rid of every single fly. To protect your horse from these biting pests, use cover-ups.

Fly masks are the most effective way to protect your horse from flies. Face flies are notorious for feeding on the mucus in your horse’s eyes, causing irritation and potentially spreading disease. You can also use a mask with attached ear covers to keep biting gnats out of his ears.

A fly sheet prevents flies from landing directly on your horse’s body. The lightweight mesh blanket protects your horse’s chest, back, sides and hindquarters from biting flies. Add mesh leg wraps to protect the lower legs, and flies will have a hard time finding a place to bite your horse.

By using these methods, you can make a big impact on the number of flies that live on your property and pester your horses.

9. Spray Systems

In a barn environment, an overhead fly spray system can be effective at keeping fly populations down. Spray systems release a repellent or insecticidal mist periodically throughout the day. The spray comes down onto the horses and prevents flies from landing and biting. The system can be designed to spray directly into both stalls and barn aisles.

After installing a spray system in your barn, choose the type of insecticide or repellent you want to use. If you are concerned about introducing chemical fly products into the environment, opt for natural formulations.

10. Supplements

Supplements designed to prevent flies from breeding in manure or to discourage flies from biting are another option for your horse. Insect growth regulators (IGR) are chemicals that disrupt the fly’s ability to reproduce by affecting the pupa stage in the life cycle. When the active ingredient in the IGR is present in the horse’s manure, the fly larvae can’t develop to adulthood.

A feed-through product containing an IGR is added daily to the horse’s food, and then passes through the horse and is deposited with the manure. The IGR has no effect on the horse, but wreaks havoc on the fly population.

Natural supplement formulas containing garlic, apple cider, yeast and other ingredients with natural fly-repelling properties are reported to discourage flies from biting. These products must be fed daily to be effective.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/horse-keeping-10-ways-to-banish-flies-from-the-barn

Helpful tips to keep your horse warm and happy this winter.

Wed, 01 May 2024 07:44:22 GMT

During winter your horse’s energy requirements will increase, this is to help maintain body weight and for heat production. Access to good grazing pasture will also be reduced as the growth of grass slows down, and you may stable your horses when it’s cold. Now might be a good time to make some gradual adjustments to your horse’s diet to help them through winter, especially if they maybe getting a little older in years. There are a couple of simple but important things you can do to help them through the colder months.

Increase forage intake.

The first thought of many horse owners to help increase energy is to add or increase the grain in your horse’s ration. Whilst this is a good idea as grain is the most readily digestible energy source, it isn’t always practical for every horse or every diet. Forage, meaning hay, chaff or grass, is just as important and just as effective. The fibre from forage is digested in the hindgut, during the digestive process known as fermentation, producing heat, helping to keep the horse warm from the inside. At least 1% of the horse’s body weight should be feed daily as roughage/forage and can be increased to as much as 1.75% per day in cold conditions. Whilst a good quality meadow or grass hay is more than sufficient, the equivalent amount of lucerne hay has a higher calorie together with higher protein to help maintain body weight, so is ideal for winter feeding.

Adding an Oil to the ration

Adding a good quality oil to your horse’s diet can also help them stay warm. Oil is a cool energy source that can help boost calorie intake without the need to increase your feed ration, whilst also providing essential fatty acids. It is highly digestible and has the added benefit of helping keep a nice shiny coat through winter.

Including a boiled mash to your diet

Mashes or boiled feed such as Barley can also be a good addition. They are a good source of carbohydrates which provide energy, proteins, vitamins, and minerals depending on which one you choose. They are easily digestible and mashes such as boiled barley are low in sugar and starch’s but high in fibre.

Something as simple as adding an extra biscuit of lucerne hay to your feeder in winter can make all the difference to helping your horse maintain good condition and stay warm when it’s cold. As with all changes to your horse’s diet, they should be made slowly and gradually. If you have any questions or you just aren’t sure your horse is getting everything, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Diet evaluations can be a very helpful tool. Ranvet offer a free diet evaluation service here that can help take the guess work out of your winter feeding!

Source: https://www.ranvet.com.au/helpful-tips-to-keep-you-horse-warm-and-happy-this-winter/

Thrush in the horse

Wed, 01 May 2024 07:31:15 GMT

Thrush is an infection in the frog and the grooves (sulci) in and around the frog of the hoof. It can be caused by various organisms like fungus and anaerobic bacteria. One species of bacteria, Fusobacterium necrophorum, can destroy the frog and cause permanent damage if not treated early.

Thrush is black in appearance, sticky, and has a characteristic pungent smell. Horses that have deep sulci and poor hoof conformation are more prone to thrush. Wet weather is also a breeding ground for “thrushy feet” in horses.

Muddy paddocks and increased stabling can all lead to thrush in the hoof. Horses’ hooves have fungus and bacteria on them normally, but when their feet are exposed to prolonged contact with a damp contaminated (manure and urine) environment, the hoof becomes soft and allows the microorganisms to penetrate into the sensitive parts of the foot potentially causing infection. The frog will become inflamed and painful as the infection progresses. You may even notice blood when you clean out your horse’s foot as the tissue deteriorates.

How to treat thrush.

Prevention is the best cure for thrush and most diseases of the hoof. Here are some things you can do to prevent infections in the hoof:

Pick out your horses’ feet daily and brush out debris.
Make sure hoof picks and brushes are kept clean. Prevent cross contamination to other horses.
Keep stables and paddocks clean and as dry as possible.
Use an antibacterial antifungal hoof dressing regularly.
Have feet trimmed regularly.
Make sure your horse has a balanced diet for maximum hoof health.
Treat any metabolic disorders like PPID (Cushing’s disease). A horse with a compromised immune system is more prone to foot infections.

Even the most conscientious horse owner can still have a horse with thrush, so how do we treat it even if we have done everything, we can to prevent it?

Have your vet or farrier trim away any dead tissue and make sure your tetanus vaccinations are up to date. If the infection and damage are really bad, your vet may recommend bandaging and antibiotics, but this is rare.

Gently scrub the hoof daily with iodine scrub until the infection is gone. This will kill any microorganisms and help to dry out the foot. The bacteria that cause the infection hate air. Use an old toothbrush to really get into the grooves.

Thoroughly dry the foot as well as you can. Iodine solution can then be painted on to keep treating the infection in between daily scrubbing. It should not take longer than a couple weeks to completely treat the infection.

Written by Neely Hopkins

Source: https://www.ranvet.com.au/thrush-in-the-horse/

Ultimate Guide to Buying Your Dream Horse: Questions to Ask, Red Flags, and Pro Tips

Wed, 01 May 2024 07:13:26 GMT

If you’re planning on buying a new horse, check out which questions to ask and which red flags to look for with the pro tips in this ultimate guide to purchasing your dream horse.

If you’ve never been a part of purchasing a horse before, be warned, it can be a little stressful. Horses are a big investment, and even if you aren’t the one paying for it, you’ll be investing your time and talents into it. It’s important to do your homework beforehand so that not only will your horse-buying experience be a positive one, but you’ll also make the best choices to purchase the right horse. This guide will be your best friend as you prepare for buying a horse.

Hold Your Horses

First off, it’s important to remember that unless you know the horse already, there’s a lot to consider. Many times you have to look at and try out several horses before you find the perfect match. It’s an exciting experience, but letting your “excited” emotions take over can mean that you don’t get exactly what you want. Let’s take a look at some questions you need to ask and things you need to look for before buying a horse.

Things to Ask Before You Go Look at the Horse

◆ Ask the horse’s age and if it’s been verified by a vet or equine dentist.

◆ Ask about the horse’s history and if there are health concerns.

◆ Ask if the horse has any vices and why they are selling the horse.

◆ Ask how the horse behaves with other horses.

◆ Ask if the horse is suitable for a beginner, advanced beginner, or advanced rider.

◆ Ask if the horse ever leaves the farm and what he’s primarily used for. If you plan on showing, a trail horse that is only used for trail riding might not be a great fit unless you can devote time to lots of arena training.

◆ Ask if the horse is barn or buddy sour.

◆ Ask if the horse loads and trailers well.

◆ Ask if you can have access to the vet records and if the owner welcomes a pre-purchase exam.

◆ If the owner asks for a deposit to come look at the horse, dig deeper. Oftentimes, these are scams.

Things to Look For on the Ground

Is the Horse Hard to Catch?

When you pull up to the barn, the first thing you need to see is if the horse is already stabled or tied up for you. This can be a warning sign that the horse is hard to catch. You can always ask the owner if he’s easy to catch or not, but remember that not everyone is honest.

Is the Horse Sweaty?

The second thing you need to look for is if the horse has been worked before you arrived. Unless you are looking for a “project” horse, you want one that you can ride straight from the field without having a trainer run off his energy to make him rideable for you.

How Does the Horse Respond to Being Groomed?

While the horse is tied up, brush the horse down. Is he antsy while being tied? Can you spray him with fly spray? If you plan on blanketing, how does he respond to having a blanket put on his back? Can the owner easily pick up and hold all four feet?

What is the Horse’s Standing Posture Like?

Ask the owner to walk the horse in a circle and stop. Take a look at his responsiveness to his handler. Evaluate his gait. And pay special attention to his standing posture. The way the horse stands can tell you a lot about his soundness. If he’s parked out (standing with legs far apart) or has his legs parked in (standing with legs close together), this can be a sign of hoof or back pain unless the horse is a breed that naturally parks out. If the horse frequently shifts his weight on his front feet, that could be a sign of navicular disease. If you see any of these behaviors, it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker but it’s a good idea to take note of them and talk to your veterinarian about them during your pre-purchase exam.

How Does the Horse Respond to Being Saddled?

Pay attention to the horse’s attitude about being saddled. Many horses can be a little grouchy when you tighten the girth, but if a horse turns into a fire-breathing dragon with a mane, it might mean that he has back or ulcer issues. Also, check to see if the horse easily takes the bridle or if he holds his head up when you try to put the bridle on or freaks out when you take it off.

Things to Look For In the Saddle

Always ask the owner to ride first. Not only can you see if the horse is safe before you get on, but you can also see how the horse moves from the ground. Ask the owner to walk, trot and canter.

Can the Rider Easily Get on the Horse?

Does the horse stand still for the rider to get on from the ground? Will he stand quietly next to a mounting block or is he moving away and walking off?

Is the Horse Sound?

Pay attention to the legs. Is the horse short-striding on one leg? Is it “bunny hopping” in a canter? Again, a limp could be the result of something like a small field injury but it could also mean big trouble for the long-term soundness of the horse. If you see any soundness issues, consult with your vet.

How is the Horse Holding His Head?

A horse’s head position can tell you about his soundness. If a horse is bobbing his head excessively in a trot, this can be a sign of front-end lameness, another sign of navicular. A horse that holds his head extremely high during the trot or canter can either need more training, have mouth or teeth issues, or could be indicating pain either from saddle fit or lameness.

Does the Horse Know His Leads?

When the horse is cantering, pay attention to the leads. Although a good trainer can teach you and the horse how to get the correct lead, it’s still something to look for if you plan on showing the horse.

Can You Ride the Horse Off by Himself?

One of the most frustrating bad habits a horse can develop is barn and buddy sourness. This means a horse gets anxiety when he leaves behind his home and friends. Even if you plan on using the horse for trail riding with others, it’s important that he has the confidence to leave them without a fight.

How Do You Feel About the Horse?

If this horse is checking all your boxes, the next thing to ask yourself is how you feel. It’s important to be honest with yourself here. Sometimes we get caught up in a horse’s color or the excitement of the day but we need to stop and take time to really feel the horse’s energy. Does he have a comfortable gait? Do you feel safe? Is he friendly on the ground? Can you see yourself connecting with this horse?

I’ve Asked All the Questions — Now What?

Just remember, if you really like the horse but there’s an issue with something mentioned above, talk to the owner—and, if applicable, your trainer—about your concerns. If it’s not the right fit, it’s okay to walk away. It’s also okay to take a moment to think about your decision and discuss your feelings with trusted individuals like a trainer. And the importance of a pre-purchase exam by a licensed veterinarian is paramount. They can be a bit pricey but are worth it if it keeps you from purchasing a horse that you can’t ride or isn’t exactly what you want.

And the most important thing—have fun with it. Buying a horse is a huge decision but an exciting one. Enjoy the experience of riding other horses and searching for your new best friend!

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/ultimate-guide-to-buying-horse-with-questions

Try a Dressage Ride-a-Test Clinic

Wed, 01 May 2024 06:39:41 GMT

This hybrid of clinic and show is a great opportunity to get in-depth feedback directly from judges.

Heads up dressage, western dressage and event riders: Are you looking for a way to polish your skills and improve dressage test scores? Do you have a young horse that needs to gain experience before his first show? Do you need help conquering your show-ring nerves? Would you like to get a score for a new test you’ve been practicing or if you’re considering moving up a level?

Or maybe showing isn’t for you, but you’d like to have a measure of your training progress. A ride-a-test dressage clinic is just the ticket for all of these situations and more.

In recent years, both English and western dressage organizations are offering in-person and virtual ride-a-test clinics. They’re also sometimes called “fix-a-test” clinics, which may more accurately describe what is involved.

What Are Dressage Ride-a-Test Clinics?

Cheryl Holekamp, a United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) licensed “S” dressage judge who has competed through FEI levels in dressage as well as in eventing, explains more about the goal and what is involved with a ride-a-test clinic.

“These clinics are designed to help riders learn how to improve their scores in a dressage test in competition,” she says. “They are beneficial to both dressage riders and eventers. Participants ride a test of their choice which is judged, then the judge then goes over the test with the rider, followed by a lesson working on parts of the test and the basics that need improvement.”

The format of a ride-a-test clinic varies a bit depending on the group hosting. Sometimes you’ll ride your test, get feedback from the judge, and then ride the test a second time for another score. Other times, after you ride your test, the rest of the session is devoted to schooling individual movements and basic principles that will boost your performance.

Some instructors even offer multi-day intensive ride-a-test courses where you’ll get advice on choosing a test, followed by practicing the individual movements, and eventually riding the complete test. On the final day, you perform that test in front of a guest judge. Along the way, sports psychology exercises and demonstrations by professional riders supplement learning.

Holekamp says the fix-a-test clinic offers the opportunity to interact with a judge, ask questions, and gain a better understanding of the directives and purpose of the level and the judging process.

“I am first concerned with the safety and welfare of horse and rider,” she says. “The goals are to help [you and your horse] achieve the best harmony and identify steps to follow to develop and improve skills.”

Dressage rider and United States Dressage Federation (USDF) L Education Program graduate Nancy Bryant points out that the ride-a-test format offers a rare chance for riders to get actual instruction from a licensed judge.

“According to USDF rules, judges should not use terminology that is teaching when they are working at a competition,” she says. “Instead, they’re supposed to use directives in their comments on the test sheets, such as ‘lacks impulsion’ or ‘circle not round,’ which tell the rider why they were scored a certain way, but not how to fix it. However, in the ride-a-test clinic situation, the judge is allowed to advise the rider on improving their performance.”

Bryant says that you should make the most out of a ride-a-test opportunity.

“I would ride the most technically challenging test that I would be showing that season,” she says. “Doing that with the judge in place allows me to get the best feedback. Another advantage of test-riding clinics is you don’t have the stress of having to braid your horse or dress in show clothes. You can ride in workman-like lesson attire and tack as long as it’s safe, clean and tidy.”

Clinic Preparation & Participation Tips

To find one of these clinics near you, search for educational events offered by local equestrian organizations or training barns. Another option is to participate virtually by having someone video you riding your test of choice and submitting that video to a dressage professional who offers ride-a-test reviews and followup instruction.

Holekamp gives this advice when you’re preparing for a ride-a-test clinic :

◆ Carefully review the schedule and format of the clinic you choose and register by the deadline. Contact the host for stabling information and directions, or in the case of submitting a test virtually, for instructions for submitting your video and information on how to receive feedback.
◆ Choose a test of appropriate level and plan to warm up ahead of time just like you would at a show. Know the test well. You can either ride a test you have struggled with during competitions or a test of a higher level for which you are hoping to develop skills and proficiency.
◆ Review the purpose of the level and familiarize yourself with the directives for each movement. Definitions of the levels and descriptions of the individual movements can be found in the Dressage Division of the USEF Rule Book, which is available online to all members. Go to www.usef.org and look under the “Membership” and “Compete” tabs for more information.
◆ Bring several copies of the score sheet for the test you will be riding: one for the judge, one for the scribe, one for your reader if you have one, and one for you to review. You can find copies of the tests on the USDF website here .
◆ Be on time for your ride and factor in the warmup so that you’re ready to go into the ring in your designated slot. If possible, try to arrive at the clinic location well ahead of time or plan to stay after your ride so you can watch other sessions (if allowed) to gain even more insight.
◆ Clinicians often ask what a rider would like to work on. Bring a list of questions to maximize the value of your session.
◆ If possible, arrange to have your clinic session videotaped. “Video is a wonderful learning experience,” says Holekamp. “A good video and the test with judge’s remarks from competition are like a mini clinic and a great way to understand that what you’re feeling during a test may actually look quite different.”
◆ Tips for your videographer shooting the video to submit for a virtual clinic: Hold the camera or phone horizontally; have the videographer stand at dressage letter C; and make sure that there is adequate lighting in the arena. If you’re outside, don’t point the camera directly into the sun. Have them state the names of you and your horse and the level and test number being ridden at the beginning of the video right before you enter the ring. They may need to use zoom when you’re at the far end of the ring.

Valuable Knowledge

Ride-a-test clinics offer huge potential to gain knowledge. Holekamp says she always finishes each rider’s session with homework for them to use to build on their clinic experience.

“Hopefully riders take home a better understanding and exercises for improved basics and execution of the test movements.”

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/dressage-ride-a-test-clinic

Importance of a correctly fitting saddle

Wed, 01 May 2024 06:28:46 GMT

Importance of a correctly fitting saddle

There was a time when it was a case of one saddle fits all, but not anymore. We now have the knowledge of how important a correctly fitting saddle is to both us as riders and the comfort of your horse. Your saddle is the connection between you and your horse, thus the importance of a well-fitted saddle cannot be overlooked neither can the long-term effects an ill-fitting saddle can have on your horse.

Effects of an incorrectly fitted saddle

Can cause back pain and discomfort (just like if we wear a pair of ill-fitting shoes)
Your horse can try to avoid uncomfortable pressure caused by the saddle not correctly fitting this in turn can put strain on other muscles and areas of the back with long-term effects
For a young horse learning in its early stages of education the pain of a poor fitted saddle could possibly cause behavioral problems as the horse tries to avoid the discomfort the saddle is causing
Can cause poor muscle development or muscle wastage
Restriction of movement and alter paces

How to spot if saddle is not fitting properly

Swelling along the back, sore to touch
Sores and rubs
Uneven sweat patches, dry areas under saddle
Rubbed/white hairs where saddle sits
Saddle tipping to one side
Horse resistance to aids
Muscle wastage
Cold backed

Signs of a correctly fitting saddle

Even weight distribution
Panels sit evenly along the back
Correct clearance over whither and spine
Nice free shoulder movement

It’s also important to remember that if you are riding a young horse as it grows you will need to consistently have your saddle re-fitted to suit its growing frame until it has fully developed. The same applies for horses that may be underweight when first starting in work. As they put weight on the way the saddle fits will also change.

We recommend for professional advice on your saddle fitting you can contact an accredited saddle fitter through the ASFA (Australian Saddle Fitters Association). Often fitting can be managed through saddle pads/inserts or in some cases a new saddle may be the best solution, but they will be able to advise you on what you and your horse need.

Written by Selena P.

Source: https://www.ranvet.com.au/importance-of-a-correctly-fitting-saddle/

Why is my horse hyperactive?

Wed, 01 May 2024 06:13:19 GMT

As horse riders, we have all experienced unwanted hyperactive behaviour from our horses at some stage in our riding careers. When it comes to competing we all want our horses to have an enjoyable experience and minimise their anxiety as much as possible. Unfortunately, just like humans, some horses will always be more anxious than others, no matter how much exposure they have.

A horse’s instinctive ‘flight’ pattern is to bolt or run away to protect itself from enemies or pain. There are some breeds that are more in tune with this flight instinct, such as the genetics of Arabians or Thoroughbreds. Education, age and previous experiences also contribute greatly to predisposition and hyperactive behaviour due to horses having great memories!

Yes it is true that some horses will always be naturally more nervous than others, but there are some factors which can trigger and exacerbate this behaviour further. These include:

Muscle Pain or Injury
Poor fitting tack/uncomfortable
Excessive energy
Vitamin & mineral deficiencies

MUSCLE PAIN OR INJURY

When a horse is suffering from muscle pain or injury they will often express irritability or a resistance to do work. Often these resistances can be confused with hyperactive behaviour such as rearing or bucking.

Consulting a veterinarian, physiotherapist or chiropractor, will help you rule out muscle pain or injury as a cause of hyperactive behaviour.

POOR FITTING OR UNCOMFORTABLE TACK

A poor fitting saddle can cause extreme discomfort for your horses and can attribute to hyperactive behaviour such as rearing, bucking or bolting. When you consider that a horse in moderate work can spend nearly 400 hours under saddle a year, it is extremely important that it is fitted correctly.

Ensuring you have the right size bit for your horse is very important. A bit that is too large will move from side to side and a bit that is too small can pinch or squeeze your horses face causing discomfort and damage.

Seeking advice from a professional saddle fitter and bit specialist will give you peace of mind and can help rule out poor fitting or uncomfortable tack as a cause of hyperactive behaviour.

EXCESSIVE ENERGY

High-spirited behaviour has been directly linked to the energy content of the diet. The horse is unique in that it compensates for excess dietary energy by increasing physical activity. As a result, the horse that receives too much energy (calories) in the diet is more likely to be excessively high spirited.

When assessing dietary provisions, it is essential to differentiate between the energy and the protein content of the diet. High protein does not equate to high energy!

It is important to match your horse’s energy provision with their workload. A 500kg horse in moderate work (3 – 5 hours per week: 30% walk, 55% trot, 10% canter, 5% low jumping) has an energy requirement of 97.53 MJ/Day as stated by the National Research Council.

This means that if the energy provision for this horse exceeded 97.53 MJ/Day they would be in excess of their daily energy requirements, which may result in hyperactive behaviour.

If you are unsure your horses’ energy requirements match the energy provision of the ration you can get your horses diet evaluated by a Ranvet Equine Nutritionist.

VITAMIN & MINERAL DEFICIENCIES

Magnesium plays an important role in nerve and muscle function. Deficient horses can show signs of nervousness, muscle weakness, poor tolerance to work and can predispose ‘tying up’ in performance horses. Magnesium has an important role to play in reducing equine obesity, and can lower the risk in horses prone to laminitis, during periods of fast growing spring grass.

Horses deficient in magnesium display one or some of the following behaviours:

Unable to relax
Angry about being brushed, touched or palpated on either side of the spine
History of tying up
Does not tolerate long periods of work and becomes more excited rather than working down
Fractious, nervous and random spooking
Muscle tremors and twitches
Teeth grinding

B-Group vitamins perform numerous functions within the exercising horse. They are specifically required for energy generation, adequate function of the nervous system, protein metabolism and red blood cell formation.

Vitamin B1 in particular is necessary for the proper function of the heart and nervous system and is known for its beneficial calming effects and ability to minimise nervous and/or flighty behaviour.

TIPS FOR COUNTERACTING HYPERACTIVITY WITH NUTRITION

Ensure adequate roughage provision to ensure a healthy digestive tract
Feed small meals more frequently, large means fluctuate blood sugar levels and can cause changes in temperament.
Include an oil to the ration as an energy dense, slow release form of energy
Ensure necessary vitamins and minerals are provided, as deficiencies may cause metabolic stress such as Vitamin B1 and Magnesium.
DO NOT OVERFEED! Most hyperactivity is due to the overfeeding of starches, sugars and an excess level of energy.

SUPPLEMENTS FOR COMBATING HYPERACTIVITY.

If you have ruled out Muscle Pain or Injury, Poor fitting tack/uncomfortable, Excessive energy and Vitamin & mineral deficiencies then there are supplements that can help with treating hyperactive behaviour.

Ranvet’s Settle’em provides a highly concentrated source of Vitamin B1, magnesium and zinc to acid in the management of nervous and/or anxious horses. The use of Settle’em may rectify nervous twitching, flighty/difficult behaviour, reduce excitability on high grain rations and relieve stress associated with travelling, competition and new surrounds. The powdered formulation is designed to be added to the feed with ease and the provision of 30-60 g Settle’em per day to the ration.

Calm Paste has been specifically designed to provide a natural calming effect, combining a blend of complex B-Group vitamins, magnesium and tryptophan. The supply of these co-factors is associated with reduced aggression and fearfulness. Handy in a portable tube!

Source: https://www.ranvet.com.au/why-is-my-horse-hyperactive/

Horse and Rider Fitness for Spring

Wed, 01 May 2024 06:00:26 GMT

The end of cold weather and time off means you’ll need to slowly build fitness for both you and your horse to get ready for summer riding.

Depending on the availability of indoor arenas, lights, and safe footing where you live, riding throughout the winter can be a challenge. But peak show and trail riding months are arriving quickly, so it’s time to put a plan in motion and get prepared for the season ahead. Without a proper base of fitness, both you and your horse will be more prone to injuries that will keep you from those plans you’ve made.

Work on Your Own Fitness

It’s not fair to ask hour horses to get into summer riding shape if we have been slacking ourselves, too. It’s a partnership, after all!Now is the perfect time to start a fitness program for yourself before you hit full-tilt summer show season. If going to the gym isn’t convenient, consider an online program. There are lots of YouTube videos to help guide you through basic working routines, and several subscription services targeted directly for building rider strength out of the saddle .

If prefer to get your exercise outdoors, the barn property can become a gym. Map out a path around the perimeter of the fields, or even just up and down the driveway, to go for a walk or a jog. Hills are ideal because they maximize the cardio challenge, build muscles and burn more calories.

There’s also plenty you can do in the barn to build fitness. If you board, ask your barn manager if you can pitch in to make their day go a little quicker. Carrying and scrubbing water buckets, mucking out some extra stalls, or even just helping bring the horses in and out from the fields will help you build up stamina.

Think about your summer riding plans , too. Is trail riding on your list? You can’t go trail riding if the trails are full of branches and trees that fell over the winter. Get in a full-body workout walking the trails on foot and helping remove anything in your way.

If you board at a facility, team up with some other riders to keep each other accountable. Getting a group to ride together after work or on the weekends can make it more fun. Workout classes are better with a friend, so you may want to join a gym with your barn buddies.

Peer support is trickier if your horses are at home or if you board at a smaller facility. There are plenty of Facebook groups with other riders in the same isolated position also craving support. Groups exist for different breeds, sports, and riding goals. An online community can be just as positive as in-person support to keep you motivated.

Get Your Horse Fit

If you return your horse to full work after two months (or more) of down time, he will have lost significant fitness and be more prone to injury. Although cardiovascualar fitness is relatively easy for horses to achieve, tendons and ligaments take months to strengthen when starting from scratch.

If you have space on your farm to go for low-intensity hacks, that is the perfect place to start, but walking in the ring works, too. You can walk even an unfit horse under saddle for up to 60 minutes per day, four to six days a week. Ride your horse forward and keep him pushing from behind, even at the walk. (Going around in an inverted frame with his back down and head in the air will strengthen the wrong muscles.)

Stick to walking for at least the first two weeks of your program. You can gradually increase the time and/or add hill work to keep things challenging, but always keep a feel for when your horse starts to get tired, and wrap up your ride at the first signs of fatigue.

After two weeks, you can gradually add in a few minutes of trotting. Take walk breaks after 2 or 3 minutes of trotting when you start, then work up to 5 to 10 minutes of trot over the next week as your horse is able. Don’t let your horse fall apart in his downward transitions, and think about him lifting his back and stretching down into your hand during breaks from higher-intensity work.

In week four, you can add 1 to 2 minutes of cantering, building up from there. After 30 days, you can introduce a few small jumps or very short bursts of more intense work as your discipline requires. It’s better to ask for successful smaller amounts of higher-intensity work than less-successful—and potentially detrimental—longer workouts.

After six weeks of consistent work, your horse should be much closer to optimum fitness. Throughout his conditioning period and beyond, continue walking as much as possible each day; this can be done before and after the more intense portion of your ride.

Also pay attention to how you feel during this process. It’s hard to ask your horse to carry you if you are starting to fatigue. If after trotting a couple circles you feel your leg slip and your hands start to bounce, it’s time to go back to the walk.

Getting both you and your horse back into shape in the spring takes time, and rushing only gets you to the wrong place faster. It’s better to take it slow while rebuilding stamina in order to reduce the risk of injury and to keep riding fun for both of you.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/horse-rider-spring-fitness

Treatment and Recovery of Founder in Horses

Wed, 01 May 2024 05:44:57 GMT

Many factors contribute to whether a horse can recover from a bout of laminitis. Find out ways to prevent and treat this devastating ailment.

Plenty has been written about the prevention, causes, and treatment of founder, but less information is available on whether or not afflicted horses will “successfully” recover. The answer, despite the availability of clinical exams to guide prognosis, is not as straightforward as it may seem. Here, two leading experts in their fields, as well as the owner of two horses stricken with founder, weigh in.

Diet & Equine Metabolic Syndrome

Raul Bras, DVM, CJF, APF, a shareholder and practicing veterinarian at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Wellington, Fla., has extensive experience treating horses experiencing laminitis and founder. He says that diet and its relationship to equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is likely the most common contributing factor.“A very high percentage of laminitis and foundering of horses is due to equine metabolic syndrome,” he explains. And changing the diet, once EMS has been identified as the cause, can be one factor that contributes to whether or not your horse will recover.

“If the owner is not willing to put the horse on a weight loss plan, there is nothing you can do to the foot that is going to fix it or stop it,” says Travis Burns, M.S., CJF, TE, EE, FWCF, and associate professor of practice and chief of farrier services at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Va.

Since it is very easy to slip back into old habits and patterns, you should continue to diligently manage your horse’s diet going forward after receiving such a diagnosis.

“You have to keep the horse at an appropriate body condition score and have his metabolic profile within normal limits, or you are just fighting an uphill battle,” Burns adds.

Identifying Problems Early

While most horse owners are vigilant about having their veterinarians out to administer yearly vaccinations and dental exams , fewer have diagnostic tests, such as annual X-rays and barn-side insulin testing completed. This is particularly important with horses and ponies that are genetically or otherwise predisposed, in order to seek out possible problems before they arise.

Regarding insulin testing, Bras initially likes to test as much as possible to achieve a baseline.

“You have four seasons of the year. If you [test] in the winter, spring, summer, and fall, you can see how [insulin levels] fluctuate,” he says. Once the baseline has been noted, your vet can monitor for increases to it on an annual basis and make changes to the horse’s diet well before he experiences laminitis or founder.

Knowing if your horse is predisposed to a condition such as EMS goes well beyond making dietary changes. It can also help guide you in avoiding over-supplementation and in the treatment of other medical conditions your horse may develop.

For example, in some instances treating with steroids can trigger the development of laminitis. Bras advises that rather than helping, both over-supplementation and over-medicating can make laminitis and founder more difficult to treat.

Using a Venogram

Venograms, a type of contrast radiograph study, play a critical role in assessment, as early identification is a top contributing factor as to whether or not your horse will make a successful recovery.

“It all comes down to blood supply,” says Bras. “That’s why I am a proponent of the venogram.”

He likens venograms to weather reports because they give you time to prepare and potentially even prevent problems before they arise. By knowing that the blood supply to the foot has been compromised before a problem has already presented itself, you can take a proactive rather than a reactive approach to certain elements (such as farrier and dietary modifications) of your management plan.

Corrective shoeing, for example, can work to counteract mechanical failure, while dietary changes can address weight and metabolic issues before problems occur.

Aggressive Treatment

Should your horse experience laminitis or founder, immediate, bold treatment can play a key contributing factor in whether or not your horse will recover. Bras advises avoiding a “wait and see” approach. Instead, he recommends assessing the damage and determining how much blood supply is present, and using that knowledge to make decisions as to how to proceed.

While it may seem logical to think that a horse who experiences a high degree of rotation will be unlikely to recover, Bras explains that this may not be the case.

“You might have a horse that has equine metabolic syndrome and has an acute foundering that doesn’t rotate much or another with a lot of rotation,” he says. “Even if you have a lot of rotation, if you have identified it right away, there’s a strong chance you can save a horse.” He emphasizes that each case is individual.

Emergency Treatment

Should a horse experience laminitis but rotation has not yet occurred, Bras recommends the application of the NANRIC Ultimate cuff shoe as long as the bone alignment matches the shoe.

“That shoe gives the horse 18 to 20 degrees heel elevation,” he says. “The heel elevation helps to optimize the blood supply to the hoof, thereby increasing the chances for a successful outcome.”

Because it doesn’t have to be glued or nailed on, any veterinarian, farrier, or owner (under veterinary supervision) can apply it simply by wrapping it on to secure it to the hoof.

Monitoring sole depth, degree of rotation, and the amount of blood supply during this process are all factors that will guide your veterinarian in directing treatment options, including making the call in extreme cases as to whether or not the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) should be severed to relieve tension and prevent rotation of the coffin bone.

Signs Indicating Outcome

According to Burns, marked improvement in the horse’s comfort, the return of vascular perfusion and growth of the horse’s foot—specifically in terms of sole depth—are all signs that your horse may make a recovery and return to his previous level of performance, or at least a modified version of it.

As a referral farrier making recommendations to help achieve successful outcomes for farriers in the field, Burns recognizes the need to work within principles rather than methods. Understanding that varying methods can all reach the same goal, he says that the first and foremost guiding principle he would like to achieve is recruiting the frog and sole into load-bearing.

This can be accomplished by any number of methods preferred by the horse owner’s farrier, including pads, heart-bar shoes and clogs, all aimed at meeting the needs of both the horse and the owner’s management situation. No matter the method, Burns likes to see a shoe that relieves tension on the laminae when the horse is moving even when he is turning.

Burns also recommends principles to realign the hoof capsule around the distal phalanx (P3 or coffin bone).

“If a horse can’t or won’t show growth, particularly under the tip of P3 or sole depth region, that is a bad sign,” he says.

As treatment progresses, Burns recommends lowering the heel to an appropriate palmar angle for the individual horse without causing increased tension on the DDFT, which results in increased tension on the laminae.

Finally, he advises dressing the hoof wall back to match the dorsal surface of the coffin bone. He says that if the bone stays healthy, you’ve got a much better prognosis for a return to athletic performance.

In the end, both Bras and Burns recommend the combined efforts of a veterinarian/farrier team.

“It’s not a good idea to think that your farrier can handle it on their own,” says Burns.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/horse-founder-treatment-recovery

What is the Cause of Your Horse’s Behavior?

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 04:19:44 GMT

If asked what type of personality your horse has, you might say he’s an alpha, stubborn, people-pleasing, nervous, difficult, easy-going, bold, bombproof, or some other personality trait. You may also believe your assessment is accurate because you know your horse inside and out. You may be 100 percent correct, but you could also be completely mistaken. How could that be if every time you see your horse, his behavior confirms your opinion?

Dictated by Experience

Personality is a hard-wired part of your horse’s psyche. It’s a composite of genetic traits and inherent characteristics, along with that special something that makes every horse unique.The problem with personality-typing a horse based on his actions (or inactions) is that behavior is contingent on experience. That means you’re observing how your horse responds to life versus who he is on a fundamental level.

For instance, let’s say your horse behaves aggressively around other horses. He’s labeled as having a dominant/aggressive personality. We need to look deeper to discover the true motivation behind the aggressive behavior, such as having poor social skills, feeling overwhelmed in large groups, or being bullied earlier in life.

People-pleasing, submissiveness, stubbornness, and excitability are other ways we may describe equine personalities, when in fact they are actually adaptive coping skills. While they are natural responses to stress, especially long-term distress, they are not a healthy state of being.

Appeasement behavior is often misinterpreted as people-pleasing because the horse avoids unpleasant consequences by trying really hard to do what is expected of him. Submissiveness isn’t a personality type, but horses can learn to behave submissively.

When a horse doesn’t stand up for himself, it can be simply because he lacks the motivation to do so. Imagine a horse with a carrot letting another horse take it because avoiding conflict is more appealing to him than the carrot. Another form of submissive behavior occurs when taking a stand leads to a disagreeable conclusion.

Just as often misunderstood, a horse classified as a “stubborn” personality may be reluctant to comply because of emotional distress and/or physical pain. Hoof pain, poor saddle fit, and confusing cues are enough to make any horse want to shut down and refuse to move.

You need to look beyond personality to identify the forces at work that are truly responsible for your horse’s actions. You also need to accept that you will never know with any certainty why your horse behaves the way he does. You would need to be able to read your horse’s mind to know that—a skill most of us don’t possess.

Keep a lid on speculation, too. The odds are you’ll be wrong, and acting on false assumptions can lead to detrimental consequences for you and your horse.

Questions to Ask to Determine Causes of Behavior

The closest you can get to understanding the source of your horse’s behavior is by doing your best to answer these three questions. (Results are subject to interpretation and fall under the category of somewhat educated guess.)

1. What purpose does the behavior serve?

Purpose is at the heart of everything your horse does. The question is, how does avoiding the trailer, refusing to stand at the mounting block, pawing the ground at feeding time, or kicking at the farrier get your horse what he wants or needs?

2. What is triggering the horse’s behavior?

Triggers, also known as antecedents, set behavior in motion. They are environmental (sights, sounds), internal or external physical sensations (back pain, hoof imbalance, girth sores), or connections your horse has made with previous experiences (associations).

Emotions also function as triggers, primary motivators, and responses to environmental and/or physical stimuli. An emotional trigger might be excitement about approaching food that results in pawing.

Emotionally charged memories are powerful, too. For instance, your horse can recall pain from a previous experience as he’s being asked to approach the mounting block. The closer he gets, the more anxious he feels.

His self-preservation instincts take over, and he stops in his tracks—a sensible behavioral response (and not at all personality driven) to the situation.

3. What is the consequence of the horse’s behavior?

Consequence is how your horse feels about the outcome of a behavior. Discover that, and you have a predictive tool for how he may behave in the future, especially under similar circumstances.

For instance, if the consequence of pawing is that your horse gets his bucket, he’s more likely to paw again at the next mealtime. On the other hand, if asking him to lift his left foot has an unpleasant outcome, causing pain in his right foot, it would be no surprise if future requests were met with a no.

When you understand your horse’s motivations, you are better equipped to help him feel safe, joyful and let his true personality shine through.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/cause-of-horse-behavior

Intramuscular Injections for the Horse

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 04:11:43 GMT

Most horse owners will need to give an intramuscular injection at some point. Learn this important skill with advice from a vet.

Needles and horses usually aren’t anyone’s favorite mix, but if you’re around horses long enough, chances are you may need to give your horse an intramuscular (IM) injection. Knowing the key principles behind this procedure will make it much safer and easier for both you and your horse. Let’s take a closer look.

Visualize the Triangle

Although horses are quite muscular, there are limits to the locations where we can safely give intramuscular injections. These injections should be administered deep into a large muscle to ensure that the entire contents of the syringe are adequately absorbed and metabolized.In horses, one of the most common and preferred sites for IM injections is the side of the neck. Chances are you’ve probably seen your veterinarian use this site. But the neck of a horse is a wide, flat structure—how do you know exactly where to stick the needle?

An easy way to know for sure is to find the “ triangle ” formed by three structures in the neck. The nuchal ligament forms the first border; this is the thick ligament that runs from the poll to the withers and holds up the mane. The injection should be below the nuchal ligament.

The second border is made up of the cervical vertebrae (neck bones). This is a little trickier; many people actually mistake the nuchal ligament for the horse’s spine. However, the spinal column in the neck drops almost straight down from the poll and curves at the bottom to meet the thoracic vertebrae at the point of the shoulder.

Finally, the injection should be in front of the shoulder blade, which you can feel if not see. Within these three borders you’ll have a space roughly the size of your open hand. This is where you should give the injection.

The neck is the most frequently used site for IM injections due to its accessibility, but there are other locations you can consider. The pectoral muscles in the chest are another convenient location. If used, make sure to stand to the side of the horse, not directly in front, and aim for the center of one of the pecs.

The hamstrings are also an option, but serious consideration to your safety must be made: As you might imagine, injections near the hindquarters put you in danger of being kicked. Rarely are the gluteal muscles used. Although the tops of the haunches are a nice large muscle mass, if infection occurs and an abscess needs to be lanced, this area provides poor drainage.

The Technique for an Intramuscular Injection

When giving any medication to your horse, first start by confirming the following three things:

◆ Is it the correct drug?
◆ Is it the correct dose?
◆ Is it the correct delivery method?

Once you’ve confirmed all three, pick your injection location. Make sure the horse’s skin is dry and free of dirt and grime. Next, with your horse wearing a halter, have a handler hold the lead rope and stand on the same side as you.

Always use a new needle for every injection. Never share needles between horses to prevent the spread of disease and dulling of the needle.

Deliberately insert the needle perpendicular to the skin and all the way to the hub. Do this in a firm and quick movement. Some people like to desensitize the horse first with a pinch of the skin or a few taps of your hand prior to the stick. Using these tricks will depend on the horse and the location you choose.

Once the needle is fully inserted, pull back on the plunger slightly; this is a good habit to ensure you’re not in a small blood vessel. If there is blood in the hub, pull out the needle and slightly redirect. Once you confirm there is no blood, depress the plunger steadily until empty, then pull the syringe out. There should be minimal if any blood on the skin.

Once you’ve given the injection, be sure to safely dispose of the used needle. Although you can purchase a specific container for sharps disposal at a pharmacy (like those red tubs you see at hospitals), any hard plastic tub with a secure lid will do. Laundry detergent bottles or coffee canisters with fitted lids work very well. Mark the container with a label, like “Sharps,” so that everyone is aware of its contents.

Possible Complications

Troubleshooting injection site reactions and infections are the two biggest risks when giving an IM injection. Reactions tend to occur despite good aseptic technique; this is the immune system’s reaction to the drug and can range from a small lump and temporary muscle soreness to hives or anaphylactic shock.

If your horse is known to be sensitive to certain types of medications, talk with your veterinarian before giving him an IM injection on your own.

Some medications are known to be more irritating to muscle than others; for this reason, always contact your veterinarian before giving a drug IM that you don’t have experience giving.

NOTE: Not all drugs can be given in the muscle; phenylbutazone (bute) is a prime example. Injectable bute should only be given intravenously (IV) by a person experienced in giving IV injections. Bute should never be given IM, as it causes severe tissue damage.

An infection, usually evidenced by an abscess at the injection site, can be avoided by using clean, sterile needles and syringes and injecting with the correct technique through clean, dry skin.

If an infection does occur, the site will swell and become hot and painful to the touch. The horse may have a fever and go off feed. Abscess formation requires draining for complete healing and a veterinarian should be called to do this. Antibiotics and pain medications are typically prescribed.

One rare but serious complication from IM injections is the risk of Clostridial myositis. This is a deadly bacterial infection from Clostridium bacteria. These bacteria and their spores are ubiquitous in the environment and are also in the horse’s intestinal tract.

Sometimes a deep intramuscular injection can create the perfect anaerobic environment that triggers these spores to activate, resulting in a severe systemic infection in the horse that can quickly progress to septic shock. Being knowledgeable of the drug you are administering is helpful in preventing these cases. When in doubt or unsure, always check with your veterinarian first.

When To Administer an Intramuscular Injection

Although some of the risks involved with giving a horse an intramuscular injection are serious, be assured that some common medications can be safely administered in the muscle of horses. These include certain antibiotics, such as penicillin and gentamicin, as well as sedatives and tranquilizers like xylazine and acepromazine, and vaccines .

Although the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) flunixin meglumine, also known as Banamine , is approved for IM injection in horses, it has been associated with Clostridial myositis. For this reason, Banamine is safer when given IV or orally.

For any medication you have never given IM or are unsure of, always call your veterinarian prior to administration.

IM injections are a useful basic medical skill to have as a horse owner. With knowledge, practice, and someone to help hold your horse, you can confidently add this to your horsemanship toolkit.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/intramuscular-injections-for-horse

History of the horse in Australia

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:02:42 GMT

In modern times transporting horses around the world isn’t such an extraordinary thought. They are loaded on a plane and off they go arriving at their destination safely and happy and usually in a short time frame but back when Australia was first settled, it wasn’t so straightforward. They spent anywhere from 9 -12 months on a ship in conditions that only the toughest survived.

The first horses arrived in Australia in 1788 with the first fleet, they consisted mainly of thoroughbred and Spanish breeds. To survive such a grueling trip and then adapt to their new environment they had to be strong. When that first ship arrived, it had on board a stallion, 4 mares, and 2 yearlings as more settlers arrived by ship more horses and breeds arrived and from there is where the history of the Australian horse began.

They were used to help build the new colony, from exploring the new land to transport, communication, and farming. As the colony developed more breeds of horses were introduced, the weak were moved on and the strongest used to breed with. It is from these origins that the Waler developed, a strong, reliable horse with plenty of stamina and hardiness. Their reputation for having these qualities is what led them to be eagerly sorted by the British military and trade soon developed with thousands of the breed shipped overseas, the first Australian breed Walers were sent to war in India in 1857. They were more reliable than other breeds and for this reason, up to 160,000 Walers served in World War 1.

By 1810 the first horse race in Hyde Park Sydney took place and there were now 203 horses in NSW. From here and throughout the next century the equine population of Australia dramatically grew and now we have approximately one million domestic horses in Australia.

So next time you hear about our Australian equestrian team heading off overseas or the international racehorses coming to Australia, spare a thought for what the very first horses had to endure on their trip and how important they were in building this country and our equine industry.

Written by Selena. P

Source: https://www.ranvet.com.au/history-of-the-horse-in-australia/

Preventing Common Injuries in Performance Horses

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 23:54:45 GMT

Preventing Common Injuries in Performance Horses

Performance horses can be at risk of injury due to the physical demands of their sport. Although accidents can’t be completely prevented, there are some strategies we can implement to assist our horses in having a long and healthy career.

Proper training and conditioning: Ensuring our horses are of correct fitness for the demands of their discipline is of upmost importance. Develop a structured training program that includes a variety of exercise and activities to cover all muscles groups, and as your horse becomes fitter, the intensity of such exercise can be gradually increased.

Nutritious Diet: A healthy balanced diet is essential for maintaining your horse’s overall well-being and health. In performance horses especially, providing the correct levels of energy, protein, salts, vitamins and minerals, is a critical component of success. Supplementation can also be incorporated into the diet specific to performance needs, such as Electrolytes to replace nutrients lost in sweat and aid recovery, or even joint supplements.

Regular Grooming and Care: Carrying out a regular grooming routine not only helps with skin condition, but allows us to monitor for any lumps, abrasions, or abnormalities. A care routine also extends to regular hoof care, dental care, and vaccinations, as well as treatments such as massages.

Use the right equipment: Both the combination of correct and well-fitting equipment can aid in comfort and reducing tack related injuries. Ensure you have the correct safety equipment for your sport, such as protection boots for jumping and cross country. Regularly check both the condition and cleanliness of your tack, replacing items that may be worn out and removing any dried sweat to reduce the risk of irritation. Check that all your tack is well fitted before each ride and monitor for any abnormalities, such as rubbing, after each ride.

Warm Up and Cool Down: Following an effective warm-up routine prepares your horses muscles and joints for the activities that are ahead. A gradual increase in intensity as you warm up will allow the rider to monitor for any abnormalities in movement or breathing. Providing a proper cool down post-exercise is also crucial in allowing the dispersion of lactic acid, bringing down the heart rate, and reducing the onset of conditions such as tying up.

Source: https://www.ranvet.com.au/preventing-common-injuries-in-performance-horses/

Preparing for Competition: Self-Reflection

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 22:23:12 GMT

The following is an excerpt from Winning with Horses , by Adam Snow and Shelley Onderdonk, DVM, about preparing for competition through some self-reflection.

Why is the mental state of the human so important to a sport commonly calculated as 80 percent horse? Because just as horses feel fear, tension, and anxiety, so too do they feel a confident rider with clear intent. Being present and calm, staying with your breath, and having a positive attitude about your objectives gives your horse an advantage.

Regardless of which horse sport you compete in, winning is the preferred goal. But it is typically nowhere in my own preparatory thoughts. In fact, the less I think about results, the better I can play. If result-oriented expectations do arise pre-competition, I enjoy the good ones, let the not-so-good ones slip away, and trust that when I begin playing, all expectations will disappear.

The line of questioning that most inspired me was something called the four resonance questions, developed by the sports psychologist Doug Newburg:

1. “What feelings do you seek to experience in your sport?”

2. “What prepares you to experience these feelings?”

3. “What prevents these feelings from occurring?”

4. “How can you get these feelings back when they are lost?”

Sorting through my answers to these questions, I was eventually able to articulate my “dream” in my sport. Although I wrote the following passage when I was 10 goals and 39 years old, most of it still holds true for me today:

The fall season has come and gone—some good, some bad. The other day I found a quote in a book—Close Range by Annie Proulx—which I had underlined years ago. It inspired me. Here is what it said about the “rough, bruising life” of a young rodeo rider: “…when he got on there was the dark lightning in his gut, a feeling of blazing real existence.”

This rings true for me. The dream for my polo is that feeling of blazing real existence. It makes me feel alive. One way that it blazes is that my senses are wide open when playing, totally perceptive, and acutely sensitive. Maybe it’s adrenaline, maybe it’s the sense of challenge about using my skills toward a contest. Perhaps it’s my “love-hate” relationship toward competitive situations—“Who is better?” Whatever, why-ever, I know that my gut blazes and I get that feeling of aliveness.

My dream is to find this feeling of intensity and sensory connection when I am playing my game. I can even learn to appreciate it (enjoy it?) while it’s there, and not only after the event. I reach this state through giving it my all; through thinking good thoughts, which enhance my confidence and ability to play well. Perhaps the stars just lined up correctly? This is the challenge: getting myself to this state of being. And it is another state of being—one of total awareness. I’m acting by “letting go” and letting my body lead. I’m not looking much at other players (teammates, opponents) or umpires. I’m trusting the strength of my horses; they feel a part of me. I may have a short outburst at an ump or opponent, but my anger quickly dissolves because there is no time. I have the next play to execute or prepare for. I am in it. My mind is comfortably locked on my objectives. These are simple and clear.

I am human and unnecessary thoughts do arise, even during best-best performances: “Geez, I’m playing one of my best games ever!” “I missed those two goals, I really want to finish my next chance—who’s watching?” “I hope we win this one, I just got out-dueled.” These thoughts are there, but when I’m living my dream and playing from my gut, I can deal with them. I recognize that it’s okay to have them—everybody does—and bring myself back to my breath, my tree, or my “next play” mantra. Sometimes, when the feeling doesn’t come easily in a particular match, the best technique is to try to “just be there,” with a calm mind, and trust that the game will get into me. That can be enough. It allows the sport to bring out my instincts, my anticipation, and hopefully my total connection with my horses and what I am doing. Outside the parameters of my field, good things come—accolades, money, team offers—because of my connection inside that field, and because of my mindset, which ironically has a lot to do with not caring what people think outside the boards. Even my goals of playing at the highest level of the sport for a long time, of being a great 10-goal player, of fulfilling my potential, are really things outside the boards. What is inside is that emotion of blazing real existence. Visit this often, go for it, and if it’s meant to be, my goals will take care of themselves.

My dream is to immerse in the feelings of intensity that I get from playing the game. I put myself in the most competitive situations possible because these challenges bring the “lightning in my gut.” Love-hate it may be, but these big feelings are my dream. They exist because I care.

I believe competition is a time to emphasize our strengths, to focus on positive things in our control, to trust and play. This is the best way I’ve found for putting expectations to the side, letting go, and enjoying the performance. Famous dance choreographer Alvin Ailey said that “freedom comes through discipline.” The discipline to prepare to the teeth, gives us the freedom to perform all out, thought-free.

I have come to believe that our mood, too, is in our control. Being positive simply means that you see the choices in front of you. We may sense that we woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or that our warm-up was a disaster, but it is usually possible to find (or invent) a positive lining—“bad rehearsal means good performance”—and shift focus onto the little things within our control. “What do I love about my sport?” is a question I ask myself before entering the competitive arena. For me: I love the ball, the teamwork, and the feel of the horse under me.

Free yourself of result-oriented thoughts, and bring your awareness into the present. Feel your calming breath flowing in and out, see the texture of the footing, hear the cadence of your horse’s stride. With your senses wide awake, and in the here and now, execute the task at hand to the best of your ability. Trust yourself. Trust your horse. Put your focus on the doing. After all, as Chungliang Al Huang and Jerry Lynch say in Thinking Body, Dancing Mind, “Focusing on the moment-by-moment joy and elation of the event will usually be reflected in winning outcomes.”

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/preparing-for-competition-self-reflection

Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 22:13:59 GMT

If you own horses, chances are that you’ve probably heard of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE. Transmitted by mosquitoes that carry the equine encephalitis virus, this sickness can cause severe inflammation of the brain in horses (and in rarer cases, humans) and could potentially lead to death. What exactly is Eastern Equine Encephalitis? And how can you prevent this disease? Learn the signs and symptoms, prevention techniques, and everything else you need to know about this deadly mosquito-transmitted disease.

Equine Encephalitis: The Deadly Mosquito-Carrying Disease

Equine encephalitis is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain. There are three types of this virus: Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) which is mostly found in the Eastern United States and Canada, western equine encephalitis (WEE) that has been isolated from Argentina to Western Canada and in the U.S. States west of the Mississippi River, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) that is primarily found in Central and South America – although it has been found in Mexico and Southern parts of the United States. All these diseases are spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Keep in mind that all different types of mosquitoes can spread different variants of these diseases.

Although this disease is rare, EEE is the most common to occur in the United States. It is spread by the mosquito Culiseta melanura and mainly affects equine species like horses, mules, donkeys, and zebras. However, other animals such as pigs, llamas, bats, reptiles, amphibians, rodents, and some birds can contract this disease. People CAN become infected after being bitten by an infected mosquito, but the disease isn’t transmitted from animal to human or human to human.

The Signs and Symptoms of Equine Encephalitis

Viral encephalitis viruses affect the nervous system, so there are specific symptoms and signs that you should be on the lookout for. EEE is diagnosed through bloodwork, but the animal infected could show signs of the disease with fevers, depression, and changes of behavior. Other signs include:

Impaired vision
Muscle twitching
Circling or head-pressing behaviors
Inability to swallow
Lethargy
Trouble walking and standing
Weakness
Paralysis
Convulsions

Horses infected with EEE often have a low chance of survival – which is why prevention is key. If you start noticing any of these symptoms in horses, you should immediately call your vet. People who become infected with this disease often experience different symptoms depending on the type of virus that was transmitted. Signs of this virus in humans are:

Sudden fever
Chills and body aches
Headache
Disorientation
Vomiting
Tremors or seizures
Paralysis

If not treated right away, permanent brain damage or death can occur. If you notice any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately.

Preventing Equine Encephalitis Virus

Prevention is key when it comes to keeping your horses safe and healthy. There are vaccines available to horses for each type of Equine Encephalitis virus. Vets recommended that horses get vaccines annually while the vaccine booster may be encouraged when outbreaks occur or when warm climates have year-round mosquito activity. Because the carriers of this disease are mosquitoes, taking steps to prevent and protect your animals from these pests to minimize the exposure and possibility of the disease are important.

The following preventative measures can help you keep your horses safe (along with vaccinating them):

Eliminate mosquito attractants from your property or barn like trash, debris, etc.
Remove standing water from the yard and remove things that collect water
Take care of your lawn by mowing and landscaping
Purchase mosquito-prevention technology
Applying repellent sprays
Place a fan in your barn to deter mosquitoes from flying in
Keep horses in at night or when mosquito activity is high at dusk or dawn

Source: https://www.zarebasystems.com/articles/eastern-equine-encephalitis

Improving Your Horse’s Water Intake

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 22:28:56 GMT

Learn why your horse should always have water available to him and how to improve his water intake.

We are all familiar with the old adage “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” There are times when you might feel that your horse has fallen off on an appropriate water intake, particularly in hot summer heat or on cold winter days. No matter the time of year, insufficient water intake poses significant health risks for your horses from dehydration, not the least of which could be impaction colic.

Water is the most essential nutrient available to animals. Domestic animals can go for many weeks without food, but they cannot survive long without water. So what can you do to stimulate your horse to drink? In this article, we’ll consider how to approach the many situations your horse might encounter that might alter its water intake, from daily life on the farm to summer exercise demands, travel, and winter weather.

Hydration Tips on the Farm

Clean, fresh water encourages drinking, which promotes intestinal health and normal peristaltic movement of the intestines. Automatic waterers provide a non-stop source of water, but they should be monitored for function and cleaned regularly of debris.

Some systems are even able to track how much water a horse drinks, which is helpful information in many situations.

When using an automatic water system, make sure a horse knows how to work it, especially if it requires a muzzle push to activate. Float-valve waterers simply fill the reservoir as a horse drinks, without any effort on his part. Also ensure that the noise of water filling the reservoir doesn’t cause your horse to back away. Some waterers won’t fill as fast as a horse can drink, so install one with a large reservoir when possible.

Feed your horse as close to a water source as possible. Some horses like to dunk their hay, especially those with dental issues. Other horses will drink more when they are eating if they don’t have to wander very far to the water tank, leaving their food.

Soaking pelleted feed and/or beet pulp into a mash can provide quite a bit of water intake, especially if two to three gallons of water is mixed in with the feed. Even soaking flakes of hay adds water for ingestion.

Hay cubes and chopped forage accept a good proportion of added water and are an especially helpful food choice for older horses with dental issues. Psyllium is also known for its water-retention properties in the intestinal tract in addition to its adjunctive role of moving sand and dirt through the bowel.

Water quality is affected by contaminants such as blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), bacteria, viruses, parasites, sulphates, nitrates, manure, and salinity or alkalinity. Filtration systems that prevent or remove such contaminants in your water supply can vastly improve palatability.

Hydration in Winter

Horses are more reluctant to drink excessively cold water and certainly are unable to drink frozen water (ice). Horse owners should not consider snow as a water source in winter and should always provide an adequate source of fresh, non-frozen water.

Studies have demonstrated a 40% greater water intake when water is warm compared to water near ambient freezing temperatures. Water intake in winter is just as critical as intake during hot weather and exercise. Reduced water intake tends to decrease feed consumption while increasing the risk of developing an impaction colic.

If you know that a cold spell is imminent, start increasing your horse’s hay a bit in advance of a storm. This should stimulate more water intake before the temperature drops.

If you use an ancillary heating element for your water tank in cold climates, you must maintain it regularly. A well-grounded water tank heater keeps water at a temperature preferred by most horses, which is about 45-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Check that the tank and water heater are operational in advance of winter and aren’t passing electrical shocks into the drinking water.

I recall a time when my horse lived on a ranch with 20 others, and the horses would approach the water tank eagerly, start to take a drink and step back suddenly. The cause: a short in the heating element that caused a low-grade voltage shock like a buzz with every drinking attempt. The horses greedily dove right in to drink once the problem was resolved.

There also can be some horses that are more sensitive to stray electricity than others. So just because some horses in a field are drinking doesn’t mean that all horses are getting enough water if there is stray voltage in the trough.

Encasing electrical cords in plastic pipe or securing them out of reach of inquisitive mouths helps to horse-proof cords to avoid electrocution. Check stock tanks and automatic watering systems daily to ensure active function and safety, and that water lines haven’t frozen or suffered a mechanical failure. Solar-powered, freeze-free water troughs are also an option.

In the absence of a tank heater or heated automatic watering system, be sure to break ice in the water tank at least twice daily. Ice-free water should be available free-choice at all times, when possible. It might help to partially cover a tank with a well-affixed board so that snow doesn’t accumulate quickly on the water surface. A partial tank cover also is useful to prevent a horse from grabbing the tank heater that is submersed at the bottom of the trough.

Hydration for Exercise Demands

Digestion of the large amounts of fiber that horses consume each day requires large volumes of water to fuel normal metabolic processes and food digestion, and to maintain body fluid levels, including production of sufficient saliva to lubricate chewed food and prevent choke.

For every pound of food consumed, a horse needs a minimum of two to four pints of water. Therefore, a diet of 20 pounds of hay necessitates intake of 40-80 pints of water, equivalent to five to 10 gallons. That is just the water necessary for digestive function!

At least 10-12 gallons a day of water intake is needed to support the variety of body maintenance functions in a temperate climate. In hot weather, water needs might increase to as much as 20 gallons a day, and even more when a horse is engaged in rigorous exercise.

Twice as much water is necessary for a horse fed only dry forage (hay) compared to a horse eating pasture with its high moisture content.

For horses engaged in endurance or trail disciplines, high amounts of dietary fiber are advantageous because they “hold” water within the large intestines, where it is accessed during protracted exercise.

Body water is lost through urine, defecation and in large amounts through sweat generated during exercise. Reduced water intake also reduces intestinal fluid with a potential to develop impaction colic. The optimal preventive strategy to avoid dehydration is to provide clean water at all times.

An important part of the thirst reflex relies on the concentration of blood sodium. Loss of electrolytes in sweat can cause enough sodium loss that even though a horse needs to drink, he loses his drive to do so.

Following exercise, or during protracted periods of exercise, supplement horses with one to two ounces of oral electrolytes (use products that are mostly salt and not laced with sugars). Salt can be added to food or administered via a syringe, and salt licks or free-choice loose salt should be available at all times.

Hydration for Travel

Many horses travel for a living, spending quite a bit of time on the road whether to work, trails or competitions. Travel requires quite a bit of muscular work for balance in the trailer, and there is the added stress of acclimation to a new environment and stimuli once the horse arrives at its destination. Travel is known to cause reduce feed intake in horses, and that leads to a reduction in water consumption. What can you do to entice your horse to drink better on the road and in a new place?

• Offer water every three to four hours during a journey. Hang a bucket in the trailer that holds enough water for a horse to sip without water sloshing all over the floor. At rest stops, offer a fresh bucket of water and give a horse several opportunities to drink before assuming he won’t.

• Bring a selection of water buckets of varying materials—plastic, aluminum, and rubber—so your horse has a choice. Bucket material can affect water taste.

• A study looked at the use of different colored water buckets, finding that horses have a preference for drinking from turquoise or light blue-colored buckets compared to darker tones of green, yellow or red.

• Bring water from home to help wean your horse to the taste in local water at your destination.

• Flavor your horse’s water. This is a good practice to start at home to train your horse to accept a different taste. In a five-gallon bucket, you can add one of the following: a) ¼ cup apple cider or juice; b) 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar; c) ¼ cup beet pulp juice; d) a little molasses; or e) powdered electrolytes or Gatorade. Peppermint candy-loving horses might drink better if a peppermint candy or candy cane is dropped into the water bucket. (For horses with insulin dysregulation, it is best not to add sugar-containing products to feed or water.)

• Offer a bucket of flavored or electrolyte-laced water along with a bucket of plain water to give your horse a choice.

• Clean water buckets daily.

Monitoring Hydration

There are some simple tools you can use to determine whether your horse is consuming ample water.

• Look at the gums for mucous membrane moistness and a normal pink color.

• Look at the manure to make sure it is adequately moist and not just dried balls of feces. Check for ample urination spots in the paddock or stall.

• Learn how to listen to intestinal sounds on both sounds of the horse’s flanks.

• Pinch up the skin of the eyelid or at the point of the shoulder to see how quickly it relaxes back to normal as a hydration skin test.

Take-Home Message

Keeping track of your horse’s water intake helps ensure that your strategies to improve water intake are working. Above all, make sure your horse has a steady supply of good, clean, ice-free water at all times.

Source: https://stablemanagement.com/articles/improving-your-horses-water-intake/

Visualization Skills for Riders

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 22:18:35 GMT

By using correct visualization techniques, you can improve your riding performance in the show ring without any extra miles under saddle.

One of the biggest challenges you can face as a rider is trying to effectively incorporate your practice sessions while in the ring at a horse show. All disciplines are affected by the heightened energy at a show, where the nerves of horses, riders, and spectators combine with an unfamiliar atmosphere to make a very high-pressure situation.

Every show (and often different classes at the same show) can have different rules regarding whether riders may practice ahead of time in the arena where they will compete. Even if riders are allowed in the ring ahead of time, there are many variables that may affect that practice session, including other riders, a fresh horse , arena maintenance , et cetera.

However, the one thing that you have complete control over is your mental preparation .

Visualization of Success

One of the most tried-and-true methods in mentally preparing for competition is visualization. Visualization is crucial when riding because it allows you to experience the competition ahead of time in a way that is otherwise impossible.

Something that will greatly enhance your ability to visualize is to spend time around the outside of the arena and soak in the view from all angles. Time spent walking inside the arena is also valuable, but not always possible. This helps your brain build a 3-D picture by taking note of the colors of banners, jumps or other obstacles in the ring, objects just outside the arena fence like seating, landscaping, or judge’s booths, and also getting an idea of the distances and angles between the different obstacles or jumps.

Visualization is extremely effective because when done correctly, it activates and strengthens the same neural pathways as actual physical practice. Visualizing should take about the same amount of time as the actual ride; for example, a dressage test visualization should take about four minutes if that is the projected time for riding the test.

How many times you choose to visualize the ride is up to you. You may choose to visualize a certain number of times, visualize periodically up until your ride, or continue until it flows very smoothly in your mind.

In the event that you visualize something incorrectly, whether it be an incorrect sequence or an actual mistake, you may choose to “rewind” the visualization and start again just before the mistake, or you can restart completely.

It’s important to recognize, however, that thinking ahead about the small corrections your horse may need, such as extra right leg to prevent a right drift, is a crucial part of the plan rather than a mistake in your visualization.

Feel the Ride

Probably the most misunderstood thing about visualization is that people think of watching themselves ride their class, course, test, or pattern as if they were a spectator outside the arena. This does not serve the same purpose nor provide the same benefits as closing your eyes and truly feeling yourself ride the class, course, test, or pattern as you intend to ride it.

Visualization should be an immersive experience during which you imagine activating the muscles you’ll need to execute your plan. This means dialing into your focus ahead of time and building sensory memory.

It’s important to be as detailed as possible during each run-through so that your mind begins to relate to the class, course, test, or pattern as a familiar experience. Tune in to the feeling of your legs on your horse’s sides, stretching up tall through your upper body, looking ahead to where you are going next, or whatever else you know will need your mental attention during your ride.

Be sure to include all aspects of the arena while you are visualizing so that then the crowd, the flapping banner, or the two jumps that are confusingly placed next to each other are all familiar by the time you actually enter the ring on horseback.

Environment and Routine

It’s important that you maintain a focus-friendly environment while you are visualizing. It’s not a good time for friends and family to be bombarding you with questions or playing loud music or videos right next to you.

You may be able to establish a boundary ahead of time by giving a brief explanation of what you will be doing, or it may take a few shows for your supporters to begin to understand this new part of your routine.

Visualization may not come naturally to you at first, but I encourage you to take control of your mind in order to create a competition environment that has fewer variables and more opportunities for practice and preparation than are available solely in the physical body.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/visualization-skills-for-horse-riders

How to Back a Horse Trailer

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:52:14 GMT

It’s the end of a busy horse show day, and you’re worn out. The horses are loaded, your gear is packed, and you just want to head for home. Unfortunately, the parking lot that was wide open when you parked is now crowded with trucks and trailers. And the only way for you to get out is to … yikes! Back the trailer.

While you can often ask for help, there is some peace of mind in knowing how to confidently back the trailer on your own. Don’t just shrug helplessly in defeat—backing a trailer is challenging, but less difficult than some of the skills you’ve mastered on your horse.

1. Practice Ahead of Time

It might sound mundane to practice backing a trailer. Life is busy enough as it is—you’re lucky to carve out enough time to take your horse out on the weekends, let alone practicing backing with an empty trailer when you don’t need to.

But think of it this way—you wouldn’t expect to load your horse for the very first time on show day. Instead, you would take time and carefully train him to safely and efficiently load in the trailer long before you need to take him to a show. So why treat yourself any differently?

Learn your backup procedures in a quiet, low-pressure environment where you have plenty of time to think through the steps without a deadline, without horses in the back that need to get on the road, and without your tired family demanding fast food for the trip home.

2. Learn the “Reset” Trick

First, learn how to recover from mistakes. If your trailer starts to pivot too quickly away from the truck, do this:

◆ Stop.

◆ Straighten the wheel.

◆ Pull forward slowly.

◆ Watch what’s happening behind you and pull forward until the truck and trailer are perfectly straight again.

◆ Now you’re reset and ready to keep trying. If you have room, you can reset at any time and quickly recover from a potential jackknife.

3. Try a Simple Turn in Reverse

The key to controlling your trailer in reverse is to understand how to make turns. This is the secret:

◆ Use the reset trick to get the rig completely straight.

◆ Stop moving.

◆ Turn your truck’s steering wheel in a direction opposite of what you want the trailer to do (this is probably the biggest mental challenge to overcome). For instance, if you’d like the trailer to turn to the right, start by turning your steering wheel left. Turn the wheel about half the way to its maximum distance. If you turn too little, not much will happen. If you turn too much, you get into jackknife territory.

◆ Move the rig in reverse a short distance—say 3 or 4 feet.

◆ Stop again.

◆ Take a good look at what has happened so far. There should be a gentle bend at the hitch between your truck and trailer—and your trailer should be aimed to the right a bit.

◆ Turn the steering wheel back to the right, so that the truck now follows the trailer’s path (this is important!).

◆ Start going in reverse again and keep a careful watch on what’s happening.

◆ If all goes well, the truck and trailer should stay in a nice gentle turn for as long as you need, with the truck following behind.

◆ Make small adjustments to the steering wheel to keep the curve the way you want it (see next step).

4. Make Tiny Adjustments as You Go

Whether you’re performing a turn or just backing straight up, the trailer will want to start deviating from its path the whole time, and you have to be ready.

◆ If the trailer starts drifting too far right, turn the steering wheel harder to the right to catch it.

◆ If the trailer drifts left, turn left harder.

◆ Imagine that the trailer is balancing in the air on its hitch and you have to move the truck to stay underneath it and keep it upright.

◆ Stop and think whenever you need to.

◆ Remember to use the reset trick early—if you do it before you get into big trouble, it only takes a couple seconds to fix problems.

5. Start Off Small

Part of what makes a horse trailer so difficult to maneuver in reverse is that it’s big and you can’t see everything around it. To help you master backing, try practicing with something more manageable, like a riding lawnmower or ATV with a little garden cart.

The steering concepts are identical, but you can effortlessly see what’s happening behind you and learn faster. This is a very helpful way to master the skill of backing a trailer.

6. Use Those Mirrors

Your side mirrors are important for helping you avoid obstacles while you’re backing, so use them to your advantage. You can even purchase side mirror extenders designed specifically for towing. But you also need to look out the back window (it will help you see how the trailer is pivoting) and out the driver’s side window.

The backup process doesn’t have to be fast. You can always stop moving, look out the window, and see what’s happening. You may even want to get out of the truck to take a closer look.

7. Try a Back Up Camera

If you have a newer vehicle, it almost certainly has a backup camera pre-installed. But did you know you can easily purchase an add-on backup camera for your horse trailer?

A backup camera will aid you in making precise turns in reverse, but the real way these shine is by showing you what’s in your blind spot directly behind the trailer. It’s a good safety tool. Some of these systems allow you to add an interior camera for watching the horses, too.

8. Keep the Trailer Hitched

Maybe you need your tow vehicle as a daily driver and can’t leave it attached to the trailer for any length of time. But if it’s not, consider leaving your truck and trailer connected for a week. Go out each day and practice backing into parking spot lines in an empty parking lot. Without adding in the hookup time, you’ll be more inclined to practice.

Backing the trailer is a very important skill to learn if you haul your horse at all, and should make life a little less chaotic next time you’re on the road with your animals. Good luck!

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/how-to-back-a-horse-trailer

Your Equestrian Wellness & Fitness Journey

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 22:35:33 GMT

Curate the wellness and horsemanship practices that work best for you.

The start of a new year is the perfect time to reassess our wellness regimens as equestrians, as well as determine how we’d like our horsemanship to look in the new year. It can be easy to buy into the media-driven version of what fitness, wellness, and horsemanship should look like, but it’s important and enriching to create your own experience by listening to your inner voice.

Make Your Equestrian Wellness & Fitness Plan Own

Many things fall under the umbrella of wellness and horsemanship; this looks different for each of us and it transforms as we move into different phases.

It’s natural and wise to modify both as you and your horse change. Gauging and adjusting needs and lifestyle to your current situation is a tool for living well and staying healthy and happy.

As a long-time yogini (woman dedicated to yogic practices and tradition) and horsewoman, I’ve always looked at my horsemanship and wellness as interconnected; the two reflect each other. We can’t expect our horses to be the only ones to stay physically, mentally, and emotionally sound, yet not work on ourselves. We are better for our equines when we are wholly healthy.

As my horses and I have grown older, the ways we partner have changed and so have our wellness practices. What kept me fit at age 20 is different than what I now require in my mid-50s. Long gone are the days of staying up late and eating whatever I wanted; I’ve modified my fitness routine and have also redefined how I spend time with my horses.

Long gone are also the days of arduous backcountry trail rides and pack trips. We’ve modified to short, easy retirement rides and lots of quality time at the barn . Often, we spend languid grooming sessions and omit riding altogether.

Time for Change

Just because we did something for some time does not mean we have to do it forever. A wise person does not cling to what once was; this is an important life lesson if we are to live the flow of grace. Change is the one thing we can count on!

Maybe you used to be a jogger but now walking feels better. Or you may have been a hard-core weight trainer, but currently find yoga more suitable. In your horsemanship, it’s perfectly fine to have once been a competitive eventer , but you’ve discovered that liberty work or another discipline is more fitting.

It’s all about dialing in to inner knowing, becoming clear on what’s in your best interest and for the good of your horse. Often when we don’t, it’s counterproductive; it can be easier to get injured or to injure your horse, or make mistakes based on poor judgment, basing our choices on what we used to do.

It’s important to pay attention when it’s time to modify. Perhaps your horse is showing physical signs of being unable to work in the manner he used to, or you’re both no longer enjoying riding as you once did—it could be that it’s become too physically, mentally, or emotionally challenging. These and other signals can be indicators that an adjustment is in order.

Rather than viewing change as a loss, reframe the idea from something negative into something exciting and interesting, identifying new pathways forward. It can be pleasant, liberating, and empowering to personalize your wellness and your horsemanship.

How to Get Started

◆ Spend some quiet time and honestly reflect on what you want and need to be doing at this time. Analyze if you’re participating in certain types of wellness and/or equestrian activities because you enjoy them and they work for you, or if it’s due to peer pressure or keeping up with the latest trend.

◆ Determine what works for you now. It can be helpful to write a list or journal about how you’d like your wellness regime and your time with horses to look.

◆ Identify practical and proactive steps to achieve your new goals.

◆ Be realistic and don’t set the bar too high or get attached to expectations, but rather move enthusiastically toward your goals with a gracious attitude of acceptance.

◆ Find a support network of others with similar interests .

◆ Take your first steps in this new direction. Begin by researching or dipping a toe into these new waters to see what you think.

Try Something New

Maybe you no longer wish to or are unable to ride but you still enjoy owning horses. Open up to new and fulfilling ways to partner with your horse, such as mindful grooming sessions or in-hand work.

If the season has come that you no longer own horses but still enjoy being around them, you can volunteer at a local rescue or explore the field of equine-assisted therapy.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to try yoga, but you’re not quite ready to jump into an in-person class, so you dabble with some online sessions first.

Personal Equestrian Fitness & Wellness Plan

Create a three-column list: Body, Mind & Spirit. Under each column, list activities that support how to best care for each aspect of your being, and do at least one from each column every day.

Here’s a sample list: (see photo in the link below)

Taking care of the horse’s body and mind is not so different from taking care of the your own body and mind; it’s all about fine-tuning and adapting. It’s OK to permit yourself to adjust, otherwise you’ll be going against the current. Remember this quote/metaphor: “Ride your horse in the direction he’s going.”

There’s no endgame to personal growth or horsemanship. Here’s to curating your own experience to thrive in the new year!

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/your-equestrian-wellness-fitness-plan

10 Common Horse Care Mistakes

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 04:01:27 GMT

The following horse care mistakes are simple to be on the lookout for, but you have to be vigilant when keeping an eye on your horse’s health and care quality.

No one goes through life without making mistakes, and luckily for us, most errors have minor consequences. Even so, life with horses raises the bar because they are large, heavy, quick, easy to scare, and require a high level of care — in which case, mistakes can have more severe consequences.

We worry about our horses being too hot or too cold or exposed to sudden weather fluctuations. We stand in stores reading fly spray labels to determine which might work best and fret about whether a rain sheet, mid-weight, or heavy turnout rug is necessary, only to then worry about our horse sweating or shivering under it if we pick the wrong one.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that our overworked minds might miss something. Problems pop up like pasture weeds. Here are 10 potentially problematic horse care mistakes to keep on your radar.

1. Over-Blanketing

Opinions about blanketing horses are as fraught with emotion as those about keeping newborn babies warm. Is the baby cold? Too warm? Is the blanket too tight, too loose? When should it be removed? The decision to blanket depends primarily upon weather conditions, temperature, available shelter, and your horse’s hair coat.

If your horse lives outdoors and wears a turnout rug, it should be removed daily for grooming while his skin is checked for rubs and his overall body condition is noted. Clipped horses have their natural protection removed, and need heavier blankets than horses with natural coats. Rain sheets and mid-weights are often enough for unclipped horses, while heavy rugs and neck covers are usually needed if the horse is clipped, thin, or used to a warmer climate.

Many healthy animals with a natural coat don’t need blanketing in winter as long as they have access to shelter from wind and precipitation. Blankets should always be removed if your horse is sweating underneath. It’s easier and far worse for a horse to overheat than be uncomfortable from cold or breezy weather, so err on the side of under-blanketing instead of over-blanketing.

2. Moldy Hay

Buying hay is always a challenge and has become more so in the last decade. Small square bales have given way to large ones, and round bales are practically impossible to assess for quality.

Drought conditions have made the supply smaller, with farmers baling fewer cuttings every year. Prices are high, requiring long searches for good hay in a tough market. Too often, when hay prices get high, horse owners are tempted to lower their standards and feed bales they would typically reject. This is risky, since bad hay causes respiratory problems and can be fatal if it is contaminated with blister beetles or toxic plants.

Never mistake tight, heavy bales or a green tint for quality, as weight can indicate that the hay was baled damp and the green color can be sprayed on like a faux lawn. There’s no substitute for your eyes and nose.

Learn what good hay looks and smells like and always inspect a few bales before you purchase. Even if you board your horse, always keep a close eye on what he is eating and insist on quality hay .

3. Dusty Bedding

Dusty bedding, hay, and arena footing can trigger equine asthma , a respiratory disease that is much harder to treat than to prevent. When buying pine shavings, check the wrapper to make sure you are buying the dust-free option. The cheaper products can become very expensive if your horse ends up with a persistent cough.

Shredded newspaper is the lowest-dust bedding available, although it may not be feasible to find in all areas. Straw bedding is the highest in dust.

4. Cluttered Barn Aisles

Your barn aisle is ground zero for your horse activities. It should be de-cluttered periodically and assessed for safety.

A horse may have gone in and out of his stall without incident for years, but it only takes one mistake for a door handle to slice his flank enough to require stitches. Protruding tack hooks and slippery footing are other avoidable accidents waiting to happen.

Cross-ties should always have breakaway hardware fastened closest to the wall so if you need to unfasten it in an emergency, you aren’t as close to a panicking horse. A loop of baling twine between the hardware and the wall hook is another breakaway point that will hold everyday forces but gives in case of a panicked pull-back.

Another potential hazard is the placement of feed containers in the aisle in front of stalls. Many horses are escape artists, and nothing tempts them like available food they know is just inches away.

5. No Pre-Purchase Vet Check

Both experienced and novice horse buyers often skip a pre-purchase exam for a variety of reasons: cost, inconvenience of scheduling, not knowing a local veterinarian where the horse is located, and believing they have the skills to detect conformation flaws or signs of looming disease.

A pre-purchase exam is not a health guarantee because the vet is only examining what exists the day of the exam, but any major issues will be a red flag to a professional who treats horses on a regular basis.

Laminitis has a lingering imprint in the ridges on a horse’s hooves; a heart murmur declares its presence through a stethoscope; and lameness is often subtle and difficult to detect—all are best assessed by a veterinarian. The fee for this service is tiny compared to owning a horse that you can’t sell in good fait.

6. Contracts for Horse Sales or Lease Agreements

The era of closing a horse sale with a handshake is long gone, yet many purchase agreements today have an abysmal paper trail. We live in a world that requires documentation as protection against lawsuits and dispute s between parties who can’t remember the details of the original transaction.

7. Failing to Pre-Check Your Trailer

You’ve probably been there before: You’re in such a hurry to get on the road to the horse show or late for that trail ride that you skip the checklist of pre-departure truck, hitch and trailer inspections before starting the engine.

Owning a new trailer does not preclude a safety check on door and window latches, air vents, butt bars (if you have them), tire inflation, trailer lights, hitch connections, and electric wiring. Trailer windows should be open (with grills closed) based on weather and predicted inside temperature once underway. Most of the time, the temperature inside the trailer is much hotter than outside.

8. Buying and Keeping an Unsuitable Horse

Far too many people fall in love with a horse at first sight (or photo), throw caution to the wind and buy it, only to soon discover he’s not suited to their skills or needs. Disappointed new owners may resist selling because they are already emotionally committed. This situation typically ends with the horse as a pasture pet or the owner hiring a costly trainer to fix what usually can’t be fixed—an unhappy owner paired with an unsuitable horse.

Buy a horse for what you want to do with him, not because he’s a fashionable breed or has a flashy coat. Buyers should remember the adage, “A good horse is never a bad color.”

9. Trying New Things While Your Horse is Distracted

Don’t set yourself up for failure by ignoring obvious warning signs when teaching your horse something new. Cold, windy weather is not the best time to introduce sidepassing or trail riding. Impending storms often usher in erratic behavior in horses and cause problems under saddle.

Avoid trying to train when the arena is filled with distractions like jumping ponies and galloping reiners. Your horse learns better when he can focus. Likewise, don’t expect concentration when it’s feeding time and all of the other horses are happily digging into their meal.

10. Spoiling Your Horse

Horses are like children in that they will take advantage of weak leadership, and they occasionally need correction. Failing to assert yourself as the leader of your “herd of two” usually ends in disappointment, if not injury.

If you can’t assert yourself enough to do this, your horse will step right into the role. Watch two horses turned out together and you’ll see they settle who is in charge within minutes, and every breach of that agreement will be challenged. Horse owners should never fall for the myth that horses love those who placate and spoil them. Horses respect clear leadership, not pushover love.

Every horse owner has made one of these mistakes in horse care and horsemanship, and probably asked themselves later why they didn’t listen to their inner voice telling them another day would be better to try something new. There is no need to learn a lesson the hard way!

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/10-common-horse-care-mistakes

Five Questions to Determine Horse Happiness

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 06:50:45 GMT

Ask yourself these five questions to see if your horse is as happy as he is healthy.

“Happiness — it’s something that we see in horses,” says Esther Kuhlmann of Northland Equine Lessons and Training near Kansas City, Mo. “When you work with horses, they speak to you and tell you how they’re feeling. They get a different gleam in their eyes; it’s something that you learn over time.”

Bucking, kicking out, or putting their ears back are all signs of displeasure in horses . Kuhlmann also says to watch facial expressions, such as tension in the nostrils, ears and eyes.

“Those signs of distress and displeasure are very reliable, but when we don’t see these indicators of unhappiness, don’t quickly assume that a horse is happy,” says Robin Foster, Ph.D., CAAB, certified equine behaviorist and university professor. “Historically, there has been emphasis on the absence of indicators of unhappiness or distress, with a focus on assuming that if the horse is not showing distress or displeasure, he must be happy. Now, there is increasing interest in looking for signs of happiness in horses.”

She further explains the change in research focus.

“Current research and theoretical interest is shifting away from, ‘If it’s not bad welfare, it’s good enough,’” says Foster. “We’re not looking at it that way anymore. For example, we know that a shut-down horse could be very stressed and not showing any behavioral or body language indicators of stress. Currently, we’re looking for behaviors and body language signals that indicate a horse is relaxed and content.” This means a happier horse overall.

Visible signs of relaxation and contentment are easily recognizable and may include:

◆ A horse that is attentive to and engaged with their environment.
◆ A soft, round eye with regular blinking.
◆ Slightly lowered and more relaxed head position.
◆ Posture that may not be perfectly square; for example, resting a hind foot.
◆ Relaxed and loose bottom lip, possibly displaying a slightly gaping mouth.

What if your horse could be happier? Here are five questions to ask yourself.

1. Unhappiness or health challenge?

When a horse in training becomes noticeably “unhappy,” Kuhlmann says she’ll contact their veterinarian to run a blood panel to ensure the horse is not managing through any pain or health challenges.

“It’s something I do fairly fast,” she says. “They may have a chipped tooth or need body work done from their chiropractor . It doesn’t take much.”

2. Is your horse social?

“If horses don’t have a social life with other horses , and a rich, complex environment, you can bet that affects their overall behavior,” says Foster. “No matter how much you care for your horse, humans have very complex lives with many demands—the horse being only one of many. Your life with your horse is maybe an hour a day. The amount of time a person spends with their horse can be limited, and what does the horse do the remaining 23 hours?”

3. Is he moving freely?

“Horses need the ability to move freely,” says Foster. “Happy horses are free to run, roll, turn wildly, race around and kick up their heels—not just move in a fixed way, such as longeing. All of this can play a role in a horse’s behavior.”

They prioritize turnout at Kuhlmann’s barn.

“We don’t keep horses in stalls 24/7,” she says. “I compare [stabled horses] to prisoners, in that they only get something to eat when given to them or socialization when we say ‘hi’ to them. This is where your cribbing, stress and weaving come from. They are herd animals and grazers, and they move better as their joints keep moving and they are not confined to standing still in a stall. The more turnout, the better for their bodies and minds.”

4. Does your horse enjoy his job?

“We all have our limits in what we can or can’t do,” says Kuhlmann. “When you look for a horse, be mindful that you find one who can do what you want and a partner who will enjoy the discipline they are in. If your horse is tight and angry, he won’t succeed in that sport. If this is your only horse, you need to do what your horse likes to do.”

5. Is it a partnership or a dictatorship?

“Your horse should see you as a partner, not the boss of them,” says Kuhlmann. “Instead of coming in and acting dominant and in charge, it’s more of a partnership. If you don’t treat your partner right, your partner won’t treat you right.”

As much joy as our horses bring to our world, keep these thoughts in mind to bring even more joy to theirs.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/five-questions-to-determine-horse-happiness

Target Your Horse’s Warmup

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 06:34:56 GMT

By targeting your warmup, you can prepare your horse to get the most out of a schooling ride.

A crucial part of preparing your horse for your goals is to keep in mind that he is an athlete. Each training session is a part of the process of gaining fitness , experience, and skills that will help the two of you as a pair build towards those goals. Within each training session, you must have a plan of what you hope to accomplish so that you are consistently moving forward. However, not every ride needs to be (nor should be) a training session. Targeted training sessions should be sprinkled between stretch/light flat days, trail rides, longeing, or whatever else is a part of your program. And at the center of these should be a targeted warmup for your horse.

The average ride in non-extreme heat and humidity should last about 30 to 45 minutes. No matter how much time you have to ride, I firmly believe that the warmup should take the most amount of time. A walk on a long rein followed by some basic trot and canter work on a medium-length rein is a great way to begin.

After that is complete, you can begin the targeted warmup. A targeted warmup is one that you create using critical thinking skills in order to improve on your horse’s specific weaknesses. Some examples of these weaknesses could be crookedness, reluctance to go forward, tension/stiffness, lack of engagement, et cetera.

By targeting the warmup to improve these qualities, you set the tone for whatever you’re hoping to practice during the “work” section of the training session, whether that is a complicated jumping track or more advanced dressage movements . This way, your horse is already engaging the correct muscles and having the correct reactions to your aids before being presented with something more complicated.

Having between three to five exercises to choose from is helpful so that the warmup changes somewhat during each session and avoids becoming a drill.

Useful Targeted Warmup Exercises for Specific Horses

Horse that drifts or pops out a shoulder:
◆ Square turns or turn on the haunches
◆ Shoulder-fore or shoulder-in
◆ Circles or figure-8s with focus on riding the shoulders

Lazier type:
◆ Lengthening or collecting of stride
◆ Frequent transitions
◆ Apply leg, use spur or stick if no reaction

Hotter type:
◆ Downward transitions
◆ Circles or figure-8s on a medium-long rein with a mild inside bend
◆ Ground poles (if he rushes the jumps)
◆ Collecting of stride and transitions from regular to collected gaits

Stiff horse:
◆ Circles and figure-8s
◆ Mounted carrot stretches after initial stretch warmup when muscles are warm
◆ Shoulder-fore or shoulder-in
◆ Leg-yields

Horse needing more hind-end engagement:
◆ Transitions on straight lines (with emphasis on even feel in the contact)
◆ Backing
◆ Sets of multiple ground poles or raised cavalletti
◆ Circles, figure-8s, and three-track movements (such as shoulder-in and shoulder-fore) with emphasis on encouraging drive through the hind end through half-halts and maintaining impulsion.

Three Skills

There are several important skills at play when designing and executing a targeted warmup.

First, you must understand your horse’s weaknesses (or your weaknesses as a pair) and how to improve them. This could be a great conversation to have with your trainer. Being able to narrow down what may seem like a huge problem to a few tweaks to the basics is a crucial step in becoming a more well-rounded rider.

Having placed the extra attention on these weaker basics during the warmup, you will be a step ahead when you arrive at the “work” portion of your ride. Using relevant exercises, your horse will become physically and mentally engaged in a way that will benefit his work. Rather than getting frustrated when your horse is rushing the jumps or lacking spring in his hocks, now you will notice those problems arising less and less each ride.

Instead of feeling stuck and asking your horse to perform the more difficult work over and over in a futile attempt to fix it in the moment, the proper preparation has been done to ensure success. This also allows you to avoid unneeded wear and tear on your horse, both physically and mentally.

The final component of a targeted warmup that adds value to your overall training regimen is that even if you and your horse are having a difficult time on a particular day, if you stop your ride after your targeted warmup, you will still have progressed a little further towards your goals.

In this masterclass video from Ridely (proceed to the link below), Olympic medalist Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum talks you through how she warms up her horses when she competes. Meredith explains that the most important thing about warming up is that you stay as calm as possible. Competing can be daunting and the warmup ring is often busy with other competitors, so it is important to control the nerves and stay calm. She emphasizes the importance of giving yourself enough time in the warmup and to get on the horse early.

There are plenty of times when things don’t go as planned with horses, but by having identified the skills you need to improve on to get to the next level, no session can ever be considered stagnant.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/target-your-horses-warmup

The Pros and Cons of Straight Load vs. Slant Load Horse Trailers

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 02:46:16 GMT

Straight load vs slant load trailers: The debate continues. However, the one factor upon which everyone will agree is that horse safety comes first. It is a given that when a horse enters a closed, dark space it is counter to his survival instinct, a throwback to living in the wild. That said, what we think of as a simple walk up a short ramp might well be viewed as a dangerous, “No way am I going in there!” exercise for the horse. But, walking into a light, airy trailer that accounts for your horse’s size and has adequate ventilation can reduce the most common causes of stress and stress-related accidents.

Tom Scheve, owner of Equispirit Trailers and co-author of The Complete Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer, underscores the importance of considering your horse first when choosing a trailer.

“How tall is your tallest horse? Does the trailer give that horse enough headroom? Can he stand comfortably and not bump his head when loading?” he asks for starters.

“He also should have enough room to use his head and neck for balance and to lower his head to cough out dust and debris he may have inhaled in the trailer,” added Scheve. “And he should be able to spread his legs both forward and backward to stand easily without having to lean or scramble to find his balance.”

The breed of your horse is also a factor as you compare trailers. While a 15.2 to 16.3 H Thoroughbred might need a tall trailer, a 16.2 H Warmblood might need not only a tall trailer, but one that is wide. And, with the heavier horses, especially drafts, weight becomes an issue, from both a hauling perspective as well as from the potential damage a larger horse can cause. Scheve likens the experience to carrying bricks in a plastic bag. He then noted a few other points to consider, namely age, prior training and temperament.

“Since horses are prone to feelings of claustrophobia, particularly young or green horses that are unused to entering into small spaces, they will likely need to develop a sense of self-assurance as they learn the ropes,” he said. “And while it’s ultimately up to you, your handler or your trainer to instill confidence and trust in an untrained horse, having a trailer that is open and welcoming can help make the process easier than trying to encourage an unwilling youngster to walk into a close, dark, place, reminiscent of a lion’s den.”

Scheve also said that your horse’s temperament plays a role in your finding the right trailer.

“If you have a calm, easygoing horse, you can pretty much pick and choose, but if your horse is high-strung and nervous, finding a trailer that will help to alleviate his anxiety,” he advised. “Providing more interior space and extra comfort features (see additional safety features below) can make the difference between your horse feeling comfortable or becoming colicky as he rides down the road.”

Trailer Safety

Just as important, the trailer needs to be safe. Here is a check list of items that should not be overlooked:

Sharp objects or edges are an invitation for injury, so make sure that all surfaces, exterior as well as interior are rounded or smoothed out.

Latches, tie rings, butt bars, breast bars, etc. should be strong enough to withstand wear and tear from the largest, strongest horse.

Dividers, posts, butt bars, and breast bars should operate freely, yet can be easily removed in an emergency.

Ramps should be solid, low, non-slip, and long enough to protect you from getting kicked while lifting the platform.

Step up (no ramp) trailers need to be wide enough to allow your horse to turn around and unload headfirst instead of having to back out (a front unload ramp is even better).

The construction material of the trailer should be strong enough to handle the size, weight, and strength of your horse(s) plus the equipment that will be hauled.

Additional safety features that can help reduce stress and which may not be expensive include, removable hay bags, mats, screens, bar guards on windows, removable or no rear center post, and water tanks.

Walk-Through (Straight Load): Advantages

Open from ceiling to floor, the walk-through trailer is sometimes referred to as a “Thoroughbred” trailer because it is considered tall at 7 feet (newer models are even taller). Traditionally on the narrow side (5 – 5 ½’), today’s models reflect the current concern for comfort and safety by offering 6’ as the standard for the interior width and added dimensions as options.

Equipped with a breast or chest bar to keep the horse from going through the walk-out door.

Open appearance to quell feelings of claustrophobia.

Unencumbered space permits a horse to brace himself with his front legs while enabling him to lower his head in order to clear his respiratory tract should he need to

The walk-out door is an added safety advantage for you. If your budget permits, consider a trailer that has a walk-out door on each side so you can reach one horse without disturbing the others.

Walk-Through (Straight Load): Disadvantages

If you are planning to haul more than two horses, you will need a larger straight load trailer to accommodate them.

There will also be an increased expanse attached to this along with additional customizations, i.e., the need for a side ramp.

A larger trailer is also heavier, which will add pressure on your towing vehicle.

Slant Load: Advantages

More horses can fit in a shorter length trailer, making it possible to haul more horses in a shorter trailer, i.e., a four-horse slant load with 3 x 7-foot tack storage is 24’ to 25½’ long whereas a four-horse straight load, head-to-head, with 4’ x 6’ tack storage is 34’ to 36’ long.

Since the dividers are pushed to the sides and the rear entrance is spacious, it looks more inviting than a straight load; consequently, horses are usually easier to load.

Horse can be turned around and led out head first.

Removable dividers make the trailer easier to customize to your needs.

More room for tack storage (and dressing rooms) at the front and rear corners.

Slant Load: Disadvantages

The overall stall length is limited to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) restrictions on width (8½’) of the trailer. Since the wheel wells end up inside the trailer when it’s over 80”, and increases as the trailer is made wider, the stall length is greatly restricted, and often not enough for horses over 16 hands.

If you have a problem with the front horse, and he has to be unloaded, you have to unload all the other horses to get to it – not a good thing in an emergency.

Scott Riley, Director of Director of Dealer Education for Sundowner Trailers weighs in by adding that a straight-load, walk thru trailer allows a horse to use both his front and hind legs to balance better during acceleration and deceleration, rather than trying to brace with the leading foreleg and trailing hind leg, or having to lean into the divider to for balance.

But in the end, he maintains it comes down to personal preference.

“Slant load verses straight load is often determined by how the customer uses the trailer. Ropers, team penners, and barrel racers tend to tie their horses outside the trailer, making a slant load more convenient. And polo players, who use several horses for each match, usually favor slant loads. Straight loads, on the other hand, are used more often by people who hardly ever tie their horses outside the trailer, choosing to unload only the horse they’ll be using at the time.”

To sum it up, Scheve looks at the horse’s perspective when discussing trailer styles.

“I believe that we have to balance the ‘horse’s point of view’ with sound research and knowledge when designing trailers. Just because a horse walks into an unmoving trailer and stands at an angle, doesn’t mean that he wants to travel that way, and even if he does, it doesn’t mean it is safe, i.e., let a four-year-old child choose how he wants to travel in your car, and he’ll probably end up by standing on the back seat looking out the rear window. We, however, know that he’s safer strapped into a car seat, even though he may not like it.”

Source: https://stablemanagement.com/articles/pros-cons-straight-load-slant-load-trailers/

How Much Land Per Horse?

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 02:36:21 GMT

The amount of land an equine business needs to sustain each horse varies. How the horses will be used, the stable’s master horse-keeping plan and the surrounding community are significant factors in determining just how much land is needed.

There are many things to consider when running a horse boarding facility or your own farm. Traditionally, there has been a per-acre approach to estimating land needs. Often, one horse per acre is used as a starting point. In some cases, two acres is recommended for the first horse and one additional acre for each additional horse is suggested to prevent over-grazing of pastures.

However, determining land needs based on an acreage per horse doesn’t necessarily account for local zoning ordinances, federal storm water regulations, management practices, horse use and the ability of the land to support each horse. Running a horse farm or facility is hard work and you shouldn’t go into it blind.

Denise O’Meara, director of education at the Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR), recommended against using the traditional approach of assigning a specific number of acres based on the number of horses at the facility.

“We recommend that stable owners first consider what they are doing with the horses and the carrying capacity of the land,” she said.

Considering the land’s carrying capacity and use when deciding how much property is needed per horse allows for the consideration of many factors. These include overall pasture management, pasture rotation, manure management, stream and pond buffering, and other best-management practices that can help the environment remain healthy for horses and people.

PASTURE FOR FORAGE

Horses are naturally designed to meet their daily nutritional needs through grazing. Grazing can be an effective, inexpensive method for providing nutrients and fiber. Barns that rely on turnout to provide forage as a portion of a horse’s ration naturally need more acreage to provide adequate nutrition. A good rule of thumb is to maintain at least 50 percent vegetative cover—or no more than 50 percent bare ground.

According to the NRCS Missouri Pasture Management Guide For Horse Owners , horses are problematic grazers. The more options a horse has for grazing, the more selective he will become in what he eats and what he leaves behind. Cattle and other livestock more evenly consume all the forage in a pasture, including less palatable plants. At the beginning of the season, your pasture forage should be between 6″-8″ tall. The horses should not be allowed to eat the plants to less than 3” tall in order to promote healthy regrowth.

While pasture is the preferred forage at some barns, other stables utilize paddocks for exercise, but not for dietary purposes. This can be effective, as well. Non-grazing lots can be smaller and potentially allow for a higher stocking density. For example, a facility might only provide a 20-foot-by-40-foot run for a horse. Those horses can remain as healthy as horses running in a 40-acre field, and their nutritional needs can be provided through feed, supplements and hay

These non-grazing spaces are also referred to as dry lots, exercise lots, stress lots or sacrifice lots. According to Washington State University’s Managing Small-Acreage Horse Farms, the minimum recommended space in a dry lot is 400 square feet per horse, although a larger space would be more desirable. In smaller turnout pens, it’s critical to remove manure frequently to avoid a buildup, which can attract flies or produce an odor. Sacrifice lots are also an important component of rotational grazing plans that allow periods of rest and recovery for pastures with vegetation.

Other barns choose to keep horses stalled unless the horses are being exercised. Horse facilities that use this approach can likely keep more horses on a given piece of property than stables that offer some type of turnout.

In each of these scenarios, deciding the amount of land needed based on nutritional and exercise needs alone doesn’t take into account other factors, such as the community’s zoning ordinances and best management practices.

BEST-MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

As previously mentioned, an alternative approach to a number-of-horses-per-acre method is to consider the carrying capacity of the land and its use. This model requires more thought and a thorough understanding of local zoning ordinances and stormwater management plans, said O’Meara. This approach also includes a broader stable management plan incorporating pasture rotation, manure management, stream and pond buffering, and much more.

Commercial stables need to be located within close proximity to developed areas for easy access to lessons, training and boarded horses. A closer proximity to developed communities means that zoning laws and ordinances are more likely to include guidelines governing how many horses can be kept on a parcel of land.

“As federal, state and municipal regulations tighten, this approach may become the norm,” she said. “Look at the community’s comprehensive plan and the horse-friendliness of the area. It sounds like a lot of work, but it is worth it.”

Even neighborhoods that are zoned for horses might not be horse-friendly if there aren’t any horses currently in the community.

“Talk to a few residents to get a feel for how horse-friendly the area is,” she said. “Even though horse people think horses are beautiful, not everyone agrees. Some people only see manure in the road, flies or dust.”

Unfortunately, universal language does not exist for a town’s comprehensive plan or zoning ordinances. They vary from one community to the next and can address stocking density, environmental plans and the number of horses allowed on the property. These regulations can also contain specific details about which properties can/cannot have horses.

For example, near O’Meara’s childhood home on Long Island, New York, the community is zoned for horses on lots with one acre. Specifically, two horses are allowed per half-acre. However, that’s only if the property has previously had horses on it.

“If you have not had horses on the property, you must apply to the neighbors and they have to be given the chance to voice any concerns before the permit is approved,” she said.

Similarly, in this community, the regulations say that the horses on the property must be owned by a family member living on the property. Documentation is required as proof. Even keeping a horse for a friend is not allowed and is considered a commercial activity, which is not included in the zoning provisions.

Smaller barns located on limited acreage will likely have little flexibility beyond the town’s comprehensive plan. Stables that exceed the community’s maximum acreage under the ordinance are generally considered agricultural land and are covered by right-to-farm laws, she said.

Rural areas can feel the pressure as much as suburban areas. In some places, farm communities are being replaced with suburban sprawl. That could mean that the town planning committee is considering a rezoning plan.

When shopping for new property, look at nearby land plots and see if other farms are up for sale, which could suggest impending development. Whether you’re already established in a location or looking for new property, ask the town planning committee whether they anticipate any changes to the current zoning ordinances, O’Meara suggested.

Stable owners should also be aware of environmental regulations outlined in a community’s stormwater management plan. These guidelines cover water quality and quantity, as well as the prevention of soil erosion related to runoff, dust control, etc.

“These may include fencing setbacks from streams to prevent horses from getting in and churning up the water, infiltration basins and more,” she said.

HOW MANY HORSES ARE TOO MANY?

That depends. There are many different answers to this question. First, from an economic standpoint, if you are struggling financially to feed all the horses, there are too many.

When monthly board, lesson clients and training horses are barely covering the operating expenses, leaving little cash for “extras,” it’s time to honestly evaluate the number of barn-owned horses and which ones might be candidates to sell.

If the pastures are being overgrazed or other resources are being stretched, then there are either too many horses or a different management strategy is required.

When you’re unable to provide proper care for all the horses, it’s time to sell. If the horses are not receiving proper daily care—i.e., are not visually evaluated daily, stalls cleaned appropriately, etc.—then there are too many horses for the available resources.

Selling barn-owned horses might be a difficult decision, but when it is in the horse’s best interest, you’ll feel much better knowing that each horse is in a situation where it can be cared for and receive attention/exercise. And no sale ever has to be final. If it’s a horse you’re attached to, you can requested a contract that offers you the first chance to buy the horse back if it goes up for sale in the future.

Similarly, there can a time when you have too many client-owned horses to care for. The same criteria should be used to evaluate that situation. However, the solution might be investing in barn help or scaling back on the number of boarders so that adequate care can be provided to all of the horses.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE

Every stable is different in the way that it relies on pasture for nutrition and turnout. Before buying a new piece of property or expanding the current amount of land that the stable owns, it’s important to decide how it will be used. It’s also a good idea to investigate local zoning ordinances and environmental impact plans.

Source: https://stablemanagement.com/articles/how-much-land-per-horse/

Optimizing a Horse’s Hair Coat During Winter

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 02:21:57 GMT

In colder climates horses grow long, fluffy hair to insulate themselves from the weather. Horses begin shedding summer hair in the fall to make way for this new winter hair. This typically happens as soon as the days start getting shorter and the nights longer and cooler.

Those who plan to show their horses and want them to keep a nice sleek, shiny coat might need to manage those horses differently by keeping them indoors on cold nights and keeping more lights on in the barn (more on this in a moment).

Nutrition for Winter Hair Coat Health in Horses

As many horse owners know, what you feed a horse affects the health and shininess of his coat. “Fat supplements are very helpful for this,” says Carey Williams, PhD, equine extension specialist and director of endocrinology and animal biosciences at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. “Horses don’t need a lot of fat to benefit the hair coat, so even the horses that have adequate body weight and condition can be on a very small amount of an omega-3 supplement without gaining more weight. This can put a nice shine on the coat.”

You can add these fats to your horse’s diet in the form of fish oil, rice bran oil, and flax seed oil, but other supplements exist on the market as well. “Make sure the diet is balanced, however, before you add this kind of supplement,” says Williams. Horses must consume the nutrients their bodies need to maintain body condition—especially in the cold—and support their activity levels before you add supplements.

Blanketing to Prevent Hair Growth in Horses

“Many people start blanketing early in the season, to try to keep the winter hair coat from coming in,” says Williams. “This can help to a certain extent, but a horse mainly grows winter hair in response to the photoperiod (hours of daylight versus hours of dark) rather than whether or not the body is being kept warm.”

Horses in northern climates with short winter days will not completely stop growing winter hair unless you keep them under lights. In some barns managers keep the lights on to extend the photoperiod and prevent horses from growing a winter coat, says Williams.

Some riders clip their horses—whether trace, hunter, body, or other clips—to help them cool down after work and to keep them looking sharp for showing. These horses must be blanketed accordingly since you have taken away that insulation capacity. Other riders blanket unclipped horses to help keep their coats clean and sleek under the blanket for ease of grooming and riding, along with providing extra protection against the cold.

Grooming for Increased Coat Health in Horses

Plenty of good-quality grooming increases blood circulation to the skin surface, which helps keep skin and hair healthy, removes dead skin cells and hair, and stimulates the sebaceous glands, which produce the natural oils that make a coat shine.

Your management strategy will be different if you want your horse to grow an abundant, thick winter coat for protection against the cold. Retired horses or those on lay-up or in light work might fare best during winter with no blanketing or barn lights and a thick hair coat, but regular grooming is still important because it helps keeps their coats healthy.

Take-Home Message

When deciding whether to clip your horse this winter, consider what type of work he might be doing, if any. Regardless of his hair length, regular grooming and high-quality nutrition are necessary for good coat and skin health. Carefully monitor your horse for signs he might be too cold, such as shivering, and adjust his blankets or bring him in the barn to help him thermoregulate.

Source: https://stablemanagement.com/articles/optimizing-a-horses-hair-coat-during-winter/

Disinfecting Common Objects Around the Horse Barn

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 02:15:01 GMT

Keeping horses healthy and preventing the spread of contagious diseases is important for improved equine welfare and reduced veterinary expenses, especially when multiple horses are confined together or kept in close quarters. Diseases can spread between horses by direct contact and via fomites—objects or materials that have pathogens from one horse on them that can be carried to another horse.

Vesicular stomatitis virus, equine herpesvirus, influenza, strangles, and other equine diseases easily pass between horses via handlers’ indiscriminate use of shared brushes, tack, buckets, etc. Some pathogens become airborne and can be even harder to contain—something we’ve seen with our own human pandemic that quickly spread around the world.

Preventing Disease Spread in Horses

Tia Nelson, DVM, CEO of Valley Veterinary Hospital, in Helena, Montana, says it’s crucial to never share equipment with other horses, either on or off the farm. “When we go to endurance rides, for instance (or for anyone showing horses and taking them to a fairground or show facility), we bring our own buckets for water.” Avoid using community drinking troughs and sharing brushes or tack when taking your horse to competitions, she adds.

Each horse in your barn should have his own water buckets, salt block, and feed bucket, says Nelson. She suggests having a brush box outside each stall to hold the horse’s grooming equipment—items that will be used only on that animal. Each horse should also have his own halter and lead rope, bridle, saddle, saddle pads, and thermometer for regular temperature checks.

In a boarding barn Nelson suggests putting up a signboard with biosecurity measures written on it and why adhering to them is important. Before bringing in a new client and their horse, ensure the owner understands their role in these measures. “In a boarding situation it may be difficult to keep things separated because people sometimes borrow stuff,” says Nelson. “They may not think it’s a big deal and may grab someone else’s brush or halter because it’s closer.”

How to Disinfect Common Items In the Barn

Disinfecting shared objects is not always easy—think shared leather lead shanks—but those such as a neoprene cinch or girth can be washed or even wiped down with a diluted disinfectant like chlorhexidine. “It’s easy to create a disinfectant solution with a little bit of chlorhexidine or bleach or Betadine and water,” says Nelson. In some stables riders are encouraged to dip bridles and bits in a disinfectant solution after use, before they are hung up.

“The BioThane bridles and halters are washable, and much easier to clean and disinfect than leather,” says Nelson, referring to polyester webbing with a thermoplastic polyurethane or PVC coating. “Cotton items like lead ropes don’t dry as quickly as the synthetic materials.” Be sure to allow the disinfected items to fully dry, which might take several hours or more, she adds, depending on the item. Body and soft brushes typically need more drying time than plastic curry combs, for instance. For items that take longer to dry, it might be helpful to keep a second set so you are not left without them.

Take-Home Message

It’s best to have firm rules around the barn regarding biosecurity, sharing equipment between horses, and disinfecting these items. “Biosecurity is extremely important and people don’t often think about it because they can’t see germs,” says Nelson. “They don’t consider it important until they have a catastrophe and it actually happens to them.”

Source: https://stablemanagement.com/articles/disinfecting-common-objects-around-the-horse-barn/

Sudden Behavior Changes in Your Horse; What is the Source?

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 23:46:32 GMT

Learn what might cause a sudden behavior change in your horse and what to do if this happens.

Are you baffled by the sudden change in your horse’s behavior? Did it seem to come on suddenly, out of the blue with no warning? Is your horse trying to bite or kick you, getting pushy or bucking for no apparent reason? Behavior changes can be baffling, upsetting and downright frustrating especially if you are preparing for a show or just want to relax on the trails.

When a horse comes into my training program with sudden behavior changes, I run through a thorough intake to get to the source of the behavior. Here are some questions I ask that can be very telling:

When did you first notice the behavior change?
Think back, was your horse trying to tell you something before the behavior became a problem? If so in what way was your horse trying to tell you for example little nips, pinny ears, cinchy, crow hopping?
Did you and/or your horse have an accident? If so what were the details?
Was there anything going on at the barn at the time the behavior changed? Did anything change in your horse’s environment?
Has there been any change in feed or supplements?
Has your horse ever had dental work? If so when was the last time? Were power tools used? Was sedation used, and if so was it heavy or light? Did the dental specialist or veterinarian work with your horse’s head high in the air or did the specialist/vet work from their knees with your horse’s head down?
If your horse is in a stall, how many hours a day does your horse spend in the stall?
Does your horse pace, crib or have stall bound behaviors?
What position in the herd is your horse with other horses? Does your horse get picked on?

As you go through this exercise, don’t dismiss even the silliest thought that comes to mind, it might be a clue to unraveling your horse’s change in behavior. Go ahead and write everything down that you can think of.

After a thorough intake next is a body check:

Look at your horse’s eyes. Are they tired looking or bright? Does your horse have furrows above the eyelids? Is there a worried look or does your horse look wide-eyed and panicky?
Does your horse get panicked over certain situations for example having to go out to pasture with other horses?
Gently and slowly run your thumb down the side of your horse’s neck and down the back. Is there any flinchy skin, swishy tail, pinny ears or does your horse try to nip you? Repeat this on the other side and make any notes of resistant behavior.
Gently run your thumb along the ribs and around the girth, and make note of any flinchy, swishy tail or behavior that is otherwise resistant.
Gently press your thumb on your horse’s hip with about 1-2 pounds of pressure and see if there is any resistance or dipping away from your pressure. Repeat this at the flank and make note.
Check for possible ulcers by gently pressing on the nickel to quarter size indentation located in the girth area about a hand’s width from your horse’s elbow. Does your horse have any reaction such as swishy tail, stomping foot or try to nip you? Be gentle with this, 85% of domestic horses have ulcers and some are so severe the horse can kick violently or completely collapse.

Let’s review your list. Are you recognizing possible sources of behavior? Has your horse actually been trying to tell you that he/she has a pain issue whether that be physical or emotional (emotional pain can be a result from a move to a new barn to the death of a herd mate)?

With this intake you can now take informed action of perhaps contacting your veterinarian, a dental specialist, an equine chiropractor or maybe it’s time to change saddles or riding styles. Whatever action you take you now know that Problems Are Not Always Training Issues.

Source: https://stablemanagement.com/articles/sudden-behavior-horse-source-25315/

Types of Hay to Avoid for Horses

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 23:41:02 GMT

Stable owners spend a lot of time deciding what type of hay to feed to the horses in their care. However, it’s as important to know which hays to avoid, according to Rhonda Hoffman, PhD, a professor and director of horse science at Middle Tennessee State University.

Hoffman said there are a few grasses to avoid in hay or forage if you are feeding horses. They include:

Perennial ryegrass and rye. This quick-growing grass is popular in dairy pastures. However, Hoffman explained that the seed heads contain an endophyte neurotoxin, which can cause minor tremors. Kentucky Equine Research also recommends avoiding the grass for laminitic horses.
Dallisgrass
Argentine bahiagrass. The seed heads contain ergot fungus that causes abortion in mares.
Johnsongrass, Sorghum grasses/Sudangrass. These varieties accumulate hydrocyanic acid, which causes cyanide poisoning, abortion in mares, and irreversible bladder cystitis.
Switchgrass, which causes photosensitivity, peeling skin, mouth ulcers and liver disease.
Foxtail Millet (aka German Millet) and Meadow foxtail. These plants have coarse, fuzzy seed heads that lodge in the tissues of the cheek and gums, causing festering lesions. They can also cause kidney and joint issues.

Although not considered hay, lawn clippings should also be avoided. Hoffman warned that they are dangerous to horses. Horses can easily choke on mown grass clippings because they can swallow large amounts easily with little chewing.

“Warm, moist lawn clippings host fungus, bacteria and molds that can cause diarrhea, colic or respiratory distress,” she said. Fertilizers and herbicides used in lawn care products can be toxic to horses.”

Mowing also shreds lawn plants and prevents horses from being able to sort out toxic plants that might have been growing in the lawn. Many ornamental shrubs, especially boxwood, foxglove, oleander and yew, are extremely toxic to horses, so landscape trimmings should never be offered or placed in areas where horses can access them.

Source: https://stablemanagement.com/articles/types-of-hay-for-horses-what-to-avoid/

Horse health checklist: What is your horse's normal?

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 06:26:56 GMT

As a horse owner, it is important to understand the normal signs of a healthy horse, as well as what to look out for in order to maintain a horse’s overall health. Knowing what is normal and abnormal will help you provide the right equine care and know when you need to call in reinforcements. Read on to learn:

The signs of a healthy horse

Symptoms of an unhealthy horse

How to treat a sick horse

How to keep your horse healthy

As with any animal, there is a baseline of normal vital signs, physical condition, and behavior when horses are healthy. When a horse shows changes in these baseline indicators, even minor ones, it can indicate that something is wrong. It’s important to learn what is normal and when you should contact a veterinarian.

What are the signs of a healthy horse?

Checking your horse’s behavior and appearance on a daily basis will help you catch signs of illness or injury early. There are normal ranges for temperature, breathing and heart rates, as well as the general appearance and behavior of your horse.

What are the vital signs of a healthy horse?

In veterinary medicine, TPR stands for Temperature, Pulse, and Respiratory rate. These measurements are used during every physical examination. The normal ranges for a horse’s TPR are:

Temperature, taken rectally: 99°F (37.2°C) to 100.5°F (38°C) at rest

Pulse: 28 to 40 beats per minute at rest

Respiration: 8 to 15 breaths per minute at rest, relaxed and regular

You can check your horse’s heart rate by pressing the blood vessel under the cheekbone, on the underside of the jaw, under the tail bone, or inside the pastern. The range of 28 to 40 beats per minute is healthy at rest; keep in mind your horse’s vitals will be higher after exercise.

All horse owners should check their horse’s gum color, skin elasticity, and general appearance on a daily basis to ensure equine wellness. Here are some areas to consider:

Eyes : Bright and clear with no discharge

Nose : Clear, breathing normally, with no nasal discharge

Ears : Alert, light pink in color, with no discharge or skin irritation

Gums : Pink and moist

Capillary refill time : One to two seconds after pressing lightly on the gums to measure

Dehydration skin pinch : Skin bounces back quickly with no tenting

Gait : Normal, with no limping or stiffness

Gut sounds : Mild “gurgling” or “tinkling” sounds are present

Teeth : Smooth with no points, broken teeth, or bad breath

Coat : Smooth and shiny

Weight : A healthy body condition

Understanding a horse’s healthy appearance is essential to keeping your horse happy and fit. Alerting a veterinarian when these basic indicators are outside the norm or have changed suddenly will help catch any diseases or conditions early.

How does a healthy horse behave?

You know your horse best, so their personality may be slightly different from the generalized healthy horse's behavior. A healthy horse should be energetic and alert, often eager to socialize with a bright attitude. Standing, trotting, and galloping should be comfortable with weight distributed evenly on all four feet. Your horse should be eating and drinking normally with even bite planes and without favoring either side of their mouth.

With a healthy diet and water intake, your horse’s manure and urine should be normal as well. A healthy horse’s urine may sometimes be pale yellow to clear, but color can vary to different shades with or without some cloudiness. Manure should be soft and easily passed, but intact. A manure score chart may be helpful to identify unhealthy manure.

How do you know if something is wrong with your horse?

By knowing your horse’s healthy baseline, you can catch when something is wrong early. Contact an equine veterinarian if you notice these symptoms:

A change in behavior, such as energy level or poor performance

Changes in eating and drinking (too much or too little )

Diarrhea or stool that is too hard

Blood in urine or manure

Weight loss or weight gain

Gums that are bright red , muddy, or brown in color with slow capillary refill time

Slow or fast resting heart or respiratory rate

Tenting in the skin or tacky, dry gums

Unusual or lack of gastric (gut) sounds

Change in dental condition, such as broken teeth, pointed teeth, or foul breath

Temperature too high or low at rest

Dull skin or hair, or crusty, scabbed skin

Head shaking or tilting

Crusty or smelly ears, or ears that are sensitive to the touch

Stiff or uneven gait

Discharge from nose , eyes, ears, or hooves

Coughing

Swollen joints

Even a minor change outside of the normal range can indicate something is wrong with your horse. An equine veterinarian can help you determine the underlying cause and help you keep your horse healthy.

How do you treat a sick horse?

“There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for a sick horse,” states Dr. Jo Myers, a veterinarian with Vetster. First, a horse vet must examine your horse before making a diagnosis. This will involve a physical exam and possibly medical tests, such as blood tests or X-rays. Different diseases, conditions, and injuries will require different treatments. Call a veterinarian immediately if your horse’s normal behavior or vitals are drastically outside the normal range or if they have been slightly outside the normal range for more than a few days.

How can I keep my horse healthy?

Even when your horse isn’t sick or injured, regular checkups with your veterinarian are essential to their well-being. Keep your horse’s hooves and body clean and well-groomed. Maintaining pastures to ensure good footing and the regular removal of toxic plants will help prevent injuries and some toxicities. Also, you can prevent the spread of internal parasites with the regular cleaning and removal of manure from stalls and pastures, especially if you have multiple horses.

Regular dental checkups and floating will ensure an even bite plane and prevent changes in eating habits. Provide high-quality food and dry hay for foraging. Finally, providing enough exercise and monitoring your horse’s behavior and body condition score can prevent diseases and conditions such as obesity. Your horse will be much happier and healthier with a close daily inspection of their overall health. You can schedule a virtual appointment with an online vet to discuss your horse’s current health status and any questions you may have about their normal behaviors or vital signs.

FAQ - Horse health checklist: What is your horse's normal?

What are the signs of a sick horse?

A sick horse will have changes in their normal behavior, eating, urination and defecation habits, or vital signs. Close monitoring of your horse’s vitals and behavior will help you catch signs of illness or injury early.

How do I keep my horse healthy?

You can keep your horse healthy by arranging regular health checkups, providing healthy food and forage, maintaining your horse’s barn and pasture, as well as monitoring your horse’s vitals and behavior. Contacting a vet when your horse’s behavior or vital signs change will catch illnesses or injuries early.

What are common horse health problems?

Arthritis , colic , and laminitis are all common diseases and health problems in horses. All can be caught early with daily check-ins with your horse.

Source: https://vetster.com/en/wellness/horse-health-checklist-what-is-your-horse-s-normal

How to Take Care of a Horse

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 06:13:08 GMT

Like any companion animal, horses require care. Horses, however, need a lot more care than dogs, cats or goldfish. If you’ve always wanted a horse, it’s important to understand both the financial and time commitment required for horse ownership.

A good reference is What to Consider About Horse Ownership , which provides details on how much horses cost, what they need and other tips on raising horses. For example, you’ll need at least 1.5 of land per horse for turnout, and it must be properly fenced both to contain your horses and keep them from harm. In some parts of the country, you’ll need to keep predators such as coyotes, wolves and mountain lions out of the paddock. If you have additional questions about horse fencing, make sure to check out our electric fencing for horses guide .

Daily Stable Management and Horse Care Routine

Purchasing the right horse is only the first step toward proper horse ownership. Horses require routine care for their health and well-being. A typical daily stable management and horse care routine may look like this:

Feed horses hay and/or grain morning and night.
Clean and refill water buckets morning and night.
Muck out stalls morning and night. Mucking means picking out the manure and urine spots.
Replace fresh bedding.
Check and pick out hooves daily.
Remove blankets in the morning and replace in the evening during winter months.
Spray horse with fly spray or insect repellant morning and evening during summer months.
Turn your horse out daily for exercise so he can walk around, stretch his legs, roll and get some fresh grass and sunshine.
Exercise your horse at least several times a week by riding him in the ring, on a trail or lunging him, which is exercising him on a long rein.

Horse Care Is a Labor of Love

Horses in their natural state are grazing animals. They nibble on grass throughout the day, receiving a steady stream of fodder and water. Because they don’t regulate how much food they eat, and will gorge on feed if they have access to a lot of it, you have to provide food in measured intervals twice daily. You also have to make sure that horses always have a supply of fresh, clean water.

If your horse is kept inside a stall, he must have clean footing underneath. You can’t let manure or waste build up. This can provide a breeding ground for flies, as well as ruin you horse’s hooves and health. Daily stall cleaning is a must to ensure your horse’s health and happiness.

All of this may seem like a lot of work. It is – but it’s a labor of love to someone who has always dreamed about owning horses or ponies. How to care for a horse means learning not just how to groom your horse, but also how to care for all of his basic needs.

Stable Chores

Horse care also means caring for the stable and tack, which includes the saddle, bridle, halter, lead rope and blankets. Leather should be conditioned and cleaned regularly to keep it soft, supple and comfortable for your horse. Blankets and saddle pads should be laundered so mud and sweat don’t build up on them, causing your horse skin discomfort.

Other stable chores include sweeping dust and manure from the aisles, and removing cobwebs from the ceiling and light fixtures. Stable cobwebs collect dust from hay and shavings and can become fire hazards.

How to Raise a Horse with Hands-On Learning

The best way to learn how to care for a horse is to apprentice with an experienced horse person. This may mean just hanging around the stable where you take lessons and asking a lot of questions, or it may mean leasing a horse for a while so the owner can teach you how to groom and care for a horse.

Once you have these basics down, you’ll be ready for responsible horse ownership.

Source: https://www.zarebasystems.com/articles/how-to-take-care-of-a-horse

Keeping Your Horse Barefoot

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 05:48:56 GMT

If you’ve thought about switching your horse to barefoot, there are some important factors to keep in mind.

Some horses can go barefoot even while being ridden regularly, while others depend on shoes to stay sound under a heavy workload or in challenging terrain. There are also horses who are barefoot much of the time, and only use shoes or alternative hoof wear as needed.

There is no single absolute solution for every horse, but if you’ve considered having your horse go barefoot, learn more about the process to determine if your horse is a good candidate.

Education and Commitment

You might be surprised to find going shoeless is as much about the owner as it is about the horse.

Both time and commitment are required for a horse to successfully transition out of shoes to barefoot. The process only works well when the owner is willing take responsibility and do what is necessary to help the horse grow and maintain healthy feet , according to Keith “K.C.” La Pierre, MAEP, RJF, CF, a prominent equine podiatrist, whose Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry, Inc. is based in Ocala, Fla.

As developer of Applied Equine Podiatry (AEP) and the High Performance Trim Balance Method (HPT), La Pierre grades horses’ feet using a “spectrum of usability.” Simply put, this evaluates internal and external structures of the foot to gauge what forces the foot can withstand and stay strong.

Normal Hoof Function

The healthy bare hoof is constantly contracting and flexing as it comes in contact with the ground. This distortion, or continual changing of shape, is how the foot interacts with varying surfaces. In essence, the hoof is designed to function as a shock absorber.

When a healthy foot is confined to a rigid horseshoe, this limits distortion, but the foot needs to distort to function properly. Nailing shoes to the feet prevents them from flexing under impact and interferes with the hoof’s natural ability to absorb shock.

Factors to Consider

People often think the word “environment” refers to geography. Although geographic location contributes to the whole picture, a horse’s environment includes how he is kept (stall, dirt lot, pasture), exercise, nutrition , hydration and how much stress he’s under regularly.

Look closely at your management and feeding practices:

You should be feeding a balanced diet at appropriate amounts to maintain your horse at optimal weight.

Good hydration (fresh, cool water readily available 24/7) is crucial. More than half of the foot is cartilage and highly dependent on hydration.

Consider your horse’s living situation . Is he often standing in manure, urine or mud? Is he turned out on lush pasture? Do his surroundings allow the opportunity to travel over surfaces that will naturally wear down the hoof? The best environment is clean and dry with varied surface options.

How much exercise does your horse get? For optimal health, your horse needs to move! For many owners, this requires a commitment to provide more exercise.

How Long Will It Take for a Horse to Stay Barefoot?

Owners commonly ask, “How long will it take until I can ride my horse without shoes?” and, “Will my horse be sore?”

Hooves are just as individual as the horses standing on them, but you should expect an adjustment period when transitioning out of shoes.

“The foot needs to have stability, and a lot of horses coming out of traditional shoeing with rigid horseshoes don’t have stability,” says La Pierre.

The foot’s internal and external structures must become healthy and strong enough to be barefoot all the time. The time it takes to transition to shoeless depends on:

The horse owner’s commitment;

The current health of the horse’s feet, including any damage and weakness;

The horse’s environment;

Having an experienced hoof care professional able to trim the horse correctly.

If you’ve been told your horse has “bad” feet, you may think he’s destined to stay in shoes forever. Not necessarily.

La Pierre finds these are often the horses that most benefit from transitioning to shoeless. Rehabbing their feet will be a greater challenge, but if you’re willing to invest the time, your horse’s feet can improve dramatically.

Finding the Right Care for a Barefoot Horse

For a horse to successfully transition to barefoot, he needs a balanced trim—one that allows the foot to flex and function correctly.

It’s possible the farrier you’re currently using could transition your horse out of shoes if they have a good understanding of foot function and anatomy.

First, ask which of the three “barefoot models” your farrier subscribes to:

Wild hoof model

Conventional model

Alternative model (such as HPT Balance Method)

“The foot has to deal with force; the wild horse is smaller and doesn’t carry a rider, so it’s never subjected to the force of the domesticated horse,” says La Pierre, who finds owners have the most success with alternative or conventional models.

He emphasizes that the most important aspect of trimming is that all structures of the hoof are balanced.

“When you’re looking to transition to barefoot, it’s not just about the trim,” says La Pierre. “Ask yourself: Can this person advise me on the guidance of returning health to the structures that are lacking in my horse’s feet?”

Making the Transition

Going barefoot is not just about pulling a horse’s shoes. Transitioning to shoeless isn’t an overnight solution, and it shouldn’t be done to save money on shoeing.

Once you have a hoof care professional ready to help your horse move out of shoes, they can evaluate your horse’s foot structures and develop a plan if improvement is needed to make the feet stronger and healthier.

Alternative hoof wear may be useful during transition. This includes hoof boots or a temporary covering like Perfect HoofWear, a non-cast flexible hoof wrap that provides stability and protection.

Despite their owners’ best efforts, some horses aren’t physically able to go 100 percent barefoot. Reasons include:

Poor foot conformation due to genetics;

One or more structures of the foot is too weak to handle being barefoot;

Horses with chronically unstable feet, such as those diagnosed with chronic founder;

Horses in high-intensity work (heavy jumping, extremely rocky terrain, et cetera) when discipline demands exceed the ability of the bare hoof to withstand the force involved.

First-Hand Experience

Cris Ann Bybee of Ely, Nev., has been an active trail rider for decades in some of the West’s most rugged terrain, yet all three of her horses are barefoot.

Her 15-year-old Quarter Horse gelding had been in shoes since he was young when she bought him two years ago.

“I had my vet come out and do X-rays to be sure there were no bone issues,” says Bybee. “Once that was clear, I knew the rest was fixable. I did put him in Perfect HoofWear because he was sore coming out of shoes. That helped a lot and his feet got better and better.”

Bybee said it took about four trim cycles, about four months in this case, for her gelding to be comfortable barefoot.

She still brings along her Easyboots when riding in the mountains where trails are rocky.

“In the West, where it’s so hard and dry, this is just added protection,” she says.

Bybee has transitioned almost 50 horses from shod to full-time barefoot since becoming a DAEP (Diploma in Applied Equine Podiatry) in 2008. For her horse clients that simply don’t meet the AEP criteria for full time barefoot for a variety of reasons, Bybee practices AEP’s Golden Rule of “do no harm,” thus recommending the HPT Balance Method and Perfect HoofWear during their off season and then Perfect HoofWear, boots or shoes while the horse is performing in its discipline.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/keeping-horse-barefoot

How to Be an Equestrian

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 05:22:49 GMT

Being an equestrian requires a great amount of personal dedication. You will spend both time and money in order to live an equestrian lifestyle. For equestrians, riding is a passion and a sport. To become a true equestrian you will need to immerse yourself in the details of how to properly care and communicate with horses. Choosing a particular equestrian sport, such as dressage, will help you further hone your skills. With practice and the support of a horse-loving community, you can reach your equestrian goals.

Method 1 Increasing Your Horse Care Knowledge

Do your research. Learn everything that you can about horses. Go online and look up information about different horse breeds and their characteristics. Watch videos showing horse behaviors. Subscribe to two or three well-known horse magazines. These publications will provide useful information while also letting you know about horse events in your area.

Being an equestrian requires that you are a life-long learner of all things horse related. Never stop researching or asking questions. For example, if your horse reacts oddly to a certain harness, look up possible reasons online.

Join an equestrian community. Making friends with fellow equestrians at your local barn is always a good idea. They can be excellent mentors for you. Being an equestrian is not a solo activity and you will require the assistance of many people in order to be a success. You can also get involved in equestrian communities online, especially by participating in one of the many horse blog networks.

If you own a horse and choose to board it, your fellow riders at the boarding stable will become your community. To find a good boarding stable, search online for boarding and training facilities by state. You will want to choose a stable close to your home to make visiting easier. Visit your stable options to assess their cleanliness and general atmosphere.

You can also build a community by going to a stable for riding lessons. In this case, you will want to very carefully choose your riding instructor. Make sure that they are a member of the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA). Request references and ask questions about their experience level as well.

To keep the conversation going, before you head to the barn each day, think about a few questions to ask other riders. For example, you might say, “How long should I cool down my horse after a one hour work-out?”

Spend time around horses. Take lessons at a local barn or volunteer to help out at a non-profit stable. If a neighbor owns horses, offer to help them out. You want to spend as many contact hours around horses as possible. Doing so will make you attuned to their behaviors and will help you hone your caretaking and horsemanship skills.

For true equestrians, riding is only part of the experience. You will also need to get your hands dirty mucking stalls, grooming, and feeding/watering. Don’t shirk these responsibilities or other riders will not take you seriously.

It is great to own a horse, but make sure that you have contact with other horses as well. Expose yourself to different horse personalities and alternative skill sets. For example, if you are interested in barrel racing, both you and your horse would benefit from spending time with an experienced racing team.

Pay careful attention to the physical and mental needs of horses. As an equestrian, you are responsible for the well-being of the horses around you. Make a daily, weekly, and monthly calendar in which you note major health appointments. Use this calendar to also keep track of how much, and what items, you feed your horse every day. And, keep an eye out for your horse’s mental status. If your horse begins to act out violently or is really lethargic, it may need some extra attention or even a change of stall.

Treating all health concerns seriously is important for the horse, but also for your safety. Animals in pain are more likely to lash out, injuring their caretakers in the process.

Get to know all of the equine professionals who care for horses, including veterinarians and farriers. Vets take care of a horse’s vaccinations and dental work while farriers watch over a horse’s all-important hoof care.

Horses will often take a wide variety of supplements and vitamins. It is important to note what a horse takes in so that you can trace its outward effects.

Respect the animals that you work with. No matter whether you are riding your personal horse or a shared barn horse, you need to treat all animals with the respect that they deserve. Keep calm when working with them and never act out of violence. Count to five if you get frustrated and try the same action once again.

Take note of the physical strength and size of a horse as well. They can hurt you without even meaning to if you aren’t careful. For example, when you walk beside a horse, watch the placement of your feet. If a horse steps on your foot it can lead to bruises and even fractures.

Serve as an apprentice. Some local horse programs offer formal apprenticeship programs. However, you can usually arrange your own. Find a trainer or horse professional who you admire and feel comfortable working with. Tell them about your interests and ask them to teach you everything that they know. In return, offer to help them care for the horses.

When you are a more experienced equestrian, make sure that you return this favor by accepting apprentices yourself. Or, even less formally, act like a mentor to younger riders.

Method 2 Excelling at Equestrian Sports

Stay in shape. Although you hold the reins in your hands, you control your horse by moving your core body. Start incorporating core-strengthening exercises, such as the wood-chopper and plank, into your regular routine. You will be able to ride longer with fewer sore muscles as a result.

Remember that riding a horse is excellent exercise, but does not include weight resistance. So, it may help you to develop muscles, but will not build bone density.

If you want an exercise boost, muck out a stall. It provides both cardio and weight resistance.

Get access to a horse. Spending time caring for a horse and working on your riding skills is a necessary part of becoming an equestrian. If you have the resources, you can always purchase your own horse and pay to stable it nearby. If you do not own a horse, go online and search your location along with “barns” “stables” “horseback riding” and “equestrian clubs.” Find a location that fits your price range and schedule and go on a visit.

To get real results you will need to spend time with horses on a regular basis, more than just once a week. Schedule “horse time” into your calendar and be consistent in attending.

Some riding locations will allow you to spend time with different horses each week while others will encourage you to stick with the same horse. Ask about the policies before you commit.

Select equestrian programs at the college level will provide access to a stable of pre-selected horses. If you are interested in joining a collegiate equestrian team, look into this option.

Choose a type of riding. Eighteen styles of riding are currently regulated by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). You can focus on western style reining (executing precision loops with your reins while horseback) or even vaulting (holding on to a modified saddle while performing gymnastic moves) or countless other options. Ask your mentors and peers for information, watch equestrian events, and read all that you can about the various sports.

The standard Olympic equestrian events are: dressage, show jumping, and eventing. Dressage is essentially dancing in sync with your horse. Show jumping involves a horse and rider jumping over various obstacles on a course. And eventing is a combination sport requiring endurance and jumping on untamed terrain.

Western style riding requires that the horse and rider navigate a variety of obstacles and demonstrate proficiency in corralling. Western dressage riding places an emphasis on a smooth gait and clear communication between horse and rider. Western reining is judged on control during the demonstration of reining patterns.

Other styles of riding include hunter, which mimics the process of a hunter pursuing prey on horseback, and English pleasure style, which places an emphasis on smooth transitions. You can even focus on carriage pleasure driving, which takes into account a driver’s skill in managing a team or single horse.

Wear the right equipment. Many of your equipment choices will coincide with your sport. Take equipment recommendations from your mentor or other equestrians. If you plan to participate in competitions, make sure to read the guidelines carefully or you could face disqualification or point penalties.

Remember to invest in a quality helmet. It needs certifications from both the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Safety Equipment Institute (SEI). If you choose to ride competitively and/or often, it is also a good idea to buy a body protector. You wear this vest over your torso and it helps to absorb the energy from a fall or kick. Many different models are available online.

You will also want to wear some sort of leather shoe, preferably with a small heel. Riding boots are standard for many equestrian sports, although western riders often go with cowboy boots.

You can purchase riding gloves online or at a local tack shop. Gloves are especially useful in the winter and are also required for some equestrian sports.

Here is an example of sport-specific dress: General Western style riders prefer leather chaps, cowboy hats, and brightly colored western-themed shirts. Western dressage riders often wear themed-riding jackets as well. In addition to the above, Western reining riders must wear a collared shirt and necktie.

For safety reasons, try to remove most of your jewelry. If your hair is long, tie it back and secure it under your helmet.

Practice, practice, practice. As often as you can, get out with a horse and practice your intended sport. Do repetitions of the same action so that it becomes second nature for you both. Look for weaknesses and target those areas in particular. For example, some barrel horses don’t like turning left, so it is all the more important to practice that direction.

It is best to practice at least once a week with a trainer who has experience in your specific sport. If you belong to an equestrian team, it is possible that you will have group lessons as well as individual ones.

In addition to working out with a trainer, you should practice at least 2-3 times a week on your own. This is yet another reason to choose a stable near your home.

Learn from other equestrians. Go to equestrian competitions and cheer for your peers. Go the barns afterwards and talk with the riders and their helpers. If you are unable to travel to competitions, watch them on TV or stream them live online.

Method 3 Living as an Equestrian

Do what you enjoy the most. Sit down and do some serious thinking about what you like about horses. Do you enjoy a particular sport? Or, do you find the most happiness out of training horses? Perhaps you really like treating horses for illness? Not all equestrians are the same and you don’t have to compete to be an equestrian. Equestrians love horses and live a horse-centered lifestyle.

If you are considering a competition sport, you will want to think about whether or not you should stay amateur long-term or transition to a professional at some point. Seek the advice of other trusted equestrians as you make this decision.

Acknowledge the time requirements. Horses require a great deal of care. They will interrupt your daily schedule and will demand attention even on holidays. Look over your daily calendar and consider realistically how much time you have to devote to an equestrian lifestyle.

This is an especially important to consider if you are thinking about becoming a horse owner. Horses are social creatures and don’t do well cooped up in a stall without visits for long periods of time. This can seriously damage your relationship with your horse and may even put you in danger while riding.

Consider your personal finances. Evaluate what monies you have available to devote to your equestrian pursuits. Being an equestrian can be quite expensive, depending on your specific interests, so you want to be realistic early on. For example, certain sports such as dressage require advanced training that can be rather costly.

If you are on a limited budget, all is not lost. Look for an riding center that provides long-term or group discounts. You can also offer to work part-time at a facility in order to get additional horse contact hours.

Pursue advanced training. If you decide to become a professional equestrian, whether you take a competition track or decide to be a trainer, you will most likely need to pursue a degree in equestrian studies. Many schools offer both associates and bachelor degrees in equestrian fields. You can gain even more experience by participating in a school’s riding club. ^[18]

Enjoy the equestrian lifestyle. Every time that you are around a horse do a quick internal reminder that you are here because it makes you happy. You may face difficult moments, but stay grounded in your love for horses and horse culture. This will help you to continue to make the best decisions for you and the horses that you work with.

Source: https://www.wikihow.pet/Be-an-Equestrian

What’s It Like to Be an Equine Veterinary Medical Technician

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 05:32:29 GMT

A day in the life of an equine veterinary medical technician starts early and ends late, but for those who love horses, it always ends with a feeling of having found your life’s purpose.

Equine veterinary medical technicians are vet techs who specialize in working with horses. With approximately 3.6 million horses in the United States and 504,795 farms reporting owning, breeding, raising or training horses, there is great demand for equine veterinary technicians nationwide.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t distinguish other types of veterinary technicians from equine vet techs, but it does report that the field is growing faster than average. The profession of veterinary technician is expected to grow by 19 percent from 2014-2024, 12 percent more than the average job growth rate.

Of course, it takes more than a love of horses to succeed as an equine veterinary medical technician. Let’s take a look at the qualifications, skills and experience required, as well as a typical day in the life of an equine vet tech.

A Brief Overview of an Equine Veterinary Technician’s Job

Samantha Rowland, a graduate of Wilson College and an equine veterinary technician (LVT, VTS [Anesthesia/Analgesia]), says that the majority of equine veterinarians operate a mobile practice. Veterinarians on the road almost all day long, and the technician often rides along on farm calls, assisting with whatever is needed. “This can include horse handling, assisting with radiographs or ultrasounds, assisting with shockwave treatments and many other things,” Rowland said.

In general, equine veterinary technicians work beside equine veterinarians, similar to the way a small animal vet tech assists veterinarians in private practice. They may assist during surgery, routine examinations or health checks. Giving injections, drawing blood for lab tests and conducting X-rays or other tests may also be part of the job.

Equine veterinary technicians must have a keen eye for a horse’s demeanor and be able to spot any signs of lameness, illness or other issues to report to the veterinarian in charge of the case. Some equine vet techs monitor horses at specialized veterinary hospitals, while others work at racetracks, breeding farms or in private practice.

To be an equine vet tech, you must also be in good physical health. Horses are large, strong animals, and a frightened or injured horse needs to be safely and humanely restrained so the veterinarian can treat it. You may need to hold a horse still for X-rays or walk or trot the horse for a soundness exam. Some vet techs may be asked to occasionally ride a horse, so riding skills are also essential.

The Typical Schedule of an Equine Vet Tech

The hours an equine veterinary technician works are typically long, but there can be a great deal of variety in what you accomplish from day to day. Most equine veterinary technicians go on barn calls, which can mean rising at dawn and accompanying the vet on calls to check on horses, conduct pre-purchase exams, administer vaccinations and worming medications, and respond to emergencies.

Like human nurses and doctors, equine veterinarians and technicians are “on call” seven days a week. Most work on rotating shifts within a practice, which means that for one day out of every three or four days, they may respond to calls at any time—day or night. Just like people, horse emergencies don’t always fall within a regular 9-to-5 schedule.

A typical day may look something like this:

Arrive at work. While most equine vet techs are associated with a mobile practice, they may still have an office from which to complete paperwork and check messages.
Typical duties may include:
Reviewing messages and responding to emergencies.
Returning calls to collect additional information on a horse’s condition and schedule appointments.
Discussing cases with the veterinarian.
Checking the mobile unit and restocking supplies as needed.
Going on barn calls with the veterinarian. Calls may include emergencies (colic, injuries), scheduled visits to administer vaccinations or check on a horse’s condition, or pre-purchase examinations, among others.
Planning the care and schedule necessary for the following day.

Most equine vet techs’ hours range from 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. to about 5 p.m. each day. Some days are longer. If an emergency call comes in late in the day, you’ll be expected to accompany the veterinarian and stay as long as needed.

Duties at a Veterinary Hospital

Equine veterinary technicians working at a teaching hospital or large breeding or racing facility typically make rounds to check on their patients. This includes taking horses’ vital signs, checking on their overall health status and responsiveness, and examining the healing process of wounds or surgical procedures.

Veterinary technicians may use a system with the acronym “ SOAP” to check horses first thing in the morning:

Subjective assessment: How does the horse look? Is he responsive and alert?
Objective assessment: What is his temperature, pulse and respiration? The vital signs may be checked against previous shifts and any changes reported to the veterinarian.
Action: What actions are needed? Bandages may need to be changed or medicines administered.
Planning: What care must be planned for the next 24 hours? For example, horses may need to be hand-walked, clipped or prepped for surgery.

Equine veterinary medical technicians must take special care in preparing for surgeries, which may include clipping and cleaning the surgical site on the horse. They are also responsible for setting up the site for surgery, including:

Creating a sterile field for barn surgeries or emergency calls (draping blankets or sheets and cleaning the general area).
Preparing and sterilizing instruments.
Checking medications and supplies.
Checking equipment.

Equine vet techs may hand equipment to the veterinarian during surgery. Often a second vet tech is in the room to circulate and replenish supplies or assist as needed.

Equine veterinary technicians working at a large animal hospital may be asked to hand walk, graze or ride the horses at the hospital. Barn chores are also part of an equine veterinary technician’s duties when working at an equine veterinary hospital, so you’ll muck stalls, clean and fill water buckets, and distribute feed and hay as needed.

Benefits of Working as an Equine Veterinary Technician

For people who love horses, science and a changing daily schedule, becoming an equine veterinary medical technician may be the perfect job.

Equine VMTs study equine health, anatomy, physiology, feeding and nutrition, and animal husbandry. Many also help veterinarians with the business end of their practice, so they may want to include business courses in their education. While associate degree programs are typical, a four-year bachelor’s degree program provides ideal preparation for the field.

Equine VMTs also must learn to ride horses, and colleges like Wilson that have VMT programs often offer equestrian programs, where students can learn to ride or become more proficient riders. Regardless of when you learned to ride, as an equine VMT, you should be comfortable in the saddle and around horses of various training levels—you may be asked to hop onto a green prospect in the morning and school a seasoned champion later that day.

For equine VMTs who work at a large teaching hospital, there is also the added benefit of being able to specialize in the veterinary field. Specialists in the equine vet tech field include:

Equine anesthesiology
Emergency/critical care
Internal medicine
Radiology
Neonatal intensive care
Dentistry
Surgery

Many equine vet techs also work with other equine professionals. The veterinarian may call in a farrier—a professional skilled at assessing, trimming, and shoeing horses—for example. Vet techs must be comfortable working with many different equine professionals in a given day.

Equine veterinary technicians can expect to earn an average of about $31,000 a year, depending on where they work and their experience level.

Challenges of the Profession

According to Samantha Rowland, the two principal drawbacks to the job are the long hours and yes, “when an animal doesn’t make it.” It can be heartbreaking to console an owner whose beloved horse didn’t survive colic surgery, or who just had to make the difficult decision to euthanize an animal.

How to Become an Equine Veterinary Technician

For those interested in becoming an equine veterinary technician, it’s important to have the right skills and education to be successful in the field. There are 160 equine veterinary programs in the United States. Most offer two-year degrees but some, like the Wilson College program, offer a comprehensive four-year bachelor’s degree.

Equine VMTs are licensed by the state in which they intend to practice. After completing your education, you will need to take and pass the state’s licensing examination in order to be employed as an equine veterinary technician.

Equine VMTs may only provide certain levels of care. The actual services they can provide are guided by state law. It’s important to understand the limits placed on what you can do by your state.

The Value of Hands-On Experience

Rowland recommends that even before entering into an accredited program, individuals interested in becoming an equine VMT get more experience in the field. “I have been riding horses since I was in junior high school,” she said. “I figured out I wanted to be a veterinary technician pretty early on and started volunteering in a small animal practice at 14 years old. … I knew I wanted to work in equine medicine, specifically in surgery.”

Rowland did everything she could to gain experience in the field. “I worked at the small animal practice in high school and worked as a horseback trail guide.”

She then sought an education to help her achieve her goals. “I chose Wilson College because of the four-year bachelor’s program in veterinary medical technology, which is difficult to find,” Rowland said. “Wilson has an amazing equine studies/equestrian program that is right on campus. I completed a double major in veterinary medical technology and equestrian studies with a minor in small business management.” This combination of education and experience helped Rowland launch a successful career.

Rowland has worked in both equine medicine and small animal veterinary care, and has loved specializing in anesthesia. She has provided anesthesia to horses, donkeys, mules, miniature horses and foals. “Equine anesthesia is a real challenge and an amazing experience,” she said. Rowland was the anesthesia supervisor at Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center for several years. “I had the opportunity to be the anesthetist on some pretty amazing cases that I wouldn’t necessarily have seen outside of a hospital of this caliber.” She has since obtained her Veterinary Specialty (VTS) in anesthesia/analgesia through the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anesthesia and Analgesia (AVTAA).

Choosing a Degree Program

Veterinary medical technology study is available as either a two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelor’s degrees, but the bachelor’s program provides a more comprehensive foundation for your career. Bachelor’s graduates also have the option to apply to veterinary programs at some of the top universities in the country.

When choosing a program, be sure that it is an accredited program and consider the resources offered, as well as any associated programs. On-campus VMT and equestrian facilities provide an optimal scenario for learning. In addition to the veterinary medical technology major, colleges that offer complementary programs provide greater opportunities for students (e.g., Wilson College offers equestrian studies (with two management tracks), equine-facilitated therapeutics, equine journalism and general business courses.

Wilson also offers a VMT concentration in equi-assist, a unique, new specialization within the VMT program. In this course of study, students can specialize in equine nursing care. Students learn under the guidance of an equine veterinarian how to provide nursing care to horses in their home environment. This new program, one of the first of its kind in the nation, offers veterinary technicians another opportunity to develop specialized skills.

Earning a four-year bachelor’s degree from a well-regarded, accredited college can serve as a springboard to success. Graduates such as Samantha Rowland have embarked on fulfilling careers working at veterinary hospitals, and private practices nationwide.

For anyone who loves horses and has a penchant for science, becoming an equine veterinary medical technician challenges all of your skills. You’ll use those skills to help horses and their owners through difficult emergencies, routine veterinary care and exciting moments such as the birth of a foal.

You can specialize in many disciplines, including anesthesiology or surgery, or work as a general veterinary technician. Whatever you choose to do, building a solid foundation through hands-on experience, working with horses and attending a college like Wilson College will help launch you into a promising career as an equine veterinary medical technician.

Source: https://www.wilson.edu/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-equine-vet-tech

What Are the Requirements to Be a Horse Vet?

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 05:32:14 GMT

If you love horses and feel concerned about their health and well-being, you might consider becoming a horse vet. Horse veterinarians perform duties ranging from administering vaccinations and performing surgical procedures to researching horse illnesses and preventing epidemics. Read on to see if a career in equine medicine is right for you.

What Does a Horse Vet Do?

Horse vets monitor the health and fitness of horses, usually by immunizing them against disease and treating their injuries or sicknesses. As a horse vet, you'll most likely run a private practice. In your role as private practitioner, you'll go from location to location checking on horses. Your work will require you to work outdoors in all types of weather, sometimes in unsanitary conditions. Your duties include performing physical examinations, making diagnoses, treating wounds, prescribing medications, performing surgery and advising owners on horse care. You'll also have other career options, such as researching equine diseases at universities or government agencies, developing new drugs or products for horses or teaching medicine to aspiring veterinarians.

Important Facts about Horse Vets

Job Outlook (2021-2031) - 19% growth (for all veterinarians)

Median Salary (May 2021) - $100,370 (for all veterinarians)

Entry-level Education - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Licensing - passing the North American Veterinary License Exam is required

Educational Requirements

You may or may not need to earn an undergraduate degree before you enter a veterinary medicine program. Although some schools don't list a bachelor's degree as a requirement, most schools receive many applications and only the most qualified students can be admitted; therefore, earning an undergraduate degree, can give you a competitive edge. You need to complete pre-veterinary training during your undergraduate degree program, taking prerequisite classes in biology, chemistry, zoology and physics. It's also important to gain experience working with animals, either through paid or volunteer work.

After completing your undergraduate education, you must graduate from veterinary school and earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.). A 4-year D.V.M. program includes coursework in mechanisms of disease, therapeutic strategies and pathology, among other subjects. You'll also be given the opportunity to take elective courses related to your interests, such as equine medicine. During your fourth and final year, you'll receive clinical training where you'll practice your diagnostic and therapeutic skills on a variety of different species.

Internships and Residencies

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), some veterinarians start practicing medicine immediately after completing their D.V.M. program, but many turn to 1-year internships for additional training. An internship could help prepare you for a competitive position or higher paying opportunity. A 1-year internship is also necessary to be accepted into some residency programs and to be eligible for board certification.

After graduating from veterinary school and possibly completing an internship, you could then enter a 3-year residency in equine medicine. During your residency, you'll be clinically trained in equine internal medicine and have opportunities to teach veterinary students and conduct veterinary research. Some programs require you to concurrently earn a master's degree, while others make it an option if you're particularly interested in research.

Licensure

You'll have to obtain a veterinary license before you can practice in any state. To receive your license, you'll need to complete your D.V.M. degree program and pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam. Many states have additional requirements, which might include passing an exam on state laws.

As a horse vet, you also have the option to earn board certification in internal medicine from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. To be eligible for board certification, you'll need to have graduated from an accredited veterinary school, completed a 1-year internship and completed an approved residency program. You need to register as a candidate for board certification within 90 days of starting your residency. To be granted certification, you also need to pass general and specialty examinations.

Career Outlook

The expected increase in employment for this occupation may be partially due to the fact that more people are taking their pets to the vet, as well as technical advancements in the field of veterinary medicine. Since relatively few veterinarians choose to work with large animals, job prospects will likely be better for equine vets than for those who work with companion animals.

Source: https://learn.org/articles/What_Are_the_Requirements_to_be_a_Horse_Vet.html

Keeping Horses and Property Safe in a Storm

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:55:29 GMT

Get your barn ready for lightning, hail, high winds and possible loss of power and water.

Severe thunderstorms with high winds, lightning, and hail are never any fun, but they often pass by without causing any significant damage. Still, there’s always the chance that they could cause a problem. The good news is there are some simple steps you can follow to ready your farm and prepare for loss of power. Here, we’ll look at some ways to ensure your property and horses can safely weather the storm, plus some things to consider if you do experience damage.

Lightning

Before the Storm:

◆ Disconnect the fence charger. Electric fencing is usually connected to some type of grounding poles, which turn the whole fence into a giant lightning rod. If lightning does strike your fence, the high voltage may travel through the wires and blast through your fence charger on its way toward dissipating in the ground.

We had this happen once on our farm: Lightning struck a tree on the other side of the pasture, jumped to the ground and then to the electric fence (burning a great deal in the process), and ran all the way around the pasture before destroying the charger.

To keep lightning from potentially ruining your charger, you can simply disconnect the two wires marked “fence” and “ground” (they might be marked with a “+” and “-”) well before the storm arrives. Don’t forget to reconnect them afterwards. (If horses will be in the paddock with that fence during the storm, then this probably isn’t a wise option).

◆ Consider fencing off pasture trees. You’re probably aware that lighting tends to gravitate toward the tallest objects in an area, so single shade trees standing the middle of a pasture can be targets.

If there are horses in the pasture when a storm strikes (more on this below), they may be more inclined to take shelter near the tree. For this reason, some horse owners choose to fence off pasture trees so that the horses can’t stand directly under them.

Wind

Before the Storm:

◆ Prepare trees. This is a bit more of “big picture” issue (not something you’ll be doing five minutes before the storm strikes), but you’ll want to give some thought to possible damage from trees and branches in a storm. Do you have trees near the barn with major branches hanging over the roof? What about other buildings?

◆ Put things away. If there’s a chance of significant wind, try to secure or store your machinery (tractors, UTVs, et cetera). Also, clear the barn aisles of tools and small items that can easily go flying if strong winds rush down the aisle.

After the Storm:

◆ Check fencing . Take a trip around the pastures after the storm to make sure there are no large branches or trees down on the fencing that could allow the horses to get out. Also, keep an eye out for wind damage to the fencing—it’s not impossible for a strong wind to pop boards and even topple posts in certain conditions.

◆ Look for “spookables.” Check the pastures, walking paths, and barn areas for debris and trash blown around (maybe from neighboring properties) that might cause accidents if a horse is surprised by them.

Hail

Before the Storm:

◆ Bring the horses indoors. Hail of any significant diameter can cause injury, so placing the horses in stalls ahead of time is prudent if hail is in the storm forecast.

◆ Park the machines. If you can manage it, consider moving any valuable machines and vehicles indoors to prevent hail damage. Luckily, some horse owners have a large place perfectly suited for this: the indoor riding arena.

After the Storm:

◆ You might want to wait until the hail/sleet has melted before venturing out again; during a warm-weather thunderstorm, this doesn’t take very long.

Water for Horses During Storms

Before the Storm:

◆ Save water. If you can manage it, saving water before the storm is helpful. Besides filling all of your horses’ buckets and troughs to the top, you can save additional water with simple 5-gallon camping containers. If the storm doesn’t come, so much the better—just use up the water the next day.

After the Storm:

◆ For city water: If your home or horse barn is connected to a municipal water source, a power outage from a storm might not be an immediate issue, as the town’s water system may be gravity fed (from a water tower, for example), and the water will keep working even without electricity.

◆ If your horse property is more rural and the barn is fed from a private well, this may be more challenging. People often have small generators around to power a few lights and the refrigerator, but well pumps usually take a lot of electrical amps to function and require some special wiring to be in place ahead of time.

If your home has a large generator capable of powering the well pump, you should be able to get water to your horses that way, but owners of small generators may come up a little short. This is where saving water prior to the storm can help. For long-term outages, you could also look at hauling water from a neighbor who hasn’t lost power.

Electric Fence Power

Before the Storm:

◆ Asses your horses’ needs. What happens when you have an electric fence, and there is no electricity to run it? Whether or not this is an issue depends on your horses; some never touch the fence whether it’s on or off; others test it frequently. You’ll have to make a judgement call. The good news is that solar fences aren’t effected by an outage.

After the Storm:

◆ Solar/battery-powered fence: With this system, solar panels collect sunlight during the day to run the fence and store it in batteries for nighttime and cloudy days. If you have a system like this, it’s independent from a storm power outage, so you’re good to go.

◆ AC-powered fence uses AC power from a typical power plug. If there is a prolonged power outage, you can probably plug your electric fence charger up to a small generator, as fence chargers don’t use much power. Another alternative is to have a small solar charger on hand for outage emergencies.

Horses In or Out During a Storm?

Should the horses be in or out of the barn during a thunderstorm? If the storm is forecast early enough and you have ample time, you can put the horses in the barn, but not everyone does this. However, there are some solid reasons to do so:

◆ Horses may become frightened. High winds and thunder can upset even normally calm horses, and if the storm is intense, they could potentially run into a fence. The exception might be in a case where a particular horse is much more anxious being indoors during the storm. Again, it’s case-by-case question that only you can answer.

◆ Lightning could be a threat. Horses are large, tall animals in an open area, and lightning strikes are not unheard of. Many horse owners prefer placing their animals inside a structurally sound, grounded stable.

◆ Damage to fencing can occur. If storm damage breaches a fence, it could offer the horses an escape route while the storm is still happening and before you have a chance to intervene.

The tips here are only meant to be a guide and to offer some suggestions, but ultimately the decisions are up to you and will come down to your specific situation. Hopefully, your thunderstorms will pass by harmlessly, but it never hurts to do some preparation and have some backup plans in place.

Here’s hoping for beautiful, sunny weather!

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/keeping-horses-and-property-safe-in-a-storm

Social Media Critics in the Horse World

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:27:01 GMT

An expert shares how to handle the rudeness and critics often associated with posting anything horse-related online and on social media.

“Ignore the appearance of my fence.”

“I shortened the lead rope after I took the picture.”

“I know my position needs work.”

In an attempt to ward off potential critics, almost all of us, including me, have been guilty at some point of including an apology of sorts with our social media posts.

I’ve also seen a horse’s conformation ripped apart when an owner meant only to lovingly share a photograph of her horse. Then there are those who are not qualified to act as trainers, farriers , or veterinarians offering advice on how they would handle certain situations if it were their horse.

For example, years ago when my mare my was severely afflicted with founder, I was openly attacked in the comments of a social media post I made by the spouse of a farrier who did not know me and had never seen my horse. This person took issue with the treatment protocol of a well-respected veterinary hospital and their team of veterinarians and farriers who were very experienced in the care of foundered horses and whose care my mare was under.

Why Be Nasty?

Why is it that some within our equestrian community feel the need to make negative, critical comments—and in some cases cross the line into cyberbullying—on the social media posts of others?

“Typically, it’s a need to pass judgment on and criticize others,” says Janet Edgette, Psy.D., equestrian and clinical sport psychologist . “Or it’s such a deep sense of inferiority that only by judging others harshly can they maintain any kind of positive self-regard.” Sometimes, Edgette explains, it’s a need to present oneself as more discerning, knowledgeable or skilled than others.

In other situations, people who feel angry all the time are gratified by inflicting harm on others and seeing or imagining them in distress, according to Edgette. Or there can be a person who is vindictive and trying to exact revenge for some perceived or actual wrongdoing, even if inadvertent or accidental. These people want to “even the score,” she says.

Crossing a Line

While it’s bad enough when hurtful comments are a one-time deal, it’s even more cruel when these social media critics become cyberbullies. The line is crossed when this type of behavior becomes intentional.

“People who post mean, rude, or critical comments become bullies when they mean to hurt the other person and it’s repeated over time,” Edgette says. “There’s usually some kind of power imbalance between the critic and the rider being criticized. For example, the critic is an instructor, or someone with a large social media following, or perhaps someone in the rider’s barn or social circle that is popular or otherwise has a lot of social media capital with which to influence the opinions of others.”

A Varied Effect

The effects of these types of comments, whether they are one-time or repeated, can vary.

“The least affected individuals will have a very centered and grounded sense of themselves,” says Edgette. “Meaning, they are not overly reactive to external events in their lives, are disinterested in drama, have no need to prove themselves to anyone they don’t know personally, and don’t take comments personally. They realize that the comments reflect more on the sender than themselves. The most affected are typically those who are easily offended by others or are especially reactive in conflict situations, or who feel a strong need to defend oneself against any criticism, or who can’t resist the urge to prove the critic wrong, or who remain steadfast in the belief that there’s value in engaging with the critic.”

Detrimental consequences for those severely affected by criticism can range from physical and mental symptoms to poor performance in other areas of life and even suicide.

Preventative Measures

Fortunately, if you are a victim of a critical or hurtful post, there are steps you can take to keep the situation from spiraling out of control. Edgette advises not responding at all.

“Nothing positive will ever come out of any exchange between the rider and the critic,” she says. “There is no ‘changing the other person’s mind.’ The critic is not looking for dialogue or perspective or enlightenment. They are looking to make someone else feel bad. And for so many of them, this type of activity is recreation, which is incredibly sad.”

Edgette states that while you can’t stop others from posting negative comments, there are some things that you can do to reduce the chances of being on the receiving end of such criticism:

◆ Never respond to any comments that you get. That’s what the other person wants from you. They’re ready to do battle and have no interest in hearing your point of view. Leave it.

◆ Take a second look at your posts to make sure there’s nothing that might invite critics. For example, avoid claiming that your way is the best or asking for feedback.

◆ Don’t be a critic yourself, no matter how valuable you believe your input to be. If people aren’t asking, they aren’t hearing, either.

◆ Don’t try to inform or educate other riders even if you think they need to hear your advice or input and you’re sure that you’re saying it nicely. A comment doesn’t have to be critical in order to feel critical to the reader.

◆ Don’t let the poor behavior of others on social media change how you show up online.

In the end, it’s important to realize that attempting to shame others rarely results in positive changes. More often than not, it does quite the opposite. Instead, as an industry, we would do well to adopt a supportive dialogue with one another.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/social-media-critics-in-the-horse-world

Sycamores, Maples, and Sycamore Maples - Which Are Safe for Horses?

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 03:24:10 GMT

Many horse owners are confused about which trees are safe for horses and which are toxic to horses, especially when the trees have similar names. The sycamore maple is a prime example of confusing tree names. The trick to distinguishing which trees are related is to look at the scientific names. These are listed in the format of Genus, species.

American Sycamore
The American sycamore is Platanus occidentalis. It is a tall shade tree with unique bark that peels off, revealing interesting patterns and colors. This tree is non-toxic to horses.

Red Maple
The genus name for maple trees is Acer. Red maple, Acer rubrum, is commonly known to be toxic to horses, primarily when wilted leaves are consumed by the horse. Its toxins cause destruction of red blood cells and prevent remaining red blood cells from transporting oxygen throughout the body. It is thought that the toxins in red maples may also be present in closely related maples (sugar maple, Acer saccharum; silver maple, Acer saccharinum) and hybrids of red maple. Red maple is native to North America and extremely abundant in the eastern United States.

London Planetree
The naming confusion begins with the London planetree, or Platanus x acerifolia. From the genus Platanus, we know it is related to the American sycamore. The “acer” in acerifolia refers to the shape of the leaves—they are shaped like maple leaves, but are not related to maples. This tree is safe for horses.

Sycamore Maple
Another confusing name is the sycamore maple. In Europe, where it is native, this tree is referred to simply as a sycamore. This tree is Acer pseudoplatanus, with Acer indicating that it is in the maple genus. The species name, pseudoplatanus, refers to its visual similarities to Platanus trees—hence, pseudo-platanus. This tree frequently causes poisoning in horses in Europe, where it is the most common maple species. Horses that consume the seeds or seedlings of this tree develop a highly fatal muscle disorder called atypical myopathy. A form of rhabdomyolysis, it is the result of toxins in the seeds and seedlings called hypoglycin A and MCPG. Levels of these toxins can vary widely among sycamore maple trees, and outbreaks tend to occur sporadically in certain years. It is considered an invasive species in some parts of the United States, including Pennsylvania.

Box Elder Maple
Another maple, the box elder maple (Acer negundo), is native to the U.S. and also contains hypoglycin A. Box elder maple seeds are responsible for a condition that closely resembles atypical myopathy called seasonal pasture myopathy. This serious condition is seen in the U.S. and usually develops in the autumn when seeds are falling. It can cause stiff gaits, incoordination, dark urine, rapid breathing, recumbency, and death. Seeds are only found on female box elder trees.

Conclusion

When selecting trees to plant in a pasture, always do some reading to determine whether the tree is toxic to horses. Make sure to use the tree’s scientific name and not its common name, as plants frequently share common names and may go by several different names depending on region.

Source: https://extension.psu.edu/sycamores-maples-and-sycamore-maples-which-are-safe-for-horses

Basing Horses’ Ideal Living Situations On Equine Behavior

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 03:01:26 GMT

A welfare-inspired revolution in equine stables and paddocks facilitates companionship.

All horse owners dream of beautiful barns, arenas, and paddocks, but equine behavior and welfare leaders are urging them to open up their barns, rethink time spent in box stalls, link their paddocks, and let horses be horses—together.

Building a Dream Barn

Constructing an ideal horse farm has usually focused on improved ventilation, energy efficiency, safe flooring, buoyant footing, and green paddocks with horse-friendly fencing . But now experts remind us that those are our goals. What would our horses want in the way of a perfect farm? The first thing to realize is that a one-size-fits-all vision can never apply to horsekeeping, whether it’s the dream of a human or a horse. Every property is different, just as every horse owner’s goals and budget are different. However, what your horse wants and needs may be well within your budget.

Horse owners want their horses to be safe, above all else. Some would say that they want their horses to be safe and happy, but how people define a happy horse is subjective. Equine behavior research from universities around the world has grown into an impressive body of peer-reviewed literature.

We want horses to fit into our lives, but we also want to find ways to stop their cribbing, weaving, and aggression problems. Now we are being asked to solve problems by changing the way horses are managed and housed.

Natural boarding and natural horsekeeping have been established alternatives for many years, but now they have research on their side. Horse owners are also realizing that incorporating social-friendly aspects into their management schemes yields great payoffs without having to make a huge investment all at once, or without sacrificing some aspects of their traditional setups.

Group Housing in Equine Behavior Research

Today’s equine behavior research is looking closely at the way we confine horses in individual stalls. Especially in Europe, researchers are questioning the use of stalls at all. A long tradition exists there called “group housing,” especially for horses used in breeding.

If group housing doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because its roots are European. More than 30 scientific studies have been conducted on horses stabled indoors living in communal groups instead of in individual stalls. Ten new studies have been published since the pandemic began, with more expected.

At the majestic Spanish Riding School breeding farm in Piber, Austria, visitors are often shocked to see a dozen or more mares living together under a common roof, sometimes called “lying halls” in Europe, with their foals at their sides. These valuable animals live quietly together, with little aggression. Barn workers walk among the horses.

Moreover, when it comes time to move the mares to a huge pasture to graze each day, 30 or more mares and foals may be released at once, together. They gallop together, without aggression, through a narrow roadway to the field that waits for them.

U.S.-Based Solutions

So, should you “quit stalling?” Turning horses out together can make most horse owners nervous. Americans probably aren’t ready to make the leap to Euro-style group housing, but plenty can be done in traditional barns to make stables more aligned with welfare principles and equine behavior preferences.

In America, horses often live solo lives. They often spend more time with people than with other horses. A recent trend to build run-out pens out from individual stalls has been accepted as progress, but critics say they are not enough. Horses can see each other, but often cannot touch or groom each other.

Researchers like Australian equine behaviorist Andrew McLean caution that visual contact is not enough. What really matters, he says, is that a horse be able to socialize with a compatible horse in the stall or pen next to it.

Horses require movement, but they also crave, and may even require, direct physical proximity to other horses, according to McLean, who presented some simple ideas for updating stable designs in a webinar for World Horse Welfare in March 2022. Entitled “Can a stabled horse truly be a ‘happy’ horse?” the webinar explored the welfare and behavior aspects of horses in stalls and compared ideal farm designs with realistic ones.

McLean, like others, is cautious about endorsing a switch to group stalls, at least until or unless the herd’s dynamics are established. Safety is a great concern, since open-barn living often cannot provide cover for a horse that needs protection from aggression, especially at feeding time.

Also at risk are humans who may need to enter the common area and move among horses. In Europe, new designs of feeders and watering systems for group-housed horses are making news in barn design.

Social Box Stalls

For some time, stable design has focused on both better air circulation and facilitation of visual contact between horses, especially through using sight-friendly upper bars between stalls. McLean showed examples of the next level of this option from an Australian architect who has created curved bar dividers allowing horses to touch between stalls. Some have sliding bar windows that can be closed if aggression is a problem.

According to McLean and many of his colleagues, the “social box stall” is an idea whose time has come.

McLean related the experience of a racehorse training facility in Australia where old brick walls between stalls were crumbling in places, creating unintentional social opportunities between horses in adjacent stalls. According to McLean, Thoroughbreds returning to their stalls from work would go directly to the broken wall and touch and sniff the horse next door.

Building a better horse farm may be a noble undertaking for an owner, but there is also the possibility of changes in horse management being mandated by equine welfare policies in the future.

Some stables have insufficient grazing and turnout for the number of horses housed, requiring horses to be turned out for only short periods of time. Working on interior changes to stalls may be an easy and relatively economical solution to relieve the stress that these horses feel in stall-bound isolation.

Human companionship, stable toys , and even stall mirrors are other methods recommended to assuage horses, although experts claim such methods are a distant second choice to horses being able to touch their companions.

As with all changes to horses’ lifestyles, gradual and calm introduction to alterations will help horses adjust if the idea of having a more social life is new to them.

Paddock Paradise

Another idea brought forward in recent years has been that a paddock can be much more than a flat, open field. It can be an interactive playground for your herd and have many healthy components to keep horses moving and engaged in therapeutic equine herd behavior.

“ Paddock Paradise ” is a concept put forth in a book by the same name by author Jaime Jackson, whose years of observing feral horses inspired him to incorporate aspects of their lifestyle into the pastures of American domestic horses.

Of particular interest to Jackson was using environmental components conducive to healthy feet that don’t require shoes. In the 15 years since the book’s publication, many horse owners have embraced his paradigm of active pasture life for horses, although many Americans are frustrated by limitations in the amount of land available to them.

No matter what size your paddock is, you can help your horses make the most of their turnout time. New designs for turnout hay stations and slow feeders are a basic element that were not common 20 years ago but are today.

A true Paddock Paradise is a sectioned-off track that encourages horses to keep moving. Their progress is motivated by progressive grazing and feed stations. Most owners will opt for temporary or electric fencing, so that the track can be easily modified by season or to utilize better grazing as needed.

Some horse owners cleverly add water elements or variations in footing, which may aid in hoof health, and include both shaded and sunny areas, and wider sections where horses may pause, gather, or take a nap. Another benefit is that horses can become familiar with new objects, natural obstacles like logs and ditches or changes in footing, which may pay off on the trail.

Sacrifice Areas and Strip Grazing

The flip side of a paddock paradise is the paddock that represents deprivation. Dry lot or “sacrifice” turnout is ideal for horses with problems like equine metabolic syndrome. No grass is allowed to grow in this barren space, and the horses are fed hay, often from a slow feeder.

This type of paddock is also useful as a backup when other grazing is deep in mud or has been recently seeded.

A simple practice in use on many farms has been the interconnection of existing paddocks by adding gates directly between adjacent paddocks, creating a larger common space and more chance for interaction between horses, but making smaller paddocks possible when and if needed for a new horse or special situations.

Run-in sheds are a popular and relatively economical way to provide shelter during turnout if allowing horses to live a truly independent natural lifestyle around the clock.

Another useful type of paddock planning is strip grazing to aid in weight loss and laminitis prevention, especially in spring. Simple, moveable electric fence cordons off sections of pasture so horses are gradually exposed to limited amounts of spring grass. British research has documented that horses lose weight when their grazing is restricted in this way.

These temporary electric fields can also be used in the opposite way, moving horses between good grass areas while allowing overgrazed areas to rest and grow back.

Around the World

A 2015 study compiled by World Horse Welfare and Eurogroup for Animals was designed to move forward in welfare education in the area of horse management. It addressed continuous stall confinement, lack of social interaction, and other issues to be considered. Unfortunately, the isolation years of the pandemic prevented those efforts from further development.

The following are some current horse welfare laws in place in Europe:

◆ In France, a new law requires horse owners to hold licenses.

◆ The Netherlands now judges horse welfare based on the type of horses or the number of horses on a property.

◆ Sweden is probably the country with the most equine welfare oversight by government. A Sweden’s 2007 Animal Welfare Act requires that all horses have daily exercise in paddocks that allow horses to exercise at all gaits.

◆ A British government code of practice covering group housing specifies that all horses have access to hay, feed, and water and that sufficient free space for movement be provided so that all horses can lie down at the same time, and that aggressive horses be segregated.

◆ Also in Britain, the Royal Society for the Protection of Horses recommends that horses not be housed alone in individual paddocks or pens, and that indoor stalls allow horses to both see and interact with their neighbors.

Looking Ahead on the Basis of Equine Behavior and Welfare

Look behind every barn door you can for new ideas. Extension agents, equine behaviorists, and architects may have innovative suggestions you haven’t thought of. Through the input of diligent researchers and promotion by dedicated horse welfare advocates, equine behavior-based social needs are now in the spotlight.

Just remember, where horses would like to live may not be as important to them as who they’d like to live next to. Being able to safely touch and smell familiar herd mates, both in the barn and in the pasture, is at the top of every horse’s wish list.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/horses-ideal-living-situations-based-on-equine-behavior

Horse Racing Terminology

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 02:05:11 GMT

Across the board: A bet on one horse to win, place, and show.

Allowance or Allowance Race: A non-claiming event in which the racing secretary conditions weight allowances based on previous purse earnings and/or types of victories.

Also Eligible or "AE": Horses entered into the field that will not run unless other horses are scratched.

Apprentice Jockey: A student jockey that will receive a weight allowance of varying degrees depending on his or her experience.

Backstretch: The straight part of the track opposite the finish line or the stable area.

Baby Race: A race for two year old horses, especially early in the season.

Blinkers: Eye equipment that limits a horse’s vision; generally used to help the horse concentrate on running and to reduce distraction.

Break Maiden: When a horse or rider wins for the first time.

Breeze: A term generally used to describe a workout in which a horse is easily running under a hold without encouragement from the rider.

Bridge jumper: A bettor that places large bets in the Place or Show pools on odds-on favorites.

Broodmare: A female thoroughbred that is used for breeding.

Broodmare dam: A mare that produces female progeny that are used for breeding.

Broodmare sire: A male horse that produces female progeny that are used for breeding.

Bug Boy: An apprentice jockey

Bull Ring: A small track where the oval is generally less than one mile and, thus, has very tight turns.

Buy the race: Using every single horse running in a specific race in an exotic wager. For example, if a player buys a Daily Double ticket for the 1 st and 2 nd race that is 8 with ALL, the bettor will have "bought" the second race.

Carryover: Usually refers to money in the parimutuel pool for a Pick Six wager that is left over after a sequence fails to have a single player select all of the winners. For example, if there are no winning tickets for a Pick Six on a Friday at a track, the money left in the pool (minus the track take) is a considered a carryover and will be added to the pool for Saturday's Pick Six. Successive carryovers can lead to very large Pick Six pools.

Claiming Race: A race where each horse in the field has a price and can be purchased by any person that makes a valid claim prior to the running of the race.

Clocker: A person that times and/or rates workouts.

Clubhouse Turn: The first turn of races that begin on the frontstretch/homestretch.

Colt: A male horse.

Condition: To train a horse

Conditions: The circumstances under which a race will be run, such as: surface, distance, purse, and eligibilities.

Consolation: A payout, typically in a Pick Six, where players without a full winning ticket still receive money. For example, a player that hits 5-of-6 races in the Pick 6 will typically collect a small consolation payout. Consolations are generally much smaller than the full payout.

Daily Double: A wager in which the player attempts to pick the winner of two sequential races with a single ticket.

Dam: The mother of a horse.

Dark: A day in which a track is not featuring live racing.

Derby: A stakes race for three year old horses.

Distance of ground: A route race or a race run around two turns.

Dog: A cone or other obstruction placed a specified distance from the rail of the turf course to keep horses from damaging that portion of the grass.

Eased: A horse that is pulled up or stopped prior to finishing the race

Exacta: A bet in which the player attempts to pick the 1 st and 2 nd place horse on one ticket.

Fast Track: Rating of a dirt track that is dry and hard.

Filly: A female horse

Fire Sale: A drastic reduction in the claiming price of a horse.

Foal: A newborn horse.

Form: The current condition of a horse; may also refer to The Daily Racing Form publication.

Fractions: Clocking at quarter-mile increments in either a race or a workout.

Front Runner: A horse that wants to run on or near the lead.

Furlong: One eighth of a mile.

Gelding: A castrated male horse.

Going: The condition of the racing surface. Dirt courses are generally rated Fast, Good, Muddy, or Sloppy. Turf courses are generally rated Firm, Good, Yielding, Soft, or Heavy.

Graded Race: A stakes race that is assigned a grade (I, II, or III) by the American Graded Stakes Committee based on the relative strength of the race as compared to all other races. This is the highest form of racing.

Half sister: A female horse out of the same dam as the other horse but with a different sire. Horses with the same sire but different dams are not considered half sisters or brothers.

Handicap: A race in which the racing secretary assigns weights designed to equalize the winning chances of the entrants; or to study horses’ records in order to determine the chances of each to win the race.

Handily: A fairly strenuous workout where the jockey urges the horse on but does not use the whip.

Handle: Total sum bet on a race or during an entire day.

Hand ride: A jockey that is urging a horse on by "scrubbing" his hand up and down its neck. A horse under only a hand ride was not whipped by the jockey.

Heavy Track: A grass racing surface that has received an extremely large amount of water and is an almost bog-like condition.

Horse: Technically, a male horse five years old or greater is a "horse". A male horse under five years of age is technically a "colt".

In hand: A horse running under restraint.

Inquiry: An official investigation by the stewards of the running of the race to determine whether a foul was committed by a horse or jockey.

In the money: To finish in the top four; this generally entitles the owner to a share of the purse. In betting terms "in the money" means to finish in the top three.

Irons: Stirrups

Jockey agent: An individual that obtains rides for a jockey.

Juvenile: A two year old horse.

Look of Eagles: A horse that has a confident look. John Henry had the Look of Eagles.

Lug In: A horse that bears (drifts towards the rail) in during the stretch run; usually the sign of a tired horse.

Maiden: A horse that has never won a race; or a race for horses that have never won a race.

Marathon: A race longer than 1 ¼ miles long.

Mare: A female horse aged five or older.

Middle distance: A race longer than seven furlongs but shorter than 1 1/8 miles.

Miler: A horse that prefers to race at or near a mile in distance.

Minus Pool: When enough money is bet on one horse that the pool is insufficient, after the track take, to pay the holders of the winning ticket the legal minimum odds. In this situation, the track is required to make up the difference to ensure that the bettors are paid the full amount.

Morning line odds: The odds set by the track prior to the opening of the pools.

Muddy Track: A dirt track that is soft, wet and holding.

Oaks: A stakes race for three year old fillies.

Objections: A claim of foul by a jockey following the race.

Odds: The chances of a horse to win a particular race based on the pari-mutuel wagering of the general public. The payouts for a $2 bet with corresponding odds are listed below: (see list at page, link below)

Odds Board: The tote board, usually found in the infield.

Off the board: A horse that fails to finish in the money.

Off the pace: A horse that is lagging back in the early stages of the race.

Off-track: A racing surface that is anything other than Fast (Dirt) or Firm (Turf/Grass).

Optional Claimer: A race where the horses in the field may or may not be entered for a claiming price.

Overlay: A horse whose odds are higher than its actual chance of winning, as determined by the player. For example, if a player determines that horse A’s odds are 4/1 that he will win, but the current odds at the track offer the horse at 10/1, that horse would be considered an "overlay". Overlays are good, underlays are bad.

Pace : The speed of the leaders at each stage of the race.

Parimutuels : French system of wagering where winning bettors get all the money wagered by the losers, after a deduction of a percentage by the track (Take Out).

Pick 3 (or 4, 5, 6, etc.): An exotic wager which requires the player to pick the winner in successive races.

Post: Starting gate.

Quarter crack: An injury to the hoof of a horse.

Quarter pole: Post on the infield rail that indicates two furlongs to the finish line.

Rank: A horse that refuses to be rated early on in the race.

Rate: To restrain a horse early on in the race in order to conserve energy for the later stages.

Route: Generally a race that is run around two turns.

School: To train a horse, generally in the starting gate or the paddock.

Scratch: To withdraw a horse from a race.

Shadow roll: A roll of cloth placed across a horse's nose in order to block its vision of the ground and prevent it from jumping shadows.

Shake up: Urging by the jockey, either with his hands or the whip, to make the horse run faster.

Shipper: A horse that has traveled from one track to another to run in a race.

Shut out: When a player fails to make his bet at the window prior to the gate opening.

Sloppy track: A track that is wet, covered with puddles, but not yet "muddy".

Spit the bit: When a tired horse stops running hard.

Sprint: A short race, seven furlongs or less.

Stewards: Three person panel that determines whether or not any rules violations occurred during the race.

Superfecta : A wager in which the player attempts to select the order of the first four finishers in a race. Due to the difficulty of this wager, a winning superfecta wager generally pays out at high odds.

Tag: Claiming price. A horse entered for a "tag" is entered in a claiming race.

Track Take: Money deducted from each pool for track revenue and taxes.

Trifecta: A wager in which the player selects the first three horses in a race in order.

Trip: The course followed by a horse and rider during the running of a race and describes the "trouble" encountered. A horse that had a "good trip" did not encounter any unusual difficulty. A "bad trip" might involve racing wide, or being boxed in by other horses.

Turf course: A grass covered course.

Under wraps: A horse in which the rider is holding it back and intentionally keeping it from running at top speed.

Washed out: A nervous horse that is sweating.

Source: https://www.anddownthestretchtheycome.com/pages/horse-racing-terminology

What is a ‘Serviceably Sound’ Horse?

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 01:26:09 GMT

Being ‘serviceably sound’ is important for any horse to do his job comfortably. Learn more about the concept of the serviceably sound horse and what it means to professionals across the equine industry.

The Trainer

“A horse is considered serviceably sound when the horse is sound and comfortable performing at the intended use of the owner and riders.” —Maryann Davis

Before owners consult their veterinarians or farriers for horse advice, they often look first to their trainers. Horse trainers and riding program instructors are the lifeblood of the equine industry. Maryann Davis is no exception. She and her daughter Sally operate Hilltop Equestrian Center, a full-service multidiscipline boarding and training facility in Somersworth, New Hampshire. They also manage a very successful lesson program and show schedule. Davis has been in the business for decades and often helps her clients find horses that will suit their needs.

“The horse’s job or purpose dictates the entire plan for success in their maintenance at our farm,” says Davis. Her lesson program is extensive, ranging from beginner and children’s lessons to advanced instruction in dressage and jumping. “As our spectrum is broad, we have actually set up individual maintenance programs for each horse.” These packages include personalized dietary supplementation, tack fit, and supportive therapies.

Davis classifies each horse and its level of soundness by its job. “Our lower-level lesson program demands a lot, and our horses may do eight to 12 lessons per week,” she says. Of course, not all mounts are cut out for an extensive lesson program. Davis looks for horses with the right conformation to endure lessons, even if just at the walk and trot.

“Conformation must correlate with the intended use,” she says. “As our lesson program has a large population of beginner horses, we tend to look for the sturdier-built horses.”

These horses must have proper limb alignment, no obvious health deficits, and be sound enough to keep up with a busy workload.

Davis says the advanced horses at Hilltop Equestrian Center are in regular work, with their riders taking part in four to six lessons per week that are more demanding and require higher levels of physical fitness and ability. These horses are athletes and compete on a regular basis throughout New England and South Carolina, and the lesson programs are customized to maintain the horses’ performance. Davis says the upper-level horses often benefit from regular soundness exams, more frequent shoeing cycles and joint therapies such as polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (Adequan), hyaluronate sodium (Legend), or corticosteroid injections to remain sound in their jobs.

The Farrier

“A serviceably sounds horse is one that is experiencing no acute/significant pain while performing its job.”—Ben Fitzpatrick

When it comes to soundness, farriers are often the horse’s first line of defense. They see your mounts on a regular schedule, typically more frequently than your veterinarian. Your farrier might be the first equine professional to assess your horse for any lameness he might have.

Ben Fitzpatrick, owner of Fitz’s Forge, provides farrier services to everything from backyard ponies to upper-level eventers in Southern Maine. He says a horse’s discipline and workload are very important factors in determining serviceable soundness. Fitzpatrick takes this into account during each trim and shoeing.

For the pasture pet, he ensures the animal can “happily walk to his hay feeder or grazing area, then back to the stall without any signs of discomfort.” The lesson horse should also have “no signs of pain at the walk, trot, or canter,” he says. “This animal could, however, become sore or lame when worked too hard or worked too many days in a row.”

Expectations for soundness are highest for sport horses, who “should be able to perform their work just as any human athlete,” says Fitzpatrick. “Training and working hard five or six days a week but not overdoing.”

So what goes into keeping these horses sound? “A horse’s conformation plays a huge role in its usability and longevity,” says Fitzpatrick. Always consider it when making decisions ranging from the tack he wears to the job he does.

“As a farrier I do my best to balance the fetlock and below and provide support for the digit,” he adds, by way of the degree of trim, type of shoe, and additional hoof packing or wedges to support certain structures.

“I treat most all of my trims with the same approach,” Fitzpatrick says. “It is in the shoe that I can make modifications and move support around to help my athletes get proper traction, clean gaits, and proper surface area, helping them to stay on top of their substrate.

“Another influence farriers have is concussion,” he continues. “We can dampen concussive forces by using different pads for shock absorption as well as thicker or thinner shoes to allow them to ‘float’ or ‘sink’ into their substrate.”

How much it will cost to keep your horse serviceably sound depends on his job and hoof care requirements.

“Multiple factors play into it, but much of it depends on the trim and shoe job your horse needs,” Fitzpatrick says. Trims for a lesson horse, for instance, are normally much less expensive than aluminum shoes for a show hunter. Hoof care costs also increase if the horse is battling a lameness issue, due to special shoeing regimens or more visits from the farrier.

In this scenario, “you need a team of the veterinarian, farrier, and trainer all collaborating,” says Fitzpatrick. “The best therapeutic cases I work on see me every four weeks and the vet almost as often, at least until we can get them back to serviceably sound.”

The General Practitioner

“A serviceably sound horse is fully capable of doing his job despite showing signs of being lame (or not perfectly sound) or other signs of unsoundness.” —Jennifer Safford, DVM

Jennifer Safford, DVM, is a third-generation veterinarian. She grew up in the industry and is a general practitioner at the Equine Clinic at OakenCroft, outside Albany, New York. A large percentage of her clientele owns pleasure horses or manages a lesson program. She says she regularly finds herself working on serviceably sound horses.

“Finding the perfect lesson horse that is 100% sound and also has the temperament to be used multiple times a day for a multitude of different riders is nearly impossible,” says Safford. “Many of my clients, therefore, must compromise in some fashion, and they will often use a horse that is not perfectly sound.”

Veterinarians might set about maintaining the serviceably sound horse differently than other professionals. “You must address their overall health,” she says, using a systemic approach that includes diet, dental care, respiratory and lameness exams, and tack fit. The average serviceably sound horse will likely also benefit from medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, and joint therapies, as needed.

When a horse doesn’t have to be sound for a three-day event or a rodeo, rest and relaxation can do his body wonders. “Being in the Northeast, we sometimes also have the option of letting these horses rest for a portion of the winter,” says Safford. “Perhaps you pull their shoes, turn them out, and let them have a vacation.” Time off can be beneficial for many injuries, especially those affecting soft tissues.

Safford is also a proponent of changing a horse’s work to better suit his performance abilities. “Occasionally, we will suggest a change in the horse’s job—perhaps they transition from jumping 2 foot to doing (flat work), or we go from a 5-mile ride with lots of trotting to a 1-mile ride with more walking,” she explains. These simple changes not only help horses feel better but can also make it possible to maintain them longer.

Age, of course, often plays a role in soundness. Safford stresses the importance of monitoring geriatric horses for signs of metabolic disease, dental problems, and advancing arthritis. “I find that if you can keep your older horses moving (perhaps in a paddock with a run-in shed rather than a stall), then they are often capable and willing to continue working.”

Finally, as Davis and Fitzpatrick pointed out, conformation can be a limiting factor in a horse’s soundness. “We need to remember that conformation and the way all the parts fit together within the horse in question also affect how the horse moves,” says Safford.

Anatomical defects such as poorly angled limbs, locking stifles, and club feet can all affect soundness in different ways. “Realistically though, by the time most horses are becoming (riding) horses, we cannot change how they are built,” Safford says. “Looking at their conformation and balance prior to the purchase of the horse, however, may allow you to anticipate what that horse will need to stay sound and comfortable in its job.”

The Sports Medicine Fellow

“A horse that can perform an intended use comfortably without deteriorating due to what is required is a serviceably sound horse. The details of each situation vary greatly based on multiple factors, including competition level, frequency of exercise, preparation effort/repetition required during training, rider ability, conformation, and horse personality.” —Christine Machin, DVM

Christine Machin, DVM, is a sports medicine fellow who has focused her career on the performance horse. Currently an associate veterinarian at Atlantic Equine Services, headquartered in Dover, New Hampshire, she travels up and down the Eastern United States seeing advanced lameness cases. Her clientele is composed primarily of equestrians that compete at international levels. Competition is a very important part of their lives; they are the backbone of the sport horse industry. When these horses come up lame, Machin approaches them differently than she would an amateur’s lower-level dressage mount, for instance.

“Many of the horses I care for are true professional athletes, and long periods of stall rest are not only unsatisfying for an owner but can also be contraindicated for many reasons,” she explains. “Significant stall rest that may be successful for the general practice horse can create excess scar tissue that will permanently inhibit the top-level horse, not only limiting their performance but also putting them at increased risk of repetitive injury.”

To prevent impaired performance and chronic injuries, Machin employs a number of therapeutic tools and procedures such as laser and shock wave therapy, functional electrical stimulation, and biologic treatments such as interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein, platelet-rich plasma, and autologous protein solution.

While these cutting-edge technologies can drastically improve equine function and rehabilitation, she says, they can be out of some owners’ price range. Regardless of the type of horse, says Machin, the most effective way to reduce costs and return a horse to performance “is a combination of prevention and having the right diagnosis as soon as possible.” One of her favorite prevention methods is the prepurchase exam, which helps her identify any potential soundness issues before an individual buys a horse.

“I try to identify what the horse needs to maintain or advance in their career at our very first interaction,” she says. “For example, if a neck or back issue is present, I often recommend a sequence of daily carrot stretches or topline kinesiotherapy after exercise to help maintain the range of motion. This investment is free and hopefully maintains the horse without intervention for an extended period.”

Elite athletes specialize in different disciplines, which stress different aspects of a horse’s anatomy, and “any repetitive stress on one area of the horse can make it predisposed to injury,” says Machin. “Jumpers that repetitively land off of high fences may be more prone to front limb injury as they absorb the shock of impact. A dressage horse performing upper-level collection and utilizing their haunches may be prone to injury of the hind-limb suspensory ligaments. Barrel racers constantly taking tight turns may be more likely to develop stifle injuries.”

Machin takes this and all other factors into account when assessing her patients for soundness. “It is the sport horse veterinarian’s job to consider all contributing factors, but most importantly to perform a thorough physical and dynamic exam.”

Take-Home Message

Each horse has a purpose, whether it be going over 5-foot jumps, casual trail riding, or standing in a pasture. Being serviceably sound is important for any horse to do his job comfortably. Preventive work and a team approach are the best methods to ensure your horse has the highest chance of serviceable soundness for years to come.

Source: https://thehorse.com/195382/what-is-a-serviceably-sound-horse/

Get Insights on Horse Racing Market [2024-2031]: Observing Market Share and Advancements

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:12:47 GMT

Our extensive report, across [106 Pages], offers a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the Horse Racing Market , focusing on regions, applications ( Online, Racecourse, Lottery Store, Other ), and types ( Win Bet, Each Way, Single Bet, Mutliple Bets, Straight Forecast, Reverse Forecast, Tricast ). The research and analysis presented within our Horse Racing Market Research report aim to provide valuable insights to benefit stakeholders, vendors, and industry participants. The projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2023 to 2031 indicates that the Horse Racing market is poised for remarkable annual expansion.

Brief Description of Horse Racing Market:

The Horse Racing Market is projected to achieve a valuation in the multimillion-dollar range by 2030, demonstrating an unforeseen Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) between 2023 and 2030 when compared to the data spanning from 2016 to 2022.

Market research reports are essential for companies to offer insights that can bolster their growth and success. These reports provide the latest market developments, potential areas for future growth, and information about the competitive landscape. In recent years, the Horse Racing market has experienced remarkable growth, fueled by growing consumer appreciation for its visually appealing design, enduring durability, and environmentally conscious features. We invite you to explore our engaging article, where we delve into the enchanting world of Horse Racings. Join us as we unveil the compelling reasons behind their surging popularity.

Which manufacturers hold the leading position in the global Horse Racing Market?

Bwin
Singapore Pools
Tabcorp Holdings
William Hill
Macau Jockey Club
Ladbrokes
Hong Kong Jockey Club

What product categories dominated the market share in the Horse Racing industry?

Win Bet
Each Way
Single Bet
Mutliple Bets
Straight Forecast
Reverse Forecast
Tricast

What are the primary applications within the Horse Racing market?

Online
Racecourse
Lottery Store
Other

What are the driving factors for the growth of the Horse Racing Market?

Type and Category of the Product: The market's categorization into different types and categories of products plays a significant role in driving its growth. Certain product types or categories may experience higher demand, leading to market expansion.

Market Growth: The overall growth of the market, both in terms of value and volume, is a key driving factor. A growing market typically indicates increasing demand and opportunities for businesses.

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR): The calculation and assessment of CAGR are essential driving factors. CAGR helps in understanding the pace at which the market is expected to grow during the projection period, influencing investment decisions.

Projection Period (2023 to 2030): The chosen time frame for projections (2023 to 2030) is a driving factor as it provides a roadmap for market analysis and strategic planning during this specific period.

Horse Racing market Overview:

Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been unchanged since at least classical antiquity.

The Horse Racing Market report combines extensive quantitative analysis and exhaustive qualitative analysis, ranges from a macro overview of the total market size, industry chain, and market dynamics to micro details of segment markets by type, application and region, and, as a result, provides a holistic view of, as well as a deep insight into the Horse Racing market covering all its essential aspects.

For the competitive landscape, the report also introduces players in the industry from the perspective of the market share, concentration ratio, etc., and describes the leading companies in detail, with which the readers can get a better idea of their competitors and acquire an in-depth understanding of the competitive situation. Further, mergers & acquisitions, emerging market trends, the impact of COVID-19, and regional conflicts will all be considered.

Global Horse Racing Market: Drivers and Restrains

The research report has incorporated the analysis of different factors that augment the market’s growth. It constitutes trends, restraints, and drivers that transform the market in either a positive or negative manner. This section also provides the scope of different segments and applications that can potentially influence the market in the future. The detailed information is based on current trends and historic milestones. This section also provides an analysis of the volume of production about the global market and about each type from 2018 to 2030. This section mentions the volume of production by region from 2018 to 2030. Pricing analysis is included in the report according to each type from the year 2018 to 2031, manufacturer from 2018 to 2022, region from 2018 to 2022, and global price from 2018 to 2031.

A thorough evaluation of the restrains included in the report portrays the contrast to drivers and gives room for strategic planning. Factors that overshadow the market growth are pivotal as they can be understood to devise different bends for getting hold of the lucrative opportunities that are present in the ever-growing market. Additionally, insights into market expert’s opinions have been taken to understand the market better.

How have the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine War affected the Horse Racing Market?

The confluence of two significant global events, namely the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, has left a lasting impact on the Horse Racing market landscape. These unprecedented events have introduced a complex set of dynamics that have reshaped the trajectory of this market in unexpected ways.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about seismic shifts in consumer behavior and business operations. Lockdowns, travel restrictions, and remote work became the new normal, prompting businesses to pivot their strategies towards digital platforms. This abrupt shift amplified the reliance on online presence and visibility, driving a surge in the demand for effective Horse Racing utilization. As companies scrambled to enhance their online reach, the Horse Racing market experienced a notable upswing, as businesses sought to optimize their content for greater online visibility and engagement.

Simultaneously, the Russia-Ukraine war injected an additional layer of uncertainty and volatility into the global economic landscape. Geopolitical tensions and economic sanctions generated ripple effects across various industries, influencing consumer sentiment and purchasing patterns. As businesses navigated through these geopolitical challenges, the Horse Racing market responded to the evolving landscape, as brands reevaluated their marketing strategies to align with changing consumer sentiments.

The combined impact of these events has underlined the indispensability of strategic Horse Racing management for businesses across sectors. Adapting to the evolving consumer preferences and the fluctuating geopolitical landscape has highlighted the need for agile and responsive Horse Racing strategies. As the world grapples with the aftermath of the pandemic and ongoing geopolitical tensions, the Horse Racing market continues to evolve, serving as a barometer of the broader economic and societal changes that have come to define this era.

Highlights of The Horse Racing Market Report:

Key offerings from the Global Horse Racing Market Report:

Market Size Estimates: Horse Racing market size estimation in terms of value and sales volume from 2018-2031

Market Trends and Dynamics: Horse Racing market drivers, opportunities, challenges, and risks

Macro-economy and Regional Conflict: Influence of global inflation and Russia & Ukraine War on the Horse Racing market

Segment Market Analysis: Horse Racing market value and sales volume by type and by application from 2018-2031

Regional Market Analysis: Horse Racing market situations and prospects in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa

Country-level Studies on the Horse Racing Market: Revenue and sales volume of major countries in each region

Horse Racing Market Competitive Landscape and Major Players: Analysis of 10-15 leading market players, sales, price, revenue, gross, gross margin, product profile and application, etc.

Trade Flow: Import and export volume of the Horse Racing market in major regions.

Horse Racing Industry Value Chain: Horse Racing market raw materials & suppliers, manufacturing process, distributors, downstream customers

Horse Racing Industry News, Policies & Regulations

Regional Insights:

Geographically, the detailed analysis of consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate, historical data and forecast (2018-2030) of the following regions are covered in this report:

United States
Europe
China
Japan
India
Southeast Asia
Latin America
Middle East and Africa

Here are some frequently asked questions about Horse Racing Market Report:

Q1. Does this report consider the impact of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war on the Horse Racing market?

Yes. As the COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war are profoundly affecting the global supply chain relationship and raw material price system, we have definitely taken them into consideration throughout the research, and in Chapters 1.7, 2.7, 4.X.1, 7.5, 8.7, we elaborate at full length on the impact of the pandemic and the war on the Horse Racing Industry.

Q2. How do you determine the list of the key players included in the report?

With the aim of clearly revealing the competitive situation of the industry, we concretely analyze not only the leading enterprises that have a voice on a global scale, but also the regional small and medium-sized companies that play key roles and have plenty of potential growth.

Q3. What are your main data sources?

Both Primary and Secondary data sources are being used while compiling the report.

Primary sources include extensive interviews of key opinion leaders and industry experts (such as experienced front-line staff, directors, CEOs, and marketing executives), downstream distributors, as well as end-users.

Secondary sources include the research of the annual and financial reports of the top companies, public files, new journals, etc. We also cooperate with some third-party databases.

Q4. Can I modify the scope of the report and customize it to suit my requirements?

Yes. Customized requirements of multi-dimensional, deep-level and high-quality can help our customers precisely grasp market opportunities, effortlessly confront market challenges, properly formulate market strategies and act promptly, thus to win them sufficient time and space for market competition.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/get-insights-horse-racing-market-2024-2031-observing-vskjf/

The Equestrians of Color Project

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:08:46 GMT

In 2020, the topic of racial equity came roaring into the headlines in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Many of us wondered what we could do to help bring healing to our country. As equestrians, we can see that representation of racial diversity is lacking in our sport. Photographers Shelley Paulson , Bethany Pastorial, Erica Hills, and Anna Smolens decided to do their part to bring about change by forming a photography project, the Equestrians of Color Photography Project, that would amplify the voices of equestrians of color by giving them a place to tell their story, while also raising awareness about the lack of representation in equestrian visual media .

“Being an equestrian of color sets me apart from other riders in the ring because I’m one of the few equestrians of color competing at this level. I’m proud to represent people of color in the equestrian world. I love bringing diversity to an elite competitive sport that normally isn’t available to those with a diverse ethnic background.” – Isabella Dean.

Photo by Erica Hills

With the project, photographers across the nation serve as allies by photographing each participant and interviewing them about their experiences as diverse members of the equestrian community. The resulting images and interview responses are combined in a blog published once a week at www.equestriansofcolor.com .

“Any of you reading this, especially the youth like me: Know that you are valid and worthy of anything you can achieve. Each and every one of us is beautiful and unique; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” – Adriel Carroll.

Photo by Rebecca Tolman

More About the Equestrians of Color Project

To date, the project has published over 55 stories from breeders, trainers , non-profit organizers, riders, barn owners, and horse lovers across the nation. The impact is significant with increased diversity seen in publishing, advertising campaigns, associations, and nationwide movements.

If you are an equestrian of color 16 years or older interested in sharing your story through the project, you can connect with a local photographer ally at www.equestriansofcolor.com .

“Don’t allow others to treat you as less than. We belong just as much as anyone else.” – Karina Chavarria.

Photo by Alaina Hower

“You can be the one with the unique story. The one who people never thought could make it—but did.” – Kristen Hwang. Photo by Jeni Brunner

“My proudest moment as an equestrian was getting my USDF bronze medal. For several years, I couldn’t afford a horse that I could bring up through the levels in dressage. I was lucky enough to get connected to a woman who wanted someone to enter into a long-term free lease of her mare, who was 13-ish at the time and only fully broke when she was about 10.” – Nia Morales. Photo by Erica Hills

“You can’t change your skin color, so embrace it. Things may be different on the ‘higher-end’ of the horse world, but in rodeo and bulls & barrels events, I haven’t met or interacted with anyone who thinks I’m incapable of something due to my ethnicity.” — Chloe Hatzenbeller. Photo by Shelley Paulson

“I want to show other riders of color that they, too, can be a part of horses. It can be intimidating to anyone to start something new when you don’t feel like you belong. A strong support system that is encouraging is beneficial. I think people should shoot for the moon—you will at least land among the stars.” — Christopher Cervantes. Photo by Lindsey Long

“As long as you have integrity and pride in your riding and horse, you can’t fail. Be honest, give yourself goals, and remember to always listen to your horse.” — Kayla Benney. Photo by Anna Smolens

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/the-equestrians-of-color-project

Buying a Horse: The Pre-Purchase Exam

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:03:03 GMT

Vetting a horse in a pre-purchase exam (PPE) isn’t like looking into a crystal ball. A PPE can’t predict a life-threatening or career-ending injury or a catastrophic diagnosis. Nor is the exam meant to foretell a horse’s future health or anticipate maladies that he may incur, but like a house inspection, the purpose is to provide some reassurance for you as the potential buyer.

Questions to Ask When Buying a Horse

Before scheduling a PPE to cement your commitment to buying your dream horse once you’ve finally found him, you have some homework to do. Begin with the following questions: What’s your skill level as a rider? What is the horse’s potential job— reiner , jumper , trail horse ? Does your trainer have a role in whether or not you purchase the horse? What is your financial situation? Can you afford long-term maintenance costs for a pre-existing condition?

According to Luke Bass, DVM, faculty member in the Equine Field Services Department of Colorado State University , the PPE reviews a horse’s medical history and an evaluates his current physical condition.

“We want to know the entire history of the horse, but it’s important to get your hands on the horse with a physical examination,” says Bass. “We’re not there to persuade the buyer one way or the other. We’re presenting facts. Some facts scare people, but it depends on what they’re willing to manage. For example, if a buyer is only going to ride a horse a couple of times a month, that’s different from showing a horse once a week on a national circuit. The pre-purchase exam isn’t an insurance policy, either. The exam is more like a house or vehicle inspection, allowing the buyer to have some confidence that they’re making the right decision when buying a horse.”

You’ll benefit from evaluating a horse for your current needs and future goals as your skills and goals advance and the partnership develops. You’ll want to assess the level of risk you’re willing to take and factor in potential health expenses and management requirements in your decision to buy or pass on a horse.

“Many people don’t exactly know what to look for when they’re buying a horse,” says Bass. “For example, parents will bring their 12-year-old daughter to ride the horse. They get along, but maybe the parents aren’t so savvy on medical conditions that may impact that relationship in the future. We want to ensure that we’re helping them make the right decision for their kid or themselves.”

The Changing of Pre-Purchase Exams

Older horse owners remember the simpler days of a PPE. The results were equally fundamental: Is the horse sound? Does he need his teeth floated? Is he generally healthy?

The content, complexity, and cost of a PPE has ballooned over the past 10 years, according to Diana DeBlanc, DVM, owner of Performance Equine Veterinary Services in Albuquerque, N.M.

“When I started practicing 25 years ago, a pre-purchase exam was pass/fail,” she says.

“I think the mindset has changed. If you’re a practitioner in the performance world, you have to be realistic and realize that you can find something wrong with every horse. Having ridden performance horses myself, I’ve always done my pre-purchases knowing that we may find an issue, but is this an issue that the owner wants to take on if it’s manageable? For example, a horse may exhibit [arthritic] changes in his hocks, but we may expect it with his job, and we can maintain it.”

The ballooning complexity and cost of a PPE over the past 10 years can influence the exam’s content, according to DeBlanc. For you as a buyer, determining whether a horse is healthy and sound may differ from someone who wants to dig deeper with advanced imaging.

As potential buyers become more educated and aware, PPEs evolve.

“Some people want me to listen to a horse’s heart and lungs, flex the legs, and make sure the animal is healthy,” says DeBlanc. “Other buyers want every bit of data and diagnostics available, including a menu of joint X-rays , an endoscope, and more.”

The ladder of a PPE’s content swells with each component, as does the cost. A PPE for the average horse owner ranges from $250 to $500. Four radiographs add around $200. A drug screen will set a buyer back $300 to $500.

Establishing a budget and understanding how costs can climb provide a guideline for your pocketbook prior to an exam.

A Menu of Options

Possible neurologic disorders, a higher risk of breed-specific genetic problems that have yet to surface, dental imperfections that affect a horse’s ability to perform, or conditions only confirmed by a blood test have changed how a PPE is executed.

The menu of options available could include such diagnostics as digital radiographs to detect bone splints or damage to the navicular bone, or ultrasounds to highlight soft tissue injuries in tendons and ligaments. An endoscopy examines the upper breathing airway, while a gastroscopy may be recommended for a horse with a history of gastric ulcers .

Drug screens are standard with PPEs for upper-level and financially valuable horses. These detect the presence of sedatives, steroids, anti-inflammatories, or pain killers used to mask pain or unsoundness, or to unnaturally enhance a horse’s speed or power.

However, customizing a PPE with advanced diagnostic tests can send the budget spiraling and may not be necessary. For example, an upper-airway endoscopy may be warranted if a horse exhibits coughing or stress during exercise, but it may not be needed if his breathing is normal.

Bass stresses three key areas where PPEs have changed the most: imaging techniques, communication skills, and buyer education.

“You probably still have to X-ray the legs, and maybe even ultrasound soft tissues, but the things that have changed the most are probably the evaluation of the axial skeleton and the impact that can have on the performance of the horse,” says Bass.

Open and honest communication channels between the buyer, seller and veterinarian pave the way for a thorough and accurate PPE. Communication skills for vets have evolved, too, according to Bass.

“I’m asking questions that allow me to learn more about the horse efficiently,” he says. “Veterinarians should ask a lot of open-ended questions and gather perspective from all parties. That’s our job.”

The Weight of Buying a Horse

The decision to buy a horse or pass on it is yours alone. Unsolicited but well-intended advice should never replace a thorough presentation of facts, scientific opinion, and approaches for maintenance and care required in light of an exam’s findings.

Every horse purchase is weighty and requires fairness, according to Bass.

“I try to treat every horse the same, whether it’s a backyard horse selling for $2,000 or a $1.5 million racing stallion. I want the buyer to have confidence that we are doing the pre-purchase exam the same way for every horse.”

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/buying-horse-pre-purchase-exam

Horse Grooming Tips

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:59:49 GMT

It’s a universal truth of horse ownership that the dirtier you get, the cleaner your horse becomes. There are no real shortcuts to a well-groomed horse, but you can optimize your results by grooming smarter. Here are some tips to get you grooming your horse like a pro.

Grooming Tips for a Shiny Coat

To get your horse shining like a superstar, regular grooming is essential. A few tips and tricks will help you get the most megawatts out of your grooming sessions.

If you’re going for the gleam, make good use of your curry comb or grooming gloves. Currying removes deep-down dirt, promotes circulation and helps distribute the natural oils in your horse’s coat. Plus, it’s like a mini-massage for your horse.

Follow with a medium-stiff brush, using short, brisk strokes with an upward flick to lift the dirt and loose hair you’ve brought up with your curry session. Finish with a soft brush to bring up the shine in your horse’s coat.

To achieve a truly healthy shine, your horse needs quality nutrition . Talk to your vet or an equine nutritionist to make sure your horse is on an optimal feeding plan. Supplements for skin and coat health can further boost glow with a blend of ingredients that usually include fats, vitamins and biotin to support hair growth and shine.

Horse Bathing Tips

Sometimes nothing will replace a proper bath when your horse has deep-down dirt in his coat. He’ll appreciate warm water if it’s available, which also opens the hair shaft to make your cleaning efforts more effective. An adjustable spray nozzle lets you dial the water pressure down for your horse’s sensitivity level as needed, and increase it for more efficient rinsing.

Diluting the shampoo in a bucket makes it easier to rinse from your horse’s coat. Some equine shampoos are concentrated and designed to be diluted before use, so read the directions on the product you are using. Quick grooming tip: work the shampoo down to your horse’s skin with grooming gloves or your fingers for a deep clean.

It’s usually not necessary to use shampoo on the face and head. You don’t want to get soap in your horse’s eyes, and it can be difficult to rinse out completely. A damp towel or sponge should be sufficient to clean your horse’s face.

For light-colored heads or white markings that need deeper cleaning, dip a sponge in diluted shampoo and follow up with a clean, damp rag to rinse.

Never use dish soap or other harsh detergents to bathe your horse . These will strip the oils from the coat and possibly irritate his sensitive skin. Equine shampoos and conditioners are formulated with a gentle pH while also being equipped to handle horses’ coarser hair coats and the tough dirt they get into.

It’s crucial to rinse well. Soap left in the coat dries it out, can cause itching and dandruff, and leaves a dull finish instead of the bright and shiny glow you want. To make sure your horse’s coat is soap-free, rinse and then use a sweat scraper to squeegee excess water from the coat. If you see soap bubbles, rinse and repeat until the water runs clear.

To repel stains from your horse’s clean coat and add extra shine, apply coat polish spray while he’s still damp. Horses don’t require a full bath that often; a rinse with plain water will usually suffice to remove dirt and sweat after a workout.

Unravel a Tangled Mane or Tail

The gentlest way to detangle is to do it by hand, although you can also use a wide-tooth plastic comb. A mane and tail detangler makes the job easier so that the strands of hair slip apart without snagging and breaking. Many coat polish spray products also double as detanglers.

Apply the product evenly through the hair. Then start detangling from the bottom of the hair, working your way up. Work in small, manageable sections. To remove burrs, foxtails and large knots, apply detangler directly to the problem areas.

Once you can easily run your fingers through the hair, you can use a brush or comb if you wish. If you opt to brush, hold the hair in one hand close to the top in order to avoid pulling on the root, and then brush below—again, working from the bottom up.

Tips for a Tidy Trim

Another key part to grooming your horse is trimming, so follow these tips.

Some light cleanup work with the clippers will take your horse’s look from shaggy to sleek. High-level competition often calls for a more stringent standard of trimming, but this isn’t necessary for most horses.

Small clippers with a No. 10 blade are sufficient for this simple trimming job. Make sure your horse will tolerate the sound and feel of the clippers before you start. You’ll be mainly clipping with the direction of the hair growth to remove just the longest hairs for a blended appearance. (Clipping against the growth gives a closer shave.) However, when trimming your horse , you may find that you need to turn the clippers and brush over the top of the hair at an angle in order to blend it.

To trim the billy-goat beard under your horse’s jaw, run the clippers underneath in the direction of the hair growth from between his jowls to the groove in front of his chin. Angle the clippers as needed to get all the hair and blend it at the edge of the jawline.

Clean up shaggy fetlocks and long, wispy hairs on the back of your horse’s legs using the clippers with the direction of the hair. Turn the clippers to scoop out all the shag underneath the fetlock joint and behind the pastern.

The hair in your horse’s ears provides protection from bugs and gnats in summer and offers warmth in winter, so it’s best to not remove too much if your horse lives out on pasture. Hold the ear in your hand, gently press the sides together and remove the long hairs that protrude beyond the edge of the ear with your clippers. This levels off the hair inside the ear with the outer edge.

Trimming a bridle path will also give your horse a neater look by removing a little mane behind the ears where the crownpiece of the bridle sits. Usually just a few inches is needed to accommodate the width of your bridle.

The whiskers on your horse’s muzzle have some sensory function, so many horse owners opt to leave these little feelers. Other horse owners prefer keep them clipped off during the show season, depending on the discipline.

Whiter Whites

Keeping your white or light-colored horse clean is a major grooming challenge, so here are tips for tackling those white hairs.

White socks and markings also require extra effort to stay sparkling. To keep stains from setting into the coat, keep up on regular grooming. Use waterless shampoos and spot removal products when bathing isn’t possible; just spray on and use a towel to lift the stain. Simple spot cleaning with a bucket and sponge works too.

A specially formulated whitening shampoo will be your best friend in the wash rack. These shampoos usually have a blue or purplish tint to counteract the yellow cast a stained white coat often takes. Read the product directions carefully so as to not leave behind a purple cast on your horse’s whites!

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/horse-grooming-tips

Teach Your Horse to Stand Still While Mounting

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:56:49 GMT

Just because many horses move off when their riders try to mount, it doesn’t mean that the issue isn’t a serious one. It can range from inconvenient to downright dangerous if your horse takes off when you’re halfway on. For safety’s sake, instead of just getting by and trying to keep the problem from getting worse, dedicate a little time to teach your horse to stand still while mounting. Here’s how.

Before Teaching to Stand Still While Mounting

It’s tricky to teach a horse to stand for mounting if he has so much energy that he won’t stand still, period. To make the following exercises easier, it’s a good idea to longe your horse or work him in a round pen before starting the lesson to get rid of any excess energy that makes the lessons harder. Your goal shouldn’t be to hold your horse still; he must learn to stand still on his own without relying on you to hold him there. The more you try to hold your horse still, the more most horses will want to start moving. If nothing else, you’ll accidentally teach your horse that when you’re not holding him, that’s his cue to start moving.

Test and Back

To begin the lesson, have your horse tacked up and stand beside him on his left side, assuming you usually mount from the left side. (Note: If you normally use a mounting block, don’t use it in the beginning, as this will make this stage easier, plus you’re not actually mounting at this point.)

Hold both reins in your left hand. Have the left rein run directly to your hand, and have the right rein run behind the horn or the pommel of your saddle and then to your hand. Using your right hand, start creating a stimulus to trick your horse into thinking that you’re in the process of mounting up.

You can pull the horn, swing the fender, put pressure on the stirrup, et cetera. Start small and gradually increase what you’re doing until your horse takes the bait and walks off. When he does, immediately take hold of the right rein with your right hand. Now holding a rein in each hand, put pressure on the reins and ask your horse to back up. Don’t go too fast or put too much pressure on the reins, but use enough that he realizes he wasn’t supposed to move forward.

Now let your horse stand, then repeat the process. Keep creating a stimulus and backing him up every time he tries to move forward.

Once your horse won’t move, stay in the same position and try jumping up and down a little bit. Some horses move off because they see the rider start to raise up in the stirrup, so this is another way to see if he’s really going to stand still while mounting. If the horse moves off, just back him up again. Keep this up until your horse won’t move a single step forward.

The next part depends a bit on you. If you can put your foot in the stirrup and you can stand up in the left stirrup and stay standing in the stirrup, do that holding the reins in your left hand while putting your other hand on the saddle or horse to balance yourself.

If your horse wants to move a little bit, back him up one step using your reins. If he wants to really move, step off quickly and back him up from the ground.

When you find standing in one stirrup awkward, then skip this step. Instead, do more preparation work on the ground first before trying to mount up.

After Mounting Your Horse

Once you feel good about getting in the saddle, go ahead and do so. If your horse is standing still, immediately start petting and rubbing him. This is for two reasons: One is to obviously reward him for standing still. The other is that the rubbing and petting will give your horse something to think about and will often keep his focus so that he won’t be thinking as much about walking off.

If he does move forward, immediately back him up and then begin rubbing again. Once he has been still for 15 seconds or so, ask him to move forward. It’s very important that you ask him to move instead of letting him move when he chooses to. You need him to wait on your cue to move forward—I can’t emphasize enough how important that is.

Toward the end of your normal ride, dismount and repeat the mounting lessons . When your horse is fresh, standing still doesn’t seem like a good idea to your horse. It’s easier to get the standing still training done later on when your horse doesn’t have as much energy and really doesn’t want to move as much.

Repeat these lessons over several rides and gradually lengthen the time that your horse stands after mounting before asking him to move forward. Even when he knows how to stand still, it’s important to begin rides by mounting and waiting for 30 seconds to a minute before moving. Once that becomes a habit, you will have a horse that stands like a statue while you get on, and he won’t move off until you ask.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/teach-your-horse-to-stand-still-while-mounting

Groundwork Exercises to Improve Communication

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:49:32 GMT

Groundwork Exercises to Improve Communication

Practicing some simple ground maneuvers will help make your horse easier to handle and more responsive under saddle.

Groundwork exercises that check communication between horse and human are a crucial part of my evaluation of a new horse or new horse and rider pairing. If broken down to its most simple form, riding is comprised of asking a horse to go, stop, travel left, and travel right. All these things can be solidified from the ground.

Begin With Light Signals

An important point to remember throughout all these groundwork exercises is the use of escalating signals. If your horse doesn’t respond to your lightest signal, the volume of the signal should be turned up until he tries giving the proper response, at which point the pressure should be released altogether.

This requires being very tuned into your horse, noticing if he so much as rocks his weight in the desired direction. By consistently sticking to this system of progression followed by reward, your horse is better able to learn what is being asked of him and arrive at the correct answer sooner and with less pressure.

Groundwork Exercise: Hand Walking

When leading your horse , he needs to learn to stay beside you. Horses may be inclined to lag behind, drag ahead, or veer to the side. Establishing firm boundaries helps him understand that he must tune in to you.

A horse that lags behind can be encouraged with the use of a long dressage whip. Don’t walk excessively fast, but don’t slow down to accommodate him either. If he falls behind enough to put pressure on the lead, turn to escalating use of the dressage whip from a gentle tap up to a firm, repetitive bump as needed.

A horse that veers toward you can be corrected by holding the dressage whip perpendicular toward him while poking his shoulder with the handle end of the whip when he enters your space. This is another signal that can be escalated as needed.

If your horse veers away or drags you, walk purposefully and then give your preferred verbal cue for a halt (for example, “whoa”). A moment later, stop walking. Horses often are caught off guard and walk a few steps past you before feeling the pressure of the halter and stopping.

If your horse is one that was caught off guard by you stopping, continue this groundwork exercise on repeat until he stops at the verbal cue rather than the halter pressure. He will soon catch on that it’s in his best interest to turn his attention to you rather than to the world around him so that he doesn’t miss a verbal cue.

Groundwork Exercise: Backing

Once your horse has learned to remain attentive to you, backing can be introduced. When asking your horse to back, you should face his chest and hold the lead rope so that if halter pressure is introduced, it pulls down toward the center of his chest.

The first pressure used to ask your horse to back is a firm step toward him into his space. Second is a cluck; third is use of the lead rope toward the center of his chest. If he still doesn’t understand, it may take some taps from a dressage whip or the end of the lead rope to convey the idea.

Once he understands and moves backward any amount, reward, walk forward, halt, and reset. The goal is for your horse to eventually back in response to just the step into his space. This groundwork exercise is best done from both sides so that your horse learns to respond to you stepping toward both his left and right forelegs.

Groundwork Exercise: Moving the Haunches

The last of the groundwork exercises covered here will be moving the haunches. Stand facing your horse’s hip, and from there, the progression of pressure is identical to backing. Step into your horse’s space toward his hip, followed if needed by a cluck, then a tap from a dressage whip.

This is another exercise that should be done equally on both sides of the horse. It’s important to note that neither in backing nor in moving the haunches is the horse moved by you pulling him into position. All of his movement should be self-motivated and in response to the pressure you applied.

These basic groundwork exercises are just the beginning of many ways we can better relate with our horses from the ground. Once these concepts are solidly taught, your horse is one step closer to being a better partner under saddle due to his improved understanding.

Groundwork Exercises for Young Horses

As an important tool for establishing communication with your horse, groundwork exercises are quite beneficial in developing young horses.

In this video from Ridely (please see video in the articles link below), in-hand and long-lining expert Claudio Oliveira demonstrates the first steps when starting this work with the young horse. The aim is to get the horse to move away from the pressure and to listen and respond to Claudio’s voice aids. He starts by desensitizing the horse to the whip to build his confidence and once the horse understands moving away from the pressure, Claudio introduces some baby leg yield and some turns on the forehand. He emphasizes that it does not have to be perfect; the horse just has to respond. This is a great beginner’s exercise to build the horse’s confidence in the groundwork before starting with long lines.

A Note on Nose Chains

If your horse tends to pull you off balance or at any time you feel out of control, use of a nose chain is completely acceptable. Some horses may be able to graduate from the nose chain, while others may not. Escalation of pressure applies to nose chains as well. Walking a horse with a nose chain doesn’t mean that the chain is being used constantly—it’s simply an additional, stronger boundary.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/groundwork-exercises-to-improve-communication

Tips to Keep Your Horse from Bucking

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:40:40 GMT

It’s a scene riders dread: A tense, strong horse ignores your cues, moves straight ahead then begins bucking and kicking out. Your horse’s body is tight and you are out of control. How can this scene be avoided for good?

“When horses buck, they aren’t comfortable,” says natural horsemanship trainer Mike Brashear . “Bucking isn’t something that most horses want to do. Instead, we want them to understand that they don’t have to go there. They can find release and relief by following a rider’s soft cues.”Here, Brashear helps you work with your horse on the ground and from the saddle to make sure that he will soften instead of brace in preparation to buck. When your horse will willingly move his head and neck , shoulders, ribcage, and hindquarters, he will bend instead of brace. Without tension and brace, a horse won’t need to buck.

Why do horses buck?

“If the horse had to become the leader, they were forced into that scenario,” says Brashear. “The horse may have trauma from the past and the buck was the answer to get away from a trigger. You may not know why they buck or what caused it. The one thing I do know is that when they get to that point, the only answer is to add training that will help them relax and think.”

A Horse’s Confidence Can Prevent Bucking

Bucking incidents with a horse can quickly drain rider confidence . Brashear works with a Gypsy Vanner horse that once took off and bucked with his rider during a trail ride. Brashear helped the horse relax and helped the rider gain confidence to work with her horse and ride again.

The horse (pictured here) now travels with Brashear for demos and even helps to start colts. To begin the retraining, Brashear worked with horse and rider from the ground.

“A horse can feel your heartbeat from 4 feet away,” he says. “If you don’t have confidence, the horse can feel that. By working on the ground first, you can create confidence. You don’t have to ride that horse right away, but you can do the groundwork and become confident. When you see you can move the horse’s feet and place them where you want to go, you’ll know you can do the same thing once you’re on his back.”

Disengaging from the Ground

To get your horse bending and responsive to your cues, you’ll ask him to disengage his hindquarters while he walks in a circle around you as you work from the ground. Keep in mind that this isn’t the fast, emergency stop use of the disengagement technique.

While disengaging the hindquarters can cause a horse to abruptly stop in an emergency, that move is strong and quick. What’s more, that move can only work in an emergency if your horse has been taught to flex and bend on command.

Here, you’ll teach your horse that he can move his body to the side, disengaging to bend and relax instead of brace.

To start, outfit your horse in a long lead and rope halter and hold a training flag. You’ll send your horse away from you at a walk, tracking left.

“I’ll lift my left hand and have him follow that feel to the left,” says Brashear. “Then I’ll ask him to move his feet by prompting him with my right hand, the tail of my lead rope, or my stick or flag. I’m ‘drifting’ his hindquarters to the right. I’m working on getting a soft feel through his poll, neck and ribcage and back to his hindquarters by picking up more with my left hand. When I start to bend his neck, I’m bending his head toward the stirrup. I’m encouraging the hindquarters to completely break over to the right.”

The horse disengages when he moves his left hind leg forward and in front of the right hind leg. The move is to the side and blocks fast forward motion. It requires a bend throughout the horse’s body.

Brashear says that once the horse willingly bends and moves well to the side, he’ll pause, allow the horse to relax , and change directions.

“I’m going to repeat the process of getting him round through his body, his jaw coming under his neck, and roundness through his neck, ribcage, and back to his hindquarters,” he says. “His hindquarters are going to start drifting to the left while he’s moving and going forward to the right.”

Brashear says that the goal is to isolate each part of the horse so that you can control the placement of all four hooves while working with softness and flow.

“If a horse is prone to bucking, you must get his feet to go in the direction you want so you can help him start to think again,” he explains.

Once you can move his feet, make sure your cues are soft and you’re willing to release. As you’re working with your horse, Brashear says to look for the moments when your horse is willing and release the pressure as he does the right thing.

Think: “Do you want to come off this pressure? Look to me, I’m trying to guide you.” Horses must trust that you will allow them to relax. If a horse is bucking, he’s not relaxed in any way.

In preparation for riding, move your lead line hand up over the saddle horn and get the horse to follow the disengaging cues as he feels the pressure and release in the same place where you hold the reins when riding.

When your horse looks relaxed while doing groundwork, take the same principles to the saddle. You’ll be able to bend and flex him and move his feet from the ground and from the saddle. “For the worried rider, do the groundwork portion until you want to ride,” Brashear adds. “If you had a serious event happen, seek out some professional help. The horse community is huge, and you don’t have to do this alone.”

Softness from the Saddle

When you mount up, you’ll focus on asking your horse to disengage and willingly bend so you know you have control.

Brashear recounts the first time he rode the Gypsy Vanner horse after working from the ground and then returning to the scene where the horse once bucked.

“When I first got on, I checked out all my pieces and parts to match my groundwork,” Brashear says. “We did a continuation of what I already did on the ground. I started moving him forward, then asked him to turn and bent his hindquarters. Then I asked him to trot and asked him to slow down. If a horse gets tight, it’s usually in transitions. I want him to know that he can get comfortable in the new speed. I want him to know that if he bends and responds, he can find the same relief and comfort no matter what speed we go.”

To disengage the horse’s hindquarters from the saddle, start by taking a deep breath and relaxing your own body. Remember that all these cues are to be given with a soft touch. Tip your horse’s nose to the right by picking up on your right rein and moving the rein toward your knee. Brashear says to imagine the horse bending around your right leg.

“Move your right leg with a rhythmic light bumping motion,” Brashear says. “Your legs should be encouraging his right leg to move in front of his left hind leg. You want to get the horse to drift to the left. Then take him farther with his face by picking up your rein more and totally disengage his hindquarters. Here you’ll stop forward motion and get the hind legs to track around the front [legs].

“Once the horse gives his hindquarters and relaxes his jaw and poll, let him move out onto a circle again,” he continues. “We’re trying to get him to give his hindquarters so he can relax and listen. He also needs to know that he will get to relax when he does this. When he gives you his face and is drifting the hindquarters, when you feel him relax, then you release his face. Allow him to move out onto a bigger circle—as long as he stays relaxed. Then take him the other direction.”

Progressing to Go Straight Without Bucking

Brashear says to work first at the walk, then the trot and lope. Once you and your horse feel relaxed with drifting, full disengagement, and larger circles, look for more ways to bend and flex. Start circling trees and move around obstacles to help you stay focused and raise your eyes.

Brashear says to keep in mind that straight is not always wrong. You want your horse to move straight ahead when asked.

“It’s when the horse is tense, braces, and goes straight that bucking can be an issue,” he says. “Otherwise, I want my horses to be able to go in a straight line to get good stops, lead changes, and backs. Moving straight is not wrong, but straight with a horse that’s already bracey could become a problem. It’s about getting control of the feet and getting to the point where you can bend the horse willingly.”

When you’re riding any horse, Brashear has three rules.

“You have to breathe, then keep breathing, then have some fun.” Plus, he says, take time to enjoy the ride when you feel your horse relax.

Do the same exercises on the ground and from the saddle and pay attention for when your horse willingly responds.

“It will boost your confidence to feel your horse respond to your cues,”he says. “It will boost the horse’s confidence in you, too, to know that you’re the leader.”

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/tips-to-keep-your-horse-from-bucking

8 Horse Feeding Mistakes to Avoid

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:39:26 GMT

Informed horse owners would never intentionally do something that could cause their horse to colic . Yet many owners unwittingly follow feeding practices that can make horses more susceptible to gastrointestinal distress and abdominal pain. Learn the most common feeding mistakes so you can tweak your routine to better protect your horses against colic, which remains the leading cause of premature equine death.

1. Lack of Forage

“Horses are grazing animals with a digestive track designed for small, frequent feedings,” says Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., an equine nutritionist who works with Kentucky Equine Research. “When forage [grass or hay] is not available, this predisposes horses to gastric ulcers and can affect the microbial balance of the gut.”Whether your horse is turned out on pasture or you use a hay net or slow feeder , forage should be available most of the day and night.

2. Feeding Your Horse Too Much Concentrate

“When you feed more concentrate [grain] than hay, you disrupt the microbial balance because this causes a drop in pH in the hind gut,” says Crandell.

“Hay has a buffering effect on the hind gut. That’s why you want to be sure [to feed] a minimum of 1 percent” of the horse’s body weight in forage. For example, a 1,000-pound horse must eat a minimum of 10 pounds of hay per day.

“Ideally, we want them to get 1.5 percent of their body weight in forage,” she adds. This would be 15 pounds of hay for a 1,000-pound horse.

3. Feeding Your Horse Too Much Grain at Once

Don’t feed more than 0.5 pounds of grain per 100 pounds of body weight at once. This means 5 pounds of concentrate is the most that can be given in one feeding to a 1,000-pound horse.

This applies to any type of concentrate, including pellets, grain and beet pulp.

“The horse’s stomach is relatively small and limited in capacity, so when you feed too much, it overloads the system,” says Crandell.

Too much feed won’t get exposed properly to the digestive juices, so it doesn’t get broken down as well.

4. Unevenly Spaced Feedings

Many barns feed early in the morning and again in the afternoon, leaving only six or seven hours between day meals, but a long time overnight without food.

“Physiologically, it’s easier on the digestive tract to evenly space out feedings so the horse won’t have as much time with an empty stomach,” says Crandell. “If you have to feed larger amounts of grain, you want to break it into three meals a day, not just increase the amount given at two meals.”

5. Not Following Label Directions

“Every bag has a recommended feeding amount,” says Crandell. “These amounts are suggested because of the way the product was formulated. These recommendations are in pounds or kilos, never ‘scoops.’ The best thing to do is weigh the feed to know how much you’re actually feeding. Many people feed less than the recommended amount and wonder why their horse isn’t maintaining weight, then they try adding a supplement , when they just need to feed according to label directions.”

6. Feeding Your Horse Only a Complete Feed

Complete feeds are popular, and even though senior feeds are designed to be a sole ration, the equine digestive tract still requires some long-stem forage to function properly.

Ask your vet if you’re concerned your horse can’t safely chew hay. For these horses, Crandell recommends soaking hay cubes or hay pellets in water. Bagged forage may also be an alternative.

7. Abrupt Feed Changes

Any changes in concentrate or hay should be made gradually.

“Instead of just ‘cold turkey’ switching from one to another, do this over a week,” Crandell advises. “You can never be too careful when switching feed and hay. Changing hay is a risk factor that increases the chance of gastric upset. It’s really important if you’re changing to a totally different forage, such as from grass hay to legume hay or [to grass hay] mixed with alfalfa or clover, to make the transition slowly. This allows the gut microbes to gradually adjust to the new source.”

Make changes gradually by adding one-quarter of the new feed or hay to three-quarters of the old. Slowly increase the proportion of new feed over a week’s time until you’ve switched over entirely.

8. Too Much Sand/Dirt Consumption

Horses can get a build-up of sand in the gut if hay is fed on the ground or they eat spilled feed.

“When horses eat hay—especially alfalfa with its tiny leaves—off the ground, they tend to ingest dirt, sand and debris, all of which can create inflammation and impaction in the digestive tract,” warns Crandell. Use bigger feeders with rubber mats underneath so spilled hay and feed don’t fall on the ground.

Non-Feed Risk Factors

Several other factors can increase risk of colic, and all are within a horse owner’s control.

1. Limited exercise: “Movement outside aids movement within,” says equine nutritionist Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D. “Moving around increases peristalsis [the involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles of the intestine, creating wave-like movements that push the contents of the canal forward], causing food to move through the digestive tract. When you don’t have peristalsis, food gets stagnant in the system, and that’s when horses colic.”

2. Reduced water consumption: “Dehydration is one of the reasons for colic,” says Crandell, noting that horses need constant access to cool, fresh water year-round. Warm, algae-tainted water is common during hot weather, but makes horses less likely to drink adequate amounts.

3. Not keeping up with dental care : “Horses have to physically chew to produce saliva, which is needed to start the digestive process and also aids in the movement of food through the system,” says Crandell.

If the horse’s teeth can’t chew well and break down feed, this puts the horse more at risk of impaction colic as feed matter moves through the digestive tract. All horses should have an annual exam by an equine dental care provider.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/horse-feeding-mistakes

12 Fun Facts About Black Horses

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:42:30 GMT

There’s just something majestic about black horses. Maybe it’s the fame of The Black Stallion or the beauty and elegance of these dark-colored equines that delights us. In celebration of our love for them, here are 12 facts that you might not know:

◆ There are only two base colors in equines: black and red ( chestnut ). Every other color is a modified version of one of these two colors.

◆ Black is dominant over chestnut. If a black horse carries two copies of the black gene, the horse is said to be homozygous black; if a black horse carries one copy of the black gene and one copy of the red gene, the horse is heterozygous black.

◆ Two black horses can produce a black foal. Or a chestnut. That’s because if each of the them carries a copy of the recessive chestnut gene, the foal could conceivably receive a copy from each parent and—voila!—a chestnut foal arrives.

◆ Two black horses cannot produce a bay foal, but two bays can (theoretically) produce a black foal. It’s complicated but true.

◆ Black horses are born. . . gray? While this isn’t always the case, many are a unique shade of mouse-gray at birth. The true black coat is revealed after the mousey-colored baby coat sheds out.

◆ The classic children’s novel, Black Beauty , is said to have sold over 50 million copies since its publication in 1877.

◆ A black mare named Burmese was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II in 1969 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police . The Queen rode Burmese during the Trooping the Color ceremonies for nearly twenty years.

◆ Friesians are well-known for their black coloring and minimal white markings .

◆ Some black horses “fade” in the summer sun, and these are known as (you guessed it) “fading blacks.” Those that retain their ink-black coloring are known as (here comes another shocker) “non-fading blacks.”

◆ The “most famous fictional horse of the century” (according to The New York Times) is Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion. At the time of Mr. Farley’s death in 1989, his books were said to have sold more than 12 million copies.

◆ A black Thoroughbred named Black Gold was the winner of the 1924 Kentucky Derby and a Hall of Fame entrant. Black Gold was also the focus of Marguerite Henry’s 1957 book of the same name.

◆ Aside from Black Gold, only three other black horses have won the Kentucky Derby: Halma in 1895, George Smith in 1916, and Flying Ebony in 1925.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/12-fun-facts-about-black-horses

Eye-Opening Riding Advice

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:40:41 GMT

We riders are bright creatures. We memorize long courses, process multi-part instructions, and generally do the whole patting-your-head-and-rubbing-your-stomach routine from the back of a thousand-pound animal with a mind of its own.

Except when we can’t. Occasionally, your mental computer gets gummed up with saddle soap. You lean at the jump. You twist for a lead change. You cut the corners. Your trainer explains what you need to do. You screw up again. You’ve hit a wall.But sometimes, out of nowhere, your coach pulls magic words out of their hat that hit that mental barrier like a wrecking ball. And poof! You, your horse, and Miley Cyrus are crashing through the wall.

Sure, when in doubt, add leg. But here are a few more mind-blowing quips and unexpected riding advice from my trainers that suddenly made it all make sense.

◆ “Use the pressure you want to use.” This piece of riding advice is so logical it makes me want to scream. If you like a horse with an electric response, more pressure won’t do it; a whisper-soft leg with corrections is the way to go. If you prefer a firmer feel, you’re not going to get there anxiously holding your leg off your thin-skinned mount.

Use the pressure you want to use. It’s scary, it’s counterintuitive to me, and it works.

◆ “You have to go to work. So does your horse.” This came after I explained to a visiting trainer that my sassy, tantrum-y horse wasn’t in a “good mood.” Rule No. 1: always check whether the source of resistance is pain. But barring that, even great horses (especially certain mares) have grumpy days. I’ll make any excuse for my baby: It’s hot out! She doesn’t like the flowers! But this trainer helped me realize we still must do our jobs.

Even when I’m not “feeling the vibe,” I must go to work. And I may cut her some slack, but so does my grouchy mare.

◆ “I’m raising the jump, but ride it exactly the same.” I know this is going to be as big a shock to you as it was to me, but the fact you hear the jump cups sliding up the standards does not mean you have to get as nervous as if you just entered the Grand Prix ring for a $100,000 jump-off.

It turns out if you’re already doing OK, you don’t need to lose your entire mind over the jump going up 3 inches. Who knew?

◆ “Don’t forget to let the air out.” When you feel the anxiety rising, slowly blow air out of your mouth like you’re blowing bubbles. Whenever I do this, I realize how long I’ve been holding it in, and I feel active relaxation from all parties. Whoops.

◆ “Don’t ask until you’re ready.” Your trainer’s looking at you. Your lesson mates are looking at you. IT’S TIME TO CANTER. LIKE, RIGHT NOW. Relaaaaax. Are you ready to canter? Or has your horse been walking around half asleep, waiting for his turn through the grid? Is his white-rimmed eyeball trained on the lawnmower buzzing past? Are you discombobulated? Need some water?

Take a beat, friend. Gather yourself before rushing toward chaos and wrongness. You can afford a few moments.

◆ “Don’t make the distance work; make the distance happen.” A positive mantra from my jumping trainer to remind me this is not entirely a game of chance. My pace, rein length, and body position are all up to me. But also …

◆ “The last few strides are for your horse.” Whatever canter you have coming out of the corner, that’s your canter. The day before your wedding is not the time to be experimenting with tanning, and the strides before the jump are not the time to be experimenting with adding or subtracting a step.

If you’re blessed with an obvious distance, look up. Your job is done. Like pores in a magnifying mirror, the more you stare at the spot you chose, the worse it’s going to get.

If you see nothing, keep your pace, and 99 percent of the time, the spot will materialize out of thin air. It feels like a trust fall, but unless you’re jumping huge jumps, you’re going to be just fine.

◆ “Just sit there.” Truly the seed from which all these comments grow, and by far the hardest instruction to swallow. Riders are perfectionists; we can always be rounder, straighter, and pushing harder from behind.

But “sitting there” is an art form. When everyone is getting frustrated, don’t fret, don’t pick, just sit there. Shut the amoeba brain off for a moment and enjoy the ride.

Now get on your wrecking ball and start making some breakthroughs!

Source:https://www.horseillustrated.com/eye-opening-riding-advice

8 Must-Know Arena Tracks

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 03:16:48 GMT

An excerpt from Arena Tracks by Christian Baier .

These classical tracks are ultimately at the foundation of everything we are doing in the arena with the horse. It starts with the beginner rider just off the longe line learning the most basic tracks all the way to the most experienced rider working a horse at the highest level of equestrianism. Jumping courses even consist of a combination (or variation) of classical arena tracks strung together from start to finish marker!

The classical arena tracks that I outline here are just a few of the tracks that guide the rider in how to safely navigate the arena in an organized way, in addition to being a useful tool in the physical development of the horse. For the instructor, they are an important tool for communicating with the student.

So, why do we have tracks?
◆ To ride in an organized and safe way in an arena.
◆ To change direction with many options from basic to more advanced.
◆ To make it easier to deal with other horses in the arena.
◆ Basic tracks are of great help to the novice rider and inexperienced horse.
◆ They are excellent help in training accuracy.
◆ Riding tracks support and demonstrate the suppleness of the horse.

The eight tracks described in this excerpt are in reference to the standard dressage arenas, which come in two sizes: 20 x 40 meters and 20 x 60 meters.

Single-Loop Serpentine
◆ Purpose: Suppling through the bending line and change of flexion to the turning side.
◆ Possible tracks: From left and right using the quarterline for orientation. If stated in instructions, it can be ridden into X.

Change Direction Through the Circle
◆ Purpose: To change direction within the circle.
◆ Possible tracks: From left and right; from short and long sides.

Half-Circle Back
◆ Purpose: Used to change direction.
◆ Possible tracks: Usually ridden from middle to end of long sides.

Half-Circle Back in Reverse
◆ Purpose: Used to change direction.
◆ Possible tracks: Usually ridden from the middle to the end of long sides.

Three-Loop Serpentine
◆ Purpose: Trains turning, accuracy, and frequent change of bending flexion. It is an excellent suppling exercise.
◆ Possible tracks: Can be ridden from left or right. Serpentines with an even number of loops create a change of direction. Serpentines with an odd number of loops maintain the same direction.

Four-Loop Serpentine
◆ Purpose: Trains turning, accuracy, and frequent change of bending flexion. It is an excellent suppling exercise.
◆ Possible tracks: Can be ridden from left or right. Serpentines with an even number of loops create a change of direction. Serpentines with an odd number of loops maintain the same direction.

Five-Loop Serpentine
◆ Purpose: Trains turning, accuracy, and frequent change of bending flexion. It is an excellent suppling exercise.
◆ Possible tracks: Can be ridden from left or right. Serpentines with an even number of loops create a change of direction. Serpentines with an odd number of loops maintain the same direction.

Double-Loop Serpentine
◆ Purpose: Suppling through bending lines and changes of flexion to the turning side when ridden in walk and trot.
◆ Possible tracks: From left and right, using half the distance to the quarterline for orientation (2.5 meters inside the track).

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/8-must-know-arena-tracks

What Causes Riding Anxiety?

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 03:16:40 GMT

An excerpt from Neuroathletics for Riders by Marc Nölke about what causes riding anxiety.

Safe or Unsafe?

The human brain takes a giant dataset and compares it with information saved from previous experiences. Then it decides whether you are SAFE or UNSAFE. If your brain assesses the coming situation to be SAFE, it will relax your muscles, reduce your respiratory rate, keep your heart rate steady, and allow your joints to move through their full range of motion.

However, if it assesses the coming situation to be UNSAFE, it will increase muscular tension, respiratory rate, and pulse rate, and you might also experience pain or shortness of breath. Many people experience back pain. What’s more, your mental state is instantly influenced by your brain, so you feel anxious. And if your brain keeps detecting UNSAFE situations, you might even become depressed, which serves to avoid threats and keep you safe.

Perception of Safety

All this means we need to find stimuli that increase our perception of our safety. I’d like to use an example to explain what that means in practical terms: Imagine you tear a ligament in your ankle and rest your ankle for a long time. Your brain hardly receives any signals from the motion sensors in your ankle while you’re resting it. The neurons that transfer information from your ankle to your brain are “asleep” and may be asleep for weeks. When neurons stop firing, their connections to each other become weaker. Prior to your injury, the “map” of your ankle in your brain was precise (see clear map image) but now, after weeks without any activity, it isn’t precise anymore (see blurry map image - in the link provided below).

That means your brain no longer knows exactly what position your foot is in; as a result, it can’t accurately predict how the foot can bear weight. Is this a good starting point for your brain to ensure your “survival”? Nope! Your brain thinks: “I have no idea what the foot’s doing, so I can’t guarantee anything.” In this context, riding your horse at canter over a log is immediately categorized as UNSAFE, and full power to your body and riding position will not be made available. But that obviously applies to all movements, not just jumping a log.

And if you nevertheless decide to jump the log, despite your brain’s hesitation, your stubborn frontal lobe will go on an ego trip. It can work, but only because people are incredibly good at compensating. You can expect your brain to reach for its ultimate emergency brake: pain. But you shouldn’t resent it, because it’s just trying to protect you. Your brain produces pain because it believes there are too many threatening signals and too few safe signals (G. Lorimer Moseley 2017).

Input and Output

◆ The brain’s most important job is to keep us safe. Safety always comes before performance!
◆ The brain is always forecasting what will happen next. Adequate and precise input is necessary for accurate forecasts.
◆ Better input leads to better forecasts, and better forecasting ability leads to better output.

When the Nervous System Takes It Too Far

Anxiety about riding is something riders don’t like to talk about. Everything becomes less fun, becomes a test of courage, and we start avoiding things that trigger our anxiety. We communicate our anxiety to the horse, too. Anxiety makes us overreact and sometimes do strange things—and often those things cause the horse to suffer. But our anxiety is usually based on false assumptions and expectations about future events. We can be anxious about people, animals, things, situations, movements, and pain. Denying or not acknowledging anxiety unfortunately doesn’t make the problem any smaller. Quite the opposite.

It’s much more helpful to recognize and understand anxiety. The leading scientist in the field of anxiety research, Joseph LeDoux, once said: “Anxiety is the price we pay for our brain’s ability to imagine the future.” I think that sums it up quite well.

Lorimer Moseley from Australia is one of the world’s leading scientists looking into the question of what pain is, how pain arises, and, of course, how we can reduce pain. He concisely sums up the results of his research: “Pain is a construct of the brain” (L. Moseley 2011).

Top researchers from both fields agree that pain and anxiety are “output”—that is, they are our brain’s opinions about the state of the current and future dangerous situation in and around our body.

In the case of fear of heights and vertigo, there are experimental indications that this unpleasant feeling could result from an “intersensory maladjustment if visual information does not correspond to vestibular and proprioceptive information” (Brandt et al. 1980).

It goes without saying that our experiences play a major role in this subconscious formation of opinions, as does the social and cultural milieu that we live in. Context influences perception of anxiety and pain (G. L. Moseley and Arntz 2007). For example, one and the same movement can occur and cause distress in the context of “barn/horses,” but cause no distress in the context of “family” or “office”—or vice versa.

Pain (and equally anxiety) warns us about impending danger and the threat of pain, and immediately mobilizes our stress and emergency systems to arm us against that potential threat. However, anxiety and pain aren’t necessarily proportional to the degree of actual injury, actual physical harm, or actual threat or danger we’re experiencing: We can feel incredible anxiety, capable of paralyzing us, even without being attacked by a real tiger. Knowing there’s no realistic chance of falling doesn’t stop us from feeling fear of heights. And in the same way, we can feel intense pain even when nothing is wrong. On the one hand, pain and anxiety are important, self-protective feelings—on the other hand, they can be disruptive and unhelpful when they occur frequently and inappropriately. Excitingly, numerous pieces of research show that understanding how these feelings arise can greatly reduce pain and anxiety. Knowledge can therefore be a very effective painkiller and anxiolytic (G. L. Moseley 2004)—and now you know a little more.

Allies for Survival

It’s helpful to imagine anxiety and pain as friends and allies, because, after all, they only want us to survive. However, sometimes these feelings objectively aren’t appropriate to the situation.

A mouse in the tack room is just as unlikely to kill us as a papercut, but both can trigger strong emotions. Pain can become problematic when an injury has long since healed, or when there is objectively no threat. Our “protective system” is working overtime, and protects us unnecessarily, like a “helicopter parent” at the playground, always hovering over their child, ready to needlessly intervene in a game and deny their child opportunities to learn. Many different areas of the brain are involved in these reactions. In pain research, we talk about the “pain neuromatrix” (Melzack, n.d.; G. Lorimer Moseley 2017; Chapman 1996; Legrain et al. 2011).

Neuromatrix

Let’s take an example: Imagine your grandma for a minute, and think of everything you associate with her. Here, “grandma” is a trigger for other thoughts, feelings, and maybe even physical sensations, just like an old song from our childhood can trigger a cascade of memories and associated feelings. In both cases, very different areas of the brain are activated to a lesser or greater extent. This would be a “grandma neuromatrix,” but your grandma matrix is guaranteed to be different from my grandma matrix. That’s also the case for the pain neuromatrix. Pain and anxiety are individual, and always real for the person experiencing them. Saying things like, “Don’t make a fuss,” or, “It’s not that bad,” don’t help anyone.

In my experience, it’s highly likely that much of your pain and anxiety will be alleviated if you develop your training with neuroathletic exercises and practice daily—because your brain gets better input from various systems in your body. Your “maps” become precise—and your brain can navigate more confidently and make better predictions about the future with better maps.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/what-causes-riding-anxiety

How to Muck Out a Horse Stable: Tips and Tricks for a Spotless Horse Stable

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 03:16:37 GMT

Mucking out a horse stable can be an unpleasant task, but it doesn't have to be! With a few simple tips and tricks, you can quickly and easily muck out your horse stable and keep it looking spotless. In this blog post, we'll be discussing the art of mucking out, from the best tools to use and how to make the job easier and faster. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this guide will help you keep your horse stable clean and healthy. So, let's get started on the art of mucking out!

Why Proper Mucking Out is Important for Your Horse's Health
Proper mucking out is essential for your horse's health and well-being. By regularly cleaning and maintaining their stable, you are providing a clean and hygienic environment that can prevent the spread of diseases and infections.

One of the key tools you'll need for efficient mucking out is a fork. This tool allows you to easily remove soiled bedding and manure from the stable floor, keeping it clean and reducing the risk of bacteria build-up. Another important tool is a wheelbarrow, which helps you transport the waste material out of the stable.

Regular mucking out also helps to control odors, which can be unpleasant for both you and your horse. By removing waste promptly, you can keep the stable smelling fresh and clean.

Furthermore, maintaining a clean and well-groomed stable is essential for your horse's respiratory health. Dust and ammonia from urine-soaked bedding can irritate their lungs and lead to respiratory problems.

Basic Tools You'll Need for Efficient Mucking Out
When it comes to mucking out your horse stable efficiently, having the right tools is crucial. Two essential tools that every equestrian needs in their arsenal are forks and a wheelbarrow.

Forks are designed specifically for mucking out. They have long handles and sturdy tines that make it easy to lift and remove soiled bedding and manure from the stable floor. Look for forks with durable materials, such as metal or strong plastic, to ensure they can handle the task at hand.

A wheelbarrow is essential for transporting the waste material out of the stable. Opt for a wheelbarrow with a sturdy frame and a large, deep bin to accommodate the amount of waste you'll be moving. It should also have a reliable wheel system to make maneuvering easier, especially if you have a large stable or multiple stalls to clean.

Investing in these basic tools will not only make your mucking out tasks more efficient but also save you time and effort. With forks and a wheelbarrow by your side, you'll be well-equipped to keep your horse stable clean and healthy.

Step-by-Step Guide to Mucking Out
Mucking out a horse stable may seem like a daunting task, but with a step-by-step guide, you'll be able to tackle it like a pro. Here's how to muck out your horse stable efficiently and effectively:

Start by preparing your tools. Make sure you have your fork and wheelbarrow nearby, as well as a clean bucket for any additional cleaning supplies you may need.
Begin by removing any large pieces of manure or soiled bedding with your fork. Work your way around the stable, ensuring you get all the corners and hard-to-reach areas.
Once you've removed the larger debris, use your fork to gently break up and fluff the remaining bedding. This will help to aerate the stable and prevent any ammonia build-up.
As you're mucking out, be on the lookout for any wet spots or areas with excessive urine. Use your fork to remove the wet bedding and replace it with fresh, dry bedding.
Once you've finished mucking out the entire stable, it's time to dispose of the waste. Load the wheelbarrow with the soiled bedding and manure, being careful not to overload it. Wheel the waste out of the stable and dispose of it properly.
After emptying the wheelbarrow, give it a quick rinse to ensure it's clean for the next use.

By following these steps, you'll be able to muck out your horse stable efficiently and keep it clean and healthy for your equine friend. Happy mucking!

How Often Should You Muck Out?
As an equestrian, one of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy and clean horse stable is knowing how often to muck out. The frequency of mucking out can vary depending on several factors, including the number of horses in the stable, the type of bedding used, and the size of the stalls.

In general, it is recommended to muck out your horse stable at least once a day. This ensures that any soiled bedding and manure are promptly removed, preventing the buildup of bacteria and odors. However, if you have multiple horses or larger stalls, you may need to muck out more frequently, such as twice a day.

It's important to note that horses also need access to clean and fresh bedding to keep them comfortable. If you notice wet spots or excessive urine in the stalls, it's a good idea to remove and replace the bedding immediately. Regularly inspecting the stalls and maintaining a clean and hygienic environment will go a long way in promoting the health and well-being of your horses. So, make sure to stay on top of your mucking out routine and keep your horse stable clean and odor-free!

Tips for Keeping Your Stable Smelling Fresh
No one wants to walk into a horse stable and be hit with a strong, unpleasant odor. Keeping your stable smelling fresh is not only more enjoyable for both you and your horse, but it also contributes to a healthier environment. Here are some tips to help you keep your stable smelling fresh:

Use quality bedding: Opt for high-quality bedding materials that absorb moisture and odors effectively. Straw, wood shavings, or rubber matting are good options to consider.
Proper ventilation: Ensure your stable has adequate ventilation to allow for fresh air circulation. This helps prevent the buildup of stale odors and keeps the air fresh.
Regular cleaning: Regularly remove soiled bedding, manure, and wet spots from the stable. Prompt removal prevents the growth of bacteria and helps keep odors at bay.
Odor control products: Consider using natural odor control products, such as baking soda or specialized stable deodorizers, to freshen up the stable. These products can help neutralize and eliminate odors.
Keep a clean water source: Make sure your horse has access to clean and fresh water at all times. Dirty water can contribute to odors in the stable.

By implementing these tips, you can create a fresh and pleasant environment in your horse stable. Your horse will appreciate it, and you'll enjoy spending time in a clean and odor-free space.

Dealing with Persistent Problems in Your Horse's Stable
Dealing with persistent problems in your horse's stable can be frustrating, but with some perseverance and a few tricks up your sleeve, you can overcome them. One common issue that many horse owners face is flies. Flies are not only annoying for your horse, but they can also spread diseases and cause skin irritations. To combat flies, make sure to keep the stable clean and remove any manure or wet bedding promptly. You can also use fly repellents or traps to keep the fly population under control. Another problem that may arise is the presence of rodents or pests in the stable. To prevent rodents from taking up residence, seal any openings or cracks in the stable walls or floor. Consider using traps or calling a pest control professional if the problem persists. Additionally, if you notice any mold or mildew growth in your horse's stable, it's essential to address the issue promptly. Remove any affected bedding and clean the area thoroughly.

Proper ventilation and maintaining a dry environment can help prevent the growth of mold and mildew. By addressing these persistent problems and taking proactive measures, you can create a safe and comfortable environment for your horse. Happy stable management!

Source: https://www.chestnutmill.co.uk/blogs/equestrian-articles/how-to-muck-out-a-horse-stable-tips-and-tricks-for-a-spotless-horse-stable

What’s Really Causing Bad Rides?

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:04:50 GMT

Be curious and help your horse feel comfortable in any environment while he’s learning and understand his physical limits.

You’ve heard horse owners evaluate rides and their horse’s behavior as they hop off, maybe something like: “He was such a goof today.”

This judgment may be a saccharine version of what was actually said when a horse is blamed for a “bad” ride. But horses don’t hold grudges or plan to ruin the day. They live in the moment and only act out what they feel.Here, we talk to dressage trainer Cody Harrison to find out how you can move from blaming your horse for acting out to becoming a behavior investigator. Harrison is based in Brighton, Colo., and teaches riders to work as partners with their horses at his clinics and lessons.

He says horses may act out and have poor behavior if they aren’t comfortable in the current environment, if they don’t understand what’s being asked, or if they aren’t physically capable.

Good Vibes Only

“Ask yourself what your horse needs from you and what he is trying to teach you,” Harrison says. “Try to see it all as a learning experience rather than good and bad rides. Every time you interact with your horse, you are either training him or un-training him.”

It’s impossible to blame the horse and wonder why something happened at the same time. After acknowledging that horses aren’t out for revenge, your perspective shifts from blame to curiosity. Harrison encourages riders to be responsible for emotions or negativity they may bring to rides and to arrive at the barn with a relaxed mindset.

“You have to understand why your horse is doing things and how he thinks,” Harrison says. “The horse does not do things to intentionally irritate you. Everything a horse does is in response to a stimulus or a response to his own thoughts, but it’s not to spite you. If the horse isn’t comfortable in his environment, doesn’t understand, or isn’t physically capable of the move he’s being asked [to perform], he can’t be successful.”

Environmental Concerns Affect Horses’ Behavior

Harrison says many riders are quick to blame their horses for having poor behavior in new environments. With many new things bombarding their senses, horses are on guard.

“If a horse is scared of a new sound at an expo or large show, remember that it’s overstimulating,” Harrison says. “He can learn to act differently. One of the biggest ways to get his trust in those situations is to not get after him. Think, ‘Let me walk you through this and help you through this.’”

Your horse will feel your intent to guide rather than correct. As you’re working in new environments, Harrison advises looking for places where your horse is comfortable and staying there until it feels safe to move on.

“If you’re in a new arena, find where the horse is most comfortable—probably near the gate—and work there instead of going down to the other side right away. Work where the horse feels safe for a while, then push the boundaries until you can ride in more and more of the arena while your horse stays calm and relaxed. By not pushing the horse, you build his comfort and trust in you. If you push the boundaries, it can create a lack of trust. Forcing a horse into a situation—even if you get something accomplished—will mean you’ll have an argument each time.”

Does this softer approach work all the time? Harrison says he has a 95 percent rule: Looking for where your horse will be calm and talking him through will work 95 percent of the time.

“Ninety-five percent of the time, we want to be very light and encourage the horse,” he says. “But if you need to protect yourself, or say a small child runs in front of your horse, you may have to use more pressure. Still, be aware of how much pressure the horse can take in any situation. There are certain horses that will never take extreme pressure, just like there are certain people that can’t take that.”

Beyond Understanding

If the horse doesn’t understand what he’s being asked to do, the rider will often think he is being naughty. Harrison says horses will be resistant when they don’t understand.

“The horse starts guessing but gets in trouble because he isn’t getting the right answer,” he says. “So you end up applying more pressure instead of simplifying the exercise. It’s very important to make sure that any exercise you do is a spin-off of an exercise your horse already knows well. When exercises connect to each other, that helps the horse. If your horse knows leg-yields well, then move on to shoulder-in. Those moves are related. But even before leg-yields, make sure your horse can bend through his whole body and step underneath himself. All skills should build to help the horse understand.”

It’s Not Horse Behavior, It’s a Physical Block

Make sure not to ask the horse for more than he can physically do. If you do, he’ll resist. It’s not the horse’s fault if he physically can’t do what is asked.

“When people come into a clinic and I see that the horse is really lean or is a hard keeper, that’s a good clue that the horse may not be physically capable,” says Harrison. “If someone says they want to work on collection but the horse doesn’t have a developed topline, they’re not going to get there without lots of work first.”

Harrison recommends riders work at the trot to improve conditioning issues. The even movement gets horses moving well.

Consider the strength and fitness of older horses. Harrison says he often sees horses who once could do complex moves get asked to repeat what they aren’t in shape to do. If horses know the cues but can’t physically perform, they’ll get sore, and some riders end up blaming the horse.

Rider Responsibility

Harrison says you must consider what emotions and attitude you bring to each ride.

“It’s very important that you understand what your energy level and your day was like before you get on,” he says. “If you had a bad day at work, you’re still at work and not present with your horse. If you’re irritated, then nothing is going to be good enough. Anytime you don’t have control of your emotions, it’s going to affect your horse. As you’re driving to the barn, breathe and meditate a little. Bring yourself back to neutral.”

How can you train yourself to figure out what’s going on with a horse instead of blaming?

“I was taught in ways to make the horse do something,” says Harrison. “It never felt good after I accomplished it. It felt like domination instead of refined. It made me want to do things differently and to look for different ways.”

Harrison says he makes sure to build comfort into his lessons.

“There are moments we stop and figure out what’s going on,” he says. “All my students know that when I tell you to do a circle at E, it doesn’t have to be exactly at E, but somewhere near E. I want riders to do the circle when their horse is balanced and ready. The horse keeps trusting you. When trust develops, then you can be more specific about getting the circle precisely at E in the correct gait.”

hanging how you word your thoughts and frame your training sessions can change the presence you have with your horse—and your relationship with him. Notice if he is comfortable in his environment, if you’re giving clear cues, and if he’s physically able to do what you ask. If those three elements align, you won’t have to blame your horse.

Dealing with Failure

Failure is often inevitable, but what matters is how we deal with failure. In this video from Ridely , expert Mind Coach Annette Paterakis explains how you can deal with failure by redefining it to help you get better. (see video in the link provided below)

Annette explains that, where we put our focus is where we are going to go, so focusing on failure by redefining it as a learning opportunity will help us improve in the long run.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/whats-really-causing-bad-rides-horse-behavior

10 fun facts about horses

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:04:45 GMT

Anyone who has interacted with a horse knows they are magnificent animals. Horses have been a part of our lives for thousands of years as companions, working animals and athletes in equestrian sport, to name a few. Although horses are such well-known animals, the following facts may surprise you!

1. Horses can’t breathe through their mouth

Horses are obligate nasal breathers. This means that they are unable to breathe through their mouth as humans can. Horses can only breathe through their nose.

2. Horses can sleep standing up

Horses have a “stay-apparatus” which is a system of tendons and ligaments that allows the horse to lock their legs in position so they can relax without falling over. When not sleeping, horses also use this apparatus to rest while standing for long periods of time. This allows them to conserve energy while standing so they are ready to take flight if needed. It is a myth that horses never lay down – they do spend a short amount of time each day laying down for deeper sleep. On average, horses sleep two and a half hours per day.

3. Horses have excellent hearing

As a prey animal, horses need to have sensitive hearing to survive. Humans have only three muscles to control their ears, whereas horses have 10! This allows horses to rotate their ears nearly 180 degrees and move them independently of one another. Being able to rotate their ears lets horses hear sounds all around them without having to turn their head.

4. Horses have a nearly 360-degree field of vision

This is due to the positioning of their eyes on the sides of their head. However, they have two blind spots – one directly behind them, and the other directly in-front of their head. This means that they cannot see the grass they are grazing on, or the carrot you are sticking out to them! Instead, they will move their head or use their mobile and sensitive lips, whiskers and sense of smell to know what is in-front of them.

5. Horses have lightning fast reflexes

As a prey animal, horses need to react quickly should a flight-or-fight situation arise. When they need to fight, horses can go from standing still to delivering a powerful kick in just 0.3 seconds, whereas human reaction time is 1.6 seconds.

6. Foals can walk and run within a few hours after birth

Foals are relatively mature and mobile from birth. Foals are most vulnerable to predators after birth, so they must be able to flee from danger if necessary.

7. Horses are highly intelligent animals

They can be taught many different tasks through positive reinforcement and clicker training, just as dogs can. One study showed that horses have the ability to communicate their needs to their guardians; these horses learned to communicate whether they wanted a blanket on or off through touching symbols on a board.

8. There are many colours and patterns of horses

Horses can be spotted, have patches of colour, or be one main colour with different colours on their face or legs. Each of these horse colours has a unique name. Like dogs, the breed of the horse will influence their colour.

9. The earliest ancestor of the horse is estimated to have lived 55 million years ago

This ancestor was only the size of a Labrador retriever! Horses were domesticated around 6000 years ago, estimated from evidence found at archaeological sites.

10. Horses are very social animals

Horses find safety in a herd and form strong social relationships with each other. They use their senses to recognize familiar horses and spend time with those they have formed friendships with. In the herd, one horse will stand guard to keep watch while the other horses in the herd take time to eat, rest and sleep.

Source: https://spca.bc.ca/news/fun-facts-about-horses

10 Things That Make Horse & Human Relationships So Unique

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:04:43 GMT

Horses are special creatures. They are majestic, strong and can display a broad range of emotions. Whether they’re around humans or other horses, they are amazingly communicative and thrive in social settings. These qualities are part of the reason why horses can develop such a strong bond with humans.

The relationship between humans and horses has a long history. As they have evolved and become domesticated, horses became a valuable source of transportation, labor and companionship. With qualities unique to their species, horses have become one of the few mammals that can form a lifelong, mutually beneficial and deep emotional connection with humans.

Here are the top 10 reasons why horse and human relationships are so unique:

10 Things That Make Horse & Human Relationships So Unique

1. Horses Are Family Oriented

Even in the wild, horses are pack animals. They thrive in groups and suffer from loneliness, just as humans do. Herds of horses have a family structure and tend to stick close together. In the wild, horse family groups consist of one or two stallions, several mares and all of their foals. While stallions take possession over their herd, they are typically lead by an older, dominant mare. She isn’t necessarily the strongest, but is the most experienced, and maintains dominance through her attitude rather than physical intimidation.

As the foals get older, they break off into other herds. Colts form bachelor herds until they assert their dominance and begin a harem. Fillies either stay with their original herd, join another established herd or create a new herd with one of the bachelor stallions. Stallions can remain the leaders of their harem for a long time, and while the average is two years, some may last as long as over 10 years.

Because they are such social animals, horses need relationships to feel happy. A lack of socialization can have a negative psychological impact on a horse, especially young horses. They learn behavior by observing mares in a pack, and without a reference, they won’t gain the manners and skills that social horses develop naturally. People can satisfy some of a horse’s need for companionship through grooming and spending time playing with them.

2. Horses Can Read Human Emotions

Beyond having a natural bond, horses can pick up on and understand human emotions.

Psychologists demonstrated that horses could recognize a human’s mood from their facial expressions and differentiate between anger and happiness. Without training the horses, the psychologists showed 28 horses several pictures of unfamiliar faces either angry or smiling. Then, they had the people from the images meet the horses, wearing neutral expressions.

In each case, the horses responded negatively to the people presented as angry and positively to those shown as happy. The findings show that not only do horses recognize and react to emotions, but they have a memory for them. They can remember how people presented themselves emotionally and respond accordingly. Horses are particularly socially intelligent. They are the first non-human mammal known to have the ability to recognize, analyze, respond to and remember human emotions.

3. Horses Can Show Emotion

Not only can horses understand the various moods and facial expressions of humans, but they can also communicate their own emotions . While they often talk with their ears and eyes, they show feelings through snorts and whinnies.

In general, snorts mean horses are happy or feel at peace. The more frequently they snort, the more comfortable they are. In a study in France, scientists put three groups of horses in different scenarios . Two groups were held in individual stalls, while the third was allowed to roam free in a pasture. The horses allowed to roam snorted often, as they were in a social and positive environment. When the horses in stalls were allowed in the pasture, they snorted twice as frequently.

As for whinnies, horses can convey positive and negative emotions in different intensities. Each whinny has two frequencies — one that describes the emotion, the other, the strength of the feeling. Paired with observations of heart rate, skin temperature and breathing pattern, scientists identified the kinds of whinnies horses make in different environments. Horses typically expressed positive emotions with shorter, lower frequencies and negative emotions with more extended, higher frequencies.

This kind of vocal communication may be a learned behavior or effect of domestication. Horses may have adopted these snorts and whinnies as a result of years of interaction with humans. By being able to display their emotions understandably, horses can create a deeper bond with humans.

4. Horses Can Literally Impact the Human Heart

Many riders agree that spending time with horses has a calming effect, but some scientific research suggests that it can physically change your heart rate .

One study measured the heart rates of humans and horses when horses were petted for 90 seconds. The small study featured three groups: One of six males with positive attitudes about animal companions, one with six males who had negative attitudes about pets and a group of six men who were in a horse riding club.

At the start of each petting sessions, the humans’ heart rates were higher than afterward. As the petting went on, the heart rate of the horses at first increased, but then decreased as the people continued to pet them. The authors of the study continued that petting horses can help to decrease tension and that an emotional interaction can exist between people and horses.

5. Humans Have a Natural Respect for Horses

Horses command respect in many ways, especially with their stature. They are massive beings, with enough brain and brawn to intimidate people. However, they can trust and will allow people to approach them if they don’t appear to be a threat. Humans typically understand this dynamic and respect horses’ space and needs.

Humans also naturally respect horses because they can relate to them. Horses share a similar family structure, can communicate emotions and feel empathy, learn to trust, show stress, thrive in open spaces, require social relationships to be healthy and learn by observation. Not only do people have all of these traits, but they can also recognize them in horses, just as horses can read the same in humans.

Attitude has a lot to do with respect. Humans know horses will retaliate against poor treatment or resist people they don’t trust. Riders, groomers and owners all understand they have to earn a horse’s respect, as people have to earn each other’s respect.

6. Horses Can Help Humans Improve Physically

Horseback riding is a beneficial form of physical exercise for people. It’s unlike most other types of physical movement for humans, which means it targets different areas of the body than many other sports or exercises. A person can burn up to 200 calories when riding a horse for 45 minutes .

Horseback riding can help strengthen individuals in several ways, including:

Core and trunk strength: To stay balanced while riding, a person’s muscles need to remain in specific positions to keep them centered and upright. Riding targets mostly muscles in the core and torso, including those in the pelvis, back and abdominal areas. It also helps train postural strength.
Coordination and balance: As riders become more comfortable with their horse and transition from slow trots to gallops, they have to improve their balance. The faster a horse moves, the more challenging it becomes to stay balanced while riding. It takes a lot of strength and time. Coordination also helps the horse stay balanced, as the rider keeps their weight centered while the horse turns and shifts.
Muscle flexibility and tone: The core muscles see most of the action in riding, but they aren’t the only ones to feel the burn. The pelvic and inner thigh muscles get the best workout, as the rider uses them for positioning and balance. Not only do they get toned, but the seated position also increases their range of flexibility. Riders can even see more tone in their arms and shoulders from directing the horse’s reigns. In terms of strength, the physical benefits are relatively similar to weight-bearing exercises.
Cardiovascular health: As riders improve their technique and build muscle over time, they’re able to pick up the pace and allow their horse to run. Some even venture into speed and agility courses, where balance and directives become essential and need to come naturally. Faster speeds and different styles of riding require even more effort from the rider, meaning they expend more energy and start to see cardiovascular benefits. While they may be minimal starting out, they increase with riding intensity,
Stable strength: For those who own and care for their horse personally, riding isn’t their only form of training and exercise. Stable work involves many weight-intensive and repetitive jobs, such as hauling hay, shoveling, lifting feed bags and leading horses. Considering these tasks are regular parts of daily care, they help build muscle strength and provide cardiovascular exercise.

With so many opportunities for physical benefit, horse riding and care are excellent forms of exercise. The horse and rider train together, growing a close relationship and providing one another with positive experiences. People don’t just benefit physically, either. The advantages of riding go deeper.

7. Horses Can Help Humans Develop Emotionally

Riding horses can encourage several kinds of emotional development. From the initial stages of forming a human relationship with horses to learning how to train them, riders will gain a wealth of mental and emotional benefits from the process. It can help people open up and feel more secure in themselves or even overcome the adverse effects of trauma.

Some of the most significant emotional benefits humans can gain from horses are:

Confidence: As individuals learn how to ride a horse, confidence is a crucial factor. Not only do they need to be assertive with directions, but they also have to get past the tendency to hesitate or doubt decisions. The feeling of being in control of such a large animal can make riders feel confident in themselves.
Trust: Developing the ability to trust is essential to emotional development. Without it, people can feel isolated or like they have to keep to themselves. By learning how to cooperate with an animal, riders can learn how to trust their horse. As their relationship gets stronger, riders put more trust in their horse and can relax and enjoy their experiences.
Non-verbal communication: Humans can talk to horses, but they can’t talk back. However, horses do use a lot of non-verbal signals and noises to communicate. They’ll also pay attention to body language, facial expressions and movements to understand people. Over time, humans and horses can develop a powerful way of communicating, without needing to resort to verbal cues.
Bonding: Horses can help humans feel more comfortable socially by providing them with a bonding experience. Creating a strong relationship with an animal can help people feel more secure or confident about opening up to other people. They’ll learn the fundamentals of empathy and affection in a low-stress environment.

Humans are naturally social, and emotional development is vital to forming and maintaining strong relationships with others. Creating a bond with a horse is a perfect way to learn how to open up emotionally and understand the importance of patience, trust and communication.

8. Horses Can Help Humans Recover From Trauma or Disability

Humans can feel better just by being around horses, but they’re capable of much more than lifting spirits. Spending time with horses can be mentally and physically therapeutic. Equine-assisted therapy and hippotherapy are valuable forms of treatment for individuals with many kinds of disorders and diseases.

Hippotherapy can help with various forms of trauma and disabilities , such as:

Cerebral palsy
Down syndrome
Austim spectrum disorder
Multiple sclerosis
Cerebrovascular disease
Muscular dystrophy
Traumatic brain damage
Amputations

For individuals with disabilities that affect their muscles, horseback riding is a great way to tone, train and build underused muscles. It can also help with improving balance and fine motor skills. Horses walk and move with a similar gait to humans, so horseback riding can provide the benefits of walking to those who are unable to do so on their own. It also trains hand-eye coordination and builds other connections between mental and physical faculties.

Therapeutic horseback riding can also help with behavioral issues and emotional trauma in children and young adults. For young people who have been through abuse, forming a relationship with a horse can teach them trust. Children who have trouble connecting with others can learn valuable lessons about navigating social scenarios by bonding with a horse.

Riding horses has different benefits depending on what the rider wants to get out of the experience. Whether they’re looking for gentle physical therapy or a way to learn emotional skills, spending time building a relationship with horses can help people through recovery.

9. Humans and Horses Have Been Friends for Thousands of Years

The domestication of wild horses goes back thousands and thousands of years, dating to as early as 10,200 B.C. As humans began to tame and learn to ride horses, they became more and more domestic, meaning they remained close to humans of their own free will. Humans trained horses to transport goods and respond to riders. Over time, horses learned to pull wagons and buggies.

In addition to daily labor, horses were also vital during war times. They fought bravely alongside soldiers and helped transport crucial supplies. Horses do bond with humans and their relationship with soldiers was likely stronger than those developed prior, considering the highly emotional environment.

Currently, most horses are companion and therapy animals, meaning humans greatly value their relationships. Many individuals treat them as pets or keep a stable of horses to teach others how to ride.

10. Humans Naturally Identify With Horses

Horses have many similarities with which humans naturally identify. For one, a hierarchical system. In both human dynamics and horse herds, there is a hierarchy structure. Whether it’s in families, employment or government, people are consistently operating within a hierarchy. Horses also have a similar family structure as humans, where male and female horses stick together and their offspring leave the nest once they’re mature.

Horses are also communicative and expressive, much like people. They can display different attitudes and emotions, which makes them relatable to humans. In the company of people, horses can display happiness, stress, trust, worry and many other moods. They’re even able to make complex facial expressions . With the ability to convey and read emotions, humans can understand horses’ sentiments and horses can understand humans.

Source: https://agapepetservices.com/make-horse-human-relationships-unique

9 Helpful Ideas to Manage Your Work, Life, Horse Balance

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:04:39 GMT

:00 am — The sky is clear and the weather channel promises a beautiful day. Yes!

You can’t wait to saddle up after work to polish lead changes and transitions during your riding lesson with your new trainer.

The phone buzzes on the table bringing you back to reality — your boss wants to know where you filed your latest brief. As you fumble over your words, you realize you are out of milk for your coffee, and the puppy just barfed on the floor. Ugh.

CHAOS. LIFE.

You love your work life and being a horse owner. But, sometimes, life is totally nuts.

Your boss is understanding and supportive of the tug of life. But sometimes you are over-extended and struggle to complete your assignments on time. Deadlines are a constant thought at 2 am.

Developing your relationship with your horse and working towards new goals together brings you so much joy.

But, there is never enough time to linger at the barn and soak in your horse’s love and beauty.

You enjoy spending time with family and friends. But, sometimes balancing a full-time job, life, and a horse has its challenges.

Juggling saddle time with work and daily responsibilities isn’t easy. Someone or something always seems to get the short end of the stick.

"There’s got to be a better way to manage and balance the life/work/horse-related stress and release the pressure of feeling like you are slipping."

Well, guess what? It is possible to have a balance between work, home, and your horse. But you’ve gotta formulate a plan.

The number one rule: make time management your soulmate. And at the end of the day, creativity is key.

It’s time to create a plan to realign your schedule and your routine.

1. Create a Horse Support Network at your barn

What does that mean? Pair up with other riders at your barn who need help finding their work-life balance too. Trade chores, supplement feeding, lunging, bathing, blanketing, even riding to help each other get it all done. Create a system that works for each of you. And if you get stuck at work, or home with a sick toddler, no need to panic. Horse Support Network to the rescue.

Not only will you free up some time for yourself, but you might develop a lasting friendship while you’re at it. Seriously a win-win.

2. Include your friends and family in your horse experience

Have you ever asked your friends or family to join you at the barn? Maybe help you bathe your horse? You might be surprised to find they’re eager and willing to come along. If you have children, and they are old enough, start teaching them the joy of riding now. You won’t regret it.

3. Plan your riding days and your horse’s days off

Depending on how you roll, plan your riding days and horse’s days off monthly or weekly. Buy an old-fashioned wall calendar and leave it out for all eyes to see. That way your support team knows your routine for the week or month. In general, 2 to 4 days of riding can get the job done for you and your horse. If you are competing regularly, 4 days is your best bet. But plenty of working women out there get it done with only 2 days of training. Be flexible and don’t stress over it.

But How Do I Keep My Horse Conditioned?

Here’s where your network comes in. A solid lunging session or a long turnout might be just what your horse needs on his day off. Or a trail ride to clear his head and give him a change of scenery. Team up with your people and formulate your plan.If you have children, maybe you don’t have the luxury of hiring a sitter so you can go ride your horse. That’s ok. Meet with your spouse and plan a time for each of your hobbies. Keep track of your riding routine, goals, and achievement with an app like Ridely.com. Meredith Michaels Beerbaum and other international athletes use this app to track their progress and everything horse-related. From Ferrier visits to vaccines. Not only will you stay on top of what’s going on with your horse. But, you can also share it with your support network. What a way to stay organized!

4. Alternate days between riding and taking care of yourself

The weekend is perfect for this routine. Saturday, at most stables, is rather active. Lessons and training sessions usually happen all day long. Create a routine where you are at the barn all day on Saturday. Giving you an awesome opportunity to get in a long training ride, clean tack, bathe your horse, and maybe even go on a short trail ride. Your horse will appreciate all the attention and you won’t feel rushed.

Sundays are a perfect day for rest. For the work/life/horse balance recipe to work, rest is a must. Sleep in if you can. Lounge around in your PJ’s for breakfast and coffee. Plan an outing that is relaxing and fun – picnic in the park or a stroll at the beach. Dinner in the crock-pot ready to go when you come home is a perfect ending to a lazy day. Remember, a lazy day doesn’t mean a non-productive day. It means you are taking care of yourself.

5. Feed Lease or Rideshare Options

You might be saying to yourself right now… “But, he’s my baby, I can’t let anyone else ride him.” Hey, stop that thinking right now. Remember your goal?

WORK/LIFE/HORSE BALANCE IS THE FOCUS.

Sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. This, my friend, might include a feed lease or rideshare. There is no shame in asking for help. No shame at all.

Could this be what you are looking for? Especially if you need extra income for the Ferrier bill or for a sitter while you ride. You might be surprised how much a half lease will help you and your horse.

A feed lease usually consists of a rider paying the amount it costs to feed your horse. Supplements and all. Or the board fee you pay at your barn. In exchange, the horse becomes “half theirs” while the lease exists. Some agreements are strict and don’t allow freedom for the lessee. Other agreements are looser and the lessee has a choice of how to train and ride. Be sure to decide what you want and what works best for you and your horse before agreeing to a food lease.

Rideshare is more structured. Oftentimes money is not exchanged. “I want you to ride my horse Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with the trainer to work on x,y, and z skills.” This is a great opportunity for someone who loves to ride but can’t afford a horse.

Ask your trainer and support network if they know anyone who might be interested. You can also post a sign at your local tack and feed store.

Don’t Forget to get clarity about what you are looking for. Here is a free contract template . Also, get insurance for both your horse and the other rider. This is imperative. Check out Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency for excellent advice and packages. Be sure to plan who does what on what days, and to still give your horse days off.

6. Plan your training rides early in the morning

Are you a morning person? Do you love it when the house is quiet? There is nothing better than grabbing a cup of coffee and heading out the door to ride your horse in the cool mist of the morning. All before the phone starts ringing. No interruptions.

Maybe this is the answer for you. If your schedule allows for this extravagant plan, make it yours. You will return to the house refreshed and ready to handle anything that comes your way. Most trainers are willing and able to accommodate early morning lessons.

If your horse’s feeding time is at the same time you plan to ride, a feed bag through the night might be a quick solution. Or if your barn manager is willing and able, ask if your horse can be fed early a few days a week. It never hurts to ask.

7. Move your horse to a large pasture

Another great way to provide movement opportunities for your horse is changing from a stall or small corral to a large paddock. They can walk around all day and play with their pasture mates. This way, if you have to skip a barn day, or can’t ride as often as you like, you know your horse is happy and moving around.

This is not for your horse if he is a hard keeper though. If your horse has trouble keeping weight on, this might not be the best solution for you. You can talk to your trainer and veterinarian to determine if pasture living is in the cards.

If your stable management allows it, you can use pasture living for the busiest months in your life, and move your horse back to the barn when you aren’t so busy.

8. Flexible working hours

These days, businesses are learning how beneficial flexibility is for employees. Maybe the best way to create a routine is by adjusting your work schedule. Go to work early. Ride, and save evenings for spending time with friends or family. Get the hardest part of the day over with so you can enjoy uninterrupted time with your horse and tasks around the house.

This could include working fewer hours a week. Or on the days you don’t ride, staying in the office longer. Talk with your boss about the possibility. This might be the perfect solution.

9. Working from home

This may be the answer for you. Especially if you have a long commute. Save that commute driving time for riding instead. Talk to your employer and see what works best. Maybe working from home 2 days a week is all you need to get in a little extra time at the barn.

Rest assured, if you take the time to create a system that works for you, you can achieve a balance between your life, work, and riding adventures. Don’t panic if your routine falls flat, it’s not an epic fail… change it around a bit until you ultimately find what works.

Source: https://www.horseware.com/en-us/blog/9-helpful-ideas-to-manage-your-work-life-horse-balance

Common Off-Track Thoroughbred Injuries

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:04:35 GMT

If you’re adopting an OTTB, find out which common racing injuries are most concerning when planning a second career.

In addition to finding the right personality and ability when searching for your next equine partner, oftentimes it feels like you need a Ph.D. to decipher horse-health records, old injuries, and how they might impact a horse’s future athletic career—and an off-track Thoroughbred, or OTTBs, can come with their own set of unique issues and injuries.

By the time most racehorses are 3 years old, they’re in peak physical condition and have been trained to do one job incredibly well: Run. Like top-tier human athletes, these horses are susceptible to a range of sports injuries. Some of these can affect a horse’s future athletic career and others are merely cosmetic, but the key to any injury is its severity and how well it is rehabilitated. With the guidance of a knowledgeable veterinarian who has experience with these types of injuries and who understands your (realistic) skills and goals as a rider, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the perfect off-track Thoroughbred partner for your riding sport of choice.

Splints

Some retired racehorses have bony lumps on their lower legs. These “splints” are often found on the inside of the front legs. They are the result of an injury to the splint bone or to the ligament that runs in between the splint bones.

Presentation: Active splints are hot and swollen and may cause lameness.

Treatment: Time off, anti-inflammatories and possibly cold hosing could help this common off-track Thoroughbred injury.

Athletic Prognosis: Unlimited, once the splint is “old and cold.”

Suspensory Ligaments

The strain that racehorse legs experience while training can sprain or tear the suspensory ligament, which runs from just below the knee or hock to the back of the cannon bone, resulting in desmitis.

It’s not just physical strain on the tendon that causes injury, notes Leandra Cooper, facility manager and head trainer at New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program in Lexington, Ky. She rehomes over 200 retired Thoroughbred racehorses each year. Farriery is also a component. Most racehorses are shod with a long toe and low heel, which adds strain to the ligament.

The rehabilitation process and future athletic soundness are dependent on where on the ligament the injury is located and its severity.

Presentation: Swelling, heat and pain at the site of the strain or tear. Lameness can vary from mild to moderate and is most visible on soft ground; it often comes on suddenly and abates after a few days. Severe lameness is typically present in suspensory tears.

Treatment: Time and rest.

“The worst thing about these injuries is that the horses don’t read the book on how long it should take to heal,” says Shelley Mann, executive director of the Secretariat Center racehorse adoption center located at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. “Some [horses] need 30 days and they are good to go, and sometimes it takes six months or longer to heal.”

Athletic Prognosis: The size of the injury and the quality of the repair are the greatest predictors of future soundness within certain disciplines, says Rhodes Bell, DVM, Dipl. ACVS-LA, of Park Equine Hospital and the primary veterinarian for New Vocations in Kentucky. Small branch injuries that are given enough time to rehabilitate are less likely to affect the future soundness than is an actual tear of the ligament. Properly rehabbed and brought back to condition, horses with desmitis are often able to jump small jumps.

Bone Chips

Osteochondral fragments (also called “bone chips”) in retired racehorses are exactly what they sound like: fragments of bone that have broken off in a horse’s joint. The majority of chips Cooper sees involve the knee and fetlock.

Chips can vary in size and position; their location can impact movement and cause pain and lameness. Chips that are “floating” can affect the surrounding anatomical structures (by shredding them). Chips that are not floating are often a non-issue and have little to no impact on the horse’s anticipated athletic ability.

Presentation: From inflammation without lameness (if the chip is not involved with other structures) to pain and lameness (if the chip is harming other structures).

Treatment: Chips that are in an articulating joint and causing damage will need to be surgically removed. A lameness exam should be performed on a horse to determine if a fragment is bothering him. If the horse is demonstrating lameness in a limb with a chip, the joint is often blocked and the horse’s comfort level reassessed.

“If the intra-articular block resolves the lameness, then I would recommend surgical removal,” says Bell. “If it doesn’t [make the horse sound], then I will keep looking for the cause [of the lameness].”

Bell will inject horses with hyaluronic acid or anti-inflammatory when surgical chip removal is not an option.

Athletic Prognosis: The level of athletic potential is often directly correlated to the location of the chip, especially in relation to the joint and articulating areas, as well as to how it is addressed. If the chip is not floating or has been removed early, horses have a good chance to have unlimited second careers, says Mann. However, once a horse has joint damage from a chip, he may develop arthritis in that area, which could potentially limit his future athletic endeavors, says Cooper.

Sesamoiditis and Fractures

Horses have two sesamoid bones at the back of the fetlock; there are multiple tendons that run over and between these bones. Repeated strain on these bones can cause fractures in various locations, which are treated differently and can cause vastly different athletic outcomes.

Presentation: Depending on the affected area, the horse can be severely lame, or he may only be off after he is worked intensely; he may be sore only when palpated or flexed. Visible inflammation and heat are possible.

Treatment: It depends on what area of the bone is affected. Sesamoids that fracture near the top and bottom of the bone respond well to surgery to remove the affected area.

Fractures that are lower in the bone that involve more of the suspensory insertion require more significant rehabilitation, says Bell.

Mid-body (in the middle of the bone) sesamoid fractures are best addressed with surgical reconstruction with lag screws, he notes.

Horses with sesamoid fractures should rest and have their training schedules reconfigured to alleviate concussion on the structures. A shoe that eases breakover may be beneficial to reduce strain on the sesamoid bones and ligaments.

Athletic Prognosis: This depends on the area of sesamoid affected.

“Some horses do great [once they are properly rehabbed], though we tend to suggest flat-only careers for those horses,” says Mann. “Others struggle with soundness due to damage to surrounding tissues and possible arthritis.”

These horses are best-suited to be companion horses if they can be made pasture sound. The prognosis for horses with hardware is directly related to the amount of collateral damage and how well the articular surface is reconstructed, says Bell.

Cooper notes that fractures at the base have the most risk for suspensory and joint involvement and are also those with the most limited career options; mid-body fractures have a fair prognosis for athletic careers; high breaks have a decent prognosis if there is no additional soft-tissue involvement.

Condylar Fractures

A condylar fracture is a common cannon bone injury caused by repetitive strain. The fractures are categorized into incomplete and non-displaced (meaning the bone fragment hasn’t pulled away from the cannon bone and is in the original location) and complete and displaced, meaning the fragment has moved away from the cannon bone. These injuries used to be considered a death knell for all athletic endeavors. However, advances in equine medicine have made the ability to return to full work a possibility.

Presentation: Horse will be acutely lame; affected area will be swollen and hot. A bone fragment may be visible under the horse’s skin.

Treatment: Often includes surgery to stabilize the break, anti-inflammatories, rest and time. Some fractures can be treated without surgery, though this is rarer.

Athletic prognosis: Dependent on rehabilitation.

“Collateral damage that occurs at the same time as the fracture typically predicts the [athletic viability] outcome,” says Bell. “A horse that suffers significant soft-tissue injury along with loss of cartilage within the joint would not be expected to have the same outcome as a horse with a simple, lateral, incomplete, non-displaced condylar fracture repaired using lag screw fixation.”

Also important to the joint’s long-term health is how well the articular surface is reconstructed. Some horses with condylar fractures have no career limitations; others cannot even be made pasture sound.

Mann notes that the Secretariat Center typically sees condylar fractures after screws have been inserted and the horse is racing again. Though these types of injuries in an off-track Thoroughbred often look intimidating, horses with condylar fractures often to do well once healed, Mann says.

Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/common-ottb-injuries

Just Horsin’ Around: Fun Facts about Horses & Jockeys, by Prairie Meadows

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 01:51:27 GMT

So, how much do you know about horses? Today, we’re sharing some interesting facts to pique your interest and get you excited about attending a live horse race at Prairie Meadows this summer.

Did you know…

• Horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal.
• A foal can run within hours of being born.
• Horses can sleep both lying down and standing up.
• Because a horse’s eyes are located on the side of their head, their line of sight is nearly 360 degrees.
• Gallop speed for a horse is nearly 27 miles per hour.
• A horse’s teeth take up more space in their head than their brain.
• Horses can see better at night than humans.
• A horse’s heart weighs nearly 10 pounds.
• Horses have a sweet tooth. They prefer sweet flavors and will usually reject anything that is sour or bitter.
• Horses drink up to 25 gallons of water daily.
• When measuring a horse, you use ‘hands’. A hand is a unit of 4 inches – the approximate width of a human hand. Height is determined by measuring from the ground to the highest point of the horse’s withers. The wither is the ridge between the horse’s shoulder blades.
• The average racehorse weighs 1,000 pounds.
• Quarter Horses can reach speeds up to 55 miles per hour or more during a sprint.
• Thoroughbreds are considered a middle-distance runner and typically attain a speed of 40 miles per hour.
• All racehorses share the same “official” birth date of January 1st.
• Horses can rotate each of their ears 180 degrees, giving them a full 360-degree range of hearing.

Now that you know a little bit more about horses, here are some fun facts about the track and jockeys:

• Jockeys typically weigh between 108 and 118 pounds.
• Before each race, jockeys weigh in with their kit. Each horse in a race must carry a specific amount of weight to equalize the competition. Jockeys may need to carry extra weight when racing if they’re under the weight requirements.
• Horse races are measured in furlongs which is 1/8 of a mile or 220 yards
• The track has different colored poles along the inside rail. Poles are placed 1/16th of a mile apart and each color represents a different length. Black poles are 1/16th of a mile, green is 1/8th, and red is 1/4 of a mile.
• Prairie Meadows’ track is a one-mile oval composed of a 21-inch limestone base and 5.5 inches of sand and organic cushion on top.
• When the barn at Prairie Meadows is at capacity, there are more than 1,400 horses in the stalls.
• The largest Thoroughbred race purses of the season are awarded during Prairie Meadows’ Festival of Racing on July 2nd & 3rd. Purses total more than $1,000,000.
• The most lucrative Quarter Horse purses of the season are during the Quarter Horse Championships on September 24th and the Iowa Classic on September 25th.

Source: https://visitaltoona.com/blog/just-horsin-around-fun-facts-about-horses-jockeys-by-prairie-meadows

5 Reasons Horse Racing is So Popular in 2023

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 01:37:17 GMT

Horse racing has always been a popular sport, but in 2023, its popularity has reached new heights. The thrilling combination of speed, strategy, and the connection between horse and rider has captured the hearts of audiences around the world. But what exactly has driven this surge in popularity? In this article, we delve into five key factors that have contributed to horse racing’s newfound fame.

Technological Advancements Elevate the Viewing Experience

One of the primary reasons behind horse racing’s growing popularity in 2023 is the significant advancements in technology that have enhanced the overall viewing experience. Innovations such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and improved broadcasting capabilities have allowed fans to immerse themselves in action like never before.

Virtual reality headsets, for instance, provide a 360-degree view of the race, making viewers feel as though they are part of the event. Augmented reality, on the other hand, offers real-time data and statistics, giving fans a deeper understanding of each race. These advancements have created a more engaging and interactive experience, attracting a wider audience to the sport.

Online horse betting sites are also becoming increasingly popular, allowing fans the opportunity to place wagers on races from the comfort of their own home. These platforms provide a secure and convenient way to bet, making horse racing more accessible than ever before.

The Emergence of Social Media as a Promotional Tool

Social media has become an indispensable tool for promoting horse racing events and engaging fans. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have allowed fans to connect with their favorite jockeys, trainers, and horses, fostering a sense of community and loyalty. Additionally, exclusive behind-the-scenes content and live updates have given fans a closer look at the world of horse racing, further piquing their interest in the sport.

Furthermore, the use of social media influencers and celebrities as ambassadors for horse racing events has expanded the sport’s reach beyond its traditional fan base. This has led to a surge in popularity, particularly among younger audiences who may have previously been unfamiliar with the sport.

Increased Focus on Animal Welfare and Ethics

In recent years, the horse racing industry has faced criticism over concerns regarding the welfare of racehorses. In response to this, the industry has taken significant steps to ensure the ethical treatment of its equine athletes. These measures have included stricter regulations on medications, the implementation of safer racing surfaces, and the development of retirement and rehoming programs for racehorses.

By prioritizing animal welfare and addressing ethical concerns, the industry has managed to rebuild its reputation and regain public trust. This renewed confidence in the sport has played a crucial role in attracting new fans and maintaining the interest of existing ones.

The Appeal of Wagering and Fantasy Sports

Wagering has long been a key aspect of horse racing, and its appeal has only grown stronger in 2023. Advances in technology have made it easier than ever for fans to place bets, with mobile apps and online platforms offering a seamless wagering experience. This ease of access has attracted a new generation of bettors to the sport, contributing to its growing popularity.

In addition to traditional wagering, the rise of fantasy sports has also played a role in horse racing’s increased fan base. Fantasy horse racing allows fans to create their own virtual stables, selecting and managing a team of horses throughout the racing season. This interactive and competitive element has introduced the sport to a wider audience, who may have been initially drawn to the fantasy aspect rather than the races themselves.

The Resurgence of Prestigious Racing Events

Prestigious horse racing events have long been a staple of the sport, and their appeal has only grown stronger in 2023. Marquee races such as the Kentucky Derby , the Royal Ascot, and the Melbourne Cup continue to attract global attention, with their rich histories and traditions capturing the imaginations of fans worldwide.

In recent years, these events have experienced a resurgence in popularity, thanks in part to increased media coverage and the involvement of high-profile celebrities. The glamour and excitement surrounding these races have drawn in new audiences, many of whom have become lifelong fans of the sport.

Additionally, the allure of these prestigious events extends beyond the races themselves. The fashion, socializing, and entertainment aspects of race days have become major attractions in their own right. With luxury hospitality experiences, gourmet dining options, and live performances, racecourses have transformed into entertainment hubs, broadening the appeal of horse racing to a more diverse audience.

In conclusion, the popularity of horse racing in 2023 can be attributed to a combination of technological advancements, the power of social media, a renewed focus on animal welfare, the excitement of wagering and fantasy sports, and the resurgence of prestigious racing events. These factors have come together to create a thrilling and engaging experience for fans, old and new, ensuring that horse racing remains a beloved sport for years to come.

Source: https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2023/05/12/5-reasons-horse-racing-is-so-popular-in-2023

ALL ABOUT THE THOROUGHBRED

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 03:50:12 GMT

Nearly all of today’s racehorses can be traced back to one of three ‘foundation’ stallions – The Darley Arabian, The Godolphin Arabian and The Byerley Turk.

They were Arabian horses, imported into England between the late 17th and early 18th century by gentlemen who wanted to breed better racehorses. When they bred with Britain’s native, heavier horses, they produced offspring who were much faster, but still had great stamina – they were the very first ‘thoroughbred’ racehorses.

As with humans, some horses are just naturally better suited to running; some are built to be sprinters, with bulging muscles and a rapid stride, others are long distance athletes, lean and supple with an long stride – not unlike the differences you would see between human sprinters and marathon runners.

Flat racehorses can start their racing career at just two years old – and some of them retire by the age of four, although many can go on racing much longer, until they are ten or older. Although some of the most prestigious races are confined to three year olds, generally flat racehorses tend to be at their peak aged four or five.

Jump racehorses generally don’t start racing until they are four, and their careers tend to go on much longer, until they are twelve or sometimes older. Most jump racehorses are at the peak of their ability between the ages of seven and ten.

Racehorses are allowed to race from the age of two years old. Often these are called Juvenile races.
All horses born in the same year share their official birthday as the 1st January. When racing as two-year-olds, a horse born in the early months of the year is likely to be more mature than one born later, despite officially being the same age.
A racehorse weighs around 500kg (half a tonne!)
The average heart of a racehorse weighs the same as four bags of sugar
A racehorse drinks up to 10 gallons of water a day

Colours

There are seven different official colours for racehorses… You can see the abbreviations for each colour below in the racecard on raceday next to each horse.

Grey (Gr) – ranging from bright white to steel-coloured grey.
Bay (B) – covers a huge range of the colour brown, from bright bay through to dark bay, which is basically black. Bay horses have black manes and tails.
Chestnut (CH) – a reddish or ginger coat colour, with a mane and tail to match.
Roan (Ro) – a Roan horse has an even mixture of white hairs mixed in with another colour.
Brown (Br) – a horse registered as Brown will also have a brown mane and tail.
Black (Bl) – a purely black horse, but this is rare!
White (Wh) – this classification is also very rare. Most horses that appear to be white will in fact be classed as Grey, with black skin. Grey horses tend to get lighter in colour as they get older.

Source: https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/the-racing/racing-explained/racehorses/all-about-the-thoroughbred

Racing urged to embrace change following radical fixture list shake-up in bid to ensure sport's long-term health

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 03:02:19 GMT

British racing has been told it needs to accept the risk of failure in order to attract new followers to the sport and protect its future after the BHA unveiled 170 new Premier racedays for 2024 in the biggest shake-up to the fixture list in recent memory.

The meetings will feature higher prize-money with the aim of showcasing the best races in a bid to increase fan engagement, improve revenues, recruit and retain owners and encourage the best horses to be trained and raced in Britain.

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said the 2024 fixture list was a "first foundation step" in much wider strategy work with the aim of achieving "the long-term transformation of the sport".

The proposals, recommended by the cross-industry commercial committee and approved by the BHA board, are set to be implemented and tested for an initial two-year period. To fund the changes the Levy Board has agreed to increase its overall fixture funding for 2024 by £3.2 million following a lengthy period of tough negotiations with racing's leadership.

The BHA said industry modelling estimated that British racing's finances would improve by £90m over the five-year period from 2024 to 2028 from a combination of increased engagement from existing racing followers and the attraction of new customers, compared with a situation in which nothing was done and in which industry revenues continued to decline.

The BHA said benchmarks would be developed to judge the success of the measures, covering areas including attendances, TV audiences, betting, ownership and the wellbeing of participants.

Harrington said: "We think it is really important that there is transparency around that and that we are not disappearing and saying trust us, it worked. We are going to be publishing in the next couple of weeks a range of measures that show this is what we think are the top-line objectives, the reason why we are doing this.

"We would have liked to have had those measures attached to the press release but there are a few market-sensitive pieces of data where we just need to work out what we can publish and what we can't."

Harrington said the BHA would "absolutely" be happy "fronting up" to things that had not worked. She added: "I think the sport as a whole needs to not be scared of trying things and openly admitting that things didn't work because I do think there is a culture change required. If you think there is just going to be a massive pile-on every time something hasn't quite gone to plan then it is just going to stifle the appetite to try anything new."

Harrington acknowledged the trial would not have been going for long before the 2025 fixture process has to start next year but said the sport's new governance structure would help it to be agile in making changes.

BHA chief operating officer Richard Wayman said there was confidence the sport would see improvement in customer numbers over the next two years.

He added: "We will learn as we go. We will continue to push on with those things that work but where things don't work as we want them to we'll accept that and say we tried it but we'll reverse it.

"It is about the whole sport being grown up and realising that, by trying to change what we are doing and trying to attract people to the sport, we are going to have to make some changes and be prepared for some of those changes not to work out how we hoped."

Premier racing, a concept put forward by former BHB chair Peter Savill last year, was among the proposals put to a summit of senior industry figures in September 2022 who met to draw up the principles for a long-term industry strategy to tackle issues such as the loss of major owners, a drain of equine talent abroad and falling field sizes.

BHA chair Joe Saumarez Smith said British racing's new governance structure, which made the BHA the ultimate decision-making body in the sport, had enabled progress in compiling the new-look schedule.

He added: "It has allowed for bold, positive decisions to be made, while ensuring that the views of everyone affected have been properly considered.

"The simple fact of the matter is this – the sport has to take radical steps if it is to retain its pre-eminent place in British culture and at the pinnacle of world racing. The changes we are introducing for 2024 are a significant first step in this process."

Source:https://www.racingpost.com/news/fixture-list/bha-unveils-170-premier-racedays-as-major-shake-up-to-the-2024-fixture-list-is-revealed-a7QMJ3n93HR1

10 Facts About Horse Racing You Need To Know

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 05:44:07 GMT

Horse racing has been one of the most popular sports which celebrates the bond between people and horses. From betting to the training which thoroughbred horses go through on a regular basis, there are many areas that have allowed horse racing to become what it is today.

Here are ten interesting facts about horse racing that you can use to impress your friends or other people at the betting stand.

Million Dollar Industry

Firstly, it is worth mentioning that there is a great deal of money that circulates within the horse racing industry. This is because of the high prices of thoroughbred horses, and prestigious trainers who can lead a particular horse to record breaks and new personal bests.

Not only that, but people have placed bets on the possible outcomes of a horse racing event ever since the sport was first introduced. It is a huge part of the experience, and can easily become heavily competitive and generate a great deal of cash.

Horse racing events see betting as a traditional ritual that spectators are encouraged to engage in. For more detail, check out where to bet on kentucky derby .

Heritage Is Important

Thoroughbreds can actually be traced to one of three ancestor horses through their lineage. These are known as the three ’foundation’ sires of the seventeenth century. They were brought to the UK from the Middle East, and then traveled to the states shortly after.

A thoroughbred is considered to have a stronger connection to their ancestry. This means that their DNA is authentic and that they have a level temperament, which makes them ideal racehorses. The three ancestor horses are Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian, and Byerly Turk.

All Racehorses Have The Same Birthday

Interestingly, all racehorses’ birthdays are changed to the same day of the year. This allows breeders, racers, and trainers to get a better idea of a horse’s age and how fit they would be for racing.

Certain races have specific requirements for a horse’s age, and using the same day of the year allows a more universal measure to be used. We found some very impressive dressage horses for sale recently so check them out if you’re interested.

Ancient Sport

Horse racing can actually be traced back to ancient civilisations. This includes Roman chariot racing, equestrian events which were seen in original Olympus, which came to light following Ancient Greeks racing chariots for entertainment.

With that said, it is actually Noble Tribesmen in Central Asia who were responsible for the domestication of horses around 4500 BC.

It is in our nature to want to race horses, and make the most out of the unique connection that we have with horses. They can be incredibly docile and friendly creatures, and they are certainly being celebrated within modern horse racing events to this day.

Rules For Naming

While some of the names for race horses can seem a little random at a glance, there are actually guidelines set out by the Jockey Club which breeders need to abide by in order to name their horse.

Six possible names can be submitted and the authorities will decide on one after negotiation and approval processes. Rules are pretty strict, such as the maximum number of letters of each name.

Being A Jockey Isn’t Easy

While it seems like the horse does most of the hard work during a race, the jockey riding them has a tough job to do. They must guide their horse in the right direction because they can’t always see very well, remind them to manage their speed, and praise them for good work.

Of course, jockeys also have to be petite in their build so that they are not weighing down their horse more than necessary. This allows the best aerodynamics and speeds to be achieved.

It Takes A Village

Horse racing isn’t just what happens on the day of the race. There is a huge selection of people who are responsible for getting the horse ready, building and maintaining horse shelters , checking that the jockey and horse form a bond, training horses for different race distances, and even the breeding process.

Because of the amount of work that is needed, jobs within the horse racing industry are considered lifestyle choices because they can be highly challenging.

High Speed And Endurance

Racehorses need to maintain their speed over a set distance rather than sprinting their way through. While some of the top speeds recorded exceed 64 kmh, jockeys need to help their horse to manage their speed and spread out the energy.

For this reason, both racehorses and jockeys need to have a high stamina as well as mutual respect for each other.

Secretariat Broke Records

Many people recognize this horse for making headlines in the seventies. He was the fastest of his generation, and set record times for the Kentucky Derby. Also known as Big Red, Secretariat was named Horse Of The Year in 1972 and left other horses in the dust.

Short Careers

While racehorses are active for upwards of 25 years, they alternate a great deal and are only seen racing in the big leagues for an average of three years. This is because of the intense toll that racing can place on a horse’s joints and overall health.

They are normally retired after 2-3 years of rigorous training and racing so that they can live peaceful lives.

Summary

Horse racing is a huge industry with a range of people working behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly. From rigorous training and practice runs and breeding, to the millions of dollars that the sport sees every year.

Horse racing continues to be a huge part of the modern world, and it is worth taking a closer look at the work that goes into a particular event.

SOURCE: https://easyreadernews.com/10-facts-about-horse-racing-you-need-to-know/

Horse Racing

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 05:25:20 GMT

Horse racing , sport of running horses at speed, mainly Thoroughbreds with a rider astride or Standardbreds with the horse pulling a conveyance with a driver. These two kinds of racing are called racing on the flat and harness racing , respectively. Some races on the flat—such as steeplechase , point-to-point , and hurdle races —involve jumping. This article is confined to Thoroughbred horse racing on the flat without jumps. Racing on the flat with horses other than Thoroughbreds is described in the article quarter-horse racing .

Horse racing is one of the oldest of all sports , and its basic concept has undergone virtually no change over the centuries. It developed from a primitive contest of speed or stamina between two horses into a spectacle involving large fields of runners, sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment, and immense sums of money, but its essential feature has always been the same: the horse that finishes first is the winner. In the modern era, horse racing developed from a diversion of the leisure class into a huge public-entertainment business. By the first decades of the 21st century, however, the sport’s popularity had shrunk considerably. The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Early history

Knowledge of the first horse race is lost in prehistory. Both four-hitch chariot and mounted (bareback) races were held in the Olympic Games of Greece over the period 700–40 BCE . Horse racing, both of chariots and of mounted riders, was a well-organized public entertainment in the Roman Empire. The history of organized racing in other ancient civilizations is not very firmly established. Presumably, organized racing began in such countries as China , Persia, Arabia, and other countries of the Middle East and in North Africa , where horsemanship early became highly developed. Thence came too the Arabian , Barb , and Turk horses that contributed to the earliest European racing. Such horses became familiar to Europeans during the Crusades (11th–13th century CE ), from which they brought those horses back.

Racing in medieval England began when horses for sale were ridden in competition by professional riders to display the horses’ speed to buyers. During the reign of Richard the Lionheart (1189–99), the first known racing purse was offered, £40, for a race run over a 3-mile (4.8-km) course with knights as riders. In the 16th century Henry VIII imported horses from Italy and Spain (presumably Barbs) and established studs at several locations. In the 17th century James I sponsored meetings in England. His successor, Charles I , had a stud of 139 horses when he died in 1649.

Organized racing

Charles II (reigned 1660–85) became known as “the father of the English turf” and inaugurated the King’s Plates, races for which prizes were awarded to the winners. His articles for these races were the earliest national racing rules. The horses raced were six years old and carried 168 pounds (76 kg), and the winner was the first to win two 4-mile (6.4-km) heats. The patronage of Charles II established New market as the headquarters of English racing.

In France the first documented horse race was held in 1651 as the result of a wager between two noblemen. During the reign of Louis XIV (1643–1715), racing based on gambling was prevalent. Louis XVI (reigned 1774–93) organized a jockey club and established rules of racing by royal decree that included requiring certificates of origin for horses and imposing extra weight on foreign horses.

Organized racing in North America began with the British occupation of New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1664. Col. Richard Nicolls , commander of the British troops, established organized racing in the colonies by laying out a 2-mile (3.2-km) course on the plains of Long Island (called Newmarket after the British racecourse) and offering a silver cup to the best horses in the spring and fall seasons. From the beginning, and continuing until the Civil War, the hallmark of excellence for the American Thoroughbred was stamina, rather than speed. After the Civil War, speed became the goal and the British system the model.

Match races

The earliest races were match races between two or at most three horses, the owners providing the purse, a simple wager. An owner who withdrew commonly forfeited half the purse, later the whole purse, and bets also came under the same “play or pay” rule. Agreements were recorded by disinterested third parties, who came to be called keepers of the match book. One such keeper at Newmarket in England, John Cheny, began publishing An Historical List of All Horse-Matches Run (1729), a consolidation of match books at various racing centres, and this work was continued annually with varying titles, until in 1773 James Weatherby established it as the Racing Calendar, which was continued thereafter by his family.

Open field racing

By the mid-18th century the demand for more public racing had produced open events with larger fields of runners. Eligibility rules were developed based on the age, sex, birthplace, and previous performance of horses and the qualifications of riders. Races were created in which owners were the riders (gentlemen riders), in which the field was restricted geographically to a township or county, and in which only horses that had not won more than a certain amount were entered. An act of the British Parliament of 1740 provided that horses entered had to be the bona fide property of the owners, thus preventing “ringers,” a superior horse entered fraudulently against inferior horses; horses had to be certified as to age; and there were penalties for rough riding.

Contemporary accounts identified riders (in England called jockeys—if professional—from the second half of the 17th century and later in French racing), but their names were not at first officially recorded. Only the names of winning trainers and riders were at first recorded in the Racing Calendar, but by the late 1850s all were named. This neglect of the riders is partly explained in that when races consisted of 4-mile heats, with the winning of two heats needed for victory, the individual rider’s judgment and skill were not so vital . As dash racing (one heat) became the rule, a few yards in a race gained importance, and, consequently, so did the rider’s skill and judgment in coaxing that advantage from his mount.

Bloodlines and studbooks

All horse racing on the flat except quarter-horse racing involves Thoroughbred horses. Thoroughbreds evolved from a mixture of Arab, Turk, and Barb horses with native English stock. Private studbooks had existed from the early 17th century, but they were not invariably reliable. In 1791 Weatherby published An Introduction to a General Stud Book , the pedigrees being based on earlier Racing Calendars and sales papers. After a few years of revision, it was updated annually. All Thoroughbreds are said to descend from three “Oriental” stallions (the Darley Arabian , the Godolphin Barb , and the Byerly Turk , all brought to Great Britain, 1690–1730) and from 43 “royal” mares (those imported by Charles II). The preeminence of English racing and hence of the General Stud Book from 1791 provided a standard for judging a horse’s breeding (and thereby, at least to some degree, its racing qualities). In France the Stud Book Française (beginning in 1838) originally included two classifications: Orientale (Arab, Turk, and Barb) and Anglais (mixtures according to the English pattern), but these were later reduced to one class, chevaux de pur sang Anglais (“horses of pure English blood”). The American Stud Book dates from 1897 and includes foals from Canada , Puerto Rico , and parts of Mexico , as well as from the United States .

The long-standing reciprocity among studbooks of various countries was broken in 1913 by the Jersey Act passed by the English Jockey Club, which disqualified many Thoroughbred horses bred outside England or Ireland . The purpose of the act was ostensibly to protect the British Thoroughbred from infusions of North American (mainly U.S.) sprinting blood. After a rash of victories in prestigious English races by French horses with “tainted” American ancestry in the 1940s, the Jersey Act was rescinded in 1949.

Evolution of races

The original King’s Plates were standardized races—all were for six-year-old horses carrying 168 pounds at 4-mile heats, a horse having to win two heats to be adjudged the winner. Beginning in 1751, five-year-olds carrying 140 pounds (63.5 kg) and four-year-olds carrying 126 pounds (57 kg) were admitted to the King’s Plates, and heats were reduced to 2 miles (3.2 km). Other racing for four-year-olds was well established by then, and a race for three-year-olds carrying 112 pounds (51 kg) in one 3-mile (4.8-km) heat was run in 1731. Heat racing for four-year-olds continued in the United States until the 1860s. By that time, heat racing had long since been overshadowed in Europe by dash racing, a “dash” being any race decided by only one heat, regardless of its distance.

The modern age of racing

Two Thousand Guineas, 1989

The beginning of the modern era of racing is generally considered to have been the inauguration of the English classic races: the St. Leger in 1776, the Oaks in 1779, and the Derby in 1780. All were dashes for three-year-olds. To these races were later added the Two Thousand Guineas in 1809 and the One Thousand Guineas in 1814. (The St. Leger, Derby, and Two Thousand Guineas have come to constitute the British Triple Crown of horse racing.) During the 19th century, races of the English classic pattern—dashes for three-year-olds carrying level weights—spread all over the world. The French classics are the Prix du Jockey Club (1836), the Grand Prix du Paris (1863), and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (1920).

The American classics are the Belmont Stakes (1867), the Preakness Stakes (1873), and the Kentucky Derby (1875), which make up the American Triple Crown . Since the establishment of the British and American Triple Crown series, scores of countries have instituted their own (less prestigious) Triple Crowns of elite races.

Jockey clubs and racing authorities

The Jockey Club of Britain , founded at Newmarket about 1750, wrote its own rules of racing. In contrast to the earlier King’s Plates rules, these new rules took into account different kinds of contests involving horses of various ages and were thus more detailed. The new rules originally applied only to Newmarket, but, when the rules were printed in the Racing Calendar, they served as a model for rules throughout Britain. The Jockey Club later acquired the General Stud Book and came to control English racing in the 19th century. Its regulatory powers ended in 2006 when governance over British racing was transferred to the Horseracing Regulatory Authority. In 2007 power shifted to a new group, the British Horseracing Authority, which formed from a merger of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority and the British Horseracing Board.

France Galop is the organization governing French horse racing. The organization was created in 1995 from the merger of three horse racing authorities: the Société d’Encouragement et des Steeple-Chases de France, the Société de Sport de France, and the Société Sportive d’Encouragement.

In the United States the governance of racing resides in state commissions; track operation is private. The (North American) Jockey Club, founded in 1894 in New York , at one time exercised wide but not complete control of American racing. It maintains The American Stud Book.

English racing spread to Australia , New Zealand , Canada, South Africa , and India in the 19th century, and many of their governing bodies emulated the British. Thousands of jockey clubs, both local and national, are today present around the world. Most of the national jockey clubs are members of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, whose annual conference in Paris reviews racing developments and discusses issues related to breeding, racing, and betting . The conference is hosted by the Jockey Club de Paris.

Handicap racing

One major type of Thoroughbred horse race is the handicap race, in which the weights horses must carry during a race are adjusted in relation to their age (the more immature the horse, the less weight it carries). In this system, a two-year-old, the youngest racer, competes with less weight to carry than a horse that is three years or older. In general, a horse is reckoned as being fully aged at five years and is handicapped accordingly. There are also sex allowances for fillies, so that they carry slightly lower weights than males. Weight penalties or allowances are also provided on the basis of individual horses’ past performance. Such handicaps may be set centrally where racing is so controlled or by individual tracks, the goal being to render all horses as nearly equal as possible by establishing what is called racing form. The handicap race thus represents an outright repudiation of the classic concept that the best horse should win. Instead, handicaps are assigned with the specific objective of giving all the horses in a race an equal chance of winning.

Some handicap races are major sporting events. For instance, the Melbourne Cup , a handicap inaugurated in 1861, is the most important race of the Southern Hemisphere. In the United States the Metropolitan, Brooklyn, and Suburban handicaps—all dating to the 19th century—were once the most valuable American events and remain reasonably comparable to the classics. The Santa Anita Handicap, first run in 1935, pioneered among such races with $100,000 or more purse value.

Purse money and stake fees

Sponsored races in which much of the purse money is put up by commercial firms include the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Durban July. In the United States most of the purse money for the richest events (offering purses in the millions of dollars) is provided by the stakes fees of the owners. Purses were winner-take-all in the early days of racing, but, as the racing of fields of horses came to predominate, a second prize came to be offered. Gradually, third and fourth prizes were added and occasionally fifth. On the average, modern-day purses are allocated about 60 percent to the winner, 20 percent to the second-place finisher, 12 percent to the third, 6 percent to the fourth, and 2 percent to the fifth-place finisher.

Wagers

The same historical progression was followed for wagers, with the bets in early (two-horse) races being simply to win and modern bets being placed on the first three horses (win, place, and show). From private bets, wagering was extended in the 19th century to bookmaking (a bookmaker is a professional bet accepter who tries to set his odds so that a percentage is working in his favour). Later in that century, betting was taken over worldwide by the racetrack managements in the form of the pari-mutuel . This is a common betting pool in which those who bet horses finishing in the first three places share the total amount bet minus a percentage for the management. The pari-mutuel was perfected with the introduction in the 20th century of the totalizator, a machine that mechanically records bets and can provide an almost instant reflection of betting in all pools. It displays the approximate odds to win on each horse and the total amount of wagering on each horse in each of various betting pools. The customary pools are win, place, and show, and there are such specialty wagers as the daily double (winners of the first two races), perfecta (win and place winners in order in one race), quiniela (as in the perfecta but not in order), and trifecta (win, place, and show winners in order in one race). Other specialty wagers, sometimes offering extremely high payouts, require the bettor to select multiple trifectas, the winners of several races, or the first four horses in one race.

As racing became big business, governments entered wagering with offtrack betting, which was very beneficial to racing in Australia, New Zealand, and France and less so in England and New York City . In the United States, illegal bookmaking offtrack became the province of organized crime . Legal offtrack betting parlours proliferated during the late 20th century but were less prevalent in the 21st because of the growth of online gambling and the general decline in horse racing’s popularity.

Racing ages

A racehorse achieves peak ability at age five, but the classic age of three years and the escalating size of purses, breeding fees, and sale prices have led to fewer races held with horses beyond age four. There are notable exceptions to this, however. Famous races that admit horses older than three include the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini in Argentina , the Caulfield and Sydney cups in Australia, the Grande Prêmio São Paulo Internacional in Brazil , the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in England, the Gran Premio del Jockey Club and Gran Premio di Milano in Italy , the Emperor’s Cup and Arima Memorial in Japan , the Wellington Cup in New Zealand, the Durban July in South Africa, and the Gran Premio Clásico Simón Bolívar in Venezuela .

Breeding theory and practice

To be registered as a Thoroughbred , a foal must be the product of a “live cover,” meaning a witnessed natural mating of a stallion and a mare. Though artificial insemination and embryo transfer are possible and common in other horse breeds, it is banned with Thoroughbreds. The population of the breed is thereby controlled, assuring a high monetary value for the horses in the process. Because each foal is assigned an official birth date of January 1, to facilitate the age groups that define Thoroughbred races, it is important that mares foal as early as possible in the calendar year. This assures maximum development time for the foal before training and racing.

The guiding principle for breeding winning racehorses has always been best expressed as “breed the best to the best and hope for the best.” The performance of a breeding horse’s progeny is the real test, but, for horses untried at stud, the qualifications are pedigree, racing ability, and physical conformation. What breeders learned early in the history of horse racing is that crossing bloodlines can potentially overcome flaws in horses. If, for example, one breed is known for stamina and another known for speed, interbreeding the two might result in a healthy mix of both qualities in their offspring.

Racecourses

The ownership of racetracks ranges from complete state control, in which case the national government may own the tracks and horses and employ trainers, jockeys, grooms, and other necessary personnel, to complete private enterprise, as in most of the United States , where tracks are privately owned and operated for profit, as are the horses, and trainers and jockeys are independent contractors. In-between conditions include government ownership of tracks and in some cases horses, which are leased, and nonprofit privately owned tracks, as in Australia and the New York Racing Association.

Racetrack stands range from the elegant (Longchamp in France, Ascot in England) to the modest and purely functional (Cologne, the Curragh in Ireland). The same variety is true of the saddling area, the paddock. Most European and other racing surfaces are grass; in North and South America the common surface is dirt, though grass became increasingly popular in the 20th century. Synthetic racing surfaces, which routinely drain better than natural surfaces and cause fewer fatal injuries, were increasingly installed at racetracks during the 21st century. Racing takes place mainly in the daytime.

Older racetracks, mainly European, conform to natural terrain, accommodations for spectators having been added later. The course at Newmarket , for example, can accommodate a race of 2.25 miles (3.6 km) with a gentle change of direction of less than 90 degrees, but spectators cannot see all the race. Newer tracks are elliptical 1-mile- (1.6-km-) long tracks.

Racing procedure

The eligibility of racers is checked the day before they are raced. Before the race, jockeys weigh out and report to the paddock for instructions by trainers and mount up, the identity of the horses having been checked. Horses and riders proceed to the track in a parade to the post for the stewards’ (race officials’) inspection and a brief warm-up gallop . Horses are almost universally started from electrically operated starting gates, the horses being walked or led into their stalls prior to the start of the race. The starter actuates the upward swing of the barrier from the stalls when all are in place. During the race, stewards and patrol judges are alert for racing violations, supplemented by a motion-picture patrol. The finish is photographed by a special camera, and, when the race is close, the picture is awaited before winners are announced. The race’s result does not become official until the jockeys have weighed in and the riders of horses that finished in the money are certified to have carried the proper weight. At weighing in, a jockey, owner, or trainer may claim foul against a horse that interfered with his mount. The judgment of the stewards may result in a horse being lowered in order of finish from first to last. The stewards declare the race official, and then payoffs are flashed on the totalizator. Postrace urine tests are made of winning horses and a sample of the field, and if results show the presence of forbidden substances, the results may be changed on payment of purses but not on bets.

Most time records are clustered in North America , where speed has long been a desideratum. Races in the United States are timed to 1/5 of a second, as opposed to 1/100 of a second elsewhere.

Racing silks

Colourful racing silks are a familiar element of horse racing, and their introduction dates to the formal organization of the sport in the 18th century. Though they primarily serve an aesthetic purpose in the modern sport, their original use in racing was to allow spectators to distinguish one horse from another during races in an age before television and public-address systems. To this day horse owners must register a unique pattern and set of colours (worn on the jockey’s jacket and helmet cover) with a regulatory board.

Racing strategy

The earliest American racecourses were typically straight quarter-mile sprints. For these short distances, American jockeys developed a style of riding involving a short stirrup and a crouching posture—this “ American seat ” eventually became standard worldwide for all distances. As longer, elliptical racetracks were built in New York and throughout the South, a greater onus was placed on jockeys to pace their horses. Because Thoroughbred horses are capable of running only about a quarter of a mile at top speed, determining what pace to set and when to unleash this burst of speed is crucial to winning. The American jockey Isaac Murphy was famous in the 1880s and ’90s for his “grandstand finishes.”

Training

The training of racehorses, simply expressed, is maintaining a horse in the best condition to run. Exercise and feeding programs and knowledge of the individual horse are factors involved. A good trainer selects a jockey who suits the horse and, perhaps more important, enters the horse in suitable races. A trainer of a horse for a classic race not only must develop the horse into peak condition but must time the development so that the horse reaches its peak on a certain day, which is the most difficult art of all.

The state of racing

In America , interest in horse racing exploded after the Civil War . By 1890 there were 314 racetracks, operating in nearly every state. Incensed, antigambling coalitions pushed through legislation in most parts of the country, and by 1908 only 25 racetracks remained in operation. Finally, even New York racetracks were shut down in 1911 when state legislation outlawed quoting of odds, soliciting bets, and recording bets in a fixed place. In response, many owners, trainers, and jockeys shifted their operations to Europe. When New York racetracks reopened in 1913, most of the earlier African American jockeys never returned.

During the late 1920s and the ’30s racetracks became an important source of tax revenue, and by the second half of the 20th century horse racing had become big business. Fields regularly numbered a dozen or more. Once race meetings lasted a day or two, later a week or two, and today, particularly where climate allows, races may be scheduled for half the year or more. More racing dates require more horses, and horses are raced more intensively. Purses grew, particularly after World War II . In 1981 a new American race, the Arlington Million (run at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights , Illinois , outside of Chicago ), was the first million-dollar race. Purses routinely topped this amount in the 21st century, growing to greater than $10 million for certain high-profile races.

Where there is gambling , there is cheating, and the history of racing repeats itself with recurrent race fixing and running of ringers. A new threat to the sport arose in the 1960s with the widespread use of anti-inflammatory and coagulant drugs on horses. Various racing bodies limited or forbade the use of such drugs; others did not. Over-racing, particularly in the United States, encouraged their use, and both legal and illegal drug use may explain the higher death rate among American racehorses. (The U.S. Jockey Club reported that about 600 horses died racing-related deaths on U.S. racetracks in 2006, a significantly larger number than those recorded in other countries.) The use of steroids on horses, like their use by star athletes in many sports , came under particular scrutiny in the late 20th century.

Animal rights organizations have long criticized horse racing. Activists have sought to expose horse doping, institute a ban on horse whipping by jockeys, limit the number of races a horse (especially three years old and younger) can run in a season, and eliminate dirt tracks in favour of safer synthetic surfaces. Two notable tragedies in the early 21st century helped propel calls for reform: the shattering of bones in one of Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro’s legs just seconds after the start of the Preakness Stakes in 2006 (the horse was euthanized eight months later) and the death of three horses during production of the TV series Luck (2011–12), a drama about horse racing. (The deaths and subsequent outcry among many viewers helped lead to the abrupt cancellation of the show after just one season.) Such events—augmented by the changing interests of the global sporting public—contributed to the continuing decline in the popularity of horse racing through the first decades of the 21st century.

source: https://www.britannica.com/sports/horse-racing/The-state-of-racing

TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT HORSERACING

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 23:06:33 GMT

The long and illustrious history of horseracing has created a sport with a rich heritage full of intriguing tales and remarkable statistics.

Britain has played a central role in the sport’s development; it’s embedded in our culture perhaps deeper than anywhere else in the world. But it is a sport in which you can always be learning – which is why we’re here at Racing Explained.

Here are 10 of our favourite facts about the remarkable and much-loved world of racing.

Top 10 Facts

1. It is Britain’s second-favourite sport after football

Horseracing is so popular here that it’s only surpassed by football in terms of spectatorship.

With over six million attendees passing through the turnstiles at racecourses around the country every year, the sport’s popularity is widespread.

2. It wasn’t invented here

While the modern-day sport did originate in Britain, horses have been racing for as long as they have been domesticated. Nomadic tribesmen raced horses in Central Asia as far back as 4500 BC, while the first horseback tournaments on British soil took place around 200 AD.

3. Racing contributes billions to the UK economy

The British horseracing industry is a world-leader, generating more than £3.7 billion for the country’s economy thanks in part to iconic events like The Randox Health Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival, which are watched by millions around the world.

4. Flat racing yields the biggest prizes

The average prize money in Flat racing is £17,744.28, compared to £11,072.49 in Jump racing. Some of the most prestigious races in the sport are on the Flat, including the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs and the QIPCO 1000 and 2000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket.

5. Racing is ‘The Sport of Kings’

King James I took such a deep interest in racing that in 1605, he was urged by parliament to refocus his attentions on running the country.

It was King James himself who established Newmarket as a royal resort and began racing horses in the town, but it was his son Charles II who made Newmarket into what is now commonly known as the headquarters of British racing.

6. Horseracing is more better live than on TV

Despite its popularity, less than five per cent of UK races are televised on terrestrial television so the best way to get your thrill is by coming racing! There are fixtures on most days of the year except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

7. Racing was once outlawed

During the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell (1653-1658), the racing of horses was banned. The majority of horses were requisitioned by the state after the Civil War and the early proponents of British racehorse breeding were dealt a temporary blow.

8. Horses are supreme athletes

While a human heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute at rest, Thoroughbred racehorses have resting heartrates of just 40 beats per minute.

9. The original racehorses were bred for war

The three founding sires of Thoroughbred racing in the UK arrived in England in the 17th and 18th centuries, having been bred for war overseas.

Darley Arabian, the Byerley Turk and Godolphin Arabian were fast, powerful horses and they were bred with local mares to create the Thoroughbred lineage that continues to thrive today.

10. Jockeys are a rare breed

While many dream of a career in racing, only a select few actually get the chance to ride for a living. In November 2017, there were around 450 professional jockeys in the UK and another 300 amateur riders.

SOURCE: https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/the-racing/racing-explained/glossary/top-10-facts-about-horseracing/

Understanding the Background of Horse Racing.

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 22:57:17 GMT

Horse racing has perhaps the most glamorous image of all so-called animal ‘sports’- especially when compared to the visually obvious cruelty of rodeos… Such is the allure of horse racing that major race-meets such as the Melbourne Cup are even ‘celebrated’ with public holidays.

Socialites spend thousands on designer outfits, the champagne flows, and millions of dollars are gambled on the outcome of races. However, there’s a dark and mostly hidden reality to this so-called sport, that sees thousands of horses who fail to run fast enough, or who are injured, discarded and killed by the racing industry each year.

On the market

The ‘yearling’ sales of thoroughbred colts and fillies draw the ‘horsey’ crowd — the monied people. Most yearlings sell for tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the gamble starts right there; with the owners and trainers hoping to ‘back a winner’ and to have the next great champion, or at least recoup their outlay. The scale of the industry is huge — around 15,000 thoroughbred foals are bred each year in Australia, and a similar number of standard bred foals are born nationally.

Pushing to win

Racing as a two-year-old puts the horse at particular risk of injury because at this age the skeletal system of these animals is still immature and not ready for the hard training and physical stress of the racing world. Regardless, the lure of the very high stakes for the two-year-old races means many owners push trainers to have their expensive animals compete.

Mental suffering

Whilst in training, horses may be individually stabled for most of every day, apart from when they’re on the training track. Stabling is the most ‘practical’ way to provide the horses with their high-performance training and racing diet, and housing them right next to the training track reduces time consuming daily transport. However, without social and environmental stimulation, horses can develop stereotypic behaviours, such as crib-biting (biting on fences and other fixed objects and then pulling back, making a characteristic grunting noise, called wind-sucking) and self-mutilation may occur. These stereotypic behaviours are a strong indicator of welfare problems for horses. Around 31,000 thoroughbreds and a similar number of Standardbreds will be ‘in training’ or racing at any one time in Australia.

Physical suffering

The feeding of high concentrate diets (grains) fed during training rather than extended grazing, often leads to gastric ulcers. A study of racehorses at Randwick (NSW) found that 89% had stomach ulcers, and many of the horses had deep, bleeding ulcers within 8 weeks of the commencement of their training (Newby J, Welfare issues raised by racehorse ulcer study, The Veterinarian, March 2000). During training and in competition, horses of all ages can suffer painful muscular-skeletal injuries, such as torn ligaments and tendons, dislocated joints and even fractured bones.

Internal race injuries

The exertion of the races leads a large proportion of horses to bleed into their lungs and windpipe — called Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage. This has only been fully realized in recent years when endoscopes have been used to carry out internal examinations via the throat. A study carried out by the University of Melbourne found that 50% of racehorses had blood in the windpipe, and 90% had blood deeper in the lungs.

Jumps racing

Jumps racing is one of the many fates for ‘failed’ and ‘retired’ thoroughbred racing horses (now only allowed in Victoria since legislation passed in SA banning this long-outdated ‘sport’). Statistics over many years have shown that jumps races are even more dangerous and harmful for horses, with up to 20 times more fatalities than flat races. This is not surprising when you have a group of horses being pushed to jump a series of one metre high fences together at speed.

As well as this, the jumps races are usually much longer, and the jockeys are permitted to be heavier. Tired horses have a greater risk of falling — risking injury to themselves and often the jockeys.

The injuries that occur when horses fall or career into the jumps or the barriers can be quite horrific.

For more information see Animals Australia’s submission to the Victorian Members of Parliament about why jumps racing should be banned.

Why are injured horses almost always killed?

This is a question often asked as race-day audiences watch a traumatic fall and then are temporarily upset as a screen is rushed to the track to shield them from the brutal reality of the racing game.

When a horse breaks a leg or shoulder the bones may ‘explode’ into many pieces, making it impossible for a vet to repair the bone, and even when recovery is possible, it is unlikely the horse will be able to race again. Even where a mare or stallion has potential at stud (breeding), the cost of rehabilitation to full fitness is expensive, and not a guarantee. Injured racehorses are prone to infections, particularly pneumonia, and are usually deemed ‘uneconomic’.

‘Wastage’ — the terrible term used for the routine ‘discarding’ of unwanted racing horses

You can count on one or two hands the Melbourne Cup winners who now graze on beautiful paddocks in their retirement. Most ex-racing horses are not so lucky. The vast majority of thoroughbreds (flat and jumps racers) and standardbred (harness racers) horses fail to run fast enough or become injured and are just ‘discarded’ by the racing industry.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Sydney (Epidemiology of horses leaving the Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing industries, by Hayek AR, Jones B, Evans DL, Thomson PC and McGreevy PD — Proceedings of the 1st International Equitation Science Symposium, August 2005] attempted to track ex-racing horses. Similar to other studies they found almost 40% of racehorses leave the industry each year due to poor performance, illness or injury or behavioural or other problems.

Where do they go?

Many failed or older racehorses will be destined for slaughter, and may go to local knackeries — to be used for pet meat, for example — or be purchased for slaughter at the two horse abattoirs in Australia (Peterborough in SA and Caboolture in QLD). Approximately 2,000 tonnes of horse meat is exported from Australia for human consumption in Japan and Europe annually (ABS figures). Over 25,000 horses per year are killed in this way in Australia.

The long-distance transport of horses to slaughter for human consumption is not well monitored or regulated. Travel is usually stressful for horses, and research shows that even travel of 6 hours causes suppression of the immune system (an indicator of welfare problems). Horses may be transported for several days to Australia’s two export slaughterhouses.

Some horses considered unwanted (‘wastage’) by the racing industry will be sold on for riding, eventing or other uses, but the majority will not be wanted and are likely to be sent for slaughter, either directly through auctions or ‘eventually’ when they have no further use.

It is difficult to estimate the portion of those horses slaughtered that are from the racing industries. However, given the large number of foals born for racing each year, the high attrition rate in the industry, and the high consistency of the number of horses in the racing and breeding sectors of the industry, that portion is likely to be significant. A study by Doughty (2008) found that 52.9% of horses studied at one Australian export abattoir carried brands indicating they were of racing origin and a further portion fitted the breed specifications for racing horses, but had no brand (i.e. perhaps they were discarded before being registered to race). [Ref. Access to the Doughty (2008) study at https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-happens-to-horses-that-leave-the-racing-industry/ ]

Sport of kings?

The horse racing industry is no different to any other animal industry. It values animals on the basis of financial ‘return’. The ethics of any gambling industry are questionable — but when the gamble is with living beings, there will inevitably be very few ‘winners’ and many losers. The drive for financial and personal success and glory is about return for trainers and owners — not the horses. At best, horses lead an unnatural and restricted life whilst racing, and at worst end up as ‘wastage’ in an industry that has no more use for them.

What you can do

Pledge to never bet on cruelty
Help end jumps racing carnage
If you have friends, colleagues or family members who go to the races, please share this page with them. It will enable them to make an informed choice as to whether they want to continue to support this industry.

SOURCE: https://animalsaustralia.org/our-work/horse-racing/background/?gclid=CjwKCAjwvfmoBhAwEiwAG2tqzBW3XwjeZeNmjwPG2o8kmwPVQa6xLV75WcyxvNG7wM9ry9s9bWMZFRoCkUsQAvD_BwE

How Do I Get Certified to Give Horse Riding Lessons?

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 00:58:16 GMT

If you have the ability to ride horses and instruct others, you can pursue certification to give horse riding lessons. Continue reading to learn more about certification options that might be open to you.

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Overview of Horse Riding Instruction Certification

Horse riding associations and equestrian schools offer instruction in giving horse riding lessons that can lead to certification. Before you get involved in these programs, you need to know how to ride a horse, and in some instances, you'll need to know the basics of horse training. If you pursue certification from an association, you'll likely need to first become a member of that organization. There are several types of riding instructor certifications available, and each type has more than one level.

Important Information About This Field of Study

Online Availability Not available

Prerequisites A minimum 18 years of age, CPR and first aid certified, various hours of horse training/familiarity of horses prior to program

Common Courses Teaching I, II, III, Riding Master III
Degrees/Certificates Therapeutic Riding Instructor, Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning, Trail Guide, Clinic Instructor

Median Salary (2021) $29,680 (for all recreation workers)*

Job Outlook (2021-2031) 10% growth (for all recreation workers)*

Certification Options

Standard Instructor

The American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) and the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) offer horse riding instructor certifications. Equestrian schools may offer their own certifications in standard horse riding instruction. Most programs have three levels of certification available, with the exception of the CHA, which offers eight levels of standard instructor certification.

Standard certifications are typically available in English and Western riding styles. In order to get certified, you must meet age requirements, which start at age 16 for assistant instructors and age 18 for basic instructors. The CHA requires membership in its organization and the completion of a 5- to 7-day certification clinic in order to earn certification. ARIA requires membership and a written exam to obtain the first level of certification.

Therapeutic Riding Instructor

Horse riding can be a therapeutic experience for disabled and handicapped individuals. By specializing and working as a therapeutic riding instructor, you can help disabled students build strength and independence through horse riding. To become certified as a therapeutic riding instructor, you'll need to have experience in working with disabled students. For most certifications, you'll have to meet age eligibility requirements and pass an exam.

Several organizations offer certifications in therapeutic horse riding instruction. The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) offers registered, advanced, and master-level certifications for therapeutic riding instructors. You'll need to be 18 years old and a member of PATH Intl. before you can pursue the first level of certification. You'll also need to complete an approved training course or instructor workshop. Training programs are available through colleges and equestrian schools.

The CHA offers five levels of certification to instructors for riders with disabilities (IRDs). The CHA certifies IRDs for both therapeutic and recreational instruction. If you pursue CHA certification, you can start at age 16 and become a certified assistant side-walker or horse-handler. In order to obtain higher-level IRD certification, you'll need to first earn a standard riding instructor certification.

Trail Guide

In addition to horse riding lessons, you can become certified in guiding a class in trail riding. The CHA offers several levels of trail guide certification, starting with an assistant guide credential. To be eligible for assistant trail guide certification, you'll need to be at least 16 years old. To become a fully certified trail guide, you'll need to be 18 years or older, and you'll have to attend a certification clinic.

source : https://learn.org/articles/How_Do_I_Get_Certified_to_Give_Horse_Riding_Lessons.html