Archives for 2014 | Equestrian Barns & Architecture: Start Living the Dream

For Your Consideration: Pet Trusts

6:18 pm

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If we are lucky, we will have many pets who bless and enrich our lives for many years.

Unfortunately, we are going to grieve for them many, many times throughout our lives since their life spans are so much shorter than ours. However, if we persist in pet ownership, at some point, our pets are bound to outlive us.

We have all seen emailed pleas for pet rehoming for suddenly homeless and loveless pets who have lost their owners, since it is human nature not to want to recognize the inevitability of our own passing. Culturally, we seem […]

Great Horse Movies

6:10 pm

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Misc.

What’s your favorite horse movie?

Horse movies run the gamut from believable to ridiculous, from sappy to inspirational, and they cover all the equestrian bases — barrel racers, eventers, and Thoroughbred racing have all been depicted by Hollywood. The best horse movies, to us, show off horses and horse-people at their very best, without going too far off the rails with impossible plot-lines. Here are some great horse movies to enjoy during one of those rare moments when you’re not at the barn!

Seabiscuit: This 2003 movie saw the acting debut of Hall […]

Clipping Guide

10:01 pm

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Equine Care

With winter settling in for the season, horse owners across much of the country have to make a decision: to clip, or not to clip?

Most horses are happy to grow a full, luxuriant coat of fur to keep them warm through the nastiest winter storm. But keeping a horse in work with all that hair can be a challenge. If that fuzzy winter coat gets soaked with sweat during a work-out, it could be doing more harm than good.

If you’re ready to get out the clippers, be sure you pick the clipping style that […]

Three Easy Steps to Prevent Fire in Your Barn

8:42 pm

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Equine Care, Facility Planning & Design, Misc.

Three Easy Steps to Prevent Fire in Your Barn

Recently, several barns across the country have been destroyed by massive fires. It’s every horseman’s nightmare, but there are ways to lessen the risk of fire and even suppress fires once they do start.

But what’s that old saying? An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure? Sadly, President Lincoln experienced a tragedy of his own, as I wrote about in https://equinefacilitydesign.com/equine-care/horse-barn-fire-prevention.htm

Let’s talk fire prevention. Here are three steps you can take right now […]

Keeping Warm During Winter Rides

7:14 pm

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Equine Care, Misc., Products

Whether you winter in sunny Florida or someplace significantly snowier, you’re going to be shivering at some point this coming season.

And your horse might be, too! Let’s take a look at some products that can help keep your toes from going numb and your horse from getting a chill as you train through the winter. We also have links to examples, although we haven’t necessarily tried all the products linked.

It’s hard to keep your hands soft when they’re frozen solid. Heating packets like HotHands hand warmers can slip right inside your […]

Horses Creating Happiness

9:46 pm

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Misc.

Looking for happiness? Look to horses.

Of course you’ve been telling your friends and family your horse is your therapist for years, but many psychologists will now back you up against those skeptical raised eyebrows. Horses are becoming an important part of mental health treatment, joining the ranks of therapy horses who assist people with physical disabilities. In this modern age, psychologists are using horses to make people happy, and it’s working.

Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is one way psychologists are enlisting horses to help humans with a variety of issues, including attention deficit disorder, substance […]

Hay is For Horses

5:33 pm

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Equine Care, Products

Hay is for horses…

and how much and where you feed that hay can make a difference to the health of your horse. Horses are natural-born grazers, meaning that in their natural state, horses would work at roughage for fourteen hours a day or more. Stalled horses, in contrast, often only have food before them for a few hours a day. Although free-choice hay is the best way, not every horse can have hay before them all the time. What can a horse-owner do to make sure their horse gets the most from their hay […]

Can Music Relax Horses

5:36 pm

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Equine Care, Misc.

Does music relax your horse?

Most barns have a radio. Sometimes it’s a dusty old clock radio that’s seen better days, sometimes it’s a fancy stereo kept safe from barn dirt with a towel. And barn radios play all sorts of tunes and talk, depending on the barn. Some trainers swear their horses only like country music; some say their horses live for Pink Floyd. Others say classical music keeps every animal in the barn, whether they have two legs or four, nice and relaxed. But does music really relax your horse?

A team of […]