Choosing Your Riding Arena’s Footing

The footing we provide our horses is one of the most important aspects of a riding arena. The amount of concussion the footing absorbs from the horse’s legs, the quality of its drainage, even its life as the particles are tramped down through daily use, are all variables to consider and all you should evaluate. How do you choose your riding arena’s footing? Here are a few initial items to consider when looking at footing options.

Weather:
The climate will play a big role in choosing your ideal footing. Naturally in wet climates you’ll need […]

How Big Should a Horse Stall Be

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How Big Should a Horse Stall Be?

The standard size for a horse stall tends to be twelve feet by twelve feet. But is that the right size for every horse?

The twelve-foot wall standard comes from a simple calculation for the average 1,000-pound horse: the wall is about one and a half times the horse’s length. It accounts for allowing a horse to walk in a circle, to lie down and roll, and to sleep without getting cast constantly (although some horses just cast themselves no matter what you do!). This size is also a […]

Bitless Bridles

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Exploring a bitless bridle option for your horse? It’s become more and more common, with technical bridles hitting the market that are a step away from the traditional hackamores that once dominated the shelves. A horse might benefit from a bitless bridle for any number of behavioral or physical problems. These include head-shaking, bolting, tooth grinding, or bone spurs in the mouth. If a bit is causing your horse any sort of pain, you definitely have options.

So what’s out there? Let’s look at a few bitless bridles and how they work.

The Dr. Cook […]

Trilogy Barn and Stable Company

This is it! You’re going to build your dream barn. You’ve been on the Internet, clicking through Pinterest, admiring the equestrian palaces that the world’s luckiest equines call home, and picturing it all on your own plot of land. You know what you need: a center aisle with four stalls, perhaps, or a nice breezeway style barn with lots of fresh air and three bright stalls. Or maybe it’s time for a professional showplace stable, with plenty of room for all your clients’ horses, elegant fittings, and roomy tack rooms.

So how do you get from […]

Swimming for Horses

Recently on our Facebook page (facebook.com/equine.architecture) we’ve shared some photos of horses swimming that have been very popular. Swimming, along with hydrotherapy and water treadmills, is rising in use for horses recovering from a variety of ailments and lamenesses. So what is swimming for horses all about?

Essentially, swimming allows a horse to regain (or maintain) condition without causing undue impact or pressure on the hooves, legs, or abdomen. This makes it an ideal exercise tool for horses who have undergone leg surgery, abdominal surgery, or who are recovering from laminitis. It’s also a useful […]

Know Your Horse Tail Ribbons

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The horse world is steeped in tradition, but loves a good trend. Trends come and trends go, but some of the oldest and best-loved traditions aren’t wrapped up in fashion or training methods but in the simple interest of keeping horses and riders safe. Take tail ribbons, for example. Different colored ribbons in horses’ tails send different messages about that horse — messages you’ll want to be able to read. Do you know your horse tail ribbons?

The colored tail ribbons seem to be making a show-ring comeback after being relegated to the hunting field for many […]