With natural disasters ravaging sections of the United States, from thousand-year floods in Louisiana to devastating fires in California, heart-rending scenes of horses in danger have many people wondering how they can help. Most charities agree that financial donations are the best way to make sure horses (and humans) get the help they need. Certainly if you’re a few hundred miles away, sending a big load of hay and grain over is out of the question. It’s tougher to prove that your dollars are going directly to the horses with cash, though. Before you send a […]
Do Horse Need Fall Vaccines?
We typically think of the vaccine schedule in spring, when pre-partum mares require boosters, and insect-borne illness is on the rise. But could your horses also need fall vaccines? The answer lies in both your performance schedule and your regional risk factors. Let’s look at a few vaccinations which you might want to add to your fall healthcare check-list.
Tetanus: The tetanus bacteria know no season; they can lie dormant in soil and find their way into your horse’s system through a wound. Vaccinated horses should receive an annual booster, but if your […]
5 Horse Show Essentials You May Not Have Thought Of
You’ve perfected your horse show packing list. You’re a pro. But horse show packing goes way beyond remembering all your tack and brushes. Take these extras with you to your next horse show and you’ll be ready for any eventuality.
Personal Medicine Kit: Of course you have every medication your horse could ever need stashed in your trailer, plus bandages of every description. Don’t forget about you — you’re working pretty hard, too! Make sure you have a human first aid kid with band-aids, burn cream, cortisone (for bug bites and allergic reactions […]
5 Tips For Fall Pasture Care
It’s hard to believe it when August is in full swing, but fall is just around the corner. Even though the weather feels like it might never cool off, the day will come when you’ll be looking at your pasture and daydreaming about summer grass again. So what do you need to do to make sure next year’s pasture is lush and green? The work starts soon, and we have five tips to keep your pasture looking bountiful.
1. Figure out what’s in your soil. You’ve been reading this advice for years, but […]
5 Hot Weather Tips for Keeping Your Horse Happy
Lately I have written about summer topics like the importance of electrolytes and automatic waterers. This year’s summer is shaping up to be one for the record books in many parts of the country. With heat waves gripping the nation, broken up only by heavy storms with damaging wind and flooding rains, how is a horseman supposed to keep the horses healthy, safe, and fit during all this extreme weather? Here are five tips to keep your horses happy during as we head towards the dog days of summer.
1. Water for everyone: Water in buckets, water […]
The Ins and Outs of Polo Wraps
Polo wraps are one of the oldest forms of support and protection for a working horse’s legs. When done up properly, their uniform look and striking color contrast with the horse’s coat color is very appealing. A horse with good polo wraps looks workmanlike, and if you’ve ever worked with a trainer who believes perfect groom equals success, you probably appreciate the distinction.
They’re not easy to master, however, and that’s important, because improper polo wraps can do far more harm than good. Let’s take a look at polo wraps and how they should […]
How to Use Recycled Materials to Cut Down on Equestrian Arena Costs
If your budget is the only reason you keep putting off your plans to build your own equestrian arena, here is some good news for you. While you can definitely save money by doing much of the actual construction yourself, you can also possibly cut down on costs by using recycled construction materials wherever possible. For example, choosing crushed glass instead of silica sand can save you a lot of money when it comes to putting together your sand surface. Additionally, recycled materials are eco-friendly and will help you bring down the carbon footprint of building your own equestrian […]
The History Behind Show Jumping
Show jumping is the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete at the same level in the same competition.
Our friends at The Irish Field newspaper (http://www.theirishfield.ie/equine/Show%20jumping/511/) created an interactive StoryMap to highlight the history behind the sport of showjumping.
The StoryMap can be viewed at – https://s3.amazonaws.com/uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/ffb3f89e5f8c2712dce9691116b11b40/history-of-showjumping/index.html, and is interactive and can be scrolled through.
We found it very interesting, and a great way to convey the history of the sport […]