Equestrian Barns & Architecture: Start Living the Dream

Time-Saving Tips for the Barn

3:55 pm

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The equestrian lifestyle is not for those afraid of work. Whether you have a staff of grooms or you’re mucking out after work every day, there’s going to be a certain level of physical labor in your life as long as horses are involved. Sometimes, it seems like there’s too much horsekeeping being done to get any horse-enjoyment in! That’s when a few minutes saved on daily tasks can start to add up very quickly.

Strap Down the Scissors: Yes, you can break open a hay bale by using a piece of baling […]

Cool Tips for Summer Riding

3:51 pm

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Equine Care, Products

As the dog days of summer roll in, nothing seems less appealing than putting on leather boots and a hard hat before a nice broiling ride in the sun. But training schedules wait for no one, and if you’re prepping for the fall show season, you know you can’t give up riding just because of a little sweat. (Okay, a lot of sweat.) Luckily, there are plenty of options these days to make summer riding, if not a breeze, then a lot more comfortable.

Go techie: Technical fabrics are made to wick away moisture or allow […]

Cascadia Earthquake and The New Yorker Article

11:47 am

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Guest Author, News

The following post has been provided by one of our guest authors and colleague, Travis McFeron.

The recent article in The New Yorker, “The Really Big One,” by Kathryn Schulz has caused a considerable amount of discussion and worry in the media and among some people in the region who have read it and were not previously not familiar with the Cascadia fault system. My initial impression of the article was that while it was fairly accurate in many respects, some of the wording seemed a bit sensational in nature. Overall the article does a very good job of spotlighting […]

Healthy Treats for Horses

12:03 pm

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Equine Care

When you’re feeling like a change from carrots and apples, what are healthy treats to feed your horses? You could buy commercially-packaged horse “cookies” from the local feed store… or you could hit the produce aisle at your grocery store! Surprise your horse and tempt his tastebuds with these healthy treats for horses.

Bananas — Most horses absolutely love bananas, and they’ll eat them peel and all. Since bananas are full of potassium, they’re a great choice when your horse has a busy day, such as a horse show or long trail ride. Bananas are […]

Western Dressage

11:10 am

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Misc., News

Those two words might sound like polar opposites, but the proponents of Western Dressage would like you to know that they’re very complimentary. It’s one of the equestrian world’s newest sports, and it’s growing across the country.

Perhaps it’s a natural offshoot of recent “natural horsemanship” and new Western horsemanship that has been evolving in recent years. Perhaps it comes from the traditional riding of Spanish vaqueros in centuries past. Either way, Western Dressage values many of the same tenets as traditional dressage, such as lightness, acceptance of the bridle, and response to subtle cues […]

Horses and Summer Skin Problems

5:10 am

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Equine Care

Summer often brings a host of skin problems for horses. Hot weather, summer storms, and swarms of insects can make misery for the most resilient of horses. What are some common summer skin problems for horses, and what can we do about them?

Bug bites: Hives, wheals, and itching can be a sign of insect allergies. Reactions to no-see-ums is often called sweet itch, but any biting insect can cause itching and discomfort. This can lead to hypersensitivity and everything that comes with an itchy horse: skin damage, hair loss, infections, all caused by a horse […]

The Benefits of Equine-Assisted Therapy

5:00 am

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Equine Care, Guest Author

The following post has been provided by one of our guest authors, Daniel Matthews.

You may know someone who has a therapeutic animal. In my experience as a Community-Based Rehabilitation Specialist, I’ve seen dogs, birds, and even hamsters fulfill the ‘therapeutic animal’ role. The animal serves as a companion allowing the individual to take her or his mind off of real, or perceived, problems. The animal helps teach care and empathy for another being. By helping ease and stabilize the mind, caring for the animal becomes a form of self-care for the individual.

Now, horses are emerging […]

Riding Arena Construction

7:43 am

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Facility Planning & Design, Guest Author

Choosing the Site

Choosing a suitable site for your Riding Arena is often dictated by the amount of land available to you. If you are short of land you won’t have much choice as to where the arena is built. If you are lucky enough to have a choice there are a variety of factors that should be considered. Some obvious, some not!

1. Access – The majority of people fail to consider the implications of poor access on arena construction. Poor access means suppliers cannot use large delivery vehicles thus dramatically increasing haulage costs as more trips […]