Keeping Warm During Winter Rides

7:14 pm

0 Comments

Stay Warm During Winter Rides

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 […]

Horses Creating Happiness

9:46 pm

0 Comments

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

0 Comments

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

0 Comments

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 […]

Washington International Horse Show

4:42 pm

0 Comments

Equine Events, News

Washington International Horse Show Highlights

Fall horse shows can be trying, what with mud and rain and cold winds and all, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that in fall, an equestrian competitor’s thoughts turn to indoor events.

And the largest indoor show of them all, the Washington International Horse Show, is about to kick off its 56th installment in the nation’s capitol.

The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) has changed venues throughout the years, beginning in the Old Armory downtown. Stabling was in the basement, the schooling area was only available […]

Easing Transitions for Horses

4:27 pm

0 Comments

Equine Care

Horses are creatures of habit.

They like their meals at a certain time (as anyone who lives within earshot of a hungry horse will attest to), they like returning to the same stall every evening, and they like seeing the same familiar faces every day.

So when humans begin periods of transition, our horses do not always take the change well. New schedules, resulting from school starting, a new job, or even a new owner or rider, can send the most reliable and calm of horses into a physical and emotional tizzy. Behavior changes, health problems, and nervous […]

Buying Your Next Horse

7:54 pm

0 Comments

Misc.

Where did you buy your horse?

From Craigslist ads to breed shows, from auctions to sales barns, finding the perfect horse can feel like a hunt for a needle in a hay-stack — or several different hay-stacks! How do you know which route is best for you?

Are you an amateur or buying your first horse? In these cases, it’s best to go the tried and true route — to established sales barns, with a trusted professional at your side. Many horse enthusiasts are drawn to rescuing down-on-their-luck horses in auction rings and sales […]

Choosing the Right Stallion For Your Mare

7:52 pm

0 Comments

Misc.

Choosing the Right Stallion for your Mare

How to Choose the Right Stallion for Your Mare

Fall may have just arrived, but for those in the horse breeding business, it’s already time to think about spring.

Today’s foals are tomorrow’s yearlings, and horse magazines are printing up their stallion issues. The breeding season will be upon us before we know it. Have you decided on the right stallion for your mare yet?

Chances are, unless you’ve fallen head over heels for one particular horse, there are still a few players on the market. What criteria will you use to […]