FINDING THE PERFECT HORSE FENCE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

First of all, I must admit that I love the way uniform fencing – one style – looks running throughout a property or even a neighborhood.

Love it! But like so many things in life, horses and horse fencing included, pretty is as pretty does, so looks sometimes has to come secondary on the list of priorities.

And those priorities, other than good looks, are first and foremost: safety for horse and human. Practicality and utility have to outweigh human esthetics and vanity. The other issue at hand is that almost any fencing will work for some horses most of […]

Equilates: Improve Your Riding & Your Mind

6:56 pm
|
0 Comments
|

The first time I heard the term “equilates,” I thought it might be Pilates for horses.

In fact, it is Pilates developed specifically for those who ride horses.

It seems a couple of people claim to have coined the term and developed the system, but dressage champion, Betsy Steiner, has trademarked the term. Her website, Equilates, describes the method as:

“…the sport-specific training method developed by Betsy Steiner using the basic premises of Pilates: promoting elongation of the spine, muscular flexibility and balance, strengthening the core resulting in the relaxed concentration and flow needed to create the […]

Horse Barn Fire Prevention

9:21 pm
|
0 Comments
|

On the night of February 10, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln was awakened by a fire alarm outside the White House.

His bodyguard, Robert McBride, saw Lincoln dash across the space between the residence and the Treasury building—the stables containing the Lincoln family horses was on fire.

With the horses still inside, Lincoln “with his own hands burst open the stable door.” McBride reported that others standing nearby prevented Lincoln from entering the hopelessly-engulfed stables. Six horses died, and when McBride returned to the White House, he found Lincoln in tears.

Though that fire was determined to […]

Getting Horses Ready for Summer

6:54 pm
|
0 Comments
|

Have you ever spent time standing in one place in the cold for an extended period? Did you notice how when you moved again, your muscles felt stiff?

Multiply this by a winter’s length of time standing in a stall or moving slowly around a wet field. Now you know how your horse feels when you want to start riding more consistently with summer on the way.

Even if you ride year-round, if you’re in an area with highly changeable weather you probably ride indoors in the winter and less frequently. So how do you […]

Safe Stalls Program for Horses

5:41 pm
|
0 Comments
|

Everyone who loves animals is heartbroken by images of neglect or cruelty.

We most often think of this in regards to dogs and cats or other household pets. Many don’t realize this is also a problem in the equine community.

But the Humane Society has stepped up with a program to build a network to address the problem. Watch this:

With these bigger animals comes a need for bigger solutions. By creating a network of providers across the nation, resources like pasture, hay, and stalls can be ready on an emergency basis.

If you love horses and […]

Run-In Sheds for Horses

10:31 pm
|
0 Comments
|

Climate is, of course, as much of a factor of comfort for your horse as it is for you.

The desire to take shelter from intense heat, biting wind, or a downpour is as natural for equines as for humans.

Not everyone can afford a full barn for their horses and there is a range of options that can fill the need. One is a pasture run-in. The run-in is an open structure that may or many not have storage or a feed bin. This allows your horse to get out of the weather at will […]

Horses for Sale (and other things)

7:25 pm
|
0 Comments
|

According to IBISWorld, a leading market research company, a “return to disposable income will boost spending on race- and recreational horses” as well as on equine products in general in 2012.

IBISWorld predicts after a negative 2.7% growth from 2006-2011, we’re poised for growth from the end of 2011 through 2016. And by some significant margins.

Profits on $1.6 billion in revenue should be around $82.2 million for more than 106,000 businesses in this sector. The recovery over this period is expected to get an initial bump in 2012, with revenue projected […]

Horse Technology

8:17 pm
|
0 Comments
|

Personal technology is something that has been overlooked by the horse industry, but that’s beginning to change, with some very useful results.

There are many innovative applications for mobile devices that can bring a lot of value both to the life of a horse owner and to the life of a horse. In this post we will highlight just a few. There are many out there, so explore, and talk to other equestrians.

TrailLogger, http://traillogger.com/

This is a simple, handy app that logs the time you spend riding. This can be useful for […]

‹ Prev page1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 Next page ›