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 […]

With the Fourth of July upon us, it’s officially fireworks season in the United States. Are you prepared for the potential effects of fireworks near your farm? Fireworks can be hazards in a multitude of ways, whether it’s the physical debris or the loud noise. Here are some tips to assess your fireworks preparedness level.

1. Know your neighbors. It can be difficult to keep up with neighbors in rural areas, especially if you’re on large properties. If you aren’t sure who lives next door, you might want to think creatively to introduce yourself […]

Electrolytes: a simple supplement which can cause impassioned arguments in the equestrian world. Feed commercial electrolytes in feed — no, put it in the water! — but electrolytes are to make horses drink more water! — just put salt in their feed — they only need mineral blocks…. And so on.

Here’s the most simple definition of what electrolytes do: electrolytes keep a horse’s cells operational and hydrated. When a horse’s electrolyte levels are off, their cells stop operating properly, water isn’t carried to the cells which need it most, and metabolic problems result — conditions like tying up, which we […]

They’re a delight in the calendar photograph: a wide-eyed foal gazing at the camera, a golden bed of buttercups peeking through the green grass at his hooves. But buttercups and horses don’t go together at all. In fact, these beautiful flowers grow from toxic stems. Like quite a few other wildflower species which flourish in natural grasslands (and overgrazed pastures), buttercups are poisonous to horses.

Buttercups (also called bachelor’s buttons or butter daisies), are not typically eaten by a well-fed horse. They just don’t taste very nice. But buttercups tend to grow in overgrazed […]