Misc. | Equestrian Barns & Architecture: Start Living the Dream

Three Easy Steps to Prevent Fire in Your Barn

8:42 pm

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Equine Care, Facility Planning & Design, Misc.

Three Easy Steps to Prevent Fire in Your Barn

Recently, several barns across the country have been destroyed by massive fires. It’s every horseman’s nightmare, but there are ways to lessen the risk of fire and even suppress fires once they do start.

But what’s that old saying? An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure? Sadly, President Lincoln experienced a tragedy of his own, as I wrote about in https://equinefacilitydesign.com/equine-care/horse-barn-fire-prevention.htm

Let’s talk fire prevention. Here are three steps you can take right now […]

Keeping Warm During Winter Rides

7:14 pm

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Equine Care, Misc., Products

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 hand warmers can slip right inside your […]

Horses Creating Happiness

9:46 pm

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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 […]

Can Music Relax Horses

5:36 pm

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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 […]

Buying Your Next Horse

7:54 pm

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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

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Misc.

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 choose the perfect stallion? We have a few suggestions.

Shared […]

A History of Horse Breeds

7:50 pm
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Misc.

There are more than three hundred breeds of horse and pony in the world – we’ll bet you have a favorite one out of all those breeds! Where did such diversity come from? If every breed descended from one little dog-sized creature, Eohippus, how did we end up with everything from the Shetland to the Shire?

Well, the answer is humans, of course — we know what we want, and we aren’t afraid to mix and match horses until we get it. But in the case of horses, different groups of humans wanted different sorts of horses. The light […]

Breed Standards and Stud Books

10:06 pm
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Misc.

Breed standards and approvals are in place for many breeds around the world.

It’s perhaps best-known in European warmblood circles, but many less common and rare breeds are also the subject of strict stud book approval. Equine breeding societies around the world are making careful decisions about the futures of their breeds, choosing the horses that will continue and enrich the bloodline of the horses that they love.

Registration is one thing for these breeds, but entry into the breeding program is entirely another. An “open stud book” sounds inviting, but horses are inspected fiercely before […]

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