Getting Gray Horses Gray Again

8:13 am
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Gray horses do not want to be gray. They make this clear to us every time we turn around, seemingly — gray horses want to be brown, green, or black. They let us know their preference by rolling in whatever camouflage they can find, whether it’s fresh spring grass, an alluring pool of mud, or sadly, manure.

Since spring grass, brown mud, and manure are not accepted colors by any breed organization that I can think of, it falls upon we horse owners to get our horses cleaned up and back to their original colors before anyone else sees them […]

Deterring Tail-Chewing in Horses

12:28 am
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One thing most horse-people have in common, whether we rein or race, trail-ride or team pen — our horse’s tails must be long, flowing, and beautiful. We go to a lot of trouble to keep up our horse’s tails. Some people keep them braided and safe inside tail bags. Some people never brush a tail without spraying on detangler. Some people knot a tail up on a rainy day so that it doesn’t get muddy.

Which is what makes tail-chewing such an agonizing problem for the horseman. All of sudden, your horse’s flowing tail […]

Choosing Your Riding Arena’s Footing

The footing we provide our horses is one of the most important aspects of a riding arena. The amount of concussion the footing absorbs from the horse’s legs, the quality of its drainage, even its life as the particles are tramped down through daily use, are all variables to consider and all you should evaluate. How do you choose your riding arena’s footing? Here are a few initial items to consider when looking at footing options.

Weather:
The climate will play a big role in choosing your ideal footing. Naturally in wet climates you’ll need […]

Bitless Bridles

12:27 am
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Exploring a bitless bridle option for your horse? It’s become more and more common, with technical bridles hitting the market that are a step away from the traditional hackamores that once dominated the shelves. A horse might benefit from a bitless bridle for any number of behavioral or physical problems. These include head-shaking, bolting, tooth grinding, or bone spurs in the mouth. If a bit is causing your horse any sort of pain, you definitely have options.

So what’s out there? Let’s look at a few bitless bridles and how they work.

The Dr. Cook […]

Trilogy Barn and Stable Company

This is it! You’re going to build your dream barn. You’ve been on the Internet, clicking through Pinterest, admiring the equestrian palaces that the world’s luckiest equines call home, and picturing it all on your own plot of land. You know what you need: a center aisle with four stalls, perhaps, or a nice breezeway style barn with lots of fresh air and three bright stalls. Or maybe it’s time for a professional showplace stable, with plenty of room for all your clients’ horses, elegant fittings, and roomy tack rooms.

So how do you get from […]

Swimming for Horses

Recently on our Facebook page (facebook.com/equine.architecture) we’ve shared some photos of horses swimming that have been very popular. Swimming, along with hydrotherapy and water treadmills, is rising in use for horses recovering from a variety of ailments and lamenesses. So what is swimming for horses all about?

Essentially, swimming allows a horse to regain (or maintain) condition without causing undue impact or pressure on the hooves, legs, or abdomen. This makes it an ideal exercise tool for horses who have undergone leg surgery, abdominal surgery, or who are recovering from laminitis. It’s also a useful […]

Making Horses Drink

5:08 pm
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We all know that saying about leading horses to water, not making them drink, haha very funny Uncle Mike, you told that the last time I was over for dinner… but as equestrians, we also know sometimes making horses drink is absolutely imperative to their health.

Contrary to what Uncle Mike and all your other non-horsey relatives think, there are methods to make horses drink. Here are a few tips for the next time you’re dealing with a dehydrated horse who won’t drink his water.

Horses just don’t get thirsty in the same way that humans […]

Composting Horse Manure

One constant dilemma facing horse owners, no matter what your discipline, is manure disposal. Horses create manure continuously, and it has to go somewhere. The ubiquitous manure pile that so many barns have used over the years is, unfortunately, a less attractive and useful option as farm properties grow smaller and closer to their neighbors, and as municipalities and water management boards seek to discourage run-off into streams, rivers, and aquifers. What to do with all that manure just piling up?

Try composting!

Compost can create useful, nutritious soil amendment out of manure — truly turning a problem into a […]