Sarah (Sally) Cousins and her amazing horse “The Robber Baron” riding through a freak sleet storm that started after she left the start box.

The must haves. The wants. And the unimportant. All of it just rushing around in our heads as we attempt to pick the “perfect” place to board.

To decide what you need you have to, of course, first figure out what your needs are. Is your horse pastured boarded OR stall boarded. Is your horse a show horse OR a pleasure horse. Do you ride english OR western. Do you have all of your own equipment. Do you need a show barn OR a private barn. And the list could go on endlessly…

You also need to think of the atmosphere you want for your horse(s). Meaning the kind of care and people that are around them on a daily basis. Most people naturally want responsible people not someone careless or oblivious to your horses issues. So now you need to dive into a list of qualities you want in your horse’s care taker.

Then you need to think about your horse’s feed. Do you want high quality grain. Or do you even care/know anything about feed. Do you want free choice hay? A round bale? What kind of hay do you want? Do you want your horse to have access to nice lush pastures? Or do you need your horse’s grass intake limited?

And don’t forget winter care because, naturally, everything goes out the window in winter. Especially with factors like snow which means blankets and mud which means messy messy messy horses. Do you want your horse blanketed? Do you want your horse kept in on muddy days?

****Again all of the lists could go on and on and on. Next week I’ll be adding part two which will consist of people personal opinions on the matter. It will also, hopefully, include a spreadsheet to make the process easier for you.

Ever since my fall I’ve had some back issues that turned out to be whiplash. Which also means I’ve taken a teensy tiny hiatus from riding, I’m a week in and it’s KILLING ME. But that’s not the point. In order to keep Poncho’s mind in “work” mode I’ve been taking him on hand walks all over the property and over different terrains. He’s definitely enjoying the change of pace however we do run into some precarious situations, by Poncho’s standards, every once in a while. For example frogs, birds, squirrels, the works. BUT our most recent one was a tree…The barn owners decided to cut down two trees that were uncomfortably close to power lines. One tree was in part of the horses pasture space and the other was on the side of the driveway. Meaning we walked past one of the trees.

As we were walking down the driveway Poncho was cool as a cucumber, at first I thought he might not even notice the tree. But I was wrong. At that point we were closing in on the tree, about 15 feet away. He started eye-balling it and lifting his head awfully high, I like to call this his “giraffe” head. We got a little bit closer and then he froze. It was just too much for him to mentally handle or comprehend I guess. He proceeded to fling his head all around, in what I assume was an attempt to assess the tree from all possible angles. While snorting and having his eyes practically bug out of his head. He did this for several minutes – I didn’t mind much I like for him to figure out things aren’t scary on his own. After he was done “processing” he walked forward without any kind of reminder. He didn’t even look back at the tree, because of course he had DEFEATED it.

Once we ran out of driveway space and turned around I was unsure of how the tree would look from this angle. But was pleasantly surprised when we walked calmly by it. He did however look over at kind of scoffing at it like, “I’m not scared of you, you stupid tree”, and continued walking on defiantly. He sure showed that tree whose boss right?

Mr. Poncho has officially, for the time being, matured into a “grown-up” horse. He’s been so brave (since the unfortunate incident) and confident! He’s thinking for him self . He’s going off on his own and even protecting “his” herd. It’s bittersweet for me though…

On the one hand I’m so relieved he’s growing up and coming into his own. But on the other hand he doesn’t constantly do the quirky little things he used to. Don’t get me wrong he’s still the same trash can attacking, wheel barrow eating guy he was. The episodes are just further and farther in between each other. The main positive to this lifestyle change (if you will)  is we can go on more adventures without having our baby moments – meaning tee-total FREAK OUTS!!!!! We can for once calmly take our hacks into the front field and down the drive way without encountering any scary horse eating monsters. We can also go on in hand walks down to the pond where the frogs and birds won’t kill us , ahhh so refreshing.

I could get used to this…

An expert from the site:

It is well-established within the horse world today that colic is the number one medical killer of domestic horses. Not so well known is that the way we feed and care for horses today very well may be one of the primary causes of induced colic.

The changes we need to make to reduce our horse’s risk for colic are often simple and obvious. Increase turnout time. Feed small meals more frequently throughout the day. Feed more hay and less grain.

In an age centered on what is most convenient, the basic care of horses as practiced by horsemen decades ago has been lost. Those who suffer as a result are the horses.

The Crusade Against Equine Colic is a movement empowering all horse people to learn how to reduce our horses’ risk for colic – and to share that knowledge with fellow equestrians. Simply, our goal is to save as many horses as possible from deadly and debilitating bouts of equine colic through educating you – the horse men and women who care for them.

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) firocoxib had fewer side effects than phenylbutazone in horses after 42 days of treatment, according to scientists from Merial Limited who presented comparative research results at the 2010 Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), held Dec. 4-8 in Baltimore, Md.

Phenylbutazone, or “Bute” as it is commonly called, is useful for controlling pain and/or inflammation in many equine veterinary cases, but its use is not without risk. Side effects such as gastric ulcer formation and kidney damage can occur.

Like phenylbutazone, firocoxib is also a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It is approved to control pain and inflammation associated with equine osteoarthritis at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg once daily for up to 14 days…

**For more click the link at the top.

Conformation shot?

Head shot?

I still don’t know. I suppose it’s all just a work in process.

After three months of vigorous treatment it was time to re-test Midnite to see what her blood work said. We opted not to do the neurological exam again because she was, at this point, so out of shape it wouldn’t possibly be accurate.

Two weeks after we sent out the blood work we get “the call”. It was not the news we were hoping for. Midnite was better but not where the vet wanted her to be. Her EPM ratios were still higher than most cases the vet deals with. What this means for Midnite is she is now considered a “relapse” horse. Meaning she can literally relapse at any given time under any given circumstances. Quite troubling when you think about it. We didn’t know what to think, obviously we were pleased that she’s improved but we have to wonder when will an EPM attack hit again.

But back to the recovery. The vet gave us strict instructions not to ride her until we get her fitness up and redo the neurological exam. So Midnite is on, for now, a schedule involving hill work, longe line work, pole work, and hand walks. She still looks a bit off on her hill work but we won’t know anything conclusive until the retest. As for now we are just trying to improve upon her fitness day by day. Fortunately she is feeling well enough to run and play some in the field. That must be good, I hope.

Step one: CALM DOWN! Take a deep breath. Everything is probably a-okay you’re probably just overreacting. I know this happens to me constantly. Just the other day. Poncho didn’t want to stand still for mounting and I somehow turned it against me. So instead of Poncho just being impatient or whatever his problem was I was convinced that I was a failure. I messed up big time. It was all my fault. Oh and it didn’t get any better from there. Once I started riding around I was so determined it was me that was the problem, I was doing the opposite of what I knew I should be doing. CHAOS much? No not really I’m lucky that in spite of Poncho’s greenness he’s an amazing horse and put up with my mini-freak out.

Step two: DON’T OVER THINK IT! Just ride (or whatever your doing) don’t over analyze every little detail. Go by feeling, instinct, intuition, or any other word you’d like to use.

Step three: ENJOY YOUR HORSE! AND HAVE FUN!

What a treat! Here is an Austrian documentary film done in the 1950s to promote the Spanish Riding School. This footage was only recently rediscovered. While the movements here are not always technically perfect, the formations are masterfully ridden, the horses look relaxed, and the stillness of the riders is Zenli … Read More

via EQUINE Ink

Hoof boots aren’t just for emergencies or soaking injured feet; these boots are made for walking, running, climbing, and more. Today an increasing variety of boots adorn the other-wise bare feet of trail horses, working horses, dressage horses, and even highly competitive endurance horses.

The benefits are pretty straightforward: The horse gets foot protection and traction when needed, while still going barefoot most of the time. There’s no risk of tearing off shoes or misplaced nails.

However, boots aren’t a license to be lazy about hoof maintenance. Booted horses require proper trimming and balancing, perhaps even more often than shod horses. And boots come with their own risks and challenges, such as sores from chafing if they are left on too long and/or incorrectly sized.

Are boots right for you and your horse? If so, how do you pick out the right boot? Read on to find out…

 

You may not think twice when giving advice to someone else. Even if they question you, you stand your ground, and state your reasoning. But when it comes to our horses all bets are off. We doubt every single decision at some point or another. Whether it be about blanketing, feeding, boarding, training, lameness, whatever we all have our moments of doubt. Where we lay in bed at night writhing over the possible mistake we made. Maybe we should have called the vet today. Maybe we should have put their blanket on, maybe we should have left their blanket on. What if we didn’t leave out enough hay. It’s a sometimes endless cycle. By the time morning comes you’re so sleep deprived you can barely function but you have to get out to the barn to make sure your horse is okay.

Naturally when you get there everything’s fine. You worried all night over nothing. It’s just you never know when circumstances are going to change rendering your decision worthless, or wrong. It’s what I like to call “But It’s MY Horse” Syndrome (and it will  probably becoming to a horsey house near you). I guess it’s what we all have to go through to enjoy our equine partners.

BUT wait, there’s more. You wake up to rain. Yes rain because that always makes horsey appointment more interesting. Especially if you’re like me and have horses that freak out if they’re in the barn when it’s raining.

Naturally I get there a half hour early to get the horses feet cleaned out, dry their legs off, and attempt to make them look presentable (we get a fail on being presentable though). So I have to trudge out in the mud to grab the ponies, at least the barn owner gave extra hay to make it quicker for me. Get them all in, get two cleaned and dried. Then the youngin’ decides the towel is going to eat him – so I spend some extra time trying to get him to be okay with the towel. Get everyone back in their stalls with plenty of water and a bit of time on our hands. And that’s when the total down pour came. Needless to say there was a lot of pacing and frantic faces. It’s not looking like this is going to be an easy visit. Luckily just as the downpour stops the farrier shows up and everything goes off without a hitch. Who would have thought.

When we got the call we were in utter shock. How long had Midnite, my mothers 11 year old QH mare, had this? We didn’t have any previous experience with EPM. Only vague notions we’d heard through our acquaintances. We didn’t have a clue on where to start. All we knew was that her blood work showed ratios that were way out of the “norm” and we had to get them down as quickly as possible.

The two options we were given were 1) Marquis or 2) EPM shake. We chose the latter not because we wanted to – but because it was not feasible to spend $900 a month to treat without insurance (but that’s another story). Once we decided the method we had to figure out how it was going to effect Midnite’s daily schedule. The shake had to be administered on an empty stomach, rather difficult because she’s on pasture board. In the end we came up with a plan to have her stalled for 30 minutes prior to the shake and 30 minutes after the shake. Midnite was less than pleased with the whole tube of paste a day scenario but she got over it soon and it became routine. Because she’s on pasture board she wasn’t used to being away from her pasture mates that long, unless it was her choice. So the boys came in everyday to. In the end it worked out well they all were in during the heat of the day to take naps while waiting. We were very fortunate in the fact that we caught Midnite’s EPM early enough that she didn’t have any major neurological side effects  that would have kept her from her from the herd or pasture.

I’ve seen in various magazines that there are “alternative” treatment options for EPM. We were even told once (by a slightly eccentric friend) that we should look into herbal remedies and essential oils to “kill” the EPM protozoa. However even though they may be more economical they are not thoroughly tested. Meaning for us at least that they were out of the question (on their own). We opted to use the EPM shake along with adding a vitamin E supplement (8,000 I.U.s) and an MSM supplement daily.

Whatever you decide to do just make sure you talk it through with your vet and come up with a fool proof plan to get your horse through their treatment.

We’ve all seen horses around the barn, on neighboring farms, or quite possibly in our own barn that are a little, shall we say–heavy. But what exactly is heavy? For that matter, what determines if a horse is thin? Sure, it’s easy to point out those horses at either of the extremes, but for those in between there can be gray areas.

In the early 1980s, as a part of his graduate research project at Texas A&M University (TAMU), Don Henneke, PhD, currently an associate professor at TAMU, developed a scale to evaluate the body condition of broodmares. The scale looked at the amount of fat deposited in different areas of the body in an effort to classify them for research purposes. His study was published in the Equine Veterinary Journal in 1983.

Since then, the TAMU Body Condition Score (BCS) system has been used as the gold standard for classifying horses’ body conditions by equine health professionals and horse owners. The method uses sight and touch to evaluate the amount of fat over the loin, ribs, tailhead, withers, neck, and shoulders. The horse is then scored overall on a scale of 1 to 9. A BCS of 1 means the horse is very emaciated, a BCS of 9 represents an obese horse, and a BCS of 5 is ideal for the moderately active horse. However, there are variations to this (more on this later)…

Follow the link at the top to finish reading how to assess your horses weight.

For starters the poor ponies are much more on edge because of all the sounds carrying. Meaning we have almost meltdowns from people doing yard work, people doing repair work, heck people even unloading hay. Goodness gracious guys take a chill pill. I mean the plastic bag is not going to kill you so there’s no need to bolt off and leave me in the dust. There’s also no need to have your eyes practically bug out of your head when the saw starts up (no where near you to top it off) and try to knock down your door.

The real fun part is the wind has blown apart our poor barn. We were in the barn on Saturday when all of the sudden BOOM the doors sprung open on us latches and locks shattered. Hmmm, can we put this back together? Um no. The locks were completely busted and needed to be replaced. So until we could get the necessary supplies we had to rig the doors shut with bailing twine, wood pallets, more bailing twine, a hay cart, oh and naturally rocks. All to deter the doors from busting open in the gusts yet again.    Of course the horses were enthralled with this and just had to watch intently. While, I might as well add, doing as much as possible to get into trouble.

If this doesn’t convince you that horses and wind do not mix I don’t know what will. Just kidding of course it’s just comical when the spring winds blow in. How do your silly ponies handle the wind?

There are no clear symptom that scream EPM, some horses affected could just seem “off” or “not quite right”. However a few symptoms that could point you in the direction of EPM are: asymmetric atrophy (muscle wasting) and ataxia (in-coordination). A horse could appear to have hind limb problems, e.g. stifles catching or mild lameness. Even something as simple as an extra droopy eyelid or lower lip.

A good start for you diagnosis in EPM is doing a neurological exam. Which involves various tests including:

• longeing
• walking up and down steep hills
• crossing front legs
• crossing hind legs
• walking with their head up in the air
• pulling their tail to the side while walking

Depending on the severity of neurological signs in these tests will determine where you will go from there. In my case we ran blood work, an EPM titer, we didn’t bother with the western blot because in our area almost every horse will show they have been exposed to the protozoa.  However the western blot may be a viable option for you. Other EPM tests include the PCR testing, Immunofluorescent Antibody Test, ELISA, or Gene Expression Identification.

This will be a continuing series documenting my experience with EPM along will all the information I’ve gathered along the way.

A poll of 23 people:

13 – Tail cord preference

10- Leg strap preference

People opinions of tail cords consisted of:

• They are quicker to put on.
• They keep the blankets firmly in place.
• They have been found safer in several blanket escape scenarios.

Although,

• Tail cords can be dirty (depending on the horse).
• Wind could be potentially problematic.

People’s opinions of leg straps consisted of:

• They can be made with elastic.
• They keep most blankets firmly in place,

Although

• There can be a wedgie problem.
• They can get dirty (depending on the horse).
• They can get stuck when a horse gets into “trouble”.

Good luck blanket buying!

Removing blankets in the winter time can be, well shocking. The static electricity that is generated between your horse’s coat and the blanket can build up into a pretty severe shock. Sadly, a friend of mine lost her horse this winter after a shock from her blanket caused the mare to run backwards down the barn aisle and shatter her fetlock. Static electricity is the build up of an electrical charge when two objects rub against each other. Your h … Read More

via EQUINE Ink

*Let me just say before I start this that I have no problem with round bales. I’ve even fed them before.*

Well this weekend I get a call from the barn owner, she’s thinking about trying a round bale for my horses field. She wanted to know my opinion of them. So I tell her I’ve never had a problem with them, but it’s the quality that matters. Hmmmm. She thinks it over a bit and decided to give one a try.

Mr. Hay Guy is supposed to be there at “lunch time”, specific - not, so instead of sitting around waiting for him I headed out to get Poncho to tack up. Well 3/4 of the way into tacking up Mr. Hay Guy arrives. After thoroughly freaking my horse out (to the point he lost control of his bodily functions) the round bale was unloaded and sitting in the warm afternoon sun. Due to the fact I had a horse freaking out on me I didn’t go out to inspect the round bale with every OR hear what Mr. Hay Guy had to say.

Fast-forward 1 hour…

I turn Poncho back out into his field and while he’s moseying on over to the round bale the light changed and I saw a
“funny” spot on the bale. After further inspection I realized the whole bale was basically rotten after the first layer (that actually looked scrumptious). So poor Poncho had to be dragged off the round bale and put in the front field while we all mulled over how to get the round bale out, because at this point it was falling apart.

After much effort including knocking it over, attempting to tie back together, knocking it back over, having my leg smooshed under it, rolling in on a pallet and guiding it out of the field our work was done. Round bale out. Disaster averted.  Mr. Hay Guy eventually came back to gather up the round bale while he was doing this he “tested” the round bale. Do you know what he found? NO MOISTURE. Even though it was wet to the touch, covered in mold, and smelled foul. I guess we must be crazy.

Morale of the story, INSPECT EVERY INCH OF YOUR ROUND BALE BEFORE YOU LET SAID HAY GUY OFF YOUR PROPERTY. You never know what’s hiding inside.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health confirmed positive test results for equine infectious anemia (EIA) in two horses earlier this month in northeastern Missouri. Department officials have tested 696 other horses, including those located nearby and any that might have been in contact with the infected animals. No further positive cases have been identified.

On Jan. 5, a Belgian horse in rural Pike County tested positive for EIA. The animal was immediately quarantined and humanely euthanized following additional testing in mid-January. A second horse on the farm tested positive for EIA on Jan. 7. That horse was humanely euthanized as well.

“Although this disease does not affect humans, it is a disease that can have a devastating impact on our equine industry,” said director of agriculture Jon Hagler, PhD. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation and remind horse owners to schedule regular Coggins tests with their veterinarian to screen for this disease.”

EIA is a contagious, viral disease most commonly transmitted through horse flies, deer flies, mosquitoes, and gnats. The disease is found in equine species, including horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, but does not affect humans. There are no known vaccines available to prevent or protect from this disease.

Individuals with questions or concerns about the safety of their livestock following these actions are encouraged to contact the department of agriculture with their questions at 573/751-3377.

1. With the decrease in nice grazing fields, increase your horses hay, not grain. Hay is more efficient for a horses digestive system.
2. Provide plenty of (heated) water, they still need roughly 10-12 gallons a day. (Although they will want to drink less when temperatures drop.)
3. Soaking feed (hay or grain) can make sure your horse is getting a minimum of  “x” amount of water.
4. Adding salt to their diet will encourage them to drink more.

It may not seem like a lot to do, but it could make a world of difference for your horse.

Results were as follows:

• I only blanket my horses when temperatures reach below a certain degree (i.e., 5 or 10F): 31.23% (653)
• No, my horse is very hairy and doesn’t need a blanket: 30.89% (646)
• Yes, but I don’t keep my horse clipped: 21.95% (459)
• Yes, because my horse stays outside all the time: 8.27% (173)
• Yes, I keep my horse clipped: 7.65% (160)

A few of the people responses,

• Never use to blanket, but my horse tends to shiver easily. Also, cannot get out of the wind
• They are well fed and groomed almost daily. They are not blanketed
• She’s an old lady and gets spoiled.
• They love their jammies!
• My horse isn’t totally outside. He has a paddock with shelter/stall but stays out a lot.
• only needs blanket after several days of -20F or colder
• I also only blanket when it’s cold and wet.
• god gave them a wonderful coat, they have free access to the barn for shelter
• We live in Sardinia so the weather is mild usually
• Amarillo, TX
• My horses have good shelter, so I don’t blanket unless it’s VERY cold.
• They all have shelter and stay healthy without!
• I have two sets of blankets, a light one and a heavy one.
• I only blanket in extreme cold, extreme winds, or freezing rain conditions.
• For the most part I clip the horses but I judge each horse indiviudally on how blanket they need
• I blanket by weather especially taking into account wind and rain
• if the horse is shivering I will blanet for short time till it stops, in barn when really wet and co
• My older Morgan gelding is blanketed, but the Welsh Ponies are uncovered.
• If he begins to shiver, he does have a blanket available
• primarily just my older horses
• Yes but only my competitive horses, as we show at a heated indoor facility during the winter months.
• As he has gotten older (26) I blanket to insure he doesn’t lose weight.
• 2 are clipped and ridden regulary so blanketed. Other 6 go hairy.
• I HATE dealing with shedding and it makes it hard to cool horses out after riding
• Yes, my 3 TB’s with no coats and lose weight quickly.
• Myhorses love the cold weather!

Check out the full list in the link at the top.

Proposed legislation in Virginia would amend that state’s animal welfare code to include care practices for horses and other livestock, but some equine rescue operators say the bill’s language is confusing.

Introduced on Jan. 12, HB 1541 would require owners of agricultural animals to provide their livestock with feed to prevent malnutrition, water to prevent dehydration, and veterinary care to prevent impairment of health or physical function. Under the bill, owners would not be required to provide feed or water when it would be customarily withheld or when a veterinarian prescribes that provisions be eliminated or restricted.

Bill sponsor State Representative Bobby Orrock said the legislation is intended to define normal appropriate horse keeping practices. It is also designed to insulate owners from unfounded animal neglect complaints lodged by individuals unfamiliar with customary horse keeping procedures.

But Patricia Muncy, operator of the Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue Inc. in Hardy, Va., believes the bill’s language is confusing because it does not adequately differentiate between specific horse care practices and appropriate care for other livestock such as cattle.

“People have a lot of questions about how this pertains to horses,” Muncy said. “If a visitor comes in who thinks one of our horses needs its teeth floated, can they call the authorities? Are we in violation of the law?”

Muncy also worries language regarding food and water restrictions are too vague.

R. Scott Pleasant, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine’s department of large animal clinical sciences, said the section refers to specific situations when veterinarians would order that horses be deprived of food and water, such as during treatment for colic, before surgery, or during diagnostic procedures, for example.

The section also pertains to times when horses may not normally have access to food and water, such as when being ridden or while in short distance transit.

“Some people put hay in their trailers, some don’t, and most people don’t put water in the trailers; they stop along the way to let horses drink and stretch their legs,” Pleasant said. “This (language) would prevent someone from accusing the owner of neglect if the horse did not have access to food and water, for example, during the two and a half hour trip to the equine center.”

Pleasant said the Virginia Farm Bureau, the state veterinarian’s office, and the Virginia Horse Council have reviewed language contained in HB 1541. Cheryl Rogers, vice president of the Equine Rescue League in Leesburg, Va., believes legislators should have consulted other parties about the bill’s contents.

“Why didn’t anybody ask us? We’re the ones that are working the welfare cases,” Rogers said.

The measure is currently under review by the State House of Representatives’ Agriculture Committee.

I have just confirmed from Lexington that the USEF Board approved the eventing helmet rule at their Sunday morning board meeting. The helmet rule proposal, DR 120, passed unanimously. The rule change will make ASTM approved and strapped helmets mandatory at all times when mounted at US national events. This will not affect rules in FEI divisions. At events with both FEI and USEF divisions, the FEI riders will not be required to wear helmets but the USEF riders will.

The USEA, USEF, and the eventers who helped shepherd the rule change through the USEF committees this week deserve a lot of credit for passing this rule. Eventing is the first discipline within the USEF to make helmets mandatory, which is just yet another example of how eventing is a leader in safety initiatives among equestrian sports. Go eventing.

Courtney King Dye’s opinion on helmets,

The bottom line is no matter how ‘good’ you are, you can’t train a horse to not trip over his own feet. That was my specific instance, but it’s an example of how we, and the horse, can’t account for all the possibilities. The unexpected has to be expected.Tradition is a pathetic excuse because now we breed our horses to be more athletic and sensitive than before, and we’ve manufactured safer helmets. So it makes sense for us to match the hotter horses with the available improved head gear. Like in everything, tradition changes with time. If everyone wears a helmet, soon it will look normal. Hat hair is also no excuse. Trust me, the brain is far more important than hair. The only somewhat relevant excuse is that wearing a helmet for 8 hours in the beating sun is so uncomfortable it almost distracts from the riding. That’s why the helmet companies are trying to make lighter airier helmets.

I still stick to the arguement,though, that the brain is far too important to risk.

My opinion used to be that everyone had to make their own choice. Wearing a helmet was the right one, but they had to consider not only themselves but their loved ones, and if they decided going without was worth the risk, we shouldn’t stop them.

I thought it was just my accident, it won’t affect anybody other than my loved ones. Then my mind changed dramatically from being at WEG. The amount of people who recognized me and the sheer number and idolization of the Team made it clear that we’re role models. That means we’re responsible for a whole lot more than just us and our loved ones. We show everyone what’s right, which means no matter how uncomfortable it is or how ugly it looks, we should wear a helmet. Not only the Olympic or WEG Team riders, but all FEI riders are role models.

I know it’s unfortunate that it took a top rider being hurt to ignite the discussion of safety, but in my view it makes my accident worth while. If it can save one life, it’s worth it, and many people have emailed me saying they had bad accidents and were only wearing a helmet because of mine.

I loved Lauren Sammis’s quote from Nancy Jaffer’s article that if we don’t wear helmets, my accident was nothing but a tragedy.

I hope it’s more than a tragedy.

So where do we all stand?  You’re either pro-helmet or not.

I am frequently asked about conditioning in my clinics. I usually respond by introducing the audience to my concept of “maintenance works.” These are work levels that I find are generally appropriate for the various competitive levels. For example, before my Novice and Training horses compete, I would want them to be able to slow canter three four-minute sets of work, or a total of twelve minutes of slow canter, broken into three sets. My long-term students call this “3-4′s.” My Preliminary horses should have done “3-6′s” several times before their first outing, and my Intermediate and Advanced horses have done “3-8′s” several times before they start their competitive season. Obviously, it takes some time to build your horse up to these levels of exercise. Every horse reacts differently to this conditioning schedule, but in general it takes a minimum of thirty days of slow canter every four or five days to prepare Novice and Training horses, and takes nearly six weeks to prepare Intermediate and Advanced horses for their season. Once my horses reach these levels, I do not keep increasing their work load. I do not want them to get fitter and fitter…this would have a negative effect on their dressage and show jumping. Your horse will continue to increase his fitness during the competitive season, due to the anaerobic nature of cross-country work. You should be planning your competitive schedule now, and your horse should start his slow canters soon after the first of the year.

Also don’t forget the importance of low impact conditioning. Having a nice long hack is good for them mentally and physically after so much demanding work.

• Winter tends to be a time when horses lose weight, and a heavy winter coat can hide a thin horse. Make sure to check your horse’s body condition every 30 days. If your horse loses weight during the winter, try increasing his body weight prior to the winter months so that he can lose some weight during the winter without becoming thin.
• Horses require additional energy from the diet to maintain body weight when temperatures drop below 45�F. Remember that pasture grasses do not grow during the colder months. Providing good quality hay at 2% of the horse’s body weight should meet his nutrient requirements for maintenance. Feeding hay also generates heat during digestion by gut microbes, and that helps horses stay warm.
• If hay availability is limited, beet pulp can also be a beneficial source of fiber. Also, investigate “complete feeds” that have the fiber already in the bag.
• Use hay feeders during the winter. Up to 20% of hay is wasted by horses when fed on the ground.
• Horses in work or pregnant mares might require grain along with hay to maintain body weight. Avoid feeding more than 4-5 lbs of grain in one meal feeding in order to reduce the horse’s risk of colic.
• Consider adding fat to the diet in the form of oil or bran in order to increase the amount of energy in the diet. Fat packs more energy in each pound than carbohydrates.
• Improve how your horse utilizes the feed you give him during winter by having their teeth checked and floated if necessary and by deworming the horse prior to the winter months.
• Horses might decrease their consumption of cold or freezing water during the winter leading to an increased risk of colic. Make sure your horse is consuming at least 10 gallons of fresh clean water each day. Use tub and/or bucket heaters to help reduce ice formation and to keep the water lukewarm. Check all water sources and remove ice daily.
• Provide salt blocks in fields and stalls. Although salt intake is more important during the hot summer months to replace sodium and chloride lost in sweat, horses do not meet their daily salt requirements by consuming forage alone.
• Keep in mind that older horses have additional needs during the winter. Feeding a diet based on beet pulp prior to and during winter can help them maintain their weight during the winter.

You can also find another article by TheHorse about feeding your horses in the winter here

They were true to size in my experience, even though other reviews have said otherwise, and fit well.

Fastforward to now nearly 6 months later and still going fairly strong. We’ve had a few rips and tears but they’re only 600D and I’ve got a two year old out in the field playing tug-of-war with them. I’ve been pretty pleased with them. They’ve held up well in rain and snow, with only minimal leaking at the chest area. Not to bad in my opinion.

I would definitely recommend these if you’re on a bit of a budget, or if you’re horses are easy on blankets.

If we think about the qualities that make up a good work ethic in our equine partners we will generally realize these are the main qualities we look for in a horse.

We want horses who enjoy what they do. Who are willing to go the extra mile for our sometimes frivolous “games”. They need to be forward and cooperative. We’d probably even like it, no love it, if they showed us how much they enjoy work. It would be comical to see a horse pout if they didn’t get “picked”. We want them to be focused. We want them to go the extra mile for us. We want them to never stop trying even if we’re doing something new and hard.

Everyone, generally, has a bond with their horse but when your horse is a willing participant in everything you do it makes it SO much more fun. “Work ethic” may not be the best word choice for a certain something special your horse has, but it’s the word I’m going with. Just remember the next time you have an amazing ride don’t take it for granted your horse doesn’t have to be there every step of the way.

Recently at the barn I board at it was announced one of the other boarders was moving. Not only is she moving – but she’s moving to a “run-down” place from what i’ve heard. Now these horses are used to A LOT more than a run-down place. But according to said boarder the barn manager at the new barn says she’s “fixing up” the place. I may seem a little apprehensive about this all, because well I am. I’ve been at a barn previously that had so many promises when we first got there. Then as time went by nothing was being done and things were plummeting fast. Needless to say we got out of there fast.

But all of that is not the point. When we were told about the impending move it made me think about our obligations to our horses. We are their advocates we HAVE to do what’s best for them no matter what. We are responsible for their happiness and well-being. They count on us to provide them with the essentials. Safe fencing, a nice size turn-out to run and play in, a nice shelter, fresh clean water all year round – with warm water in the winter, pasture mates they can get along with, warm blankets if needed, the best food (hay and grain) we can provide them. The list goes on. I know I personally can’t stand the thought that I may possibly not be doing everything right for my horses.

Then on the other hand convenience. We need to do what we can, but what if we can’t possibly do what’s necessary. What if we have to do what’s convenient for us? If the options are convenience or selling your horse what would you do? Would you just accept your horse may get mediocre care for “a while”. OR try to find them a better situation. I’d like to think that I’d pick the latter if I couldn’t provide what I wanted for them. BUT as most of us know our hearts get in the way a lot of the time.

What philosophy to horse ownership do you follow?

I’ll start off the positives, because who wants to harp on the negatives in the beginning.

You want to go out to the barn and have a nice peaceful ride, maybe there’s a little snow or maybe it’s just a lovely winter day. Either way I bet you have less people to worry about because for some crazy reason not everyone bundles up for the cold. But I bet you’ve come prepared with your warm and cozy winter wear. They make so many different kinds of jackets, scarves, gloves, and what not it’s hard to actually be cold sometimes. You go and grab your horse out of the field (or stall) and get ready to groom. Oh but wait – you have no grooming to do! That’s right it’s winter and your horse is wearing a blankets which equals a nice clean pony. You don’t even have to worry about flies because they’re all DEAD. When you get out to the ring (indoor or outdoor) you’re pretty lucky to have that quarter sheet for your clipped horse. And if you’re outdoors you’ve got that extra padding, you know incase you fall, from the snow since you’re probably dealing with a winter version of your horse. Although it is enjoyable to ride in the snow, especially bareback. But if you’re going to get serious about your work you can drill on some flatwork exercises. And then go back to the barn to spend a little time pampering your pony.

Even though I think the positives out weigh the negatives some people might see it a little differently.

You want to go out to the barn and have a nice enjoyable ride with your horse. When you get there you find since the weather was less than favorable your horse had to spend the day inside. Which means you are left with all their pent up energy. You go to brush your horse out and find there are shavings embedded in your horses long unruly winter coat. I guess that means you should have clipped your horse last week when you had the chance. Uh-oh! You’re finally done grooming and make the trek in the dark, I might add, to the indoor. On the way there you are blasted practically to death by the brutal winds. And to top it off your horse now has ice balls packed in their feet – you just picked them. But that’s the least of your worries. You can just hear EVERYONE in the indoor, they’re all trying to cram in a ride before it’s too late. DARN IT. You meander over to the mounting block where it takes you several minutes to mount up because your joints are sooooo stiff. Then when you’re finally on and you ask your horse to move on there’s even more popping! Which means an extra long warm-up. After warming up you spend less time working than you did preparing for it and now it’s time to cool-out, you’ve got to be kidding  me. Now you just need to get rid of these sweat marks.

So which winter rider are you?

November 28, 2010 – a nice Sunday morning/early afternoon out at the barn. I decided I was going to ride Poncho this afternoon  seeing as I didn’t get the chance to the previous day. Everything was smooth sailing we were grooming Midnite and Cisco, before Poncho since they only needed feet picked out. When I got Poncho out he was extremely calm. He stood still as a statue, if you knew Poncho you would know this is NOT under any circumstances normal – he’s normally bouncing off the walls. It was amazing how calm he was, but I knew it had to be a precursor to something especially with how insane he was the previous day.  –hmmmm, Shannon how do we wanna play this? -  Then out of nowhere his ear shoot up and he grows nearly a hand. AFLKJDFDSJ What now? Oh it’s just Dad coming out. Ha silly Mr. Louise (Poncho’s nickname). This is about the time where everything starts to tumble down hill. I go to bridle Poncho, I get the halter off and boom. He tries to shoot forward – well that won’t work there just happens to a chain blocking the entrance. Hmmmmmm. I had to get Mom to help me a little with this part OH NO. After a few minutes we’re tacked up and ready to go! FINALLY.

*Just to let you know this is where it gets REALLY interesting.

We get out of the barn and field to head towards the ring. For those of you who don’t know how the barn is set up… There are two barns on the property one is by the ring and one is at the way back behind the houses. Guess which one we are at, you’re right the far one. So we have to walk down the driveway which is in between the electric fence and a neighborhood (this is significant because Poncho is basically deathly afraid of kids and radios – both of which are in a neighborhood). There’s also a garage half way down that the barn owners’s husband does repairs in, while listening to the radio. SO this is basically a deadly walk to Poncho a fair bit of the time.

Right once we turn around from closing the gate Poncho sees my Dad’s truck. OH NO – high alert- unidentifiable vehicle. So of course we go investigate then everything’s okay. Now we’re back on track! We start heading down the drive way when Poncho freaks out over something. He of course tries to bolt – to no avail I should add I know him to well to be caught off guard. Then we are able to shuffle two steps at a time for about 50 feet. Until we get scared from something else, this time he spins (almost into the electric fence) but when I cue him to side pass he turns into a statue. Luckily after a minute he loosened up and moved back onto the driveway. Then of course a SQUIRREL, of all things, darts across someone’s yard. Sensory overload!!!!!!! Poncho starts his infamous snorting, which can be heard all the way at the front of the property I might add – impressive no?

*Of course this is also the first time my Dad has been out to see me work Poncho basically ever. Way to start it off. Needless to say Dad’s just looking at us like Oh My Gosh! Can’t blame him either we are quite a scene to behold for about 10-15 minutes.

Now Poncho has also noticed two, not one, two other horses working. This is not normal we are normally the only ones working at a given time.  One of the horses is of course Bear, a draft cross gelding who happens to be Poncho’s love interest for now. Bear is trotting towards us further down the driveway. Luckily since BO noticed and heard Poncho she quickly changed courses. After all of this I gave Poncho a few seconds to re-gather his thoughts. So we start up the journey again. This time we make it all the way to the ring, but by this time the second horse is gone – it took us that long to get there. Hahah.

This is the part I always find so funny with Poncho. Even though he’s been having a mental breakdown for the last 10 minutes the second we step into the ring he instantly relaxes! A huge sigh of relief! He finally made it to his safety zone.

Recent studies have shown that having a higher denier (ex: 1200) may not guarantee you a virtually indestructible blanket. It’s been shown that how the blanket is stitched is far more important than the numbers. For example if a 600D blanket is stitched together tightly with a bit of tension and a 1200D blanket is stitched together semi-loosely and with very little tension, I would bet my money on the 600D lasting longer.

But how are you supposed to know which brands to trust? In a perfect world you would ask the manufacturer, however if you cannot get into touch with anyone it’s safest to go with brands that are well known and popular. Brands like Horseware (Rambo, Rhino, Amigo), Weatherbeeta, Bucas, Baker, etc.

Another thing to consider is the fit of your blanket on your horse. Everyone knows all horses are made differently, but sometimes we forget not all blankets fit our “interesting” equine partners. Whether it be they have narrow chests, high withers, no withers, wide barrels, long backs, short necks, long necks, short legs, long legs, or whatever else it might be not all blankets will accommodate them. You have to take into consideration the cut of the blanket. Some blankets have wide chests and some have narrow – the latter is easier to remedy as you can just by a chest expander. However the blanket with a wide chest there is no quick fix for you either have to hope that the chest is adjustable enough to “make it work” or buy a smaller size.

If you’ve been lucky enough to find the “perfect” blanket with minimal issue then my hats off to you! Also remember for your blankets that have lasted several seasons that you’ll need to redo the waterproofing sooner or later. You won’t want to forget this if your horse is out in less than favorable weather for a fair amount of the time. You just might come out to the barn one day to find a water resistant blanket instead of a waterproof blanket. And that could be the difference between a warm and happy horse and a cold and potentially sick horse.

Also depending on where you live you may want to give your blankets a quick check over before putting them on incase you find some unwanted pests nesting in them. Speaking of pests there’s also been a study on the difference between blankets that have been washed pre-winter and the ones that are rarely washed. The results were a little unsettling, the blankets that were rarely wash had mites in them and the washed ones rarely ever did. Quite disturbing to think of mites snacking on your ponies.

So just remember to think about every aspect of blanket care before it’s to late.

I’ve recently found myself in this situation. One of my horses Cisco (a 2 year old Spanish Mustang cross) needs to be relocated to a new home. I am heart broken. I’ve had him since he was born. BUT rationally I can’t keep him. It’s not fair for me to expect him to sit in a field until I have time for him. He deserves much better than I can give him. So now I have to find the best for him.

But that’s not quite the point of this post…

How are you supposed to go about selling a horse in this market?

Especially if your horse is not finished.

How do you make sure they go to a good home and not just a stop along the way?

There are millions of questions running through my head about this topic. But the thing is I don’t think there’s a real answer to how you should go about this. I wish there was a book “How to sell your horse: to a good home”. There’s not though.

The main thing I think anyone should at the very least do is screen, screen, screen. Check out their place, see how they handle their horses, see how they handle your horse, anything and everything you can think of checking on. I think we owe it to our partners that we have to part with to find them the best of the best.

FOR OWNERS: Clean up your space!
Picture this—You’re going out to the barn on your day off to have a fun day with your horse. You pull up the barn looks peaceful. But as you walk closer you realize—EWWWW—it’s a mess! Dirt, poo, tack, doors open, water spilled, and it’s just generally a mess. No one wants to walk up to that. Respect the barn and clean up. It’s someone home; you wouldn’t want that at your home.

Here’s a checklist for when you leave the barn:
-Did you clean up your grooming space?
-Did you clean your stall (only if it was clean before you used it)?
-Did you leave any doors open? Maybe the tack room, feed room, lounge room?
-Did you spill anything in the barn aisle?

It’s important to clean everything up because there could potentially be health problems. A horse that has just been wormed with Ivermectin could cause serious illness to a barn dog if they got into the horses poo. If it’s winter and you spill water in the barn aisle or anywhere some one may walk, the water could freeze causing slipping to unsuspecting people and/or horses. If you leave a door open the barn animals (cats or dogs) could get into the rooms and make a mess. Or a horse could brake out and get into something that could make them colic or be terribly sick.

…Next time you leave the barn a mess think of the repercussions of your actions to those around you.

With Christmas only a few days away you may be scurrying to find the perfect gift for your horse. Most horse people find other asking, “You’re getting a horse a present?” Of course you are why wouldn’t you. Your horse or pony takes care of you during rides, enjoys your company, give you unconditional love, and they are just in general amazing animals. So absolutely yes, you are getting them a present of some sort.

Your gifts will vary from horse to horse because of their wacky personalities; don’t just get everyone the same thing. You wouldn’t do that to a person. You could make up a special treat or cake with everyone’s favorite foods. You could buy individual toys for different “games” your horse plays. You could take them on a trip to some place they love to go, whether that is on a trail or to a friend’s barn for the day. You could even just spend the whole day pampering them because this time of year it is hard pressed sometime to get out to the barn. You could buy them a new blanket or piece of tack if they love having “their” own stuff. Whatever you decide your horse will be thankful because you spent the time thinking of them.

The Belly Clip is a simple clip, where the hair on the underside of the belly and chest is the only hair removed. This will remove the hair in the areas most prone to sweating. It’s good for a horse that is in moderate work and turned out often.

The Trace Clip can come in many variations. Generally you will trim the hair on the underside of the chest, neck, and belly. A Trace Clip will allow the horse to cool out easily from strategic areas. While being able to be turned out without a blanket. This is similar to the Belly Clip, except the belly clip does not require the neck to be clipped.

The Full-Body Clip requires the hair on the neck, trunk, and hindquarters to be clipped. Horses that show will often have their head and legs clipped as well. This clip allows the most efficient cooling out and grooming process. However this clip requires the horse to be blanketed almost all the time.

The Hunter Clip is when the horse’s hair is all clipped on the body except for a patch on their back in the shape of a saddle or quarter sheet. The hair on the legs and head is left long as well to provide a barrier to thick brush that a field hunter would encounter. This kind of clip on a horse will also require persistent blanketing.

Winter is definitely upon us. Full blow in some areas that are getting a foot plus of snow! But all of that is not quite the point I’m impressing on you. Many people don’t know how to help their horse during the winter. So they just keep them stalled most of the time, with minimal turnout. Fear not though! There are several tips to giving your horse the most turn out possible.

1. Feed lots of forage: this will help keep them warm. Or warm them up faster if they’re cold.
2. Try to keep mud on a minimum: this will help keep shoes on their feet and prevent them from getting “scratches”.
3. Blanket if needed: this will help keep them warm if they cannot keep themselves warm. Some horses just need a little help. If you blanket make sure that you don’t under or over blanket your horse, which could cause health issues for them.
4. Keep water available: you can use heated water buckets or buy water heaters if you cannot make sure 100% of the time that the water is not frozen. If you do not have access to a water heater of some sort putting hot water in your trough can help, although you will still have to check on the water frequently (even through the night to prevent colic).
5. Provide shelter: this will give them the option to get out of the elements (snow, rain, wind, ect.).
6. Be on the look out for ice: try to keep water from pooling in your pastures. If you cannot keep all ice at bay keep on hand some kitty litter (non-clump) to get rid of ice.
7. Protect their eyes: with winter winds you may want to use a fly mask on your horse to keep debris out of their eyes.
8. Shoe for winter: if you need to keep shoes on your horse talk to your farrier about adding extra traction to the shoes. Also you can put Vaseline or Crisco on the bottom of the hoofs to prevent ice from sticking.

Good luck winter-proofing your barn, your horse, and you. If you have any other tips or tricks please let me know.

I conducted a poll over the summer asking people what kind of board they chose. The results were as follows:
Stall with Turnout: 8 people
Pasture: 11 people
Full care: 10 people
Partial care: 9 people

People who chose the “Stall with Turnout” had turnout time ranging from 4 hours to 12 hours. People who chose “Pasture” had varying responses to having shelter for their horses. Some had shelter in the field and some were allowed to be brought into the barn if needed.

Prices for “Full care” and “Stall” ranged from  $125.00 to $750.00.
Prices for “Partial care” ranged from $100.00 to $210.00.
Prices for “Pasture” ranged from $50.00 to $265.00.

An important thing to remember when debating which kind of board you should pick is not the money. Of course if you cannot physically afford something that’s different. But you should think of your horse. Some horses for what ever reason, health or mentally, cannot go out in a field or stall 24/7.

There is no right or wrong answer to the question of “What kind of turnout does my horse need?” But you can come up with an educated guess as to what is best. Fist and fore most listen to your horse. Look at what kind of problems they have. Look at their work out schedule. Many horses have problems with other horses, their health, anxiety, weight, and just about anything you can think of. I know two of my horses can’t be in a stall because they can’t handle it. They get to stressed and anxious when they come out. They jump, bolt, buck, and rear. One of them even kicked out half of a wall in his stall. Yet on the other hand my other horse (I have a total of three) can be in a stall. She’s indifferent to it all; as long as there’s hay in there she’s game. She enjoys turnout but seems to have no preference. Then I know several horses that need their stall. They feel safe and secure in there. If they go out into a field they get anxious. Then there are horses that have to be stalled because they can’t handle herd life for whatever reason; it may be they’re mean, they get bullied, or they are insanely herd bound.

When debating pasture board, you should consider: What kind of turnout are they currently getting. If it’s not a lot then you run the risk of them colicing or foundering if you are not permitted to ease them into the pasture. When allowed to ease them into a pasture you should add 30 minutes to an hour everyday—on top of their usual amount—until they can go out 24/7. This could be a hassle, but better safe than sorry. If your horse has 24/7 turnout and you just move to another barn you should not have any problems. Of course this is not always true some horses are sensitive to different types of grasses.

When debating stall board, you should consider: Has your horse ever been stalled. If not you will want to think very hard about this option. Some horse can work them selves up too much in a stall. They’ve been known to colic, harm themselves and/or other, or get ulcers. The transition to a stall can be made easier if a horse they know is next to or across from them. So that they have a friend. Or if the stall has a paddock attached to it, so that they move around more. Also try to keep lots of hay in front of them. This could be helpful so that they don’t have hours to work themselves up and get into trouble.

Another major factor in your pasture vs. stall debate is—what does the barn offer. Some barns are only stall or stall with minimal turnout (only a couple hours a day, just to stretch their legs). Some only have pasture with a run-in. Some have both, and you’re lucky if they offer options. The most important thing to remember when picking a turnout plan for your horse is: DON’T just go by what other people say. Go by your horse.

Stable Scoop Episode 67
The Holiday’s are here! We know it’s hard to believe but we are here to save the day with our 2nd Annual Equestrian Collections 2009 Holiday Gift Guide. The great folks at Equestrian Collections were kind enough to join us with the hottest gifts for this Holiday season. Tune in and fill out that Holiday Gift list today!

Stable Scoop Episode 68
Hosts, Helena and Glenn, with the help of Glenn’s wife give you their selections for gifts for this year. Some are serious, some not so much! Listen in to the holiday frivolity…

Horse Tip Daily Episode 96
Fran Jurga returns in her series of tips on great books for holiday gifts. Fran reviews two new fantastic book related to a horse’s health. Listen in…

Horse Tip Daily Episode 99
Fran Jurga returns in her series of tips on great books for holiday gifts. Fran reviews two new “how-to” books. Listen in…

There was a study at the University of Georgia that test how behavioral differences in fillies and geldings influence their training early in life. In the experiment there were a total of 18 horses from similar QH bloodlines, 9 fillies and 9 geldings. The students that participated were taking a 15-week semester class for horse training and were unaware of the ongoing experiment. Each student was assigned a gelding and a filly. By the mid-point of their course they were asked to rate the progress of their horses and again at the end of the course. The scale that was used was: 1(strongly describes) to 5(does not describe) for certain characteristics (ex: aggressive, skittish, stubborn, and tense). The horses were also rated on how they performed certain skills (leading, picking up hooves, and longeing) on a scale of 1(most negative) to 5(most positive).

The students participating worked with the horses everyday. Therefore the scores were not based on first impressions.

The resulting data showed that the fillies were most likely to be classified as aggressive, excitable, or suspicious by their handlers than the geldings. Although according to the scores the fillies were quicker to learn certain skills such as leading and trotting in hand.

The fillies were more sensitive and reactive, but in worked in the students favor when it came to certain tasks.

The geldings were a lot calmer and lazier, which helped them during tasks such as being fly sprayed or hosed.

References:
>Equus Magazine
>Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, May 2009: Determination of gender differences in trainability in yearlings.