365 Days in Horse Country – Quidding   Quidding refers to an eating disorder that may be caused by abnormal space between adjacent cheek teeth.  Horses that quid often chew with their mouth open.  They take a mouthful of food, chew it partially until it forms a mass, and then drop it from the mouth.  Sometimes the horse stops chewing briefly, and then starts again.  At other times, th ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Training for Harness  Have you ever had the urge to hitch your horse to a sleigh so that you could trot through the snow?  If so, consider training him for harness. Training a horse for harness is similar to training a horse to be ridden, except the horse must learn to pull something behind him instead of carrying a rider on his back.  If your horse is alre ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Fell Pony Fell Ponies are among those native English breeds called mountain and moorland ponies.  They were bred to be easy keepers in the harsh country of northern England, able to survive and even thrive with poor grazing land and only rough shelter.  The name Fell derives from the local word for the surrounding hills. The Fell Pony is a descendant o ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Bitless Bridles    Horses have been ridden for hundreds of years, but a recent trend in bitless riding is questioning this age-old method of controlling a horse.  All part of the move toward “natural” horsemanship, bitless riding is reported to be more humane for the horse than wearing a bit. Bitless bridles work by putting pressure on different area of a ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis Potassium is an electrolyte that is essential for healthy function of the body, but in the case hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), it is too much of a good thing.  This inherited disease of the muscle is caused by a genetic defect.  Horses with HYPP are redisposed to intermittent episodes of muscle tremors or paralysis c ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Backing in Hand If you ride regularly, you probably practice backing up your horse, especially if you are a Western rider.  But how much do you practice backing your horse in hand? Start by putting your horse in a halter and lead rope.  Find a place where you have a lot of room to maneuver.  Ask your horse to back up by facing him, standing slightly to the ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Lead-Line Class     Horses aren’t just for teenage girls, cowboys, and middle-aged women.  Tiny tots enjoy horses, too.   The lead-line class, seen in both English and Western shows, was created for young children who want to be part of the action. Lead-line classes feature a well-behaved horse or pony, all decked out in her best show apparel.  Children ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Leather Care One of the most intoxicating smells to a horseperson is the smell of leather.  Walk into a tack room, and the scent overwhelms you with warm feelings about time you’ve spent with horses. Your leather tack is valuable because you love the way it looks, smells, and feels.  It’s also valuable because it also does the work for you.  You depend o ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Cleveland Bay Said to be England’s oldest established horse breed, the Cleveland Bay takes its name from the Cleveland area of northeast England where it was developed.  In the Middle Ages, the Cleveland Bay was bred at monasteries for use as pack animals.  Its ancestors probably included pack horses from the Yorkshire Dales knows as Chapman horses for ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The New Forest Pony Some 3,000 wild New Forest Ponies still roam England’s New Forest, a 90,000 acre (36 421 ha) preserve in Hampshire on England’s southern coast from which they get their name, but these days the quiet, willing ponies are also known as versatile athletes.  Their speed over rough terrain and natural jumping ability ensure their reputation as ...