365 Days in Horse Country – The Hardy Haflinger  The Haflinger ia an attractive little horse that hails from the Austrian and Italian Alps of Europe.  Named after the Tyroleon mountain village of Hafling, these hardy mountain ponies lived in the Alps during the Middle Ages.  They spent their lives among the winding, narrow paths of the steep mountains, plowing fields, pulling logs, and ...

365 Days in Horse Country – When Horses Sleep     Many people think that horses never lie down.  This must mean they sleep standing up, right?  The truth is that they do lie down, and yet they also sleep on their feet. Unlike humans, horses don’t need eight to ten hours of sleep a night.  Because they are prey animals, nature designed them to be able to function well on very little s ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Spanish Mustang When the Spaniards first came to the New World, they brought more than swords and a lust for gold with them.  They also brought horses. Bred to carry soldiers for days on end through rugged terrain, the horses that came with the Spaniards to Mexico eventually found their way to what is today, the southwestern United States.  From there, ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Cattle Drives    In the mid-nineteenth century, cattle drives were common ways for a cowboy to spend days or weeks.  Moving cattle was an essential part of a cowhand’s job.  Cattle needed to be herded from winter grazing lands to summer ones and vice versa, as well as to the auction yard when their time was up. Even with all our modern technology, old-fashi ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Rearing     From the human perspective, one of the scariest maneuvers a horse can execute is rearing.  When a horse stands on her hind legs, lifting her forefeet off the ground, the rider fears for his or her life, and with good reason.  Rearing horses can easily flip over backward. Rearing can be caused by the following factors: Spooking Reaction to a ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Stable Lighting      When the sun is shining and you are spending time with your horse, lighting is the last thing on your mind.  But if you have ever found yourself trying to muck stalls or untack your horse in the dark, you know how important stable lighting really is. Here are some key places that need lighting to keep in mind when you are planning or ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Safety Review    It’s easy to get comfortable around horses when you spend so much time with them.  But one of the worst mistakes a horse person can make is to become complacent about safety.  Horses are big animals, and they can easily hurt or even kill a human without meaning to.  Even the quietest, gentlest equines are capable of accidentally causing gre ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Competitive Trail Riding    Trail riders who enjoy competition have found their sport in an event called competitive trail riding.  Most widely sponsored by North American Trail Riding Conference, or NATRAC, competitive trail riding take place in regions all over the Canada and the United States.  It can be done with any kind of horse or tack, and it doesn’ ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Bucking One of the scariest misbehaviours a horse can throw at you is a buck.  Her head goes down, and her back end goes up, as her hind feet seem to point to the sky.  Small bucks are not too hard to sit out if you have good balance.  The larger, more determined ones on the other hand are another story altogether and can unseat even the best of riders.  Hor ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Riding on the Lunge Line     Maintaining your balance on the horse is probably the single most important aspect of riding.  Without balance, you won’t stay on your horse for long.  Good balance also makes it easier for your horse to carry you. A great way to improve your balance is to ride on the lunge line.  The lunge line is a rope measuring anywhere fr ...