365 Days in Horse Country – The Irish Draft  Irish farm horses of the nineteenth century filled multiple roles, from tilling the fields, to pulling carts to fox hunting on the weekends.  That called for a lighter-weight animal than the traditional draft horse, but it was still substantial, making it popular today for its breeding qualities.  Irish Draught mares produce excellent hunte ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Draft Horse Competition     The draft horse breeds were originally developed to pull heavy loads, which is something they have been doing for centuries.  Although we now have motorized vehicles to do this work, draft horses are still valued in some circles for their ability to pull. Draft horse pulling competitions can be found around the world, and they ar ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Zorse A horse is a horse, of course, of course…. except when it’s a Zorse!  If you guessed that a Zorse is half zebra and half horse, you are correct.  There are also Zebroids or Zebrulas (any hybred horse with zebra ancestry), Zules (when crossed with donkeys), and Zonies (when crossed with ponies).  They are the result of mating between a male zebra a ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Proper  Leading   One of the first things you learn about horse handling is how to lead.  Seems simple enough; just grab the lead rope and walk, and the horse will follow.  Of course, that’s not all there is to it.  Leading safely and correctly is another story. People who have been around horses all their lives are usually the worst culprits when it comes ...

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 ...