365 Days in Horse Country – The One-Rein Stop    Think about it:  Your trust your horse with your life every time you mount up.  If your horse is sensible and well trained, it’s a risk worth taking.  But even the most reliable horse can be frightened or excited, and you can lose control.  This is where the one-rein stop comes in. The one-rein stop is your emergency brake when you are ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Should You Breed Your Horse?     Many horse owners believe that if they have a mare, they should breed her at some point in her life.  After all, wouldn’t it be fun to have a foal around? Before you breed your mare, you must make some considerations. Just like with dogs and cats, more horses exist than homes.  Thousands of horses go to slaughter each yea ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Spanish Jennet    Long before the age of exploration of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a distinct type of horse could be found all throughout Europe.  Called the Spanish Jennet, this popular mount was a small saddle horse of Iberian origins with a naturally smooth ambling gait. The horse had a compact build and an overall dramatic look. Spanish ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Chiropractic Treatment for Horses     Horse are great candidates for chiropractic treatments.  Equine chiropractic therapies are based on the theory that spinal and joint dysfunction can affect the overall physical well-being of horses.  Chiropractors believe that the spine and all its associated structures (including nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and lig ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Horseback Archery    The practice of shooting arrows from horseback is older than the saddle, going back thousands of years.  The Greeks and Romans practiced this form of warfare, as did the peoples of Mongolia, China, and Japan.  The Plains Indians of the American West were also skilled horseback archers. Recently, this ancient art has been revived, and ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Tack Crack     Any horse person will tell you that their local tack store is like crack cocaine.  In fact, it’s hard to find a self-respecting horseperson who doesn’t enjoy a visit to the tack store for both pleasure and practicality.  Not only is it fun to see all the different horse stuff for sale, but people who own horses are always in need of supplies ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Traveller   Behind every great general, you’ll find a great horse…. At least that was true when horses were the sole means of transportation during pre-industrial wartime. One of these great horses was Traveller, an American Saddlebred gelding owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee.  Memorialised in a 1988 book called “Traveller” by Richard Adams, who a ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Welsh Pony     One of the most popular pony breeds in the world, the Welsh Pony originally comes from Wales.  More than 2,000 years ago, Welsh Ponies lived in the valleys of this northern European landscape, braving harsh winters and living off what little plant life grew in the cold environment.  These Ponies lived almost wild, in herds that were forc ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Fire Prevention  One of the most tragic events that could happen to a horse owner is a barn fire.  Barn fires have killed many horses, from famous racehorses to treasured pets. Barns are particularly susceptible to fire because of the many flammable items kept in their vicinity.  Hay, straw, and bedding ignite easily, and horse blankets and other tack go ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Team Penning  One of the most popular Western sports these days is team penning. In team penning classes, three horses and riders make up a team and sort three designated cows from a small herd.  Once the cows are sorted, the riders must pen them in a corral located at the opposite end of the arena.  The event is timed, and the fastest, most accurate tea ...