365 Days in Horse Country – Arena Maintenance If you are among the lucky and fortunate enough to have a riding arena on your property so that you can work your horse on a regular basis, you also have a responsibility to keep it in good condition.  In order to keep your horse comfortable and safe, your arena will require some regular routine maintenance.  Here is what you can do; Mak ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Art of Dressage  Dressage is among the oldest riding disciplines in the world, dating back to ancient Greece.  Classical dressage is still practiced much in the way it was originally performed in ancient times, while a more modern version of the discipline is also practiced.  The sport has long been popular Europe, and it has gained a lot of fame in No ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Fitting  Your Helmet  It’s important to make sure a helmet fits you right so you’ll get the best protection in the event of a fall. Before purchasing a helmet, try it on.  The helmet should fit snugly on your head.  You shouldn’t be able to move it on your head; either in a front to back or in a side to side motion.  Remember, you want it to stay in place ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Wear a Helmet! Galloping along with the wind blowing through your flowing locks certainly is a romantic notion, and the freedom of not being constrained a rather a nice feeling.  While safety equipment isn’t terribly sexy, neither is a hospital room or a casket. It’s unfortunate but true that head injuries are all to common among equestrians.  When you fa ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Darley Arabian  One of the most famous Arabian horses in the world is not known for his accomplishments within his breed, but actually for being the foundation for a new one; the Thoroughbred. The Darley Arabian was a handsome bay stallion reported to have come from the Nedj, the central tableland of the Arabian peninsula, known as the cradle of Arabian equi ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Steer Daubing     If you like chasing cows, you’ll love steer daubing, the sport of marking a steer on its side with a stick dipped in chalk. In this sport, horse and rider break from a gate the same time the steer is released next to them.  The horse and rider chase the steer and try to daub the animal with chalk (or sometimes flour) on the side.  The ev ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Gymkhana One of the most exciting Western horseback sports is gymkhana, a rodeo-style sport that involves speed and precision. Barrel racing and pole bending are the two most well-known and popular gymkhana activities. In barrel racing, barrels are set up in a pattern. The horse and rider team are expected to run the barrels in a clover or other type of pattern ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Missouri Fox Trotter The Missouri Fox Trotter developed in the Missouri Ozark mountains of the United States, where pioneers from Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia, and Arkansas settled after the Show Me State was given statehood in 1821. The horses they brought along crossed with each other over the decades, and the result was a surefooted horse with t ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Caring for a Newborn Foal  Baby horses are adorable, but they are fragile creatures that require close supervision and good care. Assuming your mare has a normal delivery, the foal will be born front feet and head first.  The mare will lick the fetal membrane off the foal, and the baby will try to stand about half an hour after birth.  If the foal is not s ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Steeplechase   The sport of steeplechase is one of the most exciting and dramatic of all equine sports.  First conceived in Ireland in the 1800s, the sport got its name from the very first race that took place in a part of the countryside where church steeples were the tallest landmarks. Today, steeplechasing is the most popular in the United States, Unite ...