365 Days in Horse Country – No Hoof, No Horse     There is an old saying that speaks to the importance of sound feet:  no hoof, no horse!  While rather simple, it is so very true.  Few things are as important to your horse’s health as his feet. Horse’s hooves grow continuously, just like our fingernails.  In the wild, horses naturally wear down their hooves as they travel many miles ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Organized Trail Rides       We all know that we, as horse people, can be as social as our horses.  What better way to socialize with other horsefolks than on horseback. The idea of having fun with your horse friends while you all go out for a ride led to the birth of the organized trail ride.  Sponsored by riding clubs, equine community organizations, or ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Organizing Your Tack     Some people are naturally organized, but if you are like most of the equestrians, your tack area could use a bit of straightening up.  Getting your tack organized will cut down on the time you spend looking for hoof picks and lead ropes, and it will also help you discover what you no longer need to keep around. Whether you keep your ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Secretariat     Not all great horses in history have centuries-long legacies.  One of the most incredible equines of all time lived and died in the late twentieth century. His name was Secretariat, and he was a 16.2 hand chestnut Thoroughbred stallion born in Doswell, Virginia.  His sire was Bold Ruler, a well-known racehorse, and his dam a mare named Some ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Coping with Colic     Horse owners dread dealing with colic, and for good reason.  In horses, colic produces a serious and unpleasant set of symptoms that can result in death or severe illness if not treated immediately. Colic is basically stomach pain, which, in horses, can be extremely uncomfortable.  Because of the way horses are built, they can’t vomit ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Holsteiner     Monasteries have played a key role in the development of many breeds.  The Holsteiner is one such breed.  It hails from the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany where it dates to the fourteenth century.  The Holsteiner was bred by local monks for multiple purposes: first as war horses prized for their strength, courage, and reli ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Checking Your Saddle’s Fit     We would all like to think that our horses enjoy being ridden.  This is more likely to be true if your horse is wearing a saddle that properly fits him. Some horses are very expressive about their discomfort, going so far as to buck their riders off if the saddles they are wearing are pinching them or creating some other kind ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Bowed Tendon     Athletic horses frequently suffer from tendonitis, or bowed tendon.  It is a primary reason for the retirement of many horses, in particular racehorses. With this type of injury, the tendon fibers rupture to varying degrees.  Blood vessels also rupture, and fluid can accumulate in the affected area.  A bowed tendon usually occurs after a ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Pacing     If your horse were a Standardbred pulling a sulky, you might want him to pace.  This is the gait performed by many Standardbred race horses that involves the legs on both sides of the horse moving at the same time.  Standardbreds trained for the track can pace at speeds of around 35 miles per hour (15.6 m/s). While pacing is a desired gait on t ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Five Freedoms  Dr. Paul McGreevy, a globally respected veterinarian, scientists and equine behaviourist, has been at the forefront of an insurgence of science-based equine education in the hopes, that by influencing fresh thinking about our relationships with our horses, we might be in a better place to do the right thing by them.  One of the philosophies ...