365 Days in Horse Country – Show Jumping      An exciting spectator sport that is popular worldwide is show jumping, in which powerful equine athletes team up with talented riders to negotiate challenging obstacles in the show ring. Most people are familiar with show jumping on the Olympic level, when horses and riders compete as teams and individuals for medals.  Throughout the world ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Reined Cow Horse    A special event showcasing the talents of Western stock breeds has emerged in recent years.  Called reined cow horse, or working cow horse, this sport elicits precise reining skills on the part of the horse and rider, along with solid cow sense in the horse. Reined cow horse works like this: Horse and rider enter the arena alone and per ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Treasure Hunts    Just about everyone embarked on a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt as a child: established a list of items you must find, then traipse around knocking on neighbour’s doors in a race to collect all the items on the list.  The team that find the most item wins. Scavenger hunting can also be done on horseback.  A popular horse camp activity, h ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Miniature Horses    The Miniature Horse is a diminutive copy of a regular-sized horse.  It originated in Europe when, in the 1600s, small horses were bred as pets for the rich.  Some of these mini equines found their way to Dutch and English coal mines in the 1700s, where they were enlisted to pull carts underground.  These “pit ponies”, as they were calle ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Arthritis    Arthritis I a common problem in horses, and not just old ones.  Even youngsters can develop this issue if they are genetically  predisposed to it. Arthritis is often the culprit in lameness in horses.  This inflammation of the joints results in pain and stiffness.  The knees, hocks, and fetlocks are the most often affected joints, and the con ...

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365 Days in Horse Country – Watch a Horse Movie!    Feeling sick?  Perhaps the weather has you feeling a little down?  Then there’s no better time than now to curl up with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a good horse movie! Horse movies have been around since the beginning of the film industry.  In fact, as mentioned in my April 23rd blog “The First Equine Movie Star”, the first moving ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Basic Brushing    We all know how to brush a horse….. or do we?  Do you have a system that really gets the dirt out and brings out your horse’s natural shine?  If not, then give this a whirl. First assemble all your tools. Ruby currycomb Stiff body brush Soft dandy brush Small, stiff detail brush for hard-to-reach places Clean towel First, curry you ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Organizing Your Horse’s Records Horse owners are among the busiest people around.  Not only do they have the same obligations as most other people, but they also have the added responsibility of riding and caring for their horses, too, which can take up hours a day depending on whether the horse is kept at home or at a boarding stable. This is why it is so es ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Changing Diets      Variety may be the spice of life, but when it comes to equine diets, variety can wreak havoc with a horse’s digestive system and result in a serious bout of colic. Whenever you need to change your horse’s diet, do it gradually.  If your horse currently eats three flakes of alfalfa hay per day and you want to switch him to two flakes of ...