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 ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Lead-Line Class     Horses aren’t just for teenage girls, cowboys, and middle-aged women.  Tiny tots enjoy horses, too.   The lead-line class, seen in both English and Western shows, was created for young children who want to be part of the action. Lead-line classes feature a well-behaved horse or pony, all decked out in her best show apparel.  Children ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Leather Care One of the most intoxicating smells to a horseperson is the smell of leather.  Walk into a tack room, and the scent overwhelms you with warm feelings about time you’ve spent with horses. Your leather tack is valuable because you love the way it looks, smells, and feels.  It’s also valuable because it also does the work for you.  You depend o ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Cleveland Bay Said to be England’s oldest established horse breed, the Cleveland Bay takes its name from the Cleveland area of northeast England where it was developed.  In the Middle Ages, the Cleveland Bay was bred at monasteries for use as pack animals.  Its ancestors probably included pack horses from the Yorkshire Dales knows as Chapman horses for ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The New Forest Pony Some 3,000 wild New Forest Ponies still roam England’s New Forest, a 90,000 acre (36 421 ha) preserve in Hampshire on England’s southern coast from which they get their name, but these days the quiet, willing ponies are also known as versatile athletes.  Their speed over rough terrain and natural jumping ability ensure their reputation as ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Natural Living The trend toward living naturally is well established in humans, and it’s starting to take hold in the horse world, too. With horses, this trend is not just about natural supplements and organic food.  It’s all about daily lifestyle. Researchers have studied wild horses to learn how nature designed horses to live.  They discovered that wild ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Applying Eye Drops  It’s not unusual for horses to suffer injuries to the eye.  They can have run-ins with stable doors and fence posts or receive a kick from another horse.  Grass seeds or thorns can scrape or puncture the surface of the eye as well.  Infection or disease can also affect the eye.  For all situations, eye drops may be required for treatmen ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Mares and Foals   Horses make some of the best mothers in the world.  Watch a mare with her foal, and you can learn lessons about love and parenting that you could never learn from reading a book. From the moment a foal is born, the mare begins cleaning it.  This is the beginning of the bonding ritual, securing baby to mother in a tight bond that only death ...