365 Days in Horse Country – Cribbing Cribbing is one of the most distasteful of equine behaviours, and horses with this habit are often ruled out when prospective owners are looking for a horse to buy. When a horse cribs, it gasps its front teeth on a horizontal object, tightens its neck muscles, and sucks in air with a grunt.  A horse that cribs will usually do it anywhere, and on an ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Alexander’s Horse Alexander The Great, the ancient Greek king of Macedonia lived from 356 to 323 BC.  He was a great warrior and leader, but he was also a famous horseman.  His black stallion, Bucephalus, is credited by some to have inspired Alexander to his role as conqueror. Alexander met Bucephalus when the horse was three years old and Alexander was jus ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Appaloosa (Idaho State Horse)  The Appaloosa first originated as an American breed in Idaho.  Spotted horses were among the mounts of the Nez Perce tribe of the Pacific Northwest when Lewis and Clark made their famous journey to the Oregon coast.  In the 1940s, a group of American horsemen who appreciated the rugged nature and beautiful coat patterns of ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Therapeutic Riding  Therapeutic riding is the use of horses to aid people dealing with mental of physical challenges.  Riding centres established to provide horseback therapy help people of all ages deal with a variety of issues. Specially trained instructors work with students using riding as a means of physical and emotional therapy.  Students are taught ho ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Stocking UpHave you ever noticed the lower part of your horse’s legs looking puffy when you get it out of its stall?  After a bit of exercise, does the puffiness go away?  If so, your horse is experiencing a condition called “stocking up”. Stocking up is a caused when blood and lymphatic fluids pool in the lower part of the horse’s legs.  This is usually th ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Hoof Cracks Horses get minor cracks and chips along the edge of the hoof all the time.  This is normal as the hoof grows out and begins to break off.  What isn’t normal are vertical cracks that start from the coronet band and extend down toward the toe.  These are called hoof cracks, and can be dangerous.  Hoof cracks are often caused by inappropriate hoof ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Deworming Intenstinal parasites love horses, and it’s not hard to see why.  Horses have 82 feet (25m) of intestines inside their abdominal cavity, providing a lot of room for worms to feed. Worms can drain your horse of the vital nutrients it needs to stay healthy.  They can also cause serious damage to your horse’s internal organs.  Horses infested with w ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Pasture Care If you are one of those lucky horse owners who has pasture for your equine charges, make sure you take good care of it.  You can do this by carefully managing the pasture in a way that will provide your horse with the nutrition they need while also preserving the land. To help maintain a healthy pasture, keep the following in mind: Rotation – ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Equine First Aid Kit You never know when your horse may injure itself.  Horses are large animals that seem to easily hurt themselves, especially when kept in small confines.  For this reason, it’s a good idea to keep an equine first-aid kit at the ready, both in the stable and when you are traveling with your horse.  This kit can come in very useful while ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The Friesian Horse The Friesian is a horse breed that is near and dear to my heart; having one myself.  The Friesian is a glamorous horse with a legendary and romantic past.  According to some, the Friesian goes back to the Ice Age, when a large primitive horse called Equus Robustus is believed to have lived in Friesland, the area of Europe now knows as the T ...