From the monthly archives: November 2009
There’s nothing like a stock tie to make an accomplished equestrian feel like they are all thumbs.
After years of cheating by using pre-tied stock ties, I took the plunge and bought one that required the ability to tie a square knot in a mirror and have it come out looking elegant.
The process gets [...]
Continue Reading →Quarter marks are the patterns that are back combed into your horse’s hair, generally placed over the hind quarters. They are an elegant addition to your show preparations.
Traditional patterns are checkerboards, diamonds and sharks teeth but there are stencils available that allow a host of different shapes.
Instructions Start with a clean horse. Spray [...]
Continue Reading →Cavalletti exercises are excellent for helping your horse develop rhythm, build his topline, gain confidence over obstacles and become a better athlete.
Proper placement of the cavalletti, or even of ground poles, is critical. If the poles are too close together you will cause the horse to shorten his gait; too far apart and it [...]
Continue Reading →Giving a horse medications is not always as easy as mixing a powder into its feed. Sometimes you need to administer them orally using a syringe.
Of course, squirting a paste into a resisting 1200 pound animal can be a source of great amusement for those watching and frustration for those administering. Here are some [...]
Continue Reading →A properly fitted blanket can help keep your horse warm and dry during chilly winter months. Fit is important. A blanket that is too small will restrict your horse’s movement and cause rubs; a blanket that is too large will let cold air, snow and rain in through the gaps and can also be dangerous [...]
Continue Reading →As a horse owner it’s important for you to be able to know how to check your horse’s vital signs.
An adult horse has a resting pulse rate of 28-45 beats per minute (count the double ‘lub dub’ as one full beat). You should check your horse’s pulse rate several times so that you can [...]
Continue Reading →“Bridging” your reins is a way for riders to maintain a steady contact with their horse’s mouth when riding.
It keeps the rider from fussing with their horse’s mouth, from inadvertently pulling back, or from having the reins pulled through their fingers by a horse that pulls. It’s also a helpful technique to know when [...]
Continue Reading →Everyone should know how to give an intra-muscular shot to their horse because there are times when it’s impractical (let alone too expensive) to have your vet come to your barn to come and give a series of injections for something such as a course of antibiotics.
Instructions
Giving an IM shot is relatively simple:
[...]
Continue Reading →Hoof boots are great products that can help you transition your horse to barefoot, ride barefoot horses on harder terrain, or protect a horse’s hoof if it’s thrown a shoe.
However, getting the right size and shape hoof boot is highly dependent on measuring your horse’s hoof properly.
How to measure Measure the width of [...]
Continue Reading →There are many times when you will want to apply standing wraps on your horse — they are useful for shipping, for supporting a leg after an injury (compression can help reduce swelling) or for protecting a leg that has a wound. However, it’s very important to learn proper techniques for wrapping a horse.
Wrapping [...]
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