Category: Horses

Ice is a problem in horse paddocks as falls and slips can lead to serious injury. The best solution is to remove the horse from the paddock, until the ice melts, but few horse owners have that option. Sand can be helpful to increase traction. However, it is ideal to not feed the horses in […]

The placement and structure of your horse’s eyes is vastly different from a human’s. While we can easily wear glasses to correct poor vision, this isn’t possible for horses. Also, we are used to a clear field of vision in front of us. Horses, however, have amazing peripheral vision with two blind spots one directly […]

Hay nets are notoriously awkward to fill and close. The other problem with nets is that the drawstring you use to close and hang the net usually wears out a lot faster than the rest of the net because of repeated pulling and wear when you hang the net from a metal ring. To solve […]

Equine behavior research is teaching us that the best way to teach an old pony a new trick is to reward them for positive behavior instead of punishing them for negative behavior. According to the results from a study in France, awarding horses for correct moves during training is more effective and has longer lasting […]

The issue of finding the correct bit can be a complex one. Since bits are made from metal, they can be hard and unforgiving. The very first thing to check when you have a bitting problem is the teeth. Have you had a good floating job done in the last year? Most horses need about […]

I see it all the time, horse owners try to halter or bridle their horse and the animal constantly knocking on them while trying to rub its head and face against them. This is a bad habit to let your horse get into. Little kids get knocked down or hurt from a horse hitting against […]

When your horse has severe muscle cramping known as tying up, do your best to keep him still and comfortable while you wait for the veterinarian. Immediately allow you horse to stand exactly where he stopped. He can’t “walk out of” these muscle cramps. In fact, making him move would only compound the damage to […]

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has created a list of vaccines that are recommended for all horses. These vaccines include Rabies, Eastern & Western Equine Encephalomyelitis, Tetanus and West Nile Virus. Horses who have never been vaccinated will require an initial vaccination followed by a booster given approximately one month later. After the […]

There is nothing more frustrating than looking forward to a nice ride and ending up standing in the field with the horse running circles around you. A horse that evades being caught is a nuisance. It is frustrating for the owner and many busy owners do not have time to waste. If the horse gets […]

An interesting thing about a horse is that some fifty million years ago, it looked like the horse we know today, except that it was a small creature, only eleven inches high. It had four toes on its front feet and three toes on its hind feet. Scientists called it Eohippus, or “Dawn Horse.” This […]