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Archive for the ‘General’ Category

It’s winter time, the breed inspection season has come and gone in North America, and along with it branding season.

Branding season for horses–NOT for horse BUSINESSES.

If you have any business or marketing background, or have done any reading on the subject, you have heard of branding in the business context. Let’s take a look at what that actually is.

Brands on horses…

Yes, horses have a language of their own, and unfortunately many of us are not as aware of it as we should be. It’s a big mistake to not to know their language, as it could mean problems for us in the long run. Every swivel of the ear(s), hip movement, tail flick and facial expression means something. This is the language horses use to speak to other horses and to us – if only we would listen.

We…

Buying a horse at an auction is a crap shoot at best, as usually there are reasons why the horse is there in the first place – reasons you might not want to find out if you take the horse home.

Generally, unless you happen to be a horse trainer or Vet, you won’t have the chance to do a pre-purchase exam.…

Lunge with the right equipment: splint boots with bell boots/wraps, a properly fitted halter, lightweight lunge whip and a lunge line you can work with in comfort. Boots will protect their legs from injury if they happen to have an over reach. What you don’t need is for your horse to injure itself and then remember the experience as being a negative one. The…

Cheap and saddle honestly do not belong together in the same sentence. Why? Because quite literally, you DO get what you pay for if you buy a cheap saddle. And it’s not just that you will be uncomfortable, but it will not make your horse all that happy either, and may actually harm him.

Ok you’ve tried cheap and figured out that isn’t the…

Once you have accomplished sacking your horse out with the saddle pad and rope you can then move on to the worst thing ever invented in the horse’s mind – plastic. That thing that blows across fields when he is walking along minding his own business. The thing that makes crinkly, scrunching noises that scare the bejeepers out of him.
To sack your…

Spring is here, and the warmer weather is on the way. As the grass starts to grow, the sun appears and nothing seems so attractive as meandering down those country lanes or cantering up the bridle paths on your own horse.

If you have only ever ridden at a riding school before, buying your first horse will be a real experience for you –…

As with anything that you do with a horse, when you start lunging, start slow, smooth and easy. Think young horse, short attention span, still developing knees and short sessions. (5 to 7 minutes). This isn’t to say an older horse would not benefit from lunging, but generally speaking you are starting this with a younger equine.

First and foremost, the horse must know…

The best thing you can possibly do for your horse, no matter what their age, is sack them out. This is a little harder with older horses as they have already developed a set response to things that “spook” them – however, it can be done.

Sacking out simply means slowly and calmly introducing the horse to things they regard as scary – and…

Before you go to the great expense of buying a horse, you need to evaluate how good a rider you are, and just how much do you really know about horses and horse care. Make no mistake, you need to really be honest with yourself as this is a huge commitment. Ask yourself what size and age of horse would work best for you…