Near Side. The left side, also called the “near side,” is considered the proper side for mounting and dismounting a horse. This tradition goes back to the days when horses were used in battle, and the rider’s weapon was a sword. What is the right side of the horse called? Read more…
While humans have some large muscles and a bit of tissue below the knee that helps to stabilize a broken bone, along with a cast, a horse has very little muscle and hardly any other tissue besides tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and some nerves below the knee. Why can’t horses Read more…
Horses have three types of hair on their body that all feel different. Mane, tail, and fur. Their mane hair feels just like human hair, soft, silky and long. Maybe a little bit less silky because they don’t tend to use conditioner! How does a horse mane feel like? Horsehair Read more…
Horses require six main classes of nutrients to survive; they include water, fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins,and minerals. What are the 6 essential nutrients for horses? When feeding horses, it is important to recognize that there are six basic nutrient categories that must be met: carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and Read more…
Roughage/Forage Roughage, found in hay or grass, is the bulk of the horse’s food. Grass or alfalfa hay, or a combination of the two, are good sources of roughage. What do farm horses eat? In simple terms, horses eat grass and hay or haylage, but salt, concentrates and fruits or Read more…
Horses can spread viruses including Hendra, rabies, vesicular stomatitis, and equine influenza through a bite wound. Bacteria such as those that cause tetanus, MRSA, and other staphylococcal or rhodococcal infections infections can also be transmitted. What happens if a horse bites you? If you are bitten and it breaks the Read more…
Word to the wise: Not all flowers are OK for horses to eat. Some, like buttercups and oleander, can actually be toxic. Check out this list of plants that could be harmful to your horse. Can horses eat Rose? A beautiful addition to your stable might be a hedge of Read more…
The horses forage for grasses and plants found naturally in their habitat, and they drink fresh water from the Currituck Sound estuarine system, rain puddles, manmade canals and small lakes formed by storm water. No supplemental feeding is necessary and can actually harm the wild horses. What do wild horses Read more…
How deep do people typically bury a horse? Most states require a minimum of three to four feet of ground cover between the body of the horse and the surface. A six- to seven-foot hole will provide this depth for most horses. For especially large equines, you may have to Read more…
The equine heart is comprised of four chambers: right atrium, which takes in blood returning from the body depleted of oxygen; the right ventricle, which pumps that blood into the lungs to refill with oxygen via the pulmonary artery; the left atrium, which receives that oxygenated blood; and the left Read more…