Massaging pre-exercise stimulates circulation to prepare the horse for athletic activity. It doesn’t replace a correctly timed warm-up and stretch protocol, but assists in delivering more blood, oxygen and nutrients to muscle fibers and is valuable prior to saddling up. When should you not massage a horse? Don’t massage your Read more…
Experts say that horses produce three different non-vocal sounds, all by passing air through their large nostrils. Who knew? Snores are very short raspy sounds produced when a horse is examining something new. Blows are described as short and very intense exhalations and are associated with vigilance or alarm. What Read more…
Squeeze Gently squeeze the middle of the horse’s ribcage with the calves of your legs to cue him to move forward. Squeezing is politely asking the horse to go forward. What do you say to get a horse to go? Alternatively, some people say “Ho”, just how it looks. To Read more…
Horses will develop trust through contact, riding, and grooming. As a result, they’ll show signs of gratitude when you approach them. That affection will look different than that of a dog or cat. Are horses affectionate to their owners? Horses are affectionate animals, once you know the signs it will Read more…
Most horses, especially sports horses, should be backed by the age of three to minimise these issues. What does it mean when a horse gets backed? The term ‘cold-backed’ is used to describe a horse displaying symptoms of a sensitive or painful back. These symptoms can range from very mild, Read more…
Long before a horse refuses to go forward he may give us clues that he is testing our leadership role. A: A horse usually resists or refuses a request from his rider for one of four reasons: pain, misunderstanding, fear or disrespect. To correct the problem, you need to identify Read more…
You should wear shoes that have a 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch tall heel to prevent your feet from slipping through stirrups, offer protection from being stepped on by a horse, and provide a moderate level of traction in the stirrup. Do you need a heel to ride a Read more…
Even without mirrors, you should be able to feel straightness. A quick check is to look over your right shoulder, then look over your left shoulder and you should see the same amount of rump on both sides. Where do you look when riding? Riders should “locate” the top rail, Read more…
A simple combination is equal parts of beet pulp and oats = 94 + 1 calcium equivalents and 9 + 41 phosphorus equivalents = 95:50 for a ratio of 1.9:1. Another is one part alfalfa and two parts oats = 147 + 2(1) calcium and 9 + 2(41) phosphorus = Read more…
A. That depends on the type of salt lick, the number of horses and where it’s hung. Expect a salt lick hung in a stall for a single horse to last several months, while a block in a shallow bucket feeding a dozen horses might only last three weeks, especially Read more…