Generally speaking, a stable is a timber building that is used to house horses. A barn is also usually made of timber, but it is most often used to keep livestock, or to store machinery or equipment. There are instances where the two terms may be used interchangeably, so it Read more…
Most horses have 205 bones in their skeleton but this can vary across some breeds. Arabians, for example, can have fewer bones in their spinal column. And while most horses have 18 ribs, because some Arabians’ thoracic spinal column is shorter, this breed may only have 17 ribs. How many Read more…
In order to keep your horse’s stall in good condition, stable cleaning should be done daily. As long as you regularly keep on top of it, mucking out your horse’s stable should only take about 20 minutes. How often do horses need to mucked out? Stalls should be mucked at Read more…
Most experts recommend resting a pasture for at least 60 days. This allows the grass to regrow. How long should you rest a field? Early in the growing season, when growth is rapid, resting time should be around 14 days. As growth starts to slow, resting time needs to extend Read more…
Treating Bloating Medications, such as banamine, may be given to help encourage the digestive system to pass blockages and begin working again. Walking the horse and limiting his intake of food and water (if he even wants to eat) may also help the condition. How can I help my bloated Read more…
False pregnancies are not uncommon in mares. The incidence may range from 5 to 10% of estrous cycles. Therefore, horse owners and breeding managers should not rely on exclusively on teasing to determine if a mare is pregnant. How do you tell if a horse is pregnant or not? Tell-tale Read more…
Hay should be the primary source of calories for your horses, with grain feed added only if grass or legume hay is not enough. Why is that? Well, because equine digestive systems are designed to absorb the nutrients in the hay more effectively than from other sources. Why can’t some Read more…
In Norse mythology, Sleipnir /ˈsleɪpnɪər/ (Old Norse: [ˈslɛipnez̠]; “slippy” or “the slipper”) is an eight-legged horse ridden by Odin. Why does Odin’s horse have 8 legs? There was symbolism behind the fact that he had eight legs – Sleipnir could bring souls across the nine worlds of Norse mythology. His Read more…
tail. The area at the top of the tail is called the dock. Below the skin are muscles and the extension of the vertebrae from the spine. What is dock on a horse? The tail of the horse and other equines consists of two parts, the dock and the skirt. Read more…
Select hay with a low level of soluble carbohydrates for the IR horse. Small grain hays such as oat and ryegrass have much greater sugar content than other grass hays like timothy and orchard grass. What feed is best for laminitic horses? For a laminitic prone horse/pony, low sugar roughage Read more…