Horses are flight animals, but what does this mean for us as horse lovers and riders? When a horse senses danger, behavioral patterns based on vital and ancient instincts emerge. The ancestors of domesticated horses were prairie animals. Are horses flight or fight animals? Most horses use flight as their Read more…
The fight-or-flight response involves nervous impulses which result in hormone secretions into the bloodstream. When a horse reacts to a threat, it may initially “freeze” in preparation to take flight. The fight-or-flight reaction begins in the amygdala, which triggers a neural response in the hypothalamus. What is flight or fight Read more…
Heading and Heeling Explained This exciting sport is a beautiful example of how horse and rider can come together to work a specific task. The heel horse is a member of the dynamic duo that makes up a roping team. They are responsible for roping the hind legs of the Read more…
Many racehorse trainers believe that blinkers keep horses focused on what is in front, encouraging them to pay attention to the race rather than to distractions such as crowds. Additionally, driving horses commonly wear blinkers to keep them from being distracted or spooked, especially on crowded city streets. Are blinkers Read more…
Many racehorse trainers believe that blinkers keep horses focused on what is in front, encouraging them to pay attention to the race rather than to distractions such as crowds. Additionally, driving horses commonly wear blinkers to keep them from being distracted or spooked, especially on crowded city streets. Do horses Read more…
the nictitating membrane. The eyes of a horse are protected not only by the same types of eyelids that people have, but also by the nictitating membrane, which is sometimes called the third eyelid. What is the third eyelid on a horse? nictitating membraneThe third eyelid, also known as the Read more…
The easiest explanation is that the rider applies one leg stronger than the other to ask the horse to move away from that stronger leg. Why does a horse walk sideways? In horses, the first signs of central nervous system trouble are more likely to be weakness or gait asymmetry. Read more…
Winkers – a sheepskin device which attaches to the cheek straps of the bridle once again to help the horse focus it’s vision to the front, but winkers allows more side vision than a blinker. Why do horses wear winkers? Many racehorse trainers believe that blinkers keep horses focused on Read more…
Your horse’s blood is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma. What is horse blood composed of? The average 500kg horse has roughly 40 litres of blood. Plasma, the liquid portion, makes up roughly 55% and cells comprise the remainder. The cells are mostly red Read more…
A twitch is a device that is used to restrain horses for various stressful situations, such as veterinary treatment. It is usually made up of a stick-like handle loop of chain or rope on the end, or a metal ring with a rope loop which is wrapped around the upper Read more…