blinkers. 4 reasons horses wear blinders. Blinders, also called blinkers or winkers, are cups made from either leather or plastic. What kind of eyes do horses have? Eye colour Horses usually have brown or blue eyes. However, brown eyes are far more common. Horse breeds with a high proportion of Read more…
Horses can sleep with their eyes either closed or open — and somewhere in between, with their lids half-closed. Whether your horse’s eyes are open or closed is likely an indication of how sound he is sleeping, with open eyes indicating a lighter sleep. What does it mean when a Read more…
Contrast this to the humble horse, and you’re looking at close to zero tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (due to the closed loop carbon cycle) and 2.07 tonnes of methane – a decrease on the average car of 23%. Does a horse emit more CO2 than a car? In the Read more…
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…