To give the horse the best chance of avoiding colic from gut impaction, owners should take several days to accomplish this transition, gradually increasing stall time rather than making a sudden change. During the first week or so, horses should be watched as they spend more time in the stable. Read more…
Unlike carnivores who sleep for many hours, herbivores, horses, must remain alert for a long time. Therefore, the number of hours of sleep is so small and variable within the age of the horse. A foal can sleep half a day. From the age of 6 months 1/4 of every Read more…
Ideally, horse stalls should be cleaned every day and kept as clean as possible. Since horses often lie down in their stalls at night, this behavior means that if you are not keeping the stalls clean, horses could be lying in their own urine or manure – and there’s nothing Read more…
Reactive horses are responsive, intuitive, and connected. They have contagious enthusiasm, backed by intellect. What is a reactive horse? Any time a horse develops a severe reactive response—such as flipping over backwards or bucking excessively—your safety, as well as your horse’s safety, is compromised. An overreactive horse is not untrainable; Read more…
Why is Enrichment Important for Horses? Enrichment – whether mental, behavioral, or physical – provides a way to stimulate a horse’s natural instincts and is crucial to their overall well being. Why is enrichment important for horses? In a natural environment, horses will be almost continuously active, walking distances of Read more…
Observe the horse being handled, and check their general health, including body condition, hooves, legs, and signs of any old injuries or any abnormalities. You may want to see the horse trotted up before they are tacked up so you can observe their movement. What should you look for when Read more…
A typical horse temperament scale ranges from 1 to 10. A rating of one indicates an extremely calm demeanor, and ten would be the opposite, a “hot horse.” On this spectrum, then, four is relatively calm, while six or higher can indicate excitability in the animal. What’s the best temperament Read more…
The simple answer is yes. A pasture can potentially be the sole source of nutrition for a horse. Given the variability of a horse’s own metabolism and needs, though, pasture alone may not be sufficient for your horse. This is why keeping a careful watch over your horse’s condition is Read more…
A horse who coughs after eating could have a dental problem or structural issue in his esophagus. Or, it could be the result of dusty feed. Why is my horse coughing up hay? It is frequently caused by an allergy, most often mold or dust. IAD is a condition that Read more…
You can founder a horse by putting them on an insulin drip for 48 hours, or simply by turning them out onto the equine version of a Snicker’s bar — a green spring pasture. The high sugar content of the grass signals the body to produce even more insulin. How Read more…