Control of your horse is what makes you a confident, effective rider. To gain that control, you have to be able to direct the movement of his feet, because they dictate where and how fast he goes. Yes, his brain controls his feet, but his feet are what carry out Read more…
The expression cart before the horse is an idiom or proverb used to suggest something is done contrary to the natural or normally effective sequence of events. A cart is a vehicle that is ordinarily pulled by a horse, so to put the cart before the horse is an analogy Read more…
Some mares stand up immediately after the foal is born, and others remain lying down for a period of time. In some cases we will move the foal to the mare’s head, which will allow her to remain lying down while still being able to bond with her foal. Is Read more…
Our new evolved hips caused a narrowing of the birth canal. Thus we have the evolutionary catch-22: Walking upright requires a big brain, but we can’t get those big brains out of the birth canal to walk upright in the first place. Why can horses walk after birth? Animals such Read more…
Always approach a horse from the left and from the front, if possible. Speak softly when approaching, especially from behind, to let it know of your presence. Always approach at an angle, never directly from the rear. What happens if you approach a horse from behind? Although he can see Read more…
Mares encourage their newborn foals to get up and nurse within the first hour after birth. We often refer to the “1-2-3 RULE” of the newborn foal: A healthy foal should stand within 1 hour. Should start nursing within 2 hours. How long after birth should a mare stand? Between Read more…
The foal should be born, usually front legs and head first, with its muzzle clear of the placenta or ‘redbag’ so that it can breathe for the first time as soon as it is born. It should be obvious from the movements of its nostrils and chest that it is Read more…
Proximal sesamoid bone – Ossa sesamoidea proximalia In horses, the two proximal sesamoid bones are located just proximal to fetlock joint on the palmar aspect and embedded within the suspensory ligament. What is proximal on a horse? Proximal: Meaning closer to the body, or point of attachment. Ie: The knee Read more…
AGID-EIA is a high-performance agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test for the detection of antibodies to Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) virus. Migration of antigen and antibody through agar gel results in formation of clearly defined precipitin lines to provide easy-to-interpret test results. What does agid mean on a Coggins test? agar Read more…
If you wish to cancel your policy within the first 14 days of policy inception/review and you have not made a claim there is no penalty and upon cancellation you will be entitled to a full return of premiums. Do you need insurance to ride a horse UK? Anyone who Read more…