Hobble training a horse is a form of “sacking out” and desensitizing a horse to accept restraints on its legs. This helps a horse accept pressure on its legs in case it ever becomes entangled in barbed wire or fencing. What is the purpose of hobble training a horse? Hobbles—connected Read more…
Dennis Moreland Tack recommends teaching your horses to accept being hobbled. Hobbling helps a horse learn not to fight against being restrained. It’s another form of desensitizing or sacking out horses and can really help keep your horse safe if it ever gets anything tangled around a leg. Is hobbling Read more…
Hobbles are commonly used to train horses. Hobbles are useful tools, and when used correctly, are safe and don’t harm your horse. Can a horse run with hobbles on? If you leave 8-10 inches between the horse’s legs he can learn to run with the hobbles and that defeats their Read more…
Brushing a horse before and after riding is essential. You’ll be removing sweat and debris, preparing the horse to be saddled up. It will also stop them from developing saddle sores, which can be very uncomfortable for them. Because of this, you’ll need to make grooming a regular part of Read more…
To allow the horse to cool out and dry quickly after work. To prevent skin problems and make grooming easier and more effective. As a training and/or competition strategy. A winter coat tends to make a horse quieter and may decrease the performance of warm-blooded horses. Why do you shave Read more…
At least once a day. Dirt, mud and debris on the coat can cause skin issues. At times where the pasture is pretty muddy, you may need to brush more than once daily. You may also need to brush more frequently in the spring when your horse sheds its winter Read more…
Tail pulls to the side are good balancing exercises. They stimulate the pelvic stabilizer muscles and engage the core. Start by standing to one side of the hindquarters of the horse. Grab the entire tail below the tail bone and slowly begin to pull toward yourself. Is it OK to Read more…
Some horses are extremely sensitive to strong sunlight. Exposure to bright light causes a nerve in the head to send a shock-like sensation to the horse’s face, and he reacts by violently flinging his head up and back. This type of head shaking is typically worst in the summer but Read more…
Salt Toxicity and Deficiency Signs of salt toxicosis include colic, diarrhea, frequent urination, weakness, recumbency, and death. Salt blocks often become toys for bored stalled horses. What happens when a horse eats too much salt? Horses who eat too much salt may exhibit signs of colic, diarrhea, frequent urination, weakness, Read more…
The Indians didn’t use shoes for their horses, but they generally had multiple horses available to use. From comments in journals, it appears that the trappers favored horses shod with iron shoes, however available evidence from inventories suggests that most horses used in the trapping parties were unshod. Did Native Read more…