When my daughter first started driving, she decided to visit a friend who lives about two hours away. This was the first time she had driven a long distance by herself. So before she went and much to her annoyance, her father and I anxiously reminded her of all the safety rules about driving alone. When she competes out on trail, or over a cross country course, I have to bite my tongue when I feel myself wanting to do the same sort of thing. If I did, I'd only get the exasperated sigh that expresses how she thinks her mother is dumb as mud. She has been raised on horseback, and the safety rules have been ingrained from the start. (Of course, I have to suppress a snicker when she does the same thing to me.)  When we are working with horses, there is a lot to remember. We want to avoid accidents and injury to our horses or ourselves. Do you know how to stay safe while grooming, riding and driving? Test your horse and pony safety knowledge with the Horse Safety Quiz.

It seems the dry hot weather we've been having means some diseases that we don't normally see are making an appearance. Vesicular Stomatitis has already made headlines after two horses in New Mexico were reported. While this is not a deadly disease for horses, its spread to other livestock is significant because its symptoms are so similar to some other diseases that have a devastating effect on beef, dairy and goat herds. Your horse has a pretty good chance of recovering fully from vesicular stomatitis, but strict quarantine and hygiene is required until the outbreak is over. My article will tell you what to look for, how it affects your horse and how to look after a horse with this disease.

There's Lots More to Read About Horse Diseases :

• COPD or Heaves
• Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis
• Horses and Anthrax Poisoning

Riding is much more than just getting on a horse and galloping into the sunset. Some things just need to be done to ensure everyone's safety and comfort. Do you know how to safely bring your horse in from the pasture, saddle up, and then cool out and put your horse away after a ride? Test your safety and horse care knowledge with the What Comes Next Quiz. Good luck!

More Horse Quiz

• Tack Care and Use Quiz
• Curb or Snaffle Bit Horse Quiz

You can't really learn to ride well from a website, book or video. There are no secrets to learning to ride a horse and the best and safest way to learn to ride is with the guidance of a competent instructor or coach. A coach or instructor can help you start out right, catch bad habits before they become ingrained, prevent you from making possibly dangerous errors and give you encouragement and support. Perhaps you can't afford weekly lessons, but I have found that even the occasional lesson leaves me with lots to work on and think about. My completely free, without obligation Learn to Ride Email Course however, will introduce you to horseback riding and prepare you with knowledge of what to expect as you learn to ride with an instructor.

More Resources For Learning About Horses and Riding

• Have fun and learn with the Test Your Horse Savvy Email Course. Enjoy six weeks of quizzes that test your horse knowledge.
• Receive my weekly newsletter with tips and information for beginner horse riders and owners.