How to Lunge Your Horse
To many people, lunging looks like making your horse run around in circles on a long rope. But ideally, lunging is much more than that. There are actually pitfalls to letting your horse run around you without instilling some important lessons. Lunging can teach important lessons in behavior, and is not just a way to burn off excess energy. Here's how to lunge an already trained horse.
Suggested ReadingWhat to Do When Your Horse Injures Itself
It's an unfortunate part of horse ownership that you're going to have to treat wounds. Horses are pretty ingenious at finding ways to hurt themselves sometimes. Cuts, scrapes, punctures are are all things we need to be prepared for at any time. Most small wounds can be treated successfully at home with a first-aid kit. But you need to know the difference between what you can safely treat yourself, and what needs to be looked at by a veterinarian. Treating Minor Horse Wounds outlines what minor wounds look like, how to treat them and when you should call the vet for things that can't be safely treated at home.
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Gymkhana Games–Learn to Run a Pole Bending Race
Less than ideal trail conditions may mean you're ring or arena bound at this time of year. That makes it a great time to learn something new. Gymkhana games are a great way to have fun, whether you are riding with a few friends or on your own. One of the most popular games is Pole Bending. Pole Bending isn't just a fun game, it's also a great way to build on your riding skills, honing your rein and leg aids and helping you to learn balance and how it affects your horse. In a schooling situation it's called riding a serpentine, with the biggest difference being it's not a race. This game is easy to set up with a minimum of props. Give it a try next time you ride!
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Strangles–Disease Profile
Strangles is a rather old fashioned name for a rather common equine respiratory illness. The name comes from the strangled breathing of a horse with badly inflamed glands in its throat. It's somewhat akin to the human 'strep throat' and can make a horse feel pretty miserable. When strangles hits, it tends to go through stables very quickly as it is very easily transmissible. This can shut a barn down for weeks, causing much worry and resulting in loss of income on top of vet bills. If you hear about strangles in a barn near you, you'll want to keep your distance until a few weeks after the last horse has recovered. Strangles isn't a sign of a poorly kept barn. It's just one of those diseases that is hard to control and treat. Rarely is it fatal, although complications are possible. Read this disease profile of Strangles to find out more.
More About Equine Disease and Illness
Is Your Horse Too Fat or Too Skinny?
How do you tell if your horse is too fat or too skinny? Right now I can confirm that my horse is too fat. She is living unhappily in the 'diet pasture' with two other mares that also need to lose a few pounds. I know she's too fat by looking at certain areas on her body, and her overall condition. When she came to us, she was in very poor condition indeed. Within a few months however, she returned to a healthy weight and has never looked back. How do you tell if your horse is in good, but not too good shape? Read How to Assess the Healthy Weight For A Horse to be sure your horse is the weight it should be.
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The Original Horse Bible–Book Review
Some times you need advice, and you don't want to wait while your computer boots up, or filter through search engine pages to find information that is current, accurate and understandable. That's when it's handy to have a good reference book within reach. The Original Horse Bible: The Definitive Source for All Things Horse is such a book that every horse owner, whether just beginning or further on in their journey will find useful. I had a chance to review this weighty book and was impressed by the amount of information imparted as well as the clear photos and useful sidebars. Read my review, and I think you'll agree that The Original Horse Bible will be a useful addition to your equine library.
Suggested Reading
What Not to Feed Your Horse!
When you first get your horse, you have a lot of questions on how to feed it properly. But often times, because we like to share the good things we have to eat, our horses eat things that are not on the list of foods recommended as the ideal equine diet. Some horses are picky eaters-like my girl who doesn't care for apples and is suspicious of cookies, sugar cubes and mints, but loves carrots. And some horses will eat anything. But should you feed it anything it will eat? Here's a run down of the foods you probably shouldn't include in the healthy diet of a horse in What Not to Feed a Horse.
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Measure Your Horse’s Height
There are several reasons you will want to measure your horse's height. You might need to determine if your horse is actually a pony or a horse. When you sell a horse, buyers like to know the height. Some sports require horses or ponies by a specific height. Unlike getting a completely accurate weight measurement, it's pretty easy to measure your horse, whether you must do so in hands, inches or centimetres. Learn how to measure your horse accurately.
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Equine Herpesvirus, or Rhinopneumonitis Makes Headlines Again
Last summer, horse owners in western USA and Canada were challenged by the outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus. Once again, this time in Rockingham, North Carolina, EVH has again appeared. At this writing, according to the Gainsborough News - Record article only one mare is reported to be suffering from the virus. Hopefully, with good hygiene and veterinary attention, any possible outbreak will be contained. What is EVH and how can you protect your horse? Here is a profile of Equine Herpesvirus-EVH-1 and EVH-4.