All For Nutrition

Every stage in a horse’s life is important when it comes to nutrition and not every horse needs the same amount of nutrients. For your horse to live a healthy long life, you must give them the required nutrition that they need. The different stages in a horse’s life are very important in deciding what your horse needs. For example, a foal needs their mother’s colostrum(first milk from the mother), and a senior horse might need a joint supplement. A lot of people do not understand the importance of nutrition and they think that wild horses do fine without grain and dewormers. Horses in the wild can live without human care, however they generally do not live as long or as healthy lives as they could. When we, as the horse’s caregivers, put them in our field it becomes our responsibility to make sure they have the correct nutrition. If you have questions about the proper nutrition for your horse contact your veterinarian.

 

Riding Safety

 

Riding can be very enjoyable when everyone is safe when the ride is over. Sometimes you can’t help the accidents that happen when you ride but you can make yourself a little more safe. The first thing you want to do to make your ride safer is to check you riding equipment. Look for splits and thin places in your leather and check all your snaps and buckles to make sure everything is fastened correctly. The next thing is you should always wear boots with a heel to keep your foot from sliding through the stirrup to prevent you from being dragged behind your horse in case you fall off. The most important safety feature that many people choose not to use is a riding helmet. Riding helmets help to prevent some of the most common and dangerous head injuries. “The EMSA strongly recommends the wearing of a properly fitted ASTM/SEI certified equestrian helmet with the harness secured during equestrian activities. Head injuries account for approximately 60% of deaths resulting from equestrian accidents. Properly fitted ASTM/SEI certified helmets can prevent death and reduce the severity of head injuries sustained while riding.”

Watch the following video for the safety checklist:

 

Trail less Traveled

Some horse owners enjoy their horses on trail rides. Trail riding is not only enjoyable to you but it also helps your horse get more experience. There are a lot of benefits to taking your horse trail riding. Your horse can see other horses, different objects, and learn that slow and in control is a good thing. If you take your horse trail riding and you decide to camp with your horse there is a few things you need to know. First you need to find out the information for the campground. Do you need Cogins and health papers for your stay? Is there electricity or water? Do you keep your horse in a stall or do you need a picket line? All these are good questions to ask before you load your horse in the trailer to go ride.

Here are a few rules to keep in mind when trail riding with your horse:

• Stay on designated roads, trails and other areas open to horse use.
• Ride single file to reduce trail damage.
• Don’t cut switchbacks.
• Spread out in open country where there are no trails. Spreading out, rather than following each other’s footsteps, disperses impact and avoids creating a new trail.
• Comply with all signs and respect barriers.
• Riders should match their skill level to the temperament and ability of the horse they ride.
• At trailheads or staging areas, park vehicles and secure horses in a manner that provides a safe distance between the horses and passing traffic.
• Less experienced horses and riders should ride behind more “trail-wise” horses and riders.
• If you are “ponying” a horse, go slow and never take a loose horse on the trail.
• Buddy up with two or three riders. This reduces vulnerability if you have an accident.

The following is a video about do’s and don’ts of trail riding:

 

Why Train?

Mike Reel working with Sultan, a black walking horse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GylHQKBdhz0

Some people believe that you just throw a saddle on a horse and take off riding. This theory gets many people hurt because the horse they get on is not trained properly. Horse training is very important not just for riding horses but for every horse. A horse that does not know how to behave is dangerous to people and to itself. Every time you work your horse, whether in the saddle or on the ground, you are training the horse. Most people, without knowing it, are training their horse wrong. The rider will let the horse walk on top of them or will let them by with being stubborn, so the horse learns that they can do what they want. If you do not want to train your horse to do the right things, then you will have issues that will never go away. An experienced rider can handle a younger, green broke horse because they know what the horse is saying through body language, but a young horse is never a good idea for a unexperienced rider. A checklist for how to find a good trainer/riding instructor follows:

• Do you work with beginners?
• How long have you been teaching? How many years have you been involved with horses?
• Do you teach children? Adults? Can we ride together?
• What are your prices?
• Do you offer private, semi-private, group lessons?
• Can I watch you teach a lesson?
• Can you give me some references – other students, resume etc.?

Remember you make your horse what it is. The time you spend with your horse means all the difference in the world.

 

Happy Mouth, Happy Horse

Horses eating

An adult horse may have between 36-44 permanent teeth. And just like humans, your horse gets two sets of teeth in her lifetime. Your horse starts out with temporary baby teeth and by age five, will most likely have her full set of permanent teeth. Your horse grinds their teeth side to side, not up and down, so sometimes the edges of the teeth has sharp points that can cut the inside of the horses mouth causing pain and discomfort. The result of cuts in your horse’s mouth are loss of weight, dropping grain, head tossing, rearing, and other riding problems. To correct the problems associated with your horse’s mouth consult an equine dentist or your vet. However, equine dentists are a lot more qualified to deal with big issues. Your equine dentist my have to pull a tooth or float the teeth to correct the mouth. Floating the teeth is just smoothing the teeth down to give the horse back their natural grind. For more information on equine dentistry watch the following video.

 

Riding Attire

western attire

Riding your horse is only part of showing your horse. Without the correct attire, depending on the discipline, points could be deducted from your score or you could possibly be disqualified from the competition.

The most important to understand is that all disciplines and shows have their own rules for riding attire so make sure you check the rules for the show you want to enter. Western contest attire normally calls for a long sleeve western shirt, western boots, jeans, cowboy hat, and chaps or chinks. Some events allow women to dress in western period dresses. Most English disciplines require riding pants, english boots,riding jacket, and a riding helmet. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons14,466 people were treated with head injuries in 2009. That is why most disciplines will allow or require their participants to ride with a helmet.

Knowing the proper riding attire give you a leg up on the competition and helps make you more confident in the show ring. For more information on riding attire watch the following video:

 

Youth Horse Clubs

There are several youth equine clubs that will help teach a novice rider how to ride better;while having fun with their horse and friends. Some counties have their own local saddle clubs where all ages can compete and have fun.

One of the most well-known clubs is 4-H. The 4-H horse program can be enjoyed by youth ages nine to eighteen. The youth can experience competing, practicing and trail riding with their friends and horses. According to the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, when compared to other youth, young people involved in 4-H

• Have higher educational achievement and motivation for future education
• Are more civically active and make more civic contributions to their communities

Future Farmers of America(FFA) has many different events that youth enthusiasts can enjoy including horse judging and the petting zoo. The FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience(SAE) can be entered as a horse contest.

Many horse clubs have youth groups and or classes. So just because you are a young or novice rider do not be afraid to compete and try new things with your horse.

 

Feed and Nutrition

Wendy and fancy eating forage

Equine require forage and minerals to perform at their very best. The amount of exercise and the build and breed of your equine depend on the amount they need.

      The most important nutrient is a good clean source of water. It is very important that horses have as much water as they want because  water helps to keep the horse cool and it helps to remove unwanted materials such as dust, from the horse’s intestines. Forage is the second most important source of nutrients a horse needs. The forage(grass and hay) should be free of mold because mold can start fires in your barn and if fed to a horse can be fatal to the horse. Good hay should be dry, free of dust and mold, and have a green leafy texture. According to the University of Kentucky’s agriculture department’s website,”Always provide salt to the horse free-choice. Salt is most commonly given by providing a trace mineralized salt block free choice. In addition to the block, include a trace mineralized premix in the ration at 1/2% of the concentrate mix. Salt is composed of sodium and chloride which are important in maintaining electrolyte and acid base balance.”http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/asc114.pdf Horses also require a good dewormer program to keep them healthy. Dewormer can be given to the horse by pouring the dewormer powder on their feed or by giving the dewormer by the syringe into their mouth. The amount that is given to the horse is based on the horse’s weight so make sure to follow directions on the package of the dewormer.

Nutrition is very important to keep your equine safe and performing at their best.For more information on hay and nutrients watch the following video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToMEcnechT4

 

Proper Tack

Every equine discipline requires different tack for the horse and rider to compete at the highest level possible. Tack is anything that is used on or for the horse. This includes horse shoes, saddles, bridles, blankets, fly masks, etc. Some horse owners do not understand the importance of the right tack for their equine.

Roping saddle, saddle pad, western bridle

Their are different saddles special built for the different riding styles. According to an equine website: “The saddle tree, the frame on which the saddle is constructed, is usually made of wood or sometimes fiberglass, then covered with leather. This frame is made to fit the both rider and the horse.” http://www.horses-and-horse-information.com/articles/horse-saddles.shtml. Their is a an english saddle for dressage and other english riding events. A barrel saddle for barrel racing and women;s rodeo speed events. The roping saddle for roping and dragging calves. All saddles can be used for trail riding, however, the most important thing when deciding what saddle to buy for your horse is if the saddle fits the horse’s back properly.

Different riding styles require different bits for different horses and disciplines. Most horse trainers start training horses in a snaffle bit because it is softer and more forgiving to the horse. After the snaffle bit the horse may need to change bits, depending on the horse and the event the horse is entered in.

Watch the following video for more information on saddle fit:

 

New Shoes

Will brooks shaping smokey’s hoof.

Will Brooks is measuring the shoe to smokey’s foot.

Will Brooks’s anvil. hammer, and hoof holder.

Will Brooks’s rasps, clinchers, nippers and nails

Will Brooks shaping the shoe.

Will Brooks widening the shoe.

Will Brooks making the ends of the shoe tighter to protect Smokey’s hoof.

Will Brooks checking to make sure the shoe is flat.

Will Brooks nailing the shoe on to smokey’s hoof.

Will Brooks nailing the shoe on to smokey’s hoof

Will Brooks shaping smokey’s hoof to the shoe.

Will brooks finishing the rounding process.

Will Brooks clinching the nails on smokey’s hoof.

Will brooks smoothing the nails down to keep Smokey from cutting himself.

A horse’s hoof is the most important body part on a horse excluding the organs of course. Horses stand most of the day, they even sleep standing up. They stand up to keep the weight of their body from crushing their ribs and organs. If a horse has sore feet so much so that it chooses to lie down instead of stand, the horse can colic and possibly die.

However like I said, most horses are not required to use shoes. Some horses have tough enough feet that they can just be trimmed and use a “natural foot.” Most equine need their hooves trimmed by a farrier every six weeks to keep them from becoming sore. The type of riding that people do with their equine also helps to decide if a horse needs shoes or what type of shoe is needed. If a horse is not being ridden much at all, just a trimmed foot should be enough for that horse. If a rider is using their horse for reining, a reining shoe is probably what they want. A trail rider might choose just the basic flat shoe or if they are riding on the road much a drill tech shoe. A drill tech shoe has special pieces of metal on the corners and on the front to give the horse more grip on slick surfaces. Even if you put shoes on your horse, they do not always have to put shoes on all four hooves. Some horses only need shoes on the front because sixty percent of the horse’s weight is on the front so the front needs the most protection.

Horse’s require moiture in their hooves to keep them from cracking. According to an equine website “equine hooves typically get plenty of moisture in the spring. As a result, the horn that emerges is very pliant and relatively soft. In the summer, drier conditions stimulate the growth of much harder, denser horn. The zone between the soft and hard growth eventually causes the frogs and soles to crack and peel.The condition is temporary, and regular trimming will prevent it from causing your horse any trouble. If, however, be becomes lame or his hooves develop a very foul odor indicative of thrush, consult your veterinarian.”http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/hoof_care/summertime-hoof-changes/

The video below shows how to pick out horse hooves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU9Z5GW0iqU