Farm

Using Hoof Boots

back when my mom was a competitive endurance rider who starting keeping one on hand in case her horse threw a shoe out on the trail. Today, however, many people are choosing to forgo shoes all together in favor of barefoot, and if they need hoof protection when riding…

10 Fun Facts About the Horse’s Heart

When people speak of a horse’s heart, they’re not usually referring to the actual organ itself. If a horse has heart, we often mean that he/she has some intangible and admirable quality such as exceptional athleticism, gentleness, or stoicism. Interestingly enough, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the heart is…

Winter Hoof Care

I have a love-hate relationship with winter.  There is something so peaceful about riding my horse in the snow.  It’s also so nice to sit by a cozy fire while snow is falling outside.  It can be so beautiful but the extra work that comes with keeping horses in…

10 Fascinating Facts About Horse Digestion

Horses aren’t like us after all—needing a few meals a day to stay healthy. In fact, they digest food quite differently than we do. With that said, here are 10 fascinating (and good-to-know) facts about horse digestion:

1.As the horse’s natural food (forage) is chewed, the salivary glands produce up…

10 Cool Facts About a Horse’s Hair Coat

Horses are covered in hair—it’s a fact we probably don’t think much about unless we’re in the midst of shedding season or if they happen to be covered in mud before a ride (ugh!). But the horse’s hair coat is truly a work of wonder.
Here are 10 facts…

Five Tips for your Horse’s Immune Health 

The immune system is the primary defense mechanism against illness, not only for us, but for our horses, too. It’s an intricate network of cells and proteins that defends the body against infection, and the best way to keep it functioning correctly is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Regarding…

The Do’s and Don’ts of Horse Blanketing

The horse blankets are coming out! Many horse owners are pulling blankets out of storage and getting them ready for the cold days ahead. While some prefer to leave their horses natural, others choose to blanket for a variety of reasons. Depending on your climate and if you clip,…

10 Facts about Equine Gas Colic

Over the years, I’ve had horses experience gas colic on occasion, and what I’ve learned to associate this form of colic with is a change in forage; the last few incidents occurred when I was rotating my horses to a different pasture in either the spring or fall. Chances are,…