Stables: A Safe Haven

The stables serve as our horses’ home and haven.  It is where they should relax, feel comforted and safe.  But, how can they feel relaxed if there are trash and stacks and harmful things everywhere in their safe place?  Then make sure to know how to keep your horses’ stables safe and clean by following these tips.

All About the Deadly Nightshade

A ride on your horse to an unfamiliar place or to a forest can sometimes be dangerous.  Aside from the danger when encountering wild animals, there is also danger posed by plants that are not recognized as toxic.  During the strolling, you might not be able to notice that your horse is already chewing on some grass or plant that might risk his health due to poisoning.  One notable poisonous plant found in some parts of the forests is the Deadly Nightshade also known in its scientific name the Atropa belladonna.

Breeding your Mare

There will come a point in your chosen companion’s life that he has to reproduce.  It might be your decision and for some other reasons. There is excitement to meet a new member of the family or most commonly, you need to get money out of the breeding.  It might sound too business-like but it would only seem practical because raising a horse does deal a lot of expenses. 

A Healthy Eye For Your Horse

As much as it is important to us humans, the sights of our horses are also significant to their daily lives.  To achieve and complete most of the activity that they do, they need a balanced system and good eyesight. Our everyday routine and challenges in life are being accomplished with good senses.  If we lose either, the burden will be as bad as a tragedy. There are activities and tasks that need the usage of our keen eyesight in order to achieve it.  Just for example when we clean our house; we cannot clean our house if we cannot see which is dirty and where it is, same as to horses. If they do not know and see what they encounter and do they are as good as an incapacitated.  To feel useless is to feel unwilling to survive. Although there are institutions that provide caretakers who devote their time to guide and aid these blind horses to carry on with their lives. 

Choosing Your Child’s First Horse

I remember when I was younger, I told my parents about a decision to have my own horse, which is to buy one.  I didn’t realize factors that made them hesitate and so they invited me to sit down and discuss with them about the sudden decision.  It was now that I realized and understand their reaction and how it was just right for that situation. 

Child and Horse
Image grabbed from Debbie Calnan

What my parents actually told me are simple things that made me consider not having one during that time.  It was not because I was irresponsible but because I might not be able to comply with all the responsibilities with my new chosen companion because in fact I don’t have the capacity as a child.  Another important factor that made me consider is that shopping for a horse could be expensive.  Although it was possible to own, I just didn’t want to risk myself and what my new pet would be like if I can’t do such big-man tasks.  I was that understanding, I wasn’t an insistent child. 

Sharing the Road with a Horse

I remembered a friend who shared to me the experience of his aunt and the story goes like this.  She was riding along the high way with her newly washed car when all of a sudden a horse with its rider decides to cross her way.  Without being much aware of what to do during the situation she decides not to slow down and even honked hard at the creature.  What happened next made her regret her action for some time.  Uncontrollably, the horse began to nervously raise its front legs as if surprised to a halt and then landed it hard at the hood of her car leaving it a good damage.  Good thing it didn’t reach her glass windows, or much worse things could’ve happened.

So, if that were you what would you have done? 

What You Should and Shouldn't When Grooming Horses

The idea of grooming your own horse yourself is such an exciting idea and a fun activity to do but bear in mind that it is not an easy task to undertake.  I have heard from acquaintances even witnessed accidents while owners groom their horse that is why some breeders call for grooming experts to do the task for them to ensure safety for both owner and horse.  Though it is not bad to do the grooming yourself to foster closer bond with your horse, still you need to learn the most basic dos and don’ts for such task.

The Quarter Horse

Image grabbed from Melinda Melendez

The Quarter Horse has gone popular and successful in the field of sports, renowned in the whole world and is considered to be the most famous horse breed next to the Arabian horses.  What made the Quarter horse famous is because how it got its name.  If we trace back its history we can see that the breed has had a Spanish origin and blood and came from Arab, Barb and Turk breeds then shipped to America by Spanish explorers and traders.   Not later than 1611 AD that this breed has come to be recognized and became popular.  The cross has produced and developed a new breed packed with heavy muscles and hind legs that are perfect for running short distances.  This breed is known to be faster than any other horse when it comes to quarter mile sprint races and occasionally got its name from the sport it is most excellent at.  Because of its excellent talent the Quarter horses are known to be the best athletes in the field.

Hoof Problems - Make Sure Your Horse Doesn't Have Them

For the love of horses and for owning one, you have the greatest responsibility to watch over its safety and health and make preventive measures to provide him benefits.  For horses are gentle creatures that barely even fuss about pain or discomfort they feel, so make sure you know how to determine such cases to avoid getting into serious problems causing your horse. 

One of the common health problems regarding horses are focused on their hooves since they spend most of the time using it, stationary or moving.  They step on it on plain grounds, wet or dry.  They tend to get bacterial infection which may cause some serious health problems. There are many ways to avoid such cases. So, don’t let them live in suffering and pain. 

Horse Breeds - Quick Trivia on Some of the Common Breeds

Horses have many breeds. They come from different places and have different characteristics. However, an ordinary man who might have not been exposed to these animals (nor have heard of the different breeds) may have a hard time classifying them. Well, here are some, if not the most common, horse breeds, their qualities and origins. 

Where's the Cat At - The Rats are Not In!

Got rodents? Besides placing the covers of grain bins and sweeping up leftover pellets, you can keep undesirable rats at bay by seeking the expertise of a barn cat. A burgeoning mouse condition can be controlled in a farm by putting feral felines to patrol the structures. Practicing prober stable management is still required from you, but a barn cat can make your stable a mouse-free zone.

While it’s wonderful if your feral cat eventually ends up becoming totally tame, the older ones tend to fend for themselves. Most of them aren’t likely to become a real pet meaning, you can just simply pick them up, carry them and stroke their chins. You will simply care for and feed some in your barn but not really taking control over it – just give it the freedom it needs and voila! You will have the best mouse control!

If you happen to spot feral felines lurking your surrounding farm, you need to lure it to seek permanent shelter in your barn.  You should think about it – there could be food source for these cats, for if there wasn’t any food source, they wouldn’t have been there in the first place. You need to lure them in  using food but be careful though when luring with food – if the food you place disappeared without any cats in sight, you could be luring other animals, such as opossums or raccoons, which you definitely do not want hanging around your barn.

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 Once you have the cat in your territory, you need to capture it so it can be vaccinated and spayed or neutered. In the end, you’ll be responsible for looking after the cat and you certainly would not want to have a booming cat population in your barn. You may contact your local animal control department so they can lend you a humane trapping device. The department can also suggest affordable clinics where you can take the cat for spay and neutering.

Keep the rodents away with a barn cat.

After you have owned an official feral barn cat, be sure you can provide it shelter.  Try placing a used mattress somewhere in an empty area inside the barn or perhaps allow it to seek rest from the hay loft. Cats do enjoy owning a spot where they feel safe. You need to provide warm beddings for the cat so it can warm up during cold weather. If you want to keep the cat much longer, of course you need to feed it or else, they will wander somewhere else where there is constant food supply. It would seem natural for them to stop hunting for vermin if you go around feeding them. But you have nothing to worry because the presence of cats in the barn can already help keep the rodents away.

Once you have a barn cat, both you and your horse can enjoy the benefits. Plus, it will be a rewarding deed for you to go and provide a home for a feral feline.

Teeth Problems in Horses??

Caring for your horse’s teeth can be your ticket to success. Equine dentistry has its importance for the success of the equines.

Horse’s teeth are different from human teeth. Theirs is made to grind roughage. These teeth are also referred to compound teeth, which mean that they are especially made to perform efficient grinding. Teeth of a horse is also continuously erupting and worn down. As a result, irregular sharp enamels will form. Smoothing out the teeth is a process commonly called as floating.

Floating is necessary for two primary reasons: one is to correct feeding problem and the other is for bit accommodation.  When a horse has uneven teeth, he could have difficulty chewing the feed properly. Eventually, this results to loss of condition and food wastage due to improper mastication.

A horse’s teeth will keep erupting, which only means that once the teeth are smoothened with floats, it’s going to stay that way. Horses will also experience a change from their baby premolars. The newly grown permanent teeth may wear out to have sharp points. Usually, it’s the younger horses that may need more dental attention compared to senior horses as this will help prevent problems with bit.

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However, I still think that floating teeth is done just to accommodate proper chewing. It is more on promoting proper acceptance of the bit. Problems with bit can simply be prevented or avoided through dental correction. But it’s not convincing for me that the primary reason for caring for their teeth is to respond to bit pressure properly. The rider may have influence over accommodation of bit. Too much pressure on the horse’s bars may bring about insensitive scar tissue and a horse with a hard mouth. These bars are interdental space on the mandible where bit sits. The condition of the horse’s bars is more relevant to a productive performance rather than the condition of the overall teeth.

On the other hand, caring for the teeth is essential to make sure that the horse has a healthy oral cavity. The sharp teeth formed from wearing down can injure the gums, causing mouth sores for horses. The horse may not be able to chew its food as mentioned, and will result to poor appetite.

Dental checkup may be needed by your horse annually. This is to ensure that your horse will not only be healthy physically but also orally. If you think your horse does not need any dental care, think again. They do! Consult your veterinarian for the proper dental program for your horse.

Groom Your Horse to Help Him Avoid Health Problems

Any animal can look good, glamorous and smart when proper grooming is initiated. But, when it comes to horses, grooming is specially significant because if these animals do not have regular maintenance, they can be vulnerable to different health problems, especially when it comes to their hooves.

There are necessary grooming requirements that should be considered. A horse is a fairly large mammal and you need to have proper control over him, even if he is trained properly. A sudden noise that is unfamiliar to him can startle him and he could dash out while being groomed. Hence, before you begin your grooming procedures, be sure that your horse is securely haltered in place. Having crossties is important when grooming the horse to avoid potential dangers in the stable.

If you own several horses, you may need helpers around to do the grooming if you can afford to pay for them. In case if you have not groomed your horse, you need to consult from other horse owners who have the expertise. This is important as the task of horse grooming is big and important.

If you don’t regularly use your horse, then you can simply do away with some of the routine grooming. However, other grooming steps should be taken every day. As mentioned, secure the halter of your horse before you begin the process. Check if he has bumps or scrapes on the areas around his eyes, near his ears or even the mouth. Then gently move your hands along his legs to ensure that there are no irregularities.

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You also need to clean his hooves to get rid of any foreign materials that may have lodged in his frog. The hoof is an important body part of the horse; if debris accumulates on the area, an infection may result and can be detrimental to his overall health. The horse’s mane and tail should also be cleaned. Use the right types of comb to untangle the hairs and remove dirt from the coat.

The last thing you need to do is to achieve a shiny and lustrous hair coat for your horse. Combing can help remove any debris and loose matters or debris from his body. It is important to comb the coat for if not, your horse can develop a condition known as saddle sores – where the saddle is positioned above an unkempt coat for longer periods of time.

Poisonous Buttercups? – Keep You Horse Away From Them!

Buttercups . . . so pretty! Yes, indeed.  These little yellow flowers found on the fields can, unfortunately, harm your horse causing digestive upsets. You might want to do something about the growing buttercups in your pasture before your horse gets into trouble!

Surely, your field that is field with bright, yellow flowers may appear pretty but these little flowers are a threat to your horses. When these flowers are ingested, toxic oils called protoanemonin from buttercup leaves and stems are released. The result? - Your horse can be seen to salivate excessively, have blisters on his mouth and may even develop digestive troubles like diarrhea and mild colic. The toxicity of the plant may vary according to species and its maturity level, but just to be on the safe side, you need to assume that all buttercups can be harmful to your horse.

Buttercups tend to grow in pastures with overgrazed grass as the weeds do not need to compete for space and nutrients that much. Also, these plants tend to proliferate as they are not that palatable –most likely your horse will not think twice about leaving them alone because they are not good to the taste! But that does not mean you need to assume that your horse will never eat those plants.  If grass in pasture is inadequate or you don’t provide supplemental hay, the horses may start to consume the flowers because they have no choice. They will do it out of hunger or boredom.

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You should not promote the growth of buttercups in your pasture as they are known to be toxic. These flowers can be controlled with chemical and/or mechanical means. If the pasture only has moderate amounts of buttercups, the use of herbicides would be the most convenient option. However, if the pasture is crowded by buttercups, more extensive measures should be carried out. These may include tilling and sowing the field with grass seeds. Extension agents from your local area can help you plan out how to eradicate buttercups from your property.

When pursuing a buttercup eradication plan, it is important to keep your horses away from the pasture two weeks after using chemicals to target the weeds. This will ensure full efficacy of the weed killer and also to allow all chemical residues to dissipate, making your pasture grass safe for horses to eat once again. Be sure that herbicide application on your field is done by professionals who have the required training to handle different chemicals.

The good thing about this entire problem is that buttercups are not considered poisonous if they dry up. So, if you find them in your haylage, do not worry about it. The worst thing they could do is dilute the nutritional value of your hay. To conclude, occasional growths of buttercup will not be a very significant threat, but if your horse graze in buttercup-infested fields then that would be the best time to take action.