To Foal or Not to Foal?

There are several considerations to be made when deciding whether or not to have your mare put in foal - among them:

• Are you prepared for the cost of breeding the mare and and willing to wait 11 months for the foal?
• Is your mare healthy enough and unencumbered with hereditary conformation faults or certain diseases that may be passed on to her foal?
• Do you have a place, somewhere safe where you can keep a mare and her newborn foal?

Horses Gone Unshod

By origin, horseshoes are designed to protect horse’s hooves from any harmful debris in the ground, to enable horses to perform their tasks better. It has been used during the Roman Ages, most often during the Crusades of Europe, wherein there came a point where horseshoes are used in lieu of money, and as a valuable item. Nowadays, some horse owners have horses that are unshod.

Horses and Euthanasia

As we grow old, so does our horses. Horses who have diligently served us long enough are more than deserving to have a peaceful death. Although it is hard to admit it, there will come a time that we should choose to let our old horses live, or let them leave this earth as peaceful and as pain-free as possible. 

Get the Confidence When Riding and Working With a Horse

It takes a great quality time and being compatible
with your horse so he can fully trust you
and obey you. 

Most people can easily learn principles and techniques of horse riding, if they are given proper instructions and dedicate enough time.  It’s how the mental state is handled that defines a good rider and a bad rider, and the most important state of mind a rider should possess is the art of confidence – the confidence to remain mounted on top of a horse, which can be achieved through proper training.

What to Consider When Sending Your Horse to a Boarding Stable

When you need to place your horse in a stable, there are many things to consider, and one of them is the entire structure of the stable and its surroundings. You need to understand about the facts of stabling and it could also help if you visit some of the stables in your area, so you can make out a comparison, which of them would be the most appropriate for you and your horse.

There are basic needs of horses that are on stable. When you visit this boarding yard, observe the things they keep around to be used on horses. If the stable you chose is neglected, you could end up paying for a significant amount of veterinary bills due to the sickness or injuries that your horse may have acquired.

Boarding stables should provide comfort to the horse.
It should also be maintained and cleaned well.

When you inspect the local stables, you need to be very observant. How does the fencing look like in a particular yard? Can the owner guarantee that it is well maintained, as well as safe for all horses? Is the entire property properly secured? Are there too many horses in a field or is it just right?

When you enter the yard, does the staff note your presence? Is someone present to assist you while other employees are taking of the horses? You may need to contact the yard first before visiting especially when you go during lunchtime, when most of the employees are taking their break.

Check if the stables have proper ventilation and make sure fresh air is circulating well. Also check the lighting of the stables, whether the owner makes use of natural or artificial light. See to it that the horses in the yard have access to clean water always and are also fed with hay.

When you look at the floor of the table, how does it look? Does the floor have rubber matting, dirt, or sawdust? Does the water drain well from the floor? Make sure that the stable beds are also cleaned out on a regular basis and keep the stable clean. This also helps reduce your horse’s risk of acquiring equine parasites. You can also tell that a stable is well-maintained as it will not smell of strong ammonia from urine.

You can also check how the horses in the stables look like. Do they look unkempt or properly groomed? Observe how the horses behave – this could be a sign that shows how the stable is managed. An unhappy horse is likely prone to develop stable vices such as kicking, box walking, wind sucking, and chewing wood. Stable vices are not the only signs that differentiate a good horse from a bad one. Some horses may show different signs of boredom, so watch out for horses that exhibit these behaviors.

When choosing a boarding stable, the first thing you need to ensure is the comfort of your horse. He may not need a huge room or an outdoor arena; he only needs the basic things that should be provided by you and your chosen boarding stable.

Photo Credit: Priceypads

Fall Feeding

Feeding adjustments may be necessary every season. When you need to do so, help your horse get used to the changes.

During spring and fall, grasses contain higher amounts of simple carbohydrates (sugars) compared to summer and winter, and this may result to feeding complications. This can mean that your horse can develop problems especially when giving him grain. You can avoid digestive disorders, including colic in horses, when you know how to feed your horse the right way.

Consider the Bugs Inside Him

The large intestine of a horse is where fermentation takes place. Hind-gut bacteria and other protozoa located in the large intestine are there to break down the nutrients. The result of the nutrient breakdown will be utilized by your horse as source of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. When the bugs inside your horse receive a constant flow of feed for them to do their fermenting job, they can adapt to the change. But when you give your horse huge amounts of bulk feed that’s different from your normal feeding, it could reach the hindgut all at once. There will be an increase of different bugs (those that ferment that certain type of feed), and as a result, the intestinal chemistry changes and other beneficial organisms die off. The end result can be distention, gas, diarrhea, and even colic. You can help by slowly adjusting the feed but in a constant manner and also incorporate equine probiotics to help promote the growth of hindgut bacteria.

Foraging

You may have known by now that a rapid transition of feeding can result to intestinal upset. But you may not have realized that changes in hay can be risky as well. The large intestine is where food breakdown takes place. Even if you constantly feed the same hay each time, they may not be created equal. Growth conditions, the cuttings, and even the strans may differ for the same type of forage and this can influence the level of fermentable nutrients. The grass in your pasture can also change composition during the season spring and fall as they grow rapidly and may contain high levels of sugars.

Here are tips on how to do feeding adjustments:

• Gradually introduce grain feeding
• Allow three days to pass before giving an increase in the amount of grain so gut microorganisms can adapt easier.
• Do not give your horse grain that is as much as 4 pounds in one go.
• Let your horse feed from lush pastures gradually especially during spring and fall.