Archive for the ‘Horsecare’ Category

Natural Boarding has many benifits, I’d like to explore the different aspects of why keeping your horse in as natural setting as possible is so important…

(Article below is by www.all-natural-horsecare.com)

Natural boarding recognizes the fact that horses are herd animals who need the company of other horses 24 hours a day. They need to interact by touching and playing. Through evolution as a herd animal, horses are programmed to know that safety is in numbers. So a solitary horse is often a stressed horse.

Natural boarding methods are based on the study of how horses live in the wild. They are designed to meet the basic physiological needs of the horse and are the foundation of all natural horse care.

Herdlife…

Horses are very social animals so herdlife is very important to them. In the wild their lives often depend on it. They feel safer in Read the rest of this entry »

Spring Horse Care Tips

Oat ‘n’ Apple Chewies

How is looking after an old horse different from caring for other horses?

As a horse ages, his bodily functions become less efficient. His teeth may deteriorate to the point where he can’t graze properly or chew his hay. He may be arthritic. With less fat cover, he has more trouble keeping himself warm. Such things as good shelter, routine worming and regular dental care, which were important when the horse was in his prime, now become vital.

What kind of shelter does my horse need?

Remember that your horse is now a senior citizen. He needs protection from wind and wet. A dry, three sided shelter bedded with straw is a good choice. Some old horses might need to be brought into a barn when the weather is bad.

What do you mean by “routine dental care”?

The way a horse chews his food wears the teeth unevenly. Most horses Read the rest of this entry »

Hoof Words

 “Wild horse” shape vs. typical long-heeled style

Barefoot works best when the horse’s foot is trimmed to a fairly short-heeled shape. The drawings below of a short- and long-heeled shape (not accurate in details) show what happens to the coffin bone when the heels are long. Read the rest of this entry »

Mustang Feet

The Mustang is our best example of how healthy and hardy horses can be barefoot. Wild mustangs live on very hard ground, often extremely rocky ground. They also cover from 20-30 miles daily looking for food, water, and avoiding predators.

Mustangs have excellent hoof conformation with short heels, a dubbed toe, large frogs, and short bars. Mustangs are almost never seen with a hoof deformity or lameness.

Example of a Mustang's hooves

Example of a Mustang's hooves

Example of a Mustang's hooves

However, our domestic horses ARE NOT mustangs.  Not all horses live in arid rocky climates. A rider’s goals, their horse’s genetics and the boarding situation will make the difference in just how far an individual horse can go barefoot. A horse that is stalled the majority of the time may have problems living a barefoot lifestyle. Bare feet are natural, stalls are not. 

Historically horses were ridden and used barefoot until a variety of husbandry changes occurred (stalling, diet, genetics) caused shoes to become necessary. Stabling conditions cause the feet to be exposed to extreme drying situations (bedding) which then became wet situations (soiled bedding) while minimizing hoof mechanism due to the restricted movement.

This leads to deterioration of the hoof wall and form, thus bringing about the practice of shoeing to keep them protected. The more turn out and exercise your horse gets the healthier their feet will be.

Horses that are primarily ridden in sandy arenas, or on soft trails  may not need shoes. Horses that are ridden long distances on rocky or hard terrain will need more effort to ride barefoot, though it is often possible. Many disciplines will require shoeing for competitions or training as they are very different from what “wild horses do”.

For example, a reining horse will need shoes on the back feet in order to slide without abrading their back heels. Event horses who may jump large fences and make tight turns in mud often need shoes and removable studs for safety.

Barefeet have BETTER traction than shoes in most footing circumstances (rock, roads, firm ground). But when the mud is 6″ deep, there is no barefoot approach to over come it.

Hi Everyone!

Our theme for the next month or so is going to be dealing with Why we should keep our horses Barefoot as well as Why, How & When to Boot your horse. 

We’ll start with…

WHY BAREFOOT?

Horses have 5 Hearts…one in the Chest…and one on EACH FOOT!

Each hoof has a huge blood supply. This blood supply is a dense collection of vessels much like a thick spider web or sponge.

In other species, the blood flows back up the limbs aided by muscle contractions that “squeeze” the blood back up the leg.

Horses do not have muscles in their lower limbs. Read the rest of this entry »

Alexa Linton, Equine Sport Therapist, BSc. KIn

Where does the time go?  Summer is quickly fading, autumn is upon us, and it’s not long before we embark upon another winter season.  As horse owners, this changing of seasons has special significance. 

Not only does it signal the return to blankets, rainy rides and thrush, but many of us are already thinking about how we can keep the weight on our hard-keepers this winter season.   

The summer months on the island are generally good to our horses, with hay aplenty, lush grass, and sunny days that seem to stretch into infinity.  Usually it is all we can do to keep the weight off our horses during the summer months. 

Winter, however, brings cold weather, and although horses are naturally able to tolerate very low temperatures, it is important for you, as the horse owner to be prepared for increased energy use and stress levels, often leading to weight loss.  Read the rest of this entry »

By Alayne Renee Blickle (from www.myhorse.com)

Solid Footing

Footing is the next important consideration for paddocks. In high traffic areas especially, you want to use some type of footing that will reduce mud by keeping your horse off the soil surface and that helps to prevent erosion.

Hogfuel or wood chips can provide an excellent top layer. These wood products can be good environmental controls, too. Through the natural composting process, they contribute to the Read the rest of this entry »