UPDATED: 12 Christmas Gift Ideas For Your Horse

There’s no doubt about it - our horses are a part of our family. So it stands to reason that we want to include them in our annual celebrations.

It’s not unusual. It’s not bizarre. More and more pet owners are including their dogs and cats into holiday festivities and horses are no different.

So, while we are shop, bake and craft madly before the 25th of December, some may ask

What can I do for my horse this Christmas?

Here’s our top 12 suggestions:

1.      New grooming equipment

There is no doubt about it - our horses love to be pampered (ok, most of them do, anyway). So why not trade up some of those brittle bristles for some gorgeous gear? While you are at it, throw in a massage - your equine buddy will love it!

2.      Sheepskin girth cover

I don’t know about you, but wearing a tight, restricting belt across my rib cage isn’t my favourite thing, even though I have to wear it every day. Imagine a softer, cushier fit that also absorbs your sweat? Sounds like heaven to me and should to your horse too.

Hmm… sheepskin covered bra straps. I wonder…

3.      Bling

Is your horse a poser, attention seeker or just naturally gorgeous? Of course it is!

Enhance that flashy bod with a bit of sparkles - new brow band, new stirrups, or a blingy saddle pad. And of course, you will have to get Santa to send the matching helmet!

4.      Carrot Cookies or Cake

Nothing says Christmas like handmade cookies.

There are some great recipes for carrot cookies specifically designed for horses. Or if your feeding a herd, perhaps a carrot cake with glazed apple topping!

I think I will be doing some baking this weekend!

5.      Holiday

Adventures are more frequently being shared as gifts. If your horse is the curious type, why not share an adventure with them? Anything from taking them on a different trail ride rout to hoping in the float for a weekend getaway at the beach will suit them just fine - and think of all the bonding you can do together when you leave the rest of the world (or most of it) behind!

6.      Fruit & Vegetable ‘salad’

Like the traditional jams, a jar of fruit and vegies popped on top of their breakfast on Christmas morning will bring a whole new pleasure to the day. A guarantee to make you look like Mrs Claus of the stable kitchen in your horses eyes!

7.      Salt Lick

Like socks in the stocking, they need it. Unlike socks in the stocking, they love it!

8.      Prepackaged Treats

It might not be original, but there are plenty of pre-packaged treats that you can buy and some that you can eat with your horse!

Ok, maybe it didn’t specifically say that in the packet, but it looked so darn delicious…

9.      Horse Toys

Is your horse inclined to play? Have you ever tried?

There are toys that can ignite the curiosity and inner foal in many a horse and range from the intricately researched enrichment tools to the simple squeaky rubber chicken. And we’d love you to share your video!

Want to use games as a way to deepen your connection and break up your training? Check out the Learning with Games course here - 2 quick games you can teach and expand upon over your holiday break!

10.   A photo shoot

Ok, this is definitely more for you, not your horse, but could you really pass up the opportunity to spend time creating some precious memories?

11.   A massage

I don’t know about you, but I personally love a great back rub, and many of our horses enjoy that contact as well. Consider booking a massage therapist, or look at getting a therapy ball (even a tennis ball can help) and rolling it over their back, shoulders, neck and rump. Your horse will be your best friend forever!

12. You

All the other gifts would mean nothing if it wasn’t for you. Take the time to appreciate each other these holidays, thank them for their work, and let them spend some time doing their favourite things while you enjoy them too.

Do you have a gift suggestion? Add your comments below!

How do you compare with other horse owners?

How do you compare with other horse riders?

Or owners?

Or trainers?

I have one statement for you:

You don’t.

Another’s journey isn’t the same that you are taking, so YOU shouldn’t be the same. It is also true for your horse.

Yet we often fall into the trap of comparing our progress to others, to help us bench mark our own progress.

Another person is going to differ from us in so many ways.

• mindset

• health

• training and experience

• ultimate desire

are just a few examples of significant differences. Then we add our horses to the mix too!

Instead of comparing yourself to others, why not spend some time considering your own true path. The path that will make you happiest. The path that you can fit into your lifestyle.

Once you know what that is, you can move forward, and then you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else, because there is noone else on this journey but you.

Would you like to talk to us about your path and how you can bring your horse on that journey? Send us an email!

Slowly. But Surely

When I wrote this installment, it had been 14 days since we started treating Stella for ulcers. 

If you remember from my last post, we were hoping to see a little improvement by day three, and real improvement by day five.

You can imagine my disappointment when, on day three, there was no improvement whatsoever.

Day four? About the same. 

Day five brought a pony who was still too sensitive to be groomed, and couldn't even tolerate being in the indoor arena, let alone doing any work (her first trip back into the arena began with a series of rears, and when I let her off the leadline to see if she would play a little bit, she stood dejectedly by the door with her head down).

I was just about to give up hope.

Then, on day six, something changed.

Nothing big.

Nothing that anyone else would even really notice.

On day six, when I went out to her paddock to bring her in, she came over to the gate to greet me.

Which she hadn't done in... well... ever.

After that, there were some signals (obvious and not-so-obvious) that she was on the mend. She was a little bit of a happier pony. She was a little less reactive to every. single. thing. (although she still had moments where she seems very nervous in her stall, or coming in from the paddock).

In the arena, she was coming along. We "worked" her about every second day (and by "work" I mean a combination of free lungeing, lungeing and ground work, in a halter or her bridle, without a saddle). She was pretty tricky to bring along in those early days. Her first instinct was still to go up on her hind legs, although that seemed to now only happen right at the beginning of a lungeing session, and I don't think it was necessarily pain related, because once she got going, she seemed pretty happy to keep going.

Her stride had improved, and was almost back to where it was when I first got her. She stretched her head and neck down a lot, and really started to relax after she'd been working for a few minutes.

If you didn't know something was wrong, well, you'd never have known something was wrong.

The only real left-over from the stilted, painful 'ulcer-trot' was that she never really relaxed her tail. During the worst of the ulcer pain, she held her tail out stiffly and cocked off to the right. Now it was straighter, but it took a while for her to relax it, and it didn’t really "swing" the way it used to.

Of course at this point it was still very early days. We were only at day fourteen of treatment, and it actually ended up taking over fifty days of Gastrogard to get this ulcer gone. Which makes me think it was a bad one, and that it had been there for awhile.

I wasn’t even thinking about riding her at this point. Heck, I wasn’t even thinking about putting a saddle on her. I refused to do that until I was relatively certain that the pain was gone.

The thing that mattered most (scratch that. The only thing that mattered) was getting this pony pain-free.

The difference in demeanour between ulcer-pony and non-ulcer-pony would break your heart. For her to go from a pony who was standing at the back of her stall shaking with nervousness, to the sweet, loving pony that she is now... well, like I said, the only thing that mattered was getting pain-free.

I knew we weren’t out of the woods yet with Stella. And even once the physical pain was gone, a whole lot of re-training had to happen to get her back on the right track. Once she was pain free, we went right back to the basics to begin the long, slow process of starting over. 

But I knew that we would get there. And this pony would lead a calm, happy life. That was my promise to her.

A couple of things I learned from this whole blasted experience:

1. You can have all the big plans you want, but in the end, you need to do what's best for the horse. Period. I will never allow this pony to be in a position ever again where she is stressed to the point that it threatens her well-being. Her entire life, and all of my plans for her will now revolve around her being happy and healthy. She is too important to me to have it any other way.

2. Always look for a physical problem before you assume something is behavioural. It really worries me to think of all the horses out there who have been labelled "bad", but are probably just in pain. Horses are very good at telling us that something is wrong. We just really need to learn how to listen.

3. Young horses need exposure. Babies need to be allowed (or sometimes taught) to be curious by being quietly introduced to everything under the sun, right from the start of their lives. They need to learn to go on trailers and walk over tarps and play games. They need to learn that going somewhere new is a normal part of life. That there's a nice, big, fun, beautiful world outside the pasture fence, and that it's really nothing to worry about.

Loved hearing Stella’s story?

Head over to the Horse & Human Wellness Project to keep up to date with her progress.

This was written by Pam Levy, who is an equestrian blogger and the creator of The Horse and Human Wellness Project, a blog that chronicles her quest to create a stronger connection with her horses. She is currently living her dream on the small farm she owns with her husband in rural Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast. Their herd includes three horses (Sunny, Stella and Q) and two cats (Jack and Arthur). Visit The Horse and Human Wellness Project blog or Facebook page.

The U word

After Tuesday's bucking bronco debacle, I wasn't too keen on putting a saddle back on Stella anytime soon.

It was very obvious to me that there was something about it that she couldn't tolerate, and I was really starting to second guess whether or not her new saddle really did fit her.

In my heart of hearts I really didn't believe that to be true. I'd been so careful about the fit, and had tried so many saddles that didn't fit, I felt certain this one did.

But the difference between "pony with saddle" and "pony without saddle" was so obvious, I started tentatively (and half-heartedly) thinking about another saddle shopping excursion.

My coach, Wylie hadn't been at the barn the last time I'd lunged Stella, so I went back out on Wednesday so I could show her how things were looking. While I groomed, Stella was definitely still showing signs of a sore stomach, swinging her head back with a stern look whenever I touched behind her elbows, or around her sternum. This gave me a little bit of hope about the saddle fit - there was still absolutely no pain anywhere along her back or loins.

I took her out without her saddle, and it was pretty obvious that the pain was not saddle-related. My poor pony, who had stunned me with her beautiful, forward, flowing trot the first time I met her, was now not even tracking up. She looked dejected, her eye seemed troubled, and she was short-strided and tight in front and behind. The way she was "holding" her belly (you could see her ab muscles working to try to keep the belly still) made it very clear. This was not saddle pain. This was a gut issue.

Wylie said, "she's getting weirder". And that was the truth.

I took her temperature, pulse & respiration (all normal). She was eating, drinking and pooping. This was not colic.

This could be... gulp... the dreaded U word.

I fed her a treat (yes, I know. No treats for Stella. But if there was any time for an exception to the rule, this was it) and tucked her in.

I felt horrible.

It was killing me to see my pony in such pain.

Friday afternoon, the vet came. He did a quick examination (during which she almost bit him when he touched her sternum area). Not surprisingly, the pain response seemed as bad as, if not worse than the last time he'd seen her almost a week and a half earlier. If you recall, at that point, we'd suspected ovary pain, or some sort of heat-related issue. Obviously that was not the case.

He asked to see her lunged first without the saddle, then with. I brought her out to the arena and sent her out on the end of the lunge line. She immediately exploded and started bucking. So things had gotten worse (last time I lunged her without tack she was definitely not bucking). She also demonstrated her short-stridedness, as well as a new tendency she'd developed of, post-explosion, lowering her head and shaking it as she trotted along.

We took her back to her stall to put her saddle on (which almost killed me. I couldn't believe I was doing the thing to her that hurt her most... again. But we had to get to the bottom of it, so I petted her, apologized, and did up the girth).

She was obviously not happy with the process.

I had a bad feeling about taking her back out into the arena tacked up. Nonetheless, off we went, me and my little trouper of a pony. As soon as I tried to move her out away from me, she spun to face me and started running backwards. This was not going to happen. I couldn't bear it any longer.

I looked at my vet and he said "Take the saddle off. I don't need to see any more."

When I took the saddle off, Stella seemed a little more comfortable, but she had a dull, pained look in her eye and she just seemed... tired. Like she was waaaaaay over this. I scratched her forehead and fussed with her forelock and ears and she leaned her head into me.

It was time to fix this.

We started her right away on Gastroguard, an orally-administered paste which should reduce the production of stomach acid. According to my vet, if the issue really is ulcers, she should start to feel relief in about three days, with peak-effectiveness at the five day mark.

As you can imagine, I'm counting down the hours until my pony starts to feel better. At this point, I'm actually hoping it is an ulcer, because at least then we can get to work on healing it. And if it's not, then we don't know what the heck it is, and I just need this pony's pain to stop.

It used to be that people thought only race horses got ulcers. Now, however, there is quite a bit of research to show that they can be caused by as little as the act of exposing horses to weekend show conditions. If I think of all of the changes Stella has been through since I got her last summer, it really wouldn't be surprising if she had developed one as well:

• For the first six years of her life she lived a low-stress life, mostly outside, with her herd

• Her first trip off her farm was a three hour trailer ride to a brand new barn, leaving her herd behind

• Three months later we moved to her current barn, including some fairly intense trailer loading training, another trailer ride, and another new herd of friends to get used to (plus, for the first time, being stabled at night and out in a paddock during the day)

• Her training started in earnest a month ago, when we finally found a saddle to fit her

• She moved to a new paddock a little over three weeks ago, with a new paddock mate and a new group of friends

This little mare has been through more changes in the past five months than many horses go through in years.  So if ulcers really can be brought on by stress and change, then it would be no surprise to find that she had one.

I think that some horses are much more capable of handling changes than others, and having spent six years of her life with very few changes to begin with probably made it all the more traumatic for Stella. She is a surprisingly sensitive little horse, and it's entirely possible that this was all just a little too much for her.

If ulcers are truly the problem, then it will become my mission in life to bring Stella along to her full potential with as little stress as possible. She will require constant, careful monitoring and some small adjustments to her lifestyle, but I know we'll be able to make it work.

This was written by Pam Levy, who is an equestrian blogger and the creator of The Horse and Human Wellness Project, a blog that chronicles her quest to create a stronger connection with her horses. She is currently living her dream on the small farm she owns with her husband in rural Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast. Their herd includes three horses (Sunny, Stella and Q) and two cats (Jack and Arthur). Visit The Horse and Human Wellness Project blog or Facebook page.

Spring ahead, fall back part 2

I still didn’t know what was the matter with Stella.

But, to summarize from Part 1, the ways Stella tried to tell me something was wrong were vast and varied:

1. anxiety and nervousness on the cross ties, when she's normally very quiet;

2. biting while I was brushing her sides;

3. increasing fussiness when being tacked up;

4. getting "stuck" at the mounting block - not wanting to walk on after I had mounted;

5. not wanting to stand still while I tightened her girth from the saddle;

6. and finally, on the night of my last ride, anxiety escalating to "naughtiness" at the mounting block.

I told all of this to our vet, Trevor, when he came out to see Stella on the Monday night after the rearing incident.

As we stood in Stella's stall talking about it, she was sweet and loving toward Trevor (as usual. Like I said, she's the sweetest pony I know). But the moment he ran his hand over her girth area, she swung her head around, almost violently, as though to bite.

He felt every other inch of her body, palpating and manipulating her withers, spine, muscles along the back, her loins, her hindquarters, everywhere. There were no other places that caused her even to flinch. I was happy that we could rule out back pain, but as soon as he came back to the girth area, the violent head swing happened again.

At least we had been able to narrow it down to where she was hurting. Now we just had to figure out why.

Trevor had a couple of ideas off the top of his head as to what it could be. Looking back on the events leading up to the incident, the first thing that came to mind was that this was pain associated with Stella being in heat. Now, I don't know how many of you have mares, but those who do know that being in season can bring on some very odd behaviours in a mare, and some mares can have pretty painful heats.

If Stella was experiencing some kind of ovarian pain, that could explain many of the symptoms she was showing - the increased anxiety/nervousness (which can accompany any kind of pain in a horse, really), the sensitivity in the belly/girth area, and the other, less obvious, symptoms, like making sour-puss faces at her best girlfriends.

Having said that, I hadn't really seen any other signs of Stella being in heat. But, to be fair, I had now had her for almost five months, and I honestly hadn't noticed so far when she had ever been in heat (and after all of my trials and tribulations with my other mare, Sunny, I had developed a pretty keen eye for a mare in season!).

Nonetheless, it was at least a place to start. We decided to put her on bute for four days. By the fifth day, one of two things will have happened - either the pain will have gone away on its own due to the fact that, if she started her heat the Thursday before (that's when the worst of the symptoms started), she should be out of season by the coming Thursday, or, if it was a temporary issue, the bute should have taken the pain away. 

I was to continue working her (ground work and lungeing only, no saddle) for the next four days, and then on day 5, which would be the Friday, I was to try tacking her up to gauge her reaction to having the saddle put on and the girth tightened.

We did as instructed. I also started keeping a journal for Stella, to track her symptoms, and jot down notes about how she seemed on each day. If this issue was, in fact, being caused by painful heats, then I was going to need to know when she was due to come into season, so I would be able to plan her work schedule and her pain management around it.

On day 5 (Friday), we put on her saddle. She seemed concerned, and a little anxious, but at least she didn't try to leap around as I put it on. I was not convinced the pain was gone, and in fact her sides still seemed a little sensitive whenever I touched them. I could even tell by the look on her face that she was not feeling comfortable about being tacked up.

Saturday and Sunday were spent at a groundwork and desensitization clinic (that's a whole 'nother blog post!), so it was Tuesday of week two before I tried tacking her up again. I actually started out without tack. I was itching to practice some things we'd learned over the weekend, and I wanted to gauge her demeanour in the ring without a saddle on first. So off we went with just a rope halter and lead. Stella was quiet, focused and attentive. No spooking, no shenanigans. It was a nice little schooling session, and had I left it there, I would have gone home thinking that there was some real improvement. But, of course, when you're trying to test a theory, you have to follow through.

I took Stella back to her stall and started tacking her up. She was about the same as she had been on Friday. A little ouchy on her sides right behind her elbows, and a little anxious about what I was doing. I figured I was never going to get to the bottom of things until I pushed the envelope a little bit, so I decided to see how she looked on the lunge line. 

It quickly became obvious to me that having the saddle on was the issue. After half a circle of calm walking, Stella exploded, running and bucking until I was worried she’d fall over. My concern was not so much that she was blowing off some steam (after all, she’ hadn’t been worked in days). My concern was the bucking. See, Stella doesn't buck. And by that, I don't mean Stella rarely bucks, or she doesn't buck much. I mean she doesn't buck. Ever.

The other thing that worried me was the difference in her temperament between when she was in the ring without the saddle, and when she was in the ring with the saddle. She was immediately a little more anxious in the saddle. She was expecting it to hurt (and obviously it did, judging by the bucks).

So. Back to square one. This tells me loud and clear that the pain is still there, even after almost a week off, and four days of bute.

Time to call the vet back out...

This was written by Pam Levy, who is an equestrian blogger and the creator of The Horse and Human Wellness Project, a blog that chronicles her quest to create a stronger connection with her horses. She is currently living her dream on the small farm she owns with her husband in rural Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast. Their herd includes three horses (Sunny, Stella and Q) and two cats (Jack and Arthur). Visit The Horse and Human Wellness Project blog or Facebook page.

Spring Ahead, Fall Back - Part 1

Here's the thing. You have got to listen to your horse.

Stella had been telling me for two weeks that something wasn't right. I just wasn't listening.

We’d recently gone through some pretty major saddle fitting issues, but, once I finally found a saddle that worked for Stella, it was full steam ahead with her training. She was now going very nicely, trotting round quietly, reaching for the bit, using her hind quarters, turning and going straight like nobody's business.

She was quiet and correct at the mounting block (and if she did have a "moment" and get out of line, with a couple gentle reminders she would step back over to me and stand waiting for me to get on). She almost always stood quietly afterward, waiting for me to tell her when it was time to walk on.

Her lunging was coming along nicely, although she had reached the point where I didn't really need to lunge her before every ride. When we did lunge, we did fun stuff, like poles and low cavaletti, which she really seems to enjoy.

Even her spookiness seemed to be improving. I was doing a lot of just leading her around the property in her rope halter, introducing her to new things and spending quiet time together. She had a new paddock mate, a lovely horse named Dee, who is also six. They get along swimmingly, and the move to a new turnout area also allowed Stella to make friends with a couple of geldings in the adjoining paddocks. So she had a nice new group of buddies, and really started enjoying her turn out time.

Everything seemed to be going exactly as planned... up until about two weeks ago.

A little over 2 weeks ago…

It was a Friday afternoon. I was grooming Stella on the cross ties, and she happened to catch sight, out the window, of a horse coming down the driveway. I guess she hadn't really seen a horse from that view before and it startled her so much she spun around in the aisleway and was, in a split second, facing the wrong way. 

She had one crosstie over the top of her head and had pulled it so tight that she started to panic. I spoke to her softly, rubbed her forehead (her favourite thing), and got her to calm down enough that she relaxed her head and neck and I was able to undo the crossties and turn her around. I made a nice fuss over her and continued grooming. She never quite settled that day, and even during our ride she was very much on edge. I blamed it on the crosstie incident and put it out of my head.

15 days ago…

One evening the following week (Monday, I think), I had ridden and was now untacking and grooming Stella in her stall. She was munching on her hay and I was softly currying her left side when she suddenly reached back and bit me!

Now first of all let me say that this is very odd behaviour for Stella. She is, quite literally, one of the sweetest ponies I know.

But I also know that a lot of people at the barn like to feed treats to the horses (and as much as I gently scold them when they feed treats to my horse, well, it's hard to get them to stop). So I assumed that this was the result of a pony getting stuffed with too many tidbits, so I put up a nice little "NO TREATS PLEASE" sign on Stella's stall door, and didn't think twice about it.

14 days ago…

When I tacked up on Tuesday, Stella seemed much quieter, although she did get a little fussy when I threw the saddle pad over her back (I used to move very slowly and methodically when I tacked her up, because I remember when I first got her that she was always very antsy getting her saddle put on. So I chalked it up to me just being a little too devil-may-care with the tacking up, and made a mental note to go back to moving a little slower).  She was very, very good that night. I remember thinking that I wished someone was videoing her, because she was being such a lovely girl.

13 days ago…

On Wednesday, I was more careful tacking up. I didn't want her reverting to her old ways. The saddle pad & sheepskin half pad were fine, but when I put her saddle on, she literally jumped sideways (into me).

For a moment, my heart sank. She was behaving like a pony who didn't like her saddle (and trust me, I know exactly how a pony who doesn't like her saddle behaves). But because she had been going so much happier in this saddle than she ever had in any other, I really felt in my heart that this wasn't the problem. 

But I nonetheless took the saddle off, and felt all along her back, along her withers, spine, loins, everywhere. Not a flinch, not an ear back, nothing. I gently sat the saddle back on her (this time, she didn't seem to mind), and loosely did up the girth. I remember her swinging her head around at that point. It was almost like she was going to nip me, but then changed her mind. I thought at the time that the no-treats rule must be working, since she was going to nip but then thought better of it...

That night, I had what I would say was my best ride yet on her.

Great at the mounting block (My coach, Wylie, was teaching a lesson in the arena while I was riding, and she even commented on how nicely Stella stood during mounting), and then a super quiet, nicely forward ride, no head tossing, no turning issues, just a happy pony and a very happy rider.

And even after the ride, she had some stellar moments. For example, since day one she's been very silly about having her bridle taken off. She shakes her head like she thinks that'll make the bridle come off faster. It's something we always work on, and this night, she stood quietly and let the bit softly drop out of her mouth. She had finally figured it out, and I was so very proud of her.

That was the last good ride I had.

12 days ago…

On Thursday, she was a little antsy coming in from her paddock.

I remember thinking that she must be in heat (especially considering she peed twice while being groomed). She was even making sour-puss faces at her best friend, Emmy, who lives in the stall next to her. I know that some mares' heats manifest themselves in unfocused, unsettled behaviour, so I assumed that was the issue, and carried on.

She never really settled as I groomed and tacked up, and then, the weirdest thing happened. I took her to the mounting block, she stood quietly, but then once I'd mounted, she wouldn't move. Like she was... stuck, or something. She seemed to literally be holding her breath. I clucked and gave her a little nudge, and finally she moved off.

Everything seemed fine then, but I do recall that she was pretty tightly wound the whole ride. She was spooky and seemed to have a hard time focusing. Wylie also commented that she looked a little F-A-T (don't tell Stella!), so we decided to decrease her grain a little. Not that she gets much to start with, but she does get plenty of nice, good quality hay, so I figured could probably have her pellets reduced.

11 days ago…

On Friday, she once again felt frisky and scattered. Grooming and tacking up was a chore. She was literally all over the place. 

Because she was being so silly and unfocused, I decided to lunge her for a few minutes first. She pulled a couple of really big spook-and-runs on the lunge line, but finally she calmed down and seemed like she was settled enough to do some work.

Now, I've always been very careful not to tighten the girth up all at once. Not just with Stella, but with any horse. So I start out just tight enough to keep the saddle on. I'll tighten another hole when I get to the ring, then another hole just before I get on. Then I'll do the rest of the tightening from the saddle, in a couple of goes.

And I remember thinking how much easier it was to tighten my girth while mounted when I got my current saddle, because it has short billets, so I can just reach down to tighten it, rather than leaning over so far. Stella's always been very good about standing while I tighten the girth, but on this night, she would not stand still. It took me three tries to tighten my girth one hole because little miss Fussy Pants was shaking her head and trying to trot off every time I reached down. I finally got it done, and carried on with the ride.

9 days ago…

On Saturday, I gave her the day off. We did some ground work in the ring instead. She was quiet, happy, and focused. Then on Sunday, we did some more of the same. She started off a little less focused than she was the day before, but we worked through it and she ended up being fairly quiet so I decided to go get her tacked up for a quick ride. When I brought her back into the ring in her saddle and bridle, it was like we hadn't even done any ground work. She was spooky, unsettled and even a little bit naughty.

I gave the girth a tighten, and took her to the mounting block, where she behaved very oddly, getting really close to the block, making it very difficult for me to get on. We worked on it for a bit, and then she seemed okay.

But the moment I put my foot in the stirrup, she was obviously very much not okay. She reared, pretty much straight up. Three times. With lunges and spins in between.

Total rodeo horse.

Totally out of character for my sweet little mare.

Totally frightening.

I was surprised, and immediately very worried. What had happened to my sweet pony? My pony who had been steadily improving every day? Obviously something was very, very wrong. I was devastated.

Wylie was away teaching a clinic, but I texted her first thing in the following morning to tell her what had happened. She agreed that this was extremely out of character for Stella, and we made the decision to call our vet (who, as luck would have it, was going to be at our barn that evening to float another horse's teeth). I spent the day making a mental list of all the signs Stella had given me that something was wrong. Something had to have happened to bring this on. I refused to believe that this was Stella being naughty. This was Stella in pain, and I had to find out what was causing it before I could get back on my pony.

To be continued...

This was written by Pam Levy, who is an equestrian blogger and the creator of The Horse and Human Wellness Project, a blog that chronicles her quest to create a stronger connection with her horses. She is currently living her dream on the small farm she owns with her husband in rural Nova Scotia, on Canada’s east coast. Their herd includes three horses (Sunny, Stella and Q) and two cats (Jack and Arthur). Visit The Horse and Human Wellness Project blog or Facebook page.

Biggest Take Aways From The First Do No Harm Summit

We are very excited (and still somewhat recovering) from an epic weekend.

That’s right - the First Do No Harm Summit concluded on Sunday just past, with an awesome attendance and presentations from some amazing fellow equestrian professionals.

So we thought we would sum up some of our biggest take aways from the event - just to get you thinking as well!

(Missed the summit? Click here to binge watch until May 18th 2020, or join the Facebook Group to access them after!)

The Key to a Stronger Bond

Equestrian Movement

This is one we discuss often, and the condenced version of the Equestrian Movement Stronger Bond Workshop revealed there are 3 key things we need to be providing our horses: consistency, confidence, and consent.

Thinking Business In A Changing World

Full Strides Solution

Even the smallest ‘extra income’ solution, whether it is agisting (boarding) friends horses or making horse hair jewellery should be approached with a business mentality. Simply having an outline of what happens in case of an event has the capability of staving off exorbitant legal fees - and loss of relationships!

Bit Fitting - Avoiding Wounds

The Bit Fitter

Well, besides having everything I was ever taught about a bit thrown out as myth, I learnt that I seriously need to look at my horse’s mouth more closely! However, there are a few great tips to getting a bit to fit correctly and comfortably.

Owner’s Hoof Care Checklist

The Glorious Hoof

There is so much about the anatomy of the hoof that can change so quickly, and impact our horse’s posture and movement - but there are many things we can pick up early if we know what to look for. Also, the well known 6-8 week cycle we tend to use is too long for most horses.

The Fundamentals of Aromatherapy

Evoke Aromatic

Aromatherapy can help us create a connection with our horses by working on both their and our emotional states. So, so loved her breakdown of the horses olfactory system and how it has direct access to their emotions and trainability.

3 Secrets to Improve Your Dressage Riding

Equestrian Movement

Katie shared so many free tips, but I definitely resonated with the idea that more forward does not equal faster - in fact, the way to create more forward in your horse is to create more slow!

Boundaries for Better Horsemanship

Savvy Horsewoman

Treat your horse like every day with them is the first day with them. No expectations, just work with what you are given.

The Importance of Correct Halter Training

Stokers Ridge Ranch

A horse can be trained to have a “default” - their reaction to a particular stimulus. By creating more positive neurons than negative, focusing on softness, and breaking down the training to the very basics - all the way down to halter training - gives them the best chance to change that response.

Rider’s Posture & Fitness

@PhysioZane

“Perfect” posture is not always possible, because bodies are made differently. The focus should be on your optimal posture, and how you can tailor that to your riding. I have a new trick to try on my next ride as well!

Strengthen & Supple Your Horse

Equine Muscle Matters

Helping to create balance in your horse can be as easy as one small pole exercise, that can be done on the ground! Also, the correct way to apply carrot stretches.

Worm Your Way Into Your Horses Heart

Equestrian Movement

Ok, so I presented this one. But I did learn that when you refer to tapeworm segments as mini ravioli sacs, people never want to eat ravioli again…

The biggest take away, though, is that all our horses should be treated as individuals. Just because it works one way for one horse doesn’t mean it will work perfectly for all horses. Tailoring your work to your own horse, and to yourself, will result in the best success.

Boredom Buster Tips From Lucy at Horse Factbook

Horses are highly intelligent animals that have evolved over the centuries to survive on their wits and instincts.

This can be great in the wild where there are plenty of possible predators but otherwise, it can sometimes cause problems with boredom which is why it's important to keep horses stimulated and interested.

Horses are inherently inquisitive and if we don't pay attention to this side of their nature it can lead to some seriously bad habits and vices such as cribbing and wind sucking.

The good news though is that it doesn't take much to keep a horse occupied, from changing your routine slightly to introducing some toys and mixing up your lessons a little, there are plenty of options. You can even reuse some of the everyday items you find around the barn to make inexpensive toys.

Stop boredom in the paddock

Horses are less likely to get bored when there are other horses around but that doesn't mean to say they won't and some bad habits, such as weaving, can also be learned from horses watching each other which is why its crucially important to make sure your horse isn't bored while he's turn out with his friends.

Rollers

Horse rollers can be great for keeping a lot of horse occupied at once but they can be quite expensive so why not make your own instead? Simply use a sturdy plastic container and randomly cut a few holes in it, making sure they're big enough for the treats to get out but not so big that they all fall out in one go. If you've got any sharp edges you can use a soft cloth to cover them (if you have a strong enough needle you can sew the cloth to the container, but if not then you can use fabric glue to stick it). All you need to do now is fill it with treats, secure the lid and then put it in the field for the horses to play with. You'll be amazed at just how long it'll keep them busy for.

Iceblocks

During the summer you can freeze fruit in a bucket of water and then hang it from a sturdy tree. This will prove a nice cooling treat when the weather's really hot but because it can freely swing your horse will have to work to get any reward. The fruit will act as an incentive for him to keep 'playing' with it, this, in turn, means he won't get bored.

Grazing

Encouraging grazing is another great way to help reduce boredom in horses. Being natural grazers they like to forage for their food and will spend a lot of time eating small amounts but you can use this to your advantage. Instead of placing any additional hay (or handfuls of pony nuts) in one place, scattering it around the pasture will allow them to graze, this will stop them from getting bored but will also aid good digestion which can’t be a bad thing.

Stop boredom while exercising

Be honest, if you're riding lessons are always the same do you find them a bit boring? If you do then think about how your horse may be feeling too. You don't need to completely change what you're doing just do them slightly differently. Even introducing something as simple as irregular pole work can help to keep your horse's brain active and prevent him from getting bored. Irregular pole work is pretty much the same as regular pole work but instead of keeping the gaps the same, they're random, with some of them being raised too. Your horse will have to pay attention and won't be able to just go through the motions, but as an added bonus it'll also help to strengthen his muscles.

You don’t always need to ride to exercise your horse so why not take him for a walk sometimes too? That might sound like a daft suggestion but it’ll give the two of you a chance to bond as well as allow your horse to explore his surroundings. Like most animals, horses use smell as a way of checking out the environment so going for a walk would keep them from being bored. Depending on where you live and where your horse is kept you could even make a day of it, take a picnic for the two of you.

Why not try a new sport? Learning anything new will help to keep your horse stimulated but why not try something like horse agility? Created back in 2009, horse agility is similar to dog agility except the obstacles are horse-sized! You don't even need to travel anywhere or buy any special equipment but your horse will thoroughly enjoy it.

Stop boredom while in stable

Horses are sociable animals and don't like being on their own for too long, but if you keep them occupied while they're stabled then they won't get bored and therefore won't be stressed.

Simple toys such as Bizzy Bites can be great for this but even better than that install a plastic mirror. It's not that horses are vain and like to look at themselves, they actually don't realize they're looking at their reflection. Instead, they think it's another horse so believe they're not alone, they'll try and interact with the 'other' horse which will not only keep them calm but will also stop them from getting bored.

Extra boredom-busting tips

They say you can't teach a new dog old tricks but that certainly isn't the case for horses - so why not teach your horse a new trick, you never know he may even be able to help you around the yard!!

Keep it fun and use your horse's favorite treat as a reward but with time you can have your horse sweeping up around the barn (okay so maybe that's an exaggeration). Think about what it is you'd like your horse to do and then break it down into smaller steps. Just think about when you first taught your horse to lift his hoof on command, you started by running your hand down his leg and gently lifting the hoof yourself and in time were able to just tap his lower leg to get him to raise his hoof. By using this method you can teach him something new, such as picking up a brush. Just don't teach him how to open the stable door otherwise you'll have a tough time keeping him in there!!

My name’s Lucy and since learning to ride at the age of five I’ve not only owned dozens of horses and ponies (and a few donkeys) but I’ve also run a very successful riding school, teaching both English and Western.

I have a real passion for horses and feel that they can add so much richness and joy to our lives which is why created this blog. I wanted to help other people by passing on some of the things I’d learned. I want the site to become a real factbook for new and experienced owners and riders alike.

Visit the Horse Factbook

A special thank you to Lucy for submitting this blog for our audience. If you like what you have read, you can read more at www.horsefactbook.com

The Moody Mare - Tips to Handle Her During Your Training

There is a distinct divide in the horse community - you are either a mare person or a gelding person.

I myself am a self-confessed mare lover. Although I am currently working with geldings, I owe it all to my very first horse, an Arab mare.

I wouldn’t say that our relationship was smooth. Natty had the best RBF (resting bitch face) I have ever seen on ANYONE, human included. But like most mares, when you approach her with respect, ask rather than tell, and break through those walls, she could give you the softest looks and contact.

Although she has been gone for almost 3 years, I still vividly recall those moody days of season - those days when it might have been safer to be in a warzone than working with her - and after many conversations with fellow mare owners, I started thinking about how we can really work through these moody days.

It’s all going to come down to a combination of mental, emotional and physical management.

That “ticking clock” issue

A mare in the reproductive phase of estrous has 2 things on her mind - breeding and surviving. And the urge to reproduce can even override their desire to eat.

Even worse is their first cycle of the season. Typically, estrous averages about 6 days, but has been known to last much longer in the first cycle of the season, prolonged due to the fact that they have not yet ovulated. This can be particularly hard on horse and owner during this time, as it seems nothing you do will ever be easy again.

So their focus and attention isn’t yours, and it is going to be harder to get that attention. However, this is where our Training Trainability Course works really well - gain attention and focus, gain consent to work, and refocus on that leadership.

A total pain in the…ovaries?

There are quite a lot of issues for the mare's reproductive cycle that can significantly influence behaviour, aggression and pain.

1. The simple process of estrous (the receptive period) can cause changes to gait, meaning a horse with some underlying skeletal or muscular injuries may be more likely to display and feel this pain.

2. The fascia (connective tissue) can wrap or attach to areas of the ovary, tubes or uterus, meaning the period of estrous and subsequent ovulation can become quite painful. It is really hard to have this identified without the help of an osteopathic veterinarian.

3. Ovulation tends to occur about 1-2 days prior to the end of the estrous cycle. For up to 3 days prior to ovulation, the mare can experience significant discomfort as the follicle on the ovary expands (think about or talk to women who have experienced really bad menstural periods and you may get some insight into what the mare is feeling).

4. Aggression and extreme moodiness during estrous will depend on whether pain is evident (uterine or other, doesn't matter), but also if we are pushing their mental capacity at the time. Reproducing is an extremely strong instinct that can even overcome the desire to eat, so it isn't any surprise that when we ask a mare in estrous to work that they can lose the plot a bit.

So, what to do with that Moody Mare you need to train?

The key thing is to first get to know your mare - understand her cycle, her behaviour, her movement. Identify if there are underlying behavioural or physical pains outside of her season which are exacerbated when she is in season. This will point you into the right direction to move forward.

Next, when you are getting serious RBF attitude, consider the following:

🦄Are you pushing her to work on something new, uncomfortable (such as intense work) or difficult? Perhaps take it back to simple exercises and work she enjoys.
🦄Are you constantly correcting her or trying to prevent estrous behaviours? Perhaps consider only doing this firmly when she is under saddle and gently redirect her attention to you when doing groundwork (and work on bringing her focus to you when she is out of estrous). This will take a lot of patience and a lot of "yes's" (Training Trainability, folk -this is what it’s all about!)
🦄 If she is really uncomfortable (if there is lameness or pain increasing around estrous), gentle groundwork and a lot of spoiling may be a better approach over intense groundwork - resulting in a mare that is less resentful and therefore more willing to listen, learn and work with you next time.

Of course, sometimes a break can be just as good as a work out, so if you are feeling quite frustrated with her behaviour, turn her out (on a positive note), and let her be a mare for a week - and hopefully you can both come together again in unity. And if at any stage you are uncertain, always consult with your equine health care professional.

Moving Safely Around Your Horse

Have you ever given consideration of how we should be moving around our horse to ensure our own safety? Or why some of our instructors tell us we should approach in a certain way?

In this video, Katie demonstrates the reasons we should be thoughtful in our movements and where the ‘safe’ places are.

EMERGENCY! Be Prepared In Fire

With the current events across Eastern Australia, it is no wonder that many of us are on edge.

The fires that are raging are devastating wildlife, property, pet and animal lives. And when the one’s we love are under threat, especially with something so hell-on-earth like bushfire, it puts us into high stress mode - which unfortunately, is not always condusive to straight thinking.

Fortunately, horses are quite clever at getting out of the way of fire, as long as we give them the right chance.

It’s on that note, we have compiled a list to help you prepare in case a fire emergency strikes.

1. Know their safe place

That way, when your property is placed at risk, or if there is a chance it may occur, you can move your horses to a designated area.

Horses can usually escape or avoid fire if they are given enough space, and if we make that space an area less likely to burn, that makes it even easier! So select a large “Jenny Craig” paddock (eaten out of vegetation, or more dirt than grass). Alternatively, a number small eaten out paddocks interlinked with opened gates, or a large sand arena devoid of close vegetation or buildings, may also be suitable.

Even better if that area has a dam that the horses can stand in to escape the flames and heat.

DO NOT put them in small, inescapable areas such as pens or stables - they will more likely panic, thrash and become injured, and have little ability to escape any upcoming flames.

2. Remove all tack

While halters may make your horse easier to catch if you need to relocate them, if the fire whips across quickly, any tack including rugs, halters or lead ropes can catch alight and either burn or melt - not keeping your horse safe at all.

3. Have an exit strategy

It goes without saying but still must be said - YOU MUST HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY, AND YOU MUST KNOW WHEN TO IMPLIMENT IT!

• Keep an eye on your local government or fire management sites, radio or television to understand the threat. The best advice of actions to take is available there.

• Choose an alternative, out of the way location to move your horse - a friends, the local (or not so local) pony club or showgrounds, sale yards, race tracks, or even a riding school or animal shelter - just be sure they can recieve you (and you may be expected to stay with your horse at some of these locations, so know in advance in case you need to have multiple trips for multiple horses).

• Work with friends or neighbours to maximise the movement of animals.

It doesn’t matter if you act on the exit strategy early. In fact, it is far better you do, than risk the lives of your horses, yourselves, and the brave men and women who are willing to sacrifice their lives to save ours.

4. Mark your horse with your contact information

Having clear contact numbers on your horse can help you find them again should any fencing burn down and they escape.

• Paint your phone number on their flanks - if you do it in large numbers, people who find but cannot catch your horse can easily read it and call you out. If you paint their hooves, remember that soot will settle there and it may be harder to read at a distance.

• Shave your contact number into their coat - yes, it may take a while to grow back, but far better to grow back in your paddock and look funny for a while than to never know what happened to your horse.

• Braid an id tag into their mane (not tail) - but remember, someone needs to get close enough to your freaked out horse to read it, so something much less subtle, such as painted flanks, is easier.

5. Cut your horses tail

Cut it short, or braid it up, to reduce the chance of it catching a stray ember and literally setting fire to your horse’s arse…

6. Avoid letting your horse loose on the roads if you can

A horse that is running on the road is by far more likely to come into danger from a panicked driver or a speeding emergency service vehicle than it is from the fire - and is more likely to put human lives at risk also.

7. Have your first aid kit handy

When it is safe to check on your horses, make sure your first aid kit is fully supplied and ready to deal with any minor or major injuries that may have occurred. Have your vet’s number handy but understand they may be in just as much trouble as you, so have as many back up contacts as possible.

Stay smart, stay safe, and we hope to see everyone alive on the other side of this disaster.

xo

Sarah & Katie

Do you have any tips we missed, or experienced a fire disaster? Put them in the comments below!

Horse Care & The Impact On Training

Have you ever considered that how your horse lives has an impact in their ability to learn?

A horse’s living conditions can ultimately play a huge role on their trainability. The mental and emotional health which largely is the result of feeling safe, having needs met and having social engagement affects how well they can learn and their willingness.

1. Being in a confined space for extended periods of time

Horses are meant to be in open space and spend the day grazing along with some time resting. When they are confined and you only let them out to be worked, getting into that open space can make it harder for them to focus and work.

2. Routine

Where horses have been malnourished in the past, or even when they simply don’t have the option to graze, they can be stressed about when and where they’re next feed is. This stress has a flow-on effect to their training. Having a consistent routine for your horse helps to keep them more relaxed as they know what to expect and when.

3. Social engagement

Horses are a herd animal and also a prey animal. When they live solo it is hard for them to feel safe enough and relax properly. This alertness with lack of rest over a long period of time is damaging on the nervous system. It can make the horses irritable, lack focus, spook at everything or even incredibly lethargic.

4. Adequate roughage

Getting the right feed for your horse is a crucial part to having your horse in a good training brain. Some feeds can make your horse hot and anxious, give your horse a bloated upset belly or make them lethargic. Adequate roughage is important to keeping your horses’ digestive tract healthy and the horse full, relaxed and healthy.

5. Shelter

Horses love a good resting place for their midday nap. Providing an area for rolling, resting, getting out of the sun or weather is important to their daily routine and overall health.

Poor Acceptance of Bit Pressure? 5 Things You NEED to Consider

“My horse is behind the vertical”

“My horse is behind the bit”

“My horse is reacting badly when I apply rein pressure - help!”

These are comments we see regularly on horse forums, in lessons or even when you start typing into google!

Horse’s don’t wake up one morning and decide to not do something. They do, however, try to communicate discomfort and confusion the only way they can - through behaviour.

But what could it mean for you if your horse is showing these behaviours?

1. Dental Issues

Check whether your horse is coming, due or overdue for his or her next dentist visit. These symptoms above may be simply caused by discomfort or pain, and is something your dentist can help you with.

2. Saddle Fit

Believe it or not, an incorrectly fitted saddle can create pain and tension that reverberates through the shoulders, the poll and eventually the jaw. Simple movement restriction and tension can create poor receptiveness to your aids, or can create poor posture, resulting in the horse ducking out behind the bit.

3. Body pain

As with a poorly fitted saddle, body pain, even that of the back legs, can translate into bit evasion. Remember - our entire body is connected, so when one area is not working well, it will influence the rest of the body. Seek out advice from your professional body worker.

4. Bridle & Bit Fit

Is the bridle correctly placed? Is the nose band too tight? Does the bit move around in the mouth? Are you using the right bit for your horse? (having just been to a bit fitting session, that is a whole other topic that needs more professional advise!). These could all be reasons that your horse reacts negatively to any changes to the bit pressure. Make sure to use someone qualified to ensure your horse has the right bit, and that all the bridle and associated parts are not causing undue pain or cutting off circulation of the major vessels.

5. Training

Finally, if your horse is displaying these behaviours, consider the training that has gone into that horse. Does the horse actually know what you mean when you apply rein or bit pressure? Have they learnt to duck behind the bit to get out of working correctly? Work with a reputable trainer, or sign up to learn about our Green-to-Self-Carriage course.

Snug as a Bug in a Rug - 13 Tips for Rugging Your Horse

It’s starting to get a little chilly in Australia.

Yes, it actually reached below 10 degrees celcius in Queensland - time to pull out the thermals!

But what about your horse?

Here are a few tips to help you manage your rugging.

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• Your rugs should be chosen for seasonality first, fit and comfort second, then finally price and looks.

• You will likely need more than one type of rug per horse, and possibly even two that offer the same level of protection (in case one is torn or needs washing).

• This handy guide (sourced from thegroomslist.co.uk) may help as a guide for your selection but is a guide only.

sourced: thegroomslist.co.uk

• Keep an eye on the weather app to help make your mind up about which rugs should be used when. Also handy to have a thermometer outside of the stables or tack shed to assess the ambient temperature locally.

• Each horse will need a different level of rugging depending on the season, activity, age, body condition and living arrangements (stabling, clipping etc), so don’t assume that because your neighbours horse has 3 layers, so should yours.

• Don’t go throwing on the heaviest rug you can find as soon as it starts to turn cold (unless it is a freaky frozen snap) – your horse will probably be too hot to start and then have nothing to upgrade to when it gets colder.

• Don’t assume your horse is hot just because you are – did they just spend the last 30 minutes getting sweaty mucking out their yard?

• To assess if your horse is too hot, put your hand inside the neck of the rug and feel just behind the wither. If it is wet, your horse is too hot. Do not go by the warmth of their legs or ears.

• To assess if your horse is too cold, put your hand inside the neck of the rug and feel just behind the wither. If it is a bit chilly, your horse could possibly use another layer. Also look for hair standing up – just like us when we get goosebumps.

• An underconditioned horse (too skinny, or lost muscle mass) is going to need more carefully controlled temperature with their rugging to avoid expending excess energy attempting to keep warm.

• Rugs, like our blanket, will need regular maintenance and replacement. Imagine if you ran around with your doona wrapped around you for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 3 months of the year. It will soon lose its fill and comfort.

sourced: http://www.ekonomikmobilyacarsisi.com/rugs/how-to-measure-a-horse-for-a-rug/

• To estimate your horses rug size, you can measure from the centre of the chest, around the outside of the widest part of the shoulder, to the buttocks in a line parallel with the ground (see diagram).

• A correctly fitted rug should sit above the shoulders on the neck, with the tail flap located at the tail base, the chest buckles on the first or second hole, the leg buckles loose enough not to chafe but not too loose to swing, and the surcingle buckling with a hands width to the belly.

To Clip Or Not To Clip?

As winter (in the southern hemisphere, anyway) approaches, many of our horses are becoming fluffier and hairier, and to thus we pose the following question: should we clip them?

There are many advantages and disadvantages to consider, so we have listed them below to help you decide!

PRO - CLIPPING

Easier grooming

Outside of the clip itself, general grooming becomes a lot less difficult and can be a time saver at tacking up. Saving time becomes even more important when our sunlight is restricted, so why not?

Less hair in the washing machine

Have you ever had that time when you forgot to rinse the washing machine after doing a load of saddle blankets or rugs? Your clothes wore more hair than your horse did, I’m betting. So for those of us who don’t have the luxury of a horse-only washing machine, or even those of us that do, it will reduce the cleaning required and general wear-and-tear on your machine.

It is possible your horse may itch less

I have had many experiences with dogs that constantly itch without having an underlying skin condition. It blew my mind that simply by regularly clipping them, they significantly reduced in itchiness!

While there is no science backing this, and while I haven’t seen it in practice on an itchy horse, could it work? Possibly. Before you reach for the clippers though, be sure you have ruled out underlying health conditions, as some of these may be contagious and you could spread it to other horses via the clippers!

There are a variety of clip styles to try

Depending on your discipline or personal inclination, there are a variety of clips you could try - potentially a different one for each year! There are some clipper artists that take a unique approach and use the horse as a canvas for their design… I’ll let you form your own opinion on that though.

Con - Clipping

You will need to rug more

Not only will you need to rug more, you need to be prepared to change their rugs more consistently - especially in climates like Queensland (Australia), where winter consists of evenings around 5 degrees Celsius and days in the mid twenties.

You may need to hire a professional

Some people either lack the confidence, skill or knowledge to clip. So if you don’t want your horse looking like you dragged them through the hedge backwards, you may have to consider hiring a professional to do the job for you - several times throughout the season.

Your horse may not like the clippers

Some horses are terrified of the sound or vibration of the clippers. It takes a very confident and well trained horse (hey - check out our Training Trainability course that you can apply the principles of to this very situation!), or you may have to opt to sedate your horse.

Not only can sedation have side effects (including becoming overly excitable, anaphylaxis, or collapse), it is an additional cost to consider as it should ONLY EVER be administered by a veterinarian (mostly, for the above mentioned reasons).

Older horses need the additional warmth

Older horses, particularly if they experience joint pain, or have muscle wastage, have less capability of self-regulating their warmth, and therefore need additional warmth from their own coat, without the added layers and weights of multiple rugs. If you do have to clip your older horse, ensure they stay warm and comfortable by considering lighter weight but warmer rug options and regularly checking how they are responding to the level of warmth applied.

So there you have it - the pros and cons of clipping your horse. What are you doing this winter?

Whacky Adventures of the Clutzy Horse

When your horse is constantly involved in medical dramas, a well-stocked first aid kit is essential. Click here to access your free ultimate first aid kit checklist.

Have you ever had that horse that seems to always get some form of injury FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT ALL?

Imagine my angst to start 2019 with exactly that - a horse, previously without concerns, suddenly getting into all sorts of mischief!

It all started with his very first hoof abscess (that we know of, anyway).

He ate his morning feed perfectly fine, and had a very minor tenderness to the way he walked out into the paddock - a walk that looked much more like a hesitation for extra treats than any actual pain. One and a half hours later, as I collect him from the paddock for our weekly riding lesson, you think his hoof would have fallen off by the limp! (Cue for all horse owners to go -yep, tell tale abscess there!).

Poor blighter had never been with us for any kind of injury and turns out his is the biggest sook! Turns out, I’m also a big softy. Custard received the biggest spoiling and extra treats & hay (good tip to improve your bond through a crisis is to take the chance to emotionally support their needs as well as medically support them!).

One small stick caused so much damage.

Abscess passed as they do, and it is now 2 weeks later and time for our next lesson. Would you believe me if I were to tell you that the exact same thing happened again? Ate breakfast, left fine, collect from the paddock with a massive limp, got lots of spoiling, treats and hay.

It’s at this point I’m wondering if I am just that unlucky or am being outsmarted by a cunning ploy cooked up in the paddock for extra treats. I’ll let you decide.

Abscess passed yet again. A certain Custard is looking very impressed with himself. That is, until he comes in one Saturday morning (yes, just before our lesson) with a piece of stick jammed almost 3cm into his knee!

Obviously, all that money saved from the lack of lessons went straight into an emergency veterinary bill. Flushing, stitching, antibiotics, pain relief, and a massive restocking of the first aid kit due to all the bandaging in the first week!

The ultimate first aid kit checklist for your horse

Click here to access

Bright side is that the stick didn’t actually penetrate the joint capsule. Not sure what stroke of luck that was but I’ll take it!

Thankfully, one month later Custard is well on his way to recovery although still can’t be ridden. And I’m still trying to figure out if I’m just mildly unlucky or if Custard has outsmarted me.

You decide! Comment below if you think Sarah is being conned by her pony, or tell us about your own clutzy horse stories!

Feeding Your Older Horse

Did you know that the nutritional requirements of horses change as they age?

Feeding horses over the age of 20 years can be more challenging than feeding young or middle-aged horses for reasons including increased in chronic diseases, decrease in body condition, and gradual wearing of their teeth. Here are a few things to know about feeding your older horses.

What is different?

Older horses differ from young or middle aged horses for the following reasons:

• They may have an increased protein catabolism (the breakdown of protein sources in the body including muscles and heart), and therefore require more protein to help offset the imbalance.

• They may have a decreased digestive efficiency in the hindgut, so they may not be able to fully digest their nutrients, and require easier to digest foods while still maintaining their fibre requirements

• They may have a poorer ability to digest phosphorous, which also impacts on their ability to utilise calcium effectively, and can lead to leeching of calcium from bones and teeth. Food should be supplemented with higher calcium and phosphorous to avoid this.

• They may have greater wear on their teeth due to age, resulting in poorer capability of chewing larger, drier fibre sources. Poor teeth can also reduce their saliva production through a decrease in chewing, which impacts on the digestibility of fibrous foods.

• They may have reduced mobility due to arthritis, which limits their grazing.

• They begin to lose body fat, which reduces their ability to keep warm during the winter, meaning their energy requirements become much higher.

• They are more likely to have or develop chronic diseases including Cushings, liver disease, EMS or melanomas, which complicate their nutritional requirements.

What can I do to help my older horse eat well?

• Consider using shorter stemmed fibrous feeds over hay, to help make it easier for the hind gut to digest.

• You may need to dampen chaff and lucernes, and other dry feeds, to make it easier to digest and provide moisture needed for digestion, which may be reduced with decreased saliva.

• Select feeds that have higher protein, such as extruded soybean meal (38%) or extruded micronized lupins or canola meal (32-33%). Copra and Lucerne hay may also work, with protein at 23% and 15-17% respectively.

• Look for feeds with higher calcium/phosphorous. There are specialised commercially prepared senior feeds available which cater for additional protein, calcium and phosphorous compared to feed designed for middle aged horses. You can also consider using a good quality breeder feed as well, as this also contains higher protein, calcium and phosphorous, and may be more economical as it tends to be produced in higher quantities than senior feeds.

• Increase their feed during winter considerably and monitor their body condition closely. You may need to implement rugs that are slightly warmer than those used for the younger horses, but monitor carefully and don’t go overboard, as you may risk heat stress.

• Consider adding supplements to support joint health and reduce pain, which can help them by improving their movement, and therefore grazing, when they are in the paddock.

• Regularly assess your horses’ dental healthy with a qualified dentist and review their feeding plan. Your dentist may be able to assist with recommendations based on your horses’ needs.

• Monitor your horse for any health changes and work with your vet regarding the best options for management, including nutrition.

EMERGENCY! What To Do In Case Of Flooding

What is your flood plan?

Floods are one of the more common natural disasters faced by horse owners. It is estimated that the chance of flooding in flood-plain regions, where a lot of paddocks are, is approximately 1% per year – or 30% chance for the average mortgage time-frame.

Forward planning can greatly reduce the likelihood of emergency evacuation, injury, illness or death of your horse.

There are 2 types of flooding that can occur:

Slow-rising floods: generally occur when a river or water source rises slowly, generally fed from upstream, and can be predicted to reach a certain level

Flash-flooding: occur suddenly when there is a large deluge of rain, melting of icecaps, or the breaking of a dam wall or levee. It is harder to predict the level the flood will rise to as there is little time for calculations or to get alerts out.

Here is a list of actions to consider for your emergency plan:

• Prepare your emergency plan in advance

• Become familiar with the area, including locations or rivers, creeks, drainage and flooding areas

• Have an evacuation plan – whether it’s high ground paddocks, a friends paddock, or the local pony club grounds

• Plan to be self-reliant for approximately 3 days – both with your and horses feed, in case you are both cut off from access to services

• Have your emergency kit prepared

• Have your horses well documented, including markings and brand, for identification purposes

• Consider ways to identify your horse should they escape their safe region or washed away in water, including id tags braided into manes or on head collars, or telephone numbers written with Niko on hoofs, or safe body paint (more likely to show on greys or pale markings).

• Have an emergency stash of feed and water kept in your float or truck – feed will often be depleted quickly at evacuation centres

• Ensure your horse is well trained to be floated so if flood strikes the evacuation is less stressful

• If you have to evacuate and leave your horse behind, ensure they are not confined in stables or small yards and have an easy escape route. Horses can swim and can tolerate water up to the belly for periods of time. Leave feed accessible above the ground for the time period you may have to leave.

What is your emergency plan in case of flood? Comment below!

9 Things No One Tells You About Owning A Horse

Owning a horse is amazing. The intimate bond of horse and human, the ability to ride whenever you like, a place to escape to when home or work is too much... right? 

Honestly, it is amazing. But there is a side to horse ownership that no one truly discusses. Here is a list of what we think most horse owners are experiencing but not sharing:

1) People will call you a crazy horse person

But seriously, who cares? If a person can't at least respect your personal preference for your 4 legged friend, well let's just say that's exactly why we prefer them!

2) You will get asked if other people can ride you horse. A lot.

"Oh, you have a horse? Can my cousin's best friend's son's girlfriend's half sibling ride it?" It's amazing how many people come out of the woodwork.

3) Insects are a part of life.

Equestrian life is not one for those that suffer Entomophobia or Arachnophobia.

4) You will constantly check the weather.

Can I ride after work? Which rug am I using tonight? It will become an obsession.

5) Baling twine. The next WD-40.

Seriously. It fixes everything. Fences, rugs, even broken bridles. If you don't have baling twine in your pocket, can you really say you own a horse?

Either get my bailing twine or label this the latest in fall fashion...

6) You will become an expert at fence repairing and rug repairing.

Why did my high school have to make me choose between home economics and woodworking?

7) Your horse will have better and more expensive 'clothes' than you... and you wont care.

Well, I do need a different saddle for each discipline, plus more rugs and saddle cloths than one horse can handle. Plus, blingy brow bands - how can you pass them by?

8) Sheath cleaning, Udder cleaning and Beans

Seriously didn't even know this stuff existed til I had a horse. These are the true reason we have latex gloves in the first aid kit. And if you need help, there are heaps of youtube videos available (yes, I checked).

9) You will wish you were taller on many occasions.

"Hi Mum - wait, is that a worming paste? Let me show you my impression of a giraffe!" Ring any bells?

Did we miss any? Tell us below!

18 Plants Toxic to Horses

Do you know what plants are growing in your paddock?

Do you know which ones could potentially kill your horse?

There are many poisonous weeds in Australia (and around the world) that are responsible for serious illness and death in horses. Thankfully, these plants are generally not eaten by our equine friends, but in paddocks that are overgrazed, or in drought periods, when feed is low and poor, the likelihood of ingestion of these plants becomes higher.

It is therefore imperative, as horse owners, to be able to identify, control, and remove these weeds, as well as identify the signs of toxicity from ingestion.

Common symptoms of plant toxicity include:

• Reduced appetite

• Depression

• Weakness and lethargy

• Nervous symptoms

• Colic or diarrhoea

• Increased heart rate and breathing rate

• Muscle tremors

• Staggering or lack of coordination

• Head jerking

• Blindness

• Jaundice

• Death

If you suspect your horse has ingested toxic plant materials, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Below are images of the 18 common plants in Australia that cause toxicity in horses. You can get more information and a full guide at www.rirdc.gov.au

Bathurst Burr

Fireweed

Grain Sorghum

Kikuyu

Oleander

Ragwort

Bracken Weed

Flatweed

Heliotrope

Lupins

Paspalum

Perennial Ryegrass

Couch grass

Dandelion

Johnson Grass

Noogoora Burr

Paterson’s Curse

St Barnaby’s Thistle