Horses that view shelter as their pristine palace and don’t hold it in then deposit with pride the moment they enter their stall or shed
Category Archives: horse care
Eleven quick tips for horse care in the fall
If you’re in a colder climate where winter means snow, you’re likely thinking about what you can do to help your horses fare well in freezing temperatures and whipping winds. There’s a lot you can do to prepare so you have a healthier horse come spring (or even now).
Horses do the strangest things
We’ve been exploring using herd mechanics at Halcyon Acres® a bit in new and different ways (for us, anyway). After our spitfire colt of last year kept figuring out remarkable feats to get to the main herd and away from his mom at a very young age (jumping a 4-foot, 4-strand high-tinsel coated electric fence; managing to crawl through two-strands of interior electric without touching the wires; rolling under the fence; running through it; etc.), we decided (read gave up) it would be best to save the maiden mare the angst of being separated from her darling and turned the pair out with the farm-owned crew.
Horse vets can be incredible – if you know how to select the right one
there’s no reason to put up with a bad equine vet because if you do enough digging, you can find a great one
Horses (and the dumb things people do with them) will make you laugh
There have been a couple of mornings when the wind is fierce and the temperatures low that all horses are enjoying the comfort inside the run-ins. Most days, though, a number of herd members have decided these new additions to their living quarters are an ideal lavatory. I’m getting ready to hang signs to re-label all the run-ins ‘outhouses.’
Ten quick tips to help with horse health during winter
Make sure there’s ample water at all times. This means checking buckets and tanks often to ensure they’re not encrusted with ice.
Top ten list of dumb things people do to save money with horses
Feeding crap – it might seem like you’re saving money buying grain from a cow mill or throwing hay to a horse that’s dusty, moldy or devoid of nutritional value, but the fact is, your horse’s health – and weight – requires sustenance doses of vitamins, minerals and quality roughage. Forget about the long-term effects of poor feeding practices, you’ll have to spend a lot more trying to have quantity make up for quality and will still suffer from the results.
Ten quick tips for beating the heat with horses
Go swimming. Most horses really enjoy a lake, river or deep pond respite and riding a horse through water deep enough to have their feet leave the ground can be a lot of fun. Just be careful as those legs get moving with dangerous velocity and force. Iif you manage to get one of your body parts in the way you’ll probably break bones. Always keep your legs in front of the shoulder and make sure you’re stable and balanced enough to stay aboard.
15 Quick Tips for horse pasture management
Cull horses into smaller areas and rotate frequently. Schedule a rotation management program that gives pastures enough time to regenerate (depends on area, time of year, number of horses, water, etc.). Mow pastures after moving horses off an area or follow them with livestock (such as cows) that can help manage parasite issues and/or eat…
Horse Worming – save money and your horse with less
Basically, we decided to stop systematic worming in deference to a plan that is safer for the horses – both now and into the future. Research is increasingly sounding the alarm about parasite resistance to equine products. Studies have shown horses can be kept healthier and infestations better controlled with customized approaches based on manure examination.