Do horses want a job?
When I was a kid, I dreamed of living among horses in the wild, free as they were to do as I pleased. I figured that unfettered lifestyle would make me happy. Of course, I also imagined I could talk to horses like Dr. Doolittle. It was just me and that herd bonding, sharing and […]
Young Horse Training Tip #3: Ride every other day
Trial and error is always a big teacher when it comes to young horse training. Sometimes, what you discover will surprise you. For many years at Halcyon Acres®, young horses were lucky to get a day off each week once training started. Probably a big part of this thinking came from the racetrack, where young […]
Keeping your horse cool during the summer
Periodically we offer horse care tips on the Horse Sense and Cents® blog. Paisley presented some good tips to get thinking about now it seems like winter might actually leave this year and summer may appear. Chin up – no more chopping ice, climbing through drifts and skating to the barn – get ready for […]
Will your horse drink the water you give him?
Horse owners tend to be most concerned about water during the summer months. Some forget the importance of keeping it clean. Colic can become a big problem in the winter if a horse does not have constant access to water. Just because there’s no concern for algae, doesn’t mean your trough, bucket or automatic systems […]
Seven tips to help your horse weather a brutal winter
It’s snowing again – pelting and stinging missiles brought forth from another day (actually night at this point) of 30 mph winds. The horses here are suffering from this extended brutal winter, as am I. Last year, I was busy harvesting some of the vegetable produce from the garden by now, with (very unusual) temperatures […]
Special horses can make you cry
It amazed me to watch what I came to regard as ‘my little helper’ in action. . . . What struck me as so odd about all this is Redford certainly isn’t a herd leader. In fact, he ranks pretty much at the bottom of the hierarchy.
Forevever horse homes – kind or cruel?
Is a forever home really the kindest decision for a horse’s happiness and welfare? Sometimes. Sadly, putting this mandate on horse and human partnerships doesn’t always work as planned.
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, round pens and natural horsemanship
If you think your horse learns to trust you because you run him around in a restricted circle until he’s exhausted, think again. Some practitioners boast ‘licking and chewing’ as a sign of submission and associated respect (and this is something to be proud of?), but this can also signal stress.
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.