Caring for your horse is the most fundamental part of being a horse owner. However, learn to properly care for your horse can take years of experience. To make things easier for you, our horse experts have written extensive guides on all aspects of horse care from keeping your horse healthy, managing the stable and barn, dangers to avoid, and the equine diet.
Getting your horse’s nutrition right is crucial to their health, well-being, and performance. However, with so many options out there, it can be difficult to determine which feeds to include in your horse’s diet. It is important to know that horses have a primarily grass-based diet and consume around 1.5-2% of their body weight per …
As equestrians, we always look forward to the summer season and the great weather it brings. However, summer also means we have to deal with horse flies and other insects pestering us and our horses. Horse flies (Tabanidae) are a family of insects with over 160 species living in the United States. Female horseflies feed …
When talking chestnuts, horse people usually refer to the fiery red horses with red manes and tails. However, did you know that “chestnut” is also an anatomical term and not only a coat color? Having a full picture of the horse’s anatomy can help us understand and care for them better. Knowing what chestnuts and …
Alternative therapies have been used in both human and animal medicine for thousands of years. Ancient healers believed they could draw diseases out of the body using magnets, so magnetic therapy was born. Today, more and more horse owners turn to magnetic therapy to complement traditional veterinary treatments. Magnetic products contain static magnets sewn into …
With temperatures rising worldwide each year, more and more horse owners face the challenge of managing horses in hot weather. Since horses are less tolerant of heat than we are, it is our responsibility to ensure their health and well-being during the summer. High temperatures can not only make horses uncomfortable, but also stressed and …
Occasionally, nature can surprise us all with its mysterious and bizarre structures that demand an explanation. This is the case with the foal slippers of newborn horses that make people wonder why they have them. Foal slippers are rubbery finger-like projections that are attached to the hooves of newborn foals. Their purpose is to protect …
As horses age, their nutritional needs change. For your horse’s overall well-being, it is important that they receive a balanced diet that is appropriate for their age and activity level. The best senior horse feeds on the market are made with the nutrients necessary to make your aging horse thrive. They are created to help …
Lameness is a common problem in all horses and ponies and can become serious if ignored. Learning more about the causes, prevention, and diagnosis of lameness is the first step towards making sure your horse receives the best possible care should the problem arise. When a horse is lame, they are compensating for musculoskeletal pain …
Most people are familiar with the peculiar Sphynx cat or the Chinese Crested Dog that only has hair on its head, lower legs, and tail. But while hairlessness is not unheard of in cats and dogs, the same isn’t true for horses. Hairless horses do exist, but they are the result of a rare genetic …
When working with horses, injuries are pretty much unavoidable. Horses that perform regular high-intensity exercise, such as racehorses, elite show jumpers, or eventers are the most at risk of injury. The most common horse injuries are sore muscles, wounds, bruises, and damaged tendons and ligaments. Out of all injuries, damage to the legs and hooves …
Despite our best efforts, all horses will contract some sort of ailment or disease during their lifetime. Having a good understanding of the most common horse diseases and ailments is essential for making sure our horses stay healthy for as long as possible. The most common horse diseases and ailments are colic, laminitis, gastric ulcer …
The skeleton of horses has gone through major evolutionary changes in the last 55 million years. As the ancestors of horses transitioned from living in forests to open grasslands, their skeleton elongated and they lost several toes. These changes increased the horse’s stride length and speed, allowing it to run away from predators. As in …
Having a knowledge of basic horse anatomy can help you a lot when you’re around horses. By knowing what’s normal and what isn’t, you’ll be able to spot issues with your horse much quicker. Plus, you can show off your knowledge to family and friends! There are many professions that are based on horse anatomy …
When it comes to summertime, it is important to protect your horse against pesky flies. Fly spray is one of the best ways to keep annoying bugs from biting and irritating horses. Fly spray for horses not only protects against flies but oftentimes against gnats, ticks and mosquitoes as well. Sprays, wipes, and roll-ons are …
You have found the perfect horse for all of your equestrian pursuits. It seems like a match made in heaven, so now you are full of questions, wondering how long you can expect your horse to live. The average lifespan of a horse is between 25 to 30 years, although it varies between breeds. It’s …
Though summer is a great time to enjoy riding outside in the warm weather, it also means the peak of fly season. Fortunately, there are some great fly boots for horses that will keep your equine partner protected from the nuisance of bugs. Not only are flies pesky, but their bites can be irritating and …