How clear communication and great preparation is your best support for an easy transition.

Keeping Circles on Track - The equestrian’s quest for the perfect circle crosses all disciplines. For Western and English riders, geometry matters. Horse show judges expect to see circles of uniform size and curves ridden with the horse’s body shaped to follow the arc. In dressage and reining, riders must show a clear distinction between large and small circles. In working equitation, circles around barrels and figure-eights must be symmetrical. In equitation and horsemanship patterns, judges frown on oval-shaped “circles.” In all classes, judges will deduct marks for circles of inaccurate size and over-arced or counter-flexed body alignment.

While one can’t plan for every form of disaster, it’s important to familiarize yourself with any potential risks that could occur in your area and plan for them accordingly. Planning ahead can allow horse owners the opportunity to stay composed and act quickly in an emergency situation.

It's never too late to start over - A couple of years ago I bought a so-called “pasture puff,” a seven-year-old mare who’d lived most of her life hanging out with sheep and cows. Seven isn’t that old, but Pippin hadn’t had much handling let alone riding — she’d only been saddled a month or so before I got her. Not surprisingly, when she arrived at her new home, a boarding farm with sixty-some horses, she was anxious. Walking her from field to barn became a game of chicken, as she whirled, veering into me, and at the barn door the drama continued — other horses clopped in and out as she steadfastly refused to enter.

Among domestic animals, horses are some of the most naturally wide-ranging. They evolved as nomadic grazers, adapted to constant movement across varied landscapes and climates. Their instinctive response to any potential threat is still flight. Although domestication has shaped them to fit human needs, their fundamental nature remains largely unchanged.

Given the various components of fitness, conditioning plans can vary widely from horse to horse. Some need a program of mostly therapy-based exercises to address coordination, postural, or mechanical deficits before moving on to aerobic and gymnastic gains. Others need a restructuring of their workouts and plenty of good hard efforts to push past performance plateaus.

Fencing is an essential part of responsible horse ownership, providing both security and safety for your animals. Historically, choices were limited to wooden rails or barbed wire — options that are still in use across many parts of Canada today.

Start Rewiring Early - Habits are mental shortcuts created by our brain to reduce the need to make conscious decisions every moment of the day, which would require far too much time and processing power. By associating certain events and experiences with specific actions and responses, our brain can respond quickly and efficiently without our conscious “input.” For example, when a horse pins its ears and shifts its weight, we typically have moved out of harm’s way before we have had time to think about what we are doing.

Worsening wildfires in recent seasons have left horses and people breathing polluted air filled with smoke and microscopic debris. These fine particles can settle in the lungs and airways, triggering irritation such as watery eyes, nasal drainage, and respiratory infections like bronchitis. They can also worsen pre-existing conditions like asthma, emphysema, congestive heart failure, and other lung or heart issues.