Braiding and banding can be done in a way that has both a professional quality as well as appearance. Following are some ideas that have helped me in my struggle over the years to braid and band with some success.

By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. - We all admire the equine athlete, the captivating blend of speed, control, grace, and endurance. But the added stress of performance requires an optimal diet, with plenty of energy from carbohydrates and fats, high quality protein, adequate minerals, and vitamins.

Have you dreamed of a career in the horse industry? There are a variety of opportunities available for those looking to make a living with horses. Following are eight of the many equine careers you might wish to consider.

By Lindsay Grice - Moving from direct reining in a snaffle bit to neck reining in a curb is like teaching your horse a new language and it takes time. Like every child graduates from elementary to high school, neck reining is the next step in a Western horse’s education. By the time your horse is six, he must be ridden with one hand and a curb bit at the breed shows.

The following November I would get a break from the damp and cold by giving a clinic on Hawaii’s second largest island. I was curious to see what it’s like to keep horses in a place that for most of us conjures up images of palm lined beaches and mai tais, not dressage shows.

By Kimberly S. Brown - We humans think nothing of having our blood drawn once a year to have a “screen” of tests run in order to give us an accurate account of where some of our important baseline “numbers” stand. In fact, we often look forward with anticipation (or maybe dread) to knowing what our cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, or other levels are at that time, and seeing how they have changed for better or worse since our last tests. Did you know the same type of testing is available for your horse?

By Lesley Stevenson - Throughout the world, horsemen employ many different methods of conditioning the horse. And indeed there are quite a few different "programs" that result in a fit athlete. But most programs focus on the aspects of the horse's fitness that are the most visible - their musculature and their aerobic capacity (cardiovascular fitness) - without enough thought to strengthening bones, tendons, and ligaments.

Dr. Nerida Richards, Ph.D. - Known as lucerne in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, alfalfa hay enjoys a varied reputation amongst horse people, with some using it as a highly valued component of their horse's diet and others avoiding it with almost religious fervour. So, who is right?