How-To

Help to Extend Your Horse Hay Supply

Updated:

September 21, 2022

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When hay becomes scarce, especially during late winter and early spring, horse owners become resourceful. With the majority of your horse’s diet consisting of forage, your hay provider and equine nutritionist are vital members of your horse’s health care team.

How to Achieve A Sounder Horse

Updated:

September 20, 2022

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Is your farrier certified with the American Farrier’s Association (AFA)? Did he or she serve an extensive apprenticeship at the beginning of their career? Does your farrier pursue additional education?

How to Tidy-Up Clip - Face, Bridle Path, Legs

Updated:

September 14, 2022

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The first step to any clipping job, whether a full body clip or just a quick tidy up, should be proper clipper maintenance. Using clean, sharp blades that are well-oiled will improve the results of your clip and increase the lifespan of your clippers. Always inspect the clipper and any extension cords you are using to ensure they are in good repair.

How to Shorten a Horse's Mane with Scissors

Updated:

September 6, 2022

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I wanted the look of a tidy, short, thin mane, but didn’t want to continue pulling manes… so I got creative. It’s amazing what you can do with the right tools, some patience, and a little imagination. While some traditionalists will argue that the look achieved with scissors isn’t the same as a pulled mane, I was happy to find another way to shorten and thin manes without inflicting pain on the horses I work with.

How to Load a Horse into a Trailer

Updated:

August 26, 2022

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A Guide to Getting Jack Into the Box - The most common transport-related injuries to horses are from failure to adequately and properly train the horse to load and haul. It’s solely a matter of investing the time and having the willingness to teach the horse in the way he can best learn and accept the concept. Think about the second half of that statement for a moment; as with any form of teaching, if method A isn’t working, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet!

How to Protect Your Horse from Hazards on the Farm

Updated:

August 25, 2022

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Often times, horse owners feel their beloved equines are simply a magnet for injuries. Being accident prone just seems to be in their nature, most times brought on by their instinctive fight-or-flight response, their need to establish herd hierarchy, and in some cases, their sense of natural curiosity.

7 Steps to Making an Equine Insurance Claim

Updated:

August 24, 2022

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Horses are masters at becoming injured, which is why many owners choose to purchase insurance. But working through an insurance claim while already dealing with an injured horse — or worse — can be highly stressful. So, I asked Mike King to provide some tips on making an insurance claim. He’s a partner at CapriCMW Insurance and the national lead for equine insurance and risk management programs, so he oversees claims across the country.

How to Understand Horse-Related Contracts

Updated:

August 10, 2022

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Traditionally, business in the horse industry has been conducted on the basis of a handshake. However, written contracts are becoming more common in the purchase and sale of horses as well as the provision of services such as training, leasing, breeding and boarding. Depending upon the wording of the contract, written contracts can provide greater certainty as to the rights and obligations of all parties involved. Given the increasing use of contracts in the horse business, horse owners may find it useful to arm themselves with some basic knowledge of contract law. This article will discuss the basic elements of a contract, provide readers with some tips on drafting a contract for the purchase and sale of a horse and finally, discuss one of the most commonly used contracts in the horse business, the breeding contract.

Get Your Horse On a Track System

Updated:

August 7, 2022

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Create a Paddock Paradise - About 15 years ago, I was boarding my mare, Diva, at a private barn in Victoria, BC. The paddocks were very small and flat, with electric fence covering all the boards to prevent chewing, and Diva was on the end of the paddock row beside a forest. It was close to home, which worked for me, but Diva was deeply stressed, making it almost impossible to safely work with her or ride her.

Horse Sport Psychology

Updated:

August 5, 2022

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Facing Fear - Real and Imagined - The Mediterranean waters glistened below me. As I stood on the edge of the rockface, contemplating the 25-foot drop into the clear blue sea, it felt like my body was screaming at me to not jump. My knees were shaking, making my legs feel unsteady. My mind felt fuzzy and slightly disconnected from reality. I was more acutely scared than I had been in quite some time. But here’s the thing: I really wanted to jump. I was in Croatia and the sea was warm and inviting. I had watched about 10 people make the same leap quite safely and I knew, rationally, that it really wasn’t that high. I was determined to push through my nerves and do it, but in that moment I wasn’t entirely sure my body would let me.