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How to Find Riding Boots That Fit

Updated:

March 20, 2023

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Every horse rider knows that the right riding boots are crucial — whether you’re riding for pleasure or for sport, your boots provide protection and stability, both of which are vital to safe and happy riding. But just as important as choosing the right type of boots is getting the right fit, since ill-fitting boots can be distracting, uncomfortable and even dangerous. So what goes into picking the right fit? How do you ensure you’ve chosen boots that will be helpful and not hurtful? To help answer these questions, let’s take a look at different types of riding boots, how they should feel if they fit correctly, and how to break in new boots!

How to Blanket a Horse in Cold Weather

Updated:

January 6, 2023

Whether you live in the balmier south or frigid northern slopes, you may wonder when, or if, you should provide your horse with equine clothing. Many horses do need a little help, especially when you try to keep their winter hair coat to a minimum.

How to Waterproof Horse Blankets

Updated:

December 22, 2022

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No blanket stays waterproof forever. After it's been well used for a few years, the waterproofing will wear off. You'll know it's time to re-waterproof when you notice wetness along the midline of the horse's back and croup.

How to Find the Perfect Horse Riding Gear

Updated:

November 24, 2022

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Is it working for or against you and your horse? Let’s unpack our tack. I’ve always found the subject of tack to be very interesting. The tack we use on our horses is in many ways symbolic, marking a rider as English or Western, and beyond that, categorizing them more specifically as hunter, jumper, dressage, reining, cutting, barrel racing, endurance and so on.

How to Wrap a Horse's Legs

Updated:

November 17, 2022

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There are many reasons to bandage a horse’s legs, including to provide protection and support, to reduce the chance of post-workout swelling, and to hold a wound dressing in place and guard against infection. You will need: Clean dry legs - Clean dry cotton bandages which provide good cushion - Clean dry wraps (non-elastic unless applying a pressure bandage).

ThinLine Reinvents the Grazing Muzzle

Updated:

August 3, 2022

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ThinLine introduces the Flexible Filly Grazing Muzzle with adjustable grazing hole size to customize the muzzle to your horse’s dietary needs. The muzzle is manufactured with food grade resins that provide a durable yet lightweight, flexible alternative to traditional muzzles. Veterinarian recommendations for safe grazing in a muzzle are a 3.5 to 4 cm grazing hole for full-time grazing, and 2 to 2.5 cm for restricted grazing often required for horses with metabolic issues. The industry standard is 3 cm and grazing holes are not adjustable.

Saddle Fit and the Growing Horse

Updated:

June 17, 2022

Jochen Schleese, saddle fitting a growing horse, saddle fit colt, saddle fit filly, saddle fit young horse, horse lameness, horse back pain, equine back pain, equine injuries, equine lameness, horse saddle fit

‘Tis the season for buying young horses. Along with bringing the new prospect home come questions of when to start the youngster, and whether it makes sense to invest in a custom saddle. First, I will clarify the term “custom saddle.” I believe that true adjustability in a saddle is more important than whether it is “custom.” An adjustable saddle can be changed to accommodate the horse’s conformation as the horse matures, and that saddle is a worthwhile investment. Otherwise, you will likely have to buy several saddles over the course of your horse’s lifetime to make sure the fit remains optimal.

Adventures in Bitless Riding

Updated:

June 2, 2022

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Are you ready to leave your bit behind? About 15 years ago I first went bitless with my mare, Diva, after a particularly passionate foray, on my part, into natural horsemanship. Riding with a rope halter and lead rope felt a little like wearing a thong bikini to a public beach, with many people waiting to see if this get-up was actually going to do the trick once we hit the water, or in this case the trails.

The Many Hats of a Horse Show Judge

Updated:

March 15, 2022

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I smiled, walking past the airport hat kiosk, en route to a judging adventure at an exhibition in Eastern Canada. I’d be wearing several hats and judging a kaleidoscope of classes at the show — equitation, road hack, reining, Western riding, working hunter, pleasure driving, driven dressage, conformation, showmanship, miniature horses… and more!

How to Select and Fit an Equestrian Riding Helmet

Updated:

February 25, 2022

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In the report “Ten years of major equestrian injury: are we addressing functional outcomes?” published in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Trauma Management & Outcomes, lead author Jill Ball and a team of health professionals with the University of Calgary, the Foothills Medical Centre and the Calgary Health Region explored the outcomes of severe and serious equestrian injuries.