The crisp clip-clop of steel horseshoes striking stone roads competed with the sound of surf crashing to shore as our group of riders trotted toward Cleggan Beach in Ireland. The Connemara/Irish Cob under me perked up at the smell...
One of the greatest tests of balance in an equine athlete is to transition smoothly from a maneuver requiring flexion of the spine and stride to one requiring extension. For example, a dressage horse surging forward from a collected trot...
You’ve probably seen horses tied to all kinds of inappropriate things, from lightweight plastic chairs and moveable objects like gates, truck mirrors and bumpers, to flimsy fence rails instead of solid posts. You’ve probably also seen viral videos of...
As the seasons come and go, your horse’s nutritional needs will change, requiring some adjustments to his diet. Start your new year off right with a resolution to plan his annual feeding schedule. Read on for season-by-season advice, followed...
It’s no exaggeration: horses are expensive. That said, you probably have plenty of horse stuff already factored into your budget, like feed and hay, boarding fees, and farrier visits. But what about those inevitable vet bills?Routine vet visits are...
Somewhere between the first day of spring on the calendar and the first day of true spring weather lies the dream of a clean horse. If the reality of the shaggy, dirty beast in front of you is far...
The call was for a pre-purchase exam on a fancy warmblood gelding. The potential buyer would not be present, but his trainer, a woman named Fiona, would be representing him and was authorized to make all decisions on the...
Breathe in, breathe out. Simple enough, right? Hardly, as anyone with a cold, allergies or asthma knows. Now think about our horses. Weathering winter in stuffy barns, working in dusty indoor arenas … a horse’s respiratory system, particularly during...
Photos courtesy Disneyland ResortOnce upon a time, Disneyland was all about Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Sleeping Beauty. These days, a visit to Disneyland also embraces the 21st century with Spiderman, Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars. Yet...
Horses learn quickly. In the wild, they learn to read the environment and react in ways that will save their lives. Horses must learn if a sound or object is dangerous to the herd or safe to ignore. If...
