Horse health, horse riding tips, horse care and finding good quality horse stuff easily. It’s about local equestrian facilities, about showing off your horse and letting other equestrians know what you’re doing and how you do it.
Our six top tips on horse show preparation will help make sure your next horse show goes exactly as planned. Although the exact preparations you need to make depend on the type of horse show you will be attending, there are common factors & general rules you can nail down
Treating navicular disease in horses is quite difficult and relies on the horse owner making decisions on the type of life they wish their horse to lead. Any recommended treatment will follow one of two paths; the conventional methods or …
Your local equine farrier is usually very well qualified and should offer a full range of services including shoeing, remedial shoeing, trimming and advice on horse hoof health. even barefoot horses should be checked regularly by the farrier to ensure they are okay to ride without shoes
The double bridle is the bridle for the educated horse in the hands of the educated rider. Here’s why your horse must be balanced and established while working in a snaffle before a double bridle is ever considered
A short guide on the development & history of horse saddles and stirrups and how the demise of mounted warfare is moving riders back to close contact saddles and riding in a more relaxed and comfortable way for the horse
Why should you know the symptoms and take horse strangles seriously. Well apart from the problems of long-term guttural pouch carriers, strangles recovered horses can shed Strep equi from their nose and in their saliva for up to 6 weeks following infection. Horses that have been infected with equine strangles should be isolated from other animals. Knowing the signs & symptoms will help you keep your horse safe
All riders should do something physical other than riding. The exercise ball routines we detail here are a simple way to improve your rider fitness and warming up before you ride will also enhance your ability to ride well. Fitness is important in any sport and if you take your sport seriously its important you take your own fitness seriously too
It’s up to you to make sure your worming program and de-wormers will eradicate equine intestinal parasites and your horses worms by learning the worms life cycle and using an effective worming program to keep your horse healthy. Intelligent worming can help but also make sure you don’t use the same horse wormer continually. Continual use of a single wormer will only increase the horse worms immunity
While walking, the horse with equine navicular disease tends to place its weight on the toe to avoid placing pressure on the heel area, which contains the inflamed navicular bone and bursa
Colic can be serious if you don’t know how to deal with it. Prevention as always is better than the cure and a little common sense coupled with a daily routine that suits your horse will reduce the risk of colic to a minimum
Captain Federico Caprilli (1868-1907), was an Italian equestrian who revolutionised the show jumping seat. His position, now called the forward seat, forms the basis for the modern day seat a showjumping technique used by all show jump riders
Groundwork training skills tips and techniques to improve both your horse and you the rider. Set and achieve training goals and build the horse you want. Happy Hacker or Dressage superstar its all achievable if you begin the right way
Did you know there is an increased risk of your horse developing colic where you have a full time job, a hectic social life and a DIY stable environment but you don’t have sufficient hired help to maintain a high level of care, especially during the winter months. Good quality horse care is key to preventing horse colic
Unlike dogs, our horses can’t tell us when they are hurt. Dogs will whine or whimper to show distress, but your horse is a prey animal and prey animals don’t make any sounds to show they are weak or hurt. Just in case those nasty wolves & lions find out. So, it’s up to you, the horse owner, to check for signs of lameness in your horse.
Studies by the Tufts University of Veterinary Medicine suggest that horses kept in stables or dirt paddocks are more likely to sample anything green and ingest plants toxic to horses’. Your horse can also accidentally ingest toxic plants and they can acquire a taste for some, such as acorns and ragwort dried in hay. Know what you need to keep away from you horse
Looking to buy a horse and need information on the various breeds of horse. Then surf through our horse breed pages for information on the multitude of horse and pony breeds from around the world. Including relevant information on horse breed characteristics and the breed suitability for ridden disciplines
Equine laminitis doesn’t just affect fat ponies, it can be found in any horse prone to the condition. Spotting laminitis symptoms and knowing the difference between chronic laminitis and acute laminitis is important as by the time your horse adopts the classical laminitis stance, some damage has already been done to the sensitive laminae …
The standard dressage arena is marked using large printed letters placed at pre-designated intervals around the perimeter. This helps the dressage rider or the dressage instructor, to follow the correct path during tests
Bred for more than 3000 years in Turkmenistan, the Akhal Teke Horse Breed was bred to withstand extreme desert conditions. It is a tough hardy horse breed ideal for endurance riding
A UK vet has quite possibly linked common face flies to the spread of sarcoids, but it is commonly thought that a papilloma virus (wart) is probably what causes horse sarcoids
The equine dentist will float your horses teeth (rasp or file the teeth) to even the surface of the teeth and ensure they are at the proper angle for comfortable eating and efficient digestion. This prevents unseen horse health problems developing
Several common sense measures can be taken to prevent strangles affecting horses at a livery yard or riding school. Prevention is better than cure and horse owners themselves should always be aware of strangles outbreaks in their area. You are responsible for your horse’s welfare and you should insist your livery yard or riding school take preventive measures
French equine breeders have created the extraordinary horse breed called the Selle Francais. They have selectively crossed their sturdy native horses with Thoroughbred stallions and introduced French Anglo-Arab and French Trotter bloodlines to add brilliance, agility and energy to the Selle Francais breed
Should you buy a horse with equine sarcoids? Before you decide you need to understand what horse sarcoids are, the different types of sarcoids and how they can affect what you want to do with your horse. Buying a horse with sarcoids is also a major consideration …
Horsey people talk about horse bodies the way mechanics talk about cars, which is why knowing the correct equine terminology and equestrian terms is important. Learn to recognise the difference between a snip and a stripe or a sock and a stocking
Just as with people, horses get tired of doing the same old thing over and over. Some bored horses will anticipate your aids if they are schooled too much in the same pattern. I’ve seen horses in the show ring that learn the pattern of gaits and then simply go through the motions without the riders help
If you can ride down the centre line, halt at X, proceed to C, turn left or right, ride the corner and receive 10 marks for the movement, then your horse is ready for Grand Prix dressage and you certainly don’t need our advice. Losing marks on basic dressage movements is silly when you can use our dressage tips to make sure you don’t
Dressage tests can be nerve racking and every little bit helps where competition nerves are concerned. A simple check list of dressage competition tips that you can work through before each competition is a must have
Very few of us consider the practicalities of owning and using a horsebox or trailer before we buy one and if we are honest quite a few of us expect that our horse will instantly recognise a horsebox
The Thoroughbred horse breed is one of the fastest horses in the world. They make the perfect racehorse. The Thoroughbred was developed in England in the 17th century by crossing the fastest English native breeds with imported Arabian stallions
