by Don Blazer, Horse Courses Online Go to the barn, look at your horse, and you will often find a lump, a bump, a scratch, or a sore. These may be found on his face, neck, shoulder, girth, back, legs, or behind the pastern. Most bumps and scrapes are … Read More
by Laura Schonberg When my mare Poema first came home she had not been bridled, saddled, or ridden. I wanted to build on what I learned from developing working relationships with my first two horses and, in particular, avoid the mistake of going too far too fast. I naturally operate … Read More
Keep Your Horse Safe and Competitive all Summer Long by Purina Animal Nutrition Heat and humidity place an added burden on horses during training, showing and transporting. Summer is coming to a close but many are still busy finishing up the show season and it’s important to make sure your … Read More
Scoops Measure Volume, Not Weight by Juliet M. Getty Ph.D. The directions on most feed bags offer guidelines in terms of the number of pounds (or kg) you should feed. If you use a scoop to measure your horse’s feed, how many pounds are you actually feeding? Are you assuming that … Read More
A Good Ride Starts with the Halter by Laura Schonberg There is nothing more frustrating than looking forward to horse time after a busy day and discovering it’s difficult to get your horse. Haltering is a basic exercise that is easy to rush through yet critical to establishing the … Read More
Learn and Implement “Protective Feeding Guidelines” by Dr. Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. I continually urge horse owners to “feed your horse like a horse.” This means, simply, that a horse fed according to his physiology and instincts will be healthier. Free choice forage is the first line of defense against … Read More
History, Horses and the Father of the American Cavalry by Don Blazer, Horse Courses Online The Fourth of July is the birthday of our nation. It’s the day we declared independence from foreign rule yet, curiously, it was foreign aid that helped us win our freedom. While historians say … Read More
by Laura Schonberg One of the challenges in bringing home a young and inexperienced horse (Poema) has been conditioning her mind, body and hooves for riding on the trail. We have had several setbacks, one of them being an abscess that not only took its sweet time rupturing, it … Read More
Getting Past Fear While Staying Competitive by Laura Daley When you have a performance horse and you are dealing with fear issues, it is important to make a list of priorities and specific lesson plans. This will help you overcome fear while still keeping your performance horse competitive. Depending … Read More
When dealing with fear one of the first things to address is safe, reliable tack and equipment. It is true you can use just about anything to work with a horse, but if you are working with frayed, cracked or ill-fitting tack and equipment you will not feel confident in … Read More
