Posts Tagged ‘paddock’

A horse in my barn recently broke its leg by kicking a board in the paddock, and had to be put down. How can I prevent this from happening to other horses?

In today’s society about 20% of families in the United States own more than one horse.

Thousands of other families living in urban or suburban communities with small acres of land and some with no land at all would like to own a horse or two. Many of these families have very little to no knowledge in owning horses in the suburbs or urban horse keeping.

Owning horses or a horse can be a very enjoyable, exciting, educational experience, for the young and old. Or it can also be a dangerous unpleasant experience if the proper knowledge of horse keeping in the suburbs is not pursued previous to buying a horse.

To many people, horses are simply beautiful creatures. But prospective horse owners should look beyond the appearances and know that there are many differences to horses many different responsibilities to owning a horse in urban areas as opposed to rural & agricultural areas.

-You need to learn about buying and how to buy a horse.
- Horse care & handling
- You also need knowledge of horse equipment.

You must also have the proper facility or accommodations for your horse if you have a small piece of land. You’re going to need a proper horse barn or shed, proper turnout area or run, also how are you gonna keep your horse or horses exercised?

There are many other things to consider, such as how many horses does your community permit per acre? How are your neighbors going to react to you having a horse or horses? Are they going to be comfortable with it and the possible smell of urine & horse poop, depending on how close or far you are from their property? Another thing to think about is what are you going to do with the muck after you clean the stall or paddock? Do you have the room to compost it or are you going to need a company or someone to pick it up? Where are you going to store hay and feed? Where will you store your horse trailer if you decide you want show with your horse or do some trail riding? Lastly consider what will be the cost to keep your horse at home, for feeding and maintenance etc…?

If owning a horse in the suburbs you may want to consider boarding your horse at a local horse boarding facility so you need to consider how much that will cost you as well.

See more Ideas Information & Tips at:
Horsekeeping Maintenance & Horse Grooming

God’s Horsemanship

Author: Gary Houston
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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We all want to keep our horses as healthy as possible for as long as possible. How to do this is the tricky part.

Fortunately we have a superb source of information available. Studies of wild horses show just how well these amazing animals have adapted to suit their environment. It follows then that by recreating the horse’s natural environment as far as possible you will be promoting his health and well being. One of the most obvious differences between the environment of a wild horse and that of our domestic horse is the amount of space they have available.

Wild horses are free to roam, and typically cover great distances each day. Most domestic horses on the other hand are kept in small paddocks, barely a few strides from one side to the other. The impact of this incarceration on the horse can be significant, both in terms of mental health and physical health.

Boredom:

In a small paddock there is very little to keep the horse occupied, and extreme boredom is a real possibility. This can promote the development of bad habits such as wind sucking, crib biting and the rest. Horses are generally curious, active and intelligent creatures. Being contained in a small square however dulls the senses and it is hardly surprising that such horses invent ways to keep themselves busy.

Musculature:

Horses in the wild typically display enviable condition, being both fat and fit. People often explain this as the result of not having to carry riders. In fact, it is not being ridden that impacts the condition of our domestic horses as much as the restriction of their natural environment. Wandering across distances as great as 30km per day,

every day, builds tremendous stamina in the wild horse, as well as conditioning the musculature. Domestic horses are largely stationary, with infrequent bursts of high energy usage when ridden. This is not the best way to ensure your

remains fit and sound.

Hoof Wear:

The inability to roam means a big impact on hoof wear and the circulatory system. Wild horses wear their hooves naturally. Domestic horses are usually shod. As a result the hoof cannot wear normally, and the mechanics of the hoof action depend upon the skill of the farrier.

Circulation:

The hoof typically plays a large part in assisting the circulation of the horse. In fact it has been said that the horse has five hearts – a cardiac pump and four hooves! Unshod, a horse’s hoof flexes as he walks, with each step drawing blood into the hoof and then forcing it out again along the veins. If the horse’s movement is dramatically reduced, this pumping mechanism is drastically reduced, leading to the pooling of blood in the extremities and decreased blood flow from the hooves.

Feeding Patterns:

In a small paddock a horse typically cannot graze 20 hours a day as he would tend to in the wild. In order to make up for this horses are often fed concentrated feeds. This provides the necessary amount of calories that the horse requires, but falls short in other ways. Firstly, a horse’s digestive system is built to handle a constant flow of fibre. Without this, the horse will feel hungry, even if he is receiving sufficient nutrition in total. There is also evidence that few high-calorie feeds lead to ulcers in the horse. Not surprising, considering the stomach is empty for most of the day. Secondly, concentrated feeds can upset the bacterial balance of the horse gut, leading to complications such as laminitis and colic. There is no doubt that any good horse diet must consist primarily of fibre, and lots of it. A biscuit of hay now and again is not sufficient!

What to Do:

It’s very simple. Provide the maximum amount of space for your horses that you can. If you have large paddock try and ensure that your horse spends as much time there as possible. If you have several small paddocks, open them up and let your horses wander at will. This will provide them with another natural factor – company. Your horses will reward you by being more curious and active, happier, healthier and more fit with less effort. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful result?

Carol Botha is passionate about horses, having been involved in riding and caring for them since she was a toddler. She has participated in numerous equestrian disciplines, and has several years of experience in studying the psychology and behaviour of these wonderful creatures. Read more about horse care and training at [http://www.placeofpets.com]

Author: Carol A Botha
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The fact is that most of us horse lovers don’t groom our horses
properly. This could be due to lots of things – time,
motivation, circumstances etc. What we need to realise is that
time with our horse is bonding time. Remember that in the wild,
horses groom each other and that’s the basis for their
relationships with each other. If we don’t take the trouble to
groom our horses properly, then we can’t expect to forge the
bonds we want between us and if this doesn’t happen then we
can’t expect the partnership benefits we look for either. If we
take the time, if we have the patience, if we use the right
techniques AND the right products, then we’ll forge a bond of
trust between us and our horses that will last forever.

Domesticated horses rely on humans to provide the opportunity
for skin care, unlike the wild horse where they have the
opportunity to groom each other! Grooming should be
incorporated into the daily routine of owning and managing your
horse to maintain its health and happiness. This practice
increases the circulation to the skin, releasing necessary oils
that promote a vibrant and lustrous coat. Daily grooming allows
the coat to be shed gradually, easing the burden of trying to
remove long hair and excess dead skin. A horse that is worked
regularly should be thoroughly and properly groomed at all
times.

Grooming not only allows us to give our horses a shiny, short,
healthy coat, it also gives us the opportunity to go over our
beautiful animals from head to toe, to notice any abnormalities
such as cuts, wounds, irritations, fevers that your horse may
have developed. The H-10 product range for first aid, H-10
Ointment and Spray is perfect to treat these problems.

Stages Of Grooming part 3

Rugging & Rugs.

Rugging – Horses should be rugged according to their
environment, season, level of work, feeding patterns and
whether they are stabled or kept in a paddock. Rugging
practices must be taken into account when you are caring for
the health and happiness of your horse.

Poor rugging practices create a source of discomfort for your
horse and can often be cruel. An owner may not see it as
intentional act, however keeping your horse rugged all the
time, irrespective of temperature changes can be highly
irresponsible, i.e. leaving heavy weight rugs on in winter
temperatures that are still in the mid twenties!
Horses are mammals, and all mammals to remain healthy must be
able to maintain their body temperature within a narrow range
to avoid metabolic problems. Certainly they can feel the cold
like us; however they compensate for this by growing a coat in
winter and then fluffing it if necessary, so trapping air to
create extra warmth. But horses can also get very hot!

Horses, like us humans sweat to keep themselves cool. However,
the evaporative cooling effects of sweating won’t work
effectively if a horse has a rug on. Overheating can lead to
issues such as Heat Stress if your horse or horses cannot lose
enough body heat due to impeding rugs. This in turn can lead to
health problems such as dehydration, loss of electrolytes, lack
of Vitamin D and possibly even to an inability to sweat!
Therefore, if you feel hot so too will your horse!

Do not try and substitute grooming for rugging and always take
a practical and sensible approach to rugging! Good feed and
hard work along with this sensible approach to rugging will
assist you and your horse maintain a healthy coat throughout
the year. Remember, rugging is no substitute for adequate food
in keeping your paddocked horse in top condition in winter, or
in giving horses in work greater performance.

Rugs & Rug Types – A good horse rug should fit properly and be
suitably lined on the shoulders to avoid rubbing. There is an
array of rugs ranging from heavy canvas to ultra lightweight
cotton or satin fly sheets. A standard canvas paddock rug is
waterproof and lined. Lighter fabrics can be used for paddocks
and can be bought as a rip stop product. Quilted and fibre
filled rugs are also available and price will always reflect
quality! Tail and neck pieces on some rugs are added for
protection and warmth. Wool or wool/synthetic mixtures are used
for stable rugs or blankets.

Hoods also come in a variety of materials for both paddock use
and stable use. They should also be used sensibly and fitted
accordingly to the horse’s size, and should be secured properly
to the rug.

This is part 3 of the course and we hope that you’ve enjoyed
it.

This course is co-written by Geoff Roberts & Michael Glenn who run H-10 Australia, a company specialising in the supply of quality horse grooming & associated products. http://www.h-10.com.au If you want to sample a chapter from the life of a world famous horse trainer and learn some of his secrets for free go here: [http://www.h-10.com.au/beery/index.htm]

Author: Geoffrey Roberts
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Wish I could tell you after going through the tasks of looking for your first horse, checking for soundness and way of going, buying your first horse and then tackling the worries of moving your horse to his or her new home, that the worst is over. Some horses do not always do well when it comes to uprooting them and changing their homes. Of course, there are some exceptions, but overall most horses have fairly strong reactions to this move.

Horses are creatures of habit. Horses can eat the same feed, stay in the same pasture, and basically follow the same routine everyday of the rest of their lives and be happy, providing that all their basic needs are met and they share their life with other horses. Some horses when you take them off the van will start screaming and hollering and try to run over top of you. Be patient. This is only a temporary reaction. Your best bet is to get the horse into a stall as soon as possible. Do not allow them to drink large amounts of water at this time. A few sips will be sufficient.

You do not want to turn the horse out into a pasture or paddock in this mental and emotional condition. The horse may inadvertently run into or through the fence or even try to go over the fence. Make sure good hay is in the stall to try and calm your horse down and divert his or her attention. Usually, what follows after this is perhaps a lot of pawing and digging of holes in the stall if you do not have horse mats. I will be discussing the use of mats, bedding and other issues concerning safe stalls at a later date. Stay with your horse as he or she is already feeling abandonment, missing their friends, and not understanding why they had to leave the place they loved. If there is a top door on the stall and your horse is really misbehaving, shut the door for a while until they settle down some, but stay outside the stall and continue to talk to them.

If your horse is sweating and is getting too hot, even though it will be difficult, it is in their best interest to take them to the wash rack and give them a bath. Most likely, it will calm them down and help make them feel a little more at home. At this time, you can ask your horse if they want more water, but only a few sips at a time. If possible, walk the horse around for a while and consider allowing your horse to graze or sniff around unless their behavior becomes outrageous again. Tranquilizers are an option if the horse does not calm down in a reasonable amount of time but only use this as a last resort as a veterinarian call will be necessary. It is best not to feed your horse on this particular evening, just make sure that he or she has plenty of hay and lots of fresh cool water. This will reduce the risk of colic. Better to be safe than sorry.

Now lets’ discuss the other end of the spectrum. If you just bought an animal that has been showing, then more than likely this will probably not be much of an issue. This type of horse is used to getting on the van or trailer and going to many different places and usually does not mind as that is their habit of life. So follow the same rules but everything will be much quieter and simpler. If your horse is well behaved, after a few hours, you can give them an evening offering of grain but it is not necessary, and monitor the amount of water your horse is drinking. Allowing a horse to drink a large amount of water after any activity is not in their best interest. You could end up with a horse suffering from colic. Hopefully you will either have your horse on your own property and you will be able to watch your horse’s behavior throughout the evening, or the facility that you are boarding your horse will have a night watchman that can check on your horse throughout the evening.

Beverly Jansen
http://bevshorseadvice.com
I’m a licensed Thoroughbred Horse Trainer and a licensed Equine Message Therapist. I have devoted my entire life to horses and have over 40 years experience to share. My blog site was created to share my knowledge and will soon offer exceptional, all natural horse products that are above and beyond any other products in comparison and will guarantee fantastic results. I will also be posting “How To” videos on my YouTube channel soon.

Author: Beverly Jansen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you are one of those owners who owns a horse that has developed the idea that quality time spent involves the owner lovingly chasing after it whilst it playfully avoids being caught. We know your pain.

There is nothing more frustrating than having to wander after your horse in the attempt of catching it. Spending most of your time out in the paddock instead of out riding with friends.

However the correction of this is not as simple as we would like it to be. Placing a horse in a smaller paddock or leaving a halter on will not always make matters better, the same as locking a horse up in a stable could lead it to kicking.

The unwillingness to be caught is a vice the same as any other developed or acquired vices a horse may develop. It has a cause and often runs hand in hand with two other bad habits.
These being the likely hood of bolting and the unresponsive horse. It is very rarely that a well-behaved and responsive horse will run off when it is time to work.

We explored ways of correcting these problems as well as how to get your horse to be more willing to be caught.

A horse turning tail and heading for the far side of a paddock is the first warning that somewhere something in its basic training seriously went wrong. It now associates the human with bad or often painful experiences. The first step to take is to change your horses routine, no riding for a few days, place the horse on three meals a day (divide daily ration into three) and bring it in for lunch, it will soon enough realize that there is food involved. If needed take your horses’ friend or companion in as well. This way your horse will not necessarily associate mid day captures with riding. Also capturing your horse mid morning and moving it to another pasture with “better” grazing will help, as your horse will not always associate being caught with work and punishment.

Learn too approach your horse with a less demanding front. Just walk up to it and spend some time with it, approach the shoulder and not the head. By showing your horse you are not out to get it every time you see it goes a long way to developing a relaxed relationship.

Most horses that run off know only frustration and often anger when they are finally caught. Show your horse you can be a nice person by taking it a snack and walking off. It will soon start looking out for you and often may even start following you. Horses want calm and confidant owners and riders.

Once the horse is more willing to be caught a handful of food in a manger will suffice in keeping it happy. (Bribery works)

Horses prone to being irritated or bolting off whilst ridden usually require a lot more work than a simple change of routine. Please do not confuse irritation under saddle with a hot horse. A hot horse is willing to work, it responds and will listen and conserve its energy for when it is needed. An irritated horse is unlikely to stand still or respond to aids when asked, an irritated horse will also run through aids and is less likely to balance itself or its rider. These two are often confused.

A bolting or irritated horse associates pain and punishment with work and therefore has no interest in responding positively to a riders aids. These horses require patience and experience. All to often they are bitted up in an attempt to slow them down when in fact they require the opposite. Bitted down and schooled with patience without a whip. These horses are often sold as horses for competent and experienced riders and often marketed cheaper than their actual worth.

Horses who do little or are unresponsive under saddle, and are difficult to catch are often overworked. They know there is work to be done and will avoid it at all costs. And when ridden will drag their toes or shuffle about. These horses require a change of workload or alternatively a holiday turned out in a pasture for a month or so with younger horses (visit him or her everyday with a treat) He or she needs to learn how to become a horse again. Its workload needs adjusting with some variation included.

Catching an unwilling horse often means working at eliminating the cause. And horses that are unwilling to be caught, have issues that need to be resolved, before positive results will be seen.

Kate Hinton is CEO of ThatHorse.com which is a one stop shop for everything equine. She is also the author of ‘The Essential Guide to Selling Your Horse’ which is a must have if you are looking to sell a horse. Visit http://www.horse-selling-guide.com to purchase your copy today!

Author: Kate Hinton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When I started writing my tips for breaking a young horse I thought I must be mad, what did I know? There are loads of experts out there all offering advice and I was just a humble horse owner, not a trainer etc. Then I decided that if my story helps anyone to have the confidence to work with their own horse then I believe they will find it a rewarding experience and it will be beneficial to both the horse or pony and themselves.

Backing, Breaking and Training a young horse. Well its something that we are told is best left to the experts and to some degree I agree, as you can do a lot of damage to a horse at such a young age, but with the right support and information I do believe you can make a good job of it.

Its easy to say leave it to the experts but for most of us our horses and ponies are part of our family. We are the one’s who are with them every day and the one’s who have built up mutual trust and a bond with them.

I took a break from owning my own horse for about 15 years. Then found myself, in my naivety, being the proud owner of a 2 yr old filly. I fell in love with her, what more can I say, but she was 16.1hh and very powerful. A lot could have gone wrong. I did contemplate sending her away when the time came, to have her professional broken, backed and schooled. There were several problems with this idea though. Number one was the cost, I just didn’t have the money to do that as the quotes I had attained were extortionate. Number 2 was this was my horse, I had spent hours and hours in the stable with her, bonding, grooming and just sitting there gaining her trust. I didn’t want to send her away and lose all that. I knew she trusted me, she would follow me around the paddock like a dog, if I ran she would trot after me. Quite scary when you have a 16.1hh thoroughbred chasing you. I had never read a natural horsemanship book, but I realised that this was just what we were doing.

I also discovered she had never been walked off the yard, boxed, lunged or had a bit anywhere near her. I figured it was going to be a long drawn out process.

In reality I couldn’t have been more wrong. Although I did take things very slowly I found backing her to be extremely straight forward.

I used a lot of common sense, sought loads of advice from local tack shops and the people on the yard, and read as much information as I could find including everyone else’s tips on breaking a young horse. A lot of the techniques and equipment had evolved from when I had had my last horse. So I had to learn what to do with it again.

The things I learned and my 10 tips for breaking a young horse are:

1. Spend time bonding with your horse or pony, don’t just rush into breaking it. You will need time to build up mutual trust.

2. Learn your horses moods. Learn their normal behaviour and pick up when something is wrong.

3. Spend time before you try to back your horse getting it used to basic commands, both on the lunge and long rein. Stand, walk, trot will be invaluable once your horse is first backed.

4. Introduce the bit slowly – don’t just expect to put it in your horses mouth and leave it there for hours. Try a few minutes at a time over several week and get a bit suitable for a young horse. I used a copper key bit.

5. Introduce the saddle without girth, stirrups and leathers to begin with and remove again after a few minutes.

6. Before you even think of putting someone on your horses back get the horse used to wearing the saddle and bridle on the lunge or in hand.

7. When lunging the first few times in tack make sure stirrups and leathers are not flapping around and spooking your horse.

8. When you do introduce someone on their back ensure you are the one who is talking to your horse, after all you are the one who is built up the trust.

9. Try to get someone light to be the person who first sits on your horse. Start with them just lying over your horse and then gradually sitting. Make sure every movement of the rider is slow a fluid. Again make sure this isn’t rushed and is done over weeks.

10. Take backing your horse or pony slowly, take the lead from the animal. If they are looking stressed or anxious or are really misbehaving stop. There is generally a reason.

It took me about 2.5 months to back my horse from only ever having a head collar on to gently hacking out with me on her.

I introduced everything bit by bit and talked to her constantly. It might seem a long time to some people but I was left with a well adjusted horse who doesn’t get stressed or act up very often. She takes the lead from me and will attempt new things because I firmly believe she trusts me.

Make sure you are safe at all times and that someone is with you if necessary who is more knowledgeable but don’t be afraid and take the lead.There is no excuse when horse breaking to be cruel, and remember animals including horses are not born bad, they react to what we as humans do to them.

You can get more information and advice regarding horses at horse bits and pieces At horse bits and pieces you will find all the horse and rider equipment you will ever need.

Author: Rachel Harding
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When you get to own your very own horse and irrespective of his age, one of the first things you must do is to really get to know him. And to learn how to teach him to get to know you.

You must be aware of the fact that although horses are beautiful and sensitive creatures, they observe the herd system. Their instinct in their natural environment in the wild is for immediate action. They take this action as, for them, it can mean their actual survival. Given any sign of danger, they immediately take flight.

With this in mind it is important for you to learn how to effectively communicate with your horse. Know that horses actually have a language of their own and that, unfortunately, many owners are not as aware of this fact as they should be.

Your horse’s BODY LANGUAGE means something.

Be aware that every swivel of an ear, each hip movement, tail flick and facial expression means something. This is the language horses use to speak to other horses – and to us – so if we are to get to know our horse, we must listen.

Your horse will come to love you if, first and foremost, you treat him fairly, and secondly, if you teach yourself to develop a relationship with him in the same way you would a human partner. It’s unfortunate that there are too many owners who will look after their horse’s material needs but put nothing back into developing the partnership itself. Given the right treatment a horse born in captivity will identify with an alternative provider and companion, resulting in a healthy relationship from the beginning. Such a relationship with your horse requires, amongst other things, trust coupled with respect, fondness with compliance, and a desire to please.

YOUR body language is equally as important as your horse’s.

Before you can really understand your horse you need to know what your body language say to him. For example, flapping your arms while trying to fit his halter will cause concern. Running up to him in a paddock rather than walking up to him calmly can make him think – is this a predator chasing me?

We’ve all heard about ‘bombproof horses’. Sorry to say, this is just fiction! Something, some time, WILL spook your horse… any horse. So keep your body language quiet, slow, easy and calm. If you are calm, this will also help to keep your horse calm.

Horses speak to us with all body parts and that includes both their front and back ends. So beware, both ends can cause us untold bodily harm if we don’t pay attention to what our horse is saying to us. For instance, most of us know that when a horse has both ears pinned back flat something is really wrong. Chances are that your horse is either frightened or angry. You’ll find that in most cases it is anger. So watch your horse’s front and rear very carefully. Caution is best even if you think your horse may be listening to something behind him or that he’s just bored. Once you really get to know your horse well, you will know what his ears are saying.

If your horse has his ears perked up and forward this means that he’s focusing his attention on something and is either up to some mischief or he’s on high alert about something he is seeing, hearing or smelling. So remind your horse that you need his attention, especially if you are out riding and his ears suddenly whip forward.

You communicate with your horse when you brush and groom him.

Brushing and caring for your horse is a major bonding experience between humans and horses. Don’t ever under-estimate how powerfully you’re communicating with your horse when you brush and groom him.

It’s vitally important that you keep your horse clean at all times. Be sure his entire coat is free from dirt, mud, sand and sweat. If you have the time, brush your horse every day. Pick out his feet before and after every outing. Wash out any sweat residue from the saddle pad and girth after each work-out or ride. Apart from communication, a clean horse and tack is a major step towards keeping a healthy horse. And it won’t do your pride in your horse any harm, either!

Finally, don’t overlook the value of verbal communication. Talking to your horse in a quiet, calm fashion is a major step in having him get to know you and to respect and respond to your instructions.

I hope that these suggestions will assist you in communicating with the horse that you’ve truly come to love. If you want to learn more about horse language and how to communicate with your horse you are invited to go to http://www.easyhorsecare.com

Author: J Russell Hart
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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