Posts Tagged ‘Stable Yard’

When you first see a horse in a field the most identifiable feature is the color of his coat. No doubt the first thing you learn after the word horse is his color. You certainly do not need to learn to identify every single horse breed, but knowing the colors and markings on a horse will help you distinguish between horses.

As a manager on a stud farm I was in charge of 150 horses that grazed the land. During the breeding season we would also have a number of other horses come and stay for a while. More often than not the visiting mares would be grouped together with our own.

I would be able to identify every single animal without needing a name tag, just by their color and markings. You may not need to know a dozen horses, perhaps only one, but knowing the color and markings gives you helpful knowledge.

When you are in a stable yard and a horse breaks loose, you can call attention to the urgency of the situation. If you said there was a black horse running loose, the yard manager may well know that the black horse is a stallion and other horses would be in danger, not just the loose horse.

Coat color and markings of horses is determined genetically. There are about 20 different coat colors, some are clearly defined like black and others are part-colored or broken such as spotted.

Unless there is a specific need for you to know all the colors and variations, knowing the basic usually suffices. I can not say that anyone in 25 plus years has ever looked at me weirdly because I called a dapple grey horse just plain old grey.

Besides the general body color of the horse it is also good to know the markings on a horse. That way when you are around horses you can tell them apart. If you are told that the brown horse in the field is for sale, and there happen to be 5 brown horses grouped together, it certainly would be helpful to know what else sets him apart from the others.

Markings are usually on the legs and face and mostly with white colored hairs. A horse with a white face or blaze has a large area of white, particularly on the nose. These horses would greatly benefit from a daily application of sunscreen when the temperatures are high.

There are basic leg markings on a horse known as socks or stockings which are general terms as to the length of white. More specifically for identification purposes the markings are named to where the white hair begins and ends on the leg. Some horses may have white on all four legs, others may have only a single sock on one leg and still others may have none at all.

A horse that is all one color, like chestnut, with no white distinctive markings on the face or legs can still be identified from other horses by less noticeable markings such as whorls.

Whether you are a beginner rider, a horse admirer or someone that works with horses it pays to know the color and markings of horses. It certainly makes identifying one horse from another a piece of cake.

Horse Guide.

Get information on buying, owning and caring for your horse, learn about horse coat colors and markings. Learn about Horse riding safety.

Author: Benjamin Wise
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Horse blankets are pretty handy to have around a stable, but not essential for every horse owner. A standard horse blanket is used to keep a horse warm and or protected from wind and other elements.

A horse blanket fits around the horse’s body from chest to rump, straps cross underneath the belly and fasten the blanket securely. Most blankets have buckles in the front, today there are blankets that can be slipped over the horses head. Some blankets also have small straps that loop around the horse’s hind legs which. This helps the blanket from slipping sideways.

Horse blankets are designed according to there use. You can buy a single horse blanket and be content with that, or you could have several and use all of them in a single day. Before buying a horse blanket consider its purpose. I strongly suggest you take into consideration who exactly is going to be responsible for putting on and taking off the blanket.

I can not recount how many dollars and pounds I have seen wasted in a stable yard on horse blankets. I have worked in the USA and UK with horses and I still shake my head in disbelief at the countless times a day I would have to change a blanket on a single horse – to suit the owner. Have you ever stopped to consider how your horse feels?

A horse blanket should be versatile enough that it keeps your horse protected in cold weather. If your horse lives out in a pasture and is not stabled, you ought to buy a blanket that is well insulated to keep him warm. The blanket should also be waterproof, that way you or grooms do not have to run out at the first drop of rain to change blankets.

If your horse is stabled, a single warm blanket will suffice. If you buy a light blanket, he may get too cold and his natural response is to grow thick fluffy hair and look like a teddy bear. Most horse owners prefer to deter this response and blanket their horse. If you buy a thick warm blanket you need to monitor its use.

Temperatures drop at night; if you blanket your horse with a horse blanket for severe cold temperatures in the early evening, you are going to have an uncomfortable horse. Your horse most likely will be too hot and start to sweat. When the temperatures drop, he stops sweating, but has cold sweat to deal with and a wet blanket. If anything the blanket in this case is useless.

However if your horse has been clipped, in cold or even cool weather he is going to need more than a simple warm blanket to provide insulation that his hair coat would have done.

Besides protecting your horse from weather elements, there are blankets to protect from flies and gnats which are useful. A cooler or a sweat sheet is another blanket that is highly recommended for a horse owner. This blanket allows your horse to cool down and dry after being washed or exercised, but protects from draughts or chills.

Horse blankets have various designs and uses. You can buy several or you can buy one, only make sure that the blanket best suits your horses needs. You can then choose any color to your liking, provided they are made in that color.

Horse Guide.

Get information on buying, owning and caring for your horse, learn about Buying Horse Blankets. Learn about your horses anatomy.

Author: Benjamin Wise
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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