Practical horse care, facility management, and riding knowledge — written for owners who want to do right by their horses.
Explore the BlogShop Horse Mats
Ever wondered if your horse is happy in a stable? Are you perhaps trying to decide whether to keep your horse stabled or pastured? Are you not sure why your horse is displaying strange behavior in the stable? Most horses would prefer to be outside and not in stables, however, that does not necessarily mean … Read more
Deciding what to do with horses in a tornado can be a tricky decision to make. You may feel that making the wrong decision could be devastating or that you are dammed either way and leave it up to chance or a ‘gut feel’. I hope that this post will help you make a more … Read more
I guess the question “are horses smarter than cows” is very subjective. But I think we can take a look at this topic without intentionally offending any of the bovine or equine community! So are horses smarter than cows? Horses seem to have a greater advantage of intelligence over cows when comparing the results from … Read more
Showjumping is a dangerous sport, yet we don’t often see show jumpers wear body protectors. What is the reason for this? Body protectors are used across all equestrian disciplines but are more commonly seen in cross-country. Body protectors are not generally seen in showjumping competitions unless used to protect an old or healing injury. There … Read more
As a young rider, I used to get up at the crack of dawn to feed my horse before my ride. My trainer at the time used to say, “Remember to wet the food”, and I always used to wonder why. So why should you wet or soak your horse’s feed? What are the benefits? … Read more
Let’s talk about poop. Ever wonder if horse riders have to pick up their horse’s poop? What about in the streets and during trail rides? Horse riding is not all glamorous all the time. It’s hard work and the health and well being of a horse should always be on the top of a rider’s … Read more
Humans have been breeding with horses for thousands of years for many different purposes. But have you ever wondered how many babies a horse can have? How many can they have throughout their lifetime? How many can they have at once? Horses could technically have up to 16 fouls throughout their lifetime. Although it’s rare … Read more
Ear covers (ear bonnets) look like little ‘hats’ that horses wear during showjumping competitions. Ever wondered why show jumpers wear ear covers when riding or competing? What is the purpose of ear covers? Do they even work? Showjumpers wear ear covers to distort or muffle sound, so a horse can’t react to things like loud … Read more
All horse owners know that exercise is a vital part of the health and wellbeing of our horses. There are however some situations where, due to various medical or non-medical reason, where this might not be possible or advised. Rain rot might be one of those situations. You should not ride your horse if your … Read more
Ever wondered why show jumpers wear spurs? Why would you need them and what are they used for? Spurs are not only commonly used in show jumping but across many other equestrian disciplines like dressage and eventing. So why do show jumpers use spurs as part of their gear? Spurs are used in show jumping … Read more
