I recently purchased a horse that has spent his entire 9 years on a mom and pop cow farm. I eventually want to be able to show him and I’m sure now that he is going to be in a new environment he is going to be scared of everything… Any tips?
You guys are awsome, thanks for the Great Advice!!!

You might be surprised at how much de-spooking this horse already has under his belt…a cow farm can be crazy!!! All the extra machinery lying about, chickens and goats running here and there…helps a horse a lot.

Some things you can do:
1. Take him to a local horse show, parade, or rodeo to "observe". This will help him get used to the bustle of horses, people, trailers, etc.

2. Ride him along well-used roads to get him used to traffic and machinery.

3. Expose him to as many new things as you can possibly find and watch his reactions to them. Work on keeping him calm. Some ideas of things to look for are: riverbanks, running water, bridges, parades, rodeos, shows, old machinery or junk you may find on a trail ride, tarps hung on a fence blowing in a breeze, sheep, dogs, lots of people, trail obstacles and jumps, steep hills or deep gullies, loud noises such as truck airbrakes or diesel engines, moving bicycles, ATVs, etc.

4. The very best thing is just for you to ride him a lot, as his trust in you will increase and he won’t spook badly in a bad situation, because he will look to you for help. Get to know him, watch his actions and reactions to his environment, and you’ll be fine! Good luck!

Grooming
Tools used for grooming
There are several tools that are commonly used when grooming a horse. Proper use and technique helps to ensure the horse remains comfortable during the grooming process, and allows for greater ease in cleaning the animal. 
Curry or Currycomb: A tool made of rubber or plastic with short “teeth” on one side, that slides onto the hand of the groom. It is usually the first tool used in daily grooming. The horse is rubbed or “curried” in a circular motion, which helps to loosen dirt, hair, and other detritus, plus stimulate the skin to produce natural oils. The curry comb is usually used in a circular motion to work loose embedded material. Curries are generally too harsh to be used on the legs or head, though varieties made of softer rubber are available.
Metal currycomb: a currycomb made of metal, with a handle. They are designed for use on show cattle. There is no reason for a horse owner to buy one. However, some barns have them sitting around and use them for cleaning out softer-bristled brushes. For removing mud and winter hair, as well as for cleaning brushes, a shedding blade (see below) is preferable to a metal curry, and a shedding blade can also do double duty for cleaning out other brushes.
 
Dandy brushes Dandy brush or Hard brush: A stiff-bristled brush is used to remove the dirt, hair and other material stirred up by the curry. Brushes are used in the direction of the horse’s hair coat growth, usually in short strokes from front to back, except at the flanks, where the hair grows in a different pattern. The best quality dandy brushes are made of stiff natural bristles such as rice stems, though they wear out quickly. Plastic-bristled dandy brushes are more common. Dandy brushes can usually be used on the legs, but many horses object to a stiff brush being used on the head. Some dandy brushes do double duty as a *Water Brush, dampened in water and used to wet down the mane and tail.
Body brush or Soft brush: A soft-bristled brush removes finer particles and dust, adds a shine to the coat and is soothing to the horse. A body brush can be used on the head, being careful to avoid the horse’s eyes. Some natural body brushes are made of boar bristles, like human hairbrushes, others are made of soft synthetic fibers. The body brush is always the last brush used on the horse.
Grooming rag or towel,   A terrycloth towel or other type of cloth can be used to give a final polish to a horse’s coat and is also used after riding to help remove sweat.
Mane brush or comb: Horses with short, pulled manes have their manes combed with a wide-toothed plastic or metal comb. The mane comb is also used for pulling the mane. Tails and long manes are brushed with either a dandy brush or a suitable human hairbrush. Extremely long show-quality manes and tails are often picked out by hand to avoid breaking the hairs.
Hoof pick: A hooked tool, usually of metal, used to clean the hooves of a horse. Some designs include a small, very stiff brush for removing additional mud or dirt. All four feet of the horse need to be cleaned out before and after riding.
 
A shedding blade  Shedding blade: In special weather conditions, a metal shedding blade with short, dull teeth is used to remove loose winter hair. A shedding blade is also useful for removing caked-on mud. However, grooming tools with metal teeth can split and dull the horse’s hair coat and may irritate the skin, so must be used with appropriate care. Likewise, metal grooming tools used on sheep and show cattle may also be too harsh to use on a horse.
Fly spray: In the summer, fly spray is often applied to the horse after grooming. Care must be taken to avoid the eyes and mucus membranes.
Bot knife: used to remove botfly eggs from the horse, which are usually laid on the legs or shoulder. Bot eggs are yellow and roughly the size of a grain of sand, they are clearly visible on dark hair, harder to spot on white hair. A small pumice stone is also commonly used for the same purpose.
Scissors or Clippers: Sometimes, though not always, horses are clipped with scissors or, preferably, electric clippers, to remove or shorten unwanted hair. 
Sponges: Small sponges can be used to clean the nose, lips and dock, larger sponges can be used to wet down and clean the body and legs.

See our complete line of grooming supplies

English Habit
http://www.articlesbase.com/equestrian-articles/how-to-groom-your-horse-716091.html

I’m going to pontefract races tomorrow, and i was wondering if anyone new of any tips or a website where i can find out any tips. sensible ones only please, as i don’t know very much about horse racing

Spiekeroog 4.40. win

Markington…4.10 e/w..

If you lose dont come looking for me ..

Good luck.

For a horse, in his ideal little world, he would live his days wandering acres of land, spending the majority of his time grazing, in the fresh air, far away from dust allergies and mould spores. However, he’s not in his ideal little world, he’s in ours, and for the responsible and caring owners who do their best to provide our animals with everything they need, some times it’s unavoidable for them to spend time cooped up in a stable.

‘Oh my!’ I may hear you cry, ‘My stable is big, it has windows, he has the best hay. He wants for nothing!’ Yes, indeed he may, but a stable, to an animal that has been genetically programmed over millions of years to wander the plains, any stable is cooped up. I don’t mean to offend, and I do understand that sometimes, it’s necessary, but there you are.

As a result of living in a stable, horses are often exposed to many different types of dust particles. These maybe from hay, straw, pollen etc. Just as in people, some of them will develop an allergy; and it’s impossible to predict which ones and when it will happen.

As a cautionary tale to those who have horses that don’t live in stables, I have a coloured cob, who I’ve owned since he was 2 years old and he’s never been in a stable, never mind lived in one. He’s now 13 and for the last 3 years, over winter, about 6 weeks after the hay starts going out, and I’m very picky about the hay and where it comes from, he gets a bit of a dusty cough, and you can see the extra effort involved in breathing. So there really is no telling.

COPD, otherwise known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder is the most commonly occurring medical equine disorder in the UK. In fact, respiratory diseases in general are a common problem to horses and ponies in general.

The indicators of COPD can vary greatly, and reflect the severity of the condition. At their worst, horses may be in a severe state of distress, with nasal discharge, much coughing and wheezing and the extra effort seen by the stomach muscles to aid expiration (breathing out) is clear to see.

The symptoms of COPD become visible when the airways attempt to challenge the allergens. These responses fall into three categories. There is inflammation of the airway walls, excess mucus production and the spasms of the bronchial walls; which results in the narrowing of the airways due to the contraction of the muscles in their walls. The end result is a reduced capacity for airflow. (Think asthma or trying to breath through a straw!)

If you should become concerned that your horse may be developing COPD, it’s important for you to get the vet out. He will be able to confirm or deny the problem, and advise on how best to go on from there.

The best action to take is to avoid the allergens. This generally involves 24hr turnout, and replacing hay with ‘haylage’ type substitutes, or complete feed nuts.

Sometimes, the horse owner is unable or unwilling to make these changes, and therefore the stable environment must be altered.

Good ventilation in stables is vital in all equine housing, but even more so when COPD is a problem. The majority of the allergens come from hay and bedding, so these must be substituted for something else. If a hay substitute is not available, the hay should be soaked for 20 minutes. This enables the dust and mould spores to absorb water and avoid becoming airborne.

A low dust bedding is also called for. It is possible to use no bedding when rubber mats are used, but some horses just will not be comfortable in this situation. If bedding is used, shredded paper or cardboard are good substitutes. Wood shavings can also work. Straw is no good as it too has a high mould spore content.

The make up of these alternatives can of course vary, so a bit of trial and error may be called for before you go buying in a barn full of something that’s not going to work.

Making these changes to feed and bedding does not remove the need for the utmost cleanliness, and a deep litter bedding system is a big no-no.

Of course, all this is a bit like whistling in the wind, if all the other stables in the vicinity are not managed the same way. It’s also a good idea to maybe make your exercise time, at the same time when everyone else is mucking out, to avoid the extra exposure to allergens at that time. Of course, this is not always possible.

COPD is a permanent thing, and these pointers are all to help with the management of a long term condition. There are also various herbal and or veterinary supplements that can help. Mind you, none of them are a cure, just another aid in management of the condition.

COPD, whilst it is a serious condition that needs consistent and conscientious management, it certainly doesn’t mean the end of the horses’ useful life. Many horses live and work perfectly well despite having it. It is down to us as owners to be diligent and find a system that works and to stick to it.

Salena Newport
http://www.articlesbase.com/equestrian-articles/fresh-air-in-horse-care-to-reduce-dust-allergy-789833.html

I am trying someones horse for a share on saturday, I want them to let me continue riding there horse. I haven’t ever cared for a horse before. Anyone got any tips on how to make them think I can ride well? I will choose a best answer. Thanks.
I am trying to get a horse for a horse share for one day a week. I am a fairly experienced rider but have never cared for a horse before anyone got any tips?

Just be yourself, you have to ride well for someone to think you ride well..

I don’t ride the classic way, but I’ll tell you to.

Heels down
Toes forward
Sit up and on your seat bones
Breath deep

How to hold your hands English: http://www.howtorideahorse.co.uk/horse_riding_pics/holding_reins.jpg

How to hold them Western: http://www.rainbowag.com/graphics/splits.gif –split
http://www.rainbowag.com/graphics/romals.gif –normal

Hope this helps!

Next to dogs, horse care is more familiar to man than the care of any other animal. Horses have been a close companion to human beings since the times of some our oldest civilizations. If horses were used for transportation and battles then, now they are mainly for leisure and sports. But, whatever the use, breed and type of horse, proper care for these animals is always important.

Basic horse care provides for essential needs like shelter from foul weather and rain, shade from the sun and flies, clean and fresh water, adequate forage and enough space to graze. It is advised to provide the horses with food that is 1.5% to 2.5% of its body weight in pounds. Since they eat less at a time but more often than we do, horses don’t need large meals. Provide them with food that contains proper nutrients like protein, minerals and vitamins. Sufficient forage is essential for optimum health and growth. The place they graze should be properly fenced and kept devoid of poisonous plants and seeds. Also, the nutrients that you provide should be given at the right time and in the right proportions. It is also important for horse care how and where you store the horse food to prevent it from attack by pests or damp.

Regular grooming is also essential in horse care. This has to be done before everyday and before the horse is bathed or ridden. Grooming removes any dirt, dust and mud and avoids chafing and rubbing of dirt and also helps you to discover hidden cuts, bites or bruises on the horse’s body. And, as you know, nothing brings a horse and its owner closer than frequent grooming. Proper brushes should be used to help blood circulation and massage that encourages a healthy conditioned coat. A mane comb should be used to avoid tangling of mane and tail. There are a variety of products in the market like detanglers and conditioners. Be sure to use shampoos and conditioners specially for horses to avoid any irritations.

Horse care involves taking proper care of each and every part of the horse’s body. And, for a horse, the most important part is its hoof, which is essential to its well being and usefulness. Proper cleaning and trimming of the hooves are necessary for the safety of the horse as well as the rider. Hooves have to be trimmed/shod every 4 to 8 weeks. Keeping the hooves dry and clean prevents lameness as well as hoof diseases. Similarly, the legs and feet of the horse also should be checked routinely for lacerations and swelling.  Regular cleaning and trimming of feet and timely treatments of foot diseases adds to proper horse care.

Depending on how much work your horse will be doing during the winter, you need to decide on whether to do clipping.  Clipping will aid the comfort and increase drying time of the horses coat. Also, it depends on the individual horse and their living environment to decide when and why to clip and what clip style to use. And once clipped, the horse will need a rug. This again is based on the kind of work the horse does. There are a variety of rugs available for different work purposes and living conditions. You need to know how to put on and take off the rugs for the horse’s safety.

Horses are prone to get various diseases like colic, laminitis and internal parasites as well as other infectious diseases. A chief part of horse care is prevention of diseases by frequently checking for sickness, injury, germs and weight loss. A proper disease prevention program should be planned for your horse even at the time when you buy it. Annual dental check up is very important. Periodic worming is essential, which you can do after seeking the advice of a professional vet. It is a good idea to register the horse for local equine vaccination. A horse that is healthy and free of disease is active, lively and responsive and a pleasure to own and enjoy!

sajith
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/horse-care-some-points-to-note-1065776.html

I thought it would be neat for everyone to share their secrets with cheap ways to do things at home or just interesting tips for showing. For Example:

1. I use Iodine on my horses feet to strengthen them
2. You can use hair spray to stick your western hat to your head at a horse show
3. You can spray hair spray on your horses back in the bareback class to help you stay on
4. Use baby oil on your horses face at shows to make him glow!

Lets share some secrets!

Not exactly a home remedy, but some years ago on a Saturday morning, I went up to the stable and found my Arab covered with hives!!!! The poor beastie was a patchwork of swellings from his neck to his tail.

He was obviously uncomfortable but not in severe distress. I called my vet immediately, panicky because of the extent of the hives. Once my vet established that my horse wasn’t having trouble breathing and that the hives were just swellings, not weeping serum or rubbed raw and open, he gave me two choices:

1. Have him come down to the stable to treat my horse. He told me he’d charge me a $75 emergency call, probably $25-50 for shots and medication, plus anything for tests that was required. Or….

2. Alternatively, he told me to go to the drugstore and buy a pack of Contac allergy capsules, and give eight of them to my horse, wait half an hour to see if this had any affect on the hives, and then call him back.

I was flabbergasted. "Contac? Do you mean like for people, just the normal people Contac capsules?" I asked him.

He told me that was exactly what he meant. He told me it didn’t sound like my horse was in such extreme condition that he needed to come out right that second, but it was certainly my choice and if I wanted him to come out, he would.

I decided to try the Contac capsules. They were little gelatin capsules filled with tiny pills. I took eight of them apart, poured the little pills into a good portion of bran that I mixed with warm water and a LOT of molasses, and fed this to my horse. I guess my horse wasn’t feeling too awful because he ate it right up.

And I’ll be darned if within 15-20 minutes the hives didn’t start to fade away, and within half an hour or so they were all gone!!! I called the vet back and told him, and he laughed at my surprise and told me he thought that the Contac would work, and now he didn’t have to cancel his golf game.

I think I paid about $2.50 for the Contac, which was pretty good compared with a $100 vet bill.

With all the recent talk about anti-oxidants and their importance in protecting our health, nearly all of us have learned that we should be eating and drinking more foods and beverages with high anti-oxidant contents. But, what about skincare products that contain herbs and plants that are high in anti-oxidants? Can they help reduce aging when used topically?

Today, drugstore and department store shelves are full of moisturizers and other skin care products made from fruits, vegetables and herbs. The products promise to prevent aging, and in some cases, even reverse skin damage that has already occurred. The theory is that the same anti-oxidants that protect our health when consumed as part of our diet can protect our skin when applied directly to the face.

One study, reported by the UK Tea Council examined many of these products, including those containing green tea, soy, pomegranate, grape seed oil, aloe, horse chestnut, comfrey, chamomile, dates and allantoin. The study reviewed the research behind skin care products with each of these ingredients to determine what scientific evidence exists to suggest that the products are indeed effective on the skin.

After reviewing the research on each of the products, the study showed that the only natural products with any evidence to back up their effectiveness were green and black tea, pomegranates, soy and dates have had any real clinical trials to give evidence that the products are effective.

So, what products do you choose? Well, there are a wide variety of products that contain at least one of the ingredients that do have evidence to suggest that they are good treatments for the skin. Highly recognized cosmetic companies like Murad and Proactiv and Aveeno make products using these ingredients. Which natural product you choose really depends upon the type of skin problems you’re having. Here are the most popular natural skin care ingredients and the problems they can help to solve.

Soy – Soy’s an effective moisturizer and offers anti-oxidants, which can help prevent aging. In addition, certain soy proteins have been shown to help with pigmentation problems, like sun spots and other discolorations.

Pomegranate – Pomegranate is also full of anti-oxidants and has been shown to be a cancer preventative. One study on pomegranates showed that when breast cancer cells were exposed to pomegranate extract they self destructed, leaving healthy cells intact. As a skin treatment, pomegranates are best for healing; making it an effective treatment for acne and any other skin ailments that need to heal.

Green Tea – Green tea has some of the most powerful anti-oxidants available. And, they’re apparently just as effective when applied to the skin as they are when part of a healthy diet.

Green tea has been shown to rejuvenate skin, actually reactivating dying skin cells. Green tea does not penetrate below the first layer of the skin, but even here it can have dramatic results. As skin cells reach the epidermis they prepare to die, and over the next week or so, they become dull as they’re dying off.

Green tea rejuvenates these cells, making them live longer and removing that dull tired look that skin gets. So, a green tea in your moisturizer can help improve the look of your skin almost immediately. It’s still important to exfoliate regularly to help rid your skin of the cells that are already dead.

But, green tea may have cancer preventing effects as well. Other studies have shown that green tea’s anti-oxidants have a scavenging effect on free radicals on the skin, and even on abnormal skin cells. So, green tea may help rid your skin of cells that might otherwise become dangerous skin cancer cells. Doctors recommend using green tea cream under your sunscreen for the optimal effect.

Green tea is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties. For this reason it is sometimes an effective treatment for skin problems like roseacia. Researchers believe that because of the combination of anti-inflammatory properties along with the anti-oxidant activity of green tea, it likely will have many anti-aging properties once more research has been performed.

One question that arises when using any natural product on your skin is whether or not the active ingredients can remain effective after months on the shelf. It’s a sensible question, since we know that, from a dietary standpoint, fresh is best.

We still need more research on the subject, but it’s certain that you should use fresh products whenever you can. For example, in addition to using a commercially available green tea product as a moisturizer, try freezing freshly brewed green tea into ice cubes to be used as toner. Just be sure to let the ice cube sit out just a little bit to thaw, so that they don’t burn the skin.

Natural skin care products will likely gain more popularity as more research emerges showing their potential. In the meantime, there’s no reason not to get a head start. Many natural skin care products, like those that contain green tea, soy and pomegranate offer excellent skin care and treat many types of skin irritations. And, there may be some significant long term benefits to your skin, too!

Marcus Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/antioxidants-for-the-skin-can-they-make-a-difference-105983.html

Colic is one of the most common horse conditions in which you will need to call your Veterinarian. Colic is not a disease; it is a clinical sign of many possible diseases. Increasing your knowledge of this common condition of horses could save your horse’s life.

Colic means literally a pain in the abdomen. When a horse “colics,” this means that the horse is acting painful, and it appears that the pain is coming from the abdomen.

Horse colic can vary greatly in severity. Some colics will go away with just taking your horse for a walk, but other forms of colic will require surgery, and can be life threatening. So if you think your horse has colic you should contact your Veterinarian immediately.

There are many possible causes of colic in horse. One possible cause of colic could be from a changing diet. The diet could be too high in grain or maybe there is moldy hay in the feed. Another possible cause is when a segment of the horse’s intestine twists in the abdomen, this happens not infrequently in horses. Generally your Veterinarian can diagnose this by ultrasound, palpation, or by use of a stethoscope. To cure this type of colic, surgery is often required. This means you have to take your horse to the Veterinary hospital. Colic surgery in horses is very expensive costing $2,000 at a minimum. Plus the hospitalization is rather extensive too.

Some common treatments for horse colics could include products that relive the pain like analgesics called Banamine or Aspirin. Also, mineral oil is used sometimes if it is thought that extra lubrication in the intestines would help the pain pass. Sometimes in severe cases intestines can rupture which often leads to death. But with proper feeding and care you can prevent most cases of colic.

Often times when calling your Veterinarian about your horse having colic they will often advise you to not let your horse try to lay down and roll over. If they are in pain many horses will try and lay down and roll around on the ground trying to relieve the pain. It is important to prevent this as a horse can do even more damage to themselves in this condition.

A secondary problem often overlooked when horses colic is that lameness could develop. This is a disease of the feet which is also a very common problem of horses.

If you think your horse has colic you should contact your Veterinarian immediately, even if it’s late at night. When your horse has colic minutes and hours count towards finding a resolution to the problem.

Another important thing to be aware of is that some horses are more prone to colic than other ones. This is a question you should ask a horse owner if you are thinking about buying their horse.

By becoming aware of the common disease conditions in horses you can catch them earlier and provide relief earlier. If you have more questions on colic, or think your horse may have colic, be sure to contact your Veterinarian.

Andi Wize
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/horse-colic-52198.html

Buying a horse can be a very time consuming endeavor, with all the different horse breeds and skills to choose from. The more you become familiar with the process of buying and selling horses, the better your chances will be to end up with the horse to fit your needs. There are many avenues to look for the horse you want, like a local barn, tack shops, newspaper classifieds, and now you can go online and look through thousands of horse for sale classifieds. Take your time and don’t get to overwhelmed. If you make the selection process in a hurry, you might make an unwise purchase. Plan to take from one month to one year to find your ideal horse. Understandably, if you are without a horse, one year mite sound like a very long time, but you can use this time to become more knowledgeable about what you want by taking lessons.

The first thing you must determine is what you really want from a horse, and to what extent you will be using him/her. Will the horse be a trustworthy companion or wonderful Dressage prospect? Buy taking the time and comparing the different classified ads presented to you, will help determine your priorities. Be sure to use the advanced search features each online classified horse website has to offer, this will help you to narrow down your search results.

Once you have found the horse you want, its always a good idea to get a professional opinion when you are buying a horse. Whether or not you use an agent to help you select your horse, you should always have a basic veterinary pre-purchase exam performed. When you seek out professional advice, pay for it and then listen to it! When your instructor or veterinarian cautions you about a horse, it is for a reason. When seeking advice, it is best to a well-respected professional that has no vested interest in the horse sale.

Here is a breakdown of what to look for when a horse is for sale:

* does the horse fit your needs

* what skills does the horse possess

* does the horse have a good temperament

* do comparisons of other similar horses

* does the horse fit the selling price

* get professional advice

* are there any lessons with the sale

* make sure to have pre-purchase vet exam

* can you afford the upkeep on a horse (such as boarding, feed, and veterinary care.)

Stay focused. Keep in mind that you are selecting a horse for a particular reason or desired skill. There are many decisions and compromises lying ahead, so it helps if you set your priorities clearly at the outset.

If the overall purpose of the horse is to teach you how to ride rather than to carry you to the winner’s circle, then the selection process will emphasize different traits to fit your needs. If the horse is intended to be a long-term project rather than a stepping stone, you may need to invest more time, effort, and money in your purchase. Remember to take your time and use the tools at your disposal, such as online horse classifieds, you will thank yourself in the end.

Sean Russell
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/horse-classifieds-great-for-horse-buying-research-77516.html