Tag: horse care

Maintaining Horse Health while Winter Riding

For those who don't let the cold stop them from some winter horse riding, here are some tips to ensure that your rides don't cause concern for your horse's health and wellness.

There are many reasons that a proper warm up and cool down are necessary for any ride or session. You can check out 12 reasons in a previous post Warm Up & Cool Down Crucial Parts to Equine Fitness.

The focus of this post will be more specific on warm ups and cool downs as they relate to cold weather and winter horse riding.

Winter Horse Riding Warm Up

For horses that are less mobile and stand in a stall or run, it can be beneficial for joint health and muscle mobility to add some extra lateral work, biosomatic exercises, or stretches before you get moving on to your regular warm up or session. The cold can cause tension and tight spots that may not be present in warmer conditions.

Winter Horse Riding Cool Down

You can make your cold weather cool downs more efficient with the right equipment. Investing in a fleece or wool cooler blanket can promote horse health by speeding up the cool down time and can be a great option for those who regularly ride in the cold and work the horse to a sweat.

Our horse's winter coat is designed to form an insulated layer that warms and protects from the elements, but when saturated with sweat this design is hindered and can leave the horse at risk for health concerns. Making sure your horse is dry prior to putting them away is key to maintaining horse health. Even if you use a turnout sheet or blanket the horse needs to be dry and their body temperature back to their normal range.

You can begin your cool down, while riding, by walking for 10-15 minutes at the end of your session. After dismount, loosen the cinch, and if you know the horse is comfortable with it place the cooler blanket on over the saddle and hand walk the horse for a few minutes. This can help reduce a wave of cold air hitting the back and causing muscles to spasm or cramp up. You can then remove the saddle and place the cooler blanket back on and continue to hand walk them. If the horse is still wet you can add towel drying, to hand walking, and using a cooler blanket.

If the horse is not returning to a normal body temperature or is continuing to sweat, you may need to consult your veterinarian to check for other possible horse health concerns.

Knowing your horse's baseline can help you determine when your horse is properly cooled down. It will also help you determine when something is off and you need to contact your veterinarian. Use our free vital signs checklist to track and determine your horse’s baseline and maintain your horse's health. You can find our vital signs check list with our FREE PDF Guide, 10 Tell Tale Signs Your Horse May Be Suffering From Dangerous Digestive Problems. Click Here to download your copy today.

I hope you found value in this post. Please share via your favorite social media page to help us on our mission to promote horse health and wellness. You will find share buttons at the bottom of the post.

Life is better when you're horsin’ around!

When Should you Think of Selling Your Horse?

Besides times of emergency and lack of means to properly care for a horse, when should you think of selling your horse? And as the title questions, can you improve horse health by selling in some situations?

Top 2 Reasons to Think of Selling Your Horse

• For your safety or the horse is too much for you to handle
• Purpose and goals don't match- whether it is your's or the horse's

If your horse is not safe to be around or is beyond what you can handle of course it is in your and the horse's best interest to re-home for the health, wellness, and sanity of you both.

But the second reason listed above can sometimes be overlooked and even downplayed, but can have negative effects on horse health and the owner's horsemanship or desire to have horses!

Often there are two common mismatches with purpose and goals-

1. The horse has more drive or purpose then the person, or the horse has more ambition then the job or discipline it is chosen for. Which can result in displaced behavior during sessions or even during times when in a pen or pasture. The unused energy can turn into stable vices, aggression, nervousness, etc. These destructive patterns can lead to health concerns such as ulcers, colic, or  other injury.
2. The human has more drive or purpose then the horse. This can lead to the same behaviors and tendencies as listed above that can negatively effect horse health, but I want to note that there is also the effect on the owner/rider. The frustration and discord can cause horse sessions and time to no longer be enjoyable.

Next Steps to Know if Selling Your Horse is the Right Thing to do?

Consult with a horse profession you trust to help you determine if you need to improve your horsemanship skills or if the horse is not a fit for your needs, or possibly you don't fit the horse's needs. I would recommend one who has a good understanding of horse behavior and psychology.  If you decide that selling you horse is the best option and it is not an emergency, take your time and wait for the right fit to come along for your horse. Find peace in knowing there was a positive purpose for your horsemanship goals or even the horse's health in finding them a new home!

I hope you found value in this information. Please share via your favorite social media page and join us in our mission in promoting horse health and wellness.

Life is better when you're horsin’ around!

PS Are you ready to naturally improve your horse's health? Start by making sure your horse doesn't have dangerous digestive concerns lurking that you have been told are no big deal…Check out our FREE guide 10 Tell Tale Signs Your Horse May Be Suffering From Dangerous Digestive Problems. Click Here or click on the image below to download your copy today.