The horse anatomy is far different than that of a human or even of a dog . Horses have extremely fragile intestinal systems and their diet needs to reflect the special needs that they have. Avoiding any internal problems with your horse requires vigilance and dedication and requires you to keep on hand a stock of horse health products. This should include supplements or performance horse products as well medicinal products to administer to your horse as a preventive measure or when emergency measures must be taken.

How much you include in your stock of products for horses depends on how your horse is to perform or other special needs he may have. If you are lucky enough to have a horse that never accidentally gets into anything; never has an incident that will cause a mobility injury; never suffers from any kind of internal or external condition; and never needs to be groomed, then you’ve got it made. However, I don’t know any horse owner who has that perfect horse… they all need special treatment every once in a while. And when it comes time to give that special treatment, you want to be sure you have what you need on hand.

Don’t skimp on the products for horses that you keep on hand. Include all grooming brushes and products that you may need; horse nutrition products; supplements; horse performance products; and any veterinary products that you feel you may need should your equestrian friend run into any problems.

Visit us at Products for Horses for a wide variety of  products to keep your horse happy, healthy and looking good so you can enjoy his true talents.

Making Your Trailer The Horse Sanctuary

I have tried a new method for trailer training that I really love and works great. The problem I have always had with trailer training is that I eventually win and they go in but its not like they really want to, they do it because I bug them enough that they go in so that I will leave them alone. The problem with the trailer is that it resembles a cave and caves are where a horse’s predator lives. Horses are basically claustrophobic and it is against all their instincts to go in a trailer. If you have ever ridden in a horse trailer (an experience I think everyone should do once) you would wonder, if they ever went in once, why would they ever go back. It is not a fun ride, noisy, rough and hard to keep your balance on easy turns. So the challenge has been to make it a place where they want to be, a place they will willingly and eagerly go into. So here is the best method I have ever tried and one I will always use from now on. It makes it their choice and the trailer becomes their sanctuary. Here is what to do….

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGsOV_eOYXk

Video of Monty Roberts this guy is amazing!

The Horse Trailer is the Only Place to Rest

Make sure you can lunge your horse, turn him and send him in the opposite direction. This is necessary to train first. Put him on a long lead, about 10 to 20 feet in length. Start by standing at the rear of the trailer and sending him from one side of the trailer to the other. Once he is going to one side of the trailer, turning and doing a half circle to the other side of the trailer and turning and going back start to move your position to one side of the trailer. Now you are standing at the side of the trailer and when he does the half circle he should be making the turn at the truck and doing the half circle to the rear of the trailer where you have the door open and you want him to enter. Keep turning him back and forth until he is tired and wants to stop.

Tapping To Get Your Horse to Move Forward

Stop him at the opening and tap him (with a lunge whip or training stick) to go forward. If he moves forward, stop tapping. This is very important to stop within 3 seconds if there is forward movement. Not just a learn forward but a step forward, no matter how small. Give him a moment (not too long, don’t let him rest) to think about it and ask again with a tapping. (your tapping should not be hard, just annoying, it should be with rhythm on his rump). If he does not take a step forward (which he probably won’t) start him working again. Back and forth at the side of the trailer and if he wants to stop at the rear, don’t let him. Then stop him at the rear and tap him to enter. Be sure not to let him stand there if he does not give you a forward step within say, 15 to 30 seconds, work him back and forth again. Keep repeating this until you have him half way in., if he wants to go all the way in, stop him, back him out and work him some more. Repeat the front half loading into the trailer a number of times until he is going in and coming back out easily (this will help you to get him out once he is in).

The Horse’s Front Half Then the Rear Half

Again, make sure you don’t let him rest too long when he is half in, just a little to let him think and let him get used to it. Repeat this until he is loading half way fairly quickly, backing out and doing the half circle. Your lead should be fairly short at this point so that you are doing small half circles and you are standing to the side of the opening at the rear of the trailer. Now ask him to go all the way in using the same tapping method, if he does not lift the rear foot within a short amount of time pull him back out and do the small half circles again. You want him to learn that the only place he can find rest is in the trailer, thus making the trailer his sanctuary. It won’t be long until you have him all the way in.

The Horse is Loaded in the Trailer, What Next?

Make sure you have the keys in the truck and you are ready to roll. It doesn’t hurt to have a bit of grain as a reward once he is in and this will keep his mind busy. You need to know the horse will stand in the trailer before you shut the door. There is a fine line here, in that you also don’t want the horse to get the idea that he can come out when he wants to, instead of when you ask him to.

You now have the horse in the trailer, and if you have done it correctly, he has loaded a number of times half way and you have backed him out. I am talking a number of times before you allow him to go all the way in. Once he loads the way, take a read on your horse. If he looks like he is relaxed and just wants to rest, let him rest. If he seems anxious and scared then before he wants to back out, you ask him to back out so that it is your idea. Load him a number of times, letting him rest each time a little longer than the last.

When he seems like he is relaxed and standing in the trailer, at this point he should be really tired, I’m sure you will be also. Some horses will just want to stand the first full entry into the trailer. When the horse is at this point, then, and only then, you want to shut the doors and take him for a ride. I have found that if you shut the door and just stand there they realize they are trapped and concentrate on that. We want to get their minds off of their claustrophobic tendencies and get the horses mind to concentrating on keeping his balance.

This first trip should be short, a couple of times around the block. Stop and ask him to unload a quickly as possible after you stop. Remember, we want it to be our idea not the horses. Each time you do this, let the horse stand a bit longer. Try not to get him out if he is not standing well. But don’t let him thrash about and hurt himself either. If you have done your homework and worked through this process properly as described, your horse will be glad to have the chance to just stand still. You will also be amazed at how quickly he will learn to just get in when you open the doors and avoid all the work. Remeber to make him back out slowly instead of bolting out.

When to Trailer Load Your Horse Again

Don’t let but a day or two pass before you try it again. The next time won’t take you as long and within the forth of fifth time he will walk right in. The first time will take an hour or two. Make sure you allow enough time to finish the job the first time so he doesn’t think he can resist and get out of it. You want him to believe that you will keep working him unless he gets in.

Step Up or Ramp Type Trailer

This process will work on a step up or a ramp. With a ramp I will also lunge him across the ramp so he’ll get used to stepping on it, the sound and the give under his feet. By doing this he will be less likely to step sideways possibly scraping a leg. Soon your horse will be anxious to get in and will want you to hurry and open the door so he can get in the trailer and out of the work.

Specialized Western Saddles with Bare Tree Saddle Fitting -- Jackie Heinen

It is often the little things that make a big difference when it comes to horse health care.

Have you ever noticed how some horses who have been doing poorly start to thrive when one or two little things are tweaked in their management program? Horses are relatively simple creatures and their needs are not complicated. The devil, as they say, is in the details when it comes to horse health care.

7 Little Things That Matter a Lot in Horse Health Care

As a zen cowgirl who has seen a lot of horses come and go, both performance horses and backyard pleasure horses, I’ve classified 7 areas of “little things that make a big difference” when it comes to horse health care. Take a gander and see if you agree with me.

#1 – Basic Nutrition

Missing Link Plus

Horses are phenomenal creatures in that a little nutrition goes a very long way. Horses are accustomed to eating lots of food that is high in fiber and low in nutrients, so when you add just a small quantity of power-packed nutrition to their diet, the results are pretty astounding. Don’t you think it’s amazing that you can change the health of a 1,200 pound creature by just adding 1 liquid ounce of nutritional supplements to your horse’s feed?

I feed an ounce of my special horse goo, which I mix up on my kitchen table, to each of my 4 horses and the results are pretty amazing. The goo, which includes XanGo’s mangosteen juice plus Simplexity Health’s Essentials, is a wonderful maintenance tonic that keeps my horses healthy, happy, and symptom-free. The mangosteen juice is a wonderful antioxidant and source of trace minerals, while the Essentials have probiotics, enzymes, and blue-green algae. Together the combo significantly contributes to my horses’ well-being, even in tiny doses.

#2 – Plenty of Long-Stem Chewable Food

To stay healthy horses need to chew on something pretty much all day and all night. To keep both mind and body happy, horses need plenty of long-stem chewable material, like hay. They also need to be walking while they eat, as this helps their digestion and keeps them active. Since hay doesn’t meet all of a horse’s nutritional needs, I view it as entertainment. Chewing on hay all the time keeps a horse occupied and out of trouble. It is tempting to feed soaked beet pulp pellets and a Senior feed instead of hay when hay is in short supply, but this kind of diet doesn’t offer the long-stem feeds that horses need to stay healthy. If you must feed beet pulp, choose the shreds over the pellets because the shred are longer-stemmed than the pellets, which are chopped up.

One thing that works very well for horses not on a giant pasture is Jaime Jackson’s Paddock Paradise concept, which keeps horses walking and eating all day long. Just Google Paddock Paradise to get the scoop.

#3 – Basic Body Maintenance

Oster Coarse Curry Comb

Basic body maintenance is an essential part of good horse health care, but doesn’t need to be complicated or cost a lot. If you horse has its nutritional needs met and is kept out of trouble by having plenty to chew on, veterinary care boils down to hoof care, dental care, regular de-worming, possible vaccinations, and any bodywork that might be needed.

Depending on how much hands-on work you want to do, you can handle most of the hoof care, de-worming, vaccinations, and body work yourself. I wouldn’t recommend taking on the dental care. I do everything but the dental care for my horses. It is possible to learn bodywork (massage, acupressure, Equine Touch) from books or workshops. The same goes for hoof care, especially if you keep your horses barefoot. If you don’t want to handle these chores yourself, scheduling one visit per year with your veterinarian should take care of dental work and vaccinations. Then add in visits from the farrier every 6-8 weeks and body work as needed, and you’re good to go. Just keep it simple.

#4 – Space to Roam

Wild horses travel up to 25 miles per day in search of food and water. Horses are meant to be on the move, all the time, so if at all possible give your horse plenty of room to run. If you keep your horse in a stall, schedule as much turnout as possible. If you have a choice between keeping your horse in a run or a stall, choose a run. It always amazes me that horse people pay more for a smaller space (stall) than they do for a larger space (a run) or for pasture care. A run or pasture ends up being cheaper boarding options than a stall, not to mention healthier for your horse. If you have limited room or no pasture for grazing, consider the Pasture Paradise concept (Google it) to make the most out of a small space and keep your horse moving.

#5 – Match Your Horse’s Job to His Personality

Every horse is a particular personality type, just as people have personality types. Each type wants to be loved in a different way. Veterinarian Dr. Madalyn Ward has developed a horse personality typing system that helps you determine your horse’s personality type, and understand how best to manage your horse. Check out the Horse Harmony Test.

More importantly, once you’ve figured out your horse’s type, see if your horse’s job, management, diet, and so forth match his personality type (you can get all the details in her book, Horse Harmony). Tweaking your horse’s management program so that it fits his personality can go a long way to keeping your horse healthy and happy.

#6 – Other Horses to Play With

Charlie & Ellie

Horses are herd animals, which means they are not meant to live alone. Horses feel safe and secure when in a herd. To keep your horse happy, he needs to at least be able to see and hear other horses. Better still would be if your horse could interact with other horses in a herd situation. Of course, your job is to ensure that the herd is composed of suitable companions for your horses so that your horse emerges from a play session injury-free and happily satisfied. If you keep your horse where he cannot see or hear other horses, consider bringing in some kind of companion, even if it’s not another horses. Horses often get along with donkeys, mules, goats, or even llamas.

#7 – Time Off to Be a Horse

This is especially true for performance horses who are campaigned heavily all year long. Most horses are more than willing to do their jobs, but they need down-time to just be horses. If you have a performance horse on the circuit, consider turning him out to pasture for a month or two during the winter. While he may lose some of his physical condition, his mental condition will be restored, and he will work all the better for you. This is a case of “less is more,” where slightly less work equals more effective showing later in the season.

Horse Health Care – Why the Little Things Matter

These little “tweaks” to your horse’s management program can matter a lot because at the end of the day, a horse is a horse, not a motorcycle. Horses are living, breathing creatures who have adapted remarkably well to domestication, but nevertheless have some basic needs that date back to their ancestral roots. You’ll be amazed how much happier a horse can be when his basic physiological and psychological needs are met. For instance, many a wood-chewing horse has been restored to normalcy by simply having constant access to long-stemmed feed like hay or beet pulp shreds. Putting a round-bale into your horse’s pen is a simple “tweak” that can produce big results (and equal less carpentry work for you)!

Got any other great “tweaks”? Leave a comment so everyone else can benefit!

You have a young horse between the age of 3 and 7 years old and he’s been diagnosed with Navicular. Everything has been going along nicely, you’ve been showing and winning and everything’s been great. But then you start noticing your horse acts lame one day, and then with some rest, he is better the next day. And this goes on and off for awhile, and then you notice your horse is not striding out as nicely as before. He is taking shorter strides. If you observe your horse standing in his stall, you will probably notice that he is standing with his toe pointing out in front of him so he does not have to put all the weight in his heel. This is the classic symptom of Navicular.

Navicular is bursitis in the bursa capsule that cushions the Navicular bone and then slowly develops into adhesions in the deep digital flexor tendon. This can be quite painful for the horse. If you catch it in the early stages, proper trimming of the horse hoof will help alleviate the pressure of the tendon and the bone.

Equine Navicular syndrome seems to be more common in Quarter Horses and Paints rather than other horse breeds. Many times these breeds are bulked up to 1200 to 1400 pounds with very small feet. With this type of feet, it is very hard for them to absorb the shock of the foot hitting the ground. With this type of load on the front feet, it can cause undue strain on the bones and tendons.

Chijioke Onwunle loves horses with a passion. He is a seasoned rider who started riding as a teenager while undergoing training at the military academy. He provides free information and tips on horse caring for beginners and veterans too. More information on horses and tips are available at: http://www.horsecaringmadesimple.com/