Hay is for horses, and necessary to health in winter
Tired of winter yet? I am! A cartoon I’ve seen passed around seems to enter my mind a lot as the wind blows, snow stings my face and the hay I’m trying to get to my miniature horses threatens to blow out of the wheelbarrow… and let’s not forget the ice underfoot that helps the […]
Winter watering important for horse health
Recently a woman from University of Guelph used our farm set-up for horse welfare research purposes. She shared that one of the big problems she hears from farm owners is that horses are fine in winter as long as they have snow. Oh dear! The average 1,000 pound horse, at rest, needs 11-30 litres of […]
Like humans, horses need friends too
When we consider our personal world, how many things do we have in pairs or multiples? Cats, dogs, kids, friends, fish, vehicles, toys, equipment etc. Why more than one? We always have a good reason when we want/need something bad enough. We had one dog. He was lonely at times so we got another. After […]
On the road again: Horse health
Taking horses on the road is a normal practice for many horse owners. It’s a place to ride/drive for some, a mode of transportation, for others it is necessary to travel a road or two to get to trails or, it just makes a break from the ordinary. Knowing the rules of the road is […]
Use horse sense when considering nutrition
One of the big topics among horse folk is comparing their horse’s weight or seeing a horse in the field and deciding if the horse is being appropriately cared for. The words “too heavy”;” too thin”;” hay belly”; “lack of topline”; or, “not conditioned”, are batted around. Owners double and triple think their choice of […]
Horses need shelter from the heat of summer
So, let’s talk about summer heat and horses. For us humans, it’s been wicked, and it is hard to imagine, but it is even tougher on our horses. We can regulate ourselves but horses must rely on us to ensure that their environment can help them stay cool in these sweltering temperatures, so we need […]