Do you remember to get an annual dental exam for your horse? A dental check by your veterinarian involves floating, the process of filing a horse’s teeth to correct irregularities in the occlusal (biting) surfaces, as well as inspecting the teeth for any indication of a variety of other potential problems. In addition to examining the teeth for abnormalities that might cause chewing and/or bitting issues, your vet will also be looking for signs of fractured or loose teeth, as well as signs of ulceration on the cheek mucosa, the tongue, or the gums....
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It’s a curious (and sad) thing in the horse industry that generally by age 20 a horse is considered too old to be “valuable” or “useful.” Watching Diva and the miracle that is Sparky, I’m convinced that, given the right support, many horses can thrive into their 20s, especially if we’re “playing the long game....”
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Horses have an extraordinarily large digestive system — compared to humans they have more than double the length if you were to place them side-by-side, start to finish! This long path for food digestion is packed with twists and turns (and the inability to vomit), so it’s easy to see how digestive upsets can occur in our equine partners. Here's a quick overview to give you a better understanding of how we can feed to our horses’ needs while keeping in mind how they evolved....
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The philosophy of our modern day society is often described as impermanence. Instant gratification through acquisition of “things” is a common theme in life for many and accompanying this is the reality that things which are no longer useful are readily disposed of. Much to the chagrin of animal lovers, this is also a reality for many of the animals we keep in our lives....
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With today’s medical advances, research, and improved management, horses are living longer and longer lives. In the past, most horses were considered old when they reached their late teens. These days, it’s not uncommon for horses to live into their late 20s or even into their 30s, allowing us to spend plenty of quality time with our elder equine friends. Proper management is key to ensuring that the older horse is happy and comfortable throughout his golden years....
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During my career as a professional horse trainer, I’ve heard horse owners give all kinds of reasons why they think their horse could be a winner in the cutting arena. Unfortunately, when it comes to cow horses, a lot of folks are misinformed as to what is fact and what is fiction....
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A common problem during the fall and winter months, muddy footing in horse turnout areas not only increases the difficulty of daily barn chores and grooming routines for owners, but creates a living environment for your horse that is neither safe nor healthy....
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Many of us make our horses stiffer with our attempts at kindness. Aiming for light and forgiving rein contact, we sometimes make the mistake of too much looseness, which feels erratic and unclear to the horse. Rather than improving our horse’s balance and physiology, we cause him to fall apart immediately following moments of correct movement. Whether or not to interject releases of pressure with the contact is not the question; the question is when and how to do this....
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When horses galloped across the U.S. border onto Alberta’s rolling prairies in the 1720s, it was a bit of an overdue homecoming. It had been roughly 10,000 years since the province’s expansive grasslands shuddered under hard equestrian hooves. Fossils indicate that North America is the original home of the horse, where it first appeared millions of years ago. While animals like the ancient bison and mammoth migrated into North America from Siberia, the horse did the opposite. It was eventually domesticated by horse-riding cultures on the Steppes of Central Asia but here at home, the ancient horse that once thrived on Canada’s grasslands mysteriously vanished thousands of years ago.
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When I was younger and hardier I was happy enough to ride in all kinds of weather. If truth be told, I have made my living riding and maybe I felt more obligated to ride rather than being happy to ride. Now that I am a bit older I’ve become a fair weather rider - or at least I’m not an extreme weather rider....
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Surgeon, researcher and teacher, OVC Health Science Centre at Ontario Veterinary College, discusses her research into methods of evaluating lameness....
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Rider fear can be all-consuming, and riding is as risky as it is fun and rewarding. In this episode, Jec Ballou, Amy Skinner, and Maddy Butcher share their thoughts and experiences on rider fear....
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Sarah Schlote talks about the function and structure of the equine brain and how understanding these differences impacts our training and interactions with our horses, how to increase vagal tone for a more balanced autonomic system and much more...!
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In this wide ranging conversation, Lockie Phillips of Emotional Horsemanship shares about his unique path to horses by way of a life of movement, as a dancer, how he believes sensitivity is a superpower, and the role of emotion as a helper in our horsemanship....
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Congratulations to our Contest Winners
We are pleased to present the winners of our HOOFBEAT E-NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP CONTEST which ran for six weeks in November and December, and attracted a blizzard of entries.
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The Grand Prize of a PRO+ HEATED VEST from ewool was awarded to Richard Grenier, of Winnipeg, MB
The Six Weekly Prizes of BREYER HORSE MODELS were awarded to:
- Samantha Fickell of Williams Lake, BC
- Marla Howard of Windsor, ON
- Veena Hockridge of Swift Current, SK
- Lisa Rowlands of Chute-A-Blondeau, ON
- Kristen Cyndroski of Winnipeg, MB
- Tammy Darres of Deep Brook, NS
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Sincere appreciation to our generous sponsors ewool and Breyer, who make these contests possible.
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