The following is a list of 25 txt files containing articles about Horse. These articles can be used as ideas for modifying articles or reposting. Some snippets of file contents have been shown under the title. You can download all these files at once in 1 zip file for free on this page.

1. Arthritis And The Older Horse Remedies
..... There are a variety of home remedies or treatments you can use for your senior horse companion if he is having a lot of pain and inflammation with his arthritis. And several of them can be done at the same time. The thing to remember is that your horse is an individual and may not take too kindly to some treatments, and be just fine with others. Treat them accordingly and go with the flow. If his joints are really swollen and painful and the Vet has suggested he be confined for a 24 hour or longer period, either use a box stall with lots of cushy hay or a small turn out pen with lots of soft grass underfoot. If your horse is herd sour and pitches a fit when out of sight of its buddy, put the buddy someplace close. The last thing you want is your sore horse to be fretting and pacing more trying to find his friend. .....

2. Arthritis And The Older Horse
..... Just because your horse is older does not mean he is ready to retire and not get ridden. Even aging equines need exercise. Not to mention the fact that they get bored doing nothing if they were active in their day. Aging horses still have sharp minds and although the body may not be keeping up as well as it once did - they appreciate being useful. Being ignored and left alone can lead to depression in a once active horse. With older usually come arthritis, and while it can slow them down, there are exercises to help him regain his condition. Take him out of retirement and give him regular exercise - not the rodeo style kind, but gentle, tailored to his condition style exercises. The muscles around his joints will benefit by being strengthened and help protect the joints from stress. It's a known fact a conditioned horse usually has significantly thicker and healthier cartilage than an unfit equine. The major reasons to take him out of retirement and give him some pep? Regular exercise works wonders for his attitude, appetite, digestion and general well being. He's been your companion for so long, he deserves the best. .....

3. Basic Horse Nutrition
..... While you might think this is a simple thing to do - feed your horse - you'd be surprised at the number of horse owners that don't know about the basics. There is no real rule of thumb for feeding, as each horse's nutritional needs will vary depending on age, weight and level of activity. To start with, your horse naturally uses forage as a primary component of their diets. It is one of the MAJOR necessities for a properly functioning digestive system. When we speak of forage, we usually mean natural pasture and cut hay. .....

4. Buying A Horse
..... Before you go to the great expense of buying a horse, you need to evaluate how good a rider you are, and just how much do you really know about horses and horse care. Make no mistake, you need to really be honest with yourself as this is a huge commitment. Ask yourself what size and age of horse would work best for you as well. Okay you have just fallen in love with a flashy looking equine and now what? What do you want to achieve and is THIS the horse for you? Are you going to be hunting, driving, barrel racing, trail riding or jumping? Are you going to ride at all? You can get horses just to drive. .....

5. Care For Your Older Equine Part Two
..... Another fairly familiar problem with an aging horse is degenerative joint disease aka arthritis. You most definitely can still work them and in fact should work them to keep them limber, active and alert. You would just need to remember to warm them up gently and thoroughly before doing any work. Many older horses, although they may be sore and stiff, still love to go out and do things. Their minds aren't dead and they are still interested in life. With an older pal you've worked, you will need to cool them down slowly by hand walking them and rubbing them dry with a towel. You might even want to give them a warm bath if you have the facilities. When you get to be that age, a little pampering is a nice thing. .....

6. Care For Your Older Equine
..... Have an older horse companion in your pasture? Bless their hearts they have such stories they can tell. In terms of being considered a senior horse, if your equine is 20 or older he is a veteran or campaigner. This age by the way would make him about a 60-year- old human. Your horse's ageing process will vary, and will also depend on his breed, workload, conformation, medical history and the care he receives. Each horse is an individual. So how they age will be totally different. The thing you need to pay the most attention to as your horse ages, are his teeth. .....

7. Eating Manure
..... Well if you're a youngun eating Mom's fresh manure is normal. It's called coprohagia and it gets the foal's digestive system in working order. The manure provides "starter" bacteria baby needs for the system of fermentation and digestion that allows his intestinal tract to handle solid food. In addition, the environmental bacteria in the manure stimulates the foal's immune system, reducing the chances he'll get sick as he gets older. If it's fresh manure, there is less of a chance the foal will be infected by his dam's parasites, as the eggs need to pass through to maturation in the manure before they're infective. In any event, you will be making sure baby is wormed properly as well. This behavior usually ceases by the time the foal is five months of age. But if you see this happening in adult horses, then alarm bells should be going off in your head. If your adult horse is eating manure it has become a habit - and a very hard one to break. If it is a habit, then it usually has to do with inappropriate feeding, boredom and/or a lack of exercise. It seems studies have been done that show if a horse is not getting enough roughage he may eat his own manure just for something to do. The same studies say it's extremely important and necessary for a horse to use his lips, picking through grasses and other kinds of forage. If there's not enough forage, he'll start using his lips, picking through and eating manure. Ewwwww! Well, yes indeed. There are other reasons for them eating manure though. .....

8. Equine Flu Or Allergies
..... Did you realize your horse could have allergies? It makes sense if you consider the type of environment they live in. If they are not outside (and in some instances even if they are) they can have an allergic reaction to dust, molds, smoke, and other air borne allergens like burning smudges, bug spray and perfumes or medicinal odors. The name for this condition is Allergic Respiratory Disease (ARD) and it shows up with flu-like symptoms rather than sinus or nasal difficulties. The horse's lungs will get inflamed, making them far more susceptible to virus and bacterial infections. This manifests as a recurring problem your horse never quite gets over. You'll also likely see coughing, excessive eye discharge and discover they get tired easily. .....

9. Equine Parasites
.....Internal parasites - out of sight, out of mind - can kill your horse. While they may be out of sight, they are doing extensive damage internally. At a minimum, parasites can steal nutrients from your horse and cause gastrointestinal irritation. The bad news is, uncontrolled they can cause colic, intestinal ruptures and death. The three top things you must provide for your horse for his good health are clean water, high quality feed and a good de-worming program. And this will make you really stop and think. Did you realize that are more than 150 parasites that infest horses? The most common are large stronglyes (aka bloodworms), small stronglyes, ascarids, pinworms, bots, tapeworms, threadworms and lungworms. And think about this, some of these species lay up to 200,000 eggs a day. Those numbers are staggering. The thing with all these parasites is that they may all be present in your horse at the same time, just in different lifecycle stages. So yes, while your horse may look healthy and happy, you don't know what is going on inside. These silent killers can damage tissues and vital organs, major blood vessels, cause obstructions and ulcerations in the digestive tract. Pinworms can really irritate horses and cause intense anal itching. Some signs of infestation may (and may is the operative word, since you won't always see signs of problems externally) include dull, rough coat, weight loss, tail rubbing (hair loss), colic, depression, coughing/nasal discharge, loss of appetite etc. The best thing to do if you see some of these signs is talk to your Veterinarian about getting a fecal examination. Won't I see them worms in the manure? Answer is no, you won't, but the eggs will be visible to the Veterinarian under a microscope. By counting the types and number of eggs, the Vet can then tell you which de-worming program will work. This test in combination with a good worming program will keep your horses protected from the ravages of pests. .....

10. Horse Language
..... Yes, horses have a language of their own, and unfortunately many of us are not as aware of it as we should be. It's a big mistake to not to know their language, as it could mean problems for us in the long run. Every swivel of the ear(s), hip movement, tail flick and facial expression means something. This is the language horses use to speak to other horses and to us - if only we would listen. We need to know what OUR body language says to them first before we can understand them. Flapping arms while trying to get the halter on will cause concern. Running at them in a pasture rather than walking up to them calmly can make them think - predator chasing me. We've all heard about bombproof horses - sorry, there isn't any such thing. Something, some time will spook your horse - any horse. In the meantime, keep your body language quiet, slow, easy and calm. If you are calm, this helps your horse remain calm. .....

11. Hot Weather Cool Downs For Your Horse
.....It's over 40 degrees in the baking sun and you can't even walk outside without feeling like you've been drained of every ounce of energy you ever had. If you feel this way, imagine how your horse feels. Pretty much the same. If you are hot, so are they. Horses like weather in the 55-degree range and during the height of summer 55- degree days are fairly rare. What can you do to help cool your horse down? Always have plenty of fresh, clean, cool water on hand. It's hard for them in heat like that to go too long without a drink. It's usually a good idea not to work them too hard in high heat and humidity. It's really punishing for their systems. And if you do work them, be VERY careful about letting them drink when you are done. Only let them have small quantities and space those quantities out over a period of time. If you're working them slow and easy and they are not sweated up and heaving, give him a drink at least every half-hour. You might think this sounds funny, but think about it. Don't put your water bowl out in the full sun. Why? Because the water in it can get so hot it can scald your horses lips. Put the bowl or bucket in the shade. Another cool down tip, your horse loves cool bathes - not ice cold - but cool spray from a hose all over their back, legs and chest. Some are fussy about water on their heads, so avoid that area. The first thing a horse usually does after being sprayed is roll in the dirt and make themselves a nice bug screen coating on their coats. The bugs are fierce in hot weather. If you don't have a hose with a spray attachment, then sponge his head and face off with cool water. .....

12. Looking For That Perfect
..... Cheap and saddle honestly do not belong together in the same sentence. Why? Because quite literally, you DO get what you pay for if you buy a cheap saddle. And it's not just that you will be uncomfortable, but it will not make your horse all that happy either, and may actually harm him. Ok you've tried cheap and figured out that isn't the way to go. You've tried expensive and, well, that worked, but holy smokes are the prices ever high. So here are some tips on how to shop for your next saddle. Saddles can be priced from several hundred dollars to more than $8,500, and specialty or antique saddles can easily range into the tens of thousands. You're not going to be spending that kind of money, but you DO want to spend enough to get something decent and something that properly fits your horse. You will want to look for value, fit, fit and fit. Yes that's right, THE most important thing about your saddle is that it fits right. Look at it this way, if you had a too tight or too big pair of underwear on you'd be downright squirmy. Why would you want to saddle you horse with something that doesn't fit? Before you go hunting, know the kind of saddle you want. Don't just have a vague idea of what might work, have in mind a picture of precisely what you want. Then hit the road and start looking - for the right fit. .....

13. Lunging Part Four
..... When lunging, remember to keep your horse on the fence, not into the middle of the circle with you. If he drifts in, point the whip or swing the rope at his shoulder to move him back out. Keep doing that until he does a few nice clean rounds staying in a circle. Stop him and praise and pet him. Once that is almost automatic, then change directions and work on the other side. So if you started on the left, switch to the right and work on that side. What you will be doing on the right side is exactly what you were doing on the left side. And here's some good news, in many instances once the horse has already learned what you want on one side, they may not take as long to train on the other side. Now, having said that, also note that many horses do have a good lead/side and a bad lead/side and it seems they have trouble with "getting it" on that bad side. You will be able to tell if this is the case with your horse once you have had the chance to work with both sides. This isn't something to be discouraged about. It will just require a bit more patience on both your parts to work through it. Once you have mastered the start, walk, and stop, add in the trot and move on to the canter/lope. To trot, raise the whip a couple of feet higher. Raise your shoulders and trot. If the horse doesn't trot, cluck to him. If that does not work, crack the whip. Once in the trot (you and your horse - bet you didn't think you'd need to be in such good shape did you?), maintain your body and whip position. The horse will keep trotting until you drop your arm/whip position and slow your trot to a walk. For the canter, raise the whip a bit higher than for the trot and kiss to the horse. And yes, you will be running as well. The nice thing about this process, aside from the fact you will be in great shape when the two of you are done, is that the horse will have learned to listen to you and respond to body and voice commands. It's always a very special feeling to see the end results of patient and loving training. .....

14. Lunging Part One
.....As with anything that you do with a horse, when you start lunging, start slow, smooth and easy. Think young horse, short attention span, still developing knees and short sessions. (5 to 7 minutes). This isn't to say an older horse would not benefit from lunging, but generally speaking you are starting this with a younger equine. First and foremost, the horse must know what is being asked of them and ultimately, both of you need to be on the same page while "communicating" with each other. So, we start with lunging to open the lines of communication, and create correct movement with your horse. While it may sound bizarre to say working your horse in a circle actually teaches them something besides the fact that they can run in circles - this actually does work. Why? Because it sets up the pecking order between handler and horse by controlling the horse's space. It also acts to condition your horse no matter what their age. Pecking order communication starts with your horse reading your body language and vice versa. Over time, and with lots of patience, the horse learns to wait for your signals rather than run like a basket case around in tight little circles. Once commands are learned on the ground, it makes them easier for the horse to understand while you are mounted. .And why the circle? Why not a square or some other pattern, like a figure eight? The circle naturally encourages your horse to use his legs correctly, pick up his feet and place them properly. And, once you get to the stage where you bit your horse, it teaches them to give to the bit. Of course you will have already done your prior ground-work with the horse, to teach them to give in the poll and drop their head to pressure. You will have schooled them give to the bit sideways (to the left and right) and down, with the least amount of pressure. Again with horses, the least amount of pressure to get a response is the best (and this definitely depends on the horse) and in small learning increments. .....

15. Lunging Part Three
.....Lunging in a circle, using the same body language horses use is natural to a horse, and they will easily see your intent. You will of course have spent time with your horse to get them familiar with the lunging routine, and what you are asking of them - whether it's to go right or left, reverse, give face, give at the poll etc. Once you have the body language aced, add voice commands to match the body language. You've already laid the foundation for them to understand what you are asking with your body, by combining a command with the body language, it's easy for them to make the association between body and voice. You're doing all the pre-preparatory work so that when you do saddle your horse, he can make the transition from ground body language and voice commands to the same language in the saddle. Your body language and position are crucial when communicating with your horse. Once you are in the saddle, if your body language matches what you gave your horse on the ground, you will build confidence in your horse that you are a trustworthy leader and he will listen to you. Yes, it does happen that you get the occasional horse who figures they know better than you do. These ones you really need professional help with. But don't be discouraged, you can still lunge them and teach them the basics. But, we're a little ahead of ourselves here, so back to the round pen to learn how to teach your horse to stop. As simple as it sounds, all you have to do is stop all forms of communication. Quit walking, lower your head, and softly say "Whoa!" If you want a nice stop, quiet and relaxed, you have to give your horse the right language to do that. If they don't stop, keep on walking and try it again. They will get the idea so long as you have the patience. Bottom line is if you want a nice quiet, obedient and great horse, you have to be all those things yourself in addition to a great leader. .....

16. Lunging Part Two
.....Lunge with the right equipment: splint boots with bell boots/wraps, a properly fitted halter, lightweight lunge whip and a lunge line you can work with in comfort. Boots will protect their legs from injury if they happen to have an over reach. What you don't need is for your horse to injure itself and then remember the experience as being a negative one. The lunge whip by the way, is an aid only and not your primary training tool. Try to lunge in a round pen or an enclosed area of some sort with rounded corners, and flat ground. Remember the goal is to keep control of your horse at all times, so don't try this in an area without fencing. When you start your lesson, always start with one direction and stick to it. If you choose to work on the left side, then always hold your lead in the left hand with excess line in your right (and the whip as well, if you choose to use one) and keep all body positions the same. You start to the left, pointing to the left, leading the horse's nose to the left and move your feet, swing your rope end (or lift the whip) towards the horses hip to ask for forward movement. If you horse keeps facing you then guide them forward by swinging your rope/whip toward their shoulder. Ok, success, your horse is moving in a circle to the left. Move with him, staying in the middle of the round pen with sufficient line played out. Keep the whip low, or your rope end low and walk quietly. The thing you want to teach the horse is, that if YOUR feet are moving, his feet need to be moving. Keep your body behind his withers to ensure forward movement. If you get in front of the withers, your horse will stop. If your horse does stop, calmly keep moving and touch the whip or rope end to his hind legs to keep him moving until YOU stop your feet. The major reason this approach will work, and work well, is that this is totally natural behavior for a horse. Watch a herd in the field and see what happens when one stomps its feet and then moves off. The rest follow, they don't stop to ask questions, they just go, and go at the same rate of speed set by the head horse in the pecking order. If you lunge in this manner, your horse will understand your body language almost immediately. First the body language, then add voice to the body language. .....

17. Picking The Feet Up For The Farrier
..... We've all heard this one before: "No foot, no horse." How true. Farrier care is one of the most important aspects of caring for your horse, and usually not all that easy unfortunately. We've all had them - the squirmers who snatch their feet away, kickers, wigglers, stompers, lazy leaning horses that are the bane of a farrier's existence. Finding a good farrier is hard enough as it is, so you don't want him to refuse to trim or shoe your horse because your equine is being a total idiot. Farriers are always busy and they don't have the time to train your horse to pick up their feet and stand quietly. That is your job. So, train your horse to do this early and do it well. Yes, it can also be taught to older horses. Just don't ask for too much too soon from them and it will all work out. .....

18. Read The Feed Bag Tag
..... Don't really know what is in your horse feed in the bag? Join the growing crowd of horse people who are confused about what is really in their horse's feed. However, having said that, it's an easy problem to remedy with a bit of knowledge. Learn to read a feed-bag tag. Find out how much protein your horse needs and learn to balance feed protein and forage (out in the pasture) protein. Your equine needs protein for development and repair of muscle, healthy skin, hair, and hooves, for milk production, reproduction and the maintenance of healthy red blood cells and bone. This does not include weight gain or energy. Here's an idea of the minimum daily crude protein requirements: mature idle horses 8.5%, mares in the last 90 days of pregnancy 11%, mares in lactation 14%, foals 18%, weanlings 16%, yearlings 13.5%, two-year-olds 10% and performance horses 10%. The first nutrient listed on a feed-bag tag is crude protein, and you want it to be highly digestible. The best source of protein is soybean meal, because it's rich in lysine and other amino acids, meaning high digestibility. However, soybean meal is expensive, so lower quality feeds use corn gluten meal, linseed meal, brewer's grain and distiller's grain. Hmmm, this means you get what you pay for, so beware. .....

19. Sacking Out Part Four
.....Sacking Out - Part Four Once you have accomplished sacking your horse out with the saddle pad and rope you can then move on to the worst thing ever invented in the horse's mind - plastic. That thing that blows across fields when he is walking along minding his own business. The thing that makes crinkly, scrunching noises that scare the bejeepers out of him. To sack your horse out with a plastic bag, hang one on the end of a buggy whip or longe/lunge whip. Let him look at it then shake it. Be prepared for him to take off. This exercise is likely going to take awhile until he settles enough to look at the bag and stand still while you shake it. Up until the time he did succeed in standing still while you shook the bag, you were working well away from his body. You were flipping the bag on the end of the stick up and down and sideways, making arcs through the air. Once he has decided he can handle standing there while you shake the bag, then bring it closer to him and let the bag lightly touch his back. .....

20. Sacking Out Part One
..... The best thing you can possibly do for your horse, no matter what their age, is sack them out. This is a little harder with older horses as they have already developed a set response to things that "spook" them - however, it can be done. Sacking out simply means slowly and calmly introducing the horse to things they regard as scary - and - some things you wouldn't think would be scary, but are. The problem with the previous sentence is this: YOU wouldn't think would be scary. We don't think like horses for the most part, and there are times when they just go right off the rails over something they've seen hundreds of times before, didn't blink an eye at and then one day, the "object " didn't look the same and they pitched a hissy. So what do you do? You do your best to try and sack them out as well and as thoroughly as you possibly can. Is sacking out a lot of hard work? It can be, but the rewards are well worth putting in the time. The main premise behind sacking out is, once the horse realizes the object that scares them is harmless, they will overcome their fear. And again, this is a good theory and for the most part does work. There are always exceptions to the rule, particularly if you are in a really tense situation. It's always best to realize that and then you won't get a nasty surprise. Every horse should be sacked out. Period. The thing to remember when doing this is that every horse learns things at a different pace. Some may take several sessions to accept a blanket on their back, and some might wear it on their heads in no time flat. Pace your sacking out to their learning curve. .....

21. Sacking Out Part Three
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22. Sacking Out Part Two
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23. Snug The Girth Up Tight
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24. To Bran Mash Or Not To Bran Mash
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25. What To Watch For Buying A Horse At Auction
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