Horse Care | Ride Magazine

Sympathy and English Mints

by Don Blazer | A Horse, Of Course, Horse Care

Walter is a brave little pony.

But then, the “brave” is a special story, the “little” is a special story, and the “pony” is a special story. If I’m going to tell one, I might as well all three.

Walter was brave going in for colic surgery.

Well, wait a minute; I’m getting ahead of myself…let’s start at the beginning.

I was in need of a pony horse to use at the race track. (Pony horses usually have a little age on them, are stout, with mild dispositions, rugged bone and plenty of stamina.)

Does your horse eat like a pig?

by Eleanor Blazer | Horse Care

Acorns are seeds or nuts produced by oak trees. There are more than 60 varieties of oaks in the continental United States. The bark, leaves and acorns contain an acidic chemical commonly known as tannin.

Horse Microchipping

by Eleanor Blazer | Horse Care, The Way of Horses

Many years ago Don sent a good race-bred Quarter Horse mare to a stallion for breeding. Unbeknownst to Don the owner of the stallion and his wife were going through a bitter divorce.

Oh, My Aching Back!

by Don Blazer | A Horse, Of Course, Horse Care

“Back stiff,” Walter groaned.

“Well, we’ll do a few exercises to supple you a little. It’ll loosen you up.”

“Back sore, back aching,” he protested.

Horse Leg Protection

by Eleanor Blazer | Horse Care, The Way of Horses

Protecting a horse’s legs effectively and correctly is a skill every horseman should perfect. No matter the type of protection it must be properly used and applied.

Does Your Horse Need Supplements?

by Don Blazer | A Horse, Of Course, Horse Care, Horse Information

The question of whether or not to supplement a horse with vitamins, minerals, herbs, enzymes, amino acids or nutraceuticals will be asked and answered 100,000 times today.

The answer in 99,999 cases will be accepted or rejected strictly on whether or not it was the answer the person asking wanted to hear

Grooming As Massage

by Eleanor Blazer | Horse Care, Horsemanship, The Way of Horses

Grooming our horses serves a number of functions. It gets the dirt, dust and mud off, it improves circulation and the condition of skin and coat and helps warm up muscles before we ride. It also gives us a chance to spend personal time with our horses doing something they enjoy and gives us pleasure.

Don’t Let Your Horse Get Thrush

by Don Blazer | A Horse, Of Course, Horse Care, Horse Information

In the world of horses, thrush is not a songbird. It’s a dirty bird. Thrush is an unhealthy condition of the hoof which is most frequently blamed on a dirty stall. It ought to be blamed on conformation and poor hoof management. While it is true unsanitary conditions can be a cause of thrush, lack of exercise, configuration of the hoof and improper or inadequate trimming of the wall, sole and frog is more likely responsible.

Don’t Be A Horse Whisperer

by Don Blazer | A Horse, Of Course, Horse Care, Horse Information

Sometimes I like to pretend I’m the strong, silent type.
When it comes to horses, big mistake.
Horses don’t want you to be too strong. If you go macho-man, one of two bad things happens.

Large Animal Rescue

by Eleanor Blazer | Horse Care, Horse Information, The Way of Horses

Many of us grew up watching “Lassie”. The poor collie kept busy leading rescuers to accident-prone Timmy after he fell down cliffs, got stuck in quicksand or ended up in abandoned mine shafts.

Category: Horse Care