Before winter arrives please check your fencing to make sure it is strong and will last
throughout winter and the extreme weather conditions and anything horses can throw at it.

If a horse and his mates can escape they will and they usually do it at the most inconvenient
times…..like when the school is being evacuated due to the surrounding roads flooding and you
have to pick the kids up now, in the middle of a thunderstorm with gale force winds when all you want to do is be curled up in front of the heater with a good book….no you are wet, cold, cursing and chasing a horse half way across your village wondering why you didn’t get cat instead of a horse.

Take the time to check trees and other fixtures as well that might break in a strong storm and crash through a rail, or if you have wire fencing check for any old wire that may get hidden under snow that can tangle around a horse’s leg. Wire is not very visible to horses and in winter extremes can be nearly invisible and can cause all types of trouble from cuts to permanent injuries.

Snow and extreme weather can also effect plastic fences, in summer the UV rays can make it become brittle and then in winter can get so frigid it can splinter and severely cut a horse.

All fencing has some type of danger to a horse whether it is wood, wire, plastic or vinyl. It will always deteriorate through weather and what horses dish out to it so check it regularly and repair it early and you won’t ever think to be trading your horse in on a cat.

If you live in an area where it freezes make sure you check regularly for holes, hollows or just where horses stand. Any dips should be leveled out or filled in so that any rain or water that settles doesn’t turn to ice making it a slippery hazard.

A horse can seriously hurt itself if it slips and then tries to get up on the slippery surface. If the ice doesn’t break then a horse runs the risk of thrashing around trying to regain his footing and could quite easily break a leg. If the ice does break it can have the same effect as glass and cause some serious deep cuts.

Granular salt can help roughen up slippery surfaces but do so sparingly or only in extreme circumstances as it is caustic and irritating to their hooves and legs and winter and all its elements all ready put enough stress on them. Clean and dress their feet daily to keep them in good condition, it only takes a few minutes to do.

Many people lock their dogs and cats away in a quiet room where they can escape the noise but horse owners need to be a little bit more prepared.

Horses get frightened easily by loud noises and bright flashes so its always good to find out if there is going to be
fireworks, bonfires or large parties anywhere near your stables or fields. If there is then its a good idea to have at least 1 capable adult in the stables as this alone has a calming effect on horses. Also give them plenty of hay to occupy themselves and close any barn doors to keep noise and flashes to a minimum.

The last thing you want at midnight is trying to find a very frightened horse that has escaped or calling out the vet
to see to injuries that could have easily been prevented by a terrified horse trying to escape his stall or breaking through a fence.

Its always good to have a fire extinguisher, sand or extra water around the stable as well, just in case of any fire hazards from the fireworks.

As winter approaches horses start to grow a different type of coat to help them stay as warm as possible. The first coat is fluffy and stands up to trap warm body heat while the second coat is a longer hair that helps repel water off of them and away from their skin. Obviously if your horse is exposed to windy and/or rainy conditions they can lose this advantage as a wet horse can lose its body heat up to 20 times faster than a dry horse.
So you have decided that your horse should be rugged that leads to the question of what type of rug or blanket should be used. Go online or into any saddler store and you will be faced with hundreds of different styles, brands and choices it’s hard to know where to begin.
The best thing to remember is that the purpose of a rug is to keep your horse warm. A blanket is no substitute for protection from the wind and rain, you rug for warmth not as an alternative to protection from the winter elements, nobody likes to be stuck in the wind and the rain and neither does your horse.

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horsesinthenews.com

We have many other sites that have guest writers and we need different writers and bloggers to be creative no matter what your interest is in horses….we want you! We have big plans and we need people who are passionate about horses and want to get in early.
I am looking for people who will write with personality, humor and provide interesting personal stories, advice, reporting on events both locally and internationally, photos and most importantly building a relationship and evoking responses from readers. Originality is of the upmost importance, no cutting and pasting other people’s work, it must be your own work.
If you are interested please email me at info@bobblesolutions.com to discuss it further.

Many people as themselves this question when they start horseback riding lessons.  The answer to this question is two fold.  Western is easier than English due to a few factors. 

The first being your tack.  The western saddle is a lot larger, has a wider seat and the front of the saddle is more raised which gives far more stability and comfort.
The English style of riding, involves multiple factors of co-ordination, even for beginners, such as reins, balance, legs, hands and controlling the horse.  It takes time and practice to master this until it becomes second nature, a bit like learning to drive a car.  Even if you have never been on a horse you can enjoy western riding for the first time in relative comfort. 

Even though horse back riding is enjoyable and should be fun it is really important to realize that when you are having lessons and learning to ride that you need to have goals and be setting progress goals.  A well prepared, good instructor will be interested in your progress, know what level you want to go to and be able to answer this, whereas an instructor who is ill prepared or not that interested will have trouble with this and what your growth is.
Many instructors will take the time to write down your progress and what needs to be worked on and will talk to you about it before and after your lesson.  When you get in the ring you will have an idea on what you will be doing and concentrating on no matter how big or small the goal is.
Every lesson you won’t learn something new you maybe concentrating you have not quite mastered or polishing up on a skill that you have already learnt. 
Knowing how you are going, what your progress is and having an interested instructor as a good sounding board makes the whole experience more valuable.

I was going to buy my first horse and after searching found Shiloh and had him on a month trial but after he nearly putting me in hospital after the first week (even my riding instructor wouldn’t get on him) she found me a great pony to lease.  Ben was a 13.1 hh cremello, part Welsh pony and I knew this pony from local competitions and was over the moon to be able to have such a great opportunity.  His current owner had outgrown him and she couldn’t bear to sell him.

Leasing a horse is a great way to ‘trial’ horse ownership and if you are ready for it without the long term commitment of purchasing a horse.  If you find you don’t have the time, financial resources or you just change your mind the horse can be returned back to his owners at the end of the lease.