Olympia, WA., May 1, 2012 – Nationally known equestrian confidence coach Cathy Rivers, as part of her Big Horse Dreams, The Confident Equestrian Program, has designed a new e-Workbook that provides a proven learning progression for mastering confidence skills in order to improve your training, riding, competing, communication and overall enjoyment of your partnership with your horse.

“The Confident Equestrian e-Workbook” operates on the principles of human dynamics and high performance. Concepts that teach the complexities of how to best learn, communicate, relate to each other, as well as manage stress, maintain well-being and strive for goals. All important components in order to realize our potential mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

For Rivers, a human dynamics expert as well as an accomplished rider and horse breeder, confidence is not only a vital aspect to achieving one’s individual potential, but is very much a part of creating a successful partnership between owner and horse.

“Confidence is such an essential ingredient to creating the success you want in life, and plays such a big part when working with our horse,” says Rivers who is launching “The Confident Equestrian e-Workbook” as a companion to her popular and proven Big Horse Dreams, The Confident Equestrian One-on-One and Workshop programs.

Designed to guide the reader, “The Confident Equestrian e-Workbook” is organized into ten separate easy-to-understand skill areas that range from ‘’My Well-Being,’’ to ‘’In the Saddle.’’ An assessment workbook, Rivers expertly offers 101 skills that lead you towards the mastery of mindset, proven horsemanship techniques, and how to be the leader for your horse. Skills that she explains are needed to create and establish consistent confidence in the rider and for the benefit of the horse.

‘’In any aspect of your life,’’ says Rivers, ‘’you have more authentic confidence when you are physically, mentally, technically and emotionally equipped. The same is true for having confidence working with and riding your horse. The more you can bring all of yourself to your relationship with your horse, the more you will experience a true and lasting confidence.’’

‘’The Confident Equestrian e-Workbook’’ presents both horse owners and equestrians a roadmap to improving horsemanship and confidence over time.

• Confidence assessment
• 101 skills organized into 10 Skill Areas
• Designed to create and support confidence
• Track your progress
• Companion questions
• Coaching support through Big Horse Dreams programs

By utilizing a grounded holistic approach towards self-awareness and change, Rivers wrote ‘’The Confident Equestrian e-Workbook’’ as a vehicle to ask each reader questions that allow the opportunity to assess self behavior, behavior of the horse, approaches towards training, self-esteem, care, horsemanship, safety and trust. Through this assessment each reader can begin to see strengths and weaknesses in the area of personal confidence and begin to develop skills to create authentic and lasting confidence for a better partnership between owner and horse.

‘’The Confident Equestrian e-Book’’ is also a proven tool for riders who are looking to boost competitive confidence.

‘’You can have great technique in your chosen equestrian sport,’’ says Rivers, ‘’but not the confidence to match it; it’s the confidence key that let’s you and your horse succeed.’’

Cathy Rivers of Big Horse Dreams, Inc. is the Equestrian’s Confidence Coach. Rivers believes magic happens for the equestrian when their confidence surpasses their riding technique. Rivers offers various levels of Equestrian Confidence programs ranging from the Show, Perform, Win Workshop to her 6-month Gold Medal Program.

Supporting people, especially equestrians, to flourish and experience successful and satisfying relationships with their horses is near and dear to Cathy’s heart.

Rivers lives on her farm outside Olympia, WA where she breeds and trains Swedish Warmbloods.

Cathy Rivers
BIG HORSE DREAMS, INC.
www.bighorsedreams.com
360.480.0183
Connection, Confidence & Leadership

For the equestrian who is ready to ride like a champion.

For more information, media inquiries, interview request or to review a copy, please contact:

Sarah Redfield, Marketing Director
Email: sarahredfield@aol.com
Tel: 541.420.0416

To order The Confident Equestrian e-Workbook please visit:

Big Horse Dreams, Inc.
Website: www.bighorsedreams.com/programs

Image Caption: Dominanceby Jennifer Maharry

Venice, CA — A tribute to some of America’s last wild horses will be the focus of The G2 Gallery’s upcoming exhibit, Nature LA: Jennifer MaHarry, on view Tuesday, May 15, 2012.  Jennifer’s breathtaking photography documents free-roaming wild horses living in the desert and mountain regions of Western Utah.  A reception will be held Saturday, May 19 from 6:30–9:00 PM.

Two years ago, Jennifer presented an exhibit at G2 that featured rescued mustangs at a sanctuary in Ojai, Calif.  For her current project, Jennifer was able to get in and amongst herds of wild horses in their natural state.  She also received permission from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to witness the roundups—or “gathers” as they are termed by the BLM—which serve to inventory—and in most cases remove—wild horses on federal land. The images featured in Nature LA: Jennifer MaHarry document this incredible effort.

In 1971, the Nixon administration passed the Wild Horses and Burros Act, deeming mustangs “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.”  Protections for the horses were mandated, as well as stipulations regarding “excess animals” including roundups, removal from an area, adoptions, and euthanasia.

Today, the existence of wild horses on federal public lands presents a difficult challenge for the BLM, as they struggle to maintain healthy land and healthy herds while an ever-growing cattle industry is allowed grazing rights, and mining industries are allowed to divert water away from the horses’ designated Herd Management Areas.  Jennifer’s intention for these images is to give voice to the wild horses as their populations continue to decrease annually.

Since The G2 Gallery signed Jennifer to its roster of nature and wildlife photographers she has become one of the top-selling artists in the history of the gallery.  An opening reception with the artist in attendance will be held on Saturday, May 19, from 6:30–9:00 pm.  The exhibit Wild on Earth: Piper Mackay will also be highlighted at the opening and all proceeds from the $5 admission and from all art sales will benefit the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Location:

The G2 Gallery (www.theg2gallery.com)
1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291-3742
Tel. 310.452.2842, E-mail info@theg2gallery.com

Contact:

Diane Shader Smith
310.386.6803
dianeshadersmith@gmail.com
Gia LaRussa
310.428.7752
gia@theg2gallery.com

About Jennifer MaHarry

Jennifer MaHarry is a photographer and graphic designer based in Culver City, California.  In 2000, Jennifer founded Eden Creative where, as creative director, she designs motion picture print advertising campaigns for major releases by the Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros, and Sony among others.  A graduate of the School of Visual Arts at Syracuse University, Jennifer exhibited at the Kingston Museum of Contemporary Arts and the Venice Art Walk before her highly successful solo show at The G2 Gallery in 2010.  Since that time, Jennifer’s artwork has helped raise thousands of dollars for environmental causes through The G2 Gallery.

About The G2 Gallery

Established in March 2008, The G2 Gallery in Venice, California, is a green art space with a dedicated focus on nature and wildlife photography. In keeping with G2’s commitment to supporting arts and the environment, the gallery presents exhibitions with eco-conscious themes, donates the proceeds from all art sales to environmental charities and hosts events that bring awareness of critical issues to our community.

As horse professionals, you know that the business of horses can be an incredibly challenging one. Regardless of if you’re a sporting equestrian, an animal care provider, or for the personal satisfaction and love that’s created from bonding with such a majestic animal, there are several smart phone applications—for the iPhone, Android, and even the—that are horse-friendly, fun, educational, and even life-saving!

Here are the best mobile applications for horse lovers:

1. Equine AcuPoints ($14.99 – for iPhone)

The Equine AcuPoints app is an equine acupressure practitioner’s most reliable ally in the animal care field. Many veterinary doctors as well as equine health care providers rely on Acupressure—a form of alternative Chinese medical method that features placing pressure onto various vital points along the body to treat and cure various illnesses. Acupressure has been effective in treating many human health issues, and it has also believed to be beneficial for animals, including horses. During a procedure, a medical practitioner will place pressure on Acupoints in order to manipulate the energy that flow through the body’s meridians. The idea is that when meridians are unblocked and energy is able to flow smoothly, various symptoms and health issues will be resolved. This app was created by the Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute and provides a full-range of images detailing all of the major meridian points (or Acupoints) on a horse’s body for treating specific equine conditions, as well as their functions.

2. Horse Rider SOS ($8.12 – for Android)

The Horse Rider SOS is an emergency alert system created especially for the rescue of horse riders in trouble. The app uses GPS technology in order to locate isolated riders during an emergency situation. Horse-riding can be a risky endeavor, and if your horse is unpredictable, or stumbles, falls, spooks, or bolts, the rider can be unseated and injured in a remote area. The Horse Rider SOS app simply monitors rider activity using a GPS signal so if you should fall or be injured, the app will send an automatic alert to the first emergency contact on your friends’ list.

3. Colic in Horses: An Owner’s Guide (Free – for iPhone)

Horse owners fear colic in their beloved animals. The single, highest cause of equine death every year, untreated colic can cause painful and unforeseen death. Equine education is vital for horse owners as a quick diagnose and treatment are crucial to recovery. Created by Dr. Keith Taraba, owner of Northeast Texas Equine Services, this app will educate horse owners and care providers on the signs and symptoms associated with equine colic.

4. Horsemanship ($3.16 – for Android)

Successful horse trainers do more than practice and teach riding skills to animals—they must truly bond with the animal in order to understand the horse and interact with the horse from a place of trust and respect. The horsemanship app teaches new horse trainers how to work with horses efficiently, as well as safety procedures, and the basic principles and methods for interacting effectively with your horse.

5. Horse 360 ($1.99 – for iPhone)

The Horse 360 app teaches users about equine anatomy in a fun, learning-style environment. Using memory-style learning, this app visually connects different parts of the horse with their anatomical terms and then follows up with a quiz. As users learn and progress, they can increase levels to test their knowledge (the app offers five levels of difficultly). This app is a great learning tool for veterinary students, as well as horse owners to help them understand medical terms used during vet appointments.

Bio: Jane Johnson is a writer for GoingCellular, a popular site that provides cell phone related news and commentary. Whether you are looking for reviews on mobile service providers, the best deals on an Android tablet from T-Mobile or want to more about the latest handsets and devices, GoingCellular has you covered.

Equine Soundness East

When: Friday, April 20 – Sunday, April 22, 2012
Where: Equine Soundness East
Hopkins, SC (outside Columbia, SC)
For Whom: Anyone Interested in Holistic Hoof Care

This is a reminder that in two short weeks we will have a continuing education event here in South Carolina. Please consider joining us for this weekend packed with information. It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be educational and memorable.

We will be talking about the difference between a first trim and consecutive trims, when can you rehabilitate a hoof and at what time is the hoof to pathological to return to full functionality. With other words, when do you trim just to keep the horse comfortable.

We show you postural changes after trimming and will be discussing what to do when nothing changes. We have a whole presentation about trimming foal hooves, an anatomy lecture to clarify some important points of the hoof anatomy, and we will be talking about medio-lateral balance, when you can make changes and when you can’t.

We will show you an exciting way to determine how to detox horses on an individual basis, and talk about the latest findings in nutrition science. How to feed your horse and where to put your emphasis, so your horse can become healthier and his body can start to repair itself.

For the hoof care practitioner we will have a lecture about business considerations, because even though we love our job, we still have to make a living and be sensible about the future. And finally we will present you with a view about the connection between the horse’s teeth and his hooves.

This is rounding out the presentations. Beside the theory, we will have at Horrell Hill Equine Wellness Center three trim sessions. If you are not trimming yourself, it still will be very educational to see experienced trimmers at work. We will explain to those of you who do not want to trim, exactly what is done. We will let you trim a few challenging feet and help you making modifications to achieve optimum results with certain problems, especially those of underrun heels, contracted heels, wry feet, navicular syndrome and founder.

Here is what participants said in the past:

This was extremely informative and key to whole horse care philosophy. The bone specimens of the young horses were most helpful and underscore the imperative for understanding anatomy and physiology. This [mouth-hoof connection] section deserved its overtime. To me [the healing through nutrition lecture] was one of the most important lectures because it touches on all aspects of what the domesticated horse faces at the hands of humans. It is an opportunity to exploit the affinity between horses and humans, which may give people a more compassionate outlook for the way horses are treated.

So many details of horse keeping and use are focused on the convenience and pleasure of the human, often at the expense of the horse. In fact, society has organized things in such a way that it is difficult to even try to rectify some of these details back to the horse’s favor.

Trim considerations – Excellent presentation. This was another provocative lecture that certainly got my mind working. I will be bringing these considerations to my trimming.

Contracted Hooves – Eye opening! This lecture/discussion answered so many questions for me.

Practical Trimming – For me the most helpful information in practical trimming, second only to tips of recognizing pathologies. Being able to practice on cadaver feet with so much help one-on-one really etched into my mind what my trimming should look like.

There is still time to sign up. Come and join us! Equine Soundness East http://www.equinesoundness.com/CEApril2012.htm

Guess post by: Claudia Garner  of Equine Soundness

Claudia Garner
hhdressage @ sc.rr.com
803-647-1200
http://www.equinesoundness.com
http://www.hoofcareunltd.com

Horse wormers can come in all types of variations; the multi-purpose wormer Equimax, for example, comes in either a syringe to be administered at the back of the horse’s tongue, or in tablet form to be mixed with its feed.

A syringe-based administration allows direct transfer of the wormer into the horse’s digestive system, and can leave you safe in the knowledge that your horse has definitely been given the right dosage and has definitely been wormed. In tablet form, crushing them up and mixing them in with the feed doesn’t necessarily guarantee that the horse will be wormed, unless you give the food to the horse directly. However, this is a much more time efficient method of worming, as you can then get on with whatever jobs you have to carry out whilst the horse eats its feed.

As well as the different variations, there are also different methods of treatment. Purge worming is strong dose of wormers, given every 2-3 months, that quickly kills large amounts of worms. However, they should only be used specifically to kill large amounts of worms, as an absolute last resort. They should also be used when advised to do so by a vet. Continuous worming is a daily dose that aims to keep the parasites at a constant low level, without letting the population build up to a harmful level. Although it can be a pain administering the dosage every day, you’ll soon find that it becomes as routine as leaving some dog food for your pet before you go to work.

As with all medicinal purchases, be they for horses or humans, it is best to consult a professional before putting together a treatment plan. Your local vet will be able to provide you with a thorough plan based on your breed of horse, and can recommend the best product for you.

Article by Scott Clawson

Note from Joni: There are also horse de-wormers found in nature — certain herb plants. More can be learn about natural horse wormers here: “Natural Parasite Control – Herbs by Mother Nature“  http://snipurl.com/22wv27l You might also want to learn how you can help control worms by keeping your pastures clean with dung beetles…

“Important contributions to cleaner pastures are made by dung beetles” http://snipurl.com/22wv7bi

cleaning pastures of manure with dung beetles. – Google Search

FACT!  Most potential customers are now searching online for relevant horse facts and information.

FACT!  Most directories charge a fortune for a listing and only allow you to enter the most relevant information about your site.

FACT!  Our horse website directory allows you to provide as much information as you like, including graphics. It is interactive with potential customers, features Web 2.0 and integrates with social networks.

Best of all, it’s totally free!

Visit Our Horse Directory At: http://www.greenhorn-horse-facts.com/horse-directory.html

Can people find you on the internet?

There are a vast amount of web sites that get little or no traffic simply because their owners don’t have the time, the budget, or understand what it takes to get the kind of ongoing visitor traffic to make the most of their business. We do! We get lots of visitors, our biggest problem is where do we send them?  We know our website provides basic horse facts and information on caring for horses , however, we recognize that many of our visitors need more than that.  As such we try to support the industry by referring them to experts who list in our Greenhorn Horse Facts Horse Directory .

Why should you list in our Horse Website Directory?

IT’S FREE!  Why not make the most of free exposure. By investing the small amount of time it takes to list in this directory you will be rewarded with free exposure and more clients. Your company or website will get a full web page that you can customize however you like. Add as much info as you want, even a photo or your logo! It’s interactive, this is a really cool feature that allows people who visit your listing to leave a comment or testimonial about their experience with you.

If you want to be really creative, you can turn your profile page into your very own mini blog. Be sure and set the notifications on the form to notify you when a new comment is placed on your page.. Again this is all part of the free service. So what are you waiting for?

Submit to our new directory  to get your page live now.  Be sure and include lots of information about your site and most importantly, your contact information.

Check It Out Now! http://www.greenhorn-horse-facts.com/horse-directory.html

Guest Article by Melinda Westrope of Greenhorn Horse Facts; email: info @ greenhorn-horse-facts. com (remove spaces)

Would you like to see your guest article posted on this site? Learn more here: Suggest a Guest Article for Publication

Urine absorption is crucial; one kilogram of wood pellets absorbs up to a massive three kilograms of urine (which is more than the commonly used straw), which means that labour costs and material costs are greatly reduced. This factor goes hand in hand with the controlling of ammonia and odours in the stable. Horse urine has a strong and distinctive smell, and the more effectively the bedding can handle this, the happier both horse and owner will be. Ammonia can be a serious risk to a horse’s health, and the bacteria in the horse urine creates this, however wood pellets absorb such a great amount of waste that the control of ammonia and odour is naturally controlled alongside the absorption.

Wood pellets are the ideal horse bedding (http://www.verdorenewables.co.uk/), not only for the horse but for the owner, as wood pellets are simple to use and last for a long time. Once the bedding has been watered, it should be placed in the stable via wheelbarrow and scattered into the stable until a satisfactory level of bedding has been reached. Cleaning out the stable has been made easier by shovels which are designed to let dry pellets flake away while the soiled ones can be picked up, another labour-reducing benefit of using wood pellets. Once the soiled bedding has been cleared, fresh bedding can be sprayed with water and added to the middle of the stable.

The fact that wood pellets are naturally free of preservatives and allergens means there are no specific health risks to your horse by using them, therefore pellets come with peace of mind. Wood pellets are naturally eco-friendly and biodegradable; they are carbon neutral therefore your carbon footprint is not affected in the slightest. It is vital at this day and age that renewable sources are used as widely as possible to prevent global warming, and with wood pellets there is no risk of damage to the ecosystem and therefore should be widely used. All of these positive factors conclude that wood pellets are not only the most satisfactory solution for the upkeep and wellbeing of a horse, but greatly reduce labour costs, carbon footprint and wellbeing worries for the owner.

Guess article sent in by Polina Golubeva.

Advertising on the Internet can easily be a success or a bust. Several factors come into play in building a successful advertising campaign on the Internet. The first and foremost is making sure you reach the right audience for your products or services.

You cannot just place ads in the vast Internet world and expect the orders to start rolling in. You have to have credibility, good ads, good website and reach the right audience, multiple times, to have a successful advertising campaign.

In our busy world, and today’s soft economy, people buy when they have a need and they want to find what they want *now*. You need to be in their mind, bookmarked, or front of them when they are ready to buy. You need to make it easy for them to buy from you.

The buying public on the Internet does a lot of comparison shopping. Most are typically ready to buy when they start their search and find the right product or service that meets their need. During their search they may visit some websites multiple times making comparisons. Not only is your product or service important but also how you present yourself and your call to action are very important. During their search, or visiting some of their favorite websites, some see items that may be of future interest they will click to visit the website if the landing page tells them what they want to know they will bookmark it for future reference.

The more your ads are seen on multiple websites the more credibility you build. This increases your probability that a prospect will buy from you today or when they are ready to buy what you are offering in the future.

There are *thousands* of horse related websites on the Internet. So how do you find the ones to advertise on that are right for your business? Do you need an advertising sales person? How do you get maximum exposure for your products or services while controlling your costs? How do you build credibility? How do you build your website visibility on the Internet to support your sales efforts? All questions you are faced with when considering the Internet as a marketing and sales vehicle.

Setting your expectations is the first step in establishing a successful advertising campaign. Expectations should include:

1.    What return on my advertising investment do I expect? How fast?

2.    Am I advertising for immediate sales? Long term sales? Both?

3.    Am I advertising my products or services to support Internet only sales, direct sales, store sales or to support 3rd party sales?

4.    What do I expect someone to do when they see my ad or visit my website? How do I get them to take the action I want?

5.    How do I build credibility?

Your expectations should then be used to determine the types of ads you develop, your website content, your landing page and what advertising vehicle(s) you will need to use to reach your target market to fulfill your expectations.

This is the first step you need to take to lay the groundwork to help insure you have a successful Internet Advertising program.

Our next email will cover designing your ads and your landing page.

Future articles on Horse Advertising Network will cover:

·         What is an ad network and how does it work. How is it cost effective and how does it help build online credibility, branding and sales.

·         Advertising Campaign Management with an eye on your goals, message, ads, budget, return on investment and website.

·         Tracking results; website visitors and what they do when they visit your website, ad views, clicks to your website and conversion rates.

·         Internet Marketing for your website to increase your website visibility and credibility.

If you would like information on some of our future topics today, a free consultation on your website, your expectations or help designing your ads feel free to contact us anytime. Our mission is to help you make money.

For more information contact:

Cheryl Erpelding
CEO Riding’s Publications Inc.
Sales Consultant Horse Advertising Network
President American Horse Publications
http://www.horseadvertisingnetwork.com

Horse Advertising Network is a great program for advertisers and for website publishers.

The film has already won many awards, made a vast amount of money and has earned its director further critical acclaim, with a theatre adaptation fast on the way. But this franchise has a real, honest heart. Watching the movie, and knowing Steven Spielberg’s love of filming issues that affect or resonate with him personally you can tell he wanted to shed some light on a slightly less human – but nonetheless, just as poignant – casualty of war and terror; the horse.

Fighting horses or draught animals

As the film shows, horses played a central and significant role in the First World War, giving both sides a mobility and carrying capacity that could not be provided to them by human strength alone. They could work in the mud and rain of the trenches where wheeled vehicles could not, and could be a lot more hardy than any machine. Both sides, when the war began, underwent a great scramble to find and re – appropriate any horse they could find. Millions of horses soon found themselves transported to the front – by 1917 the American Army, for instance, had procured and sent overseas over 1 million horses – either as fighting animals or as methods of transportation, carrying heavy weapons to, and wounded men back, from the frontal areas. They were also used to boost morale in the armies, terrified by the sounds and sights of war. Many men found companionship and friendship in the War Horses serving on the front. It has been estimated that, in total, over 6 million horses served in the war, and in some armies the ratio of horses to men was 1 horse to ever three men. These ‘War Horses’ suffered prodigious losses. The British Army, which counted their losses of ‘War Horses’ lost 484,000 in the years 1914 – 1918. The American Army suffered such terrible losses that, after the war, only 200 returned home.

Killed by disease or enemy action

War was a terrible time for horses. Attrition rates amongst horses were so high that few states who fought in the war left it with any more than a few thousand of the horses they originally sent. In some theaters – particularly those in the hot, disease ridden African states – losses were over 290% of the intake rate, meaning that by the end of the war some states – such as America and Germany – had literally run out of horses, and were relying upon donkeys or mules, or horses ‘captured’ on offensives. Perhaps the greatest killer of horses in the war was disease. Infections such as Equine Influenza and ringworm killing off scores of horses. It has been estimated that 75% of all horse losses were caused by disease in the conflict. The Germany army actually undertook several offensives in the latter part of the war with the principle aim of capturing new stocks of horses. Their loss of horses in the later years of the conflict was one of the main reasons the Central Powers lost the war.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Battle_of_the_Canal_du_Nord_-_Horse_drawn_artillery_wagon.jpg

Perhaps the greatest shame of all in the treatment suffered by horses in this period was in the post war environment, when the few horses that had survived war found themselves either abandoned, wandering lost in what had been no – man’s land, or sold and re – sold, desperately needed both to plough the ruined fields and as meat for the starving European populations, many of whom found themselves in starvation conditions because of lack of horses needed to work the farmland. Australia, which ended the war with a surprisingly large number of living horses – some 10,000 – found itself unable to get the horses back to its native shores. Most of them were sold off, mainly to India. Only one War Horse – Sandy – ever returned to Australia, which as it was desperately needed them to work its huge farms.

Heroes

The role of the horse in the war was huge. It can be fairly said that horses made a massive, genuine contribution to the allied war effort and to overall victory in the war. Much deserved thanks to their sacrifice was made in the form of various plaques, memorials and organizations – such as the Blue Cross – dedicated to re housing and helping abandoned or unhealthy horses. The St. Jude on the Hill memorial in England to this day bears the solemn inscription: “Most obediently and often most painfully they died – faithful unto death.” One hopes that the renewed interest in the terrible sacrifices horses made for human warfare all those years ago created by films such as War Horse will allow their role in that most important of events to be remembered forever.

–
Rebecca King used to ride every day, from eventing to regular hacking. As a horsebox insurance underwriter she no longer has much time but is returning to livery work this summer.

Horses are expensive to begin with, but few horse owners factor in the additional costs that they incur when going on holidays. Not only are the usual costs of food and care, but now there’s also the added cost of either getting a horse sitter or sending your horse on holidays to the local stables.

Of course, this problem only really crops up if you are keeping the horse on your own property. Not everyone can do this, and while you may feel unlucky not to be able to do so the rest of the year, when you’re thinking about going on holidays, you actually begin to count yourself lucky.

Cost of Stables

Full livery is an option, but there are a lot of factors to consider. First of all there’s the cost, which if you haven’t already factored it in, will eat into your holiday budget. Typical prices in the UK are roughly around £100-£140 per week, but this will vary depending on where in the UK you are based.

For most horse owners, a bigger consideration than cost is the way your horse is treated. While you’re getting spoilt rotten on your holiday, you want to know that the same is happening to your horse or pony. You also want to be certain that they’re getting good bedding, proper exercise and at least basic grooming. This can be difficult to work out without any prior experience of that ‘holiday livery’ or ‘horse hotel’ so it’s always worth asking around, particularly on forums, to see what other horse owner’s experiences have been.

A Horse Sitter

Then there’s the option of a horse sitter, something that’s becoming more and more popular these days, for a number of reasons. The first is the costs of full livery, but more important than that is the peace of mind it can bring horse owners. Not having to uproot your horse and play him in new surroundings is probably the key reason for the increased demand for a horse sitter.

A Few Important Points

Horse sitters vary from professional horse sitters, to friends and family to members of house and pet sitting websites. The last two options are often free, although you shouldn’t expect these people to be as skilled in minding horses as a professional horse sitter. That said, the savings in cost may make up for this, as most chores and tasks can be taught to someone if you’re only going away for a few weeks.

If you’re thinking about taking on a house or pet sitter, trustedhousesitters.com is a good place to start. There are hundreds of eager house sitters based around the world, all looking for house sitting opportunities.

The kind of person you can expect to be minding your horse (and house) is someone who’s either retired or who works from home, as many (although not all) of the house sitters on these websites work for free (in return for free accommodation).

In return for the accommodation, the house sitter usually agrees to take on some chores and tasks and this could involve mucking out, basic grooming, feeding and cleaning – although you will need to explain all of these tasks in detail to your prospective house sitter first.

Jemma from thehousesittingcouple.com recommends setting up a Skype interview first, in order to make sure that they’re aware of all the tasks and challenges involved. Once you’re happy, get something in writing to make sure you’re both, literally on the same page.

“We do list pet sitting services on our website” says Jemma, “but we’re always clear to point out that we’re animal lovers and not vets. We’re happy to undertake any task and we do put heart and soul into it, but having this agreement, even if it’s just over email, helps to set expectations properly beforehand.

I think the biggest concern for pet and home owners is reliability. If you’ve trusted a sitter to take care of a pet, or your home, or carry out a few important chores (starting the car regularly, cleaning the pool, taking important deliveries etc) you want to be certain that they’re not going to bail on you half way through. It’s difficult to figure out, but the references and the amount of time they’ve been working as a house sitter should give some indication to this. “

What if it’s an emergency?

If it’s an emergency, it’s probably better to either go with a professional horse sitter or to take your horse to the nearest livery yard. Although there are plenty of willing horse sitters on sites like Trusted Housesitters, organizing an emergency house sitter at least minute can be quite tricky. That’s not to say that it can’t be done of course. There are plenty of willing participants who are available last minute, but it’s always worth having a backup plan.

What costs are involved?

In the case of an emergency, where you’re employing the services of a traditional, professional horse sitter, especially a pet sitting agency, expect to pay a daily rate as well as possibly additional fees per animal. Some companies will charge a travel fee, which is usually priced per mile, so be sure to look out for horse sitters in your area.

You will also be expected to cover the cost of food and supplies as per normal, and to be liable for any veterinary bills that occur whilst the horse is under the sitters case (the small print). It’s worth pointing out that sitters on websites like Trusted House Sitters or The House Sitting Couple aren’t as stringent with costs, but may not be as easy to get a hold of at short notice.

Where to begin:

If you have friends or family that already own a horse, it’s worth speaking to them first of all, especially if they’re nearby and it’s only for a few days. If you have the time, look out for a trustworthy and reliable house sitter from one of the many pet and house sitting websites out there. This way you also get someone minding your home, which can be a major deterrent to burglars. Finally, take the time to research a few livery yards. Even if you don’t plan on using one straight away, it’s always good to keep your options open.

Jeni is a freelance equestrian writer, based in London. She is currently working on her first ebook on horse training tips.