Archive for the ‘Barn Skills’ Category

I was wondering if you could help guide me with what might be good to give my horse. I have moved her from my house in Maine were she was living the good life: grass pastures and low stress environment. She is now in Massachusetts in a stall that is smaller with bars, (she is [...]

My pony takes five supplements. I cannot get him to eat them without adding too much grain to his diet. Is there something I could put in to make it taste better without making him too “up?” PB, New York
Dear PB,
Most horses and ponies will eat their daily supplements when mixed with sweet feed but [...]

I always see riders using polo wraps on their horses. I was first told that they provide support to the tendons in the horse’s legs. Then I was told that they are not supportive, but only for protection. Which is correct? How do you properly wrap them? Should I use them? HELP ME!! SP, Georgia
What [...]

Hello. I am in 8th grade and I am doing a science fair project on what types of music affect a horse’s heart rate.  My teacher told us we had to interview someone so I chose you. Could you tell me all about the horse’s heart, brain, or anything to do with that topic please?  [...]

I have two Friesian crosses. One is 1/2 Friesian, 1/4 Morgan, 1/4 Belgian. He has enormous, unsightly chestnuts. My other horse, 1/2 Friesian, 1/2 Morgan, had normal flat chestnuts. I sometimes remember to ask the farrier to trim Shadowfax’s chestnuts, but even then, he only cuts off a little bit and leaves an inch or [...]

(Although I didn’t actually receive a question on this topic, the recent California fires inspired me to write about it because it’s an area most horse owners don’t think about until it’s too late.)
An emergency is an urgent situation. A disaster is an emergency that overwhelms the resources of the individual or even local community. [...]

I’m a fairly new horse owner, and last week a horse at my barn hurt himself badly enough to need a vet.  Now I’m worried that I won’t know what to do in an emergency (or worse yet, not even know that my horse is hurt or ill)!  Can you tell me what to look [...]