When you’re building a breeding barn, careful consideration needs to go into every element of that barn! From the barn layout to the components that you put into it, the safety of your mares, stallions, and foals depends on your vigilance during the build. Consider these points when building your breeding…

Ride Every Stride - No Regrets

book by Amy Maltman

Reviewed by Kelly Bowers @ The Rider

  When I first received "Ride Every Stride" to consider for a review, I, as usual, studied the cover and flipped lightly through the pages. Then, I read…

When you own a barn full of horses, hay deliveries are an essential part of life. No one enjoys hay deliveries – they’re tiring and often difficult – but you can build your barn to help make hay deliveries easier! Here are some tips to make sure that hay deliveries run smoothly.

Position the Barn So the…

Are you trying to plan out your dream barn, but are running short on ideas? Not sure of what type of layout to use for your custom barn? No problem. Let’s take a look at some of the more common types of barn layouts so that you can find the layout that is just right for your barn!

Shed Row…

Just posted the first part of my new blog series.  The trials and trip ups of a trainer with the best intentions.

http://www.greathorsestories.ca/site/blog

With the fall’s beautiful weather comes hunting season. Whether you’re heading out for a trail ride or turning your horses out in a pasture adjoining the woods, you need to be aware of the hunting seasons and take a few precautions. Here are some tips to help keep you and your horses safe!

Identify…

6545

The Dirty Dancing known as Dressage~

Dressage was always a beautiful thing to witness, for those involved in the world of horses and even for those uninvolved in the world of horses. It was a discipline that captured grace and beauty and shared it in the most precious of ways. The…

I'll be shadowing him soon enough, just figured I'd share a bit about him. If anyone is familiar with who he is please comment on what you know about him!

Dr. Rob van Wessum, a native of the Netherlands,  received his veterinary degree from Utrecht University in 1991. He spent the next five years as an equine practitioner in a private practice in Weesp.

In 1996, Dr. van Wessum began his own equine lameness clinic specializing in in-depth diagnostics for…

The Drought is Over—At Least for Now

And all this rain is messing up my riding.

We were in a drought this summer, getting just enough rain to keep the grass growing somewhat and keep some of the crops from dying, but the ponds, lakes, streams and rivers were down several inches. Our local river, the Rocky River, lived up to…

It’s hard to believe it, but blanketing season is upon us yet again! Quality horse blankets can be expensive, so it’s important to make them last as long as possible. Here are some great tips to help prolong the life of your horse blankets.

Clean Blankets Every Year

Make sure that all of…

At some point in their riding careers, many people wonder whether they should give riding a break. Maybe your life outside of the barn has gotten too busy, or maybe you don’t find the same enjoyment in riding that you once did. But should you take a break from riding?

Return to Riding…

Hay is the basis of your horse’s diet, but do you know what to look for when you’re evaluating your horse’s hay? Here are some characteristics to consider.

Color and Feel

When you’re evaluating your hay, take note of the color and feel. The hay should still have a greenish color to it, but…

"To an optimist, taking a step backwards after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's more like a Cha-Cha."

Seems like a great way to describe our progress, two steps forward, one step back. Sometimes two steps back.…

Today is a Cool, Dank and Rainy Day    

As was yesterday.  When I got up on Friday it was raining, with a pretty cool breeze.  I debated about going riding, after all the weather radar showed that there would be a break in the rain by the time for my ride on Mia.  But my body said NO since I had spent the earlier part of the week on multiple doctor visits trying to get ready for trying the new, to me, MS drug Gilenya, and I was feeling quite run down.  Then I thought about Mia, thirty…

The active equestrian spends a lot of time in the sun. From long horse show days to training rides to lessons, we’re outside a lot. If you want to keep your skin looking great, follow these tips to care for your skin.

Remember Your Sunscreen

Don’t head out on a ride without your sunscreen!…

Review by Glenda Fordham

Author: Laura Wolfe

Publisher: Fire and Ice YA (www.fireandiceya.com)

Pages: 186 pages Price: $11.95 (hard copy) or $4.99 (digital)

Available on Amazon, Smashwords or Lulu

Targeting the young adult reader, Trail of Secrets is like an equestrian Nancy Drew meets the Ghost…

Landscaping around your barn and farm can be a challenge. You don’t want to create anything too time consuming, but you still want your property to look great. Here are some easy landscaping ideas you can put to use around your farm.

Use Horse-Friendly Plants

In addition to using only…