Hello Julie,

My horse has been off all summer due to an injury and I would like suggestions as to how I can get him in shape for spring. I will work with him all winter and need help with a plan. Can you help us?

Thank you,

Karen





Karen,



When a horse has been laid off for a year or a season due to an injury, you'll want to start slowly in his reconditioning program and build over time. Assuming you've had this horse cleared by a vet to start…

You know your horse better than anyone – instinctively, you know immediately when something is amiss, even if you can’t immediately diagnose where the problem lies or what is causing it. I can put words to what you already know – how do you tell when your horse is happy? What I am going to say may be controversial and provocative to some, but if you are truly honest with yourself, you may realize that perhaps there is a lot of truth in it!



A horse is not able to lie, to ‘act’ like…

Please enjoy tips 21-30. I'm a big fan of number 23!





21. Good technique isn’t just about what the horse does over the jump.



22. When jumping a combination, don’t ride into it with too much pace because your horse will learn to jump flat and run on the landing. Give him time to adjust his weight onto his hocks.



23. Canter, rhythm, line. Get it right every time.



24. The better the approach the better the chance of the horse jumping…

I hope these tips are helping everyone. Here are tips 11-20:





11. As a rider you too need to be warmed up. Through warming up you should release tight muscles. Warming up helps prevent stiffness and injury to both horse and rider.



12. It is important to get your horse’s body and his state of mind prepared for what you are going to ask him to do.



13. Get the basics right and you will have a firm foundation for jumping.



14. It is a…

Hi Julie,



We have a 2 year old filly who weighs in at about 1000 lbs. We have done all kinds of groundwork exercises and desensitization exercises with her. She is golden...until its time for immunizations. She will not tolerate a needle. She is getting hurt in the process, as are the people around her. We even tried snubbing her (tying her to a post and squeezing a gate against her). I thought she was going to break her neck or tear the barn down. We are running out of…

Hello Everyone!



My next few posts encompass an overview of some of my top tips. Some are easier said than done! The first ten...





1. All veterinary care is paramount – your horse is not going to perform to the best of his ability if he is not feeling great.



2. Horses are like people, they have weaker sides and stronger sets of muscles. Work on improving these weaknesses with the help of a physiotherapist.



3. Learn to recognize what your…

My Passion - Helping Horses Worldwide!



In 1984 after qualifying for the European Championships I had to retire my beautiful Hanoverian gelding for lameness, and my riding career came abruptly to an end. I wish I knew then what I have learned in the past 24+ years as a Certified Master Saddler consulting with equine professionals around the world. At very least I know Pirat would have been sound a lot longer, at best my riding career would have gone much farther.



At the…

Hi Julie,



I have just started to care for a 5 year old Irish Draught x TB - he has a tendon/tendon sheath injury and was about to be put to sleep by his previous owner, due to lack of time and money and the possibility that he may not be able to be ridden again. He has been stabled now for three months and apparently has not been behaving very well in his 12 foot x 12 foot stable (he is 17.2 hh).

I have moved him to a much larger stable in a quiet yard and he seems much…

We had a series of severe thunder storms here in Ontario last night. The thunder and lightening were spectacular - we had quite a light show and it reminded me of our days living in Florida during hurricane season.



The weather is an unpredictable force to be reckoned with and it is up to us to be prepared as we can be.

A ounce of preparation NOW can mean a ton less worry and panic later.



Top Ten…

I am posting this blog to educate people about the disease to help better understand it. I hope u find this helpful.



Thank you



Hazel Miller BHSAI



Strangles - The Diagnosis



Strangles is an infection with the bacterium 'Streptococcus Equi'.



It's extremely contagious and is spread by direct contact with the pus and nasal discharges that occur so readily with this disease.



Contaminated tack, feeding utensils, water…

Hi Julie,

I am writing from Pretoria South Africa. My daughter recently attended her first show jumping event. Her horse boxed (trailered) without major problems and also traveled well. At the event this well-behaved, sweet horse, turned into a very nervous rearing animal. We could not control her and needless to say my daughter could not compete. According to her riding instructor, from whom we purchased the horse, she came off the track two years ago after being pushed very hard.…