Wow this is my first attempt at blogging of any kind! I felt the need to reach out to other riders and horse lovers alike. My story is sad and I just need to put it out there somewhere. Many of you can probably relate. It goes like this: I bought my dreamhorse 5 years ago. She was a yearling. My first mistake as I am an amature. Things went along ok for the first couple years as I waited for her to get to an age that we could really get going. She is my one and only so waiting was difficult.…

How well do you warm up and cool down your horse?



Warming up your horse prior to working him must not only be in his body, but also in his mind, getting him mentally prepared for the work he is going to do.



Put simply, warming up is getting the horse ready, relaxed and prepared for accepting what you are going to say to him. Time spent warming up will also allow you to release your own tight muscles and warm up as a rider.



During the warm up process, you will…

I travel from horse show to horse show and see poor-fitting saddle pads all the time. Not enough by itself, some misguided riders often combine a too-short saddle pad with a thick halfpad, creating even more pressure points.

Imagine wearing flip flops where the back of your foot hangs out by an inch. Now go walk for 10 minutes. Comfy? I don’t think so.



So how to avoid that:



1. Buy a saddle pad that fits your…

Correct Fundamentals help you "do the right things right".



As a rider, you need to put the fundamentals in place so that the right things happen by habit. Good riders ride well, because their right habits are so ingrained into their philosophy and their thought processes that they do routine things without thinking.



Developing the correct habits…

In light of recent events I feel compelled to write about "responsible horse ownership". While this may seem best suited for the new or first-time owner, I have seen hard evidence that many "experienced" horse owners may benefit from the following as well.



A common state amongst professionals serving the equine community is one of bewilderment. Many of us visit farms, barns & private acreages, seeing what I describe as "WWYT syndrome"; or, "What Were You Thinking?" While I…

TRAVEL TIPS 'N TRICKS:



Plan ahead! (Preparation is less stressful and you’ll be happy you did)

Cool eye packs and neck pillows is a must when traveling. They provide relief and relaxation especially when you return from a dusty horse park.

Consider the climate (always pack a small telescopic umbrella)

Remember Important documents and necessities (this should be done at least 2 months prior)

Reserve anything important in advance (don’t assume anything)…

Always have in your mind that horses are unpredictable animals, not machines. Our familiarity can lead to taking liberties and accidents occurring.



How many of these practices are on your own safety list?



1. Always wear clothes and boots that are designed for riding.



2. ALWAYS wear a riding helmet that fits you correctly and complies with current standards.



3. If you are young, your horse is misbehaving, you are out of practice or you…

Questions (and Answers) About Horse Worms with Dr. Dan

Equine Wellness "Fecal Test Article" with Dr. Dan





What process does a fecal test typically follow?



Personally we do a fecal floatation test which concentrates…

Back in the fall of 2005, I attempted to set up a formal organization called Pony Breeders of Ontario, similar to the organizations of Virginia Pony Breeders Association, Maryland PBA, Florida PBA and Minnesota PBA. I held an information/working session the end of October and we have a small number of very enthusiastic people attend and a lot of work was done in ironing out what the group wanted and how the organization should work.



I and the interim Board of Directors spent many…

Hello - and welcome to my first Barnmice blog.



Wherever I travel, I am asked questions about training the show jumper. It is very encouraging that so many riders are interested in furthering their education, and it is my hope that this series of training blogs will help everyone do just that.



Each week, I shall discuss a different aspect of training, referencing some of the most important points from my training books, but before I start specifically into training,…

Police on two continents have proven yet again that riding horses while drunk is more likely to leave you standing in the dock than sitting in the saddle.



Police in the city of Cody, Wyoming, arrested a 28-year-old man for being drunk in public.



He was riding his white horse down a city street during a snowstorm and a passing motorist telephoned police because of concerns the rider and horse were a hazard in the conditions.



Police attended and when the…

PRESS RELEASE 1/29/2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



March 2009 - The Ontario Farrier's Association is proud to present:

“UNDERSTANDING EQUINE LAMENESS”



Ian McKinlay

Renowned equine lameness specialist, of Tenderhoof Solutions (www.tenderhoof.com)

and

Dr. Jeff Thomason (BA, MSc, PhD)

of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph



as guest speakers for the 29th OFA…

Yesterday the Cdn Food Inspection Agency further tightened restrictions on equine imports to Canada. Not only are there more rigorous requirements for health certification for ALL horses (and continued restrictions on importing/transporting horses from Florida to Canada), but the import of either frozen or fresh semen, or equine embryos, will become increasingly difficult / costly effective Jan. 26.



Now people are making breeding plans, bidding on stallion auctions etc - and many…

Our cams are up and three of our stalls are filled. Our list of expectant girls and their suitors can be seen at http://www.mulligansrun.com/Expecting.php



We have in Shandy, Unforgettable and Sugar Baby



Unforgettable will be 300 days on 1/27/09 and 320 days on 2/18/09. Last she went 319 days and is a sneaky foaler - always during the day. This will be our first foal by her and Dream. We're excited to see what she…

An article on theHorse.com today caught my eye: "Kentucky Horse Farms Go Green with Composting." According to the article, over 50 horse farms in Kentucky are composting. Click here to read the article.



We've been composting that special horse by-product for well over a dozen years, and it's so easy! We simply constructed a four-bin composting area (downwind from our house -- although…

Check out the group 'Quality Horse Breeders' where we have posted the news release from Equine Canada regarding the CEM (Contagious Equine Metritis) outbreak in Kentucky that has now been found in Idaho stallions that stood at the Kentucky facility, and possibly in mares in Alberta and Ontario where semen was shipped this past breeding season.



While this outbreak involves Quarter Horses…

We have 15 mares due this year. The first two, Unforgettable and Shandy, will be 300 days at the end of January. We will start watching them shortly after the New Year.



We have 10 cams up at our farm, but not all are on at the same time. We currently have cams 1-4 on in the main barn 24/7 just to keep an eye on things. Cams 5-9 will be on when needed and 10 & 11 are in the baby barn - used if the mares back us up and we run out of room. LOL Last year we had alot of mares that…

I always find it interesting when studies go to great lengths to prove what horse people already know!!



A new study into how horses recognise members of the same herd suggests that it's not just humans who use complex memory processes to identify each other.



University of Sussex mammal communication researchers studied the reaction of horses to the sight of one member of the same herd while they heard the recorded call of either the same horse, or a different…

There's not enough room in that saddle for you & your temper.

Your anger makes it harder for your horse to please you, & blinds you to the lesson s/he is offering.





Listen to your horse.

If you're not getting the answer you think you want, try listening for the answer the horse is giving you.





Make…