Ian Millar and I have something in common. The first horses we fell in love with were the horses that brought the milk carts to our neighbourhoods. Ian’s milk delivery man had him sit up on the box seat and they went about four blocks and then he…

Riding instructors are hard working, dedicated women and men who want to inspire their students to grow, learn and become better horsemen and women. 

They are willing to work long hours every weekend for sure, in all kinds of weather. Very often for extremely low wages. 

Yet they love their job and wouldn't trade it for any other…

You need:

• – One frosty winter morning with a glorious sunrise painting soft warm rays across the snow

• – A warm parka and cozy boots 

• – A large go mug of coffee and baileys

• – A large pasture surrounded by trees covered with morning dew frost 

• – A herd of hairy horses 

• – Several mounds of sweet, hay beckoning the herd to come for…

Winter Comes Back to Stay

Fortunately, since I am in the South, it is not a terribly severe winter.  So far, all the precipitation has been liquid.  Even with several killing frosts, some flies appear when it gets warm, and then another killing frost hammers them.  Nights in the 20s F eventually get those nasty flies out of the picture.

Talking about flies, I have noticed something this year.  In 2014, I noticed that the population of the “buzz bomber” flies was miniscule, and…

SHOWTIME!

It’s Showtime!  Seven CDI competitions in twelve weeks and prize money over $700,000! The Adequan Global Dressage…

While we’re firm believers in the fact that you can never have too many horses, keeping multiple horses fit at the same time can be a challenge. We’ve come up with some great tips to help you save time while keeping your horses conditioned and exercised.

Use Horse Exercisers

Horse exercisers are a phenomenal way to ensure that…

If you’re beginning to plan your barn and pinpoint its exact location, then it’s time to start looking into local help for your project. Have you considered using the following local resources in your barn building project?

Reach Out to Local Barn Owners

Doing your homework is an important…

http://www.thehorsewatcher.com

Sounds too good to be true 

Well it isn't 

And I am going to explain how you too can increase your business without the…

Heard from the horse show bleachers: “Now that’s a happy horse that loves his job.”

In 2004,  FEI introduced into its dressage rules the phrase “happy athlete” to describe the ideal dressage horse.

But judging a horse’s happiness remains fairly subjective.

In a recent blog, I wrote about horse unhappiness – describing the Horse Grimace Scale… the…

Michigan is once again confused. Is it spring is it winter? Michigan just cannot seem to decide. It's currently 48° outside and all MUD. Normally I like mud, but now that I'm cleaning paddocks I hate it. This morning was terrible. One paddock was all mud, one was mud and ice and the other was all ice. The slickest ice I've ever had the privilege of sliding on. Due to the mud the manure gets mixed in and is therefore heavier to pull in my…

You Would Think That Spring Was Here

Between nights in the 20s F and days and nights of rain, it has been difficult for me to ride, therefore last week I seized the chance to ride twice, on Mia, two days in a row.

Wednesday morning came in at 23 F so I did not get to ride.  Fortunately Debbie did not have a lesson already scheduled for Thursday morning so I got to ride then.  When Debbie curried Mia gobs and gobs of Mia’s sub-coat came off, and when I got after her…

When you’re building and outfitting your show barn, you will want the best accessories and features to appeal to clients and trainers. Don’t forget about these must-have accessories for your show barn.

Elegant Saddle and Bridle Racks

Outfitting your tack room with elegant saddle and bridle…

High levels of stress are bad not only for humans, but also for our horses. Stress can cause issues such as ulcers, but it can also create an unhappy horse. If you want to minimize the stress in your horse’s life, consider the following ideas.

Buy Stalls with Open Front Designs

When building…

January 7 2016

I haven't posted much lately, I have another ulcer on my stump again caused by the new prosthetic leg and pressure spots in it, and of course stress and having diabetes does not help with the healing. Home nurse care is coming in again and on oral antibiotics and hope it heals up quickly since we caught it early and it's being treated right away.

Also adding to the stress the owner of the property has put the place up for sale, so just a matter of time before I…

We've said many times that planning your barn early on in the building process is necessary to your overall project’s success. But did you realize that planning your barn early on can actually save you money, too? Here’s what you need to know about planning out your dream barn.

Plan…