Natural hooves are healthy hooves

Natural barefoot hooves are often much healthier than shod hooves. Shod hooves sometimes suffer due to all the nail holes making the hoof weak and brittle. We often see this reaction as well in just a regular trimming. The hooves are trimmed with hoof nippers and then rasped straight. The problem with this is that the hoof cannot break over easy, gets stuck and cracks or brakes off, making the hoof very short and brittle as seen in the picture below.


Wild horses-mustangs, trim their feet themselves by breaking them off on rocks and things. They create what is called the mustang roll. The mustang roll is done by rolling the wall under a bit. This way the hoof can break over easy without getting stuck and cracking. The mustang hooves are also healthier because they don't have a bunch of hole in them all the time, making them weak. This is what the mustang roll looks like.
 


As you can see in these photos of the mustang roll, the hoof is well rounded and could not easily break or crack.

So how do domesticated horses get a "Mustang Roll?" 
Well it isn't very hard at all. You will need some gloves, old jeans or chaps and a rasp.

So first start with the front feet and you will need to use the rasp on the bottom of the hoof. Evening out the angle of the wall. Then lay the rasp across the hoof and make sure it is level all the way down.
 
Then you will run the rasp at a 45 degree angle around the hoof getting it to the desired length and evening it out. You can use a riders rasp for this, it will be easier, but either one will work.

Now you can set the foot up on a stand. Now you will go straight down will the rasp and shorten the toe. Don't rasp off the outside of the hoof just because it makes it pretty. This protects the hoof.

Now you will take the rasp and curl the toe under to make the "Roll."

Ok now take the rasp at a 45 degree angle and run it around the hoof, finishing the uneven parts. Remember to just take off a little, you don't want to cut it too short. It's like cutting your fingernails. If you cut too short, it's gonna hut!

Ok we're just about done. All we have to do now is make sure the hoof is even and level. Take the rasp and do some measuring...
The hoof is supposed to be in a straight angle with the pastern. This hoof is too upright.
As you can see this hoof is nice and even with the pastern. Take your rasp and make sure it's even.


It is a good idea to consult a farrier or an experienced horse person about the mustang roll, to ensure that you are doing it right, And in no time your horses hooves will be natural, healthy and strong.

Cooling out a horse

                                                

                 Cooling down a horse? What???

After working your horse he will need to be cooled out. Meaning that he needs to walk until it's respiration and pulse return to normal. Here are some basic rules for different temperatures. 

*Summer:

After a work out in the summer, I let my horse walk out on long rein. Then I get off and loosen her girth, Instead of taking the saddle off. This lets the pressure release slowly from under the saddle. I then turn on a fan and walk her around in front of it until I see that she is not puffing any more and her chest is cool. I then untack, clean her hooves and rinse her off will cool water, starting at the hooves. Making sure I wipe off the excess water of her coat. If it is extremely hot I set out a bucket of cool water and walk in a circle, each time I pass the bucket she can take only a small sip. This way she won't gulp down too much cold water, that can make her sick.

*Winter:

After a work out in winter, I let her walk out in long rein. Then I get off and loosen her girth. I through a sheet over her, like a cooler (not a turnout sheet). It needs to be able to breath and soak up some of the sweat so that the horse gets cooled out, without getting child. I walk her around until her chest is cool and she is not puffing. Then I leave the blanket on and just move it to one end or the other while untacking, so she doesn't get chilled. I also do the same thing while I am grooming. When she has absolutely no sweat on her, I put her turnout sheet or blanket on. I also walk her in a circle and each time I pass a bucket, she can take a small sip of warm water (not hot, not cold), You don't want to shock their system with extremely cold water.

I hope this helps. And don't forget to reward your horse with a nice carrot or cookie:)

          GIVING YOUR HORSE A GOOD WARM UP 

Horses are athletes and they need to warm up their muscles just like we would before a marathon. Without a good warm up, your horse could suffer an injury. So take the time and warm up right. 

Here is a good warm up routine that you can do, before your regular schooling. Your warm up should be about teaching him to be a forward thinker and to be in front of your leg. And slowly warming up his muscles one step at a time. Routine helps, but try switching what you do up a bit. Don't always go down the center line and halt at X. sometimes halt at G or don't halt at all. Change it up and keep your horse busy not board!

*Wear are we?
So the first thing I do when I get on my mare, is let her have a look around and see where she is. Especially if we are at some place new. I walk on long reins once around the ring. If she is fresh I can pick my reins up a little.

Ok she she knows where she is, so now I am going to pick up a light contact and ride her long and low, as seen in the picture above. This is the key on getting your horse warmed up. Riding them long and low will stretch their neck and back muscles and will help them come up in their back, instead of hollowing. So with this contact I walk circles and serpentines each direction. After 10 to 25 minutes of walk I start trotting. Again riding long and low. As I ride my circles I start to ask her to look to the inside of the circle and then straighten and then look to the outside. I do this both ways. Then I will start  serpentines each way, asking her to bend around my inside leg in the turns and straighten across the school. 

 Now I can slowly start picking my reins up and ask her for a connection. I will ride her straight down the wall and leg yield out into my corners. Then I will ride my circles and supple a bit to the inside, straighten and then to the outside. Again I will ride a serpentine and try to get a study connection. Across the diagonal I will ask for a lengthening and before I get to the wall I will shorten her stride. This will get her listening to my body. 

When I feel that she is ready I will ask for canter. I don't ask for a few strides and then have a walk break. Your warm up is again getting the horse in front of your leg and teaching them to be forward thinkers. So I ask for canter and get a good rolling canter. on a circle I supple a little inside straighten and supple outside and straighten. Then still on the circle I slowly let her take the reins and stretch her head down. This teaches her to stand up and she can stretch her back. It also teaches the rider to rely more on their body and not the reins.

 

Then I slowly pick my reins up, drop my heels and trot. Now she can have a walk break. Then I would do this the other way and do some trot - canter - trot transitions.

 Now your horse is warmed up and ready for your schooling. Remember to keep him forward thinking and have fun:)

What do I feed and how much?

                    WHAT DO I FEED AND HOW MUCH?

                      "I think this is a very big question and a good topic for anyone to study."

So first lets look at what God intended horses to eat and how much. Well horses are a "Herbivorous Animals" which means they eat plants. They are also a grazing animal which means they eat continuously. So horses in the wild mainly eat grass and plants. With this in mind we will look at what to feed domesticated horses.

        Ok so maybe you have less pasture and more stalls, or maybe you have paddocks instead of fields and don't have the grass for a horse to thrive on. How will you feed it and what.

Here are some things that you can feed your horse...

*Roughage is the most important thing for your horse. It is good for their brains. Without enough forage your horse can develop habits that will simulate grazing, like chewing on trees or fence. This in which can kill your trees and will take money to fix your fences. This is usually the case of little fiber or boredom. So if you feed good forage and not cheap stuff, you will end up feeding less. It's like us eating white bread, it doesn't make your hair shine! Hay with to much lignon in it will make your horse too full and they will waste it. Feeding a quality hay like alfalfa will cost less because it is natural for the horses and they can digest it better.

*Grains
Horses that are "Ribby and have no topline, but huge bellies are lacking sufficient protein. Some have said protein makes horses hot, but this is not true.
Horses that are "Ribby" and have no topline, but have huge bellies, are lacking sufficient protein.
Young horses need higher protein for the development of bone and muscle. This is Amino Acids. This offers the building of bone and muscle that horses need. Without is the result of the picture above, where the horse has no muscling, especially over the topline and the cheap hay or feed is just making him full, not giving him the right protein and nutrients. Adult horses need 8 to 10% protein in the total ration and more is needed for working, lactating, young and senior horses.
Grains aside of good hay will get your horse looking healthy and fit. So lets look at some natural grains for your horse.

*OatsOats have been the first choice of feeds. They are medium in energy, require little or no processing and have more protein than most grains. Oats are the most nutrient balanced grain. Oats are thought to aid the milk production of lactating mares. Oats have 47-53% starch, less than other whole grains. This is more digestible than the starch in corn or barley and less likely to cause problems like colic and founder. Oats are considered the safest grain. Though because oats increase blood sugar, horses with cushing or gastric ulcers should not be fed them.
Whole oats have about 11-13% protein and 5% fat. Hulless oats contain 27% more protein and 49% fat than whole oats. Hulless oats offer more than hulled when it comes to amino acids. Because hulless oats contain more digestible energy than whole oats, you will feed a 1/4 less. Hulless oats are a natural horse grain, since the oat itself has an envelope not a hull. When it is ready to be harvested the envelope falls off.
        Buying crimped or rolled oats cost more and only improves digestibility by 3-5%, where hulless oats are natural for horses and easy to digest and chew, since there is no hull. Iv'e heard purchasing the USDA Grade 1 Oats is the way to go!
*CornCorn is used in a lot of feed and horse mixes. Though there is concern for colic and founder, so I have stayed away from this grain.
*BarleyThis grain is natural, but is less palatable than oats or corn and is more expensive.
*Comercial
There are comercial grains as well that are good if you don't want to mix your own. Though it may be more expensive, you would just have to research your options. Some may include Strategy, Ultium, Cavalor, Purina Equine and so many more.

So here are some grains. Looking at the digestibility, protein content and cost and everything, it looks like Oats are a number 1 hit for equines. But do I just feed oats alone?

Ok so your feeding plenty of good quality roughage and hulless oats and your horse still is needing a little extra wait. I would use "Beet Pulp". It adds fat and is natural for your horse to eat.
Beet Pulp cannot be fed dry, because they can't digest it. Soak it in water for a minimum of 3 hourse "I just soak mine over night" and it is highly digestable.
*MineralsI also throw in a mineral scoop of loose minerals in there grain once a day, to make sure they are getting the salt and minerals they need.
*Add Some SHINEA good way to add shine to your equines coat is to add about a table spoon of vegetable oil to there grain once a day. This will also add some fat to there diet.

*HOW MUCH DO I FEEDFirst some rules for feeding.
You should feed according to your horses height, weight, temper and work load.
Roughage should be 1% of their body weight. You should balance the amount of protein in your grain to the amount in your hay.

Some examples:
A quarter horse gelding that does trail riding and is on rich pasture, may only get a small amount after work to replace what he lost, such as 1lb hulless oats, 1/2cup soaked beet pulp, 1/4cup loose minerals.
A thoroughbred that is in full dressage training and is stalled, may get unlimited good quality hay, turn out for 2 hours a day and in the morning a mix of 2lb hulless oats, 1cup soaked beet pulp, 1/4cup loose minerals and 1tbsp vegetable oil and in the evening just 2lb of hulless oats.

Roughage is the biggest thing and while this may work for the quarter horse and the thoroughbred, you will have to find out what works best for your horse. It is a good idea to consult your veterinarian before you try switching your horses feed and if you do switch feeds, give your horse plenty of time to adjust to the new grain and slowly switch over a couple weeks.

Hope this is helpful:)             Trot on!  

 

Grooming Your Horse

Grooming your horse is one of the best ways to get to know him. How he is built and the different characteristics of his build, his marking, his personality, etc. Regular grooming will enhance the horses coat shine and bring out the natural oils in the skin. It will also create more circulation. Horses that live outside are actually better off only groomed when they are being ridden or worked, because they need the natural oils in the skin to protect them from the weather.Though they still need their hooves picked out daily. However stabled horses should be groomed everyday to help with blood  circulation. Correct grooming tools will keep your horses coat shiny and healthy. Here is an effective way to groom your horse.
1. Use the "Rubber Curry Comb" in circular motions from neck to tail, staying away from tender and fragile head, legs and flank areas. This will loosen the dirt from under the coat.
2. Next is the "Dandy Brush". This is a stiff brush and is used in fast, short flicking motions from neck to tail, staying away from tender and fragile head, legs and flank areas. This brush will rid of what we just curried up.
3. Next we will use the"Body Brush". This is a soft brush. Now we can brush the face, then working your way down the neck, legs, flank and body in long slow flicking motions. This will get rid of little surface hairs or missed dirt and will bring out the oils in the skin.
4. Now that we have brought the oils up to the surface, we will use a "Towel or Polishing Cloth". This will spread the oils and shine the coat, creating a nice finishing touch to the coat.
5. Use the "Hoof Pick" and pick out the hooves, picking out any rocks or debris. Then with the brush end of the hoof pick, brush out the excess debris.
6. And last but not least, separate the tail and mane hairs with your fingers to get out the tangles. Then use the "Dandy Brush" to get out tangles and then the "Body Brush" to shine and soften the tail.
                                              Now your horse is clean a happy;)

                               Keeping the Barn Clean 

It is very important to keep the stable/barn area clean and stalls mucked out. Why? You may ask. Well when stalls don't get cleaned on a regular basis horses may get thrush and parasites from eating hay off the ground. There will also be more flies. While stalls should be cleaned on a regular basis, sometimes it is hard to get the time to do all the barn chores. We have made a "Barn Cleaning Schedual" to follow. So when your feeling crunched, you can break it down into these easy steps;)

Mon. - Sun. A.M.

1. Feed horses 

2. Clean stalls

3. Sweep floors

4. School horses

5. Clean tack

Mon. - Sun. P.M.

1. Feed horses

I have my Schedual set up this way because if I feed horses, clean stalls, and sweep floors first the horses have about 1:30 min. To digest their food before they are worked. I also like to clean my tack after each ride. For one thing it keeps the tack in better shape, but also it is one less thing that I don't have to do when getting ready for a show;)

                         What Kind of Leg Protection Do I Use?

What kind of leg protection do you need for your dressage horse? There are many different kinds of leg protection products out there. You just have to find the one that suits your individual needs. I think the most popular in dressage would be "Polo Wraps with Bell Boots." Here are some different choices.

*Polo Wraps give support against concussion and give protection against bruising if your horse was to overreach. The way they are wrapped and come down around the fetlock they support the sesamoid bones. They are very popular in Dressage. Though if not applied properly they can do more harm then good. See our "To Wrap or Not To Wrap" post to learn how to properly wrap or consult a experienced horseman or vet.

*Dressage Boots are a great alternative if you don't know how to wrap or if you are crunched for time. These are stiffer that Polo Wraps and will prevent against bruising if the horse overreaches. They also give support and are easy to apply.

*Dressage Wraps are also a good alternative to Polo Wraps and allow air flow. While also giving support and protection the are quick and easy to put on.

*Bell Boots are used in dressage because they protect the back of the heel and pastern, incase a horse were to overreach. They are quick to apply and can be used on a daily basis.

Riding Bareback once a week will improve your balance and better your seat and leg aids. To start off with you may be more comfortable just taking your stirrups away. You should feel at all times (If the horse was to walk out from underneath you, would you be standing on the ground?) It may be hard at first, but the more you do it the easier it will become;)

Does your horse stand quietly while being saddled, or move around while trying to lift that heavy saddle up onto your horses back?

I have saddled a lot of horses through the years and while some were good, others moved around and were fidgety. You CAN train a horse to stand still, however wouldn't it be neat if your horse wanted to stand for his saddle to be put on and willingly did it on his own. Have you ever thought that your horse may feel like he is caught in the middle of a "Canyon and a Cougar?" Horses are pray animals and while you may think "It's just a saddle" the horse may think it is going to eat him and if he is tied up he can't get away from his predator. I like to saddle all my horses "The Friendly Way." This way your horse is not "Caught between a Canyon and a Cougar." It becomes his idea and he is willing and happy to be saddled. Watch this video, it will change the way we think about "Taking Up."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PHvZbHqwhs&feature=player_detailpage

                     

                           To Wrap or Not To Wrap

There is some controversy about wrapping a horses legs. Should you wrap their legs or leave them alone. Well this is how I look at it: a horse in the wild does not wear leg wraps, so should you not wrap your horses legs because wild horses don't need them? Well not necessarily. When I am trail riding or doing something my horse has done for a while, I refrain from putting wraps on my horse to let her legs get stronger and to let the muscle develop, however if I am doing something new, I think wraps are important because new things can be strenuous to the fragile tendons, ligament and sesamoid bones. Horses might be big and powerful but sesamoid bones, ligament and tenons can easily be damaged. 

Though if not properly applied wraps can do more bad than good. It is a good idea to have your instructor or a well rounded horseman teach you how to properly apply Polo Wraps.

Here is a good video talking about how to properly apply wraps. Practice makes Perfect!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbR6fiC7YXg&feature=player_detailpage

Mixing Classical with Natural to create a Happy and Healthy Partnership Between Horse and Rider! 

No Matter what discipline you do wether Western Pleasure, Trail, Jumping or a mixture of everything, Dressage will improve your horses training and will better your riding abilities. We use both Classical and Natural Methods. Natural Horsemanship will better your horses all around manners and will help him understand what is being asked of him. Natural Horsemanship will also better you as a trainer and horse handler.

Our Tip For February!

Riding your horse outside of the arena at least once a week is good for him. It lets him relax and have a break from arena work, while also helping him come a custom to new things. And it is a lot of fun to;)