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June 1, 2012

Horses and Spring Mud Do Not Mix Well

Filed under: horse articles,horse care in spring — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 10:56 am

Running Mare and FoalThe weather has been odd this year, a bit of warm weather in February then a whole lot more cold right into the end of April. Nevertheless, spring has finally sprung, the flowers are blooming, and knee-high rubber boots are a constant companion. As the snow melts and creates mud fields in some areas of the country, other regions get their mud via deluges of spring rains. Either way, mud on a horse ranch is not a good thing. It’s inevitable, but definitely not good. Pastures become unusable for horses, grasses can’t be fertilized for better growth, which in turn means a gradual degradation of the pasture quality. On top of that, horses can develop serious injuries or diseases from being in a muddy environment.

Let’s first tackle the issue of pasture health and safety. On one of those early days when the sweet scent of spring is in the air, take a walk around all fence lines. Inspect every post for rot or shifting, as long months of snow and moisture can cause issues. Keeping the grassy pastures grassy is as important as keeping the fence posts up, which is why many horse owners choose to fertilize their pastures. Yet it is vital to wait for the ground to dry out before fertilizing, otherwise the effectiveness just drains away with the water into the natural environment. Also, never allow your horses onto a pasture immediately after fertilization. Keep the horses away for as long as the fertilizer manufacturer’s instructions specify.

The horses may be itching to get out into the pasture but if it is still muddy don’t give in! At the very least, the horse hooves will tear up the grass and make a real mess of the pasture. When the ground dries out, those ruts could cause injuries to horses later on. Have you ever stepped in a mud puddle and had your boot suctioned off your foot? It is humorous, and a little messy, but for a horse, it can be painful and damaging to the top the hoof. Horses that are permitted to graze a muddy pasture can also develop the dreaded mud fever, cracked hooves, and Equine Dermatophilosis.

No one can prevent spring rains or run-off from melting snow, but horse owners can work around the mud problem. In watering and shelter areas spread a healthy layer of wood chips or crushed gravel. Rain will drain off the surface and help prevent mud, even in the face of traffic from heavy horse hooves. Check gutters around all stables and outbuildings to ensure water drains far away from the horses. Horses and spring mud do not go well together, but good planning can mean they never meet!

May 24, 2012

Horses Are People Too

Filed under: horse behavior,horse training — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 11:20 am

Horses Are People Too - Liverystable.net Horse BlogIt sounds like a cliché, but the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) has defined animal welfare in much the same language as the World Health Organization has defined basic human rights. According to the WOAH, the welfare of an animal is good if it is “healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, able to express innate behaviour, and not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear or distress.” Food, shelter, safety, and the freedom to be themselves; isn’t that what every human strives for in life?

Considering the history and importance of equine in society, there has been relatively little research conducted on horse behaviour and training. Yet what little has been done shows a strong evidence that horses are intelligent, learning animals that respond very positively to primary positive reinforcement. Unfortunately, just because horses are animals they are usually subjected to negative reinforcement that causes pain, fear or distress, subsequently compromising the overall welfare of the animal.

Back in the last century (1989), the Journal of Animal Science published a report called “A Review of Learning Behaviour in Horses and its Application in Horse Training”. The research presented three main areas of findings: experiences early in a horse’s training and life will affect later learning; horses have long-term memory; long and intense training sessions decrease effective learning in horses. Short training sessions that include positive reinforcement, using food, garner far longer and more successful results than a single long training session.

So, positive reinforcement is the way to successful training, but that doesn’t mean punishment is out of the equation – it just needs to be done correctly. Punishment carried out incorrectly when training horses damages the animal, the lesson, and the relationship with the handler. There are two key points to effective punishment: punish within three seconds of the behaviour and do not escalate. The idea is to make the horse aware of the issue, but not instil fear, avoidance or a defensive response.

If we were to replace all the instances of ‘equine’ or ‘horse’ with ‘person’ or ‘people’, the above three paragraphs would still be relevant. Horses are intelligent, intuitive beings that can and will respond better to positive reinforcement than any other form of training – just like us. Just as we wouldn’t slap a child for crying, it is not appropriate to slap a horse for whinnying. Horses are as sensitive as humans are, and deserve the same humane training methods.

April 19, 2012

Is Selling Your Horse Online An Option For You?

Filed under: horse photos,sell a horse — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:01 pm

Is Selling Your Horse Online An Option For You?Selling your horse isn’t always a simple transaction, often it can be very difficult to find a good home – the right home – once you’ve decided to sell it. Taking the time to prepare your horse for sale entails washing and grooming; transportation to a sale barn, consigning it, and then hoping to catch the eye of an interested buyer. All of that requires a lot of time and preparation for an event which carries no guarantee for the seller. It can often be a palpable blow to the owner of the horse when there is no interest or only lower than expected prices are offered. An alternative to the barn sales approach is to use online sellers. Horses for sale on the internet is a relatively new outlet for selling, but it can be effective. Perhaps more effective even than the conventional methods since potential buyers from just about anywhere in the world are able to view your horse, unlike in-person sales which will likely only have buyers from the local vicinity.

Online horse sales clearly offer a lot of positive aspects – the biggest positive is also its most convenient aspect; you don’t have to physically go anywhere – you can sell at the price you want, easily turn away buyers who try to barter or offer lower than desired money and you can communicate with multiple buyers at the same time. Those aren’t the only differences however, not being face to face with a potential buyer requires a different protocol; while less grooming and show preparation is required, you will have to get some pictures prepared for your ad and the actual ad must be enticing enough to generate interest in conjunction with some quality photos. Many of these requirements aren’t necessarily skills that horse breeders may imbue or be familiar with, so there is always the possibility of having to bring in outside help to assist you in your online preparation. Below are some tips for making your transaction and your transition to internet selling a smooth one.

The content in your online ad is vital. While it can be argued that ultimately it is the pictures that will sell your horse, the ad content needs to be top notch. Describe everything about your horse as accurately as possible and try not to skip any details; a potential buyer is more likely to read your ad and follow up with you when interesting details are provided, even if it does look like a massive wall of text. While humor may work as a part of advertising in many arenas, horse sales isn’t one of them – keep the ad factual and state what buyers want to know: pedigree, disposition, previous owners, etc.

The next most important thing after ad content? Photos. Buyers will look at the photo first; if it makes an impression they will likely take the time to read your entire description and possibly contact you if they’re interested. You can enlist a professional photographer if you’d like; if you choose to do it yourself, take photos of anything important (“detail shots” – up close), however the main photo in your ad should be a nice large photo of your horse from the side. Make sure its entire body is visible, nothing should be cropped out. Avoid using post production filters or anything else that will artificially enhance the picture – if your photo is well-lit, you won’t need anything else.

Make sure all of your contact info including email, mobile, etc., is accurate and up to date. If you get a new phone or email account after you’ve posted the ad, update the information as soon as possible to keep your ad current and correct. Always strive to respond to interested buyers as soon as possible and answer inquiries honestly. If you’ve determined the buyer is serious, you can proceed with setting up an appointment for a viewing.

If you’re moving on to a legitimate transaction, make sure any terms and conditions are agreed upon by both parties; you can both take signed copies when you meet in person. You’ll have to schedule when the buyer is going to transfer registration (when required) and you may also want to include a first-rights-to-buy-back option also. Just make sure everything regarding the transaction is laid out in detail, that both you and the seller agree to the terms and that both parties have signed the bill of sale, each receiving a copy for your records.

February 20, 2012

Introducing A New Horse

Filed under: buying a horse,horse articles,horse behavior — Tags: , , , — admin @ 8:25 pm

Introducing A New Horse To The Herd

Buying a new horse can be an arduous process – there are dozens of considerations to maintain during the selection process, not to mention all the time spent perusing horses for sale. Once you’ve made your choice and have purchased your new horse, the second part of the process begins – introduction of the new horse to your other horse or existing herd.

Whether you are introducing a newly bought horse to your existing herd or are placing one of your horses into a boarding scenario, the desired result should be the safe introduction of the horse into a new environment with other horses. There is no set time to attach to this process; all horses are different in terms of personality, temperament, etc. – it can take time and your goal should be to maintain the safety of each horse, and not how to achieve it as quickly as possible.

Prior to introducing a new horse to your existing herd, it is generally a good idea to ensure that any required medical requirements have been completed first – introducing a horse with an underlying condition or ailment into an established herd will always pose risks to the herd and many additional problems can arise. Rather than deal with quarantine process after the fact, make sure all health issues are noted and dealt with beforehand. When the horse’s physical integrity has been confirmed it is then safe to begin introduction.

When introduction is ready, it is best to keep the new addition in an area where they can see and smell the other horse but cannot establish physical contact yet. Observe the body language and behavior of the new horse with the others – signs of aggressiveness (rapid tail swishing, ears pinned) without any indications of submission are signs that the new horse is not ready for physical contact with the herd yet. In contrast, some owners may choose to simply turn the new horse loose with the herd and simply stand back and observe the results. While this method may work, it is not advisable and poses serious risks to the new horse as well as the herd – take your time and keep the new horse’s best interests in mind at all times.

When the horse is ready, the next phase should be physical contact. This is best done in an area which allows the horses room to move away from one another; they should never feel as though they must defend their food or water from one another. One easy way to introduce physical contact while still maintaining individual space, is by using adjoining stalls. When physical contact has been initiated and the new horse has become familiar with the other horses, it is then time to get the new horse acquainted with the area in which they will be able to run. Take the newcomer out on their own in this area so that they can get accustomed to the lay of the land and any ditches, trees, fences, boundaries, slopes, ruts, etc. Doing this will assist in making the new horse comfortable when it is in the area with the other horses.

When it is time for feeding it is a good idea, at least initially, to make sure the new horse has its own bucket of feed or hay (placed away from the common feeding area) and that it eats enough and is not nervous of the others. Sometimes it is necessary to separate the horses (even the ones that are familiar with one another) when feeding them. In this instance, it is still a good idea to establish a separate area for the newcomer.

You know your horses better than anyone, so you’ll be able to understand any behavioral issues by observation – aggression, submission, posture, respect, yielding, etc. – introducing a new horse will allow you to maintain and hone your knowledge and viewing skills while enabling safe introduction of your new horse.

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