With the temperatures dropping in the evenings and waking up to the chill of those familiar fall mornings, it can only mean one thing. Winter will soon be upon us.

With the cold winter months ahead, it’s important to think about all the things your horse will need to stay healthy through those cold temperatures. The one thing that should come to mind is how much water your horse needs to drink to stay hydrated through the winter months.

You may be surprised to know that your horse requires the same amount of water per day in the winter as they do in the summer to maintain hydration.   

An 1100 lb horse needs about 10 gallons of water per day to ensure proper hydration and minimize digestion upsets.

Typically, horses have more digestive concerns during the winter months than during any other time of year. Probably because their bodies slow down due to the cold and is also because of a decrease in water intake. The decrease in water intake could be caused by a lack of supply, frozen water, cold water, or just not enough water being provided to them.

During the summer months, your horses’ water intake is greater for many reasons. The also get about 75% of their water intake from the grasses that they eat. During the winter, your horse still requires at least 10 gallons of water, but is now relying on you to supply it. Be aware that older horses and those with dental issues may not drink very cold water because of the discomfort it causes their teeth, again adding to the problem of insufficient water intake.

The question then becomes, how do we ensure our horses are drinking enough water to meet their needs during the winter? The use of an electrolyte to encourage horses to drink more may be an option. Other ideas include ensuring the horse has access to water at all times, use heaters in water troughs where freezing is an issue and check the water supply daily. Also, make yourself aware of the symptoms of a dehydrated horse and keep a close eye on them throughout the winter.

For more information about caring for your horse in the winter months, check out our past blogs:

https://www.hoof-it.com/blogs/hoof-it/blanketing-your-horse

https://www.hoof-it.com/blogs/hoof-it/horse_winter

https://www.hoof-it.com/blogs/hoof-it/does-your-horse-really-need-a-shelter

The height of a horse is properly measure in inches from the ground to the highest point of the withers. The withers being at the base of the main and top of the shoulder. That bony little bump that sits just under the front of your saddle horn or pommel (if you're riding English).

For the most accurate measurement, make sure your horse is on firm, level ground with their feet relatively even. Take a tape measure and stand on the end and bring it up to the highest point of the withers. Record the inches.

After you have found how many inches your horse is, you will need to convert the results from inches to "hands." Horse height is correctly referred to by a unit of measurement known as a "hand." One hand is equal to four inches. Take the number that you recorded and divide it by 4. For example, if your horse measured 58 inches and you divide that by 4, you get 14.5. The .5 means your horse was a half of a hand which translates to 2 inches. This means that your horse is 14.2 hands tall (14 hands plus 2 inches).
There are measuring devices on the market for horses that have hand and inches measurements marked on them.
Some devices are rigid poles with short crossbars toward the top that can be raised or lowered to rest on a horse's withers. These are very handy and give accurate measurements easily.
WHERE DID THE MEASURING TERM “HANDS” COME FROM?
The origin of measuring a horse this way is very old, but easy to understand.
In the past, people did not have the common measuring devices like tape measures to measure a horse. They used their hands. This would mean holding your hand out with your thumb pointed up and the distance between the edge of your palm at the bottom to the tip of your thumb at the top was about 4 inches. This obviously would vary depending on your hand size so somewhere along the way, the measuring unit of a hand was standardized to mean four inches.

Summer is here and what’s more fun than getting the kids together and playing games with the horses! Here are 8 cool games that will keep your kids off the couch and will get the horses moving too! You can also use these games if you give group riding lessons. It’s a great way to challenge your riding skills and have some fun at the same time!

Blind Man’s Tack Up
This is an excellent game for those rainy days. If you have a nice wide aisle that works best. Take one of your horses and put them on the cross ties or have someone hold them. Place all the tack around (bridle, saddle pad, saddle, girth, etc.) Have the children split up into teams of two so it wasn’t too overwhelming but you can try larger teams if you have a lot of kids playing. One person will be the eyes and the other will be blindfolded. When the timer starts the unblindfolded person will direct the blindfolded child from where the tack is, to putting it on the horse correctly. Once the horse is completely tacked up the timer stops. The team with the fastest time wins. This game is great because it makes kids use the proper name for equipment and work together.

Barrel Race
A great game if you’re short on horses. You just need two well-behaved understanding horses and at least one barrel. Split the kids into two teams and let the games begin! On a timer, the rider has to race around the barrel. The first time around could be in a half seat or walk there trot back. Or maybe they have to trot down and side pass around the barrel. Be creative and challenge your skills. Maybe try making some flash cards with instructions and one kid draws a card and tells the rider what they have to complete. The team that does the best or fastest wins!

Ride-A-Buck
For this game, each rider takes a dollar bill and places it on the inside of their thigh. Riders are then asked to ride around while doing different things – posting trot, canter, jump, etc. When there is only one rider left with the dollar still tucked under their leg they win all the cash! Technically they win all the money but if you had to shell out $20 for this game you may not want to play by those rules. Ride-a-Buck is a fun way to teach leg position, balance and overall improves leg stability. For a more difficult version try it bareback.

Around the World
Around the World isn’t the type of game that will take up the whole lesson but it will help with balance. Have a person holding the horse and have the rider start sitting normally, then they swing one leg all the way over so they are sitting side saddle, then they swing the leg over again so they are sitting backwards, then side saddle to the other side and back to forward. Have the rider do it in both directions. If you have a really easy-going horse and want to challenge the rider's balance, try walking the horse slowly for a challenge. This game can be very helpful for kids who are scared to ride and can help build confidence and balance.

Bucket Ball
All you need for this fun horse game is a bucket, a softball and a stand (a jump stand will work). Have the two riders line up at one end of the ring with the ball on the stand at the other end. Riders race to the ball, grab it, ride back and have to drop the ball in the bucket. The first one to get the ball in the bucket wins. If at any point the rider drops the ball they have to dismount, pick it up and get back on. The more advanced students really enjoy this game. A fun way to add in more riders is turn it into a relay. Have a few riders at different points where they have to transfer the ball to each other without dropping it.

Obstacle Course
Obstacle courses are a great way to challenge any rider. You can set up any number of obstacles and time your riders as they navigate through. You can add challenges through the obstacle course as well. For example, having to gallop through a shallow waterway or side passing through objects that you have lined up. Be creative and make it fun!

Egg and Spoon
This one will test the rider’s skills. Start out by giving the first rider the egg on the spoon. They then have to ride to the next participant and pass it over without dropping it. The team that gets to the end first with their egg wins. If a team member drops their egg they have to start over. Throw in some trotting, steering, half seat, anything to make it more challenging. You can even throw in some obstacles if you want to make it really challenging.

Tack Take Apart
This is another good rainy-day game. You only need one bridle or saddle per team. Take apart all the pieces, undo all the buckles, take off the bit, etc. Lay out the pieces and let the kids put it back together. The team that puts together their bridle or saddle first wins. This game really helps reinforce all parts of the tack and helps them remember what everything is called.

Simon Says
An old school classic with an equine twist. Simon Says is a perfect horse game for larger groups and helps keeps the students focused on you. Depending on the experience level you could do simple things like raise left hand, point to your horse’s withers or half seat. With more experienced riders’ commands, such has drop your left stirrup, pick up a canter or change direction all help improve balance, focus and overall skill. Be creative with this and challenge the riders’ abilities.

 

 

Does applying studs to your horseshoe's pain you? Who needs to be bent over and putting stress on your back right before you hop in the saddle. Save your body for the ride and use a HOOF-it Blacksmith Hoof Stand. 

 

    

If you have ever shown or groomed for horses showing on grass or muddy conditions you have shared in the time consuming and body stressful application of applying horseshoe studs; I think anyone who has ever used or removed studs would agree that this is not a fun or easy job for the horse or human.

Growing up in the '80s on the West Coast Hunter Jumper Circuit, we still had several shows on the grass. Having applied studs myself back then, I would have given my eye teeth to have had a tool like the Blacksmith Hoof Stand. There is nothing worse than being in a small grooming stall bent over trying to pull the cotton fill, then clean the threads, and then to apply the studs without stripping the threads. Doing this before each class is a time-consuming chore while bent over to hold a foot up that is just stressful not only to your lower back but uncomfortable for the horse as well.

This hoof stand takes the stress off of the horse and human. It gives the horse a steady, comfortable base to rest his foot while you work on the application without having the stress of holding the foot up. Hoof stands are not just for the Farrier but are a great tool to have in the barn or at the horse show/event. 

Special thanks to Olivia McDowell @RemarkableMare for sharing these photos with us.  

 

Looking for ways to manage your pastures naturally?  This blog post has a few suggested natural ways to help with weed control and pasture health. These methods will help keep your horse pastures in good condition throughout the season.  Read more....

Are you looking for an alternative horseshoe that does not require horseshoe nails? This Glue-on Horseshoe/hoof boot might be the answer. Our New Hoofstar glue on boot was released in August 2018 and has gotten an overwhelming response from our customers! In this blog, we will give you all the details and talk about why you should try them! This shoe is by far the easiest glue-on shoe I have ever used and I have used most kinds on the market today.

If you have ever considered using a composite horseshoe or wondered what they are used for, this article will help you determine if they are right for you.

Composite horseshoes have been around for quite some time and are typically made out of a blend of plastic and rubber materials. They provide your horse with a more cushioned and shock absorbing shoe that creates less impact on their feet and joints. They are a great alternative for horses that have foot problems and lameness issues because they provide therapeutic hoof support. When used in conjunction with a skilled horseshoer they can be very useful in correcting some serious hoof problems. 

Here are a few ways that these shoes can be used to benefit your horse.