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Sunday, January 2, 2011
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
How to Choose the Best Blanket for Your Horse this Winter
Here is a quick and easy guide to blanketing your horse this autumn/winter. If it is sunny and calm, add 10°F to what is shown in the guide.If your horse is clipped...
60-65°F -- Turnout sheet50-60°F -- Sheet over lightweight liner
40-50°F -- Midweight insulated turnout rug, or turnout sheet over stable blanket
30-40°F -- Heavy turnout rug, midweight rug over stable sheet or fleece liner, ot turnout sheet over stable blanket plus liner
20-30°F -- Heavy rug over fleece liner, or medium rug over quilted liner or stable blanket
Below 20°F -- Heavy rug over quilted liner or stable blanket, or midweight rug over quilted lliner or stable blanket plus fleece.
If your horse is NOT clipped (meaning he/she has a full coat)...
50-55°F -- Turnout sheet
40-50°F -- Sheet over lightweight liner
30-40°F -- Midweight insulated turnout rug, or turnout sheet over stable blanket
20-30°F -- Heavy turnout rug, midweight rug over stable sheet or fleece liner, ot turnout sheet over stable blanket plus liner
10-20°F -- Heavy rug over fleece liner, or medium rug over quilted liner or stable blanket
Below 10°F -- Heavy rug over quilted liner or stable blanket, or midweight rug over quilted lliner or stable blanket plus fleece.
40-50°F -- Sheet over lightweight liner
30-40°F -- Midweight insulated turnout rug, or turnout sheet over stable blanket
20-30°F -- Heavy turnout rug, midweight rug over stable sheet or fleece liner, ot turnout sheet over stable blanket plus liner
10-20°F -- Heavy rug over fleece liner, or medium rug over quilted liner or stable blanket
Below 10°F -- Heavy rug over quilted liner or stable blanket, or midweight rug over quilted lliner or stable blanket plus fleece.
Despite following these rules, it is still important to change or adjust your horse's blanket every day whether the weather changes or not to avoid sores due to rubbing. Also, make sure you check your horse to make sure he/she isn't too hot or too cold.
If your horse is not warm enough, his ears will be cool to your touch, exposed hair coat will stand on end, his/her body will be tense, he/she will be shivering, and his/her will be tail clamped. If he/she is t
oo warm, he/she will be restless, and will have sweat under his/her blanket(s).
*These guidelines first appeared in the September 2001 issue of Practical Horseman magazine. For more on blanket design features that help your horse's blanket fit his individual conformation, see the November 2003 issue.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Got Bots?
With the cool autumn weather comes new autumn pests, namely bots. Bots are the equine representatives of a specialized family of flies that of spend the cold winter months within the stomach of horses.
How do they get there you ask? Adult female bot flies glue their eggs to the hair shafts of specific body parts of the horse. The eggs on the hair coat are stimulated to hatch by a combination of warmth, moisture, and carbon dioxide. All of these are supplied whenever a horse nuzzles its lower legs or grooms the coat of another horse during which the larvae attach themselves to the lips or tongue of the horse.
After molting into the second larval phase, the bots are swallowed, and they spend the winter in the horse's stomach.
Come spring, the bots detach themselves from their equine host, and enter their new environment via the horse's manure.
So how do you get rid of bots?
There are several methods to reduce or eliminate bots on or in your horse. The first and most labor intensive method is to try and remove the eggs from the coat. You can do this by using fine combs, razors, rough bot-removal blocks, sandpaper, or by scrubbing with warm water or coating the eggs with petroleum jelly.
The second method is to use wormer. Ivermectin and moxidectin are the only two ingredients that remove larval bots from the stomach effectively, and should be administered after the first hard frost of the season. This is best time because the horse will not ingest any more bots that late in the season, so the wormer will likely remove all of them.
Have any other effective bot removal techniques? We'd love to hear about them; feel free to post a comment here or on our Facebook page.
How do they get there you ask? Adult female bot flies glue their eggs to the hair shafts of specific body parts of the horse. The eggs on the hair coat are stimulated to hatch by a combination of warmth, moisture, and carbon dioxide. All of these are supplied whenever a horse nuzzles its lower legs or grooms the coat of another horse during which the larvae attach themselves to the lips or tongue of the horse. After molting into the second larval phase, the bots are swallowed, and they spend the winter in the horse's stomach.
Come spring, the bots detach themselves from their equine host, and enter their new environment via the horse's manure.
So how do you get rid of bots?
There are several methods to reduce or eliminate bots on or in your horse. The first and most labor intensive method is to try and remove the eggs from the coat. You can do this by using fine combs, razors, rough bot-removal blocks, sandpaper, or by scrubbing with warm water or coating the eggs with petroleum jelly.
The second method is to use wormer. Ivermectin and moxidectin are the only two ingredients that remove larval bots from the stomach effectively, and should be administered after the first hard frost of the season. This is best time because the horse will not ingest any more bots that late in the season, so the wormer will likely remove all of them.
Have any other effective bot removal techniques? We'd love to hear about them; feel free to post a comment here or on our Facebook page.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Equestrian Clearance: Making Horseback Riding Affordable for Everyone!
We know that it can sometimes be a challenge to find quality equestrian products at a great price, but we just made it easier! Shop our Online Outlet today!
Monday, September 13, 2010
3 Basic Hoof Care Tips
With all the dry weather we have been having lately, it is important to pay close attention to your horses hooves. Here is some good information on hoof care to help you along the way--even when the dry weather subsides:
1) Use Your Hoofpick Often:
Horses' hooves should be picked daily. In addition, you should clean your horse's hooves before and after you ride. Keeping your horse's hooves clean will prevent lameness and thursh.
2) Keep the Moisture in Your Horse's Hooves Regulated:
When conditions are wet, apply a sealant such as Tough Stuff or Cornucrescine Daily Hoof Barrier. These products will prevent the horses hoof from absorbing excess moisture as well as ammonia, urine and urea.
According to Carr Day & Martin:
"When the hoof is exposed to excessive amounts of water, moisture molecules flood the hoof structures.
The hoof swells to accommodate the water, which then weakens the hydrogen bonds that form the springlike and zig-zag structures. The weakened hydrogen bonds cause the shock absorbing springs to become stretched, elongated and unable to re-coil.
The hoof structure is therefore changed and ceases to act as a shock absorber. Hooves in this state may look surprisingly healthy as any minor cracks tend to disappear due to horn expansion. However, the horn is weakened and prone to being soft and crumbly. It is not surprising therefore that shoes are easily lost, especially in heavy-going."
When conditions are dry, apply a moisturizer such as Cornucrescine Daily Hoof Moisturiser or Wunder Hoof. This will give the hoof the extra moisture that it needs to prevent cracking and splitting.
This is especially important if the environment quickly changes from wet to dry. According to Carr & Day Martin:
"Rapid removal of moisture from the hoof does not give the spiral and zig-zag structures enough time to re-align. Hydrogen bonds stretch, break and are unable to reattach and realign, so the structure collapses.
This damage can cause the horn to become dry, brittle and often exhibit cracking."
3) Schedule Your Horse for Routine Farrier Visits Every 6-8 Weeks:
Domestic horses in light use are not subjected to such severe living conditions as horses living in the wild, and hence their feet grow faster than they can be worn down. Without regular trimming, their feet can get too long, eventually splitting, chipping and cracking, which can lead to lameness.
Depending on your horse's needs, he or she may need shoes. Horses who are doing a lot of work or working on hard ground will need to be shod. Some horses with weak hoof walls, flat soles or other problems might need shoes even if they’re not working.
1) Use Your Hoofpick Often:
Horses' hooves should be picked daily. In addition, you should clean your horse's hooves before and after you ride. Keeping your horse's hooves clean will prevent lameness and thursh.
2) Keep the Moisture in Your Horse's Hooves Regulated:
When conditions are wet, apply a sealant such as Tough Stuff or Cornucrescine Daily Hoof Barrier. These products will prevent the horses hoof from absorbing excess moisture as well as ammonia, urine and urea.
According to Carr Day & Martin:
"When the hoof is exposed to excessive amounts of water, moisture molecules flood the hoof structures.
The hoof swells to accommodate the water, which then weakens the hydrogen bonds that form the springlike and zig-zag structures. The weakened hydrogen bonds cause the shock absorbing springs to become stretched, elongated and unable to re-coil.
This is especially important if the environment quickly changes from wet to dry. According to Carr & Day Martin:
"Rapid removal of moisture from the hoof does not give the spiral and zig-zag structures enough time to re-align. Hydrogen bonds stretch, break and are unable to reattach and realign, so the structure collapses.
This damage can cause the horn to become dry, brittle and often exhibit cracking."
3) Schedule Your Horse for Routine Farrier Visits Every 6-8 Weeks:
Domestic horses in light use are not subjected to such severe living conditions as horses living in the wild, and hence their feet grow faster than they can be worn down. Without regular trimming, their feet can get too long, eventually splitting, chipping and cracking, which can lead to lameness.
Depending on your horse's needs, he or she may need shoes. Horses who are doing a lot of work or working on hard ground will need to be shod. Some horses with weak hoof walls, flat soles or other problems might need shoes even if they’re not working.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Vaccination Schedule and Guide for Horses
With the autumn right around the corner, it's time to get ready for vaccinations. While the easiest way to have your horse vaccinated is to call your vet, it is also the most expensive. For that reason, you may choose to administer vaccinations yourself, so we have provided a vaccination guide to help you decide what you need and when.
For Hobby Horses, the recommended schedule goes as follows:
Spring: Prestige V or Encevac TC-4
Fall: Prestige II
For Performance Horses, we recommend
Spring: Prestige V or Prestige V+VEE
Summer: Prestige II
Fall: Prestige II
Winter: Prestige II
For Mares, we recommend
Pre-breeding/Spring: Prestige V
5 Months: Prodigy
7 Months: Prodigy
9 Months: Prodigy
10 Months: Prestige V
For Foals, we recommend:
6 Months: Prestige V
7 Months: Prestige V
9 Months: Prestige V
12 Months: Prestige V
Always check with your vet to be sure that you have chosen the program that is right for you, and don't forget to have your vet out for Spring check-ups and Rabies, Potomac Horse Fever, and West Nile prevention.
Not sure how to vaccinate your horse? Here is a step by step injection guide:
1. Choose the injection site
a. Neck Region: most frequently used. Must hit the safe area of muscle which is BELOW the large ligament (ligamentum nuchae) and ABOVE the cervical vertebrae (neck bones). Also, avoid the jugular area.
b. Hindleg or Hamstring Region: easy to reach, but may incite kicking.
c. Chest or Pectoral Region: easy to reach, but may incite striking or cause swelling.
2. Use a 20-22 gauge, 1.5 inch needle.
3. Use a new, sterile needle for each dose of vaccine and for each horse.
4. Keep needle sheathed until immediately before use.
5. Disinfect skin with alcohol. Tap skin a few times and thrust needle in quickly, deep into the muscle, straight all the way to the hub.
6. Carefully attach syringe to inserted needle. Pull back plunger slightly to insure you are not in a blood vessel. Blood will appear if you are. If so, withdraw and try again. If not, administer the vaccine.
7. After withdrawing needle, massage area for 30 seconds after injection to distribute vaccine and help avoid soreness.
8. Allow horse to rest and get free exercise for 2-3 days following vaccination, during which time horse may experience slight soreness and lethargy.
*This post is based on the Safe-Vac program by Intervet.
For Hobby Horses, the recommended schedule goes as follows:
Spring: Prestige V or Encevac TC-4
Fall: Prestige II
For Performance Horses, we recommend
Spring: Prestige V or Prestige V+VEE
Summer: Prestige II
Fall: Prestige II
Winter: Prestige II
For Mares, we recommend
Pre-breeding/Spring: Prestige V
5 Months: Prodigy
7 Months: Prodigy
9 Months: Prodigy
10 Months: Prestige V
For Foals, we recommend:
6 Months: Prestige V
7 Months: Prestige V
9 Months: Prestige V
12 Months: Prestige V
Always check with your vet to be sure that you have chosen the program that is right for you, and don't forget to have your vet out for Spring check-ups and Rabies, Potomac Horse Fever, and West Nile prevention.
Not sure how to vaccinate your horse? Here is a step by step injection guide:
a. Neck Region: most frequently used. Must hit the safe area of muscle which is BELOW the large ligament (ligamentum nuchae) and ABOVE the cervical vertebrae (neck bones). Also, avoid the jugular area.
b. Hindleg or Hamstring Region: easy to reach, but may incite kicking.
c. Chest or Pectoral Region: easy to reach, but may incite striking or cause swelling.
2. Use a 20-22 gauge, 1.5 inch needle.
3. Use a new, sterile needle for each dose of vaccine and for each horse.
4. Keep needle sheathed until immediately before use.
5. Disinfect skin with alcohol. Tap skin a few times and thrust needle in quickly, deep into the muscle, straight all the way to the hub.
6. Carefully attach syringe to inserted needle. Pull back plunger slightly to insure you are not in a blood vessel. Blood will appear if you are. If so, withdraw and try again. If not, administer the vaccine.
7. After withdrawing needle, massage area for 30 seconds after injection to distribute vaccine and help avoid soreness.
8. Allow horse to rest and get free exercise for 2-3 days following vaccination, during which time horse may experience slight soreness and lethargy.
*This post is based on the Safe-Vac program by Intervet.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Weird Stories for a Weird Saddle Shop
In honor of making it into Weird N.J., we want to hear your weirdest/funniest horse-related stories.
Post your stories here:
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