Interesting and useful

Grooming your white horse

White horses are lovely to look at, with their gleaming coats and snowy manes and tails. The reality is, white horses, whether they are greys that are becoming whiter as they age, or actually white, are rarely as picturesque as we see at the movies, at shows and in photographs. Grooming a white horse takes a bit more effort than grooming a bay, chestnut or brown horse. Dirt, grass stains and manure stains can stain the coats of white, or almost white horses. This staining can leave them looking yellowed or dingey all over, and sometimes, if a horse has laid in mud or manure, there may be very stained patches that are hard to remove.

Taking care of your horse in winter

The vets say that the majority of horses can cope very well in cold weather as long as natural or man-made shelter is provided from the rain and wind. The digestion of fibre such as hay or haylage generates heat which keeps them warm from the inside out and native ponies grow their very own rugs so shouldn’t need to wear one at all! Here are some top tips on looking after horses and ponies in snowy conditions.

Rewarding your horse

Is there a being on this earth that doesn't appreciate praise? I don't think so. I know I like to receive attention for a job well done. It certainly looks like my dogs do. And, to a certain extent, I believe horses understand praise too. I do not believe that horses have any inherent wish to please us, so that makes it doubly important to understand the difference between treats and rewards, and that rewarding a horse effectively takes some skill.

Why do horses sleep standing

All it takes is sleeping on one international flight to convince anyone that lying down is the only way to get a good night’s sleep. However, not all mammals sleep lying down. Horses, despite the tiring look of their heavy, long bodies, actually do most of their sleeping standing up — and it’s more than a quirk of the species – there’s a scientific reason why.

5 best apps for horse owners

As a horse owner and enthusiast, you may not have realized there was an app for that, but there is! Actually there are so many equine-related apps available that we decided to not bombard you with all of them at once. These 5 Apps for Horse Owners are available on iTunes, stay tuned for our list of Android apps available on Google Play.

What's the best age of your first horse?

The general consensus is that new riders and horse owners will be safer with an older horse to learn on. Riding coaches and instructors often have a few older horses they know they can put any beginner on for a safe ride. These older horses are the type that a beginner will want to take home and start learning to ride, handle and care for. Younger horses may not be as suitable.

Catching your horse in the field

Horses that are kept out in a field or pasture will need to be brought in when they are ridden, shod, groomed - or for many other things. But this can sometimes be a problem if the horse doesn't want to come inside. This is a common problem for anybody who owns a horse or who has worked with them. It can be frustrating and time-consuming. But the good news is that the problem can be easily overcome.

How to hande a lazy horse

I hopefully don't have to explain what a lazy horse is. Lazy horses exist everywhere, and they are often found in riding schools. Because a lazy horse generally can't be bothered to do anything if it gets upset, they are commonly relegated to carrying beginners. Because of this, many riders grow up wanting to graduate from the lazy horses to the hot, excitable and 'forward' ones. There develops the feeling that lazy horses are easy. In some cases, I have even seen people choose the most forward and excitable horse they can find because they honestly think it makes them look like a better rider.

What it takes for your horse to be happy

The first moments when you enter into your horse's line of sight should give you the first and most important flag when reading your horse’s emotional attachment to you. The easiest of all signs-if your horse is out to pasture, do they see you? And most importantly, what is the body language they give off? If they run right to you- you're doing something right. If they steer clear, you might need to take a second look at how you deal with your horse.

The horse and its rider: size matters!

One of the most common questions About.com Horses readers ask is: am I too big for my horse? The size of the horse should be proportional to the rider, but weight alone is not the only factor to consider. Height and riding skill come into play when it comes to making the horse's job easier and the rider feel secure and comfortable. So, in some cases, a smaller horse will do just fine with a heavier rider. Conversely, a smaller rider can be more difficult to carry for a larger horse, make a larger horse's back sore and create leg soundness problems.