Barrel Racing

Barrel Racing, it’s believed, first saw competitive light in the state of Texas quite some years go and has gone on to become a very spectacular rodeo event.

Barrel racing is very much about cooperation between horse and rider and is a sort of “equal opportunity” sport.

The purses for the winners of barrel races are large and getting larger all the time and the cost of competing isn’t exactly cheap. Because of the competition and money involved, finding a good horse is very important to the competitors. A top of the line barrel horse can cost up to $50,000.

Though both boys and girls compete at the youth level and men compete in some amateur venues. In collegiate and professional ranks, it’s primarily a rodeo event for women. While the men roped or rode bulls and broncs, the women barrel raced.

Significantly, men are not eligible to compete in the barrel racing event at the National Rodeo Finals.

The principal of barrel racing

The idea is simple — stop the clock ASAP. Time is all that matters.

The equipment for barrel racing is basic; 3 barrels, 1 horse,

The three barrels are placed in a triangular pattern. The timing begins when the horse crosses the starting line and ends when the horse crosses the finishing line.

To begin the barrel race, the horse and rider will enter the arena at top speed, through the center entrance (or alley if in a rodeo arena).

In these timed rodeo events, the purpose is to make a run as fast as possible, while the time is being clocked either by an electronic eye, (a device using a laser system to record times), or by an arena attendant or judge who manually takes the time using a keen eye and a flag to let a clocker know when to hit the timer stop; though this last method is more commonly seen in local and non-professional events.

Ideal barrel racing distances

The barrels are set at specific distances:

Speed is what it is all about in this event. The riders steer their horses as close as they can to the barrels trying to shave precious seconds off the clock.

13 to 14 seconds is generally a winning margin in barrel racing events, but this will vary according to the size of the arena, as all rodeo arenas are not created equal.

The rider circles the first barrel counterclockwise, the second barrel clockwise, and the third barrel counterclockwise.

If a barrel is hit or knocked over, a five-second penalty is assessed. There are other time penalties for other infractions like circling a barrel in the wrong direction (called going “off pattern”).

There is no doubt that barrel racing is really a spectacular sport as you’ll see from the video.

Related posts:

1. Horse Racing Games
2. Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge.

Caring for a pony

I know that many horse owners started out the same way… loving and caring for ponies. They look back on their pony owning years and a distant far away expression comes over their faces. And, of course, there are few horse owners who don’t have a pony story, some good some not so good.

I must admit that I’m not one of these horse owners as I’ve never owned a pony and I started riding very late in life. This is not entirely true as I recall that in my early teens I took it upon myself to travel to Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens to have lessons and to ride around the Garden’s picturesque Tan. I guess that at this time I probably did dream of having my own pony or horse.

But on with my article about caring for your pony.

For the most parts ponies are tough. They seldom seem to be affected by the illnesses and maladies that seem to strike their larger equine counterparts. Their toughness is one of the reasons that a pony is so often a good match for a child.

If you live in northern climates and keep your pony outside during the frosty winter months there are a few things to do that will ensure your pony stays sound and healthy.

Snow can be dangerous for your pony. Each time your pony takes a step on the the snow he’ll start to gather snow in the bottom of his hooves. Each time your pony takes a step the snow becomes harder packed until your pony will be forced to walk on rounded balls of ice. Not only is walking  on the ice balls treacherous, but if your pony missteps or slips he can strain or twist a leg.

An injury like this could create a lameness that could plague your pony for months. Smearing petroleum jelly on the bottoms of your pony’s hooves every couple of days can help prevent the snow from gathering on the hooves of your pony.

My beautiful pony

Your pony will need dental work.

Regular dental work is as important to ponies and horses as it is to their human caretakers. If you notice that your pony is suddenly losing a great deal of weight, have your vet take a look at his teeth. If your vet notices any sharp edges on your ponies teeth make sure the teeth are floated. Going into the winter months it is especially important to make sure that your pony’s teeth are in good shape.

Your pony will need fresh water. Make sure your pony has plenty of access to good fresh water. If you don’t have a water heater for your buckets plan on breaking the ice several times a day.

Caring for a pony

Your pony will need shelter.

If your pony is kept outside he should have access to shelter. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a simple three sided lean-to facing away from the wind is enough. The most dangerous condition is if the weather is both wet and cold.

Many people tend to take the cold blustery winter months off, preferring to stay inside rather than ride. That doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with riding during the winter.  Riding through snowdrifts can be almost as good for conditioning as riding in a deep sand arena. It’s also invigorating and great fun for you, the rider!

(When writing this article, riding in the early morning snow reminds me of the dramatic scenes in the film, The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans. If you haven’t read the book, I suggest you do. It’s a great read!)

If you choose to work your pony it’s important to make sure he’s dry and free of sweat before you put him out in the field. A heavy dense winter coat can sometimes make this difficult. Some pony owners opt to body clip (remove all the long winter hair).

If your pony has been body clipped he shouldn’t be turned loose in the elements without some form of protection. So if you decide to keep your pony clipped and want to turn him out, be sure to use a warm turnout rug to protect your pony from the elements.

Finally, if you use a turnout blanket make sure the blanket it’s well fitted and clean. Check underneath the blanket for rubbing and chaffing on a daily basis.

I hope this article helps you keep your pony happy, warm and well right through this winter!

Recommended Resource:

 CLICK HERE to order this program.

Related posts:

1. Horse Care For Injuries And Wounds.
2. Why Join a Pony Club?
3. Horse Nutrition is a Vital Part of Horse Care.

Could this be Black Beauty?

I was looking for one of my old books a few days ago and came across my copy Black Beauty.  Memories came flooding back. Along with a book titled Tess and Tony, it was a book that I loved and read over and over.

For those who don’t know, and for those who’ve forgotten, Black Beauty is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell.

It was composed in the last years of Anna Sewell’s life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate bestseller, with Anna Sewell dying just five months after its publication. Fortunately this was long enough to see her first and only novel become a success. With fifty million copies sold, Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books of all time. While forthrightly teaching animal welfare, Black Beauty also teaches how to treat people with kindness, sympathy and respect. In my opinion, a book with character!

The following two paragraphs summarizing the Black Beauty plot I’ve borrowed from

Wikipedia.

Black Beauty Cover First Ed 1877

“The story is narrated in the first person as an autobiographical memoir told by a horse named Black Beauty—beginning with his carefree days as a colt on an English farm, to his difficult life pulling cabs in London, to his happy retirement in the country. Along the way, he meets with many hardships and recounts many tales of cruelty and kindness. Each short chapter recounts an incident in Black Beauty’s life containing a lesson or moral typically related to the kindness, sympathy, and understanding treatment of horses, with Sewell’s detailed observations and extensive descriptions of horse behavior lending the novel a good deal of verisimilitude.

“The book, Black Beauty, describes conditions among London horse-drawn taxicab drivers, including the financial hardship caused to them by high licence fees and low legally-fixed fares. A page footnote in some editions says that soon after the book was published, the difference between 6-day taxicab licences (not allowed to trade on Sundays) and 7-day taxicab licences (allowed to trade on Sundays) was abolished and the taxicab licence fee was much reduced.”

Sadly, Anna Sewell died of hepatitis or tuberculosis on 25 April 1878, only 5 months after the novel,  Black Beauty, was published, but she lived long enough to see its initial success. She was buried on 30 April 1878 in the Quaker burial-ground at Lammas near Buxton, Norfolk. In Norwich, England, not far from her resting place, is a wall plaque marking her resting place. Her birthplace in Church Plain, Great Yarmouth is now a museum.

For those who’ve not read Black Beauty, and for those who may wish to bring back memories and to read the book once again, I invite you to download the book by

CLICKING HERE

And for those who have not yet checked out my Review Post of Applied Posture Riding, I recommend that you do so now by

CLICKING HERE

Related posts:

1. A Black Beauty – For Character, Strength And Elegance, You Must Look At The Friesian Horse.

Middie, prior to euthanasia

But having recently experienced this situation, with the resultant demise of my true friend and companion, my Percheron Thorobred cross, Midnight (Middie), I felt it should be talked about. From my point-of-view it was important to do so as Middie’s euthanasia came on top of that of my ageing German Shepherd, Kimberley, and my two  beloved Smithfield sheep dogs, Smokey and Mae, during 2010.

No one ever wants to hear that an animal they love has to be put down. This is never good news, and it is something that you never want to think about. However, there are some things that you must decide, and there are some things that you have to think of when you are dealing with your horse and the idea of euthanasia.

The process of euthanasia and your horse is actually ending the life of your horse. Euthanasia is done in a very humane way, but it is not a method of curing your horse or giving it medicine. Euthanasia is a human way of ending your horse’s life.

Euthanizing your pet, any type of pet, including a horse, should be a decision that is made by you and your vet. Many people choose this method only when their animal is too sick or injured to be living comfortably, and when the idea of curing them is not an idea that holds much merit.

The majority of horses that are euthanized are either very old or very sick, or have problems with their feet and legs. Many horse owners use this as a humane way of ending their animal companion’s suffering, especially if there is little chance of recovery or cure, and especially if their animal is in pain.

Kimberley

No matter what kind of animal you have, euthanasia is a hard decision for you to make. Unfortunately, it is often something that has to be decided with little or no notice. If you know that your horse is getting old, or if you suspect that your horse is getting sick, you  might have some awareness that it may be coming. However, if your horse gets suddenly sick, or has an injury that is causing him great pain, you might have to make this decision very quickly (as it was in my case with Middie).

There are several things that you should keep in mind as you are

making this type of decision.

First of all, you have to put your horse and how your horse feels at the forefront of your decision. Listen to your vet and think about how your horse is feeling, whether or not he’s suffering, and what his chances of recovery are. If your vet suggests a treatment that you think might work, be sure that you ask the vet about your horse’s state of pain while the treatment is going on.

If the cure is going to cause your horse to be in a lot of pain, and it isn’t a cure that is even going to work for sure, it might not be something you want to do. This is where it will take all your courage to make what you consider to be the right decision. Bear in mind that your vet may advise you, but he and she will NOT make the decision for you.

Footnote: Should you be wondering what happened to Middie, I’ll keep it brief. On doing my normal property rounds one morning I found him, head drooping and wet with sweat by one of the gates. He was suffering! Forunately my vet lives an an adjoining property and came instantly … it was a Sunday. After a thorough check she looked doubtful but instructed me to keep him on his feet and get water into him. Said she’d be back in two hours. On her return she said that his gut had just stopped working, they could operate to try to find why, but as he was into his twenties advised against it. So I made the fateful decision.  My vet gave me big hugs of sympathy and I dissolved into tears.

No related posts.

yourself horse training program .

Parelli horse training

The Parelli horse training program is named after the founder, Pat Parelli.  He developed the program over his twenty five years of training horses.  It’s said that the reason he developed the Parelli horse training program is due to the fact that he believed through giving deeper information with regards to training horses, people can release their potential when it comes to training horses.

The Parelli horse training program is all about the development of the self.  The first 3 phases are made specifically to teach the human.  After that, the next level is all about the horse.  This is the part where a hands-on approach is needed because it’s more detailed.  There are ten levels to work through before you can say you’ve achieved the mastery of a human to horse relationship.

Parelli horse training Level One.

Level one is where trust and respect is built.  It is made to help the owners or riders to create a positive impact on the horses.  This first level will also teach you how you can communicate with your horse and teach some things that your horse needs to understand while he is being ridden

Parelli horse training Level Two.

In the second level, you’ll start to develop your independence and confidence with the horses, learning how to read your horse’s behavior in advance and utilizing psychology to cause the horse to do those things you want him him to do.

Parelli horse training Level Three.

Level three is about polishing those things you’ve taught your horse during the first two levels.  This time, your communication with your horse is more subtle with accurate and more précised reactions asked of your horse.  This level is about finesse and grace.  You’ll also need to teach your horse the vertical flexion and know its benefits.

Parelli horse training Level Four.

Level four is for those who want to achieve a higher level of performance in regard to horsemanship, difficult horses, young horses and different horses.

The levels five to ten are about unity.  The fifth level is the start of having a background on how to achieve unity.

The next four levels are made for achieving true unity.  The true unity is what drives most dedicated horsemen.  Having a physical, emotional and as well as mental unity with the horse is something rare and very special.

The final level is the mastery of true unity.  This is a lifetime task because it can’t be achieved in just a few years of training.  This is a continuous process that takes a lot of time before your horse masters the unity with nature and as well as with you as the rider.

It is the objective of the Parelli horse training program to achieve this.

Recommended Resources:  Natural Horsemanship Training Videos … CLICK HERE

Paperback:  Raise Your Hand if You Love Horses: Pat Parelli’s Journey
from Zero to Hero … CLICK HERE

Related posts:

1. Training Your Young Horse Personally Or Letting Nature Do Your Horse Training For You
2. Clicker Training For Your Horse Made Easy

As a horse owner, it’s important that you have a basic understanding of horse anatomy. Providing the best possible care for you horse requires that you learn as much as you can about their physical needs. Having knowledge of how your horse’s body works not only helps you care for your horse better, it helps you recognize when there’s a problem that may need a veterinarian’s attention.

Many people wonder about horse’s sleep patterns, and how it is possible that they sleep standing up. Horse anatomy is such that lying down can be stressful to a horse and puts pressure on the internal organs because of the horse’s body weight. While horse’s will lie down for one or two hours occasionally to get deep sleep, if you see your horse lying down for a longer period, or if it doesn’t seem to want to stand up, you should contact a veterinarian immediately. It could very well be an emergency situation.

Horse’s feet and legs must be specially tended to and taken care of. Their legs are long and thin, which gives them speed to escape predators but also makes their legs vulnerable to damage or breaking. Broken legs are often life threatening for horses, because, as mentioned above, they are unable to lie down for long periods. This makes it difficult to keep weight off a broken limb and allow it time to heal properly. As a horse owner, you’ll want to make sure that your horse’s feet and legs are well cared for, that hooves are clean and shoes are well attached. You don’t want there to be any problems that could cause the horse to stumble and break a leg.

Your horse’s skin and coat also require appropriate care. Often, if an animal is ill, one of the first signs you’ll have will be shedding hair that lacks luster. Protecting the skin and preventing lesions also help to keep your horse healthy. A horse should be groomed each day, especially if it’s been ridden. As you brush your horse, look for signs of fly bites, scratches or cuts that may need tending. Catching any potential problems early is the best way to keep them from turning serious.

Finally, horses have a well developed circulatory and respiratory system. Their ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to their muscles is what gives them the ability to run for long distances without tiring as a human might. However, this ability doesn’t mean you never need to give your horse a break! As you ride or exercise your horse, keep an eye out for signs of exhaustion or over-heating. Following these tips and you may be able to avoid costly veterinary visits.

Related posts:

1. Colic in horses ~ how to understand and cope with it.
2. Plants Poisonous to Horses.

In this Post I’d like to briefly talk about some of the different kinds of horse rugs. I’m sure you’ll be aware of the importance of horse rugs to provide protection for your horse in varying conditions, both inside and outside his stable. You can select the blankets you need from a whole range of different kinds, each serving a specific purpose. These include …

The stable rug.

As its name indicates, stable rugs are used to keep your horse warm and comfortable when he’s in his stable. Depending on your your taste, you can choose between light, medium and heavy with each providing your horse with a different degree of warmth. You may wish to vary these to cater for varying times of the year. Also you may wish to use a neck cover to complement the rug.

I’d suggest that once you’ve started to use a rug at night, you don’t leave it off, even on milder nights to prevent your horse from catching a chill. Preferably wait until the weather allows you to leave it off permanently.

All-in-one rug.

These are usually completely waterproof and provide protection for both your horse’s neck and body. They’re mostly medium-weight and you can use these in order to keep your horse clean and dry when he’s outside. I should mention that some horses resent a head cover at first. If this is the case with your horse give him a little time to get used to it before turning him out.

The sweat sheet.

This is mesh rug and can be used after a hard workout to provide a little warmth against the cooling effect of sweating while still permitting the sweat to evaporate. A sweat sheet can be used on your horse, secured by a roller, both in the stable and out in the pasture.

The exercise sheet.

The exercise sheet is fitted under your horse’s saddle to provide warmth, if he has been clipped, during slow work. The sheet covers his hindquarters but leave the shoulders free for movement. If you’re going to be doing fast work an exercise sheet shouldn’t be used as it will stop sweat from evaporating causing overheating.

Fly rug or fly sheet.

It’s also known as a summer sheet. Typically this type of rug or sheet protects your horse from biting flies and insects when he’s outside in the pasture. This rug is not waterproof and is usually made of a fine mesh material that is actually impenetrable  to insects. Normally the surcingles, or straps, go from front to back, crossing under your horse’s belly, to hold down the light material in the wind.

Checking your horse when he’s wearing a rug and turned out.

It’s important that you do this. I suggest that you keep an eye out on your horse when he’s turned out just in case the rug you’re using slips out of place. I know that this does happen because my partner’s horse has a habit of playfully biting at my horse’s rug pulling it to one side.

If your horse’s rug does slip, it’s best to take it right off and then put it back on. If you just pull it back into place, you’ll rub your horse’s coat the wrong way causing discomfort. I recommend that you always tie your horse up when you remove  and put on his rug. If you don’t you may find that your horse will gallop off with the rug half on!

Related posts:

1. Equestrian Wear – Tips On The Use Of Horse Rugs, Boots, and Bandages.

 Once again, as a change of pace for my Posts, this time I’m talking about a “horse game”.

Lucinda Green is a record holder in the Badminton Horse Trials. She won the trials for an astounding six times! What’s more, she rode six different horses during those trials! Isn’t that just amazing? Now, you can share her experience in the thrills of being an equestrian through Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge.

The game challenges players on three fronts: cross country, show jumping and dressage. The ultimate goal of the game is for you to win all four-star events in Adelaide, Badminton, Burghley, and Kentucky. Before you get ahead of yourself, however, you need to cover the basics.

The game starts with you as a young two-star equestrian taken under the wings of Lucinda Green. Full customization of the character allows you to create a rider that truly matches who you are or, at least, who you perceive yourself to be.

You also get to take care of your own horse. This is a very important aspect of the game, as your success depends on the amount of work you put into training and caring for the horse. It must be fed, watered, brushed, among other things. You also need to make sure that its attributes are distributed properly so that you will be able to grab the prize every competition.

There are four “stats” or attributes that you need to balance. They are: Speed, Stamina, Jumping, Agility, and Trust. Each person will be able to develop a horse differently by simply adjusting the allotment of stats.

Lucinda Green teaches you and trains you until you can compete in the four-star competitions. At this level, you will pit your character in various contests against the biggest names in riding today.

Graphically, the game is stunning. That is, if you compare it to other equestrian games today. The customizability of the character is also a nice touch. However, the gameplay is nothing revolutionary. The game just does not push any gaming boundaries.

It is less tedious than other games, which means you can enjoy yourself more and take care of the details less. After all, gamers who buy equestrian games are more interested in the competition rather on the simulated horse-care lessons, right? The life of the game is also quite good: you are able to enjoy the different challenges and you don’t end up feeling a bit disappointed because of the length.

However, the repetitive motions that one must go through in order to compete and the actions involved in taking care of the horse can be very dull at times. The menu is also quite clumsy and this means that you might have a hard time navigating around the controls.

Not many people are bound to buy equestrian games. It just doesn’t seem like a genre that appeals to the common couch soldier/strategist/athlete. Equestrian challenge attempts to change this through lots and lots of eye candy. However, its sticking to realism doesn’t really help in making it more popular with gamers. Even a little bit of imagination could surely have helped this game.

The bottom line is this: Equestrian Challenge is a great game. In fact, it’s superior to any equestrian games available today. However, if you are not fond of the sport, you might not see enough in this game to try it out. You should get this game if you love horses, but if you are the typical point-and-shoot guy, you might want to skip it.

Related posts:

1. Equestrian Bridles: 11 Tips On Bridling Your Horse.
2. Horse Racing Games
3. Equestrian Wear – Tips On The Use Of Horse Rugs, Boots, and Bandages.

Caring for your horse’s hooves is a important part of maintaining your horses overall health.  If at all possible depending on your day’s routine you should check your horses hooves daily. At the very least, two to three times per week.  You’ll find you become very familiar with what is normal and what is not, and to notice any problems that may be starting.  To help you with this checking, here’s a simple checklist for you to refer to in your daily grooming routine.

1.    As you approach your horse make sure the symmetry of his hooves is close. They don’t have to be exactly equal, but very close to the same size and shape.

2.    Then carefully look for defects in the wall and coronary bands.  Pick up each hoof, run your hand over the outside of the wall to feel for defects. You can use the exact same procedure for the coronary band, then squeeze it gently, these two procedures will also show tender spots and any moisture bearing areas.

3.    Carefully inspect the sole.  Check the coloring in each hoof.  They should be the same in color.  A clearly delineated dark spot indicates a bruise or puncture wound that my need veterinary attention.

4.    Next,look and compare your horse’s frogs.  The two front hooves should be similar in size and shape and the same with the rear hooves.  You should lightly press each frog with your hoof pick, in most areas, with the exception of desert areas. They should be slightly spongy.

5.    If your horse is shod, grasp the shoe and see if it wiggles. If it does, check for missing clinches. Should any shoe be loose you may choose to remove the shoe before your horse loses it on his own with the possible result of taking a chunk of his hoof with it.

If you keep a good close eye on your horses hooves, you can avoid a lot of issues by catching the problem before it gets severe. I’d recommend you work into your regular hoof cleaning a few simple steps. Use your hoof pick from heel to toe.  If it is tightly packed you may need to loosen it up a bit before it’s removed.  Once all the debris is removed, check all the areas of the hoof and make sure there is not a bad odor as this is a clear cut sign of thrush. Also make sure there are no pebbles or stones lodged anywhere, even under the shoe.

Your horses hooves should exhibit a natural glossy luster of the hoof wall.  Plus a smooth uniform surface free of cracks, rings, dishes and flares and a concave sole that touches the shoe. If you have all of that, you can be pretty sure that your horses hooves are in good health.

I recently came across an excellent DVD that’s ideal for the young ones on a wet day inside. So I thought I’d pass on the following review and a link to get yourself a copy.

Saddle Club – Horse Crazy – The New Movie DVD

“I really thought this movie was good. To be sure, it is a children’s movie, specifically for young horse-crazy girls. There are a few boys that ride in it also. Very age appropriate fare for your stable/barn kids to watch and enjoy over and over again, it follows several story lines all related to life at the barn for a group of girls and boys that own and work with the horses there. As a grown up horse-crazy woman now, I enjoyed it with my 4 year old daughter and certainly would have loved for this series to be around when I was that age! Two thumbs up for young entertainment with no veiled adult-type references, no skimpy clothes, and no bad language, just good stories that are fun and horse-centric”.

Click HERE for a link to buy.

Related posts:

1. Horse hoof care ~ this is one of the primary responsibilities you have as a horse owner!
2. How To Pick Up Your Horse’s Hoof
3. Grooming Tips For Horses ~ A Major Part of Easy Horse Care.

Your horse at leisure.

Fact! Your horse needs periods of rest from the work you do with him, just as you need rest from your work. You could do this by letting him loose in the pasture, ideally with one or more friends, for an hour or so each day. Or perhaps putting him out on occasions for a few days or even weeks during your busy periods when you really can’t spend the time riding.

A precaution though, it’s not a good idea to suddenly change your horse’s routine from strenuous  and regular work to a pasture rest. Doing this could affect his digestive and muscular systems, both of which need to adapt to the change for at least a week. As you’ll be aware, your horse will thrive on pasture grass which he’ll get when you put him out, with the possible exception of thoroughbreds which do find it difficult to adapt. So what can you expect your horse to do with his leisure time?

Play.

Young horses learn their communication skills from play. Just as you probably did when you were a youngster, they have mock fights. And really enjoy physical contact with other horses. This is where it’s desirable to have a friend/s for your horse, because if you don’t you must try to provide all the social contact yourself.

Sunbathing.

When your horse is in the paddock during his leisure time you’ll find he lies down quite frequently, especially when it’s sunbathing weather. When he’s relaxing in this way you may walk up him and think he’s unconscious. But just make a sudden noise an you’ll find he’s awake enough to be aware of possible danger.

Rolling.

This happens not just in leisure time, he may roll if he has irritation from drying sweat  commonly just after being untacked, or even just because he feels like it. It’s interesting to note that horses in a herd usually share the same spot for rolling. They’ll normally return to the same spot to roll every time. If you observe your horse blowing on the ground with his nose, he’ll be checking to see that his rolling spot is free from debris and that there’s enough dirt for comfort.

If you’re watching your horse you can tell if he going to roll when does things like blowing the dirt with his nose, pacing in circles (which is what my horse, Midnight, normally does), pawing at the ground, or possibly bending a little at the knee or leaning to one side. Of these three activities, rolling is the most beneficial for your horse. So let’s look at why horses roll …

Why do horses roll?

On the positive side, horses roll for pleasure. But on the negative side, they also sometimes roll when they have abdominal discomfort or pain. However, if you regularly observe your horse both before and after he has a roll, you should have little trouble in telling which kind of a roll it is.

Rolling is good for a horse as it involves almost all of the muscles of the body. It’s also a good indicator of his health. You’ll find that a healthy horse will roll vigorously from one side to the other without standing up. Whereas a horse in poor condition is more inclined to roll on one side and then get up before going down again to roll on the other side. Bear in mind, though, that a horse’s ability to roll right over from one side to the other is somewhat dependent on his age and his body structure.

In conclusion, one very positive way to get your horse to roll is to give him a good shampoo!

No related posts.