Photo by Jenni Autry.
A well-fitting saddle is essential to your horse’s health because a ill-fitted saddle could cause immediate and long term negative effects.
A saddle that pinches or is not properly flocked could cause discomfort during riding, and your horse may or may not let you know through misbehavior or difficult schooling sessions.
A saddle that slips or twists can affect the spine and muscle development. If left unattended, these problems can cause serious physical issues for your horse down the road.
In addition to your horse’s comfort, a poorly fitting or damaged saddle is a detriment to rider safety. Worn billets and defective stirrup bars could cause major equipment malfunctions at an inopportune time. Just think what could happen if your girth straps broke or the stirrup bar fell off while you were galloping across country?
Eventers are well aware of the importance of saddle fit and are fairly good about maintaining a relationship with a professional saddle fitter.
Saddles are a significant expense, however, and not everyone can afford custom gear; some horses and riders have to make do with a saddle that fits a little less well than a glove. However, there are certain saddle problems that must not be ignored. Read about seven common but unacceptable faults found in English saddles in this article from The Horse.
Buzz Off! The flies are out in full force and it’s difficult to stand in the barn aisle without noticing the incessant stomping. Every barn has its own methods for dealing with flies whether its fly traps/tape, fly predators, fly spray systems etc. Every owner also has “their” fly spray that they swear works better than the rest, plus some other interesting methods to repel the pests and sooth the itch. Horse and Hound rounded up 24 tips from its readers who shared some pretty creative ideas! [Horse and Hound]
An App for That: Equine Guelph Center at Canada’s University of Guelph recently launched a new app called the Horse Health Tracker that enables horse owners to track their horse’s health information. Assisi Animal Health recently reviewed the benefits of this app and suggested a number of other horse health-related applications for smartphones and tablets. [Yahoo]
Bossy’s Cookies: Bossy’s Cookies is a newborn foal who developed botulism, a potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin produced by bacteria. As neurological symptoms worsened and Bossy’s Cookies became weaker, her owners decided to drive her 400 miles to UC Davis for veterinary care. Within four weeks she was back to a bright and bouncy foal and expected to make a full recovery. Read her story and some important notes about botulism. [Jurga Report]
Temperature Tips: There are any number of reasons to take a horse’s temperature: unusual behavior, lack of appetite, inflammation, hives. You name it. A fever is a critical indicator of an animal’s health, so generally, if you are going to call the vet they are going to want to know if the horse has a temperature as they consider a possible diagnosis. Thankfully, taking a horse’s temperature is quick and easy. [Horse and Rider]
Upper Respiratory Disease: In fact, during the early stages of an upper respiratory tract infection, many horses’ only clinical sign is fever. Infectious upper respiratory disease is the equine equivalent of the common cold and it can quickly spread through the barn. Even though it’s summertime, go ahead and read more about the clinical signs, diagnostics, treatment and prevention of a horse “cold.” The information might come in handy one day! [The Horse]
