Many of us dream of raising our own eventing superstar. Photo by Stuart Webster/Creative Commons.
Raising a young horse of my own was a dream of mine for many, many years. In my mind’s eye, I often romanticized the concept. What experience could be more amazing than picking out your next lifelong equine partner from the time that he or she is just a pint-sized weanling?
Flash forward to watching them grow, all the while working to build a relationship with your youngster before they even start under saddle. And after working with a professional to get started, there are still many enjoyable years of riding and competing to look forward to on a horse that has been truly yours almost right from the get go.
After acquiring not one but two young horses as foals, I can say firsthand that the experience isn’t easy. A lot of management, planning and training need to go into a young horse right from the start in order to give them the best possible foundation for the future.
While they do (many) stupid things, and sometimes it seems like forever until it’s time for babies to go under saddle,I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Even on their days of being extra stupid. Head over and visit The Horse.com to check out an article that provides some pointers on helping to give your youngster a strong start. You can find it here.
And then check out some of the other headlines from this week in Horse Health News, presented by Absorbine:
Sore Withers: While I look right at my horse’s withers every time I sit a saddle on his back, I often don’t give them much thought. But withers play a very important part in how your horse moves, and even a small problem can cause issues with performance. How well do you know your horse’s withers? Gain some additional insight into this important part of your horse and learn some of the trouble signs that you should be on the lookout for. [Practical Horseman Magazine]
Signs of Stress in Horses: Does anyone else have a horse that always seems to be stressed out about something? Anybody … anybody? Well head on over to The Horse.com and check out this infographic that shows a number of signs of stress that a horse can display, as well as ways to identify the factors that may be contributing to the stressed out behavior. [The Horse]
Are Your Horse Blankets Ready for Winter? Looking ahead to the cold winter months looming ahead, it’s a good idea to consider pulling out winter blankets now to check them over and make sure that they are in good and usable condition. Another point to consider is checking to ensure blankets still fit your horse. [Equus Magazine]
Pain Management in Horses: How familiar are you with recognizing signs of pain in your horse? And are you familiar with all of the therapy options when it comes to the topic of pain management? Check out this video by Dr. Anthony Bilkslager, which offers information on how to recognize signs of pain in horses and also discusses options for drug-related therapy. [The Horse]
