Horses and People | The best for your horse

Monitoring Body Condition

According to recent studies, horse owners are missing the early signs of their horses and ponies becoming overweight until they are dangerously obese. This means they are putting their horses at risk and making weight loss programs more difficult

Plastic Shoes: Better than barefoot?

It’s an iconic sound alright; a metal shod horse travelling on hard ground. Some would say it’s music to a horseman’s ears. But what you’re hearing is high frequency vibration; the tiny portion of vibrating energy that escapes the impact zone and disperses through the air. Most of the vibration, however, travels into the hoof. So what’s the big deal about a little bit of vibration?

Equine Sleep Deprivation Study

Sleep is essential for life. The quality and quantity of a horse’s sleep directly affects their health and well-being. However, sleep is rarely considered as part of a horse’s management plan. But a new study has found that poor management or physical problems that discourage horses from lying down can lead to horses becoming sleep deprived and at risk of serious injury. Sleep is a naturally occurring state involving both the body and the mind.

Your horse, your teacher

Is there something we can learn from our horses? Absolutely yes! Where do I begin? Horses teach us so much about ourselves that I constantly refer to them as our ‘personal development coaches’. Horses have the ability to teach us so much more than just ‘how to ride’, the real question is: ‘Are we ready to learn?’

Sleep deprivation a risk to mental and physical health

Sleep is essential for life. The quality and quantity of a horse’s sleep directly affects their health and well-being. However, sleep is rarely considered as part of a horse’s management plan. A new study has found that poor management or physical problems can discourage horses from lying down and this leads to horses becoming sleep deprived and at risk of serious injury.

Paddock shelters that work March 2019 by Dr Mariette van den Berg When it comes to providing, planning and building shelters for our horses, what design aspects matter most? In this article, Dr Mariette van den Berg provides some handy tips and useful guidance on the location, design and construction aspects that horses will appreciate and you should consider when designing man-made horse shelters. Why build a shelter?	Respiratory Conditions March 2019 by Dr Deryck Tan Many horses are expected to perform like elite athletes, where peak performance demands an optimally functioning respiratory system. In this article, Dr Deryck Tan from Valley Equine Veterinary Centre gives an overview of the anatomy of the respiratory tract and the most common respiratory conditions that compromise its optimum performance. Diseases affecting the respiratory tract
Your Contribution Can Improve Horse Welfare! March 2019 by Kate Fenner Did you know that your simple contribution can improve horse welfare on a global scale? You don’t need to dig too deep to discover that horse welfare lags behind other domestic animals. Imagine strapping a dog’s mouth shut so tight it could barely swallow or tying its tongue to its lower jaw with an elastic band?	Frankincense Essential Oil March 2019 by Hetty Tapper Name: Frankincense Essential Oil Biological Name: Boswellia carteri Parts Used: Resin Constituents: Borneol, cymene, farnesol, incensole, limonene, monoterpene, myrcene, octanol, octylacetate, pinene, phellandrene and thujone. Essential Oil Method of Extraction: Steam distillation.
Green Pony Blog: Fat Pony March 2019 by Jill Griffiths Christmas. New Year. Family holidays. Trips away. Then back to work and a dozen pressing deadlines. In the midst of all this ‘life’ Dante gets left in the paddock more than he should, more than I consider ideal. He doesn’t mind of course. He hangs out with the herd, eating hay, dozing in the shade, rolling in the sand, flicking flies away. Green Pony Blog: A Hell of a Ride	Worth Their Weight in Gold February 2019 by Cristina Wilkins. Photo by Louise Sedgman On our January-February edition cover, professional equine portrait photographer and mum, Louise Sedgman has captured a moment of family fun as her daughters Grace and Emma play under the sprinklers with their ‘worth-their-weight-in-gold’ ponies Petal and Midnight on a hot summer’s evening.
Equitation Scientists Challenge 'Misinformation' on Welfare Research February 2019 by Cristina Wilkins In an open letter, the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) asked World Horse Welfare (WHW) to publicly rectify “a number of incorrect claims and insinuations” made by Olympian and WHW trustee Richard Davison regarding noseband research at their recent conference. Roly Owers, MRCVS, WHW chief executive responded and praised Richard Davison for sharing his personal o	Legends of the Bush February 2019 by Dr Georgina Downey The horse in Australia has played a central role in the formation of our national identity. The distinctive Australian values of mateship, toughness, anti-authoritarianism, and concern for the ‘battler’ were carved out in the presence of horses.
Riding Arenas and Training Yards February 2019 by Jane and Stuart Myers An all-weather surfaced area for training and exercising horses can be very useful, many would say essential on a horse property. It all depends on what you do with your horses. Here are some considerations and tips to help you decide and plan a suitable arena or training yard for your situation.	The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Fence February 2019 by Dr Mariette van den Berg From a practical and safety point of view, boundary and internal fencing are the most obvious structures that require attention when laying out your property to meet the needs of your horses (and potentially other animals).

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