Blog posts of '2014' 'December'

Floating Angel (Nadia)... Floating Angel (Nadia) ridden by owner, Janine Hagger.[/caption] Floating Angel (Nadia) is a 7-year-old, 16hh, Thoroughbred mare owned for the past 2 ½ years by Janine Hagger. Janine explains “Nadia is a very sensitive ex-racehorse, having tried various calmers in the pas...

Rosi... Rosi, with her last foal Zebby.[/caption] Rosi is a 15hh, 21-year-old Irish Draught x Thoroughbred mare, who was bred by her owner Yvette Wheeler. Yvette explains “Unfortunately on the day she was born she got caught up in some brambles and then attacked by crows which left her unable to ha...

During the winter months it is not uncommon for an owner to go to the stable and encounter their horse with lower legs looking like tree trunks! To reduce the likelihood of your horse getting filled legs...

At this time of year it is nigh on impossible to keep your horse looking clean and tidy, with mud sticking to every available inch, and horses turned out looking immaculate get brought in from the field with dirt in the most unlikely places! For most people this is simply annoying and time cons...

Frosty grass can contain high levels of Fructans. Sugar levels in grass are constantly changing, and it is well-known that the Autumn and Spring flush are times that are potentially problematic for grazing. Consuming excessive amounts of fructans (the stored sugar in grass) is considered a trigger ...

Muddy conditions require your horse to work harder and use more energy[/caption] Cold, muddy, wet and windy weather conditions all increase a horse's daily maintenance energy requirements; which can be raised by up to 30%. This is due to a multitude of factors; extra energy is used to maintain a co...

We are used to worrying about our horses drinking enough in the blazing heat of summer, but what less people are aware of is that hydration is also a massive issue for your horses over the winter, as freezing temperatures can put your horse off drinking, leading to complications such as dehydration...

We are advised that feeding a high forage diet is the way forward, but with so many options available to us how do we know what is right for our horses? What is the difference?! Hay and haylage are both made from grass, but the processing method of each is different. Hay is cut and then turned unti...

As winter drags on, it leaves some horses looking a bit on the poor side- if your horse is one of these, read on! There are various reasons why your horse may have dropped a bit of weight, and often by making easy diet and management changes you can help them to gain a few pounds. The first things t...

Need some encouragement?  If your horse is a fussy eater and you have eliminated any potentially harmful reasons behind this, there are various ways that you can tempt them to eat up! As flight animals, horses are prone to ‘neophobia’- the fear of anything new or different! This means if you sudden...