Clean your Horse Tack regularly

Always clean your horse tack equipments such as saddle, saddle pads, and horse girths regularly.

On using contaminated saddle pads or horse tack can lead to development of ringworm on horses. On top of that, they spread from one horse to another while having direct contact such as sharing haze staying in same stable.

Ringworm start as a small circular patch of hair loss on horse body and it grows into larger size, if they are not treated properly. The most sensitive areas to get infected in horses are horse neck, horse shoulders and area under eyes. They cause lot of itching in horse body which makes him quite disturb and aggressive.

If your horse is developing symptoms of ringworm, do not neglect it start his treatment immediately. The infected horse must be kept away from all other horses to avoid flow of this disease. The affected area must be washed with a shampoo consisting of miconazole and must be applied on horse body for at least 5 days.

When your horse is sick check all items in your horse tack wash them thoroughly and put it under sun for drying. Putting horse tack in sunlight destroys all kind of fungus from horse body.

How to check out whether your horse saddle is clean or not

Horse Saddles becomes dirty after frequent use. They require regular wash; here are the steps to wash the horse saddles:

• Remove all kind of spots from horse saddles; you can do it by rubbing it with a cloth dipped in alcohol.
• Let it dry for sometime, if you want fast results, you can also use a blow fryer for it, but you have to use it gently.
• Saddles may lose their shinness after wash, to get back its old shines oil its leather with mink oil.

A New Equestrian Game Launched

A new equestrian video game has been recently launched in Europe called “My Horse and Me 2”

In this game, players would also be given facility of taking care of their horse by cleaning, feeding, applying saddle pads, horse saddles and regular check up to vet. The purpose behind this is to encourage feeling of love and care in children towards horses.

There is also a training session to participate in horse race beside that some friendly characters are also introduced to help in wining equestrian race.

Other features include taking their pony to discos, an option to give him relax with family.

The game has been made by Polish designer Anawiki Games. The game will be available in Nov 14 for PlayStation2, Nintendo DS and PC.

Ulcer in Horses

Ulcer is a common disease among horses and foals. Around 50% Horses in their lifetime show the sign of ulcer. Racing horse has higher developed ulcer chances much higher they may develop from moderate to severe ulcers.

Factors of ulcers

• Fasting (not eating) – Horses have the habit of grazing; they eat in many small meals at frequent interval of time. There stomach is empty and stomach has a damaging effect on horses.
• Amount of Exercises: As their physical activity increases, there is a change in feeding habit. High amount of physical exercise increase the time for stomach to empty, so large amounts of acid can remain in an empty stomach for a long period of time. Stress also decreases the amount of blood flow to the stomach making lining of the stomach more vulnerable to injury.

Signs of ulcers in horses

• Avoid walking
• Shows violent behaviors on wearing saddle pads or horse rugs.
• Diarrhea
• Lying on the back
• Weight loss

Treatment of Ulcers in Horses

The treatment of ulcers involves

• Decrease acid production.
• Buffer the acid that is produced.
• Protect the lining of the stomach from the effects of the acid.

For these we use

• Proton pump inhibitors: They inhibit the production of acid by the stomach.
• Protect ants: These drugs block acid from coming into contact with the stomach lining.
• Increasing the amount of roughage in the diet.
• Increasing amount of pasture in horses in diet.
• Decreasing the amount of grain. Use supplements to complete the need of vitamins in horse body.

It takes a long time for ulcer to heal. Always follow your veterinarian's treatment recommendations. Never stop the treatment and medicine in between; else your horse will never heal.

Selection and proper fitting of right saddle on your horse

Selection of right kind of saddle for your horse is vital as it affects the back of horse and rider position on horse. An unfit saddle can lead to broken horse back. No equestrian rider would like to see his horse in discomfort. Therefore, all experience riders go for a horse saddle which is comfortable to their horse. Now how do you know that which saddle is fit for your horse and which is not.

The solution is to go to there are companies who measure your horse back length and determine which horse saddles are suitable for your horse back.

After purchasing a correct saddle, we have to place it carefully on horse back. Place the saddle on horse back. Next step is to slide it along the back of horse till the lowest point of saddle meets the lowest point of horse back.

One sign to check whether the saddle is correctly placed is to that it horse saddle would not be pressed on the shoulder of horse, but will be placed on the natural grooves of it.

Origin of Gucci Purses : an interesting story

There is an interesting fact about world famous branch Gucci, one of the top class leather purse manufacturers originally was founded in a saddlery products manufacturer shop in Florence Italy. The family owned company sold many products at Gucci, and with increasing in business they move to Rome. In Rome, they opened a luggage store which with time attract people from all over the worlds

Moral of the story is that every company starts with small thing, with continuous hard work and passion it develop into a big thing like Gucci, so never stop dreaming and never give up.

Types of Pad

In ancient times, saddle pads were used to protect saddle from becoming damp and wet. With improve in technology saddle pads have also become methods to make a saddle fit on a horse back. Saddle Pads have different types and each type is used for different purposes. These are:

• Square Pad: Made of quilted cotton with a strap that fits around the billets and girth to keep the saddle pads in place. They come in variety of colors and shapes.
• Gel Pad: Helps in distribution of pressure and absorb impact that can help in providing relief to horses with sensitive backs.
• Foam Pad: They are shock absorbing and help to fit a saddle by equal distribution of saddle weight and pressure.
• Riser Pad: Also known as bump pad, helps to lift a saddle and improve allover fit. Ideal to use when horse muscular shape is changing or in case not able to find a saddle pad which can fit properly on horse back.

Regardless of the design, never ever try to change the basic fit of a saddle while putting pad, shifting and moving saddle from their place can cause pressure points on horse body, this can lead to improper movement of horse while moving and running.

It is very important to place those saddle pads that can fit properly on horse back.

Reward for Saddle Pad

There is an opportunity for all horse lovers’ people to win an award of 2000 US Dollars in UK.

Recently 4 saddle pads were stolen from a stable on Aug 17. Each Saddle pad was of high quality and made of custom design. The saddle pads were :

• English Saddle Pad with a horn.
• Brown gaited saddle pad also consists of gaited horse stamp.
• Abetta Saddle Pad in green and purple decorated color.
• Red and white saddle pad with lime green headstall.
• Treeless Circle Y western cut.

Local Police is offering the price of $1000 for any kind of information related to theft. Call (505) 722-6161 for more information. Police is thinking that if they didn’t get any information this week, there is a strong chance that they might be sold.

Things to consider before buying a horse

There are things which you need to prepare before buying a horse. Making a proper plan will bring your horse and you closer and make horse riding easier for you.
Recently,I read an article and find these things important before buying a horse

1. Take riding lessons for at least six months.

Horse riding lessons will teach you the basics of control and the foundation for correct horsemanship. In addition to learning to ride a horse, you’ll also learn how to safely groom and handle one. You'll establish a relationship with a professional horse person in your area who knows you and who you can turn to for help if you need it.

2. Decide on the type of riding you want to do.

There are many types of horse riding styles. The most basic are Western or English. Then you can break down those two styles into many subcategories. You don't have to make one choice exclusive of all others. Many people enjoy riding both styles and compete in both.

Decide if you want a horse to trail ride and just enjoy having him or if you want to be competitive and show.

3. Horse's personality

The type of personality you want for your horse depends a lot on the type of riding you want to do and also your personality. Some riders want a horse with a big engine and a lot of fire. Others like a horse to be quiet and laid back.

It’s usually easier to get the laid back one to rev his engine than to get a hot horse to relax.

4. Decide on what breed of horse you most want.

Once you’ve decided on the type of riding you’re interested in and the type of personality you want your horse to have, the breed choice will become easier. Some breeds are associated with certain types of riding. For instance, a Thoroughbred or Warmblood breed are usually thought of for the Hunter/Jumper circuit or dressage. In the past, the Quarter Horse, Appaloosas and Paints were thought of for Western riding. Today, these breeds can successfully compete at all levels with the more traditional hunter type horse.

If you want a very smooth ride, look at the gaited breeds such as Missouri Foxtrotters, Tennessee Walkers or Paso Finos.

5. Decide on how big a horse you need.

If you’re looking for a horse for a child, buy a pony that your child can groom and handle now. A too big horse is intimidating for a young child to deal with.

If you’re looking for one for yourself, consider the type of riding you want to do. Western styles of riding do not require a large horse and most of the stock type horses can carry a large adult even if the horse is 15 hands or smaller.

If you want to show in hunter/jumper classes, a 16+ hand horse is necessary to be competitive. However, if your plans are to learn to jump and go to small local shows, you’ll save money by buying a smaller horse.

6. Decide on the gender of the horse.

A gelding or a mare should be your only consideration. A stallion is difficult to handle and can be downright dangerous even if you are a very experienced rider. He isn’t suitable unless you’re in the breeding business.

Geldings make great riding horses and companions. Preferably he was gelded before his second birthday so that he never learned stallion behavior.

Mares sometimes get a bad rap for being difficult every time she comes into heat. Perhaps some are, but there are many wonderful mares with very stable personalities.

7. Decide where you will keep your horse.

If you plan to board, check out several boarding stables. Your first choice is probably the barn where you’ve been taking riding lessons. Look at some others to have for back-up choices and as a general comparison.

If you plan to keep your horse on your own property, be sure to have safe fencing, a solid barn and know your time schedule will allow you to feed your horse at least twice a day – every day – rain or shine. Find out any local and state liability laws for a horse property before you bring your new horse home.

8. Figure how much you can afford for the initial price of a horse.

The original purchase price of a horse is a large upfront expense. Obviously, the more you can afford to spend on a horse, the more choices you’ll have to look at when shopping. If you have this money saved up in advance, you’ll have better leverage with a seller. If you have to buy your horse on payments, you’ll limit your bargaining power and choices because many sellers won’t want to take payments.

9. Figure out your monthly expenses.

Monthly expenses include board, lessons and supplements if you keep your horse at a boarding stable. If you keep your horse at home, you’ll be buying feed, hay and stall bedding instead of a board bill.

There are reoccurring expenses that don’t come every month but still need to be added up for a year’s cost and averaged as a monthly expense. These include farrier visits, worming, vaccinations and vet care such as floating teeth and a yearly Coggins test.

10. Tack and Supplies

Purchase the basic supplies before you get your horse so that you’ll be all set when you bring him home. Brushes, shampoo, liniment, leg wraps, buckets and a first aid kit are a good start on supplies to have ready.

An all purpose headstall and a few bits, saddle pads, a saddle, halter and a long lead rope with a stout snap are your basic tack supplies.

If you follow these 10 steps before you begin horse shopping, you’ll have a clear idea of the horse that will be the best choice for you when you do begin your search.

Read the source

Show your horse love and care

Horse generally does not like saddle pads as they are uncomfortable. If you are using first time saddle pad on horse back, then he may become violent if put forcibly on it. It is better to show some love and care and have patience before putting a saddle pad, especially in case of new horse. Once your horse start trusting you then it is easy to put saddle pad on his back as he become assured that you will never harm him.

If you want to become a good rider, it is important to show your horse love and care.A good chemistry between horse and its rider is always needed.

What is the use of saddle pad, why do we use it, today we are going to tell different features of saddle pads

• Cooling the horse: Saddle Pads are used to cool the horse back and drive out heat. A saddle pad drives out heat and try to keep back cool for a long period. Generally, a horse can tolerate heat up to for a 30-45 minute ride, but for ride more than an hour saddle pad becomes a necessity.
• Saddle Protection: Saddle Pads protect the saddle from dirt and sweat.
• Drying. : Keeping away the moisture.
Cushioning: A saddle pad reduce pressure on horse back and prevent its back from any kind of injury.

Tips for purchasing a western saddle pad.

At first it can seems like such a simple task, just open that glossy horse supply and tack catalog that is laying on the table and purchase a new Western saddle pad.

However, just a few short seconds after opening the catalog it will be a revelation exactly how big a project needs to be undertaken. Instead of opening the catalog and finding the one or two saddle pads there will be page after page after page of saddle pads. Each saddle pad has its own cut, material type, and function. The magazine offers a brief blurb on each pad but nothing that is really helpful. The only thing that the blankets seem to have in common is the price - expensive.

For more information visit the URL given below :

http://equineequipments.blogspot.com/2008/07/horse-tack-purchasing-western-saddle.html

Things to consider while buying saddle pads

On going to the equine shop, you will find lot of saddle pads and saddlery products in the market. But, selecting a good saddle pad among many requires attention. An ideal saddle pad should be used for many horse rides.

Here we are giving tips on selection of right kind of saddle pad for your horse.
• Free movement of horse shoulders
• Must be proper length
• Adjust very well with horse back
• Well Balanced to provide good weight distribution
• If horse start feeling uncomfortable, he will avoid wearing saddle pad.

If you are riding different horses then you require lot of saddle pads however, no matter how many saddle pads you buy always check these things before selecting a saddle pad.

Always remember, an ideal saddle pad not only increases the work span of your horse but also saves you from injury and accident while riding.

A new kind of saddle pad called "Unite" is launched

Horse Suffer from Back Injuries

Horses more often suffer from back injuries due to disproportionate amount of saddle and rider weight in places. Most often the saddle pad does not have contact with horse and do not fit according to its size.

A new kind of Saddle Pad called Unite is launched

Recently a Dutch company, Spark has created a new kind of saddle pad. This saddle pad called Unite can be fitted by rider according to the shape of horse. The company claims that with use of Unite Saddle pad, horses will have fewer back injuries. The weight of rider on horse can be evenly distributed which decreases the chances of back injuries to horses.

The most autographed Saddle Pad

SC Poll conducted a poll about most popular saddle pad. The poll asked a question given a choice which autographed saddle pad they would bid for.

Dan Patch’s saddle pad from 1906 time trial (clocked in 1:55) from 1906 was the winner getting 587 votes out of 2038.

Niatross Saddle Pad 1:49 time trial was first runner with 377 votes.

Some beach some where’s saddle pads from Pepsi North America Cup victory came third.

Sugarcane Hanover (March of Dimes Trot - 1988) comes last getting 20 votes out of 2038.

To see the poll result click on the link below

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/iss0708/pollresults0710.html