Horseback riding has a language of its own. Two statements that commonly cause confusion for new riders are “tacking up” and “untacking a horse.” These phrases are used by horse owners and riders in the English and Western riding disciplines all the time and are often the first jargon to confuse new riders. In this …
Your First Horse
Horse’s teeth can be up to 5 inches long- and never stop growing! In this article, you’ll learn the basics of horse teeth, plus some fun facts to help you understand just how unique horses’ teeth are. While the teeth of a horse have a number of similarities to ours, they also have a number …
Do you feel like now is the right time to buy a horse? Or are you questioning whether you are truly ready for such a big responsibility? If this is you, you’ve come to the right place. We have made a list of 15 signs that show you are ready to take the leap and …
Before you bring your horse home, you will need a specific list of horse supplies to feed, groom, and care for your horse. In this article, you will find a basic guide to the supplies you need for the first year of owning a horse – including an explanation of each item and why it …
When you desperately want your own horse, an offer of a “free horse” may sound like a winning lottery ticket! However, it’s worth being cautious as you seek out, find, and rehome a free horse. People give away horses for many reasons. Some reasons are innocent (I gave two good horses away free as I …
Horse ears will tell you a lot of things! You can learn many things about your horse by observing its ears. Horses are highly social animals that communicate with each other through a variety of means, including body language, sounds, and even through hormones called pheremones. One of the most important ways that horses communicate …
Leasing a horse provides a similar experience to owning a horse while being much cheaper, and having less of a time commitment. Horse leases are great for people who hope to one day buy a horse, but don’t want to jump into ownership right away, or who just want a few extra rides on a beloved …
The phrase “wet saddle blankets” is a metaphor that refers to how wet a saddle pad gets after a horse has sweated heavily during an intense ride, and how many intense training rides produce good riding horses. This phrase is often used to describe getting “green horses” (aka, young or untrained horses) ready for horse …
The most common ways to tell if a horse is friendly is to look for ears perked forward, a back hoof resting casually, calm eyes, and curious behavior. The best way to tell if a horse is friendly, though, is to use these body language cues along with verbal instructions from a horse’s owner or …
When purchasing a horse, it can be hard to know what the horse’s real history or medical condition is, and sale ads are rarely helpful! This is because unfortunately, not everybody is honest or has the horse’s (or your own) best interests at heart. As someone who has purchased a dozen horses and assisted many …