Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Horse Grooming and Bathing: Items For A Better Grooming Kit

Let's face it we all like to keep a organized and clean grooming tote on hand, especially for those who board or keep their horse at different locations other than home. Remember also to keep the brushes and combs clean and free of sweat and dirt build up, it doesn't do much good if the brushes you use for removing dirt are filled with dust and dirt to begin with. A good tote or box to consider is one that was originally designed for tool boxes, but are great for this purpose too, they have lids to close them up if needed and offer a step stool as well. Another one is the open box type that come in a variety of colors and sizes. It seems a couple of them would be a good idea,just make sure you keep your basic supplies in the one you carry along when you travel to go on trail rides.

First you want three basic types of brushes:

A stiff bristle type for removing the tough dirt and debris collected in your horses hair.
A body brush which is an all purpose type brush to whisk away the finer particles of dirt.
A finishing brush is one of soft bristles for the face and to add shine to the horses coat by bringing the natural oils to the surface of the coat.

I would like to create a list for the rest of the items to consider, keep in mind there is a huge selection of grooming supplies on the market. Try to decide what fits the purpose or function of what you will need.

Curry Combs: Plastic, Metal, or Rubber these are great for removing the excess shedding hair off your horse

Tail Brushes: A wide toothed brush to help detangle the horses mane and tail without a lot of breakage to the hair

Hoof Pic: These come in a variety of designs one to consider is the one with a brush included they are relatively inexpensive so keep a couple on hand

Soft Cloths: Keep a terry cloth towel on hand for general clean up and to use as a rub rag for removing the fine particles of dirt from your horse

Bathing Supplies:
Keep a good cleansing shampoo on hand as well as one that offers anti-fungal ingredients in case of any bacteria growing in your horses coat, also a brightening shampoo for show ring ready coats. A detangling spray or lotion is great for smoothing out those tough hair knots.

Sweat Scraper: always include one of these to get the excess of water and sweat off of your horse.

Fly Spray: In the spring and summer months keep a good quality fly spray with you to help your horse combat those annoying biting flies.

Together with this list of items remember to keep the currying items clean rinse them out when needed and allow them to dry. Try diluting a bleach solution in a bucket to remove any bacteria from your brushes or combs, especially if you own more that one horse and use the same brushes. The same idea goes again for your saddle pads keep them clean and free of dirt and sweat by using a mild soap to wash them in. You will have a better and more useful grooming kit when applying some of the tips I have listed above. Have a healthy, happy, and clean horse.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

My Saddle Pad Equestrian Friend




The posts I have written about so far have been written on information I have collected and wanted to share with others. This one however is introducing the Quarter horse that I have owned and loved for the last eight years. I wanted to make this post about Scarlett, a now twenty six year old quarter horse mare and one of the most gentle and kind horses that I have ever owned. I admit she has some age on her but her background in cutting or roping speaks for itself. She could spin and turn on a dime, although she can't be ridden that way anymore Scarlett is a great influence on my younger Tennessee Walking horse, and her calmness sometimes amazes me in certain situations.

Her color looks more like a buckskin in the summer months and a gruela in winter months. I remember taking her out on trails when she could keep up with almost any gaited horse that she was with, her walk was always a quick stepping one. The saddle and pad I use for her is western style however, she has done well with an English saddle just for trail riding, not in any competing equestrian classes.

In the mornings she whinny's at the gate demanding her feeding, I always say she is a very verbal horse she loves to talk, and it is amusing to hear her when we take a trip to the veterinarian clinic. I really appreciate the fact that she is a people horse and Scarlett enjoys being around children, there have been several led around while sitting on her back. I like to brag on her a bit when she loads onto the horse trailer all you have to do is stand her at the rear doors where she needs to load and she steps up into the trailer by herself. Someone spent a lot of hours and days working and teaching this horse properly and I benefit from it every day.

I use a wool and felt type of saddle pad whenever we go for a short trail ride, it helps with the cushioning and moisture functions that you require from a good saddle pad. The saddle is another important factor, you must have proper fit to ensure the comfort of your horse.




Thursday, August 6, 2009

What is a Saddle Pad or Blanket



The saddle pad originally was made from animal hides, animal hair, crude felts, linens and woven blankets. Originally the saddle blanket was the only piece
equipment placed on the horses back and was held by a strap or rope, mainly to protect the rider. In older days the felt, hair and blankets were mostly used, and if a saddle didn't fit or the horse became sore they just added another layer and tightened the cinch. The cattle ranchers of that day didn't think about fit for the horse, it wasn't a primary concern, because they were able to changed horses often in the course of a day. It has been about forty to fifty years years ago that the saddle pad or blanket became a bigger issue to help aid in the fit of the saddle, remember that a pad or blanket is not to replace the proper fit of a saddle. The idea of a special designed saddle blanket or pad usually made of wool, cotton, or a synthetic fabric is to compensate for minimum saddle fit problems.

When deciding what kind of blanket or pad to use consider two most important factors compression protection and cooling, and most of the time it is through costly trial and error that you find out which pad meets your expectations of what you are looking for. When a saddle fits correctly on the back of your horse you will ask yourself how can cooling take place with such close contact? That is where the proper saddle pad comes into play you want one that will wick away the sweat which is where the heat builds from.

Consider a couple of things when deciding on a saddle pad, ask the question would I wear plastic or foam for undergarments? No, so you don't want to place these types of materials on your horse which can only cause rubbing and friction when they become sticky and or slick from the sweat. The best materials to stay with are those of wool or cotton, wool being the best because it will wick the moisture away from the horses back and offer compression protection.

Things To Think About:

1. Wool type pads clean up easily
2. All pads will contract germs and diseases if not cleaned properly if infection
exist.
3. Buy for function first then for looks.
4. Adding more padding doesn't help the fit of a unfitting saddle.

Last of points to consider is when you have invested a large sum of money in buying your horse and your saddle, why would you skimp on the quality of your saddle pad. Do the research and then decide what will work best for your horse, think about the comfort of your four legged friend.




Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Horse Breeds and Markings


Have you ever looked at a horse or pony and wondered exactly what breed that particular horse might be. If you break it into three categories the first would be from purist lines like the Arab, Barb, and Thoroughbred known as "hotbloods", the second are European heavy horses called "coldbloods", and the third are "warmbloods" which are a combination of the first two.

There are a couple of breeds I would like to mention and describe their background and uses. The reason I select the following breeds is based on what I have owned or ridden in the past and present. Also, some of the saddle pad choices I buy are for western pleasure, but I still have my English tack from earlier riding days.

The Quarter Horse

This horse has a muscular physique especially in the hindquarters and has a good conformation. A wide chest, short back, and a short and wide head are more of the characteristics in this horse. The many uses of the quarter horse range from barrel racing, steer roping, cattle cutting, trail and pleasure riding and has been used for showjumping and eventing especially when crossed with the Thoroughbred. The Quarter horse was first breed to develop in the Americas dated back to 1611. The early settlers adopted the these horses for the hobby of racing in the distance of a quarter mile, therefore the name Quarter horse was named.

The Thoroughbred Horse

The Thoroughbred has a fine-lined physique the legs and back are lengthy along with the neck. They have well formed knees and hocks, to be able to withstand pressure at top speed. This horse may take a little longer to mature and generally have a nervous and excitable nature they do not tolerate extreme climates and probably would not survive in the wild. The Thoroughbred is courageous and bold they enjoy galloping and jump very well, also this horse is always of solid colors. The primary use of this horse is flat racing and brings quite a bit of revenue if you are fortunate to have the right horse bases on bloodlines and the "heart" of the horse.

Markings of Horses

Colors and markings list of a bay (light, bright, dappled or dark), brown, black, grey (light, dark, dappled, flea-bitten, or iron gray), chestnut (liver, bright, sorrel), roan (strawberry, red, blue), also cream, dun, palomino, piebald (black and white), and skewbald (any other color and white) or spotted. These cover most of the names but there are more, the markings referred to on the face and or the feet would be a star, stripe, snip, blaze, and white face. The markings are usually white hair in specific places on the horse and are commonly on the feet as well known as stocking, sock, or partial sock.

This article describes only two of the many breeds that are known today, I chose these because I have had the pleasure of riding and owning these specific horses and they have brought me a lot of fun and joy riding them both. There are books that are available if you want to find out more about them be sure to check them out it is very interesting and informative reading.

Happy Riding!