I await the start of the sweet itch season next month with dread! Believe it or not, I’d never had a horse or pony with sweet itch until I bought Sprite. I bought him in November and if I’d known at the time that he got sweet itch, I wouldn’t have considered him. There usually […]
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Welcome to our blog page, HOOFBEATS, where we talk about the countryside with a main emphasis on training and caring for horses and ponies. If you would like to contribute ideas and information about your own experiences, we would be delighted to hear them. Please email to [email protected]
The opinions expressed here are from personal experience and we strongly advise you to contact your vet or your riding instructor if you are seriously worried about your horse.
The swallows returned to our stable yard on 8th April, earlier than last year when it was 12th April. These dates are etched in my memory for a reason – the arrival of swallows signals the end of winter for me and I can’t wait to see them perched on the electricity wires. Already they […]
It seems strange to be thinking of grass induced laminitis as very cold nights persist and the Irish countryside has been scorched an uncharacteristic brown by severe frosts. There is hardly a green blade of grass to be seen and owners are feeding hay and hard feed to keep weight on horses and ponies living […]
A tame fox is an unusual sight for those of us who have lived their lives in the country. Foxes are mostly nocturnal and are shy of humans, their main enemy, but recently I came across two foxes on separate occasions who regularly visited people for a evening snack and one who was trained to […]
I have spent the morning of St Patrick’s Day clipping a horse. Usually I wouldn’t clip this late in the year but there is still no sign of Spring and this particular horse has a very thick, woolly coat under his rug. When days get warmer, the horse sweats and often ends up with a […]
Buying a horse or pony is a bit like buying a car as the initial outlay to buy the horse is only part of the expense. Let’s compare a horse and a car for a moment: you need petrol (hay and hard feed), regular servicing (vet), new tyres (horse shoes), washing and polishing (grooming), road […]
I suppose it’s inevitable that one of the horses should have a stone bruise at this time of year when the fields are so wet, although they can also get them from hard ground. Some horses seem more prone to them than others and it’s my 17.3 hh Irish Draught X who suffers most. In […]
If you were looking for a first pony for your young child, what would you do? Buy one or borrow one? My brother and I got our first ponies when we were about four and six respectively. My mother had a friend in England who bred Shetland ponies and two yearlings arrived on the boat […]
Horses don’t like being on their own. While a cat is fine without feline friends, it’s not in a horse’s nature, being a herd animal, to enjoy being alone. Some tolerate this more than others, of course. The ideal companion for a horse is another horse or pony. A donkey is useful too. Not all […]
Being able to lunge a horse is a skill which always comes in handy. There are so many reasons for lungeing: Yesterday I had to get up on a horse which hadn’t been ridden since before Christmas. He looks a lively horse to people who don’t know him as he gallops around his paddock, leaping […]
We were recently asked whether overfeeding haylage to horses can cause colic and I believe the answer is ‘yes’. Haylage has more protein than hay as it is cut and saved more quickly. Horses love haylage and are inclined to eat as much as you give them and this can be dangerous for both horses […]
A new year – a new decade. As always we have been bombarded with ideas for new resolutions. The media was busy as soon as Christmas Day was over: go on a diet, stop smoking, take more exercise, etc. etc. Guilt-ridden people will try really hard for a week maybe before all returns to normal. […]
Another day of sub-zero temperatures, this time on top of snow that fell two days ago. Many are finding it impossible to ride their horses unless they have an indoor arena. We have had to make a sand track through the snow to stop horses slipping as we lead them to the paddocks. Horses used […]
Horses and ponies need more care and attention in snow and frosty conditions if they are out on grass. While many horses are kept in stables during bad weather, ponies and quiet horses can still remain out. FeedBe sure to feed plenty of roughage, such as good quality hay or haylage because there will be […]
The robin who came to the stables every day at feed time disappeared towards the end of our three weeks of frost and snow. The next door neighbour’s cat had been killing blackbirds and thrushes too weak to fly after the heavy fall of snow on Sunday morning and we feared the worst for our […]