Blanket or not to Blanket, that is the question?

This is a topic that comes up amongst horse owners all the time and as far as I'm concerned ther is no definitive answer.  I think the only way to answer it is depends on your situation.  I personally don't blanket my horse, I believe going au naturel is the best way for me and my horse.   In southern ontario we have cold damp winters with lots of snow sleet and icy weather.  Horses need to get out of this weather so for me a large run in with fresh water, bedding and free access to hay and some room to run around is all he needs.  I don't show or do a lot of ring work in the winter and only ride during the day on weekends.  I try not to get my horse to sweaty but if I do I towel dry him and walk him out maybe tie him up inside the run in with a blanket on to help cool him out. When I am satisfied he won't get a chill I turn him loose to do as he pleases. 
     Now if I  did ring work 3-4 days a week and stalled my horse I may want to blanket and clip him.  This will save you a lot of time trying to cool out your horse. 
Bottom  line do what you have to do to keep your horse from being sweaty, wet and cold. Horses are equipped naturally to deal with this given the chance to reach appropriate shelter but if we take them way out of their natural element then we must intervene to the appropriate measure.
Barns are for people not animals.

My best riding tip. Look where you want to go.

Along with running a tack company I also give riding lessons.  I like to call the style of riding I teach "Real Life Riding". You see my lessons are a little different then most. I teach people to ride on their own horses at their facility.  By giving this sort of lesson I have the opportunity to see all sorts of riders and horses and various levels of skill and training.  I often get called by people who have been taken riding lessons at a stable for a year or two and finally have gone out and bought their own horse.  Most often they don't have a riding arena or ring to work in but just want to ride around their farm.  For some it is the first time riding a non school horse.  Now sometimes things work out great and the horse cooperates other times not so much.  I often end up getting up on the horse myself to see just how much the horse knows.  As long is the horse is safe it really doesn't matter how much it knows because I want to teach the rider to train their own horse.  This may sound like a lot to ask of some new riders but I always tell them every time you interact with your horse on the ground or in the saddle you are training them. 

I teach riders proper seat techniques and the usual walk trot canter ques but I also give tips on how to deal with a horse that wants to bold,rear, buck, bock or do the naughty things horses some times do.

Often I am giving a lesson out in a pasture with the nearest fence being 100metres away so the horse can pretty much go wherever it wants to go.  There are no arena walls or rails to help contain or direct the horse.  One of the most common complaints I hear is My horse won't go where I want him to go.  Often the rider is just going around aimlessly, a passenger for where the horse wants to take them.  My answer to this problem is simple, Look where you want to go.  Often people are looking down at their horse or have no idea where they want to ride too.  You will be amazed how easy it is to direct your horse by simply looking where you want to go.  If you don't believe me try this at home. With your horse walking a straight line quickly turn your head to the right ride towards a direction or object.  Be clear about where you want to go.  Now look and see which way your horse tips his nose I'll bet it is to the right.  Follow up with the appropriate que to drive the horse in that direction. You can practice this at all gaits and even use this to help your horse turn more quickly or even spin.

Riding a horse isn't that much  different than driving a car.  If you look at the telephone poll at the side of the road thats where your car will end up going.

Simple know where you want to go and look in that direction, your horse will do the rest. 

Hard to catch horses? Take the long way home.

This summer I was extremely busy and did not have as much time for riding as I'd have liked.  For a while I was getting on my horse maybe 2 times a month, not a lot of riding.  As the summer progressed I found it harder and harder to catch my usually very cooperative gelding.  He runs on about 20 acres of pasture with hills, creeks, gullies and trees; a perfect place to keep a horse. Unfortunately along with the ideal pasture comes a multitude of ways a horse can easily avoid being caught. 

So after a session where it took me 20 minutes to catch him I decided to take some time and work on this. 

I went out every day for three days straight with mints in hand and just sttod about 30 yards away. I didn't make eye contact just pretended to be playing with something in the grass. It wasn't long before my horse and the three other horses and 4 cows came wandering over.  Once my horse got within 5 yards I showed him a mint to draw him in( scotch mints seem popular).  As soon as he came up close enough I petted him gently and gave him a mint.  Now I know what you are thinking you shouldn't have to feed mints to have a horse do what you want, and I agree but I needed all the help I could get to help me reestablish the bond.

My horse really enjoyed it and I gave him another this time giving him lots of attention and rubbing along his neck. When he stood for it and clearly showed signs of liking it I stopped and walked away a few yards. 

As I had hoped he followed me at which time I scratched and gave him a mint.  After 10 minutes of this I turned and walked away, no riding no halter just left him wanting more.  I continued to do this for 3 days but this time without the mints just the rubbing and scratching.  It has been a month now and I no longer have problems catching my horse he just walks up looks for his rubbing and scratching and follows me in to the barn or I just jump on and ride him in. 

This problem of catching the horse was caused by me and my scrambling and anxiousness to get a ride in.  Horses have no time lines, if we just take our time and not rush horses you will be amazed how cooperative they can be.  I heard a saying I am not sure how it goes exactly but I think it was something like " the quickest way to get somewhere with a horse is often the long way".

Horselife Launches New Western Line of Bitless and Treeless Saddles and Bridles

The wait is finally over I have finally launched my new line of western style bitless bridles and treeless saddles.  It has been a year in the making and I am proud of the new products I have created.  For those of you who are not familiar with my brand of Bitless and Treeless tack here is a quick product overview:

Horselife Western Trail Boss Treeless Saddle Size 16 inch with Girth

The Western “Trail Boss” has been crafted to the highest quality, with you and your horses comfort and safety in mind.

Why ride Treeless?

There is no shortage of information about treeless saddles and the benefits and features they offer to horse and rider but I will try to summarize it up for you in one word “Comfort”. When I mean comfort I mean for both you and your horse.

Every horse’s back and every person’s body is different. It can be very hard to find a saddle that will fit your horse and your body type. Because these saddles do not have a tree (usually trees are made of wood fibreglass or steel) they are able to conform and bend to the shape of both the horse and rider. The more you use it the more it has that “Fits Like A Glove” feel. It is like having a custom made saddle for you and your horse. The benefits of this comfort can also been seen in the way you and your horse perform. The flexibility of a treeless saddle allows you and your horse to move more freely and not be inhibited by a stiff tree. You and your horse will move more naturally, free to find your seat easier then in a treed saddle.

Over time we all start to change shape, including our horses. Unlike a conventional treed saddle a HorseLife treeless will change with you both, this keeps you from having to add or take away pads so the saddle fits your horse.

With Treeless saddles sizing is not a big an issue, the flexibility of the saddle allows for many different size bottoms to fit in it, If you opt for a bigger size it just means you have a little more playing room then a smaller saddle.

The Trail Boss is designed for those interested in a multi purpose saddle suitable for the trail to barrel racing. The Trail Boss is crafted with the following specifications:

Beautiful hand tooled rich Brown leather.

Black suede seat for better traction

Lots of Concho and D rings .

Size 16” Western saddle sizing

Lofty fleece underlay

 Reinforced Leather /Nylon fenders for added strength and longevity.

 Weight about 20lbs

$500.00 available on ebay.com

HorseLife Western Bitless Bridle

What makes the Horselife brand different then other Bitless Bridles out there are the Rolled Leather Cheek pieces. The Rolled Leather Cheek pieces release and slide easily, helping to send a clear precise signal to your horse similar to the feel of a Pressure Rope Halter. The cheek pieces gently hug your horse while at the same time applying nose and poll pressure. You don’t have to worry about applying rein pressure and not have the cheek pieces release after you stop engaging the rein.

The noseband is padded for your horses utmost comfort. Some say the "Hugging" affect actually helps calm your horse.

I have experimented with many bits over the years on some very strong horses and I can say that the Horselife Bitless Bridle actually seemed to calm and even eliminate that annoying head action horses do to evade bits. Similar bridles retail for around $180.00 to over $200.00.

Do yourself and your horse a favour and try riding with a Horselife Bitless Bridle, your horse will thank you.

My cost $80.00 available on ebay.ca

Thanks for looking.

 I also have a free saddle trial offer and sell locally so if you are interested email me and we can set up a saddle trial

Thanks

Steve Wawryk

http://www.horselife.ca/

 email horselife@execulink.com

Cold Weather Winter Horse check list.

Winter has arrived early in some parts of Canada this year. A few weeks back Alberta was hit with a snow storm and have been experiencing cold weather the last little while.  In Ontario we have dodged tthe dreaded "S" word but like it or not it is coming.  Here are a few things I like to do with my horse so he is prepared going into the winter.

Give your horse a thorough look over.

Is he in good weight? You shouldn't be seeing any ribs but just barely feel them if you run your hand over the rib cage.  If your horse is a hard keeper try to fatten them up a bit going into the colder weather.

Is his coat coming in? By now your horse should be well on it's way to getting their woolies. If the coat doesn't look like it is coming in as good as it should be take steps to address this now.  A winter blanket or a nutritional problem may be the answer.

I ride my horse barefoot, I have for years but if you shoe your horse and don't plan on doing a lot of hard riding I suggest pulling the shoes and trimming the feet.  I believe a horse is better off barefoot in the winter.  I feel they have better traction and removing shoes allows the hoof to grow out and expand.

Give your horse a good grooming, it helps to release oils and promotes a healthy coat.  It also allows you to examine your horse closely. 

Everyones favorite job, clean the sheath.  Remember to use a very mild soap or a sheath cleaner.  I sell one called Equiderma, it works great and is very gentle.

Remember to stay UTD on vaccinations.

Most importantly start planning activites to do with your horse throughout the winter.

 I 'll talk a bit more about what to do around the barn to get ready for winter in my next post.

thanks

Steve Wawryk

Camping with Horses what do I need.

So you decided to go camping with your horses But not quite sure what you need.  When your camping space is usually limited so you can only bring  the essentials.  Here is a check list I like to go through before I take my horse camping.

Camping Horse Gear List

• saddle bridle and pad.

extra lead and halter( I am assuming you will have a lead and halter on your horse when you load him in the trailer)

• 2 water buckets, hoof pick, 2 brushes, fly spray wound ointment.

(If you have big bottles of fly spray and ointment buy some smaller containers for travelling, I like two buckets because they are handy to pack your grooming supplies in and they make lugging water back and forth a lot easier.)

• A good knife or toolzall( carry this on you at all times, you never know when you need it)
• Hay and/ or water if you are going to a place that won't provide these things.
• Baler twine (This can be used for tying water buckets up, making tie rings for the trailer, or something to hang wet saddle blankets off of.)
• Make sure all your tack is in good working order before you go, You don't want a gear malfunction out on the trail.
• If you are picketting hobbling or corraling your horses make sure it is packed and in good order.
• Pliers, hammer and a few horseshoe nails. ( you can always use a hammer and pliers when you are camping a will work in a pinch if you need to pull a shoe or tack one back on.

This is just a quick check list to make sure you will be able to safely camp with your horse.  I would love to hear from others on things they like to take so please reply with any other tips or items you like to take.
Steve Wawryk

Geocaching on horseback. Take the challenge.

While on vacation this summer I was introduced to Geocaching by my wife and kids.  I think the reason my wife got into it was two fold one she works in the field of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and loves to try out the latest in GPS technology and two it was another way to keep the boys entertained. 

For those of you who haven't heard of geocaching is a high tech came of hide and seek. With the help of a GPS you search for caches that have been hidden throughout the world.  A cache is usually a small container with a little trinket inside.  When you find the cache you record your name and time of the find on a piece of paper inside of it.  You can take the trinkit but must replace it with something else.

It is very interesting to see all the different people before you who have found the cache.  I was surprised to hear that there are about one million caches around the world.  You can find and post cahes and the global position on a website http://www.geocaching.com/.

My challenge is for horse people who enjoy trail riding to take on the challenge and start geocaching along some of the more popular horse trails in your area.  I think it would help add a little excitement to your trail rides and may end up taking you to some pretty interesting places.
 Google (geocaching horseback) to find out more info.
Thanks
Steve Wawryk