Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
The length of a standard leather stirrup depends on a few key things. Find out about the length of a leather stirrup with help from an experienced equestrian professional in this free video clip.
Working with cowboy twist stirrups always requires you to keep a few key things in mind. Find out about cowboy twist stirrups with help from an experienced equestrian professional in this free video clip.
Scours is the term used for diarrhea in horses. All horses can develop scours, but it is most common in foals and younger horses. Scours indicates that there is something going on in the horse's digestive tract. If diarrhea is the only symptom, you may be able to manage on your own. However, if your horse appears to be in pain, has pale gums, bites or kicks at his stomach, or otherwise doesn't appear well, contact your veterinarian, as scours can also be a symptom of several serious illnesses, including Potomac Horse Fever.
Traditional halters and slip halters both serve a purpose for restraining, leading and working with your horse while you are on the ground. Slip halters, sometimes known as rope halters, serve an additional purpose for training and even occasional riding. While many people appreciate the convenience of a traditional halter, horses that need training in ground manners respond well to a slip halter. If you choose a slip halter for your horse, contact a trained professional to show you how to use it properly for training. A slip halter can be a useful training aid, but if used improperly, can…
High winds can spawn a tornado or straight-line winds that topple over and ruin outdoor structures. It is important to anchor a horse barn properly to the ground to protect your investment and your livestock inside. Your barn might seem large enough, so that you think it is heavy and will not budge in strong winds. Risking the injury or death of your pets is not worth the gamble for a short safety project.
Anemia is a condition that affects the amount of hemoglobin your horse has in its blood. Hemoglobin is a protein that serves the function of transporting oxygen through the blood. Anemia can have several different causes. It is easily treatable once it is diagnosed. Symptoms of anemia in horses include poor physical condition and athletic performance, a loss of appetite, weakness, depression, lethargy, poor coat condition or heart murmur. If left untreated, anemia can cause death.
Riding a horse with a halter instead of a bridle is known as bitless riding. While there are many different styles of bitless bridles, a halter-style bridle is simple to make. To make a halter-style bridle, attach a lead rope to the center of the lower chinstrap or attach the reins to the halter on either side of the horse's mouth. This type of bridle provides the handler with adequate and humane control of the horse’s head.
Breeches are a common part of a horse rider's uniform, and they can be worn during casual riding or for competition. Whether or not a rider will wear breeches typically depends on the type of saddle he is using. Also, the horse's coloring sometimes plays a part in the type of breeches worn.
Protecting the health of a horse’s legs and feet is an important consideration when installing stable flooring. Though durability and low maintenance make concrete a popular choice, it is unyielding to a horse’s feet, is damp and cold in northern areas, and may discourage natural behavior such as lying down. Porous topsoil, clay or sand are often preferred because they are easier on a horse’s feet and highly absorbent.
No matter how lousy dandruff on the mane and fur of a horse is, you can restore it to a beautiful, healthy coat with proper care and maintenance. Dandruff -- which is often caused by skin problems, such as eczema or seborrhea -- is excessive shedding of flaking dead skin cells. If a horse is stressed, has hormonal changes or becomes malnourished or sick, it can develop dandruff. Treating dandruff immediately is important to prevent skin irritation, inflammation, infection and more.
Stirrup tights are designed to be worn in a very specific way. Learn how to wear stirrup tights with help from an experienced fashion writer in this free video clip.
Neoprene is a lightweight synthetic material often used for seat coverings in cars. The benefits of neoprene have been noticed by horse owners resulting in an increase in popularity of neoprene saddles. Neoprene saddle cinches grip the horse better than other materials. This means that you can set them somewhat looser than you would with other types of material. Neoprene saddles do not attract burrs, burdock, grass, mud or dirt, making them easier to maintain than other saddles.
Embroidering is a good way to personalize a horse halter and enhances the horse's appearance at shows or trail rides. Most halters are made out of sturdy nylon webbing, which is generally too thick to embroider by hand. Instead, an industrial machine with a clamping device is preferred. In the absence of that, a home embroidery machine can be used, if run slowly and carefully. It is a good idea to practice first on a halter that is seldom used.
A clevis shackle is a piece of rigging equipment that has two component parts: the clevis and clevis pin. The clevis is a U-shaped rod or bar of steel that has holes in the prongs. The clevis pin is a bolt that is inserted through the holes in the clevis and can be threaded or unthreaded with a cotter pin. A clevis pin has four different dimensions that are typically measured. The best way to measure a clevis shackle is with a caliper.
A stitching horse is a harness that holds material tightly while you sew. Materials can include leather and sewing cloth. Stitching horses are old stitching tools that can be expensive to find and purchase in more modern times. Building your own can serve as a good craft project. It can also be a much less expensive way to create a stitching horse. Build this project if you understand how to work with wood, including using circular saws and electric hand drills.
Many horse enthusiasts enjoy roping calves as a hobby, or even as training for the rodeo. Any roping sport requires a lot of practice, from riding the horse to lassoing the calf. Some horse enthusiasts build personal covered roping pens for a daily practice area so they don't have to rent out costly space at a local roping arena.
Proper care must be taken to prevent a horse's water source from freezing up during the winter. Animals need adequate drinking water throughout the year, and cold winter temperatures make it difficult to provide water without freezing, particularly in colder climates. Insulating the water lines to a trough will both prevent the chance of leaving the horse without anything to drink, and prevent damage to the pipes and trough. During the insulation process, taking time to secure both the water lines and the trough helps prevent freezing.
Horse bridles that have been in storage with little maintenance will dry out and become hard and unmanageable. Restore the bridle with proper cleaning and conditioning. Leather, a porous material, collects dirt and sweat, so it needs to be cleaned and conditioned regularly. Proper maintenance keeps the bridle manageable and soft for an easier, more comfortable fit on the horse.
The pommel horse is a piece of gymnastic equipment used by male gymnasts. The top of the horse has two upright handles bolted to a padded surface. The gymnast supports his body on the two handles as he swings his legs around the horse. Official pommel horses have adjustable legs. This gives the gymnast flexibility in practice. In a home pommel horse, the top portion rests on the floor, making it easy to lift and store the pommel horse.
Providing the essentials for your horse--food, water, protection--can be a costly endeavor, but there are ways to ease the financial burden. For protection, winter blankets are necessary in colder weather but often become damaged with regular wear. Leg straps are necessary to keep the blanket in place, particularly if the horse is turned out in a larger area, and they're usually the first part of the blanket to suffer damage. With a basic knowledge of sewing, you can easily replace these important straps and save your valuable winter blankets without using a commercial repair service.
Horse owners depend on a steady supply of hay as a main food source for their horses. In fact, hay can be made of various different grasses, although alfalfa is one of the most common hay types. Alternatively, brome hay offers benefits to a horse's diet, as well as improving the soil's surrounding composition. Brome hay has distinct characteristics that separates it from common hay grasses.
Splicing a towing bridle for a dinghy requires some basic marlinspike seamanship, which may introduce you to this boating facet, especially important for sailors. Marlinspike seamanship refers to the marlinspike, a tool used to undo knots and rope strands. Although not necessary when splicing a simple towing bridle, it is a neat and handy tool to have on board. A basic three-strand rope splice with an eye, called an eye splice, is all you need to tow a dinghy. With a little patience, and attention to detail, it is easily accomplished by a novice line-splicer.
Quail are small game birds that can be raised for their meat or eggs. They are an excellent choice for a backyard growing operation, as they require very little space. A laying pen is a cage designed to house adult quail while they breed and lay eggs. Quail cages are generally suspended a few feet off the ground to help protect them from predators and to make it easier to clean the cage.
A bridle path refers to a trimmed area of mane behind a horse’s ears. The bridle path is trimmed on different riding horses to prevent it from getting twisted in the mane hairs. Cutting a bridle path also keeps the horse looking neat. It is trimmed to prevent discomfort when it gets tangled in a bridle. Cutting a bridle path should be part of your regular horse grooming routine.
Small pens are a necessity when handling sheep, as a flock will group together tightly when nervous or fearful. Small pens enable you to separate one or two to trim hooves, medicate or quarantine. They also allow you to separate lambs and ewes from the rest of the flock for a short time to keep the babies safe. Pens that are quickly and easily constructed where you need them are a valuable addition to your farm.
Two words that strike fear into the heart of a horse owner are “stall rest.” There are numerous reasons a horse may require stall confinement: illness, bad weather or poor footing when horses can't be safely turned out. Horses are by nature outdoor animals and keeping them content in a stall can be a challenge. Some respond by chewing the stall or developing cribbing habits; others pace and paw. There are ways to manage your horse while confined that will help alleviate these issues.
Horse stable managers oversee the operations of facilities specifically designed for equine care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics places horse stable managers and workers within the broader category of animal trainers, noting that these trainers comprised 9,740 of the jobs in the American work force in 2010. Salaries for these trainers varies by location and the specific industry in which the animal trainer works.
You can build a temporary market stall with only a little knowledge of basic carpentry. A stall may serve both as a retail counter -- where you can cut, wrap up or weigh items -- and a merchandise display. A temporary stall will keep your wares protected from the weather and, if attractively decorated, give you an edge on the competition. Stalls are suitable for farmer's markets, garage sales and flea markets.
Equestrians clip a bridle path in the horse’s mane to keep the hair of the mane from becoming entangled in a halter or bridle and causing the animal discomfort. Competitive riders often use the cut to accentuate the animal’s head or neck during a horse show to score additional points from judges viewing the overall presentation of the mount. Whether your horse is a pasture pet or a show athlete, maintaining a bridle path can be part of your regular grooming routine.
Sawhorses are a basic tool every carpenter or handyman should own. They are easily transported and set up at a job site to create an instant work surface. A sawhorse is commonly used for holding wood when cutting, dry walling and as a table when a plywood sheet is positioned on top. Building a foldable sawhorse is simplified by metal brackets with hinges that hold the wood and allow the horse to fold.
If your child loves to play with her toy horses, she'll enjoy a toy barn to house all those ponies in. You can use a bit of spare plywood to build a toy barn, with room for all the horses your child has collected. This project can be customized to use colors your child likes and you can even get little ones involved to finish the craft. Or, work with your child to make this toy barn as a gift for a friend.
Part of maintaining or taking care of a horse is grooming. Keeping a horse clean will make the animal more healthy, as well as make its coat shining. To groom a horse properly, you will use different brushes and combs. Each piece of a grooming kit is used for a different purpose.
Painter's horse scaffolds are a basic form of scaffolding that can be used to reach high points while painting. A stable tool that works well for all manner of jobs, painter's horse scaffolds consist of two sawhorses that serve as supports on which a reinforced plywood platform is placed. These devices can also be used by masons, window cleaners or anyone who needs to reach high places while working. Painter's horses require only average carpentry skills and some basic tools to construct.
The main consideration when building an indoor turtle pen for terrestrial turtles is space. Land turtles and small tortoises of a similar size are very active and need a lot of space in which to roam around. Organizations, such as the Reptile Channel, recommend an enclosure should be at least six times as wide, four times as deep, and two times as high as the length of the turtle's carapace (top shell). When building an indoor enclosure, make sure you have enough space to properly accommodate the size of pen you will need to construct.
A hackamore is an piece of tack that attaches to a horse's bridle as a substitute for a bit. This device helps a rider control his horse. Whereas a bit is worn inside of a horse's mouth, a hackamore goes over the bridge of a horse's nose. Hackamores are most popular with Western riders, but they can also be used by English or endurance riders. In fact, Boomerang and Disney Way, two of the world's greatest show jumpers, wore hackamores instead of bits.
Concrete floors present a lot of advantages in barns. They are easier to clean than dirt floors, and help to decrease problems with mud and dirt. If you are building new stalls inside of a barn, it can be a challenge to attach the bottoms of the walls securely to the concrete floor. There are several ways to accomplish this that will result in secure and well-built stalls.
Miniature horses are cute pets. They only reach about 34 inches in height and can live up to 35 years. Along with good hygiene and nutrition, miniature horses need exercise to stay healthy. One way to help them get that exercise is to buy a horse walker, sometimes called a hot walker. One will cost you about $4,000. But you can easily make a homemade version of one for significantly less.
A saddle or harness that slides on the horse can be the result of several problems, from a saddle that doesn't fit correctly to a horse that is barrel chested or has high withers. If you use one saddle for several horses, odds are that it won't fit all of them well. First, determine what is causing the saddle or harness to slide, and then choose a method to prevent it.
A hog breeding pen is a narrow pen designed to enclose the female sow, so the male can mount her. The pen is just wide enough for the female. The female is led into the pen first and the male is then led in behind her. The female is trapped in the pen and cannot move forward (due to the closed front gate) and cannot move sideways, due to the thin enclosure. The male will instinctively mate with her. This practice may seem unfair to the female sow, but forced breeding is a part of farming.
A saddle pad serves many purposes: It protects your saddle from the dirt and sweat of a horse's back; it can provide a bit of extra cushion for you and the horse; and it also jazzes up your tack and adds a splash of color in the show ring. Dressage pads have a particular look, and it is possible to make your own if you keep the dressage aesthetic in mind. Perhaps more importantly, making your own saddle pad gives you control of the materials that come in contact with your horse and your saddle.
Toy stables provide hours of creative play for children, as well as provide storage for the model horses when not in use. This basic stable is simple enough for your children to make under supervision, although they will need a little help with the craft knife. You can make a more complicated version by gluing the stable to a baseboard and adding a separate shed for tack or feed and other accessories such as fencing or jumps made from dowelling.
One of the primary responsibilities of a horse owner or caretaker is the health and hygiene of their animals. A clean and well groomed horse is less likely to develop or spread health problems such as skin or respiratory conditions. If the grooming supplies, including brushes and combs, are not also kept clean, they can actively cause the development and spread of bacteria, viruses or other contagious materials. Regularly cleaning and disinfecting grooming tools can help keep horses happy and healthy.
Although most ponies are hardy and cope well with bad weather, every pony owner sometimes needs accommodation for their animal. Ponies are strong and love to rub against stall walls, so any structure to hold them needs to be sturdy and secure. Permanent stables are normally built from stone, brick or wood, and are capable of standing up to a pony's full weight. Building a portable shelter presents a challenge, because it is difficult to make the structure both strong and movable, but there are several options to consider.
A metal bit can become ice cold in an unheated tack room in winter. The coldness of the bit can be very uncomfortable for the horse, and even make her refuse a bit in the future. Many horse owners warm the bit next to their bodies or in a pocket prior to use. However, this can be uncomfortable for the horse owner. A solution is to create a bit warmer that you can warm in the microwave and wrap around the bit. You can sew a homemade bit warmer yourself to keep your horse happy.
Halters and bridles are two important tools when working with horses. The halter is used to catch and control the horse on the ground, while the bridle is used to steer the horse while riding or driving it. Both of these tools will work together to provide convenience and safety for the rider and horse. Use the halter either on top or under the bridle, depending on the use. Never tie the horse by its bridle because it can seriously damage its mouth if it pulls.
Horse paddocks are enclosed areas of grassland used for grazing horses. Grazing is important for horses,because they are trickle feeders. That means they need a constant supply of small amounts of fiber to keep their digestive systems healthy. Grazing also helps horses stretch back and neck muscles correctly, and keeps their teeth healthy. The ideal paddock is enclosed with safe, sturdy fencing and provides shelter, shade and water.
Bits are metal, bone or wooden bars, or sometimes two connected bars, that fit into a horse's mouth. The rider uses the bit to control and communicate with the horse. Bits have at least one ring on each end. Some bits, called "curb bits," are centered in a metal frame so there are two rings on each end of the bit. Both the harness that fits over the horse's face, called the bridle, and the reins, the long straps the rider uses to control the horse, attach to these rings.
Preschool children learn best from doing. Their imaginations often lead the way, and incorporating dramatic play and art activities into lessons helps youngsters connect to the information. Tie lessons on farms, horses and barns are opportunities for the children to pretend to be horses, to create horses and barns through building with blocks and clay, and to create a horse-and-barn puppet show.
A new western or English saddle may set you back several thousand dollars, and even a quality used one can approach the four-figure mark. With so much money on the line, it makes sense to get the best value for your money. A number of factors influence the market price of a saddle, from the reputation of the saddlery that made it to the condition of the leather and the fittings.
Miniature horses are measured for bits just like their larger, full-size counterparts. Minis are used with a harness for driving a cart, and the bit typically used is a snaffle -- a stainless steel bit with a ring in the center of the mouth that works by applying pressure on the tongue and corners of the mouth. The most popular bit for driving is a half-cheek snaffle. The standard miniature horse measures 34 to 38 inches tall. The head and mouth are proportionately smaller than a pony or horse. Bits for miniature horses come in three sizes: 3 1/2, 3…
