Protect Your Horse's Eyes and Face w/Fly Masks

Fly masks can be a very important tool to not only shield your horse's eyes from irritating flies, they can also provide year-round protection from: debris, blindness and skin cancer. On a windy day, a fly mask can prevent dust and debris from collecting in your horse's eyes. Not only do they help keep the eyes clean, but a dark or black fly mask can help a blue-eyed horse (who spends significant time in direct sunlight) avoid blindness. The benefits don't stop there. The face of a pink-skinned white-haired horse could be spared from skin cancer with a fly mask that covers the face and nose. Lastly, fly masks (that cover the ears) can also help horses who are ear-shy to gain confidence having their ears handled. Fly masks can cost anywhere from $10 to $30 and are available in any tack store or tack catalog. This small investment can go a long way in making your horse happy, ridable and comfortable.

Horsemanship Tip of the Month November/December

Blanketing Your Horse in Colder Weather

Let's face it - blanketing can become an unwelcome and time-consuming chore, especially if you are blanketing more than one each day. If our horses did not derive significant benefits from blanketing, we more-than-likely would not bother. Some of these benefits are: a smoother easier-to-groom coat, warmer muscles and joints less prone to aches and pains as well as easier weight maintenance, to name a few. One of the best ways to start the blanketing process is with a thin nylon sheet, beginning at night on November 1st. If temperatures do not vary greatly day into night, the sheet can continue to stay on until you ride. If the days are warmer, remove the sheet during the day and re-sheet at night. This gives your horse a buffer against impending cold while still allowing them to "toughen up." Once December 1st rolls around, add a light-weight blanket over the top of the sheet at night. Together, you have the equivalent of (at least) a medium weight blanket to guard against the cold. Then remove the top blanket during the day and allow the horse to wear the sheet only. In the case of severe weather, leave both on. These layers provide not only the protection your horse needs, but they allow you to remove or add more layers as temperatures fluate, being more fair to your horse's natural heating system. This also saves time and can help avoid the blanket-off blanket-on ritual we could face (leaving your horse to stand "naked" until the new blanket goes on!) At my own boarding stable and all the others I've been priveledged to be part of, I've never met a horse yet that minded a little extra warmth in colder weather.

Dental Work Improves Performance

When we look for answers for a horse's less-than-ideal performance, we often think about their sensitivity to our aids, their ability to focus, their conformation, the bit and other things. Too often what is overlooked are their teeth. A horse's jaw must be able to move or "slide" laterally and longitudinally in order to smoothly transition, go correctly forward or turn under saddle. They also need a properly functioning jaw in order to eat their food and keep weight on. Unlike our teeth, the teeth of a horse grow their entire lives and can produce sharp hooks and ramped or wavy dentition. This makes accepting the bit much more difficult than it needs to be.

Therefore, a qualified Equine Dentist can do wonders for your horse's mouth. Although more expensive than a dental float from your vet, a dentist can provide more intense and perhaps thorough work for 100% comfort. Otherwise, your horse may not respond in a manner conducive to your desired discipline. Don't hesitate when it comes to your horse's health. Have a thorough dental work-up performed at least once a year.

My Top Ten Favorite Horse Stories

Read my recently-published book sharing my life and experiences as a trainer and horse owner. Available on Amazon.com. Every horse person who had read this book has thoroughly enjoyed it and found it inspirational. Consider indulging yourself!

Horsemanship Tip of the Month

Stretching Your Horse Dollar

All of us horse people realize how costly it can be to own, board or lease a horse. One predominant expense during this time of year is fly spray. Regardless of the brand or what a particular bottle may proclaim, fly spray is only effective for a short amount of time, and then must be reapplied. The very best and one of the least expensive fly sprays is the following:

1. 4 ounces of Repel-X fly spray concentrate

2. 30 ounces of water and 30 ounces of white vinegar.

Mix all the ingredients together. This fills two traditional size fly spray bottles and costs about $4 a bottle, compared to the normal $8 to $20 other fly spray costs. Also, a former Showsheen bottle makes an excellent fly spray bottle because it is less likely to clog. Have fun riding and enjoy helping your horse be fly-free!!!