Educating to reduce the risk of harm to the horse and rider.

A proper competition dressage riding arena has to have the appropriate arena size, footing, elevation difference, and letters. These aspects need to be considered when developing a dressage arena. Arena Size -the interior of the size of a dressage competition riding arena is 60 meters long by 20 meters wide (196.85 feet x 65.62 feet) -if there is public viewing, the audience must be a minimum of 10 meters from the arena -ideally, if the indoor arena is intended for dressage t

Horses have eyes that are sized, placed, and shaped differently than humans. This gives the horse very different night vision, focus, blind spots, magnification, and depth perception compared to humans. Humans must understand this when working with horses as we literally see life and situations differently than a horse. Panoramic and Spherical Vision Horses have 357 degree vision horizontally and nearly 180 degree vision vertically, giving them panoramic vision and spherical

Horse safety is essential for a beginners, kids, adults, up to advanced equestrians. There are 5 levels of safety used in workplace safety that are easily transferred when working with/around horses to reduce risk and eliminate hazards. This hierarchy is in order from the highest level of effectiveness down to the last line of defence, which is safety gear. 1) Eliminate - physically remove hazards: Ask yourself, “Can I eliminate the risk of this task or potential situation

A horseback riding helmet is the last line of defence in a riding incident. A helmet can be the difference between life and death for you or your child. In addition, it will help reduce the severity of a head injury. It is important the helmet is in good condition, under 5 years old, has not seen impact, is fitted correctly, and properly secured. When to get a new helmet: 1)at least after 5 years of its first wear or date of purchase (due to unseen natural material deteriorat

Knowing the size of blanket needed to fit your horse is important for the safety and comfort of your horse. It’s important to note that horse blanket fit and sizing is not the same between all manufacturers. Methods to measure a horse for a horse blanket very from manufacture to manufacturer. The best tool to use is a soft measuring tape. Below is how to measure a horse for a horse blanket from the following horse blanket manufacturers: Weatherbeeta: For blankets made by Weat

Owning and operating a stable is a lot of work. It is great to have an item that makes your life a little bit easier and efficient. A small stable owner or a owner of multiple horses would benefit greatly by having a tractor. Yes, a tractor can be costly but it’s a great investment. You can write a tractor off when you do your business taxes for your stable. If you are patient and if you shop around you can usually get a good deal. Whenever I buy a larger item I look at used

In situations where a horse is stressed from what they perceive as threatening, the horse will either go into fight or flight mode. As a prey animal, it is a horses first response to take flight and run away from danger or perceived danger. In flight mode, a horse will only stop after putting distance between itself and the perceived threat, turn around and check whether the danger was real. In a herd, even if only one horse perceived the threat, the whole herd will take-off

Blanketing is fantastic tool for horses that are more vulnerable to cold, damp weather; seniors who can’t keep weight on, sensitive horses, clipped horse, horses in training that get sweaty, horses that go indoors and outdoors, heath compromised horses, etc. Note: it is a lawful requirement for horses to have access to adequate shelter. Horse blankets can be a great addition to assist in your horses well-being. Below are some common blanketing mistakes: 1) Over heating your h

Many of us use horse blankets to assist in the well-being of our horses. A horse needs to to move freely under a blanket. The blanket shouldn’t be so tight that it starts rubbing out the hair, where it causes discomfort and not so loose they get caught up, creating a hazard. Adjust these 3 areas to fit the blanket: 1) chest straps The blanket shouldn't be too big or loose where it slips back when it’s on the horse. It should fit well on the horses withers and shoulders. The b

Although “winging it“ can work sometimes and it can be surprising how resilient we can be. Consistent practice will boost confidence. The more you do something, the better you get. When you get better, you become more confident. The key is to be consistent with practice and to keep pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, so you continue to grow and develop. Confidence through practice, consistency and growth applies to both humans and horses. For someone who hates publ