QueryHorse – "Horse Guy"

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When I give my horse some loose hay, he jerks it out of my hand. Does he do this because he does not trust me? I have never hurt him or pulled food away from him.

Relax, most horses jerk hay away from a human the same way they jerk it out of the ground. And that's most likely the reason they grab it that way. Your horse doesn't differentiate the hay being loose in your hand from grass sticking up from the ground — he doesn't realize that the loose grass is not connected to your hand, so he tears it away just as he does when grazing.

One word of warning: be careful when handing grass to your horse. As you noticed, they can grab a mouthful rather quickly. You certainly don't want your fingers or hand going with that grass morsel into his mouth. I'm sure he wouldn't do that intentionally, but what difference does that make? You'd still be in real pain and possibly missing some digits.

I'm considering moving to a new barn. This barn has half doors. I have concerns that the half doors will let the horses bite each other. Is this a problem with these kinds of doors?

Most half-door barns also have a top half or full doors you can close if such a problem should present itself. However, half-doors are usually loved by horses for several reasons:

So frankly, I think half-doors are great, that your horse will love it, and that it won't present much of a problem, if any. Go for it!

My horse is rolling in mud even at this time of year, though it's not as cold as normal. Why does she do it? There aren't any flies around, are there?

I don't think she's rolling because of flies. Rather, it's more likely because of dry skin. The air is much drier in the winter (that's why a starlit sky is so clear and beautiful in Winter). Just as with us humans, a horse's skin gets dry and may flake. Rolling in the mud likely soothes her itches. If there's some other reason, I'm afraid I don't know what it is unless your horse has an injury. But you can easily check for that. More likely, she's rolling to scratch an itch (or five).

Where should I keep my tack during the winter? I was going to keep it in the barn tack room, but some of my fellow riders are afraid it might be stolen with fewer people hanging around the barn have taken theirs home.

You can also keep your tack at home. If you do, avoid storing it in the attic or basement. The high heat of most attics will severely dry out the tack and the humidity of the basements will promote mold and mildew. The best place to store your tack is actually a place that is kept comfortable for humans. Those spaces are usually between 60 - 85°F and also dehumidified (or air conditioned) for human comfort. So, the temperatures and humidity levels comfortable for humans are also the best for tack.

Should I leave my horse's blanket on when riding him in very cold weather (below freezing?) I want to ride him in the winter but don't want him to freeze.

NO! DO NOT keep the blanket on your horse when you ride. Even if you clip him, ride with no blanket. He'll generate quite a bit of heat while working and you don't want him to overheat.

When you're done riding, bring him back into the barn, remove his tack, and put a cooler on him. Coolers are generally made of synthetic fleece or wool. They will keep your hrose warm while his perspiration evaporates and he cools down. Once he's dry, remove the cooler and put his blanket on.

If your horse must be kept tacked and warm between riding sessions (such as at outdoor competitions in cold weather), you can get him a quarter sheet. A quarter sheet is a thin blanket designed to keep a horse's muscles from getting stiff from the cold. But be careful. If your horse does get wet from perspiration and will be standing around for a while in the cold while wet, he'll be safer if you remove his tack and put a cooler on him until he dry. The quarter blanket is only good to use when your horse is dry, or at least no more than damp. There are some quarter sheets made of fleece or wool that can double as coolers between riding sessions.

It depends on the saddle's tree. Also, some Aussie saddles have a horn while others do not. Obviously, jumping with a horn in front of you raises the chances you could get hurt — better to avoid jumping with a horn there. Even without a horn, you still need to check with the saddle manufacturer because there are severe stresses put on a saddle tree during the landing. If the tree is not made for those kinds of stresses, it can fail with a hard jump. If the manufacturer reports that the saddle is made to accommodate jumping, you're free to go.

We're putting lights into every stall in our barn finally. How high up should they go?

The safest thing is to place them high enough that a rearing horse won't be able to hit them. You definitely don't want one of your horses getting cut from broken glass, getting glass in his eyes, or getting electrocuted by a live circuit. Most barns have quite high ceilings and I don't expect that even a large draft would be able to hit a fixture that's 10 or 11 feet above the ground.

If you have really high ceilings, don't place the fixture more than 14 feet up or you may find that too little light reaches down where you need it.

You can, but you're taking a chance. Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP) is an inherited, genetic muscle disease. As of this writing, it has only been found in descendents of the great Quarter Horse competitor, Impressive. He alone had over 2,200 foals and a total of over 50,000 descendents overall. Interestingly, only his descendents have been found to have HYPP, therefore, researchers suspect a mutated gene in the line caused the disease to occur.

Now, to your question: the symptoms of HYPP can be a complete paralysis of certain muscle groups. The groups vary by horse, but you need to consider what would happen if you were riding and the horse lost control of his leg muscles, or his heart muscle, or his diaphragm muscle needed for breathing. The horse would collapse and you'd drop to the ground with him. He might even roll over you — UGHHH!!! PAIN!!! If you were at a canter or gallop, the results for both of you could be even worse.

HYPP can show its first symptoms at any time. Some horses present at age one while others present at age 28 or never. The problem is that we don't know when or even if a horse with this genetic flaw will present. If you had your horse genetically tested for HYPP and the test came back as positive, that doesn't mean your horse will ever present, but it means he could. If your horse has already had an attack, then you obviously know it can happen again.

There are some drugs that have proven helpful in mitigating the effects of HYPP. It works better on some horses than on others. Whether you ride a horse that has tested positively for HYPP is a personal decision. As mentioned earlier, an attack while travelling over a jump or at speed could be disastrous for both horse and rider — there is definitely significant risk. Conversely, there is always some risk when riding horses and no guarantees. A positively testing horse may also never present.

Personally, I don't want to take on more risk if I can avoid it by not purchasing a positively tested horse. It's a harder decision if you have the horse already and then discover he has HYPP. I would probably avoid the additional risk — others don't seem to be as concerned.

You should ask this question of your vet to get a more accurate risk assessment of your particular horse.

I WOULDN'T DO IT! Even a small jump with a few inches of snow presents more risk than a higher jump on dry ground. The reason is because snow presents a slipping risk. Your horse could strain a muscle or ligament; or he could break a bone and send you flying into a fence or tree. The slip could occur when he tries to make the jump, or even more so, when he lands and his inertia keeps you both sliding and his legs go out from under him.

Save your jumping for the indoor arena and safer, dry ground. There's no need to take unnecessary risks that could physically hurt you or your horse.

You should charge it at least once a year. Don't do it now if you've put your trailer into storage for the winter. Charge it in the spring when you get your trailer ready for the summer riding season. If you trailer year-round, then pick a time that you'll remember each year so that you can charge it consistently.

Once your trailer is five years old, you should have the battery checked by a professional, or just replace it with a new one (that you've charged). The importance of the break-away brake being operational when you need it is significant. So while you may never need it, you certainly don't want it not to operate if you ever do require it.

I've always wanted to learn to ride a horse. I'm getting older (my 50s) and recently decided that I better get to it or I'll be too old to ever begin. I told a friend that owns a horse and she told me about this Website. Since then, (about 2 months ago), I've been reading daily posts from you and the Horse Girl and getting excited about trying this new adventure. But I don't know how to get started. I know I should take lessons, but do I sign up for several months? Do I ride my friend's horse? What should I do? Can you help?

CONGRATULATIONS! I applaud you on grabbing the "bull by the horns" and starting your journey. If you've spent two months reading, and now taken the time to write, I'd say that you definitely have some passion for horses and would enjoy some level of involvement. What level you decide to pursue is a decision that only you can make.

For starters, I'd suggest that you try a low-risk, non-committal experience first. You don't say what kind of riding interests you, so I recommend you try to find a barn that, regardless of their focus, also teaches basic riding technique or go to a trail-riding barn. If the former, talk to the owner about taking one or several lessons. If the trails beckon, pay for a guided trail ride on a calm, experienced, and older horse. Whichever you try, you'll get to experience the excitement and fear that usually comes from the first time sitting on a moving horse.

The fear comes from finding that you're higher off the ground than you expected and sliding around because you don't know how to stay balanced, and also from the realization that you don't yet know how to control a horse. It's not like driving where turning the wheel guarantees a turn and applying the brake immediately begins slowing you down. The excitement comes from realizing part of your dream and being aboard this most powerful and majestic animal. If the experience leaves you wanting more as it sounds it will, then it'll be easier to commit some time and money to lessons. While some people learn without lessons, I strongly believe good training makes you a safer as well as a better rider.

Whatever discipline you ultimately decide to pursue initially, you just need to learn how to ride and control a horse right now. You even need to learn how to safely be near and interact with horses while standing on the ground and especially how to read their moods by watching their eyes, ears, head, tail, and body movements. And as you learn to ride, you'll likely fall even more in love with horses and riding, and develop confidence as you learn how to control and work with the horse. After that, you'll want to select a discipline and pursue training.

If trail riding is what interests you most, please understand that it, too, is really its own discipline, so don't think you can just go out there and ride the forests or high plains from the start. Horses react differently when out in the country and their fear and vigilance for predators brings its own challenges just as learning to jump requires its own skills. So you still should take riding lessons. Whatever discipline you initially choose, you'll learn valuable riding and safety skills and you can also add other disciplines to your skill and interest levels later as your progress.

I again congratulate you and wish you the best in safe riding and real fun in partnering with this beautiful animal! I believe you're gonna LOVE IT!

I want to take some photographs of my horse. Is there anything special that needs to be done? Do I need any special equipment?

You don't mention what you want the photos for. If they're just snapshots, any camera will do, even a cell phone. But if you want to blow them up for framing, you'll get better results with a real camera than a cell phone. You don't need an expensive camera, just one that takes good photos.

The harder part is selecting a good background and getting your horse to stand the way you want to shoot him. Horses generally are grazing or looking around if left to their own devices. I generally start by picking an appealing background. To my sensibilities, that's one in which most evidence of humans has been excluded. Therefore, I'll look for a stand of trees, or a hill or mountain in the background without buildings, transmission lines, etc., visible in the frame.

Once I have the location and backdrop, I'll bring the horse and a helper. The helper is going to hold the lead line and control the horse (if needed). If the horse is very calm and controllable, I'll remove the halter and no one needs to have a lead on the horse (I prefer photos of horses with no tack when possible). But if there's any doubt, leave the halter and lead line intact or find a good backdrop you can use within a large paddock.

Once everything else is set, I adjust settings on the camera and finally concentrate on the horse. He's the most unpredictable part of the shoot, so I get everything else ready and then deal with him last. Positioning a horse to stand a certain way takes time, a little skill with horses, and a cooperative horse. Have too little of any one or more of those variables and it'll be difficult or impossible to get the shot you want. When the horse's position is ready, move away quickly; raise, aim, compose, and focus your camera; and then make a sharp sound to make the horse look up at you. When he does, snap several shots. You may have to do this several times, including re-positioning the horse.

We have an article you may want to read that focuses more on the technical aspects entitled: Horse Photography – How-to. Good luck!

Is it safe to trailer horses during the winter? There are some competitions I'd like to attend with my horse, but not if it is dangerous.

You should begin your assessment by using the same cautions for towing in the winter as you use for driving without a trailer. In other words, if it's too slippery to drive, it's definitely too slippery to trailer. Then, add another level of caution because trailering brings its own complications.

For example, when you start, turn, and stop with a trailer, good traction is even more important than it is for a trailerless vehicle. The effects of wind in the winter are also greater because the trees don't have leaves to block wind as in the warmer months, plus, the air is denser because it's cold and that makes its effects greater as it blows against your truck and trailer. The same windspeed actually pushes with more force because of the heavier weight of the dense air. If in doubt, don't tow.

HOWEVER, if you want to trailer someplace and return on a cold, but calm, clear day with clear roads, there's no reason you shouldn't do so. Just be careful and also make sure your horse is not in that cold trailer too long.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a stock or any other form of open trailer, you either should install plexiglass panels to enclose the trailer or not go at all. Driving at 50 MPH means your horse(s) will be exposed to a constant 50 MPH wind, even more if you're going into a headwind. In warm weather, this is fine, but in cold weather, you risk subjecting your horse(s) to hypothermia, which could kill them.

Unless it's because of an injury or illness and you're following your veterinarian's instructions, your horse will generally do better, be healthier, and be happier with lots of turn-out each day. Horses were never meant to live out their lives in a small stall — they're meant to be able to move around while grazing and to run with their herd. This will all help his digestion and keep him in good, physical shape.

If your horse has to be inside, some stall toys can help make it less boring. And some exercise in the barn or arena, while not as good as turn-out, is still better than just standing and turning in a stall. When you exercise your horse in the barn or arena, try to at least get him up into a trot as well as walking him — a canter is even better.

And one point about turn-out in a paddock: there are paddocks and there are paddocks. Some paddocks are multiple acres and service a small herd while others are very small, perhaps 12 x 20 feet — the latter gets a horse outside, but is a paddock in name only because the horse can't really exercise and will have over-grazed it in a day or two. After that, it'll just be a mud pen.

Try to assure your horse has room to run and graze for his health and well-being.

I came in to the barn early this morning to find one of our barn cats sleeping on the back of one of our horses. I've never seen this before. Is this dangerous for either the cat or the horse? Is it normal?

Actually, it is normal. I've seen this behavior at several barns. Some of the cats will befriend several horses — it all depends on the temperament of the cats and the horses involved. Generally, the behavior will begin on some very cold night and both quickly learn that the other is warm and they share the heat. For the cat, his whole underside is kept warm. For the horse, it's only a small spot on his back, but it feels better than all the other spots. If I were an enterprising horse, I'd try to get my friendly cat to bring his friends.

I'm not aware of any dangers for either animal other than the obvious, such as the cat needing to not scratch the horse and risk being bucked off and also to avoid being stepped on. Usually, they develop a level of trust and you'll also sometimes find a cat sleeping on a pile of hay in the corner of a stall sharing it with the horse. Remember, horses are social animals — even cats are to some degree with the right social friend. Size matters not to either.

How tight do I make the back girth on a western saddle when riding a horse?

BE VERY CAREFUL! You DO NOT want to tighten the rear cinch incorrectly! (Girths are only for English saddles — Western saddle straps are called a "cinch" and are different than a girth, though they do the same thing.)

The front cinch tightens around the horse's rib cage. But the rear cinch goes around the horse's soft stomach. So, it is very uncomfortable for the horse if you make it tight. Instead, there should be just enough room for you to slide your hand in flat between the horse's belly and the cinch. If tighter, it'll hurt and chafe your horse and he may buck you off. If looser, a rear hoof could get caught in it causing him to panic wildly or fall and get seriously hurt. It's really important to get the right degree of tightness.

Is it normal for a horse to lie down and roll in a muddy field? My horse does this at any time of the year.

Yes, this is normal horse behavior. In the warmer months, horses usually roll in the mud to get some protection from the biting flies. But they also roll around in the mud in colder weather when flies and other biting insects aren't around. From what we can observe, rolling will fluff up wet, matted hair. It also helps them to shed out loose hair. Light colored mud reflects the sun better than the dark hair on some horses, so it helps keep them cooler. Finally, it's a way to scratch an itch.

Not necessarily, she may be scared, but her skin could also be sensitive to being brushed or she could just not respect you. If scared, you'll generally notice other signs from her, such as a raised head, big eyes, a fearful expression, and an anxious demeanor as she backs away from you and the brush. If that's the case, you'll need to get someone more experienced to de-sensitize her to grooming tools and activities. Frankly, I think this is the least likely source of the problem unless you have a young horse that's never been groomed or an older horse that's been improperly and harshly groomed. Regardless of which it is, if your horse is scared, you need more experienced help to work her through this.

If the problem is overly sensitive skin, she'll bristle and move away quickly, but will not exhibit the fearful expression and anxious demeanor mentioned above. Instead, she could move away again and act annoyed as you approach again. The ultimate annoyance if she feels that the brush hurts her skin and threatens you with flattened ears or even worse, the baring of teeth.

If she doesn't respect you and just doesn't want to be brushed, she may act the same way. You then should consider getting the help of a more experienced horse person (e.g. your barn owner) or a horse trainer to help you determine which it is. If it's a lack of respect, the owner or trainer should be able to still brush her after asserting the position of herd leader. The owner likely already has this position if they're turning out and recovering the horses each day. But if the brushing actually hurts, even they will get the same response as you got because of the pain.

If you suspect overly sensitive skin, you can also try a softer brush. But before trying that, you should inspect your horse's skin. A normal horse brush should not hurt your horse's skin unless she has some skin condition or an infection. And if that's the problem, you're going to want that to be addressed immediately before concerning yourself with grooming chores.

What should I do with my horse when it is too icy to ride? She loves to run but I don't want her to fall when it is icy.

You're smart to be concerned about your horse falling on icy ground. She could get a serious injury, the worst of which is probably a broken leg risking her life.

Obviously, if you have an indoor arena, you can use that to help keep her in shape. If not, is your barn long enough to trot within? I once boarded at a long barn (maybe 100 feet or more) with wide aisles (about 50') and we would trot or canter down the length, trot across, and then continue trotting or pick up a canter again till we got back down to the other end. My current barn has stalls on the outsides and in the center, so we're able to go around the center stalls at the trot. Cantering is limited to a few hops, but extended trotting alone still exercises the horse (and rider) quite a bit and can help build muscle.

If you have no inside space to use, you're limited to the outside. If the ground is icy, you may be limited to keeping your horse inside for some of that time. Even then, extended walking is good for your horse and will also help her from going stir crazy when the ice is so bad you're even afraid to let any horses go outside.

To increase her workload at the walk, saddle up and ride her. She'll then have your weight as additional work to help her stay in shape.

Well, you could try looking at it. If you see boards, it's not aluminum, it's wood. Or if you see the black rubber of Rumber, it's still not aluminum. If the floor is metal, it could be a steel or aluminum floor. If the floor is aluminum, it will usually be 1/8 inches or more thick. A steel floor will be thinner because steel is three times stronger than aluminum for the same thickness.

As much as possible. Turnout is good for your horse. It lets him move around, graze, and socialize — all good things for his physical and mental health. Being stall-bound is NOT healthy for horses. It's good to keep it to a minimum.

At the barn where I board my horse, all the horses are out for about 10 hours each day, more in the summers. If you're looking for an absolute minimum, I would never go less than four hours a day, six to eight would be much better.

One thing that will have us keep the horses inside for one or more days is very icy ground that presents a falling hazard to the horses. In that case, the ground is so slippery that we fear them falling and breaking a leg. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's pretty bad here in the North East. At those times, I walk and trot him around inside the barn for about 20 - 30 minutes each day. It's good to get his legs and body moving and also helps get the "YA YAs" out so he doesn't go crazy being cooped up inside for a few days.

How can I stop my horses from being territorial when in their stalls? I have got six horses and they are friendly all day when turned out together but will try to bite when any horse passes by their stall? Why do they do this?

They do this because they're horses. This is NORMAL horse behavior. They protect their stalls as their own personal space. All you need to do is accept this behavior and keep a passing horse in the center of the aisle so stalled horses can't reach the passerby with their teeth. Alternatively, if your stalls have doors, you can close them when bringing horses through so the stalled horses don't feel threatened by those passing by.

Interestingly, some stalled horses will be less concerned by a passerby when eating because eating is their first priority. Other horses will be worse while eating because they're afraid the passerby will try to steal their food — it depends on the particular horses involved.

Also, don't be surprised if the horse at the bottom of your herd's pecking order is one of the most vicious when any other horse approaches his/her stall, including the alpha; and don't worry, the alpha will usually respect it and stay away. The territorial compulsion is very strong and is likely one of the reasons that horses have survived through the ages. Just accept that this is normal for horses and keep the horse passing by away from stalled horses with open upper doors.

Not very. They're designed to give you an approximate weight of your horse. But think about it, they estimate weight by measuring the girth of the horse. Most Quarter Horses are quite round while Thoroughbreds are much thinner. So the tapes are limited in their ability to correctly estimate weight across breed variations. Next, look at the length of the spine. A short-coupled horse will weigh less for the same girth size than a long-spine horse.

The tapes are meant to give you an estimate of your horse's weight, and they do that for horses with similar conformations. But if you want to know your horse's actual weight, there is no substitute for putting him/her on a scale. The tapes can sometimes be many hundreds of pounds off on their estimate. And if you're using weight to determine the quantity of a particular medication to give your horse, that can be taking somewhat of a risk if the dose is critical and the weight estimate is too far off.

With the economy still down, I think this is a perfect time to start my own horse farm business. My husband thinks I am crazy. Do you think my idea is silly?

Starting a business in a down economy could be a bad decision or a very good one — it depends on the business itself and the opportunities available at the time. You don't state the nature of your intended business. If it's a boarding barn, that might be a difficult approach at this time with so many people being out of work and many selling or giving their horses away because they can't afford to board them. Even in the best of times, except in high-rent areas, boarding is usually a "break-even" or loss business at best and most such farms augment it with horse training and riding instruction in order to make a profit. But, there are also many other equine related businesses you can consider depending upon your desires and education.

Here are links to two articles that I hope will be helpful in getting you started:

The first link explores the boarding business in more depth and also links to many other pertinent articles that will have value in considering any horse-related business. The second lists many equine vocations you can consider. Between the two, you should have lots of information to mull over and hopefully find the equine business that best suits you and the economy in your area.

Is it dangerous to ride on hills in the winter? Should we just stay off them?

Well, it's not dangerous just because it's winter, but it is dangerous if the hill is slippery for any reason regardless of the season. Obviously, snow and ice will generally occur only in cold weather. A freak summer storm could bring snow, but it won't last. Conversely, a muddy slope because of heavy rains could be extremely slippery and dangerous to ride upon in any season.

The danger of slipping and falling has nothing to do with the season and everything to do with the ground conditions of the hill you['re considering climbing, descending, or going across laterally. Be very careful whenever the footing is in question. A horse with a broken leg is a very bad thing; and that says nothing of the risk to the rider who could get crushed by a sliding horse or by one rolling over him (or her). Caution and safety should be an all year, all weather consideration.

I got a halter-bridle I've been wanting as a present. Do I put it on the horse and then clip on the bit or do I clip the bit on first and put it on like a normal bridle?

You can do either — it doesn't matter. I've done both, but I find that it's easier to put the halter on first and then add the bit when I'm ready to ride. This approach also allows me to be consistent with one of the tenets I maintain for my horse, namely, that he can graze anytime he doesn't have a bit in his mouth (presuming I'm not demanding his attention, such as when grooming or checking him), but never when he has a bit in his mouth. That way, when I put the bit in, it's time to work and I don't let him graze. When we're done riding or have stopped for a picnic lunch, I pull the bit and let him graze until we ride again.

Of course, he's mostly Thoroughbred and strong willed, so this approach has never completely stopped him from trying to graze when he really wants to do so. But by me being consistent, he certainly tries less frequently when he's bitted.

As for you, try both ways, but I think you'll find that haltering your horse first and then bitting when ready to ride is not only the easiest approach, but much easier than trying to putting any kind of bridle on a horse. Separating the bitting from getting the leather over the horse's head is just easier.

Whether property is considered "commercial" or not is determined by its zoning. The zoning board for the town in which the property resides determines what is zoned residential, commercial, or industrial.

If you buy horse property to conduct some kind of equine business, you're using the property commercially and most towns will require that it be in a commercial zone. If it isn't, you can petition the town to re-zone the property and its local area. Some towns may allow certain kinds of horse businesses to be conducted on agricultural property. For example, if you own very rural property, train only one horse at a time on your property and it resides there for the duration of the training, your services may be considered inconsequential and have minimum impact on surrounding neighbors, if any. Other towns may strictly enforce all zoning rules, especially if in a somewhat populated area. It really is determined by how much traffic your particular services will generate, how populated your area is, how much land you own, and how closely or not your town enforces traditional zoning rules, as well as how it specifically interprets them.

Therefore, you should investigate all of these things BEFORE you buy horse property so that you're sure you can conduct the kinds of business and provision of services on the property that you intend.

Your question is not clear? Are you asking whether or not you can ride your horse? If so, you can still ride if your horse hasn't been turned out. The bigger questions is why your barn isn't turning your horse out so he can graze, socialize, and get exercise. To address that issue, you neet to have a talk with the barn owner to see why your horse was kept in. I'd also make it very clear that I want my horse turned out each day for his own health.

On the flip side, your barn owner may have had a good reason for keeping your horse in this day. You need to check with him/her to find out why your horse was kept in. The best situation is when you and the barn owner work together for the benefit of your horse's health. If your barn doesn't work with you and gives you trouble about this, then I'd find another barn that will work with you and generally honor your wishes. But first, inquire to learn why your horse wasn't turned out this day — there may have been a very good reason.

I have a set of reins that have metal clips on the ends for connecting to the bit. A woman at my barn told me that the clips are bad for the horse and that I should remove the clips and tie the reins directly to the bit. Is she right?

I have scissor clips on the end on my reins and have used them to ride on many different horses over the years with many different bits. There's nothing "bad for the horse" about the clips being on the reins. I have heard that some horses dislike the clicking sound that evidently some clips make on their bits, but have never experienced any such reaction from the horses I've ridden. In fact, I don't hear any clicking myself while riding, but it's certainly possible. If they do click, my horse and the others I ride don't seem to notice. Similarly, lots of saddles I've ridden in squeak, but the horses didn't seem to notice or care about that, either.

I suggest you proceed this way: if you should ever notice that your horse is bothered by a sound the clips make on the bit, you can remove the clips and see if that makes any noticeable difference to your horse. If it does, I'd leave them off. Otherwise, I wouldn't throw away the convenience of the clips because of someone else's idea of what is right and wrong when your horse obviously seems to be fine with them.

When I go into my horses paddock and sit on the ground, she runs in circles and kicks in the air with her tail out. Why does she do that?

You should feel honored. Your horse is acting that way because she's excited that you're there with her in the paddock. She's also hoping that you've got some fun planned for your horse and you. That's probably likely because she would only act that way if she has associated you with having fun from previous experiences.

You may want to also read today's post by the Horse Girl. Another submitter also appears to have earned a similar bond with their horse. This is quite rare.

I recently started running a small boarding barn. A friend of my husband told him we should make my business a LLC. Is he right? How does that help me? Is this going to cost me money?

Yes, your husband's friend is right and he makes an EXCELLENT suggestion. Also, yes, it will cost some money, but not an unreasonable amount, and it is worth EVERY PENNY. Stay with me here as I explain why this is so important for almost any business. It 's important to understand why smart businesses take this approach.

The term "LLC" stands for Limited Liability Company. If you convert your boarding business to an LLC, it means that your business will be a legal and tax entity unto itself as far as the law is concerned. That means that, if your boarding business was ever sued for any reason, your personal assets will be better protected. Let's take an example.

Let's assume that one of your horses accidently hurts a boarder, a rider, or even a visitor to your barn. You are liable for two reasons; one is that it was your horse that caused the injury. The second reason is that this happened on your property. Either reason means that there's a good chance that your business will be sued.

Your business definitely should have liability insurance. But a lawsuit could still award damages to the injured party that exceeds the insurance amount. At that point, the assets of your business could be taken. BUT, your personal assets, such as your house, cars, investments, savings, and such, are not part of your business, so they are protected and cannot be seized.

There are times when even personal assets can be exposed, such as if your actions and decisions could be found to have been severely negligent. But otherwise, you're generally much safer. The thing you should do is to enlist the help of an equine attorney. He/she can help you convert your business to an LLC and to guide you in other ways in which that you can limit your legal exposure to injuries and other forms of damage that you, your horses, your boarders, and their horses could inflict. I mention the boarders also because any injury or property damage that occurs will likely expose you to some degree because it happened on your property. Proper legal guidance will help you to reduce your legal exposure in many ways, from establishing and LLC and getting the proper insurance to using properly protective agreements and liability waivers — you need this legal help when starting a business.

Unfortunately, this does cost some money, but you can't afford to lose everything you've worked for in your life just because an unfortunate accident occurred. That's why most businesses protect themselves in multiple ways, and you should, too.

You need to provide more information in your question. The problem is not that your horse is laying his ears back; rather, you need to focus on the reason for his doing it. For example, if he's laying his ears back because another horse is getting into his space or trying to take his food, you should leave your horse alone and let him sort out the issue with the other horse. You don't want your horse to bully other horses, but you also don't want him to allow others to bully him.

If your horse is laying his ears back when you approach, then you need to determine why he's doing this. Is he somehow frightened by your approach in ways that threaten him? For example, is he afraid he will be struck by you or some other aggressive behavior by you based upon past experience? Or is he instead afraid you'll take his food away while he's eating? In these cases, you need to earn his trust and also be his leader.

My horse doesn't lay his ears back when I approach no matter what he's doing. I can even take his food away and he will only back away. He's not afraid of me, but he does respect me. He also knows that I will give him his food back, or if there's something wrong with it, I'll give him replacement food. And if not, it's still ok because I'm the leader. If this was your question, then you need to work with a trainer to earn your horse's trust and respect.

If your question relates to something not discussed above, please resubmit your question with more information so we can respond to your particular issue. The laying of ears back indicates an attempt by a horse to stop a threatening behavior and warn a horse, other animal, or a person that something is upsetting him. You need to know what that is before you can deal with the problem. Just stopping him from putting his ears back IS NOT the right approach for you to take.

There is no "standard" inflation pressure for horse trailer tires, or any tires on any vehicle or trailer for that matter. A vehicle or trailer manufacturer selects the tires for its products whether they be cars, trucks, or trailers of any kind. The tires weight-capacity range and that of the trailer then determine the needed tire pressure. Therefore, you need to discover what the manufacturer of your trailer specifically recommends for its tires.

On horse trailers, there's usually a placard on one side of the trailer's tongue listing the recommended and maximum tire inflation pressures. You want to follow those pressure recommendations for maximum control and safety of the trailer when towing it.

Just how dangerous is it to ride a horse? I used to ride when a child, but was always afraid when I was in the saddle. Now, my daughter has learned I used to ride and wants to learn to ride herself. She even thinks it would be great fun to get two horses and ride with her mom. I'm flattered that she wants to do this with me, but I don't want either of us to get hurt. I also don't want to just say no to her without a good reason. So what are the odds of getting killed riding a horse?

I don't know what you'd prefer to do, but the odds of getting killed riding a horse are exceedingly low, much lower than riding in a car. The much slower speeds of horseback riding definitely drop the injury rate. The odds of getting bruised or scraped riding a horse are higher, but you're only risking occasional scrapes and bruises.

I think it'd be sad for you to decline this wonderful opportunity to share a love of hroses and riding with your daughter. Those happy memories could be with you both for the rest of your lives. And your daughter could both pass them on to her own children and perhaps initiate a similar sharing with them. If you're young enough and in good physical health, you may even be able to ride in the future with your daughter and potential grandchildren — wouldn't that be wonderful?

We have an article about riding risks that you should read. It's entitled: The Risk of Riding Horses.

There are several variables involved, such as what the horse is fed, the ambient temperature, etc. But generally, a pile will be gone in several weeks. If you break a pile up and spread it around after it dries, such as an hour later, it'll be mostly gone in a week, two weeks max. Around here in the Northeast where I live, the stuff is typically made up of partially digested grass and hay, and waste products from processing grain through the horse. That's all naturally biodegradable, so it doesn't stay around for long unless it's concentrated in a pile.

I want to ride more this year than I have in the past. Can I safely ride on ice if I get winter shoes with borium nails?

You need to be reasonable about your winter riding expectations. Winter shoes means that there will be pads under the shoes and over your horse's frogs. The pads keep snow from accumulating as frozen chunks in the center of your horse's shoes. The chunks can put large stresses on your horse's legs and also cause him to slip and fall. The pads reduce the chances of that frozen snow and ice build-up.

Borium is nothing more than tungsten carbide impregnated in a softer, holding metal. Tungsten carbide is very hard and used in certain drill bits and saw blades to cut hard materials, even some ferrous metals. It holds up well against frozen ground and ice and the impregnated particles have sharp edges to grip the ice.

All that said, hard ground or ice is still not a good surface to travel fast upon. Traction with these shoes and nails is better than without, but it's by no means as good as traction on dry ground in warmer weather. And cantering or running on hard ground risks shin splints in your horse's legs. So, even with these shoes, you should still limit most of your winter riding to walking when on ice and frozen ground.

In areas where the ground is soft, such as on well drained sand on a dirt road or in an arena, you may still trot and canter. Just assure that the footing under such sand is stable. But on any other surfaces in the winter, it's prudent to limit most of your outdoor riding to the walk because of the harder ground.

And personally, I just avoid riding completely when there's lots of frozen snow or ice around. Consider that your horse could step on a piece of ice or frozen snow that then slides along the ground and causes you both to fall — it's just not worth the risk! I would feel horrible if my horse slipped, fell, and was injured because I took him out riding on slippery ground. And if I had to put him down as a result of that injury because of my decision to ride, I'd have difficulty forgiving myself. So, I limit my winter riding to having sufficient places to ride that are not covered with frozen snow and ice.

How can I stop my horse from getting excited when other horses ride by? This happens a lot when I go trail riding with a friend and we meet up with another group of riders. The bigger the group, the more my horse wants to go with them. I normally ride in the arena and there is no problem. But this happens every time we go on a trail ride once or twice a year.

The fact you only ride outside the arena once or twice yearly compounds the problem because your horse feels safer in the arena setting, but "he knows" there are predators out on the trails. People who only ride in the arena and other enclosed spaces generally don't have to build the trust bond with their horse to the same degree as those that ride away from the barn on trails, in fields, and in other outdoor spaces. But when out there, that bond of trust is even more important for your horse to feel safe. If he believes that you'll make good decisions and keep him safe, he's much more likely to go wherever you want him to go, even away from a herd of horses. But without that bond and trust, he'll push to join a herd every single time.

In a herd, horses can fight off a predator more successfully when together. Even when they're running away, the main exposed horse when a herd is being chased is only the last in the group. All the horses know this and they try to be up front or in the middle of the herd.

There's also another factor: it's just plain fun for horses to run with other horses. These animals are running machines and love to run in a group. If you're mainly an arena rider, a slow canter is the likely top speed your horse will ever achieve. But out on the trail, he canter swiftly or better yet, gallop — GREAT FUN! — I see this every time my friends and I gallop our horses — the horses love it!

So essentially, you're fighting your horse's natural instincts when you try to stay separate from a large group of horses outside, especially if he's not comfortable enough that you'll protect him. The best thing you can do to make your horse more comfortable is to learn how to be his leader and also to ride the trails more frequently. Riding there more frequently will let him get used to it and remove much of the mystery.

One more thing, don't be afraid to gallop your horse once in a while. If you're not comfortable with it, discuss it with your riding instructor to make sure your riding properly. Galloping is one of the most exhilarating feelings you can experience with your horse and you don't need to ever do a flat-out gallop — just clean the cobwebs out occasionally when your horse is in condition.

Wrong side??? There is no "wrong side". You can teach a horse to allow you to mount from either side. In fact, while my horse, like most horses, is most accustomed to being mounted from the left side, I occasionally mount him from the right side. The ability to do so can be very important in certain situations.

For example, if I was on a narrow trail on the side of a steep hill rising on my right and had to dismount for some reason, such as to remove a stone stuck in his shoe, I would want to remount on the rising hill side. I would not want to risk pulling him and me off the narrow trail and down the steep embankment. Mounting from the side closest to the hill significantly reduces that risk. Therefore, I advocate teaching horses to accept mounting from either side.

Important Note: In light of recent studies showing how much twisting stress is placed on a horse's spine when mounting using the stirrup, I usually use a mounting block or some other elevated assistance (a stump, log, large stone, etc.) to reduce the chances of same. However, there are times I must dismount out on the trail and cannot then find something to use as a mounting block to remount. In those cases, I must and do mount using the stirrup. It's a nice safety factor being able to do that from either side of the horse.

I presume you're asking about behavior while the horse is still in the stall while the person is mucking it? It could be any kind of behavior where the horse is spooked, panicky, or just unhappy about the person being in there.

If a horse is spooked or overly excited, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that it may be better to let the horse calm down before starting to muck in there with the horse. Otherwise, most horses are fine with a person mucking while they're still in the stall.

However, it's important to keep in mind that almost all horses tend to be territorial about their stalls against other horses coming in or even getting too close while walking by. But a few horses are so territorial they don't even like people being in a stall with them. In those cases, it never makes sense to risk injury to yourself. Instead, remove the horse from the stall and turn him out, tie him elsewhere, or put him into another empty stall. That will let you safely clean the horse's stall.

One more point: it's been my experience that such horses are usually calm when eating even when a persaon is in the stall with them (though it would be a bad idea for the person to get too close to the feed bucket at that time). In such a case, you might be able to work while the horse eats. But my own advice would be to avoid that situation regardless. First, such a situation seems rather tenuous and risky and I can't think of why someone would take the risk just to avoid removing the horse from the stall. And second, the horse may finish eating while you're still in there and become upset with your presence now that he's not distracted by the food. Or maybe something else we can't anticipate gets him riled. Whatever it is, it's just not worth the risk and I would instead remove him from the stall while I work in there.

Unless you're talking about extreme weather, such as the north or south pole, or in Siberia or some such, horses usually do quite well even being outside throughout the winter. So, a barn will definitely be warmer because it will stop the wind. Also, this presumes that you don't clip your horse and that he's able of growing an adequate winter coat.

Some barns are closed up at night which allows the heat of the horses to warm the air. It's ok to close up the barn if there is some air exchange and it's not sealed up tight. But if in doubt, the horses will usually do better with open doors and an exchange of air. You don't want a tight barn because the ammonia from their urine and gases from other waste products can accumulate and are not good for the horse's sinuses and lungs.

Of course you can. Wouldn't it be lousy if you had 3 horses, and therefore had to have multiple trailers: a 1-horse, a 2-horse, and a 3-horse trailer depending on how many you needed to move at any particular time?

If you have a 2-horse straight trailer and want to haul only one horse, make sure to put the horse on the left side to compensate for the crown of the road. If you're moving two horses at a time, put the heavier horse on the left side. If you have a slant-load trailer, put the one horse in the forward-most slot. You want that weight over the axles or in front of them, not behind them where the weight could cause fishtailing and possibly also pop the hitch off the ball. Similarly with a slant-load and hauling two horses, put your heavier horse up front for the same reason.

First, don't go into that pasture yourself. You're in real danger if you do because your horse's charging is telling you that he doesn't respect you and is attempting to chase you out or even injure you. This is a battle you cannot win by confronting this horse with what you know now.

Second, it may be possible for an experienced trainer to take this horse, work with him, and then work with you to teach how you should deal with this horse. BUT, there is still no guarantee that you will handle this properly, or that this horse may explicitly have it in for you. So we move to the next point.

Third, perhaps the best thing you can do under these circumstances is to sell the horse with full disclosures to the buyer and use the proceeds to purchase another, but far more accommodating and safer horse for you. There is just no sense in risking your safety and life with a horse determined to cause you injury. A more docile horse with which you can build a good and respectful relationship is safer, faster, and ultimately easier and more economical.

I doubt it. The lungs are protected by the horse's rib cage. But too tight a girth/cinch may make it difficult for the horse to inflate his lungs and get a breath of air. It may also squeeze too tight causing bruising and damage to the skin tissue under the girth. Neither of these would make for a happy horse wanting to be ridden and the horse may even balk, or worse, start bucking.

You definitely want a girth/cinch to be tight enough that it stops the saddle from sliding backward or sliding down one side. But you don't want it so tight that the horse is uncomfortable and has difficulty breathing. Generally, a low-withered horse requires a tighter cinch than a high withered horse. The high withers provide a place for the gullet of the saddle to "lock in" as you mount and dismount. A low withered horse doesn't have the benefit of the withers locking in to the gullet.

That foregoing said, don't infer from this that it's ok for the gullet to rest on the withers — that would be very bad. Rather, the gullet must stay above and clear the withers. But while mounting or dismounting, the weight of the rider in one stirrup will cause the saddle to move slightly to that side and be held by the rising withers to limit sidewards saddle slip during the mount or dismount.

Many usually don't unless they're able to charge a high boarding fee. The reason is because the cost of keeping a horse is high (see previous post below). As a result, most boarding farms include other services so that they can pay their costs and make a little money also.

The kinds of services offered can vary widely, but most often include riding instruction and horse training in several disciplines familiar to the barn owner. Some barn owners will also hire other trainers and instructors to teach in additional disciplines. Other services sometimes offered are horse cleaning and grooming, horse massage, sales of tack, breeding, trailering services, on-site showing and judging, etc.

If you're in the boarding business and wondering how to make money or considering getting into it, you may want to read some articles we have on the topic. The article entitled Starting Your Own Boarding Barn gets you started and links to other excellent articles.

There can be any number of reasons, but the most common is the horse owner's inability to continue paying for feed and board. This often happens when the owner loses his or her job and their income is reduced or completely eliminated through a layoff, firing, business closure, etc.

It's expensive to keep a horse. If you keep one on your own property, you can save on the boarding costs, but still have to buy hay, feed, and bedding. That usually results in a cost of about $150 per month per horse, plus you do all the mucking, turn-out, and bringing them back in. If you grow your own hay, you save on the purchase price, but have to cut, ted, bale, pick up, transport and store the hay. You also have to fertilize the fields occasionally, so that's extra work plus the cost of the fertilizer.

In the example above, the costs are approximately $1,800 per year. Full board can be anything from $300/mth to $1,300/mth depending on the location and barn. That makes the annual costs approximately $3,600 - $15,000 per year. And it's during an economic downturn when jobs are lost and there are correspondingly fewer buyers to purchase horses from those that can no longer afford them.

So, when times get rough, some people feel they have no choice but to walk away from horse ownership. To learn more, see this article on our site: The Abandoned Horse Problem — Solve it Quickly.