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Looking at a local show
recently I wondered if any of the young riders knew why they had
flash nosebands on their ponies or why they all wore the same hacking
jacket. I bet most of them had the nosebands on because they came
with the bridle when they bought it and the jacket was a must for
certain competitions or you just weren't allowed to enter or win.
These and lots more questions on horse care
are going to be asked here on this website devoted entirely to caring
for your horse in a completely natural way. Rather than take things
for granted we want to encourage you to question why you do certain
things to your horse, to maybe try different, kinder methods, and
generally be more aware of daily habits that become a routine without
considering whether or not they are helping the relationship between
you and your horse and your ability to communicate with it. Judges
especially have a very important role in the modelling of youngsters
growing in the horse world. If only they would have louder voices
against cruelty and stop being reticent in speaking up against people
in large organisations who make the rules about what to wear in
competitions, how long a mane should be on a thoroughbred and how
one should pull a mane etc. We want you to speak up about anything
you think is questionable within the horse industry, on the local
show level to the top competitions.
Let's make our horses lives better, brighter and
happier. It's up to us.
Storm, Holly, Shelley, Fortune and Tara.
Tara,
Fortune and Holly in our home made paddock.
A
day by the river
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DISCLAIMER
The writers on this site are horse owners who like many others are
trying to find better ways of handling, riding and generally caring
for their horses. Everything written about here is our own personal
views and for others to think about and try if they want, we are not
saying ours is the only way, or better than any others. We at Horsecare
believe that we must all do what it takes to keep our horses healthy,
happy and contented, we just hope this site will make it easier for
natural thinking people to find answers to questions.
The links on this site are purely for others to look at, we do not
endorse any products or sites, those here are ones the writers have
found to be beneficial to themselves in their own research. Each
reader has to make their own mind up and the writers on this site
do not claim any benefits to other peoples horses.
The reading on this site also is the writers own choice of books
they have read themselves and found to be good reading material.
We do not claim that these are the only books everyone should read,
just informative ones that we have personally read and found beneficial. |
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Wild Equus
Is free-roaming, 15-20 miles per
day
Has a herd life
Has a vast nutritional variety allowing him to eat what he needs
when he needs it and in the amount he needs
Seeks out certain minerals when the body needs supplimentation to
the diet
Eats and drinks in a natural, head-lowered position
exposes his feet to water each day as he drinks from rivers, streams,
or lakes
Experiences gradual temperature changes, naturally out in the open
Does not wear blankets, hoods, or wraps
Has bare hooves with direct ground contact
Sleeps on the ground
Moves over a varied, often rugged terrain
Average lifespan is 30-40 years
It has been so for millennia.
Domestic Equus
Is often stalled or paddock bound
with little movement
Is often confined in solitude
Is fed highly concentrated rations at infrequent intervls each day,
may go hours with nothing in his stomach
Is habitually fed fortified rations and supplements in varied amounts
that the body may not need
Eats and drinks from buckets and feeders with head in an unnaturally
high position
Has little or no daily opportunity to wet his feet, has oil/grease
preparations applied to his feet instead
Wears blankets, hoods, and wraps
Experiences sudden temperature changes moving from barn to paddock,
or when blankets removed
Has shod hooves with little to no direct ground contact
Sleeps on soft bedding
Moves on prepared often very soft terrain
Average lifespan 15-20 years
It has been so for less than 1000 years.
Re-think the way you relate
to your horse.
Whether you are a professional rider doing
equestrian pursuits such as cross-country, 3 day eventing, show
jumping, driving, endurance, Le Trec, steeple chase, or dressage
or, you are a complete novice with a new horse or pony and simply
enjoy trekking, hacking and playing, this site is intended to help
you bring out the best in your horse using tried and tested ways
that have proved successful. Simple myths like pulling on the reins
to brake can completely screw up the relationship between you and
your horse. Why? If it doesn't brake on command (by pulling), the
next logical step is to get a harsher bit. The horse responds to
this by tossing or shaking its head, and perhaps being even more
disobedient. This disturbs the horse, breaks down your relationship
with it, you lose control and your horse becomes a "problem"
horse, spoiling your entire experience. This website addresses this
and many other common and not so common problems which usually arise
as a result of our own lack of understanding, impatience or inadequate
training. In truth, there is no such thing as a "problem"
horse. It is the human handling the horse that creates the problem
and it is the human that needs to adjust his or her technique in
order to gain respect and trust and so bring out the best in the
horse or pony, thus achieving critical responses exactly when you
need them without the use of harsh commands or equipment.
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