Archive of Monthly Tips

We will try to add a little bit here each month, so remember to come back and check it out each time you hit the site.

January 2010: 

Happy New Year to Everyone!

It has been a cold winter for many of us this season.  Make sure to pay attention to your horses respiration on these cold winter days.  Avoid long hard workouts when the air temperature is below freezing.  Breathing in ice crystals can cause lung problems for your horses.

November 2009:

This is the time of the year that may require a partial clip or entire body clip for your horse. Every horse is different. If I have a horse who is turned out much of the day, I like to give a trace clip so they have protection in the event the weather is cold and wet. If your horse has limited turn out, then a full body clip works well.

September 2009:

It is time to get your fall shots. I usually wait until after the final show of the year. You would not want to give the shots too close to travel. As routine, I also have my horses teeth checked.

July 2009:

July and August are generally the most hot and humid months, riders need to take care of themselves as well as their horses. Drink plenty of water so you do not get dehydrated. Avoid drinks containing alcohol or caffeine. Wear light colored clothing, protect your skin with sunscreen and your eyes with sunglasses.

If you experience any symptoms such as headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms or rapid breathing you may be experiencing a heat related illness which can be dangerous to your health and should seek medical attention.

Never leave your pets in your car as the interior of a car will heat up extremely fast even with the windows open.

June 2009: 

Now that the weather is getting hot and humid, make sure you add electrolytes to your horses feed or water daily.  On hot days, especially at a competition, additional paste electrolytes will help your horse keep from getting dehydrated. 

April/May 2009: 

If your horse has been off for the winter due to inclement weather, spend 6 to 8 weeks bringing them back slowly to full work. This will help to avoid any injuries which could occur if you work them too hard too fast. I increase the work each week by about 5 minutes starting with 20 minutes the first week. Along with increasing the time, I begin increasing the movements within the time. A example of this would be, for the first few weeks, I may only do trot/canter transitions, then after a few weeks, I would begin to incorporate walk/canter transitions which require more strength.

March 2009: 

Its time for spring shots and coggins test.  Usually, I do all my shots early in the season so they do not disrupt my show schedule. I split my shots up into two sets approximately two weeks apart so I do not overload my horses systems.  Depending on the area which you live, shots will vary. Check with the vet in the area which you live if you are not sure what to give and they will help you. 

February 2009: 

This is a good month to schedule you horse to have his teeth floated. It will not interfere with your show schedule unless you are in a warm climate. You will have your horse prepared to start up full work as the weather improves.

January 2009: 

Setting Goals

As the New Year begins, it is a good time to set goals for the upcoming season. It is a good idea to write these goals down so you can review them during the year. Just writing them down sets up the process. Goals may be a simple as having a goal to be better at the sitting trot or as complicated as riding at a International Competition. But whatever your goal is, it must be important to you.

• Be realistic when writing them so you will be able to attain them.
• Be flexible with your goal, it may need to be revised as sometimes situations take you in a different direction.
• Make two lists, short term goals and long term goals. Short term goals will help motivate you to get started.
• Have a plan how to attain the goals you want. Talk with your instructor about your goals so they know what you want to achieve and can help you.
• When you review the goals, ask yourself, "Am I closer to or further from my goal?" "Have I achieved my goal?" When you achieve a goal, you can move on to another goal. If you have not, then you may need to adjust them to be within your grasp.

December 2008: 

During the winter months, it is a good time to educate yourself, doing things like watching educational videos and reading books will keep you motivated. Have a get together with friends to view and discuss videos.

One thing which I do in the winter months, is plan my show schedule for the upcoming show season. If I have shows which are away from home, I book hotel rooms all at once and mark the confirmation numbers in my calendar. It is easier to cancel them then it is to book them close to the shows.

November 2008: 

When putting your competition number on the horse's bridle, first slide it down into the browband, then turn up the excess at the bottom.  This keeps the number in place and it will not fall off as you compete, even if it is windy.

October 2008:

Always wear gloves when lunging and leading a horse:   it will keep you from getting a rope burn if the horse pulls against you.

September 2008:

Listen to your horse:  it is the horse who determine the training schedule and how fast or slow to progress.