Vaseline (petroleum jelly) for horses creates a protective barrier, locking in moisture and shielding skin from wind, mud, and minor irritations like chafing, dry skin around nostrils/mouth, and preventing mud fever by repelling water. It's also used to help prevent ice/snow buildup in hooves during winter and protect sensitive areas like the udder/sheath or inside ears from bugs. While great for protection, it's not a hoof conditioner and shouldn't be used on certain infections like rain rot as it can seal bacteria in.
It can also be used to protect and care for dry skin, such as dry corners of the horse's mouth. Vaseline can also be used to protect military or jumping horses in order to ensure that they easily glide past obstacles that they might have touched.
One of the solutions to make a horse gain weight quickly is to increase its fiber intake. Fiber is contained in hay, which is an integral part of the horse's diet. It is therefore important to provide sufficient fiber, ideally with unlimited access to hay.
The most common cause of death in horses is colic, which refers to abdominal pain and is a leading cause of emergency veterinary visits, especially in horses aged 1 to 20 years, though old age becomes the top reason in horses over 20. Colic can stem from various digestive issues, including blockages, impactions, and ruptures, often triggered by management problems, diet changes, or parasites. In older horses, gastrointestinal diseases remain the primary culprit, followed by conditions like Cushing's disease, lameness, and tumors.
The "Three Second Rule" in horse training means you must reward or release pressure within about three seconds of a desired behavior for the horse to connect the action with the outcome, because their short memory span makes delayed rewards ineffective. This rule applies to both positive reinforcement (like giving a treat or praise) and negative reinforcement (releasing rein tension), ensuring clear communication and building trust by capitalizing on the horse's "in-the-moment" focus.
It states: when you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. Yet, many businesses refuse to do so. Instead, they attempt misguided strategies like: Buying a stronger whip.
The "1-2-3 Rule" for horses is a critical guideline for monitoring a newborn foal and mare: the foal should stand within 1 hour, nurse within 2 hours, and the mare should pass the placenta (afterbirth) within 3 hours of birth; any delay in these milestones requires an immediate call to a veterinarian to ensure the health of both animals.
10 Plants and Chemicals That Are Toxic to Horses
We find that a typical horse's peak racing age is 4.45 years. The rate of improvement from age 2 to 4 1/2 is greater than the rate of decline after age 4 1/2. A typical horse will improve by 10 (horse) lengths in sprints (less than 1 mile) and 15 lengths in routes (one mile or greater) from age 2 to 4 1/2.
The "3 Fs for horses" stand for Friends, Forage, and Freedom, a widely recognized concept in equine welfare emphasizing natural social interaction (friends), continuous access to fiber-rich food (forage), and ample space for movement and choice (freedom) to ensure a horse's physical and mental well-being. These pillars address core needs, preventing behavioral issues often rooted in confinement and unnatural feeding, promoting happier, healthier horses.
Ad Lib hay/ haylage – this is the cheapest way to put weight on your horse and should be your first choice. Ad Lib means that your horse has access to hay/ haylage all the time and when you come down in the morning there should still be some left over.
Because beet pulp is highly digestible, the horse has less gut fill and can actually consume a bit more per day as well, so the feed intake and Calorie intake can be further increased, which supports the weight gain theory that many horse owners follow.
the body condition score (BCS) of a horse is in the ribcage. If ribs are easily seen, the horse will have a score over the ribcage below a 5. If you cannot see the ribs, then the score should be a 5 or above.
If you are not afraid of a little goopy mess, try coating your horse's hooves in Vaseline or the like. On a related tangent, many of our clients are most concerned about snowballs due to their tendency to form ice packs in the inner parts of the hoof.
Applying a thin layer of Vaseline after carefully cleaning the wound helps maintain a moist environment, which protects the delicate tissue and encourages faster skin regeneration.
Coconut oil is ideal for horses in a variety of disciplines and health conditions, including: Performance horses (thoroughbred racing, eventing, dressage, show jumping) Endurance, polo, and trotting horses needing sustained aerobic energy. Horses prone to tying up (Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis)
The "20% rule" for horses is a guideline stating the total weight of rider and equipment should not exceed 20% of the horse's body weight for welfare and performance, though many experts suggest a more conservative 10-15% is better for long-term health, with factors like horse build, fitness, rider skill, and activity intensity also crucial. It's a widely cited standard from sources like old Cavalry Manuals, but modern consensus leans towards it being a starting point, not a strict rule, requiring observation of the horse's comfort and fitness.
The most common cause of death in horses is colic, which refers to abdominal pain and is a leading cause of emergency veterinary visits, especially in horses aged 1 to 20 years, though old age becomes the top reason in horses over 20. Colic can stem from various digestive issues, including blockages, impactions, and ruptures, often triggered by management problems, diet changes, or parasites. In older horses, gastrointestinal diseases remain the primary culprit, followed by conditions like Cushing's disease, lameness, and tumors.
The relationship between horses and humans is unique and profound. Horses have the ability to understand human emotions and respond with empathy, forming deep connections with their caretakers. This bond is often described as one of mutual respect and trust, built through shared experiences and communication.
Dietary Restrictions or Sensitivities
Carrots have approximately 6-7.5% combined sugar and starch on a fresh weight basis, which is higher than some alternative feeds and can affect sensitive horses, such as those prone to laminitis or insulin dysregulation[1][2].
Do not stand directly behind the horse. Never wrap the lead around your hand or body. Teach your horse to be patient when being turned loose.
Apples contain natural sugars, and excessive consumption can increase the risk of obesity, which is linked to a variety of health issues in horses, including laminitis and metabolic disorders. Secondly, apples can pose a choking hazard.
Generally speaking, mating is not painful for female horses. This is due in part to the fact that the mare will not typically allow the stallion to mount unless she is in the right stage of her heat cycle and ready to mate.
Horses usually stop eating not because they have full stomachs but because they'd rather engage in other activities, such as resting, social interaction, comfort behaviors, even stable vices.
The best strategy for worming your horse depends on which category they fall into. Low shedders only need to be wormed twice a year with appropriate wormers, whereas higher shedders may need worming much more often. Faecal Egg Counts are used to see which group your horse/s fall into.