Why do horses lick people? Most often, it’s the salt on your skin — horses crave sodium and other minerals that hay and standard feed don’t fully provide. Beyond that, licking can be a social or affectionate gesture, a stress response when a dry mouth is refilling with saliva, simple curiosity, or a sign of …
A blue roan can look almost black in winter and steel-blue after shedding, which is why it is often mistaken for gray or grullo – especially in sale photos or under arena lights. A blue roan is a black-based horse with the classic roan pattern: white hairs are mixed evenly through the body, while the …
The bedding in your horse’s stall affects more than comfort — it drives respiratory health, hoof condition, joint longevity, and how much time you spend mucking stalls every morning. After years of managing horse stalls, I’ve changed my approach to bedding more than once based on what the horses told me. A mare who started …
By: Emma Woodshut US Horse Racing Preview Breeders Cup 2020 Preview Tiz the Law is one of the nation’s favorite horses in training, and after a great start to the year winning the Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes, all eyes were on the horse at the Kentucky Derby to see if he would win the …
Does your horse like being ridden? I have a young horse who seems to get frustrated when he does not get worked; on his days off, he waits at his stall door and tosses his head impatiently. My older horse is different. He is happy to go out and pony alongside another horse, but he …
Giving a horse a favorite treat is one of the small pleasures of owning one. Most have clear opinions about what they like best—carrots and apples are hard to beat—but there are plenty of other snacks that will get their ears up, too. Most horses like carrots, apples, watermelon, strawberries, bananas, and an occasional peppermint …
How often do mares go into heat? A mare usually cycles about every 21 days during the breeding season, and the actual heat period lasts about 5 to 7 days. Early-spring cycles can be longer and less predictable before they settle into a regular rhythm. Fillies typically start cycling between 12 and 24 months old, …
Every rider shopping for a dressage or jumping prospect eventually asks the same question: does breed actually matter, or is it just a name on a piece of paper? When it comes to the best horse breeds for dressage and jumping, my answer after years around sport horses is a bit of both—breed narrows the …
My childhood Paint horse had one striking blue eye, and I still remember how often people stopped to ask whether it meant something was wrong with him. It didn’t. Horses can have blue eyes, and in most cases, it’s simply a normal result of genetics and pigmentation – not a health problem. Yes, horses can …
Understanding horse racing class levels is the foundation of smart race placement — and no classroom taught me that. I learned it the hard way with a bay gelding I ran raced at the Fair Ground. He had enough speed to compete, but every time I placed him in tougher allowance company, he flattened out …
