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Horses

7 Dog Breeds I’d Consider for a Horse Farm

If you’re looking for a dog to keep around your horses, I’d start with one question: can the dog watch a horse move without trying to chase, circle, or get under its feet? Quick answer: A calm Labrador Retriever is…

Miles Henry

Racehorse Health, Horses

When Is a Horse Too Old to Breed?

How old can a horse breed? Most mares remain productive until their mid-to-late teens, with some producing foals into their early twenties. Stallions generally stay fertile much longer and may continue breeding into their mid-twenties or beyond. But breeding age…

Miles Henry

Cowboy boots

Pointed Cowboy Boots: Made for Riding or Just for Looks?

With round, square, and snip toes on the shelf beside them, why do cowboy boots have pointed toes? What does the pointed shape do, and how much of it is just for looks? Quick answer: The tapered toe of a…

Miles Henry

Racehorse Health

Will Your Horse’s Tail Grow Back? What Every Owner Should Know

In most cases, a horse’s tail hair will grow back. If the tailbone itself is damaged, or the skin and follicles are scarred up badly enough, that hair won’t come back the same. Docking is permanent by design, so once…

Miles Henry

Horses

Why Horses Are So Skittish — What the Flight Response Actually Means

I was leading a new horse from the walker to the barn when a car came around the corner. The horse reared up and started pulling — scared out of his mind by something that barely registered to me. I’ve…

Miles Henry

Racehorse Health

Can You Trust Your Horse to Avoid Bad Water?

Horse drinking fresh water from a trough to stay hydrated.

One of my troughs started smelling like rotten eggs, and I realized my horse had been avoiding it for days. That raises a question every horse owner should think about: will a horse avoid bad water on its own, or…

Miles Henry

Racehorse Health

How Horses Build So Much Muscle on Grass and Hay

We’re taught that building muscle takes high-protein foods like meat, eggs, and dairy. So how does a 1,000-pound horse get so muscular and strong on a diet made mostly of grass and hay? Quick answer: Horses get muscular on grass…

Miles Henry

Horses

Why Horses Walk on One Giant Toe

I was picking out my horses’ hooves one morning when my grandson asked why horses don’t have toes. It’s a good question because, when you look at a horse’s lower leg, it’s easy to wonder where the toes went. There’s…

Miles Henry

Horse Racing

When Do Racehorses Retire? Plus 7 Things They Do After Racing

Retired racehorses are an excellent choice for equestrians of all levels and are extremely popular trail riding, dressage, and barrel racing horses. As such, I get asked all the time when a specific horse is going to retire from racing.…

Miles Henry

Racehorse Health, Horses

Why We Don’t Eat Horse Meat—And What Happens to American Horses

Horses are large, domesticated animals, so it’s fair to wonder why Americans raise cattle, hogs, and sheep for meat but leave horses off the menu. In France, Japan, and several other countries, horse meat is still bought and eaten. In…

Miles Henry

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