Can We Use Smells to Enrich the Environment of Horses?

Horse welfare has attracted the attention of both the scientific community and the public. In the domestic setting, horses are often kept in conditions that limit their expression of species-typical behaviors and compromise their welfare. Environmental enrichment strategies have been identified as an interesting option to make the domestic environment more interactive and complex, resulting…

Hay feeders vs. free choice: What is best for horses?

A horse’s access to food can affect their natural behavior and lead to health problems. To understand these changes better, researchers looked at several feeding methods including free-choice feeding or unlimited food access, slow-feeder, which also allows unlimited hay access but requires the horse to pull hay through a net, and an automatic box feeder.

The Art and Science of Jumping Saddles

At the core of the sport of show jumping lies the jumping saddle, a specialized piece of equipment designed to provide both horse and rider with comfort, balance, and safety during high-flying jumps. This comprehensive guide will explore the world of jumping saddles, examining their history, design, construction, and their crucial role in the world…

Embracing Horses’ Need for Near-Constant Movement

Horses operate as grazing athletes. Their innate eating behaviors include a spectrum of actions like seeking, exploring, browsing and grazing. Horses participate in a repetitive cycle of “step, bite, chew, repeat.” In essence, horses consume while on the move and move while they consume.

Horse Show Math

In many ways, you can think of a hunter or jumper course as a simple math problem that you and your horse solve together. Surprisingly, horses are pretty good at figuring out the “math” of a jump, or a line, or a course. Once they have practiced it a few times and found a pace…

THE SCIENCE OF HORSE RACING: BITS

Controlling a horse’s head is an important part of riding, especially when going racehorse speeds. Trainers have a variety of bits at their disposal, with each fulfilling a specific function based on what the horse needs. Learning more about those more commonly used on the racetrack can clue fans into the personalities of the horses…