Why Do Horses Wear Shoes?
Horses have been central to human transportation and agriculture for centuries. These symbols of power and speed require hoof care and new shoes every four to six weeks to stay on the job. But why?
Ground-Breaking Project Aims to Reduce Horse Sport’s Environmental Impact
A project by Horse Sport Ireland and British Equestrian will focus on environmental responsibility through actions and leadership practices. The two bodies are collaborating with a leading sustainability agency for a five-month project over three phases including research, mapping exercise, analysis, recommendations and a stakeholder engagement plan.
How to Gain More Confidence On and Around Horses
Whether horses feel like alien creatures to you or you’ve lost your confidence around equines, there are measures you can take to feel more self-assured around them. Here’s a comprehensive list of 14 strategies to feel comfortable on and around horses…
The Best Way to Win a Horse Race? Mathematicians May Have the Answer
Mathematician Amandine Aftalion, has been analyzing the performances of human world champion runners like sprinter Usain Bolt. She’s found that short-distance runners tend to win when they start strong and gradually slow down toward the finish line. But in medium-distance races, such as the 1600-meter, runners perform better when they start strong, settle down, and…
How Can You Tell if a Horse is Happy?
Emotions in horses can be difficult to read. Horses don’t smile in the same way as humans and they can’t tell us if they are sad, miserable or in pain. So as riders and horse people, we have to learn how to figure out horses’ feelings.
Researchers Take Another Step Forward in Explaining Zebra Stripes
Why did the Grevy’s zebra evolve with the narrowest stripes of all zebras, and the plains zebra the widest stripes? And what might drive differences in the width of stripes on different parts of the body? Researchers iat Princeton University study carried out a field experiment on the Kenyan savannah.
Stable Vices vs. Coping Mechanisms
What looks like negative behavior can be your horse’s way of dealing with mental or physical stress. We all have our own ways of dealing with stress, setbacks, relationship woes, demanding workloads and all of the effects these discomforts bring to our minds and bodies. There are countless ways humans will try to distract themselves,…
Is There a Correlation Between Young Horse Success and Success at the Five-Star Level?
Success at the top levels of show jumping sport is the culmination of years of careful development. But what patterns exist among the sport’s best equine athletes? For this case study, researchers sought to answer the following questions: Does success as a young horse correlate with success at the top level? How about longevity? Does…
Horses Are Social Creatures and Social Isolation is Among Their Strongest Stressors
A horse’s basic mental and emotional needs often come second to human needs, competition, convenience and economics. This gives rise to problematic social environments, especially for youngsters that depend on stable social structures to learn how to properly behave ‘as a horse.’
Seven Important Forage Questions Answered by an Equine Nutritionist
Here’s an article about all things hay-related and that will help you get a solid foundation of understanding for the importance of selecting and supplementing the forage in your horse’s diet.