If you have horses in your life, you probably know these special math rules, too.

Holly Clanahan

It’s Valentine’s Day … time to show that special someone in your life just how much you love him or her. Chocolate, champagne, maybe even something a little lacy, right?

Um, no. Around here, we’re showing the love by, well, ordering a shipment of dewormer. (It came in yesterday. Guess what I’m doing this weekend!) The feed room is well-stocked (although that won’t last long). And it’s also time to call the farrier out. Wonder if he’s up for working on the 14th?

So yep, the ponies are getting the same gift they get every Christmas, on their birthdays, on Easter, on Groundhog’s Day- and on every other non-Hallmark day of the year. If you’re a glass-half-empty kind of person, you could say that means they ain’t getting nuthin. Or, the way I prefer to see it, they’re getting the gifts of good care, good feed – and lots of love – year-round.

However, because I figure there are plenty of people turning into gift horses this holiday, I did do a little Internet surfing. Amazon.com had this to offer: a “My Horse ‘N Me Valentine’s Gift Basket.” I certainly wouldn’t complain about getting one of them. There’s a pretty candle holder and chocolate for the horse owner; horse treats and yummy apple pie shampoo and carrot cake conditioner for the horse.

Problem is, I do horse math. Here’s how it works: You take the cost of the basket (or other nonessential item you’re considering purchasing) and multiply it by the number of horses you have. Then you take that total and divide it by the cost of a bag of feed.

Valentine’s Day baskets for all of my crew would cost roughly 21 bags of feed. Probably not going to happen.

Now, horse math is interesting, because unlike regular math, its rules change.

New saddle pad? Essential! No formula applies. That new french-link eggbutt bit I’ve been dying to try out? Essential! No need for multiplication or division here. New pair of boots for the Hubby? Um, sweetheart, that’s 11 bags of feed.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Holly Clanahan,
Editor, America’s Horse magazine

Don’t miss the fun, educational and heart-warming stories in the print version of America’s Horse! It goes to all members of the American Quarter Horse Association, and it’ll also keep you in the loop on Association news. We want you to belong!

Use these tips to get your mare in foal without breaking the bank.

Compiled by Kristin Syverson

To breed your mare on a reasonable budget, follow this advice.

Have her checked early.

A month or two before you start breeding, have your mare ultrasounded for reproductive health. That way you can find out if she’s got any issues such as a uterine infection. If you diagnose it early and can treat it, she’s more likely to be ready to breed on time.

Breed during her natural season.

People want early foals for a number of reasons, usually competition-related. But if you don’t care when that foal arrives, consider breeding your mare when nature planned.

Read the rest of this entry »

Defend your horses against disease year-round with these seasonal tips.

You may need to wet hay in the winter to reduce dust.

From our friends at thehorse.com

Annual Disease Control Checklist

December/January/February

• Optimize barn ventilation to minimize exposure to respiratory irritants.

• Water down hay to reduce dust and mold spores.

• Provide shelter or blankets in very cold and inclement weather to avoid chills.

• Implement year-round management practices to reduce rodents around the barn.

• Keep tack, equipment, and blankets clean; avoid sharing them to prevent spread of disease.

Read the rest of this entry »

Learn how to get the most from your horse clippers with these easy tips.

The American Quarter Horse Journal consulted several experts on the art of clipping your horse. Here are some great tips to help you polish off your horse and achieve a show-stopping performance.

Tip 1: Remove the Icky Stuff

• Remove blades from the clipper housing following the manufacturer’s directions.

• Use compressed air or an old toothbrush to gently remove dirt particles and hair from the clipper blades.

Tip 2: Use a Blade Wash

• Read the rest of this entry »

Expert advice to smooth out a bumpy ride on your horse.

America’s Horse Daily received the following question concerning a rough-trotting horse. AQHA Professional Horsewoman and friend of Daily Julie Goodnight offers some hopeful advice that many riders will find useful.

Question:

I’m 38 and have a 4-year-old filly with a rough trot. She has a nice headset at a walk and lope, but it comes up for the trot. Bear in mind that while I had horses for several years growing up I had no lessons or opportunity to learn from other horse people, so while I can stay on a horse pretty well, the more I learn about horses and riding I realize that I am really a novice and in need of lessons. My friend has been helping me some with the training of my filly and she has used draw reins on her with some improvement. She thinks the filly just needs to learn collection. I don’t want to ignore any possible health issues or the fault being my riding. She gets seen by the vet a couple of times a year and he keeps a good check on her teeth, so if you could point me in any other directions I would appreciate the advice so we can get to a more comfortable ride for both of us.

Answer:

Both the trot and the canter have suspension, which means all four of the horse’s feet come off the ground at the same time and that’s what makes them more difficult to ride than the walk, which has no suspension. Also, most horses tend to have either a good trot or a good canter, but most are not great at both gaits and some are not good at either. So at least be glad your horse has a good canter! Read the rest of this entry »

Perfect your horse’s western pleasure transition for the show ring.

From the Journal

The Western Pleasure Transition

A good transition in the show arena is simply a further showcase of your total package. It represents your training, the horse’s breeding and degree of handle – along with a good showmanship style.

If there are 15 horses in the finals and the judge calls for a lope, the rider who can make the transition with little or no apparent aid is showing a higher degree of difficulty than the rider who has to pick up his or her hand to keep the horse from falling onto its forehand and speeding up.

Read the rest of this entry »

A new friend delivers a pretty cool gift.

Holly Clanahan

I love my job, for a million reasons. But chief among them is the people I get to meet. Quite often, the folks I interview turn into great friends.

Case in point: Tena Bastian. She’s the author of three books (“The Foal Is the Goal,” “The Horses We Love, The Lessons We Learn” and “Tips and Tidbits for the Horse Lover”) that we have gleaned information from for both the magazine and America’s Horse Daily. Plus, I’m working on a story about her and her husband, “Bear.” (Stay tuned to the print magazine for that; they have a great tale to tell!)

Tena’s also a poet and songwriter in what little spare time she has. When she read of my two “grandma” horses who had to be put down, she was inspired to write a poem in their honor titled “Mares in the Mist.” She had seen a greeting card (which she later sent me) with a photo of mares standing in a hazy pasture. It was just the creative juice she needed. Read the rest of this entry »

Horse trailer tips that will get you to your destination safely.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Featherlite

Are you ready for your first trip with your new trailer? Here are some helpful hauling and loading tips before going down the road.

• Pulling a trailer and cargo that is too heavy for your towing vehicle can result in serious problems for your tow vehicle and can be unsafe. People should consult their tow vehicle’s owners manual to determine its maximum towing capacity.

• The total weight of the trailer and its cargo must never exceed the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the trailer.

• Read the rest of this entry »

Tips for getting your halter horse ready for the ring.

America’s Horse Daily recently received the following question, and we were able to answer it with a video our youth members filmed during the AQHYA World Championship Show.

Enjoy!

Question:

I would like to buy educational materials that show how to get a horse groomed for halter class. I have a yearling that I want to show this summer, but I am not sure about how to clip and what size clippers to use. Also, what do they put on the muzzle and eyes to make then shine. What do I use on her white socks, and what kind of hoof polish is good.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ya mean I’m not too old for Facebook?

Holly Clanahan

In some recent meetings at AQHA, we’ve discussed online communities – things like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter - and how many horse lovers (both members and potential members) can be reached through those venues. You can click the links above to see our pages – and how many friends and fans we’ve already accumulated.

But if you’re anything like me, when you hear talk about social networking sites, you think “teenager.” I’m waaay too old to be hanging out with the whippersnappers. But I also don’t like sitting in meetings where I don’t know what everybody else is talking about. So, in the interest of work-related research, I grudgingly made myself a profile on Facebook and tried to get familiar with the site. Read the rest of this entry »

Want to breed your mare and keep her showing?

Your vet must be up-to-date on embryo transfer technology.

From Tena Bastian’s “The Foal Is the Goal”

Embryonic transfer is the process by which a mare can carry a foal that is actually the result of a mating between a stallion and a different mare altogether.

For the sake of this explanation, let’s say that your mare is a world-class, perfectly conformed competitor with an excellent disposition.

You would love to reproduce all of her qualities, but you just can’t let her take the time out of the show schedule to carry a foal, give birth, and be reconditioned – altogether many months.

Read the rest of this entry »

Give your horse a good foundation with tips from the Vaquero Tradition.

By Bill Van Norman

A good foundation paves the way to a well-broke horse.

When you’re starting a colt, one of the most important things is to keep him from having bad experiences. If something happens to make him throw his head up and run off, he’ll remember that, and he might even revert back to it later.

That’s why calm, gradual training will get you the best horse. Read the rest of this entry »