ASKHQ: THERAPY HORSES

Q: Why are horses considered so useful in therapy? A: The major reason that horses are considered to be so good for therapy is that they tend to act as emotional mirrors to humans. They respond to the feelings we show, often with similar feelings. Being herd and prey animals mean that they have strong emotional…

BylizzieFebruary 5, 20200Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Training Know How

ASKHQ: TEACHING A HORSE TO SPIN

Q: How do you teach a horse to spin? A: A spin is a forward trot manoeuvre. The best way to teach the spin is to decrease the size of a walk circle as much as possible, allow the horse to straighten out the body and then step across the inside front foot with the outside…

BylizzieDecember 21, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Know How

ASKHQ: TAIL CUTTING

Q: How do I cut my horse's tail correctly? Asked by Emma Wood A: To avoid cutting the tail too short, and to make sure that you cut at the correct angle, you need to put your arm under the dock of the tail to raise the tail to the position it is in when the animal…

BylizzieDecember 18, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health Know How Lifestyle

ASKHQ: STABLE DIMENSIONS

Q: What are the minimum recommended dimensions of a stable? A: Expecting horses to stay happy when cooped up for hours in a stable is quite an ask - especially if the space the horse is kept in is very small. The following dimensions are the minimum required for stabling, although larger stables are obviously preferable, as…

BylizzieDecember 18, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Training

ASKHQ: IS A HORSE SMARTER THAN A DOG?

Q: Is a horse smarter than a dog? Asked by Eve Exley Horses and dogs are very different animals. People often judge the intelligence of animals, wrongly we might add, by assessing how well they meet our needs. Therefore, because horses don't have the same motivations and wants that humans do, some people assess them as being 'stupid'.…

BylizzieNovember 14, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel Horse Health

ASKHQ: FLU VACCINE

Q: If vaccines work, why do vaccinated horses still contract flu? A: Vaccines don't stop infection entirely, but they increase your horse's immunity to the infection. This means that the vaccine helps to reduce the severity of the disease and the clinical signs your horse will show. They also minimise transmission of the virus to other…

BylizzieAugust 20, 20190Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health

HORSE HEALTH CHECK: 5) TEMPERATURE

Your horse's temperature should fall between 37.2 and 38.3 degrees Celsius. To check the temperature stand to the side of your horse's hindquarter and insert the thermometer into his rectum. Hold it in place until it has a reading, or beeps to indicate that it is finished measuring the temperature. It is advisable to have…

BylizzieAugust 12, 20190Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health Horse Training Know How

COOL IT DOWN

The cool-down is one of the most important parts of your training session with your horse. Just like warming a horse up before exercise prepares the horse's muscles for work, a cool-down prevents him from getting sore as it helps release the lactic acid that builds up in the muscles during exercise. A cool-down is…

BylizzieJuly 19, 20190Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health Horse Training

JOINT SUPPLEMENTS 101

Text: Charlotte Bastiaanse Some of us more pedantic horse owners have considered putting our horses on a joint supplement with the hopes of prolonging their active lives and keeping them comfortable in their work. There are a vast number of products on the market that specialise in joint care and protection, but the key to…

BylizzieMarch 4, 20190Comments

Ask HQ Horse Channel

REFUSING THE JUMP

Ask HQ: I've had problems with my horse refusing and my instructor says it's because I'm not committed to the jump. Is this true? Horses pick up on our body language, so if you are not committed to the jump in your mind, it's likely that your body is doing the opposite of what it…

BylizzieJanuary 24, 20190Comments

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