Horse Tack Plus

Rattlesnake Bites in Horses

horsetackplus — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:52:12 +0000

Rattlesnake Bites in Horses: A Retrospective Review

Researchers noted a 9% mortality rate in horses bitten by rattlesnakes. Read More

HorseBooksEtc.com

horsetackplus — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:52:59 +0000

Hurt Book Sale—New Markdowns Taken!
Only 3 days left of the BIGGEST sale we have to offer at HorseBooksEtc!
Save 50-75% off your favorite horse books, DVDs, and more at HorseBooksEtc.com Our Hurt Book Sale features "hurt books," which are slightly bent or bruised books. These imperfect books aren’t returnable, and so they mean serious discounts for you! Stock up on how-to DVDs, horse care and health titles, and instructional training materials for less than half the original cost! Shop early for holiday gifts perfect for your favorite horse enthusiasts. Supplies are limited, and when they’re gone, they’re gone! Hurry! This sale ends November 7th!
Share the sale with your friends!

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Ask The Vet

horsetackplus — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:35:14 +0000

Deworming Dilemma

My horse lives alone in a two-acre pasture, but he is hauled to a public barn for exercising. Our vet has advised us to cut back on the every-other-month deworming schedule after a manure sample showed he had no worms. How often should we deworm?

Read the vet’s answer

Get a Perfect Lope

horsetackplus — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:38:10 +0000

Get a Perfect Lope

A reader asks how to find the perfect loping speed. Find out what our expert has to say.

Read more »

Shedding Light on Strangles in Horses

horsetackplus — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:26:16 +0000

Shedding Light on Strangles in Horses

Strangles is caused by a bacterium that gains access to the body through the nose or throat. Some affected horses suffer breathing obstruction due to enlarged lymph nodes that narrow the air passages–hence, the name strangles. For these reasons strangles causes considerable concern to horse owners and veterinarians. Containing the disease requires diligent biosecurity measures. Read More

Question of the Week: How much weight can a horse carry?

horsetackplus — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:37:42 +0000

How do I know if a rider is too heavy for my horse?

A fit, healthy horse with a sturdy build can typically carry more weight than a horse with a finer build. Photo: Leslie Potter

Q: How do I determine what is a safe weight for a horse to carry? I have received several different answers ranging from 20% of the horse’s weight (including tack) to any horse over 15hh can carry 300 pounds safely. Is there one rule of thumb or standard that I can use to determine if a horse can carry me safely? Does the breed or type of horse make a difference?

A: A black and white answer to your question was established in an article published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science in 2008. This study, done at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute took eight riding horses, loaded them with certain percentages of their overall body weights, ranging from 15 to 30%, then worked the horses and recorded their vital signs. The results from this study showed that all the horses in the study had no problem carrying up to 20% of their body weight (which translates into an average 1,200 pound horse being able to carry a total of 240 pounds). Horses carrying 25% and 30% of their body weight had higher heart and respiratory rates during exercise, and muscles that were more sore a day after exercise. So, in short, a good rule of thumb is that an average horse can carry 20% of his bodyweight (keeping in mind this is tack combined with the weight of the rider).

The long answer to your question is: it depends on the horse. The 2008 study noted, along with the 20% rule, horses with wider loins and those with relatively thick cannon bones were the least sore in the study group based on subjective scoring by the researchers and blood levels of muscle enzymes that are released into systemic circulation during times of excessive musculoskeletal stress. These findings clearly establish that a horse’s conformation also dictates, to an extent, how much he can carry. Overall fitness level of the horse also comes into play, as does what you are asking the horse to do. In general, if you have a fairly fit horse with large bone structure on a relaxing trail ride consisting of walking and the occasional trot, there’s no reason this horse can’t carry beyond the 20% rule – in fact this happens all the time as there are plenty of riders out there who push beyond the 240 pound limit on their 1200 pound horse, or the 200 pound limit on their 1000 pound horse but still enjoy a good ride while not worrying they are overburdening their mounts. Using common sense to evaluate your horse’s fitness level and keeping the 20% rule in mind should help guide you in determining what is “safe” for your horse to carry.

On a historical side note, the 20% rule has been in use for much longer than this 2008 study. The U.S. Cavalry Manuals of Horse Management in 1920 stated that no horse should carry more than 20% of his body weight in equipment and rider.

– Anna O’Brien, DVM

Hoof Care Mythbusters

horsetackplus — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:10:49 +0000

Hoof Care Mythbusters

Like a bike with a flat tire or a tennis racket with a broken string, a horse with poor hooves has limited usefulness. But how to keep a horse’s hooves in their best condition is an often discussed and sometimes hotly debated topic. Find out what the experts say about some common hoof care misconceptions.

Read more »

discoverhorses.com newsletter

horsetackplus — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 02:02:45 +0000

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IN THIS ISSUE:

8/19/2011

Join a Pony Club
Star on Equitrekking
Work To Ride
Breed Show Primer
Find It Here

Featured Video:

NCHA Cutting Spectacular

TOP STORIES

A Horse Owner’s Guide to Saving Time and Money

horsetackplus — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:54:31 +0000

A Horse Owner’s Guide to Saving Time and Money
Horse ownership is rewarding, but it’s also expensive and time-consuming. Here are thirty tips for economical and efficient horsekeeping to help you enjoy the time you spend with your horse.
Read more »

discoverhorses.com

horsetackplus — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:28:53 +0000

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IN THIS ISSUE:

8/12/2011

Sweeps Ends Aug. 15!
Youth in Action
Travel Tips
Pony Roundup
Cowboy Creativity

Featured Video:
AQHA Youth World Reining Champion

TOP STORIES

Breaking news stories and great articles from our content partners are posted daily on DiscoverHorses.com. Today, check out:

Young Riders In Action
Even if you can’t be in Kentucky for the Pony Finals or in Oklahoma for the AQHA Youth World Show, you can see all the action on video from the USEF Network and AmericasHorseTV.

ALL ABOUT HORSES

Learn about the fundamentals of horsemanship, breeds, disciplines, horse care, horse management and more.

Three Tips for Traveling With Horses
Charlene and Kent Krone offer good advice for when you’re on the road with horses. From The Trail Rider magazine.

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