Using Horse Supplements During Breeding

Breeding horses can be a big money making business. For those who are a part of this business, every successful conception counts. If you want to make sure your horses are ready for breeding and will produce healthy and beautiful foals, you may want to consider using horse supplements. These supplements will help ensure your horses will be at the top of their game when it comes time for breeding.

Types of Horse Supplements used for Breeding

For breeders, it is very important for horses to be healthy and happy in order to produce strong and healthy foals. This is especially true when it comes to performance horses, because the right breeding can mean a lot of money can be made.

If you are new to breeding, here are just a few of the most used kinds of supplements.

Calcium and Phosphorus- This combination is most often used for mares. When combined correctly, it will help ensure a better immune system and will also provide the nutrients needed for foal development. It helps a growing foal to develop a strong bone structure while within the womb. This is also one of many horse supplements that can increase fertility in mares.
Linseed Oil- This popular type of horse supplement is generally used to help increase a stallion's fertility. It is thought to help the immune system, increase the total amount of semen, and increase the overall health of a stallion. These changes are often contributed to the number of Omega-3 fatty acids located in the linseed oil.
Honey- Many horse supplements contain honey, which offers rich antioxidants and other minerals which help in the vitality, stamina, and sex drive of a horse. When combined with garlic and glucose, honey supplements can also aid with respiratory and blood circulation.
Calmers-There are several different types of calming supplements available, each containing different ingredients. The purpose of these calming supplements during breeding is to reduce the stress of brood mare while breeding is taking place. Less stress can make it easier for fertilization to occur.

Why Use Horse Supplements During Breeding?

Some breeders may question whether they should use horse supplements during breeding. These supplements are generally not harmful to the horse, and can be beneficial in many ways, including:
· Boosting the immune system
· Increasing fertilization
· Reduce stress
· Assist in foal development
· Increase stamina
· Increase sex drive
· Reduce strain on muscles during breeding

The supplements may also contain ingredients that can help in other areas of the horse's health, such as blood circulation, respiratory problems, weight gain, and hoof health. While not every breeder will want to start his horses on a supplement to assist with breeding, they can be helpful when used correctly.

If you are new to breeding, and want to help your horses as much as possible during the process, consider using horse supplements. There is a good chance your horses will be much happier, healthier, and much more fertile if you do.

Equiform Nutrition has been a leader in horse supplements and natural equine health for the past century. We offer a complete range of horse supplements, including vitamin and mineral supplements, anti-anxiety aids, horse joint supplements and other products especially created to support performance.

We create our supplements using the most rigid standards of production and the highest quality and purest ingredients. We never use banned substances, so you can use our supplements with the confidence of knowing you are within regulations with horses running under rule.

Check our full line of horse supplements, as well as our immune range, our performance range, breeding supplements, hoof health line, and our other health specialty formulas. We are here to meet the needs of your horse.

Equine Equipment

Approximately 4500 B.C. is the best estimate of when horses were ridden and equine equipment was first used, although there is some controversy over the exact date. The teeth on a stallion that was buried approximately 6000 years ago, shows wear consistent with using a bit.

The one piece of equine equipment that is used to direct the horse is the bridle. The bridle consists of the headstall, the reins, and the bit. There are also hackamores and other types of bitless bridles. The hackamore controls the horse by putting pressure on the face.

Saddles were used by 800 B.C. and were simple pads attached with a surcingle. The saddle tree came into use much later. Saddles today are designed for a specific equestrian discipline. A saddle should fit the horse properly and also the rider. When the saddle fits correctly the comfort of the horse is increased and its useful life prolonged. With the use of the solid tree the rider's weight in the stirrups is evenly distributed. The two major categories of saddles are the Western saddle and the English saddle.

Paired stirrups were used by 302 A.D. which is much later than other equine equipment. Some of the first stirrups used were small loops attached to the saddle that only the big toe could fit into. The riders, of course, rode barefoot. Later a single stirrup was used for mounting. The Chinese are credited for the paired stirrup used today.

The breast collar or breast plate is used to keep the saddle from sliding backwards. On riding horses it is used on both Western saddles and English saddles. When the breast collar is used on working horses it uses a thicker sturdier strap. The breast collar used on western show saddles and English saddles uses a thinner strap.

Warfare traditions brought to America by the Spanish Conquistadores and working cattle were the two influences from which western riding evolved. Equine equipment changed to meet the working needs of the cowboy. Because of the long hours, rough terrain, and shock of roping the saddle tree was made stronger. The style of the stirrup was made wider and tapaderos were sometimes added to keep brush from sticking in the stirrup.

There are many different types of equine equipment in use today, each developed for a specific discipline. Whether riding English or Western you will need specific equipment for the discipline you ride. Dressage riders use different equipment than jumpers just as barrel racers use different equipment than reining horses.

For more information on equine equipment go to thebestofhorses.com.

If you would like to review and look at different types of equine equipment take a quick look at http://www.thebestofhorses.com/.

Try to Save Money When Kitting Out Your Horse

Having a new horse can be very expensive, I don't think people who haven't had horses before or know very little about them appreciate just how much the experience can cost. The average horse costs around three to four thousand pounds and this isn't including horses for eventing. On top of this cost you have to purchase their clothing and tack which can easily cost another two thousand so a you can imagine it's not a cheap purchase. I've written the following article to help inform you of ways to purchase good quality products without spending lots of money. I hope you find the following article informative and useful.

Firstly it's worth considering what you need, you can rush into many different purchases which you just do not need. For example if you have a native breed which has a big thick coat you don't need to purchase many rugs as they are hardier animals so really make it count when you purchase new turnout.

Secondly I would recommend going online on local forum sites or becoming a member of groups on social media sites. I've recently done this having had horses for years and I couldn't believe how useful they are. People request different items of tack and save a fortune. You can easily swop items too which is great if you have had ponies before but need different items of tack.

If you need to purchase lots of new things but are struggling to find the money consider what you can buy which will last a long time but is cheap too. Plastic stirrup 's are good as they are extremely cheap but only cost around ten pounds rather than a lot more. Plastic stirrup irons can be bought at any saddlery.

You don't need to get things new, auction sites and the local paper can be a great way to pick up new items at lower prices. I would recommend getting bits, buckets and anything like that new as you know they're sterile but other than that other items don't matter.

I hope you're found the above article helpful, don't forget that it's great to be part of a group or community as you can not only help others but people will be there to help you too so take full advantage of social media sites, forums and the internet.

Go on who and purchase your items today!

John Cooper would advise you to purchase from plastic stirrup or plastic stirrup irons

Through The Eyes Of A Horse

Have you ever thought what goes through the mind of a horse which has never been handled before, when you bring it in for training?

Exactly the same that will go through your mind the first time you enter a space rocket! It is overwhelming.

That horse is totally unfamiliar with EVERYTHING that surrounds him. He's never been confined to an area as small as a stable before, or even a pen. He has absolutely no idea what you intend doing with him. All that he is familiar with is to flee from danger, and NOW HE CAN'T. All he can think of is to get free. As far as he can figure out, your next step might be to hurt or kill him, like a lion or any predator would under the circumstances he is familiar with (open pasture, in nature). This is a horse's natural instinct.

What goes through his mind the first time you attempt to touch him? What are your intentions? Instinctively he flees from danger, and NOW HE CAN'T. What is a saddle? Is it an object which is going to hurt, injure or kill him? Or a harness? How unfamiliar are these objects to him!!!!!

You want to put a halter or bridle on. You are threatening his most precious, but also his most vulnerable possessions: his eyes and ears, those parts of his anatomy he needs most to become aware of impending danger, warning him in time to flee. If something happens to his eyes and ears, he has no warning system against danger.

Is he familiar with touch by any living creature, besides another horse? In his natural state, will he allow a predator to touch his body, let alone his eyes?

Further more, it should be borne in mind that animals have a natural inborn fear of man. God created them that way, primarily to protect us against them, and secondly to enable us to subdue them.

What do insensitive, inexperienced, just plain stupid horsemen do?

Instead of realizing and considering these facts, they try to overpower the horse, often hurting it to subdue it.

The (logical) result? The horse's fear of getting hurt, and of the bad intentions of man, are proven to be well founded!!! The object DOES hurt, and man DOES have bad intentions!!! Just plain logic!!!

What should our approach be? Convince the horse that the object (saddle, bridle, harness etc.) does NOT hurt, and man does NOT intend to harm him.

Sweet baby talk does NOT convince a horse. No horse understands English, German or Spanish.

You have to convey the idea to the horse in a language HE understands, and you have to understand what HE is trying to tell YOU.

Watch out for the follow up article in about two weeks time, or get the complete course on horsemanship, covering an extremely broad spectrum (such as long lining, mounting and hitching for the first time, reining, discussion of a horse's conformation, rider exercises, grooming, home remedies which mostly work better than medicines you buy, equine dentistry etc.) in great detail by ordering your copy on http://www.greenhorsetrainingbook.org/order/ to have immediate access to the entire course.

Boeta Slabbert is a life long breeder of American Saddlebred Horses, who has been starting his own horses and those of other breeders for almost forty years. During this period he has studied the techniques of different trainers, followed courses and read extensively on the subject of horse behaviour. His practical techniques are now available in book form, and can be ordered on the website link in the article.

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Horse Halters

Nylon webbing that is flat or flat leather are two common designs for horse halters. These are attached by rings. A halter made of rope is usually joined by knots but otherwise made basically the same. A horse halter is used to tie up the animal or lead the animal from the ground. A horse is very seldom ridden with a halter because you do not have a lot of control. Halters are designed for nothing except leading or tying up the horse or catching and holding the horse. For tying up the horse a halter is safer than a bridle. The bridle can break and the bit hurt the horse's mouth.

The horse halter has a noseband and headstall that buckles around the horse's head. The lead rope is attached to the halter for easy handling. Some lead ropes have chains attached. The chain is placed under the jaw or over the nose of the horse for better control when leading the horse. This is used for horses that are hard to handle.

The halter is generally taken off when the horse is released into the pasture or put into the stall. Some people leave the halter on when they release the horse into the pasture but there is always a safety issue with doing this. The halter can catch on something and the horse can get injured. Of course, this makes the horse easier to catch.

When you approach your horse always approach from the front. Walk toward his shoulder and talk to him as you are approaching. Reach under the horse's neck with your left hand while holding the lead rope and change the lead rope to your right hand. You can then make a loop around his neck and while you halter, hold him. Make sure your halter is unbuckled. Place the noseband of the halter in position and buckle the halter, still having control of the horse with the loop around his neck. Remove the loop and you are ready to lead.

Make a loop around the horse's neck when you are ready to remove the halter, the same as you did when you were putting the halter on. Hold the loop, unbuckle the halter and slip it off the horse's nose. Hold onto the loop for a couple seconds so that the horse does not get into the habit of moving away as soon as he feels the halter come off.

While working with your horse in halter do not wrap the excess lead rope into a circular coil. Your hand could become entangled in the coil and you could get injured. Wrap the excess rope into a figure eight and hold the outside of the rope with your free hand. If the horse pulls away the rope will give one section at a time and you will not be injured. Never wrap the lead rope around your body at any time. Remember, the horse is much stronger than you are.

Usually, you are on the left side of the horse when you are leading him but a horse should be trained to lead from either side. Go take a quick look at thebest of horses.com for more information on halters.

If you would like to see more information on horse halters go take a look at http://www.thebestofhorses.com/

Standardbred Bloodlines for Harness Racing

The origin of the term "Standardbred" was first officially used in 1879. In order for a Standardbred to be registered they must be able to trot a distance of one mile in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, the "standard", and hence the name of the breed, "Standardbred". Now days many standardbreds, which include both trotters and pacers, can go much faster and can eclipse 2 minutes.

The National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders formed The Standardbred Stud Book in 1879. Breeders selected bloodlines that would produce the fastest horses, and one of the most famous sires was a Thoroughbred Stallion "Messenger". Messenger was brought to the United States in 1788 and many of his descendants produced runners and trotters. One of his descendants was Hambletonian 10, born in 1849 and he became one of the most prolific sires in the history of Standardbreds. Today almost every trotter or pacer can be traced back to Hambletonian 10.

There are many outstanding Stallions, but one of the best was "Tar Heel". He set 2 world records and later became one of the best producers. According to Bradley "as a broodmare sire, Tar Heel ranks as one of the greatest of all time and a strong case could be made that he is absolutely the best". Considering his daughters produced 3 winners of Pacing's Triple Crown, I.e., Bret Hanover, Romeo Hanover, and Ralph Hanover, it would seem that "Tar Heel" was truly a great broodmare Sire.

The other half of the golden cross is Adios, a winner of 43 out of 87 starts. Adios is considered by many to be the greatest Standardbred of time with a tremendous amount of speed and set many world records at 1/2 mile and 7/8 mile. Additionally Adios passed this speed on to his off-spring.

According to Bradley: "The Blood of Adios changed harness racing forever and continues to be a major presence in modern great Pacers. "Hal Dale" was the sire of Adios, and sired many great stallions, such as; Adios, Good Time, and Dale Frost.

Many modern trotting lines in the Standardbred go back to "Peter The Great" via his sons; "Teter Volo" and "Peter Scott". Looking at Peter The Great's pedigree we see a strong presence of Hambletonian and Messenger.

Obviously the mares that these Stallions are bred to are of significant impact. Several of the power factors in selecting mares to breed to are found in "Lillian Wilkes", and the full sisters to Adios and By Guy. Other mares of note are Sigrid Volo, Widow Maggie, and Rose Scott.

Some physical characteristics that make the Standardbred a breed of it's own include the following. They tend to be more muscled and longer bodied than Thoroughbreds. They are also a bit heavier and have solid legs and powerful shoulders and hind quarters.

John Bradley has assembled an excellent reference work for breeders of trotters, consisting of a fact-filled assortment of great Sires of the last 50 years. His book is an outstanding contribution to accuracy as a handicapping work on Stallions which can produce winners. Bradley has also produced an extensive international research in his Bradley Standardbred Agency.

We will next take a look at Quarter Horse Racing Bloodlines.

Saddle Fitting Your Horse - Where To Fit a Western Saddle

It is a very important where you position your saddle on your horse. A proper saddle fitting begins with understanding your horse's anatomy. It is helpful to find and study a chart in order to know where the horse's shoulder blades are located. The shoulder blade is also referred to as the scapula.

The saddle bars should always be positioned behind the scapula. If the saddle is placed on the scapula bone, it will restrict freedom of movement.

If the saddle is too tight at the withers, you will need a wider gullet; the gullet is the arched area in the front of the saddle. If the gullet is too wide, it will sit down on your horse's withers, this also will create a lot of discomfort to your horse. The width of the gullet is very important.

The skirt of the saddle should lay flat and not rub the hip area, you should be able to slide your hand under the skirt with ease. If you have a short backed horse, an Arabian or gaited horse, you will more than likely need a round skirted saddle.

You will need to continually recheck the fit of the saddle as your horse's muscle structure changes; gains or losses weight. Your old saddle may not fit your new horse.

If you think the saddle fits your horse; saddle your horse using a saddle pad with a proper fitting girth and a familiar bridle. Ride your horse long enough for it to sweat. Be sure to walk, jog and canter both directions. Ask your horse to side step, back up and turn on the forehand. Pay attention to your horse's attitude. Is your horse wringing its tail, are the ears flat back, is there a lot of head tossing, does your horse not want to go forward? This could indicate that the saddle does not fit your horse.

Check before you remove the saddle, did your saddle stay in the proper position? Take a look at the sweat pattern, is it even or are there dry spots? The sweat pattern should be even and the hair of the horse should be smooth laying in the same direction. You may need to try several saddles before you find the perfect fit.

A properly positioned and fitted saddle will be the beginning of a great ride. Now that the horse is happy with the saddle, are you? In the next article, we will discuss how to fit the saddle to the rider.

Kathy Yaskin, http://BestBuyHorseTack.com/ is your premier horse tack connection. We work very hard to bring you quality products at the best price. We offer products that we would use on our own horses, so you can have complete confidence in your every purchase.

Having been a professional horse trainer, clinician and riding instructor for the past 23 year, I understand your needs and have extensive knowledge of equestrian tack, training and horse behavior.

You can find more articles at http://BestBuyHorseTack.com/. While you are there be sure to subscribe to our monthly Newsletter and Blog Forum.

How to Fit Your Horse With a Turnout Rug

It is important to ensure that your turnout rug fits correctly and all fittings are done up properly. A poorly fitting rug can cause a host of issues, from the rug slipping and causing pressure points or rubs, to the horse's legs becoming tangled in surcingles or leg straps. This can be extremely dangerous for the horse and is likely to cause damage to the rug.

If you are purchasing your rug, the measurement for a turnout rug is taken from the centre of the horse's chest, in a straight line along the horse's side to a point level with the top of the horse's tail. Turnout rugs are sold based on measurements in feet and inches, which increase in 3" increments. So you will need to convert the length measurement into feet and inches in order to purchase a rug of the correct size.

When purchasing a rug bear in mind the build of your horse; if he is chunky, he will need a deeper rug, whereas a finer horse will require a more neatly cut rug.

The front of the rug should sit approximately 3" ahead of the withers, and never on the withers, as this sensitive area will be unable to withstand a heavy rug putting pressure on it. Remember that turnout rugs will weigh even more once wet or muddy.

Ideally the chest straps should be done up on approximately the middle hole, allowing the fabric beneath the straps to overlap and hence ensuring that the whole chest is covered. However this may vary depending on your horse's size and shape.

The rug should sit snuggly around the chest; you should be able to comfortably fit a hands width between the front of the rug and the horse's chest. This allows the horse room for movement and prevents chafing or drooping often seen in rugs which are too small or too large. These common problems can reduce warmth and protection, and can also put pressure on the horse's withers.

The shoulder dart or gusset should sit at the point of the horse's shoulder and the side of the rug should wrap around the horse's stomach. If the rug hangs down too low at the stomach; it is too deep, whilst if the horse's stomach is exposed; it is too short.

Attach the cross surcingles by passing them under the horse's belly. As the name suggests, they need to be crossed. This means that the more forward surcingle needs to be attached to the more rear attachment on the left hand side of the horse. The opposite is true of the more rear surcingle, which needs to be done up to the front of the rug. There should be a hand's width of space between the straps and the horse's belly. This will ensure that they do not cause discomfort to the horse, nor will they risk getting caught up in the horse's legs.

To attach the leg straps, pass the left-hand leg strap between the horse's legs and clip it onto the d-ring on the left hand side. Then take the opposite, right-hand leg strap and thread this through the left-hand leg strap and around the horse's offside leg before clipping it to the right-hand side d-ring. As with the cross surcingles, there should be a hand's width between the leg straps and the horse's thighs, again to prevent discomfort or potential danger.

If the turnout rug features a filet string, ensure that you pull the horse's tail over it, so that the filet string sits below the tail, helping to keep the rug in place.

The tail flap of the turnout rug should begin at the top of the horse's tail. If the rug extends beyond the horse's tail then it is too long and could pull backwards uncomfortably on the horse's withers. If the rug finishes before the horse's tail, it is too short and will not offer full protection to the horse.

You can find a wide range of turnout rugs available in all sizes and at great prices at Equestrian Clearance

A Guide To Dressage Horse Breeding

If everything comes together, dressage horse breeding can be the perfect way to find that next competition superstar. It can be significantly cheaper than purchasing an animal that has had any event exposure, or even an older youngster that is ready to be backed and ridden on. There is also a special kind of satisfaction that comes from producing a homebred foal. If it goes on to achieve any accolades, the success is often so much the sweeter.

Despite the benefits of dressage horse breeding, it can be something of a minefield and there is an awful lot that can go wrong. For example, the foal might not be suitable for what the breeder wants to do with it, it might have weaknesses or conformation faults. However, if horse breeding is something that the mare owner is committed to doing and they are knowledgeable enough horse people to take on the responsibility, there are a number of things that can be done to increase the chances of the mare having a quality foal.

The broodmare is hugely important and what she brings to the foal should never be underestimated. Only a sound mare with good conformation and a stable temperament should be used. Ideally, she will have shown talent under saddle, but even a mare that has not excelled in this area should at least have a pedigree that shows known performance bloodlines. Top notch conformation and performance ability are obviously closely aligned, as a horse or pony must usually be well put together in order to have the necessary agility to perform well. As far as breed goes, the best dressage horses do tend to be warmbloods although if an equine has good basic paces it certainly has the potential to hold its own, whatever breed it is.

Once it has been decided that the mare is suitable to breed from, it is time to find the second half of the horse breeding equation, the stallion. Firstly, make sure as much as possible is known about the mare. What are her bloodlines, performance history, behaviour and conformation? Which of her weaker points could be improved with the right stallion? Once the breeder has an understanding of the specific qualities needed from the stallion, it will be easier to make a shortlist of potential studs.

Budget is another factor that will have to be taken into consideration. Stud fees can vary enormously and reflect a number of things including value of the stallion, his past winnings, value and success of his offspring and the facilities offered by the stud itself. It's important to calculate what can be afforded and to stick to that amount. Young upcoming studs will often be much better value for money than an established international Grand Prix dressage stallion, so these can be a very good bet if the mare owner has a good eye for future potential and conformation etc.

Given the right combination of mare and stallion, plus a large dose of good luck, producing a dressage foal can be hugely rewarding. The whole process can be emotionally draining and a lot of hard work but many involved in dressage horse breeders would stress that when everything turns out as it should, the results make everything more than worthwhile.

Equine Trader was launched in 2007 and has quickly developed into a leading online equestrian resource. It appeals to New Zealanders who own, ride and are passionate about horses. However, the hugely popular website also attracts equine lovers from throughout the rest of the world. Membership is free and allows registered users to buy and sell through classifieds and auctions at no charge, browse over 400 horses and ponies for sale and participate in a wide range of exciting competitions and games.

The site also boasts an extensive online stallion stud book, a comprehensive equestrian product and services directory, news articles, event listings and an ongoing educational TV series, featuring top Kiwi horse riders, trainers and competitors.

Equine Trader is NZ's most comprehensive online equestrian directory. Search our horse breeding directory listings here.

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The Arabian or Arab horse (Arabic: الحصان العربي ‎ [ ħisˤaːn ʕarabiː], DMG ḥiṣān ʿarabī) is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses that resemble modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years. Throughout history, Arabian horses spread around the world by both war and trade, used to improve other breeds by adding speed, refinement, endurance, and strong bone. Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every modern breed of riding horse.
The Arabian developed in a desert climate and was prized by the nomadic Bedouin people, often being brought inside the family tent for shelter and protection from theft. Selective breeding for traits including an ability to form a cooperative relationship with humans created a horse breed that is good-natured, quick to learn, and willing to please. The Arabian also developed the high spirit and alertness needed in a horse used for raiding and war. This combination of willingness and sensitivity requires modern Arabian horse owners to handle their horses with competence and respect.