Clare Tone

A friend if mine sent this article to me and I thought you might find it interesting. I hope you see something new from your horse’s perspective. Linda P Article by: Troy Griffith in Horse Health + Care Our horses see the world very differently from us in many ways. These differences in vision, due to the structure and placement of their eyes, have a profound influence on how they react to visual stimuli and should be thoughtfully considered in all aspects of horsemanship. The differences include: field of view, color perception, light adjustment, motion detection, acuity and much more. In this article I hope to detail some of the nuances of horse vision and how they relate to training, riding and caring for our equine partners. Field of view Most zoologists will tell you that the horse’s eye is the largest of all land mammals. Because of their size and how the eyes are set, the animal has nearly a 360° field of view. The horse cannot see directly in front for a short distance, nor directly behind, unless they move their head. This is why we are all taught never to approach a new horse from either of these directions and to always make them aware of our location as we pass behind them. It is important to note that even though the horse can see in nearly a complete circle, only about 20% of that vision is binocular and the remaining 80% is monocular vision. This means that most of the field of […]

I came across this information while reading my US Rider online magazine this month. Check out this new video, Preventing Infection in Horses Attending Shows and Traveling. Colorado State University equine experts outline low-cost precautions for travelers with horses. Some great tips and information! Linda P

Thought you all would find this of interest… An important reminder to carry your brand papers with you whenever you haul your horse(s), or have the papers with you in a friends trailer. Just last week I was stopped on the Red Feather Lakes Road by a brand inspector. I was just a half mile from my house. His name was Lyle Horn and very nice and informative. I had the permanent brand paper for my horse, but my neighbor who had just finished a ride with me and whose horse was in my trailer,  did not have them with her—her brand papers were at her house in a file. Lyle said he is flexible and followed us to her house so she could produce her papers. I asked questions about consequences: So if you do not have the papers, you get a ticket which means a mandatory court appearance, plus a fine between $200 and $1,000. I asked who decides the amount of the fine, he said the judge, and if a person brings the correct papers to court the judge will probably just charge you the court costs plus $130. Yikes. He said the regular brand costs $18 and is good for hauling 75 miles from your horse’s home. A permanent brand costs $39 and is good anywhere in Colorado. Lyle said the costs are going up in January— probably doubling. So if you are considering getting a permanent brand—do it before then. He also said they are going to be more active in

I found this information published by Horse & Rider interesting, I hope you do too! Keep in mind that the more vigorously you perform these exercises, the more you’ll maximize the calorie burning* benefits. Vigorously curry your horse, using a circular arm motion Time spent: 10 minutes Calories burned: 68 Vigorously brush your horse (Tip: alternate arms) Time spent: 10 minutes Calories burned:46 Walk a 10-foot circle, as you lunge your horse Time spent: 20 minutes Calories burned:79 Briskly hand-walk your horse (Tip: add wrist or ankle weights for increased calorie-burning and aerobic benefits) Time spent: 20 minutes Calories burned:91 Muck/rebed stall Time spent: 20 minutes Calories burned: 159 Push 50-pound load in wheelbarrow Time spent: 10 minutes Calories burned: 63 Ride at the walk Time spent: 20 minutes Calories burned: 57 Ride at the trot (Tip: Posting at a medium trot will burn more calories than sitting at a jog) Time spent: 10 minutes Calories burned: 74 Ride at the lope Time spent: 10 minutes Calories burned: 93 Sweep/rake (Tip: For a great waist trimmer, twist your upper body with each stroke, rather than using only your arms. When sweeping with a push broom, slightly bend your knees, to push off with your legs into each stroke.) Time spent: 20 minutes Calories burned: 91 Unload/stack 100-pound hay bales (Tip: Protect your back by bending at the knees, and using your legs to lift the load. Consider a back support brace when lifting heavy loads) Time spent: 20 minutes Calories burned: 249 Unload/stack 50-pound straw bales

Edited press release published on Horse.com A Boulder County premises is under quarantine after equine Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) was confirmed there, and a number of other premises in the surrounding area are being investigated. Last week, four horses on two Weld County premises were placed under quarantine after testing positive for VS. Colorado is the second state in the country to have VS; previous positive cases in 2014 have been diagnosed in Texas. “Strict fly control is an important factor to inhibit the transmission of VS,” said Colorado State Veterinarian Keith Roehr, DVM. “One of the most important disease prevention practices … is insect control for both the premises and the individual animals.” Equids, mules, cattle, bison, sheep, goats, pigs, and camelids are all susceptible to VS. The clinical signs of the disease include vesicles, erosions, and sloughing of the skin on the muzzle, tongue, teats, and above the hooves of affected livestock. Vesicles are usually only seen early in the course of the disease. The transmission of VS is not completely understood but components include insect vectors, mechanical transmission, and livestock movement. While rare, human cases of VS can occur, usually among those who handle infected animals. In humans the disease can cause flu-like symptoms and only rarely includes lesions or blisters. Veterinarians and livestock owners who suspect an animal could have VS or any other vesicular disease should immediately contact state or federal animal health authorities. Livestock with clinical signs of VS are isolated until they are healed and determined to be of no