What is a horsefly, you ask? It’s a biblical curse on wings, is what it is. But biologically speaking, it’s a stoutly built fly, the female of which is a bloodsucker and inflicts painful bites on horses and other mammals, including humans. Adult horseflies typically eat nectar, but the females …
People aren’t just dressing up their horses as zebras for fun, there’s actually some science behind it! And it all starts with one simple question: why do zebras have stripes? There has been scientific interest in the function of zebra stripes for over 150 years. There have been many theories …
Too often I’ve seen stables with lots of flies and all people do is try to spray their horses. Trapping is one way you can keep bug populations low, but there’s a really low-maintenance, natural way to control bugs around your barn that is mostly overlooked. I’m talking about chickens! …
Your saddle is most likely going to be the most expensive piece of horse tack you’re going to buy. A good saddle will run you anywhere from hundreds to thousands (depending on the type of saddle you need) – and because of that, it’s worth the time and effort to …
Your horse is a large animal whose care is a big responsibility. There’s a lot of horse stuff on the market, and though you don’t need half of what’s marketed to you, you will need some of the basic supplies to be able to take care of your horse. Here …
If you’re new to horse riding, you may not have heard the term ‘tack’ yet. Tack is short for ‘tackle’ which is a term that comes to the equestrian world from shipping. Its most likely root is in the old German word takel meaning the rigging and cranes on a …
Horses are prey animals that now live with one of their old nemeses: us. As recently as 10,000 years ago, humans were one of the predators that hunted and killed wild horses. Scientists are certain that humans actively hunted horses for food before domesticating them. And why wouldn’t they have? …
To see the world from your horse’s point of view, you literally need to know how your horse takes in the world. We, humans, evolved to be hunters and gatherers. This meant getting good at chasing down prey that could run away very quickly, and learning how to tell what …
To really understand your horse, you need to understand the world he lives in, how he sees things differently than you, even when you’re looking at the same thing. Your horse lives in a world of hay and grass – food is a top priority in life for your horse …
Marjolein Scheffers-Steinmann is a teacher and specialised therapist who works with school dropouts and kids that struggle with behavioural issues. I had an inspirational chat with her about the healing power of working with horses and how equine-assisted therapy can help you improve your communication skills, embrace your otherness and …
The work horse trainer Morgan Wagner has done with her horse, Endo the Blind, is a fine example of how blindness is a disability that you can work with, rather than an inability to live life. She’s demonstrated how the real problem with blindness isn’t the blindness itself but rather …
Oral injuries caused by bits are a painful equine welfare problem. Despite being such a common problem it isn’t something that’s widely discussed or acknowledged in the equestrian world. The conversation around it has become deeply polarised, with the bitless camp crying bloody murder every time there’s a photo posted …
