365 Days in Horse Country –  Equine Allergies   Horses can develop allergies much like people can.  They can be allergic to something in the air, something they are eating, or something that is coming into contact with their skin. Your horse probably has allergies if he is coughing a lot, breathing loudly, has hives on his skin, or gets frequent diarrhea or loose stool.  You should h ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  The Paso FinoThe Paso Fino is a handsome breed developed in South America from horses originally brought to the New World by the Spaniards in the 1500s.  The breed is most often seen in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Columbia, and is becoming more popular in North America. Paso Finos are gaited horses, and they are considered one of the smoothest horses in the wor ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  The Importance of Clean Tack It’s not the most fun thing to do, but it’s a requirement of all equestrians: tack cleaning. The majority of horse tack, bridles, saddles, and the many accessories that go with them, is made of leather.  Because leather is a natural product, made from animal hide, it must be regularly cleaned and conditioned to retain its stre ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  The Colour of Wild Take a look at some of the oldest indigenous wild equids in the world, and you’ll notice one thing in common: a dun colouration.  Now look at certain breeds of modern-day horses, and you’ll also see this same colour.  Many experts believe that the dun colouration is the original colour of the horse. The classic dun colouration is chara ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  Spooking   Spooking is one of the most often reported problems among horse owners, and it’s one of the more annoying equine behaviors.  It’s a rare horse who doesn’t do it. Spooking can be a hard behaviour to stop, probably because it is rooted in evolutionary history.  Horses are prey animals and are wired to react quickly to perceived danger.  Althoug ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  Misty of Chincoteague   If you have a horse-loving child or were one yourself, chances are you’ve heard of Misty of Chincoteague.  This famous pony was the subject of a 1947 book by Marguerite Henry and became a household name among animal-loving children throughout the world.  Based on a true story, “Misty of Chincoteague” is set on Chincoteague Island ...

365 Days in Horse Country –  Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS)  Humans aren’t the only ones who get stomach ulcers.  Horses are plagued by them, too.  Often the result of stress, frequent dosing with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and low-fiber diets, gastric ulcers in horses are unfortunately all too common.  In fact, one study showed that 90 percent of all performance ho ...

365 Days in Horse Country – The White Horse of Uffington Around 3,000 years ago, the figure of a white horse was carved into a chalk hillside in the British parish of Uffington, in the south of England, west of London.  This simple yet stylized horse, white against the dark background, is visible from nearby high hillsides and from the air.  It is also a subject of controversy today. ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Epona Epona was the Celtic goddess of horses, and she was responsible for caring for them, along with donkeys and mules.  She has become a popular icon for the horse in modern times. Although Epona is believed to have been born in Celtic mythology, she was integrated into Roman religion.  She was worshiped throughout the Roman Empire, mostly by people who ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Remembering Hightower One of the most-often-seen equine actors was a horse named Hightower.  This chestnut gelding appeared in so many films that nearly everyone who has ever gone to the movies has seen tis horse on the big screen. Hightower was a stunt horse who appeared in many films in his long career, but he also had some significant roles.  He played G ...