Favorite Finds 43
Pulling A Shoe
This is such an important technique for all horse owners to know. Even if your personal horse doesn’t wear shoes, you may come across a horse that needs assistance at your barn or a friend that needs some help pulling a shoe and you will know exactly what to do after watching this short video. What I love about this video is @oliviacasperseventing has her farrier show us how to pull a shoe, and of course he makes it look extremely easy but then Olivia demonstrates how to pull a shoe, which is much more relatable for us non experts. There is a lot of good information in this video and it’s definitely worth saving so you have easy access to it. And just remember to purchase a couple of the tools for your first aid kit, it will be worth the investment.
FeedXL
My clients ask me all the time about what to feed their horses and although I have a good grasp on this area, I am not a nutritional expert. I recently stumbled across FeedXL and I think it is a fantastic resource. Most people know that you can call a grain company and they will make recommendations for your horse’s diet but they only know about their company’s grain. So what if you have questions about forage? Or joint supplements? Or mineral ratios? These topics are generally out of their scope so if you’re looking for a comprehensive look at your horse’s nutrition, FeedXL is your one stop shop. They are not linked to one particular grain company so you can calculate and compare grains, upload pasture/hay assessments, examine supplement or grain nutrients and more. Now, FeedXL is not free but when you see all the ways they can help you with your feed program, I think it is worth the investment.
The Equestrian Connection- Episode #25 Betsy Vonda
I just listened to The Equestrian Connection podcast episode with Betsy Vonda and I found it extremely interesting. First, if you haven’t listened to The Equestrian Connection podcast, I would highly recommend all the episodes. That being said, one of the recent episodes, #25 with Betsy was very intriguing. Many equestrians right off their horse pinning their ears or displaying what many describe as “naughty” behavior but is it really “naughty?” Betsy discusses her perspective on training when the horse says no. Many times if we don’t listen when they say no, the horse is left with no other option other than to “yell” at us because we are not listening to them. I find this conversation captivating because I think many equestrians don’t pay attention to the subtleties and they go on with their grooming, riding, etc without taking into account how their horse is feeling that day or what is going on in their body that we may not be seeing. After listening to this episode, I bet you will pay more attention to your horse and what he is trying to tell you.