Table of contents for Practical Horseman Extra Volume 33 in Practical Horseman

Practical Horseman|Practical Horseman Extra Volume 33

JUMP-FREE JUMP SCHOOLING

One of my favorite exercises that we use frequently in the Skidmore College riding program is cantering over ground poles. This is a great way to work on course-riding skills without wearing out your horse’s legs. It removes the stress and anxiety about “the jump” and teaches you to focus on what really matters: the ride between the fences and through the corners of the ring. By understanding these fundamentals and consistently executing them properly, you will set yourself up for competition success. This is particularly critical in intercollegiate competitions, where riders have so little time to get to know their mounts before going into the ring. Ground poles teach both horses and riders how to relax and feel confident on course. Students come to our program from around the…

18 min

Practical Horseman|Practical Horseman Extra Volume 33

Digestive Supplements

Search online and you’ll find dozens of different digestive supplements for horses. There are products with probiotics (live bacteria and yeasts thought to aid digestion), prebiotics (enzymes and yeast extracts to nourish those microbes), amino acids such as glutamine and threonine, antacids such as bicarbonate, psyllium (to help lubricate the colon and move material through) and more. Speak with your veterinarian if you think a supplement might help your horse and do research before you buy, says Dr. Liara Gonzalez, DVM, PhD, DACVS. "Ask: Where is the data? Some companies have paid researchers to conduct tests to support their claims. That doesn’t mean the results are not valuable but find out what kind of testing was done and if the results were published.” Studies can be published in peer-reviewed scientific…

1 min

Practical Horseman|Practical Horseman Extra Volume 33

Ground-pole Course

Pick up the left lead and canter a large opening circle. Maintain the left lead over Pole 1. At the end of the arena, execute a flying change at A. Canter over Pole 2, maintaining the right lead across the arena to Pole 3. Canter Pole 4 without allowing your horse to swap to the left lead over the pole or down the broken line to Pole 5. Maintain the right lead over Pole 5 and ask for a flying change at B. Proceed over Pole 6, maintaining the left lead and execute a flying change at C. Roll back to Pole 7 on the right lead. Canter past the in-gate and return to a walk.…

1 min

Practical Horseman|Practical Horseman Extra Volume 33

6 Steps to Protect Gut Health

What are your horse’s odds of developing colic or gastric ulcers? The answer may depend in large part on you. “Gut issues are always a threat to horses, but you can take steps to reduce the risk,” says Liara Gonzalez, DVM, PhD, DACVS, an assistant professor focusing on gastroenterology and equine surgery at North Carolina State University. To protect your horse from GI threats, she advises, start by copying nature in what, when and how you feed him. In this article Dr. Gonzalez outlines six steps that will put you on the right path. 1. FEED FORAGE You can meet most of your horse’s nutritional needs with high-fiber forage, like hay and grass. “Forage is the most natural food source for horses,” Dr. Gonzalez says, “and the act of chewing…

10 min