I've noticed tack stores closing over the years and even saddle makers closing shop. Riding horses is as old as dirt!! Are we getting the younger generation involved in the joy or horse riding - it's much better than any video game out there.

Hi everyone!
I'm thinking about Free Leasing Rocky to someone who wants a horse but can't afford one, he will stay at m house so whoever is interested would be coming here to ride and work with him.
I have never done this and wonder what I should ask of anyone interested and how would I advertise for this?

It seems Photobucket has decided that uploaded pictures cannot be shared to other sites unless one upgrades at $399/year! This affects ALL pictures so anyone that has used Photobucket and shared pics, no longer have those pics available on DE or any other site there were shared.

To say I'm upset is putting mildly. [!]

Tuesday morning I woke up to a great surprise! How cute is she! Thinking about naming her May, but any name suggestions would be great!




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What is your favorite Horse Quote??

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What is your favorite riding discipline?

With my horses I do a lot of trail riding and some barrel racing!



<b>Would love to see your riding discipline photos and stories!</b>

Horses are like potato chips.....You can't have JUST ONE!

Well, I may be a horse addict! I have two horses, and recently just added a pregnant mare due at anytime to my collection! [] Not to mention my other horses is getting bred at anytime! I couldn't pass up my new Registered Quarter Horse Mare, Her Grandfather would be Zip's Chocolate Chip, and Great Grandfather Zippo Pine Bar! Who could pass up that!
<b>Below is an old photo of her! </b>[]
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In the hopes of keeping DE alive, I'm posting MORE TRAIL PICS!!

These are from yesterday's ride in southern Indiana. The trails were mostly dry and it was a beautiful day. We didn't stray far from the trails today since all but one area had been cleared of fallen trees. That one is going to take more than a chain saw though. It's about 20' wide with several trees stacked on top of each other. It might be a permanent detour around that.

We had a guest ride with us. This gal lived in the area several years ago and had horses but moved to FL and has been horseless since. She was amazed at the changes in the trails since she left. There's been a couple of tornadoes which cleared some areas. Other areas that were open have grown up with scrub trees and brush. Trails relocated... It was interesting to listen to her comments.



Watering hole:



Told ya it was a gorgeous day!





And a somewhat fuzzy pic of yours truly cheesing it up for the cam!

Ulcer Warning Signs

Studies show that a high percentage of horses that travel frequently, are stalled frequently, or consume high levels of grains. High performance horses are at a higher risk of having ulcers. In mild cases of ulcers, the symptoms can be so minor you don’t even notice. More severe cases are much easier to identify.

Signs of ulcers:
weight loss
acting up under saddle
cinchy, biting
not able to touch the stomach
teeth grinding
bad attitude
cribbing
high anxiety
loose stools
poor hair coat


Some signs of ulcers can be easily confused with saddle fitting issues. The only sure way to know if your horses has ulcers is to have their stomach scoped by a veterinarian. Your horses stomach needs acid to digest food. They can produce up to 9 gallons of acid per day even when not eating. It is recommended to decrease the high levels of grains your horse is consuming and increase the amount of roughage per day. Using a slow feeder to feed you horse hay helps prevent waste, along with keeping your horses eating all day long and maintain a low acid level in the stomach.

There are many great supplements on the market to help prevent ulcers or help your horses that have ulcers. Ask your trusted veterinarian what they recommend.

Republished from our Blog: https://horsesaddleshop.blogspot.com/

Abscesses: The common cold for horses
The common cold for humans is the horse equivalent of an abscess. Some horses are more prone to them than others. I have a grulla paint mare that I have owned for just over a year, and in that course of a year, she has had a few abscesses. I have gotten pretty good in treating these things so I am going to share a little about an abscess and what some symptoms and treatment options are.

To start off if you don’t know what an abscess is, it occurs when bacteria invades the horse's hoof and is most noticeable when it infects the sensitive parts of the foot. They can cause serious damage if left untreated. What are some symptoms of an abscess you may ask? Well, the most common and noticed symptom is lameness and limping. This is in result to the invasion of the bacteria into the sensitive spots in the hoof.

However, there are a few more things that you can pick up on that are preliminary to an abscess. These include but are not limited to: fever, swelling of the leg and hoof area, sensitivity to hoof picks, and touch. If you notice your horse displaying any of these behaviors they probably have an abscess.

Fear not! These can be treated fairly easy. The easiest and fastest relief for your horse from an abscess is to have your vet or farrier come out and find the location of the infection of it has not broken through and trim a hole/path for the infection to drain out. However, some abscesses erupt and break through on their own, not needing to have a hole/path cut to drain them.

Once it is broke through and draining it is important to keep this area clean. Some people soak the foot in Epsom salts this is known the draw the infection out of the foot. This can be easily done by purchasing a soaking boot from your local tack store. These make the soaking process so much easier! Have you ever tried to get your horse to put its foot into a bucket to soak? Well, good luck, that’s a job in itself! Trust me the soak boots are a simple solution to a bigger potential headache.

What causes abscess and how can they be prevented? Well, the most common cause is an irritation to the sole of the foot most commonly from a stone or something of that nature getting stuck in the foot. It can even be as simple as a bruise from a stone/rock from trail riding. Aside from that, another common cause is moisture whether there be too much or too little moisture. Finally, dirty stalls are horrible for horse’s feet and can bring about abscesses.

If you pay attention and do your best to maintain healthy hoof care you should be fine. However, if your horse does get an abscess, just be sure to treat it accordingly and get it taken care of quickly.