The question comes with some regularity, I'm bringing home my horse or I'm buying a horse and I need a list of basic items to have. And though this is by far not everything you may need, if you have these items you'll be able to care for your horse in a reasonable fashion. There may be other things needed, please feel free to comment and add to the list.

There may be some things on this list you may feel you don't need, but this will give you an idea of what you should have.

There's also a great book available called "Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage: Designing and Managing Your Equine Facilities" that will help you determine the items you need and even design your stable area. Cherry Hill is the author and she has also included a section on horse behavior. Lots of information. ]]> http://www.equestrian-accessories.com/basic-items-to-care-for-your-horse/feed/ 0 http://www.equestrian-accessories.com/horse-first-aid-kit/ http://www.equestrian-accessories.com/horse-first-aid-kit/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:43:23 +0000 Horse Talk http://www.equestrian-accessories.com/?p=696

Sooner or later you'll need a horse first aid kit. Here are some basic kits with supplies to get you started. There may be things you wish to add to your kit, but you'll find all the basics here.

Horse First Aid Equine Medical Kit EquiKit™ DELUXE Equine Vet Designed    US $98.99

Horse Aid™ First Aid Kit for Horses NEW    US $45.95

New Equine Horse Aid First Aid Kit for Ponies Tack    US $49.15

Horse First Aid Kit TRAIL RIDING EquiTrailKit™ EquiKits    US $49.95

First Aid Kit For Horses Pets    US $20.00

EquiKit™ BASIC Horse First Aid Equine Medical Kit    US $64.95

Natural Vet Horse First Aid Hard Shell Emergency Kit    US $44.99

vintage flying red horse mobil gas oil first aid kit tin    US $25.00

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It can be easy to lose control of all the 'stuff' you need to take care of your horse. Blanket Racks will definitely help in that area. Keep your blankets clean and dry with blanket racks. Here are the ones we have available today:

NEW HORSE FLOAT TACK BOX SADDLE BRIDLE BLANKET RACK KIT    US $32.27

Horse Blanket Rack for Air Drying Your Blankets    US $13.50

Horse Stall Blanket Towel Rack made from recycled Shoes    US $29.99

There are a number of ointment choices to keep on hand but the number one choice for most horse owners is Corona Ointment. Find several sizes available, priced to sell.

Corona ointment 14 oz cuts abrasion sores with minimal scaring    US $15.97

CORONA OINTMENT 14oz    US $11.12

Corona Ointment 36oz Lanolin Salve Hoof Scrape SoresNWT    US $27.50

Corona Multi purpose Ointment 7 oz tube    US $7.00

Corona Ointment 7oz Lanolin Salve Hoof Scrape SoresNWT    US $7.50

Corona ointment 2oz cuts abrasion sores with minimal scaring    US $6.87

Corona Lanolin 14oz Antiseptic Ointment Horses Pets    US $17.89

Summit Industry Corona Ointment 36 Ounce 3036    US $43.48

Summit Industry Corona Ointment 14 Ounce 3014    US $30.68

Summit Industry Corona Ointment 7 Ounce 3010    US $27.23

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We've all seen the lovely pictures - horses grazing out in a beautiful pasture. But what do you really know about horses. What sort of relationship do you have?

Communication is very important with any animal and it's no different for a horse. They are unable to learn how to understand humans, so we as owners must learn to understand our horses instead.

Horses, like many animals, have a strong since of self-preservation. They run in herds like buffalo and sheep, so their instincts are to run from danger and stay within their herd for protection.

A riders goal, is to properly train a horse to follow directions rather than to following their own instincts. Obviously, they are going to resist. It's unnatural for them.

Trust is the key for this to happen and it will only come gradually. Only by spending time with your horse and interacting appropriately and consistently will you gain their trust.

Body position, movements and calls to each other are the ways horses communicate. And if you sit quietly and observe horses for long periods of time, you will begin to see the horse communicate with other horses and with humans as well.

The ears of a horse always point in the direction that has his attention. If you are riding him, you want one ear to point back toward you. Sometimes he might point both ears back.

But ears tell us other things as well. If the horse's ears begin moving front and back continuously, this indicates uncertainty. And don't misunderstand ears that are pointing back to listen with ears that are pinned flat back which means anger.

The tail of the horse is a means of communication too. A high tail means excitement in a horse while a tail that is flattened and between their legs means fear. A tail that is lashing about is a sign of irritation and annoyance. And a "kinked" tail is often a sign that your horse is about to buck, especially if he bows his back up at the same time.

And like humans, facial expressions provide clues too. A wrinkled nose can mean disgust and annoyance. And just like your pet dog or cat, when a horse bares his teeth with an open mouth, it means he's about to bite.

By becoming aware of what your horse is communicating to you, you've taken the first steps forward in your relationship and will find gaining his trust much easier.

We recommend that you use a 42cm (about 16 ½”) long flexible piece of wire, such as solder, electrical wire, or perhaps a coat hanger to measure your horses' withers. Bend the wire in the middle and place it two fingers behind your horse’s shoulder blade, which is also where you should be placing your saddle. (If you walk your horse for a few steps to see the rotation, or feel for the heavy bone below the withers, you can easily locate the shoulder blade.)

Bend your wire over the withers, right at the edge of the shoulder blade. Once you have measured the "V" shape over the withers, pressing the wire firmly into shape (so it doesn’t spring open when you take it off your horse's back) then carefully lay the wire down, and measure the distance between the two ends of the wire. This is the width you need to get the proper size saddle for your horse.

English tree dimension are measured in centimeters. A narrow tree is 28 cm (for a very high withered horse), standard is 29 cm (this is for a high withered horse), medium is 30 cm (slightly above average withers), wide is 31 cm (for average withers), and extra-wide is 32 cm (for a low wither horse). If your horse is a draft type breed, and measured extra-wide, you will most likely need a 32 cm tree size.

Most good English saddles will provide the centimeter measurement for you, but some less expensive saddles will simply use the medium, wide, extra-wide scale. But remember, the tree measurement must be provided by the manufacturer, as you can't measure the tree once the saddle is assembled.

To check the size for you, the rider, on an English saddle - sit down in a chair, so that your upper leg is at a right-angle to your lower leg, then measure your upper leg length ...from the back of your buttock to the tip of your knee. The sizes of an English saddle are from 16" through 18" - a measurement from the nail head just below the pommel and the middle of the cantle. If your upper leg is up to 16 1/2" your seat size is 15". For up to 18 ½" your size is 16", up to 20" your size is 16 ½", up to 21 ½" your size is 17", up to 23" your size is 17 ½" and over 23" your seat is 18".

Western saddle trees are available in basically two sizes, medium or wide. These are referred as semi-quarter horse bars, or full quarter horse bars. There are specialty trees for Arabians, gaited horses, drafts, and specialty performance events (like endurance), but the quarter horse trees are the most common. Quarter horses out number all other breeds combined in the USA.

Quarter Horse Bar or Semi Quarter Horse Bar is by far the most common tree. It has a higher pitch as opposed to the flatter pitch for FQHB. It is for a medium backed, average withered horse, which usually has a mixed heritage (1/2 Arab or other mixes). QH/Semi QH bars usually have the higher pitched angles, with a gullet of 6 ½" to 6 ¾" medium tree.

The Full Quarter Horse Bar (which usually has a 7" gullet) is used for broad backs and sometimes mutton-withered Quarter Horses. Full Quarter Horse Bar Saddles will usually have a flatter pitch than the Quarter Horse Bar.

Arab Saddle has the same gullet as a QHB, but needs a flatter pitch angle than a QHB, short backs need the same gullet as the FQHB, but with the flatter pitch angle, and drafts need an 8" gullet with a wide tree.

On a Western saddle, the rider measures seat size by weight. The sizes run from 13" to 18" - and are measured from the back of the pommel (swell) to the stitching on the cantle. If rider weighs up to 85 pounds the seat size is 13", for up to 110 lbs a 14" seat would be a good choice. For up to 145 lbs the size is 15", for up to 175 lbs. the size is 16", up to 205 lbs. the seat is 17" and anyone over 205 lbs should use a size 18". Always err on the large size. Better to have a saddle seat a little too large, than a little too small.

The saddle should sit squarely down the middle of the horses back supported by the panels. The spine is not made to carry weight directly on it. It should always clear the withers (at least 1 ½" on a high-withered horse). The most common fault of an ill fitting saddle is having the seat too small for the rider, forcing the rider to sit at the back of the saddle, putting pressure on the horse's back.

Keep in mind these are general sizes. Unfortunately there are no standard sizes for saddles so each saddle maker has leeway in determining the tree size for his saddles. Also remember, a used saddle will widen somewhat, and will not be the same size as a saddle that is not broken in.